"Judy how are you doing? Do your hands hurt? Are you ok?"

Judy nodded. "I'm ok… Is my mommy gonna die?" she asked Enid. The scared look in Judy's eyes almost brought Enid to tears.

"I… I don't know Judy. But I'll do everything I can to save her", a tear snuck down Enid's cheek, "and the baby too". They were all quiet for a moment and then Enid turned to Joy.

"How are you honey, you still have mommy's hand?"

Joy nodded sadly and raised Michonne's hand to show Enid. "I didn't let go yet" she said proudly.

"Good girl" Enid replied.

Michonne suddenly took a deep breath and her body shuddered. Her eyelids started to flutter open.

"Michonne? Michonne!" Enid cried, moving closer to her.

Michonne, still in a daze, swatted her hands to push everyone away from her. She was still trying to fight.

"Michonne it's Enid. It's ok, you're ok. Shhh… stay still"

Michonne's eyes focused on Enid's face. "My baby?" she mumbled.

"We're doing everything we can to save it ok? But you have to relax and stay still. Can you do that?"

Michonne's eyes flitted over to Judy who was still pressing down on her belly, and then she looked over at Joy. "My girls… love you…" Michonne whispered. "I love you too mommy" Judy said. Joy leaned over and kissed Michonne's cheek. Michonne smiled and focused on Enid again. "Save my baby… no matter what"

Enid leaned in closer to Michonne. "I'm gonna save both of you, just hold on…"

"Baby first… please… promise me"

"Michonne I…"

Enid stopped when she saw the look in Michonne's eyes.

"Ok… If it comes down to that" Enid whispered into Michonne's ear so the children couldn't hear.

"Carl?" Michonne asked, but Enid noticed her voice was slurring. "We haven't found him yet… Michonne, how do you feel?"

"Cold"

Enid reached over and touched Michonne's neck, checking her vitals again. Her pulse was weak but faster now, and her skin felt clammy. Enid could see the pupils in Michonne's eyes were large.

Shit, she's in shock.

"Joy, I need you to go get some towels, get all the towels and sheets you can grab, and bring some pillows from the pillow fort. Joy let go of Michonne's hand and ran off to find what Enid asked for.

"What's happening? Will she be ok?" Judy asked.

"I'm ok Judy" Michonne slurred "I'm ok".

Joy came back with towels, sheets, and pillows. Enid stuffed the pillows underneath Michonne, trying to elevate Michonne's legs and bring blood back to her heart. She took a sheet and spread it over Michonne's chest in an attempt to keep her warmer.

Where is Rick? Enid thought. She knew having Rick around would make the situation a little more stressful, but she also knew Michonne needed him there. Rick would calm Michonne, and the girls. But Enid also couldn't help but wonder, where is Carl?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Carl?!" Rick cried, pushing the machine gun out of his face and hugging his son.

"Dad!" Carl said, clinging on to Rick.

"Carl are you ok? What happened? Oh God… I thought…" Rick stepped back so he could look at his son. "We went to look for you at the Walker People camp but they were gone."

"I escaped dad. This is Lydia, she saved me"

Rick finally noticed the dirty, disheveled girl standing behind Carl watching the scene nervously.

"Thank you Lydia" Rick said.

"Where's Enid? Is everyone ok?"

"I sent her back to the house to check on Michonne and the kids. She insisted on coming with me to find you. Look, we can talk later, I have to make sure they're ok."

"Ok" Carl said. "Let's get home. Watch your back, there are still Walker People wandering around"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tommy crouched behind a patch of bushes as one of his former people snuck by. It was odd to be hiding from the people that he'd lived with his whole life, the people who he thought he'd always be with. Being with this new family was something he'd never experienced. They loved each other, they protected each other, they'd die for each other. He never knew any people like that. His whole life had been survival and dominance. His people fought to survive, and fought to make it to the top of the social ladder. No one loved, no one showed emotion.

Emotion makes you weak. He heard Alpha's voice reciting it in his head. She had told him that every time he cried about something, and then she'd punch or slap him. If he started crying more the beating would get more severe. Over time he learned not to cry, at least not in front of the others. But when he was sent to watch the herds, or check the traps set to catch animals, he would find a spot and cry until he was exhausted. Mostly he'd cry for his mother. He was young when she was murdered, and he barely remembered her face, but he remembered how she made him feel. She loved him. She was the only one who did. When she was away from Alpha she'd hold his hand or hug him, things that were forbidden by Alpha.

He remembered the looks she'd give Alpha behind her back, and the whispered arguments they would have away from the others. His mother wanted this kind of family for him, and he'd finally found it. He would do his best to protect them.

He watched as Epsilon, the woman who's beating was the reason he'd run away from his people in the first place, crept up behind one of the trailers. She was trying to find a way in. They were still looking for him, they didn't know Alpha was dead, or almost dead.

Omega turned towards the infirmary. Nothing would stop him from getting there. He had to get the bag that would save Michonne and her baby.

He reached the block that the infirmary was located on and easily slipped past a small group of walkers. He cautiously approached the door and knocked. There was no response. He went to the windows and peered in. Inside was dark and he couldn't see anyone. Tommy tried the door and was shocked to find it unlocked. His guard was immediately up.

"Dr. Carson?" He whispered as he entered the house. There was silence in the home. Tommy crept into the area used as the infirmary and froze in the doorway. There had been ten patients in the infirmary, people recovering from the initial attack from his people. They were all dead, murdered in their beds. They hadn't been stabbed in the head. Tommy knew his people were waiting to add them to their herds. Tommy crept past the murdered patients and entered the office where Enid said her bag was. He made his way around the desk and found Dr. Carson with his neck slit, his fingers still wrapped around a gun.

Tommy was overwhelmed by the death around him and tears escaped from his eyes. He wiped at them with the back of his hand.

