The Dead Don't Die - TWD

Chapter Five: Silence

Laney couldn't stop thinking about Lori and her baby. Maggie had been so mad at Lori, but Laney didn't understand why. She wondered if it had anything to do with the box Maggie had thrown at her.

"Maggie?" Laney shouts, running towards Maggie and Glenn.

"Laney," Maggie says when the girl stops in front of her.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can."

"What's an abortion?"

Maggie and Glenn look at each other before Maggie bends down to meet Laney.

"Sweetheart, you don't need to worry about that."

"But why were you so angry at Lori." Laney questions, very confused now.

"That is none of your concern." Someone says from behind Laney.

Laney turns around and watches Shane come closer. Elliot had told her this morning before she left their tent to stay away from Shane, so before he could come closer, she stepped closer to Maggie.

"I'm gonna go find Carl." She mumbles.

"I think he's inside. Lori and Patrica were making mac and cheese." Maggie says, putting a hand on Laney's shoulder.

Laney gets to the steps just as Shane reaches where she has just been. She finds Carl in the kitchen with his mom and Patricia. Beth was also helping.

"Hi Laney!" Carl says.

"Hi Carl, can I help?" Laney asks.

"Mom says there's nothing for us to do. Just gotta wait." Carl says before Lori could.

Laney and Carl sit at the table playing rock, paper, scissors until Lori and Beth bring out plates of mac and cheese with green beans on the side.

"I hope you like green foods. We have a lot of it." Beth jokes, sitting across from Laney.

"Green beans are my favorite. My mama used to make for me whenever I wanted." Laney says right before shoving a forkful into her mouth.

"Well, I don't like 'em," Carl mumbles, using his fork to scrape them onto Laney's plate.

"Carl! You need to eat them; you're still healing." Lori comments, and he sighs. Laney smirks as she pushes them back onto his plate.

Laney and Carl make silly faces at each other as they continue eating. Lori watched them with a smile on her face, and the only thing she could think was that she would be seeing this in just a few years with Carl and his baby brother or sister.

Beth excuses herself when Jimmy comes inside the house. Laney watches them as Beth hugs him and starts laughing at something he says.

"Lori, what's it like being in love?" Laney asks, keeping her eye on the two teens as they head back outside.

"It's when you care about someone so much that you'd do anything for them. You would protect them always. For me, it's having Rick, who I loved waiting for after a long day of working, and we would sit in our bed and just talk and talk, and I loved listening to him." Lori says, smiling at the girl sitting next to her.

"I want to experience love one day," Laney whispers, staring off into space.

"You will, sweetheart, but maybe wait a few years." Lori chuckles.

"Are you done?" Carl asks, pushing back his chair.

"Yeah, let's go outside," Laney says, taking her plate to the sink to rinse it off.