Clementine paced back and forth across the carpet, her nerves keeping her from staying in place for more than a few seconds. She eyed her radio sitting on the table. Clem didn't know how long it had been since Sarah's last call; a few minutes or half an hour all felt too long to her. Clem kept walking over to the radio, making sure the volume was turned all the way up and that it was working. Then she picked it up and had to resist the urge to call Sarah, fearful any sudden contact may put her in danger.

Not long after that, she'd move to the nearest window, peering out past the curtain for only a second before moving onto the next one. Two days they spent looking for the origins of the lone walker Clem shot, crawling along at a snail's pace, fearful they'd call a herd down upon themselves if they went any faster. On the third day, Sarah spotted a couple of walkers near the edge of one of bigger towns they had encountered; it was right off the interstate. They spent all day yesterday preparing and studying this small city from a safe distance, all so Sarah could search it today, alone.

Clem couldn't see the city from the windows, nor any signs of walkers, or Sarah. They had driven far away from the danger the night before and Sarah had taken their remaining bike into town, leaving Clem with nothing to do but sit and worry. It was around noon now and Sarah had called four times since she left, and each time she said the same thing; there weren't a lot of walkers, she hadn't found much food, and she was okay. Then Clem would be stuck waiting again, terrified the next time Sarah called something will have changed for the worse, assuming she did call again.

Heading to the bedroom, Clem checked Omid next. She found he was still quietly resting in his crib, clutching his stuffed elephant tightly to his chest. Little had changed with him in the last few days, much to Clem's dismay. He had been more cooperative with eating lately, needing only a small bit of coaxing at meals. Clem wanted to go fishing again, but they hadn't seen anywhere good to fish on their way, and Sarah didn't want Clem to go out on her own, leaving her to watch a mostly quiet Omid sleep away the days in his crib.

With nothing else to do, Clem shuffled back to the front. She eyed the equipment laid on on the table next to her radio; her new gas mask, her new tomahawk, her gun, bullets, all waiting to be collected on a moment's notice. Sarah had told Clem not to come looking for her if she didn't come back, and Clem said she agreed; she lied.

Clem had gathered her gear right after Sarah had left, ready to rush to her aid the moment there was even a hint of trouble. She told herself she couldn't do anything less after Sarah had saved her, but growing in the back of the mind was the fear of what she'd find if she did go out there. Heading over to the fridge and cracking open the door, Clem could see her new coat lying on the rack, freshly smeared with blood from the walker she shot a few days ago, and she dreaded putting it on.

After checking the radio and realizing she had started her whole routine all over again, Clem sat down on the couch. All morning she had been trying to keep herself occupied, to keep it out mind, but it was hopeless. Clem couldn't stop thinking back to the day before they left Spokeston, back to the girl she killed in a moment of panic. Whoever she was, she was probably just out looking for food herself and thought there was a walker nearby, and Clem had murdered her.

She had killed someone, lied about it to Sarah and the person that girl had known. Clem had always hoped she'd just forget about it someday, but it never happened. In fact, now it was haunting her every thought, like a vengeful spirit whispering in ear, telling Clem that it had come to claim Sarah in retaliation for her crime. Staring at the radio, looking at the two faded stickers that hadn't quite peeled off yet, Clem wanted nothing more than to hear Sarah's voice right now.

She suddenly found herself wishing Morgan had killed her. All morning, she couldn't shake the feeling she would pay for what she did in Spokeston, pay for the life she took, but if it had happened then, at least Omid would have been spared the pain he suffered. But now, sitting there in utter silence, her chest tightening as she found it harder to breathe, Clem was terrified that Sarah would be taken from her today.

"Clementine?"

Clem grabbed the radio. "Sarah?"

Clem took her hand off the talk button, eager to hear Sarah's voice, but she heard nothing but static. She kept waiting, desperate for any confirmation Sarah was unharmed.

"Clem?"

"Sarah? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, what happened?"

"Nothing. Why do you think something happened?"

"Because you just called me." Clem was confused at first, then disturbed. "Are you okay?" asked Sarah, her voice racked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay," insisted Clem. "I'm sorry for calling, I—"

"It's fine," repeated Sarah. "I think about done for the day anyway."

"Did you find anything?"

"A can of pears and a few more of stuff we don't like to eat," answered a weary Sarah. "I also found a drugstore with some stuff left in it just outside of town, right across from a gas station. Do you think you could drive out there to meet me? It would save me a lot of pedaling."

"Sure." Clem listened carefully to Sarah's directions and then, after another check from all the windows, sat down in the driver's seat. She didn't like driving the Brave. It was a struggle to see over the top of the dashboard and she was always afraid she'd wreck it if she made a mistake. Also, the engine sputtered when she turned the key, and it always sounded a tiny bit worse each time, leading Clem to believe one day it wouldn't start at all. But it started today, and Clem released the brake and stretched her foot out to reach the gas.

