𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter fourteen; ONE MAN LOST, ONE MAN SAVED
" I'm not saying we have to kill him, but I am saying he can't stay here. "

  IT WAS SUNSET, which meant it was time to convene on Randall's fate. Vex and Dean stood in the living room along with the rest of the group, while the children departed upstairs to stay clear of the conversation.

  "So how do we do this?" Glenn questioned, "Just take a vote?"

  "Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea questioned.

  "That's the case for the death penalty," Dean said.

  "How about majority rules?" Lori suggested.

  "Well, let's-- let's just see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options," Rick said.

  Vex looked around the group. It was clear no one was thrilled about having this conversation, or about what they may do.

  "Well, where I sit," Shane spoke up, "There's only one way to move forward."

  "Killing him," Dale all but spat, "Right? I mean why even bother to take a vote, it's clear which way the wind's blowing."

  "Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know," Rick said.

  "Well, I can tell you it's a small group," Dale informed, "Maybe just. . . me and Glenn."

  Glenn looked at Dale nervously.

  "Look, I-- I think you're pretty much right about everything, all the time," Glenn said softly, "but this--"

  "They've got you scared," Dale said.

  "He's not one of us," Glenn defended. "And we've-- we've lost too many people already."

  Dale took in a breath, before looking to Maggie and Hershel, "How 'bout you? Do you agree with this?"

  "Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" Maggie asked after a moment.

  "Just another mouth to feed," Daryl said.

  "It may be a lean winter."

  "We could ration better."

  "Well, he could be an asset," Dale tried, "Give him a chance to prove himself."

  "Put him to work?"

  "We're not letting him walk around."

  "We could put an escort on him."

  "Who wants to volunteer for that duty?"

  "I will."

  "I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy," Rick interrupted.

  "He's right," Lori said, "I- I wouldn't feel safe. . . unless he was tied up."

  "We can't exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labor," Andrea said.

  "Look, say we let him join us, right?" Shane said, "Maybe. . . Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let out guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his 30 men."

  "So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" Dale questioned. "If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization."

  "I wanna make sure we're all on the same page here," Vex said, "This kid watched his buddies rape two teenagers while their dad watched. I'm not saying we have to kill him, but I am saying he can't stay here."

  The room fell silent for a long moment.

  "Could you drive him further out?" Hershel asked. "Leave him like you planned?"

  "You barely came back this time," Lori said quickly, "There are walkers. You could break down. Y--you could get lost."

  "Or get ambushed," Daryl spoke up.  

  "They're right, we should not put our own people at risk," Glenn said.

    It was silent for another beat.

  "If you do go through with it," Patricia said, "How would you do it? Would he suffer?"

  "We could hang him, right?" Shane said, "Just snap his neck."

  "I thought about that," Rick said, "But shooting may be more humane."

  "And what about the body?" T-Dog said, "Do we bury--"

  "Hold on, hold on," Dale said, "You're talkin' about this like it's already decided."

  "You've been talkin' all day," Daryl said, pacing, "Goin' 'round in circles, you just wanna go 'round in circles again?"

  "This is a young man's life," Dale stressed, "And it is worth more than a five-minute conversation! Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him. And now look at us. He's been tortured, he's gonna be executed."

  The room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

  "How are we any better than those people we're so afraid of?"

  "We all know what needs to be done," Shane said after a pause.

  "No, Dale is right," Rick argued, "We can't leave any stone unturned here, we have a responsibility--"

  "--So what's the other solution--?"

  "--Let Rick finish."

  "We haven't come up with a single viable option yet," Andrea said, "I wish we could."

  "So, let's work on it!" Dale yelled.

  "We are."

  "Stop it," Carol interrupted, "Just stop it. I'm sick of everyone arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide-- either of you, both of you-- but leave me out."

  "Not speaking out," Dale said, "Or killing him yourself-- there's no difference."

  "Hey, back off her, man," Vex said, standing, "She doesn't wanna vote, she doesn't have to."

  "Alright," Rick said, "Anyone who wants the floor before we make a final decision, has the chance."

  The room stewed in silence. Clearly, no one else against the plan of executing Randall.

  "You once said," Dale tried, "We don't kill the living."

  "Well, that was before the living tried to kill us."

