Remorse is eating away at the man's mind, especially as he sees Danny fighting within an inch of his life to stay breathing. The farm boy's in a shit-load of pain, with blood matting his clothes and coughs erupting from his chest at an ever-increasing rate.
A part of Kenny just wants to pull out his gun and end the man's suffering… to just put him at peace and move on to deal with whatever sort of reckless antics his older brother may inflict on the group in the back of the RV.
But this isn't just about Danny – it's also about getting back to Duck, and making sure that he's safe and sound. And that means getting as far away from the motor-inn as possible without leaving a trail for the bandits to follow. If a distraction has to be left behind in order to keep these boys occupied, then so be it.
Frowning sadly, Kenny tears his eyes away from the mirror as he quickly rolls up the window and slams his foot on the gas pedal; speeding them away to safety as Danny looks on in horror at being left behind.
"AAAAGGGHHH!" he screams as his hand is blown clean off from a shotgun blast and he falls onto his back. The pain is unbearable as his nerves go on a frenzy trying to tell the rest of his body what the hell is going on, and Danny is left gaping wordlessly at his bloody stump. Bits of carnage and bone stick out from his wrist in a disgusting fashion, and the man finds himself getting incredibly woozy as bile forms in his mouth.
Seeing that both of the vehicles have departed, the bandits that remain loom around him as one of the sycophants bend down in front of him; poking Danny in the chest with a baseball bat as a wicked smile forms on his lips.
"Looks like we'll be getting the payback we deserve, gents," he cackles, beating the guy's already bullet-ridden knees in with the bat as Danny screams in agony. "Let's see… how long do y'all think he can take the beatings until he finally goes pop?!"
With his entire life flashing before his eyes, Danny struggles to brace himself for the oncoming onslaught; lifting his remaining hand in front of his face in a vain attempt to stop the hits from breaking his bones.
But he can do nothing but scream as the aluminum baseball bat smashes at him left, right and center, with him being absolutely powerless to do anything.
"First batter's up," the bandit mocks as he smirks and bashes Danny's teeth in with a powerful swing.
Not even two minutes later, after almost everyone has finally managed to sit down and catch their breath, does the ruckus start to happen in the back of the RV. The crew really should've expected this to start happening, especially considering the nature of who's missing from their group as of this moment.
Darting his head around with a wild gaze, Andy practically starts flipping things upside down as he searches all around for his brother.
"Hey… hey wait a minute! Hold the phone, where's Dan?! Where's Danny at?!"
Nobody answers him for fear of getting hurt as Kenny keeps his eyes glued to the road; trying (and failing) to block the image of Danny St. John getting mauled to death out of his mind. Sure, there was no time to lose… but to see him go out like that…
When he gets nothing but silence and lowered gazes as everyone tries to avoid the elephant in the room (or in this case, the one not in the room), Andy begins to march up to the front of the RV but is blocked by Lee as he stands in between him and their chauffeur. "We need to go back for him!" Andy insists, his voice cracking as he refuses to see the truth laid out in front of him. "I-I can't him! Turn the RV around and I'll go get him back! Or just… fuck! Let me out and I'll grab him myself!"
"We can't do that, Andy… I'm sorry," Christa murmurs as Omid leans into her shoulder.
"Fuck that!" he immediately replies as he tries to shove Lee out of his way. Both of them are pretty strong, but Andy's got more of an adrenaline rush from his desperation of wanting to get back to his brother, so his shoves are getting a lot more forceful. "Kenny, turn this piece of shit around! We're going back there right god damn now! THAT'S MY BABY BROTHER OUT THERE!"
"ANDY, SIT DOWN!" Lee bellows as he finally manages to pin him up against the side of the RV by grasping him in a chokehold as everyone else watches him with shocked expressions. If Clementine had spotted him doing this right now, she might even be terrified of the man who's supposed to be protecting her and keeping her safe, but as far as Lee's concerned, this is just as a precautionary measure. Releasing the man as he slides down to the floor in a coughing fit, he leans up against one of the walls as he sadly shakes his head. "It's… it's over, man," Lee mentions, making sure that he composes himself before trying to talk to Andy again. "I'm sorry, but Dan's gone… There's nothing we can do. There wasn't anything we could do."
With his family life in tatters and whatever connection to his past life basically shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, Andy can do nothing but stare at his shaking hands as he tries to acknowledge the terrible news. Who would he even be able to look to now for somewhat of a stable life? The man's stuck on an RV with basically a big group of strangers – strangers that he's really only known for a few days. Since he's met them, not only has his entire farm and childhood home been completely destroyed, but now they're on the road with no set destination (since heading to the coast isn't exactly a reassuring notion) and both his mother and brother are dead.
