𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter thirty-three; Scared To Die
" Hey, sweetheart. "

"CAN I ASK you a question?"

  Vex peered up from the thermos of elderberry tea Hershel had made, looking to Glenn as she poured another cup.

  "I don't like the taste either," Vex joked weakly.

  Glenn breathed out a smile, shaking his head.

  "What's. . . your question?"

  "How are you. . . not scared?"

  Vex let out a long breath, taking a large sip of the tea as she did.

  "Of being sick?" She asked, "Of dying?"

  Glenn hesitated but nodded slightly.

  "You spend enough time thinking you're gonna die," She said slowly, wiping sweat from her forehead, "You stop being scared of it."

  Vex stood, preparing to meet Hershel and continue helping on his rounds, checking in on other people in the cell block.

  "It's not like. . . I want to die," She said after a moment, helping Glenn to his feet, "Just that. . . at this point. . . there's no use. God's kept me here this long. . . he'll take me out when I'm ready. And I know. . . there's still so much for me to do here. I ain't scared, 'cause it ain't my time yet."

  Vex patted Glenn's shoulder, the two heading out without another word.

  The sickness was getting worse. People had started succumbing to their symptoms, dying in silence, choking on their own blood without being able to ask for help.

  Vex focused on the people she could help.

  She did as Hershel told, passing out tea, resting wet rags on foreheads, and making sure the children in the cell block didn't see any of the dead being taken out on gurneys.

  The woman did everything she could until Hershel decided she was out of energy for the day and needed to rest.

  She argued for a moment, but ran out of breath and gave in.

  "Make sure you're drinkin' water," Hershel said, closing the cell after Vex took a seat on her cot. "Last thing we need is you getting dehydrated on top of all this."

  Vex nodded, rubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes.

  "Get me. . . if you need help," Vex said, "I'm. . . not so bad."

  "I can handle it," Hershel nodded, "You're tough, Vex. That doesn't mean you should push yourself too far."

  "That's all I know how to do," Vex smiled weakly, laying down on the cot slowly.

  "I know."

  Hershel departed after a moment, ensuring the woman actually closed her eyes. 

  She tried to sleep for a long while. But the combination of her fever and cough was keeping her awake longer than she wanted, the woman letting out ragged breaths as she tried to find slumber.

  Vex wondered if it was sleep that would even take her, or if her body would slip into unconsciousness, too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

  Whatever it was, it eventually took her, and Vex welcomed it.

  Until a gunshot rang out.

  Vex jolted, her vision blurring as she pushed herself up as quickly as possible. The woman grabbed the cell door, pulling herself up despite her body's protests.

  "Hershel," Vex rasped, pulling the cell door open and stumbling out, "Hershel!"

  The woman was quickly pushed to a wall, face to face with one of the people who had turned after passing.

  She gritted her teeth, holding him back as she reached for her knife. She was so tired, her body weak, but Vex knew it was not her time.

  So she grabbed the handle, burying it into the man's skull.

  The woman craned her head, seeing walkers climbing the stairs to follow the sound of loud gunshots.

  "Hershel!" Vex croaked, attempting to hurry toward the sound, but tripping over her own sluggish feet.

  "Vex!" Hershel called after shooting the last walker, "It's Glenn, come on!"

  The woman picked herself up, ignoring the protests of her body as she climbed the stairs.

  "I have to get somethin', you stay with him," Hershel said, seeing the woman's state, "Go."

  Vex did not argue, dragging herself to Glenn's cell.

  Her heart lurched at the sight.

  He was on the ground, blood pouring from his mouth, clearly struggling to breathe.

  "Alright," Vex said, turning the man on his side, "It's not your time either, Glenn."

  Vex heard Maggie's voice following another gunshot, but she remained focused on Glenn Rhee.

  "Come on," She whispered, watching Glenn begin to drown in his own blood, despite the liquid pouring from his mouth.

  Maggie skidded to a halt in front of them, falling to her knees beside Vex. The woman moved, allowing Maggie more space beside her husband.

  "He's turnin' blue!" Maggie called to her father.

  Hershel hurried, returning with the bag and a breathing apparatus.

  Vex saw black at the corner of her vision but helped Maggie in holding Glenn down as Hershel fed the tube into Glenn's throat. Vex fought her own sickness, her own exhaustion until Hershel attached the bag and Glenn's breathing evened out, the man calming.

  Vex breathed, leaning against the cell wall, breathing raggedly.

  "Come on," Hershel said, passing the bag to Maggie, "You need rest, Vex."

  The man approached her, attempting to pull the woman to her feet.

  "I can't move," She all but whispered, "I'm. . . too tired."

  Vex saw the darkness swallow her vision, the last thing she saw was Glenn's chest rising and falling steadily.

  If it was her time, she could accept it now.

🗡

  Vex's eyelids weighed ten tons, but she could feel a cool hand on her forehead.

  And then she felt a sharp prick in her arm.

  She tried to force her eyes open, tried to find her voice, but all she could do was focus on the hand.

  It was nice. Cold in comparison to her own body, calloused and rough but so gentle in its touch.

  "I. . . hate needles," Vex managed to rasp out, still unable to focus on the people standing over her.

  "Yeah? That's what you're takin' out of this?"

  The woman forced her eyes open, adjusting to the scene-- her vision still foggy but clear enough to recognize Daryl Dixon as the hand left her forehead.

  She couldn't focus on the rest of it. The movement behind him, the shuffling, the sounds. 

  All she could see was him staring down at her.

  "Hey, sweetheart," He said quietly.

  She smiled small, noticing he held an IV bag that was attached to the crook of her elbow.

  "You shouldn't be in here," She wheezed.

  "Got you those meds," He said, holding up the bag, "Put 'em in this. Hershel said you were dehydrated."

  Vex let out a sigh, tilting her head to see him fully.

  He was seated on the cot beside her, his crossbow on the ground at his feet.

  "You're gonna get sick."

  "I don't care."

  "You're. . . impossible."

  Daryl smiled, brushing the hair out of Vex's face when he saw her attempt to do just this.

  "How was it?" She questioned after a moment, "The run?"

  Daryl grunted, readjusting the IV bag.

  "That good. . . huh?" She smiled weakly.

  "Not makin' any new friends, that's for sure," Daryl mumbled.

  The woman breathed out a laugh, though it turned into a cough. She wrenched forward, the burning in her lungs making her want to gag.

  Daryl rested a hand on her back, partially irritated the medicine wasn't instant as she continued hacking.

  She let out a breath when she was done, the man resituated himself, gently lowering Vex onto her back, his leg in place of a pillow.

  "This is stupid," She rasped, "I don't want to get you sick."

  "Would you stop arguing, and just rest?"

  Vex blinked slowly, looking up at the man who stared ahead, resting his head on the wall behind him.

"Was my first run without you since we met."

Vex blinked slowly, peering up at him.

"Missed me?"

"Yeah, kind of," Daryl admitted gruffly, "S'weird. Stay with one person long enough. . . feels weird when they ain't around."

Vex used the remainder of her energy to lift a hand, grabbing Daryl's weakly.

"Missed you, too, Dixon."