A New Day – Act III – Long Road Ahead
Part V – Handle It
The remaining survivors quietly packed themselves into the RV and continued on down the road. With the sudden deaths of Soos and Lilly, nobody really had anything to say or do about the matter. Nobody even bothered to actually investigate further into the stolen supplies. But really, nobody wanted to do anything, everyone still wanted to process what had happened and get over it, then find somewhere safe to stay…or whatever. Really, everyone just sat in silence, mostly in disbelief.
Mabel, Lee, Clementine, Kenny, Katjaa, Duck, Wendy, Robbie, Carley, Ben…and me. That's eleven people left.
Dipper slouched back into his seat, a tired but still shocked expression on his face. He couldn't believe it; Soos was dead. Just like that, before anyone could even blink.
Before, with Soos and Lilly…we had thirteen people. The unlucky number.
The boy shuddered. But he really didn't care about his own state.
He glanced over at Mabel, who sat beside him.
Dipper couldn't believe that, of all the people to have shot Lilly, it was his own sister. Someone who refused to use a gun, someone who refused to kill, someone who struggled to adapt.
And then…just like that.
After a moment, he looked over at Mabel again. "Hey."
Mabel slowly turned to look at him, her face still slightly red and blotchy. "W-What…?"
"…I know that…this probably isn't the best time to tell you this…but…" Dipper rubbed the back of his head, hesitating slightly. "…I'm actually proud of you."
"P-Proud?" Mabel questioned. "Why're you proud?!"
"You did exactly what I said." Dipper replied. "I told you that, if anyone ever hurt you, or even tried to, then shoot them. Lilly shot Soos…she hurt you. So you killed her."
Mabel looked down at the floor and sighed in response, closing her eye. "…is it weird that I don't regret it?"
"You don't regret killing Lilly?" Dipper asked.
"I really don't." Mabel replied. "Sh-She shot my friend, a-and it was in the moment, a-and the g-gun was in my h-hand…
"…sh-she deserved it, though. S-Soos was a good man, he was innocent! But…but no, she was paranoid…so she…so she just went and…
"…since her dad died, she hadn't been used to being a leader. She was like me, Dipper, she couldn't adapt. And because of that, she panicked." Mabel finished. "It was her fault she died."
The two twins went silent after that for a few more moments, before Dipper held something out to Mabel.
A hat.
Soos' hat.
"I picked it up before we left. It's a little blood stained, but, well…" Dipper placed it down beside her. "You've got his gun. Wear his hat. Two mementos, to keep in his memory."
Mabel silently took the hat into her hands and stared at it. The right side was slightly stained with red, but she didn't care. She placed the hat on her head, and left it there in silence.
"Lee? A word, please?"
That's Katjaa's voice…I wonder what she has to say to Lee?
Dipper glanced at the man who had become his guardian as he slowly stood from his seat beside Clementine. He looked down at the young girl. "You okay?"
"…Katjaa needs you for something." Clementine muttered drearily.
Lee nodded slightly, glancing over at Dipper and Mabel with a slight look of sadness. Dipper nodded slightly, the man's gaze telling him everything. Then he approached the front of the RV to speak with Katjaa and Kenny. Duck still lay in Katjaa's arms once he arrived, still appearing incredibly tired.
"What's up?" Lee asked.
Kenny and Katjaa simply shared a quick gaze of despair.
Lee frowned; something was up. "Is…Duck feeling alright?"
Katjaa looked down at Duck and slowly rolled up a part of his shirt.
There was a shallow but large bite mark on his abdomen.
"What the fuck…" Lee muttered as his eyes widened.
Kenny stared at the road ahead. "Happened during the raid."
"What's the plan?" Lee asked. "We've never had a bite victim in the group before."
Katjaa looked up at Lee over her shoulder. "I'm going to keep an eye on him and see what I can do, from a medical perspective."
"We keep the same plan unless something changes." Kenny stated. "East."
