Tragic Coincidence | Daryl Dixon

Chapter Forty-Two.

Daryl chased after Carol and Tyreese, while Beth made sure Lizzie and Micha made it back to the house safely. Everyone's main priority was to get my child out safely, and not have any walkers sneak up on us because we were rushing. Daryl continued to whisper comforting things to me as he ran, but the pain shooting through my stomach made me think otherwise. 

I could see a pretty large house up ahead, with fencing around the forest line. It actually looked pretty safe, but looks were often deceiving. Another crippling contraction rolled through my belly as Daryl ran through the field on the other side of the fence, before racing into the open front door of the house. "In here Daryl!" Carol called over, and Daryl followed her into a bedroom on the first floor of the house. Daryl quickly laid me down the bed before backing up to let Carol tend to me. 

"Is she going to be ok?" Daryl asked frantically as Carol removed my jeans so I could push the baby out. Carol ignored him, and started checking to see if I was dilated. "I said is she ok?" He said his voice growing louder, as he desperately wanted to know if I was alright.

"Daryl, shut up! I'm giving birth not going to war!" I shouted at him, and grabbed the bed sheets with my fingertips as another contraction came. Daryl frowned but stayed silent and came to sit beside me, grabbing my hand. Tyreese had left and Beth came back in his place, and sat on my other side. I felt something cold against my forehead and looked to see Beth placing a cold rag against my face. I couldn't lie, it felt amazing. We had been without fresh water for a while now, and this simple luxury was missed greatly.

"Ok Emma, you're fully dilated. I'm going to need you to push now!" Carol said loudly over my painful moans, as she positioned my legs to push the baby out. I silently hoped that this wouldn't turn out like Lori's fate. That Daryl wasn't going to have to cut open his wife and watch her bleed to death in front of him. I didn't want him to have to raise this baby by himself, there was no way anyone could survive with a newborn baby in their arms. Not in this world anymore. At least we found Carol, Tyreese and the kids. So he wouldn't be completely alone. 

I pushed two times before I felt a ripping feeling tear through my insides. Yes, this baby was definitely coming. I had delivered many babies in my line of work, but never had to experience this pain before. It definitely felt like I was crowning, and I would give anything to have the amazing pain medications back at my hospital. I looked down to Carol and she smiled letting me know everything was ok. Daryl was speaking to me, but I just tuned him out and only focused on getting this child out as quickly as possible. 

"Ok Emma, one last push should do it" Carol said, grabbing a pile of towels to catch the baby in and clean them off. One push did it, because the sweet sound of a baby crying was all that filled the room. I couldn't help the tears of joy that fell down my face. Not only because I survived the birth, but because looking around it seemed like I actually had a chance at raising them properly. Carol and Tyreese seemed to have found a nice place to hunker down in, and it looked like all of them were clean and fed properly for a while. 

"We have a son Em's" Daryl whispered quietly in my ear before kissing my sweaty forehead. "What?" I asked with teary eyes, looking to see him holding our tiny baby in a bundle of towels in his arms. Daryl smiled at me before handing my son over to me. He was perfect. He had a small bundle of dark brown hair on the top of his head, with our identical bright blue eyes. He looked so peaceful. So serene and ignorant of the cruel world he was born into. But between me and Daryl I know we would both do anything in our power to protect him.

"What do you want to name him?" Daryl asked as he curled up on the bed beside us. Beth had wandered off to probably see Judith and the kids, and Carol was busy cleaning up the blood on the bed. 

"Henry. Henry Dixon" I mumbled looking down at my son who I loved so much already. Daryl smiled and nodded in admiration before turning his attention to our son and gently taking him out of my arms. "Get some rest babe. Henry and I will be right here when you wake up" Daryl said softly before gently kissing my lips. 

I smiled up at him before sinking down into the bed, and covering myself with a blanket Carol had left. I hadn't had a good nights rest since we left the prison, having to always be on the run from one thing or another. So feeling myself actually laying comfortably on a nice soft bed was something foreign to me. I smiled seeing Daryl with Henry in the chair beside the bed. He was whispering sweet words to his son and looking at him with nothing but utmost love. 

I was always reluctant to fall asleep, knowing at any moment something could come out of the dark of night and attack me. But months of exhaustion given with the fact I just gave birth, made all reluctance to sleep go out the window. There were plenty of capable people here to alert me if something went wrong, and i fell asleep peacefully listening to Daryl softly hum an unknown tune to his son..

Authors note!: Ok so first off sorry this chapter is really short and kinda sucky! But I only have maybe three chapters planned of this left :-( So bittersweet. But when this is over I will get back to updating my other Daryl story and my other works as well :-)