Due to the demands (and several threats), here's the sequel to And When the Mourning Comes. Thanks for five hundred reviews, everyone!
Disclaimer: Not mine!
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Chapter Fifty-Three: This Sorrowful Loss
Daryl knew something was wrong the moment he stepped into the cabin he shared with Carol. He had been hunting for the better part of the morning and he had even managed to snag a good sized buck for the group. He had dropped the buck off at the farmhouse after skinning it; Maggie and Beth were thrilled and he even tolerated a few pats on the back before taking off for his cabin. He reeked and was looking forward to a shower and stretching out with his woman for a while. But when he walked into the cabin, he was hit by a sense of impending doom. His eyes immediately sought out Carol.
She was curled up in their bed, her face buried in a pillow and her small frame shaking. He began to feel sick. Nothing had seemed out of place when he delivered the deer meat to Beth and Maggie. There was no talk of walkers or anyone being bitten. Everything seemed fine for once.
Clearly he was wrong.
Shifting uncomfortable, he called out to Carol. She raised her head slightly and he was taken aback by her red eyes. "Jesus, woman, what happened?" His feet began carrying him toward her.
She burst into a sob just as he reached the bed and it startled him. Panic was taking over as he took her into his arms and ran his hands up and down her body. "Carol, talk to me," he murmured anxiously. "Are ya okay?"
She buried her face in his shoulder and her next words shattered his heart.
"I lost the baby."
Their baby was gone⦠He had just come to terms with the idea of being a father, of fathering Carol's child, and just like that it was gone. A sense of loss so deep and consuming hit him, leaving him floundering. Not knowing what else to do, he held Carol tighter as she sobbed into his shoulder.
There was little else he could do.
The End.