She drove slowly, paranoid if she went too fast she wouldn't see something until it was too late. She had grown to hate the vast fields of whatever state she was in, the wide open space that meant anyone for miles could see their RV driving down the road, probably glinting in the mid-day sun like a piece of treasure waiting for any robbers or killers looking for an easy score.

After several minutes of driving across long-abandoned roads, flanked by emptiness is every direction, Clem spotted the gas station and drugstore Sarah had mentioned. They were old, very old, appearing as long and short buildings whose wood must have been peeling in the open sun long before the outbreak even started. The only things that didn't look half-a-century old were the gas pumps in front of one building and the parking lot in front of the other.

Pulling up to the gas station, it reminded Clem of the one where they first met Anthony, except there were no trees hiding them from prying eyes on this occasion. Clem did her best to maneuver the Brave besides the gas station, reasoning it was better to be concealed from one direction instead of none. The building was barely taller than the Brave itself, and after shutting off the engine, Clem just sat there and listened for any danger. After several seconds of silence, she jumped to her feet and began her routine of checking the windows. Once that was done, she collected her gun and stepped outside.

The hot summer air was smothering and made an already nervous Clem sweat as she scurried to the top of the Brave as fast as she could. She took out her binoculars and started scanning the horizon next. She only looked for a minute a time before lowering the binoculars and doing a quick search of the immediate area with her eyes, always fearful something was sneaking up on her. There was nothing on the horizon, at least not which Clem could see, nor anything of note near-by, again, that she could see.

Clem was ready to go back inside when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. She raised her binoculars and hastily scanned the horizon again. She didn't see anything in the distance, or nearby when she put the binoculars down, but as soon as she turned to the ladder she thought she saw something again, something shimmering in the distance. Once again, Clem raised her binoculars, but this time she saw something moving towards her.

Clem's free hand immediately snapped to her gun. Watching in terror as the approaching threat grew larger, Clem could make out the shape of a cloaked figure riding a bicycle. Without lowering the binoculars, Clem removed her hand from the gun and grabbed the radio clipped to her belt. Moving her trembling hand to her face, took a breath and pressed the talk button.

"Sarah…" asked a nervous Clem. "Where are you?" Clem breathed a little easier as she saw the figure come to a sudden stop. They looked around before reaching for something.

"I'm on a road north of the gas station I told you about," Clem heard Sarah report as she watched the figure talk into a radio. "Why? What do you see?"

"You," reported a relieved Clem. "I can see you."

"You can?" Clem watched as what she could only assume was Sarah look around frantically. "I… I can't see you."

Those words sent a chill down Clem's spine. She turned away from Sarah and started scanning the horizon again, afraid of what else could be out there that Sarah couldn't see. Clem couldn't see anything, but she couldn't shake the feeling there was something out there, watching them.

"Where are you?" asked Sarah.

"On top of the Brave, by the gas station you told me about."

"Okay, I'll be right there. Just wait for me inside."

"No, I should stay out and keep watch," reasoned Clem.

"Please, Clem, just wait inside," begged Sarah. "I'd feel a lot better knowing you were in there with Omid."

"I… okay." Clem put her binoculars down but hesitated to leave her post. She took one long last look around, then hurried back down the ladder. She rushed inside and locked the door behind her, not wanting to risk anything getting in before Sarah got back. As Clem sat down and tried to calm herself, she heard something. It was a distinct whimpering coming from the baby monitor sitting on the counter.

"Omid!" Clem sprung to her feet and rushed into the bedroom. She immediately spotted Omid fidgeting under his blanket. Pulling back the cover she found him clinging to his stuffed elephant for dear life, a terrified look on his scrunched up face.

"It's okay! It's okay, I'm right here." Clem knelt down and placed her hand on Omid's cheek. He flinched at first, then accepted her touch as she gently caressed him. "It's okay, I'm right here." Omid opened his eyes and looked right at Clem. It startled her, suddenly meeting eyes with him like that. He stopped whimpering and Clem knelt down to pick him up. "I'm so sorry, but it's okay now." Said Clem as she lifted Omid out of his crib, struggling a little to lift him. "It's all oh—"

There were a couple of knocks at the door that paralyzed Clem where she stood, then a third knock confirming what she already knew in the back of her mind: Sarah had returned. She carried Omid into the front and headed down the steps to unlock the door. Pushing it open, Clem was greeted by a person in a bloody raincoat and a gas mask. She knew she was looking at Sarah, but staring at that faceless mask made Clem feel like she was standing before a stranger.

"Are… are you okay?" asked a nervous Clem.

"I guess…" Sarah pulled back her hood and took off the mask, revealing a familiar but haggard looking face underneath. She briefly pulled up on her glasses and rubbed her nose, revealing the redness around the corners of her eyes. Sarah took a deep breath as she stared down at her feet. She looked exhausted, with her hair and face soaked in sweat while standing hunched over like a great weight was bearing down on her, despite not wearing her backpack.

"Are... are you sure you're okay?" asked Clem.

