Playing For Brains

The room was dark, the bright light from the window trying to peak past the sun scorched material draped across it. Arlie laid in the double bed sat in the middle of the room, a lack of other furniture noticeable from where she laid. Other than two doors. One to the closet with an abundance of fancy black dresses and shoes, the other leading to the horrendous world of the sanctuary. She hadn't left the bed since crawling into it two days ago. She hadn't change, she hadn't eaten, she hadn't seen anyone but Negan, who came in every now and again trying to coax her into doing anything but wallow in self-pity.

As the sound of the door brought Arlie out of her thoughts she sighed, pulling the covers a little tighter. It must be time for the midday check-up. Same times every day. Morning, midday and evening. It was like clockwork and she hated every second of it. She hated herself for accepting his offer, she didn't want this. She never wanted this, however much of an outcast she was, she was better than this. What would the group think about her taking such an offer? Would they understand why she did it? That she did it for Daryl.

"Hey you, are you feeling any better?" Negan made his way into the room, taking a seat on the end of the bed. He placed a reassuring hand on Arlie's leg, making her flinch. Negan had noticed but chose to ignore the hard shoulder she was giving him. He thought that he had achieved something with her the day that he got her to eat, but she hadn't said a word or eaten anything since she walked away from Daryl. He wanted to understand but he was getting frustrated with the radio silence, something was wrong and he wasn't sure how he could find out what.

"I know that you keep ignoring it when I say it, but you don't look good. I really need to take you to see our doctor" Negan tried to get her attention again with no success.

He sighed taking a stand, beginning to run a hand through his hair in frustration. He took her to prove a point that he could, but that's why he took Daryl too. He didn't have to take her too, but he liked her. From the moment she stood up and stopped the redneck he could barely stop thinking about her. She fascinated him. She was different in some way, but he wasn't sure why yet. The chat in the loading bay just peaked his interest. He wanted to find out everything about her, but she wouldn't let him in. He knew why. He had killed two of her friends, beaten her best friend and kept her from her home. What sort of relationship could they really have.

Negan noticed he was pacing the room and stopped collecting his thoughts, he wasn't going to let this continue. He walked over to the bed again getting down to eye level with Arlie, trying to meet her gaze which seemed to focus on the covers in front of her.

"We're going to see the doctor" Negan tried to grab her arm and pull her up out of the bed but she shuffled away from him.

"I don't want to" she complained, pulling her arm away from him as he tried to grab her again.

"You're sick and if you don't get help you are going to die" his voice was filled with despair as he crawled on the bed grabbing her arm and beginning to pull her towards the edge of the bed.

"Please just let me take a walk and I'll be fine. It's being stuck in here" she protested, trying to wriggle out of Negan's grip.

"Yeah and elephants can fly Arlie" he stopped pulling her as she came to the edge of the bed "You think I am about to let you go for a walk outside the fence" he was waving his arm around now in frustration.

"Even if I fully trusted you not to run off, I would have to believe that you would be able to fight off the dead in you condition, which I don't" his voice was raised as he stormed across the room and out the door, slamming it behind him.

Arlie sighed and pushed herself back onto the bed, bringing her knees to her chest, back resting against the headboard. He had never got that angry with her before and she wasn't sure how long she could keep this up before he went back on their deal. She didn't want anyone to hurt her friends, let alone Daryl who she knew would be the first person to feel the repercussions of her actions. What would Negan do with her when he'd had enough. What would happen if she didn't eat anything soon. It was the weakest she had felt since the night in the barn. What would happen when the energy finally left her body. Her mind was struggling to focus, to keep in the moment, her body felt like it was no longer hers. Even when Negan had dragged her from the bed she had barely felt it.