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Chapter 10: Judgment

The group looked around at each other with a fair amount of trepidation. Rick had convened them back together about an hour after Daryl and Hallie had left. Rick asked Verna to stay in her room until they all had a chance to talk. She was upset, crying, but she agreed to stay put.

"Rick, you know I never meant for any of this to happen." she sobbed. "I...I don't know what got into me. I...I would normally never do anything like this." she continued to pull at the wadded-up tissue in her hand.

"Verna, I think it's a little late for apologies."

"I know, but I just want you to know. I don't know what came over me. I don't even know what I saw in him. I...I guess I just didn't want to be alone. I didn't intend to hurt anybody."

"But you DID, Verna. Several times, in several ways. What you did was damn dangerous. You'd be in jail under normal circumstances, on numerous charges." Rick said bluntly. "I really don't think this is the time. Maybe perhaps the group will want to hear your side of the story."

"I don't think so. I don't think they like me. They've never liked me. I could really have fit in here, really made a home, if it weren't for..." she stopped herself abruptly.

"Go on, Verna, if it weren't for what?" Rick said, hoping she'd take the bait and continue. Rick was waiting to her whether she said if it weren't for what she did or if it weren't for Hallie getting in the way. Rick was desperate to know if her remorse now was real or if that too was a lie.

"Oh, Rick, what does it matter? They will never trust me now. They won't let me stay, I can see it on their faces. I might as well just leave." she turned on the waterworks again.

"Now, Verna, you don't know that. You don't know what they're going to decide, so just stay put. Please, for your own safety, stay here until one of us comes for you." Rick said, turning and closing the door behind him.

XXXXX

They had never had to make this decision before. There were plenty of times that they would like to have been able to, especially after Merle had done or said something really outrageous, but they never got to that point. Not this far. Now they were deciding people's fates.

"You all realize what a difficult position we are in." Rick started the discussion. Heads nodded and bobbled. "Let's look at the situation. We took in three people, fed and clothed them. Shared our home and supplies with them. Now we have some decisions to make. First off, let's talk about Monica. That should be a good place to start."

Lori stood up. "I know that she's bonded with Hallie more than the rest of us. Daryl obviously sees that too, or he wouldn't have said what he did. I think to stay here is the best thing for her. She has other kids here and she's safe, she's not out there on the run from walkers and god-knows-what."

"I agree." Carol spoke up, a little waiver to her voice. "I've seen them together. She really seems to have taken to Hallie and since she has no parents at all..." her voice became quiet..."I think Lori's right. "

Andrea and Dale were also shaking their heads to affirm they were in agreement.

"Well, Ted, what do you think?" Dale asked. "She was with your group. You know she's welcome to stay but we'd like to hear from you."

Ted spoke up. "I don't know the first thing about raising kids, much less a little girl. I've never been around a lot of kids before, so, honestly, I would be relieved if she could stay here...with Hallie... and Daryl. She needs a mother most. It'd be the best thing for her." he said, looking down at his shoes. "I'd like to ask if I could stay as well."

"Well, now, Ted, that's our next topic of discussion." Rick looked around at the group. "Does anybody have any concerns or issues with Ted staying?" Rick knew the answer already from their faces. Not a person spoke up, nor did anyone look away or down. They were all looking straight at Ted. "Ted, we know that you're not responsible for Verna's behavior, but you need to know that if we find out that you were in any way complicit with what she did, you may not be welcome here anymore." Rick warned.

"I understand. I had nothing to do with what she did. I...I didn't even know what her plans were until she used me too. I don't blame you all for being skeptical but please, know that I would never be a part of that- I couldn't do that to anyone." Ted was leaning on the back of a chair for support. "Please, I hope you will all believe me and I hope that if you allow me to stay, I can regain your trust." He looked around to the group.

"Ok, everyone in favor of Ted staying, raise your hand." Rick said. All hands went up. "Ted stays." he said without smiling. "Now," he said, frowning, "for the more complicated matter."

Dale rose again. "I think, since Verna's not in here at the moment, we should each have a turn and discuss this, really think it through. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, people." he said.

One by one, they took turns laying out their feelings and thoughts about letting her stay or forcing her to leave.

"How can we trust her not to do something as outrageous as this, or worse, next time?" Andrea said. "She's demonstrated she's willing to do almost anything to get what she wants. Next time will she actually hurt somebody?"

"I don't think that takes it far enough." T-Dog added. "To me, she DID hurt somebody. She gave two people drugs, then put them together, all to get a man she doesn't even really know? That's evil, man, just evil."

"I don't trust her. I will never trust her. What's next? Would she try to hurt Monica to get back at Daryl and Hallie?" Lori mused.

"I don't like this at all." was Dale's contribution. "She went after Hallie when she was most vulnerable, at her weakest. She violated several moral codes with her actions. She proved herself to be untrustworthy, deceptive, not at all the type of person we would want to have with us."

"I agree with everything everyone's said...but can we turn her away? What kind of people are we then? Are we any better than she is, if we do that?" Carol said quietly, gaining everyone's attention. "Are we willing to condemn her to what could be her death out there?"

"But Carol, what did Verna think was going to happen to Hallie if her plan had worked?

What if next time she goes after one of the kids for something?" Lori said. "What if it's Sophia next time?"

"If her plan had worked," Dale said, his voice almost in a whisper, "losing Daryl would have sent Hallie over the edge. She was that fragile. I don't know if she would have been able to recover." Everyone in the group knew what he was implying. "It could have been tragic."

Carol paled and put her hands on her head. "I don't know. I just don't know what to do." she murmured.

Rick stood again. "Ted, we need your take on this. You came here with her. You surely got to know her before. Did you know here before the outbreak? What kind of person is she really?"

"Uhm, no. I'd never met her before I met up with her and Big Mike. I'd seen her around town and I knew her by, well, reputation. Kinda wild, if you know what I mean. Big party-er. Not somebody you'd bring home to your Mom." Ted said, looking around at the group. "I've never seen her act quite like this. She would flirt and act all helpless when she wanted something, sometimes she'd get real mad and scream and cuss, but nothing like this...and she never paid that much attention to Monica, even after her parents were killed."

"Ever lie?" Rick asked bluntly.

"Who, me? No, I'm not lying about this, I swear..."

"No, Ted, Verna. Did you ever catch Verna in a lie?" Rick shook his head.

"Oh, no, well, none that I know of. But then, if she was lying, she was good enough she didn't get caught." Ted said, his eyes looking up as if he was trying to search his memory for something.

"Well, now, I think it's time we took a vote." Rick said. We'll do this blind, so nobody has any hard feelings. Write it on paper. Stay or go. " he said, passing around pieces of paper.

XXX

Rick read aloud the words from the paper. No one was making eye contact. The group was silent.

"Go. Go. Stay. Go. Stay. Go. Stay. Go." he said slowly. "Looks like everyone's made up their minds. Verna will be leaving." Rick looked at T-Dog and nodded for him to go get Verna from the Admin building bedroom she had been sharing with the other unmarried women. "We'll take her where she wants to go and leave her with plenty of supplies in a safe place. We just won't kick her out the gate and let her fend for herself."

XXXXX

T-Dog burst through the door with a deafening crash. "She's gone. Her stuff's gone, she's cleared out." he said, breathlessly. Rick looked around at the horror on everyone's face.