Chapter 5: Rails and Wretches

September 15, 2010/Day 60 of the global outbreak

A train. As if the day hadn't been going bad enough for the group; they now had a freight train blocking the road ahead. The train appeared to have collided with a couple of cars, leaving a large mess all over. Aside from the two cars, most of the train's box cars and cargo had been derailed and scattered all around. The drive car and one box car were all that remains perfectly on the tracks.

Kenny, Lee, Quinn, and Ben all exited the truck to assess their situation. The four of them stopped almost directly next to one another, as they stared ahead at the train.

"Is there any way to get around it?" Ben asked.

"Doesn't look like it," said Kenny. "On foot, maybe. But that'll take too long."

Lee's eyes scanned the area around them, including the tree lines. "This seems like a safe area. All this brush should stop anything from creeping up on us."

Kenny nodded in agreement.

"Ben, why don't you stay with Katjaa and the kids. Keep an eye out for walkers, while we search the train," Quinn suggested. She wasn't sure what they would be looking for on the train, but what harm could it do to look?

Ben looked disappointed and mildly annoyed. He hated playing babysitter, while the adults did things that were actually useful. He was also hoping for something to distract him from how guilty he felt. Carley and Doug were both dead, and Lily was left on the side of the road. None of it would've happened, if it weren't for him. And what if the others found out? Would they leave him on the side of the road, too?

"Any idea what we're searching for?" Lee asked.

Quinn shrugged. "No idea. Maybe a way around it? A way to move it out of the way? Or, hell, even some supplies. We did have to leave in a bit of a hurry."

"She's right," said Kenny. "I'll check out the box car. You two go see about the drive section. Maybe there's a way to put this thing in neutral and get it outta our way, or somethin'."

All three of them doubted that. None of them knew how to work a train, but they were still skeptical about it working anything like a car. Even if they were wrong, they'd never be able to move the train, like they could a car. Still, it was worth a look.

Lee and Quinn had hardly taken two steps towards the drive section, when Kenny stopped them. "Hold up a minute, there's somethin' I need to tell you both."

The pair glanced at one another, before giving Kenny their full, and undivided attentions.

"Everything okay?" Lee asked.

Kenny looked back at the truck, his expression one of sadness. "Duck's been bit. Happened during the raid."

"What the fuck…"

Quinn thought back to her niece. She remembered how hard the fever had hit her, and just how hot she became. She remembered the paleness of her skin, as she began to look more and more like a living corpse. She remembered Taylor's excruciating death; and the milky tint of her eyes, when she reanimated. Quinn couldn't imagine experiencing all of that with your own child.

"What's the plan?" Lee asked, breaking the silence. "We've never had a bite victim in the group before."

"Katjaa's gonna keep an eye on him, and see what she can do from a medical perspective." Kenny ran a hand down his face and sighed. "I don't know what else to do, other than to keep headin' east..."

Lee looked like he was about to try and argue the naivety of that plan, but Quinn grabbed his arm to stop him. Kenny didn't need to hear that there was nothing Katjaa could do for Duck, and that it was foolish to think otherwise; because he already knew. If an entire CVS pharmacy couldn't save Taylor, how could they expect to save Duck with literally nothing? They couldn't. But Kenny wasn't ready to accept his son's fate just yet. And this was neither the time nor the place to argue with him and try to make him see reason.

"Thank you for telling us," said Quinn.

Kenny forced a small smile. "Important to stay honest with each other."

Lee and Quinn watched as Kenny walked solemnly towards the box car; before moving to search the drive car.

The two didn't find anything of consequence on their end. The doors along the side of the drive section only housed the engine, and a few tools for working on it. They found the original driver of the train inside the cabin, but they hadn't even had to put him down. His head appeared to have gone through the window in the crash; causing enough damage to both kill him, as well as prevent him from coming back as a walker.

Lee was just thinking about how lucky the driver was to have been given the mercy of a quick death – to not have to struggle and fight to survive every day – when he noticed a light blinking on the dash in front of them. "That light is blinking."

Quinn turned her attention to the dash, where he was pointing. The light wasn't just a bulb, but a button."Push it."

Lee looked at her in surprise. "Push it?"

"Yeah. What do we have to lose?"

"Are you fucking serious? For all we know, that could be the horn. We'd be surrounded by walkers with nowhere to go."

