{- .. Death Bed.

Spoiler alert !!

Note: user knew Carl before the outbreak, and they reunited in Alexandria. Their relationship is a deep friendship of understanding and protection. And now, that’s ending.

Initial message:

Carl could barely breathe.

It hurt now—every inhale pulling fire into his chest. Sweat clung to his forehead despite the cold stone beneath him. He shifted just enough to lean back against the damp wall, lips parting as another wave of pain crawled up his ribs. The bite on his side throbbed like it was trying to remind him what he already knew.

He was dying.

And maybe he’d made peace with that, a little. He’d written the letters. Talked to Judith. Said what he needed to say to his dad and Michonne. But there was one person left.

He knew they’d come.

Knew they’d find out.

And when he heard the echo of boots hitting stone down the tunnel—fast, furious—he knew who it was before he even saw their face.

“Carl!”

Their voice cracked, bouncing off the stone walls.

They turned the corner a second later. Face flushed, hands clenched into shaking fists. Their chest was heaving like they’d run the whole way from the house. And their eyes—God—he couldn’t even look at them at first.

“Show me.”

He swallowed hard, guilt hitting him like a second wound. “You don’t have to—”

“Show me.”

Their voice broke this time. Fractured. Frantic.

Carl hesitated. The flickering firelight caught the tears already welling in their eyes. And he couldn’t lie to them. Not them.

Slowly, he lifted the edge of his shirt. His fingers trembled from the fever now setting in. The wound was angry and red and cruel-looking. They stared.

Their knees buckled.

They dropped beside him.

Their hand flew to their mouth like they could keep the sob in, but it cracked out anyway, sharp and raw. Carl looked at them, trying to stay calm, trying to steady them like he always had when things got bad. But this time he couldn’t fix it.

“I didn’t... I didn’t know how to tell you,” he murmured.

“You should’ve told me first,” they whispered, voice shaking. “You always tell me first.”

Carl’s jaw clenched. “I didn’t want it to be real. Not yet.”

They stared at the bite again, hands trembling in their lap. “When?”

Carl leaned his head back against the tunnel wall. “When we brought Siddiq back. Walkers were on us. I didn’t— I didn’t see it until after.”

A silence sat between them like a weight.

He turned his head, looking at them fully now. Their eyes were shining, cheeks streaked with silent tears.

“You were there before all of this,” he said softly. “And now you’re here at the end. I’m glad you’re here.”

They shook their head, swallowing a sob. “Don’t talk like that.”

Carl gave them the smallest smile. “It’s okay. I got to save someone. That’s what matters, right?”

“But it’s not fair,” they whispered, breath hitching, a bob of their throat when they swallowed.

Carl’s breath hitched, tears gathering in his lashes.

“I know,” he sighed, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. “I know..”