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Solace

Chapter 105

Lindsey heard the footsteps just outside of her room, but when Judith began to coo and talk from her pack-n-play, they stopped – as did Lindsey’s ragged breaths. She glanced at the babbling girl and put a finger over her mouth in a gesture of silence, but knew Judith wouldn’t understand anyway. She caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye and swung her knife, stabbing it into the left shoulder of an unknown man. With bleach-blonde hair and blue, wrinkle-free eyes, she would have guessed that he was in his early twenties.

Even though she’d managed to wound the young man and make him drop his weapon, he let out an aggressive growl of pain and reached for her neck. He wrapped his fingers around the fragile column and squeezed, closing off her airway in a single movement. She grabbed at his arm with both hands and tried to pry his fingers away, but the effort was useless. He slammed her against the wall and she released an ‘oomph’ as the breath was pushed from her chest.

Changing her approach, she reached for his eyes in an attempt to gouge one or both out. She was only able to scratch his cheek, though, before he pulled his head back out of her reach. The world became hazy with shadows, and to make matters worse, she could feel another contraction coming on. Judith’s distressed cries registered somewhere below the ringing in her ears. She longed to comfort the girl and wished with every part of her that it wouldn’t end like this.

Right when Lindsey thought she was going to black out and say goodbye to the world she’d come to know – and accept – a long blade ripped through the man’s chest. Immediately, he released his grasp on her neck and she sucked in as much air as she possibly could, becoming dizzy in the process. She fell to her knees as the room spun. The man landed with a thud next to her, blood pumping from the hole in his chest and another in his head.

Two slender arms reached down to help the pregnant woman to her feet and over to the bed. Lindsey was overjoyed to discover that Michonne had been her savior.

“Thank—” Lindsey began, but broke into a coughing fit. She tried to clear her throat and said in a hoarse voice, “Thank you.”

Michonne kept her hands on either side of Lindsey’s arms and searched the woman’s gaze. “Are you all right?”

Lindsey continued to catch her breath and closed her eyes briefly. “I’ve been better. The baby—”

“Wait…” Michonne whispered, turning her right ear toward the door.

Lindsey tried to quiet her breathing and was now aware of someone else coming up the front steps, but faster this time. The screen door ripped open and a voice called out, “Lindsey?”

Air rushed out of the blonde as overwhelming relief flooded her entire body.

“In here!” Michonne yelled.

Tears shimmered in Lindsey’s eyes when Rick strode through the doorway of their bedroom. His appearance was somewhat shocking, as he was completed covered in blood, but he looked unharmed and that was all that mattered. He rushed across the room, stepping over the dead man and past Michonne to circle his arms around her and hold her tightly against him. She clutched his back as he wound his hands into her damp, knotted hair.

“Oh, God, Linds, I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispered at her ear, and then pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

“Did Carl find you?” she asked. Her voice sounded like it had been dragged through sandpaper.

“He did. He and Daryl are right behind me.”

As Rick said that, the two males entered the room. Daryl began to assist Michonne with lifting the body off the floor to take it outside, while Carl hurried over to his fussing sister. He picked her up and cradled her against his shoulder, all the while speaking soft, comforting words.

“Rick, what’s happening—?”

Lindsey didn’t get to finish her question about the island’s sudden attack, because another contraction started to build and the acuteness of it took her breath away. She tried her controlled breathing, but all she could do was groan in pain.

Rick helped her ease back onto her side and said, “Don’t worry about what’s going on – just focus on having this baby. We’ve got the situation under control now. Daryl and Michonne are covering the outside. You’re safe here, okay?”

When Lindsey was able to, she nodded.

“All right, just hang tight – I need to wash up first,” Rick said, and then walked into the bathroom. He returned a minute later looking much cleaner and carrying a couple of extra towels. “Lindsey, I know it hurts, but could you turn onto your back for me really quick? I need to try checking how dilated you are right now.”

She began to roll over, whimpering from the smallest change in position, and it made everything hurt just that much more – the pressure in her hips was excruciating. Rick’s face was apologetic as he moved two fingers upward toward her cervix. At that point, Lindsey squeezed her eyes shut to ward off any further discomfort, which didn’t work, and she cried out.

