Chapter 7
warning: strong language, suggested talk about drugs/alcohol
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"Did you see the news?" Annette asked as I walked into the clinic.
"No, what happened?" I asked, walking to the back before walking up to her desk.
"Watch this." She ordered, turning the television on.
"Again, if you have any symptoms of the flu, please go to the hospital immediately! Symptoms are nausea, fever, and fatigue. Even if you're feeling bad, go to the hospital." The news anchor declared.
Suddenly it cut to another clip of a human literally eating another human.
"That was in Florida." Annette mumbled.
I furrowed my eyebrows and scrunched up my nose as it showed another clip of a human getting attacked by another human which was growling and eating human flesh.
"What is going on?" I asked Annette.
"The world is ending. Mark my word." She replied.
I rolled my eyes and walked away before walking into exam room one.
-
I walked into Jake's apartment, finding him shivering on the couch.
"Hey, Danielle. How are you?" Shane asked from the other couch.
"I'm good, how are you?" I asked.
"Okay. Jake got sick at work and I made sure he got back home okay." He answered.
"You're sick?" I asked, setting my stuff down and walking over to Jake.
"It's just food poisoning, I ate an eight day old microwave dinner." He answered.
My mind began wandering back to what Annette and I watched on the news, and I handed him a blanket.
"Come on, we're going to the hospital." I replied, getting my car keys again.
"No, no we aren't." He replied.
"Yes we are. There's this weird flu going around and you start eating people." I replied.
"No. You get the flu, the fever kills you, then you come back and eat people." Shane corrected.
"I'm not going to get woken up in the middle of the night by seeing my flesh being ripped off my skin, so let's go." I ordered.
"I'm fine!" Jake hissed.
"Prove it." I demanded.
"If I get worse, I'll go. I promise." He replied.
I slowly nodded my head before sitting down beside Shane.
"Damn, you've got an iPhone now." Shane stated.
"My phone is in my back pocket. Why were you looking there?" I asked.
"I'm a man." He replied.
"Stop looking." Jake ordered.
"Anyway, I gotta get to the hospital." Shane stated.
"Why?" I asked.
"Rick got shot today." He answered.
"Is he okay?" I inquired.
"He's in a coma." He replied.
-
I jolted from the couch, hearing growls from the bedroom.
I slowly walked toward the door before turning the knob.
Jake went to bed hours ago, and I was stalking my family on Facebook since I never saw them.
Okay, it had been a week, but I missed them.
"Jake?" I asked, pushing the door open.
I screamed, watching as he ran at me while growling.
"This isn't funny, Jake!" I yelled.
Then I remembered the news, how Jake was sick, and what Shane had told me.
I grabbed my wallet, keys, and phone and ran out of the apartment as fast as I could.
I nearly fell down the stairs before running through the parking lot to get to my car.
"Oh my God, oh my God!" I whispered as I got into my car and locked the doors.
I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed 911.
-
I frantically knocked on the door of my old home before the porch light turned on.
"Please let me in!" I begged.
I began pacing back and forth, trying to come to terms with Jake's death.
The door swung open and I was met by Annette.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" She asked.
"The news. What you saw, it's here now. Jake was sick and he turned into a zombie, and then he- then he.." I trailed off while tears streamed down my cheeks.
"What drug are you on?" Shawn asked.
"I'm not!" I yelled.
"Come in, sweetie." Annette ordered as she gently wrapped her hands around my arms.
"He died, Jake died!" I sobbed.
"Oh.." Shawn mumbled.
"Please, please don't make me go back out there. Please let me stay here. I'm scared," I cried.
"What happened?" My father asked as he walked downstairs.
Annette explained everything to him and everything kept replaying in my head.
"Turn the news on." Annette ordered.
"Daddy, please don't make me go back out there." I cried, gasping for air.
Maggie crutched over to me before sitting down beside me and wrapping her arms around me.
"Get away from her. She was around Jake and he was sick. She probably has the virus now. We can't chance to get sick." My father snapped.
"Hershel, she's your daughter!" Annette yelled.
"Leave and don't come back." Dad spat.
I felt another rush of emotions come over me and I stood up.
"So you don't care if I die? You don't care if those monsters get me? You don't care about me and you never have. I was a mistake. You hate me like I hate the mistakes I made. That's okay, I'll never be back here." I snapped before walking out and slamming the screen door behind me.
I got into my car and sped down the dirt road until my car started sputtering and the engine shut off on its own.
I furrowed my eyebrows and turned the key before getting out.
My heart started racing as a truck pulled up minutes later and someone got out.
"Daryl?" I asked.
"What happened to yer car?" He asked.
"I don't know. It just started sputtering and died." I mumbled.
"Sounds like the transmission went out." He replied.
"You aren't mad at me?" I asked.
"Why would I be mad?" He asked.
"Cause I got Merle in jail." I answered.
"I'm mad, but he got bailed out today. His court date is Thursday." He explained.
"I saved your ass, you know." I replied.
"Yeah." He muttered, getting in my car.
He tried turning the key, but it would just sputter and die.
"Transmission." He stated, getting back out and looking at me.
"Great. What else is going to happen?" I asked.
"What happened to ya? Ye look like shit. Daddy disown ya again?" He asked.
"Jake.. Died. I tried coming back to the farm, but no. He's scared of me giving them the virus and he told me to never come back." I explained.
"Jake died? How?" He inquired.
"He got that virus and turned into a zombie." I answered.
"What happened after that?" He interrogated.
"The police took him to the hospital and they killed him. They said there was no brain activity except for one spot." I replied.
"Damn." He mumbled.
I crossed my arms and sighed before kicking a gravel out of the road.
"Do ya need a ride?" He asked.
"Let's go to the bar." I replied.
"Why?" He inquired.
"I need a drink." I answered like it was obvious.
I reached into my car and got my wallet and keys before following Daryl to his truck.
-
"You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to walk in there tomorrow and quit. He needs me there, but he just won't admit it." I slurred.
"Yer already homeless. Do ya really want to lose yer job?" He asked.
"I don't have anything else to lose." I replied.
He finished drinking his third beer before standing up.
"Let's go." He replied.
-
I walked into the vet clinic, finding Annette at the front desk as always.
"You're late." My father stated.
"I don't care." I replied.
I watched as his face expression hardened and he looked to me.
"You don't want me in your house because you think I'll give you the flu, but you let me come in to work? You just don't want me in your house. Guess what? I quit. I got offered a job two months ago at the Stevens' clinic, with higher pay, but I turned it down because you needed me here when you had your surgery." I explained.
It felt good to stand up for myself and let some of my anger out.
"You can't quit," Annette stated, standing up from her chair.
"I'll be back on Wednesday for my last pay check and my things, Dr. Greene." I bit.
"You get back here, young lady!" My father demanded as I turned on my heels and walked to the door.
"What? So you can keep telling me how worthless I am to you? How you don't need me? How you wish I was never born? Oh, by the way. I let go last night. I drunk until I passed out, and during the drinking I smoked some weed. It was great. I should've done it a long time ago." I snapped, looking him in the eye.
I felt a hand around my wrist and I turned my head to see Daryl.
He pulled me out of the clinic and back to his truck.
"I thought ya were just bluffin'." He stated once I got in his truck.
"Nope." I mumbled.
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hey beauties, I finally updated my Daryl fanfic (Fallen) lmao it's been forever
ALSO YOU GUYS ARE SO FREAKING CUTE I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH
AND THANK YOU FOR NOMINATING ME IN THE AWARDS, I HONESTLY WASNT EXPECTING ANY VOTES SO THANK YOU <3