A horde of walkers had made their way into the prison yard. I screamed, grabbing for the gun I now kept as a permanent fixture in my waistband, stepping in front of Hershel. I squared off, firing one shot after another, dropping a few of them.
Lori and Carl also drew their weapons and together we dropped the front line of them. I gasped, reloading, as they kept coming. There was a gated area to my right and I nodded to it for Hershel. He crutched over quickly, followed by Beth locking it behind him.
Rick and Daryl were yelling from the guard walk, trying to catch the walkers attention, but they were too far away, I saw them running over to us, feeling somewhat hopeful.
"Lori! Here!" Maggie yelled from the gate to the cellblock. I nodded to her, shooting another walker. Quickly Carl and I ran after them, closing the gate behind me. They grabbed at the fencing around us and I turned, making sure that Maggie, Lori and Carl were all inside before I shut the cellblock door with a loud clang.
I could hear the gunshots still ringing from outside and quickly I led them to our living quarters, running an anxious hand through my hair. A group of walkers approached from the other side just as I'd reached the door and I cried out, immediately turning and ushering them to the hallway, shutting the door behind us.
The walkers slammed up against the bars, snarling and reaching for us and I backed up, firing two shots, hitting two walkers. I turned, reloading, running down the hallway, Lori and the others quick on my heels. Maggie joined me on point, her side arm drawn, as we made our way through the darkened hallway.
We had one flashlight between us, mine, and I held it up under my gun the way Rick had shown me. My heart was pounding in my chest every time I cleared a corner, but I did not falter.
The prison alarm began to blare and I stopped, jumping from fright. Maggie glanced back at Lori and Carl before turning to me. Lori cried out in pain and I turned to look at her, eyes wide.
"Are you alright? Ya bit?" Maggie asked her as Lori leaned against a wall. Lori shook her head, looking at me and I took a deep breath.
"She's in labor." I said quietly, running over to her. There were snarls down the hallway and I turned in horror. "We have to go back!" I yelled, helping Maggie to carry Lori. "Carl, get in front! Gun up! Gun up!" I commanded him as he led us down another hallway. He stopped, walkers coming from that way as well and turned to a nearby maintenance closet.
He looked at me and I nodded. Carl threw open the door and we scurried in. Slowly I placed Lori on the floor in an open space. Lori groaned again, writhing on the floor as I knelt next to her, checking her pulse.
"You have to keep breathing." I told her quietly. She nodded her head at me and I placed my ear to her chest. Her heartbeat was high, probably her blood pressure too. Something that was not good for the baby.
"We have to get back to the cellblock, we have to get Hershel." She groaned. I shook my head at her.
"We'll get caught out there, especially with you like this. You need to give birth to this baby now." I told her as calmly as I could. Maggie looked up at me in horror and I swallowed hard. Lori groaned again, grabbing Maggie's hand tightly.
"What is she doing? Can she breath?" Carl asked concerned. I looked at him, pushing him back.
"She's fine. Lets get your pants off." I reached for Lori's button, dragging her pants to her feet and tossing them across the room. I looked up at Carl. "You're gonna need to help deliver your brother or sister, you up for it?" I asked. He nodded slowly, sinking to the floor beside me. "I'll do the exam, let me see if you're dialated." I grimaced, searching for what Hershel told me to.
"Do you know how?" Maggie said me, stopping me. I nodded.
"Your dad taught me, but trust me, it's my first time." Lori groaned again and I pulled back, shaking my head. "I can't tell." I said finally, feeling frustrated. Carl and Maggie sighed and Lori placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"I gotta push." She nodded at me, reassuringly.
"Okay." I said quietly. I helped Lori to her feet and she stood slowly, holding on to the wall for support. I crouched down, hands at the ready incase the baby came dropping out. She grunted and I closed my eyes, breathing heavily.
"You're doing great Lor, you're doing great!" Maggie reassured her, stroking her hair softly. Carl stood off to the side watching us intently, ready to jump in if need be.
"Your body knows what to do, let it do all the work." I said quietly as she pushed again, losing her balance. She yelped again from another contraction and Maggie rubbed her back. Again she pushed, this time harder than before. Blood began to leak down her legs and I stopped her.
