Poker Face

Chapter 51 - Simon

"It's alright, boss," Simon said trying to break the tension in the truck. He eyed Negan in his peripherals and didn't like what he was seeing. This wasn't his boss; Negan would never have devolved into something so helpless and scared over a woman he'd known for a month. He couldn't see Negan's face; his fearless leader was hunched over Aven's bleeding body as her breaths became slower and slower. Simon could have sworn he was crying but didn't want to think of Negan as capable of tears. "She's a hell of a woman but if she doesn't pull through you got plenty more."

"Get her to the fucking Sanctuary without another fucking word," Negan growled, not looking away from Aven, "or I will cut out your motherfucking tongue and crucify you on the front gate."

Simon shut his mouth and turned his attention back to the road, speeding up again to push the truck a fast as it could go. He didn't necessarily want Aven to die, but he couldn't deny the fact that she had been present for all of Negan's decisions over Alexandria, and that those decisions weren't working. He suspected Negan's real interest in her, his one-woman lifestyle, was making him soft. There was a time when Negan would have wiped out an entire community as punishment, or at least killed all of the men (or so Simon thought, thinking more of his own cruelty than Negan's). Now he was only killing two at a time it seemed.

Seeing Aven hurt, though, maybe that would jumpstart him again to be the boss Simon knew him to be; the guy who would take out Alexandria in one blow without a second thought.

In the backseat, Dwight and the other Saviors were just staring, for the same reason as Simon. They knew Negan didn't like losing what was his, but this was a new experience. Even though Negan barely spoke and kept his face turned, it was obvious how upset he was. Normally it was pure anger and he'd show it. But this was a different kind of upset. Dwight knew it was heartbreak, and he had no pity. He was glad to see Negan in so much pain, though he did feel a very slight sadness for the fate Negan had brought on yet another innocent woman, even if he hated the woman herself.

When they rolled through the Sanctuary gates an hour earlier than they would have driving normal speed, Negan practically fell out of the truck before it even came to a full stop. Without hesitation, he was off running towards the medical wing with Aven in his arms.

"Saviors, yard in an hour," he barked back at Simon without turning.

"Hear that, men?" Simon shouted to the Saviors exiting their vehicles. "Meeting in the yard in an hour." He leaned up against the side of the truck with his arms crossed over his chest and caught Dwight's eye, nodding him over.

"I'm worried," he said as Dwight came to his side. "Normally after a stunt like that Negan would already have a plan in place."

"What makes you think he doesn't?" Dwight said disinterestedly.

"Are you kidding me?" Simon grunted. "Were you in the car with us? All he cares about is Aven. He wasn't even thinking about Alexandria. The old Negan wouldn't have shut the fuck up about the blood he'd spill in retaliation."

"Well you're right about Aven," Dwight began, knowing Rosita went for her on purpose and seeing that it was probably effective. When he'd met Daryl and Rosita in the woods, she was particularly interested in Negan's relationship with Aven, and she was clearly right to be. "She's his weakness now."

"Negan can't have weaknesses," Simon retorted. "He can't afford it, he has an empire to oversee."

"Maybe you're right but I don't think he's a different person than he has been. Let's just wait for the meeting, see what he has to say." Dwight started to walk away but Simon called after him.

"Hey," he began, getting Dwight to turn back, "those trees in the road weren't a coincidence. They were stalling so backup could get there."

"Makes sense," Dwight replied flatly.