Chapter Twenty-Three
Lizzie
I stare at the picture in my hands. Mika is standing next to me and my mother is holding me in her arms. My dad is standing in the back with a big smile on his face. My mother was five months pregnant before the disease spread. She lost him when she fell down a hill. She became depressed after that. She didn't even have the will to fight off Walkers. That's how she died. My dad couldn't help us much after that. He got bit but hid it from Mika and I. Then, he started to turn. I shot him and that is when Caleb found Mika and I. He took us to his camp with all of the other men.
I miss Mika.
"I'm so stupid." I say to myself.
I look down to my stomach. It is now bigger than it was a week ago. I have two more months to go. Carl walks into the room and I shove the picture under my pillow.
"Hey." I say.
He smiles and sits next to me.
"We have to discuss something." He says.
"What?" I ask.
"Names." He says.
"For her?" I ask.
"Yes." He says.
"I haven't really thought of names."
"I haven't either."
"My aunts name was Carline." I laugh.
"Really?" He says sarcastically.
"I've always liked Kayla." I say.
"That seems too overdone. Just like Emily." He says.
"True."
"But, I like the name starting with a K." He says.
"I do too."
"I like the ends of names with an A." I tell him.
There is a brief moment of silence.
"Kyla." He blurts out and laughs.
"I really like that."
"Really?"
"Yeah." I laugh.
My nose starts to tingle as I fight tears threatening to spill over.
"Kyla . . . what?" He asks.
"Bailey Grimes." I blurt.
"Kyla Bailey Grimes?"
"Yeah." I sigh.
"Okay. It's settled." He stands up.
"I have to go help out with my dad. I'll be back." He says.
He walks out and I let the tears from my eyes spill. I sob and cover my face.
Kyla Bailey Grimes
***
I walk around and try to find Gareth or Devin. Mostly Gareth. I approach the dinning hall and reach for the door handle. A sharp pain fills me. I gasp for air but I can't find any. I whimper in pain and stumble to the door. I lean on it for stability. I feel worried when I notice that the pain is coming from my stomach. I scream out and fall to the ground. I see Maggie running towards me.
"Lizzie! Lizzie, are you okay? What happened?" She asks.
"Gareth. I need Gareth!" I yell.
Glenn appears in the back and Maggie tells him to get Gareth.
"Lizzie, deep breaths, okay?" She says calmly.
"Okay." I sob.
The pain is excruciating. I can't be in labor now. I'm only seven months. I take deep, short breaths as I am lifted and carried into the hospital building. Someone lies me down on the same bed and they get the sonogram monitor going. Devin runs in with Gareth and they rush to my aid. Devin starts the sonogram and Gareth is at my side. Devin has a confused look on her face as she stares at the monitor screen.
"The placenta must've detached." Devin announces.
"How?' Gareth asks.
"I don't know." She says.
Devin was never a real doctor. All she knows is the basic stuff.
"She is going to be premature." Devin says.
She rushes to the counter and applies gloves and grabs a tray of medical supplies.
"Lizzie, you're going to give birth now." Devin tells me.
"I can't." I say.
"You can and you have to or she is going to die. The umbilical cord is warped around her neck. It's either now or she suffocates." Devin tells me.
I cry even more. Devin takes off my clothes from my lower torso and I sob. I'm not strong enough.
"Cut me open!" I yell.
"You'll die!" Devin says.
"I don't care!" I yell.
"Think about Carl! Think about your daughter!" Devin yells and looks at me in the eyes,"What are they going to do without you?"
I scream as pain shoots through me.
"You need to push!" Devin demands.
I do as she says. It hurts. Badly. All I think is that if I want to be out of pain, I have to push. I scream and turn my head to see Carl standing next to me. I look away and keep pushing. I feel numb from all of the pain.
"She's dying!" I yell.
"Focus Lizzie!" Devin yells.
How can we take care of a premature baby? She'll die without the proper surroundings and medical care. I close my eyes and feel tired.
"Come on." I hear Devin say.
I open my eyes and see her holding my daughter. She isn't crying. She isn't moving. Is she dead?
"Come on!" Devin says and pats her back harder and harder.
Soon, I hear a small and fragile whimper that soon develops into a cry. Devin smiles and cleans her up. The umbilical cord is already cut and unwrapped from her neck. Devin hands me my daughter and I carefully hold her. Her cries are slow and quiet. She is small. About the size of my wrist to my elbow. She opens her eyes slowly. They are a deep blue, like Carls. Devin takes her away and puts her in a blanket and walks behind me so I can't see.
"What's going to happen?" Maggie asks.
"We have to keep her away from people. She could get sick and . . ." Gareth says.
I cry and hold Carls hand.
***
It's been four hours that Kyla has been in this world. I am still lying on the bed. I am watching her sleep. She is put into a glass box. It looks like an incubator but it doesn't work. It is just a glass box with blankets. Her skin hasn't yet developed color, it is a pale white and is almost see through. She is breathing fine. She only opened her eyes once. I love her.
"She's beautiful." I hear Carl whisper.
He is sitting in a chair next to me on the opposite side of Kyla.
"She is." I agree.
"She might be able to go outside in a few weeks or maybe a month." Devin says as she walks up to check on Kyla.
"Is she going to be okay?" I ask her.
She looks at me and looks at Carl.
"She might be blind." Devin says.
"Blind?" Carl asks.
"Or have some heart problems." She says.
"What? H-how?" He asks.
"She was born two months before her due date, Carl. You're going to have to feed her soon." Devin tells me.
I never really thought about feeding Kyla. I never really thought about anything that would happen in her life. I thought I would be dead by now.
"I'll call everyone in so they can see her." Devin says and walks out.
"We'll be fine." I say to myself.
I smile and hear the door open again. I see everyone walk into the building.
"You just can't hold her, yet." Devin says.
Beth stands in front of the glass box and stares at Kyla. Carol stands next to her along with Maggie and Glenn. Daryl looks at her from the opposite side of the bed along with Tyreese and Michonne. Rick walks slowly to Carl and looks at Kyla. His eyes water but no tears come out.
"What's her name?" Beth asks.
"Kyla," Carl answers, "Kyla Bailey Grimes."
"That's a beautiful name." Maggie says.
She smiles and looks at Kyla. Maggie would make a great mother. But, it's hard to be a mother right now.
Hey guys!! How do you like Kyla's name?? I just found out that the actor who played Mika's name is Kyla. I mean, I always thought her name was Kayla. So yeah, I didn't name her after her. Comment, share, vote, and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and ask.fm