Unbreakable threads

Chapter Sixty- Five: Glenn gets sick.

As Rick caught up to Alyssa, they walked side by side, the weight of their conversation hanging between them but temporarily set aside as they moved back through the prison yard. Just as they rounded a corner, they saw Tyreese storming toward them, his face twisted in anger, fists clenched tightly at his sides. His usually calm and composed demeanor was gone, replaced by a barely restrained fury that radiated off him like heat.

Behind him, Daryl trailed closely, trying to keep him grounded, but it was clear Tyreese's rage was boiling over. Alyssa instinctively tensed, feeling her own defenses rise in response. She didn't know what had set him off yet, but the sight of his anger, so raw and intense, triggered something within her—a readiness, a wariness that came from years of survival in a world where anger often turned violent.

"Rick! Alyssa!" Tyreese's voice was a growl, laced with grief and fury. "Someone's killed Karen. Someone took her out of her cell and burned her body. I just... I just found what was left of her."

Alyssa's eyes widened, the shock hitting her like a punch to the gut. She'd known Karen had been showing symptoms, that Hershel had separated her as a precaution, but to think that someone would take it upon themselves to remove her from the equation—to end her life and dispose of her like a threat—was something she hadn't anticipated. Her mind raced, anger bubbling within her. Who would do this? And why?

Tyreese's gaze fixed on Rick, his eyes blazing with accusation. "You're the leader here, right? The one supposed to keep us safe? Who the hell thought they had the right to do this?"

Rick's face hardened, his own shock giving way to a solemn determination as he met Tyreese's glare. "I didn't know, Tyreese," he said, his voice low but firm. "But I'll find out who did this. I promise you."

Tyreese took a step closer, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. "A promise doesn't bring her back, Rick! Karen was sick, yeah, but she was alive! Someone took that from her. And from me!"

Daryl placed a hand on Tyreese's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Ty, this ain't the way, man. We'll figure this out, alright? But you gotta keep it together."

Alyssa, still bristling with a mix of shock and anger, stepped forward, her voice sharper than she intended. "Whoever did this went behind all our backs. They had no right to make that call, no right to decide Karen's fate. This wasn't protecting the group; it was murder." Her words hung in the air, an accusation wrapped in cold fury.

Tyreese's gaze snapped to her, his anger momentarily diverted as he registered her fierce stance, her willingness to stand with him, to demand answers. "Then help me find out who did this, Alyssa," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of pain and pleading. "Because if I find them first... I don't know if I can hold back."

Alyssa looked back at Rick, her jaw set, her eyes blazing with the same determination she'd seen in him so many times before. "We'll figure it out, Tyreese. And we'll make sure whoever did this answers for it."

Rick nodded, his face grim, a shadow of his old self flickering through his expression as he squared his shoulders. The man who'd once led their group with ruthless conviction was beginning to resurface, slowly but surely. He looked at Tyreese, his voice steady but carrying a weight of authority. "I know this hurts, Tyreese, and you have every right to be angry. But if we're going to get through this, we need to do it together. We'll find out what happened. And we'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

Tyreese's gaze shifted between them, his shoulders sagging slightly as he let out a shuddering breath, though the fire in his eyes remained. Daryl kept a steady hand on his shoulder, grounding him, while Alyssa felt her own resolve strengthen. They were all walking a fine line, but she was determined to see justice for Karen, to ensure the safety of their group without turning to the kind of brutality that could tear them apart.