Killer Within and Say the Word
"Let's get the other car in. We'll park 'em in the west entry of the yard." Dad said after we moved the bus out of the way of the gate.
"Good. Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant vacancy sign." Daryl replied.
"After that we need to load up these corpses so we can burn 'em." Dad continued.
"Gonna be a long day." T-Dog commented.
"Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help." I asked.
"Up in the guard tower." Daryl answered, pointing to it.
"Guard tower? They were just up there last night." Dad said.
"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl yelled.
We saw Glenn's head pop up and he opened the door. He was buttoning his pants and he was shirtless. Behind him Maggie stood up.
"Hey, what's up guys?" Glenn asked.
We were all laughing, "You comin'?"
"What?" Glenn replied.
"You comin'?" Daryl repeated.
He looked back at Maggie before looking at us.
"Come on, we could use a hand." Daryl said.
"Yeah, we'll be right down." Glenn replied.
Dad, Daryl, and I walked toward the cars before T-Dog spoke, "Hey, Rick."
We turned around and saw the two remaining prisoners walking toward us.
"You stay here." Dad said to me and Carol before turning to Daryl and T-Dog, "You two come with me."
They talked for a few minutes before leading them towards the gate I was next to. Daryl locked them out while dad talked to us.
"Are you serious? You want them living in a cell next to you?" Dad questioned T-Dog. "They'll be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. You want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"
"I never stopped." T-Dog answered. "Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves."
"I don't know. Axel seems unstable." Glenn said.
"After all we've been through? We fought so hard for all this, what if they decide to take it?" Carol asked.
"It's just been us for so long. They're strangers. I don't- it feels weird all of the sudden to have these other people around." Maggie said.
"You brought us in." T-Dog replied.
"Yeah, but you turned up with a shot Arabella in your arms. Didn't give us a choice." Maggie responded.
"They can't even kill walkers." Glenn said.
"They're convicts, bottom line." Carol stated.
"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do." T-Dog replied.
"I get guys like this. Hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos." Daryl said. "I could have been in there with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys."
"So are you with me?" T-Dog asked him.
"Hell no. Let 'em take their chances out on the road just like we did."
"What I'm saying, Daryl-" T-Dog started.
"When I was a rookie, I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial, suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and then, two weeks later, shot another girl. We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands."
"Move the cars to the upper yards." Dad told us after we piled the walker bodies in the yard and threw the keys to Glenn. "Point 'em facing out. They'll be out of the way but ready to go if we ever need to bail."
Dad looked over at T-Dog, "We'll give the prisoners a week's worth of supplies for the road."
"Might not last a week."
"It's their choice." Dad replied.
"Did they really have one?" T-Dog asked.
"Hey, hey. Whose blood would you rather have on your hands, Maggie's, Glenn's, or theirs?"
"Neither." T-Dog answered.
I was parking Hershel's red truck when I saw the door open and Mom came out, Hershel came out on crutches following her and Beth and Carl were behind him.
"Ready to race, Hershel?" Carl asked.
"Give me another day or so. I'll take you on." Hershel answered.
"Go Hershel." I smiled as I stepped out and walked over.
We were all quiet. We just stood there, either watching Hershel or someone else. Mom and dad were looking at each other. I smiled and put my arm around her shoulder.
"Walkers! Look out!"
I turned around and saw a bunch of walkers coming toward us. We all started shooting them. I stayed next to mom as we shot.
"Lori!" Maggie yelled.
Carl, mom, and I ran towards Maggie and we went into the cell block. We were walking toward the cells before walkers came out. We ran to the door and shut it. We walked in the hallways. I stayed next to mom and Maggie and Carl were in front of us. The alarms were on somehow and we were nervous. We walked around a corner before mom leaned against the wall.
"Something's not right." Mom said.
"Are you bit?" Carl asked.
"No, no, no. I think the baby's coming." Mom answered, leaning against the wall.
"Mom?"
