Clementine places her hand on the glass window of Ruby's office. Clementine places her forehead on the window to feel she is connected to Louis. Hang on Louis. Hang on. Don't go to a place where I can't follow. I…my heart can't take another loss of someone I love. Please. Stay with me, and with AJ. I need you..I love you, Louis. Don't leave me, like others in my life I cared for.
Clementine felt a touch on her shoulder as she turns to see Aasim. Clementine looks up at him, "Ruby ordered me out. They are helping him." Clementine wipes her eyes.
Aasim looks at Clementine and then at the closed door. "Ruby in there with him."
Clementine nods, "That Robert, guy needed an extra set of hands, and Ruby is the most qualified out of all us to..."
Aasim nods, "Come on Clem, there is not much you can do but worry yourself. Louis is getting the best care. Ruby won't let anything happen to him, I swear." Aasim takes hold of Clementine's hands and ushers her away from the nurse's station.
Clementine leans on Aasim for support when her legs felt like lead. "How is our other visitor?"
"I told Vi, to have her by the picnic tables. And she actually is staying where I instructed. Well…part of it is because Violet is with her." Aasim admitted. "They do really love each other. And to be honest Clem, she is not a bad person. She was very respectable." Aasim looks at the doors as he helps Clem down the grand central staircase.
Clementine looks at Aasim, "I know she is not a bad person Aasim. It is her group members I don't trust." Clementine eyes him.
Once they were down the staircase, Aasim goes outside of the admin building and wait on the news to hear about Louis. Clementine eases herself down on the steps of the admin building as she eyes and sees Violet and Maya at the picnic table. Clementine looks at the two of them and sees Aasim is right, they do really love each other. Clementine has never seen Violet look happy ever. Truly happy when she sees Violet's head on Maya's shoulder smiling like Maya always belonged in this group. Clementine looks down and seeing Violet happy makes her miss Louis's smile and tender touch. Clementine closes her eyes and rests her head against the pillar. Soon a whimper sounded beside her as she opens her eyes and noticed it was Rosie, "Hey girl." Clementine petted Rosie as she comes to lay beside her, "Louis is going to make it. He's got to." Clementine clutches Rosie's fur, as small tears flow out of her eyes.
…..
Maya held onto Violet and having her beside Maya, made this meet and greet the kids of Ericson barrable. Their moment was interrupted a bit short when Aasim nudges Violet's foot, "Come on Vi, while we wait on the news of Louis, I still need your help to secure the school."
Violet furrows her brow not wanting to leave Maya alone. Maya looks to Aasim and respects him as an individual upon meeting him twice. "It is okay Vi."
Violet looks up into her eyes, "I just…I"
"You have responsibilities to your group Vi, you can always find time with each other another time. You need to keep busy, while you wait for your friend." Maya encourages her.
Violet nods and held Maya's hand. She softly sighs, "Honestly, it is you who is keeping my worries down." Violet leans and lightly kisses Maya's cheek and parts from her warm embrace. Once again Violet feels empty without being near her lover. She follows Aasim to the other side of the courtyard.
Maya sighs as she watches her safeguard leave her. And turns to stare out at the open courtyard. The cold wind lapped at her skin. She eyes her brown eyes at Violet's leader Clementine who looks distraught, and worried. All they can do now is wait. Maya leans forward on the picnic table until she spots a familiar hat. The hat that Arvo freaked out upon seeing it. Curiously Maya picks up the hat and wishes she hadn't.
Flashes of Clementine's past flash before Maya's eyes. Clementine at eight years of age. And a tall man with short black or brown hair, and brown eyes Clementine just shot a man in cold blood protecting the older black man, and when her visions show Clementine looking at her walker parents Maya's heart ached for the girl with amber eyes. Maya then sees Clementine as a girl begging this man to get up and crying.
Lee no. Don't become one of them. Please don't turn into a walker. First my parents now…you!
You're strong Clem. You can do anything. I will miss you.
Me too.
Maya sees Clementine shooting Lee. And after his death, she sobs and held onto his hand a while longer before turning away. Another time Maya sees Clementine with another couple in a bathroom of some gas station and a pregnant woman holding and crying for the man who was shot and died in her arms. The grief this woman had of losing what Maya guess was her mate and the father of a child, had a miscarriage shortly after. Then her visions went white and snapped Maya back to reality.
