It is important to remember thatthis story that it takes place in Season Three and well before the events of Season Four. The ZA is not quite a year old and the corrosive effects of ooc writing aren't apparent. Daryl is not suffering from a midlife crisis and Carol has not become cold and indifferent. I get tired of all of the Rick drama and so my Rick basically is trying to keep his children alive and well.

Summertime

Carol noticed that today was the first day of summer according to the calendar on the wall at the clinic. The weather was Lincoln warm but never Georgia hot. Heather was shaky today but had made it in to work and they had been busy. Merle had taken one look at the huge women waiting to see Heather and said to Morgan "The Big Guy might want to close some of those wombs up after this".

Morgan had laughed, "I blame it on no electricity. No television or video games. Stress relief from trying to stay alive. Boredom. Keeps us work from now on. Look out there at the ZA Baby Boom."

Merle noticed a young man pacing back and forth, "What is a "Y" chromosome doing here?"

"He must be with someone but I don't remember him checking in. I think he just came in." Morgan left Fort Morgan (her office area) and sauntered over to see if he was here with somebody.

The boy-man glanced at her and his helpless eyes seemed to light up. "My girlfriend is having a baby and we need some help, please".

Morgan thought he was very sweet and led him to Fort Morgan. He looked so lost when she handed him the standard forms that read it to him and wrote down his replies. His name was Sam and the girlfriend was named Ana. They were living on a small place outside of the town of Tiskewah on Elk River and had been there since April, but Ana had not been to see anyone at the Clinic. They didn't think she was due yet, but the baby was coming.

Morgan notified Heather who talked with Sam and then finished with her patients. She sent Sam back to take care of his girlfriend and asked Carol to come with her. There didn't seem to be any other women around and she might need some help and she asked if Daryl could go with them. Merle drove Carol home and she and Daryl went to Sam and Ana's place beside the river.

It was an A frame log house with a wraparound porch and room for gardens on either side. Daryl noted that the gardens had been plowed but the fences that had been erected around them had not been repaired. He wasn't surprised that there didn't seem to be anything growing. The deer would have gotten anything they had planted without adequate fences.

Sam came out on the porch nearly in tears and Carol had grabbed her bag and went in with him. Daryl stayed outside and looked at the fencing around the house. It had been started and never finished. He saw that the windows had been boarded up. It looked as if they had made no preparations to fight off walkers and there were walkers around here.

Carol was dealing with the squalor and filth of a house occupied by children. Ana was clearly in labor now and from the looks of everything it was a full term pregnancy. Carol put Sam to boiling water and started praying that Heather got here. She stripped the bed and put Ana down on the sterile cloth that was used in home deliveries. As soon as the water got hot enough she washed Ana as thoroughly as she could.

Ana seemed healthy enough to deliver. She and Sam had been in some sort of refugee camp until it closed and then they had come here. She had had an abortion at 15 and her parents had put her on birth control at that time. She admitted that she had gotten "careless" at the camp and gotten pregnant. The officials there had given her prenatal vitamins and health care but had not agreed to the abortion she had wanted.

Heather never showed up but Christie and Merle did. Morgan had went over to the Relocation Center to get the scoop on Sam and Ada. They had grown up in wealthy Fairfax County in old Virginia just out of Washington D.C. They had been friends since childhood and both sets of parents were very important in the government. Their refugee camp had been more like a resort and they weren't adjusting well to the real world. Their "foster" family had worked with them for six weeks but had thrown their hands up in despair. Sam and Ana were friendly, personable but they never followed through with anything if it took real effort.

Christie and Carol played good doc and bad doc with Ana. Carol got bad cop. "This baby is coming and you just have to stop screaming and whining and push through this." Carol was finding it easier and easier to be bad cop to Ana. There was not one indication that they had done anything to get ready for this baby. The place was filthy and Ana screaming for drugs wasn't helping. This was home

Daryl and Merle patrolled the unfenced yard. Merle spit on the ground, "So this asshole didn't keep the deer out of his garden or walkers out of his damn yard."

Daryl nodded, "It looks that way and by the way she is screaming any walker lurking along that river bank might come strolling by. I am glad that you're here, Merle. Shit, Sam wouldn't be no help."

Sam was sitting on the porch swing and looking concerned. Daryl and Merle looked at him and spit in unison. "He's as worthless as tits on a boar. Everything handed to him his whole life and Mommy and Daddy fought every battle for him. He ain't gonna make it you know and that little girl in there having a baby is just like him. That baby ain't gonna make it with them. It'll just be a play toy to them." Merle spit again.

Daryl thought back over his shitty life, the only good thing that had come from his childhood had been the skills to survive in this world. He had taught Carol those skills those long months on the road. They were teaching them to Lizzie and Mika because they loved them. Love that left you helpless wasn't love; it was a death sentence now. Daryl sighed and he and Merle joined Sam on the porch but sat so they could watch their surroundings.

