Save Me

31. The Result Was Always This

Molly knew in her heart that Negan's defeat was always on the cards, but it took her until she actually saw it happen to realise the depth of her attachment to him. She needed to create some distance between them to survive and hopefully weaken their bond, but Negan had other plans.

I stood outside Siddiq's office which Michonne and Rick went in to talk to Negan.

They had asked me if I wanted to be there for the discussion but I just couldn't force myself to look at him again, at least not for now.

The walls were thin and the window was open to let in a cool breeze, so I could hear the conversation.

I pictured him lying there on one of the patient beds, his perfect white T-shirt, no leather jacket and a bandage wrapped around his neck.

'We know you're awake' Michonne said calmly.

'I never said I wasn't' Negan whispered in response.

It broke my heart to hear his voice, once so loud and dramatic and now he could barely speak.

I shut my eyes as I leant against the wall by the window, focussing in on his voice.

'Good, because we need to tell you some things. You don't have to open your eyes now but you're gonna open them soon, because we're gonna make you watch what happens...' Michonne said softly.

I already knew what was coming, I couldn't imagine what he must have thought.

It's strange, even after everything that he's done to hurt me and the people I love, knowing he was in pain brought out my protective side.

I just wanted to rush into that room and help him.

'Now this isn't about who you killed, no we've killed people. This is about what you did to us. What you did to so many people, what you did to Molly. How you made people live, for you. How you put people under your boot' Rick stated sternly.

Negan tried to yell but it just came out as a whisper, 'I save people!'.

I heard choking and I peered through the window to see Michonne pinning him down by his throat.

'Michonne!' Siddiq said warningly.

'He needs to know, this isn't a discussion' she said cheerfully.

I turned back around, I couldn't watch him suffer.

'We could open up his stitches for a little while just to remind him' Rick said gleefully.

I sighed and shut my eyes once more.

'Carl pictured something better. All of us, working together for something bigger than all of us. You'll have a job too' Rick said seriously.

'Yeah, you get to be a part of it. You'll be an example of what this will be' Michonne said proudly.

'We're not gonna kill you, we're not gonna hurt you. You're gonna rot in a cell-' Rick said as his voice became more hoarse before he was interrupted by Michonne.

'For the rest of your life. Day after day' she growled.

'You're gonna be evidence that we're making a civilisation. Something like what we had. Something we're gonna get back' Rick added.

'And you get to watch it happen and you get to see how wrong you were about what people can be, about what life can be' Michonne said.

'You, alive is gonna help show people that things have changed. That keeping you breathing, earns another way, a better way. That's the part you'll play' Rick added as I heard him walk towards the door.