Broken

Chapter 19

Carson stuffs his damp clothes in his beaten backpack and hangs it over one shoulder.

"Carson, what are you doing?" Maggie frowns. "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah."

"But you just got here," she says in disbelief.

"I can't help him."

"What.. why?"

Carson takes a step forward. "Josh, is the same Josh that handed Eve over to those two Saviors.. no wonder he's having bad dreams," Carson says to himself.

"Wait, are you sure."

"Yes, i'm sure."

"Well, just wait a minute, what did he say?"

Carson drops his backpack on the floor, running a hand through his hair. "He said enough, Maggie. I know who he is. He did say that he went back for her. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Either way, i don't care."

"So you won't treat him?"

"No, i won't. There's a doctor at the Kingdom that might be able to help, but i'll have nothing more to do with it."

"You're a doctor, i thought you're supposed to treat everyone?"

"This is different, Maggie. What he did.. i get he was afraid, i really do. But i can't sit there and listen to his shit, not after listening to everything Eve went through because of his actions."

"Are you refusing because of him," Maggie says, her face appearing as if she'd sucked on a lemon.

"Negan?" Maggie turns away, glancing out of the window. "No, i'm refusing for her. I actually tried to get her to pity him, i wasn't doing that for Josh, i was doing it for her. Josh is right, he doesn't deserve to be alive."

"What am i supposed to do with him?"

"I don't care, Maggie. Exile him, get him treatment, makes no difference to me." Carson picks up his backpack, turning to leave.

Maggie grabs his arm lightly. "Are you gonna tell them?"

Carson turns to her with a frown. "And what good what that do? Negan would kill him, and then you'd kill Negan, God knows what Eve would do. No good can come from them knowing. I'll tell you something, Maggie. If i thought killing Josh would help her, i'd let them do it. But it won't. If Eve knows he's still alive, it could set her right back, and i won't do that to her. She's come so far. You'll just have to make sure Josh doesn't find out about Eve, because if he does something stupid like trying to come to Alexandria, that'll be the last thing he does."

~

"I might have to go out on a run soon."

Eve looks over at Negan, her eyes wide and needy. "Why?"

Negan shuffles closer to Eve on the sofa, taking her hand in his. "That's what i do, sweetheart. Everyone has to contribute in some way, otherwise you're just dead fucking weight."

"Is that what i am? Dead weight?"

Negan frowns. "Fuck no. I do enough for the both of us. And, i'm pretty sure you'll find your place here eventually. You just need some time, and time is all we fucking have. It's not just about earning my place though, it's about doing what needs to be done. Winter's gonna be here before we fucking know it, and we need to squirrel away as much as we fucking can. That means all hands on deck."

"It's still summer."

"Trust me, baby. It has a way of sneaking up on you. Last winter was cold as fucking shit, and it was a white one. Makes it harder to get out and trade with the other communities. We need to stock up on shit. Make sure the fucking store cupboards are full."