Quinn sighed. He wasn't wrong. "Why don't you take him outside, and check on Kenny; while I try to find a user's manual, or something."

Lee folded his arms across his chest. "You don't think this thing is actually gonna move, do you?"

"There's obviously some kind of power still left in this thing, or that light wouldn't be blinking."

"It doesn't actually require a lot of power to blink one little light," he argued.

"No, but-"

"And even if there is power, and you do find a user's manual; what about the rest of the train that's still attached?"

"One thing at a fucking time!" Quinn snapped. She took a slow, deep breath, before continuing. "I know there are a lot of obstacles here, and a lot of maybes and what-ifs. But there's no harm in trying."

Lee said nothing in response. He simply unfolded his arms, and grabbed the dead driver from his chair. He was halfway out the door, when he stopped and looked at Quinn. "I'm sorry."

Quinn nodded. "Me too."

As soon as Lee was out the door, Quinn started looking around the cabin. There were so many buttons, levers, dials…Quinn felt like the was on the Enterprise (NCC-1701). She couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. Her eyes continued to scan the small room, until they landed on a small pocket hanging on the wall, just above the dashboard.

Quinn stepped closer and peaked inside. There was a clipboard with papers showing the different train routes for the state of Georgia, and various time schedules. The good news was the track they were on should take them straight to Savannah. The bad news was there was only one way they could take that direct route. She still needed to figure out how to operate the train, or if it even could drive again.

Then, like an answered prayer, she found it. Sitting in the same pocket with the various papers was a book. And not just any book – the user's manual for the train. Quinn's face lit up at the sight. She immediately took a seat and dove into the book.

The group had been elated to learn that the train was still operational. All it took was figuring out which button, levers, and knobs needed to be pushed, flipped, and turned to get it moving. Turned out that the blinking light on the dash was actually not the horn, but the brakes. Lee and Kenny also had to work together to unlink the still railed box car from the derailed ones. But being handed such fortuitous gift wasn't the only surprise the group received.

A middle-aged man named Chuck revealed himself to them, having decided against scaring them. He'd evidently been living on the train for some time, as well as other trains before the world turned upside down. He seemed nice, and the group deemed him trustworthy enough, so they allowed him to join them on their trek to Savannah. They were taking his home, afterall.

Things were really starting to look up for their group. That was, until Duck took a turn for the worse. Through all of Katjaa's prayers; and her hopes that, if she held him tight enough, he would be able to take her strength and fight the infection. Through all of her pleas to take her instead; she was only met with disappointment and heartbreak. There was no helping Duck, and there was no more time to give for Kenny to snap out of his denial.

The group had been forced to stop the train, so Katjaa and Kenny could say goodbye to their baby boy. Lee had volunteered to do the hard part for them – to make sure that Duck didn't come back as a walker. All they'd asked for was a moment alone to say their goodbyes.

Katjaa, however, wasn't planning the same farewell as her husband. She knew she couldn't go on without her son; surviving every day, feeling the agonizing loss of her baby boy. So while Kenny had been preoccupied with their son, Katjaa shot herself in the head.

To say that Kenny had been distraught and angry would have been an understatement. He was inconsolable. In the span of one day, he had lost both his wife and his child. What could anyone say to someone who'd suffered that kind of loss? There was nothing that could be said.

Quinn sat in the box car with Clementine and Kuru; doing her best to consol the little girl, and take her mind off of the day's woes. She sat with one arm around Clementine, Kuru on the girl's other side. Clementine rested her head against Quinn, as she listened to the woman quietly sing the same tune she always hummed, when Clementine was too scared or couldn't sleep.

It was a slightly sad song, but it was one of Quinn's favorite songs – I Wonder If I Care As Much by The Everly Brothers. Thinking on it now, Quinn realized it might not be the most appropriate thing to sing at this time. But the first time Quinn had sung it to her, it had been the first thing to come into her mind. Clementine liked it, so Quinn kept singing it. As long as it comforted her, Quinn would keep singing it.

While Quinn busied herself with caring for Clementine, Ben stood alone, just outside of the box car. His guilt was so strong, he feared he would die from it. Carley, Doug, Katjaa, Duck…they had all lost their lives because of him. So much pain and suffering, because of him.

