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"I killed her, she's dead," Adeline whispered through her sobs. The wailing infant still in her arms, Mikael's thumb ran soothing circles on her cheeks, shushing her cries. He already knew what happened the second she walked out with a baby in her arms, she was just confirming it for herself.
Hershel moved closer to Adeline and examined the newborn, covered in amniotic fluid and blood, in her arms, "She looks healthy."
She pulled away from her husband's touch, quickly scanning her eyes over the group to ensure everyone was okay, Lola was clutching onto Beth's hand and T-Dog and Carol were missing, but her mind didn't even register that. Instead, focusing on the baby girl in her arms.
"What're we gonna feed it? Got anything a baby to eat?" Daryl questioned as he moved to stand by Adeline's side.
"It's a girl," Adeline announced, rectifying Daryl's incorrect pronouns and adjusting the baby in her arms.
Hershel nodded, "She needs formula. And soon or she won't survive."
"Nope. No way. Not her." Daryl slings his crossbow over his shoulder, "We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run." He spares a look to Rick, still crouched on the ground and completely out of it.
"I'll back you." Mikael volunteers, Maggie is quick to agree, and then Glenn.
Daryl squints his eyes, pulling the three volunteers aside and then directs his attention to Mikael, "Nah, stay here with your wife, she seems a little shaken up." Giving the man a nudge back towards Adeline and gesturing Beth over.
Adeline turns to face Carl, "Do you wanna hold her?"
The boy nods, holding his arms out and allowing Adeline to gently place the baby in the arms of her brother, "Support her head," She manoeuvred the boy's hands into the correct position, "There you go, you got it."
Adeline then moves to Lola's side, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You alright, baby?" Lola nodded, subconsciously leaning into her mother's embrace.
The brunette watches as Rick snatches up the axe previously discarded and storms back into the cell blocks. She knows there's nothing she can say to stop him, she just watches him go and allows him time to grieve.
Daryl called Glenn and Maggie towards the vehicles, Axel and Oscar headed over to the fence, ready to get rid of the walkers that had pilled up— drawn by the gunfire and wailing alarms that were now shut off. Hershel and Beth stay surrounding Carl with his little sister in his arms.
Mikael places a kiss on his wife's forehead, a calloused hand wrapped around her waist.
"I can't imagine how Carl's feeling," Adeline began as she watched the boy stare into the eyes his sister shared with their mother. "Having to watch that. . ." She trailed off, subconsciously pulling Lola closer to her, the mother's hand stroking her daughter's hair soothingly.
