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The Bargaining Chip	By : ihatethesnow Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 3919 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any characters. I will not be making any money from this story.

Chapter List
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Negan woke up tether to a chair, which was bolted to the floor.
"Morning sunshine." He heard Rick say. His eyes were so swollen from the beating from Rick, Abe and Ty that he couldn't see. "This is my turn to play a game. See, Negan, you are a broken man. Everything you worked for, is gone. All the men you think worked for you? Dead. The woman you tried to break is Lori Grimes. My wife. You tried to take everything away from her, but you failed. She's back with me, and she's safe. I heard what you did to her. She told me what you did with the other women. Lucille…she's be kindling for my fireplace. I'm not a savage like you are. But I do believe in revenge. Sometimes it's living well, other times it's a dish served cold. I like to have my own way of getting vengeance."
Rick opened the door to the dank, musty room. Martinez was standing, barely, outside with Ty. He had been stabbed in the gut, and had lost copious amounts of blood. "Now, Negan, your buddy here is dying. Soon, he'll be gone, then he'll turn, and after that he'll rip the flesh from your bones. You have no option. You will die here, in this room. Just a matter of time. Don't bother trying to get free, we used both barbed wire and rope to tie you down. You'll be locked in this room, with Martinez, until civilization returns and your corpse is found a hundred years from now."
Negan tried to say something in protest, but Rick told him to shut up. He then looked over at Martinez and said "he's fading fast. Wish I could stick around and watch the show, but I have a family to get back to. Sucks, doesn't it. The minute you realize you don't know shit."
Rick turned around, then approached Martinez. His death was imminent. He laid on the floor, the blood pooling around his torso, and weakly reached his hand out to Rick and whispered "help." Rick chuckled and left the room, padlocking it from the outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~
He went outside and got back into the back of an SUV, sitting with Lori. It was a week, maybe that he found her. He had no choice but to tell her about the prison. He didn't know where their children were. She was constantly wiping her eyes, and was able to see slightly since the swelling decreased. Ty started the vehicle and followed Abe and Shannon in another SUV, who followed Dr. Stevens, who was driving a small bus loaded with residents, especially women and children, from Woodbury. All the homes were stripped, as was the clinic.
They were headed to Grady hospital, in the hopes of finding a secure shelter. Abe figured it was a three hour drive.
They got closer to the city, and saw what was left of the place. The napalm melted people into the ground and left burned out shells of what were once cars.
While they were thinking about what to do, a car sped up to them, and three cops got out, all pointing their weapons at them. Rick told everyone in his group to holster their weapons and raise their hands. He raised his own hands and told the cops that his name is Rick Grimes, he was the Deputy Sheriff in Kings County. He was shot in the line of duty, but survived. He woke up from a coma and the world had gone to shit. They were right outside Grady Hospital.
One of the Grady cops radioed to Dawn Lerner, the woman who is in charge of the hospital, and said they have a group with someone claiming to be Rick Grimes. Dawn said that Rick was shot and believed to be dead when the outbreak started. They went to the police academy together. Dawn told the cop to ask Rick the name of his partner. When she got the answer she was looking for, she said that only Rick can come up. Rick refused to go anywhere without Lori, who hooked her hand in the crook of his arm. Dawn wanted to make sure that he's for real. The officer escorted the Grimes to Dawn's floor. She noticed Rick as soon as he walked up the steps, and allowed him to come in. the two old friends shook hands, happy to see that they're both alive.
"We have medical care here. We can get you checked out." Dawn offered.
Rick nodded his head in thanks. He said that the rest of his friends are downstairs, along with a dozen women and children, and they need help and medical attention, food and shelter. Dawn agreed, and let the others come up.
"Mom, Dad!"
Lori heard a familiar voice and quickly turned around. She and Rick crumbled to the floor as they were swarmed by Judy, Carl, Mika, Bobby, Luke and Alex. All eight Grimes were reunited, finally.
Sasha, Carol, Daryl and a noticeably pregnant Beth came over to greet their old friends, and soon they were back together with Ty, Abe and Shannon. The absences of family and friends was felt by everyone. Beth, upon seeing that neither her father nor Maggie were there, crumbled into Daryl's arms.
Dawn insisted that everyone shower and get cleaned up, then they can have dinner together. She supplied the men with razors, and almost everyone shaved, got haircuts, and showered. They wore scrubs as their own clothes were being washed. Doctors Milton Mamet and Alfred Stevens were introduced to the other doctors on the staff; Douglas Ross, Cleo Finch, Robert Romano, Abby Lockhart and John Carter.
Rick, with Judy wrapped tightly in his arms and the boys right near him, insisted that Lori get completely checked out. She was given X-rays and an MRI, which used up most of the electricity they had. She was given a physical and vaginal examination, by one of the female doctors, Cleo Finch, by request. She was screened for different typed of sexually transmitted diseases.
