The truth was, the Patriarch was actually feeling gloomy and was trying to hide his depression from his son and daughter-in-law. He felt a bit helpless. Although Duke had finally found a wife and life was starting to look good again through his grandson and his wife's leadership, he knew they had enormous responsibilities. They would be very busy establishing the HOPE Base.
So many lives were relying on them, and because of this, he felt that seeing his great-grandchildren before he died was a pipe dream. Survival had become much harder due to the constant danger lurking around them and the growing strength of the zombies through their evolution, which would surely pose a significant concern in the future.
