In The Bird Song | TWD

chapter 22 - the unit

Harlow pov

I've cried out all the fluid I managed to consume today and my fever is getting worse. my joints are screaming at me to stop moving but I have no choice. I have wasted what must have been at least six hours going back and forth between crying and staring at an empty wall. Annette has been sleeping on my chest through it all probably because she's to malnourished and weak to stay awake for very long. I need to get up and find her food if I want her to survive.

I ignore my knees protests as I get to my feet and begin to walk, I don't know where I am going but my instincts seem to be taking me somewhere. I find myself stopping in front of a baby store that I ignored on my first venture through the mall.

I'm overwhelmed and scared but I can't allow my emotions to take over anymore if I'm going to keep this baby alive. I need to only focus on what needs to be done right this minute and I can worry about the rest later.

I walk into the shop and head straight to the baby clothes; Annette's clothes are filthy and unhygienic so she will need new ones. I skim through the options before grabbing a couple pairs of tinny jeans and a few equally tinny pink jumpers that look to be the warmest option available. Annette is concerningly frail and she will need to be bundled up so she can retain warmth until she has enough fat to heat herself up.

I grab a onesie that can go underneath her jeans and jumper and a thick baby jacket for her to wear over her clothes. After grabbing thick socks for her I head over to the baby blankets, I pick out a soft fleecy pink one with white swans on it. I wrap Annette in the blanket and continue my shopping, I make sure to grab her nappies and a pack of dummies that will hopefully keep her quiet when she is crying.

After thinking for a moment about what else a baby needs, I remember she will have to have a bottle and a teething ring as well. I consider giving her the rag doll I rescued from the house me and carl kissed in but then I remember all the small buttons on the doll that were hanging on by a thread so giving it to a baby would be to much of a choking hazard.

Still every child should have a comfort item so I head over to the shelves of stuffed animals, I decide against getting her a bunny or a stag because she will need learn to see those as food and not friends. In the end I get her a small deep magenta and cool purple owl that has giant yellow eyes. It isn't too large to travel with and it's a good size for Annette's small arms to hold.

There isn't any milk that is still in date but Annette's mother claimed she was one year's old already so although it's not ideal she should be able to survive on water.

I head back to the clothing store and block off the doors once we are inside. Posy goes back to the spot where she was napping earlier and promptly falls asleep. I lay Annette down to change her nappy and put new cloths on her, then I fill her bottle with fresh water. I take out a tin of canned carrots and pour them into a random bowl I found earlier. I use the blunt handle of a knife to mash the carrots Into mush so the baby can eat them without choking.

I sit down in the corner of the shop and cradle the sleeping baby in my arms. I shake her awake and as she opens her eyes, I see they are brimming with tears but she still has no energy to cry. I put the bottle in her mouth and hold it for her whilst she downs the lot.

After her water I spoon feed her mushy carrots and her tiny face screws up every time she takes a spoonful which manages to make me laugh. After her food I burp her which Is something I learnt how to do when I was younger while helping out with foster babies.

Once she is burped, I use my one free arm to make an Annette sized nest with some random fleecy coats I find in the shop and I lay the baby inside. I get her stuffed owl and I tuck her in with it, I drape her baby blanket over her and give her a kiss goodnight.