How ironic for him – all he and Dan wanted was to trade for some gasoline, and yet this is the end result.
"Y'all don't… y'all have no idea… not even the foggiest notion… Oh god, Danny…" he sobs into his palms as the vehicle zooms by a pair of unsuspecting walkers. Kenny does a double-take in case they may have gotten caught underneath the wheels, but really the only sounds anyone can hear are the wheels of the RV and Andy's remorseful wails back a little ways.
It's been a pretty sombre past couple of days for the band of survivors, with all things considered. Sure, death nowadays is a part of everyone's struggle out here and is just a normal part of what goes on out in the world, but the pain of loss and heartbreak never truly goes away. Lee in particular may have been able to nullify himself from outwardly showing too much distress, but deep down even he feels himself slowly breaking away.
He may have realized this a long time ago, but never actually came out and admitted it… but Lee knows that there's truly no going back. Their old lives are over – this is the world they inhabit now, whether they choose to accept it or not.
"…still think the military's coming, Kenny?" he asks with a sigh as the fisherman ignores him, choosing instead to focus on the road and his wife as he tries to make heads or tails of the road ahead. "Ken?"
"What?"
"I asked if you still thought that –"
"I don't frankly give a shit right now, Lee! I'm more concerned with gettin' back my boy and gettin' the hell out of here!" he retorts, flipping the wipers on for a brief moment to erase the thin layer of dirt collecting on the windshield. Katjaa barely says a word as she stares worriedly out the front window; giving pause only when Kenny lightly brushes a hand against her knee. "God damn it… I don't know why we trusted Nate out of anyone to take off with 'em! They could be halfway across the county line and we'd have no idea!"
Upon noticing his wife's paranoid glance upon hearing those words, Kenny eases his tone a little bit as Lee tries to do the same. Getting worked up about things right now won't help solve either of their problems, especially when both their son and Lee's little helper are out of sight.
"Carley and Mark are with them – I'm sure they'll be fine," Lee tries to console, hearing Lilly scoff from behind him as she gives out her opinion.
"Mark's barely able to move, and Carley practically got her entire face scorched off. I'd say the sooner we get to them, the better," she elaborates, being the bearer of bad news once again as Kenny gets ready to retaliate. Noticing Lee's head shaking, he begrudgingly stops himself as they head further down the road.
Tire tracks can be seen in the dirt in front of them as they travel along, and everyone was fully aware of the escape plan going forward, but sometimes plans are apt to change.
You never know when something might come along and snatch your happiness away.
"Crank that shit, Russ! This is my jam!"
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Russell mumbles as Nate turns the volume dial up anyways and starts fist-pumping to the beat. One hand is on the steering wheel while his other hand is nearly smacking the kid in the face, with Clem and Duck sitting in the back seat wondering what in the world is going on.
Travelling at an average speed of sixty miles per hour down the dirt road, Nate bobs and weaves around various objects scattered about, but makes it a habit every once in a while to intentionally drive over a small object on Russell's side of the car for his amusement. Mostly doing this simply to pass the time (and because the only other one trying to talk in the truck is Duck of all people), Nate's also come to enjoy the guy's company over the past couple of weeks. He had met him while driving down a similar road heading east from Alabama, and the two have been inseparable ever since.
…well, at least that's how Nate's been picturing their travels together. Russell's been regretting the decision ever since the trucker had killed that elderly couple in that gas station miles back in the opposite direction. The boy had hesitated for just a fraction when Nate had suggested they kill the two and take their stuff, and it had needlessly cost lives in the process. It could've been argued that the old man had shot at them first without warning, which is what Russell had previously tried to justify to himself.
But it still left a bitter, horrible taste in Russell's mouth that hasn't gone away. That blood is on his hands just as much as it is on Nate's, and the guilt has been eating him up inside so much that every time he's been within the guy's vicinity, Russell has gotten shivers up his spine.
It has to be said that Nate's a capable survivor for what it's worth, no matter what the boy might think of him aside from that. The fact is that after they left the gas station, Nate had been true to his word – driving around with him and looking out for potential supply spots.
But if the man could murder a couple of strangers at point blank like that without any pause or hesitation, then what would happen if Russell accidentally pissed him off? Would he be safe even with this new-found group?
To him, these people seem pretty capable from what he's witnessed thus far, but there also seems to be quite a lot of tension among their numbers; something that Russell had been wanting to avoid for a long time now.