"Yes," insisted Sarah as she rubbed her head. "I'm just, really worn out… okay?"

"The walkers, did—"

"There were barely any lurkers in town, at least the parts I had time to check, and they had been dead a long time; they weren't a problem," mumbled a weary Sarah. "I didn't find any big stores, but there were a few things in people's cupboards. There's a lot of places I haven't checked yet but… I don't think we're gonna get all that much."

Clem let out a long sigh as she felt her head sinking. She ended up looking down at Omid, who was looking up at her expectedly in her arms, and Clem didn't know what to say to him.

"Here, I did manage to find this." Clem watched as Sarah walked over to the bike and reached into the saddlebag. "I think Omid will like this."

Holding out a can, Clem read the words on the label. "Coconut milk?"

"Yeah, it's not real milk, but that means it hasn't expired either, and I thought it might remind him of the corn he got to eat for a little while."

Clem shifted her grip on Omid to one arm and took the can. "I can't remember if we ever had coconut milk before."

"It's good," assured Sarah.

"Oh, so we have had it before?"

Sarah looked away in shame. "I found two cans but… I drank the other."

"It's okay, you were just testing it to make sure it was safe."

"No I wasn't, I was just really hungry for something that tasted good." Sarah sighed and turned back to Clem. "I'm sorry."

"You gotta nothing to be sorry for. You're working really hard and needed to eat, and you saved this one for Omid," said Clem. "You did a great job."

"It doesn't feel like it," said Sarah with a shrug. "You go feed him. As long as I'm dressed for it, I might as well get some diesel from what's left of this gas station. After that, I'll bring in what I found… which isn't much."

"I could feed him then help you," suggested Clem. "Just—"

"No, you just stay in there, okay?" pleaded Sarah, suddenly sounding anxious. "I'll take care of it, okay?"

"Okay," agreed Clem, not wanting to upset Sarah. Sarah closed the door for Clem as she headed back in. She set Omid in his high-chair and retrieved his sippy cup. Clem cringed as she struggled to open the coconut milk, the still lingering pain in her wrist flaring up with every twist of the can opener. Ignoring the aching sensation as she pried the lid open, Clem found a thick white liquid simmering inside.

She dipped her finger in it and tasted the supposed milk. It was sweet, but not nearly as the corn milk they once had. It also probably tasted nothing like real milk, but Clem honestly had a hard time remembering what actual milk tasted like anymore. She quickly poured some milk into Omid's cup and screwed the lid on. Placing it in front of him, he looked to Clem for permission as he always did lately.

"Go ahead, it's good."

Clem watched as Omid looked at the cup for a second, then grabbed hold of it. His lips connected with the cup's spout and Clem felt her heart skip a beat as the apprehension on Omid's face slowly began to melt away. He kept raising the cup higher, trying to drink it all in one big gulp. Clem hadn't seen him do that since he first had orange juice to drink. After he put the cup down, Omid looked at Clem expectedly.

"You want some more? More?" repeated Clem, hoping to spur a word out of Omid. He didn't say anything, but he smiled at Clem. Seeing those little teeth in a big grin practically compelled Clem to refill the cup, but peering into the now half-empty can of coconut milk caused her to hesitate. She had been eating less lately, trying to make what food they had left last, of which very little of it was appetizing anymore.

She thought about drinking the milk herself, but looking over at Omid, his grin slowly fading the longer she took, Clem poured it into his cup. She gave it back to Omid, who immediately started drinking it, a rare look of delight spreading across his chubby face. As glad as Clem was to see Omid happy, she couldn't quite ignore the rumbling in her stomach. Looking at the can, she saw a bit of milk still in the bottom of the can. Clem raised it to her lips, savoring the sweet flavor for the few short seconds it was in her mouth.

After that, Clem retrieved what appeared to be their last can of beef stew and with a few select spices and the stove, made it a meal for her and Omid. After eating, Clem encouraged Omid to play with some of his toys, anything to convince him to laugh or have fun; he wasn't interested. Instead, he just remained nervous and started whimpering until Clem returned him to his crib. There he took hold of his precious stuffed elephant in one hand while Clem held the other.

Watching that familiar grimace return as Omid drifted off to sleep, Clem found herself looking away. Every day she woke up thinking it would be different, that Omid would be better, and every day it didn't happen just made it more clear it was probably never going to happen. What she wouldn't give for another long night where Omid was so full of energy he couldn't be coerced into sleeping no matter how hard they tried.

Heading back up to the front, Clem could hear their generator rumbling and went to a window. She saw Sarah outside, hunched over a gas can as she measured fuel stabilizer. Watching her, there was something troubling in the way Sarah moved. She was more than tired, her hands were trembling as she poured the stabilizer in and the glazed look in her eyes made it seem like she was barely aware of her surroundings, then she suddenly snapped her head around and vomited onto the pavement.

"Sarah," called Clem as she rushed outside. Even from behind, Clem could tell Sarah tensed up after she called her name. She stood there for a second before slowly moving her arm, probably wiping her lips; she didn't know Clem saw her throw-up, and didn't want her to know.

