Broken

Chapter 15

"Why do you think he did that?"

"Because he's evil," Eve says, staring off into the distance.

"Maybe." Carson nods. "What he did is unforgivable. But, let's pretend he wasn't evil."

Eve looks up at Carson as he sits on the sofa to her left. "What?" She asks in astonishment.

"Let's pretend he wasn't evil. What other reason would he have to give you to those men?"

"There is no other reason." Eve furrows her brows, picking at her bandages.

"I'm not making excuses for him, Eve. I'm asking you to make excuses for him. Why?"

Eve shrugs. "I don't know.. maybe.. he was scared?"

"There you go. What else?"

"He.. was weak?"

Carson nods. "He was certainly that. Do you know why i'm asking you this? What my point is?"

"No."

"My point is, people do bad things, especially now, and it's very rarely because they're evil. It may seem like this world is filled with evil, what with the things people do, but very few people are genuinely evil. Josh, was most likely exactly what you said. Scared, and weak. What he did, can never be forgiven, i understand that. But, i think if he were alive today, he might not be too far from where you are mentally."

"Why?"

"If, he was just a weak, scared, pathetic excuse for a human, that thought more for his own life than yours, so much so, that he let those men take you, it will have stuck with him. You'd be surprised how weak people can be. People normally have one of three reactions to a scary situation, fight, flight, or freeze. And when a person's life is directly threatened, more people than you'd think go back to the most basic instinct there is, their own survival. When someone is put in a corner, with no way out, more often than not, they'll do whatever it takes to survive. But, they have to live with what happens after."

"Am i supposed to care?" Eve frowns. "Why are you even telling me this?"

"Because your biggest problem right now, is how irrational you are. You believe that almost everyone is going to hurt you, and that's just not the case. We're talking about Josh, because what he did was despicable, but, if i can get you to see that what he did was not because he wanted to hurt you, but because he was afraid, and he valued his own life more than yours, then we'll start getting somewhere. You can hate him, you should hate him, but you should also pity him."

"I'll do no such thing!" Eve snaps, crossing her arms.

"And you don't have to. I just want you to think about it, can you do that?"

"Fine," she says, refusing to look him in the eye.

"How are things with Negan?"

Eve turns to Carson, her face softening a little, but with sadness more than anything. "I don't know, we're okay.. i guess."

"Which when translated, means you're not okay at all." Carson nods. "Do you blame him?"

"Sometimes. But most of the time i don't. I know it wasn't his fault, but, my head tells me otherwise."

"Which kinda adds to my point earlier, about how irrational you are. Listen, Eve. Maybe i'm wrong? The things i said about Josh, and what i'm asking you to do. I'm.. kinda out of my depth here. I mean, i've seen people similar to you, but i was never a qualified psychologist. I'm kinda just winging it here," Carson admits.