Yard

"Y'all better get some rest, because there isn't going to be much for you tomorrow. You're going to be working hard," Troy says, his voice gruff.

Bonnie gestures toward a cot in the corner of the dimly lit room. "That's for you."

Rebecca glances at the cot, a thin mattress covered in a scratchy blanket. "Yeah, it figures. Fuckin' Bill. He keeps me out in the cold, but at least I'll be comfortable here."

"Hey, guys," Reggie, a one-armed man with a friendly demeanor, approaches them.

Rebecca gasps, her eyes widening with surprise. "Reggie? I'm so sorry. I can't believe what they did to you!"

"This could have been worse, trust me. I'm lucky to be alive," Reggie replies with a weak smile. "I guess I should say it's nice to see you, but obviously it's also a bummer."

"I know. I feel the same way," Rebecca responds, her voice tinged with sympathy.

"Reggie helped us when we ran away," Sarah chimes in, standing beside Eddie, Clementine, Maria, and Carley.

"Why didn't he go with you guys when you left?" Clementine asks, her curiosity piqued.

"I think he was supposed to... but then he fell, and everyone just kept running. I know he had both his arms then," Sarah explains, her brow furrowed with concern.

"You trust him?" Eddie interjects, skepticism lacing his tone.

"I don't know. He's nice, if that's what you mean," Sarah says, glancing between Eddie and Reggie.

"No, it's not. But it's no problem," Eddie replies, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.

"Then I don't know," Sarah says, her uncertainty apparent.

"They've got me working outside. A lurker snuck up on me while I was hammering something. Luckily, they took my arm off quick. Saved my life," Reggie explains, trying to maintain a lighthearted.

"That's awful... I'm so sorry," Rebecca apologizes again, her heart aching for him.

"Look, it was my choice to help you guys," Reggie says, trying to brush off her pity.

"Hey, Reggie!" Troy calls out, re-entering the room.

"Oh, hey Troy," Reggie responds, a grin returning to his face.

"Don't go fucking things up now. Bill's real close to letting you out of here. Just make sure things stay quiet tonight, and I'll let Bill know how helpful you were," Troy says, his tone serious.

"Yeah, you can count on me. Thanks, Troy," Reggie replies, his smile fading slightly.

"Don't mention it," Troy says before leaving with Bonnie, closing the door behind them.

"Right, let me introduce you. We were with them when we got caught," Rebecca says, turning to Eddie, Maria, Clementine, and Carley.

"Hey, I'm Reggie," he introduces himself, offering a friendly smile.

"That's Maria," Rebecca gestures.

"Ello," Maria says, shaking his hand.

"And that's Carley," Rebecca continues.

"Nice to meet you," Carley adds, also shaking his hand.

"And that's Eddie," Rebecca finishes.

"Hey, a fellow one-armed man," Reggie smiles at Eddie.

"What's up, man?" Eddie smirks, and they fist bump—Eddie with his left hand and Reggie with his right arm.

"Hello! Who are you?" Reggie turns to Clementine.

"My name's Clementine," she replies, with a smile

"It's very nice to meet you," Reggie beams, and they shake hands. Reggie scans the group. "Hey, where's Carlos?"

"Bill's already got him looking at some folks," Rebecca informs him.

"Oh, okay. Good. What about Pete?" Reggie asks, his expression shifting to concern as he notices the somber look on their faces. "What about Nick?" The group remains silent. "He was always taking stupid risks... can't say I'm surprised. Poor guy," Reggie says quietly, shaking his head.

"Can you guys save it for the morning? Some of us have to be up early," Mike, a tall black man, says from one of the sleeping bags in the far corner of the prison.

"Who's that?" Clementine asks Sarah, glancing over.

"I don't know," Sarah responds, her brow furrowing.

"I don't recognize the voice," Rebecca adds.

"No problem. Sorry about that," Reggie says to Mike, who simply pulls his pillow over his head and turns away. "Okay, that's Mike. He's kind of a jerk when he's tired, but like I said, he saved my life, so... I put up with his attitude. Bill put him to work outside the wall with me."

"I'm really sorry," Rebecca says, her empathy evident.

"Stop with all the 'sorry.' It was my choice. Besides, he said once you were all caught, he'd let me rejoin the group, so... I'm glad you're here. Just kidding," Reggie adds, a hint of humor in his voice.

"I know," Rebecca replies, trying to lighten the mood.

