She had just gotten comfortable on the couch, rubbing her huge stomach, when she felt an ache in her back. “Hm. Maybe I sat wrong.” Lori murmured to herself, setting her swollen feet up on the couch. She shrugged it off and pressed her hand to the active kicking spot on her stomach and turned on some boring romance movie.
The heroine had just begun to woo the object of her affection, when she felt another pain. “Ow…” She hissed out quietly, sitting up slowly. She waited another twenty minutes—“Oomph.” She groaned, standing up to move to the bedroom. Lori couldn’t contain her excitement—her baby was coming. Yeah, it hurt. But she wanted her baby—their first baby. She paused momentarily to glance at her wedding portrait, neatly hanging on the wall. She and Rick looked so damn happy.
And now they were just adding to that.
Thankfully, her mother had been staying with them the past week and a half—to Lori’s relief and Rick’s chagrin.
"Mama! I need to go to the hospital! It’s time!" She called upstairs to the guest room, rubbing her stomach as she felt water splash down her legs. "Mama! Call Rick!" She yelled, beginning to panic as she grabbed her bag. Martha rushed downstairs, phone to her ear as she ushered her daughter into the car. "He’s out on a call Lori-Belle, but they’ll get him the message." She murmured, beginning to drive, Lori worrying about her breathing and soaked jeans.
"Woo, thought we weren’t ever gonna get that sum’bitch." Shane laughed, his eyes shifting to the rear view mirror, the perp sitting in anger. Rick simply chuckled and nodded, his eyes moving to glance at the picture of his wife on his visor before heading off.
"Calling Officer Grimes…we have an emergency." The dispatcher came over the radio. He furrowed his brows and gestured to Shane to pick up the radio. "We’re in route to the station now…what’s the problem?"
"Uhm…I hate to tell y’all this, but I just relieved Delores for the day—there was a sticky note that said to call ya, from a few hours ago, I guess she forgot—"
"C’mon Jennifer. Spit it out." Shane sighed in exasperation, as Rick became increasingly worried. "What is it?"
"Seems your wife’s at the King’s County Hospital, her water broke—"
Rick didn’t even wait before turning the car around, sirens blaring as he headed fifty miles in the opposite direction.
Leather shoes hit the ground, his voice drawling loudly. “Lori, Lori Grimes, where is she?” He panted, nearly out of breath. Shane had take the squad car after dropping him off with the perp, speeding off to return in time to greet the new baby Grimes.
The nurse calmly stood up and led him to the room, to see Lori cradling a tiny bundle, wrapped in a blue blanket. His heart dropped—he had missed the birth of his son.
But Lori was disheartened. She turned a warm smile to him, exhaustion written all over her face. “Hey…Rick…meet Carl.” She whispered softly, passing the baby boy to him carefully.
She couldn’t have been prouder than that moment, seeing her husband melt at the sight of their newborn child.
"He’s perfect." He whispered. "You’re…I’m so sorry…"
"Don’t be. You’re here now. And that’s what matters. I love you…don’t miss the next one." Lori teased wearily, kissing his hand.
"I love you too. Both of you."