“Sorry…” he whispered. “I’m almost done.” A moment later he asked, “Do you feel like you need to push?”

With a permanent grimace on her face, she said breathlessly, “Yeah, I think so.”


Rick used a towel to wipe his hands and glanced at his son. “Hey, Carl, I’m going to need your help for a few minutes.”

“Okay,” the boy said, placing Judith in her pack-n-play once more. “What do you need me to do?” Even though he sounded eager to help, his young face was anxious and hesitant.

“First, we have to get Lindsey a little closer to the edge of the bed. When I get her there, I need you to prop up all of the pillows behind her, okay?”

Carl nodded and began to snatch up each pillow as his dad helped Lindsey shimmy toward the bottom of the mattress. When she was there, he stuffed the pillows behind her back and neck.

“Great,” Rick said, “Now go into the kitchen and get scissors and two pieces of string.”

When Carl was gone, Lindsey parted her legs and Rick draped a thin blanket over her bent knees. He wanted to help her keep as much of her privacy intact as he could. The poor woman was giving birth in her bedroom without a doctor or single piece of medical equipment – definitely not an ideal situation. He supposed some women had done that before with midwives, but those people had had the option of going to the hospital if things went south – Lindsey didn’t. Her and their baby’s life rested in his hands. The pressure on him had never been higher than it was at that very moment. The last thing he wanted was a scene like the one he’d witnessed in the neighborhood on their way to New Canaan – he would do everything in his power to avoid that.

Carl came back with the requested items and handed them to his dad. Rick set them aside on the bed and watched Carl move to stand by Lindsey’s head. The boy reached down and gripped her hand, receiving a weak smile from the pregnant woman.

Rick met Lindsey’s tired gaze and said with a sigh, “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Okay,” she whispered, taking in deep gasps of air.

At the start of the next contraction, she tucked her chin to her chest and started to push. She clenched her teeth and then hissed out a shuddering breath. They repeated that for three more contractions, but nothing changed.

“You’re doing great, honey,” Rick said as he stroked the outside of her leg.

After another valiant push, Lindsey dropped her head back onto the pillows and whimpered, her bottom lip trembling. Droplets of sweat glistened on her forehead – it didn’t help that the room was stifling. Carl picked up a paperback from her nightstand and began to fan her face with it.

Lindsey’s mouth ticked up at the corner. “Thank you…”

The boy just smiled.

On her next push, Rick lifted the blanket a little higher and said, “I can see the head! You’re so close, Linds, you’re almost done. Just a couple more…you can do this.”

With the end in sight, she must have caught a second wind because she began to push between contractions.

“Okay, one more!” he said. “Carl, get ready – I’m gonna need you again...”

Pushing one last time, Lindsey released a shout as the baby passed into Rick’s awaiting hands. He wiped it down with a towel and broke into a huge grin.

“It’s a girl! Oh, Lindsey, she’s beautiful!”

The woman smiled out of happiness, but most likely, relief.

Carl stepped toward his dad and Rick gestured at the string with a tilt of his head as he continued to cradle the baby girl.

“I need you to tie one into a knot at her belly button and then another just after it so we can cut the umbilical cord.”

Carl did as his father asked, his hands shaking slightly in the process.

“Do you want to cut the cord?” Rick asked with raised brows and an expression of utter happiness.

“Sure,” Carl said and brought the scissors to the spot between the two pieces of string. After snipping it, he smiled at his dad and Rick cradled the baby with one arm to pat the boy on the back.

“Is everything okay?” Lindsey asked. “Rick, shouldn’t she be crying?”

The man’s heart dropped when he realized that his wife was right – the baby wasn’t responding. Her dark, newborn eyes were open but no sound came from her tiny mouth. Carefully, he turned the baby over in his hand and massaged her back in gentle circles.

“Carl,” he said in a low voice, “Go into the bathroom and get Judith’s aspirator.”

“An aspi-what? What the hell is that?”

Rick sighed in impatience. “The bulb-looking thing in our medicine cabinet.”

