Lee's eyes opened up and he sighed. He hasn't slept well for the past five days because his thoughts always drift off to Clementine. Lee turned and stood up hearing his legs pop in the process. The good doctor has been keeping him in the bedroom with Ben and today was the day Lee wasn't going to sit and rot. Lee stood up and he heard the pop of air in his legs and he smiled in satisfaction as he finally could stretch his legs. Lee extended out his arms and popped his shoulders. Lee's eyes opened and he looked at his arm in complete silence.
He talked to the entire group when he first got bit after he showed them he can distinctly remember Christa and Omid volunteer right off the bat. Lee's eyes felt watery as he thought of every last wise ass comment that Omid said and he was glad he met Omid. He smiled when he thought of Christa's nonsense attitude and Omid's together again on the road. Lee's mind then shifted to Kenny and his family. Lee's face started to quiver and he sat back down on the bed covering his face with his hand and started to cry silently thinking of duck's dying body slumped against the tree and Katjaa's lifeless body next to them.
Lee took about five minutes before he stood back up and walked out into the hallway. He looked down the hall and saw a photo of Roland standing with four young men all in military uniforms and his wife and a younger woman possibly in her teens. He looked closer to the woman's face and realzed that was a woman that he taught. in his history class at Lee looked at each and every member of the family and he failed to notice the young woman standing behind him.
"Um," the young woman cleared her throat. "Mr. Everett-."
"I told you in one of my classes that Mr. Everett was my father remember," Lee turned to the young woman and kept a warm smiled on his face. "Just Lee is fine."
The young woman was chalky white as if Lee was going to lash out at her and kill her like they were told at the school, "OK umm... My father said you need to rest."
"And I will when I stretch my legs," Lee was about to say even more but the young woman scurried off. Lee sighed and continued to the flight of stairs.
"-e can't just ignore this Doc," Lee clearly heard Kenny's voice with an extreme amount of agitation in it.
"Those walkers are leaving the city and if they keep spreading out like they are then this house is in their path," Roland calmly said back to Kenny.
"Case you haven't noticed Pa," Lee heard a new voice downstairs. The voice had a strong deep tone to it but it had a hint of concern. "They got a man up there missin' his arm and a young man that almost nearly died from being impaled."
"Carson," Ronald's voice snapped back at him as if he didn't like being talked back to. "Learn your place son."
A loud thump was heard and then footsteps out to what seemed like the garage, "Carson is right father."
"Billy not you too," Ronald said and sighed. "Fine, how long do you think we should stay here?"
"How long till Ben is safe to move," Kenny asked as if he knew the answer already.
"A week maybe more," Ronald said leaning back in his chair from the sound of leather crinkling.
"Then we late that long," Kenny firmly said as if he decided what was going on.
"Dad already told you we can't stay here for more than a day," Billy said to Kenny with slight agitation and anger in his voice. "If your group weren't a bunch of idiots then we wouldn't be in this predicament now will we?"
"So you are blaming this on us," Kenny raised his voice and stood up. "Whose side are you really on? First you sided with me about my group staying here, then you sided with your father about packing it up and moving north, you then just decided to side with me now back to your father. PICK A SIDE FOR FUCKS SAKE!"
"They have like this all morning," Molly smiled leaning over Lee's shoulder. Lee clutched his heart and and snickered. "Let your guard down."
"Yeah and last time it cost me," Lee raised the stub of his arm.
"Yeah," Molly looked at Lee's arm and noticed that the bleeding was almost completely done. "How is it?"
"Better knowing you and the others are safe," Lee smiled rubbing it.
"Lee you wanna stop flirting with Molly and get down here," Kenny said jokingly looking up from the bottom of the stairs. "We got business to discuss and here you are fraternizing with the ladies."
"He is no-," Molly started but Lee waved he off.
"Sure thing Ken," Lee stood up and climbed down the stairs and looked at everyone in the living room. He noticed Molly was behind him and so was the young woman. He looked at who he thought was Billy and was extremely surprised by the fact that he was the largest of the young men in the photo and not only that but he was missing his left eye with half of his face was scared. Lee couldn't help but stare before he was nudged by Molly to continue. Lee sat down and looked at the young woman and finally got to get a good look at her. She wasn't a fit woman nor was she really expressive. She wore a hoddie with the hood up and covering her face.
"So Lee," Kenny interrupted Lee and caught his attention. "Couple days ago you told me that we will be leaving with the doctor but he has different plans."
"Is that true Lee," Ronald leaned forward.
"That was before I knew you had two of your family members in the house," Lee said but Billy held up three fingers. Lee then quickly realized that Carson was also part of his family. "Sorry three."
