BLOODLINES [twd]

{13}

A gentle pat on Lucas' thigh woke him up. His jacket that he was using as a blanket fell to his lap. He stretched a little and looked up to see Maggie smiling down at him.

"Noona," he breathed and sat upright. "You're awake."

"You sure weren't," she joked.

Lucas threw his jacket to the side and wiped his eyes. "Did you talk to Carson? Why are you standing? Are you okay?"

"I'm all right," Maggie promised. "Really. Doctor Carson explained everything to me. Are you all right?"

Lucas stood up, towering over Maggie. "I.. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was just-"

"It's all right," Maggie promised. "This is all hard on you, too. Don't apologize."

"How long have you been up?"

"About an hour. I got some food and water. Doctor Carson said I was okay to move, just not a lot."

Lucas nodded and shook himself fully awake.

"Is anyone else here?" Maggie wondered. "Sasha? Did she come with us?"

"Do you remember the ride here?"

Maggie shook her head. "Last I remember was.." She paused. "Rick and the others carrying him away."

"Sasha and I got you here. She's somewhere.. I told her I was coming to sit with you and she said she would be outside, so.."

Lucas rested a hand in between Maggie's shoulder blades as they walked to the door. Upon stepping out, Sasha stood up from the steps.

"You're awake," Sasha noted to Maggie. "You okay?"

Maggie nodded, out of breath already from a few steps.

"The baby?" Sasha continued.

"Doctor Carson let me hear the heartbeat. The baby's okay, too," Maggie explained.

Sasha sighed out in relief.

"The baby is just fine," Maggie said, if only to soothe her own nervous heart. "Where is he?"

--

Bailey stared at the pregnancy test like it was going to attack her.

Sherry resumed to pacing around the room, wringing her hands out and trying to breathe.

Bailey was already on her final straw. Sherry crying at her bedroom door didn't help matters. Sherry might be pregnant. And if she is, it would be Negan's.

"And you're sure it couldn't be D's?" Bailey asked for the third time.

"You know I'm not stupid enough to do that," Sherry scoffed. "Negan would kill us both."

Doctor Carson walked around the doctor's room and sat at his desk. "That should be plenty of time for the results to come in."

Sherry reached out to the table, but Bailey snatched the pregnancy test up before the older woman could reach it.

"Bailey-"

Bailey held her hand out, blocking Sherry and cutting her off.

Though the stress was high and the act was irritating, Sherry knew better than to scold Bailey.

Bailey sighed in relief and tossed the test back on the table. "It's negative."

"Thank God," Sherry almost cried out and sat on the bed.

Bailey looked at Doctor Carson. "Give me the birth control."

Doctor Carson rested his elbows on the table. "I don't have the points for that and Negan would-"

"Give me the goddamn pills, Carson!" Bailey snapped, kicking the side of his desk.

Sherry shook her head. She knew Bailey was stressed, but the younger woman also kind of reminded Sherry of a toddler throwing a tantrum every now and then. Her temper was low and she was used to getting her way with the Saviors out of their fear of her father. 

"Bailey-"

Bailey put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him.

Doctor Carson sighed and relented. He retrieved a box of birth control from the bottom drawer of his desk and handed it to Bailey.

"Carson," Dwight said as he walked into the room with a prisoner. He noticed Bailey only after he closed the door. "Shit. Bailey, turn around."

Bailey defied his request and looked dead at Dwight. Her eyes trailed to the man in his custody. She knew with ease that this was the man he had told her about this morning.

"Bailey," Dwight begged. "Turn around, please."

Bailey shook her head. Sherry stood up from the bed and looped her arm through Bailey's. But, she also hesitated upon further inspecting the man.

"Daryl, right?" Sherry asked, leaning down. bit to try and meet his eyes.

"Don't talk to him," Dwight ordered. "Can you and Bailey leave? Please?"

Sherry tugged Bailey toward the door. Bailey locked eyes with the 'Daryl' man. He looked void. Blank. Bailey imagined all the things he'd seen. He must've seen his friends die in front of him. The picture weighed a thousand tons in Bailey's pocket.

Oddly enough, Daryl didn't hold resentment toward Bailey. Did he know that she was Negan's daughter? Maybe he thought she was just another helper. Someone like Sherry.

"Bailey," Dwight begged, voice still cold and stern, but Bailey picked up on the desperation.

Bailey pulled herself free from Sherry. She kept eye contact with Daryl until she walked out of the room.