ꜰᴏᴏʟ'ꜱ ᴍᴀᴛᴇ || ᴛᴡᴅ

088: ᴅᴏᴍᴇꜱᴛɪᴄ ꜰɪʀᴇꜱ

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"The kids found it over by the estuary." Aaron's voice said through the radio. "River must have carried it down."

Sami sighed, putting the hand that wasn't over his aching stomach to his face, resting his head in his hands as he answered. "What're you guys thinking?"

"We don't know. But Alexandria should go on lockdown just in case."

"Hold on." Michonne's voice came through, now. "We don't have evidence to justify that. My official recommendation is that everyone stay on alert until further notice."

Music started blasting from somewhere in the house, making Sami flinch, his headache worse.

"Eyes and ears open. That's it."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. I'll let everyone know. Over and out, I guess."

He sat back on the chair, taking a deep breath. They couldn't be back. Not now. Why would they leave just to come back?

He felt sick, though he did most of the time, now. He wasn't sure what is was. Maybe it was something to do with the barn. Maybe just the stresses of parenthood. Everyone always complained about their children. Sami didn't understand that. He never wanted to complain about Coco.

He honestly didn't want to get up. His body hurt to much. And telling people of the whisperers return meant it was real. 

No, no. Sitting on this chair seemed much better, much smarter.

He got to his feet anyway.

"Eugene, she's a baby." Rosita walked past the hall as Sami walked into it, panting. "Not a science experiment. You can't boil people down to charts and graphs."

Eugene shook his head, standing in front of two whiteboards with the sleeping and eating patterns of Sami's three month old baby written upon them. 

"You know, ever since you two got the radios up and running, this one." Rosita put her hand on Sami's shoulder as he walked into the kitchen. "Has been doing nothing but talking. You gotta move that thing out of the house."

"We need a meeting." Sami said, blinking harshly. "They found a, uh . . . mask in the water at Oceanside."

They both went pale, looking at him. 

"I'll, um . . ." He took a step, but his stomach hurt more. "Shit. I'll round people up. Eugene, can you keep an ear out for Cokes, please? If she wakes, you can bring her to the church."

The meeting didn't do much, but inform everyone on the council what was happening, and cause them to jump down each others throats trying to work out what it meant. 

Sami felt too sick to argue, sitting at a table, chin on his arms as he watched them argue. It wouldn't do anything. 

He kept his eyes wide. Anytime he closed them, he saw her in her green dress. He had to stay awake.

After the meeting, he sat on a bench on the porch of his house, holding Coco. She was wrapped in a blanket, almost asleep. Apparently, she'd woken while they were gone. And once she saw Sami she'd cry and cry until he picked him up so she could fall asleep on his arm. If he was careful, he could often settle her down in her crib again after she fell asleep, but he liked rocking her to sleep.

He felt his head tip back, slightly, exhaustion eating away at him.

"No!" Enid begged. "No, no, please! Sami!"

He jerked, head hitting the wall behind him and Coco crying.

"I'm sorry. Oh, cariño, I'm so sorry." He held her, rocking her lightly, and she calmed down. "I know, I know, I'm sorry."