"Lori don't push! Stop! Something's wrong!" I shouted. She screamed in agony and Carl began to sob as I helped Lori back to the floor. She was gasping for air, the blood coming at a much more rapid pace. Her head lulled to the side, as she slipped to and from consciousness.
"Mom! Look at me!" Carl said, catching her attention. "Keep your eyes open."
"We have to get her back to daddy." Maggie said, grabbing her hand.
"No…" She said weakly. I raised my eyebrow at her and she said it again. "I'm not gonna make it."
"Lori, with all this blood I don't even think you're fully dilated yet. No amount of pushing is gonna help!" I pleaded with her.
"I know what it means, and I'm not losing my baby." She said, her tone final. I stared down at her in horror, my eyes wide. "You've gotta cut me open." I shook my head profusely, panic starting to set in.
"Lori, I don't know what I'm doing! I'm an ER nurse!" I explained to her, stumbling over my words. She shook her head at me, smiling lightly.
"You don't have a choice. Hershel told you how to do it. I believe in you." Her breathing was raspy and she gasped in pain again.
"Hershel only taught me the steps! I have no practice, no anesthetic, no equipment-"
"Carl has a knife." She interrupted. I grew quiet, looking from Lori to her son. I bit my lip, tears stinging my eyes. I couldn't do this, I didn't want to do this. I was afraid and unprepared. Again I shook my head.
"You wont survive." I whispered, wiping away a stray tear with my forearm. Lori shook her head, she already knew.
"My baby has to survive, please." She pleaded. "For all of us." I froze, watching her quietly. "Please Beau! Please!" The tears flowed freely from my eyes now and I shook my head sobbing. Slowly I lifted her shirt. "See my old c-section scar? You have to cut along there."
"I can't."
"Lori we can get back to my dad!" Maggie pleaded.
"No! You have to do it here!" Lori demanded more forcefully. Slowly Carl handed over his knife and I took it from him, staring at it like I'd never held one before. As I stared at the knife Lori said her goodbyes to Carl. I glanced up at Maggie, watching the tearful farewell before Lori turned to me again. "Beau, when this is over you're gonna have to-"
"No." I said shaking my head, still not fully on board with the c-section.
"You promised me!" She yelled, silencing me. "You promised me! You have to do it! It can't be Rick!" I nodded at her, still sobbing. I wiped away the tears and Lori looked at me. She was ready.
"I'm sorry Lori…" I whispered quietly, cutting the full length of her scar. She screamed in pain and I hesitated, stifling a sob, before I began to cut again. Carl reached a hand over to me to stop me, but Maggie pulled him away.
"STOP! YOU'RE KILLING HER!" He screamed, struggling against Maggie. I sobbed, cutting again. The blood flowed over my hands, down onto the floor. Lori's screams and Carl's shouts of protest echoed off the wall around me.
Suddenly everything went quiet and Lori's head fell to the side. I knew that she was gone. I picked up my pace, wiping the tears from eyes as they made my vision blurry. I knew I had to hurry, it was only a matter of time.
"Carl, give me your hand!" I said to him quietly.
"What?" he gasped, looking at me, shocked
"Carl please!" I demanded, no time for argument. I had found the uterus and carefully I had to cut into it. "Keep this site clear, if I cut too deep I'll get the baby." I sniffed, placing his hands into the bloody mess. He grimaced, sobbing, but he held his hand firm. Slowly, carefully, I cut along the organ. I was met with a mass of hair and I felt confidence rush through me. I had gotten to the baby. "I see it! I see it's hair! I'm gonna pull him out!" I said looking at Maggie. Her hand was perched on Carl's shoulder, rubbing it softly, eyes filled with tears. She nodded and I reached in, taking firm hold of it.
Slowly, the uterus gave, and I pulled carefully, placing one hand behind the baby's neck and the other behind what I thought to be his legs. I gasped, the smell of iron hitting my nose hard, but I didn't waver. I seemed to be moving agonizingly slow and I clutched the child to my breasts tightly, looking at it, afraid.