Lee sat in the drive car with Kenny. Kenny was in no fit state to drive such a monster machine, which meant someone had to take over. Lee volunteered for it, so that he could be there for his friend, should he need him. It seemed they all desired o be alone with their thoughts, or at least not together in large groups. Even Chuck kept to himself on the walkway at the nose of the train.

Lee found himself lost in his own thoughts. He was wracking his brain trying to figure out who had made that deal with the bandits. Who could have been that clever, as to alter the logs and sneak supplies out, unnoticed? Who would have anything to gain by doing this to them? Who would betray them like this?

Quinn was definitely clever enough, and spent enough time outside the wall to have access to that vent. She was also usually their packmule for runs, so she could have easily hidden the supplies in her bag to get them outside. But Lee knew how much she cared for Clementine and their group. He knew without a doubt that she would never make that deal. Consider it? Yes. Discuss it with him? Yes. But do it behind their backs, and risk everyone's lives? Never.

Kenny was definitely out of the question. Even if he were to let one of them live in his presence, he would never gamble with the lives of Katjaa and Duck. The same could be said for Katjaa. She's have said something to Kenny, who wouldn't told Lee and Quinn.

Lee seriously doubted that it was Lily, either. Making a deal to get the bandits off their backs, and using Ben as a scapegoat was well within the range of possibilities. But to go as far as to try and kill Ben? Lee doubted she would go that far for a lie.

When it came to Ben, Lee didn't even give it a second thought. He knew Lily's claims of him being a plant had to be bogus. He'd seen the genuine fear in Ben's eyes when they'd found him, his teacher, and his friend. He'd seen the genuine fear on all of their faces. And it was completely ludicrous to think their teacher would step in a bear trap on purpose to really commit to the part. That isn't to say that accidents don't happen, just that he had no doubt that Ben hadn't been a plant. But what he did doubt was Ben's ability to be that sneaky and that clever.

Then there were Doug and Carley. Both were equally clever enough to have pulled it off, especially if they worked together. If it was one or both of them, Lee was certain they'd have done it with the best intentions in mind. But best intentions don't always mean you're doing the right thing, nor do they make your actions excusable.

The truth was, there was no way of knowing who was responsible for all that had happened, short of someone confessing. But that was as likely to happen as they were to survive a walker bite. The guilty party could already be dead, ensuring they'll never speak again. Or they could feel so guilty and ashamed, that they never want to admit what they've done. Some questions just don't get an answer.

"Stop the train!" Chuck shouted.

Lee snapped out of his thoughts immediately. His eyes looked at Chuck first, then ahead of them to see what the cause for his concern was. His eyes widened at the sight, and he hit the brakes as hard and as fast as he could. Everyone had to hold onto something to keep from falling or flying around from the sudden, screeching stop of the train.

When the train finally came to a full stop, everyone exited the locomotive. It didn't take long for everyone to see what their latest dilemma was. On the overpass above them was an 18-wheeler, with two oil tankers attached. The reason for their stop was because the second tanker was hanging over the side, directly in their path.

Kenny was the first to break the silence, by voicing what nearly all of them were thinking. He stood staring at the tanker, screaming "Fuck!" over and over again.

Clementine covered her ears in fright at the man's anger boiling over. Quinn pulled her close, into a consoling embrace. Even Lee reached out to touch her shoulder comfortingly.

"…Maybe we could walk?" Ben suggested.

"That's fucking stupid, Ben," said Kenny.

"Hmm. I dunno; I ain't got much experience with y'all's fortitude, but we could probably deal with that," said Chuck, optimistically. "We got a goddamn train."

Kenny gave an annoyed sigh. "That thing's not full of milk, Charles. That's gas or diesel; somethin' that's gonna explode."

"You gotta get a hold of yourself. This a crew here."

Kenny walked up to Chuck, getting right in his face. This man didn't know him, nor could he possibly understand what he'd been through that day. This stranger had zero right to talk to him that way, nor to tell him that he should get a hold of himself. He was as a hold of himself as he could manage, right now.

"This ain't shit," Kenny snarled.

Chuck reared up to argue back. Thankfully Lee stepped in to separate the two before they came to blows. He put his hands between the two men, and gently pushed them apart. "Let's not fight each other. Today's been hard enough as it is; we don't need to be turning on each other."

