Surviving The New World (Book Six in the Surviving The Walking Dead Series)

Labor Pains: Part Two

"Can't believe someone would do that." Aaron scoffed.

"Ya didn't know Merle." Daryl added.

"No, he didn't know Merle and Michaela." Rick chuckled. "I swear, when them two got together, it was like an tornado meetin' a volcano. Absolute catastrophe."

"I think Abraham and I were a bit worse. Merle never hit me." I admitted.

"True, but thankfully all that stuff is over, right?"

"Yeah...over." I sighed.

"Michaela?"

"I just miss 'em, ya know? I miss everyone."

"We all do." I held my stomach in pain as another contraction rolled through me. I've had a few contractions since being in the room, each of them coming sooner than the last. Rick told me that it meant I was dilating and thinning out more. I was relieved, but I was also worried. Siddiq still wasn't here. If anything went wrong and Rick has to deliver the babies, he won't be able to do anything to save them. Siddiq is the only one who is trained to save them. I only know how to cut a baby out of someone, but I can't do that to myself.

"Where the fuck is Siddiq?" I grunted through the pain.

"He should be here soon." Rick answered. I let out a breath as the contraction subsided. Poor Daryl, his hand had to be hurting from me squeezing the hell out of it. Still, he didn't complain. He just laid next to me and let me squeeze away as he rubbed my stomach and whispered sweet nothings into my ear. I flinched as Ezekiel gently pat my forehead with a fresh cool washcloth.

"Rest, milady." Ezekiel smiled. "This pain will be all worth it."

"Ezekiel, ya know I love you, right?" I asked.

"I do."

"And ya know that I have much respect for ya?"

"Of course."

"Then do me a favor."

"What?"

"Stop callin' me milady." Everyone in the room smiled with amusement, even Ezekiel.

"My apologies." Ezekiel chuckled.

"Her blood pressure is at 132/87." Aaron informed as he removed the blood pressure cuff from my arm. "We need to lower her blood pressure."

"Get me to the bathroom." I grunted as I struggled to sit up.

"Why?" Rick asked.

"Besides the fact that I gotta take a piss? A warm shower, it'll lower my blood pressure."

"Hell no." Rick argued and forced me to lay back down. "You are in no condition to take a shower. If your water didn't break, sure, but your water broke and you're dilatin'. I need ya to stay here."

"I gotta pee." Rick let out a sigh and gave Daryl a reluctant nod. Daryl slowly helped me to my feet and helped me walk to the bathroom and onto the toilet. I sighed with relief as my bladder emptied, taking some pressure off of my stomach.

"Feel better?" Daryl asked.

"Much." I smiled.

"Good. Now, clean up, and get back to bed." I cleaned myself up and Daryl helped me stand up, but half way back to bed, I doubled over in pain, holding my stomach as another contraction hit me like a freight train. Ezekiel instantly ran to mine and Daryl's side and helped Daryl rub my back until the contraction ended. When it finally did, I rested my forehead on the cold tile floor, panting with exhaustion.

"They're gettin' worse." I whined. "Someone please knock me out so I can get this over with."

"We ain't doin' that." Daryl reassured. "You can do this, Michaela." Without another word, Daryl and Ezekiel helped me back into bed.