"Fuckin' prick, god-damn stupid asshole." Negan seethed to the sounds of the girl screaming at the top of her lungs for Siddiq, Rick and Michonne to get out, fists slamming again the bars and almost inhuman snarls and growls ripping against his eardrums.

He had been so close, he could have helped her, he could have saved her.

She had turned wild again, literally hanging off her cage and spitting. Michonne stood astounded, hands cocked on her hips like wings.

And the doctor pinched the bridge of his nose, brows knitted together, both hands covering his ears as she wailed like a banshee.

The deputy flung open the door, dripping with sweat, pure frustration burning in his eyes.

And those baby blues rolled so hard they could have stuck when he found Negan waiting for him, the cop snarled when the savior touched his shoulder."Rick, come on, bud. Let me do this my way, she was about to give me her hand."

A low growl came out of Rick's constricted throat as he barged off Negan's hand, thrusting a finger in his face, his signature stink eye out in full force, "your way?" He barked with a burst of laughter, bitter and cruel.

"Don't forget, bud." He continued, straightening out his spine to match Negan's height, drawling out the 'bud' for extra emphasis. "You've not earned your place yet, I don't trust you with that girl."

Negan licked his lips, stopping his fist from balling. He could have shattered the leader's nose.

Rick gesticulated wildly, speaking slow and cautious from the side of his tight lips."She's vulnerable, scared, she's in a position that leaves her—."

Their gazes met, neither one willing to break."Defenseless-...I know your record with women, how you used them, how you made them sleep with y—."

Negan had heard enough, flailing his hands in the air, Lucille swishing in his palms side to side like a hunting cat's tail. "That was mutual, I never made them do anythin' they didn't want to do!"

The old savior touched his heart, showing his teeth, "you implyin' I'd hurt her? Hurt a young, sick, ill girl who can barely speak?"

Rick thought, his orbs dancing in the lamplight, nibbling his cheeks, "I don't know, Negan. Don't push it here, you're only staying on trial, I'll have you out of those gates quicker than a—."

Siddiq emerged from the door, rifling through his bag for tranquilizers, narrowing his eyes at the subdued confrontation, "I've got the medicine. We can crush it and put it in her food, then treat her wounds while she's out cold. She's impossible to calm down, I can't get anywhere near her."

Negan shook his head, stepping in front of Rick when he went to walk away, ignoring how his fingers brushed over his Colt. "Look, I can reach her, I know it. It took me ten minutes to do what you tried to do for fuckin' hours, I got her to eat, to drink. For fuck's sake, she was gonna let me touch her. If you put that shit in her food, she'll never, fuckin' ever in a million years come around."

His voice was stern, unwavering in his brassy boom, "she'll never trust any of us. Probably won't ever eat again, then you've got a girl starving to death on your hands because you poisoned her with fuckin' horse pills."

Siddiq coughed, loud and abruptly, making a big point of clearing his throat like it could break through the tension building like a pressure cooker, Negan and Ricks shrapnel just waiting to puncture each other. "She needs that wound seen to by tomorrow, we can't let it get infected."

The leader turned away, looking up into the dimming sky, hips cocked and hand covering his mouth. He was thinking about something, long and hard.

But he turned around, jutting up his chin, his eyes still locked onto Negan's, and his finger hovered under the tall man's nose, "keep her under lock and key, I can't have her around us when she's like this. She hurt's anyone, or we have to hurt her, it's on you."

Negan's eyes turned as wide as watery saucers when Rick took off the jail cell keys from his belt, placing them hastily in Negan's hands like touching him would result in instant death, "this is a life in your hands, Negan. Don't fuck it up and corrupt it. Prove to me this change you say you've had. For some twisted reason, she's chosen you. Let us down, and this ends."

But the sheriff clicked his fingers, ready to walk away, "now, get off my streets. Do your work, keep to yourself, don't think anyone has forgotten what you've done. This doesn't mean you're one of us."

With visions of brutal violence involving Lucille and Rick's shattered dome, Negan relented, tearing his eyes away, a wound of defeat slaughtering his super inflated ego. He began traipsing back to his home, flicking Rick the bird over his shoulder, "I wont let'cha down, Rickster. But put that shit in her food, and the consequences are on you."