Changing To Adapt ➵ TWD

➵ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ꜰᴏᴜʀ

Lucas's eyes fly from his transfixed watching of the switchblade in his fingers, nothing but the small cuts proof of his attempts, to dart over his shoulder.

There's a noise to his left, rushing through low hanging leaves and dying shrubbery. He sees Lori all of a sudden, escaping from her own part of camp and into his.

Flipping the blade back into his belt, Lucas stands from his makeshift seat and watches her drop to her knees. She sticks her fingers down her throat and promptly heaves up whatever it was that she wanted out in a gagging vomit.

"Lori!" His voice jumps out of his throat, "What the hell?"

She releases a shaky exhale at the sound of his voice, trembling like a newborn foal when she glances towards his tent, hidden behind the cluster of trees.

Lucas doesn't waste any time to drop to his knees beside her, hands prodding at her body for sores or bites. Lori doesn't resist, but she does stare into the vomit with darting eyes. Counting something.

Pills.

He stares, barely registering. Pills. Those were pills. His heart slams hard against his chest, eyes abruptly widening.

"Lori, what the fuck did you take?" Lucas forgoes the gentle touches, fingers locking onto her jaw to turn her face towards him. "Did you throw them all up?"

She nods, "I think - I think so -"

"What were you thinking?" Chest rising and falling rapidly, he widens her eyelids to search her pupils. Lori's hands fight against his, attempting to take them in her own. "Gonna opt out? Like Jenner did?"

Lori's eyes widen. She furiously shakes her head, finally latching on and yanking his hands down into her lap.

"No, no, honey. That's not what they were for. I would never - Lucas."

She looks between his eyes with a stern stare, still breathing heavily.

"I wouldn't."

Open-mouthed, jaw trembling, Lucas takes his first deep breath in what feels like days. It smells sour due to the vomit. He clamps his mouth shut with an audible click and drops his head, "Jesus, Lori."

"You told me once. That you were good at keeping secrets, and you did with what happened at the CDC and -" Lori's breath hitches and she swipes a hand against her mouth, adjusting her knees. "Promise me you won't tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" He urges, forehead creased in lines.

They're both sitting pathetically in the damp grass, far from the others, one crying and the other frantically trying to understand why.

"Promise me."

Lucas pauses. Then, "I promise."

It takes a trip to the outside gates, even further from the Greene's house, for Lori to compose herself enough to explain. She sits against the fence and looks out at the horizon, waiting for Lucas to settle himself on the wooden fence post.

The wood is scratchy against his hands, and he's certain he may have gotten a splinter just climbing the thing. He'd preferred the grass, cold and soft, but if this was what calmed Lori down then so be it.

"I'm pregnant."

Lucas chokes, catching himself before he falls off the fence. There comes another splinter. "You're pregnant?"

He has to remind himself not to get mad. Not when she's chosen to confide in him like this.

That's why Glenn was acting so weird.