Rick, Lori and their six children were waiting in one of the exam rooms when Dr. Carter came in to give them the good news. She didn't need any surgery. There was evidence of broken bones, which healed naturally. No STDs.
Lori looked at Rick and was afraid to ask about the blood test. As if he sensed her question. Dr. Carter said that she was about twenty weeks along.
He tried to be vague, for the children's sake.
"We don't have the equipment to do anything. Dawn is very religious, so when the place was closed, she made us destroy the machine."
Lori cleared her throat and asked "What about the 486?"
The doctor shook his head. "It would do more harm than good at this point. More harm to you."
Lori was crestfallen. She looked over at Rick, who squeezed her hand.
Dawn opened the door to the room and let herself in. "Dinner's almost ready."
Carter led them down five flights of stairs to the cafeteria, on the ground floor. The large group, which also included the former residents of Woodbury, were eating canned goods and had rations of food. The original group from the prison; Rick, Lori, Carl, Judy, Bobby, Alex, Luke, Mika, Abe, Shannon, Ty, Daryl, Beth, Carol and Sasha were reunited.
Carol asked Lori how she was doing, and the raven haired woman had to fight back tears. Shannon, who was sitting directly across the table, reached out and held her hand. They shared a bond that nobody else will understand. Sasha asked about Michonne. Rick bristled in anger at the mention of the woman's name. "If she finished the job we'd all be back together and at the prison."
After a few moments when nobody spoke, Carol said she was sorry to Lori for what happened.
She was sitting with one arm around Bobby and Mika, the other around Alex, Luke at her shoulder and free hand holding Carl's. Rick was sitting with his hand on her shoulder and Judy had her arms wrapped around her daddy.
Dawn walked up to the table and asked the new arrivals if they heard the rules. When nobody answered, she said that they can stay, but they'll be asked to do something to contribute to keep the place running. Anything from laundry to security. She runs a tight ship, and lights out is at nine o'clock on the dot, and the day begins at six. Those who just got there could rest for a few days, but then they need to work. She smiled and said "let me introduce you to the other cops. You'll be surprised."
She spoke into her shoulder radio, and asked the entire team to come to the cafeteria.
The dozen officers cam in; Lamson, Hanson, Gorman, Licari, Shepherd, Bello, Jeffries, Franco, O'Conner, Murphy and Rick's face dropped when he saw a familiar face. Shane.
"Looks like we both came back from the dead." The black haired officer laughed. Rick didn't stand up to say hello to his old friend, who came forward and embraced him. Without looking at Bobby or Alex he went to hug Lori, patting her on the back, almost as if he knew she was hurt. She gritted her teeth in pain.
"How?" Rick asked.
"When the place crumbled I made a run for it. I saw everyone die. Hershel, Maggie, Noah, Jacqui, Morgan. Damn shame." He said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Gotta get back to work. Good to see you guys." He said, as he left the room, not looking at anybody else.
Dawn made arrangements for the Grimes family to share a room. Six mattresses on the floor, but it's the only way they could be together. Rick nodded and said that would be fine.
The first night when all eight Grimes were back together was quiet. Bobby and Alex fell asleep quickly and Carl asked his mom what happened.
"Not right now, buddy." Rick sternly told his son.
Judy wouldn't let go of her grasp around Rick's neck, even when she fell asleep. Carl laid down next to Lori, then Rick managed to lie down with Judy in his arms, then when she let go he stood up. Lori was waiting for him, and he wrapped her in his arms. Her back was still bandaged, as best it could be, and she rested her head on his chest.
"What are we gonna do?" She asked.
"I dunno. I'm so sorry it happened to you."
"I can't have my rapist's baby. After a while there were so many I didn't know who was who. Especially when my face was swollen. But at twenty weeks…remember my ultrasound with Judy? I could see the heartbeat, the bones, and I think I felt the baby move the other day."
"I know."
"What they did to me. I haven't told you everything."
"You don't need to. Not now."
"I'm sorry I left. I should've stayed. Maybe I went a little stir crazy, but I wanted to get out. Worst mistake I ever did. It hurt so much, not just the rapes and whippings, but the mental torture. They said everyday they'd gut me like a fish. Sleep deprivation. They wanted to know where you guys were, but I didn't tell them."
Rick heard the story almost every day in the two weeks he found her, but at that moment he didn't mind. He needed to hear the sound of her voice.
"I love you so much, baby."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't you ever apologize. It wasn't your fault."
Rick suggested they lie down and try to get some sleep. He wrapped her, gently, in his arms, and eventually she fell asleep. He stayed awake for most of the night, thinking of how he can protect his family.
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The Bargaining Chip