"I mean, he did say that, but I'm not thrilled about it. It's probably just wishful thinking..." Reggie admits.

Eddie and Clementine notice a woman sitting at a picnic table, observing them intently.

"And her?" Eddie asks, tilting his head toward the woman.

"Hm? Who?" Reggie asks, momentarily distracted.

"Her, over there," Clementine points, watching as the woman, Jane, gets up and walks away.

"Oh, right. Okay, so she's pretty strange. They found her sneaking around outside the camp, covered in walker guts and all sorts of gross stuff," Reggie explains, shaking his head.

Eddie's mind races as he considers the implications. Why would she cover herself like that? He runs through various scenarios in his head—was she trying to blend in with the walkers? Could she be using the guts to mask her own scent? The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. It's a smart tactic, one that could keep her safe in a world where walkers are everywhere. He mutters under his breath, "Smart," unaware that no one else hears him.

"It's probably best not to stare," Rebecca advises, pulling Eddie back to the present.

"I know how it must look, but... it's really not that bad here," Reggie insists, trying to defend their situation.

"Reggie..." Rebecca shakes her head disapprovingly, her discontent clear.

"No, I'm serious. Where else are you going to find food like we have? We've got canned goods, and now with the greenhouses coming along, we'll have fresh food. The building is getting more secure all the time, mostly through forced labor, but that's only temporary. They've even got the solar panels working. When was the last time you had electricity, huh?" Reggie rambles on, enthusiasm creeping into his voice.

"Well, we just came from a lodge with a wind turbine and—" Sarah begins, but Reggie cuts her off.

"It's not a competition. I'm just saying it's not as bad as you think. We're building something great here, a real community. Bill is making it happen. Look, I've made mistakes, and he's forgiven me," Reggie asserts, his optimism shining through.

"Yeah..." Carley says, and Reggie's hopeful expression falters when she adds, "You're too far gone." She turns to Eddie, her tone serious. "It seems Carver is a good manipulator."

"Yeah, it seems like it," Eddie nods, a scowl on his face.

"That doesn't make up for what he's done, Reggie," Rebecca states firmly.

"I know that, but I'm starting to see what this place offers... I didn't before, and with the accident... it's just that much more important now," Reggie explains, his voice earnest.

"Yuh a joke, right?" Maria interjects, incredulous.

"Carver kidnapped us. We didn't even know him until now," Eddie adds, putting his hand in his pocket.

"Listen, I'm really close to getting let back into the group. Once that happens, I can do a lot more to help you guys be more comfortable," Reggie insists, ignoring Eddie's comment. Eddie thinks to himself that it does seem like Reggie is too far gone.

"Comfortable? This isn't a vacation home," Carley retorts, her skepticism evident.

"I just don't want you to mess things up for me. I've worked really hard to get to this point. Will you please just try not to cause any trouble? At least until they release me. Then, once I'm out, I could help you more. Maybe even help get you out," Reggie pleads, a hopeful smile on his face.

"No way," Eddie says flatly.

"Yeah. No way," Carley agrees, shaking her head.

"We won't get you in trouble," Clementine says with a reassuring smile.

"They're expecting me to keep things in line out here," Reggie insists, desperation creeping into his voice.

"If Carver a one good man, jus like yuh seh, den yuh shudn't be worried bout getting hurt," Maria counters, her tone challenging.

"We can at least talk about it more in the morning. Just have a quiet night and chat again tomorrow," Reggie suggests, trying to find a compromise.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Rebecca shakes her head in disbelief.

"Look, the fact is, Bill had every reason to kill me when I helped you guys... but he didn't. Obviously, I don't know what happened while you all were gone, but he's given me a second chance, and I know he'd do the same for you," Reggie argues, a hint of desperation in his eyes.

"He didn't kill you because he lost a bunch of his laborers," Eddie replies, his voice darkening. "Now that they're back, he'll find a reason to kill you."

"You just said you didn't know him until now," Reggie frowns.

Eddie scoffs and shakes his head, dismissing Reggie as he walks away from the conversation, Maria following closely behind.

"Reggie, I don't want a second chance," Rebecca states firmly. "After what he did to Alvin, I want him dead." She inhales sharply, grabbing her stomach as the weight of her emotions seems to overwhelm her. "I need to sit down."

"That didn't go as planned... should've actually made a plan," Reggie mutters to himself as he steps back, leaving Rebecca to sink into one of the lawn chairs surrounding the fireplace.