Turning the volume back down and pointing to the scared kids in the back, Russell insists on Nate slowing down as the ball cap-adorning man shrugs off his hand. "Christ, Nate! Would it really kill you to slow down? There's people in the back too, you know!" he chastises while looking in the rear-view mirror. Chuck's been mostly keeping to himself for most of the trip, but Mark and Carley have been trying to distract themselves from the shitty mess they've all gathered in.
Talking about anything and everything other than the motor-inn, Carley tries to keep the conversation light as the hatch buckles and shakes from the bumpy road. Something about being off their feet yet out on the road is giving the survivors a relief that they haven't felt in quite a while. For the moment at least, they're safe from danger.
There's something to be said about that, even if it would seem pretty trivial by normal standards.
"So anyways, this new reporter fresh out of college walks into the studio looking all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed… I don't think she'd ever actually been in front of a camera in her entire life," she recalls to an amused Mark, who's sitting in the corner and trying not to upset his wounds too much. "So I kept on trying to show her the ropes and teach her all about how to talk and make the news a little interesting to the viewers, right? And she kept insisting that she'd got it down and that there was nothing to worry about. Grace didn't have a clue about what she was getting into – reporting out in the city during the Thanksgiving Day parade… She should've known there'd be stoned morons out in the street."
"Oh, I remember that broadcast now! Grace… Heller, I think her name was? We saw it on the tube back at the air force base!" Mark snaps his fingers as he clicks the pieces together. "Wasn't she the one who got that…"
"Turkey in the face? Yep, and she had no idea how to react to it either!" Carley chuckles, glad to see that they can reflect on the good, old days for at least a moment instead of worrying about what's going on today. She wishes that things could be that simple again… that she could head into work tomorrow and just go back to her normal life. Back to getting yelled at from her dickhead of a boss and to drink coffee after a successful broadcast.
The only survival she really had to worry about back then was whether or not she was going to keep her job for the long haul, which… could be considered life or death in her circumstance, she supposes. Times were pretty tough in the media market, and her skills didn't exactly branch out that far beyond reporting. Carley was a damn good reporter, if any of the employee accolades she acquired were saying anything about her past experience. But outside of that? She never really considered herself a jack of all trades kind of person.
And honestly, the single reason that Carley believes Lee kept her around was simply because she knew how to shoot a gun, and Doug didn't. Guns may have been a valuable asset, but what if they were to try and rebuild society? Technical skills like the ones that Doug had may have been much more valuable… and yet she can't help but feel grateful to be alive right now.
Tch, yeah. Real fucking grateful to be riding away from bandits and walkers and all manner of shit while Doug is resting in peace.
At least the company's not so bad around here. Mark's a pretty decent guy for her to talk to.
"…them kids ain't gonna make it at this rate."
Snapping their heads over to the source of the noise, Carley frowns deeply as Mark turns his head to look through the window. Sure enough, Clem and Duck are both still sitting there not really doing a whole lot, which is a pretty big change considering the young boy's usually bouncing off the walls. Maybe it's just that he's separated from his parents, but seeing the kid so quiet and reserved is actually a sad sight to behold.
"What did you say?"
"Err, nothin'… just blabbing away like usual, that's all…" Chuck excuses himself after realizing that these two aren't really the ones who need to hear this kind of talk.
But Carley's not letting him off the hook that easily.
"No, what did you just say?!" she takes a verbal jab at the old man, silently noting how matter-of-fact he is about this sentiment. Clearly the guy truly believes what he's speaking of. "What do you mean they're gonna die?! What the fuck would you go and say something that cruel for?!"
Figuring that since Mark and Carley are the only ones around to hear his thoughts, and despite Kenny, Lee and Katjaa not being able to say anything on the matter, Chuck leans his head back on the cool metal of the truck; eyes downcast as they finally start to slow down.
Sighing, Chuck shrugs his shoulders as he begins his tale. "Living out your days on the streets, you've gotta be resilient to survive. Sometimes you steal food, other times you huddle together with others o' your sort and try to shake out the cold," he explains, with Carley and Mark still waiting for him to make a point out of all of this. "Being out there, you see things… hear things… Most of the kids who ended up on the streets wit' me? They'd last about less than a month before an ambulance would come pick up their body off of a plastic slide, or a park bench or a dumpster…"
With the way that he's describing these things, Mark can't help but think that Chuck must've had a pretty personal connection to one or more of those kids – possibly as close friends or family members. It's almost as if with every single child or person that he found dead on the streets with him, the old man had felt personally responsible; almost as if he failed them by allowing this to happen. Beforehand, Mark couldn't ever imagine having to live on the streets like that… but these days, everybody's homeless. Property no longer has any merit and doesn't exist – the only way for anyone to survive is to keep moving with a group (no matter how large), or off by yourself if you really want that.