"What… what's wrong?" mumbled Sarah as she turned around.

"I… I just thought I'd give you a hand," reasoned Clem as she took a few steps forward. "I could put up the diesel for you." Clem looked around, but didn't see any fuel cans other than the one Sarah was standing in front of.

"It's okay, I already put up most of them," assured Sarah as she screwed the cap on the only remaining can. "The gas was flowing really slow so I had plenty of time. I think it's because there's almost no diesel left here. I almost ran out of hose before it found any diesel in the tank, which means it has to work harder to suck the diesel over a greater distance… or maybe there's just something wrong with the pump." Sarah grunted as she picked up the can and started carrying it over to an open compartment on the Brave.

"Oh," said Clem as she watched Sarah put the fuel away and close the compartment. Sarah turned around and looked at Clem, and the pair just stared at each other awkwardly for a second. "You… you can help me bring in the stuff I brought back today, if you want."

"Okay." There was another awkward pause, then the pair approached the bike. It was Patty's bike, even though she never got the chance to ride it. Just looking at the black paint and the saddlebags on the back, Clem realized she had modeled it at her old motorcycle; Clem missed them both. Moving to the nearest saddlebag, Clem was disappointed to see there was only a large bottle and a few cans nestled inside.

"Is this it?" asked Clem as she took stock of what Sarah had found.

"Yeah," confirmed a disappointed Sarah. "But there are lots of places I haven't checked. It's not a super big town, but bigger than any of the ones we've seen recently. I can probably scrape some more food out of it over the next few days," mumbled Sarah while rummaging through the bag on the other side of the bike. "I did find these in the drugstore just across the street from us." Sarah held up a small bottle and shook it to make a rattling noise.

"Are those painkillers, or xanax?"

"No, all the stuff behind the counter was gone already. These are just normal sleeping pills," said Sarah as she examined the label. "Patty gave me some ones like this the night after that tornado. They don't work as well as the xanax, but they do help me sleep."

"Can I have some too?" asked Clem. "I… I haven't been sleeping well."

"I know you haven't," said Sarah as she eyed Clem with concern. "Since it's not a prescription drug, there's more in the drugstore. I'll grab some extra bottles when I get done, that way there's plenty for the both of us."

Clem wrapped her fingers around a large glass bottle's long neck and was surprised by how heavy it was. "Vodka?" Clem read off the label.

"Yeah, I didn't see any other alcohol today so I grabbed that one. I figured it might be useful, you know if we run out of rubbing alcohol or have to burn something and don't want to waste gas or—"

"We need a drink." Clem was surprised she said that out loud, but looking up at Sarah she saw no judgement in her eyes over that comment. If anything, she had a look of silent agreement on her tired face. Clem took the vodka in one hand and grabbed a can in the other. Looking at it, she grimaced when she noticed the label read 'SPAM'. Clem carried them inside and placed the goods on the increasingly vacant shelf inside their closet.

"Also, I think there's a lake north of the town I checked out," said Sarah as she set a couple of cans inside the closet. "I saw some signs mentioning a lake when I was looking around."

"What kind of lake?" asked Clem as they went back outside.

"I don't know, hopefully a big one with lots of fish. I did find a bait and tackle shop, some there's gotta be somewhere to fish nearby," said Sarah as she grabbed a couple more cans from the bike. "You can probably fish while I clear out the town over the next few days. I don't think I'll find a lot, but, it's better than nothing."

Clem grabbed a couple of cans and was disappointed to see they were the last in the bag. She carried them inside and placed them on the shelf. As Sarah put away what she was carrying, Clem realized at best they may have found just enough food to cover what they ate in the last three days trying to find this place. Turning her head, Clem noticed Sarah breathing hard as she wiped her face.

"Are… are you sure you're feeling okay?" Clem asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Clem looked at Sarah and could tell she was lying.

"I saw you throw-up when you were pumping gas." Clem watched as Sarah hang her head in shame before turning away. "Please, Sarah, I'm just worried about you. Just—"

"I'm sick…"

"Sick?" asked an alarmed Clem.

"But it's not that bad," insisted Sarah as turned back around. "I just feel more tired than usual and my head is heavy. It's probably just a cold or something. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry you."

"But you also threw-up," noted Clem.

"It doesn't happen that much."

"That much? How much do you throw-up?"

"Not much." Sarah sighed and started rubbing her head. "Just… every now and then, when I smell something gross, or after I wake up sometimes."

"After you wake up? How long has this been happening?"

"I… I don't know, a week, maybe a little longer," shrugged Sarah. "I thought it was something in the canned stuff we were eating, but you and Omid never got sick, did you?"

"No."

"I should probably stay away from you and him for a while, I could be contagious. I… I was reading through one of the medical textbooks we still had last night. It's possible I could have a flu or something."

