Goodbye to a World | shane walsh

11 | dress code

Nothing could have prepared them for the events at breakfast. 

Nola sat on the couch back at the apartment she shared with Shane while he paced back and forth behind her. They had just gotten back from the odd meal at the Monroe's, the conversations that were had lay heavy on both their minds.

Deanna had informed them how everyone has a 'role' in the community. She asked for Shane to be the new town deputy and for Nola to be the assistant to the head doctor in town. 

"So they want us to play damn dress-up? Are they out of their minds?" Shane spoke aloud, his tone frustrated.

Nola glanced up from the couch, her expression a mix of disbelief and frustration. "I know, it's like they're pretending the world isn't falling apart out there. A deputy and an assistant to a doctor? What, are we supposed to just forget everything we've been through? Act like this is some...some game?"

Shane ran a hand through his hair, still pacing. "It's insane. They've got walls, sure, but that don't change what's out there. We've been fightin' to survive, not to play house. How the hell are we supposed to take this seriously?"

Nola sighed, leaning back into the couch, her mind racing. "I get what you're saying, but...I don't know. Maybe... maybe we could use this. We'd have a role, something to keep us grounded and occupied... but it feels so...wrong. Like we're setting ourselves up to get blindsided when it all comes crashing down."

Shane stopped pacing, turning to face her. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of. These people are soft. They've been livin' in this bubble, pretendin' like the apocalypse is just some bad dream. But it's not. It's real, and it's brutal." He sighed in frustration, looking down to the floor as he held his head in his hands. "We start playin' these roles, and we might forget that."

Nola nodded slowly, understanding his point, taking a moment to think. "What if...what if we could help them? Make this place stronger. We've seen what's out there, we know what it takes to survive. Maybe instead of just leaving, we stay and try to change things. Show them how to really be prepared."

Shane's jaw tightened as he considered her words. "And if they don't listen? If we're just wastin' our damn time?"

"We won't know unless we try," Nola replied, her voice steady. "This could be the closest thing to a real life we've had in a long time... I think we need this. But it's not just about us. If we can make this place safer, then maybe it's worth the risk."

Shane's frustration simmered, but he could see the determination in her eyes. He wanted to argue, to push back against the idea, but something held him back. He looked at her, really looked at her—the way she had seemed more at ease, even for just a moment, during that breakfast. The way she looked when she wasn't constantly on guard, constantly fighting.

For a brief moment, he was silent, his eyes lingering on her, taking in the image of her with a semblance of normalcy. As much as he hated the idea of playing along, the thought of her being safe, of her not having to fight every second, gnawed at him.

Finally, he sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly. "Fine. We'll stay. But we do it on our terms. We keep our guard up, and we don't let 'em drag us down with their delusions."

Nola gave him a small, grateful smile. "Agreed. We'll give it a shot, but we'll do it our way."

Shane nodded, still uneasy but resolved. "Yeah. Our way."

- - - -

Shane had walked with Nola over to the medical center—it was just the bottom floor of some building. There they met Pete Anderson, the doctor of Alexandria. Pete seemed friendly enough, and he and Shane got along alright. After exchanging a few words, Shane said his goodbyes and went off to find Deanna to officially start his new deputy role.