The Walking Dead: Starting as a Cowboy

"Rick, what's wrong?"

Caesar was somewhat surprised, wondering why Rick had come to see him.

Rick awkwardly rubbed his palms together, glancing at Amy beside him. "...It's like this."

"My wife, Lori, is pregnant!"

Caesar frowned immediately.

Lori's pregnancy can be seen as a factor that led to instability within the team. The camp conditions did not meet the standards for nurturing a child, there was not enough medication for delivery, and it was not suitable for the child's growth.

Adding to Rick's emotional state because of Shane's situation, Lori further stirred up trouble between Rick and Shane.

When Sean learns that Lori is pregnant, he becomes agitated and develops a desire to kill Rick.

Coupled with the Randall incident at the time, all of this led to a breakdown in the team's morale.

But that no longer exists. The town can meet the birth requirements for newborns and also has a certain amount of medicine reserves.

With Sean, this unstable factor, gone, Lori can no longer cause any trouble.

Caesar raised an eyebrow, signaling Rick to continue.

"I wanted to ask... are there any gynecologists in this town? Can they deliver babies, like via C-section?"

Rick asked.

Lori was physically weak and thin. She had a difficult time giving birth to her first child, Karl, and only managed to deliver him via cesarean section.

If the town's medical facilities are not adequate for a cesarean section, Lori may not survive giving birth to her second child.

Caesar looked at Amy: "Go and call Hershel over."

"Okay, sure." Amy ran out quickly.

Caesar gestured to the chair in front of him. "Sit down first. We'll know the details when Herschel arrives."

Looking at Rick as he sat down, his face looked much more weathered than when I first met him, or rather, much more mature.

"Rick, when did your wife get pregnant?"

Caesar asked, unsurprisingly.

He was genuinely curious about whose child Judith was.

Rick, looking embarrassed, replied, "My wife probably got pregnant around the time we reunited."

Caesar glanced at Rick's expression and knew he didn't want him to ask any more questions.

So Caesar changed the subject and chatted for a while.

Outside, it was drizzling and the wind was howling, blowing away the summer heat and bringing the coolness of autumn.

Herschel walked into Caesar's office.

Hershel now oversees both the planting and medical departments. The medical department originally had four doctors, all of whom were quite capable.

Two are veterinarians, and two are doctors from hospitals.

The two sides looked down on each other. The veterinarian felt that doctors from hospitals would have difficulty making accurate diagnoses without equipment, and in fact, the veterinarian was right.

Doctors also felt that veterinarians treated patients roughly, often causing dissatisfaction among patients and lacking humanistic care.

Regardless of who is chosen as the manager, it will be a blow to the other side, and they might even do something harmful to themselves that doesn't benefit them as well as the person on their side besides themselves.

Do things that, within the limits of your power, make things as difficult for others as possible.

Hershel is different. He belongs to a third-party force. His medical skills are not particularly strong, but he is not easily fooled, and his character is trustworthy.

Caesar stood up to greet this pillar of the town, saying, "You've been working hard lately."

Herschel gave Caesar a disgruntled look: "If you hadn't assigned me so much work, I wouldn't be working so hard."

Having just taken over the hospital, Hershel had to go through the entire process of drug storage and previous treatment records. Although it was hard work, he completed the tasks diligently with a responsible attitude.

Caesar chuckled awkwardly and turned to introduce, "This is Rick, a member of Glenn's squad."

Rick smiled and nodded at Hershel.

Hershel looked at Rick and said, "I remember you. You helped out at my farm before. Thank you!"

The three of them exchanged a few words and then sat in the office's reception area, which consisted of a coffee table and sofas on three sides.

Caesar spoke first: "To put it simply, Rick's wife is pregnant."

"She was worried about the situation in the town and whether the child could be born and grow up healthy."

Hershel frowned and asked Rick about Lori's past.

"In a modern, reputable hospital, with general anesthesia, blood transfusions, and antibiotics, the mother's mortality rate during a cesarean section is only a few tenths of a thousand."

"Under external conditions, without anesthesia, blood transfusion, antibiotics, or even a professional doctor, the survival rate is almost zero."

Hershel looked up at Rick, her eyes filled with the confidence of a doctor.

"Thanks to the town's medical resources, we have sufficient anesthesia and blood transfusions, as well as antibiotics and professional doctors."

"Trust me, I can ensure this child is born healthy."

Hershel's words carried a strong sense of security, which made Rick smile.

Yes, the child may not be their own, but what if it is?

Moreover, Rick still has some feelings for Lori. After all, they've been married for so many years, and the fact that they have a child together is enough to keep them completely separated.

If Rick were to die during childbirth, he felt he would most likely be tormented by guilt and self-blame until he was neither human nor ghost.

"Thank you, Hershel," Rick said solemnly, then thanked Caesar as well.

Caesar waved his hand. "The reason I called Hershel over is to discuss the situation of pregnancy among women in the town. It's not just your case."

During these days in the small town, most families have nothing to do at night. In the dark, they naturally do things they like. In addition, there are not many condoms, which greatly increases the probability of someone dying.

For example, during the mask incident, many couples became pregnant.

Caesar suspects that many women in the town now have children, and only a small number have gone to the hospital.

"Yes, that's highly likely." After Caesar expressed his concerns, Herschel couldn't help but nod, confirming Caesar's guess.

"In that case, do we need to guide this situation?" Hershel asked Caesar.

Herschel didn't know if Caesar wanted the town's population to increase, especially since the increase would come from children who wouldn't be able to produce labor for at least a decade. The birth of children in this situation would lead to increased consumption of resources.

Whether Caesar chooses to encourage people to reduce births, lower risks, or even have abortions, or to encourage people to have more children, is up to him.

Caesar raised his eyes. "Of course, give birth."

"Why shouldn't we have children if we have the means!" Caesar straightened his back and looked at Hershel with righteous indignation.

"When there are children in the family, parents will work harder and be more efficient, and I believe we can survive well in the end times."

"Since we don't have to worry about being homeless or making a living, we must give birth."

"With children, we can see hope when others join us. In the end times, children are hope; children mean that this force has the courage to fight against the end times."