I looked down the hallway and saw walkers coming.
"No, there's no time. Turn back." Mom said.
Carl was in front of us. Mom's arm was wrapped around Maggie and I's shoulders as we helped her walk down the hallways.
"In here!" Carl said, opening a door that said boiler room.
The door wouldn't close so we walked further into the room. We heard the walkers walking past the room and she gasped in pain and she gripped my hand.
"What are those alarms?" Mom asked.
"Don't worry about it." Maggie answered.
"What if it attracts them?" Carl asked as we moved further back into the room.
"Lori, let's lie you down." Maggie said.
"No, the baby's coming now." Mom replied.
"We have to get back to our cell block and have Hershel help." Carl said.
"We can't risk being caught our there." I replied.
"You're gonna give birth to this baby here." Maggie said.
"Great." Mom said before she started panting.
"What is she doing? Can't she breath?" Carl asked.
"She's fine. Here, let's get your pants off." Maggie answered and Maggie and I had mom lie down and got her pants down.
"I'll do an exam. Let me see if you're dilated." Maggie told mom.
"Okay."
"Do you know how?" I asked.
"Dad taught me, but trust me, it's my first time." Maggie answered.
"I can't tell." Maggie said after a moment.
"I gotta push." Mom said as she stood up and grabbed a few bars.
Mom took a few deep breaths before pushing, "Somebody!"
I grabbed her hand and Maggie was behind her, ready to catch the baby.
"I'm okay, I'm okay." Mom said.
"You're doing great, Lori. Just keep doing it." Maggie told her. "You're body knows what to do. Let it do all of the work."
Mom yelped again before pushing again.
"Lori, stop, don't push. Something's wrong." Maggie said.
Mom screamed and I saw that Maggie had blood on her hand. We lowered mom to the ground.
"Mom?" Carl asked, grabbing her other hand.
"Mom, keep your eyes open, please." I said.
"We have to get you back to dad." Maggie said.
"I'm not gonna make it."
"Don't say that." I replied.
"Lori, with all this blood, I don't even think you're fully dilated yet." Maggie told her. "No amount of pushing is gonna help."
"I know what it means and I'm not losing this baby. You gotta cut me open." Mom said.
"No. I can't."
"You don't have a choice." Mom told Maggie.
"I'll go for help." Carl replied, getting up.
"No!" Mom exclaimed.
"Carol's the one that practiced that. Dad only taught me the steps, Lori. I have no anesthetic, no equipment-" Maggie started.
"Carl had a knife."
"You won't survive." Maggie responded.
"My baby has to survive. Please. My baby...for all of us. Please! Maggie! Please!" Mom replied.
Carl hesitantly gave Maggie his knife and mom lifted up her shirt.
"You see my old C-Section scar?" Mom asked.
"I can't."
"You can. You have to. Arabella, Carl, I don't want you two to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right. Now you two take care of your daddy for me, all right? And your little brother or sister, you take care-"
"You don't have to do this." Carl interrupted.
"You two are gonna be fine. You are gonna beat this world. I know you will. You two are smart and strong and brave and I love you two so much." Mom said.
"I love you, too." Carl and I said at the same time.
"Arabella, I need you to shoot me once the baby is here, okay?"
"Momma, I can't-" I started.
"Yes, you can. I know you can." Mom said, wiping my tears.
"You're my sweet little boy." Mom said, wiping Carl's tears, "And you're my sweet little girl."
"I love you." Mom said hugging both Carl and I.
"Okay, okay. All right."
"I'm sorry, Lori." Maggie said before cutting mom open.
Mom screamed in pain before closing her eyes.
"What are you doing to her?" Carl asked.
"Arabella, I need your hands." Maggie said.
Carl looked at mom as I helped Maggie.
"I see it. I see the ears. I'm gonna pull the baby out." Maggie said, "I don't know if this is the arm or leg."
Then she pulled out a baby girl. But she wasn't crying.
