forever and always ///// Carl Grimes

5. baby

Chapter 5
Through the eyes of Anne

At breakfast everything was awkward. I sat next to Carl who was diagonal from Rick who was two spots away from those who I found out to be prisoners. The prisoners had been waiting in the cafeteria since the beginning of the apocalypse waiting for the army. They had spent so long in there waiting, not knowing anything about what was happening around them.

We all sat in silence until we finished and walked out. It was a nice and sunny outside. Hershel had woken up and began to walk on crutches which was really amazing. "hey hershel want to race?" Questioned Carl jokingly.

My admiring was suddenly cut short by the blaring of a siren. Charlie crying while Glenn was holding him I tried to run up to him but Carl grabbed my hand. We were running down the hall with Maggie and a pregnant Lori.

Lori's remorseful screams fill the rooms, I thought they were random, out of nowhere until her water broke. We all look at eachother Carl freezing up and Maggie taking charge. We found an old boiler room walking in and locking the door. Maggie laid Lori down carefully and began to panick. " I can't deliver the baby, we need daddy or carol!" "Maggie I don't think the baby's gonna want to wait" I say.

"Yeah not waiting" Lori said in agony. Her face was sweaty and red. She was panting out her words.

"Okay imma need you to push. 1, 2, 3." Carl was next to his mother holding her hand while she was screaming. "The baby's not coming out. You need to cut me open" I whip my head towards her face, this was not happening. Why can't the baby just come out.

"I can't give you a C-section. I might hurt the baby." "We don't have much of a desicion Maggie. The baby is coming". After me and Maggie come up with a plan. "Anne do you have a knife" I grab my holster and give Maggie my knife while Lori whispers in Carl's ears.

"Take care of my boy" Lori says looking at us.

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Bang

Carl stares aimlessly at his mother. Blood pouring from the gaping hole in her head. I can smell the metallic smell of blood in the air and the heat begining to stop radiating from the lifeless body. I walk forward and do something I wouldn't dream of doing. Something I didn't even think about. I walk forward and hug him knowing that that is the best i can do at the moment. Knowing because I have been through the pain and wouldve want someone there to hug me.

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Walking out into the sunlight is usually something that I love, the warmth and happiness that it brings. Now as we walk silently through the door the sunlight is what I dread. The fresh air we breathe before the surly news. The birth of a newborn baby but the death of a wife, a mother, a friend. One life traded in for another. This isn't how the world should be.

Leading Carl forward by his hand. The tears staining his cheeks, my cheeks and Maggie's. Eventually the beams hit our faces

"Where's Lori" said the deep southerner accent in confusion. We all stared up at him the newly sprung death in our eyes."where's Lori" his voice breaking. Maggie is the one to break the pause by Shaking her head in sorrow. I could hear the Brocken sobs from the man. I could hear the Brocken heart. He crumpled towards the floor, on his knees the tears just keep rolling. It was a sorrow sight. No one ever want to lose a loved one.

Hugging Carl once more I let go of his hand so that he can walk towards his father. Who now was in the ground sobs echo out in the quiet prison. Rick is to busy dealing with his loss Carl stands there like a lost puppy. He tries to hug his dad but it proves difficult by the way he is moving so I walk forward and once again wrap my arms around his torso Carls head rests in my kneck.

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Laying down while the grass pokes my back. The afternoon sun on my face burning my skin. I smell the stench of rotting corpse but I am used to it now. Charlie laying in my stomach. Why couldn't I have just been better? If I was better Lori wouldn't have died? I'm so fucking useless. Carl could still have a mother if I had just been more experienced, carol had been practicing, why wasn't I practising with her? I could have prevented it if I wasnt so selfish and practiced with her. These thoughts keep racing around my mind until a single tear escapes. This tear is filled with sorrow and hatred, guilt and longing.