Chapter 1 - "Everything Changes"
This can't be it. This can't be the way I die.
Kate stood on top of the small wooden shed, surrounded by walkers. She'd ran as hard and as far as she could, trying to find safe ground. There was nothing but a small wooden shack, and an even smaller shed, for cover. She thought about barricading herself inside, but quickly pitched that idea aside when she saw that the door was on it's hinges. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the menacing group of dead closing in.
She looked in her backpack out of desperation. She found only three things. An empty plastic water bottle, a granola bar, and her old hospital ID badge. She had only the knife on her hip to defend herself. She closed her eyes, let out a deep sigh, and thought about jumping into the clawing and snarling death trap at her feet. She was tired of running and tired of fighting. She'd lost everyone she had ever known, or ever cared about. Maybe this was just her time.
She was shocked back by the sound of rapid gunfire gaining closer to her. Out of instinct, she hit the roof of the shed as bullets whizzed past her. Sounds of thuds, followed by cheers and cries of satisfaction, were the only clue to what was happening around her. When the chaos finally ceased, she turned her head to find a group of five men, one of the them approaching her.
"That's one hell of a situation you got yourself into, little girl." A man with a mustache was smiling at her, almost too wide. He held out his hand for her to take, but she only stared back.
Kate slowly raised to her knees and looked around. All of the walkers were down, and whatever was going to eat her alive was no longer a threat. The new threat, she knew, was standing in front of her.
"Come on down, now. And give me that bag while you're at it."
"It's empty." Kate answered, timidly.
"I don't give two shits if it is, or it isn't. That bag, whatever might be in it, and you, now belong to Negan. Now get the fuck off that shed before I pull you down."
Kate had no choice. A thousand questions raced through her mind as she followed this stranger's commands. Standing next to him, he took the bag from her hands, and pushed her down the trail that he and his men had made blazing into the woods. One of the other men grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along, back to the road. He started to push her into his truck when the tall stranger stopped him.
"She rides with me." He opened the door to the van and pointed.
Kate silently sat on the passenger's seat, feeling scared and relieved at the same time. She knew that anyone left alive now was dangerous, in their own way. She had no idea what this man had planned for her, or what he wanted. She imagined him slitting her throat, or worse, raping her.
"Where are my manners? I'm Simon. And you are?" He asked, slamming the drivers side door behind him.
"Kate." She whispered. He cupped his hand to his ear and she said it again, louder.
"Well, Kate. Let's see what's in this bag of yours."
Simon unzipped the pack to find that there wasn't anything of value at all; no real food, no weapons, practically nothing. But then he found her badge and held it up.
"Hospital, huh? What did you do there?"
"I'm a nurse. Was a nurse." Images flashed before her eyes of her co-workers, all dead now. All gone.
"Really? Well, shit. What kind of nurse, Kate?" He looked genuinely intrigued.
She looked out the window, down at the badge, and back to Simon. She was stuck, there was no denying it. This may be the only way she's able to keep herself alive.
"ER. Trauma." she admitted.
"Well, Kate. That's good. That's real good. I think there might be a place for you with the Saviors. If you play your cards right."
Simon revved the engine and starting driving down the road, whistling to himself. Kate knew that this was as safe as she was going to get, if she could call it that. She was tired, dehydrated, and hungry. She couldn't fight back, even if she wanted to. She rested her head against the side window, and quickly fell asleep.
When Kate awoke, she was laying on a hospital gurney. There was an IV in her left arm, pumping fluids into her weak body. She was still wearing the same jeans and t-shirt that she had on before, but her jacket was gone, and so were her shoes. She tried to sit up and look around, but quickly felt dizzy.
"I'd lay back. Just relax." An older man in a lab coat stood at the foot of the bed, looking over some papers in his hand.
"Are you a doctor?" Kate asked, sitting up despite his advice.
There were three other hospital beds in the room, a small desk, and a dim lamp that barely lit the room. The darkness outside a nearby window told her that is was night, and she wondered just how long she had been out.
"Two days, in case you're wondering. And I'm the doctor here. Welcome to the Saviors. Once you are able to stand, Negan will want to see you."
"Negan?" She remembered Simon mentioning his name.
"He's in charge. Normally, there's a system. When a new person comes in, they live on points, if they can't be deemed 'immediately valuable'. But you, I understand, have some decent medical training. Simon told me that you were a nurse in an ER. That's good. It may be what saves your life. Now, please. Lay back, and rest while you can."
Kate didn't like the tone in his voice. It was a mix of authority and sadness. She wandered who exactly this Negan person was, and what was going to happen to her now. She didn't want to sleep, she wanted answers.
She started to get up, but the doctor pushed her back down on the bed. He pulled a needle out from his coat pocket and jabbed her hard in the arm. She tried to fight back, but she couldn't help but give in to whatever medicine he had given her. The room started spinning, and she fell back to sleep.
