When they arrived at the sanctuary, Negan jumped off Helios and as Rhea was about to get him back to the stables, the Saviour's leader stopped her.
« Pocahontas, you take care of your beast and come back here, you understand? »
Rhea nodded, trotting to the stable. She got down of her horse, letting him drink and eat while she brushed him. After a few minutes, she left him and got back to the parking lot, the Saviours gathered around their leader. She walked up to them, waiting for someone to say something to her, still hoping that, after this day, she would get those medicine for Octavia.
« Give me that bow of yours. » Said Dwight, extending his arm to take it from her.
Rhea made a step back, keeping her bow in her fist and her arrows tied to her back.
« I gotta take your weapons girl, you're a worker, not a soldier. »
« Give the girl a break, D. » said Negan. « Pocahontas, you follow me. »
Follow him? Maybe he was pissed after all, because she shouted at him like he was some kind of a friend or a normal person. But she followed him, climbed some stairs and he opened a door, leading to a corridor and opened another door. They walked in a large room, painted with grey and brown shades, a huge bed covered with blue sheets, an old leather couch and shelves filled with books. Rhea heard the door close behind her, and turned around to see the man she knew as "Fat Joseph" followed them.
« Now, why don't you start by telling me your name? » asked Negan, sitting down on the couch.
« Rhea. »
« Rhea, that's a sweet name. »
The dark-haired woman inhaled sharply, not really liking the taste of "sweet" in the mouth of a leader like him.
« Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, in the Greek mythology, Rhea was a Titan, wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus. And other many gods. »
« Well look at that! » smiled Negan, still holding Lucille. « Fat Joe, tell the girls to run a bath for this brave girl. »
As the guard left the room, Rhea shook her head, not really understanding the bath thing.
« Why would I have the right to a bath? » she asked.
« Because… » started Negan standing up « After saving your leader that's what you deserve, along with this. » he showed the room with Lucille. « Even if this little ride on your beast will leave my whole legs sore for days. »
Rhea thought that, if she had to be bold, now was the time.
« If you want to reward me, you don't have to give me all this, give me medicines instead. »
Her heart pounded in her chest. What if she was going to far? What if this whole "room plus bath" was a trick, because in a twisted kind of way, he was pissed that a woman saved his ass?
« Medicine? Why, you're a drug addict or something? How old are ya' anyway? »
« No, I'm not and I'm 37. And that's not important, the medicine is not for me. »
« Then for who it is? Boyfriend? Old suffering mother…? »
Rhea thought about her little Octavia, pale, coughing and burning up in her small camp bed. At seven, how was she supposed to survive something like this without any medicine?
« My niece. She got sick. »
Negan seemed to think for a moment, arched is back before putting Lucille on his shoulder and go around Rhea to leave the room. Was she supposed to follow him? She didn't really know but she turned around and went after him anyway. They walked silently for a moment, before he stopped and opened a door, leading to a bathroom, where a steaming bath was ready in a corner.
« What's your niece's name and serial number? »
« Octavia Lewis, 47. »
« Octavia? Another Roman name? What's your horse's name? Romulus? »
« Helios. » said Rhea without looking up at him.
The man smiled, putting his free hand on Rhea's shoulder, pushing her in the bathroom.
« Have that bath and the room. I'll send your niece to Carson. »
With those words he left a small key in her hand before turning around and leaving her in the bathroom. Was he really going to help her? And what about Jules, would he let his daughter go with the Saviour's leader or one of his right-hand men? She hoped he would. Her little brother could be so stubborn, it got him in complicated situation more than once.
Rhea tried not to think about it. Eight years since she had a bath, she'd better enjoy it. She closed the door behind her, locked it and walked to the bathtub. The water was steaming hot and bubbles floated on the surface. She took off her clothes before going into the water, welcoming the heat burning her feet. Once totally submerged, she closed her eyes, letting her mind slip away.
She thought about the life she had before all this, her sweet life compared to this one. Images of her wedding came back. The white and rose flowers, her long, white dress, adorned with pearls and a bit of lace. Her parents, her brother, waiting next to her fiancé. He was so gorgeous that day. His almost white locks falling on his black fabric cladded shoulders, his bright green eyes shining more than ever, he looked like a real angel. Even Helios was there, still a yearling but he was there, held by her friend Laird.
But this bright memory shattered, walkers invading her vision, grabbing her parents first, tearing their flesh off of their bones, then all her friends started to scream, calling out for help. But Rhea couldn't move, not until one of them grabbed her fiancé by his neck, planting its teeth in his skin. Blood spilled on her white gown, she wanted to rescue him, but someone held her by her waist, taking her away from the carnage. She knew it was Jules, but she just couldn't go with him, she had to help him.
Rhea brought her head out of the water, repressing a scream, and searching for air. She tried and calmed her breath, before lying back down against the cold ceramic. She chased the vision away, enjoying the heat of the bath before getting up and putting her clothes back on. What was she supposed to do next?
She left the bathroom, tying her wet hair in a ponytail, decided to find the infirmary. No, after a whole year in this community, she never got the chance to go the doctor. But in a way, that was a good thing. So, she wandered for about fifteen minutes, under the suspicious looks on some of the guards faces before finding Carson's office. She knocked three times on the door, and without any answer, she opened it, to see her little Octavia, lying on a hospital bed, a perfusion in the inside of her arm. So… Negan kept his word?
Chapter a little shorter tan the previous one, sorry about that!
I wanna thank Fadedcircles, LadyxAbsinthe for following this story and cahl and laniejh for putting it in their favorites ^^
And last thing, I wanted to apologize if the english is not perfect 'cause it's not my first language. So if you see something wrong, tell me!
All reviews are welcome, of course ;)