Maya shakes her head as she looks up at the girl on the steps of the building. This girl holds a lot of pain and hurt in herself. No wonder she is not the trusting kind, and why she was a bit hostile toward me. How can I convince her I am not the kind of person who exploit people? She and I have a lot in common more than she even knows. I too have dark secrets too.
"Hey, that is my hat!" a voice sounded behind Maya as she whipped around and saw the little boy AJ who gave her information the first day when Maya met Louis, him, and Violet, who now is the love of her life.
Maya looks down on the hat, and then kindly gives the purple and white hat back to the little boy, "Sorry, I found it laying on the table and was just curious about it."
AJ puts his hat back on, "Thanks." AJ looks at Clementine looking worried and then at everyone else. And for some strange reason when looking at Maya he felt friendly talking to her, "Why is everyone sad?"
Maya looks at the little boy, "Sad?"
"Yeah, everyone has a worried look or sad one on their faces like someone skimped out a piece of meat in Omar's stew. Why?" AJ looks up at this person who is a stranger to the group.
Maya looks around and wonders if she should be the one answering the boy's questions or remain silent and let people in his group answer that question. But looking into his eyes Maya can't help but be kind and answer for him as she has a soft spot for young kids, "Because my friend is fixing your friend up, and they are worried if your friend will pull through."
"Oh." AJ looks up at Maya, "Are you worried too."
Maya shook her head, "I have confidence in my friend."
"AJ, I need your help with the herbs," Tenn spoke.
AJ looks at Maya and waves goodbye. Maya kindly waves goodbye to the little boy and leans forward with her elbows in her lap waiting.
A few hours ticked by when Ruby came out with her clothes blood-stained to talk with Maya and Clementine overhears what she is saying to her, "Maya, do know where Robert and you go to get medical supplies for your group."
Maya nods, "Did Robert not bring enough?"
"He thought he had the certain drug to help with Louis's recovery but he must have run out on his last patient he used it lasts. Didn't have it in his med kit." Ruby explains.
"You remember what drug," Maya asks the redhead.
"I think he said Morphine and Penicillin to keep the infection down, and antibiotic" Ruby told her.
"How close is Robert done with…" Maya asks.
"He is closing up where he had to cut in to remove the ruptured organ, and told me to tell you to make a run into a town to the drug store you and him scavenged before," Ruby said.
Clementine then steps in, "I will go with Maya."
"Clem, we need you here," Ruby asks.
"He is my boyfriend, Ruby. I will go with her to find the drugs to help Louis. Aasim AJ and Vi can handle things for a few hours." Clementine said.
Ruby was about to object when Maya spoke up, "It's fine I don't mind the extra help of hands in case I get into a jam."
Clementine looks at Maya with a questionable look. Ruby then read the tension between the two and hold up her hands, "Okay, be back as soon as you can. Louis is out of it, but when he comes to, he will need those drugs."
Clementine nods and then motions to Maya, "Come on, let's hit the road before it gets too dark. You armed?"
Maya reaches in and pulls out her father's knife, "Never leave protective walls without it."
Clementine nods and turns to head out of Ericson with Maya. Maya caught a glance at Violet and she spoke with her eyes, don't worry about me. I will be back.
…..
Maya walks with Clementine as she sees her hobbling some. Maya looks at her, "You know you don't actually need to come with me."
"I need to see if you are true to your word," Clementine glares at Maya.
"Okay, this is only going to work if you stop treating me like someone who is going to cross you, and start trusting me," Maya said out of annoyance. "I can sense you are judging me."
"I only trust people when they show me through their actions and will not betray me. Like I they have my back as I have theirs." Clementine eyes Maya. "Last time I trusted in someone…. they deceived me. So, after you and your friend help Louis—"
"Boyfriend." Maya corrected her.
Clementine narrows her eyes, "We are not close to having that kind of conversation. The point is, I don't feel comfortable with you and your friend in the walls of my camp where I worked hard to build a home and guard it from threats like you to keep my friends safe. My friends have all been through a lot, including Violet."
Maya was silent for a moment, "I know. Violet told me." She didn't want to reveal to Clementine of her gift of knowing what hell Clementine and her friends had been through besides what Violet told her.
Clementine pushes onward, "How far is this place?"
