'Where were you?'
Ella practically jumps me when I enter the room, snapping me back into reality. My mind was still halfway in Negan's room, going over and over everything that just happened.
I think it went well. I kept it together, even when he put his hands all over me to 'pat me down' for a hidden scalpel. I still don't think that was really necessary but well... if it helped me earn his favour a little, I suppose it was worth it.
'Relax', I tell her. 'I was with Negan for a moment.'
'With Negan?' she asks nervously. 'Why? Did he tell you to come see him?'
'No', I say, pacing around a little. I feel too pumped up to sit down after all the nerves that went through me while talking to Negan. 'Eugene came to see me. Seems like he's all on Negan's team now.'
'Really?' Ella asks indignantly. 'How can he be on this asshole's team, he murdered-'
'I know', I say, cutting her off. 'I really don't know. But it doesn't matter, because we can use it to our advantage. Eugene put in a good word for us and arranged a meeting with Negan for me.'
'So this was part of your plan to get him to trust us?' Ella asks skeptically.
'Yes. What? You don't approve?' I ask, seeing the look on her face.
'I still think it's a stupid plan', she mumbles. 'I don't like you spending time with him alone, it's not safe.'
'Don't you worry about me', I tell her again. 'It went fine. I just told him that I'm willing to give this place a chance. And he even apologised for the way he treated us back at Alexandria. I wasn't expecting that. Then we shook hands on a new beginning. This is a good thing, you know.'
'A great thing', Ella says sarcastically.
'Come on now', I plead with her. 'I'm trying to get us out of here. You think I liked looking that man in the eye right there, pretending that I could forgive him for what he's done to us?'
Ella sighs, but seems to relent a little.
'Just be careful', she says finally. 'Should I act like I like it here too?'
I look at her for a moment, contemplating that question. Would anyone believe that the girl that jumped on a truck to try and kill Negan would just give in and accept her place here? I doubt it.
'Nah', I tell her. 'I think it will be more realistic if you just keep playing the part of the sulky teenager.'
'I'm not playing anything', she says, offended.
'I know', I respond, smiling a little. 'That's the sad part.'
---
It's another busy morning the next day. When there aren't any patients, I'm going through files that the last doctor made or preparing medication for regulars. So time flies by and I don't even realize it's time for lunch until Cal announces it.
'Lunchtime', he says, shutting the book he's been reading with a loud slap. 'Let's go.'
'Go?' I ask confused. 'We're not having lunch here?'
'We're going down to the cafeteria', he says, getting up from his chair. 'Guess you must have done something right last night.'
Fuck, yes! If he's letting me go somewhere besides this fucking hallway, I must have done something right indeed. One small step towards more freedom.
'I assume you'll be accompanying me?' I ask, hurriedly shrugging off my doctor's coat to follow him outside.
'Trust me, I'm not happy about it either', he answers.
'I wasn't saying that I-'
'Whatever. Yes, you're not going anywhere without supervision yet, princess. And don't try anything, or he'll put a chain around your ankle to keep you in your hallway.'
'You're joking, right?' I ask nervously.
'It's been done', he shrugs.
'Okay... well, I won't try anything. I'm just looking forward to having a nice lunch outside this hallway and I couldn't wish for a better person so share it with, Cal.'
'Hm', he grunts. I smirk behind his back and follow him without further comment. I decide to focus on everything around me instead.
This place is huge. Grey hallways followgrey hallways until we're at a sort of platform where we go down a set of stairs to get to the ground floor. I recognize the stairs and the big hall we walk into. Simon and David dragged me through here to get me to Negan.
I try to remember my way in case we ever do get a chance to make a run for it, but honestly, I couldn't even find my way back to our room on my own once we've finally made it to the cafeteria. I hope we'll be allowed to eat here every day from now on so I can learn my way around here.
'Have at it, doc', Cal tells me when we've reached the counter. Plates and bowls are stacked up and behind the counter there's people serving out food.
