Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Epidemic - 102

WARNING: FAKE SCIENCE. Do not try this at home, Google wasn't being helpful and I'm no good at science. Brooks and Eugene are a lot smarter than me so we'll just ignore the fake science about to be spoken about, okay xxx

The drive to the Sanctuary was a long one, but more spacious this time around. Brooks was still in the truck with Negan and Arat, but no Carl this time. Brooks found herself tracing little hearts in the condensation on her window, but then a droplet would run down from the top and break her heart every single time. Even mother nature knew Brooks Dixon didn't deserve love.

"You okay, kid?" Negan asked after an hour of tense driving silence.

She forced a smile to her face, and looked up to him. "Yea."

"Who was that boy you killed?" He found himself asking.

Her shoulders shrugged a little. "Mickey... He got what he deserved. I feel sorry for his mama, she ain't know what he was like. I didn't know she was standin' there, I swear it. I didn't know."

Negan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in, he let her lean herself into his torso as he squeezed and comforted her gently. "You did the right thing, Brookie wookie." Brooks found herself giggling quietly at the nickname, which made Negan chuckle. "There's that beautiful laugh. I don't like it when you're glum, you're too good to be glum. You deserve to be happy, you deserve everything, Brooks."

Maybe if her so-called family saw the way Brooks was finally loved, they'd understand why she chose Negan. "Why you so good to me? You're better than my own dad was like growin' up."

The comment made Negan both happy and sad, because he was glad that she felt safe with him, but he wished her childhood had been better. "Because you deserve love, and you deserve to know you're worth the world and more... I'm gonna show you that. I'm gonna give you the world, Brooks, because we'll take it."

"We'll take the world?" She asked, looking up at his bright face.

Negan laughed, nodding. "World domination? Whatcha say?"

Brooks couldn't help but smile, and lean in closer to him. "I say yes."

/----------\

The second Brooks got back to the sanctuary, she went to meet Spencer Maddock down in the kitchen where she was finally able to bake those cookies. To be honest with herself, Brooks was tired, and wanted sleep, however she knew what she needed to do. So, she grabbed the flour and the chocolate chips and went to work. Just as Brooks was about to start forming the cookies in to shape, on time, Spencer was called to help serve dinner to the saviours; the same time every single day because Negan likes a routine. 

Brooks added her final ingredient, mixed everything in, and put it in the oven. Twelve and a half minutes later her first batch was done, then another twelve and half minutes later, her second batch was. So on and so forth, until there was over a hundred cookies! This may seem extreme to me or you, but the saviours had found sugar on a run that was about to go bad, along with many other baking ingredients. Of course, being in the end of days, seeing food run out of date is the last thing you want.

Just as dinner was over, Brooks wheeled in her cart full of freshly baked cookies, some of which were still warm - so she gave them to people like Negan, Dwight, Simon, Fat Joey, etc. Not herself though, and not Eugene who was sitting in a corner away from everyone else. He'd arrived late because instead of being taken to the sanctuary straight away, he was taken to pick up all of the equipment and ingredients he'd need to create the bullets.

/----------\

However, mother nature trying to destroy Brooks' happiness never escaped for too long, because very shortly later, a sickness spread throughout the saviours. Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain and nausea/vomiting were the main symptoms. The doctor diagnosed everyone with hyperkalaemia, which is elevated potassium and can be life threatening. It was very unique to see such a large case, but he decided food scavenged on a run must have been contaminated, which he deemed 'normal' for this far into the end of the world.