A Hard Lesson to Learn

Chapter 21

He was sitting in the wooden chair that Rick always sat in when he came to talk to him. His hands were cuffed behind his back, keeping him from trying anything. Rick was leaned up against the bars just inside the cell supervising. It was haircut day.

Rick stirred him from his sleep when he opened the cell door. He placed the chair in the middle of the cell and Negan knew he was supposed to sit there before Rick said anything. That's how he found himself with his head tilted back, hands cuffed behind him, and Nora, at least he thought that was her name, was trimming his beard.

"God this is going to feel wonderful. It's hot as shit down here now and it's time that Santa beard was gone. If I'd kept this thing any longer, I'd be looking like that old guy from Harry Potter," Negan said with a smile on his face.

"Wasn't my idea."

"Well whoever the hell it was, give them my utmost thank you because I sure as shit needed it." A short silence fell over them and only the sound of Nora's clippers cutting away his hair being heard in the cell before Negan started again. "Have I told you about the time Kali had to cut my hair," he asked cutting his eyes to Rick.

Rick shakes his head no. "You've told a lot of stories, but not that one."

"It was after we found the sanctuary. I fucked my damn shoulder up good. I couldn't do jack shit. I was starting to look like a man that went to the bar every night and got plastered to pass out just to wake up and do it again. I kept bitching about my hair and beard. She must have heard enough of it because she came in my room that night, went straight to the bathroom, grabbed my razor and went to town. I kept talking and talking-"

"Shocker," Nora said above him.

Negan pulled away from her just a bit just looking at her. "Excuse the shit out of me, but I think I was telling a story here," he says before looking at Rick who was just smirking. "Anyways...she ended up butchering the shit out of my hair. She did her best, but damn you could tell she didn't go to fucking cosmetology school. I had to wear a damn hat for two weeks just to let it grow back. It was terrible."

Nora tilted his head back making Negan look at the ceiling. "She tried her best, but it was shit."

"At least she tried."

Negan went to reply when he felt the blade of the razor run over the scar on his neck. He felt the metal nip against his skin as Nora shaved his neck. "If you keep talking, I will wind up accidentally cutting you," she warned pausing for a second causing Rick to laugh. Negan cut his eyes to the man giving him a glare the best he could.

Nora grabbed the rag and wiped the left-over shaving cream from his neck. Negan stayed still until she tilted his head back down. His beard was now a nice stubble instead of almost down to his stomach. He always preferred stubble over a long beard or clean shaven.

She moved around him leaving just Rick in his sight. Nora grabbed the water that was in a pan and ran it over his head. "Ahh shit that feels good," he sighed closing his eyes enjoying the woman cutting his hair. They were all quiet for a while the only sound was the sound of the clippers slicing through his hair.

Negan relaxed into the seat. He must have dozed off for a minute or two because the next thing he knew, Rick was calling his name.

"Rick," he replied lazily.

"Nora finished about five minutes ago."

"Shit really," he asked opening his eyes and looking around. Nora was indeed gone. "Damn. Well, that was fun. You wanna undo my hands now?"

Rick was still leaned against the cell bars. "Not yet."

Negan groaned throwing his head back, nearly tipping the chair over. "If you wanted to tie me up and have your way with me Rick, all you had to do was ask," he said earning a glare from the man causing Negan to chuckle. "All right. What is this time?"

"There's been issues at the bridge lately."

Negan rolled his head popping his neck. "Am I the only person you talk to about your issues?"

Rick ignored the question. "There's some saviors that have gone missing. We went out to look for them but there's not a trace of 'em. People are not wanting to work and are asking questions. It's not the first time that some have wandered off, but they'd come back a few days later. People are starting to get worried. It's driving them apart."

"Who's missing?"

"Tommy, Mike, and Pat have been missing for a while. Um, recently Arat has been missing."

Negan scrunches his eyebrows trying to think. "Tommy, Mike, and Pat probably just left because they were always lazy pieces of shit. Arat though, she wouldn't just go missing."

Rick pushed off the bars and moved behind Negan. He reached down and undid the man's hands. Rick walks back to the cell bars in front of the man. "Arat was always willing to work. She went out one night and never came back. No one seems to know what happened."

Negan leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs. "What do you want me to do about it? I can't do anything here."

"You know your people better than anyone. Why would they just disappear like that?"

"Maybe they decided they didn't want to work for your ass anymore. Maybe there are some people in your camp that don't want them around anymore, so they decided to get rid of them. If not, then people are just getting sick of working for something that isn't worth it to them."

"That bridge is for the future. It's going to help the communities. It's for everyone."

"Tell them that. Not me. You've said that I won't ever see outside these walls again, so don't waste your breath of trying to convince me. Convince them. They are the ones doing the labor. I'm locked in here away from everyone and everything," Negan said leaning back against the chair. "For me, it was either work or barely survive."

"Look how that worked out for you," Rick quipped.

"Hey- you asked," Negan said throwing his hands up, "I don't know what you want me to tell you, Grimes. Give them something to work for."

"Any suggestions?"

"How about a wack at the prisoner in the basement? I'm sure that would make them kick it into high gear," Negan said running a hand through his newly cut hair, a smile on his face.

Rick laughed pushing off the bars once more. "Alright, up. I need my chair," he said motioning for Negan to stand.

Negan obeyed quickly. He moved towards his bed. This was a routine that they followed from times before that Rick had been in the cell.

Rick picked the chair up and moved it out of the cell back to its position against the cement wall in front of the cell. He took the key out of his pocket and closed the door. The lock clicked signifying to Negan to no matter how much Rick talked about his problems, he didn't need Negan's help fixing them.

He took a deep breath before sighing. "There's someone that wants to see you."

Negan laid down on his cot within his cell letting out a sigh. "Ummm," he says starring at the ceiling. His last visitor was not so friendly. "Not today. It's been a busy day down here. Wore me slap out. Tell whoever it is that my schedule is booked for today."

"Okay," Rick said drawing out the 'O' adding a bit of singsong to the word. He turned and headed towards the stairs. His foot was on the bottom step about to climb them when Negan talks again.

"Who is it anyway?"

"What does it matter? You're booked for today remember," Rick replied, sarcasm evident in his voice. Rick goes up the stairs leaving the man alone. He shut the door, but the door at the top doesn't lock.

The only sound in the basement for was a shit coming from Negan's mouth once he was alone. The next time that he would be around anyone would be meal time. He wanted to know who wanted to see him and why Rick wanted to know if he wanted a visitor. Most people just walked down the stairs and confronted the man. He tried to rack his brain trying to think if there was anyone left that wanted to see him. There was not a reasonable idea of who would want to see him. Everyone alive hated him and wanted him to stay in this cell for the rest of his life. The next time that Rick asked, if he did ask again, he'd take the visitor with arms wide up.

*Here is a short one!! Thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, and voting!! More to come soon!!*