The news over at the infirmary wasn't much better.
Carol awoke and now had partial amnesia, though Virgil could not ascertain as to why. Connie stood with Darryl, while Maggie sat at Carol's bedside. Aaron was next to Virgil.
"What is the last thing you remember?" Maggie asked gently.
Carol's eyes welled with tears!
"Your farm…finding out about Sophia…I don't understand what is happening! Where are we?" she asked softly. Maggie reached for her hand and squeezed it.
"You had an accident Carol. And it's made you forget things that happened years ago. We haven't been at the farm in years." Maggie replied.
"Years?" Carol asked. "Where else was there to go? Did the government come in and take care of what was happening?"
"No." Darryl said in a hard tone. "That world is gone. It never came back."
Carol stared at him.
"Your hair is longer." she commented, dragging her eyes off of him and looking back at Maggie. "So we're with the same people? Are Rick and Lori here? Shane and Andrea? Glenn?"
Maggie took a deep breath before answering.
"There have been some changes." she replied and suddenly Carol sat up.
"I remember that we found Sophia." she said in a soft tone. "And then nothing. Herschel had those walkers in your barn."
Virgil looked puzzled and Maggie left Carol's side to walk over to him.
"How long is this going to last, Virgil?" Maggie asked.
Virgil folded his arms.
"I have seen this type of memory loss before. It could be permanent. Or not. All we can do is fill in the missing pieces. That's the hardest part. I heard her mention a couple of people that I know do not live here." Virgil said.
"No," Maggie told him, "they were people we lost long ago."
"She seems to recognize Darryl and yourself. It would be best if the both of you told her how long ago these events she is referring to, were in the past and bring her up to speed. We'll just have to watch her and see what happens." Virgil said solemnly.
Maggie nodded and saw that Connie was standing next to Darryl again. She was writing notes to Carol and Carol was answering. Maggie turned and walked out of the infirmary. She ran into Aaron.
"How is she?" Aaron asked.
"She has no memory of anything past the first time I met her, which was years ago. Before Judith or Herschel were born." Maggie admitted.
"It could be worse, Maggie. She could be dead." Aaron told her. Maggie nodded.
"Tell me about this Beta guy that won't die. He needs to be dealt with." she said.
"I agree. I don't know much except that Negan said that he recognized him as being some country singer."
Maggie frowned.
"A country singer?"
"Yeah. He said what his name was once and it sounded like a stage name. Anyway, he was Alpha's right hand man. He killed Laura and few other people here in Alexandria. I don't know why he won't die except that today I watched Darryl and Negan use arrows and bullets on him. That wasn't enough."
"So Darryl wants to hunt him?"
"Yes. I don't think we can just go in with more people here. He was living at that camp with walkers. He knows that area better than we do."
Maggie folded her arms.
"I know you said something about that camp not being there before? What did you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. It was never there. Where we were today, was not the same place that Gabriel and I were. Look, I'm going to go look in on him at Rosita's and fill them in on what happened today." Aaron said. Maggie nodded and watched Aaron walk away. She then ran her hands over her face.
Maggie suspected that Beta was someone she once knew. But she hoped she was wrong.
Negan headed to his home, somewhat satisfied that his talk with Michonne had been productive.
Well, maybe not productive. But she had been put on notice. And he had been tired of keeping everything in after all of this time.
He believed she didn't remember their lovemaking. Siddiq had come down there and caught them.
But all of that was beside the point now. They had RJ to consider. He knew damned well RJ was his! He looked like his late grandmother, Ida Mary Smith! Negan's thoughts were pulled out of the past as he spotted RJ and and Herschel venture down into the tunnels. Both boys wore backpacks. Shit, Negan thought, the only reason to go down there was if someone wanted to leave Alexandria stealth like. Negan looked around, then followed after the boys.
When he came out of the tunnels, Negan heard hammering a short distance away. Curious, he followed and found the boys trying to build some half assed looking tree house! Two walkers were on their way towards them, since the noise had attracted them!
"Boys! Get back inside!" Negan snapped, before killing the two walkers effortlessly. RJ's eyes grew wide! He had no idea that any of them had been nearby.
But Herschel just stared at Negan calmly.
"Fuck off." were his words to him. "YOU go back inside."
Negan clenched his jaw.
"Okay…that wasn't very nice."
"It wasn't meant to be." Herschel continued, not looking at him. He began hammering loudly again. More walkers approached! Negan could not help but think that Herschel was now making noise on purpose.
RJ watched the bad man(that was what he called him in his mind. He knew his name was Negan but 'bad man' fit him better) turn and kill the approaching walkers. He had been hesitant to leave the property, thinking they would get in trouble. But Herschel had said that they could just blame the bad man for luring them out. Still, if the bad man had not been here, they would have had to run for the tunnel entrance to get away from those things. RJ wasn't sure they would have made it in time.
Negan killed three more before turning and glaring down at the boys!
