Chapter 1: Reality Hits Home

Lori stared down at her husband, lying under the thin hospital covers, IVs inserted into his skin. The incessant, ruthless beeping of the machines reminding her that without them, her husband would be dead. Lori lost track of how long she'd been there for by now, but she knew Carl would be finishing school soon.

Forcing herself out of her own mind, Lori prepared to leave when Shane, Rick's best friend from high school entered the room clutching a take-out bag in his hands. It had been a very busy day for the knackered Shane, especially since he had to miss lunch time.

"Oh, hi Lori," he said, sounding tired and a little surprised. "Sorry, I didn't know you were here."

"It's alright," she said lifelessly. "I was just leaving."

Shane gently caught her arm as she tried to squeeze past him, worried for his friend's health. Lori could not afford to lose it; Shane knew she was going through something tragic, he couldn't even imagine but Carl needed to see his mother strong right now.

"Hey," Shane said, his voice gentler than Lori had ever heard it. "He'll be alright. He's a stubborn son of a bitch, it'll take more than this to beat him, Lor. Let all that anger and frustration out but pull yourself together, for Carl."

"I have to go," Lori said, her eyes showing a sign of life for the first time in weeks. It might have been anger, but it was something. Tough love always worked. Although it was hurtful, it appeared that was what she needed to hear. "Will you be over later?"

Since Rick had been injured, Shane visited even more often than he already did. Usually for dinner, and then they would just talk or hang out. But over the past few weeks, there had been reports of disease outbreak, infecting victims here and there. But it made them very dangerous, infectious and almost deranged. There were at least two reports of this disease at nearby towns. It made Lori uneasy, to say the least, to think about and Shane provided a level of comfort and safety which she sorely needed right now. Especially as she didn't understand what exactly was happening, and he didn't have her husband.

"Sure, yeah."

"We'll see you later."

Shane swiftly moved into Lori's vacated seat and took his friend's hand.

"Hey, man," he said, his voice tight with emotion. He could barely stand to see his friend like this. "You gotta wake up, soon. Ok? There's something weird going on out there, man. And Lori needs you. Carl needs his father. So you just stop being such a selfish bastard and wake up."

Lori arrived at the school with five minutes to spare before the school day ended. She took these last few minutes to fully compose herself. But she was too mad. She screamed out her frustration and anger, smashed her hands against her steering wheel, ignoring the pain. Finally releasing all the pain and hurt she had stored up inside after being stable and dependable for too long.

Her breathing slowed and deepened as she began to calm down. She glanced at the clock. Two minutes to go. She exited her car and ran to the school grounds, she noted that there was a homeless man on the school grounds.

"Urgh. Look at him," sneered one of the other parents.

"That's enough," said Lori. She felt sympathy for the poor man. She couldn't imagine what could happen for someone to end up in clothes that filthy and shoes so run down she could see his feet. "You don't know what happened to him."

"Still get him off of school grounds. I don't want him near my children."

She watched out of the corner of her eye as he staggered around the playground, his voice unintelligible, as though he were a stage beyond drunk.

Tick, tick, tick. Riiiiiing. Lori thanked God, simply wanting to get home. The kids began running out the building a few moments later, eager to escape their own version of prison. Lori saw Carl, forced a smile and waved.

"Hey! Get the hell away from my son!" screamed a man somewhere to Lori's left. Lori turned just in time to see a slightly overweight man storm up to the homeless man who had a firm grip on a young boy. The man lost it and began using every curse word Lori knew. "Hey, aren't you listening? I said get the fuck away from my son!"
The young boy, who Lori thought was named Thomas, was screaming, other parents frantically grabbed their children and urged them away from the scene. Then it all went to hell.

The man's teeth sunk into the boy's arm and the father went thermonuclear. There was blood all down the young man's arm and his cries ricocheted in the air, and Lori knew she'd remember the sound forever.

Chaos. Parents bolted to their children, snatched them into their arms and ran them to the cars, racing away at speeds that were definitely illegal. In her own panicked state, she ran to Carl, shouting his name. The father of the hurt boy tore at the homeless man's hair but suddenly he released him and shrieked. He toppled backwards and landed on his back; the other man released Thomas and pounced on his father, tearing at his shirt and sinking his fingers and teeth into his abdomen. Lori let out a little scream and Carl clung to his mother's side.

"Mom!" Carl said, tugging her hand.

Lori grabbed her phone and called 911, averting her gaze and Carl's from the scene.

Other folks attempted to pry the men apart, they too, being bitten or scratched in the process.

"Go, go, go," said Lori. "Into the car. Come on!"

She and Carl ran back to her car and Lori finished her call with the police.

"Mom, Thomas and his Dad-!"

Lori dared herself to peek out her window. The homeless man was detained by three other men, but Thomas's father lay motionless on the ground, Thomas crying for his father at his side.

"You stay in the car, you hear me?" Lori demanded, unable to leave and do nothing. "Lock the doors and don't open them for anyone but me."

Carl nodded, still staring at his friend, his face almost grey. Lori ran from the car to Thomas's side.

"Hi Thomas," he flinched away from her, as though he was afraid of her, too. "I'm Carl's mother, Lori. Do you remember me? You came to Carl's birthday party."

"Yes," he whimpered, not daring to look away from her.

"I promise I won't hurt you, or your father," she said. Her soft voice like a lyrical lullaby. "I just want to help him. I called the ambulance and they're on their way. I am going to try and stop the bleeding, ok? That's all."

Thomas nodded after a moment.

"Good boy," Lori took off her jumper, leaving her in just a t-shirt. It took all her will power not to gag. The father was in bad shape. Real bad shape. She scrunched the clothing and applied pressure to the wound. Thomas's father winced. Lori was also too aware of the deranged man behind her and the others struggling to keep him away from the wounded. "What's your father's name?"

"Alistair."

"Alistair," Lori said. "My name is Lori Grimes. My son Carl is in Thomas's class. Can you hear me? The ambulance is on their way, I just need you to stay with me, alright? Now, Thomas, are you ready to help? I want you to go over to my car over there. See Carl in the window? And wait there until the ambulance come, ok?"

"What about my Dad?"

"I'll be right here taking care of him until they arrive. I promise."

Luckily, the police (Shane, thankfully as he was back on shift), and ambulance arrived very quickly, and Alistair was still conscious, although barely. What alerted her more than anything was the fact that the police came in what looked like SWAT uniform with their guns already out and pointing at the lunatic. They took over from the parents, whose children were cowering by the school entrance. Even the ambulance crew where dressed like they were surrounded by patients in quarantine.

"I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, too ma'am," said one of the crew.

"I'm sorry?"

"This man has a contagious infection, and anyone who has been or might have been infected has to come with us for quarantine. Don't worry, it's purely cautionary just until we run some tests"

Lori looked down at the blood that now painted her hands, arms and shirt.

"Yes, of course. Just let me ask my friend to look after my son," Lori looked around and saw Carl with Shane who was checking him over for wounds. "Shane!" he jogged over to her and grabbed her face in his hands, looking at the blood. "Are you hurt? You didn't get scratched or-?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Carl's fine, too," she said. "But I have to go to the hospital, I don't know how long I'll be away for. Can you watch Carl for me?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Shane. "No problem. Just as long as you're both-"

That was the moment Lori heard a real gun shot for the first time in her life. Then another. Then another.