A/N: Thanks for the reviews once again you guys and I'll get onto answering them!
ShatteringSoul- Yes, Jane will start to play a role once again as the chapters progress, although that's all I'm sharing for the time being, as for what Jane said, you've got some of it so kudos on you for that as I read it back and struggled to understand what she said as well, before I realised I bloody wrote it! Suffice to say I suffered from author's embarrassment before I managed to figure it out again, but I think the reader's got the gist of what she was trying to say and I love how every reviewer so far has pointed out how unfortunate it was Clem couldn't give Luke or Molly, one of her infamous "looks" for kissing at a time like that, also for Terri's scene, yep murdering the headmaster and going off alone is fine and all, but you when you steal Hilda that's crossing the line...as for Robert,Tom and Maria you'll have to wait and see if you're predictions are right this chapter. Either way thanks again for another detailed review!
Justsomeguy23- Yeah, Grammar is my poorest point when it comes to writing but I will try to work on it this chapter. Anyway I see you and many others think last chapter upped the intense factor, well, wait and see what this chapter gives...
Chameishida- Yep, Badass Molly and I'm glad you're liking her with the epic past fight with Jane and all, the shouting match between them, dropping the titles of the fic was meant to be symbolic or something, but reading it back it did sound rather humorous. Suffice to say Tom may have to go to even greater lengths if he wants to save his hide for even longer in this fic. As for JJ and Terri, it's already been established Terri's done some messed up stuff. While so far JJ/TT has only inflicted damage on enemies, but keep an eye of JJ/TT as his role will continue to grow... and sorry for the typo's will try and clear that up this chapter (although the success rate maybe limited).
and finally AquaDestinysEmbrace and ffapathy all the points I've mentioned above, I think pretty much cover everything given in your reviews. Although ffapathy I did like your analysis of the characters once again and I see you're loving/shipping Molly and Luke, while Tom continues to surprise you, all in all thanks again everyone and now onto chapter 26!
(P.S. Long ass chapter ahead and also what do people make of the Michonne DLC if you have played or seen it. Is it any good? I haven't had any time to see it yet or play it, but hopefully it shows signs of improvement from Season 2 and gives us something to look forward too while going into Season 3!)
"Ugh..."
It was the Universal groan of the dead populace of Wellington that pressed tirelessly against Clementine's eardrums, that made her shiver the way she did. It wasn't the fact she was soaked in walker guts and that it was freezing out here in the pitch black night, no. No matter how many times she thought she was used to dealing with walkers, they still interjected a sense of fear into her. Admittedly not as much as they had done when she was a frightened 8 year old, but having been in Wellington for two years now and having to deal with people, she had almost completely forgotten the threat of walkers.
Not anymore.
"The bite's not going to kill you, calm down" Clementine thought to herself, trying hard to control her breathing, as she clung onto Stephanie's hand in front of her, but the sheer number of these lumbering corpses, that could puncture a vital vein or artery, with their teeth and hands was more than enough to get her concerned for her life. The last time she had been through herds this big...
The first time had been with Lee and she knew how that ended.
The second time had been with Luke's group, when they escaped Howe's in a pre-life and that was when everything went wrong for them.
The third time had been in Luke's timeline and everything went to hell, during and after walking through that herd.
Lee, Carlos, Sarita, Kelly... in her mind, those were the people lost to her as the result of herds this big and the consequences of walking through a herd and dealing with the aftermath, well that's how her first life had fallen apart...
If she thought about it, she was given her second chance just before a herd ruined it all for her and was given the chance to prevent it all. Whereas Luke had been given a second chance after a herd and had to manage the aftermath, while he had too get as many of his group to Wellington as he could, against the cult, a cult Clementine was responsible for creating by not shooting the leader when she should have done.
The cult existed because of her, Luke had to deal with her mess, whereas it wasn't Luke's fault she had to deal with Carver and his gang...
She was getting these melancholy thoughts, because she could see the outline of graves in the dark night which cast her mind back to her failures and sure enough when Stephanie stopped in her tracks, Clementine knew whose grave they had reached.
"I'm so sorry" Clementine heard Stephanie croak to a point below her.
"Stef" Nick whispered, as he placed a comforting arm around her, she fell into his embrace and with both of them holding back tears, they proceeded onwards into the twisted jungle of corpses ahead of them. As Clementine looked up at the raven haired couple, she caught a clear glimpse of Nick's bright, cat like blue eyes, gazing back at another grave. He let out another sigh and lead his wife onwards, moving on for good and in a few seconds Clementine would join them.
But as she looked down at Sarah's grave for the final time, she discovered then she really didn't want to leave.
She couldn't even muster anymore words to say to Sarah, she just gazed down at the grave and then back at Lilly's. She could see Kenny's old red cap was placed on the gravestone, Lilly was wearing it when she died and it was the final remnant of Kenny's new family and of the bearded Floridian himself. He was long gone, as were both Lilly's and Christa and Omid, all of her old group were now truly gone as was Sarah. For a split second she could envision all of them standing there, smiling at her and waving.
Omid was wearing his jolly smile and goofy face, Christa's arm was enveloped around her shorter boyfriend, her eyes glistening with the maternal love for Clementine, while a blue bundle lay nestled in her long arms. Kenny was flashing her a grin, with a salute he seemed to be rooting her onwards, while Sarita was beaming at her. Lilly was wedged between her parents, the parents she had never met in life, holding both of their hands and sharing her mother's smile at Clementine. The older Lilly, was leaning on a nearby grave and gave Clementine an encouraging smile and in between them all, with the largest smile, was Sarah of course...
She didn't say a word, but she felt her legs move of their own accord, as she gripped onto Stephanie's hand and the graves soon vanished from view, as did the people in her past. This was truly it, whatever happened in this herd or in it's aftermath. It was the third chapter of her life, the cult was gone and Carver was gone, whatever happened now depended on the walkers.
As well as the people in her group.
It was fast.
Luke hadn't expected it to be, he held onto Molly's hand as he followed the burly forms of Tom and Robert through the herd towards the hospital. He expected someone to scream, he expected at least one person to die. He expected it start raining like it did last time and then... all hell would break loose. Or he expected someone to break down and scream, hence throwing the group into complete chaos. Every gut churning second that passed and with every step he took, he expected disaster.
Five minutes into the herd, in an ocean of moving corpses with no idea where he was, his heart was racing and he was coated in sweat. He kept flickering his eyes back to Molly, for some form of distraction from just staring at the corpses. Before he remembered that he was meant to be leading her and would keep gazing back at Tom and Robert. The group all around him, yet no where in particular, an occasional pale face among a never ending mosaic or rotting black faces.
Robert, despite Luke's previous doubts about him seemed to be holding himself together, to lead everyone towards the hospital.
It seemed that the 20 minute trek to the hospital went on for an age, the sun was barely peeking over the horizon when they reached the large building, as if the star in their solar system was nervously peeking it's imaginary eyes at them, to see if they had made it to live and breathe another day.
The glass doors to the hospital were being held open for Luke... it was if he was suffocating in that herd, it was as if the whole group had sucked all the air out of Wellington, to hold their breaths on that unnerving journey. But the second Luke dragged himself and Molly inside of the cool air of the hospital, he breathed a massive sigh of relief. Looking around the reception area for the now abandoned hospital, everything seemed quiet, with no walkers bothering to enter this place. Although Luke knew there had to be some walkers around this hospital somewhere, as well as people. Some of which may have still been recovering from their injures in the past riot and could not attend the wedding.
"Well this seems cosy" Molly muttered, regarding the peaceful ambiance she could hear.
