Chapter Twenty-one

Catherine woke up in the back of Negan's car, surprised to find Negan not at the wheel but holding her up against him and bracing her arm.

"I know you're the doctor but we think its broken."

"No shit," Catherine murmured turning and nestling into the crook of his arm. The scent of him, alive and not rotting, was something of a comfort at that moment. Her nose wrinkled as she thought of the putrid stench of the walkers in the drugstore. "I really wasn't trying to make a run for it. I forgot to keep an eye on the time…" As the car bounced through a pothole she let out a cry of pain.

"We had to leave before we could splint your arm. Dr Carson will fix you right up when we get back."

"Do you have the bag?" Catherine asked struggling to sit up by herself. Negan nodded to the front passenger seat. With her good hand Catherine reached out and grabbed the bag, rummaging through it for the strong painkillers she could find. Gratefully she took the uncapped bottle of water Negan offered her and downed some of the pills.

Catherine was surprised at Negan's gentleness as he helped her from the car and to Dr Carson's office. At the back of her mind she was aware she needed to get to Frankie, to give her the pills she had hidden before Negan found them.

"Will you give us a second doc?" Negan held the door open for Dr Carson once Catherine's arm was set in a sling. Carson nodded nervously, beads of sweat gathering on his forehead as he exited. Catherine looked at him slightly confused, should she be worried? As Negan closed the door Catherine turned her attention back to him. "Do we need to have a little chat about your wifely duties?"

"No…" Catherine's voice was hesitant and the pain in her arm began to throb spreading up to her head. She longed to just lie down and sleep. "Negan please, my arm is killing - can you just spit it out?" She watched as Negan stood up and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a beaten up box of medication.

"These were in the bag you were carrying."

"They're not mine," Catherine said quickly thinking on her feet. "Did you see what else I had in there? I tried to carry as many types as I could find - who knows when we'll get a chance to stock up on medication again? Do you even think about stuff like this?" She could see Negan was mulling over her words, debating whether or not to believe her. "Just because you want to start populating the world doesn't mean everyone here does. What about the workers? They can barely afford essentials as it is, how would they support children?"

"I make allowances for families." Negan growled.

"Just because you want some kind of family doesn't mean everyone does." Catherine persisted. "They weren't for me." Not those ones at least, she added silently. Negan picked them up and looked at them thoughtfully.

"If I find out…"

"Stop with the threats," Catherine snapped. The pain was making her temper short. "Can I please go? I need to lie down."

"Fine." Negan shoved the packet back into his pocket. "I expect you tonight."

"You're kidding? With this?" Catherine gestured to her arm in it's sling and looked at him incredulously. Shaking her head she hopped from the exam table and made her way back to the living quarters with the rest of the wives. She was thankful to see Frankie and Tanya there, although both looked distracted.

"What happened to you?" Tanya was the first to register Catherine's sling and she told them the story. "Did you -"

"Yes," Catherine cut her off quickly before she could ask about the birth control. "Can you help me dress, before Negan gets here?" Blushing as Frankie and Tanya helped her out of her clothes and into the lingerie that was their uniform she kicked the bra close to her bed with a pointed look. "I won't be here tonight," she tried to make the remark flippantly but the sympathetic looks did little to soothe her pounding headache. Exhausted Catherine slipped beneath the covers of her bed and dozed off. It wasn't until she was just falling asleep that she thought to ask where they had been.

"How's your arm sweetheart?" Negan greeted her with a gentle kiss and a welcome glass of red wine which Catherine almost gulped back greedily.

"Sore, and my head isn't much better." She had not been able to sleep for long that afternoon, once she had turned onto her left side the pain had woken her up. She'd not been able to fall back asleep. "Is there any news on Sherry?" She asked tentatively as she sat on the edge of his bed.

"Dwight's looking for her…" Catherine wondered if Dwight would bring her back if he found her, but didn't voice the thought. Negan sat beside her, his eyes sweeping over her broken arm in concern. "I thought you'd tried to run away." He said topping up her glass of wine and Catherine saw a shadow cross over his face. Unable to resist the feather mattress she moved under the covers and curled up, ready for sleep.

