I'm back! That's right I'm finally back. So I am finally starting to feel better I'm now 13 weeks pregnant and my morning sickness seems to be passing. If you have read my recent one-shot Trying to say goodbye you will know I have seen the most recent Walking dead episode, when I saw the scarf of Carol's head I was surprised cause she had never worn one before and it reminded me of one my friends mother wears and that sparked an idea for this chapter. Anyway a big thank you to my wonderful beta you know how great you are and I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 19

Unexpected conditions

A week had gone by since Daryl's proposal, life had mostly returned to normal, well as normal as a world overrun by the dead could be. They had put the events of Carol's close call behind them and returned to their normal duties.

Carol had started taking more training lessons with Michonne; she wanted to be better prepared, more battle ready. Michonne, of course, had happily agreed. She taught her not just hand to hand combat but how to use a knife and her sword. She had started hunting with Daryl and Merle more often, staying quiet and doing as they told her to and in return they taught her how to use the crossbow. It was taking some time but she was getting the hang of it.

They had celebrated Beth's seventeenth birthday, it had been late due to everything that had been happening but Carol had wanted to surprise her one evening with a birthday supper and a freshly baked cake thanks to Merle's supply run to get Carol what she needed. Merle had shocked everyone that evening when he dropped to one knee in front of everyone; presented Beth with a ring he had grabbed on his trip and asked Beth to be his wife. Even Daryl didn't know he was going to propose.

Beth had screamed yes without much of a second thought but Hershel had quickly intervened informing them both that they were not to be wed till Beth was eighteen. Merle had silently nodded in agreement, happy that one day she would be his wife but Beth had immediately put up a fuss. She tried to get her father to understand that in the world they now lived in it didn't make sense to wait as any day could be your last but Hershel had refused to budge.

Carol had never brought up the fact that Daryl had never given her a ring or that they hadn't spoken about his proposal since that night. She decided it didn't matter, she didn't need some fancy ring or wedding ceremony, she had Daryl's heart and she didn't need anything else.

Carol moved across the prison yard smiling as Carl darted past her laughing as Merle chased him, yelling about the boy touching his stuff. Carol couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight. She felt her head spin a little and stopped both hands clutching the washing basket tightly as she leaned against the prison wall trying to steady herself.

She had been feeling unwell for a while now for at least a few weeks if she was being totally honest with herself it had been going on since she collapsed when they lost Lori. Headaches, tiredness, nausea and dizziness just to name a few symptoms but with how crazy things had been she hadn't taken the time to go see Hershel about it.

Truth was she was a little scared about what he would find. No one in the group knew but just three months before the world went to hell she had won a yearlong battle against cancer and was given the all clear but now she feared it may have returned. She knew if it had, there was nothing anyone could do. They had no hospitals or doctors, she couldn't have chemotherapy or the specialized medications she was on before.

She decided regardless of the outcome it was better to know sooner rather then later, so she promised herself to pay Hershel a visit once she had hung out the washing. Pushing herself off the prison wall she headed for the makeshift clothesline but her world spun and turned black, the last thing she remembered before slumping to the hard ground was the sound of Daryl's voice screaming her name.

She didn't know how long she had been out for but her head hurt and her eyes felt heavy as she forced them open. The first thing she saw was Daryl looking scared and confused, then Michonne and Hershel.

"Good to see you're back with us dear, you had us worried," Hershel smiled moving to her side.

"How long was I out?' she asked looking around.

"About five minutes, not too long"

"Longest five minutes of my bloody life," Daryl grumbled. "You been eating woman?"

"Yes I swear… truth is I've been feeling sick for a while," she whispered knowing Daryl would snap any moment.

"How long?" She heard him ask through gritted teeth.

"Maybe three weeks."

"Three weeks? Why didn't you say something woman?" he all but yelled at her.

"Daryl!" Michonne snapped at him. "Yelling at her won't help."

"Carol, what symptoms have you been having?" Hershel asked.

"Headaches, nausea, dizziness and I'm really tired a lot," Hershel nodded taking notes before sighing and looking at her.

"Well I gave you a quick examination while you were out and I have an idea of what is going on but I'll give you a test to confirm." She sighed, nodded, tears rimming her eyes.

"It's cancer isn't it?" she whispered tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Why would you think that?" Hershel asked confused.

"Three months before the world went to hell I had been given the all clear after fighting cancer for a year," she confessed.

"You never once told me that," Daryl gasped shocked that she would keep something like that from him, he thought he knew pretty much everything about her past.

"What kind of cancer?" Hershel asked.

"Breast, my left one…. They removed part of my breast and treated me with chemotherapy." Hershel nodded writing all the details down.

"That scar, the large indent, you said it was an accident you had in the kitchen with a knife," Daryl whispered. "You lied to me."

"I didn't want you to know the truth because I knew you would worry," she sighed. "Did you think I just shaved my head as a fashion statement, I used to have long dark hair before the cancer."

"Doc," Daryl spoke looking at Hershel his eyes begging him to do something, he couldn't lose her.

"Now there is no need for panic; honestly I don't think it's cancer," Hershel tried to reassure them.

"Then what is it?" Daryl snapped.

"I would rather run a test before I say anything, I'll get Glenn to do a run to town," he informed them turning to leave.

"Doc," his voice begged as he grasped the man's arm making him look at him. "Please." Hershel sighed unable to walk away for the fear and desperation on his face, looking at Carol and then back to Daryl he caved.

"I think you're pregnant."

"What?" Daryl gasped.

"That's not possible; they told me after the chemotherapy that I probably wouldn't be able to have any more kids," Carol informed them sadly, truth is she always wanted another child but with Ed she didn't want to put a child through what Sophia had to see and now in this hellish world it just seemed like a bad idea.

"Well as I said I would like to run a test first." She sighed nodding as Hershel moved out of the room to find Glenn and Merle to ask them to do a run to town.

"Michonne, could you maybe get me some lunch?" she asked wanting to get a few moments alone with Daryl.

"Of course," she smiled before leaving the room. Daryl turned to face her giving her a soft smile moving towards her.

"So there might be a little Dixon in there," he smirked placing his hand on her belly.

"Daryl, the hospital was very clear with me; my chances of ever having another child were one in a thousand, I think Hershel is wrong."

"What if he isn't? Would it be so bad?"

"Daryl I would love to have another child but look around us, we live in a prison and if the dead aren't trying to eat us, the living are trying to kill us, what kind of life is that for a child?"

"You were always supportive of Lori's decision."

"That's because it was Lori's choice, who was I to judge."

"One day things in this world won't be so bad and we have this place. It's safe, a good place to raise a child," he tried to reason with her.

"It's a prison, Daryl but you're right one day things won't be so bad and for now this place is safe but let's not worry about this right now. No point in talking about something that may never happen." He nodded agreeing and shortly after Michonne returned with her lunch. They settled into a comfortable silence as they waited for Glenn and Merle to return with the pregnancy test.