Reflections - TWD

71. The iron.

"Let's go oldest to youngest...Carl, I want to get to know you a little better," Negan put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

"Why?" Carl asked.

"Work it out," Negan shrugged with a smug grin spread across his face. "You're smart. In fact, I'm gonna tell you just how smart you are, in case you don't already know. See, I'd expect a kid your age to be moping around, not doing a damn thing, except crying about missing the prom. But you...you go on a mission. You take two kids, find me and you kill two of my men, and you're smart enough to know that I'm not gonna let this slide."

Isabella looked down and closed her eyes. She was just waiting for Negan to tell her that she had to stay there, there was no going home.

Negan started chuckling. "I can't...I can't do it. It's like talking to a birthday present. You got to take that crap off your face. I wanna see what Grandma got me," he gestured to the bandage covering Carl's eye.

"No," Carl shook his head firmly.

"Two men!" Negan yelled. Both Isabella and Freddie flinched. "Two men. Punishment. Do you really want to piss me off? Because I will not hesitate to bash Fredster's head in."

Carl took a deep breathe then he took his hat off and put it on the table. He started to unwrap the bandage, Freddie couldn't take his eyes off. Isabella couldn't keep her eyes on him.

"Almost there," Negan taunted. Carl moved the hair from his forehead and revealed his eye, or lack thereof. Freddie felt guilty, his brother did that.

His eye socket was completely red, the flesh around it was all mangled and in the wrong place. Carl felt embarrassed and ashamed, he didn't want the kids to see this, never mind Negan.

"Christ!" Negan boomed. "That is disgusting. No wonder you cover that up. Have you seen it? I mean, have you looked in the mirror? That is gross as hell. I can see your socket...I wanna touch it. Oh, come on. Can I touch it?"

"Leave him alone," Isabella couldn't see Carl, but she could hear him sniffling from beside Freddie.

"Did I tell you to speak, Isabella?" Negan turned to the girl, leaning over to her like it was an actual question. Isabella kept on staring back at him with a scowl, she didn't reply.

Negan let out a sharp exhale of air and leaned back. "Damn. Rick has got to be worried out of his mind. You guys will understand when you have kids."

I'm not having kids. I'll end up hurting them, like daddy hurt me. Isabella wanted to say, but she didn't.

Negan looked down and sighed when the three kids went quiet. "Damn. Holy hell, guys. Look...I just..it's easy to forget that you're just a couple of kids. And I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything. I...I was just screwing around."

"Just forget it," Carl mumbled. There was a knock on the door, three loud bangs.

"Come in," Negan rolled his eyes. A large man opened the door and entered.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but, uh...you left Lucille out by the truck,"

"Seriously?" Negan furrowed his brows. "I never do that. I guess some kids firing machine guns is a little bit of a distraction," he turned to Carl. "All jokes aside, you look rad as hell. I wouldn't cover that shit up. It may not be a hit with the ladies, maybe little Bells over here, but I swear to you, no one is gonna screw with you looking like that. No, sir."

Isabella pulled a disgusted face. Never in a million years would she have a crush on Carl, with or without his eye. To her, he was still a twelve year old with a bad bowl cut. Plus, she just didn't want to have a relationship now. Maybe in the future.