"After I fell...it crossed my mind briefly. I heard you going up to the drugstore. For the briefest moment I thought I could just let you walk into that herd...but the thought of what they'd do. No one deserves that," she murmured. "You never answered my question earlier; do you ever think about what will happen after this is over?"

"What makes you think this will end? Do you really think life will go back to before?" Negan countered and Catherine felt herself suddenly more awake. That was not a thought worth pondering. Was this really the new norm? "You shouldn't worry about the future sweetheart, you're safe here." Catherine tried not to scoff but a dark blanket was tightening its hold on her. She twisted her weighted limbs so she could stare up at Negan. "I wanted to be sure you would sleep," he kissed her forehead tenderly.

When Catherine woke up she still felt drowsy but considerably well-rested. She was surprised that her arm hadn't kept her awake all night, but surprise quickly turned to fear when she thought about what Negan had slipped her.

"Don't worry sweetheart, Dr Carson assured me it wouldn't harm you or mix with the painkillers you'd taken in the car." Negan seemed to read her mind as she began stirred awake.

"Still...I'm not feeling too good," Catherine murmured sitting up and feeling her stomach roll. She fought back the urge to throw up, knowing Negan would not be happy if she puked all over his bed. She didn't relish the thought of throwing up when she realised she'd not eaten since breakfast the previous day.

"Come here," Negan gently pulled her back and rubbed his hand in gentle circular motions across her belly. The movement was oddly comforting and Catherine's head lulled to the side.

"I should get up, I was going to help Dr Carson today."

"No, stay here and rest." Negan insisted but she shook her head.

"I want to keep busy, it'll help keep my mind off my arm hurting." She put up no argument as Negan wrapped her broken arm in plastic to keep the splint dry before helping her to shower. She leant against him for support, letting Negan wash her gently. He was so gentle it was easy to forget his cruel side and Catherine buried her face into his chest, enjoying the close comfort of human contact. "Would you ever leave this?" She murmured, her good hand teasing a small patch of chest hair.

"The Saviours?" Negan tilted her head up, a distant look in his eyes. "You should have seen this group before I got here. And what would happen to them if I just upped and left? Would you rather Simon took charge?" Turning the water off Negan reached for a towel and began gently patting her dry, teasing her by paying attention to the sensitive areas of her body. Catherine let out a small moan and rested her back against the tiled wall. "Do you want to leave?"

"God no," Catherine gasped lost in a wave of ecstasy and not registering his question.

When she was finally dried and dressed in a fitted black dress Catherine made her way to Dr Carson's office. Being left handed she couldn't even make notes, but he at least didn't ask her to go away.

"We've been summoned Doc," Catherine almost dropped the bottle she had been putting away when Simon's voice cut through the silence. She looked over her shoulder to see Simon standing with several other Saviours in the door. "And you. Negan's got an announcement to make." Exchanging a nervous look with Dr Carson, Catherine followed the group from the office. She tried not to think what the announcement could be, had Sherry been found? Was she safe? Her stomach knotted at the thought of the punishment Negan might dish out to her. She had heard how Sherry had fled once before, but she'd not been a wife then. What did Negan do to escaped wives?

All morning she had been feeling sick, several times she had even thrown up, and as she realised they were walking towards the room with the open furnace her stomach revolted once more.

"Oh no you don't," Simon grasped her upper arm practically dragging her by his side. "Negan wants everyone for this. I'm surprised he's even let you outside of his harem."

"Maybe he trusts me," Catherine spat trying to wrench her arm free. Simon let her go, only to instantly grab her broken arm. Catherine let out a scream of pain and dropped to her knees.

"I'm so sorry," Simon's voice dripped with sarcasm but he helped Catherine to her feet with a frightening side of gentleness. "I forgot, your arm…" Catherine glared at him, she had never forgotten the merciless beating he'd given her on her arrival. She could tell Simon was remembering that time, a cruel glimmer in his eyes. "Perhaps you should show me the respect I deserve," Simon murmured in her ear.

