To Blake the world was dark.
It felt now like she was floating in a world, half in consciousness, half in a distant dream-world.
Around her, she could hear movement...footsteps..and voices...all of them familiar, and yet for some reason she could not remember who they belonged to.
"I swear, she just collapsed-"
"BULLSHIT, when I find out what you've done to her, you spineless motherfu-"
"I swear to you, please, I didn't do anything, I wouldn't-"
Blake gave a frown, the voices far too loud, right at this moment.
The voices hushed suddenly, the shadow of a figure leaning in close shifting over her closed eyelids.
"Peaches?" came a low and gruff voice in her ear. "You hear me, Darlin'?"
Blake scrunched her brows further at the intrusion of her personal space.
"Keep the noise down…" she murmured, a small huff escaping her her lips, as a large hand brushed its way over her cheek.
"Blake," came the voice again, sounding like it was trying to coax her awake.
But, wait, why was she asleep? Wasn't it the middle of the day? Just a moment ago she had been out in the garden talking to Brandon.
Frowning deeply again, Blake pulled her thoughts back to the present, wincing a little as she blearily opened her eyes.
It took her a moment to focus, seeing the familiar face of Negan hovering over her.
"Negan?" the blonde woman croaked out.
A look of utter relief seemed to wash over the Saviour's face at her words, as Blake confused by what had happened pushed herself up onto her elbows looking around.
To her surprise she found herself in the rec room on the ground floor, lying across one of the squashy leather sofas.
Negan was standing before her, and just a little way behind him was Brandon who currently had both his arms twisted up behind his back by Dwight, who looked to be in the process of leading him off somewhere.
"What happened? What's going on?" Blake asked feeling herself panicking a little as her green eyes searched the room again. "Is Mia ok?"
Negan's brow at once furrowed as he cupped Blake's cheek.
"He kid's fine, Peaches. But you ain't," he muttered in a growling voice. "Brandon here says you just collapsed."
Negan's dark eyes searched hers.
"That what happened, Darlin'?" he continued flashing a deadly look back over his shoulder at the detained Brandon.. "'Cause if it ain't-"
But Blake shook her head.
"Brandon didn't do anything," she said honestly. "I-I don't know what happened, one minute we were talking, and the next minute.."
Blake trailed off, pulling herself up into a sitting position and shooing Negan's hand away.
"I'm fine," said reassured him. "I must have just not eaten enough today.
In all honesty Blake hadn't had much of an appetite of late, blanching at the mere sight of what Mia had on her plate most days.
She had probably just worked herself too hard in the garden on an empty stomach.
Negan opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, the door was flung open and Dr Carson appeared carrying a black medical case, looking slightly harassed.
"You should all be giving her some space," Carson scolded, shoving past Negan and coming to stand beside Blake.
"I'm fine," Blake said, with a bemused smile.
But the doctor ignored her, feeling her forehead first then grasping up her wrist to feel her pulse.
"Don' listen to the goddamn martyr here, Doc," uttered Negan in a sarcastic voice. "She's too damn stubborn-"
Again Negan flashed a look at Brandon who was stood behind, watching the entire thing unfold with a worried sort of look upon his face.
"-an' too trustin' too."
Blake rolled her eyes, just as Carson spoke again, ignoring Negan's comment.
"You felt feverish at all? Nauseous maybe?" the doctor tried, but Blake merely shrugged.
"Not really," she mused. "I guess I've been off my food a little…"
From behind Carson, she saw Negan shift his weight between his feet and angle an eye at her looking mightily unimpressed by her statement.
"An' you don' think shit like that is important enough to tell me, Darlin'?!"
As much as Blake appreciated Negan's constant concern, she didn't think she had to tell him every little innocuous thing that happened to her. Right?
But deep down Blake knew that Negan's fretting over her health was likely justified.
He had told her very little about the death of his wife, but Blake knew that he was frightened that something like that would befall Blake too. And with little to no healthcare in this world, the outcome of a disease like that would most certainly be the same.
With a soft sigh, Blake's eyes met with Negan's, offering him a silent look of comfort.
She was fine. This was definitely nothing serious.