"Everyone keep your guards up" Robert snapped, "It's too quiet here to be true"
He waited until the last of the group had funnelled inside of the hospital, the doors were carefully closed by Maria, who entered the hospital last, breathing a sigh of relief, Robert's eyes diverted to the floors above him as he scanned one face and then another.
"It's best we spilt up" he ordered "If he travel in small groups of 3, than we'll be able to cover the whole hospital, everyone gather whatever you can, meds, bags to carry meds, hell even weapons if you come across them. Food and drink are important as well, so I'll put together the groups I think will work..."
"Hang on" Luke piped up "Don't we get something of a say in all this?"
"I'll be keeping groups in general together, don't worry" Robert informed him, before he began to pair off the people that had voted for him, into clumps of 3. To Clementine they were starting to look like an imposing large group, against her own and the diminished size of Tom's group was no comfort to her at all.
"Okay, Billy seems like you're still left" Robert noted, gazing over a middle aged man who had been left out of Robert's followers. The ex-editor scanned his eyes quickly to find two people to travel with this gentle looking man and soon enough a conclusion was drawn instantly in his mind.
"Clementine!" he called out "and Jason, you two go with Billy over here!"
"Now hold on a minute...!" Luke began to thunder instantly, as he shouted this Clementine gazed over at Jason, who gave her a very quick wink and something of a smirk. He almost seemed amused by this fact, almost as if he could see this coming a mile away. Turning away from the British asshole of a survivor, Clementine diverted her attention back towards Luke.
"Luke honestly it's fine!" Clementine informed him.
"She's seen some shit, but surely you can leave her alone for five minutes can't you!?" Robert cruelly inquired of Luke. The former farmhand cast a worried glance in Clementine's direction. Before he released all of his anxiety with a sigh and tried to calm himself down.
"Okay" he finally seemed to breathe.
"Good, the girl needs to integrate with other people, I thought this choice would be best for her" Robert reasoned.
"Clem, honey. If there is a problem..." Rebecca began.
"I'll be fine Rebecca" Clementine muttered, the sort of snappish tone she used to take with Rebecca, returning to her voice, of here in all places.
"Now as for you Rebecca" Robert said, aiming his gaze on the mid aged mother.
"Alvin stays with me" Rebecca spat out, anyone who tried to pry herself and son apart would no doubt, be ripped apart themselves and it was a challenge Robert was not up for. Leading them through a herd, was something he had managed to do successfully, but separate Rebecca from her son, to look around a potentially dangerous hospital was not a smart move. Particularly with what happened last time Rebecca left Alvin (in both riots) still being fresh in her mind.
"I guess Alvin doesn't count as a third person in grand scheme of things, sorry kid" Robert told to a silent AJ, who continued to cling onto his mother's leg. "I'll send you off with Eddie and Cristina".
"Jolly good" Miss King chirped, while Eddie just continued to look downtrodden.
"Luis, Maria and JJ" Robert called, as the three nodded at their group.
"Nick and Stephanie, I'll give you two some time alone together. Plus you need to change your clothes" Robert noted, at the pair's skimpy t-shirts which now, even further soaked in blood, showed more of what was underneath. If Clementine was freezing beforehand she dreaded to think how Stephanie and Nick were coping, with their bare legs exposed to the elements.
"Sounds like a plan" Nick muttered in agreement.
"Guess that leaves us four then" Molly concluded, counting herself, Luke, Robert and Tom, yet to be assorted into a group.
"Right then, Molly you can actually go off with Rebecca's group" Robert announced "I'm taking Tom and Luke with me, there are matters we need to discuss".
Luke looked disappointed and Molly certainly felt the same, that they wouldn't be able to air their thoughts to each other in a private place. Shrugging this off for the time being, Molly muttered to him "Best of luck, country boy"
"You too"
"Alright, we'll meet back here in an hour!" Robert shouted "Now everyone, let's go!"
Clementine knew the hospital was quiet, too quiet for that matter as she placed one cautious foot in front of the other, with no weapon in hand she felt especially vulnerable as she scanned the empty white corridor for anything she could have used. Hell she used basic objects to prevent Troy saving her life back at Howe's and judging by the fact she was with an asshole right now.
Why not repeat the process?
CRASH!
Her heart rate accelerating, she turned around to find that other guy her and Jason were with, Billy or something like that had searched inside a nearby drawer, only for his clumsy hand to knock a torrent of empty pill bottles to the ground, they cascaded with clatters that would draw any walker within 100 feet, straight towards the spot, after a few seconds of unnerving, heart pounding silence, no groans of walkers assaulted at neither of three's eardrums.
"Idiot!" Jason snapped at Billy instantly.
"S-sorry" Billy muttered quietly, scratching the back of his greying hairs, as the mild mannered, middle aged man, looked around, before his small green eyes found Clementine's own.
"Guess there can't be any walkers nearby" he boomed cheerfully "Otherwise they would have come down hard on our asses"
"I guess" Clementine replied, something about how cheery this man was being to her, seemed… off.
As Jason stormed on ahead, Billy decided to continue his conversation with Clementine.
"So… you erm alright?" he asked.
"Fine" Clementine replied.
"Oh, well that's good" Billy mumbled.
"Yep"
"Err… so your hat huh? Where'd you get it?"
"My dad gave it to me"
"Oh, that's nice"
"What about your… erm… coat?"
"This thing? Just something I got in Wellington I guess, keeps me warm" Billy informed her, as she inquired on the glaring red colour of his coat
"Well warm is always good"
"Yeah it is"
"So do you have any family or anything?" Clementine decided to ask, trying her hardest to generate some sort of conversation with this man. It was always nice to try and get to know new people and this conversation reminded her of some of the first awkward conversations she had with Lee.
"No. No" Billy mused with a light smile "Just me. Used to work as Psychologist here in Wellington, I can tell you, it's been a busy job".
"I can imagine"
Billy laughed "Yep, anyway we better keep an eye out. We don't where the walkers are and me with my clumsy ass…" he sounded like he was pitying himself as he said it.
"We all make mistakes" Clementine reminded him "Don't let what Jason said get you down"
"Yeah I gathered that guy is an asshole" Billy told her "It's why I voted for Robert to take power. No offence to that Luke guy he seemed nice. But Robert speaks the truth and he stood up to Jason, now that's what I like about Robert. After losing his son and wife as well, he continues to solider on. It can't be easy for him…"
"Yeah" Clementine echoed.
"I mean, I know you and that Luke are friends, but don't take this the wrong way… Clem was it?"
"Yeah"
"Well Clem. Luke just seems… broken and something of a pushover when compared to Robert. I mean, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I know he was a leader, but that might have broken him inside you know?"
"Luke's been through a lot" Clementine admitted "It was bad last time, I hope he'll be okay this time".
"Me too" Billy agreed "It always best to try and keep a group together. That's why I don't trust that other guy. Tom. His whole group just seems fucking shady. Pardon my French, but that's what I think. That JJ guy gives me a bad vibe as well…"
"I don't know…" Clementine muttered, for some reason she found her voice was trailing off and she couldn't muster anymore words of defence.
"I mean after what he was screaming in the church" Billy recalled "That kid's got something wrong upstairs. If that's the type of group Tom's leading and that Terri girl as well. Fucking hell, she was the cut throat cub! Okay, she got us the bodies, but I think it's best she stays the fuck away from us! We can't have that crazy bitch around us anymore and as for the mother and son as well, I don't know. Their whole group puts me on edge Clem, I'm sure a lot of people feel the same"
"I think they're okay" was Clementine's meek defence of them.