'I can just get whatever?' I ask doubtfully.
'Yup. What's on the menu, Izzy?'
I look up to listen as a woman behind the counter tells Cal what they're serving.
'We've got tomato soup, it's pretty good if I do say so myself. Or you can get some mashed potatoes with beans on the side. Wouldn't recommend it, smells a bit sketchy if I'm being honest. Or I can make you a sandwich, but we're low on bread, so they're pricy.'
'Pricy?' I ask, earning a rather annoyed look from Cal. Sometimes I wonder if guarding me is some sort of punishment for him since he seems to hate it so much. 'Are we supposed to pay for this?'
'We are', he says, grabbing himself a serving of the mashed potatoes with beans. 'But you're not.'
'She doesn't pay?' Izzy asks, catching on to the conversation.
'She's the new doc', Cal explains.
'Ah, are you?' Izzy asks, throwing me a curious look. 'Well, what can I get you, sugar?'
'Um, I guess I'll have a sandwich then', I say. 'And the tomato soup if it's really that good.'
'Made it myself.'
Izzy pours me a serving of soup in the bowl I hand her and then slices off some bread to make me a sandwich. She throws me another look while she works.
'So he just snatched you up from Alexandria and planted you in old Carson's office, did he?'
'Uhm, yeah, pretty much.'
I've gathered that Carson was the Sanctuary's old doctor. Of course, I already knew that. He was the Hilltop's doctor's brother. I guess they did the same thing to him that they did to me.
'And you're cool with that?'
'I mean', I say uncomfortably. 'Negan didn't give me very much choice, did he?'
'Well', she says, handing me my sandwich, 'hope things turn out better for you than they did for him.'
I smile awkwardly at her, then follow Cal to a table. He seems to eye my sandwich a little jealously and I have to admit that I take a tiny bit of pleasure out of that.
'So what did happen to doctor Carson?' I ask once we've sat down. 'Negan told me he tossed him into a fire, but why?'
'Negan didn't tell you?' he asks, gobbling down his mashed potatoes and getting some of it in his beard on the process.
'No.'
Cal leans in a little closer, like he's about to tell me a secret. I curiously lean in as well, ready to finally hear what happened.
'Then what makes you think I would?' he asks. Then he gets back to eating his lunch.
I roll my eyes and sigh, then sit back to start my lunch as well.
'So is it part of your job description to be an asshole to me, or is that just your personal preference?'
'I'm just an asshole, sweetheart.'
'Oh, come on, you can be a little nice to her.'
Cal's entire demeanor seems to shift when a familiar voice pops up behind me. I look around and recognize Beatrice, who brought us lunch that first day. She smiles brightly in greeting before she takes a seat next to me. I catch Cal quickly wiping his beard before he greets her.
'I already told you, B, it's not my job to be nice. It's my job to keep her in line.'
'Like I've been giving you any trouble', I murmer incrediously. 'I've been a perfectly compliant prisoner.'
'You shouldn't see it that way', B says. 'You're not a prisoner, you're the doctor. Once you've found your place here, you'll have more privileges than anybody.'
'Right now, I just earned the privilege to leave my hallway, so I guess that's something', I say sarcastically.
'See', Cal says to B, 'This is what I have to deal with. Fucking ungrateful. Doesn't even appreciate the fact that she gets a sandwich for nothing.'
'Oh, I appreciate the sandwich', I snip at him, taking a demonstrative bite just to annoy him. He shoots me a murderous look, but B sniggers beside me.
'What's the deal with paying for things around here anyway? Have you all been carrying around money or something?'
'You really haven't explained anything to her, Cal?' B asks him incrediously.
'She didn't ask', he says dismissively. B rolls her eyes and turns to me.
'We work with a point system here', she tells me. 'You work, you earn them, you want something, you spend them.'
'So the food costs points?' I ask her.
'The food, the stuff in the market, repairing stuff, you...'