"You can let Brandon go, Negan," the blonde said gently. "He didn't do anything."
Blake looked to Brandon, her gaze meeting with his. She hadn't forgotten their conversation right before she had passed out.
Everything was out in the open now. The truth about David and what he had done.
She wondered now whether Brandon would still leave. Go to the outposts perhaps.
After a monent the blonde woman, still full of guilt, dropped her gaze back to Carson, as the doctor scrutinised her further, shining a light into each of her eyes in turn.
"Not until I'm fuckin' certain this asshole ain't responsible for any of this, Peaches," Negan bit. "If he's anythin' like his damn brother you know he's capable of that shit."
Blake pursed her lips, not giving a reply, as Carson sat back once more.
"Blake, can I see you in private for a sec, there's just a quick test I want to run," the doctor said in a serious voice, reaching into the black bag beside him.
Blake was still for a moment before nodding.
"Whatever test you need her to do, Doc," Negan said in a low voice. "I'm gonna be there too, we clear."
Blake huffed at the Saviour's persistence. He really wasn't going to let up was he?
Negan right now had his chest puffed out and his lips fixed into a firm line like some sort of alpha lion protecting his pride.
"Well if you want to watch Blake here, pee into a cup, by all means come along," uttered Carson in a curt tone, pulling a plastic cup from his bag and handling it to the blonde woman, before getting to his feet, heading out of the room.
And with a smirk twitching its way onto her lips, Blake followed, getting to her feet too and heading off toward the door after Carson.
She heard Negan give a grumble, but thankfully he didn't follow.
Not even five minutes later and Blake was sat on a gurney in the medical room down the hall with a pot of warm, pale yellow liquid clasped between both hands, swinging her legs impatiently.
She watched a silent Carson, glide over to her on his swivel chair and take the cup from her grasp before sliding back over to his desk, searching in his desktop drawers for something.
"I actually feel fine," she said with a smile and a half laugh.
And she did. In fact, Blake felt great. No longer dizzy or light headed, she felt bright and bubbly, raring to go and get out of here as soon as she could.
But Carson just ignored her, not turning around from whatever he was doing in the far corner of the room, much to Blake's irritation.
"I don't think there's any point in fussing-" she said again with a forced laugh, craning her neck to see what Carson was doing.
But the doctor cut over her before she could say another word, cutting her laughter short, allowing it to die rather abruptly.
"How often are you and Negan having sex?"
Blake blinked, her smile falling from her face and she frowned, looking a little confused at his question.
"I...errr…quite often...I...uh...I don't know...every other night maybe...sometimes more I suppose…" she said, swallowing. "Why?"
Her and Negan's sex life had always been good. Of course things were of course far more difficult with Mia around these days, but they still managed, still both very obviously infatuated with one another.
"And you're taking precautions?"
Blake immediately felt her cheeks turn scarlet, feeling like a schoolgirl being lectured about safe sex by a teacher.
"I...yeah…" she managed to mumble out, feeling all of a sudden very worried about the reasoning behind Carson's questioning.
After what had happened, after the loss of their baby, Blake had ensured, over the last few months, that she and Negan were always careful. But with no birth control pills available, the pair had taken to using condoms. And although Negan had huffed and complained, he had of course obliged Blake's wishes. So yes, they had been taking precautions. Blake ensuring they did this time.
"W-Why?" she pressed once more. "Is there something the matter?"
Carson, who still had his back to her, spoke again.
"No slip-ups?"
Blake frowned at this, a little affronted that Carson would accuse them of being so irresponsible, before she suddenly remembered a night just a few weeks ago, neither of their faults of course, where their condom had split.
But that had just been one time.
One little time.
Blake shook her head, wishing so desperately for Carson to turn around, her heart beginning to thud in her chest.
"Why?" she said, speaking slowly, her voice sounding a little hoarse now in the quiet of the room.
And the blonde woman could only watch as the doctor swung around in his chair to face Blake finally, offering her a sympathetic look.
"Look I know you might not want to hear this..." he said, giving a small apologetic sigh, looking down at the thin and coloured paper strip in his hand. "...but you're pregnant, Blake."
DUN DUN DUUUUN... :O