"Try patting her back." I told Maggie as she rubbed her belly.
After Maggie did what I told her to the baby started crying. Carl took off his jacket and gave it to her.
"We have to go." Maggie said after wrapping the baby.
"Maggie, I have to-"
"I know. I'll be outside." Maggie replied.
Carl grabbed my hand and I took out my gun and aimed it to mom's head.
"I love you." I told her before puling the trigger.
I pulled on Carl's hand and we walked back over to Maggie, "Can I hold her?"
Maggie nodded and handed the baby to me. I clutched her close to me as we walked toward the cell block. When no one was there we headed outside and everyone was there except for Carol and T-Dog. Dad walked toward us and dropped his hatchet. I could feel my lips quivering.
"Where is she?" Dad asked me.
When I didn't answer he turned to Maggie, "Where is she? Where is she?"
Maggie was about to cry too and Rick started walking towards the door, "No... Rick, no."
Dad started crying and he looked at Carl. I was worried about my little brother, he wasn't even crying. He was just staring at the ground. Dad then fell back on the ground while crying. I saw Daryl put his crossbow on the ground before walking towards me. He hugged me as tight as he could without squeezing the baby that I was still holding.
She started crying and I knew why, she was hungry. Daryl stepped back and walked towards dad.
"Rick, you with me?" Daryl asked. "Rick?"
"Let me see the baby." Hershel said and I walked over to him.
"What are we gonna feed it?" Daryl asked.
"Her." I said. "What are we gonna feed her?"
"The good news is she looks healthy." Hershel said, "But she needs formula. And soon or she won't survive."
"Nope. No way. Not her." Daryl replied, putting his crossbow on his back, "We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run."
He kissed my head.
"I'll back you up." Maggie responded.
"Okay, think where we're going." Daryl told her before turning to Oscar and Axel, "You two get the fence. Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem. Maggie, vamonos."
"Rick!" Maggie exclaimed when dad took his hatchet and ran inside.
Maggie and Daryl ran toward his bike and Glenn followed. I looked over at Sophia, who had tears in her eyes. She just lost her mom, too. We all went inside except for Glenn, he went into the yard to start digging the graves.
We lost Mom, Carol, and T-Dog. Hershel went outside to talk to Glenn and Beth was in her cell with Sophia and Carl. I sat on the steps that went up to the other cells holding the baby. I got her to sleep, but it will only be a matter of time before she wakes up and cries for food. I just hope Daryl and Maggie will come back soon. Will formula and diapers. She's still in Carl's jacket.
Glenn came in and told me that he was going to go find my dad. He came back a while later looking freaked out.
"You okay?" I asked him.
He shook his head before leaving.
Carl was holding the baby when Maggie and Daryl came in.
"How's she doing?" Daryl asked.
"She's hungry." I told him before Daryl took her from Carl.
"Shhh."
Beth came over with a bottle of formula and he took it from her.
"Come on. Come on." We all smiled when she stopped crying and started drinking.
Daryl looked over to me and I smiled. It was cute seeing Daryl with the baby.
"She got a name yet?" He asked.
"Not yet." Carl answered, "There's Carol, and Andrea. Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or... Lori. I don't know."
"Yeah... you like that? Huh? Little Ass-kicker. Right? That's a good name, right?"Daryl asked and we all let out a small laugh, "Little Ass-kicker. You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart?"
Later that night, I was in a separate cell, watching over the baby. She's wake up every few hours, crying. She slept on the mattress and I sat against the wall.
"Hey." I heard from the doorway.
I looked over and saw Daryl.
"Hi." I replied, looking back at my baby sister.
"Are you okay?" He asked, sitting next to me.
I shrugged.
"It's okay to cry, you know. Your mom just died." Daryl said.
"I know." I replied, tears forming in my eyes.
He put his arm around my shoulders and I buried my head into his chest, crying for my mom, for Carol, for T-Dog, everyone we lost.