"I thought that only happened around Christmas? That's when I'd get a flu shot," noted Clem. "Also, doesn't the flu and colds give you a running nose and make you sneeze and stuff like that?"

"Yeah, yeah they do, that's what book I read said too," said Sarah as she shook her head in confusion. "I don't know what's exactly wrong with me, but it's not too bad and I can just keep my distance until I get better. I'm… I'm sorry for not telling you."

"It's okay," assured Clem. "Is there I can do to help?"

"Not really, not unless you know what makes someone tired all the time and kind of nauseous."

"Drinking too much does," noted a sheepish Clem. "At least it did for me the day after my last birthday."

"Yeah, mine too," said Sarah with a weak laugh. "But we haven't had anything to drink lately."

"I don't know then," said Clem with a shrug as she turned to shut the closet. "Christa threw-up sometimes and was tired a lot, but that's because she was pregnant." Clem turned back to Sarah and saw her eyes were wide-open in shock now, like she'd just seen a ghost. "What… what's wrong?" asked a panicked Clem. "What do you see?" Clem spun around, hand on her gun. She hurried over to the door and locked it, then checked the windows. She saw nothing, nor did she hear anything.

Spinning around, Clementine saw Sarah on her knees now, her eyes still wide-open as she begun to gasp for air. "What's wrong?" asked Clem as she placed her hands on Sarah's trembling shoulders. "Sarah!" Sarah didn't respond, she just sat there, staring off into space for several seconds before Clem could just barely hear her mumble something.

"It can't be…"

"What? What can't—"

Sarah jumped to her feet suddenly and took off running. "Sarah, wait!" Clem chased after Sarah as she sprinted out of the Brave in a flash. By the time Clem had gotten outside herself, Sarah was already half-way across the street. Clem hadn't seen Sarah run that fast since the day they fled the cabin. She burst across the road and immediately into the drugstore, leaving Clem to follow far behind in her wake.

Arriving at the front of the drugstore long after Sarah went in, the first thing Clem heard was a crashing sound. She spun around expecting trouble and instead found Sarah brazenly knocking something off a shelf. She hurried down an aisle, frantically scanning labels with her bloodshot eyes as her hands knocked items off of shelves. Before Clem could say a word, Sarah reached the end of the aisle and disappeared into around the corner.

"Sarah, wait!" called Clem as she went charging after her into the next aisle. "Just stop, okay?" plead Clem as Sarah threw some boxes aside in frustration. "We should go back to the RV and…" Clem watched as Sarah froze suddenly. She honed in on a single package hanging on the shelf, then snatched it with such speed Clem barely saw her hands moving. Inching in behind Sarah, Clem looked at another package on the same rack and immediately her eyes fell on two words; pregnancy test.

Clem suddenly felt like she was going to throw up herself. Looking over at Sarah, the sudden panic gripping her face had been replaced with one of overwhelming guilt. They locked eyes for a minute, and Sarah dropped the package and fell to her knees, crying at the top of her lungs as she buried her head in her hands. Clem felt her knees trembling as her mind was suddenly overwhelmed with questions. Her legs gave out and she nearly toppled onto the carpet, barely able to breathe.

Looking up at Sarah, crying her eyes out, Clem felt herself overwhelmed by a single instinct. She crawled forward and wrapped her arms around her. She hugged Sarah as hard as she could, and clung to her as she could feel Sarah struggling for breath between hysterical shrieks. Clem started tearing up herself as she listened to Sarah gasp and wheeze for air. Eventually, she felt Sarah shifting in place as she spun around, her wet eyes meeting with Clem's own.

"What… what do I do?"

Clem was paralyzed by that question. She hadn't even begun to process everything that had happened, and now Sarah was staring at her in desperation for an answer, any answer. Clem looked away, baffled at what to say, or do. She was racking her mind for anything at all that could help, then her eyes fell on the pregnancy test lying on the floor.

"This…" mumbled Clem as she picked it up, hand shaking as it grasped the package. "This can tell us if you're…" Clem bit her own lip just to stop herself from saying the word pregnant. "Right?" Sarah only nodded weakly at Clem. "Okay, well, let's find out… maybe you're just sick. Let's… let's just start there."

Sarah wrapped her trembling fingers around the pregnancy test. She held it up to her face, then reached down to pick her glasses up off the floor so she could read it.

"Come on, let's get back inside the Brave." Clem grabbed hold of Sarah's hand and helped her to her feet. "We'll… we'll figure it out in there." Clem led Sarah out of the drugstore, tensing up as they found themselves back out in the open.

Seeing they left the door to the Brave wide open, Clem found herself moving faster along with Sarah as they hurried back to safety. Right after they moved past the threshold, Clem spun around and locked the door while Sarah hurried into the bedroom. Clem checked the windows briefly before turning around to see Sarah coming back out of the bedroom.

"Is he—"

"He's still asleep." There was an awkward pause as Sarah looked down at the pregnancy test still clutched in her hands.

"So, how… how does it work?"

"It says…" Sarah took a couple of panicked breaths then read the back of the packaging. "It… it says I need to pee on it."

