Heart of an Inmate

Chapter 1 Season 9 before EP 15

Negan peered out through the bars on his window to check out what was happening outside his little room. He did this several times a day and had learned to look at it as if it were a live soap opera since people tended to talk loosely forgetting he was right there listening to them.

There was another reason he was peering outside the cell and that was that asshole Grime's daughter Judith.

He was candid enough to admit with some grudging respect that had he sired children legitimate or otherwise he would have wished for them to be like Carl and Judith.

They were damn fine kids.

At the moment the damn fine kid was giving him a headache. She had somehow gotten it into her skull that he was able to help her with math but his education hadn't been particularly broad and math was never a skill he liked. As a gym teacher he had never needed it.

"So you have a pole and you need to find out how high it is by using the shadow on the ground to find the ratio which is to find out the height of the pole."

"Where the hell is anyone going to use that shit?" Negan asked, rubbing his forehead. He was trying to remember how to do problems like those. It had been a long time and before he had always had somebody who did that kind of grunt work for him.

Judith tossed a glare at him "Listen asshole stop cussing at me or I'll make mom and Gabriel wash your mouth out. They'd probably do it."

He sneered at her, letting out a chuckle " Maybe I'd like that...might brighten up my day."

Judith ignored this scribbling out whatever it was that needed to be done. He had to hand it to her. She was a smart cookie and unlike some of the kids she took her education seriously. She'd be a hell of a leader one day.

"I think you have to measure your own shadow and the pole's shadow to uh....find the height...ratio...whatever."

Judith beamed at him. "You're right." She went back to scribbling out fractions and numbers. Negan mentally patted himself on the back knowing it was ironic he was reduced to measuring his worth by how well he could help a kid with her math work.

He had gone out there over the wall and within a day he had come back to his cell having found nothing. Not even another living soul and the dead things seemed like they were stronger and faster then he remembered. If he was going to die better be where he would get food and water and had a place to lay his head. Creature comforts were hard to come by and he could admit that despite his lifetime sentence for the crimes he committed he was being treated well.

A group suddenly came within sight and he perked up taking a look. He was disappointed to see it was just the new kids that had been found two or three months ago. One was deaf. The one who had the sexy prison tattoo ignored him knowing that he would wink at her and blow her a kiss if she looked his way.

There was no harm in trying.

His eyes widened slightly as they moved and suddenly a new person was revealed. He set back on his heels disappointed she looked like a fatty though how that was possible with the scarcity of food he didn't know. Then she turned and glanced at Judith and his eyes widened. She didn't have a fat face. Her hair wasn't ratty but sleek and pulled back which showed off nordic cheekbones. She wasn't young and sexy like he had enjoyed at the Sanctuary but he reminded himself that it had gotten kind of old as all three of them had been limp fish and not very exciting.

Lucille...now Lucille had fit that perfect phrase of the perfect wife was a whore in the bedroom and a lady in the living room and a goddamn fine cook. She had forgiven him everything while he had lied and cheated and took his pleasure wherever he wanted. He hadn't realized just how amazing and comfortable it had been to have her waiting for him to come home from jail or whatever hell hole he crawled into, patching him up when he got in brawls or stoically watching him hand over money to some street trash for an abortion. He whistled softly.

"Short top, hey, hey Judith...who's the new filly?"

Judith ignored him for a moment trying to finish up her last problem. He whistled at her again. Then he found a small pebble and tossed it at her. She sighed heavily and looked up at the group he was watching.

"Theresa, they found her living under a bridge. They don't know if she's going to stay yet."

Negan continued to study the newcomer." She married, got a boyfriend, maybe banging anybody?" He asked, cocking his head.

Judith huffed at him angrily "She wasn't found with anybody hasn't said she lost anyone and that is so gross you would ask me that! I'm going inside!" she cocked her hat and slapped her book shut before marching herself into her house leaving Negan to chuckle to himself.

The group moved off but he found himself lingering at the window hoping she'd come back by. She hadn't looked like his Lucille but something about her eyes had reminded him of her.

Finally resigned to being disappointed he moved to his cot picked up his ball and began bouncing it off the wall catching it absentmindedly. He'd get his chance. Sooner or later she'd come by his window.