"Guys…" Lee muttered.
"What else is there to do?" Katjaa interrupted. "We thought you should know…"
Kenny turned slightly to look up at Lee. "Important to stay honest with each other."
Lee nodded slightly as Kenny looked back at the road.
"Anyway, if you could tell Clementine and the twins, we would appreciate it." Katjaa said softly.
Lee silently turned to return to his seat beside Clementine, and near Dipper and Mabel. He slowly walked back over and sat near the tired Clem and wrapped a gentle arm around her. He glanced over at Dipper and Mabel, who looked at him rather expectantly.
"…Duck is bitten."
"…huh?" Clementine replied gently, though she was very shocked.
"What…?" Mabel's eye widened.
"Y-You're kidding…" Dipper shook his head slowly. "…right?"
"He got bit by a walker trying to escape the motel." Lee explained calmly.
"…I…don't feel good." Clem muttered. "What about Soos? And Lilly?"
"Gone…" Lee replied. "But won't come back."
"Cause they were both shot in the head…" Clementine said.
"That's right." Lee nodded slightly. "It's horrible. Soos was a good man, he didn't deserve to die."
Clem looked down sadly. "Yeah it is."
"What about Lilly?" Dipper asked.
"She…was a good woman, but I think the death of her dad got to her." Lee answered. "Had he still been alive, I think things coulda been different."
Dipper looked at the floor. Really? Could Soos still be alive had they saved Larry in the meat locker? Or was that merely some wishful thinking?
Lee then smiled slightly. "I'm glad I have you three."
Clementine smiled back at him. "Me too."
"…yeah, same." Mabel smiled as well.
Dipper looked up and yawned, before smiling himself. "Me three."
"…I heard you talking outside my treehouse that day, and I thought about dropping a hammer on your head." Clem said to Lee.
"What?" Lee chuckled slightly. "Why?"
"In case you were up to no good." Clem smiled at him. "Before you and Dipper, but after Mabel, there was this other guy. He was yelling and trying to get into my house. He wanted to take the TV, and tried to break the glass door with a rock…then some walkers came and scared him away."
Lee thought about that for a moment before smiling. "The door was open."
"Well he was dumb." Mabel responded.
And everyone fell silent after that thought, as Lee, Clementine, and Mabel drifted off to sleep. Dipper sat there, awake, suddenly feeling not tired anymore. He glanced over to where Wendy, Robbie, Carley, and Ben were sitting, seeing all of them asleep. Dipper softly sighed and looked down at the floor, before hearing Mabel exhale.
"Huh…?" Dipper glanced next to him. "Mabel…?"
Mabel looked up at him. Her face was pale and her eyes were blank, and a large chunk of skin was ripped out of her right shoulder.
She was a walker.
Dipper's eyes widened and he could barely react before his zombified sister grabbed a hold of him and sunk her teeth into his neck.
Dipper awoke with a start, gasping for air, eyes wide with fear. His breathing soon returned to normal as he blinked and glanced around. The sunlight shined in through the RV's windows and everyone appeared to be just waking up, aside from Clementine and Mabel. The boy looked at his sister, who slept calmly, leaning on his shoulder. Remembering last night's sudden, rather apparent dream of his sister eating him alive, he slowly eased his way out of his seat and allowed Mabel to lay on the couch asleep. Standing, he stretched his legs and rubbed his eyes, looking around and seeing Wendy handing out small food rations to Ben, Carley, and Robbie. She turned and noticed him, then smiled and motioned for him to come over. He walked over and sat with the other four at the small table with the dual booth seats on each side in the back of the RV, sitting in a foldable chair, the same one that had been stationed on the top of the RV whenever someone was on watch.
"Hey, I'm…I'm sorry about Soos." Ben muttered.
"Thanks, Ben." Dipper muttered in response.
"You alright?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah, just…tired, still." Dipper replied, chuckling a bit. "I'll be fine."
