VITRIOL | Shane Walsh

𝐈𝐕

"What are you doing here? How's Carl?" I questioned.

"His time's running out and you two have been gone longer than expected," he said hauling Shane's bag with medical gear onto his back "I volunteered to come find you, it is my fault you're out here after all."

"Come on let's go!"  I shouted as the fence started to collapse and more undead came trailing out of the doors to the school.

"Otis, how many you got?" Shane demanded.

"Four"

"I've got five, Pricilla has one in the chamber. Let's make them count"

I was sprinting ahead at a pace I couldn't bear for much longer while Otis and Shane hobbled along behind. Rounds were shot, killing a handful of walkers, but the efforts of those bullets were futile. I looked back to see the herd had grown in size and was inches away from the struggling and injured runners. The only bullet I had left would be useless unless I did what had to be done. A life for a life. 

I had to. I had to choose who. The father of my child or the man I'd known since I was a little girl.
I raised the gun and aimed it at the unfortunate man.

"I'm so sorry Otis-"

I pulled the trigger and he immediately fell to the floor screaming in agony. Shane wrestled with him and tore the bag from his hands at the expense of a chunk of hair being ripped from his head.

With the herd now distracted, I hurried over, placed my self under Shane's arm and rushed to the car. The engine immediately roared and we drove away from the crime scene, trying to forget the murder I had just committed. No sounds were heard until we pulled up to the farm and pushed the bag into my dad's arms. 

- - -

 
"Shane, what the fuck did I just do?"  I whimpered with my head buried in my hands. As I sat on the bonnet of my truck, my body began to tremble. Moving from where he previously rested his arms on the roof, he shifted to stand in between my legs and pull me into an embrace. If I was in the right frame of mind I would've protested.

"Shhh, baby it's okay. You did what had to be done to save Carl...and me."

"I just killed a man in cold blood" I whispered against his chest.

"I would've done the same thing." He slightly pulled back and lifted my face to rest in between his palms.

"You would?"

"In a heartbeat."

"I don't know if that's a good thing."

"MOM! YOU'RE BACK!" Caleb shouted, running down the porch stairs. 

Shane quickly brushed away my tears before stepping to the side so I could jump down, throw my arms open and cling onto my little boy like I was trying to cling onto my sanity.

"Hey bud, did you look after Beth for me?"

"Of course! But um, why are your eyes all red and puffy?"

"Oh, just a bit of hay fever darlin' don't worry" I stood up and pressed my sleeves to the inflamed skin under my eyes. 

When I turned back towards Shane, I noticed he had stolen my seat on the hood of the truck. Looking at him defeated and tired made something I couldn't place in my heart burn. I was about to forgive him for everything when we were inches from death and I realised, he didn't need to be punished anymore. The world had ended, we'd both lost people and he didn't need to lose his family. 

"Caleb, you see that big, strong man over there?" My little boy nodded his head, "He'd really like it if you said hello."

"Why?

"That's your dad."

"Really?" His eyes started to light up and I could only smile in response. His first steps were slow but he soon broke into a sprint which snapped Shane out of his empty gaze. He gave me a questionable look before hopping off the trunk with his eyes drawn to the boy colliding into his leg. Caleb barely reached his waist which caused a light giggle to escape from my lips.

For two whole years, Shane had robbed himself of the love people craved from their children. I couldn't stop him from loving his son at a time like this. The world was changing, we had changed and we had to appreciate our rare moments together.

With the moment I had to myself, I realised how much I trusted him. He knew my sinister secret and I had the hope he'd share the weight of the secret with me.

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𝔼𝔻𝕀𝕋𝔼𝔻

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