Alexandria

Chapter 22

"Through here!" Carson yells as Negan carries Rachel through the door. "Set her down on the table."

Negan lays her down, his cheeks stained with tears. "Please, help her," he sobs.

"What do we have?" Carson asks.

"Stab wound, lower back. Had ta resuscitate her twice," Daryl says.

Carson nods. "Joe, help me turn her over. Dwight, go get Jenny, i need her now! We need to stop this bleeding, hold that there," Carson gestures to Negan. "Press as hard as you can." Negan presses against her wound as Carson cuts off her vest. "What's her blood type?"

"A negative," Daryl says.

"We're fully stocked, go get me some from the back." Carson points towards a storage room. Daryl races towards it. "Dwight, get me my kit, it's through there. Jenny, thank God. I'm gonna need you. Everyone out."

"What?" Negan barely whispers.

"Come on, man," Daryl says. "Ain't nothin we can do for her. We're just gettin in his way."

Negan nods, his lip trembling as he heads towards the door and his eyes not leaving her till the door closes in front of him.

"Daryl," Rick rushes over, or as fast as he can with his cane in his hand. "What happened?"

"Rachel, she got stabbed," Daryl says sombrely.

"Jesus! Is she gonna be okay?" Rick asks, his eyes wide.

"I don't know." Daryl drops his head, running a hand through his hair.

"And the Whisperers?" Rick questions.

"We didn't hang around ta find out. Beta's dead though, Negan killed him. They didn't have a lotta men, we just gotta take care of the herd," Daryl says.

"I'll see if i can radio through." Rick glances over at Negan. "She's a fighter, always has been, if anyone can survive this, Rachel can."

Negan's gaze doesn't drop from the door. He looks in through the window, but the door to the surgery is closed. "I should be in there," he croaks.

"There's nothing you can do for her," Dwight says. "I'm gonna head back out, see how things are going."

"I'm stayin here." Daryl turns to Dwight. "You're in charge. If the Whisperers have bin wiped out, take care of the herd. Ya gon have ta lead it away from here."

"Alright." Dwight nods.

"I just got through on the radio," Rick says. "The Whisperers are defeated. Some of them are just injured, i want them brought here alive."

"What?!" Negan turns to Rick, his jaw clenched. "You're fucking shitting me?!"

"No, i'm not. That's how we do things round here, or need i remind you where you was not so long ago?" Rick points out.

"That's fucking different." Negan frowns.

Rick shakes his head. "No, it's not. They're people, Negan."

"They're fucking rapists and weirdos! Is that the kind of people you want round here? Round your women?!"

"This ain't the time," Daryl cuts in.

Rick holds up a hand. "No, Daryl. This is the time." He steps closer to Negan, tilting his head. "People can change, Negan. At least that's what Rachel tells me, or is she wrong?"

Negan clenches his jaw. "You know what those men did."

"Yeah, and they'll do time for it, maybe they'll never be released. But what about the women?"