Heart of an Inmate

Chapter 9

"Gabe! Rosita! Nice night for a walk isn't it? Think the moon being up so high it's just as pretty as a picture. Makes me want to make babies." Negan said, smiling widely at them.

"I can kill you," Rosita said coldly. "Tell Michonne it was an accident."

"Please, just tell her the truth she'll declare a holiday." Negan said scornfully.

Theresa stepped in front of him. How she thought it would help when his head was exposed he didn't know. Did she think he was going to dunk behind her?

"It's my fault he's out." She said, " I'm just seeing him back in."

"The point is he's a prisoner," Gabriel said, shaking his head. " He can't just wander in and out as he pleases."

"You, back in your cell." Rosita said motioning with the gun she looked at Theresa "You, Michonne is gonna have some questions for you."

Theresa sighed then nodded. " Of course."

Gabriel made good to make sure Negan was back in his prison. He made it a point not to mention the marks on them. In fact, Negan could almost swear the priest looked at the hickey on Negan's neck and blushed.

He was never going to understand this guy. Man of God, but a sinner, falling to the sin of lust but determined to love a woman who carried another man's baby like it didn't eat at him. It was so honorable and pious it could make you puke chunks.

He hadn't been in the cell but an hour when he heard footsteps coming down the steps. He smiled and rolled over.

Judith was frowning at him " You said you were coming right back."

"Well, I got delayed Judith I didn't lie to you I just got caught up in something else."

She gave him a suspicious look " Really?"

Negan nodded sitting up " You know I shoot the straight shit with you."

"Language!"

"Sorry, you know I wouldn't lie to you." She hesitated then nodded.

"Okay. I'm going back to bed."

Negan gave her a slow nod "You do that, go to bed be a good girl."

She stopped halfway up and when she spoke it wiped the smile right off Negan's face.

"If you make a baby with Theresa I get to name it." She announced before heading out the door.

Negan stared for a second then shook his head. He roughly rubbed his face before laying back down.

. "Jesus Christ," he muttered, then he laughed softly to himself.

***

"Do you understand this man is a murderer? Do you get that?" Michonne asked furiously.

"Yes, I understand," Theresa said softly.

"Just don't care? He beat two of my friends to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barb wire. Did he tell you about that? Did he?"

"No." Theresa said. She wanted to hang her head but she didn't. She had a feeling people who hung their heads around Michonne received no mercy.

"He did mention that your people attacked an outpost for no reason and killed his men. He did say that. Did he lie?"

Michonne brought herself up crossing her arms. She didn't have time for this foolishness.

"We believed we had good reasons for our actions." She said.

"Maybe he thought he had a good reason for his?" Theresa asked. "At any rate I know I've broken the rules here. I just ask that you let me have some water and a little food before I leave. I won't come back."

"Why were you out?" Gabriel asked. He had been silent but he couldn't stay silent. He had liked Theresa. She had seemed strong and reliable. This place needed strong reliable people.

She hesitated then sighed. " I have someone in one of the abandoned houses that I'm trying to take care of. He's sick. I didn't want to bring him here to infect everyone else. That's what happened to the last place where there were people. They got sick. Ran fevers and died. People started catching it."

"But you're ok with you possibly infecting us?" Michonne sounded disgusted now. Theresa shrugged.

"If he was contagious he should have been dead by now. I already beat this virus. Those that had it and beat it didn't get it again." She looked at Gabriel " I didn't think it was worth it to risk other people's lives who haven't been sick yet. That's all. I'm not trying to hurt any of you. I'm not trying to break Negan free or bring down your town. I'm just trying to keep someone I love alive enough to be healthy so he can travel."

"Where do you plan to travel to?" Gabriel asked curiously. Michonne was standing at the window glaring out at the sky which had started to lighten with the sunrise.

"Alaska." Theresa replied, " I believe if there are more communities that survived the plague it would be in places like Alaska where people are more isolated."

"Go to the room we assigned you. I'll see to it someone guards you while the council talks this over."

Theresa nodded. " Of course."

***

Michonne rubbed her back briefly feeling a scar under her shirt. When Gabriel came back with the rest of the council she addressed him directly.

"You think we should let them stay? She can't be trusted."

Gabriel made a soothing motion with his hand " I know she can't be trusted. I believe that. I just don't think she's done anything so bad she needs to be thrown out with nothing."

Laura spoke up softly " I think we need to take into account if Negan got in her pants he's gonna talk her into breaking him out."

Siddiq shook his head " I think we should check and see if she does have someone whose sick. I should take a look and see if there's anything I can do."

Michonne shook her head " No. It could be a trap and even if it isn't if she's telling the truth about the bug we can't risk it getting into Alexandria."

Siddiq looked like he wanted to argue but sat down and crossed his arms.

"You know if she's telling the truth, she's actually kind of saving the town by not bringing a sick person here," Aaron said softly.

"I'm tellin ya'll Negan's gonna convince her to break him out. You don't know him like I do. That man can talk the knickers off a nun." Laura said.

"Well, why don't we lock her up with him?" Gabriel said " Maybe we can find a safe way to check and see if there's someone ill that needs help. Signs or something. We might be able to help them. Who knows maybe..."

"I'm not risking Alexandria over an outsider who lies to us." Michonne hissed. " Lock her up with Negan. Let them screw like dogs! I don't care about that but we need to find a safe way to check for other outsiders. She could easily be lying to us about there being only one person. I want masks in case we are dealing with someone who is sick. Kyle get her to draw up directions. Laura Lock her up. Let's get this over with."

"Are we going to vote on this?" Gabriel asked quietly.

Michonne stiffened then turned to look at them. There was a hard expression on her face.

"All those in favor of locking the outsider up with Negan?"

Hands went up.

"All those in favor of going to see what kind of threat we might be facing?"

Hands went up again.

Michonne nodded to Laura. " Do it."