The more that Mark thinks about it, the more he actually kind of envies the guy. Chuck explained earlier how he'd been on his own for fifteen years before the apocalypse started, so he wouldn't really have had to adjust to the conditions nearly as much.
"Those that did make it?" he continues as Nate slowly pulls over to a small clearing near the side of the road. "They were forever changed – no homeless person ever comes out of it the same way," he mutters, pointing his thumb back to Clem and Duck who are still huddled together in the back of the truck. Russell's trying his hand at keeping them calm, but the guy's never really had much experience around kids before. "These kids right 'ere? They haven't had to learn to survive on their own. They're practically toddlers having to hold onto their parent's hand the whole ride through."
"So… what are we supposed to do then?" Mark asks quietly, having to get helped out of the back by the two of them before Nate decides to just take off down the road again. They can't keep driving away like this without at least stopping to wait for the others.
Once he's settled flat on his feet, and the kids timidly open the door while staying close to the adults at all times, Chuck pensively glances over to them before coming to a conclusion.
"After a day like today… y'all may wanna consider teaching them the basics. Campfire building, shelter building, gun training, all of that," he proposes even though the two of them are practically powerless to do anything about it. Kenny would more than likely be pissed if he found out that Duck was shooting off pistols without his direct supervision, not to mention what Katjaa would say. "Seeing another kid die might just do me in…"
"You might as well come out and say it."
With Omid helping her back to a safe, comfortable position on the cushioned bench near the side, Christa wants to be angry with Lilly and tell her to just mind her own business, but her stomach's just acting up too much for her to even try. She's not going into labour yet, that much she knows from reading a few pregnancy texts for her sister a few years back. But it's still scary for her to dwell on the possibility of giving birth on an old RV instead of in a hospital.
The couple knows that there's really no point in trying to hide this anymore and keep this secret to themselves. If it wasn't obvious from the bathroom incident back at the farm, then the mood swings and cravings for weird stuff like canned tuna, cranberries and pickled eggs certainly did the trick.
"This isn't something you can just avoid, you know," Lilly points out, as if this hasn't been the main thing on their minds for the past few months. "Christa, when were you gonna tell us you had a baby on the way?"
"When I figured it would actually be your business – which probably would've been never," Christa responds in a snarky tone as Omid tries to cool her down a little bit. "…we figured that we could just figure it out ourselves. We barely knew any of you people, and then that whole mess started happening… We're fine though, so it's nothing to worry about."
Looking over his shoulder to the front of the RV, Lee glances over at Katjaa to try and ask her something. "Katjaa, you're a vet – that's pretty close to a doctor, isn't it?" he assumes as Christa's ears perk up a little bit. "Would you know anything about this kind of thing? I mean, there have to be at least some similarities, right?"
Getting lightly nudged on the shoulder by her husband after spacing out and not answering the question, Katjaa blinks a couple of times before turning around to face the rest of the group. All of this worrying about Duck has caused her to be terribly distracted the whole ride out, and she's barely paid attention to anything other than Kenny and staring out both of the windows in the hopes that she may at least catch a glimpse of their darling, innocent, little boy. Nothing else can truly compare, but perhaps talking about other important things will be enough for her to ease her troubled mind.
"Well… I've delivered to a number of dogs and cats before, but this is hardly the same thing," she admits before hopping out of her seat to join the expecting parents in the back. "But I can try my best at least. How's about I ask you some questions? Omid, you may want to sit down for this, too…"
Seeing that this is one of his only openings, Lee sighs before giving Lilly a sympathetic smile and sitting in the empty seat beside Kenny.
"Hell of a day, huh?" Lee remarks quietly, trying to sneak his way back in after going at each other back on the farm.
With a heavy sigh, Kenny nods and tries to wipe the sleep out of his eyes with the back of his shirt sleeve. The droopiness on his face and the heavy bags underneath his eyes doesn't go unnoticed, and as they pass over a set of rail tracks and maneuver in between some ruined cars, Lee asks if he needs somebody to take over with the driving for a little while.
"No offense, but you're starting to look like a walker yourself up here," Lee jokes lamely, getting an eye roll from the old fisherman as he keeps on trucking ahead. "Come on Ken, throw me a bone here. Take a break, man – you deserve it."
"Hmph, that's funny… considering how up in my face you've been getting over the past few days."
