Episode 2: The Perils Ahead- At Peace
A/N- I'm sorry that it's been so long since we updated, but we have not abandoned this story. It will continue to the very end. Prepare yourselves and enjoy the conclusion of episode 2.
"Move over kid..." Kenny muttered as he plopped down on the couch next to a resting Hazen. He opened his eye lazily and complied, allowing the one-eyed man to share the couch with him. "Maree still taking care of AJ upstairs?"
"...Yeah, he fell asleep about an hour ago. He's doing fine." Hazen responded as he eyed the fireplace in front of them. "Think I'll start the fire..." He got up and grabbed some logs from the pile and went straight to work. Some warmth would be pretty nice for them right about now.
Kenny then looked back at Clem and called her over. "Clem, hey." She beckoned Kenny's call and walked towards them. "...It's been a long day for us darlin', and I know you gotta be exhausted, but I'd appreciate it if ya checked in with everyone. Make sure supplies are handled alright," He then looked away from her in sadness. "These people trust you better than me..."
"What are you talking about? You were the one that led us out of Wellington, you saved these people Kenny." Clementine immediately defended. "Don't think like that."
(?) Kenny will remember that.
"Either way, me mouthing off to them ain't gonna work as well as you doing it. Ever since..." Kenny somberly trailed off internally remembering their struggle with the people they escaped from Howe's Hardware. And Clementine knew what he meant. "...I don't want that to happen again, We're back out in this wilderness Clem... I gotta make a change."
Clem frowned and realized that he was right. Now, after all this time behind the safe walls of Wellington, they were going back outside in the brink of it, at the mercy of the horrors that resides in these lands. They had to be strong together, and Kenny and Clementine knew what was best. "Okay Kenny."
He smiled at that. "Good. So, what's it gonna be?"
[Go to bed]
[Check in with everyone]
Clem nodded, deciding to see if everyone was doing alright. "I'll check in with everyone else."
"Thanks sweetie. I knew I could count on ya." Kenny kept his smile as he adjusted himself in the sofa, and Hazen started up the fire. It was indeed warm, and the flames began to take hold of the wood as fuel so that it began to burn. The fireplace now emanated the heat needed to fill the surrounding area with comfort, and Kenny was basking in it, ready to relax for just a second. "...It's uh..." He chuckled. "Really been a long day..." He suddenly became very tired as he and Hazen stared into the fire. "Might just... rest my eye for a second..." And after another yawn the man just fell asleep right there.
"I'll watch him." Hazen reassured the twelve year old. "Don't worry about it." The young man knew that these two people cared about each other very deeply. "Fire's too nice to leave anyway."
Clem appreciated that. "Thank you Hazen." She turned around with the objective to go upstairs and check on AJ first but that was when Maree came down stairs and spotted Clementine. The twelve year old approached her, meeting her by the base of the stairs. "What is it?" She asked.
"Michael would like you to be with him while I put peroxide on his hand and run a needle through it." Maree replied. "He'd just like you there, that's all. All I need you to do is distract him so it's less painful for him."
"How should I distract him?" Clem wondered out loud.
"Just... Chat. Get him talking about something." She suggested. "I know it'll help."
Clementine nodded. "I can do that."
"Good." Maree replied simply, turning and going back upstairs with Clementine following close behind. They walked down the hallway and went into one of the rooms. Michael was sitting in a armchair, clutching his hand, the make-shift bandage no longer present.
"Oh hey, Clem." He greeted as his face lightened up a little.
"Hi." She responded. "How are you?" She asked, walking over to him.
"I'm alright, could be better. Just a little nervous that's all."
"That's putting it lightly." Maree poked fun at him. She knew this was a serious wound, but he admired her young patient's resilience. "Clem, AJ's just sleeping in the next room over, he's all snuggled in and sleeping. You can tell Kenny when you get the chance."
"Okay." Clem took note of the baby's status, as she walked over to Michael's left side.
Michael seemed to calm down a little with the twelve year old right beside him. Had to look tough enough for her, right? "Thanks for doing this by the way, I appreciate it. It's nice to have you here."
"No problem." Clem simply stated.
Maree had pulled a chair over from a desk and sat down on it beside Michael. "It's okay to be scared, Michael." She told him. "Don't worry, it won't hurt as much as you think." She said reassuringly. She turned towards Clementine and gestured to the other side of the room. "There's a stool over there if you want to sit down."
