ORDER (sequel to Trouble) [TWD]

quality assurance

Sakiko and Daryl return to the group in steps of cohesion and dry eyes.

They approach the group huddled around and Rick wordlessly hands Daryl a paper that Sakiko peers over to see.

'From a friend' was what it read and Daryl hands it back to pull his bow up as Sakiko takes a knife for each hand out.

"What else are we gonna do?" Tara questions.

"Not this," Rick denies, "We don't know who left it."

"If that's a trap, we already happen to be in it," Eugene comments.

At the word 'trap', Sakiko peers past Daryl to see what the others are staring at. Most of the group didn't even have their weapons pulled up, a distant look in their eyes. The words on the paper rewind through Sakiko's head as she takes note of the bottles and jugs of water.

Sakiko had been too focused on making sure the others were maintaining themselves. To be honest, she hadn't let herself think about just how.. thirsty she was.

Weakly, too needy to notice, her hands drop by her sides as she joins in on staring at the water wistfully.

"I for one would like to think it is indeed from a friend," Eugene continues.

"What if it isn't? They put something in it," Carol advises.

The reminder of just how dark people could be made Sakiko blink a few times out of her trance. Resituating her priorities, she shakes her head a bit and pulls her hand up to her chest, the blade of her knife sticking outward on guard.

Across the huddle, Nanami was watching Sakiko's actions. How she shoved aside her want to be more ready to protect these people. Her people.

The way that Nanami could still see tear stains in the dirt and grime on Sakiko and Daryl's faces. How they were standing close. The way Sakiko and Maggie traded a look that showed they had one another's back. How Sakiko was married to Ryan somehow.

Eugene takes a bold step forward, taking a bottle off the ground.

"Eugene!" Rosita snaps.

Sakiko steps closer, "Dude, come on!"

"What are you doing?" Tara questions.

"Quality assurance," Eugene states.

Nanami had spent the weeks between just wanting to know that his sacrifice for Sakiko meant she stayed alive. If those lone Woodbury soldiers killed him, at least Sakiko would have gotten her gunshot wound healed.

This was no different.

Nanami just wanted Sakiko to be safe. Healthy. Besides, if the damn water is roofied or something, that's one less mouth to feed for the others.

Nanami hurries forward, ripping the water from Eugene's hand. Just as Michonne reaches out to yank it from him, he's taking large steps backward and downing the entire bottle.

When the bottle is empty, Nanami coughs at the shock of so much water at once. Crunching the bottle up, he tosses it on the road. He wipes his mouth on his arm, taking another deep breath before looking up at the others.

"What the hell was that?" Michonne roars.

Nanami coughs again, "You heard Mullet."

He sniffles, looking over to where Sakiko was standing. Her knives were once again by her side, pure fear in her eyes. When she blinks, she snaps into a blind rage.

"The fuck? Are you trying to die?" she marches toward him.

"If I fucking die then you know this shit isn't safe and someone is on your ass. If I don't, then we have water to last us a few days."