"Lee from what Ben, Molly, and Kenny have told me," Ron leaned back in his leather recliner and the younger woman walked past Lee into the kitchen. "You sound like a leader, a man that thinks quick on his feet and puts the well being of others ahead of you, but you have to remember I have three family members that I need to make sure they are safe so that means I need to make sure you are a good man and I can trust you with their lives."
"Why do you need to trust Lee," Kenny pointed at Lee. "The man just lost his arm and a little girl that he really cared for so do you think he is really fit to lead?"
"From what you and Molly told me yes," Ron glared at Kenny. "Every man is flawed and Lee's arm only puts a new perspective on things. Ask my son Billy that."
Kenny tried to argue but Billy cleared his throat, "Four years ago My unit and I were just riding down to a small village out in Afghanistan. We get there and as usual the kids came running up to us seeing if we were kind soldiers and if we would give them MREs. A man from my squad laughed and started to hand out MREs until one child blew up. That child took out eight of my squad mates and injured everyone else. I tried to access the damage but I realized that my eye must have had something blocking it so I reached up to it and felt the hollow inside of my eye socket. Another squad came up and I was taken to an infirmary where they said that a large piece of metal was in my eye socket and I was luck I didn't get killed from it."
Everyone was dead beat silent as Billy took a breath, "Everyone in my squad lost a limb or their life but here I was with a missing eye and a fractured arm, so yeah, Lee here may have a better understanding of risks because of his missing arm."
Kenny looked at Lee and then to Billy. He finally gave up and looked down to the ground in defeat. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before standing up and walking away. Billy traced him with his one piercing blue eye and saw the young man walk into the dining room. Billy stood up and walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a cigarette only to light it and just let it rest in his mouth looking out the window. Molly patted Lee on the shoulder and went up stairs.
"Talk to your boy Lee," Ron stood up and motioned for his daughter to follow. "We need to stick together if you want to survive."
Lee nodded and watched the two move into the garage. He stood up and looked around seeing the living room as if for the first time. Photos hung on the wall of each and everyone of Ron's family members. Lee walked into the kitchen to first talk to Billy wanting to know about him. "Hey sorry about Kenny."
"It is alright," Billy said looking down at the cigarette. "I am bound to die anyways. I have lung cancer. Last year I was curious on why I was breathing irregularity and they did blood work to find I have cancer."
"I am sorry," Lee said feeling sorry for the man.
"Yeah," Billy took a deep breath and snickered. "Here everyone has to worry about being bit or dying of a cut while here I am already counting my days. Did you know that most people can smoke hundreds of packs of cigarettes and not get lung cancer but five years in the military did it in for me?"
"Yeah," Lee walked up next to him and made a motion to have the cigarette. Billy handed it to him and Lee put it on the floor and smashed it with his boot. "I couldn't stand them anyway."
"Lee I wish I was like you," Billy smiled and shook his head. "From the stories that Kenny told me, how you saved his boy from walkers, helped him fend off a man trying to kill his son, saved his family's life more times and sticking your neck out for Ben, Mark, Omid, Christa, Carley, Clementine more times than you can count? And the only thing that has slowed you down was that bite on your arm, but even then you still got right back up and did things that would make a veteran cringe. Climbing ladders with one arm then jumping off a bell tower, going into the sewers, you got balls man."
"Anyone would do the same in my position," Lee shrugged trying not to seem like he was all that special. "I wish I didn't loose my arm though."
"Same with my eye," Billy sighed. They were silent for a second and Billy looked at Lee. "If it was down to me and someone else in this house save them."
"It wont come to that," Lee said stating his hopeful position.
"It will come to that," Billy looked at Lee with nothing but a sharp knife in his eye. "I am voting that we stay when it comes up lee but I want you to promise me that if anything happens you help them not me."
"But-" Lee started but the look never left Billy's eye. "I promise..."
"Good," Billy tapped his hands on the counter and walked back to the chairs ready for the next meeting.
Lee looked at Kenny who just stepped out of the bathroom looking at Billy then Lee. Lee walked over to Kenny and he noticed them man look down at Lee's arm, "Lee I am glad Christa was there with the rest of us cause I don't think I would have been able to do it."
"I am all of you went with me to try and find Clementine," Lee said.
"Vernon wouldn't have gotten the boat," Kenny looked up to Lee.
"I am sure he would have," Lee sighed. "You saved Ben."
"Yeah," Kenny looked back up to the stairs. "I am glad I did. That boy said to you that he would prove to us that he wasn't going to be a push over and I want him to prove me wrong in still hating' him, Lee, I really do."
"Luckily we will be able to see that," Lee smiled.