Carl vanished into the bathroom and came back a moment later with what he had asked for. All the while, Lindsey asked, “Rick? What’s going on? Talk to me! Is she okay?

He wasn’t going to lie to her, so his best option was to ignore her and keep his focus on the baby. Carl handed him the bulb syringe and he used it to suck fluid from the baby’s mouth and nose.

Finally, just when he thought it was too late to save their child, a gurgled cry erupted from the newborn’s throat. While thanking whoever was watching over them, he removed any remaining liquid and cleaned her off the best he could.

Rick swaddled the baby in a clean towel and brought her over to Lindsey, resting her on the woman’s chest. Lindsey cradled her arms around the newborn and grinned as she became misty-eyed at the first sight of their child.

“She’s perfect,” she whispered, leaning into Rick’s chest as he dropped a kiss onto the top of her head.

The newest addition to the Grimes family had wispy, sandy-colored hair, a button nose, and slate blue eyes with long lashes. Lindsey wondered what color eyes the baby would eventually have – her own brown ones or Rick’s baby blues. By the looks of it, though, the little girl already had her blonde hair. She was everything Lindsey had wished for – and more.

“What are we going to name her?” she asked, casting her affectionate gaze toward Rick.

He smiled down at her, no doubt cherishing the special moment that they’d been awaiting for months – a chance to talk about names.

“Well…I named Carl and he named Judith. I think you should choose.”

Lindsey laughed softly at the unexpected burden but didn’t see it like that at all – she welcomed the opportunity to give their daughter a name. While looking over the girl’s perfect little features, she knew right away what her answer would be.

“Zoey.”

“You mean…?” Rick asked, his expression growing serious.

“Yes. She saved my life – our lives. We wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for her,” Lindsey said, referring to herself and the baby.

“Okay,” he whispered with a tender smile. “Zoey it is, then.”

“We still need a middle name, though,” Lindsey reminded him.

Rick glanced at the bedspread as he gave it some thought.

“What was your mother’s name?” he asked suddenly.

“Evelyn.”

“Zoey Evelyn Grimes.”

Lindsey drew her bottom lip between her teeth and then swallowed hard to ward off any additional tears.

“I love it.”

The couple exchanged a loving glance and quick peck on the lips. When they parted, Lindsey noticed Carl holding Judith off to one side of the room as he looked on. She shifted Zoey a little more into her left arm and then reached out her right hand.

“Come here.”

Carl pushed away from the wall and took a few tentative steps toward the woman. At last, he gave her his hand and she pulled him closer. Rick put his arm around the boy’s shoulder and grinned at Judith as she stared at the baby with rapt fascination.

“That’s our new little sister,” Carl said, smiling now. “Can you say ‘Zoey’?”

Judith made a vowel sound but it was nothing like the newborn’s name. They all laughed.

“Guess we’ll have to work on that,” he retorted.

Later on, after getting everything cleaned up and making sure Lindsey and Zoey were comfortable, a knock sounded on the bedroom door. Rick opened it and smiled at the man on the other side.

“Hey, Daryl, how’s it goin’ out there?”

“Pretty quiet now. Just saw Carl in the kitchen with Lil’ Asskicker. Heard ya had another one – was hopin’ to meet her if that’s all right?”

“Sure,” Rick said and stepped back to let the hunter inside. “Lindsey’s going to feed her soon—”

“I’ll only be a minute,” Daryl said somewhat dismissively.

“Okay,” Rick responded while examining the man’s unreadable expression. “I’ll go outside and help Michonne until you’re done.”

Rick closed the door behind Daryl and Lindsey watched the man approach her bedside.

“Hey,” she said with a worn-out smile and exhaustion lines creasing her face.

“Who’s this cutie?” he asked, reaching out a rough hand to touch the baby’s silky cheek.

Lindsey looked down at her daughter. “This is Zoey.”

When she lifted her eyes, she saw a flicker of sadness in Daryl’s, but they softened as he stroked his fingers over Zoey’s downy hair.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said in a warm voice that was uncharacteristic of him. “Aren’t you a pretty girl – just like yer mama, huh?”

Lindsey pursed her lips and glanced at the man as color crept into her cheeks.

