Like me Alone, In the Dark
Chapter 1
Co written by Myself and Ihaveblueeyebrows of Tumbler
He pressed his ear to the door of the God forsaken room he had been stuck in for what had to have been a week. Negan swore he could hear someone calling out.
He had come back to the hospital to finish the job he couldn't in the first place- put what was left of his wife down. But he never did find Lucille before he found himself barricaded in this hospital room.
Negan picked up his barbed wire bat, and carefully opened the door. If someone was out there it meant there weren't any walkers, at least not right now.
Before he could show himself, the man in the hospital gown shouted, "Anyone?!"
"Shhhh!" Negan grabbed the mans arm. "Shut the fuck up! Or this place will be swarming with those assholes."
Rick just about leaps out of his skin at the sudden appear of the tall man who grabbed his arm. "What? What are you talking about?"
"What the fuck? You mean you don't know-" Before Negan could explain, he heard the tell tale growls coming down the hall. "We have to get the fuck out of here, now." He grabbed the back of the slighter mans hospital gown and held his bat tight in the other. "Stay close. We're going to have to take the stairs."
He pulled the blue eyed man down the corridor to the stair entrance. He held his breath, he could hear the walkers getting closer. He quickly looked over the face of the confused man, his blue eyes were red rimmed with tears. "Stay close." He reiterated.
Negan kicked the door open and quickly made his way down the dark flights. They were lucky enough that the way was clear.
The emergency lights lit up the door way marked ground floor and Negan took a breath for what seemed like the first time since they started their decent. He huffed before opening the door, not knowing what was on the other side.
Luckily the area was clear, Negan looked back at the man holding tight to the back of his leather jacket. His face looking vacant. "We have to find a vehicle, and then I'll explain everything."
"Coma-I was in a coma!" Rick sputters out but that's was all he managed as the taller man grabs him pulling him through the halls and down the stairs. Rick hears the dead and gives his savior a confused look but says nothing as they exit the hospital. "Let's find one then"
Negan nodded, still catching his breath. He spotted a rusted pick up truck down the street, please let there be keys and gas in it. "Over there, that truck. We have to make a run for it."
Rick nods and just bolts towards the truck.
Negan knew the walkers would hear them, smell them, whatever it was. They always seemed to be able to find the living.
He made quick work of the dead that stood between them and the truck. If this man had been in a coma the entire time he must think this is a fucking nightmare, Negan thought mid down swing into the walkers head, splattering blood all over them.
Negan checked the truck, keys were in the ignition. "Get in, hurry the fuck up." He said, nodding toward the passenger side.
Rick scrambles over to the passengers side and leaps in slamming the door shut behind him
Twisting the key in the ignition, Negan prays to whoever's for a miracle. The engine roars to live and he just drives, getting out of town was his only idea. He looks over to the slighter man, still wearing his hospital gown. He realized in their panic, he never got his name. "I'm Negan. And what the fuck were you doing in a coma?"
"Rick Grimes...sheriff-got shot on duty" he explains
"Sherrif eh? I'm guessing you got shot before the world went tits up, since you had no problem shouting in a fucking hospital filled with about a thousand dead fucks waiting to eat your fucking dick off." Negan smirked.
"The dead? What are those things? They look like humans" Rick glances out the window as the world passes by
"Well Rick, no one really knows what happened. But it spread fucking quick. My wife died and turned into one of those things. They aren't people anymore. All they care about is eating the living. Wouldn't be surprised if there were too many of us left." Negan sounded solemn. "You're the first live person I've seen in about two weeks. You get bit, scratched, whatever, you turn into those assholes."
Rick tries to take everything in. The world he knew was long dead as were his friends and family. "I'm sorry-I'm sorry about your wife"
Negan tries to ignore the reminder of Lucille. They'd been over long before she died, and he certainly wasn't going to pour his heart out to this guy. Negan thumbs the steering wheel, they don't have much gas so they're going to have to decide where they're going, that's if Rick even wants to come with him. He glances over at the blue eyed man looking out the window, he's frail, probably hasn't eaten since before the coma. "What about you? You have a family?" He asked.
"Just my son Carl, been divorced for a year now" Rick says, looking through the glove box in search of food
Nodding his head, Negan thinks if he had a kid out there that they'd be the first person he'd look for. "You got a place nearby? Maybe we can check it out, there's always a chance..." Negan didn't feel comfortable finishing that sentence, he didn't necessarily want to upset Rick. "You need some clothes too. It's your call though, I'll go wherever you want."
He didn't know why he was being so accommodating, maybe because he didn't have anything left and wanted to make some kind of connection with someone. Anyone.
