TWD - Chapter 590: I Wish You Could See It for Yourself (Patreon)

Eastman opened his mouth, then let out a sigh. "Are you frightened?"

Carol met his gaze without wavering. "The person I used to be would have been terrified. Terrified that Sophia might die, that something might happen to me, that I might not survive another day. But I'm not afraid anymore."

Eastman studied her. "Why not?"

She pointed toward Knoxville. "Because someone showed me that being alive can still mean having hope. There's a woman over there who built a place with strong defenses, lights that actually work, and enough food for everyone. More than three thousand people live there."

Hope shone in her eyes as she looked at him. "Eastman, I wish you could see it for yourself."

He pressed his lips together, revealing nothing. After a moment, he turned and went into the cabin.

Carol waited where she was. An eyebrow rose, and a small smile touched her face. It looked as though she was about to complete the assignment Calista had given her.

Eastman eventually emerged with a backpack and his wooden staff. He tapped its end against the ground. "All right. Let's go. I want to see this place."

He glanced back at his cabin, reluctant to leave it. "The vegetables will still be here if I return. And if I don't, someone else can have them."

He gave a faint laugh. "I've been getting tired of this place anyway."

They took their time on the road. Eastman spoke little, and Carol kept pace beside him. After more than an hour, she asked, "Do you really believe someone can survive this world without killing?"

He considered it. "If I'm being truthful, I don't know."

He pointed to a dead rabbit beside the road. "Look at that. When it was alive, it spent every day running, searching for food, and escaping danger. None of it kept death away forever."

Crouching, he gently turned the animal over. There was pity in his eyes. "But while it was alive, it never hurt another of its kind."

Carol watched him in silence.

He stood again. "I don't kill because I believe every life matters, whether it's a human being or a walker. They were human once. Killing one feels like destroying the last trace of somebody who used to exist."

He smiled ruefully. "I know how foolish that sounds."

"It doesn't," Carol said, shaking her head.

"What?"

She kept walking. "It isn't foolish."

Eastman caught up with her, startled. "You... you really believe that?"

"No," Carol admitted without turning around. "I don't believe the same thing you do. But I don't think you're a fool. The world needs people like you."

He had no reply, but a genuine smile slowly spread across his face.

Carol laughed softly and continued down the path. After a few steps, she looked back, her expression encouraging. "Come on!"

...

By the time Carol brought Eastman to the administration building at the University of Tennessee campus, evening had fallen. She looked back at him.

With his familiar wooden staff slung across his back, Eastman stood in the sunset, his expression unreadable. The solitary man looked utterly out of place, with a natural reserve and wariness that separated him from everyone around him.

"This is it," Carol said, breaking the silence.

He looked up at the building. "It's pretty big."

"She's on the third floor."

After a moment's hesitation, Eastman asked, "What do you call her? Commander?"

Carol thought about it. "I call her Calista. People who aren't close to her usually call her the Supreme Commander."

He fixed her with an intent look. "What do you think I should call her?"

Carol gave a crooked smile. "You'll have to figure that out yourself."

She pushed the door open and went in, leaving Eastman to hurry after her.

On the third floor, the door at the far end of the corridor stood open. Carol knocked softly on the frame.

"Come in," a pleasant voice answered.

They entered together. Calista was sitting upright behind her desk, studying a document. At the sound of their arrival, she looked up and immediately focused on Eastman.

Tall, broad, fair-skinned, somewhat heavy, with a balding crown and a wooden staff across his back. Yes, that was him! Another character from the original story!

Morgan's teacher, the man behind the deeply compassionate philosophy that would later shape his refusal to kill.

"Eastman?" Calista asked quietly.

He answered with a nod.

Calista rose and came around the desk, crossing the room with light, quick steps. She wore a plain shirt with its sleeves casually rolled to the elbows, leaving her toned forearms bare. Her long, pale-blond hair fell over her shoulders. Under the lights, her impossibly young and beautiful face carried a maturity well beyond her years.

Eastman examined the young woman before him. "Hello, leader of Rock Fortress," he greeted her warmly.

"Have a seat." Calista indicated a chair, and he sat down. Carol remained at the doorway instead of following him inside.

Calista glanced at her and silently mouthed an instruction to collect her assignment points from Mrs. Howard.

Carol smiled shyly and closed the door behind her.

Left alone with Calista, Eastman began studying the office. It was small but well appointed, with a desk and several chairs. Maps covered in dense markings hung on the walls. Several tablets and a stack of handwritten reports lay on the desk, while a large bookshelf in one corner was packed with reference materials.

Calista sat opposite him and met his eyes. "Carol tells me you've been living alone in the mountains since the outbreak."

"That's right. I've been on my own the entire time."

"Don't you ever get lonely?"

After considering the question, Eastman shook his head. "At first the isolation was unbearable. Eventually I got used to it."

The corner of Calista's mouth moved. "Getting used to something can be more frightening than the loneliness itself."

The remark struck him. He stared at her, noticing something flicker in her eyes. "You understand?"

She did not answer directly. "Carol said you don't want to kill people. You won't even kill walkers."

"I don't want to," he confirmed immediately.

"Why?"

Eastman gathered his thoughts. "They used to be people. Even as walkers, they seem to me like the last traces of the people they once were. Killing one feels like wiping that person out all over again, like killing their shadow."

He paused. "I know that sounds absurd."

Calista watched him quietly. "I understand what you mean."

Her steady gaze made Eastman uneasy. "You... don't think I'm an idiot?"

"No. I'm wondering how you managed to survive out there with those beliefs."

He blinked, then answered, "I stay away from walkers and people who mean me harm. Fortunately, I know aikido."

His hand went instinctively to the staff on his back.

Calista followed the motion. "Carol says you're remarkably good with that staff."

"I'm all right," Eastman said with a self-deprecating smile. "But a stick won't beat a gun."

"I have more than enough guns," Calista replied, smiling. "But there are situations where a gun won't do the job."

She rose and went to the window. Night had settled over Knoxville. The East District was still dark, but water and electricity had been restored to the UTK campus. One light after another flickered on below, like stars emerging against the darkness.

"I need instructors," Calista said, looking out at them.