TWD: The Burden We Bear

The group rushes into the backyard of a house, desperate for shelter from the encroaching danger.

"I'll get the door!" Kenny exclaims, his urgency evident in his voice.

Lee swiftly closes the gate behind them, ensuring no walkers can follow. Eddie stumbles and collapses onto the ground, and Craley immediately kneels beside him to assess his condition. Meanwhile, Omid and Kenny struggle to pry open the boarded-up door, their frustration mounting.

"You okay?" Lee asks, concern etched on his face.

"Yeah...shit..." Eddie replies, leaning against the brick fence, his voice strained.

"You've reopened your wound!" Carley points out, her voice filled with alarm.

"Kenny, how's that door coming along?" Lee presses.

"I'm working on it! Just give me a second!" Kenny responds, his frustration palpable.

"Well, work faster, would you? It won't be long before those things outside figure out where we went. You know they can smell blood," Christa warns, glancing nervously toward the gate.

"Chill out!" Eddie snaps, clearly fed up with her constant worrying.

"Enough, both of you! You're going to attract more of those things! Let me see if I can find another way in," Lee commands, his voice firm.

He turns back to Eddie, who is still sitting against the fence. "How are you doing? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine," Eddie insists, though his gaze falls to the blood seeping from his leg, darkening his pants.

"Your wound is open again. It could also be infected," Carley interjects, her concern growing.

"As if I don't know that?" Eddie frowns, a hint of irritation in his tone. "Sorry."

"Try not to worry; it always looks worse than it really is," Lee reassures him.

"I'm not worried. You said it before, we always figure something out," Eddie replies, determination creeping into his voice. "Let's just find a way in."

"I'm on it," Lee says, resolute.

After a while of searching, they realize the only possible entry is through the small doggy door, but it's locked as well. Omid suddenly remembers that it can be opened with the chip embedded in the dog's collar.

They glance at the grave next to the doghouse and understand the grim reality—the dog is dead. Chuck, armed with a shovel, steps forward to begin digging.

"Hey, be careful. Digging up dead things isn't what it used to be, you know what I mean?" Omid cautions, a nervous edge to his voice.

"I hear ya, son," Chuck replies with a solemn nod.

Everyone but Eddie gathers around the grave as Chuck continues to dig.

"What's buried down there?" Clementine asks, having missed the earlier conversation.

"Nothing important. Clem, can you go sit with Eddie for a bit?" Lee requests gently.

"But I want to—" Clementine protests, but Lee interrupts.

"Just do as I say, okay?" he says firmly.

Clementine's expression shifts to one of hurt, but she reluctantly moves to sit beside Eddie as Chuck finishes his task.

"Jesus..." Omid mutters, wrinkling his nose at the awful smell that wafts from the grave.

Chuck finally retrieves the collar, but it doesn't come off easily. As he pulls, the dog's head detaches from its corpse, causing the collar to slip free. "Shit!" he exclaims.

Christa's face pales, and she suddenly vomits.

"Are you okay?" Clementine asks, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine, honey. It's just the smell," Christa reassures her, though her voice trembles slightly.

"Are you sure you're—" Omid starts to ask, but Christa cuts him off.

"I said I'm fine, okay?" she snaps, irritation creeping into her tone.

Lee takes the collar and approaches the pet door. "Here goes nothing." He places the collar near the door, and it clicks open.

"Yes! Goddamn!" Kenny cheers, relief flooding his voice.

The group rushes to the door, and Lee peers through the opening. "See anything?" Omid asks anxiously.

"No. Looks like it's been empty for a while," Lee replies, scanning the dim interior.

Suddenly, the ominous sounds of walkers can be heard nearby.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it fast," Christa urges, her anxiety palpable.

"Okay, let me see if I can reach the handle," Lee says as he stretches his arm inside. "It's no good; I can't get it," he grunts in frustration.

In a surprising turn, Clementine crawls through the pet door.

"Clem, are you okay? Say something!" Lee calls out, a mix of worry and relief flooding through him.

Clementine swings the door open and races outside, raising her hands in triumph. "Ta-da!"

"Good work, Clem, but don't run off like that without asking next time, okay?" Lee gently warns her, concern lacing his voice.

"I was just trying to help!" Clementine defends herself.

"I know, and you did a great job! You just had me worried for a moment there," Lee reassures her with a smile.

"Okay, this is all well and good, but let's get inside already," Eddie interjects, limping over with Carley's assistance.

Kenny steps through the door. "Looks clear from here. Everybody in!"

They all file into the house, and Carley helps Eddie settle onto a couch in the living room, propping his injured leg up.

Eddie exhales deeply, finding a moment of comfort. "All good?" Carley asks, glancing at him.

"Sure," Eddie nods, though his expression betrays his pain.

Carley leaves him to join the others in the kitchen, the weight of the moment settling over him.

———

Meanwhile, Lilly...

Left behind in the chaos with a smaller herd of walkers closing in, Lilly seethes with anger. "Fuck, fuck!" she screams, smashing her pistol into the skull of the nearest walker.

She fights off two more, one attacking from the front and another from behind. With a swift kick, she knocks the front one back, sending it crashing into the other.

But as she scrambles to her feet, another walker grabs her, pulling her back just as she thinks she's found an escape route.

"Aaaah!" she screams in agony as the creature sinks its rotten teeth into her shoulder.

In a desperate bid for freedom, she elbows the walker in the face, forcing it to release her. Yet, as she turns to flee, a crawling walker bites her ankle, and another one latches onto her arm, sinking its teeth into her bicep.

She screams in pain as more walkers close in, each finding a spot to bite her. Eventually, she collapses to the ground, overwhelmed as they begin tearing into her flesh while she fades into unconsciousness, succumbing to the agony until darkness claims her.