"Lee's right," said Quinn. "That tank is our problem."

Kenny and Chuck continued to stare one another down for a good minute, before looking away from each other. Chuck began heading for the back of the train. "I'll keep an eye on our backs. Make sure nothin' sneaks up on us."

"I'll stay here, an keep an eye on Clementine and the dog, while you two search for a way out of our current predicament." Kenny gestured towards a building a few yards ahead. "Y'all might wanna have a look inside of that station back there."

Kenny climbed back up onto the nose of the train, so he could watch for walkers. Lee walked back over to Clementine and Quinn. He was about to ell Clementine to stick with Kenny and not wander off, when Ben spoke up.

"What about me?" he asked.

Quinn looked at Lee. "Why don't you take Ben to search the station? I wanna have a look up there, first." She pointed to the overpass.

"I wanna help, too," said Clementine. "Can I go with Quinn?"

Lee and Quinn shared a look. Quinn's face told him that she didn't see the harm, as long as they both agreed that it was okay. Lee seemed to think it over a little more, before kneeling down in front of the little girl. He looked right into Clementine's golden eyes to make sure she understood his words.

"You stay with Quinn, and do exactly what she tells you to. And keep your eyes open for walkers," said Lee. "You understand?"

Clementine smiled with excitement. "I understand."

Lee rose to his feet, and began walking towards the abandoned station, Ben close behind him. Quinn put an arm around Clementine, he hand on the little girls back, guiding her towards the overpass. Kuru trotted alongside them.

There was a ladder running down the length of one of the support pillars. Quinn went up first to make sure that it was safe enough, while Clementine waited at the bottom of the ladder with Kuru. Once Quinn deemed it safe enough, Clementine climbed up to meet her, leaving Kuru to guard the base of the ladder, awaiting their return.

There wasn't much to see on the overpass. A couple of roadblocks, a couple of crashed cars, the crashed 18-wheeler, and a Federal Rescue Service truck parked right next to the top of the ladder. The only thing that didn't look too damaged was the FRS truck.

At first, Quinn tried looking at the hitch attaching the two tankers together. She was hoping that they would be able to simply detach them, like the box cars on the train. Her hopes were thrown aside, when she saw just how mangled the hitch was. It was so twisted…they would never be able to detach them, without some kind of professional equipment and personnel. Even then, they'd likely just cut them apart somehow.

Her eyes wandered back over to the FRS truck behind Clementine. Even if it turned out to not contain the solution to their problem, it still might have something worth taking. They literally had nothing but a train to their names, right now.

Quinn pulled open the heavy, metal doors on the back of the truck. There were a few orange cones, a couple of stop signs, some electrical tape, and a blowtorch. She stared hard at the blow torch. She'd never used one. Hell, she'd never even learned anything about welding, or anything require a blow torch or welding torch. But maybe one of the guys did.

Quinn and Clementine hadn't been waiting long, before Ben and Lee returned themselves. They were empty-handed, and both looked quite upset. Ben's face looked sad, and his eyes appeared to be miles away. Lee, on the other hand, looked angry; though he was doing his best to hide it. What had happened in the station?

Quinn waited until the two had caught up to her and Clementine under the overpass, before addressing them. "Didn't find anything?"

Lee shook his head, as he watched Ben walk back to the train. "How about you?"

"Maybe," said Quinn. "What do you know about welding?"

All anger drained from Lee's face, and he became confused. "Why?"

"The hitch is too mangled to detach the two tankers cleanly. If we're going to separate them, we need to cut them apart."

"Great. Any good news?" Kenny asked, joining the pair.

"I found a blowtorch, or welding torch, or whatever in the FRS truck up there. Maybe we can use that to cut them apart."

Kenny put one hand on his hip, and ran the other over his moustache. "That might work."

"If it does work, we're gonna need to get out of here in a hurry, once it's down," said Lee.

"Agreed," said Kenny. "I don't wanna be around when that thing starts leakin'."

"I'll go up and cut the tankers apart," Lee volunteered.

"I'll go with you," said Quinn. "Watch your back for walkers."

Lee nodded to her, and then looked down at Clementine. "Clem, you and Kuru go ahead and get on board the train."

Clementine smiled and nodded in understanding.

"I'll let Chuck and Ben know the plan," said Kenny. "And get ready to take off, as soon as you give the word."