"Yeah, my house is close by thankfully. I'll direct you" He says before doing just that. "I'll have everything I need at home. Don't worry"
Negan looked around the house that Rick had called home. It was a typical bachelors house, not much for furniture or decor. He picked up a framed photo of a healthier looking Rick with a boy. Same eyes, this must be his son. "Hey Rick, is this your boy?" Negan called out to Rick.
"Yeah that's Carl" Rick says proudly as he walks around his house inspecting the place
"Pack lightly incase we have to go on foot. If you have any canned food we should grab that." Negan said, pacing around the house. "Do you have any weapons here?"
Rick nods throwing a few things in his duffel bag and grabs another taking it to the kitchen and puts whatever edible food he can find into it. Rick returns to his bed room and changes into a fresh outfit which of course was his sheriff uniform. "I have my pistol but I'm sure we can find more at the police station"
Turning to ask Rick where the station is, he sees him standing there in a perfectly fitted sheriffs uniform, he can't help but let his eyes roam. He knew Rick was a good looking man, but damn he cleans up. "Yeah, okay. The station. Let's uh, hit the road then." Negan said, slinging a bag over his shoulder.
Rick smirks catching his roaming eyes but says nothing. Rick grabs his bags and heads back towards the car and slides into the passenger seat
Negan follows the directions Rick gives him, it's not long before they pull around back of the station. A few walkers in police uniforms roamed inside the gate surrounding the building. "You have to let me go in front, you just direct me. You're not strong enough yet."
"If one gets too close, only a head shot will take them down."
"Ok you take them out and I'll get inside" Rick says opening the car door now
Negan makes quick work of three walkers using Lucille. When the coast is clear, Rick bolts inside and Negan follows, catching his breath. "That's not as fucking easy as I make it look, Rick." He says panting.
"You sure? You made it look like breeze" Rick heads towards the armory room and pushes the door open to see the guns were still safe and sound
"Holy shit!" Negan walks around the room, taking in the walls of guns and ammunition. "You wouldn't think such a small town would be packin' all this." He picked up a large semi automatic rifle, inspecting it with a wide grin.
"You said you got shot on duty. What the fuck was that like?" Negan was suddenly aware of how much Rick had probably been through being a cop and how unlucky to wake up in such a fucked up version of the world. He probably thought this was a god damn nightmare.
Rick just smirks at the others reaction. "Don't know, hurt like hell, went into shock then I blacked out" Rick recalls the incident
Negan looks Rick up and down, he certainly under estimated him. He's tougher than he looks. "That's one hell of a story Rick."
Negan helps load the remainder of the guns into the duffle bag. "You know, there's a good chance your son didn't make it. But it's not like I got anything else to fucking do with my time. So where are we headed now Grimes?" Negan swings the bag over his shoulder.
"Don't say that-don't say it" Rick is quick to hiss out the words "I'm finding my boy. I'll search this entire state if I have to" Rick runs a hand over his face.
Negan took a step forward, wanting to comfort Rick, but he probably wouldn't be receptive to that, so he stalled in place.
"I've got your back Rick. Wherever you wanna go." Negan said apologetically.
"Atlanta. There has to be something- a safe zone" Rick breaths out, blue eyes are wet now as he chokes out the words before just crumbling against the man's chest in grief.
Remembering what it felt like when he lost Lucille, he couldn't imagine if he had lost a child. He held Rick tight and let him cry.
The shock must have worn off, seems like he was starting to realize what this world had become while he was in a coma. Negan took Ricks face in his hand "We will find your son. If he's anything like his father, then he's a damn good survivor."
Rick just cries against the taller man's chest before feeling warm hands on his face and he's pulled back to look at Negan. "Thank-thank you" Rick whispers.
Negan wiped the tears from Rick's face, "Let's hit the road then, let's go find Carl." Negan took Rick's hand and gave it a squeeze before leading him out of the building to the truck.
Negan kills two walkers with Lucille before wrenching open the door of the truck and throwing his bag in the back. Rick climbed inside, Negan could tell he was still weak and needed to eat something.
"Grab something from the bag to eat, you're going to need your strength." Negan said as he chugged from a water bottle.
He put the truck in drive and drove toward Atlanta.
Rick nods and grabs another bag of food from the back seat and quickly eats.
"We have to find you a weapon for hand to hand combat. There was an axe in the back of the truck, think that would suit you?" Negan asked, as they got closer to atlanta. Negan couldn't help but worry about getting over run in a big city.
"Yes, that will work fine" Rick says, as he watches out the car window.
Negan felt like Rick didn't really want to talk, so he focused on the road. He could see into he city, and it looked barren. He just wanted to see Rick happy and would do anything that would please him.
"Almost there. Do you have a place in mind you'd like to check?" Negan asked after a stretch of silence.
"No...something like a safezone maybe" Rick fiddles with his hand radio trying to pick up a signal.
