.・゜-: ✧☾　☽✧ :-゜・.

It was early in the morning when Stella and Levi arrived back at the prison. Stella had been the one driving while Levi rested in the back. They were immediately greeted by her father and brother who were doing farming like any other day.

"Since when do you think you're allowed to drive?" Rick said as he approached his daughter for a hug.

"Don't." She stepped back with worry painted over her face. Her voice shook slightly as she spoke revealing the heavy concern that had permanently settled itself on her shoulders. "Levi's got something and if he has it so do I, so you should probably stay away."

"Got what? Is he okay?" Carl asked as he glanced into the car to see the boy passed out in the back.

"I have no idea what it is. I just need to get Hershel. He'll know what to do." Stella said as she headed for the prison doors. Her fingers were anxiously fiddling with her mother's wedding ring while she prayed that Levi would be okay. In the long time they had stayed at the prison, no one had ever gotten sick. Nothing bad at least.

Stella stopped in her steps at the distant sound of a gunshot coming from inside the prison. A prickling sensation sent up her spine and she instantly turned to her father who hurried out of the pig cage at the sound, hurrying toward her. But before he made it to her, her head spun round in the other direction as Lizzie and Mika came running out of the prison with panic painted across their faces.

"Help! Someone help!"

Stella didn't hesitate before running into the door where the two kids had just come out from, ignoring her father calling after her. She curled her fingers around her machete, holding her weapon in a tight grip as she sprinted toward the distant screams and ringing gunshots. She made it into cell block D, shocked by the sight. The scene in the cell block was terrifying, like a scene from a horror movie. Her eyes shifted between the frightened passing faces to the people screaming to the blood that seemed to be everywhere. She stepped inside not long before Daryl, Rick, and Carol and the four of them began to help the panicked people inside as they took down the walkers that stumbled through the cell block. Stella drove her weapon through the many heads of the walkers as she yelled for people to get into their cells or get out.

Suddenly, Stella's body was sent into a momentarily frozen state, when she locked eyes with one of the dead. Patrick. Carl's only friend stared back at her with blood flooding down his chin as he limped towards her. His eyes had lost their color, shifting to a dark and dull tone. She felt a burning sensation of tears behind her eyes realizing that she was going to have to kill her younger brother's first real friend. Closing her eyes, she pierced the machete through his chin, ending the boy's life. Before he managed to fall to the floor, Stella caught him and slowly lowered his limp body to the ground. She dragged her hand over his eyes, closing them. It felt more humane that way.

When she continued deeper into the cell block, her gaze was fixated on a young girl, pressing herself against a corning, crying out for help as tears of fear flooded down her face. Stella didn't think twice as she raced through the room, stopping right in front of the child sending her a warm smile.

"You're okay. It's okay. Close your eyes, don't look, okay?" She said, earning a quick nod before Stella picked up the trembling girl carrying her into one of the cells where Karen stood prepared to have the child handed over to her.

As Stella turned back to the chaos in the cellblock she was met with something that looked like a bloodbath. The red liquid pooled the floor along with scattered bodies of the people Stella had lived with for months. Multiple people cried out in pain as they stared at the fresh bite wound and the girl felt the sudden need for fresh air.

She followed her father to the second floor where some of the men had gathered around a dead girl. Her face had trails of blood from her eyes and nose just like Patrick had.

"No bites. No wounds." Rick said, examining the body. "I think she just died."

"Horribly too, Pleurisy aspiration. "Gabriella said. "Choked to death on her own blood. Caused those trails down her face."

"I've seen them before. On a walker outside the fences."

"Saw them on Patrick too." Stella chimed in.

"They're from the internal lung pressure building up." Caleb, who stood next to Gabriella said.

"It's a sickness from the walkers?" Stella's voice sounded weak with worry. Seeing what happened to the other sick ones in the cellblock, her mind immediately trailed back to Levi and the blood on his pillow. A stab of fear assaulted her as she looked up at Gabriella, waiting for her to answer her question.

"No, these things happened before they were around. Could be pneumococcal, most likely an aggressive flu strain." She explained making Rick glance back at Stella knowing about the sick boy still in the back of her car. Worry overcame him. If Levi was sick, Stella would most definitely have it.

"How could someone die in just a day from a cold?" Daryl asked, making Stella's stomach turn. She needed to get out. Breathe. Suddenly, she was running, heading outside with her hand clutching onto her chest as she let the tears spill. Before she had a chance to make it to the car where Levi lay, she felt two hands grab hold of her. She cried as she made a desperate attempt to squirm out of their grasp but failed, brining her to fall into the arms of whoever was holding her.