I need to get this bag back to Enid.

He grabbed the medical bag, and thinking quickly he grabbed some other important looking medical equipment off the shelves and shoved them into the bag.

Maybe she can use this stuff too. Maybe this will help.

Tommy hefted the large bag, now almost too heavy to carry, onto his shoulders. He closed his eyes as he ran past the murdered patients, and made his way back out onto the street.

XXXXXXXXX

Carl, Rick, and Lydia ran towards Carl's trailer. He could hear gunshots. There were other Hilltop residents who were shooting at the Walker People and/or walkers, but Carl couldn't help right now. He had to make sure his wife and his mom and sisters were ok first. He ran up to his trailer door and immediately noticed the doorknob laying on the porch.

"Michonne! Enid!" Rick called in a panic, banging on the front door. His banging inadvertently pushed the door open and it hit the couch that had been moved back in front of the door.

"Rick? Joy, open the door for daddy" he could hear Enid say to Joy. He heard the small child desperately pushing on something heavy and a scrape across the floor as the object moved. Rick then swung the door open.

"Daddy!" Joy called, leaping into his arms with tears running down her face, "Daddy!" and then she broke down, crying hysterically.

"Joy? Are you…" Rick took in the scene around him and his blood ran cold.

Carl pushed his way into the room. "Enid? Enid!" he ran over to her and froze when he saw Michonne on the floor. "Mom!"

Carl's words pulled Rick out of his shock. "Michonne!". Still carrying Joy, Rick leaped over the bodies that lay on the floor and knelt next to Michonne, noticing Judy and Enid trying to tend to her and the knife jutting out of her belly. "What happened? Michonne! Is she… Oh God…" Rick said, his body beginning to shake.

"She's alive Rick" Enid said. "But the baby needs to come out now".

Rick put Joy down and grabbed Michonne's hand. He looked at Enid with tears in his eyes. "Is the baby alive?"

Enid could see the desperation in his eyes, the terror.

"I don't know" Enid said, "I… I think so… I can't tell until I get a stethoscope"

Enid glanced up and saw Carl staring down at Michonne, the desperation and terror in his eyes mirroring Rick's.

Enid stood up with difficulty due to the gash in her leg which was still dripping blood, and noticed the stab wound in Carl's shoulder and the slash across his face from Alpha's knife. She wrapped her arms around a trembling Carl. "Oh baby" she whispered, "I know… I know…" He pulled her into him, burying his face in her neck. "Are you ok?" she asked him. He nodded. "Are you?" he whispered. "Ask me later" she said, pulling away from him and returning to Michonne's side.

Rick looked up at Judy who was shaking and still pressing down on Michonne's wound. "Here honey, let me do it" Rick said, placing his hands over Judy's. She looked up at her father and didn't say anything. "It's ok Judy, it's ok". She slowly slid her hands out from underneath Rick's, and Rick began to add pressure.

"Come here sweety" he said. Judy moved to Rick's side, and he planted a kiss on her forehead, "you did a good job you know that? You saved your mama, you're so brave."

Michonne who was in and out of consciousness felt the change in the pressure on her belly, and felt that larger, stronger hands were now pressing on her. Her eyes fluttered open and she took in Rick's face very close to hers.

"Michonne" Rick said, thrilled that she opened her eyes "Michonne honey just hang on, everything is going to be ok. We're gonna get the baby out ok?"

"Carl?" she whispered.

Carl kneeled down next to her. "I'm here mom, I'm right here with you". Seeing his face made her smile. She reached towards him and he grabbed her hand. "Carl. You can't be here for this. Please… not again."

He knew she was referring to Lori and what he had to witness during Judith's birth. "Mom, I'm gonna be here for you, no matter what" he said.

"No… please" she begged.

He nodded. He wouldn't argue with her.

Michonne's eyes moved up to Rick. "Rick… I love you" she said. "You know I love you" he replied, "don't talk honey, save your strength". Rick turned to Enid. "Where's Dr. Carson? What are we waiting for?"

"Omega… he went to go get my medical bag from the infirmary. I didn't want him to go, but…" she glanced down at her gash "I couldn't get there myself. I'm hoping he comes back with Dr. Carson."

Rick sighed, having a million question to ask, but he decided to focus in on the most important ones.

"And if Dr. Carson doesn't come, you can do this?" he asked Enid seriously, "here? On the floor?"

Enid turned a little pale. "I've… never done an emergency c-section before. I've read about it, I've seen Dr. Carson do one for one of the women here. But I've never done it. Let's just hope he comes, ok?" she said, glancing at Michonne.

"What can we do to prepare?" Carl asked. The question seemed to trigger the inner nurse in Enid.

"Well now that you guys are here, we're gonna have to move her to the kitchen table, and we need everything to be as sterile as possible. Carl, scrub the table down and then boil at least 4 pots with hot water. We'll have to use the boiling water to sterilize some things. Judith, go in the bathroom cabinet and bring the alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. Joy, look in my top drawer and give Carl the scissors in there, tell him they have to be sterilized." Everyone stood to do what Enid had asked of them, leaving Michonne, Enid and Rick alone in the hallway, as Lydia was standing by the front door keeping watch.

"How are you doing?" Enid asked Michonne. She was quiet for a bit and then whispered "My baby… hasn't moved."

Enid nodded. She knew Michonne's concern. "The best thing you can do for your baby is to relax and keep your heart rate down. Just breathe ok? This will be over soon."

Michonne closed her eyes for a bit, trying to relax further.

A troubling memory raced through Enid's head causing her eyes to widen, and she took a sharp breath. Not wanting to startle or upset Michonne, Enid caught Rick's eyes and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Rick, I just want to let you know… when we do the c-section… we don't have anesthesia…"