"Only because that Tom guy seems to be leeching off your group" Billy cut back "I mean, I've seen it. He knows Robert and lot of us are wary of him and his group. So I've seen him trying to chat to members of your group. I would advise caution against that Clem, do you really think that Violet girl really just dropped dead? I bet it was Tom's half assed attempt to raise distrust against the group so people would blame Robert as the leader for it"
"I've never thought about it like that" Clementine muttered "But she was bleeding out there Billy…"
"I know that Clem, but we need to start actually thinking about all of this" Billy began, his voice becoming intense and his stare ever harder, as he stopped standing and crouched down slightly to meet eye to eye with Clementine.
"We were once a community of thousands and now were down to a group of less than 30 people, which is getting smaller all of the time, we could actually be the last of humanity because we have the cure in our veins! Our lives are fucking important; the stakes are higher than they have ever been! We need to survive Clem, that's all there is too it"
He straightened up again, as Jason came walking back to them, while Clementine was left standing there, thinking very deeply about what he had just said.
"Nice to see you two are getting along" Jason growled, in his usual polite manner.
"We were just discussing the group and things" Billy summarised.
"Yeah, yeah whatever" Jason waved him off "Listen here, Billy no mates, there's a drawer stuffed with meds in there" he pointed to a nearby room. "Try to rectify your earlier mistake and get them all out in one piece".
"Why don't you do it?"
"Because I'm an asshole"
Billy sighed and seeing as there was arguing with Jason, he proceeded on into the room, to begin his mundane task of gaining meds for the group.
"Well, you really are as stupid as I thought" came a voice, Clementine was still thinking about what Billy had said, however when she heard this, she snapped back into the hospital and found Jason was staring down at her, with those cruel green eyes of his. That reminded Clementine so much so, of William Carver's eyes…
"What?" she questioned aloud.
"You just got played like a Xylophone and all you can say is what" Jason snarled "Honestly, the amount of crap he was force-feeding you, you might as well have just lain on your back and let him…"
"What are you talking about!?" Clementine snapped, "We were just having a friendly conversation, is something wrong with that?"
"In this situation, yes" Jason replied. "Let me teach you a damn lesson in true psychology, little girl…"
"I'm 15"
"You are still the little girl in this group" Jason said "and that's what Robert sees you as and it's what the others see you as. Learn your god-damn stereotype and learn it well, if you want to survive".
Now Clementine was listening.
"Firstly, let's analyse the situation. Robert's a smarter cookie than a lot of people think, why would he send you off with me? The token British villain and the mild mannered, friendly man, who just happens to be a psychologist?"
"I don't know" Clementine admitted.
"Automatically that makes Billy over there look nicer than me" Jason explained "It makes you more open to trust him. Especially after poor whittle Billy, drops all those meds and I have a go at him. Because he is honestly that clumsy…" Jason looked at the ground in disgust at this point.
"I don't get where you are going with all this" Clementine muttered.
"That's why I'm teaching you. Now listen" Jason commanded "He mentioned he was a psychologist, he didn't say his job was finished. He said his job was busy, which meant it was ongoing. Which meant he was still analysing people and you heard him. He was watching the groups, Tom and even Luke. So if he was watching Luke, he was obviously watching you as well and he already has you figured out Clementine".
"I'm not…" Clementine began to protest.
"Don't give me that crap" Jason snapped, cutting her off "You're not as mysterious and as cool as you think you really are. You might be a hardened little girl or teenager now. But Billy's most likely seen a hundred million little girls' like you. He had to check on them in Wellington all the damn time and assessed them when they entered Wellington. His violated you like a paedophile Clem and you don't even know it…"
"How…?"
"You have a weakness for helping weak people" Jason informed her "You wouldn't have kept the conversation with Billy ongoing had you not felt sorry for him. At first it was the classic, awkward trying to get to know you talk. After what, like 2 minutes of knowing the guy?"
"He was being nice!" Clementine protested "There isn't anything wrong with…"
"Anyone can be nice, if they wear the right mask" Jason explained "But yeah, they are going to be more inclined to be nice to you, because remember you are the little girl of the group. You fulfil their stereotype Clem. You're not a real fucking person to them, you simply fill a role and if you honestly believe they care for you. Than you are completely fucking retarded".
"It doesn't matter if they care for me or not!" Clementine exclaimed "I think it's best we try and keep the group together and getting along does that. Rather than be an ass hole like yourself…"
"Dear me, they're already brainwashing you into their way of thinking" Jason sympathised "The whole, keep the group together no matter what bullshit. God, that fucking trope makes me want to puke. Whatever bad things they've done or are planning to do, stem from that justification and getting the little girl on their side, eases their guilt. You're nice to them and you are young, they are going to use like a wrecking ball, to destroy Tom's group".
"Huh?"
"Yep. You heard how Billy spoke about Tom's group and you know he speaks to Robert a lot?"
Clementine shook her head at this question.
Jason grinned.
"So everything you just told Billy, will be going straight back to Headquarters" Jason said "The fact that Luke is broken and unfit to be leader, your growing doubts about Tom's group as well. At the end there, he got you thinking didn't he?"
Clementine nodded in understanding, her gut was slowly start to sink.
"First it will be Tom's group" Jason counted off "Then your group, then they'll start to off each other. This group is already doomed, some groups work and some don't and this one is heading straight for hell. But one thing they all want, is you around. They want you Clementine for their own selfish reasons, you play the morale compass for them and as Billy went on speaking did you notice how the awkward talk, very quickly became a deep analysis of the group?"
Clementine nodded.
"You're even just nodding at me now, in same way you turned into an automated machine, by saying yeah, when Billy kept speaking" Jason said "He has you in the palm of his hand, you've been in groups before Clementine I know that. But you are still a teenager and your group alone is a group that wouldn't break. I heard you took that cult on and survived and they were notorious for fucking with people's heads. You probably think you mastered the art of being manipulated against, but you are wrong".
"So, they're using me?" Clementine concluded.
"I wouldn't be telling you this if they were just using you Clementine" Jason muttered "Haven't you got the gist yet? Billy mentioned not having a family, all of the people backing Robert are adults who have probably lost families. You're the little girl who they see as a replacement and nothing more, they might save your life or stick up for you, but at the end of the day they won't do an actual thing that will make you happy, or do anything for you in general".
Clementine was now pondering on Jason's words; he had basically just described Lee. But Lee can't have done… Lee cared for her! Lee saved her lots of times and she liked that. But then Lee did more, he didn't keep her around for his own selfish reasons. He went through the effort of teaching her to survive and helping her grow as a person, he was brave enough to do the things Clementine hated at the time. Like cutting her hair or having her shoot a gun, he fixed the swing for her at the St. John's dairy and would sleep next to her whenever she got scared. But he also knew how to give Clementine and himself space for themselves and… the bottom line was, thinking back to Lee and false front Billy had put on. She knew the difference between someone who truly cared for her and for someone who was caring for her, for their own purposes.
If she allowed Billy to slowly manipulate her, she'd end up with one of them. Unhappy maybe, but alive and the group would be together…
But, is that what she really wanted?
She now understood, despite how long Jason had been talking to her what his bottom line really was.
Robert was going to use her, to destroy her own group and Tom's and she had blindly walked into his trap.
Because everyone trusted the word of a child.
Because everyone trusted her… stereotype.
"You get it now, don't you?" Jason mused "You need to keep close to that group of your's, or Luke at least. I know he cares about you".
Jason then turned away, Billy was still scrambling meds in the other room, but before Jason could go, Clementine had a few questions to ask him.
"Why did you tell me all this Jason?"
He turned around.
"Because I can see the outcome already and it's fucking boring and predictable" He snarled "You are the key character that can change things here Clementine. I'd rather you did, rather than everything goes to a shit-storm. Ironically I'd kind of like the group to be together in this scenario, but more or less your group in particular. You seem like the best of a bad bunch"
He turned away once again.
"You're just using us to survive aren't you?"
