Daryl's POV
When I come to, I'm back in my cell. I groan and roll over onto my back. They had done a good job. They beat the shit out of me but nothing feels broken. It took practice to know how to restrain and back off.
Bastards.
I pull myself up slowly against the wall, leaning against it for support. I close my eyes and grit my teeth, it feels like I have some bruised ribs.
A shadow suddenly blocks to the light that seeps under the door. "Daryl?" Sherry's voice sounded out quietly and softly. "Are you there?"
I don't respond. I have nothing to say to her.
"There's so many things I wish I never found out. I wish I didn't try. Back in the woods...after I lost Tina...when we took your stuff and decided to come back. I told you I was sorry and you said 'you're gonna be'." There's a hesitation and she sniffles. "I am." She says in a low voice. And then she hurries away.
I lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes. I hate myself for feeling bad for her. She had been dealt a shitty hand but that doesn't excuse what she did to me and I know if Dani were here, she'd be telling me to shut up and stop feeling sorry for her.
When the music starts back up, it's louder than last time. It's that loud I can feel the beat through the floor. They're trying to break me. Makes me wonder if they used Sherry to try. And if they did, they're sicker bastards than I thought. I can't trust anything in this place. But that's nothing new. There has never been much in my life that I could trust.
Well, except my girl.
If they think they can break me like this, they have another thing coming. I deserve to be here for what I did to Glenn but I wouldn't break. I've been through worse than this.
The music stops so abruptly it startles me. The lock slides and Dwight steps in. He holds out a sandwich but I ignore it. He throws it at me. I watch him struggle with his temper and he whirls to leave.
He hesitates. "Eat." He commands. When I don't respond, he sighs and shakes his head. "Look, you got your friend killed. I got Tina killed. And don't pretend like you don't know the score. We both did."
I lose my temper at that. I am nothing like him. I snatch up the sandwich and throw it as hard as I can at his face. He flinches and turns his head to the side but let's it bounce off of him. He turns back, kneeling in front of me, anger flaring in his eyes. "You should be dead. But Negans taken a shine to you. You're lucky. Don't forget that." He reaches into his pocket and tapes something to the wall. "Bon appetit." He growls as he stalks out.
I don't want to look at the picture. I don't want to know what it is. But in the end I can't help but look. I have to know if it's someone else I love. If someone else is dead too.
My hand shakes as I take it off the wall and turn it over. It's a picture of what had been left of Glenn after what I did. It slips from my hand and I turn to the wall.
Another song starts and I shake my head trying to drown it all out. I couldn't hold it back anymore and knowing no one's here I start crying. Glenn was my friend and his death is my fault. Maggie is all alone because of me. Glenns kid is going to grow up without ever knowing his dad because of me. I deserve everything they do to me.
My body shakes with the force of my sobs.
They had depended on me, trusted me and I had gotten him killed. Glenn would have never been in those woods if it weren't for me.
I cry until I throw up and sink against the wall, wishing someone would come back and knock me out so I don't have to think.
Dani.
I try to think of the good times. All the times with just us two. But I can't, not without feeling guilty. All I could think was I have left Maggie with nothing but those memories of Glenn. I don't deserve comfort of my own.
I don't know how long it was before Dwight comes back. He opens the door and waits for me to get up. When I don't, he hauls in the room and drags me up by my collar. I don't fight him as he shoves me out into the hall ahead of him.
I don't feel like fighting anymore. I feel empty.
The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that my girl is out there and if I gave up.....Negan might go after her. I couldn't let that happen. I can't give in and break down.
Dwight shoves me down to the dorm room I had seen earlier. "Step in." He commands, shoving me ahead of him. I stumble a step but don't fall.
Negan laughs from where he's sitting in the arm chair, a book lay open on the arm. I keep my chin down and let my hair hide my eyes.
"Jesus." Negan growls climbing to his feet. "You look awful. Don't you worry. We'll have Carson fix you all up. You thirsty?" He asks as he walks to the small kitchen area and brings back a glass, holding it to me. "Here."
I'm thirsty, incredibly thirsty but I ain't taking anything off of this asshole. I take the glass and hold it to make my point.
"Oh, I forgot. Your mouth is all puffed up like a baboons ass. Need a straw? D, get him a straw. What's wrong with ya?"