Wendy nodded silently, then passed him a small can. "Beans, sorry. Not much food, and what we have now is…well, random crap."
"Heh, thanks Wendy." Dipper popped the can open. "…think we'll find somewhere safe?"
"I hope so." Carley said. "This RV's gas will run out sometime, so we can't just stay on the road forever."
"Well, wherever we end up, I hope we can stay there." Robbie added, to which everyone nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Lee, stepped up to the front of the RV to see how Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck were doing. Kenny still drove silently, and Duck was calmly asleep, breathing slowly, in Katjaa's arms. Before he could say anything, Kenny spoke up.
"Dammit. The road's blocked." He muttered. "Now we gotta deal with this."
Clementine, Mabel, and Duck had slowly awakened as the RV slowed to a stop in front of a massive, abandoned, partially destroyed freighter train.
Everyone got out of the RV and approached the train, initially confused as to why the RV had stopped, but surprised that, of all things, an abandoned train was blocking their path. Lee, Kenny, Robbie, and Ben approached the train.
"Is there any way to get around it?" Ben asked.
"Doesn't look like it." Kenny shook his head. "On foot, maybe. Can't really afford to do that now."
Lee looked around as the seven other survivors took seats at some logs and tree stumps near the edge of a small clearing that bordered the woods and was close to the train. He started to walk over with the others. "This seems like a safe area. All this brush will stop anything from creeping up on us."
Ben glanced at Katjaa and Duck, the boy carefully holding his mother as they approached a tree stump to sit on. He turned to Lee. "Why don't you and I go look around?"
"Yeah, everyone else relax." Lee said. Then he knelt down beside Clementine. "Clem, stay close to Kenny and Kat, okay?"
Clementine silently nodded before going to sit with Dipper and Mabel.
"Lee, if you come across anything to drink, if there's a dining car or something…" Katjaa began. "I think Duck's a bit dehydrated."
"It's a freighter, hon." Kenny calmly stated, before glancing at Lee. "Be careful in there."
"What, you think there might be something dangerous inside of an abandoned locomotive?" Lee approached the train to search it with Ben. "Hadn't crossed my mind…"
Mabel glanced over at Duck and sighed. "This is pretty sucky…"
"Yeah…yeah it is." Dipper muttered in agreement.
"…I miss them." Mabel said. "Mom and dad, I mean. And Grunkle Stan."
"Yeah, so do I, Mabel…" Dipper put an arm around his sister.
Actually…with everything that's happened, I feel bad that I've forgotten about them…
He started to wonder, not just if his own family was alive, but if others were alive as well. He missed his family, Clementine missed hers, Kenny's son was dying, Ben probably didn't even know where his was, Wendy's family was dead, and Robbie's was too, probably. It was a weird thing to think about at a time like this, trying to keep moving with a train in the way, when two people died just the night before. And what if they couldn't do anything about the train? Where would they go next? How would they get there?
And what about Duck? He…he doesn't have much time left…
Then the train clanked slightly and hissed, and Kenny quickly looked over at it. "Holy shit…it works?"
He quickly got off of the log he sat on and started towards the train, leaving everyone else in silence.
"Huh, well maybe I should piss more often."
Everyone turned to see a man step out of the woods. The man was unfamiliar to them, looking to be in his mid to late fifties. He wore a dirty brown and green jacket over a worn red shirt, dusty dirt-stained blue jeans, black boots, and held a shovel in one hand that rested on his shoulder. His hair was slightly frayed and was gray, which connected down into a beard and mustache.
Carley and Robbie quickly took action, jumping up and pointing their guns at the man. He raised up his free hand. "Whoa, hold on now, no need to get defensive, I mean no harm."
"Who're you?" Carley asked, keeping her gun firmly pointed at the man.
"Name's Chuck, Charles if yer fancy." The man stated. "I've been livin' in this train for a while and, well, I was out pissin' when you folks showed up."