Clementine proceeded to pick up the stool and place it down beside Michael's chair, sitting on it and patting his left hand. Michael smiled at her and held out his right hand to Maree.
"I'm going to put some peroxide on first. This may sting a little." She informed him as she poured the peroxide onto a rag.
"It's gonna hurt like hell, isn't it? I've had it put on a wound before. I once had a nasty cut on my knee and a doctor put some peroxide on it. It was horrible..."
"Was your mom there?" Clementine asked trying to get the fourteen year old distracted enough.
"Yeah." He paused. "She held my hand..." He looked at Clementine awkwardly. "N-not that I want to hold your hand or anything." He added quickly. Maree let out a small huff which could be interpreted as a laugh. "I was just a little kid back then..." Maree began to wipe his hand with the rag and here comes the searing burn. "Fucking hell!" Michael exclaimed loudly.
"You're okay, Michael." Clementine told him gently. "Just try not to think about it."
Michael winced in pain. "Can I keep going?" Maree consulted him.
He grimaced, and then nodded, biting down on his lower lip. Maree continued to wipe his wound, and Michael hissed. "I had to put this on Kenny's eye once." Clementine told him.
"Yeah? What was he like?" The boy inquired out of curiosity.
"He was a big baby." She replied with a cheeky grin and Michael returned it.
"I can be braver than him." He stated strongly, and Maree was still putting peroxide on his hand but he hadn't noticed.
There was a period of silence as Maree finished off that part of the work. "Now for the stitches..." She muttered to herself, standing up and getting a needle and thread off the desk. She came back over and threaded the stitches through the needle.
"This part is going to suck too, won't it?" Micheal stated with a grimace as Maree got the needle ready. "Just... get it over with."
The process was grueling, but it was done. The stitches stayed in place, and Michael was worthy of a lollipop for being such a trooper, too bad they didn't have any lollipops...
"There! All done." Maree declared as she wrapped his mangled hand in a thick roll of white gauze. "Don't do anything strenuous for a day or two, and you should be fine." She wiped the sweat from her brow and Michael and Clem let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh man... my hand is... throbbing." Michael panted as he tried to compose himself. "But it feels safe. Is that the word?"
"I did all I could, but I'm sure you should be fine if you don't pull those stitches." Maree comforted as she got a rag and wiped his blood off her ebony hands. "Just get some rest, okay?"
"Yeah, thank you Maree." Both kids gratefully responded as she smiled at the work she did.
"Anytime you two. Now if you don't mind, I need to see Dusty for something. It'll be just a minute." Maree exited the room, leaving Clementine and Michael alone.
Michael lifted his right hand and examined the bandages. "Maree did a damn fine job." He commented, nodding in approval, impressed by her work.
"Yeah, she did." Clementine agreed.
Michael reached into his pocket and took out a crumpled sheet of paper. A first, Clementine thought it was the note that he had received from his father, Lucas, but she couldn't be completely sure. "What's that?" She asked.
"This? Well..." He paused. "It's a list of outposts. Places like Wellington. Me and my dad, we came across an outpost a while back and found this list there. That's how we found out about Wellington. The nearest outpost is in Ohio, and I was thinking, we could maybe go there?"
"You'll have to discuss it with the group. They'll decide if it's worth a shot."
(?) Michael will remember that.
"Well, it is worth it. The last outpost me and my dad went to didn't have any people but there were a lot of supplies. Maybe the one in Ohio will be the same."
"I guess we'll see..."
*cry* It was little AJ fussing over something from the other room, they were quiet enough that they could hear him through the wall but not enough for the people downstairs to hear him. Alvin junior might have just woken himself up.
Clem sighed as she got up and made her way to the door too. "I better check on him."
"You going to bed?" Michael questioned her, while remaining in his chair.
"Not yet, I'm going to talk to everyone else first before I do." She assured him.
"Yeah... that's a good idea. Go ahead then." Michael waved her off. "I'll see you in a bit, Clem."
Clem excused herself and stepped out of his room, wishing that he get some rest. She closed the door behind her and surveyed the hallway. She silently walked towards the room where AJ resided and she opened the door to see if he was okay. However, the crying had stopped, and she could see little AJ had gotten himself back to sleep by himself. "Good night little guy..." Clem cooed as she left the baby in peace and closed the door.
