▎SAFE HAVEN ▎ 
»»————　act three. prison time
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE ━━ walker raid

Hershel was okay. He had woken up and Lori had saved him. Everyone was over the moon that Hershel was okay and alive.

Riley, Tiffany and Beth had even made some crutches for him in their own time. But Hershel needed time to recover, which everyone gave him.

It was a couple of days after and Josie and Glenn were in one of the lookout towers. The pair laid on the makeshift bed, her head laid on his chest as he ran a hand through her hair.

It was morning and the pair knew they had to get up and help everyone, but Josie was comfy.

Josie felt Glenn's eyes on her, making her look up, brows furrowed. "What?" She tilted her head as Glenn shook his.

"Nothing." He shook his head with a smile, making Josie roll her eyes.

"Take a picture, it will last longer." She said sarcastically, moving to lay on her stomach.

"I would if I had a camera." Glenn said back as Josie chuckled, shaking her head as she leaned up to press her lips against his.

"Glenn! Josie!" Josie groaned, hearing Daryl's voice call up to them.

"I am not getting up." Josie shook her head as Glenn sighed, grabbing his jeans as Josie grabbed her shirt, pulling it over her arms and placing it around her.

"Hey, what's up, guys?" Glenn called down to the group as he opened the door. Josie ran her hands through her hair, grabbing her jeans and jacket.

"You coming?" Josie rolled her eyes at Daryl's voice, knowing what he meant.

"What?" Glenn frowned, looking down at them as Josie finished getting ready.

"You comin'?" Daryl repeated as Glenn turned to Josie, frown on his face as Josie walked towards the door, looking down at the group.

"Come on, Phinny." Tiffany shouted up with a grin, making Josie throw up her middle finger to the group. "We could use a hand."

"Yeah, we'll be right down." Glenn called down to them as they all turned around, Glenn turning to Josie, who rolled her eyes.

"Weirdos." Josie uttered, shaking her head as they moved back into the tower

Glenn quickly got ready as they walked down the stairs and out the door to see the two prisoners talking to Rick.

"We made a deal. But you gotta understand..." the blonde one breathed out as he shook his head, arms crossed over his chest. "We can't live in that place another minute. You follow me? All the bodies...people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts."

"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asked, as if it was obvious.

"You should be burning them." T-dog added.

"We tried. We did." Axel told him.

"The fence is down on the far side of the prison. Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up." Oscar then said as he shook his head. "Dropping the body and just running back inside.

"Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew." Axel walked forwards as Josie bit her tongue, watching the prisoners. "Nothing. You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro." He pointed at Rick. "We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group. Just please, please..." axel pleaded with Rick. "Don't make us live In that place."

"Our deal is not negotiable." Rick told him, firmly. "You either live in your cell block, or you leave."

Axel sighed as Oscar shook his head. "I told you this was a waste of time." Oscar uttered to axel. "They ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys." He turned back to Rick. "You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw 'em out, like. These were good guys." Oscar breathed out. "Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint, like Tomas and Andrew." He explained. "Now we've all made mistakes to get in here, chief. And I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me...we've paid our due...enough that we would rather hit that road than to go back into that shit hole."

Josie pulled an awkward look, looking over at Glenn. She then turned to Rick, who turned to Daryl, who shook his head.

Josie had been helping with the cars, driving them into the prison with Maggie. She got out of the car and looked over to the door, seeing Hershel walked out with Lori, Beth, Carl and Riley.

Josie chuckled, covering her eyes due to the sun as she turned to Maggie, whose smile was bigger than anyone's.

"All right, Hershel!" Josie turned to Glenn's voice, hearing him cheer on the old man from the bottom of the prison.

Josie smiled softly at the little moment, but, unfortunately, it was ruined...

"Walkers! Look out!" Carl yelled as Josie looked behind them, seeing the walkers. Josie's heart dropped as she pulled out her sword, going towards Lori and Carl.

She needed to protect them. She ran infront of everyone, gripping her sword in her hands as she swung for one of the walkers, firming the blood that splattered all over her.

She walked backwards until her back hit a fence, making Josie turn around. "Lori! Carl!" Josie shouted to the pair. "Here!"

The pair quickly ran towards Josie, Josie pushing them in and closing the door behind her, pouring them into the room and closing the other door behind her.

Josie ran towards the cell block, Carl behind her. But the two quickly stopped, seeing the walkers come out of the cell block. "Turn around." Josie held onto Carl, spinning on her feet and going towards the other door, quickly shutting the gate behind her.

The three walked through the halls of the prison, the alarms blaring in their ears. Josie kept her sword high as she lead the way, following the arrows on the wall.