"Hey, hey wait. Go back. I heard someone's voice." Negan said slowing down to a snail's pace before entering the city.
"Yeah I hear it!" Rick says, excitement in his voice as he finds the channel and tries to get a response.
"Hello?"
Pulling over on the side of the road, Negan didn't want to lose the signal.
"Ask them where they are, maybe they're in a safe zone." Negan asked with excitement.
"This is officer Rick Grimes, I need your location your at a safe zone?"
The radio crackled back with a mans voice. "Outside the city...Atlanta...Overrun."
"Shit, we can't go into the city. We have to find them, ask them where they're near, maybe we can track them down." Negan said eagerly.
"Where outside the city are you located?" Rick repeats into the radio
Negan listens as the radio crackles with a rough location off the highway, its in the woods so at a certain point they have to go on food. Negan digs a map out from under the seat and circles a rough estimate of where they are.
"We can drive so far, but once we hit here," he points to where highway meet forest. "We have to go on foot. And it could be dangerous, it will be. Could be tons of walkers in that area."
Rick nods and looks over the map. "Let's try this quarry first" he point with his index finger giving the man a look for confirmation.
"Sounds good to me, blue eyes." And Negan started the truck and headed toward the quarry.
Rick watches out the window for any signs of survivors or the camp.
"Look Rick." Negan pointed up high on the quarry where he saw a small plume of smoke. "Let's try up there." He quickly made the turn to drive up into the back of the quarry, high up on a plateau.
"That has to be it. Let's go!" Rick cries out excitedly.
Speeding up the gravel hill, Negan starts seeing signs of human activity. A broken down car, some tossed supplies.
He drives a little further, suddenly coming to a small hidden clearing. "I see people." Negan says pulling up to the camp site.
"As do I" Rick smirks before radioing "we're coming up the road don't shoot."
Negan parked the truck and picked up lucille. He saw a look Rick gave him but he just shrugged. "People aren't intrinsically good anymore Rick. You wouldn't believe the kind of people I've come across. Better to be safe than sorry."
Rick gives him a worried look and eyes the bat but nods his head as he moves towards the camp. "Hello there" he called out.
Negan left the bag of guns in the truck, he didn't want to give these people a reason to kill them. He trailed closely behind Rick, if anyone tried to touch him he would fuck up their day.
Rick continues to slowly approach scanning for the owner of the voice on the radio.
Coming around the corner, they see the group of people huddled around an old CB radio. A pale woman with long dark hair is the first to look up, it's like she doesnt even see Negan, just Rick.
Rick stops now no doubt having Negan bump into him from stopping so suddenly and just stares at the group mainly the woman. His ex wife.
"Rick." Negan whispers. Hes alarmed because Rick is suddenly so pale, looking closer to what he was when he found him. "Who is that?" The words barely even come out of his mouth when a small boy is screaming and running toward them.
"My ex wife-she's-" Carl's voice cuts him off and suddenly rick is charging forward with a broken sob dropping to his knees to hug his son.
Negans eyes go wide, he wasn't expecting to actually find Rick's son, or the rest of his family for that matter. A small pang of jealously settled in his stomach. Rick and his ex would probably want to be together now that the worlds gone to shit and all that. Rick was a good looking guy and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't attracted to him at least a little.
Negan hung back a bit, unsure of how to proceed. He waited until the reunion was over.
Rick manages to compose himself before looking at Negan and then explains to Carl what had happened and how he survived all thanks to Negan.
Negan can't help but notice the way the rest of the group was staring. He thought maybe that was a good time to go and talk to them.
He explains how he found Rick and how by chance they caught their radio signal. And how it was a god damn miracle that they were the exact people theyd been looking for.
A man who introduces himself as Shane puffs out his chest to make himself look more intimidating, but Negan just smirks at him. He's not easily intimidated.
Rick approaches Lori now talking to her about how she and Carl ended up here. Of course Shane had something to do with it. Of course. "Shane-hey Shane" Rick turns to him and mustered up a friendly smile "thank you for helping them."
Negan watched Shane nod toward Rick. He noticed Shane was wearing deputy sheriffs pants just like Rick's. He put two and two together.
Ex wife shacking up with someone Rick worked with. That's low.
Rick returns to Negan's side. He wanted nothing to do with Lori or Shane even though he would be forever grateful for guarding his boy. He allows Negan to speak first towards the others in camp.
Negan smiles at Rick, there's a huge weight off his shoulders that they found a group. It was the cherry on top that it was Rick's family. He was going to keep a close eye on Shane because he could already tell he shouldn't trust him. He didnt like the way he looked at Rick.
Negan asked the rest of the camp if it was alright that he stay, he assumed Rick wasn't going to want to go anywhere without his boy.