  "But don't you see? If we do this, the people that we were-- the world that we knew is dead. And this new world is ugly-- it's harsh. It's-- It's survival of the fittest. And that's a world I don't wanna live in, and I don't-- I don't believe that any of you do. I can't. . . Please. Let's just do what's right."

  Vex didn't say what she thought, because it added nothing new to the conversation.

  But she knew right then that these people had very different lives than she did.

  The old world had been dead for a long time, and even in that one, in Vex's world before, it had always been survival of the fittest.

  Little had changed in this regard.

  "Isn't anyone gonna stand with me?" Dale tried again.

  ". . . He's right," Andrea said suddenly, "We should try and find another way."

  "Anybody else?" Rick questioned, looking around the group. 

  And no one else said a word.

  "Are y'all gonna watch, too?" Dale questioned with tears in his eyes, "Nah, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. . . woah. I won't be a party to it."

  Dale started for the door, stopping only to place a hand on Daryl's shoulder and speak, "This group is broken."

🗡

  "I know this isn't easy. It's not easy for me to ask of you."

  Vex looked up at Rick's approach, with Shane and Daryl in tow.

  "We want to make sure nothing goes wrong," Rick continued.

  Vex only nodded, standing from the porch.

  "I'll grab mine," She said, nodding to Rick's gun, "Quieter the better."

  Rick nodded silently, the trio waiting before Vex emerged with a pistol in her hand.

  They retrieved Randall, bringing him to the barn.

  Shane blindfolded the boy, telling him to relax as he did.

  "No," Rick said softly to Vex, "You don't have to carry this, I do."

  Vex knew men like Rick enough to know his morality wouldn't allow him to put the gun in anyone's hand but his own. So she figured there was no use in arguing, and handed over her pistol.

  The four surrounded Randall, leaving only his back unguarded.

  "Would you like to stand or kneel?:" Rick questioned.

  "Oh, no," Randall cried, "Please--"

  Daryl stepped up, forcing the boy to his knees before stepping back.

  "Do you have any final words?" Rick questioned.

  "No, please," Randall cried, "Please don't-- don't. . ."

  Rick lifted the gun, cocking it slowly.

  He stayed like that for a moment, the weight of the gun in his hands heavier than ever before.

  "Do it, Dad. Do it."

  The four looked at each other in shock, Shane quickly departing to haul Carl away.

  And then Rick lowered the gun.

  "Take him away," Rick said, "Take him away."

  Daryl hauled the man off, and Shane left in anger.

  Rick handed the gun back to Vex silently, looking to his son.

  "If it holds any weight at all," She whispered, "I woulda made the same choice if that was my daughter."

  Vex nodded, before leaving the man in deafening silence.

  She returned to the house, informing those inside that Randall was alive and in custody until further notice.

  It was a mixture of emotions, and Vex felt the same. An understanding of morality, but a struggle of group safety.

  Vex went to Beth's room, where the girl and Zeppelin lay together reading her new book. They both grinned at Vex's approach, eagerly trying to make room for the woman.

  And Vex obliged, as she always did, squeezing between the two and holding the book up for them, leaning her head on Beth's as Zeppelin cuddled deep into her mother's side.

  Until Maggie screamed.

  Vex was out of bed in an instant, bounding up the steps after her gun. She cursed the rule for the first time, pushing open the window and staring out of her scope. Her eye followed the crowd running, straight into the field, until she spotted none other than Dale, being attacked by a walker.

  Vex damned the rules, only for a moment, pulling the trigger to put down the walker. She breathed as it thudded, lowering the weapon and hurrying downstairs and right out of the home.

  She arrived moments after the rest of the group, unable to stomach the sight in front of her.

  Dale's stomach had been ripped open., the man's eyes wide in shock.

  "Hershel! Get Hershel!" 

  "Somebody--!"

  "He-- there's nothing he can do," Vex whispered, though only Daryl heard it.

  Hershel arrived only moments after, confirming what Vex had said.

  Dale lay groaning in pain, clearly unable to speak or hardly breathe.

  "He's suffering," Andrea cried, "Do something."

  Rick lifted his gun, once again, unable to pull the trigger as the man choked on his own blood.

  Daryl placed a hand on it, nodding as he took the gun from Rick.

  He kneeled next to the man, raising the gun to his head.

  "Sorry, brother."

WORD COUNT : 1737