"It does?"

"Yes, that what it says!" barked Sarah in frustration. "I'm… I'm sorry Clem, I—"

"It's okay," assured Clem as she moved in behind Sarah and placed her hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, you just go into bathroom and… use it, and I'll just wait outside until you're done. Okay?"

"I… uh… thanks Clem." Clem was surprised by a sudden forceful hug as Sarah spun around, but gladly returned it with a hug of her own. She then shuffled into the bathroom, and once again Clem had nothing to do but wait. In the terrible silence that followed, Clem felt her knees grow weak as the reality of what was happening came crashing down on her. She slid down the wall and onto the carpet, her mind plagued with questions.

How could Sarah possibly be pregnant? Clem kept trying to contrive some reason, some rationale to explain it, anything other than the most obvious answer staring her in the face. But her mind always arrived back at the same conclusion; Sarah had sex with Anthony. The very notion of it was making Clem's stomach churn, yet she didn't know how else to explain what was happening.

This led Clem to ask herself the inevitable follow-up question; why? Did Sarah really like Anthony that much? She knew Sarah always used to defend him when no one else would, but she chalked it up to Sarah's kind nature. But then who knows what Anthony had been telling her when she was away from others. He had tried to murder Clem, then lied about it right to her face. What lies had he been telling Sarah when they were alone?

The other possibility is Sarah didn't want to have sex with Anthony, but he did. That churning in Clem's stomach turned to an actual pain now. She couldn't be sure if it was just from thinking about this situation or that nagging ache in her side that always showed up after she ate, but either way it was making her sick. Clem thought Sarah never kept anything from her, but clearly that wasn't the case, and sitting there in the silence, Clem had to remind herself she had been kept secrets from Sarah since the day they left Spokeston, and hers were much worse.

Clem wasn't sure how long she sat there, but eventually the silence was broken by a muffled crying. At first she thought it was Omid, but then that would mean he was crying out loud again, which he hadn't done in a while. It was obvious to Clem that Sarah was crying just through the door, and standing up, Clem felt like she needed to throw up herself now. She stood up, listening to that horrible sound for far longer than she ever wanted to before finally mustering the courage to open the door.

It wasn't locked, and pulling it open Clem saw two things: Sarah curled up on the floor crying into her knees, and the pregnancy test sitting on the sink. Walking over to it, Clem thought it looked a little like a toothbrush that was missing the brush. She didn't know what to think of it. It was just a white slab of plastic with a couple of red lines on it.

"So…" Clem said out loud as she turned to Sarah. "What… what did—"

"What do you think it means!" barked Sarah before collapsing into her hands, crying her already bloodshot eyes out. "God, why…" she mumbled through her sobs as she gasped for air. "It's… it's not possible, no… this… this can't be happening… why!" Clem could only stand there in shock as she stared at Sarah, powerless to alleviate her suffering. This didn't feel real, it felt like she was dreaming, having another nightmare, but yet again she couldn't wake up from it, and neither could Sarah. "We can't… I can't have a baby… I can't!"

Those last words stirred something in Clem. Her feet moved without thinking as she rushed to the closet. She hastily tore through the items on the shelf until she found it, then came racing back into the bathroom.

"What… what are you doing with that?" asked Sarah as Clem set the bottle of vodka on the sink.

"Christa told me once that drinking alcohol when you're pregnant can… can kill a baby."

"It can?" Sarah grabbed the bottle and started unscrewing the cap. "How much do I have to drink?"

"I… I don't know," realized Clem. "She didn't tell me how much she drank."

"She drank? Wait, she didn't drink when she was pregnant, did she?"

Clem didn't respond right away, and in that silence Sarah had her answer, and it shocked her. "She told me she wanted to kill it…"

"Kill it? You… you mean Omid?"

Those words felt like a needle stinging Clementine's very heart as she replayed that conversation in her head. "She… she said she didn't want to raise a child in such a horrible world," recited Clem. "But she changed her mind and said she wouldn't give up on the world before it was over. But… but it's just us now, and Omid, and… we… you… um…"

Words failed Clem as what tenacious grasp she had on the situation evaporated. She looked over at Sarah, a blank expression on both their faces. They could only stare at each other in silence so long before their eyes drifted down to the bottle of vodka Sarah was holding.

"I… I don't know what to do…" croaked Sarah, her face vacant except for a hint of anxiety tugging at the corner of her eyes.

"You… you do whatever to think is best, okay?" said Clem. "Whatever you do, I'm gonna help you, I promise." Those words brought a tinge of relief to Sarah, if only for a second. She looked at Clem, silently expressing her gratitude, then raised the bottle to her lips. Clem watched as Sarah chugged the vodka for a second before nearly gagging on it. She suddenly spit some of it into the sink, nearly dropping the bottle in the process.

"Oh God, its horrible," groaned Sarah as she wiped her lips.