"Of course" Jason answered instantly "At least I'm honest about it though. I would change things if I could, but I'm the already established asshole. So I've decided to shut my mouth as of now. With tensions rising and people using each other, if I speak up now, I'm as good as dead. I need to lay low and we can't be seen speaking like this again. It's a one off, if we do. I'm as good as dead. Period."
"But how do you know about all of this?"
"Ironically I was part of a group just like you guys before" Jason decided to unveil "We holed up in a bar, but then we had our own Wellington Wolf. A crazy fucker who'd basically just murder people and leave one bloody hand-print on their bodies. Eventually after a lot of distrust and false shootings. We shot the real fucker, but by that point tensions had formed and rifts had formed too deeply, so we all offed each other. I survived because I avoided trouble and shot the last guy in my group in the back of the head and escaped that place. I've been part of about 3 groups that have gone the exact same way since then. Then I found Wellington, the fourth group like that".
"You sound a lot Luis, it's quite depressing" was all Clementine could say.
"Lippy limbless you mean? That asshole is some wannabe macho man, who thinks losing a few limbs gives him every bragging right on planet earth" Jason summarised "His bullshit of a survivalist attitude lacked so much evidence, even you saw through it and pointed it out. That kid is a lot like you actually, he thinks he knows it all, when he doesn't have a clue, I guess it's a thing with you whiny teenagers. But believe me when I say I do know what I am talking about".
He turned away for the final time, but he still had some last words for Clementine.
"Little girl, remember to play your cards right. Keep some to your chest, reveal the false one's and the real ones to the right people".
Clementine nodded, understanding his words as he departed into the other room, to berate Billy on something most likely. Being an asshole as per usual, but not as an attention seeking asshole, as he previously was.
He was playing the game.
Everyone was playing the game.
Jason had made her realise, herself and her own group were the mindless pawns, to be moved and to be used to wipe each other and whoever didn't meet Robert's fancy.
Clementine wouldn't allow that.
She wasn't going to be manipulated by anyone.
She was getting her group out of here and making her second chance count, as it had always done. She was sticking with her own group and no would try and convince her otherwise, Luis' idea of gaining allies wasn't the worse one for survival and Clementine had been open to that. Just as Sarah was, Clementine had tried being like Sarah, being kind and trusting to people. Trying to be what Sarah was too her…
But she wasn't Sarah and Sarah was dead now.
It was time to start surviving.
"Nothing you guys found then?"
Rebecca, Eddie, Miss King, AJ and Molly had a surprisingly mute journey throughout the hospital. Eddie was mute for obvious reasons, but Rebecca expected her son to make at least one mandatory comment to Eddie or ask about things. Yet AJ was silent as well and despite Rebecca asking if her son was "fine" he quickly replied that he was and he was just tired. Which was a very un-AJ thing to say, Rebecca guessed after everything that had happened he was closing up, just like he had done after the first riot and after he lost his friend in Lilly.
Still, it made Rebecca worry, as all mothers would.
Then there was Molly's whose humour seemed to leave her and go off with Luke, because she too seemed absorbed in thought. Carefully treading through the hospital corridors, despite being people next to her she could use for help. Maybe it was the loss of Hilda that had made her feel this low, Rebecca noticed how she seemed to be very attached and confident when with that pickaxe. But Rebecca couldn't help but think there was another factor behind it.
Either way, in the lack of Eddie, Molly and AJ speaking, she expected the humorous Miss King to say something. Yet the British teacher had her head in the clouds as well and not even in a funny way, in which she would clumsily knock everything over, more in a way that something heavy was weighing on the former teacher's mind. Violet had been her friend as well and it seemed her death had affected her as well…
Returning to the reception, encountering no walkers, but gaining new weapons (in the forms of several sharp and discarded table legs and some baseball bats that were left lying around covered in blood. It seemed there had been a struggle at the hospital, but there were no bodies and all trails lead upstairs, to the floor Luke, Tom and Robert were covering.
They would return with news, but for the moment, it was Luis who asked the group if they had found anything. Which they had done, meds, weapons and a lot of warmer coats to wear, along with food and drinks spilled from vending machines. They had all that they needed.
Other than group morale.
Rebecca's eyes scanned over her own downtrodden group and Robert's followers who had also returned to the reception, who lay huddled in their own big group. Discussing something urgent and throwing the occasional glare at the remains of Tom's group.
"We're fine" Rebecca replied to Luis, as he walked up to himself, Maria and JJ "The others still not back yet?"
"No" Luis replied "We found stuff as well, should be good for going out there and all"
"Yeah us too" Rebecca mumbled.
Silence prevailed, Rebecca couldn't believe that out of everyone, she was being the most talkative out of everyone. Was there something she didn't know?
"What's up with everyone?" Rebecca finally asked of the group as a whole.
They all looked back at her, as if she had grown two heads.
"Violet" Eddie mumbled.
"Yeah" Miss King echoed.
"It's just really sad, Mum" AJ repeated.
"Yeah that's sad and all" Luis snarled "But there's also the issue Tom's not telling us something and all of Robert's red-shirts there, want us out of this group. In the same way they kicked Terri out".
"I'm sure it can't be that bad" Rebecca reasoned, before she turned to Maria. She was shocked to see the mother she shared so much gossip with, shared her son's pessimistic gaze in those minutes.
"I wish it wasn't" Maria mumbled "But me and Luis we're discussing it while we were looking around and it all seems true Rebecca. Not to mention Terri being that foul cub, I always knew she had issues, but being this bad…" she sighed to herself and turned to face the double doors that led out of the hospital, where dozens of walkers stumbled past the doors, without noticing the people inside.
"I hope we see her again though" Maria muttered.
"Yeah" Luis echoed "I wish she'd told us she was the Cub, I mean those bastards in the school, were the reason Brandon died. I could have helped her…"
"Don't say things like that young man!" Maria suddenly exploded at her son "That's a horrible thing to say!"
"If Terri didn't do it, we wouldn't be here" Luis reasoned.
"That's what scares me" Maria told him "You and everyone else going down this dark road. A darker road than we have ever been on previously…"
"Yeah, yeah whatever" Luis waved off, as though this wasn't an issue at all.
"Where are the others. Luke, Tom, Robert, Nick, Stef, Clem…?" Rebecca asked to break the once again, growing silence.
"Still gone" Luis mumbled.
"Well" Molly piped up at long last, with a usual inkling of humour in her voice "Do you think Nick and Stef, are busy… how shall we say. Changing clothes?"
"Now wouldn't be the time for all that" Maria informed her.
"Oh no, you'd be surprised" Molly told her "Back when I first met them. They were stark naked in the back of a car and poor Sarah had witnessed it all…"
"What, really!?" Maria inquired with large eyes.
"Oh yeah" Molly said dryly "Then merely a day later, I caught them having a little rumble in the jungle…"
"You went to a jungle?" AJ asked.
"No AJ and don't listen in on all this" Rebecca snapped, although inside she was smiling at the humour finally developing, in this stark situation.
"I bet right now, Stef's cosplaying as a sexy nurse in front of Nick" Miss King chipped in "Probably found themselves a small room to lock themselves away in…"
"Oh please" Eddie interjected, finally lifting his head, a scowl was lined on his face. He looked like he was about to yell in irritation.
"…we all know it would be Nick in the sexy nurse's outfit" Eddie said.
A chorus of ringing laughter broke out at this, as Rebecca had to smile at Eddie's strength. Despite everything, he was still able to crack a joke, rather than ruin the developing good mood and nothing could make Rebecca prouder of him, than that simple fact.
"He doesn't look like the type that would last long though" Luis added.
"Why do you think that?" Rebecca asked.
"Because, look who's coming back to us right now" Luis explained, as many heads turned and saw Nick and Stephanie walking back up to them.
