Chapter 41: Pregnant
The basement level of the Hive, the staff community.
The morning sunlight—artificial sunlight—shone through the huge LED screen above the community, warm and gentle. On the lawns along both sides of the street, some people were walking their dogs, some were jogging, and others were watering their flowers in front of their homes. If you didn't look up at that overly perfect "sky," this place was no different from an ordinary community before the apocalypse.
In front of Rick's villa, Lori knelt down and straightened her son Carl's collar.
"Study hard at school, don't be playful, and listen to your teachers," she said.
Carl rolled his eyes and replied in a helpless, drawn-out voice, "Okay, Mom—"
He counted on his fingers: "Study hard, don't play around, listen to your teachers, get along well with your classmates, ask questions if you don't understand... You say this every day, I'm so tired of hearing it."
Lori was amused and reached out to ruffle his hair. "Alright, alright, go on, don't be late."
Carl slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and skipped along the street.
On the east side of the community, there was a two-story building with a sign hanging at the entrance that read "Honeycomb Community Primary School." Several children were playing and laughing outside, waiting for the doors to open. Carl ran over and joined their group.
In fact, the school was established thanks to one person: Paul. The man Karina brought in in a wheelchair offered to teach after his wounds healed. He was a high school teacher with more than ten years of experience. Although the students he faced now ranged from five or six to fourteen or fifteen years old, he was not intimidated at all.
"It's better than me having to get a gun," he once said.
And so, the community primary school was founded. About a dozen children attended classes every morning, learning math, the English alphabet, and science—Paul believed that no matter what the world became, children must not become illiterate.
By the way, Daryl was also enrolled in school.
"What?" Daryl stared wide-eyed at Merle in disbelief. "You want me to go to school?"
Merle, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, smirked. "The boss ordered it. Since you're semi-literate, you'll have trouble understanding future orders. Better to study for a few months and learn to recognize all the common letters."
Daryl's face darkened like the bottom of a pot.
But an order was an order.
So, this man in his thirties sat with a group of children every day, holding elementary school textbooks and learning to read with Paul.
At first, the children laughed at him, but they grew used to it, and some even offered to help.
Daryl grumbled and cursed but studied diligently. After all, he didn't want to mess up future missions because he couldn't read.
Lori watched Carl disappear around the corner, then turned back inside. Rick had left early in the morning. Now, his squad went out daily to sweep the surrounding Walkers and protect the construction crew building the concrete wall. Jackie's plan was already underway, and a two-meter-high concrete wall was gradually taking shape.
After Lori finished cleaning the dishes and tidying up, she sat on the sofa and spaced out for a while. Her gaze fell on the calendar on the coffee table: April 17th. She stared at the date, and a sudden thought flashed through her mind.
*My period... seems to be late?* She carefully calculated the days. When was the last time? February? Early March? She couldn't quite remember. But it must have been a long time ago.
Lori's heart started racing.
No way...
She took a deep breath and told herself not to overthink. It was probably due to fatigue and stress, causing hormonal imbalance. But once that thought arose, it was impossible to suppress.
Finally, she stood up and decided to go to the community clinic—anyway, it was free. The medical center in the Hive was a small white bungalow with a red cross sign hanging at the entrance. Inside, she found a waiting area with rows of plastic chairs and health posters on the walls.
As soon as Lori entered, she heard an argument coming from inside.
"I am the Chief of Surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital! I am certainly qualified to be in charge!"
"So what if you're the head of surgery? I'm an attending physician in internal medicine, with five more years of clinical experience than you!"
Two men in white coats were face-to-face, their faces red, neither willing to budge.
Steven Edwards, a surviving surgeon at Grady Hospital.
Gavin Trevitt, also a doctor at Grady Hospital.
After being rescued from the hospital, they were assigned to work at the community clinic. However, the question of who should be in charge remained unresolved.
The two argued daily, neither willing to concede.
Dr. Gail sat nearby, holding a cup of coffee, watching them argue with a bored expression. She had long given up trying to mediate.
Karina stood in the pharmacy, watching the scene unfold. Lori pushed open the door; all three looked up simultaneously.
The two male doctors' eyes lit up immediately.
"Ma'am, are you here for a medical checkup?" Steven asked first.
"I'm the best doctor here; you can't go wrong coming to me," he added confidently.
Gavin pushed him aside with a smile. "Don't listen to his bragging—I'm the best. Where do you feel unwell? Let me take a look."
Lori was a bit confused but then said, "I'll go see Dr. Gail."
The smiles froze on the two doctors' faces. They glanced at each other, then sulkily stepped back, muttering under their breath, returning to their offices.
Gail smiled and approached.
"What do you need? Is Rick having health problems?" she asked.
Lori shook her head. "It's not him. It's me."
"Your period... it's been almost two months since your last period."
Gail paused, then nodded. "Come with me."
In the ultrasound room, Gail moved the probe across Lori's lower abdomen.
Flickering black-and-white images appeared on the screen.
After a few seconds, Gail stopped, examined the screen carefully, then looked at Lori with a smile.
"Congratulations, Lori."
"You're pregnant—you're going to be a mother again."
Lori's face turned pale instantly.
Gail's smile froze.
"Lori?" she asked tentatively. "Are you unhappy?"
Lori hesitated, then asked hoarsely, "Can... can it be aborted?"
Gail was stunned.
"Why?" she asked, confused. "Why would you want to abort? This is your child."
Lori lowered her head, clenched her fists.
She wanted to speak, but words wouldn't come.
Finally, she found a reason: "This world... is too chaotic. I don't want my child to be born into such a terrible world."
Gail looked at her silently for a moment. Then she lowered the probe and took Lori's hand.
"Lori..." she said softly, "I know you're worried. The outside world is indeed terrible, but precisely because it's so bad, we need new life even more. They are hope, they are the future."
She paused. "And remember, this isn't just your decision. You should talk to Rick about it. After all, it's his child, and he has the right to know."
Lori's face paled even more.
She nodded, stood up, and left the clinic, looking utterly dejected.
Back home, she sat motionless on the sofa.
Rick.
Sean.
That child.
Her mind was in chaos.
Rick only returned last month.
If she calculated from that, this child...
It couldn't be Rick's.
It could only be Sean's.
After the apocalypse, she thought Rick was dead.
During that time, Sean had stayed by her side.
They were together more than once.
Rick came back later.
She thought it was all over, that she could start over with Rick and pretend that period never happened.
But now...
Lori hugged her head, tears silently streaming down her face.
How was she going to explain this to Rick?
Tell him she was pregnant with Sean's child?
Or lie and say it was Rick's?
But once the child was born, it would be obvious who the child resembled.
Or it might be discovered during a blood test or DNA matching.
What should she do?
Outside the window, the sun shone brightly.
But that sunlight was fake—just like the calm she maintained now, so fragile it could shatter at any moment.