Carley and Robbie glanced at each other before lowering their guns and sitting back down. Robbie looked back up at Chuck. "Well, if you're good, then we're good, okay?"
"Alright, then." Chuck responded. "Where's the rest of yer group?"
"How…did you know there are more of us?" Wendy asked.
"Well, before I went out to piss in the woods, that train there was off, not workin'." Chuck pointed at the freighter train behind the group. "So whoever else is in there must've gotten it workin' somehow.
"Now, I don't know if y'all want me around, and I don't have much to offer, so if you plan on just takin' that train away, just go right ahead."
"…nah, you can stay with us." Dipper smiled. "After everything that's happened…it's nice to meet just a normal guy for a change."
"I have to agree with that." Katjaa smiled slightly.
"Well before he gets too comfy, he'll need to talk with Lee, Kenny, and Ben." Carley added. "They're the ones in the train."
"Well, I'll go have a word with them, then." Chuck walked past the group towards the front of the train, seeing Kenny's head through the window.
Soon after, Kenny, Lee, Chuck, and Ben stepped off of the train, approaching the rest of the group.
"Alright, we may not have much, but pack up whatever it is you wanna bring, cause we're about to get going." Kenny said.
"Is Chuck gonna stay with us?" Clementine asked.
Kenny then glanced at Chuck. "Need a ride, old man?"
"Well, it sounds like yer takin' my home." Chuck replied.
"So that's a yes, then." Kenny said.
"Haven't found anythin' better fer keepin' the creepy-crawlies out than that boxcar." Chuck said, before approaching the train and climbing on board into the back boxcar.
Everyone else soon started to pile into the boxcar as well, until it was just Lee, Clementine, Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck who had to get on. Clementine looked up at Lee. "Duck's sick…"
Kenny crossed his arms. "Get on the train, Clementine."
Clementine frowned and climbed aboard the train. Katjaa approached them. "He's getting sicker."
"Let me look at him." Kenny sighed and walked over. His eyes widened and he backed away slightly when he saw how pale his son's face was.
"Is the train really a good idea with Duck like that?" Lee asked with concern. "Maybe we should focus on one thing at a time."
"Yes, what can we do here?" Kenny glared. "We get on the train, and we find something better. That is the plan."
"I think Lee just wants to talk it through." Katjaa responded.
"It's talked through!" Kenny started to shout. "Now get on, Kat. I'll be up front, and I don't wanna hear any nonsense until we get where we're going."
Katjaa and Lee exchanged worried glances before they both climbed aboard the train. Lee went up front with Kenny and pulled the throttle. The wheels clanked and hissed as the train slowly started to wheel forward. Lee and Kenny exchanged quick smiles as the freighter hauled forward, starting to quickly go down the tracks. Lee glanced over at a map in a plastic bin near the controls.
Well…next stop, Savannah.
The freighter train quickly moved down the track, passing by a few walkers, as Kenny was at the front and everyone else resided in the back boxcar. Chuck stared out one of the two open boxcar doors at the passing greenery of the woods; though, since it was autumn, there wasn't much green to look at.
"Gotta be hard on ya, eh? Four adults, takin' care of seven kids." Chuck said to Lee, before glancing over at Ben and Robbie. "No disrespect, boys."
Robbie and Ben glared slightly before looking away.
"There were more of us." Lee replied.
"Dead get 'em?" Chuck asked.
"No." Lee shook his head.
"Ah, livin' got 'em then." Chuck shook his head slightly. "That's a shame…"
Duck then started to cough, a few drops of blood having been spat out.
"Lee!" Katjaa looked over at Lee. "Lee, I need you. Right now, I need you to go get Ken."
Lee knelt in front of Katjaa and Duck. "What's…?"
Katjaa gestured to a rag nearby. "Would you please get the blood off of his face? My hands are full here…"
Lee picked up the rag and gently wiped the blood from Duck's lips and left cheek, frowning slightly.
