VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴17

"What happened out there?" Carl asks as Ellie slams the door.

"Nothing," she spits, flopping onto the floor.

"It sounded like you and Maggie were fighting."

"Just let it go, Carl."

Carl purses his lips, looking back to where he was bottle feeding Judith in her basktet.

Ellie sniffles, pulling her sleeves over her hands to wipe the tears away.

She was embarrassed. Ashamed.

She just wanted to find Beth.

Why did those men have to get all in their egos and divide the group when there's more important things happening?

What the hell happened to Bob?

"I saw Bob. What.. What was that?" Ellie asks, voice sounding weaker than she would admit to feeling.

"He got bit on the run. He was outaide and those Terminus guys found him."

"Bit.." she repeats.

Hershel had gotten bit when they first found the prison. Rick was the one to cut his leg off and thus they found out that amputations could save someome from infection.

Ellie hated that day and loved it all the same.

Hershel getting bit was the most horrifying.. well.. Ellie's seen a lot. Hershel's aftermath of being bit was memorable, to say the least.

But, he survived. It was like a miracle. She saw him as a super hero even more than she already believed he was.

"He got bit on his shoulder."

Ellie looks at Carl.

"What?" she asks.

"His shoulder," Carl repeats, tapping his free hand against his own shoulder. "The Terminus people cut his leg off."

"Torture?"

"They.. um.." Carl tries to figure out how to break the news.

Ellie wipes her eyes again and Carl turns a bit to look at her more clearly.

"They ate his leg."

"That's not funny."

"It wasn't a joke.." Carl mutters. "They cooked his leg right in feont of him. Ate and-"

"Stop," Ellie demands, suddenly nauseated.

Carl sighs, setting the empty baby botfle on the floor. Carefully, he eases over to Ellie, dragging Judith's basket along.

Ellie nends her knees, placing her arms on her thighs. Her head was even more of a mess.

She went into the office to not think about Tara. Then, her nightmare set her on further edge. She and Maggie argued. Now, this?

"She hit me."

"Maggie?" Carl startles.

Ellie nods with a soft 'mhm'.

"But.." Carl begins, but his words go void.

"I don't blame her. I.. I said something bad."

"What did you say?"

"I said that 'grandpa' would be disappointed in her."

"Grandpa."

Right. Ellie hadn't told Carl yet.

They.. Actually, they hadn't told anyone.

That made Ellie feel worse. She outed something so big in front of everyone. Maggie had to have gotten extremely caught off guard by that.

"She's my mom. Not my sister."

Carl doesn't aay anything. Squinting, Ellie gives him a side eye.

"I said-"

"I heard you. And.. I mean.. I kind of figured that out."

"How?"

"The things you said that Glenn was saying for the most part. The way Matt cared-"

"I didn't say anything about Matt."

"No, but like I said.. I figured it out."

"You're a sucky friend, you know."

"What? Why?" Carl asks, a frown overtaking his lips.

"You couldn't have told me?"

"It was a family matter. The adults were the ones that were supposed to tell you. Then, Hershel.."

Ellie sighs, slumping against the wall.

"When my mom.." Carl sighs. "You were there for me. I didn't want to mess up how you looked at the adults in your life. I wish I could take back the ways I treated my mom."

"Your mom gave her life for someone else," Ellie reminds. "He was murdered. There's a difference."

"I know that, but-"

"Carl," Ellie sighs. "Your mom had a choice and she took it. She chose to go. It was peacful and merciful."

"Maggie cut her open and I shot her. How can you say that?"

"Because he was taken hostage like a bargaining chip and murdered in front of everyone like it was some big show. The Governor did that because he knew people loved and cared about him. He did it for a reaction and to hit our weak spot."

"Are you saying people didn't care for my mom?"

"I didn't say that at all. Why are you putting words in my mouth?"

"You said because people loved and cared about Hershel."

"Carl, your mom died because she chose to let Judith live. They're two completely different things!"

"So, I should blame Judith?"

Ellie throws her hands up in defeat. "Are you kidding me?"

"You're talking in circles."

"No. I'm saying that we cant compare our pain because it isn't fair to us or them and they aren't alike in anyway so it doesn't even work! You're the one not making any sense."

Carl huffs and spares Ellie a glance before standing up and picking Judith out of her basket.

"Where are you going?" she asks when he begins to the door.

"She falls asleep faster if I hold her."

Carl's out of the door before she could say anything else.

In disbelief, she scoffs and helplessly throws her hands up in defeat.

Men.

No man made sense.