"I'm sorry, maybe—"

Sarah raised the bottle again, forcing another mouthful of vodka down her throat. Clem cringed as she saw the ever-growing look of disgust on Sarah's face. She put the bottle down, took a couple of deep breaths, then drank from it again. Sarah had only managed a sip this time before she suddenly spewed vodka and vomit into the sink.

"Sarah!" said Clem as she rushed to her side. "Stop!" Clem grabbed the bottle as Sarah tried to drink from it again. "Don't!"

"I have to!"

"Just stop for now! You can drink more later, okay? If you just make yourself sick, you'll throw up all the alcohol and it won't do anything to…"

Sarah looked up at Clem, then back down at the bottle. She set it down on the floor and took a deep breath. "I'm… I'm so scared and…" Sarah covered her mouth and then pivoted to the toilet in a hurry. Clem closed her eyes as she heard gagging noises just in front of her. "I feel so sick…"

"You should go lie down."

"It's still early and—"

"And you feel sick, and… you'll need to drink more when you feel better," reasoned Clementine, felling sick herself for even suggesting that. "You… you said there was a lake, right? I'll drive us there, and we can eat fish for a while you… while you drink."

"How long will I have to do this?" cried Sarah, her pitiful question echoing the toilet bowl she was hovering over.

"I… I have no idea," realized a horrified Clem. "A week?"

"A week where I just… drink as much as I can before it makes me sick, all so I can do it again tomorrow?"

"If… if you don't want to be… pregnant," uttered Clem, hardly able to finish her own words. "I mean, I don't know what else to do."

"I… I…" Sarah covered her mouth as she made a gagging noise.

"Just… just lie down for now, okay?" pleaded Clem. "We've got time, just lie down and rest for a while, please?"

"I…. all right."

Clem took Sarah by the hand and led her out of the bathroom. She moved towards the bedroom but felt Sarah resisting her.

"I should sleep out here, on the foldout bed," reasoned Sarah. "I still feel sick and… I don't want to be throwing up in front of Omid."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," said Sarah with a weak nod. "He's got enough to worry about without seeing me like this… and I don't want the bedroom smelling like puke when he tries to go to bed."

Clem helped Sarah pull out the couch, noticing her stumbling on their way over to it. She kept rubbing her head and it was obvious the vodka was already affecting her. No sooner had they pulled out the bed had Sarah flopped forward onto it. There she remained for a time, nigh motionless as she took slow, deep breaths. Clem hastily retrieved a pillow and a blanket from the bedroom and brought them back to Sarah as she rubbed her stomach.

"Are you okay?" asked Clementine as she quickly placed a pillow by Sarah's head.

"My stomach hurts," said Sarah as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "Maybe… maybe that means it's working, or maybe I'm just feeling sicker now." Clem hurried over to the closet and rushed back to Sarah's side with something in hand.

"Here you go," said Clem as she set a bucket beside the bed. "Just in case."

"Thanks," mumbled a woozy Sarah.

"If you need anything, just tell me," insisted Clem. "I'll be right here."

"Could… could you bring me one of those sleeping pills… and an aspirin?" Sarah tried to set her glasses on the counter but struggled to reach it from the bed.

"I'll be right back with them." Clem took Sarah's glasses and set them on the counter for her. She then hurried and dug out an aspirin from the bathroom but hesitated to open the sleeping pills. She examined the bottle for a second, then set it aside and grabbed the xanax instead. There were less than a dozen left in the bottom of the container, but Clem reasoned if there was ever an emergency that warranted them this was it.

As she turned on the tap, Clem had to resist the urge to throw-up herself as she looked at the vomit caked around the edges of the sink. The smell of it and the pungent aroma of vodka was almost enough to make Clem gag, and she had to cover her nose while the faucet slowly sputtered water into a cup a few small bursts at a time. Finally, the cup was nearly full, and Clem rushed it and the pills back to Sarah's side.

"Anything else and you just tell me," said Clem as she handed them over.

"Thanks." Sarah took the pills and quickly gulped them down with the water. Clem watched as she almost gagged for a second before hastily grabbing the bucket. She pulled it closer and leaned her head past the edge of the bed, but she didn't throw up. Instead, she just remained in that awkward position for a minute, utter misery hanging off her face, before eventually letting go of the bucket and curling up under the covers.

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled as buried her head under a pillow.

"Don't be sorry, okay? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I… I'm so scared."

"I know, I am too, but… just sleep for now, okay? You've been having to do everything lately so, just for today, sleep, and let me worry about everything for a while. I'll take care of it, and tomorrow… we'll figure something out."

"Oh… okay…" mumbled Sarah in a barely audible whisper. Clem stood there and watched is despair as familiar grimace emerged on Sarah's face as she drifted off to sleep. It was just like the one Omid sported now when he slept, and just like with him, Clem found she couldn't bear the sight of it and turned away. It was then Clem spotted Omid himself, standing in the door of the bedroom, with tears streaming down his face.