"Several miles. We came crossed it when we crossed into West Virginia east of here. Bonnie and Mike were heading east then south to get to Tennessee and escape the war between the Delta and Scythe Lords when I crossed paths with ah, Violet, AJ, and Louis. Mike died shortly after coming into this state from a town just outside of Richmond." Maya looks to Clementine. "Thought you should know since they were your former groupmates."
Clementine looks at Maya and groans, "Less talking the better." Clementine follows Maya as they walk through the woods and onto the main road. Maya led her through a small town. Maya led Clementine through the parking lot which looked to be a gas station, but now looks like nature took over where people used to fill up. Clementine looks at Maya and wonders if she is leading her to a trap. Clementine was hesitant to speak but finally spoke her question, "You sure you know where you are going?"
Maya casts a side look at her, "Yeah. Just up a little way past the old supermarket or what used to be one." Maya looks at Clementine, "I know you still don't trust me. Clem, I am not going to ambush you or your group. Bonnie and Arvo don't know Robert and I are out here helping your friend." Maya turns her gaze forward being honest with Clementine.
Clementine looks up at the rugged native girl and looks ahead, "I didn't say anything that I didn't trust you."
"No, but how you are looking at me said it for you," Maya comments back.
"Are you always this straightforward with everyone?" Clementine asks getting annoyed now.
"When people tend to hide what they truly feel, yes," Maya responds back to her question. "Also, your body language gives it away too. Similar to how Violet was when I first met her."
Clementine furrows her brow a bit out of annoyance and doesn't say anything more. Maya saw that look on Clementine's face and rolled her eyes as she led Clementine to the pharmacy and small little convenience store. "We're here."
Clementine looks up at the store as it read Walgreens with the s half torn down, and part of the word was covered in grunge and dead vines. Clementine looked at Maya as she led the way in. Maya pointed to the left side, "Watch your step here. The floor is not stable."
Clementine follows Maya through a broken window and sees the floor has sunken in the ground a little. She eyes Maya as she moves about in the store, "You've been here before?"
"You can say that. How we managed to get drugs to help try to save Mike." Maya said. She looked at Clementine as she had an angry glow in her amber eyes. "Look I know he wronged you in the pasted Clem—"
"You don't know shit what Mike and Bonnie did to me!" Clementine snarls her response to Maya. Clementine heaves a sigh and does not look at Maya, "Let's just find the medication that your friend needs for Louis's recovery and get the fuck out of here."
Maya was silent and read. Clementine is in no mood for small talk or bonding. She respects Clementine's boundaries and heads to the pharmacy area where the drugs are locked up. Maya jumps the counter and goes to look at the medication that Robert requested. Clementine peers through the window as Maya searches for the drugs. She sees other medications but none that will help Louis in his pain management. Fuck it is not here. Clementine looks and sees Maya looking discouraged, "What, can't find it?"
"No, not where it should be…" Maya glances and looks at a metal cage with drugs hidden behind a locked door. Maya moves some things around and finds the drugs needed for Louis's recovery. "Found them. But ah, we have a slight problem getting access to them."
"What do you mean a problem?" Clementine asks.
Maya looks up from where she is squatting, "They are heavily locked up. No way to get to them without some kind of key." Maya rattles the cage a bit. With a frustrating sigh, she stands up and heads back to the front service window, where Clementine waits behind it. "I guess whoever once owned this store didn't want anyone taking these drugs. See if we can find a key. It's got to be somewhere in here."
Clementine nodded and stepped back for Maya to climb out. Once Maya was out into the central part of the store, they searched the little drug store for the key. Maya comes to the small room labeled office and enters. Upon arrival in the room, she felt an immediate heaviness on her body. She closes her eyes and felt the pain in this room. A pool of dried blood was by the cabinets near the desk, and she saw flashes of what had happened in here. Maya stumbled backward a bit and felt her heart hurt. She never realized Clementine was beside her when she heard her voice, "You okay?"
Maya nodded as she slowly straightened her back, "Fine." Maya shook her head to try and clear the heaviness in this room, "Let's ah, find those keys and get the hell out of here. I don't like this room."
Clementine looks at Maya kind of weirdly as if she is acting out of the norm. She shook her head and tried to search the interior space for the key. Maya tries to ignore the heaviness she feels in this room and focus on the task. Maya will not go near the desk or the cabinets as she feels the dark pull in that spot the most. They search for a little bit when Maya looks out the doorway and sees strangers or other survivors Maya is not familiar with. Shit. "Clem, we need to get out of here and hide quickly!"
