A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S5Pt16 - Lee

"My water just broke." I said.
Daryl just stared at me and I felt the fluid running down my leg. I saw Rick run inside and come back with Deanna.
"Kelley." She said.
"Please tell me you have a doctor or something." I said.
"We do, please follow me." She said.
I groaned in pain and held my stomach. Daryl wrapped my arm around his shoulders and followed Deanna to a house. I took deep breaths on the way over, but the contractions were getting worse.
Deanna opened the front door and lead us to a room with a single hospital bed in it. Daryl sat me down on the bed and stood by my side. I saw a woman follow us in and Deanna walked over to her.
"Denise, she's in labor. Can you handle this?" Deanna asked.
"I've never done it before, but I've read about it." She said.
"Maggie." I said and they looked at me.
I took a deep breath and spoke through the pain. "Maggie delivered Lori's baby. I want Maggie."
Carol nodded and left to go find Maggie. Deanna walked over to me and grabbed my hand. "Denise is a doctor. She's good at what she does." She said.
"She literally just said she's never done this." I said, and started to panic.
"You have nothing to worry about. You're in good hands." Deanna said.
I tried to listen, but couldn't focus. I never been this uncomfortable in my life and the pain was horrible. Deanna then left the room at the same time that Maggie and Carol showed up.
"Thank God." I said.
Maggie ran up to me and I grabbed her hand.
"I need your help." I said. "You were there for Lori. I need you here for me now. Please."
Maggie nodded and Denise walked forwards.
"Is this your first baby?" She asked.
Daryl and I nodded and I was starting to breathe rapidly. Denise told me to slow my breathing, and I did.
"How long ago did your water break?" She asked.
I just shook my head because I wasn't paying attention, and I couldn't focus.
"About 10 minutes ago." Daryl said. "Maybe."
Denise nodded and held out her hands. I started at her confused and she then grabbed my hands, and lifted me up. I groaned in pain but was able to stand.
"Moving around will help speed up delivery." She said, and I nodded.
Rick and Carol eventually left and it was just Daryl, Denise, and Maggie with me. After about an hour of breathing techniques, crying, and contractions, they were finally getting closer together. I was standing at the end of the bed holding onto the railing. Daryl was rubbing my lower back and I was moaning in pain. I felt a strong contraction and my knees got weak.
"I need to push." I said.
"Okay, just take a deep breath-" Denise began.
My body took over and I began pushing. I yelled and screamed in pain, and started squatting. Daryl held me up by the waist and I cried. I stopped pushing and was panting heavily.
"Let's get her on the bed." Denise said.
Daryl helped me onto the bed and he put up the headboard so I was in a semi-sitting position. I was sweating and panting, and everything was hot.
"Get this off of me." I panted and messed with the overcoat.
Daryl helped me take it off and threw it on a chair. I sighed and tried to relax since the contraction was now gone. Maggie helped me take off my boots, leggings, and underwear. Denise covered my lower body with a sheet, then she bent my legs and spread them apart. I threw my head back and took a deep breath while her and Maggie were examining me.
Daryl grabbed my hand and pet my forehead. I looked at him and tried not to cry.
"You're doing great Kell." He said.
I nodded and caressed his face. "Daryl." I said. "If I don't make it..."
"Don't say that Kell." He said.
"If I don't make it." I said again. "You take care of this baby, okay. You'll be okay, both of you will."
"Kelley. I love you." He said. "And you're going to be just fine."
I sighed and continued caressing his cheek. Daryl kissed my lips and I pulled him closer. I stopped when I felt the pain again and pushed him away.
"Oh God!" I screamed. "Owww."
"Kelley, you're all the way dilated. I need you to push." Denise said.
"Push Kelley." Maggie said.
I listened to them and pushed with all the energy I had. Once I ran out of breath, I stopped and threw my head back. I was breathing heavily and squeezed Daryl's hand.
"That was good." Denise said. "Just a few more."
I nodded and felt the urge to push again. I cried and yelled, and then stopped again. I took a second to breath and Denise nodded at Maggie.
"Push." Maggie said.
I pushed again and forced myself to even sit up. I cried and felt the baby move farther down.
"I see the head!" Denise said.
I had to stop because I was exhausted, but they told me to push again.
"I can't!" I cried out of breath. "I can't anymore."
"Kelley, you're almost finished." Maggie said.
I sighed and just shook my head. Daryl then grabbed my face and made me look at him.
"Kell, you're strong. You can do this." Daryl said. "Just one more push."
I cried and Daryl wiped my tears away.
"Just one more." Daryl said.
I nodded and looked Daryl in the eyes.
"Okay, on three." He said. "1... 2... 3..."
I pushed with all I had left in me and threw back my head in pain.
"A little more." Denise said.
"It's almost out." Maggie said. "You're almost done Kelley."
I screamed and finally pushed my hardest. Once I stopped, everything was quiet. I saw Maggie staring down and Denise was doing something.
Then I heard the tiny cry of a baby.
I gasped and closed my eyes in exhaustion. I rested my head in the pillow and took a deep breath. Maggie ran over to grab a towel and handed it to Denise.
"What is it?" I asked weakly. "Is it okay?"
Denise looked at me and smiled.
"It's a healthy baby boy."
Daryl was still holding my hand by my side and I could tell he was emotional. Maggie took the baby and walked over to me.
He was tiny and reminded me of Judith and how little she was when she was born.
I started crying tears of joy and smiled. Maggie handed me my baby and I took my first look at him. He was precious, so pure, and mine.
"Oh, baby..." I cried.
He started crying in my arms, but I rocked him and he calmed down. I kissed his forehead and kept crying. Daryl sat down on the bed and leaned over, and looked at his baby's face. He touched his cheek and touched his forehead.
"You did it Kell." He said.
I looked at him and smiled, and he looked back at me.
"We did it." I said. "We did it Daryl."
I looked back at my baby and he was staring at me. I wiped my tears and sniffled. The worst part was over, and now he was finally here. I kissed his forehead and smiled.
"Babe, he has your eyes." I said.
Daryl smiled and kissed my forehead. We were there together staring at this precious child we now had.
"Does he have a name already?" Maggie asked.
I caressed my baby's head and nodded. Then Daryl and I looked at each other and smiled.
"Yeah." I said. "Lee. Lee Dixon."