"Look, we may not agree on everything – "
"Or anything," Kenny adds in as Lee sighs in exasperation. Clearly this underlying tension has been building for a while, but it's not just between two of the head honchos over here. People have been arguing among their numbers since this whole mess began, back to the very first time they met at the drug store, in fact. Lee wasn't exactly sure what to make of these newcomers at first, but even back then he realized that sticking together and working as a team was the only way they were ever going to get through this.
So far, that notion has mostly held true, although there definitely have been some obstacles in the way.
"…regardless of how we might feel about each other, we have to put that shit to bed now. It's just not worth all the in-fighting and shouting matches – all we're doing is just wasting our breath," Lee remarks as Lilly eavesdrops on their conversation from her seat opposite Andy. The big guy hasn't said a word for nearly an hour now, and nobody can really tell what it is he's thinking about. Probably his brother, but could there be more going on in that brain of his?
"You really think we can just all sit in a circle, hold hands and be the best of friends? I hate to burst your bubble, but that's just not gonna happen, Lee…"
"We don't have to," Lee advises, widening his eyes and cutting himself off as he sees a small campfire off to the side of the dirt road. "No fucking way… Looks like our luck is finally starting to turn around!"
"'bout damn time," Kenny mumbles, yet feeling equally as excited as he sees Duck sprint up to his side of the RV. Careful not to smack the boy in the head with the door, Kenny quickly steps outside before engulfing him in a big, tight hug; twirling around in a circle as he chokes out in relief. "God damn… I… I was starting to think that I lost ya, buddy! Are you alright? Nothing's broken?"
While Kenny and his family are reuniting, everyone else step out of the RV to come join Carley, Mark, Russell and Nate over by the fire, with Clementine smiling brightly upon their return. Jogging over to Lee, she hugs his waist as Lee bends down to return the gesture.
"Hey girl! You alright, sweet pea?" he greets with a warm smile as Clementine wipes a smidge of blood that Lee had missed after cleaning his face earlier. Trying not to think about the bandit whose blood it was from, Lee stands up as he feels the eight year old grab onto his hand and start to lead him away. "Hey Andy?" he calls out in concern after seeing him start to stray off to the side. "Don't wander out too far, alright? Just stay within the area and come on over to the fire when you're ready. We don't know what's out here…"
Grumbling and not really giving much of a response, the big guy trudges away with his shoulders slumped as he practically drags himself over to a small creek nearby. Andy's far too distraught to sit around a campfire tonight while swapping tales of his glory days while he was a youth in his prime, so he figures that to blow off some steam, he might as well start by skipping stones over here. He and Danny always used to do this kind of thing when they were younger and bored around their parents' farm.
Swatting a mosquito off of his arm as he rubs the gooey residue on a nearby tree, Andy spots Chuck standing alone along the river bend; his fly down as he takes a piss in the water below.
"No need for privacy 'round here, son," Chuck mentions without even looking at him. "Lemme guess – you needed some air, too?"
"…yeah, you could say that…"
With nothing but the swish of the trees and the rush of the creek to keep them company as the water travels over the rocks, Chuck zips his jeans back up before rinsing his grimy hands in the stream. There's no soap around, but honestly the guy hasn't had a proper bath in a very long time, yet he's still breathing as they speak. Wiping the wetness off with a nearby leaf, Chuck shrugs his shoulders as Andy gives him a look. "As nature intended, I guess."
Nothing would please the guy more than to just stop talking and swat all of his troubles away, so Andy chooses to ignore the homeless guy as he searches for one of the flattest stones he can find. Satisfied, within seconds the rock is whipped down the creek like a rocket as it skims along the surface and ends up sinking to the bottom a couple dozen metres away. Nothing like a nice, peaceful night of rock throwing to help Andy forget about life for a while.
"Makes me wish I still had my fishin' hat," Chuck remarks wistfully, whistling to an old tune as he too picks up a stone and tosses it downwards. The two of them are completely unaware of the danger lurking nearby, thanks to the rushing sound of the current flowing downstream. "Back in this park in Atlanta, they used to have some rustic, old water fountain that the construction workers had planted right in the middle of the grounds. People of all ages would come on over to drop a quarter or a dime or whatever loose change they had into the water, and sometimes they'd even talk to yours truly – the scary, dirty hobo from across the way."
"You don't really strike me as such," mentions Andy as he cracks the faintest of smiles. Who would've thought that a little easy-going banter would be enough to start the healing process for him?
Snorting lightly, Charles twirls a stone in between his fingers as the threat starts to get dangerously close; with both of them still completely unaware as the beast stumbles hungrily towards them.
