A/N: Hello dear readers! I'm back with another chapter. I'm sorry for the delay, uni got in the way for a bit, but this is a long one! I hope you enjoy.

Thank you so much for the follows, favorites and reviews! It was a lot more than I had expected for my little Negan adventure. Special thanks for reviewing to: ShunnieIsFine, Karen and Guest reviewer!


I am waken up by terrible pain in my shoulder and arm. I sigh, this again. Those pain meds were really doing their job.

It seems to be about 4 or 5 AM, judging from the twilight outside my window.

I adjust my sling, which went a bit weird from sleeping. The area around my shoulder feels very swollen.

It's not good at all.

But I'm in no position to ask for anything. I'm the goddamn hostage. There's no telling what they would do if I disturbed or woke anyone. Then my current injury could be the least of my problems.

These are the Negan's people, after all, and right now I'm going to assume every single Savior is rotten to the core.

So I wait. Negan'll probably come before too long, to beat me to death for yelling at him yesterday. I shudder and I watch the sunset through the tiny window to distract myself somewhat.

It's not like this room offers anything to do except sleep.

Then I hear a key rattling in the door. Finally.

I feel immediate relief to see it is not Negan. It's a Savior I don't know. He looks to be quite young, no older than 20. His brown hair falls around his face in curls and his face looks unexpectedly friendly. I have half a mind to storm him and get the hell out of here. Except I'm wounded and can't do shit.

"Negan told me to take you to the doctor, then to breakfast. He got you on a short leash, don't he?" The boy grins. "I'm wondering what you did to earn this kinda treatment. I'm Jimmy, by the way." He extends his hand. I regard it but don't take it.

Instead, I ask, "Do they treat all newcomers this way?"

"Nah. Just the, how should I put it- involuntary newcomers." I chuckle bitterly.

"You get a lot of those?"

"No. I came here like this," he puts his hands above his head in surrender. "Most people who live here did. Just wanted to feel safe again."

I huff. I've never felt less safe.

"Things ain't as bad around here as you might think. Sure, Negan will be one terrifying bastard if you don't follow his rules. His high-ranking men can be real shitbags too. But I'll happily abide by his rules and do what he says if he keeps me safe."

"Kid, you can't actually be that stupid. What about the people they beat to a bloody pulp to earn a following?" I ask him. "The 'involuntary newcomers' they do this to?" I say, gesturing to my arm.

Jimmy frowns at my bandaged arm and shoulder. "I'm sorry if we did that to you," he rumbles softly. "I didn't know." He runs a hand through his dark curls, letting out a quick sigh.

"Look, I only work in here, I never really get outta Sanctuary." So that's what they call this place. Makes sense. "I heard of some of the gruesome shit we do outside these walls, and I kinda choose not to know. They give me a life, you know? Way more than I had before. Probably makes me an asshole too," he says with a dismissive smile.

I look him in the eye. "You got to stop blinding yourself some time, kid."

My shoulder throbs again with a sharp pain. "Hey, can we go to the doctor's?" I ask, my face scrunching up due to the pain.

As we walk toward the doctor's, I ask with a smile, "Do you always have a heart-to-heart like this with a stranger?"

"No, not really. I just- you seem like a good person who has had to deal with too much shit."

"Are good people that hard to come by around here?"

"They're hard to come by anywhere."

"Hmm."

We walk in silence for a moment.

"Well, at least there's the luxury of a doctor here. Those are really, really rare these days," he says happily again. Does this guy ever shut up?

"The group I was with had a doctor, actually. Before your guy Dwight shot her in the goddamn eyeball with an arrow, that is," I say in a huff. Poor Denise. A sympathetic woman like her didn't deserve that.

Jimmy again runs a hand through his curls. "I'm sorry. God, so much for my optimism," he says with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. I feel kind of bad for meeting all his optimism with my disheartening commentary. He's just trying to be nice...

So I smile at him. "To be honest, Jim, you're a breath of fresh air." He smiles sincerely this time.

After a moment, I ask, "How old are you, Jim?"

"I'm 19! You guessed me younger, didn't ya?" He winks at me and sniggers. Little stinker.

"You winking at me?" I ask mock-offended. "Shouldn't you be scared of the big bad hostage?"

At that, he laughs. "With that arm? I'd be more scared of a bee, to be honest. By the way, I never caught your name," he smirks.

