The Woman at The End of The World. (Daryl Dixon)

sixtynine.

Doctor Dana finished sewing the stitches into the section of my head where I landed on a rock when Siddiq saunters into the infirmary with Daryl in his heels while I silently curse Dwight for literally picking me up and tossing me like I was trash. I glance up at their approach, curiosity simmering under my flesh. I'm always the fucking cat.

"Maggie is turning off the generators soon but I asked her to hold off until I can repay you for accepting my offer to work together and wanting to help me stay; if it came down to it." Siddiq whispers the last statement. He avoids eye contact with me as I notice he's remembering the circumstances that brought him into our fold. I frown as I observe him fidgeting under mine and Daryl's gaze. I've been there once upon a time. I fondly reminisce that once upon a time that I felt like I didn't belong to the group that picked me off the side of the road. "I saw you out there fighting last night. You're an amazing fighter, but I'm excited to work with you." Between he and Doctor Dana, I didn't need to step in today. Small blessing right? "But we need to make sure all the stress you've endured didn't affect your current state negatively." I cock my head, baffled. He can't know, right? I don't remember telling him about my pregnancy; though, it's no secret. He gestures for Daryl to bring over a machine that's positioned along the the wall. "I heard you're pregnant. Let's see how the baby is doing, okay? It's the least I can do for you."

My blue eyes zero in on Daryl, seemingly unsurprised and in on Siddiq's little plan, wheeling the machine in our direction before I return my gaze to the man Carl saved. "How did you-"

"I heard Carl say something down in the sewer." Siddiq confesses.

I rub my face as memories of my last ultrasound fly through my soul, feeling my breathing become shallow. My lungs seem to expand as the anxiety sinks it's claws into my flesh. My little Luna. I feel strong arms wrap around my shoulders at my sudden onset of a panic attack. "Give her a minute." Daryl grumbles, his chest rumbling against my face. He pulls my hands down, forcing me to look into his intense blue eyes. "Whatever he finds, we will take it on together, okay? I've been at ya side since the farm. I ain't goin' nowhere, Blue. I know ya thought ya were alone when Dale died, but ya had me the whole time, even though ya were denyin' it 'til ya were blue in the face. Ya had all of us, just as ya do now. Ya ain't alone. Not since ya found us." His hands seek out Luna's tattoo, fingers tracing the outline of the wings. "I ain't spiritual like ya but maybe she made this happen. Ya wanted a family. Somehow ya are gettin' one, against all odds, with me." He whispers as he presses a kiss to my forehead. "I'll be right here the whole time, Ness." My eyes widen. He rarely uses the name my childhood friend uses; I've grown used to hearing the nickname he gifted me upon our first real interaction when he learned I was just a lowly "emo" girl from Ohio.

"You had a daughter before this?" Siddiq quietly inquires, dark eyes flicking between the redneck and I.

Sighing, "yes and no." I go on to explain my little Luna's condition. He listens intently with his arms crossed against his chest until I finish my story.

"She had an Anencephaly?" I nod, chewing on my lip. "That's rare. I'm sorry you had to go through something so devastating. You should know - might already know - it does increase your chance for another baby born with that condition. But I'll be here, monitoring your baby until it's born, okay? It's not only my job, but you're my friend and I'll walk you through it."

My eyes flick to Daryl dragging a chair over while Siddiq turns the machine on. Doctor Dana hands over a bottle of warm gel. I lay back on the chair, not needing to lift my shirt cause I made it into a glorified crop top. "There's something else you need to know, Siddiq." I confess quietly. "I wasn't meant to carry another child." With him wanting to help me on this journey, I need to be transparent as possible; he is a doctor after all. With him, I can't hold all my cards against my chest. Siddiq lowers himself into a chair as he peers between myself curiously and the machine in front of him. "I had an abusive ex that defiled me with a knife." I choose my words carefully as I fiddle with my fingers. "The doctors once told me it would be next to impossible have a child of my own. This wasn't supposed to happen." I motion to my stomach, unable to meet the man's eyes. Daryl clears his throat as silence descends upon the three of us.