"First thing he says" Rebecca predicted to the group in a whisper "He'll put on a serious face and ask, so what did you guys get? Then we don't reply and then he'll ask if Luke's back yet".
Everyone waited for a few seconds.
"So, what did you guys get?" Nick asked with a serious face.
The urge not to laugh was becoming rib cracking, as everyone played along with not replying to him.
"Is Luke back yet?"
Roaring laughter broke out at this, as Luis thumped his knee with his remaining hand, Maria giggled so much she cried. Even AJ was laughing as he got his mother's sense of humour, while Nick looked on turning pink, while Stephanie looked puzzled behind him.
"What's so funny about that!?" Nick snapped defensively.
"Just… everything!" Rebecca wheezed between her chuckles.
Stephanie patted Nick on the shoulder.
"There, there" she soothed him "We are the only couple left now. Of course we are the ones, who are going to get roasted at every social interaction"
Overhearing this, Molly wanted to correct her, but decided against it for the time being.
"But I still don't get what was funny" Nick muttered, approaching the group.
"Rebecca predicted what you'd say and she was bang on right, dude" Eddie mused.
"Really, you think I'm that predictable?" Nick asked of the group.
"Obviously" Luis replied.
"Alright Captain Obvious, of the Arr islands" Nick snapped, once again bringing up the pirate thing to Luis.
"We're bringing that up again?" Luis snarled.
"I'm always going to bring it up to you" Nick reminded him, in evil glee.
"Is this what he promises you every night Stef?" Miss King interjected.
"Promises yes, goes through with, rarely" Stephanie remarked.
A chorus of laughter broke out once again and once again, it was at a red faced Nick's expense.
"NOW YOU'RE JOINING IN!?" He screamed at Stephanie.
"Why not, seems like fun" Stephanie reasoned.
"WELL YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU KNOCK DOWN MY SEXUAL PROWESS TO NEAR NOTHING! MAY I REMIND YOU, THAT YOU SEEMED TO BE HAVING A LOT MORE FUN WITH ME, VERY RECENTLY!"
A chorus of "OOOOhhh's" broke out at Nick's successful comeback, now it was Stephanie's turn to become red faced.
"Wait, were you two actually…?" Maria left the question hanging.
"Of course not!" Stephanie gabbled, far too quickly to come across as convincing.
"Oh my God, you fucking did! You dirty sons of bitches!" Luis yelled, with a malicious smile.
"We didn't!" Stephanie squeaked, however her red cheeks told a different story.
"At least I'm a dirty son of a bitch, who gets some" Nick taunted to Luis.
"I'm not interested!" Luis puffed.
"I bet you are" Eddie teased.
"Am not" Luis sourly replied.
"Are too" Eddie repeated.
"Are not"
"Are too"
"Are not"
"Are too"
"What about that Clementine girl, you seem to like her Luis" Maria said, breaking through Luis and Eddie's exchange.
"What, really?" Luis snapped "For fuck's sake, she is like 12…"
"Isn't she 15?" Molly corrected him, but Luis carried on regardless.
"…plus she's not interested either and from what I gathered" Luis explained "Also she confessed at the wedding she loved Sarah before. So she wasn't into guys from what I gathered…".
"Wait, when did you hear this?" Rebecca inquired instantly.
"At the wedding, I was drunk and she was sad about something I can't remember" Luis grumbled "Then we just decide to start throwing bottles and confess all our dirty little secrets. It was quite fun and then she comes out with the I love Sarah line and I realise, she could very well be the group's token lesbian".
"Did she mention herself and Sarah, doing anything together?" Eddie asked.
"Eddie!" Rebecca snapped "Mind out of the gutter, please!"
"I wasn't thinking dirty, I just wanted to know if they were in a relationship or something that they weren't telling the rest of us". Eddie explained "Besides why would I get dirty thoughts about Clem or Sarah, it's too weird. Clem still looks like a little girl to me and Sarah was always the innocent one"
Anyway, to answer your earlier question, No. I don't think she did" Luis cut in.
"Awww, it must have been a crush then" Stephanie said "I always got a slight feeling, you know they were best friends. But the way Clementine admired Sarah…"
"I can't believe she wouldn't tell us about it" Nick muttered "We'd have been fine with it. I mean, we're not all racist, homophobes here".
"Yeah, my granddaddy's dead, so were all in the clear" JJ muttered sourly, speaking for the first time. He laughed a little at his own joke, but otherwise kept silent.
"Did Sarah feel the same about Clementine though?" Miss King said "I mean, I can't contribute much, but Clementine was very quiet and distant in my class after Sarah died and beforehand they were very good friends".
"Maybe we should just ask her about it" Eddie concluded.
"Still, I'm glad the group has its first lesbian" Molly mused.
"Yeah, you're doing a great job" Nick remarked.
"Piss off" Molly retorted, as Nick laughed to himself.
"Still with a lesbian in the group…" Rebecca began.
"Who's a lesbian?"
Whoever would ask this, other than Clementine herself, who had returned with Jason and the other guy, who instantly went to Robert's group.
"Clementine honey, Luis was just telling us" Rebecca began "About you and Sarah"
Clementine went pink and gazed over at where Luis was grinning at her.
"Why didn't you tell us Clem?" Nick inquired "We honestly don't have any issues with it"
"You two, weren't like. Together before all this, were you?" Eddie cautiously ventured.
"Erm… no" Clementine finally muttered, mortified at the situation. She… she didn't want all this to come out now! She felt enraged and she looked at Luis, causally tossing out this information as if it was nothing. When it meant a great deal to her, this was meant to be her new start. She didn't need him reminding people of Sarah all over again, now she would be asked constant questions all over again…
"Clem, honey. If it was just a crush, there's nothing wrong at all with the way you feel" Rebecca tried to reassure her.
"I'm not… I'm not a lesbian" Clementine croaked mortified, hating the way everyone was looking at her now, with sympathetic eyes. As if they stuck that title LESBIAN on her forehead and that's all she was every going to be to them now.
"Clementine" Maria called out to her "It's the 21st century, how you feel is absolutely natural…"
"But I'm not!" Clementine shouted, getting rather annoyed now "I'm not interested! I really am not!"
"If you're really not interested, why are you getting so defensive over it?" Jason asked.
"Wait, who invited you here?" Nick snapped.
"No one, I invited myself" Jason explained.
"Care to un-invite yourself?" Nick asked with poison in his tone.
"I'll die of boredom in that other group" Jason whined "Better to pretend to be with you guys than those guys".
With that settled, all focus settled back on Clementine once again.
"I WANTED TO MOVE ON LUIS!" She suddenly roared over to him "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TELLING EVERYONE THIS!?"
"WOAH CALM DOWN!" Luis roared back, clearly taken aback by Clementine's response "YOU WERE SHOUTING IT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO HEAR! HOW THE HELL DID I KNOW YOU WERE ASHAMED OF IT!?"
"WHAT!? LIKE YOU TELLING EVERYONE YOU'RE ASEXUAL!"
There was a silence at this point, in which all eyes turned to Luis.
"THEY ALREADY FUCKING KNOW!" Luis replied with a reddening face "I'VE TOLD THEM, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ANYONE! ESPECIALLY NOT YOU!"
"YEAH WELL I FUCKING HATE YOU SOMETIMES LUIS!"
With this dramatic outburst out of the way, Clementine felt the tears sting at her eyes and quickly departed in a huff, down a nearby corridor. Everyone looked after her and then at a still fuming Luis, whose mother made a show of jabbing him in the arm.
"What!?" He snapped.
"Go after her" she snarled.
"But…"
"Now mister!" Maria shouted, her voice becoming deadly, after a few seconds. Luis moaned and proceeded to take off after the upset Clementine.