"Why?" Clementine looks up from the desk.
"I see a group of men heading our way, and I do not like their vibe. If we hurry, we can sneak and hide in the basement, without them noticing us." Maya lowers her voice. "Try and trust me here if you want to make it out of this without a scratch."
Clementine looks and sees Maya is right. Anger comes across her face as she thinks Maya wasn't going to ambush her, "I thought you said you wouldn't ambush me!"
"Clem honest I don't know who those people are!" Maya spoke.
"Bullshit!" Clementine snarlers.
"Look, we got two choices. We can stand here and fight it out and argue about this and draw those men who are more armed than we are and risk getting killed or captured, or we can hide and not get into a brawl or captured, and having Louis not be in severe pain. Your choice how you want to play this out, my friend." Maya eyes Clementine.
Clementine eyes the group of four men with guns getting closer. She closes her eyes and grunted, "Fine. Lead the way to the basement."
Maya nods and motions her head-to-head out of the office. She hisses to Clementine, "Keep low and follow me." Maya and Clementine sneak and Maya opens the door to the basement. It was dark and gloomy but they have no choice. Maya closes the door to keep their identity a secret from the strangers. Maya didn't know that closing the door automatically locks her and Clementine in the basement. Clementine and Maya slowly climb down the cement stairs as it was pitch black.
Clementine hisses, "I can't see shit down here."
Maya reaches into her father's jacket, pulls out her dad's old lighter, and flicks it with her thumb to get some light. Clementine, with a sarcastic voice, spoke, "Because that gives off so much light."
"Will you ever lighten up? You wanted something to see with this is the best I got." Maya started to get annoyed with Clementine's attitude toward her.
Once they were down on the cement floor and off of the stairs. Maya looks at Clementine as the two teenage girls waited in silence. Clementine looks at Maya as she eyes the door from up above. "So, who are those men? Are they with yo—"
"No." Maya never eyes Clementine back.
"Then who are they," Clementine asks.
"Shut up will you." Maya turns to look at her.
"No, not unless you tell me who—" Maya shushed Clementine as she held her hand over her mouth.
In a low whisper, she eyes Clementine, "I will answer your questions, but right now, stay quiet. They are in the store." Maya slowly removes her hand from Clementine, "I am trying to keep us out of danger here. Wait for those guys to leave and the danger has passed. Then you can yell and be pissed at me."
Maya moves away from Clementine and they both soon hear muffles and a shuffle of feet above them. Maya goes to the wall a few feet down from Clementine and sits with her back up against the wall. She eyes the corner of the basement and sees a dead body and looks to the wall. Maya eyes the man what once was a man and moves her eyes from the back right corner and closes her eyes tightly. Maya focuses on something else and does not think about what she has just seen. Clementine looks and sees Maya's strange behavior and moves her gaze up above as the muffles of dudes were talking.
Maya was alerted when she heard footsteps near the door, and grabbed hold of her father's knife, in preparation if they came down here. The door knob jiggled a bit but never opened. Then the footsteps rushed away from the door as Clementine and Maya heard gunfire and the sounds of walkers in the store above them.
Clementine mumbles to herself, "fucking idiots. Don't they know the sound of guns draws more walkers to them?"
Maya looks over at Clementine, "Better them than us."
"Not good with us, Maya. Walkers will come to us. We won't have much time getting those drugs now." Clementine looks up at the ceiling.
Maya looks to Clementine, "We can cover ourselves in their blood. Worked when Aniya, Bonnie, and I got stuck in a jam a few days ago. And I know you used that trick before." Maya softly spoke to Clementine.
Clementine eyes her as she does have a point and is surprised Maya knows of that trick. "Still, I don't want to keep covering myself in walker blood and guts all the time. Hard to get out."
Maya smiled for the first time with Clementine as she agrees with that. Once Maya and Clementine didn't hear any more noises from above them, not from the strange men or walkers, Clementine moved a bit from the wall she was leaning against. "I think they have gone. I don't hear anymore more noises, and it has been silent for quite some time above us."
Maya nodded and slowly gets up from the floor. She moves past Clementine and up the stairs as she doesn't want to stay down in that basement any more than Clementine wants to. Maya gets to the door and jiggles the nob of the door. What the hell? Maya jiggles the handle again and nothing happens. It is stuck or locked. Fuck! Maya bangs her shoulder against the door to try and budget it, but it was no use.
