Definitions of Life
by Starsinger
Unfortunate events have forced a fairly united definition of life and when it begins among the community. This may offend people, not my problem. This chapter includes an event that will have blood and guts. If you've watched the Walking Dead, this really shouldn't bother you. This is a logical, unfortunately, extension of what happened to Dale in that field while trying to fend off the Walker. I liked him. Don't own them.
Lyla, one of the pregnant women, started screaming in the middle of the night. She was seven months pregnant and in extreme pain. The Doctor was summoned quickly and couldn't figure out what was happening as it wasn't contractions. Minutes later, Connie, another pregnant woman started screaming as well. Horrified, the women in the women's quarters and the Doctor watched as the fetuses tore their way out of their mother's wombs and bodies. Bullets were quickly applied to both women and their reanimated fetuses.
Several women who had stronger stomachs were employed to scrub the Women's Quarters as the rest of them moved into the Family Quarters temporarily. Bits of the women's guts and brain matter had sprayed the walls liberally as major arteries had been in shredded. It was fortunate that no children actually lived in the Women's Quarters. Alicia and I spent most of the early morning hours scrubbing walls. Latex gloves were plentiful as no one wanted to touch the blood with bare hands. After they finally finished cleaning they attended the memorial service for the women and their babies before dragging themselves to the Family Quarters to get some much needed sleep. Nightmares invaded my sleep. I now feared having a relationship with a man and getting pregnant. I wasn't surprised when Helene summoned those of us who are immune for another mission into town.
"We can't have this happen again. Ricky, you'll go into the hospital and pick up epidural and natal kits, this is so, if needed, we can go in and take the baby. This won't be used during normal labor and delivery. Stephanie, you need to go into the maternity ward as well, and pick up stethoscopes and fetal heart monitors. This seems the fastest and easiest ways to determine if the mothers are in trouble. If we can catch when a fetus' heartbeat stops, we can terminate the pregnancy before we lose both. Alicia, you have the hardest jobs. We're sending you into Atlanta. Before the Apocalypse, one abortion clinic remained open. I need you to go in and find the equipment for early abortions. After the third trimester starts, the only viable option of fetal removal is with a C-section. I also need all of you to keep out for the 'Morning After' pill and pre-natal vitamins. We don't want to lose any babies, but we don't want a repeat of what happened last night."
I knew why Helene sent me to the clinic. I was pro-choice before my world ended. This is a moot point, we don't need to be aborting living fetuses. Every baby born is a success in today's world, but the mother's lives needed to be taken into consideration here. We were each given an ambulance to drive to our destinations. It took three days to get where I was going. I was given a lot of gas containers containing gasoline so I wouldn't be stranded. Food also went with me as I wouldn't be back for at least a week.
Oh, what I wouldn't give for a GPS unit. I had a map, and fortunately I knew how to read it. I passed many walkers on my way in and paid them no heed. I finally found the clinic, I grabbed my rifle and had to force my way in. Someone had actually locked the doors. Fortunately, George had given me exact descriptions of what I needed to look for. The clinic was relatively clean as if no one had been there in a long time. I found the equipment and managed to push everything into the ambulance when I heard someone screaming for help. I grabbed my gun and crossbows and ran toward the source of the noise. I found two Walkers surrounding a tree where a man had climbed and was screaming, hopelessly. I stood my ground and shot the first Walker in the head. The other Walker turned at the sound and couldn't find the source of the noise, even as another bullet connected with his head.
"Get down!" I shouted at the man. "There'll be more Walkers before long.
"Who…What are you?" he asked.
"Your only hope! Come on!"
Who is it Alicia has rescued, someone familiar? Well, we'll find out soon. Please read and review, I beg you!