Daryl became silent and continued to study the newborn’s face. Suddenly, he said, “You be good to yer mama, all right? She’s a special lady. Jus’ watch yer brother and sister – they’ll teach you what ya need to know.” He looked to Lindsey now and added, “Don’t forget to take care of Rick – he needs ya…”

Lindsey’s brows twitched together at the man’s odd request, but she managed a smile and said, “I will.”

Just before Daryl leaned in to kiss her cheek, she noticed a bit of moisture glittering in his blue eyes.

“Is everything okay?” she whispered, feeling a knot of concern in her chest.

The man didn’t answer her, and instead, moved to press his lips against Zoey’s forehead.

“Daryl?” she asked, frowning. She’d seen the man be affectionate on rare occasions, but this was different. He didn’t meet her seeking gaze as he headed for the door. She called out again, “Daryl?”

The man simply shut the door behind him.

Rick saw Daryl descend the front steps in a hurry and take off around the back side of the house. Wondering where the man could possibly be going, he told Michonne he’d be right back.

The two men skirted around the bungalow and Rick hollered, “Daryl!”

The hunter halted in place and then spun around. His face was pale and sweaty with purple-tinted circles around his eyes. While gripping the crossbow strap across his chest, he shifted from one foot to the other.

“Hey, are you all right?” Rick asked, stunned by his friend’s sickly appearance.

Daryl shook his head. “No, man, I ain’t all right… Just make this easier on the both of us – go back inside with yer family an’ leave me be.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Without blinking, Daryl directed a tension-filled stare at the former deputy. Then, while looking away, he turned and lifted the hem at the back of his green sleeveless shirt. Partway up his side was the circular, telltale bite-mark from a walker. Once Rick had gotten a good look, he jerked the fabric down.

“H-how…? Where…?” Rick asked in utter disbelief. He felt as if his world was disintegrating – his brain could not grasp what was happening or what he’d just seen.

Daryl pointed to two corpses – a male and a female – on the ground a few feet away.

“Luc’s man came at me an’ I put him down with a bolt between the eyes, but that bitch came outta the bushes – caught me by surprise.”

“We can fix this,” Rick said quickly, his voice desperate now. “We can get you the cure. We just need to hurry—”

“Rick, stop.” Daryl held up an unsteady hand. “It’s too late…”

“It’s not too late!” Rick snapped, taking a step toward the injured man.

Daryl further closed the space between them and growled, “I can feel it, man! You know what it’s like. That icy feelin’ in yer vains ain’t gonna go away or get any better.”

“But we can—”

“Nah! Ya gotta learn when ta let go, Rick! The cure ain’t gonna last forever an’ I’m not gonna have ya wastin’ it on me!”

“Dammit, Daryl!” Rick shouted and grabbed the man by his collar, feeling the heat radiate from underneath. “You are just as important as any other person on this island! I don’t care if you think it’s too late – it’s only too late when you stop fucking breathing!”

The hunter’s stubborn front began to crumble and he had never looked weaker than he did at that very moment. The sight tore Rick’s heart to shreds.

“Jus’ leave me be…” Daryl repeated and closed his eyes as he shook his head slowly.

“No,” Rick persisted. “That’s not happening. You have never given up on me or my family, Daryl. I’m not going to give up on you.”

Notes

A/N: Next chapter is the last one!!

Comments

@Corall
Aw thank you so much!! :D

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
5/18/16

I just finished reading this story :) and its the most amazing story ever :D

Corall Corall
5/17/16

@Kandy
No worries. I actually used Paint, haha. I just figured out what size the banner needed to be (by trial and error) and then cut the image down until it fit.

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
4/13/16

@bluecrush611

Also, Another Annoying Question. Where did you make that Banner of Lauren And Andrew? I need to get a good Banner place thingy and i need advice xD

Mother Dick Mother Dick
4/12/16

@Walker Witch
Thank you so much for the kind words and for following along!

@eventualprocrastination
Thanks for all of your comments! I actually just published a book, so that's the direction I'm taking for now, but who knows. Maybe I'll post something here and there. :)

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
4/10/16