Written as a request from Horizontal Rainbows, hope you like it! Thanks for your awesome writing. I love requests, so feel free to send one in for me!
The birth of baby Hershel had gone so smoothly that no one expected anything to happen. But it did. When the baby was a week old, Maggie collapsed to the ground.
The day had started as usual. He woke up to the sound of his wife's voice, cooing to their newborn. He noticed she looked a little paler than normal, but didn't think anything of it. He rolled out of bed and walked behind his wife and took her into his arms. He placed a kiss to her temple, noting that she felt a little cool.
"Good morning." She smiled and turned her head to peck his lips. He reached his hand around her and stroked his son's fine hair. When they sat down with their family for breakfast, Carol immediately took the baby from his wife's arms and placed kisses on his tiny face. He noticed Maggie was pushing her breakfast around her plate.
"Babe, aren't you hungry?" He brushes some hair out of her eyes as she shakes her head.
"Not really. I'm not feeling too great."
"You're looking a little pale." Denise comments from her spot beside Tara, "I can look you over after breakfast."
Maggie nods and then pushes herself up from her chair, "I need some water."
Glenn watches as she walks into the kitchen and gets herself a glass of water. He notices that she was starting to look extremely pale as she made her way back to the table, glass in hand. He's about to stand up and help her when she collapses to the floor, the glass of water shattering against the ground.
He doesn't remember screaming her name or leaping out of his chair to run to her. Michonne reaches her first and gently rolls her onto her back. She places her fingers to her neck.
"I can't find a pulse."
His heart stops. He's faintly aware of his son crying in the background, safely tucked in Carol's arms. He feels Daryl holding him back as Denise and Rosita crowd his wife.
He sees Denise feel for a pulse, "No, she has one. It's really faint but it's there."
He frantically wipes the tears streaming down his face, "What's wrong with her? Maggie!"
"Abe, I need you to carry her to her room! Tara, run to the infirmary, grab an IV set, a bag of saline, gauze, and my med bag! Now!"
"Wait! What's wrong with her? Please!" He pulls against Daryl's grip as Abraham lifts his wife off the ground.
"Aw, shit!" He hears Abe exclaim, "She's bleeding all over me."
His heart drops when he sees a puddle of bright red blood on the white tile floor. Her pale legs have fresh blood dripping down them and he sees the inseams of her pants are saturated with it.
He feels Daryl wrap his arms around his chest and pull him back, "Man, you gotta calm down. Let Denise work. Man!"
He struggles against his grip as Abraham carries his unconscious wife up the stairs.
"Maggie! Maggie!"
He doesn't even register the sound of his son, wailing for his parents to comfort him.
He sits beside his unconscious wife, hours later, gently clutching her cold, pale hand. His family stands around the room, watching as Denise takes her pulse.
"It's late postpartum hemorrhage, brought on by an infection in her uterus from the birth. I've started her on IV antibiotics and fluids. I think I was able to stop the bleeding, but she lost a lot of blood."
Glenn feels his tears falling down his face, "Is she going to wake up?"
"I don't know."
He bends down and places his forehead against her chest. He allows the sobs to overtake his body as he mourns for his wife. He feels Michonne wrap her arms around him, but he's too wrapped up in his pain to care.
Carol cradles Hershel to her chest. He's starting to get fussy and begins to whimper. She gently rocks the newborn and walks past the child's mourning father to get out to the hall. She nods at Rick to get him to follow her.
Once in the hall, she whispers to him.
"Do we have any of Judith's formula left? Hershel's getting hungry, and Glenn is obviously too preoccupied to notice." Rick nods and takes the baby from Carol.
"I think we might. You stay here, just in case they need you." She nods as Rick turns to head downstairs with the baby.
"Hey little man, it's alright. We're gonna find you some breakfast."
Days pass and he refuses to leave his wife's side. Michonne has taken a permanent spot in the corner of the room, watching them intensely. He eyes the small knife resting on her hip. He knows why she's there. He knows what she's watching for, but he refuses to think about it.
Denise comes in every hour to check on her and hangs new fluids and antibiotics when needed. He lets himself hope that she's getting better, that her skin is getting brighter and warmer, but he can't tell if it's actually happening or if he is making it up.
On the morning of the 3rd day, Rick comes in to the room, carrying Baby Hershel.
"Someone has been missing his daddy." He offers him his son, but Glenn just runs his hands over his face and sighs.
"I can't right now, Rick."
"Hey, I know this is hard, but this isn't just about you anymore. Your son needs you, Glenn. This little boy needs his daddy to be there for him, regardless of what happens to his mommy."
Rick places his son into his arms. He looks down at the tiny being in his arms, one that he created with his beautiful wife. He clutches his child to his chest and takes a deep breath. Rick squeezes his shoulder and then walks out of the room, nodding to Michonne as he leaves.
Glenn crawls onto the bed beside Maggie, careful not to disturb her IV line. He places the baby in-between them and talks to her.
"Hershel's here, babe. He's here to see his mommy. He misses you. We both miss you."
He reaches out a hand and strokes her cheek.
"Come back to us, baby. Please. We need you."
The baby coos, staring at the ceiling while sucking on his tiny hand. Glenn drifts off to sleep, desperately praying for a miracle.
When he wakes, it's to the sound of his wife's voice. He hears her softly talking to their baby, and he hates himself for dreaming of her voice, when his eyes suddenly fly open. He pushes himself out of bed. He hadn't imagined it.
His wife– his beautiful, wonderful Maggie– sat propped up against the headboard with the baby nursing in her arms. She was still pale, but she had a smile on her face.
"Maggie, you're okay."
She smiles at him, "We're okay."
He pulls her into her arms, ignoring the cry of annoyance his son lets out due to having his meal disturbed. He pulls his wife and son into his embrace and begins to sob.
"I thought we lost you."
"I'm always with you." She replies, pulling away from his embrace to kiss him. He pulls her back to lean against his chest and he wraps his arms around his family. Maggie rests her head back on his shoulder.
"I love you." She whispers.
"I love you." He kisses her temple and cuddles his family close to him.