VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴5

"This is all my fault.. I was around you and.." Glenn sighs, slumping against the wall.

"Carl said it was the piggies," Ellie shrugs his blame away.

"Yeah. Maybe," Glenn whispers. "Is there anything you need?"

Ellie turns onto her side on the bed. Glenn was sitting on the floor against the wall- not letting the sick girl out of his sight no matter how sick he was.

"Why are you so nice to me?" she asks.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Glenn asks, stifling a cough.

"I'm not nice to you."

"You aren't," he agrees with a smile. "But, that's okay."

"And you're okay with that?"

Glenn's eyes fall shut, tired after hours of fighting the flu. He keeps another cough down, patting his chest in pain.

"No. But, if you are, then I can live with it."

"Why?"

Normally, the questions would scare Glenn. But, he needed to hear her voice right now. That meant he was awake and alive so he could still hear. It also meant that she was awake and alive to keep talking.

"You don't get it.. But, I'd do anything for you, Ellie."

"You don't know me."

"I'd like to.. If you gave me the chance."

"Why do you want a chance?" she pushes herself onto her elbow to look down at him more.

Glenn could feel his breathing evening out. For once in the hours they've been in quarantine, he felt like he could just.. go to sleep. But, he feared that he'd never wake up if that happened.

"You mean the world to your mom. I know you don't.. You don't get that, either. But, I know. So does she."

"My mom?" Ellie repeats. "You don't even know my mom."

"I know it's been hard since you lost Matt.." he continues, not even hearing what she'd said.

Ellie's eyes go into the meanest glare ever felt. Who did Glenn think he was to keep bringing Matthew up?

"And I'm not trying to take his spot. I want you to know that."

"You're not Matt," she snaps. "I know that. You'll never be him."

"I know.."

"Matt was.. Matt was mine," she frowns, chin wavering with emotion. "He was my best friend. You don't get it! You don't know!"

"I know that he loved you. For that, he was a great.." Glenn trails off.

Ellie's mouth opens, ready to spew insults at Glenn. But, that hesitation makes her pause. She sits all the way up, criss crossing her legs in the bed.

"Ellie.. Keep.." Glenn breathes. "Keep talking. Please."

She tilts her head, wondering just how sick Glenn was. He was clearly in worse shape than her. Was he talking crazy? Ellie had to know.

"What else did.. my mom say.. about Matt?"

Glenn smiles, though his eyes stay shut. "How scared she was at such a young age. But, Matt stepped up. Even though they were kids.. he tried his best."

"And when did she tell you this?"

"At the farm. Before we were.. ya know.. serious. She wanted me to be.. to be aware of it all."

"So, you talked to Matt about it, too?"

"Yeah.." Glenn nods. "He was.. cool about it. All he asked was that I don't replace him. I told him.. I told him I never would. I never could."

"And my mom..?"

"She.. Ellie, she.." Glenn sighs, coughing as the breath came out rattled. "She's trying. She wants to try. She just.. she doesn't know how."

Ellie thinks about her talk with Hershel. The dreams she's been having. Specifically, the barn.

"The day at the barn.. What about that?"

"Your mom was scared. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want me to tell everyone, but I had to.. Your grandpa.. He didn't get it then.. But, it's okay. He does now. We've talked about it."

"My grandpa?" Ellie repeats.

Glenn nods, hair tangling against the wall.

"Hershel is a good man. I see a lot of him in your mom. She's really a lot like him. She doesn't know that, either."

"Ellie? Glenn?" Hershel's voice distantly calls.

Through the confusion, Ellie kicks herself off the bed and peers out of the cell. "Daddy?"

Hershel breathes out in relief and pain- a horrid mixture to feel at once. "Hey, honey."

"Are you sick, too?" she worries, glancing to Glenn who was now asleep. Or dead. Maybe a mix of both.

"No, I'm not. I just came to help," Hershel answers, pointing to the mask around his face.

"Sasha and Doctor S said people that aren't sick shouldn't be in here.."

"Shouldn't be is one thing. What I gotta be is another. Now, come on. Let's get you some tea and lay you down. You look tired."

Ellie obeys, letting Hershel lead her back into the cell and pouring her a cup of tea with herbs found from outside.

"Carl said to give you this," Hershel remembers, reaching into his bag and pulling out a comic book. "He said you just have to get better and return it later."

Ellie smiles. Maybe Carl was her friend, after all. Maybe they were both just angry about everything that had happened and took it out on each other.

"Lay down, pumpkin," Hershel coaxes. "Let the tea take hold. Get some rest. You need your strength."

Hershel moves to pat Glenn awake and Ellie reaches to grab his sleeve.

"What about the dreams?"

"I'll be right here. I'll fight all the bad dreams away, okay?"

Ellie nods, carefully easing back in her bed. Hershel wakes Glenn up, the man hardly comprehending anything as Hershel urges him to take a cup of tea for himself. 

At any other time, Ellie would laugh and mock the drool that dripped from Glenn's mouth- mixing with the snot. But, she only had questions. So, so many questions.