"Smooth one, Romeo. Gonna serenade me next?"

"If that'll get me your name."

"It's Ellie. I've got ten years on you, you know that?" His eyes widen.

At that, I push open the door to the doctor's. Jimmy walks in with me.

"Sorry, Negan instructed me not to leave you alone." He says apologetically.

"Nah, it's okay. Just a little ironic that my babysitter is such a tiny kid."

"Tiny?! You are an actual dwarf!"

I laugh out loud, only to wince at the painful vibrations my laughter sends through my shoulder. Well, shit. I was just amusing myself.

The doctor looks up, his hair looking as unkempt as it did last time. He still looks wide-eyed, but less fidgety and anxious than less time. Maybe Negan didn't threaten him this time.

"Come sit here, child." He gestures to the cot in front of him. The fluorescent lighting still makes this room look horribly sterile.

I do what he says, and he immediately gets to work. He starts peeling off the bandages to get a good look at the state of my arm. Once he gets to unbandaging my shoulder, he hums a bit in displeasure.

"We will need some ice to help the swelling go down. I set out buckets of water at night for that purpose. Your cuts will need cleaning and rebandaging. I will go get the ice now," he says before standing up and walking out the door. Well that was sudden.

At least he'll help me.

"Mo-ther-fucker, your shoulder looks like shit!" Jim exclaims in astonishment as soon as the doctor is out the door.

"Yeah, it hurts like a motherfucker, too." I take in its unbandaged state. I was right about the swelling. There is also a giant bruise, stretching out along the surface of my shoulder. Its dark purple hue stands out profoundly against my pale skin. My arm looks nasty, its skin looking angry and red and raised around the thread of the stitches.

"I can believe that," he winces. "Hey, what was your previous group like?"

I take a while to answer. I want to do their badassery justice, but I don't want to give too much away. I like Jim, but he still works for Negan.

"They're toughest, kindest sons of bitches you'll meet. I love 'em, they're my family."

"How long had you been with them?"

Since Terminus. So that must have been what, 4 months?

"About 4 months." I repress a shudder, thinking of Terminus. At least Negan isn't cannibalistic.

The doctor returns with a chunk of ice wrapped in a tea towel. He gives it to me to press it on.

"What you need to do now, is use that arm as little as possible. It will likely take two to four weeks for the damaged muscles and tendons to heal. The less you use the arm, the faster it will be able to heal. Ice it regularly." He pauses for a bit.

"I'm afraid I can't give you anything against the pain," he frowns. "That costs you points you don't have." Wow. Negan wasn't kidding yesterdag, about those meds being the last I'd get.

"Does a doctor's appointment not already cost points?" I ask, confused.

"No child, but treatments and medicine do."

I sigh. It'll be a long night again without pain medication.

"Can't you tell Negan I need them? Doctor's orders?"

"No," he snaps. He looks scared. His eyes urge me to drop it. I rub my temple with my good arm, closing my eyes. Negan must be as unreasonable as he is muscly.

"Okay then. Thank you, either way," I say looking at him. I stand up and I shake his hand in gratitude.

"It's okay, girl. Be careful."

"Always am." I automatically quip.

Rosita and I used to say that to each all the time.

We had just arrived in Alexandria. Still didn't know all of the residents. Rosita and I were sitting together on the porch at nighttime.

Rosita teased, "Maybe you'll finally get to hook up with someone here! You haven't been layed in so long, you're like the female Daryl."

"Okay that's it, Ro. You get back to your ginger, I'll go sulk in the corner together with Daryl," I say, laughing at the idea.

"You're my ginger, I'm good here El," she says, twirling one of my red locks in her hand. "And if you're going to have an epic sulking party, I'm gonna watch."

"Your other tall, manly ginger, you idiot. Also, sulking is a business not to be taken likely."

"Alright, alright, I'll leave you to it then," she laughs, standing up and hugging me. "I'm going to get some shut-eye with my 'other tall, manly ginger'. Be careful El?"

"Always am, Ro."

I hope she's okay. Best damn friend I had, before or after the world went to shit.

I hope I'll get to see her again. To tell her that.


We walk down a set of stairs to the ground floor, where the main factory hall is situated. There are long tables and benches where people are eating breakfast. I'm surprised to see so many people here, there must be around forty people in here! Most of them are men, but I even spot a couple of women and kids.

I even see a freaking ping pong table further back. Figures.