A groan from behind Josie made her turn around, saying Lori hold herself against the wall. "Lori, are you okay?" Josie asked, her eyes full of worry. "Can you keep up?"

"Somethings not right." Lori groaned, squeezing her eyes closed as Josie held onto her.

"Are you bit?" Carl asked, his eyes wide.

"No, no, no." Lori breathed in, shaking her head. "I think the baby's coming." Josie's heart dropped.

She couldn't deliver this baby, she didn't know how to! Sure, she had been there when Carl was born, but she couldn't deliver a baby!

"Mom?" Carl called out, but he was cut off by the snarls of walkers. Josie was panicking.

"Uh, no, there's not time. Turn back." She told them, keeping her arms around Lori and going the way they came. Lori kept groaning in agony.

Carl turned another direction, leaning the way with his gun raised before he opened the door, pulling them in as Josie helped Lori down the stairs.

Lori let out a gasp as she held onto some chains, her eyes squeezed shut. Josie had no idea what to do.

"What are those alarms?" Lori grunted as she looked around the room and walking away.

"Don't worry about it." Josie tried to calm her down, placing a hand on her back.

"What if it attracts them?" Carl asked as he kept his gun in his hand.

"Lor, let's lay you down, okay." Josie suggested, watching as Lori panted, heavily.

"No, the baby's coming now." Lori uttered as Josie kept her shaky hand on Lori.

"We have to get go out fell block and have Hershel help." Carl suggested, clearly panicked.

"We can't risk getting caught out there, bud." Josie told him, shaking her head as she kept her eyes on Lori. "You're gonna need to give birth to this baby here." Josie swallowed thickly as she told Lori.

"Great." Lori muttered, panting as she leaned on the railing.

"What is she doing? Cant she breathe?" Carl worriedly asked, his eyes wide as he looked at his mother.

"She's fine." Josie gulped as she held loris arm. "Uh, you're gonna need to take your pants off, okay?"

Lori nodded her head as she carefully sat down, Josie helping her as she crouched down. "Carl, you're gonna need to help deliver your brother or sister. You up for it?" Josie asked Carl, looking up at him.

Carl nodded his head as Lori sat up. "I gotta push. I gotta push." Lori said as Josie placed lori's pants to the side.

Josie helped her stand up, Lori holding to onto something as she squeezed her eyes shut, pushing as she let out a strangled grunt.

"You're doing great, Lori." Josie nodded, still not knowing what to do. She didn't think she'd have to deliver this baby. "Just keep doing it."

Lori let out a yelp ad she continued to push, but Josie noticed something. Blood. "Lori, Lori, stop!" Josie yelled, her voice full of panic. "Somethings wrong!" She held up her hand, full of blood. This wasn't normal.

Josie helped Lori to the floor, and she was loosing a lot of blood. "Lori, I don't know what to do." Josie uttered, her hands shaking as she looked down at Lori. "Just keep your eyes open okay, I'm gonna take you back to Hershel."

"I'm not gonna make it." Lori weakly said, her eyes fluttering open. "I'm not loosing my baby...you've got to cut me open, JJ."

Josie's heart dropped as she looked down at Lori. "Lori, I don't have the right equipment, I know nothing...you'll die." Josie's voice broke as she felt Carl shaking beside her.

"Carl has a knife." Lori said to her, small smile on her face. "My baby has to survive. Please, JJ. My baby—your niece...for all of us." Josie swallowed thickly, her hands clammy. "Please, Josie! Please!" Lori begged as Josie squeezed her eyes shut, turning to Carl.

"Lori, I can't." Josie cried, her eyes bloodshot as tears fell from her eyes.

"You can and you will." Lori told her as Josie let out a shaky breath, slowly nodding her head. "You see my old c-section scar?" Lori asked as Josie lifted up her shirt, looking at the scar.

Josie nodded her head. "Carl." Lori turned to her son. "Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I wasn't. This is right. Now you...you take care of your daddy for me, all right? And your little brother or sister, you take care..." she breathed out, watching carls faces twist with sadness.

"You don't have to do this." Carl cried, shaking his head.

"You're gonna be fine." Lori told him with a slight smile. "You're gonna beat this world. I know you will." Lori told him. "You're smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave, and I love you."

"I love you too." Carl cried as Josie squeezed her eyes closed, her bottom lip trembling as she looked down at Lori.

"You promise me, you'll always do what's right." Lori asked her son, cupping his face and wiping at his tears. "It's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world. So don't..so if it feels wrong, don't do it, all right? If it feels easy, don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you." Lori told him, her voice breaking. Josie laid a hand on carls back, tears flowing down her face. "You're so good. You're my sweet boy. You're the best thing I ever did. And I love you."

