Haven (A Walking Dead fanfiction)

Chapter 13

It's been a week since Randall's arrival. We kept the shed he's locked up in guarded 24/7. It felt like an eternity before he could walk again, but today's the day. Rick and Shane have him loaded up into the trunk of Shane's car. His arms and legs tied up as tight as possible, a gag in his mouth. They borrowed Maggie's old Mp3 player that miraculously still works to block his sense of sound and they covered his head with a thick black sac so that he can't see. The thought of having him walking around free makes me more uncomfortable than I can explain, but it's better than having a human death on my hands. I busy myself in the kitchen with Lori and Maggie. Maggie and I work together to chop up fresh vegetables from the garden while Lori cuts up some cooked chicken. Beth's awake now, she's still pale and pretty weak, but she's doing much better. We're making her lunch, hoping she'll eat it.

"Did Rick say anything to you about Glenn when they got back from town?" Maggie asks Lori.

"Just that it had gotten pretty bad." Lori replies before taking a sip of water.

"He's not the same, says he froze. Blames me. Says I got inside his head."

"He came back..that's what matters. Men have to do certain things..you know that...and they're gonna either blame the little woman as the reason they do 'em or the reason they don't. I'll tell you somethin', what happens out there, happens out there. And we...we're just tryna keep it all together till they get back."

"Things were good. Maybe I-" Lori cuts her off. She leans back against the counter eating a slice of cucumber.

"Glenn's a big boy. He makes his own choices. And then you....Do you have anything to apologize for?" Maggie shakes her head no. "Tell him to man up and pull himself together. Just don't say 'man up' it never goes well." We all laugh a little.

"Let me just get this to Beth." Maggie says with a little smile.

"You go on, I've got it." Lori replies, taking the tray of food from her.

"May I come?" I ask Lori.

"Yeah sweetie of course, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." She hasn't been up for much company lately. I sleep in her bed alone, which is strange. It's hard seeing her this way.

"Knock knock" I say cheerfully as Lori and I walk into the room she's been staying in. She sits up in the bed as Lori places the tray on the bedside table beside her.

"How about this..you uh.. you eat up all your food, we'll get you up and out of here and the three of us will go take a walk. What do you say? It'll do you good to be outside." Beth just stares at the end of the bed for a long moment before she speaks.

"You're pregnant? How could you do that." she says to Lori with out even looking up.

"Beth..." I whisper shocked by her words.

"Hailey its okay..." Lori says quietly before looking back to Beth. "I uh..I don't really have a choice.

"You think it'll make a difference?" Beth asks still refusing to look up.

"Of course it will." I say, trying not to let the offense show in my voice.

"Come on Hailey let's just give her a minute." Lori says putting as she wraps an arm around me. "You eat somethin'" She says to Beth patiently as we walk out.

"This baby..it's a good thing. It's a gift." I say emotionally. "All the death and destruction and fear we've seen...we're safe here, you're bringing a brand new life into this world, hope and purity..." Lori pulls me into her stopping my rant.

"I know honey...I know." She says quietly as she runs a comforting hand over my hair. "She's just hurting right now. You know what it was like to realize your parents were gone right?" I nod. "That's what she's processing right now, that pain, that grief. She's going to get through this and you know as well as I do that she's going to love this little baby more than anything. Right?" Lori says emotionally. I sniffle, wiping my nose as I pull away.