Zedler, M.D. // Daryl Dixon

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Field Trip

"Hello? Beatrix? You coming or what?" Negan snaps his fingers in front of my face and I soon realize we are sitting right in front of the gates of Alexandria.

"Sorry. Yes, thank you," I mutter, taking his hand again for him to help me out of the truck.

I stay standing behind Negan while the rest of the saviors get out of their trucks behind me. I look around at them, and my heart sinks when my eyes land on Daryl. His hair covers his eyes, which also attempts to hide the black eye and multiple cuts on his face, but I can see them. He's wearing a ratty, dirty white sweatsuit with an orange A spray painted on the front of the sweatshirt. It's way too hot for him to be dressed like that. I can even see the sweat rolling off him just standing there. I have to keep myself from doing something, though. I can't right now. It is far too dangerous.

"Little pig, little pig. Let me in!" Negan calls, dragging Lucille across the metal bars of the Alexandria gate.

"Uh, who are you?" Spencer says once he pulls back the screen, leaving the metal bars still separating us.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Negan exclaims, and I just silently pray that someone stops Spencer before he messes up big time. "I thought I made a good enough first impression. Did I not? I'm Negan, and this is Lucille."

After he says that, I feel relief as Rick appears beside of Spencer. Rick's eyes land on me momentarily and I feel terrible. I'm dressed in a pretty, tight, black dress with black heels, again, because that's all Negan's wives wear. My hair is curled and I have makeup on. I look like I'm living in luxury while Daryl is behind me looking like a caged animal. It isn't fair, and I know Rick can see it.

"Do not make me have to ask," Negan teases Rick with a slight smirk on his face. Asshole.

"You said a week. You're early," Rick says, pulling the gate open to let us in.

"I missed you," Negan smiles at Rick, stepping back. "Come on out here, Rick. Watch this."

Negan turns on his heel, swinging Lucille back and forth. I step to the side so that he can get by me. He swings his bath down hard on the head of a walker coming through the trucks, laughing the whole time he does it. "Easy peasy lemon squeezy!"

"All right everybody, let's get started. Big day!" Negan smiles, walking closer to Rick and swinging his bat while he does. "Talk about some service! I almost get turned away at the gate, and what do I do? Do I get mad? Throw a fit? Bash some ginger's skull in? No! I take care of one of these pricks that could have killed one of you people. Service!"

Negan smiles and laughs, walking closer to Rick before holding Lucille out to him. "Here, hold this."

Rick looks like he's about to explode while Negan walks through the gate, holding onto the bat that killed three of our family members. I don't blame him. I would feel the same. Hell, I feel the same just being near the guy.

"Come on in here, sweetheart. Don't be shy," Negan motions for me to follow him, and I very reluctantly do. He holds his hand out for me to take, I also very reluctantly grab onto it. "Hot damn this is a nice place! I'm sure you all will have plenty to give."

"Daryl, hey—" Rick tries to talk to Daryl, but Negan steps in to shut that down real quick.

"No. Nope," Negan shakes his head, dropping my hand to walk in between Rick and Daryl. "He is the help. You don't look at him, you don't talk to him, and I don't make you chop anything off of him."

"And Beatrix?" Rick dares to ask, which honestly makes me a little scared for him.

"If my fiancé wants to speak to you, she will. You don't speak to her first," Negan smirks at Daryl, and god it pisses me off, before he turns to Rosita. "Same goes for everyone."