Josie looked away, wiping at her eyes with her arms, letting out a quiet, choked sob. She couldn't loose Lori. Lori was like her sister. Her big sister.

Her body shook as she heard the pairs cries, shaking her head as she turned back to them. "Josie, when this is over, you're gonna have to-" Josie shook her head. "You have to do it. It can't be Rick."

Josie breathed in and out, squeezing at the chain around her neck. "Josie, please." Lori pleaded as Lori swallowed, nodding her head. "Thank you." Lori said as Josie broke, leaning down and hugging Lori.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, sorry, Lori." Josie cried, her voice breaking as she held onto her.

"It's okay, Josie." Lori nodded her head as Josie pulled out of the hug, wiping at her eyes as she sniffled. "You look after them, okay. I trust you...to look after them. Like you always have." Lori told her as Josie nodded her head. "You grow old, you survive this world, JJ, I know you will." Josie cried, hiding her face in her hands. "Hell, who knows, you might have a baby of your own." Lori grinned as Josie breathed out. "I love you, JJ."

"I love you too, Lori." Josie said, her breaths heavy as she smiled down at Lori, her vision blurry due to the tears gathering in her eyes c

Carl handed Josie the knife, she accepted it with shaky hands, her lips and hands trembling as she pressed the knife to her stomach. "I'm sorry, Lori." Josie said before she dug the knife into the skin, pulling it across her stomach as Lori let out terrifying screams of agony.

Josie closed her eyes for a moment, placing the knife down as she tried to block out Lori's screams. She breathed in and out before placing her hands inside Lori's stomach, trying to find the baby. "Carl, give me your hands." Josie uttered to the boy. "Carl, please." Josie added as the boy turned to her, his small body shaking. "If I cut too deep, I'm gonna cut the baby, so hold it open." Josie told him as he did so.

She carefully cut more of the skin as she dug her hands further, trying to find the baby. Her eyes widened as she saw something. "I see it. I see the ears." She spoke as she carefully moved all the body organs out of the way. "I'm gonna pull it out." Josie added as she carefully held the baby, figuring out what she was holding onto to.

Josie pulled the baby out with shaky hands, holding the baby close to her. But her heart dropped. It wasn't moving or crying. "No, no." Josie uttered as she carefully tapped the baby's back.

Then she sighed as she baby let out cries, Josie squeezing her eyes up as she looked up at the roof. Josie held onto her as she cut the umbilical cord, Carl passing her his jacket as Josie wrapped it around the baby.

Josie stood up, her legs shaky. "We have to go." Josie said as she looked down at Carl, holding the baby close to her.

"We can't just leave her here." Carl said, pointing down to his mother.

Josie gulped as she held out her free hand. "Give me your gun." Josie's voice broke.

"No...she's my mom, JJ." Carl shook his head as he held his gun. "I can do it."

Josie hesitated before nodding her head, holding the baby as she walked out of the room, carefully looking around for any walkers.

She followed the arrows Glenn had painted on. And jumped as a gun shot echoed, turning back as Carl walked straight past her, no emotion on his face.

Josie's heart dropped. Lori was gone. She was dead. Josie had killed her. Josie squeezed her eyes shut as she held the baby close to her, hugging it.

Josie wearily opened one of the doors, narrowing her eyes as the light blinded her eyes. The baby in her arms cried as she opened the gate.

Josie looked over to the group, seeing Rick. She bit down on her lip, trying to contain the cries that wanted to leave her mouth.

She opened the gate as she looked at the group, Carl by her side as she saw everyone look their way.

Josie swallowed thickly as she walked towards them, Rick dropping his axe as he looked over at Josie. "Where...where is she?" Rick asked her as Josie's lip trembled, as did her whole body. "Where is she?"

Rick went to walk past her, but Josie held onto his arm. "Rick, no." She quietly cried, shaking her head as he turned around.

Rick looked over at his son, before bursting into tears, looking the other way as he cried to himself.

Josie's body shook as she stared at the baby in her hands. She had killed Lori, this was her fault.

Glenn carefully made his way to Josie, holding his hand out as he cupped the side of her face. Josie's lips trembled as she kept her hand on the back of the baby's head, leaning into Glenn as she let out a broken cry.

Rick collapsed to the floor behind her, letting out cries as Josie tried to block them out. She had left Carl motherless and Rick wireless...

She thought it was all her fault. That she could have stopped Lori from dying. "Can I hold it?" Carls broken voice asked as Josie turned to him, passing the baby over to him, ever to carefully.