Clementine went the opposite direction and found one of the other doors slightly ajar and two voices were coming out of it. This must have been Wayne and Helga's room. She didn't want to eavesdrop, but it sounded like they were in the middle of a heated argument.
"You really don't care what I want, do you bro?" Helga accused from inside. Clem knew this was wrong, but curiosity was piquing her.
"What do you want to do? Huh?! Just leave this group? Fuck that, no!" Wayne responded sternly to his little sister. "People we know, people we trust, are the best defense against the dead. I've told you that multiple times-!"
"But I don't trust them. Any of them... they're going to get us both killed." Helga scowled as she went on. "They'll be the death of us. It can be just you and me out on the road-!"
"No. No, you're going to listen to me, you're going to do what you're told, and that's that! We're sticking with this group!" He laid it on thick, but this was how it was going to be for them. Clem heard only silence for a few moments and suddenly she heard a door slam loudly. "You can't hide in the bathroom forever Helga! Dammit... this is real mature of ya!"
Clem slowly backed away from the door, sure that neither of those people wanted to be disturbed. She then rounded another corner and saw another door slightly ajar. It must have been Dusty's room because Maree soon emerged out of it. "Oh Clem... you scared me for a second."
"Sorry, is Dusty still awake?" She asked her.
She looked back at his door and then back at her. "No sorry, he's out like a light."
That was weird since Clem thought it was too early for grownups to just fall asleep now. But then again Kenny was still taking his nap downstairs. "Why's he so tired?"
Maree scratched the back of her head awkwardly and shifted uncomfortably. "He, well... if a man's tired, he's tired. Not much else to say about that."
"Okay..." Clem had an odd feeling that there was more than what she was telling, but she didn't want to press the issue.
"How's Michael doing?" Maree wanted to inquire from her. "Is he doing better?"
"I think so." She sparred a glance back at his door down the hall.
"That boy is strong, I don't doubt that. But I'm worried for him, someone like him so young going through that desperate amputation on his own hand. I hope he was a lefty..." Clem just remained silent at that and shrugged her shoulders. "Well anyway... I think we can all turn in soon. Hazen and Kenny will be taking first watch and we'll all take shifts okay?"
"Yeah." She simply nodded at that.
After about a few more minutes of trying to go to sleep, Clementine just couldn't drift off to dreamland. She was too tense, too many thoughts swirling around in her head. She heaved herself up and off the bed she had for herself at the moment, but while also sharing it with AJ. He was still there in his little basket and bundle of blankets in the spot beside her. She didn't need to wake him up if she didn't have too.
So, she decided out of boredom to explore the Bed n' and Breakfast, because why not? She couldn't sleep anyway. So, she trekked herself out of her room when weirdly enough something caught her eye. She noticed there was a 'Do not disturb' sign on Michael's door. When did he put that up?
Clementine paused outside of Michael's room, glancing at the 'Do not disturb' sign hanging on the door knob. She ignored it and went into the room, seeing Michael still sitting in the armchair, his head rested on his left palm.
"Can't you read?" He groaned sleepily.
"Yeah, I just chose to ignore it." Clementine replied smugly.
Michael grinned. "I would probably ignore it to."
Clementine paused, noticing that his hair was sticking up. "What happened to your hair?" She asked.
"I found some hair gel in the bathroom and I wanted to get my fringe out of my eyes for a bit." He told her. "I swear to god, if I find a pair of scissors, I'm cutting it short..."
She then glanced over at the neatly made bed and then looked back at him. "Why aren't you sleeping in there?" She asked pointing at the bed.
"I didn't fancy it. I prefer this armchair if I'm completely honest. It's pretty comfortable." Clementine then noticed that the outpost papers he was showing her earlier were laying on his lap. He had been thinking about this plan to go there ever since they all came here, didn't he?
Clem was about to say something else when there was a knock on the door. "Group meeting!" The voice of Helga declared.
Michael smirked at Clementine and stood up, stuffing the documents into his pocket and leaving the room, with Clementine following, he opened it seeing the blonde teen waiting for them. "Aw, were you two kissing?" Helga teased.
