WriSoMiFu Day 5
I did not manage to write anything yesterday (mea culpa). However I wrote almost 900 words tonight so I guess that makes up for Sunday's lack of production?:)
The Only Way
Fandom: The Walking Dead (spoilers through Episode 304)
Word Count: 890 words
Rating: PG-13 for violence
The sheriff's hat was something Carl's dad gave him months ago, to remind him that he was growing up and that Dad would need to be able to rely on him.
At 13, Carl Grimes was small for his age, but he'd learned to handle a pistol pretty well. He had to. The only way to kill a walker was to destroy its brain, and a good shot to the head was the way he'd learned to do it. He never knew when a walker might stumble around a corner or from behind a tree to try to eat his brains - or his dad's or mother's.
His mother, who was now about to have her baby. Carl and Maggie and Lori got separated from the others as they ran inside the prison to escape the walkers. Where the heck did those walkers even come from? Carl had no idea; he just knew he had to protect his momma and Maggie. Then his momma bent over and said, “The baby's coming.” And after that, they moved as fast as they could to find a place that the walkers couldn't get into. The room they found was full of big pieces of equipment. Not exactly a good place to have a baby; not even a bed or a sofa for her to lie down on.
So his momma laid down on the floor and told Maggie, “You have to deliver this baby.”
Carl looked at Maggie. She didn't have to say anything; he could see on her face that she was terrified. She kept saying, “No, Lori, I can't. You can't have the baby here. You'll die.” But they all knew there was no place else to go. His momma was bleeding and Carl didn't know what to do. Maggie told her to take off her pants and Carl's face got hot; he didn't want to see Momma naked like that. It was wrong, but he knew it was the way the baby had to come. But Momma said the baby wasn't going to just come out, the regular way, so Maggie would have to - oh God - cut it out, and she would have to use Carl's knife.
“It's the only way,” Momma said.
“But... you'll die,” Maggie said.
Why would she die? Carl wondered. Was it because the knife was too sharp, or too dirty? Would she bleed to death? What would happen to the baby? He bit back a tear. He had to be strong for Momma. He would do whatever she wanted; they'd come this far and he would do anything to help her. Anything... even... No, he couldn't think about that now. Not as long as she was still alive.
“It's the only way,” Momma insisted. But first, she wanted to tell Carl goodbye. She pulled him to her body and hugged and kissed him and told him that she loved him. He wanted to be so strong, but he felt tears running down his nose as he buried his face in her neck.
Then she pushed him away and told Maggie to get on with it. There was no way to clean the knife, no clean water or anything else to clean it with. So he just gave the knife to Maggie and watched, horrified, as she pushed it, as gently as she could, through the scar on Momma's belly. The blood... there was so much blood... he couldn't think of any way Momma could live with all that blood draining out of her. Then Maggie pulled the baby out and cut the cord with the knife. Carl took off his shirt and gave it to Maggie, and she wrapped the baby in it. The look on her face, though, as she glanced down at Momma was so sad, Carl had to look away. He couldn't look at the baby. He could barely look at Momma, who was just lying there, her face turned to one side on the hard floor, eyes closed, blood still gushing from her stomach... He knew she would be dead really soon.
And he couldn't let her turn. She'd already told Maggie, “It can't be Rick.” She didn't want his dad to be the one to keep her from turning.
So that left Carl.
With the baby wrapped up in his shirt, Maggie slipped out of the room. As soon as she left, Carl took the pistol and walked over to where Momma lay on the floor. He bent over and placed one hand near her nose and mouth, but he couldn't feel any breath. Then he felt for a pulse, but couldn't find it. Lori Grimes, his momma, was dead. And it was Carl's duty to keep her from turning into a walker.
One more quick kiss and he did what he had to do. “I know you want me to do this, Momma, but I hate it. And I know Dad will hate it too.”
She was dead now. His mother was gone; he couldn't let her turn. That made it a lot easier to put a bullet in her brain. It was kinder to her, really, and there was no way he could bash her brains in. She was his momma. This was the only way.