"I know, sweetheart. I know." Rick said as he hugged his daughter.

"That can't be him. What happened in there, that can't be him. Ever." She sobbed into his shoulder.

"We'll figure something out. I promise." He tried to reassure her. She couldn't think straight. Paticks face had burned itself into the back of her head. Levi couldn't end up like that.

Stella looked up from her father's shoulder, seeing Michonne being carried by Carl and Maggie all three heading up towards the prison. Michonne seemed to be hurt, however, Carl didn't hesitate to let go of her as he spotted his father and sister. The two tried to stop him, preventing him from getting whatever they both might be carrying but he didn't listen. Instead, the boy rushed into their embrace, with worry painted across his face.

After a moment of hugging the younger boy, they were forced to let go and step back as they had been exposed to the virus that was going around.

"What happened in there?" Carl asked, seeing his sister's teary eyes. Stella let out a plaintive cry as her mind trailed back to Patrick, Carl's best friend.

As Stella was the one who had taken Partick out, meeting him face to face she felt obligated to be the one to tell him. "Patrick got sick last night. Some kind of flu." The news that had just left Stella's mouth lingered in the air and she watched her brother's shoulders slumped as a wave of sadness washed over him. She wanted nothing more than to give him a hug but she stopped herself.

"We think he died and attacked the cellblock." Rick filled in.

"I'm so sorry Carl. He was a good kid." Stella watched her brother's gaze become distant, lost in silent grief and shock.

"We lost a lot of good people in there." Rick met Maggie's worried gaze. "Glenn and your dad are okay but they were in there. You shouldn't be too close to anyone that might have been exposed, at least for a little while."

________

Stella watched as Glenn helped Levi inside the isolation block that they had created to separate the sick who were showing symptoms and the ones who hadn't been exposed. Levi, Karen, and David were the only ones so far but Stella knew that she'd probably be the next one to join them.

"Stella?" Ellie's voice made the girl spin around to see the Grenne girl rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Stella despite her tries to stop her.

"Ellie, no. I've been exposed. I could get you sick."

"I'm not afraid." She wrapped her arms around Stella, hugging her even tighter.

"Ellie.."

"I've already been exposed. I hugged Dad earlier. It's okay."

Stella hesitated for a moment before encircling her arms around Ellie. "Why would you risk it, you dumbass?"

"I heard about Levi." She answered shortly.

The words made Stella's suppressed fear and worry reveal itself in the form of a single tear spilling from her eyes.

"Hey, I found this." Ellie lifted a dusty comic book in the air. Stella flashed her an appreciative smile as she read the front page. "Spiderman."

"You should give this to him." The Greene girl said.

"Thank you, Ellie." Stella smiled. "Now go lock yourself in your cell and don't risk getting even more exposed."

_____

Stella had snuck past her dad, heading into the tombs with the comic book in hand. She didn't know if she was ready to see Levi in the current state he was in but she knew that if the roles were switched, he wouldn't hesitate to come visit her as soon as he got the chance.

As she got closer to the isolation cells her nose scrunched up at the acrid smell of smoke and something suffocating, making her stomach turn. She slowed her pace, pressing her bandana to her mouth to conceal the stench that got stronger and stronger as she walked. Before she even made it to Levi's cell she felt herself step into something wet just outside Karen's cell. She lifted her feet from the floor, examining the underside of her shoes to see the shiny red substance of blood. Overwhelmed with confusion she peeked into Karen's cell, only to find it empty with a trail of blood leading from the bed all the way to the exit.

Stella swallowed hard as she hurried to the next cell which was David's. However, she saw no sign of him except for the same trail of blood. Dropping the comic book from her hand, letting it crash into the puddle of blood on the floor, she rushed to the last cell where Levi was being isolated. As she peeked into the cell she immediately felt her chest constrict. Her eyes darted around the room without seeing any signs of him. She drew harsh and unsteady breaths
as she slowly backed away from the cell, once against stepping in the blood that led to the exit.

Her hand pushed the door open instantly being hit with a strong odor from outside. She took a harsh step back as the sudden stench filled her nostrils. But as her eyes fixated on the source of the smell, she immediately forgot about it. Paying no mind to the foul stench she stepped back outside, letting her hand clamp over her mouth with her eyes opened to their absolute limits.

She lost foot grip for a second as her eyes studied what remained of two bodies decomposed to almost nothing but ashes. Her legs gave way, making her fall to the floor staring mindlessly at the two bodies. All air left her lungs and her vision blurred with tears till the point where she saw nothing. Nothing but the world collapsing around her.

Levi.

_____ ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ _____
𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
_____ ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ _____

𝐀/𝐍
my finger slipped.