"Oh just piss off, Helga." Michael snarled, annoyed by her presence.
"Don't get so touchy over your girlfriend, Michael..."
Michael glared at her and barged past, knocking her shoulder purposefully. "You're such a bitch." He muttered under his breath as he walked downstairs.
She scoffed back at him. "Can't he ever take a joke?"
Clementine glared at Helga. "He's been through a tough time, and you're only making things worse for him! Can't you just leave people alone?"
(?) Helga will remember that.
"Hmph, no I can't. Not if I don't like them. And what are you going to do about it anyway?" She seethed as she stared down at the little girl.
Clem knew she wasn't worth it, so she simply brushed past her without another thought towards it, and without confronting her further, she quickly went downstairs to see what this group meeting was all about. Everyone except for Helga was down here in the living room, the fire was still going, and it looked like they were all discussing something. Dusty was now awake and he was pitted against Kenny and Wayne in an argument.
"Look, we need to decide what we're doing tomorrow. We need a plan here." Dusty pressed the whole group. "Wellington picked everything clean all around this area, so we need to hit the road as soon as we can and look for more supplies."
"I agree." Kenny nodded, remembering from a long time ago. "I know a place, it's a long ways away, but we can make the hike in about a couple weeks if we leave at first light."
"Weeks?! Where the fuck are you taking us?!" Wayne interjected, much to Kenny's dismay. "Ain't no way we're walking that far, we need to find somewhere closer."
"Doing the nomad thing might not be a bad idea either, if we're never in the same place for too long, we might make for less easier marks." Hazen crossed his arms, trying his best to remain neutral, not really caring where they went.
"That's fucking stupid kid, wandering around aimlessly till the buzzards and walkers pick your bones dry, no, we need to find a place." Kenny proclaimed to them all while his old habits began to flare up again. Clementine was afraid this might happen again, so he motioned Michael to show them his documents.
The fourteen year old understood and he stepped forward. "I got an idea, how about we go here?" He revealed to them the paper and information about the outpost.
"What's this?" Dusty questioned as he took the piece of paper and examined it.
"Lemme see that!" Kenny ordered as he snapped the paper out of his hands and looked at it himself. At first he had a look of puzzlement but then his expression softened to that of interested. "How long have you had this Mikey?"
Michael furrowed his eyebrows as he took the paper back from Kenny. "A while, okay? I'm bringing this up now rather than later." He then addressed the entire group. "Everyone! There's an outpost on this location right here." He pointed to something scribbled on the paper. "And it's not too far, we can go along the lake's shoreline to guide us and we can get there in probably a week or two."
"You sure about that? 'Cause if I remember right, it was your idea to go to that death trap of a mall!" Kenny accused him. "Your suggestions don't exactly pan out kid."
"Hey lay off Kenny. This outpost might be legit if nobody else has heard about it." Dusty defended him. "And that place you had in mind sounds further out, so if that outpost of Michael's don't work out then we'll go to your place next. Sound fair?"
"Well we have to do something, because the supplies we got, ain't gonna last us more than a week." Wayne added, getting in the middle of it too. "If we stay along the lake we can all have access to fish and water along the way."
"And I think we should go to the outpost too. It could have everything we need, and it's better than anything else we suggested." Clem added her input.
(?) They will remember that.
"Fine!" Kenny couldn't deny the logic in that strategy. "It's settled, as long as we leave at dawn. So we'll all have to get some shuteye."
"Great to see we can all come together." Maree chimed in trying to be optimistic of the situation.
For maybe the first time in a while, this group agreed in unity. They had the motivation and the confidence with a set goal in mind when suddenly, Helga came thundering down the stairs, with probably the most fearful expression on her face they had ever seen. "Guys..." Oddly enough Helga had a pair of binoculars around her neck. "We're in trouble..."
"What is it, sis?" Wayne asked as Helga lowered the binoculars so that they just dangled around her neck on their own.
She simply replied. "You need to see this."
"Holy shit..." Kenny was in awe as much as horrified. "God help us..."
Clementine lifted the binoculars Helga had earlier, spotting a large horde of walkers coming their way. They were on a balcony that was attached to Michael's room and Kenny, Clem, Michael, and Dusty were all just watching this herd of death quickly getting closer and closer. Michael piped up. "I think they're the cluster from outside the Wellington wall. Maybe it's the Wellington community, I don't know. Either way, they're gonna hit us real soon!"
