Sasha peered around Alexandria, then eased into the infirmary. She saw a small light beaming around near some glass cabinets and suspected she had found Nick. Sasha quickly closed the back door she had used to enter and whispered loudly!
"Nick?! Nick?!"
Nick turned around and flashed the beam at Sasha.
"Oh. Hey."
"Get that light out of my eyes! Is that all you have to say about this?"
Nick turned off his flashlight and gave her a look of practiced innocence.
"I don't know what you mean. I cut myself and I was looking for a bandaid."
"I heard your mother talking about you to Abraham. I know you have a problem. You can't have one HERE or you'll get thrown out!"
Nick grinned!
"Awww! I think that's sweet that you care. I knew we had chemistry the moment we met."
Sasha was in the midst of rolling her eyes, when the door opened and Darryl and Morgan entered. Morgan flicked on a light.
"Sasha?" Darryl asked in cool tone. "What are you doing in here with him?"
"Nick?" Morgan asked. "What's going on? Why are you in here?"
Nick shrugged.
"I needed a bandaid."
Morgan blinked in disbelief and looked at Darryl, who's eyes never left Nick's.
"You needed a bandaid? That's what you're telling us? Because the bandaids are over there. The drugs are kept where you're standing." Darryl told him.
"Oh. The bandaids are over there, aren't they? I didn't see them."
"If you'd turned on the light you would have." Darryl replied and eyed the flashlight Nick was holding. He then looked at Sasha and nodded over to a corner. Sasha followed him over to a window.
"I knew there was something about him I didn't like, from the get go. I know that look. He's getting the hell out of here." Darryl said.
"I overheard Nick's mother telling Abraham that he's struggled with drugs. He looks like he can beat this if we help him."
"Who's we?" Darryl asked suspiciously. Sasha rubbed his arm.
"Bob struggled. He struggled and we gave him a chance. I think Nick deserves one too." Sasha said in a low voice.
"That ain't the same thing." Darryl replied, his eyes roaming over her. "Bob drank because of shit he'd seen before the world went to hell. And the world changing didn't help him any. But this Nick guy…he's an addict. He can't stay here. Morgan and I will tell him to go."
Madison, Abraham and Alicia came in, followed by Carl.
"What's going on?" Abraham asked. Madison and Alicia moved to Nick's side.
"He was caught stealing drugs. Or trying to." Morgan said quietly.
"And he's leaving." Darryl said firmly.
"Well," Abraham said, "it's not like there aren't other communities he could go to. I think Ezekiel would take him in, as long as he didn't try anything there."
"Ezekiel?" Madison asked. "Who's that?"
But Nick spoke up.
"Okay, really, I was looking for a bandaid. That's it. I've had problems in the past with drugs. I'm not denying that. But the world turning to shit cured me, okay? I don't need to go anywhere else and I'm not going to be a problem." Nick said.
"Okay. Then prove it." Darryl said. "Stay in one of our cells for 30 days. If you look like you aren't going though any shit, then you can stay here."
Madison walked up to Darryl.
"Is that really necessary? My son has just told you that he's fine! He was looking for a bandaid! Maybe we should leave!"
"Sounds like a plan to me." Darryl answered. "Get the shit you came with and be gone tomorrow morning. Carol and Morgan will take you over to the Kingdom. You'll be better off there."
"With you all?" Abraham asked, folding his arms. "The two of you do live there now, right? You're just back here to help get our people back from down under, then you're going back there yourselves?"
Sasha lived in this Kingdom? Nick wondered quietly.
"I don't want to be any trouble. I mean if I have to live in this Kingdom then I'll do it. And Sasha has been so nice to me, I'm sure she'll make me feel right at home there." Nick said, now smiling at Darryl.
Darryl did not smile back.
"You leave tomorrow and don't worry about where Sasha and I are living. That goes for you too, Abraham."
"I never said I was worried about where YOU were living, Darryl." Nick grinned. Alicia squeezed his arm to try and get him to shut up. Morgan decided to play peacemaker.
"Look, I will take Nick and whoever else wants to come with me, over to the Kingdom tomorrow morning. So if there's nothing else, we should get out of here and work on how to get our people from the underground."
"Uh, what does that mean?" Nick asked. "Some people have been kidnapped and taken underground someplace?"
"If you'd been at the meeting instead of trying to steal pills, you'd know about this." Darryl said. Madison glared at him!
"Hey! It was a misunderstanding, okay? Nothing is missing or been stolen around here, so can you just let it go? We're leaving tomorrow!" Madison snapped. Darryl walked over to her.
"I don't think it was. And we don't have rehab anymore in this world. Keep running your mouths and you can leave right now."
Abraham stepped in.
"You're out of line, Darryl. And you're not in charge around here. No one is going anywhere. We need all the help we can get if we're going to get our people back." Abraham huffed. Sasha decided to say her peace.
