Beauty and Her Beast (Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

30

Lori shook her head. "No, the baby's coming now."

"We have to get back to our cell block and have Hershel help!" Carl rushed.

Maggie shook her head. "We can't risk getting caught out there. You're gonna need to give birth to this baby here."

"Great." Lori gasped. She started panting heavily.

"What's she doing? Can't she breathe?" Carl asked.

"She's fine. Come here, let's get your pants off." Maggie reached around Lori, unbuttoning her jeans and Lori grabbed onto my hand tightly. We helped her sit down, sliding off her boots and pants.

Maggie looked up at Carl. "You're gonna need to help deliver your baby brother or sister. You up for it?" Carl nodded nervously. "I'll do an exam. Let me see if you're dilated."

"Do you know how?" Carl asked.

"Dad taught me, but trust me, it's my first time." Maggie was quiet, examining Lori. "I can't tell." She sighed.

"I gotta push. I gotta push." Lori gasped, standing up.

Maggie stood behind her, holding her sides and Lori latched onto a pipe. She took a few deep breaths before grunting, pushing as hard as she could. "Somebody!" I took one of her hands, letting her squeeze as hard as she needed. "I'm okay, I'm okay. I'm okay."

She took deep breaths, getting ready to push again. "You're doing great, Lori. Just keep doing it. Your body knows what to do. Let it do all the work."

Lori yelped as she pushed again. "You're doing great, Lori. Keep going." I reassured her.

Lori braced herself, pushing again. "Lori, stop, don't push! Something's wrong!" She screamed in pain and I watched Maggie pull her hand away with bloody fingers.

~*~

Lori was sweaty and pale from the sudden blood loss as we lied her down on the cement floor. She was struggling to stay awake. "Mom, look at me, look at me. Keep your eyes open." Carl said, shaking her hand.

"We have to get you back to Dad."

"I'm not gonna make it."

Maggie moved between her legs. "Lori, with all this blood, I don't even think you're fully dilated yet. No amount of pushing is gonna help."

"I know what it means, and I'm not losing my baby." Lori breathed. "You've gotta cut me open."

Maggie and I exchanged shocked looks. "No, I can't."

"You don't have a choice."

Carl stood up, heading for the door. "I'll go for help."

"No!" We all said at the same time.

"Look, Carol's the one that practiced that. Dad only taught Lottie and I the steps. If I-"

"Please."

"I have no anesthetics, no equipment-"

"Carl has a knife." My heart sank in my chest.

"It would kill you, Lori." I said, feeling my throat tighten.

"My baby has to survive. Please. My baby...for all of us. Please, Maggie! Please!"

I felt tears well in my eyes. Maggie shook her head.

Lori lifted up her shirt. "You see my old C-section scar?"

Maggie shook her head. "I can't."

"You can. Or Charlotte can. You have to." She turned to Carl. "Carl? Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right. Now you-you take care of your daddy for me, all right? And your little brother or sister, you take care-"

"You don't have to do this." Carl whispered.

"You're gonna be fine. You are gonna beat this world. I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave, and I love you."

"I love you too." Carl sobbed.

"You gotta do what's right, baby. You promise me, you'll always do what's right. It's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world. So don't-so if it feels wrong, don't do it, all right? If it feels easy, don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you."

She wiped away the tears cascading down his cheeks. "You're so good. You're my sweet boy. You're the best thing I ever did. And I love you." Carl cried harder, bending over to hug Lori. "I love you. You're my sweet, sweet boy. I love you." Lori sobbed holding Carl tightly before she kissed his cheek, telling him it was time.

"Maggie, when this is over, you're gonna have to-" Maggie cut her off, hushing her. "You have to do it. It can't be Rick." She took a few more deep breaths. "All right, all right. It's all right. It's all right."

Carl pulled his knife out, holding it out for Maggie. She didn't grab it, only staring at it with tear filled eyes. I took it, nodding to Maggie. "I can do it. Don't worry." Maggie nodded, thanking me.

She moved so I could take her place. Lori took a few more deep breaths. "Good night, love."

I wiped away the tears in my eyes so I could see. "I'm so sorry, Lori."

I pressed the knife against her skin, cutting along the scar. She screamed in pain, arching off the floor. I'd never heard something so agonizing. Carl yelled at me to stop, saying that I was killing her. Then she stopped screaming, finally passing out.

I put my hands inside her, trying to find the uterus. "Carl, give me your hands. Carl, please. You should keep the site clean, okay? If I cut too deep, I'll cut the baby."

I picked the knife up, cutting the uterus open, tossing it aside again and reaching my hands inside. "I can see it. I see the ears. I'm gonna pull it out. I can't tell if this is the arm or the leg." I managed to get a good grip, getting ready to pull it out. "I'm gonna pull the baby out."

I got her out, holding her carefully. She wasn't breathing. "Maggie, help me." Maggie crouched in front of me, tapping the bottoms of her feet, then rubbing and patting her chest gently.

"Flip her." I turned her over and she did the same thing. She started crying. I sighed in relief.

Carl took off his jacket, giving it to me to wrap her in it. Maggie cut the cord and I wrapped the crying baby up, holding her to my chest. I tried to ignore the feeling of Lori's blood warm in my arms. "We have to go." Maggie told Carl.

"We can't just leave her here." Carl said. "She'll turn." Maggie went for her gun. "No."

"Carl..."

He pulled out his gun. "She's my mom."

Maggie and I hesitated, but Carl stood his ground. We finally turned, heading up the stairs. Maggie peaked out the door, coming back in at the sight of walkers. We both froze at the sound of a gunshot, Carl walking right past us with a blank expression. We followed, letting him lead us out of the tombs.

The baby started fussing as we got outside. Maggie pushed the gate open and I followed behind her. Everyone was there. Rick stared at us, his face falling when he didn't see Lori. Maggie and I couldn't find the right words. Rick started walking over, dropping his axe.

He was on the verge of tears. So was I. I could feel my whole body shaking. "Where-where is she? Where is she?" Ricks voice cracked.

Rick tried to go past us, Maggie tried to grab him. He stopped, starting to sob. "Oh, no, no! No!"

I walked over to Daryl, sobbing against his shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay."

Rick fell on the ground, rolling and sobbing into his hands. None of us would be the same after this.