"Okay. Let's get started."

Kenny and Clementine turned to walk back towards the train, Kuru trotting alongside the little girl. Lee took hold of the ladder's rungs, and began to climb. He normally would have been a gentleman and said "ladies first"; but he preferred to make sure that a walker hadn't wandered over somehow, before Quinn got there.

There were no welding goggles in the truck with the blowtorch, which meant there would be no protecting Lee's eyes. His only option was to lean and turn his face away from the torch, as he cut through the coupling. This made it difficult to see what he was doing. It also prevented him from noticing that the 18-wheeler was beginning to roll backwards, with the shifting in the weight.

Quinn grabbed onto his shirt firmly, and yanked him backwards as hard as she could. Lee barely missed being crushed, or at the very least, knocked off of the overpass by the vehicle.

"Thanks." Lee was in mild shock, but nonetheless grateful for Quinn having been there.

"Don't mention it," said Quinn. She and Lee looked down at the hitch, still holding the two tankers together. "Now what do we do?"

"This thing's hanging by a thread. The smallest cut and it'll go." Lee's eyes moved between the coupling and Quinn, repeatedly. "The weak portion of the coupling is out of my reach."

"Okay?"

"But I can dangle you over that ledge, while you finish cutting it apart."

"Like hell, you will!" said Quinn.

"I promise you, I won't let you fall. Trust me."

Quinn was ready to reaffirm her adamant refusal of Lee's plan, and to suggest getting Kenny up here to be dangled over the ledge. But Ben's panicked voice drew all of their attentions to something far scarier than being dangled over a ledge. Walkers. There were dozens, maybe even hundreds of walkers headed up the tracks, right for them.

"We gotta go!" Ben shouted.

"Fuck, Quinn! You need to-"

"I know!" said Quinn. She picked up the torched, and dropped her bow on the ground.

Lee took hold of her hand and her arm securely, as she leaned out over the ledge and began cutting through the coupling. It was terrifying. Hanging out there, with nothing to catch you if you fell. Multiple lives depending on her to clear their path, so they could all escape the walkers headed their way.

"Cut! Cut!"

"I am!"

The coupling gave way, and the two tankers were separated. The one that had been dangling fell onto its butt, and then tipped over onto its wheels. It was safely out of the way of the train, but when it fell, it took the ladder they needed to get back down with it.

"Kenny, go!" Lee shouted down to him.

Kenny didn't hesitate. He put the train into gear, and it started moving down the track.

"Shit! How do we get down now?" Quinn asked, panic evident in her voice.

Lee looked down at the fallen tanker. As expected, it had busted open, and there was petroleum leaking out. Lee took the blowtorch from Quinn, ignited it, and then tossed it down onto the liquid. Fire roared to life around the tanker.

"Lee?!"

"We have to jump," said Lee.

Quinn picked up her bow and followed him over to the other side of the overpass. She watched him climb over the railing. "What?!"

"It's not that far, we'll be okay," Lee assured her.

That didn't make her feel any better. Jumping down onto a train, with nothing to grab onto so she didn't roll right off the top? Quinn just couldn't muster the courage to do it.

Lee took her bow from her. "I'll go first. That way you'll see it's not so bad."

He lingered only a moment to take a deep breath, before letting go of the railing and hopping down onto the train. It wasn't the most graceful landing, and he still had a grip on Quinn's bow, but he managed to stick the landing just fine. Lee quickly recovered, and stood up on the box car's roof.

"Come on!" he called to her. "I'll catch you!"

Quinn's hands went clammy, and her heart was pounding so fast, she was sure it would explode. She knew she didn't have much time to waste on trying to muster up the courage she needed to jump. There was only one box car, and once that was gone there would only be an ocean of walkers underneath her. And the train was only going to be picking up pace, so she'd never catch up, even if she found another way down. If she was ever going to do this, it had to be now.

She gripped onto the railing tight, and lifted one leg over the side. That was one step. Next, she brought the other leg over. Step two. She turned her body to face the train, still holding onto the railing. So far, so good.

"Quinn!"

With all the will power and courage she could summon, Quinn locked her eyes on Lee and jumped. Quinn landed on her feet, but the slight curve of the roof forced her ankle to bend sideways, and she fell. She scrambled for something to grab onto, but there was nothing.

