TWD: Saving Merle First - Chapter 89: A Triangle Isn’t Always Stable (Patreon)

Anyone with eyes could tell that Wade had deliberately handled the conversation that way because he was wary of anyone with bad intentions who might also be listening on the same channel.

After all, it was a public frequency, not a private one.

There was no way to know who else might be listening.

Merle and Daryl stood silently off to the side.

Compared to sitting around analyzing everything, they were much more comfortable simply following orders.

Shane crossed his arms, brow slightly furrowed and expression cold.

“Wade, can we trust these people?”

Wade’s expression didn’t change.

The question didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

Distrusting outsiders was practically ingrained in Shane’s bones. He rarely trusted anyone easily and instinctively assumed the worst until proven otherwise.

“Honestly, that was my first time talking to them. So whether they’re trustworthy or not is something I’ll have to observe and judge for myself.”

Shane’s expression immediately cracked.

Barely holding back his irritation, he asked,

“So you’re telling me you’re inviting an entire group of people into the camp when you don’t know a damn thing about them?”

“Holy shit! Is your brain full of water, or did a walker chew on it?! We’re not talking about one or two people. It’s a whole group! If they start something, who’s supposed to guarantee everyone here stays safe?!”

Wade remained calm.

“Relax, man. I know exactly what you’re worried about.”

“I’m not stupid enough to bring just anyone straight into our home. We’re meeting them in King County. We’ll have plenty of time to observe them before deciding anything.”

After hearing the actual plan, Shane’s brow relaxed.

He nodded.

Rick glanced at his old friend, then at Wade.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the two of them were putting on some kind of act together.

He chose that moment to ask,

“So, Wade, how many people are you planning to take?”

“Merle, Daryl, Marcus, and me. Four should be enough.”

“You’re not taking more?”

“No. The camp matters more.”

Wade shook his head, stood up, and headed toward the dining area with everyone else for dinner.

Abraham came out once, ate a little, then returned to his tent.

He was still quiet.

But at least he no longer looked quite as lifeless as before.

After dinner, Wade went to wash up alone.

When he returned to his tent, he found Beth already sitting inside.

“Beth? Tonight...”

Beth’s face reddened slightly.

“I already talked to Dad. He agreed.”

Wade turned toward the cabin.

On the second floor, one of the curtains was abruptly pulled shut.

Wade sighed.

This was really making things difficult for him...

(10,086 words omitted.)

The next morning, a thin layer of mist covered the camp.

Wade gradually woke up.

He’d gone to bed late, but his body clock still woke him at the usual time.

Beth was still asleep, so Wade quietly got up, dressed, strapped on his weapons, and slipped outside without disturbing her.

The sun gradually rose through the hazy mist, bathing the world in a warm orange glow.

Wade stretched.

In the distance, Daryl and Glenn were standing watch on the tower.

Daryl noticed Wade coming out and looked slightly surprised.

The guy had gone to bed that late and could still wake up this early?

Hard to understand.

But respectable.

Wade walked over to the campfire, stirred the embers a couple of times with a stick, added several pieces of dry wood, then sat down beside it and began thinking.

It had become an unconscious habit.

Every morning after waking up, he would start planning the camp’s work for the day.

Today, they needed to return to the original schedule.

Combine harvesters.

Fuel.

Grain storage.

Fuel drums.

They also needed to make and stockpile Molotov cocktails.

As for Crane’s group, there was nothing more to do for the moment.

Wade had no idea whether they would arrive before the summer harvest.

And there was really only one reason he cared about the timing.

You learned a lot about people by working alongside them.

At breakfast, Lori managed only a couple bites of spaghetti before an uncontrollable wave of nausea suddenly hit her.

She hurried away from the table and began vomiting.

Shane’s fork froze halfway to his mouth.

Rick, however, had already rushed to Lori’s side and started comforting her.

Wade stopped eating too and looked over.

Something occurred to him.

“Is that... morning sickness?”

Marcus poked at the luncheon meat on his plate as though he had just identified the culprit.

“She really shouldn’t be eating food like this right now. It’s low in nutrition and the smell is too strong.”

“I’ve also been watching her complexion. She doesn’t look well, and mentally she’s not in a great state either.”

“If we don’t address that soon, it could easily develop into depression during pregnancy.”

As Marcus spoke, he looked toward Wade and raised an eyebrow.

Wade immediately understood what he meant and let out a quiet sigh.

Triangles were usually considered one of the most stable shapes.

Clearly, this particular triangle was an exception.

“What if we change her living situation?”

“For example, move her into Hershel’s house. Lori probably shouldn’t be living in a tent right now anyway.”

“That could work,” Marcus said. “Mr. Greene is a thoughtful and experienced older man. Maybe he can help her work through some of what she’s dealing with.”

“At the very least, changing the environment might ease things somewhat.”

Wade nodded.

“We’ll prioritize her when it comes to food and medicine too.”

“If she needs something and we have it, use it. Do everything possible to make sure the baby is born safely.”

Wade wasn’t speaking loudly, but everyone eating at the table could hear him clearly.

“This isn’t special treatment because she’s Lori.”

“And it’s not because she’s Rick’s wife.”

“It’s because she’s pregnant and needs extra care. That’s all.”

“And if anyone else here gets pregnant in the future, they’ll receive exactly the same treatment.”

“Same rules for everyone. That decision isn’t changing.”

Something flickered in Shane’s eyes.

He said nothing, but the movements of his hands noticeably quickened.

A short distance away, Rick was helping Lori back toward the table, countless thoughts running through his mind.

Wade looked fierce.

But underneath that exterior, he could be softer than anyone.

Marcus simply nodded as though he had expected this answer from the beginning.

He wasn’t surprised at all.

That was just the kind of person Wade was.

Complicated in some ways.

Extremely simple in others.

Anyone who threatened his people had to die.

His own people?

Protect them.

That was it.

“All right, quit standing around staring! Eat!”

Wade waved them off.

“And once you’re finished, get your asses to work!”

The faint admiration that had just risen in everyone’s hearts vanished instantly.

In its place came the familiar resentment of overworked employees.

Well...

Except for the fact that sometimes Wade really did act like a heartless capitalist.

Whatever.

They had chosen this life themselves.