16 years ago

Rick's POV

    I am in the waiting room with  Shane waiting for my wife Lori to come out of her procedure. "Shane I'm worried," I told him.

"Rick don't worry Lori will be perfectly fine," Shane said trying to comfort me.

"She has never had this done to her before. Plus what if I'm not ready to be a father?" I asked questioning everything wrong I have done in the past.

"Rick, don't say things like that. You are going to be a great dad. I know you will," he answered making me feel a lot better about myself.

"Rick Grimes," a nurse in navy blue scrubs announced coming into the waiting room.

"That's me," I acknowledged her speaking up loud enough for the nurse to hear me.

"Your wife is out of her surgery. So, you can go see her now," the nurse escorted me to my wife's room. I opened the door and my wife was asleep.

"She should be waking up in a couple of minutes. Then we will bring your baby in," the nurse left the room and closed the door behind her.

I am so nervous. Mainly because I don't think I'll be that great of a dad, but also because I don't know the gender of my child. We wanted to wait because we thought that we could experience the miracle of birth. Instead, Lori had to get a sea section.

A couple minutes of later

"Hey, Lori. How are you doing? Are you feeling okay?" I asked as Lori started to wake up.

"Yeah, I feel great. Just a little sore. Where's the baby?" She asked.

"They were waiting for you to wake up before they bring in our little bundle of joy," I exclaimed with a stupid grin on my face.

"Rick, please don't call our kid a little bundle of joy," she said laughing.

"Anything for you sweetheart," I gave her a kiss on her forehead.

Knock Knock

"Can we come in?" Asked the nurse.

"Yes," Lori answered. The nurse opened the door and walked in. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"A little sore. How's the baby?" Her voice became a little shaky. I could tell she was nervous.

"Why don't you see for yourself," the nurse answered pulling the crib into the room from the hallway. "It is a healthy baby girl," she pulled her out of the crib.

"A girl! Oh my god, I wanted a girl so much," Lori admitted starting to cry a little.

"Would the dad like to hold her?" Asked the nurse.

"Y-y-yeah, um, I would love to," I responded. The nurse grabbed her and wrapped her tighter in her blanket. She walked over to me and placed her, my daughter, into my arms. I look down at her and she starts to open her eyes. When her eyes were fully open, she stares at you with these big blue eyes and a smile that is contagious. "Lori, she's smiling at me," I look up at Lori smiling.

"She likes you, Rick. Can I hold her?" Lori asked. I carefully place her into Lori's arms. "Rick, she is so beautiful. She even has your eyes," tears started to welled up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, but what would you like to name her?" Asked the nurse in the navy-blue scrubs.

"Jessica, her name is Jessica," Lori responded. I just thought that was the perfect name for our baby girl.   

1 Hour Later

"Hello," Shane said quietly knocking on the door.

"Come in," Lori said while holding Jessica.

"Is this the newest addition to the Grimes Family?" He asked as he came in and closed the door behind him.

"Yeah, her name is Jessica," I told him as he sat down next to me in the green hospital chair.

"Jessica, that's a pretty name, but I think I'm going to call her Jess for short," Shane said smiling.

"Shane, you can call her whatever you want," I said to him.

"Can one of you hold her so I can go to the bathroom?" Asked Lori getting out of bed.

"I can," Shane shot up out of his chair and walked over to Lori. She placed Jessica in his arms. He walked back over to his chair and sat down.

"Hey bud, I'm going to go get something to eat. Will you be okay by yourself?" I asked as I got up from the uncomfortable chair stretching my legs.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Shane confirmed getting in his chair as I left the room closing the door behind me.

Shane's POV

Rick left the room and Lori was in the bathroom, so it was just baby Jess and I. "Hey there kid, I'm Shane. You probably don't me all that well, but I'm your dad's best friend," she looked up at me with her big diamond-blue eyes and smiled. I smiled back at her. "Hey kid, I'm going to make a deal with you. I'm gonna be there for you no matter what. I'm gonna become your best friend, just like your dad and I. One last thing, if anything ever happens you. I will be there to protect you," I smiled as she continued to smile back at me.

It was as if she was agreeing to the I had just made with her. I grabbed her little pinky finger and wrapped my pinky finger around hers. Just to make that the deal was sealed.

14 years later

Jess's POV

"Shane everything is going to be fine. I'm just starting high school," I said getting my bag ready so I could get out of the car.

"I know you will, but you're just growing up so fast," Shane said with a quavering voice.

"Shane stop, you sound like my dad," I rolled my eyes at him.

"Don't you mean your mom?" He asked.

"No, I mean my dad," I said trying to be serious.

"Well have a good day Jess. I'm sorry your dad couldn't take you to school. I mean this is your first of high school," Shane said sounding a little disappointed.

"It's okay. Um, do you if he's going to pick me up after school?" I asked hoping the answer was yes.

"No, sorry Jess. Hey, how about after school we go get something to eat," Shane said trying to cheer me up.

"Okay. Thank you, Shane, for always being there for me," I told him opening the car door and getting out of the car.

"No problem, now I would suggest you go find your class," he said.

"Oh Yeah! See you later Shane," I closed the door to the cop car and into the school to find my first class.

Present Time

My name is Jessica Grimes, but call me Jess. I'm 16 years old and my parents are Rick and Lori Grimes. I also have a younger brother named Carl. My eyes are ocean blue that shines like diamonds and honey blond hair that falls carelessly into my face. I am also about 5'5 and in high school. Now, this is my story, not anyone else's story, my story through the zombie apocalypse.

Thank you for reading the prologue for my first Walking Dead book. Like and comment down below and tell me what you think is going to happen to our hero Jess. Also, tell me if there is anything that needs to be changed. It helps me as an author and you as a reader to make the story flow. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter in The Beginning. Bye!