'Me?' I ask surprised. Then I remember Cal scribbling something in a notebook for every patient. 'Is what what you're writing down for everybody?' I ask him. 'How many points they have to pay to see me?'
'Very sharp, doc.'
'How much do I cost?' I ask.
'Don't worry, hun, you're not cheap', Cal says, winking at me. I glare at him in return.
'Knock it off, Cal', B urges him. Fortunately, he listens.
'Fine, it depends on what they need. A check-up is just 20 points, if any materials or medicine's meeded, it gets more expensive.'
'But what if someone can't pay?'
'Then let's hope they don't get sick', he says a little tauntingly.
'If anyone needs my help, I'll help them', I say agitatedly. 'I'm not gonna just let them die because they don't have enough points.'
'Look, you don't have to worry about it', B says, trying to calm me down. 'These things usually work out. People can find more ways to work, or friends help out... Or they get a loan or something.'
'Or they work out a deal with Negan', Cal adds. B throws him a warning look that I don't understand.
'What do you mean?'
'Some of Negan's wives....' B starts carefully, 'became his wife so he'd give them medication they needed. For like family, or for themselves.'
The tasty sandwich suddenly turns a little sour in my mouth. So I'm not the first one he offered that deal to.
I could take care of you, he said. It doesn't have to be so hard for you. As my wife, you won't have to worry about anything. You and Ella will have everything you need.
He's a disgusting man. And these people are crazy to put up with it. Why do they choose to follow this power-craving, lust-ridden, heartless son of a-
'You got a problem with that?' Cal asks, trying to get a reaction out of me. I meet his eyes and force a smile to my face.
'Nope. I already told you, and Negan, I'm giving this place a chance. I guess things are just different around here.'
'I know how it looks', B says in a hushed tone. 'I know this place isn't... perfect.'
'B', Cal cuts in, in a warning tone. But she ignores him.
'But he keeps us safe. We wouldn't be here without Negan. As long as you work for him and follow his rules, he'll take care of you.'
'And don't get sick', I add, pulling up an eyebrow. B looks away a little uncomfortably. I sigh and decide to let it go. If these people want to live here under his rule, that's their choice. We're getting out of here as soon as we can.
'Anyway, where's my sister?' I ask Cal. 'Doesn't she get to eat here?'
'Don't know', he says dismissively.
'She probably just has a different lunch shift', B explains.
'Well, we're not finding out', Cal says, already getting up from the table. 'Because our break is over.'
'Already?' I ask. 'I haven't finished my soup.'
'Take it with you', he says, taking his foot impatiently. 'Can't keep the patients waiting.'
'Fine', I mumble frustratedly.
'See you, doc', B says. 'And be nice to her, Cal.'
He grumbles something unintelligible in response, but I smile at her. Might as well make some friends while I'm here and she seems nice enough. Who knows, maybe it will make me look better to Negan if I get along with the people of the Sanctuary.
I try to gulp the soup down as we walk back to the doctor's office. Izzy was right. It is good soup.
I look sideways at Cal, who seems in a better mood than before we went to lunch. Though I'm sure he'd never admit it.
'Oh my God, you're so into her', I tease him.
'Don't', he warns me shortly. But if he's never going to be nice to me, I don't care anyway.
'I think she likes you too, against all odds. You should make a move.'
'I will not make a move', he says, looking straight ahead.
'Why not? Don't know how to talk to the ladies? You're like well into your forties, aren't you? You must have some experience.'
To my surprise, he suddenly stops in his tracks. I stop as well and turn around to see a very offended look on his face.
'You think I'm well in my forties?'
'Um... aren't you?'
'I'm 34.'
'Oh', I say, feeling pretty awkward. I turn around and start to walk again so he won't hear me giggle at the look on his face. 'Did I say forties? I meant thirties, clearly.'
I hear him grunt behind me, the good mood already far gone. We walk the rest of the way in silence till we've reached the doctor's office and he takes a close look at himself in the mirror.
'Is it the beard?'