"We need to get out of here!" Clementine stated in a slightly panicked tone.
"You're tellin' me." Kenny nodded as he turned around to sound the alarm for the rest of the group. "Gather everything we have, and get ready to fight!"
"Come on guys, let's pack up and move, now!" Dusty commanded as they all sped off to get ready, leave, and avoid this herd of walkers. "Go!"
Michael began collecting his belongings in his own room while Clementine bolted out the door as well. For the next few minutes, their group was scrambling, trying to get every scrap they thought they could use for the road. Food, water, clothes, blankets, medicine, and weapons. Anything they could take, they packed in, and when they filed in ready to leave out the front door Kenny addressed them. "Alright! Everyone stick close and we'll push through, just like Wellington, got it?"
They all nodded in compliance, but when Kenny opened the door...
*GROAAH!*
"FUUUCK!" Kenny immediately slammed the door shut at the sight of multiple walkers already on the fucking front porch. "Alright, new plan! Up the stairs, go go go!" He ordered as he and Dusty moved the brown cabinet in front of the door once more. "That ain't gonna hold! Come on!"
They all didn't question the one-eyed man at all as they all stomped their way up to the second floor to decide a next course of action. However, Wayne exclaimed when they all made it up the stairs. "Jesus! Where the fuck do we go now?!"
Michael had an idea. "We can climb down the balcony out from my room! Tie the bed sheets together and use them as a rope!"
"Better than nothin'!" Kenny affirmed as he pulled out his pistol. "Just go and do it! I'll hold them off!"
Clem piped up after everyone went back into their former rooms to pull the sheets off their mattresses. "Kenny, I'll help you!"
As the two of them stood at the top of the stairs, they could both see the cabinet and front door shake and rattle violently as the weight of the increasing walkers became more and more. Ken sparred a glance at the little girl and nodded. "Alright, get ready..."
The door suddenly burst open as the cabinet was knocked out of the way and the hinges broke off as well. Almost in single file, the rotten corpses that were the lurkers growled and groaned as they hobbled in, some slowly climbing up the stairs. Kenny fired the first shot into the first one's head and it fell to the ground on the third step. Out of the corner of her eye, Clem saw that everyone was storming into the bedroom with the balcony with a plethora of white sheets, and then she began to fire her gun and kill walkers too.
After about ten dead lurkers later, Kenny and Clem saw that the horde was intent on filling up the entire building as more and more came into the Bed n' Breakfast. The two of them ran off for the balcony room when the entire first floor below was flooded with walkers and they were still coming up the stairs. They burst in seeing Wayne and Hazen successfully throwing a long white rope made of tied bed sheets over the balcony. Hazen turned to them. "It's ready!"
Kenny proclaimed to them. "Then go! Fuckin' go!" Hazen was the first to climb over and test it out and soon Helga was the next one over. Kenny then eyed Maree susipioucly. "Hey! Where's the kid? Where's AJ?!"
A look of shock and absolute fear erupted from Maree's face. "I put him in yours and Clem's room!" Oh no...
"Son of a bitch! I'm goin' back for him!" And before anyone else could say a word, Kenny bolted back out the door to retrieve the baby.
Alarmed, Clem raised her gun as a walker turned into this room, it's arms outstretched and Maree and Wayne were the next ones to climb over and off the balcony. "I got it-!" She was about to shoot the damn monster when her foot tripped on the edge of the rug and she fell on her back.
Dusty and Michael exclaimed when they watched in horror as the walker fell on top of the twelve year old! "Clementine!"
In a panic, Clem struggled against the roaring hunrgy walker. The thing was about to bite her when she jammed the barrel of her pistol in its rotting mouth. The trigger centimeters away from its teeth, she fired. *BANG!* The lurker fell dead on top of her but a millisecond later she heard the two worst sounds she couldn't bear to imagine...
"ARRGH!" Kenny had fallen and dropped AJ as the bullet exited out the back of the walker's head and imbedded itself in Kenny's leg. Alvin Junior cried out in pain on impact. *CRY!*
And to make matters absolutely worse, more walkers were drawn to the screaming baby as they came in and lunged for the both of them. Clem yelled in response. "NO! KENNY!"