Silence once again prevailed.
"Love is in the air…" Eddie began to sing, before he was silenced from where Rebecca punched him in the arm.
"No" was all she had to utter.
"Ain't nothing wrong with a little bump N' Grind…" Miss King began to sing, in Eddie's place.
All eyes turned to her.
"Really?" Rebecca asked appalled.
"Well, love in the air wasn't right and well I thought with other circumstances…" she blushed there and muttered "I'm terrible aren't I?"
"Yeah, but that's why people like you" Molly said to cheer up the embarrassed teacher.
"I just love, how none of us are taking their argument that seriously" Eddie informed everyone, as their still seemed to be a jolly mood about.
"They are fucking teenagers" Jason muttered "No surprise there".
"They always bicker anyway" Maria said "I've seen them at it most of the time. They'll resolve their differences, I just sent him after her, because we cannot afford it now".
"I guess that's smart" Stephanie mumbled.
"Any-way!" Molly announced loudly to move the conversation onwards, "We have our maybe lesbian now. We have our asexual, we have our red-shirts over there. Who Luis was just very happy to call red-shirts…"
"If you don't mind, can you keep it down over there!" a woman yelled over to them "With all the noise, the walkers might hear and although we have some walker bodies here at the ready. We don't want to be attacked without any warning".
Ignoring her completely, Molly ploughed onwards.
"…so now we need our token gay and congratulations Nick. You and Luke make a fantastic couple!"
"I'm with Stef, that wouldn't work" Nick instantly argued in his defence.
"That's a load of shit, you and Luke have been friends for years. Maybe the two of you had some past encounter or something" Molly theorised "You know, teenage years, experimental stage and all, wake up lying naked next to him one morning…"
"That's ridiculous!" Nick exclaimed, going red at the mere suggestion. "Stef, tell her that!"
However, to his horror, Stephanie was grinning too.
"I've always found you and Luke kind of cute together" she admitted.
"You have got to be fucking with me" Nick droned.
"No. You and Luke would make one sexy couple" Stephanie admitted with a coy smile "I mean, you've been friends for ages, so who knows. Maybe it would explain the drama and angst between you back at Howe's. I mean maybe, deep down you have slept with each before. But both of you deny it happened and don't tell anyone and push it to the back of your minds…"
"You've had too much time on your hands, thinking about all of this haven't you?" Nick asked.
Stephanie's guilty smile, confirmed it all.
"So you're just somehow fine with it all?" Nick enquired "If you just found me and Luke sleeping together".
"Meh, wouldn't bother me" Stephanie muttered.
"But what's the appeal of it!" Nick demanded for an answer.
"Same way lesbians, appeal to you I guess" Stephanie answered "Say if you found me and Molly together…"
"Waiting for you tonight beautiful" Molly complimented, with a click of the tongue.
"…you'd like it too" Stephanie concluded.
"Yeah but come on, this is Molly were taking about…"
As Molly retorted to Nick's comment, AJ smiled and looked around at his group. They were all having a good time here, even if it was just briefly, he didn't want any of them to die in the near future. But then he looked over to Robert's group and gulped, they did have greater numbers…
"Mummy" AJ muttered "You, you aren't going to let the bad man take any of us away are you?"
"Of course not" Rebecca replied, holding her son in her arms "and what do you mean, bad man?
"N-nothing" AJ mumbled "I just hope we can all be safe".
"Me too baby bear, me too" Rebecca said.
Well it explained why the hospital was empty.
Robert could hear them on the other side of the locked door, walkers and a lot of them. Judging by the bloody cadaver of a doctor next to the locked door, with the key still in his hand, it had seemed the doctor had successfully managed to draw all of the walkers into the hospital into this locked area. He had shut them inside, while gravely injured by their attacks, he slumped by the door and died bleeding out, thinking he had saved so many lives.
Yet unbeknownst to this doctor, everyone in the hospital had already turned by this time. So he had unknowingly trapped every person and every walker who used to be in hospital here. Tapping the walls from one side to the other, Robert guessed the hospital had soundproof walls, explaining why walkers from the outside weren't attracted inside of here, by whatever noise this doctor had made. The walkers were attracted to come into the hospital in the first place, by the screaming, freshly scented victims of the people inside.
His own group had been covered in walker guts when they entered and would leave the hospital, in warmer attire, coated within walker guts.
Wouldn't it be a shame, if someone unlocked these doors? Allowing the walkers to come in?
"I think we gathered what happened here gents" Robert told Tom and Luke behind him.
"Poor guy" Luke sounded genuinely upset, for the doctor he probably never knew.
"It's a tragedy" Tom grunted stoically.
"Yeah" Robert said, before he found what he was looking for, he turned to Luke and muttered "Here Luke, help me pry open these elevator doors would you?"
"Sure, but why do you want to open them?" Luke inquired.
"Just gotta double check something" Robert grunted as he and Luke, applied pressure and tried to open the doors to the elevator shaft.
"Are you sure you don't want to help us here Tom?" Robert asked with a raised eyebrow.
Daring him too.
"I'm good, thanks. You two seem like you can handle it" Tom muttered.
He didn't take the bait. Coward.
Now the shaft was open the full way.
"Hey Robert, didn't you bring us up here, too talk to me about something?" Tom inquired.
"Oh yeah, I guess I did" Robert remembered "This seems like a good place to talk about things. You get me?"
Yes, he did. Walkers to be used as an excuse, with the turn of a key and an elevator shaft, where a body could disappear down.
"Yeah" Tom answered, "So what's this all about?"
"Well" Robert began, before he turned to Luke "Luke, double check the shaft for me, would you?"
"Sure" Luke replied brightly.
As Luke hung over the edge of the elevator shaft Tom became aware, of Robert's hands slowly moving towards his coat pockets. Tom followed his movements, as the pair of them store each other down.
"Well it's about what happened with Violet you see and then Terri" Robert informed him.
"Oh, is it?" Tom muttered.
"Yep. I mean first things first, I am still a little bit suspicious, about how Violet, really died…"
"She bled out" Tom answered simply.
"Terri was the cut throat cub, and yet I'm meant to believe that you had no idea about what she was up too?".
"She was very good at keeping secrets" Tom answered meekly.
"Hmm, seems like you are too"
The tension that had been building between these two, ever since they had taken off alone had been building and building and building. With a naive Luke being wedged between them, the three of them had found supplies, on this top floor, but while Robert had directly ushered off Luke elsewhere, he went inside the room, he knew where the guns were stored in the hospital and took a rifle for himself.
He was a Journalist beforehand; he knew this stuff.
Whereas Tom had followed in his footsteps and had slyly grabbed his own gun as well. By the way Robert was treating him and the tension that was building. Tom knew his game was already up.
So when Robert whipped out his rifle from his pocket (it was large pocket) Tom wasn't surprised. However Robert knew aiming his rifle at Tom, wouldn't be enough to make the African American man draw his own gun on him.
But when Robert pointed the gun at Luke, Tom had to act, pulling his own powerful pistol from his pocket.
"HANDS IN THE AIR MOTHER-FUCKER!" Robert exploded at Tom "OR I'LL BLOW LUKE'S BRAINS OUT HERE!"
"WHAT THE…!?" Luke bellowed in complete shock, to find himself with a rifle wedged between his shoulder blades.
"DON'T FUCKING MOVE, LUKE!" Robert roared.
"I AIN'T DROPPING SHIT!" Tom bellowed back "YOU'LL SHOOT ME!"
"OF COURSE I WILL!" Robert snarled "BUT YOU CAN'T KILL ME TOM! YOU SIMPLY FUCKING CAN'T GO OFF WITH ME AND COME BACK SAYING I DIED! MY GROUP WILL KNOW! THEY WILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID AND TEAR YOURSELF AND YOUR GROUP APART! THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT IS IT!"
