TWD: The Burden We Bear

Eddie and Kenny made their way back to the motel, where Ben was stationed at the RV, keeping watch. He sat in a chair, scanning the surroundings while Eddie and Kenny approached Lilly's room.

Eddie knocked on the doorframe of the partially open door, and Lilly swung it wide to greet them.

"Looks like we've got the kid on watch again," Kenny remarked, casting a glance at Ben.

"What did you find?" Lilly inquired, her expression focused.

"We might as well hang a sign that says, 'The men are gone; come and take advantage of our women and children,'" Kenny quipped sarcastically, still poking fun at Ben's role as lookout.

"Ha," Lilly replied dryly. "So, what did you actually bring back?"

"Everything that was left," Eddie said, hefting a worn backpack over his shoulder. He placed it on her bed and began rummaging through it.

"We're fine, by the way..." Kenny crossed his arms, attempting to maintain an air of confidence.

"Nice work. This should keep us going for a while. If we keep this up, we might just survive the winter here," Lilly remarked, her tone a mix of appreciation and concern.

"Winter?!" Eddie exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"We're going to freeze our asses off out here!" Kenny growled, his frustration boiling over.

"Because piling into an RV with you and Lee, after everything that happened with my dad, sounds so appealing," Lilly shot back, glaring at Kenny.

"Why wouldn't it be? You know I'll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe," Kenny replied, his voice rising slightly.

"We're already safe," Lilly insisted.

"No, we're not. The bandits haven't been a problem because the St. Johns have been trading with them. But now they're dead, and we're next. They're going to start extorting us!" Eddie interjected, his worry evident.

"And that's not even considering the fact that Macon is crawling with walkers," Kenny added, his tone grim.

At that moment, Lee joined the group, his presence adding weight to the conversation.

"We don't have walker problems," Lilly stated defiantly.

"We have to leave eventually, Lilly," Lee insisted.

"We don't have to do anything," Lilly shot back.

"You didn't want to leave because of your dad's health, but he's gone now," Kenny pointed out, frustration creeping into his voice.

"Easy, Kenny," Lee cautioned, attempting to calm the rising tension.

Eddie remained silent, absorbing the exchange. He felt there was little left to say; he already knew what his plan was. He would get in the RV with his dad, mom, and little brother. He was 99% sure that Lee and Clementine would follow, and 90% certain Carley would join them if Lee did.

"What about the food situation? What about protection? What happens when this place collapses? Someone has to be thinking about this," Kenny urged, his voice rising with urgency.

"How has this not been working? We have everything we need," Lilly countered.

"We got plenty of food from that station wagon," Lee reminded her.

"We can't just keep our fingers crossed for more station wagons," Kenny shot back.

"We deal with problems as they come, just like we always have," Lee said, trying to ground the conversation.

"And what are you going to do when the bandits break in here?" Eddie asked, his voice steady yet filled with concern.

"Everything that happens to us becomes another excuse for you to push this agenda about leaving. All I want is one week of peace; I'm tired of hearing it," Lilly snapped.

"Do you have any idea how we got these supplies?" Kenny asked, his voice laced with frustration. "We got lucky and let a girl get eaten out there."

"What?" Katjaa said, her shock palpable.

"Some girl came screaming out of an alley, covered in dead. She gave us just enough time to grab everything we could from the drugstore," Kenny explained. Eddie nodded in agreement.

"You just let her suffer? Like she was bait? What is happening to us?" Lilly asked, her disbelief evident.

"You weren't there," Eddie said, his voice low.

"You guys couldn't even try to save her?" Carley asked, her tone incredulous.

"Hey, if you don't agree with it, then we'll take everything we've got in these bags, throw it in a pile marked 'no hypocrites,' and you can use everything else. I don't like living like this, but it's not getting any easier," Kenny replied.

"She was done for," Eddie stated, his voice steady. "She was going to die anyway, and we're alive, so I chose to look out for the living."

"Eddie's right," Kenny nodded. "We've been putting our lives on the line doing these runs into the city. You wouldn't believe the things we've seen."

Lee agreed, having joined Eddie or Kenny on these supply runs. One of them usually stayed behind, acting as the backup.

"We all appreciate it..." Katjaa said, placing a comforting hand on Eddie and Kenny's shoulders.

"You should be thanking Eddie for not shooting that girl," Kenny said, his voice softening slightly.

"Look, Macon and its people aren't savable. It's not a town anymore; it's overrun with walkers, and those who are left are dying or wandering the streets. It's hell on Earth, and it's coming this way," Kenny warned.

"It's not going to be easier out on the road!" Lilly shouted, her frustration boiling over.

"How would you know?" Kenny challenged.

"What I know?! I know you're not above murder! I know someone has been stealing our supplies! That's right—stealing! And I see the list of people I can trust here getting smaller every day! Now, everyone get out!" Lilly concluded, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Fuck," Eddie muttered, raking his hand through his hair. "I'll be in my room if you need me," he said to his parents before retreating to his motel room, rifle in hand.

Once inside, he tossed the rifle onto his bed and left the door ajar. He sank into the armchair and grabbed a can of Pepsi from the table, taking out a cigarette from the pack in his vest. He no longer wore a jacket, just a dirty white t-shirt beneath his vest.

Lighting the cigarette, he popped open the can and took a sip, blowing out a plume of smoke as he did so. His gaze drifted to the nightstand, where a Bible had sat untouched since he moved into the room three months ago. He had never opened it—never even opened a Bible in his life.

Taking another drag and sip, he stood up, picked up the Bible, and returned to the armchair. He flipped to a random page while continuing to smoke.

"Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV)

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.

4. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

5. God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day."

Eddie scoffed, closed the Bible, and tossed it onto the bed.

After finishing the Pepsi and cigarette, he heard a knock at the open door. It was Lee.

"Oh. Hey," Eddie said, turning to face the man. "Come in."

"Thanks," Lee replied as he stepped inside. "I just... uh, need to tell you something."

"Yeah? What is it?" Eddie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, I was on my way to prison three months ago," Lee confessed, crossing his arms.

"Whoa," Eddie's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah," Lee nodded.

"...Wasn't for touching kids, was it?" Eddie asked, half-joking.

"Jesus... Of course not. Kenny asked the same thing," Lee frowned, clearly annoyed.

"Well, shit. I had to ask!" Eddie raised his hands defensively.

"I killed someone," Lee said, his expression serious.

"Well... okay," Eddie shrugged, trying to process the revelation.

"You okay with that?" Lee queried, searching Eddie's face for judgment.

"Lee..." Eddie shook his head. "After everything we've been through... you think I care? I've already killed like... four people. They were bad, yeah, but... it doesn't matter. You're a good man. And you're my friend."

"...Thanks," Lee said, a smile breaking through his somber demeanor. "So... we're good?"

"Of course," Eddie nodded.