Clementine comes to the first step of the basement step. "What is wrong? Can't get it open."
Maya was a bit more aggressive in her bangs as she tried to push it open by force, but it remained shut. "Either something is jammed up against it or it is locked." Maya moves away from the door and heads down the basement steps.
"Locked? What do you mean locked?" Clementine looks up at Maya and can barely make out her facial features. "We're stuck down here?" Clementine looks at Maya.
Maya comes down from the small stairwell, as she addresses Clementine, "It is locked, Clem. And we are not stuck down here, yet. Let me think." Maya said trying to be the calm one here.
"You locked us down here. What the hell were you thinking?" Clementine asks.
"Okay, how was I supposed to know that the door locks automatically when you close it? I was trying to keep us safe from those men, so sue me. And if it is locked for us it is locked for them too." Maya said.
Clementine growls at Maya as she runs up the basement steps to pound on the door to get free. Maya shakes her as Clementine is wasting her time. She eyes the dark space trying to work out a plan. Clementine continues to pound at the locked door of the basement. Maya looks at her as she sits down on the cold ground near a pile of old rotted wood pallets, "You know that is not going to work."
Clementine still annoyed kept trying to pound her way, and now bucking at the door to get it to knock loose, "You don't know that."
"I know that door is thick and can't pick it. I've seen that kind of security before in another location. You're wasting your time." Maya said.
Clementine stops the ponding and turns to look at her, "Well I am not about to sit around and do nothing. Louis needs those drugs and I…am not going to sit and wait while his life is in the balance. I…I can't lose another person I care for…. I can't. Maybe you don't have something to lose, but I do."
Maya looks at Clementine, "I think care is an understatement here. I think love is the more appropriate word to use with how you feel for Louis. Otherwise, you will not be going to the end of the world to save the one you love." Maya sighs, "And you're wrong Clem. I, too, have someone to lose as well. You are not the only one here who will go to the end of the world to save the people you love."
Clementine rolls her eyes slightly, and she looks at the door the only exit to get out of this basement. She hates it that Maya is right, that banging on the door will not help and it is locked on both sides, and can't pick it. Clementine heaves a sigh as she stares at the closed door. Clementine walks down the stairs and puts her forehead against the cold wall and tries to calm her worries. Clementine remains quiet for a long moment, then voices her fear to Maya of letting her heart fall in love and letting the walls come down that she built years ago so she wouldn't get hurt. "I try not to fall or get involved with someone or let them get too close to my heart." Clementine turns and faces Maya now, "Because I know what will happen if I do. People always die because of me. Every person I get close to always ends up meeting their untimely death and leave me heartbroken. That somehow, I cause their deaths. And it is my fault. Lee, Omid, Crista's baby, Pete, Alvin, Rebecca, Sarah, Luke, Kenny….All died because of me and the trouble I caused for them to die. I can't bear to have a broken heart again…. not again."
Maya nods and understands Clementine's trauma as she looks at her with empathy. Maya looks and spots a circular metal object, puts things in the metal can, takes her lighter, and tosses something she lit on fire into the small waste can. To create some sort of light for her and Clementine to see. Maya sighs as she opens up to Clementine and gets where she is coming from, "I get it. Better to keep people at arm's length so you don't feel or let your heart become vulnerable. I used to have that same mortality as well. I, too, thought I was the cause of my parent's death and my little brother's. For a while, I blamed myself. My parents and my baby brother would still be alive today if we never went to seek out our next of kin of other tribes in Northern Canada. We waited at the gates of Wellington in a referee camp with her survivors to get into the settlement." Maya explains to Clementine about her past. When Maya mentioned Wellington, it sparked Clementine's interest.
"You were at Wellington too?" Clementine asks.
Maya nods, "Yeah, I'm guessing by that comment you know of it as well?"
Clementine nods back in return, "Kenny and I made it to the gates of Wellington, but we got turned away as well. The community was already full and wouldn't take in newcomers. Kenny pleaded with the guard of the gates to just let me and AJ in. Kenny begged me to stay and take care of AJ in the walls of Wellington where I could raise AJ and not have to worry about killing or dying. But I couldn't leave him. He was the uncle I never had and after Lee…I looked to Kenny for my guide in this world, and someone who could protect me from harm and take care of me just like, what Lee did." Clementine looks over at Maya, who was paying attention to Clementine's life story., "So, what is your story on Wellington?"