Tom kept his gun raised, but didn't say a word. Everything Robert said was true, Robert couldn't be killed here and he could have been killed easily. But then there was this extra ingredient, Robert had added to the mix…
Luke.
The leader of the group, Tom's was trying to ally with. Tom couldn't believe how easily he had fallen into this trap. Not only would Luke now know everything, but Robert was testing him to see how far he would go to survive.
If he kept his gun raised, then Luke died.
If he dropped his gun, he died.
Either way his own group was doomed, if he returned back alive with Luke. Luke would know what he had done and instantly tell everyone, Luke's group would distance himself from his own group and if Robert returned with Luke, then his group would have been slowly whittled off and killed, without him there to guide them and would Luke's group even trust his own, after all Luke learnt?
Then, there was always the option that Robert would kill Luke as well, after he killed him. But then if Robert returned to the group that both Luke and Tom had been killed by walkers, the story would fall flat and maybe, just maybe his own and Luke's group could get away from Robert's group.
Or most likely, they'd all be killed by Robert's group.
"WHY ARE YOU GUYS DOING THIS! WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE GUNS?!" Luke roared.
"I'M DOING THIS TO GET RID OF TOM!" Robert answered "HE CAN'T BE HERE ANY-MORE! THE CUT THROAT CUB IS IN HIS GROUP! THAT JJ GUY! AND HE KILLED VIOLET! I KNOW HE DID!"
"SO WHAT IF I DID!?" Tom exploded "WE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH THE HERD ALL IN ONE PIECE IF SHE HAD BEEN THERE! SHE'D HAVE BLED ALL OVER US AND ATTRACTED WALKERS…!"
"YOU KILLED VIOLET?!" Luke screamed "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH EDDIE HAS SUFFERED ALREADY! HE LOST HIS BEST FRIEND AND NOW VIOLET! ALL BECAUSE OF A LITTLE RISK IN A HERD!? YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY TOM! YOU JUST ASSUMED KILLING HER WAS BEST FOR THE GROUP! SHE COULD BE HERE, NOW! SHE COULD BE ALIVE! WHAT THE FUCK WAS KILLING HER GOING TO ACHIEVE!?"
"THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING!" Robert backed him up with.
"AND I DON'T WANT YOUR SHIT EITHER!" Luke roared to him "TAKIN' THE GOD-DAMN MORALE HIGH GROUND WHILE YOUR POINTING A RIFLE AT MY DAMN BACK! YOUR SMART ENOUGH TO REALISE TOM KILLED VIOLET! YET YOUR USING THIS HOSTAGE SHIT TO RAISE TENSIONS! JUST SO YOU CAN GET RID OF TOM'S WHOLE GROUP!"
"THEY ARE ALL FUCKING DANGEROUS!" Robert exploded "THEY ALL NEED TO GO LUKE! BEING A LEADER MEANS MAKING HARD CHOICES!"
"I HAVE BEEN A GOD-DAMN LEADER AND YOU ARE NOT MAKING ANY HARD CHOICES, YOU SON OF BITCH! YOU'RE BOTH MAKING THE EASY ONE'S!"
"ARE YOU SURE YOU WANNA SPEAK LIKE THAT LUKE!?" Tom inquired "YOU GOT TWO PISSED OFF GUYS HOLDING GUNS AND YOU AIN'T HOLDING ONE! I'M HELPING YOU HERE MAN! I'M GONNA SHOOT ROBERT IF HE SO MUCH AS SO, PRESSES HIS FINGER DOWN!"
"WHAT, THAT MAKES YOU THE GOOD GUY!?" Luke laughed, "IT DOESN'T TOM, YOU BOTH WANT TO GET RID OF THE PEOPLE YOU THINK HOLD THE GROUP BACK! I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN A GROUP BEING LED BY SOMEONE LIKE THAT! I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN A COMMUNITY LED BY SOMEONE LIKE THAT! AND NOW IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! YOU KEEP THINKING LIKE THAT, THERE WON'T BE A GROUP LEFT FOR YOU TOO LEAD, BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL HOLD YOU BACK!"
"OH, WHAT MAKES YOU SO HIGH AND MIGHTY THEN!?" Robert snarled.
"I GAVE ALL OF MY GROUP A CHANCE!" Luke bellowed "EVEN THE BASTARDS I DIDN'T INSTANTLY WANT TO KILL THEM! I LET THEM LIVE, EVEN WHEN I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE! I GAVE MY GROUP SECOND CHANCES! A LITTLE EFFORT FROM A REAL LEADER IS WHAT YOU NEED! NOT ALL THIS BACKSTABBING SHIT! BOTH OF YOU GROW A FUCKING BACKBONE AND SORT THINGS OUT!"
"WHY THE HELL SHOULD WE! THE WORLD IS NOT YOUR VISION OF SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS LUKE!" Tom roared "YOU MADE LOADS OF MISTAKES AND LOOK AT HOW MANY OF YOUR GROUP HAVE DIED!"
"LOOK AT YOUR'S!" Luke retorted "AND ROBERT, WHEN YOU GET OUT THERE, YOUR GROUP NUMBERS ARE GOING TO FALL!"
"MY GROUP HAS NOTHING TO FEAR!" Robert informed him "TOM'S RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING, NOT HAVING VIOLET IN THAT HERD, SPARED US ALL!"
"YOU'RE DANGEROUS, BOTH OF YOU!" Luke concluded "I'M FUCKING PISSED OFF, ALL THIS TIME, I'VE BEEN USED AS SOME SORT OF PAWN IN YOUR FUCKING GAME! I'VE BEEN TOO KIND YOU SEE! THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE CUT OFF IN THIS GROUP, AND IT'S YOU TWO!"
"WHAT HAVE WE DONE!?" Robert dared to ask "YOU KILLED A GOD-DAMN HELPLESS TEENAGER, FOR JUST TRYING TO TOUCH CLEMENTINE! TOM KILLED VIOLET TO SAVE THE GROUP AND SOME OF YOUR OWN GROUP! DON'T YOU GET IT LUKE! YOU'RE THE DAMN FAILURE HERE! EDDIE PROBABLY LOST HIS FRIEND IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE OF YOUR POOR LEADERSHIP!"
Luke sighed, they were both right. He was a poor leader and he made many mistakes.
But he'd be dammed if he was going to leave Clem and the others, trapped in a group by two William Carver's in the making.
"EVERYONE KNOWS MY MISTAKES! I LIVE WITH THE GUILT OF THEM EVERYDAY! Luke argued "PEOPLE KNOW WHAT I HAVE DONE! AND YES THEY MAY HATE FOR IT! BUT THEY ALSO RESPECT ME FOR IT! BECAUSE REAL LEADING IS DIFFICULT AND YOU HAVE TO FACE YOUR MISTAKES! WHICH YOU TWO ARE AVOIDING! ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME TOO? JUST SO YOU CAN DELAY KARMA FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER! BUT LET ME TELL YOU THIS, IT WILL COME DOWN AND BITE YOU ON THE FUCKING ASS, HARDER THAN EVER!"
"How cute" Robert muttered, suddenly calm, as his finger slowly began to press down on the trigger. "But regardless of what we are Luke, we've got guns and you haven't. You lose and we live, now I'll give you an option. Agree with me, to keep what happened here a secret, as I kill Tom. Or just die here and I kill Tom anyway. You want to be around for your group, don't you Luke? Don't take the selfish way out. There's nothing heroic about dying here…"
Luke managed to turn his head towards the doctor, lying on the ground nearby. That doctor died thinking he was a hero, when he had really died in vain. Was that foreshadowing for his own demise?