"Yep," Kenny snickered and patted Lee's arm. "Talk to everyone else, I know I am voting on staying and I heard what Billy wanted to vote, Molly will probably vote with you, Carson maybe debating on leaving' Ron will defiantly vote on staying, and his daughter may be persuaded on staying as well."
"Don't forget about Ben," Lee added the young man into the vote.
"That makes eight Lee," Kenny frowned. "He won't vote on this one."
"Alright my mistake," Lee frowned on Kenny's decision to take away Ben's vote.
Kenny walked over to the seat he last left off and sat down. Lee scoffed and decided to talk to Molly. Lee sighed and walked up the stairs slowly and made his way down the hall checking each and every room till he opened the bathroom door to see Molly standing in her bra looking over her shoulder looking at an irritated cut on her shoulder. Lee's eyes widened and he looked down in shame and closed the door when Molly noticed him standing at the door. Lee stood at the door for five minutes before she opened it and raised an eyebrow at Lee.
"Guess I should have knocked," Lee jokingly said trying to making a laugh out of the situation.
"What," Molly scoffed and shook her head. "I bet I am not the first woman you have seen at an indecent time. I mean you seem like a good man I bet you were married."
"I was," Lee said with an saddened tone.
"Oh shit sorry," Molly said now it was her turn to feel odd. "Is she- I mean was she-."
"We had a hard time and a falling through," Lee said. He felt like he was with the police officer again. "Let's just say that I married the wrong woman."
"Oh OK then," Molly seemed to clear up. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"We are taking votes on staying an leaving," Lee started to talk but was shot down by Molly.
"Staying," Molly said putting a hand on her hip. "Ben is hurt and you are still recovering so it will be a bad idea for us to go. Plus I can still get some supplies out of the city."
"Alright so you are-" Lee couldn't finish his sentence when Ron called the meeting. Lee sighed and motioned for Molly to go ahead of him.
The two made it to the stairs and Lee frowned at hearing the conversations, "-enny you aren't thinking properly! Look if we stay then we got a big problem."
"I don't care," Kenny slammed his hand down on the chair. "Lee is hurt and so is Ben this is not up for discussion!"
"Then let's take a vote dammit," Lee seriously said making their presence known.
"Let's then," Ron glared at Kenny as he watched the man sit down.
"I will start it off," Billy said with a clam but serious tone. "I vote Stay. Kenny?"
"Stay," Kenny glared back at Ron.
"Leave," Ron gave the same look towards Kenny.
"Leave," Ron's Daughter said looking at her father.
"Stay," Molly quickly put in her vote.
"Leave," Carson said in the corner of the living room.
"It's three to three," Billy said keeping track of the votes. "Lee your vote is the last one, so choose wisely, lives are at stake."
Lee stood there looking at the group and noticed the mixed expressions they gave him. He began to weigh the options. Ben was still wounded and he could possibly die from the moving but he will loose the support of Ronald and possibly Carson. But if he chose to leave Ben's death plus his only real friend Kenny will take this as hate towards Lee and Lee doesn't want to loose anyone. Lee took a deep breath and bowed his head in defeat, "Stay."
"OH WHAT THE FUCK," Carson pushed off the wall and took a step towards Lee. Molly stood in between the two and Billy stood up glaring at his younger brother. "You don't know what you just did you bastard."
"I am sure he does," Billy said putting his hand on Carson's chest. "Now get back before you start something you can't finish."
"Man fuck you Bro," Carson pushed Billy's hand away and took a step towards Lee reaching for his combat knife. Molly grabbed Hilda and everyone froze when they heard a gun cock. They all turned to Kenny pointing a G17 at Carson's head. "Where the fuck did you get that?"
"Found it," Kenny said motioning for Carson to take a step back. "Now I recommend that you step back from a my only very close friend before it gets real ugly."
Carson let go of his knife but quickly snapped his Berretta towards Kenny's head. He froze when he heard the hammer click on Billy's .44 Model 29, "I can't believe you are going against blood."
"I can't believe you are willing to commit murder," Billy shot back at his brother with words filled with Venom. "Now back the hell up."
"You just made an enemy today Lee," Carson said putting away his pistol. Everyone followed suit and he walked back into the garage slamming the door as he left.
"Well Mary unpack your things," Ron said walking up stairs oddly calm about everything. Mary followed him and Billy sighed.
"Sorry 'bout that," He looked at Kenny, Molly, then Lee. "But Carson is right, you made two enemies today."
"So are you with us," Kenny asked walking over to him.
Billy looked around and sighed while talking, "Looks like it. I can handle Carson but you four better watch your backs. Now get on up to Ben, I will be up so to inform you on the situation."
The four separated and Lee made his way upstairs with Ben and the others, "Well shit."