MAKNAE [twd]

【41】

The set up outside near the grill brought shade which brought me relief. The sun was warm, getting hotter as the day went on. Though my fever was gone, the aches and aftermath of the sickness lingered.

"Maybe you'd be more comfortable inside," Taeyang frowns.

"The air feels better," I say, resting my head on the table.

Taeyang hums, nodding a bit as his hand moves to rub my back gently. In the distance, Julie's hurried footsteps rush out way- her face etched with panic.

"Have you seen James?" she asks.

"He's helping do rounds with the sick. Bob asked him to help out," Taeyang answers, "Everything okay?"

Julie looks around as though making sure no one was listening, kneeling down in the space between Taeyang and I's chairs.

"I.. I overheard something I shouldn't have. I need to find James and then we need to find my dad before Rick and Daryl do," she whispers.

"Why? What's wrong?" I ask, leaning to sit up right.

"They know who killed Karen," she says, voice somehow going quieter.

"Who? Did Rick find them?" Taeyang asks.

"He found out," she nods, looking around again.

She leans closer, her voice hardly audible, "It was Carol."

"Carol? Our Carol? My Carol?" I ask, not believing it.

"She said that Karen and David were the only ones that seemed sick at the time. She said they were already close to dying, so she killed them while they were asleep and wouldn't feel the pain. Burned their bodies to stop the sickness from spreading. She thought she was stopping the flu before it got out of hand."

"Lot of good that did. It still got out of hand," Taeyang mutters.

"Not all the way," I admit, "If Karen kept going, she would have gotten Tyreese sick. Tyreese would have gotten Julie, James, and God knows who else sick. It would have gotten worse."

"You're defending her?" Julie asks in surprise.

"No. No," I shake my head.

But.. I could see Carol's point. And that made me sicker than the flu did.

As someone who was sick, I couldn't imagine everyone else getting it. If not for Carol, the flu could have easily taken out more than it already did. Possibly everyone.

But, she still killed our own people. She could have suggested the quarantine a lot quicker once she saw they were sick. She could have done anything else to stop it from spreading. Yet, she killed them behind everyone's backs.

On the other hand, Karen and David were already beyond sick. Karen might not have lasted the night and attacked the people on her cell block. If she did, we could have had another slaughter like when Patrick died and turned. She killed them in their sleep. It was merciful. Quick and painless.

"God," I mutter, resting my head back on the table.

"Rick kicked her out. When they went on that run, he gave her a car and supplies. But, he banished her from being here," Julie adds.

"What?" I ask, my head once again snapping back up.

"He.. I get why but... He's not even leader," Taeyang shuffles awkwardly in his seat, "He stepped down because he didn't want to make those decisions."

"I know," Julie frowns, "So, I need to find James and then my dad. Rick and Daryl are on their way to find him now and he shouldn't hear that news alone."