Die, die we all pass away,

But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay,

And you might try and hide,

And you might try and pray,

But we all end up the remains of the day

-Remains of the Day; from Corpse Bride (2005)

Emma let out a shaky breath. Her eyes, red and puffy from crying, were once again filled with tears as she studied her baby. Her body, still sore and tender from the difficulties of the birth, managed to move easily to make the newborn comfortable. Her hair, matted and messy from the whole ordeal, was thrown into a messy bun, unruly strands falling around Emma's face. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as she looked down at her baby, at the little human she'd created. It was surreal, knowing she'd be responsible for providing and caring for something — someone — so delicate.

"He's so tiny," Emma stated, her voice hoarse. She looked up at the nurse, who was quietly observing the mother-son moment. "I can't believe it."

"He's a beautiful baby regardless, Ms. Beaumont." The nurse, a kind young woman, smiled gently at Emma. "I've seen other women in your situation who weren't as lucky to see their children."

A feeling of dread washed over the young mother. She held her son close to her chest, showing obvious discomfort in the new direction of the conversation. "I can only imagine," she murmured.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" the nurse asked.

Biting her bottom lip anxiously, Emma looked back down at her baby. He was wrapped up in a blue blanket, a soft hat placed over his head. He was fast asleep, his small mouth puckered into a little pout, his nose scrunched up. Emma gave a small chuckle at that.

"Dominick." Emma nodded and looked up at the nurse. "Dominick Warren Beaumont."

With a nod of her own, the nurse exited the room.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Emma leaned back on her hospital bed. She had been leaning forward as she studied her son — Dominick. She had been captivated by him, absolutely enthralled. When it came to physical features, he had a mixture of Emma's and his father's. And those looks had the young mother convinced he'd be a looker once he was older.*

She still held Dominick close to her chest, not wanting even a second without feeling him. Her body's aches and pains would only get worse once she left the hospital, and she wasn't looking forward to it. The birth itself had been messy, a rollercoaster of ups and downs. The doctor who helped deliver Dominick stated she believed Emma may need a cesarean with how the delivery initially went. But, after a little bit, things evened themselves out and Dominick came out red and screaming. All Emma wanted was to hear her baby's screams, just so she knew he was healthy and alive.

Looking around the hospital room, the young mother frowned a bit. She had been placed in a room near the very back of the hospital. She liked to believe it was for the best she got the furthest room, but there was a little voice in the back of her mind spouting uncertainties. Everything seemed to be falling apart, and no one had the slightest clue on how to fix it. It started over a year ago, with a mysterious illness. No one knew where it came from or exactly what it was. Now, over a year later, people were losing their minds over how far things were allowed to escalate. The illness killed anyone who contracted it. Doctors and scientists hadn't the slightest clue on its origins or how to properly medicate the infected. Anyone who showed even the littlest sign of sickness were quarantined, and people had gone through waves of rioting. The police couldn't control the amount of chaos going on, despite their best efforts. Cities and towns were being evacuated, the military had to organize safe-zones for whoever remained.

Emma couldn't comprehend how one illness caused so much uproar. She never would've guessed something so small could create such disastrous consequences. Looking down at Dominick, a small smile came across her face. He was still sound asleep. Little grunts came from his mouth before letting out a soft yawn.

"Don't you worry," Emma whispered, "I'll protect you with my life."

-0-0-0-0-

It wasn't long after the nurse's departure, and Emma's little moment of reflection, that she chose to rest for a little bit. After the grueling hours spent in labor, the young mother wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and relax for a moment. Dominick was still fast asleep, thankfully, which meant that Emma could get an hour or two of shut eye before anything happened. But the real challenge, in the young mother's eyes, was getting herself out of bed. While the medication she was on did help lessen the pain and discomfort she felt, it didn't mask everything. So, slowly sitting herself up and off the bed, Emma let out a soft groan at the discomfort. Maneuvering herself to where Dominick's crib was — one the hospital provided, thankfully — the young mother placed the newborn inside. She let out a relieved breath when he didn't wake up.

Once he was secure inside the crib, Emma wrapped her arms around herself, looking down at her son with a small smile. Dominick had inherited her nose and olive skin. She couldn't say for sure if the child had her hair or his father's, but she'd be happy either way. In Emma's eyes, her son was perfect in every way. Gently brushing her fingers against Dominick's cheek, the young mother shuffled back to her bed.

"I'll see you in a little bit, okay?" she murmured, glancing back to the crib. "Just keep sleeping for a little while longer."

Gently lowering herself onto the bed, Emma pulled the blanket over her. If she could get just an hour of sleep before anything happened, she'd be relieved. Once she was in a comfortable position, Emma let out a sigh and closed her eyes, allowing her exhaustion to overtake her.

-0-0-0-0-

Emma woke with a jolt. Her breathing was labored and her heart was hammering in her chest. A wide array of noises filled the hospital, echoing into her room, but the only one she was focusing on was Dominick. His cries were loud and a bit shrill, and in an instant, the young woman's maternal instincts kicked in. Getting out of the bed as quickly as possible, Emma hurried over to her son's crib and picked him up. His face was red from crying, his eyes a bit puffy and teary. Once he was in his mother's arms, though, Dominick's cries seemed to lessen some.

