I do not own Numb by Linkin Park
Chapter 25: Numb
Anne's POV
Chris and I stood in the doorway of the gift shop, looking down at the walkers.
We heard the baby cooing inside. We walked inside to see Clementine waking up.
Bec looked from the baby to her. "Hey, Clementine."
"Hey. How's he doing?" Clementine asked.
"He's perfect." Bec said. "Who's a perfect little man?"
Chris smiled. "He looks like Alvin."
"You think so?" She asked him and he nodded.
"Definitely."
Bec smiled. "Thank you." She said then coughed twice.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine, I'm fine…" She replied. "I just wish I could get warm…"
Clair walked up to us and I looked at her. Mike sat up and looked at her. "Clair… why don't you give her that coat we found?" He requested.
Clair handed Bec the coat. "Sorry, y'know, about the color." Mike said, laying back down and going back to sleep.
"You really think I care about that?" Bec asked then looked at Clementine. "Do you… wanna hold him?"
Clementine's face brightened. "Could I?"
"Of course. You're family. Here." Bec said then gently handed Clementine the baby. He started fussing.
Uh-oh…
"Shhh, shhhh. There you go." She gently said. The baby calmed right down.
"You're a natural." Bec said to her.
"Look at you. Like a big sister." Kenny said as Bec coughed again.
I studied him for a sec. He seems calm for now…
I took a step towards the baby and Bec looked at me. "Would you like to hold him, Anne?"
I nodded, smiling. Clementine then gently handed me the baby. I smiled at him. "Hi there." I said to him gently.
Chris smiled at me. "You're a natural, babe."
I looked at him and smiled. "Thanks." I said, then held the baby a few more seconds then looked back at him. "You want a turn, sweetie?"
He smiled and nodded. I gently placed the baby in his arms. He smiled then gently rocked the baby.
I smirked. "You've got some experience, I see."
He smirked and nodded. "Yeah. When we were 12, Verity and I would often babysit." He explained.
"Nice." Clair said. Chris smirked still and nodded.
After a few seconds, Kenny looked at Chris. "Here, let me take him. You five should rest." Kenny said then looked at Bec. "Especially you."
"When's the last time you got any sleep, Kenny?" I asked.
"About two years ago. I'm fine." He replied, then looked at the baby. "Plus, somebody's gotta watch you while Mama gets her beauty sleep." He said then smelled the baby. "You never forget that smell."
I rose an eyebrow, but shrugged. Bec fell asleep, Clair laid down and also fell asleep. Chris and I, walked outside and sat down with our feet dangling off of what remained of the deck.
"Well, that was intense." He said, referring to the attack.
"No shit." I said. "You know, for a second, I thought you were gonna let Amanda fall."
He sighed. "I wanted, but at the same time, I didn't want to. I saw the fear in her eyes and knew she realized how I felt all my life from the hell she put me through." He said. "I looked into her eyes and I saw myself when I was younger. Now she and I are friends."
I nodded then looked away, my hand traveling to my arm.
"Baby? What is it?" He asked in a worried tone.
"I need to show you something…" I said to him.
"Okay." He said. I took off my jacket then took off my flannel shirt, rolled up the sleeve of my T-shirt and revealed I scar I'd hidden for two years. I could tell his eyes were wide with horror as his fingers gently tailed the scar.
"Who did this to you, Annie?" He asked.
"Josh Harrington. He and one of his friends dragged me down an alley, then Josh did what Amanda did to you…" I replied then started shaking. "W-With one addition… H-He tried to r…" I tried to say.
"He tried to rape you…?" Chris asked before covering his mouth.
I nodded. "Yeah…" I replied, then got my flannel shirt back on and then my jacket. He then pulled me into his arms and I cried softly.
"Shh… I'm here, Annie…" He soothed.
I sniffled then looked up at him. "Y-You won't do that to me, right…?"
"Never in a million years would I even think of doing that to you, Anne." He said.
I smiled. "Thank you."
He smiled back and nodded.
"Dammit!" We then heard. We walked over to see Luke and Clementine in the other room. Luke had banged his fist against a poster.
"Hey, keep it down." Kenny snapped.
"Sorry, I… sorry. Just… Jane's gone." Luke said.
I widened my eye. What?!
"Really?! Luke? Of all the childish bullshit." Kenny said.
"Childish? God dammit, Kenny, you know what? Just… lay off."
"No. You put our lives the BABY'S life at risk, so you two could roll around like fuckin' teenagers!"
Helloooo? Teenagers here!
"You guys are both acting like jerks." Clementine said.
"She's right. All you guys do is fight." Chris said.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I fucked up." Luke said. "…but y'know what? Jane, she made an offer and… Jesus Christ. I needed it, okay? I mean, look around you, okay? Everything is SHIT. So forgive me for wantin' to enjoy ONE MOMENT of somethin' else!" He shouted.
"Fine. But this baby… he's what matters now, got it? So get your shit together." Kenny said.
"Stop it, both of you!" I snapped.
"Kenny, where's my baby?" I heard Bec ask.
"Is everything all right?" Mike asked.
"Everything is fine." Luke said.
"We're gonna need a good place to raise him, which ain't here, we gotta push on." Kenny said. "We head north. Get to Wellington. That's our best shot."
"There's a town across the river, it might be safe there." Clementine said.
"Or at least, it might be a good stop on the way." Kenny said then handed the baby back to Bec.
"Clem's got a point. That could be a whole town full of supplies, and not that far from here." Bonnie said.
"Whole lot better than here, anyway. Looks like that's our best bet. We need to get on the road as soon as possible… we leave at first light." Kenny said.
"Are you mad?" Rebecca T. asked him.
"She's right. Bec's in no shape to travel." I said.
"She needs rest. A few days… at the least!" Luke said.
"We've got that baby formula." Bonnie said.
"Luke's right, she needs to rest. We should wait a few days." Clementine said.
"Maybe that's for the best. We don't wanna push Bec too hard." Tess said.
"Just give me a day or two, Kenny. I'll be fine." Bec said.
"This is a mistake." Kenny said.
"The hell it is." Emily said.
"Look, we should all just try and get some sleep. It's been a long day." Mike said.
Bec started coughing again. Luke knelt by her as Kenny walked off. "Sorry." She said.
"Okay, Becs, it's gonna be all right." He assured her.
I saw Chris pull out his guitar. "Before we all get some shut-eye, how about a song?"
Everyone woke up and we all looked at him.
"Let's hear your song, Chris." Clementine said.
Chris smiled then strummed his guitar. After a few seconds, he started singing.
"I'm tired of being what you want me to me to be
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
I've become so, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control?
'Cause everything you thought I would be"
Has fallen apart right in front of you
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)
And every second I waste is more than I can take
I've become so, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
And I know
I may end up failing to
But I know
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you
I've become so, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)"
We all applauded when he finished. After that, we all laid down and fell asleep.
That's chapter twenty-five. Y'all know what to do.