"Thank you…" Katjaa muttered as Lee stood back up. "He's out of time. We need to stop this train."
"…okay." Lee muttered.
"Please…" Katjaa held Duck closely.
Lee silently stepped out of the boxcar and walked down the small metal pathway towards the front of the train where Kenny was seated. He didn't want to have to face Kenny like this. He knew the man was in denial, and it wouldn't be easy to convince him to stop the train, but he knew it had to be done.
It was time for him to accept the reality that his son was about to die.
He opened the door and stepped in to see Kenny facing away, staring firmly ahead at the tracks. Lee crossed his arms. "You need to stop the train."
Kenny didn't even look at him.
"I said stop the train."
Kenny stood up and glared at Lee. "Make me."
"Calm down and–" Lee began.
"How the fuck do you 'calm down' after a day like today?!" Kenny shouted.
"By talking to your friend." Lee responded calmly.
Kenny sat back down. "What is the goddamn deal? He's a little sick, but we can't just quit.
"It's a scratch. He's not like the others. Jesus, all y'all are just makin' it worse!"
"Stop the train." Lee firmly stated. "Stop it, goddammit!"
"Fuck you, Lee." Kenny spat, facing away from Lee.
"You're gonna listen." Lee glared.
Kenny stood up again and glared back. "Or what?"
"Knock this shit off." Lee scoffed.
"So, you wanna fight, then." Kenny firmed his glare.
"I just wanna talk, Ken. Relax." Lee replied.
Kenny sat back down. "Then talk."
Lee had enough of Kenny's shit for now. The train had to stop. "You couldn't save Hershel's son then, and you can't save Duck now."
"Shut your damn mouth!" Kenny stood back up and shoved Lee away.
Lee glared angrily. "So you're runnin' away, like a coward."
Kenny rushed Lee and shoved him against the wall. Lee struggled to get the upper hand, but managed to flip around and shove Kenny against the back wall. Kenny raised a fist and started to punch him in the face multiple times, once in the cheek and twice in the jaw.
"Just leave me the fuck alone!" He shouted. "I don't need you, and Duck doesn't need you!"
Kenny was about to punch him again, but Lee shoved him back against the wall, pressing his arm against his neck, starting to choke him. "I told Katjaa I'd get you to stop this train, and you bet your ass I'm gonna."
Kenny raised a fist to try and punch Lee, but the man blocked it and pressed his arm against his neck harder. "I've had your back, don't make me fucking regret it!"
Lee blocked another punch from Kenny and only pressed slightly harder, starting to see the life drain from his friend's face. "You wanna hurt people because you're afraid?! Losin' Duck ain't enough for you?! Because you'll fucking lose everything acting like this! I'll fucking kill you before I let that happen!"
He pulled away from Kenny, and the man dropped to the ground, gasping for air and clutching his neck, his face becoming slightly less pale now.
Lee sighed and frowned. "I'm sorry."
Kenny stood back up and the two merely stared at each other, before Kenny slowly walked over to the throttle and turned it, causing the train to finally slow to a stop.
It was time.
Once the train had completely stopped, Kenny, Lee, Katjaa, Duck, Ben, Chuck, Dipper, and Clementine had gotten out of the train. Katjaa held Duck close, and looked at Kenny calmly.
"Ken. It's…" She began. "I think it's time."
Lee and Kenny looked at Duck solemnly. Then Kenny's eyes glanced over at Chuck. "The boy's been bit, in case you haven't figured that out."
"What do you need?" Lee asked with concern.
Kenny wasn't sure of how to respond. "I…I…"
"Katjaa?" Lee asked.
"It's time to…" Katjaa sighed. "Th-This is not possible…!"
"…w-what're we gonna do? Kenny asked gently.
Katjaa looked up at him sadly. "…we can't allow him to become one of those things."
"But, what if…what if he doesn't?" Kenny asked.