Quinn panicked, frantically trying to keep from falling off the train. Lee raced over to her, but only managed to grab her hand, before she went over the edge of the roof. Quinn held onto him for dear life, desperate not to fall.

Chuck reached out of the box car, and grabbed hold of Quinn's waist. At first, she didn't want to let go of Lee's hand. Even with Chuck having a solid grip on her, she was scared she'd fall. But with a little coaxing and some reassurances from both Lee and Chuck, she let go of Lee, and allowed Chuck to pull her inside of the box car. Once Quinn was safely inside, Chuck helped Lee into the car.

Adrenaline was still pumping through their systems, but they were all safe from the horde, and still alive. As that sentiment began to sink in, Quinn became more aware of her ankle. It hurt, especially when she stood on it.

Lee watched, as Quinn hobbled her way from the open door. "Quinn? You alright?"

"It's my ankle," she replied, lowering herself to the floor. "I think I hurt it when I jumped."

"Let me have a look," said Chuck.

Quinn tucked her left leg in, and extended her right one out. Chuck knelt down in front of her, and began untying her boot. Quinn winced in pain, when he took it off. He had her move it around, poked and prodded it; all the while Quinn was biting her lip in pain.

"Well, it's not broken – she can still move it," said Chuck. "If it weren't for your boots, it might well have been."

"What's the bad news?"

"Bad news it it's sprained. It's not a bad sprain, but you'll need to stay off that ankle for a bit."

"Great," Quinn sighed.

"You'll be alright." Chuck flashed an encouraging smile. "Had my fair share over the years, hoppin' from one train to the next."

"Thanks, Chuck," said Lee.

"No need to thank me." Chuck pointed to Quinn's book. "Might wanna put that back on, and tie it a little tighter. Without a brace to stop the swelling, that's your next best thing."

"Thank you, Chuck," said Quinn.

Chuck smiled once more, and gave a single nod in response; before excusing himself from the box car.

Quinn did as he'd said, and returned her boot to her foot, tying it a little bit tighter to prevent too much swelling. Lee even brought over a small box that Chuck had been using as a nightstand, so she could elevate her foot.

A little while later, her ankle was beginning to feel better; of course, she wasn't standing on it yet. Lee sat on her left, and the two watched Clementine play with Kuru. They'd made sure to tell her to keep away from the open doors so that neither she nor Kuru accidentally fell out of a moving train. But, somehow, watching the little girl almost made Quinn and Lee forget the hellish day they'd been having. It was hard to believe it had all happened in one day.

"How's your ankle feeling?" Lee asked.

Quinn let out a sharp breath of air. "Ask me again, when we're walking the streets of Savannah, looking for a boat."

"Hmpf. Fair enough."

Quinn looked at the man sitting next to her. They'd only known each other a couple of months; but they'd, at the very least, come to know when something was bothering one of them. She gave him a light nudge with her elbow. "What's on your mind? I mean, I know we've had a shitty day, but…I don't know. You seem like there's something more bothering you."

Lee forced a smile. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Quinn's expression changed from one of concern, to one of seriousness. "Lee."

Lee let out a heavy sigh, and his eyes fell. He glanced over at Clementine to make sure she wasn't around to hear. That only made Quinn more concerned. What could be so bad?

"It's about the raid at the motel," said Lee.

"Oh, god…tell me no one else was bitten."

"No. No one else was bitten," said Lee. "But I know who made that deal with the bandits."

Quinn's face still looked fearful of his answer. "Please don't tell me it was you."

Lee's brow furrowed. "I would never risk Clementine's life, or yours, like that."

"I know," Quinn sighed. "I'm sorry, I just…Who was it?"

Lee stole another glance at Clementine, before answering. "It was Ben."

"Ben?! Are you sure?"

Lee nodded. His face told just how disgusted he was at the mere memory of the conversation. "Told me himself, while we were searching that station."

Quinn thought back over the last few hours, since leaving the motel. Ben had looked upset, since leaving the hotel, and he'd been keeping to himself. Quinn had just written it off as a normal reaction to everything that had happened; but looking back on it now? It was clearly guilt eating away at him. But why do it?

"Did he say why?" Quinn asked. "Why he was giving our supplies to them, behind our backs?"

Lee nodded. "He said the bandits told him they had his friend."