"Kids usually didn't think so, but it was always the parents who thought I was trying somethin' with the little ones. Thinking I was some sick bastard coming over to snatch them away… but there occasionally were kind ones, too," Chuck explains as he prepares to throw another stone across the stream. "Bunches of folks would come on over to the fountain and make some sort of wish – whatever floated their fancy that day. But you know what I usually wished for, sonny-boy? All I wanted was a chance to – "
Not hearing the growls of the walker until it's far too late, Chuck turns around at the last moment as he's tackled by the undead beast into the creek beside him. Banging his head on a sharp rock down below, Chuck can do nothing but scream underwater as the walker rips into his gut like an animal and starts to feed on his insides. Blood is spewed everywhere as the water around him turns red, and the hungry attacks only stop when Andy kicks the monstrosity in the face and slams a larger rock downwards; crushing its head and eliminating the threat.
The farm boy drags the hobo to shore as he whimpers and the rest of the group sprint over to see what the shouting was all about. Upon witnessing the tragedy firsthand, the group cries out in a chorus of gasps, cringes and hushed whispers of "oh my god". They all know what happens after a bite like this, and with the deep wounds within his chest, Chuck has basically been delivered a death sentence.
Each and every adult around here knows that they have to do something about this, but how humane can it really get when the only possible solution is to…
"D-don't leave me to turn…" Chuck splutters out in between hoarse breaths. "Please…" he begs as Lee bends down in front of him. "I can't go out like that… Just… just end it for me… end this nightmare…"
"…Lilly, Omid, take the kids out of here, alright?" Lee asks them in a solemn tone. "They don't need to see this."
"No… they need to… stay…" Chuck disagrees, finding it difficult to retain his focus as the light starts to dim in his chocolate-coloured eyes. When Lee gives him a strange look of disapproval, Carley pats onto his shoulder and surprisingly nods her head. "Them young'uns can't be kids anymore… Cough-cough! Out here… they ain't little. They ain't a girl, they ain't a boy… They ain't strong or smart… they're alive," Chuck reasons as he is forced to lean his head back and draw some of his final breaths. "Y'all gotta… show 'em the way…"
Stepping up with a sad frown, Clementine clutches her dying friend's hand as she whispers goodbye to Chuck, with a whole other load of sympathies headed in his direction as he smiles in appreciation. He may not have been with these people for very long, but he definitely had made a long-lasting impression on them.
"Just close your eyes, man…" Lee tells him while pulling out a partly-loaded pistol and aiming it straight between the old man's eyes. "Rest in peace…"
Giving one last breath of fresh air, Chuck decides to make his last moment a good one by thinking about the positive sides of the last fifteen years of his life. Thinking of all the smiling faces and people he got to meet had always given him hope for humanity.
Without another word, Lee pulls the trigger as Chuck's head snaps backwards. The deed is finally done, and Charles is no more.
Some of the group members stop to pay their respects in silence, while others go back to check the perimeter and make sure that no other walkers are lurking about after hearing that gunshot go off. Lee feels Clementine clutch onto his much bigger hand, and shakily sighs before nodding and turning back with her towards the camp.
Something tells the guy that Chuck would probably want his final resting place to be up near a whistling creek like this.
Flames dart up from the pile of sticks and small logs of firewood as the bright colours all come together to form one beautiful cascade of orange, yellow and red. Smoke billows out from the top and into the sky as the hoots of forest owls echo in the night, along with the crickets chirping in the random patches of grass around them. It's almost like a symphony of noises all coming together to form one of the most natural and pure mixtures that Clementine's ever come across, but that's mostly because the eight year old has never really had to go camping before until recently. Every little noise from the forest is basically magical and mysterious to her young mind.
She may be a child at heart, but mentally the girl is already maturing much faster than other kids her age, and that's already becoming apparent to her trustful guardian. Lee had noticed earlier that she had barely even flinched at Chuck's request for her and Duck to be there, let alone when he was actually put down. It's almost as if she's been through this kind of thing so much now that death barely even fazes her, as if this is just some normal thing that she's come to accept. Lee would give anything to keep her from that mindset and grant her the childhood that was stolen from her, but no amount of want is going to make that wish come true.
Clementine had actually asked him about an hour or so after Chuck's death about how a gun actually works, and he knew right then and there that he'd eventually have to teach her how to properly use one. He wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that at first, but it's not as if her parents are around to show her the way, and he certainly isn't going to wait for a pack of roaming ones to come prancing along close to her. Maybe not tonight, since it's already getting late and they've had quite enough misery going on for one day, but definitely sometime soon. For her sake, the more comfortable and careful that the girl can be around using a gun for protection out here, the better.