He looked down the elevator shaft, it was a long drop.
"What's your choice, Luke?" Robert asked of him.
Luke made up his mind.
"My choice is, fuck the pair of you"
With that being said, he allowed himself to plummet down the elevator shaft, towards his certain death.
"WHAT!?" Robert exploded, staring blankly at where Luke had just killed himself, rather than simply live and help his group.
"WHAT A FUCKING MORON!" Robert exploded, as Tom couldn't help but laugh.
"Weren't expecting that, were you?" Tom mused, then Tom decided to do something unexpected and put his own gun back in his pocket.
"What are you doing now!?" Robert asked.
"Shoot me then, now's your chance"
"What are you up too?"
"Nothing. Just me dying here and then thinking about how you'll have to explain to everyone, how Luke and me somehow didn't come back".
"This is horse-shit" Robert snarled, but then he rubbed the scarred half of his face and sighed, before dropping his own rifle back into his own large pocket.
"But now you have to come back and explain it as well" Robert mused at a still staring Tom, "Then we find the next place to hole up. I'm going to destroy you in front of fucking everybody and everybody will know! And you'll be there to hear every fucking word and I'll tell them how you killed Luke!"
"Give it your all Robert" Tom told him "Believe you me, I'm ready for you to challenge me"
"You are too calm about all of this, what have you got under your sleeve?" Robert demanded to know.
"Nothing. Other than the fact, I know I'll be believed over you" Tom grinned.
"You're a god-damn idiot" Robert informed him, as he picked up the key and turned it, there was a click and the door, creaked open as hundreds of walkers converged on them in seconds. Robert and Tom ran on, side by side.
"After we clear this hospital and find our next hole-up!" Robert shouted in glee "It will be the end of you!"
"Whatever tale you tell them Robert!" Tom shouted "I know for a fact they won't believe you!"
Tom knew they wouldn't, he had his wrecking ball of AJ at the ready to use against Robert. Anything Robert said would be undermined by AJ and Robert would be toast here.
Tom had already won.
While Robert was gloating openly, Tom was silent, yet he couldn't help but take one last look back at the elevator shaft. Luke could have gone along with Robert, pretended to keep it all secret and then tell his group and flee. Yet maybe Luke knew, Robert wouldn't let him live regardless, so he chose his own way out.
"You should have played the game smarter than that though" Tom thought to the now absent Luke.
Clementine allowed herself a few seconds to breathe, it may have been funny to everyone else, but too her it was personal. God damn Luis and his stupid fucking mouth…
"Clementine" came a familiar, annoyed voice.
She didn't even mutter a word to him, but waited until he was close enough and then swung around and landed a well-aimed fist, squarely in his nose. Grunting in pain and sliding back a few steps, Luis swore under his breath as blood flowed freely from his now stinging nose.
"FUCK YOU, BITCH!" Luis roared.
"WELL FUCK YOU TOO LUIS!" Clementine screamed back at him "LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE, LIPPY LIMBLESS!"
"LIPPY LIMBLESS? WHERE'D YOU GET THAT SHIT FROM!?"
"SUITS YOU, WITH YOUR BIG MOUTH!"
"STOP BEING SUCH A FUCKING DRAMA QUEEN!" Luis told her.
"ME, THE DRAMA QUEEN!? SERIOUSLY!?"
"OH HA HA…!" Luis interjected with a dose of sarcasm.
"Just go away" Clementine snarled turning away from him.
"Why the hell are you so upset about it, anyway?" Luis asked "I mean I thought It wasn't a big deal"
"It is, I just… I just wanted to move on" Clementine murmured "and now all anyone is gonna do, is bring it up to me again and…" she sighed there.
"My whole attitude's wrong Luis. It was the attitude Sarah taught me and people are just using it against me" Clementine muttered, seemingly defeated "I just wanted to move on, it's about survival out here Luis and I need to move on, for all our sakes".
"What are you talking about and whose using your attitude against you?" Luis asked.
"Oh Jesus Christ…" Clementine groaned "I can see right through you Luis. Don't you get it!? We both think we're something we aren't! We're still kids here! Everyone can see that and everyone is going to use that against us! They are going to turn you into some sort of hitman or something".
"What?"
"You instantly came to the conclusion, that whoever is trying to change my attitude, needs to be taught a lesson. That's not going to solve anything and people will use that against you. No one in the group, probably other than your mother gives a shit about you Luis".
"How the hell have you come to that conclusion and why are you going all deep on me?" Luis demanded to know "Just…" he sighed there and looked over at Clementine.
"Look, I'm sor…"
But before he could finish his apology, Robert and Tom raced past.
"WALKERS UPSTAIRS, THEIR COMING DOWN, WE GOTTA MOVE NOW!" Tom roared to Clementine and Luis.
"WHERE'S LUKE!?" Clementine instantly inquired.
Tom looked back at her, she could hear the walkers approaching from behind her and saw the sorrowful look plastered over Tom's face.
"No" Clementine uttered.
"I'm sorry Clem, he got ripped to shreds before we could do a thing" Tom explained, as Robert rushed into the reception and warned everyone of the approaching threat.
"No, that's not true" Clementine told him, her whole being going numb. Luke… her whole point of this second chance. Well, one of the main points of it, her strongest source of support, the person who cared about her the most, he couldn't be gone. Not like this, he… he didn't even say goodbye.
"I'm… I'm going back for him" Clementine muttered, aware of the tears that now rolled down her cheeks.
"Clem…" Tom began, but Luis silenced him.
"I promised I'd go back for him, his not dead. I know it" Clem mumbled, standing up and proceeding towards the walkers.
"You're going to go and get him aren't you?" Luis asked, he seemed remarkably calm right now.
"Yeah" Clementine answered.
"Despite the walkers?"
"Yeah"
"Okay" Luis concluded.
Without any warning what-so-ever, he lifted his remaining arm and used his balled up fist, to smash it across Clementine's face. His hardest punch sent Clementine sprawling to the ground, blood leaked from her mouth and nose, she was knocked out cold, as Luis sighed to himself and gazed at the large bruise already covering her cheek.
"Carry her, I'll tell his group" Tom said to Luis, before he ran on. Luis, with a mournful look on his face, lifted Clementine's petite form from the ground and bent down, so that the girl rested on his back, as he wrapped some rope he had acquired on him, around Clementine's wrist and ankles to ensure she didn't fall off him, when the group were navigating through the herd. It was difficult task with one hand, but one he managed to accomplish.
He looked back at her knocked out form.
"I'm sorry Clem" he muttered, finishing his earlier apology.
With that he ran on into the reception, people were being covered in walker guts, but Luke's group was as out of it as Clementine was. Nick was clutching onto Stephanie for support, Molly was planted on the ground, she would be crying if she had eyes, as Rebecca and Eddie were the one's who found themselves rubbing their numb group in walker guts. While Rebecca (wiping tears from her own eyes) began to help Luis and Clem get dabbed in walker guts.
"She tried to go back for him didn't she?" Rebecca asked.
Luis nodded.
"Idiot" she mused, with a small smile, before she stroked some of Clem's hair from her face, in a maternal act and sighed. Despite the news of Luke's sudden death, they all had to carry on moving, even if that meant she had to practically carry Molly through the herd.
AJ, was crying, as they all stepped out into the herd…
His eyes connected with Tom's for a spilt second, AJ understood. Robert had done it again, the bad man had come and taken Luke away from them.
His grief turned to anger.
Not anymore, he was going to make sure the bad-man never did this again.
As for Tom, he bathed in an evil smile, as did Robert, as the group waded itself through thousands of walkers, towards their next destination.
Where shit, would truly hit the fan.
and where this House of Cards would fall.