Quinn nodded in understanding. "Ransom."

"Mhmm. Only, by the time he figured out they were lying-"

"It was too late," Quinn finished for him. "Does it get any more textbook than that?"

A silence fell between them, as they both relived the day's events in their minds. If Carley hadn't found that broken glass, or if they'd never found that flashlight in the dumpster; they never would've had to investigate it, and find the hidden supplies. The bandits wouldn't have shot Carley, they wouldn't have raided the motel; walkers wouldn't have gotten in and bitten Duck.

On the other hand, maybe they shouldn't have even been there at all. Maybe they should've left after they escaped the St. John's Dairy. They were loaded with supplies, after finding that station wagon. And they already knew how dangerous the bandits were. So why did they stick around?

"I take it from the fact that Ben is still breathing, that Kenny doesn't know?" Quinn asked, breaking the silence.

Lee shook his head. "Ben wants to tell him, but I've advised him against it."

"Good! Telling Kenny is only going to get him killed."

"That's what I told him. And I wouldn't blame Kenny one bit." Lee turned his head to look back at Clementine. "If it had been Clementine who'd gotten bit…"

Quinn put a hand on his arm, trying to pull him away from those kinds of thoughts. She was about to comfort him with words of how he would never allow anything to happen to her – that both of them would always be there to protect her. But the cold harsh truth was that it wasn't true. There were no guarantees that they'd always be there to protect Clementine.

Kenny Katjaa loved their son more than anything, and yet they'd both failed to keep him alive in this new world. How could Quinn and Lee, pseudo-adoptive parents of Clementine, be certain that they could protect her any better than Kenny and Katjaa could protect Duck? They couldn't. Because the deciding factor wasn't about how much you loved your child, or how dedicated you were to do anything to keep them safe. Love won't stop a walker or a person from harming your child.

Quinn shook her head, as she stared off into space. "We have to do better. If we keep going like we are, she will end up like Duck – if she's lucky."

Lee looked appalled by the things coming out of her mouth. How could she say something like that? Lee would fight the devil himself to protect Clementine.

Quinn's eyes met with Lee's. "Telling her it's okay to scream and run for help; and to assume you or I will always be there to save her from the world?" She shook her head again. "That's not gonna keep her safe. It didn't keep Duck safe."

Lee wanted to argue with her, to tell her everything she already knew. To tell her just how much he cared for Clementine, and how he'd never let anyone or anything hurt her. He wanted to argue that Duck's case had been different, somehow. Things had been utter chaos at the motel; bullets and walker hands flying all around them. But the truth was, that very thing was their life now. It may manifest in different scenarios, but the end result is the same – a hail of bullets, and the flailing grasps of walker hands.

"You and I aren't always gonna be around, Lee. Whether that means we're off on a run, or…" Quinn took a deep breath. "Or dead. I'm not saying we have to give her 'the talk', like we're already bitten, and death is imminent. But-"

"What do you wanna do? Teach her to shoot a gun?!" He may already agree in his mind that she was right about needing to do better by Clementine; but teaching an eight year old to shoot a gun?

"If that's what it takes to keep her alive," said Quinn. "Look, I'm not saying we won't be there as often or as long as we can for her; or that we won't fight as hard to keep her safe. Just that she'll be able to watch her own back, when we can't."

"And you think knowing how to shoot a gun would've saved Duck?"

"Maybe," said Quinn. "If he had been taught, and had his own gun, or Katjaa hadn't been so against carrying one herself…I think one of them could've shot that walker, before it even got close enough to bite Duck. I know I sound awful, like I'm blaming the victims-"

"You are," said Lee. "But I understand what you're trying to say. We could end up in a similar situation at any moment; and if Clementine isn't familiar with a gun, she could end up like Duck."

Quinn watched the anger drain from his face, and be replaced with disappointment. She didn't need to ask to know why. "I wish we could let her stay a child a bit longer, too. But she's a smart girl, and with everything she's seen so far?" Quinn shook her head and sighed. "She's gonna be forced to grow up faster, sooner or later."

Lee didn't say anything in response. He rose to his feet in silence, and walked over to Clementine. Quinn could hear him talking to her about needing to take a few precautions, moving forward. He assured her that he and Quinn would never let anything bad happen to her, but some things needed to be changed to help them do that.