Snuggled up against his side, Clementine tries to keep her eyes open for a little while longer so that she can stay awake with the rest of the grownups. Lee can't help but smirk at the childish antics – at least not all of her traits have died off just yet.
"Why don't you get some sleep, kiddo?" he asks as Clem's eyelids slowly start to droop downwards.
"But I'm not even…" she trails off, yawning softly before letting out a small giggle and shrugging her shoulders. "Okay, maybe I'm a little bit tired."
"Just a little?"
"Lots, actually."
As the girl slowly drifts off into hopefully a peaceful dream session, Lee waits until her breathing settles and he's fully sure that she's passed out completely. Once that happens, he carefully stands up before carrying Clem bridal style over to the RV; bidding goodnight to Omid, Christa, Carley, Mark, Russell and Nate as they continue to chat quietly around the bonfire.
The kid's as light as a feather, which is actually slightly worrisome to Lee as he remembers the dire food situation that they've been having over the past several weeks or so. He knew Clem was pretty thin to begin with, but right now she almost feels like skin and bones resting like a dead weight in his arms. Even thinking about having to do that sort of thing in real life scares him half to death, but it also only strengthens his resolve to look after the girl.
Looking at her angelic face as she snoozes, however, also makes him feel incredibly guilty. Lee has yet to bring up her parents in pretty much any conversation aside from talking to Lilly on occasion, and every time that Clementine stares longingly at that god-forsaken radio, Lee's insides twist into an accordion.
For now, though, all he cares about is keeping her safe and giving her the tools that she needs in order to make it in this world. The day may come where he may not be able to provide anymore, whether they get separated or he gets injured or whatever ailments may befall them.
Sliding the RV door open, Lee smirks as he notices Katjaa already doting over the sleeping form of Duck, who's rested up against her stomach.
"I'm thinking he's got the right idea," Lee whispers jokingly, setting Clementine down on a pull-out mattress that they didn't even realize they had before. Knowing that touching the hat will possibly mean he could lose a hand, he sits on the edge of the bed before brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face.
"You're good with her."
"You think so?" he responds hopefully. The guy would be totally flattered if that were true, as honestly he hasn't really believed that he's been a great role model for Clementine over the course of their adventures. When the veterinarian nods and allows Duck to subconsciously shuffle his body around a little bit, Lee smiles appreciatively. "Thanks, Katjaa. I, uh… I think I needed that."
"We all need a little appreciation now and then," she agrees wholeheartedly with the wisdom of a mother with just over ten years of experience. "So you've really never taken care of a child before this? You never had any children of your own?"
"Not as far as I know… aaaaand that came out wrong," he chuckles bashfully, shaking his head and trying not to give off the impression that he was sleeping around before all of this. "I just mean that… gah! All I meant was – "
"Relax, I understand completely," Katjaa waves off before sighing in a depressed mood. Following her gaze and glancing out the window, Lee watches as the frown lines on her forehead grow deeper and connected. "I still can't believe what happened out there… how viciously he was attacked…"
He had a hunch about what was really on her mind as he had walked in with Clem in his arms, but the pill still isn't any easier to swallow. Chuck's death had hit them hard, and Lee is suddenly brought back to that incident where he had chosen to save Katjaa over Ben. How quickly he had made the decision… and the results that followed… Lee's still not sure what Kenny would've tried to do if his wife had been killed that night, but the look that Ben had given him was possibly even worse than the fisherman's wrath would've been: hurt, betrayal, mistrust. Ben was disgusted with him, firmly believing that Lee didn't give a shit about his life and that he had intentionally thrown it away in the wind.
That hadn't been the case tonight with Charles. His death was of his own accord, as brutal as it may have been. There wasn't any resentment or regret – only acceptance, and Lee may have even seen relief sweeping over the guy's face. Maybe it was just that he was tired of seeing so much death around him? Nobody would ever truly know.
"It all happened pretty fast," Lee nods in agreement, "and it wasn't anyone's fault. There was nothing that we could've done for him in time."
"Wasn't Andy out there with him, too? Maybe if he had just got out his gun and paid attention then maybe…"
Giving her a look that's telling her to drop it immediately, Katjaa retracts what she was going to say and instead goes back to stroking her son's forehead.
"…I'm sorry. Things have just been changing so quickly recently, and it's all… a little too much…"
"I understand," he reassures, taking one last look at Clementine before furrowing his brow and looking out the side window. "Looks like they're at each other's throats again," he sighs in annoyance. "I'm gonna go see what's up. Would you be able to look after Clementine for a bit while I check it out? Wouldn't want Nate to start taking pot shots at us after just a couple of nights."