"Let me see the baby." Hershel called over to them from beside Riley, Maggie and Beth.

"What are we gonna feed it?" Daryl asked as Carl adjusted the baby in his hands. "We got anything a baby can eat?" Daryl asked as Carl took the baby to Hershel.

"Good need is she looks healthy." Hershel told them as Josie let out a sigh of relief, leaning into Glenn as she stared at the baby in carls hands. "But she needs formula. And soon or she won't survive."

"Nope. Now way. Not her." Daryl quickly said as he threw his crossbow over his shoulder. "We ain't loosing nobody else. I'm going for a run."

"I'll come with you." Josie uttered to Daryl, nodding her head. But Glenn tugged on her arm, shaking his head. "I have to."

"Josie, I'll go, okay." Maggie spoke up, a persistent stare in her eyes as Josie breathed out, bitting on her bottom lip as she nodded her head.

"Okay, think where we're going." Daryl told Maggie as he nodded at the blonde beside her. "Beth, Tiff." The younger Greene and the Blonde Marsh turned to him as he pulled them aside.

"Kid just lost his mom. His dad ain't doin' so hot." Daryl told Beth as he nodded at Carl. "And by the looks of Josie, she ain't doin' to good, neither." He told Tiffany, who nodded her head.

"Well look out for them." Beth confidently said as Daryl nodded his head, turning back to the group. Tiffany turned to Josie, watching as she held onto the chain around her neck.

"You two get the fence." Daryl told axel and Oscar. "Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem. Maggie, vámonos." He nodded at the brunette, who nodded her head.

Josie turned as she saw Rick pick up the axe. "Rick!" Josie called out, but it was no hope as he walked into the way Carl and Josie came out of.

Glenn squeezed her arm, pulling Josie towards him as she kept her eyes on the door that Rick had left in. This was her fault. That was all that was running through her head. She had killed Lori.

She swallowed thickly, letting out a deep breath as she looked at the remaining people of the group. Josie looked down at her shaking hands before pulling out of Glenn's grip and towards the cell blocks.

Carol and t-dog were also dead. They had lost three of their people—their family. Josie held the crying baby in her arms, trying to calm the baby down.

"Shh." Josie softly said, rocking the baby back and forth. She needed food. And Daryl and Maggie weren't back yet.

Carl sat beside her, looking at his baby sister with hopeful eyes. "Do you think she'll be okay?" Carl asked, referring to his little sister.

"Of course she will. She's got an amazing big brother." Josie slightly smiled, looking at Carl as he stared at his sister. "And the best aunt." She added as Carl slightly smiled.

Then the door opened, Maggie and Daryl walking in. "Beth." Maggie called to her sister, taking the bag off her back as Daryl walked over to Josie and Carl.

"Hows she doing?" Daryl asked as Josie rocked her back and forth.

"She won't stop crying." Josie said as she looked up at Daryl. "She needs food, here." Daryl looked uncertain as Josie stood up, holding the baby in her hands as she gently passed her towards Daryl, who carefully held her.

Maggie passed Josie the baby bottle, making her turn and give it to Daryl, who took it from her hands, looking down at the baby. "Come on." He gently said, feeding the baby.

Josie smiled at the interaction, moving towards Glenn, who had walked in with tiff and Riley.

Josie leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as Daryl smiled down at the baby. Lori should've been able to see this moment. She would've loved it. "She got a name yet?" Daryl asked Carl, rocking the baby.

"Not yet." Carl uttered, looking at his sister. "But I was thinking maybe Sofia." Carl suggested as Josie's softly smiled at Carl. "Then there's Carol, too. And..." he breathed out. "Andrea." He listed the names of the people they had lost. "Amy. Jacqui. Patricia." He shrugged. "Or...Lori? I don't know." Carl lowered his head as Josie watched her nephew with a sad look.

The baby let out a noise as Daryl looked down at her. "Yeah...you like that? Huh?" Daryl spoke so calmly to the baby. "Little ass-kicker." Daryl looked up at everyone, smile on his face. "Right? Thats a good name, right?" Josie chuckled quietly. "Little ass-kicker. You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart?"

Josie smiled at the two. She had never seen Daryl so...gentle. And it made her smile. She wished Lori and Rick was here. Rick was god knows, running around in the prison. And Lori was dead. So was T-dog. So was carol.

— madeleines notes

Josie's gonna feel so guilty man...

And the next couple of chapters, she goes through it, IM SORRY SHES MY PRECIOUS I DONT WANT GO HURT HER OKAY, IT BREAKS MY HEART.

I actually loved Lori, I am a Lori Stan since day chuffin one so actually fight me if you disagree.

17th April 2024
3771 words