The Walking Dead (Show) Male Reader Insert

Chapter 8: Bloodletting

(Flashback)

Lori and her friend Paula are having a conversation outside their children's school

Paula: "I know that look. Then you get really quiet. So, are you gonna tell me?"

Lori: "We had a fight this morning. It got ugly, hurtful"

Paula: "I'm sorry, hon-- Men can be jerks"

Lori: "Thing is, if we're being honest, he wasn't the asshole"

Paula: "Ah, got ya"

Lori: "He was trying so hard to be reasonable. It just pushed my buttons all the more. God, I sometimes wish he would just have it out with me.. And blow up, tell me I'm being a bitch, if that's what I'm being. Instead, he's just so..." (She sighs)

Paula: "Don't beat yourself up"

Lori: "No? You can't tell me that being pissed at your husband because he doesn't yell at you is even close to being rational"

Paula: "That's one problem I don't have with Tom"

Lori: "But you still love him"

Paula: "Sure, I do- Might as well. We're lifers"

Lori: "I admire your pragmatism"

Paula: "You still love Rick?"

Lori: "I've been asking myself that a lot, and-and I-I think the answer's 'yes'. It's just, I'm trying to remember how that works. Maybe the only real problem we have is we got married so young. It's-"

Lori is cut off by the sounds of sirens, coming closer to the two women. They look over and see two squad cars pull up.

Lori: "Excuse me"

Lori walks away from her friend and towards the first squad car, where Shane gets out.

Lori: "Is he alive?"

Shane: "He's in surgery"

Lori: "How?"

The school bell rings, signalling that the kids would be coming out soon.

Shane: "There was a radio call that said that there was two suspects in a car, but there was a third man. Somebody screwed up. I screwed up. I ju- I did not see him in time- Lori, it's my fault"

Lori: "I-I don't believe that"

Shane spots Carl exiting the school building and motions to Lori. They both wave at Carl, who happily smiles and waves back.

Lori: "What do I say? How do I tell my son his father's been shot?"

Shane: "You don't have to do it alone"

Shane goes to walk towards Carl, but Lori stops him, signalling that she wants to do it on her own.

Shane: "Okay"

Carl reaches where Lori is, and she bends down on one knee. Shane watches, brokenhearted, as she tells him what happened. Carl bursts into tears and clings to his mother.

Snapping back to reality, Rick can be seen running across a field with Carl laying limp in his arms. Rick starts to lose his grip, so he quickly repositioned Carl and continued running.

Rick: "Come on"

Behind Rick, two other figures can be seen running. One of those two figures was Shane, the other was an unknown individual.