Calista clicked her tongue.
Ha. So "fragile" Carol and "kid" Carl handled it together. Looks like they "took care of it."
After a moment, Rick's voice suddenly took on an earnest note. "Calista, there's something…
I think I may need your help. I know this might be asking too much, but Lori is more than five months pregnant now."
Calista knew Lori was pregnant.
Pregnancy in the apocalypse was already a huge risk in itself.
Besides, in the original storyline, Lori had died during a difficult delivery amid the chaos at the prison.
Honestly, even now, Calista still did not understand why, under the conditions of the apocalypse, and with the child's father still uncertain, Lori and Rick had not chosen an abortion and had instead insisted on keeping the baby.
Though "little sassy girl" Judith really was a good kid.
Still, in the apocalypse, especially during the early period when Rick's group had been constantly on the move, having a child really was not a good choice.
Rick continued, "You know what conditions are like at the prison. Hershel knows some medicine, but he isn't a professional obstetrician. Delivering the baby, caring for it afterward, I…"
This sheriff, who had fought his way through herds of walkers, was now truly worried as a husband and father.
"I know asking your doctors to travel all the way to the prison isn't realistic, and it's too dangerous. So I was thinking… could Lori go to your place around the time she gives birth?"
The request was indeed somewhat unexpected for Calista.
Moving a pregnant woman to a relatively unfamiliar settlement carried risks of its own.
But Rick's reasoning was very practical.
Rock Fortress had better medical conditions, a real medical team, a relatively stable environment, and more medical supplies.
Before Calista could respond, Rick said into the microphone, "Please wait a moment, Calista. I'll go get Hershel and Lori."
Then came the sound of a door opening.
Rick quickly ran out and called Hershel, who had been talking to someone outside, back in. Lori also came in from the nearby lounge.
Recently, with more people at the prison and Lori's belly growing larger, she had handed many tasks over to others.
Internal affairs were mostly handled by Patricia and Beth, with Carol and Jacqui helping from time to time.
With more free time, it was easy for her thoughts to wander.
Lori looked at the radio equipment, then suddenly lowered her voice and whispered to Rick, "Rick, could you, could you ask Calista if their doctor can come here when I'm close to giving birth?"
Rick frowned. "Lori, didn't we already agree on this? Dale and Hershel both support you going there."
Hershel patiently advised her, "Lori, you know how things are right now. Doctors are scarce everywhere, and they have more people than we do. Their doctors definitely can't just leave."
Lori pressed her lips together. "But I don't want to be away from you. Or Carl. I want you and Carl there when I give birth. That way, if… if I…"
She did not finish, but Rick and Hershel both knew what she was afraid of.
Rick sighed. "Lori, you know the prison is in a crucial stage of development right now. I can't leave for months at a time.
But we can stay in contact with Rock Fortress. When you're close to giving birth, I'll come be with you, then bring you and the baby back. Let Carl go with you first."
Lori nodded, then shook her head. "Carl is older now. He has his own friends, and he's learning to shoot. He wants to become someone like you, someone who protects everyone.
Carl won't want to stay there with me for months. So just come together when I'm close to giving birth."
On Calista's side, she had no idea what they were saying. After waiting a long time without hearing back from Rick, she tested the line through the microphone. "Hello? Rick? Are you still there?"
This time, Hershel's voice came through. "Calista, this is Hershel. What Rick said earlier is something we all discussed together.
We know this is a presumptuous request, and we won't come empty-handed and trouble you for nothing.
The prison had a new batch of calves born this year, along with a few lambs, and quite a few chicks have hatched too. We can give you a portion of the newborn livestock.
And the two dairy cows I promised you before, I've been taking good care of them. We can bring them along this time as well.
There are also some medicines and seeds we can spare… Think of it as payment for Lori's stay there, and as our goodwill. Please consider it."
Calista could imagine the scene on the other end of the radio.
Rick gripping the receiver tightly, his brow deeply furrowed.
Hershel standing beside him.
And Lori, probably not far away, one hand resting on her swollen belly as she waited silently for a decision.
Calista did not answer right away.
Her fingers tapped lightly on the list spread across the desk.
Accepting Lori meant taking on an extra responsibility. It also meant deepening the relationship between Rock Fortress and the prison camp, changing it from a loose alliance into a bond with a more concrete personal obligation.
There were advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage was that deeper ties could lead to closer cooperation in the future.
The disadvantage was the weight of this "entrustment" itself, and if things went the same way as the original storyline and something happened to Lori…
"What about the escort?" Calista finally asked, cutting straight to the key point.
"The distance from the prison to us isn't that far, but after the apocalypse, the road isn't easy, and the risks aren't small. With Lori's current condition, she may not be able to handle the jolts or any unexpected trouble."
Rick had clearly thought this through and answered quickly. "We discussed it. Glenn and Maggie will escort her there.
Glenn is sharp and knows the roads. Maggie is careful and can take care of Lori.
They'll stay with Lori at your place until she gives birth safely and recovers a little, then they'll come back."
Rick paused, then added, "When she's giving birth, Carl and I will go be with her too. We'll have to trouble you then.
The prison has more manpower now than before, so even with them gone, we can manage the defense. And Glenn and Maggie are both careful. With them taking care of Lori, we'll feel more at ease too."
Glenn and Maggie.
They really were suitable choices. They were core members, capable and trustworthy.
They could also give Lori familiar faces to rely on in an unfamiliar place.
Just as Calista was about to speak, another voice cut in. It was Lori.
"Calista, it's Lori. What Rick and Hershel said is all true… but there are some things I feel I need to tell you in advance."
Lori paused, as if gathering her courage. "Carl was born by C-section. With my condition, this baby may need a C-section too."
C-section.
In the apocalypse, that word raised the medical difficulty and risk by several levels in an instant.
This was not simple assistance with natural childbirth. It was a complicated surgery that required a professional surgeon, an anesthesiologist, a sterile operating environment, specialized instruments, and postoperative care.
In the original storyline, Lori had died from postpartum hemorrhage. If history had its own stubborn inertia…