"You asked us here to help find out what happened to Michonne. We get here and find out that it's more than just Michonne that is missing. So we're not going anywhere. And we don't have time to worry about throwing people out of here. This whole conversation is being watched down below by someone. We need to make some decisions about how we're going to deal with Dr. Jenner, when he asks us to help with his 'experiments'." she told him.
Madison moved to Abraham's side.
"Darryl and Morgan explained what's going on. We'll help anyway we can." she said, linking her arm with Abraham's. That gesture calmed Darryl down a bit. At least Abraham seemed to have been distracted from getting Sasha back, with this Madison woman.
"Thank you." Sasha said, before everything in front of her began spinning wildly and the world went black.
When Sasha awoke, Darryl's was the first face she saw and his expression was one of deep worry. At first, Sasha could not understand why.
"Darryl? What happened? Where am I?"
"In the infirmary. Tara and Morgan went to get the doctor from the Hilltop."
"Oh. They shouldn't have wasted the trip. I'm fine." she said and began to sit up. But Darryl gently pushed her back down onto the bed.
"Just rest. It's done now. And it won't hurt to have a doctor look you over." he said, entwining his hand with hers. "Why didn't you say you didn't feel well?"
"I felt fine. I feel fine. I don't know why that happened. Really, it's probably just lack of food."
"We ate plenty at that cabin Merle was holed up in. It's not that." Darryl said, sounding worried.
"Okay, well then it's stress. That's all." Sasha said, squeezing his hand. "This place doesn't feel right without Rick and Michonne. And I feel like we can't keep searching for entry points around here."
"Let's not think about that now." he said as Carol entered the infirmary and closed the door.
"How are you?" Carol asked, walking over to them.
"I'm better. Much better. Really, I'm sorry that Morgan and Tara had to make a trip out of here."
Carol said nothing to that and looked at Darryl.
"Dr. Jenner sent some men up. He wants to examine Sasha down below. It might be quicker. And we might learn something."
"And she might not ever return!" Darryl snapped. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about Sasha and getting her help as quick as possible! I'm thinking about finding out what happened to Rick and Michonne!"
Sasha sat up.
"Carol's right, Darryl. This is a chance. I'll go with whoever this is and get examined."
"Sasha," Darryl said forcefully, "you'll be examined for more than you expect."
"I know. And let's not talk about it anymore." Sasha said carefully. Carol and Darryl stopped talking, since they were being watched and he helped Sasha off of the bed. Carol glanced over at a glass door. There were two men, from the underground, waiting. She reluctantly walked over and let them in.
"She's ready to go." she told them. One of them, a tall guy, shrugged.
"She doesn't have to 'go' anywhere. The elevator is here in the infirmary." he told her. Darryl and Sasha both heard that!
"There's a way down below in here?" Darryl asked. He now had both arms around Sasha.
The shorter of the two responded.
"There is a way down below, everywhere."
Sasha wanted to ask if Darryl could be with her, but she knew better. Darryl could see she looked fearful and he spoke softly to her.
"I'm not going to let them keep you. You know that, right?"
Sasha nodded against him, then reluctantly let go and followed the men to a hidden elevator behind a wall cabinet! Sasha felt stupid for never checking behind it. She had no doubt that Darryl and Carol felt the same. Once she was gone, Darryl threw a stethoscope across the room! It slammed against a wall and fell.
"Do you feel better?" Carol asked calmly.
"I don't know! Do you?"
"What does that mean?!"
"You should have damned well warned us about those men, before they were up on us like that! Outside the door? We could've grabbed them and kept them up here in exchange for some of our people!" Darryl yelled.
"You think two lackeys mean ANYTHING to Jenner? We didn't know for sure what was wrong with Sasha and we needed help quickly! Quicker than the time it would take Morgan and Tara to get back here!"
Darryl peered at her.
"What do you mean 'we don't know for sure'? We don't know anything! Sasha said it was stress."
"Sasha's pregnant. I'd bet my life on it." Carol said sardonically. "And we've got real problems around here if she's further along than…"
Darryl pointed at her!
"Don't you say it!"
Carol folded her arms and glared back at him, just as the 'elevator' began running again, and Rick and Michonne appeared! Carol gaped at them and Darryl ran over to hug them both!
"Christ! I've never been so happy to see two people in my entire life! The only thing that could make this better is if Sasha was here." Darryl almost cried, hanging on to them for dear life. Michonne slowly disentangled herself, looking at him sympathetically as Rick continued to hold Darryl. She walked over to Carol.
"We need a meeting. Now." Michonne said.
"What is it?" Carol asked fearfully. Rick let go of Darryl and even Darryl could now see something was wrong.
"What is it? Did you see Sasha down there? Is she okay?"
Rick faced him.