Once they reached the furnace room Catherine quickly joined the wives, putting as much distance between herself and Simon as she safely could. Standing at the end of the line of wives she looked down to see Tanya, Frankie and Amber standing close together. She thought about moving closer to them but a thick silenced descended on the room and she turned to see Negan strutting around.

"You are going to want to pay close attention to this." Negan pointed with Lucille. Catherine followed the direction of Lucille to see a terrified looking plump man with a dark mullet. She felt pity for him, he looked terrified. Was he new? Thoughts of the newcomer were forgotten as Lucille was suddenly sent crashing into Dr Carson's side. Catherine let out a small scream and moved forwards but someone yanked her back. She glared up at Simon, she'd not even seen him move towards the group of wives huddled together.

"You ain't gonna want to interrupt this. Not unless you want to take some of the blame too." Simon growled in her ear.

"You left the door open and let my puppy out. You knew Sherry hated Daryl being here, so you let him out for her. Be the hero. Then you could move in...that is some weaselly shit right there."

"But I didn't. She's the one -"

"Oh she's the one who ran? Because she knew I would blame her! Which I did! But see, Sherry told Dwighty boy the whole story. Right before she was torn apart." A collective moan ran along the line of wives and Catherine felt her knees buckling. Sherry was dead? Tears stung her eyes and she bit back a sob. Sherry had stopped her from fleeing, had she saved her from that fate? "A super hot girl, horrifically killed because of your greedy, delusional and tiny little prick."

"It's not true." Dr Carson moaned and Catherine opened her mouth to defend him. Simon quickly poked her bad arm, her protests forgotten by the searing pain.

"Don't. Interrupt." He growled in her ear.

"I would never do that."

"Why? Why? Why would he do that?" Negan's temper was clearly rising and Catherine watched Lucille waiting for the inevitable. She suddenly couldn't clear her mind of the gunk-soaked Lucille the morning Negan had returned not too long ago. "Why would he intentionally try to hurt you? Sherry's gone - and if he's lying and she's out here I will find her. And then I will burn the other side of his face off until he dies. So what was he gonna get out of this? No. You see, I know my Dwighty boy. See all he needed was one more night in the hole, get his head screwed on straight. It worked before, and it worked now. Ain't that right Dwight?" Stepping towards the fire Negan pulled on a thick heat-proof glove and reached into the fire for the metal iron. Catherine realised what was coming and tried to turn her face but Simon held her chin, forcing her to look.

"PLease, please, please! Oh Jesus, don't burn me!" Dr Carson's cries were pitiful and tears stung Catherine's eyes. Neither of them had seen this coming, they'd come without any medical supplies.

"Now you know I hate this shit." Negan held the iron close to Dr Carson's face, so close that Catherine wondered why she couldn't smell the burning flesh and hear the searing hiss of the iron coming into contact with skin. "Just ell me you did it and that you're sorry, and I don't have to do this."

"Yes!" Dr Carson sobbed, "Yes. I did it - all of it. S - sorry. I'm so sorry."

"But he didn't!" Catherine tried to cry out but her voice caught in her throat. Could she even fully protest Dr Carson's innocence? She wasn't with him all of the time, who was to say that he hadn't let this Daryl escape?

"Please, I'm sorry!" There was a soft thud as the iron was set back down and Simon readjusted his grip on Catherine as she sagged in relief.

"That's all you had to say," Negan was all smiles once more. "That is all you had to say." An agonised scream wrenched through the room. Everything happened so quickly it took Catherine a moment to realise that Dr Carson was no longer standing, but that he was now half-in the furnace with Negan holding him.

"No!" She screamed fighting against Simon, ignoring the agonising pain of her left arm. To her left she saw Frankie cradling Amber and Tanya walking away in disgust. Simon pushed her to the ground as he walked to join Negan and Dwight. The screams ceased as quickly as they had started.

"Let this be a reminder to all of you," Negan's voice rang out through the room clearly. "No one is to touch my wives without my permission!" His eyes rested on each of the women in line, all of them refusing to meet his gaze. Weakly Catherine climbed to her feet, following the exit Tanya had made. She suddenly envied Sherry. Her death may have been gruesome...but at least she was free from all this.