Kenny looked back only momentarily, and that was when he dived on top of AJ to protect him as Dusty, Michael, and Clem fired at the six walkers that all came in at once. Only two or three were shot down as the others pounced on the meat shield for the screaming baby that was Kenny. "GAHHH! AHHH!" Two bit into both his shoulders while another one bit into his leg... getting good chucks of flesh and tearing them out of him in the process.
Clem was deathly mortified, she pushed the walker that was on top of her off and emptied her clip into the remaining walkers that were attacking Kenny. The old man remained motionless as Dusty ran to the bedroom door and slammed it shut, preventing anymore lurkers from entering at the moment. "Dammit! Goddammit!" He put his entire weight into the door. "Clem?!"
Clem approached Kenny, who was already coughing and a pool of blood was forming underneath him. He used almost all of his strength to adjust himself and get AJ out from under him. He weakly addressed the tearing up Clementine. "Clem..."
"No... no, no, no, no, NO!" Clem shook her head in denial as she fell to her knees in front of AJ. "Kenny... I... this is my fault I..." She sobbed unable to grasp that Kenny was already bleeding out, that he... "I should have... I'm so sorry..."
He coughed in respond. "Don't ever think that darlin', it's alright... *cough* cough*" He sounded so weak, but he continued. "Clementine you need... Go... You need to... Get AJ outta here." Kenny groaned, his voice strained as he handed the baby to the weeping young girl.
"I'm not leaving you to turn!" Clementine cried.
"You have to... You're the only family he's got... Look... Look after him... For me... for his parents" He inhaled sharply. "Clem..." A tear fell down his peaceful face. "...I see them, you were right..." He exhaled deeply with a slight smile, his one eye closing.
"Kenny...?" Clementine whimpered, her cheeks stained with tears.
Michael approached them as he stared down at the recently deceased man. "Clem... I'm not going to force you to do anything. You do what you got to do. But you need to do it fast. There's no time!"
Dusty turned the deadbolt and leaned off the door. "I locked it! I'm sorry Clementine, but we gotta go."
[Shoot Kenny]
[Leave Kenny]
Clementine sobbed as she pressed the barrel of her gun into the side of Kenny's head. Her hand shook violently before becoming steady. She let out another sob and squeezed the trigger, AJ's cries echoed in her head...
*BANG!*
...
I'm sorry...
...
Next time on The Walking Dead (Season Three Episode 3- Means To An End)
Across an open field the remaining group continued their journey of survival. But none of them were more sadden than the grieving little girl. Michael nudged Clementine in the shoulder. "Hey."
"What?" She responded slightly annoyed.
"You okay, Clem?" Michael asked worriedly. "Because, you can talk to me, I've always got your back, you know that right?"
"I know." Clem assured him. "I just... miss him."
He frowed at that. "I'm sorry Clem... I'm really, really sorry..."
"Come on, Clem, you're the swing vote, let's just get this over with." Wayne crossed his arms as the entire group waited for her answer.
She stated with a deadpan, shrugging her shoulders. "I vote for..."
"No, no, no! Please!" A middle-aged man in rags addressed them all. "You don't understand! You have to let me go or she will find me! PLEASE! I'm begging you!"
"What are we going to do with him?" Hazen asked anxiously.
"I don't know..."
"Really? We're going to get fuckin' fundamental with these guys?" One of the male voices exclaimed. "Why don't we just kill these folks and take all their stuff?"
"Because we mustn't be so crude so soon, Nathaniel." The Lady in Black shook her finger at him. "You still have a lot to learn. So, let's see what they have to say..."
In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti. Amen...
Compliance- Would you have handed Michael's knife over to Xavier?
Follow- Would you have gone with Michael or Kenny in the mall first?
Further- Would you have gone after the backpack walker or returned to the group safely?
Social- Would you have talked to everyone at the end of the day or gone to bed?
Peace- Would you have made sure Kenny did not turn?
A/N- Reviews your thoughts and feelings for this episode. It was hard to let Kenny go, but the man made the ultimate sacrifice to save an innocent child that never was even his in the first place. I'm sorry that good ole Ken has departed but now he can rest in peace. ;_;
Stay tuned for more. Episode 3 coming soon Nov. 7th.