𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

Beginning of the End

just in case you guys forgot what our favorite cockroach Spencie Poo looks like :)

A/N: Idk why but I STRUGGLED writing this chapter, hopefully, you can't tell 😅 but I hope you guys like it!!

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- Cass's POV -

I catch myself on my feet, stumbling forward into the infirmary, my chest heaving from the forceful shove that propelled me into the room.

"You're staying in here for now," Negan declares, his voice carrying a rough edge as he stands in the doorway, his gaze piercing and ice-cold.

Swallowing hard, I nod in acknowledgment, taking in the surroundings of the cramped infirmary. It may be tight quarters, but it's a damn improvement to my cell.

Turning to face Negan, I struggle to catch my breath, a mix of exertion and residual panic from the ongoing mass murder. "Negan, you need to prepare. If those soldiers die-"

"-They're not gonna die!" Negan bellows, the intensity of his words reverberating through the room. His booming voice forces me to flinch, closing my eyes momentarily.

"They're not gonna die because I have you." Negan declares, his words perplexing me. I open my eyes, meeting his intense gaze. "You're goin' to save them, or I'll make you watch as I slit Daryl's neck," Negan explains calmly, the threat hanging in the air. Panic seizes my chest in a suffocating grip, terror sending chills over my body at the prospect.

"Negan, I can't-" I begin with distress, but Negan dismissively shakes his head, shooting me one last look before turning on his heel, and pushing past Spencer in the doorway, His looming figure disappears into the dark hallway, yet his threat lingers, a heavy weight on my shoulders.

I step back, exhaling heavily in disbelief, my eyes wide with the weight of the ultimatum. I can't let Daryl die because of me.

Pressing the heels of my hands to my eyes, I turn around, the room spinning with the palpable tension of an impossible situation. I can't save them.

Inhaling quick shallow breaths, I try to work through the suffocating fog of helplessness that has settled over me. Each breath feels like a struggle against an invisible force, as if the air itself has thickened with the burden of the circumstances I've gotten myself into.

For fucks sake.

As my lungs continue to burn, a searing ache that matches my frantic heartbeat, my world suddenly tilts on its axis. My legs, betraying me, go weak beneath me, threatening to give way, making me sway clumsily.

Through the haze of my muffled hearing, a distant door slams shut, a sound both startling and oddly distant. Just as quickly as I felt the first wave of dizziness threatening to overwhelm me, firm hands suddenly catch my falling body with reassuring strength.

There's a persistent ringing in my ears as I blink away the disorienting tingling sensation that seems to corrupt every inch of my body.

"You alright?" a faded voice pulses through my hearing, making me let out a shuddering exhale as I struggle to answer.

There's something oddly familiar about the voice. About the hands around my torso, steadying me.

"Rick?" I question, my voice coming out a feeble croak, the fragile tendrils of hope curling painfully in my chest. He can't be here, can he?

Through my blurred vision, the figure who caught me freezes, before shaking his head. "No, Cass. It's me, Spence." His voice rumbles, breaking through the last bits of my fog of confusion. As my vision and hearing return to normal, I let out a long exhale, attempting to suppress the inexplicable twinge of disappointment that lingers deep within me.