It was the only time he ever hated using that gun.
##
The Only Way
Fandom: The Walking Dead (spoilers through Episode 304)
Word Count: 890 words
Rating: PG-13 for violence
The sheriff's hat was something Carl's dad gave him months ago, to remind him that he was growing up and that Dad would need to be able to rely on him.
At 13, Carl Grimes was small for his age, but he'd learned to handle a pistol pretty well. He had to. The only way to kill a walker was to destroy its brain, and a good shot to the head was the way he'd learned to do it. He never knew when a walker might stumble around a corner or from behind a tree to try to eat his brains - or his dad's or mother's.
His mother, who was now about to have her baby. Carl and Maggie and Lori got separated from the others as they ran inside the prison to escape the walkers. Where the heck did those walkers even come from? Carl had no idea; he just knew he had to protect his momma and Maggie. Then his momma bent over and said, “The baby's coming.” And after that, they moved as fast as they could to find a place that the walkers couldn't get into. The room they found was full of big pieces of equipment. Not exactly a good place to have a baby; not even a bed or a sofa for her to lie down on.
So his momma laid down on the floor and told Maggie, “You have to deliver this baby.”
Carl looked at Maggie. She didn't have to say anything; he could see on her face that she was terrified. She kept saying, “No, Lori, I can't. You can't have the baby here. You'll die.” But they all knew there was no place else to go. His momma was bleeding and Carl didn't know what to do. Maggie told her to take off her pants and Carl's face got hot; he didn't want to see Momma naked like that. It was wrong, but he knew it was the way the baby had to come. But Momma said the baby wasn't going to just come out, the regular way, so Maggie would have to - oh God - cut it out, and she would have to use Carl's knife.
“It's the only way,” Momma said.
“But... you'll die,” Maggie said.
Why would she die? Carl wondered. Was it because the knife was too sharp, or too dirty? Would she bleed to death? What would happen to the baby? He bit back a tear. He had to be strong for Momma. He would do whatever she wanted; they'd come this far and he would do anything to help her. Anything... even... No, he couldn't think about that now. Not as long as she was still alive.
“It's the only way,” Momma insisted. But first, she wanted to tell Carl goodbye. She pulled him to her body and hugged and kissed him and told him that she loved him. He wanted to be so strong, but he felt tears running down his nose as he buried his face in her neck.
Then she pushed him away and told Maggie to get on with it. There was no way to clean the knife, no clean water or anything else to clean it with. So he just gave the knife to Maggie and watched, horrified, as she pushed it, as gently as she could, through the scar on Momma's belly. The blood... there was so much blood... he couldn't think of any way Momma could live with all that blood draining out of her. Then Maggie pulled the baby out and cut the cord with the knife. Carl took off his shirt and gave it to Maggie, and she wrapped the baby in it. The look on her face, though, as she glanced down at Momma was so sad, Carl had to look away. He couldn't look at the baby. He could barely look at Momma, who was just lying there, her face turned to one side on the hard floor, eyes closed, blood still gushing from her stomach... He knew she would be dead really soon.
And he couldn't let her turn. She'd already told Maggie, “It can't be Rick.” She didn't want his dad to be the one to keep her from turning.
So that left Carl.
With the baby wrapped up in his shirt, Maggie slipped out of the room. As soon as she left, Carl took the pistol and walked over to where Momma lay on the floor. He bent over and placed one hand near her nose and mouth, but he couldn't feel any breath. Then he felt for a pulse, but couldn't find it. Lori Grimes, his momma, was dead. And it was Carl's duty to keep her from turning into a walker.
One more quick kiss and he did what he had to do. “I know you want me to do this, Momma, but I hate it. And I know Dad will hate it too.”
She was dead now. His mother was gone; he couldn't let her turn. That made it a lot easier to put a bullet in her brain. It was kinder to her, really, and there was no way he could bash her brains in. She was his momma. This was the only way.
It was the only time he ever hated using that gun.
##