VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴71

"You broke your ulna bone," Siddiq sighs. "Nearly separated your ulna and radius."

"How long until it heals?" I ask.

He sighs. "A month or two. Give or take."

"Then, put the sling on so I can start healing already, would you?"

--

"Keeping watch?" Anna asks.

I glance at her, force a half smile, then look back over the balcony. "Something like that."

She sits down beside me and huffs. "Ellie, you've barely said a word to me since you got back."

"I just said three. Now, more," I offer.

"Don't be smart."

I rest my chin in the palm of my uninjured hand.

"Josh said that you told a dead man that 'you win'. What was that about?"

I purse my lips. I look over to her again. She looked so pretty in the moonlight.

"Carl and I had this thing growing up.. Competitions and bets.. We'd always say 'I win'. Then, Michonne hopped in on it. Glenn, too," I reveal.

She smiles sympathetically. I force my eyes away at the look. That same look everyone else had.

"I told Carl that I would kill more people than him. He said it wasn't a bet. But, I told him that I would still win. So, I kept count of how many people I killed last night."

"And you killed more than Carl," Anna figures out.

"So, I win," I nod.

"I know this isn't easy, Ellie. But.. do me a favor?"

I look at Anna. She smiles. I could see she was trying to stop with that cursed look.

"What?" I wonder.

"Don't pull back. You've made it this far. You and me.. You and your mom.. Don't fall back."

I drop my hand to Anna's thigh and squeeze softly.

"All I want is to win this fight."

"Ellie-"

"Because after we win, we get to build a future. And all I want is to build a future with you."

Her eyes turn hopeful. "Really?"

I scoot closer and lean to give her a kiss. She sighs in relief as she kisses me back.

"We have to survive in order to live. We have to fight to survive," I rest my forehead against hers. "There's no one else I'd rather fight beside, survive with, and live for than you, Anna."

Anna cups my cheek with a soft smile. "Ellie.. I.. I l-"

A scream.

I wish I could say my first instinct was to jump to action. But, all I could do is sigh in defeat.

It never ended.

"Come on," Anna hurries.

We jog into the main room to see walkers loose in the house. My brain malfunctions at the sight.

"Ellie! Guard the kids' room!" mom shouts.

Anna grabs my uninjured hand for a split second before dashing off to help take down walkers. I take my knife out and hurry to the room for the children. Enid, Rosita, and I nearly stab each other as we ran into one another, but make it to the room we're meant to be in.

Once the door closes and Rosita locks it, I felt so.. useless.

"You won't get used to it until you can fight again," Rosita mutters. "When I got shot I felt like.. shit."

I huff in reply. "I feel like I'm a kid again."

"Yeah, that, too."

I couldn't stand it. There were people screaming outside the door. I pace around and around the room.

"You're making me nervous," Enid blames.

"Better to be nervous than not giving a shit," I mutter.

Before I knew it, Rosita and Enid were also pacing.

The screams slow down. Talking replaces the cries.

The door opens.

Enid, Rosita, and I point our guns at one.

"Hey," Rick greets.

"Good out there?" Rosita asks as she lowers her gun.

My finger hesitates on the trigger.

"Ellie?" Daryl calls.

I put my gun in my holster.

"The house is clear," Rick informs.

"How'd this happen?" Rosita asks.

Rick goes silent. Daryl sighs and steps forward seeing that Rick wouldn't.

"The Saviors did something to their weapons.. Everyone they cut up or shot.. they got sick. Some of them turned."

I look to where Tara was sitting. She'd been shot in the shoulder by an arrow. By Dwight of all people.

"Okay," Tara nods, seemingly accepting her fate.

"Some of them turned," I repeat. "Tara, you don't even have a fever."

"Still," she forces a smile. "It's a possibility."

My chest grows to feel hollow.

"Ellie, did you-" Rick begins.

"No," I state. "I didn't get cut or shot."

I storm out of the room before anyone could stop me and look for mom and Anna.