Dwight snaps into motion and walks to the kitchen draws. Negan steps closer to me and motions over his shoulder to Dwight. "You see that guy? He hustles. I like that. I like hustle." Dwight returns, sticking the straw in the glass before taking his place behind me.
Negan smiles. "And believe it or not, things weren't always cool between us. See, D here, worked for points, him and his super hot wife and her sister. But see sis, needed meds and that shit was hard to scavenge so it was expensive. Sis fell behind on points so I asked her to marry me. I told her I would take care of her in sickness and in health because I am a stand up guy. She tells me she is going to think about it. The next thing I know I'm dealing with an orange situation."
Dwight shifts his weight behind me but doesn't say anything. He just stands there letting Negan talk about him like he's not there. Negans little bitch through and through.
I will never be like him.
Negan continues not noticing or caring if I was paying attention. "So Dwighty boy here stole all the medication and took off with his super hot wife and her sister, my maybe soon to be wife." He taps the bat on the ground and I turn my attention back to him. "So I had to send my guys after him. Because I couldn't let something like that stand. There. Are. Rules." He says shoving the bat in my face but I don't show any fear.
"It cost me an arm and leg going after him. And you know what? Dwight boy," Negan chuckles. "He still got away. And here's the thing...Dwighty boy saw the light. He manned up, came back and he asked for my forgiveness. I like that. Made me take notice. But Lucille, well well you know how she is. She is a stickler for the rules. So Dwight, he begged me not to kill Sherry. And I thought it was kind of cute so I was going to kill him. But then Sherry says she will marry me if I let Dwight live. Which if you think about it that's a pretty screwed up deal, 'cause I was gonna marry her sister until she turned up dead but.....Sherry is super hot. Say, you got yourself a hot, sexy wife too, don't ya?"
Negan leans down so he can catch my eye. I won't let him see me thinking about Dani. My girl is hotter than either of them and I knew she would do anything to get me out of here. I tighten my jaw, I can't let that happen. Dani gave up everything to save the people she loves.
Negan smiles like he knows I'm thinking about her anyway. "Anyways it was a start, but it wasn't enough. So Dwight, he got the iron. And I married his super hot wife. Ex wife," he adds looking over at Dwight with a smirk. He still tortures his guys even though their loyal to him. "And then after all that he still got on board. And now look at him, BAM! One of my top guys and we are totally cool." Negan turns back to me. "The point being.....you have a lot of potential. I think you can be that guy. I think you are ready to be that guy. You look around here," He steps back and opens his arms to encompass the room. "This.....well.....this can all be yours. All you gotta do is answer one simple question. Who are you?"
I don't respond. There's nothing to say. I won't break. I won't betray my wife and my family, people who have been there for me and been with me since the beginning for a damn cushty chair and stocked kitchen.
Negan chuckles and leans closer. "What? Cat got your tongue? You're just over whelmed by the awesomeness of this? I'm gonna ask you one more time. Who are you?"
I slowly lift my eyes to meet his, shaking my hair out of them so he can see my conviction. "Daryl." I growl back.
"You sonova-" Dwight snaps moving toward me. My muscles tighten preparing for the blow but I don't flinch.
"Hey!" Negan yells holding his hand up to stop the Dwight. Dwight stills and calms almost instantly.
"It's cool D. He made his choice. It ain't my problem if he made a dumbass choice." Negan says shaking his head in disappointment. Then he jerks his chin to the door.
Dwight grabs me by the collar and drags me back down the hallway. He keeps me off balance so I stumble the whole way. He shoves me into my cell and I hit the back wall, catching myself on my palms.
"You're gonna wind up in that room or hanging on the fence." He screams at me.
I slide down the wall, not bothering to look at him. I ain't going to break. "I get why you did it." I say in a low voice.
Dwight freezes and looks back at me. "Why you took it." I clarify and look up glaring at him through my hair. "You were thinking about someone else." I say, my voice coming out raspy. "And that's why I can't. I got someone else to think off."
Dwight shakes his head, his eyes hard and angry. "How is it going to help her if you end up dead?" He snaps and slams the door shut, leaving me in darkness once more.
It wouldn't help her.