"I'm not fucking around with you boys any longer! Get back inside!" he snapped. Herschel began hammering even louder and Negan started to reach for the hammer to snatch it from him, when Maggie appeared!
"What are you doing to my son?" Maggie asked in a calm, yet threatening tone.
Negan took a deep breath.
"Your son dragged RJ out here to get themselves killed, that's what! I was trying to get them back inside, but your kid doesn't seem to want to mind any adults."
Herschel said nothing but glared up at Negan. It was clear to Negan that he knew what he had done to his father. It made Negan wonder how much damage he would have to undo with RJ?
"Mom," Herschel lied calmly, "Negan brought us out here because he said he was going to build us a tree house. RJ wanted to come out here, so I came along to watch out for him."
RJ looked shocked! Maggie looked at him.
"Is that true, RJ? You left here with Negan knowing that your mother would not like it?"
RJ liked Herschel, but he didn't want to lie.
"No. We saw a picture of a treehouse in an old book and wanted to build one. The trees inside suck." RJ said sadly.
"Go back to the tunnels. I'll be along in a minute." Maggie said. Herschel smirked at Negan and turned to walk off. RJ gave Negan a pitying glance but Negan nodded to him and RJ turned and followed after Herschel. Maggie and Negan watched the boys get to the tunnel door safely before dealing with one another.
"You don't do so well with discipline, do you?" Negan asked.
"Well it takes two parents for that sometimes. Herschel is short a father. That and I believe my son." Maggie replied coldly.
"Really? Let me tell you something, let's say I wanted to help them build a tree house. You see what a piece of shit that is? Why would I come up with anything like that?" Negan scoffed, pointing towards the tree house attempt.
"My son said you offered to actually build it, not help. And Herschel is actually very handy. He could do better than this. I have no idea that you could. Stay away from my son and RJ." Maggie said and turned to leave.
But Negan had more to say.
"I'll be glad to stay away from your boy, as long as he doesn't drag MY son into his bullshit."
Maggie slowly turned back towards him.
"Your son? Who would that be?" Maggie asked, looking him up and down.
"RJ is my son that Michonne tried to pass of as Rick's. I let her get away with that because I was locked up. I'm not any longer and I'm not putting up with anymore shit from any of you. Your husband and everyone else that got in my way, could have stayed alive if you hadn't tried to take what was mine. That is what you should be telling your boy. Now you keep YOUR son away from MINE."
But Maggie didn't even blink.
"Does Michonne know you're spreading this trash around?" she asked.
"I made her aware of the situation."
Maggie squinted at him.
"Do you really expect me to believe that Michonne would willingly have a child by you?"
"I don't care what you believe, Maggie. I'm staying in Alexandria and I'm claiming my son and his mother. And anyone that can't accept that can leave."
"Who the hell are you to tell anyone to leave?!" Maggie snapped.
Negan's response was to begin whistling his tell tale tune, while looking into Maggie's eyes. He then walked off towards the tunnels. He knew Maggie would go running back to Michonne after this, but that would be a good thing. By the end of the day, he hoped RJ Grimes would know that he was really NJ Smith.
Darryl walked into Michonne's house and found her sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. Something had happened. He closed the door and Michonne looked up. He could tell by her expression that not only had something happened, but that whatever it was was terrible.
"What? What is it?" Darryl asked, sitting down beside her.
"Negan was here. And he told me that he believes RJ is his son."
Darryl now stood up.
"What? Where in the hell…"
Michonne stared up at him.
"He's claiming that I came to him when Rick disappeared and just…just had sex with him in his cell! He claims Siddiq knew about it. Darryl, I don't remember anything about the night Negan is talking about. Siddiq gave me something to sleep. I need for someone here to tell me that they remember me staying in this house, the night of Rick's disappearance, in my bed, asleep the whole night!"
Darryl sat back down next to her.
"Rosita was here. I know she'll remember something."
Michonne clenched her jaw.
"Negan seems to believe that Siddiq might have told her about what supposedly happened. Darryl, I have been sitting here running things through my mind that I don't want to. Rick and I were trying for a baby before he disappeared. I just…I don't get what Negan gets out of this."
"Leverage around here." Darryl said pointedly. "I'll talk to him and find out what the fuck he is up to."
Darryl would have thought that would have calmed her, but he could see it didn't.
"What is it?" he asked.
"What if he's telling the truth?" Michonne asked in a whisper. "What if I gave Negan a child and not Rick? If this is true then I could never face Rick again."
"Rick is gone, Michonne. That was why you didn't find him." Darryl said gruffly, before capturing her lips with his own in a surprise kiss. One that Negan spotted through a window! He felt a tightness in his chest and loins—the latter concerning the fact that HE wanted to be the one kissing Michonne right now.
Negan looked from the window to over at the infirmary. He had just heard Aaron telling Eugene something about Carol's having amnesia. Maybe it was time he 'filled in some blanks' for her. Revisionist history style.