"It's okay, it's okay," Emma hushed. "Don't cry, I'm right here, honey."*

She tried to gently bounce her body, to give Dominick a bit of rhythm in hopes of calming him down, but he was still a bit shaken. That's when she decided, while trying to calm her son down, to pay attention to the other noises in the hospital. From what she could tell, it sounded like screams mixed with gunfire, but Emma couldn't exactly tell. They were echoing from all over the hospital, and it made her feel a bit uneasy.

Looking down at Dominick, Emma pursed her lips. If something bad was going on in the hospital, she couldn't afford to stick around. She had to think about her son, the kinds of measures she needed to keep him alive and well. Everything was already going to shit because of that damned virus, the last thing Emma needed was worrying about hospital attackers. So, as quickly as she could with a child in her arms, the young mother ripped off any IVs or monitors that she had been hooked up to, wincing slightly at the slight stinging-burning sensations.

Holding Dominick close to her chest, Emma scurried over to the doorway of her room and hesitantly peered out. She didn't see anyone, which could be good or bad. If no one made it to her section of the hospital, then that could mean she and Dominick could leave safely. But on the other hand, if someone did manage to make it to Emma's section of the hospital, then she'd be putting herself and her son in danger. A truly sadistic person would try and attack them either upfront or from behind, or a real monster would try and hide and wait for someone to approach. Either situation was horrifying to think about.

"Just try and be quiet, okay, Nicki?" Emma murmured, holding her son a bit closer to her. At that point, the infant had all but stopped crying. His whimpers were still relatively loud, unfortunately. "We've got to get out of here."

When Emma took that first step outside her hospital room, it felt like the air had been knocked out of her. The sounds seemed even louder outside her room; but she had to remind herself it was probably her anxieties playing tricks on her. She didn't know what was happening and she couldn't afford to play into her fears. Even though her body was experiencing pain and discomfort, Emma knew she had to keep going. She needed to find the nearest exit and just go. So, letting out a trembling breath, the young mother started to hurry down the hall. She peered down each and every doorway she walked by, hoping to find it empty. For the most part, they were. The rooms looked abandoned, with broken hospital machinery and items. Occasionally, the lights in the hospital would flicker, which had Emma's heart leap into her throat.

Oh God, if the power went out. . .

The thought was immediately shoved from Emma's mind. She had to keep herself focused. The whimpering bundle in her arms was enough of a motivation to keep her moving. As long as she kept Dominick's safety in mind, Emma felt like she could do anything.

The sound of something crashing in another hallway caused the young mother to gasp, which made her feet stumble together, almost tripping her. The sound also caused Dominick to start crying again, which made Emma's blood run cold.

"C'mon," she hissed, frustration bubbling inside of her.

"What's that?" A man's voice; close enough for Emma to hear him, but still far enough away. "Is that a baby?"

"There's footsteps, too." Another man's voice. His sounded clipped, almost irritated. "If there's someone else in here, they need to be stopped."

"I've got it." A woman's voice. Hers was stern, but there was an underlying tone in her voice, one that made Emma's throat close up. It was so hard to describe how unsettling that woman's voice sounded. And when the sounds of running feet could be heard, that's when the young mother realized how in danger she truly was. So she started running, too. And deep down, Emma hated that she didn't think to put on shoes before exiting her room, but she wasn't thinking about that at the moment. The only thing she was really focusing on was safety. Shoes, proper outerwear — none of that seemed important in Emma's mind. Bare feet? Whatever, as long as she found an exit. Oversized t-shirt and a birthing skirt? Who cares, it's not like anything was bound to happen, right?

But God, did Emma feel stupid for not wearing shoes. She should've known her bare feet would make a lot of noise on the tiled floor. All she really had to do was find an exit and. . .

A bang, loud and echoing sharply through the hospital. Too close to where Emma and Dominick were. A gunshot. Whoever that woman was, she was gaining on them, and that was just as horrific as the sound of the gunshot.

(A/N):

I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but hopefully you guys find some enjoyment out of it. If you see anything that could use improvement, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I'm a big fan of constructive criticism.

Do I own anything in TWD? No. No I don't. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and a growing excitement for Christmas. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.

So, rumors have been floating around that Marvel is going to release the trailer for the still untitled Avengers 4 movie. It's supposedly coming out this Wednesday, and after the second trailer for Captain Marvel is out. I don't know if I believe these A4 rumors, since the movie's been under such tight security for so long. Obviously, it'll be focusing on the final showdown between Thanos and all the MCU characters that have been, and will be, introduced so far, but it's a little frustrating that fans have had to wait this long. People threw out that the trailer would be released mid to late November and that obviously didn't happen. Everyone at Marvel, even the actors, have made an effort to not give anything away, not even the movie's title; 'cause apparently the title will spoil the movie or something? I don't know. I'm just rambling. What do you guys think? Will the A4 trailer drop this Wednesday, or will it come out later?

Leave a random fact in the reviews, if you feel like it. It could be on something old or on something new.

Thank you guys so, so much!

Finley Braxton