"What do you guys usually eat?" I ask Jim.

"Oh, just whatever is brought back from runs." He says. Does he even know Negan's way of acquiring things? More stealing involved than running.

There is an older woman at a long table standing to the side of the hall, handing out plates. Some guy with dark hair and glasses stands next to her.

"Why is that guy standing next to the lady giving out food?" I ask, confused.

Jim chuckles. "That is Carson. He helps Negan make sure things run smoothly on the inside of Sanctuary." He leans in to whisper to me, "I always thought of him as just a glorified secretary." I chuckle. "Anyway, he checks whether people got enough points for their meal. Runs around with that little notebook of his, it's funny how important he thinks he is."

He grins, and says "I don't know what that makes me. I fetch people for Carson and Negan, like yourself."

I smile at him. "It makes you less self-important, kid." I playfully shove him with my good arm.

I look around some more, before spotting a couple of ladies that are oddly fashionably dressed for the apocalypse. Cowl neck tops with tight little skirts. Figure-hugging dresses. Jewelry. Hair fluffed. I even spot eyeliner and some lipstick.

"Jim, what's up with those women?" I nod at the group of ladies.

"Those are the wives. Ellie, that is one hell of a hornet's nest you do not want to find youself in," he says, looking at me earnestly.

"Whose wives?" Then my eyes widen in realization. "Negan's?"

"Bingo. They fuck him so they get everything for free. They've got the entire second floor to themselves, and Negan of course." He again leans in and whispers, "Glorified prostitutes."

I don't know what to think of this. I just scoff at that mess of a situation.

We walk to the food lady.

"Hey Sandra! Breakfast for the two of us please?"

"Sure Jimmy! Everything alright? Is this the new girl?"

"Yeah doing fine, you? And yeah, she is."

Sandra looks to Carson, and he nods. We both get our breakfast, which seems to be made up of a soup and canned peaches. While she gives me my breakfast, she introduces herself, "Hi, I'm Sandra, I'm the food lady around here." She kindly smiles at me, her greying hair falling from her bun around her face and her eyes adorning crow's feet. "I'm Ellie," I smile back, but hardly with the same kindness she managed.

With a last nod, we walk to a table, sit down and immediately start to dig in. I didn't notice how hungry I had been until now.

As we eat, Negan enters the hall, getting his breakfast. He dons his usual white shirt and leather jacket, only his jacket is unzipped this time. His dark hair is slicked back and shines in the daylight. Lucille resting casually on his shoulder.

Everyone nods at him as he passes, everyone acknowledges him. I quickly focus my gaze on my food so as not to make eye contact.

Sadly, after some time, I see a shadow towering over me and my food. I direct my gaze upward and hold Negan's.

"Hey doll," he simply says, sitting down opposite me, but not before carefully setting Lucille down against the bench. You gotta be fucking kidding me.

"Negan," I say flatly.

I continue to eat. The last thing I want to do is make small talk with this shoulder-maiming psychopath.

"How's the shoulder?" Talking about shoulders...

"It's swollen, doctor said I need to ice it regularly," I try to speak as shortly as possible while giving enough information.

"Can you get her ice every four hours?" Negan addresses Jim.

"Yes, sir," Jim says, running a hand through his curls. Even Jim is clearly intimidated by Negan.

"Well, what do we say then, darling?" He smirks, his eyes beaming with silent laughter. Humiliating me. Great. Being humiliated by this man was totally on my bucket list.

I swallow and clear my throat, looking him in the eye. "Thank you."

Negan shortly chuckles. I lower my gaze to my food again. I can't seem to hold this man's gaze for more than a few seconds. It scorches me.

"All joking aside, there is something we need to discuss." I gulp. "We are going to Alexandria in three days. Got a promise to keep about taking half their shit and all that."

He leans forward on the table, way too close for my liking. His sent burns through my nostrils.

"I need you to come with us. Show your face to your sweet group. Believe it or not, dead hostages are pretty fucking bad for work ethic."

He certainly doesn't miss my sharp intake of breath.

He laughs, "Come on, you can take a fucking joke right? Just gotta show them I didn't hurt you. More." For the tiniest moment, I think I see a frown. But I must have imagined it. He couldn't regret pummeling me with his barbed bat, could he?"

I don't know how to react, so I just nod and continue eating.

We eat the rest of our meals in a tense silence, Negan's eyes on me the whole time.