"The only reason we were allowed back up here, is because Sasha came down. He knows she's pregnant already."
"You heard our conversation?" Carol asked, confused.
"Conversation?" Michonne asked.
"The one I just had with Darryl here. I was telling him I guessed Sasha was pregnant."
"I'm guessing Jenner has been watching Sasha's symptoms…I don't know how he knows. But he's got plans for Sasha and her baby." Rick said.
"MY BABY!" Darryl yelled and he ran towards the elevator, who's doors would not open! Rick and Michonne ran over to pull him away from the doors! Michonne got in his face!
"Listen to me! You've got to stay strong here! Jenner plans to play Abraham and you off of one another!" she said.
"What do you mean?" Carol asked quietly.
"It means, that Jenner wants both Abraham and you to get down below and screw Beth and Rosita, who's feeling much better again. And Darryl, if you can impregnate Beth first, then not only can Sasha and you leave with your baby…we can all leave. Scott free. Jenner claims he will never bother any of us again." Rick said.
"And if Abraham gets Rosita pregnant first?" Carol asked fearfully. Michonne shook her head.
"Same deal. Abraham can leave with her. And the baby…"
"MY BABY? He can just leave with Sasha and my child?"
"We don't know that it won't be his!" Rick yelled.
"It's not!" Darryl yelled in response, just as Abraham and Madison walked back in. Abraham was shocked to see Rick and Michonne!
"Well hells bells! Where'd the two of you come from?" he asked. He then looked around.
"Where's Sasha?" he asked, sensing a problem.
"Who are you?" Michonne asked Madison.
"She's an old friend." Abraham told her. "She brought her son and daughter here as well. They're good people. Now where's Sasha?"
"Gone." was Darryl's reply.
"What the fuck do you mean, 'gone'? She was laying up in here unconscious the last I looked!" Abraham huffed.
"Morgan and Tara went for a doctor," Madison said carefully, "so where is she?"
No one said anything at first, but Michonne could see he was about to explode so she talked.
"We need to have a meeting."
"We just had one! Spit it out, Michonne!"
Michonne walked up to him.
"Dr. Jenner let us go so that he could bring Sasha down below to examine her. You know…because she was unwell."
Madison was suspicious. Especially when she saw the expressions on everyone else's faces.
"What does this Dr. Jenner think is wrong with her? Was she bitten?" Madison asked.
"We don't know." Rick lied. And for that, Darryl was grateful. But he knew this couldn't be kept secret and he touched Rick's arm before speaking up.
"Dr. Jenner thinks Sasha is pregnant. And in exchange for allowing Sasha and I to raise our baby in peace, and allowing all of us to live our lives without running across the underground, I have to have sex with Beth and get her pregnant." Darryl told him.
Abraham stared at Darryl, then looked around until his eyes focused on Rick.
"How far along does Jenner think Sasha is?"
Rick rubbed his head.
"Abraham don't."
"Don't? Answer my fucking question! How. Far. Along. Is. She?"
"It could be WAY far back." Carol said not looking at Rick or Darryl when they glared at her.
"Meaning this child could be mine! Were any of you going to fucking tell me that?!"
"Abraham," Michonne said, "the same deal was extended to you. If you have sex with Rosita…"
"Rosita?! Rosita who pukes up ashes now?"
"She's better. So is Beth." Rick said. "We saw them both. They don't know about any of this."
Abraham turned and huffed out of the infirmary. Madison followed after him!
"Abraham! Abraham, would you wait?!" she yelled. Abraham stopped suddenly and Madison got in front of him.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"I want my child."
"And Sasha, right?" Madison asked. "Look, I'm a big girl. And we were never a love match here."
"If Sasha is having my baby, this changes everything between us. She won't be able to run away from me. And Darryl won't be able to be with her knowing she's having my baby."
"Okay I think you need to go back in there and find out what they're not saying."
"What do you mean?" Abraham asked.
"Abraham, what sense does that story make? If you get this Rosita pregnant, you get to what? Leave with Sasha and possibly Darryl's child? This offer makes no sense and you stormed out of there before you could ask anymore questions." Madison told him.
Abraham nodded.
"You're right. You're always right, Maddie. I'm so glad you're here. I don't think I could go through this alone."
Madison gave him a quick kiss, before walking back to the infirmary with him. Nick, who was on a porch nearby, heard the whole conversation and grimaced! God, he hoped Sasha wasn't having Darryl OR Abraham's baby! She could do better than both of them.
Nick looked around at every house and structure in Alexandria. He was going to find his own way below to see Sasha and find out if she was really alright. It wasn't like he had anything else to do, thinking about how close he had been to getting something good out of that drug cabinet in the infirmary, before Sasha stopped him. Sasha. Sasha had not wanted him to get caught by the others and tried help him.
Now he was going to try and help her.
