For my sister | Negan |

16 - Forgive and forget

'Okay', Cal says, shutting the door after my last patient leaves. 'We're done for the day.'

'Oh, thank God', I sigh relieved. 'I'm starving.'

'That's too bad, it ain't dinner time yet.'

'What?' I ask affronted as I shrug off the doctor's coat. 'Why not? I'm about to pass out.'

'You wanted to see Negan, right? Congrats, you're seeing him.'

'Right now?' I ask nervously. Eugene said he'd ask but I wasn't expecting to see him this soon. I was kind of hoping for some more time to mentally prep myself.

'Yeah, I got the word over the radio to take you there after your shift while you were working on that giant zit.'

'It wasn't a zit, it was an abscess', I correct him dryly. This guy came in with a huge growth on his lower back. I guess I got so wrapped up in popping the nasty thing that I didn't notice Cal getting a message over the radio.

'Whatever. Let's go, so at least one of us can go get some dinner.'

I scowl at him before I follow him out the door and wait while he locks the room behind us. I think that's the most he's talked to me in one go in the last 2 days. Who knows, we might just become friends after all. I snort at myself for the ridiculous thought.

'Something funny?' Cal asks, turning around when he's done with lock.

'No', I say quickly, pulling my face back into neutral features. He raises an eyebrow but starts to walk me through the hallway without further comment. But just before he knocks on the door, he gives me one last warning.

'I meant what I said, you know.'

'You haven't said anything to me', I say, confused.

'Don't try to bullshit him', he says, leaning in a little closer. 'He'll know.'

He knocks on the door, then adds, as an afterthought:

'And bow.'

Right. I quickly follow Cal's example and get down before the door opens. This will definitely never not feel weird.

His feet appear in my vision when the door opens and I hear the increasingly familiar sound of Negan's voice right above me.

'Thanks, Cal. I'll take it from here. You have a good night.'

'G'night, boss.'

I hear Cal getting up from the floor beside me and then his footsteps receding into the distance. Negan focuses his attention on me now.

'What a nice surprise, doc. Come on in.'

I get up hastily and take a breath before I follow him. My hands are sweaty with nerves, so I wipe them down over my clothes. Negan's standing with his back to me so I dare to throw him an anxious look. Did I actually willingly seek this man out ask on my own? He killed my friends. Besides that, I remember how he pushed me against the wall when I called him crazy. And how he grabbed me when he found out I hid the the meds. I can't think about any of that right now, though. Because if I do, I'll run the other way and I'll never earn his trust.

He turns around now and looks at me to see what's taking so long. So I give myself a final mental push and walk into the room. But I can only take a few steps before Negan holds up his hand.

'Stop right there.'

I halt uncertainly in my tracks, confused about why he wants me to stop. Have I already done something wrong?

'Close the door', he says, waving towards the door behind me. 'Then look at me and put your hands behind your head.'

I blink and immediately regret coming here. Where the hell is this going?