"Has she been sat here all day?"
"Pretty much," Noah replies, glancing over his shoulder. Nikki is sprawled on the muddy floor by the chicken hutch, cradling one of the newly hatched chicks in her hands.
Maddie bites her lip as it chirps within her grip. Nikki's eyes are dead, and she does not respond to anyone who has called her so far. It's nearly dinner time now, and Maddie doubts she will be getting up for food.
"Do you think we should get her inside before it gets dark?"
Noah sighs, putting down his axe and throwing fresh wood onto a big pile nearby, "There's no point. She'll come around."
Maddie isn't sure that she will.
She pulls off her gloves and sets them down near the house, glancing at Negan near the porch. He puts out his cigarette and comes down the steps slowly, stopping when he is facing Maddie.
"Go inside," he gestures with his head, "Dinner is almost ready."
"Yeah, it's almost time," Noah adds, grabbing some more logs.
"You too, Noah," Negan says, receiving a look of surprise from the boy. Maddie tries to hide her smile as he complies and steps inside.
"Are you coming too?" she asks. Negan pats her shoulder.
"In a second."
She watches Negan crouch down beside the pregnant woman from the window. The sound of dishes and cutlery clashing together inside makes it difficult to hear what is being said. Maddie leans in until her head is almost out of the window frame before someone grabs her waist.
She shrieks, jumping back. Noah stands there, laughing, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."
"God, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she slaps him away. He retreats into the living room and she focuses her gaze on Negan again.
He appears to be speaking and nodding his head. She has no idea what he must be saying but it captures Nikki's attention. She starts crying as Negan grabs the chick from her hands and puts it back in the hutch it hatched in.
Nikki flings her arms around Negan's neck and he helps her to her feet. They stand there for ages. She is crying into his chest and Negan is visibly swaying her from side to side.
Shortly after, he manages to get her into the house. Maddie meets him at the front and watches as he takes the woman up the stairs.
When he comes back down, he sighs, "She'll be eating in her room."
"Is she okay?"
Negan rubs his stubble, dodging her question, "We need to calm her down. It's not a good state to be in, especially with how far along she is."
Kate walks by with her giant oven mitts and Negan grabs her attention. He tells her to bring a plate up to Nikki's room.
"Sure," she nods, hurrying back over to the kitchen.
Maddie watches him for a second, trying to figure out what was said between them. She knows he means well, but her curiosity pushes words out of her mouth.
"What did she say to you?"
Negan raises his brows, leaning against a doorframe. He pulls out his pack of cigarettes and puts one in his mouth. She glances at the front door, figuring that he's going outside again.
"She knows it wasn't my fault."
"Well… that's good," Maddie smiles slightly, "At least she is not camping outside now."
Negan smiles before squeezing between her shoulder and neck. He walks outside without another word at the same time when Mike comes into the room.
He is his usual self, but more on edge. There is a crease between his eyebrows and he is wearing the same clothes as yesterday. The bottom of his shirt is dotted with blood. It probably came from Trevor's face.
All Maddie wants to do is eat, but to her dismay, Mike spots her by the door and starts walking forward. Before she can get away, he says, "Come with me."
She widens her eyes, a little taken aback. What could he possibly want?
He leads her outside through the back entrance. Maddie wonders if he is doing that to avoid Negan who is smoking on the front porch. She keeps her eyes on Mike's back, playing with her fingers as they walk. He is quiet, and she does not want to be the conversation starter.
She glances over her shoulder to see Kate waltzing around in the window, spooning food onto everyone's plates. Her stomach rumbles.
"Here we are," Mike sighs, unlocking the door of what looks like a small shed. She has seen it before, but never knew they used it.
It's dark inside. Mike starts to get lower and lower as he walks. She notices that there are stairs leading straight down. Is this some sort of basement?
Maddie wedges a rock under the door to keep it open. Just in case.
She follows Mike down to the "basement" and stops when he approaches a grand, wooden cupboard. Glass makes it possible to see inside the storage unit. There are bottles stored horizontally on plenty of metallic shelves. She can only see the bottoms of them.
Mike opens one of the doors with a creak and pulls out an elegant bottle with dark liquid inside, "1920. France."
Maddie folds her arms uncomfortably as he launches into explaining what this wine is made of, where it came from, and how he found it. She doesn't want to be rude but she couldn't care less.
She glances at the open door above when a howl of wind passes.
Mike takes out two glasses and pours a generous amount into each one. He raises a glass and nods at the girl, "Take it."
She grabs the glass and takes a sip when he does. She has not had alcohol for a long time, and it is a shock when the wine burns its way into her stomach. She closes her eyes to savour the moment.
"I am a forgiving person… but your travel partner is gnawing at my last nerve."
She sighs, taking a seat on a creaky chair near the cupboard, "With all due respect, you're not the one who is having a bad time here."
Mike glares, but listens. His son is not dead. He was punched. Wounds heal. He will get over it. Nikki lost the father of her child. And this was because of Mike's son.
It is a hard-to-swallow pill, but Maddie will make sure he swallows it. And if not, she'll get Negan to push it down his throat.
She considers that Mike is going to start an argument, but his next sentence starts with Harvey, "We can't bury him. He's chewed to bits, I know it."
Maddie grimaces, but nods. It's true. Not to mention, he died in one of those holes, from what Negan says.
Mike starts pouring himself another glass as Maddie takes a sip from hers, "Go, now. You must be hungry. Take that with you."
She leaves the glass on the table before climbing the stairs back to the open sky. Her first deep breath makes her taste oncoming rain and the dampness of dirt. She leaves the door to the basement open and enters the house through the rear entrance.
Nikki's room is more or less the same as Negan and Maddie's. It has the same architecture and the same furniture, but it lacks curtains and an en suite.
He watches the woman sit on the edge of the bed, her eyelids swollen. She left the plate of food on the nightstand, only managing to swallow a piece of a potato.
"You have to eat, darlin'," he rubs his stubble, leaning against the door.
"I can't eat," she releases a sob again, burying her face in her hands. He crosses the room to crouch down in front of her.
He thought that after leaving his wives at the Sanctuary, he would not have to deal with crying women again.
"I know it seems impossible," he wiggles his hand through her wrists until she allows him to rub the tears from her face, "But it's not."
"Easy for you to say," she takes a breath, running her hand through the short, blonde hair.
Negan grins sadly, "No… I've been through it."
Nikki sniffs, watching him.
"You're carrying a baby. You need to eat."
She puts a hand on her belly. It's hard to keep eye contact with the fucking bump in between them.
"Is it a girl or a boy?"
"I think it's a boy."
"What are you going to name him, doll?"
She smiles sadly, not wanting to say his name. Negan nods, placing a hand on the side of her belly.
"That's okay, darlin'," he says, "Can you try and eat for him?"
Nikki wipes fresh tears from her face and nods, taking the plate from Negan. He doesn't leave until she swallows it all. He knew that if he left, she wouldn't eat.
"Where have you been?" Maddie asks, pointing to the oven. He takes out his portion of food and sits down at the kitchen table. Maddie sits next to him.
"Nikki's room."
She raises an eyebrow, feeling a pang of jealousy. It's uncalled for. Maybe she's confusing it for something else.
"Why?"
Negan smirks, "What? Are you jealous?"
She blushes, "Of course not."
"Don't worry, Maddie," he winks, "You're still my number one girl."
She giggles as he pokes at her hip, "Eat your potatoes, old man."