Christie watched Carol. She had managed to get Ana focused on getting this baby out. Christie had watched her work at the clinic and had been impressed by how quickly Carol learned skills. Carol had set a dislocated shoulder one day as confidently as any doctor. She had kept Hershel alive after Rick had amputated part of his leg. Carol didn't get rattled when something went wrong; she just kept her head and did what had to be done.

Christie had told Heather to finish with her patients and that she would oversee this delivery. She had looked at the file that Morgan had brought back; Ana had expressed a desire on her relocation papers to give her child up for adoption. Christie was hoping that these two would want their baby enough to grow up once they saw it.

The baby was coming and Christie went out to get Sam. Daryl came in with him which surprised Christie but then she saw that he was here to see Carol deliver her first baby. Daryl was fascinated by how concentrated Carol was on the job. He was standing where he could watch her face but as the baby began to push out he found himself moving closer. The baby wasn't all that pretty to look as he pushed out, but Carol's gloved hands had caught him confidently and Daryl realized that the first person to touch him was Carol. She was bringing him from the darkness of the womb into the light of this world.

Carol laid the boy baby onto Ana. There was some stuff going on that Daryl didn't fully understand but he heard Carol say to Sam "Do you want to cut the cord?"

Sam had backed farther away from the birth bed, "No, I don't want to do that".

Daryl had found himself closer to Carol, "Can I do it?" He didn't know why, but it just felt like some man ought to welcome this boy into the world. He might never have another chance to do this for a baby.

Carol had glanced at him and smiled. She handed him the scissors and pointed to the place when he should cut and Daryl took the scissors from her and looked down at the messy looking creature and smiled. He cut the cord confidently.

Christie took the baby and cleaned it up. Daryl followed her to the table where she cleaned him up. He looked a lot better with the bloody goop off of him. Christie wrapped the baby up and handed him to Daryl. She should have taken the baby to his mother but this just felt right.

Daryl carried the baby back to his mother. Ana looked at her son; he looked like every baby she had ever seen in her life. He looked like a lot of work and she just wanted to go to sleep and let this be over. She didn't hate the baby but she knew that she and Sam weren't ready to be parents. They had agreed to give it away and she called Sam over to see the baby.

Sam thought the baby was cute, but he hoped these people would take it with them. He and Ana had a lifetime of neglected pets, unfinished school projects, and just generally screwing up everything they started. He knew that this baby was just one more fuckup waiting to happen.

It was morning before they left the house beside the river. Christie had come prepared. She had taken the time to pack everything needed for a newborn. Formula, diapers, bottles, clothing and everything she could find. Merle had moved it from their truck to Daryl's and Carol was carrying the baby when they left. Sam and Ana seemed happy that the silver haired woman and her man were going to take care of their baby. Sam was standing on the porch of the house with incomplete fences as they pulled out. He was smiling and waving happily.

Merle said to Christie, "They are goners, but at least the baby is going to be alright".

Christie nodded, "I'll ask relocation to move them into town. There might be someplace they could live more safely, but I don't think they will ever grow up".

Daryl drove very carefully. They didn't have a car seat and Carol was holding the baby. "We can't keep every baby that you deliver, you know".

Carol laughed, "Well, let's just keep the first one as a souvenir. Isn't he beautiful? How could they just give this baby away?" Carol kissed the baby's fingers and Daryl smiled. "I like my job, Daryl."

Daryl said, "Beth will help us with the baby. The girls and I will be part of this. I don't want our children to grow up like those two back there. What do you want to name him?"

"Let's take a little while to name him. I am glad that I have four days off to get things organized. It's going to be a shock to Lizzie and Mika too. They are just getting adjusted to life here". Carol was tired but she couldn't wait to get home and show everyone the baby.

Carol and Daryl pulled off the main road and Daryl stopped the truck. Carol looked up from the baby. "Is there something wrong?"

Daryl said, "No, there is something right. I ain't all that good at expressing myself with words, but I gotta tell you how proud I was of you last night. I don't want you to quit your job because this world needs more of people like you. You brought this baby into this world by yourself but everything else from now on is with me. Lizzie and Mika are my daughters and this baby will be our son. I got your back, Carol, every inch of the way".

Carol wiped her eyes, "I knew that when I let you crawl into my bunk at the prison. I love you, Daryl. Let's get our son home so he can meet his sisters, his aunts, his uncles, and his cousins. "

The sun was casting sideways glances at their hilltop home when they drove in. Mist was rising from the hills and ever thing that was green seemed to sparkle with dew and the world seemed to welcome another life into its glorious light.

AN.

Lizzie will always love her little brother and she is not at all ever going to be a danger. I also thought that Sam and Ana were a little too lightweight to survive anywhere. I don't have a name yet, but you are welcome to send me your ideas.

Please review.