"Omid!" Clem rushed over to him as he started walking forward. She scooped him up just as he began to whimper, carrying him back to the bedroom as he squirmed in her grip. Shutting the door behind them, Clem set Omid down but he immediately started hurried to the door, even trying to fit his fingers in the crack to pry it open.

"No, you don't want to go out there," insisted Clem as she dragged a whimpering Omid back towards the crib. "Sarah's okay, all right? But she wants to be alone right now." Clem carefully wiped the tears from Omid's cheeks while she forced herself to smile, despite how miserable she felt. "Everything's okay, all right? You… you don't need to worry about Sarah right now, I'll take care of her, okay?"

Omid just stood there in silence, a despondent look on his tiny face, separate and far more upsetting this his normal frown. "Here, come on, don't you want to go back to bed?" Clem picked up Omid and set him in his crib, but as she reached for his stuffed elephant Omid started climbing over the bars. "No, Omid, don't!" Omid started whimpering more loudly as she pulled him back into the crib. "Come on, I… I know you want to help, but… um…"

Clem looked around the room for anything that could help, anything at all that could distract Omid, if only for a minute. She spotted the night light Sarah had gotten for him lying in the corner on the dresser. Clem had forgotten all about until just now and rushed over to collect it. She was about to try to turn it on when she saw spotted Omid walking out the door he had somehow managed to crack open.

"Omid, no!" Clem rushed after him as he walked out of the bedroom, having to stop and slide the door fully open to fit past it. Nearing Omid as he neared Sarah, Clem made an effort to move as quietly as possible as not to wake her. Omid had nearly placed his hands on Sarah's face when Clem managed to grab hold of him. "She's sleeping, okay?" whispered Clem as she gently held onto Omid. "I know you love her, and she knows it too, but right now, you need to let her sleep. She… she really needs some sleep."

Omid looked at Clem, and he didn't appear convinced, but then his eyes were drawn to the small globe Clem was holding. "Here, you wanted a nightlight, and Sarah got you this one," said Clem as she hastily tried to figure out how to turn it on. "You just let her sleep for now and…" Clem pressed one of the buttons on the front and the top half of the globe began to glow with a dim light. It was underwhelming, but Clem figured she could sell it to Omid. "Omid, look, it's…"

Omid was staring up now, much to Clem's confusion. Looking up herself, she could just make out the faint outlines of stars and a big crescent moon being projected onto the ceiling. Looking down at her hand, she realized it was the night light projecting them. She hadn't noticed before, but looking more closely, she discovered the top half was covered in tiny cutouts of celestial bodies. Looking over at a sleeping Sarah, Clem found an odd grin forming on her face. Even now, Sarah was helping her and Omid, and all with a little toy she had taken from a flea-market.

Seeing Omid, spellbound by the sight of the projections, Clem sensed her opportunity. "Come on," she urged as she backed up, keeping the globe in hand. Omid followed the stars as they moved across the ceiling, but stopped halfway to the bedroom and turned around to look at Sarah again. "Sarah's okay, she just needs some sleep," insisted Clem, forcing herself to sound as calm as possible. "Come on, come into the bedroom, that way you can play with this great toy Sarah picked out just for you."

Omid looked at Sarah for a few seconds longer, then followed Clem. She backed into the bedroom, keeping the globe stretched out in front of her. Once inside, Clem set the globe on the edge of the bed and ran to the windows. She drew the curtains shut and then turned off the light, trying to make the room as dark as it could be right now. Turning around, she discovered a still spellbound Omid climbing onto the bed.

He couldn't stop himself from staring up at the stars, which Clem could make out more clearly in the dim light. As he stood there, Clem pressed one of the buttons and the lights changed colors, going from a flat yellow to a shade of blue, then a bright red with the next press of the button, then finally all three at once. Omid's mouth was agape now, and Clem's finger moved to the third and final button. Pressing it caused the top half of the globe to start slowly rotating, and with it so went the stars.

Omid started turning in place on the bed, and Clem felt her breath being taken away when she saw a huge smile spreading across Omid's face. It was the first time he had smiled for anything other than certain foods since he stopped speaking. He was spellbound by the swirling cosmos of colorful stars right in his own bedroom. And then Clem saw it, that look, that sense of excitement in his eyes when he discovered something new and exciting in about the world he had never seen before, and it was so beautiful it made Clem want to weep for joy.

She felt her legs give out from under her before collapsing harmlessly onto the carpet, laughing softly to herself as she watched Omid stretch his tiny hands up towards all the stars dancing across the ceiling. For one brief moment, she was happy, happier than she remembered being in a very long time, and she just wanted it to last. But then her joyous chuckles mutated into choked sobs as she felt everything washing over her.

Clem covered her mouth so Omid wouldn't hear her crying as the reality of what was happening hit her like a ton of bricks falling on her head, blotting out every last shred of light as they buried her alive. Their situation was worse than ever, and would get worse still with each passing day. She didn't have the faintest idea what do next, and she had just told Sarah she would take care of everything; she wanted to scream.