CHAPTER-TWENTY FIVE
"Save my baby"
——

While Jane, Maggie, Carl and Lori wander through the hallways Jane realizes this stress could be too much for Lori as she sees Lori hold onto her stomach and start crying out in pain. "Here, I got you" Jane reassures as she wraps Lori's arm around her shoulder and lets Maggie and Carl lead the way. Carl turns a corner and points to a door with a boiler room sign on it.

"In here" Carl states and Jane nods as she and Maggie help Lori down the stairs of the boiler room while Carl locks the door. "Okay, Lori what are we doing?" Jane asks as they get situated in a spot.

"Take my pants off, I need to have this baby naturally" Lori breathes out and Maggie and Jane assist Lori in removing her pants and gets her ready to deliver the baby naturally. Carl stares at them in confusion and horror. As Lori pushes through her contractions, she begins to hemorrhage. Jane removes her hands from Loris legs and notices blood.

"Oh no, no no" Jane mumbles and Maggie looks to her in fear. "I've never delivered a baby but I know this isn't good" Maggie whispers and Jane looks to Maggie as tears cloud her eyes. Out of nowhere an alarm starts ringing all throughout the prison and Jane looks around in horror and confusion but Lori starts to grow faint as the hemorrhaging continues.

Lori places her hand between her legs and notices the hemorrhaging and she starts to get on the cold ground and lay on her back. "I am not losing this baby" Lori tells Jane and Maggie. "You've got to cut me open." Lori tearfully says and Maggie looks to Jane in confusion.

"Lori, I won't do that. We can save you both" Jane says as her hands begin to shake while looking down at Lori who can barley keep her eyes open. "You don't have a choice... I choose the baby" Lori mumbles and tears fall down from Janes eyes and she looks down between Lori's leg trying to figure out another solution.

"I'll go for help" Carl says and Lori stops him immediately. Jane rubs Lori's leg reassuringly and looks down to Lori. "He can find Hershel or Carol they know this way better than me" Jane says and Lori shakes her head. "You're a doctor you ca—" Lori states and Jane lets out a groan.

"I am a doctor! But— I work on viruses I am not a god damn gynecologist Lori!" Jane shouts as she pushes her sweaty hair back. Maggie places a hand on Janes shoulder and rubs her back softly.

"We don't even have anesthetics or anything" Maggie argues. "Carl has a knife" Lori states and Janes face tenses at her words. "I'm not cutting you open with a rusted knife— You— You won't survive" Jane cries out softly as she covers her mouth and Lori nods. "I know... but my baby will" Lori breathes out.

"Jane! Please! Save my baby!" Lori begs and Jane closes her eyes shut listening to Lori's words over and over again in her head. "Carl, baby I don't want you to be scared. This is what I want. This is right" Lori gasps as she looks over to her son kneeling beside her. "Now, you— you take care of your daddy for me, all right? And your little brother or sister, you take care—" Lori begins her goodbye and Carl shakes his head. "You don't have to do this" Carl cries out and Jane takes a few deep breath looking at Lori's stomach already spotting a scar on it. "You're gonna be fine. You are gonna beat this world. I know you will. You are smart and you are strong and you are so brave and I love you" Lori confesses making Carl burst out in sobs as he looks at his dying mother. "I love you too" Carl chokes out.

"So, Carl, Give Jane the knife" Lori says looking into her sons eyes and pulls him into a loving hug. "I love you baby but I need you to give Jane the knife" Lori cries out and Carl sobs into her shoulder. Maggie and Jane look to each other, tears staining both of their faces knowing what one has to do.

"Okay, When this is all over you're gonna have to—" Lori begins and Jane already knows what she means. "Wait, Wait" Jane begs and Lori shakes her head. "It can't be Rick, Don't let it be him.. please" Lori begs and Jane puts her head down letting the tears fall out. "Okay, Okay" Jane breathes and lifts her head up to see Carl holding the knife in his hands, hands shaking and all. Jane reaches out and grabs the knife gripping it in her hand softly.

"Whew... Goodnight, love" Lori whispers as she holds onto Carl's hand. "Lori, I am so sorry" Jane cries out as she holds the knife and reluctantly slices Lori's abdomen open cringing at the sounds of Lori's painful screams.

Jane reaches her hands inside of Lori's stomach and scoops the baby out. The baby is covered in blood and a white coating. Jane holds the baby close to her chest and looks down at Lori and sees her start to shudder and shake. Lori closes her eyes and lays there motionless, blood pouring from her open wound. Jane lets out sobs as she holds the baby who isn't breathing. Maggie helps out and starts patting out the babies back gently and all of a sudden the baby lets out a loud cry causing Jane to let out a sigh of relief and hold the baby close getting blood on her clothes and face.

Maggie and Jane start to leave with the baby when Carl stops her. "We can't just leave her here," Carl says. "She'll turn." Carl insists on killing her himself since he is the son so Jane and Maggie move away while Jane holds the baby. While they stand next to each other by the exit with blood, sweat and tears all over them they hear a gunshot and jump at the sound of it and see Carl come around the corner emotionless while he walks briskly past them and walks out of the boiler room.

While they are about to walk outside Jane hands the baby to Maggie and the baby begins to cry. Jane, Maggie and Carl emerge with the newborn baby. Rick collapses in grief and sorrow when he realizes Lori is not with them, as Jane looks to a very upset Rick she falls to her knees and lets out quiet sobs as she has the blood of his wife on her. Glenn walks over to Jane and lifts her head up to look at her. He is shocked at the blood and tears that stain her face but that doesn't stop him from pulling her into a comforting hug. As Jane cries into Glenn's shoulder, the others look on in shock and sadness as Rick reels.

WORD COUNT: 1188