What we could've been | TWD Carnid

(RE)BIRTH

ENID

After a while, I finally found the strength to kneel beside Dawn to tell her we had to go. At best we had a day before Alpha sent out another group after us, if they weren't already on their way. She tried to fight me off at first to stay beside him, hitting my hands as I tried to pull the corpse away. Between the frozen soil and my weakened state, I wasn't even able to dig a proper grave. So I just started to recover his body with rocks I've found near the stream. I added a little flower on it as I whispered goodbye. Dawn stared at me blankly through the whole process. It was as if she could barely move, still in shock.

I don't remember much about the rest, only the burning sensation of the cold hair inside my lungs as we walked and walked silently till we stopped in a clearing. The two of us out-of-breath, we let ourselves take a break only when Dawn's legs started to shake so much she was about to fall. I give her one of my flasks which she empties in a second. As she leans against a tree I gaze at the surrounding area

"We're clear for now. But we can't stop" I say gravely without stopping scanning everything for a possible threat. I won't make the mistake twice.

"Enid..." Dawn calls for me, speaking for the first time since the incident

"What?" I ask, unable to look away

"Enid !" She repeats with insistence

I turn to take a look at her, she's staring at me in shock. I follow her gaze and widen my eyes as I get to her legs. Wet legs. I look back at her face, as much in disbelief as I am. "I am in labor"

***

"Aah" Grunts Dawn. She has been going back and forth for over an hour now. Between the contractions, the shock and the cold, her legs are shaking. It's amazing she can still stand after all this time. I tried to tell her to sit, try to relax as best as she can, but she just told me to 'fuck off'.

I don't know whether it's the emotional shock or the fall that provoked an early delivery, honestly I don't care. In both cases she's in labor now. We found a small cave after her water broke, it's not luxury but it's enough to protect us from the cold. And hide us from the whisperers. Not that it really matters considering her irregular screams echoing in the cave.

"Let me check" I tell her, indicating to her to sit down as I come forward to check how far along she is. I raise the coat she's using as a cover to uncover her bare legs. We meet eyes as I ask silently if I can. Dawn weakly nods. When I step back, my fingers tainted by her blood, I go to humidify a piece of fabric and put it on her forehead. As I do so, I realize she's heating up.

"Almost there. It's going to be the time to push. Can you do that?"

"I... don't know" She mumbles frailly

"Yes you can" She moves her head, unconvinced "Dawn you can do it, I know you can. You are one of the toughest people I know, you'll get through this, you both will. Now push!"

"Aaaa..."

"...aaaah!"

"I am here, you hear me ? I am here Maggie" I tell her as she grabs my hand.

Maggie keeps yelling out of pain until her voice breaks. To ease it, she is crushing my hand but I don't say a thing. She needs it. But what she would really need is her family by her side right now. I know everyone is busy building everything back up now that the war has ended, but delivering alone like that... I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Jesus, Rick and I, back in Hilltop, were the only ones there when the contractions started in the night. Because of her fragile state, I have been sleeping by her side for a while now, fortunately as it allowed me to act fast. With Rick's help, who has been staying in Hilltop to look after Carl still in the coma, we carried her to the hospital where she has been screaming for hours now. Jesus left the room for a small break to keep everyone updated but I couldn't leave her side. I won't.