Carl watched it hesitantly as I held it and I grimaced, waiting for it to do something. It stayed quiet, unmoving and I felt my heart sink. Eagerly I began to pat it's chest, rubbing it vigorously. It had to breathe, it had to be alive. We had sacrificed so much for this moment. This had to work. I flipped it over, rubbing it's back in the same way, sobbing as I did.
There was a cry and I jumped, taking a deep breath, continuing to rub it's back. I looked up at Maggie and Carl and they smiled at me. I cut the umbilical chord, tying it off and Carl removed his jacket, handing it to me. Slowly I swaddled the child, rocking it back in forth in my arms, cooing, completely forgetting where we were. I grinned, as Carl stood over my shoulder, looking down at the baby.
I looked up at Lori, my eyes growing wide. I had forgotten about her. Quickly I stood.
"We have to go." I said quietly.
"We can't just leave mom here." Carl argued with me. I looked at her body, remembering what I'd told her. "She'll turn." I clutched the baby tightly to my chest, grabbing for the gun that was holstered in my waistline. He shook his head at me, tears falling down his face. "No." he said plainly.
"Carl, I promised her." I pleaded with him, Maggie tried to pull him away but he stood firm.
"She's my mom. I'll do it." I frowned at him, but I didn't argue. Maggie moved to me, turning me away slowly. As we approached the door a loud gunshot could be heard and Maggie and I began to sob again.
Silently Carl led us though the halls. He cleared the cellblock, which was surprisingly empty and we exited out onto the yard. The others had gathered around, already outside. A few of us were missing, but that was to be expected. The baby began to cry as I held her tightly to me chest.
Rick and Daryl turned slowly, looking at each of us. I froze in my spot as Daryl's eyes fell on me. I was a bloody mess and in my arms I carried a smaller, even bloodier mess. Daryl bit his lip, his eyes softening.
Slowly, I started to walk again. I took each step cautiously, afraid I was going to fall or trip with the baby in my hands. I tried to speak, but the words got caught in my throat. Rick dropped the axe he was holding to the ground, slowly making his way over to us.
I tried to speak again, but only sobs came forth. Maggie wrapped her arms around me, clinging to me tightly, crying into my shoulder. Rick studied me silent, his eyes darting from my face to the baby I was holding. He shook his head, denial setting in. He began to pace back a forth briskly.
"Where-where is she? Where is she?" he asked, walking up to me. I began to cry again, sobs racking my body. He tried to push past me but I stepped in front of him.
"No Rick! Don't!" I cried. He dropped his gun to the ground, walking over to Carl, sobbing. Carl didn't even look at his father, he just stood there, staring at the ground. The boy was silent, no tears, no words. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to blink away the tears that just kept coming.
"Ohhh no…. no, no!" Rick yelled. I flinched, stepping back into two waiting arms. Daryl had walked up behind me and I turned. He looked down at the child before bringing his hands to either side of my face, holding them there.
I stared into his blue eyes, shaking my head. I cried harder than I had in a long time. I had just killed my friend, and no matter how many times I told myself I did all that I could, nothing was going to change that.
"I killed her." I whispered quietly to Daryl as I cried. "I killed her." I looked down at my hands, at the baby, both covered in Lori's blood. I began to hyperventilate, realization of what had just happened setting in. Daryl pulled my face up to look at him.
"It's okay, darlin." He said quietly, pulling me into him, careful not to crush the baby I still clung tightly to. I sobbed into his shoulder and he cooed me softly. "It's okay."
The first time around watching The Walking Dead, i was never a big fan of Lori. God how the woman irritated me. The second time around she was much easier to swallow and i'm not gonna lie i cried writing this chapter. RIP LORI
also check out my sweet Jurassic Park story, The Zoologist. it's new and i'm proud of it!
And if we have any Legolas fans, i have the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy for you to read. IN order: All That is Gold Does Not Glitter, Not All Who Wander Are Lost and The Crownless Again Shall Be King. And there is plans for The Hobbit trilogy to be made with Caladwen as the OC. much excite.
Also, i have plans for a The Mummy story. IT will take place as the third installment for the trilogy, (Because honestly the china one was weak.) and will be and Alex O'Connel/OC ship. I have the lore written and everything. it's gonna be muy bueno.
Remember to leave a review, how were your feels this chapter? Were they left intact because mine weren't D':
Stay beautiful!