Thanking Katjaa as she agrees, Lee hops out of the vehicle and wanders over to see what all the commotion is about. Can't everyone just get along for each other just for one day of the year? Is that truly too much for him to ask?
"You guys are being dramatic!" Carley groans, not wanting to be a part of yet another shouting match going on within their dwindling numbers. It seems that this time it's about what direction they should be heading towards, but she really doesn't understand why they can't just have this conversation in the morning when they're all a little less restless and jumpy. "There's no reason that this can't wait until tomorrow, alright? We're all exhausted!"
"You can keep on procrastinating this if you want, but I'm not going to sit around and wait while we all get pulled out to a watery grave! Kenny, this plan is fucking ridiculous! What makes you think Savannah is any less infested than any other city in Georgia?!" Lilly ridicules as she places her hands on her hips. Lee's got to admit that she has a bit of a point, but wouldn't it be just as bad of an idea not to check the place out? They honestly have no idea what it's truly like in the city, and Kenny does seem to know the water pretty well…
Either way, he's not about to let this argument get too heated, especially since Nate's been barking up a storm about those magical supplies they were supposed to get. He hates to burst his bubble, but in this group, any goods they find are shared equally – although more priority is given to Clem and Duck for obvious reasons. They deserve a chance more than any of them, with the possible exception of Christa.
Unfortunately, before he can intervene, Lee is cut off by Kenny as he scoffs and starts going off about how he was a ship captain before all of this. "I know my way around a boat and the ocean like the back of my hand!" he argues like a fierce combatant. "We get out on the water, find a place to sail off to, hit up the shore for supplies when we need it, and then find a safe place to settle down in! I don't see what the problem is here, princess! What? Would you rather we go trekking across the fucking States looking for Timbuktu?!"
"Oh, so living out on the seven seas like a bunch of pirates is soooo much better! Makes perfect sense! All you'd need is an eye patch and you'd fit the captain role just great!"
"Grow up…"
"You don't even have a plan for what happens when we don't find any boats!" she accuses while Christa shrieks for them both to shut up. When neither of them listen she tries to sit up and get between them, but Omid simply shakes his head and mentions how it's not worth it. There's really only one person who's proven capable of breaking up their arguments, and right now he's had just about enough of this shit.
Grabbing a hold of both of their shoulders, Lee forces them to move away from the campfire despite their protests; not taking no for an answer anymore. "Move. Over there, both of you, right now," he orders with a menacing scowl. Typically he only uses that if someone's really fucked up somehow, but tonight is a special occasion. "Do you two have any idea how god damn childish you both sound? It's like watching a couple of fully-grown adults fighting over a toy!"
"You can't seriously be taking his side right now!" Lilly intercedes as Kenny shakes his head in exasperation; figuring that this will be just another attempt to gang up on him. "Lee, he's – "
"Just stop and listen to me, alright? All of you," he remarks upon realizing that everyone behind him are also listening in on their conversation. "We can't survive this shit if we're constantly bitching at each other over these kinds of things! If you guys can't find some common ground and see what's best for the entire group, then we need to find someone who can."
"And who would you suggest should do that then? The she-devil over here?" Kenny bites back, eliciting a low growl out of Lilly as she clenches her fists.
No punches are thrown, however, as Lee makes an important announcement that bewilders some, slightly annoys others, while making a few actually glad that his leadership skills are finally starting to pick up in force.
"Until things change, neither of you are fit to lead the group. And if you can't agree on even one damn thing anymore, then we're going to need someone to make some executive decisions around here," Lee mentions as he rubs his hand through his short hair and sighs. "So get used to some changes, because from now until that time," he states with a lot more confidence, "I'm taking command of this group."
Next time, on Trouble in Paradise…
"This place is stripped clean… no way we're getting any use out of this shit…"
"Can't you just keep your mouth shut for once in your life, Kenny?!"
"Can't wait for you in Savannah Clementine! Just don't tell Lee, alright..."
"You left my brother for dead; didn't even think to put him out of his misery! You-You… YOU'RE A FUCKIN' MONSTER!"
"C'mon Christa, the baby's here, please Chrissy..."
"The name's Tracey, and I have a place up the road. Would you folks be interested?"
"…Oh god… the baby!"
"You don't know what real misery is like… none of you do…"
EPISODE 2 – CURSED MORALS
YOUR CHOICES
BREATH OF LIFE – 88% of players gave Mark the morphine.
KISS OF DEATH – 69% of players chose to save Katjaa instead of Ben.
TO KILL, OR NOT TO KILL – 67% of players chose to shoot the bandit on top of the RV.
MERCY – 60% of players left Danny.