"Kenny, I love you very much; I love our son more than life itself!" Katjaa responded sadly. "I need you to hear me. What you are saying, that he may not turn, is foolish."
Kenny shook his head. "But–"
"No." Katjaa interrupted firmly.
"There's…c-come on, Kat." Kenny crossed his arms.
"If you think of one…you let me know." Katjaa said.
"Isn't there some sort of pill, or something we can just give him?" Kenny pleaded.
"Stop it…" Katjaa shook her head.
"He can just drift off to sleep, right hon?" Kenny continued. "I mean, Jesus, this is our son!"
"I know!" Katjaa replied. Then she pointed to her head. "But we know it's here or nothing."
"Well…fuck…just…" Kenny sighed. "Who, then? You want me to?"
"You don't have to." Katjaa shook her head.
"I'll do it." Kenny argued.
"No, you don't have to." Katjaa shook her head again.
"I'll do it." Lee spoke up.
"No…it should be a parent." Katjaa stated.
"No parent should have to do something like this." Lee said.
"Lee's right, Kat…" Kenny agreed. "We can say our goodbyes, and…just let that be it."
"I don't know…" Katjaa muttered. "Lee…you'd be doing this family a great service.
"Why don't we take him into the forest…so the kids don't have to see."
"…y-yeah." Kenny nodded, looking away slightly.
Katjaa looked at Lee. "Would you give us a moment to say goodbye?"
Lee nodded. "Of course."
Katjaa silently picked up Duck, and she and Kenny slowly walked out into the woods, and soon they were out of sight beyond the foliage and shrubbery of the forest. Clementine watched them go sadly, knowing she would never see Duck again. She felt bad for being rude to him at times, and she wished she could've said sorry for when she had done wrong to him. She glanced up at Lee, who was watching them leave.
"What's happening?"
Lee turned and knelt down in front of Clem. "I'm…gonna take care of Duck."
"…I thought he was going to die." Clementine muttered.
"…I'm going to make sure he's okay." Lee replied.
"But how?" Clementine asked. "He's bitten…"
"…by making sure he doesn't come back." Lee answered.
Clementine looked down grimly. "Oh…"
"Look, Clem," Lee began. "Things will–"
A loud gunshot from the woods broke the near silent atmosphere.
Lee stood up quickly. "What the…?"
"No!" That was Kenny's voice.
"Ben, take Clementine and Dipper into the train!" Lee said. He looked at the kids. "Go, it'll be fine."
Then he sprinted off into the woods. He ran down a path towards where he had heard the gunshot and Kenny's shout. He finally stopped at a small clearing and his eyes widened upon what he saw. Duck sat weakly against a tree, and Kenny was on the ground, kneeling beside the limp body of Katjaa, a gun in her hand, and a bullet in her head.
"Kat, Kat, Katjaa!" Kenny repeatedly shouted his wife's name, tears starting to stream down his face. "Why, Kat? H-Honey, oh f-fuckin' God…"
Lee frowned at the man as he started to weep by his wife's corpse. "What the hell happened…?"
"Sh-She couldn't, she just…f-fuck, oh fuck…!" Kenny muttered. He then silently reached over and lowered her eyelids, before glancing over at Duck. He picked up the gun out of Katjaa's hand and stood up, approaching the dying child sat up against the tree, Lee following to stand next to him.
"…what do we do…?" The man muttered.
Lee placed a hand on Kenny's shoulder. "Give me the gun, Ken. I'll do it."
Kenny looked down and placed the gun in Lee's open hand before turning away, sniffling slightly. Lee looked down at the gun, then looked up slightly at Duck. He pointed the gun at Duck and aimed for his head, though he held it there. He watched Duck painfully struggle to stay breathing.
The poor kid is suffering…I gotta end this…
He sighed and lowered the gun for a moment, before bringing it back up.
I'm sorry, Duck…but…at least you won't have to suffer anymore.
He pulled the trigger.
-(End Of Chapter)-