Struggling to Connect: The 6th Book

Chapter 20: Winters Wrath

As fall starts to turn into winter, I find myself sleeping in the cell more and more often. It's hard for me to get any sleep when I'm alone, and Negans the only one in Alexandria consistently there who I trust. Everyone else rotates between the communities, helping each other when needed and working together to stay together. No one really talks to me about what happened, except Negan. One afternoon, when the fall sun was still warm before sunset, Daryl and Lydia made their way inside Alexandria. It was her first time here since her mothers attack, and it makes me ill to see her. I know she didn't do anything wrong, that it was her mothers choice to kill all of those people, but the idea that her mother wants me to watch out for her, sickens me. I'm not her mother, and I'm not her friend. Luckily for me, everyone else in Alexandria is wary of her too and it isn't a warm welcome to see them. That night at the house, I offer my room to Daryl, or Lydia, whomever wanted to take it. It's not like I sleep much there anyway, Daryl asks "where will you stay?"

I shrug one shoulder, "there's plenty of places round here. Don't worry about me. I take night watch anyway, don't need it most hours."

"Yew don't have to give up your room for me, Sadie-Mae. You know I'm iight on the floor or somethin"

"Then she can take it" I glance to his right shoulder where she sits on a kitchen chair, before looking back to him.

"She didn't do anything wrong." Daryl tells me, catching on to my indifferent tone, "she's just a kid."

"Ya, I know" I assure him, "but it wasn't her head almost sticking out of a spike, was it?"

"You look tired, you gettin' any sleep?" Daryl asks. I turn my head slightly, wondering why he'd ask me that, he shrugs one shoulder as he responds, "I remember the nightmares after terminus and everythin' else over the years."

"Oh" I say, remembering now myself the times he'd held me through my pain, "I'm managing to get enough." Daryl reaches his hand to grab a hold of mine but I quickly move it away, "I'll see ya tomorrow, Daryl." I turn and leave the house, heading over to wait at Aaron's until my night shift at the jail.

A few months later, in the thick of the winter we feel the temperature drop low. Dropped so low the pipes at the Kingdom burst and they have to leave. A few of the people from Alexandria like Michonne and Aaron left to help them move but I stayed behind, not wanting to leave the safety of Alexandria. Not wanting to see Lydia. The incoming storm hits faster then expected and Eugene comes into the communications room to inform us, "I did the systems check on the state of the array, as requested, and the solar panels are no bueno. Best bet is to go old school to keep toasty. I'd advise initiating winter one ice-storm protocol."

Gabriel nods in understanding and Rosita and I looks at him with a side glare, "the meeting room, Aaron's house, and Barbara's have the largest working fireplaces. We'll divide into those. I'll get the word out."

"We'll gather up dry firewood, stock up, get cozy, and ride it out." Rosita expands.

It's quiet for a moment before I say, "we can't leave Negan. He'll freeze down there. We have to let him out." Everyone stares at me but Gabriel is the one to nod to give me the ok. I head to my room, grab my warmest clothes and head out to find something for Negan to wear. After getting something out of Aaron's closet I head to the cellar to let the guard and Negan know the plan.

Gabriel agreed to let Negan stay in the meeting hall with us, away from the people of the town. He doesn't want to scare them while we wait out this storm. After I bring him in, Rosita gives me a scowl and pushes her hand out to take over the chain. She spends a few minutes getting him situated and I take a seat behind him, back to back. As she finishes up, Negan comments, "I swear to God,  I have memorized every square inch of this room.  And it still feels like a party."

He chuckles and Rosita grunts, "a never-ending party from hell."

"I mean, sure, all right. It smells like a goddamn barn in here, you are all bored shitless, but..."

Judith yells at him from the window, "language."

Negan raises a hand, "sorry. Sorry, kiddo." He goes on, "but, I mean, we've got ourselves this hot little love quadrangle here to entertain us. It's like Christmas to me.

Siddiq says to us all, "well, maybe they're just as miserable at Aaron's or Barbara's.

Negan continues, "Gabe, your girl's doc is also your girl's baby daddy, which kind of begs the question..."

"Negan" I mumble, wishing he'd just shut up.

"Do you ever wonder what the hell was going on in there when she has her "appointments"?" He laughs some more.

"You could try to be a little less predictable." Gabriel returns in his game.

I roll my eyes and shake my head, exhausted already from the back and forth, "ahh.  That hurts, Gabe, truly."

Gabriel calmly responds, "you know, we're all grown-ups here.  And none of us would ever let that ruin the longstanding friendships and mutual respect we have."

I can feel negan nod without looking at him, "you know what? You're right. That is a very mature attitude, Father "Not The Father."" He laughs, Gabriel sarcastically chuckles and I sigh heavily at the bad joke, "ha! Is that unpredictable enough for you?"

No one answers though and we all just stay quiet for a bit longer. A little while later, Siddiq calls out, "Jude, don't sit so close to the window."

"Hey, kiddo, you still worried about that mutt?" Negan asks her as she stands and moves away.

Judith explains, "Daryl told me to take care of him while he helped the Kingdom move to Hilltop." She sounds sad and defeated, "I don't know where he is."

I wait to hear his response, knowing Judith and I are 2 of the only people he's nice too. But instead, he asks, "does anybody else smell something?"

"Can you stop being such an asshole?" Siddiq asks with frustration.

But I sniff and smell it too, "no, he's right. Something does smell funky in here."

A moment later Eugene is yelling and moving, "get away from there." He grabs Gabriel and Siddiq by the shoulders to pull them away and there's an explosion out of the fireplace.

After the dust settles and we make sure everyone is okay, Eugene takes his flashlight to look inside the fireplace. It takes a few moments but he comes out and explains, "just as I suspected. The chimney flue is completely gone. What singed your nostrils earlier was no doubt a toxic mixture of creosote and H O." He goes explaining what happened in his smart and weird way, "blizzard's done some tearing and blaring.  And our chimney's ventilation capabilities are nil to none." He informs us all, "it'd be unwise to spark up another blaze lest we plan on ceasing all respiratory functions, a.k.a. smoking and choking."

Negan exclaims from his seat, "God, I missed you, Eugene."

"I can't say the same." Eugene reply's back sternly.

The 4 of us huddle together to talk about our new plans, "You know, without a fire, we'll never get these people warm enough." I say out loud.

Rosita agrees with a sigh, "yeah, we should leave before the temperature drops any lower."

We all nod so Gabriel turns and tells everyone, "okay, folks, contingency plan." I move to go help Judith and RJ bundle up to leave, "we're going to Aaron's house. It'll be tight quarters, but we'll make it work."

As everyone moves towards the door to get read, negan calls out, "seriously? Not one of you assholes is gonna untie me?"

I hear Rosita suggest, "we could tell Michonne it was an accident." I roll my eyes and leave the kids to untie Negan and get him ready to transport.