Maya leans her back against a stack of old wood pallets, "Since the Scythe Lords and the Delta were at war with each other and took over the last boarding crossing port to get into Canada to seek out my people or other remaining indigenous tribes that have not be touched by the living dead. My family and I fled south from Detroit to Wellington. We were told that that place was a well-protected settlement from walkers. But by the time my family arrived, like your situation, they were not letting us in. So, my family and several other survivalists' families made a referee camp not too far from the gates of Wellington." Maya said she looked up into Clementine's amber gaze. "I…I, um…lost my little brother to scarlet fever. And shortly after…ah…" Maya's voice choked a bit as she remembered the worse day of her life and told it to Clementine. "Delta members stormed the camp and killed my parents. My sister and I were the only ones who escaped alive. Before the attack, my mother hid my sister and I in a hollow tree so the Delta wouldn't find us. And I…I shield my sister from seeing the slaughter. But I did. I watched them slay my parents and burn the camp down as well as some bodies." Maya looks away and hugs her body, and closes her eyes to unsee the horror she saw that day that still haunts Maya's dreams.
Maya took deep breaths when she leaned forward a little retelling her trauma past. She whips small tears from her eyes. Then she looked up at Clementine, "I grabbed what I could find left of my father's things—and led my sister far away from Wellington. I did what I had to to protect my little sister from getting killed too. But in doing so, I lost myself along the way. Hardened my heart to the world that I had forgotten to live, and more than just live for survival. Robert once told me that it is okay to leave the past behind and learn to say it is not your fault that bad shit happens. You take the bad memories and let go of them as you make new memories and live life to the fullest to seize the day. And you know what, he is right." Maya looks up at Clementine, "I've never thought I would find happiness, like true happiness, when I am with Violet. She, besides my sister, Violet, gave me purpose in life again, and why I fight."
Clementine leans her back against the wall as she smiles at what Louis said to her when they first met. Maya turns to Clementine, "You and I are more similar than you think, Clementine. Just in two different worlds."
Clementine eyes the Native American girl, "Two very different worlds. I'm not religious. Or believe you think you have visions of seeing things."
Maya chuckles a little at Clementine's comment, "I'm not religious either, Clem. I'm spiritual. There is a difference. Besides, religion is so overrated anyways. My culture is more spiritual than religious. We believe that everything on mother earth has a given purpose. And we honor that purpose life by giving thanks for their sacrifice so we can live and provide. Like Monks, but not. Plus, look to mother earth for our provider. Religion is a thing made up concept by people who think they are more righteous."
Clementine looks at her, shakes her head at Maya's belief system, and slowly sinks to the floor and sits opposite of Maya, "So what is your plan to get out then if the door is jammed? Do your visions project the future too or something?"
Maya chuckles, "Okay, my gift is not a magic eight ball. It doesn't happen on command like that. I see things of past events and relive them through visions, sometimes audio visions, and seeing fragments of the past of something or what happened to someone in their past." Without taking her eyes off Clementine, she points to the dead person over in the right-hand corner of the basement, "Like I know the owner of the store committed suicide over in that corner when the world turned upside down." Maya said. In the right far corner of the basement where blood and brain matter are plastered on the wall, and on the floor next to the wall is a dead rotting body of a corpse or what used to be is now bones up against the wall.
Clementine looks to where she was pointing and sees a skeleton of a man, precisely as Maya pointed out what she just spoke. Clementine takes her eyes off the dead body and then back to Maya as she further explains, "And upstairs near the pharmacy in the main office is where the owner of the store shot and killed his family before coming down here to finish the job of taking his own life. His family got all bitten and turned to walkers. The worst part was seeing him killing his daughter of four years old." Maya looked at Clementine. "When you asked me if I was okay in the office. No, I wasn't, as I saw him killing that four-year-old girl and felt his pain as he did it." Maya heaved a sigh and looked away to shake off that image.
Clementine was stunned as she was a bit uncertain Maya saying what she was telling her was even real. Or she was making crazy shit up. Then the next set of words made Clementine freeze, and a cold chill ran down her spine as Clementine's amber gaze zeros in on Maya.
Maya heaves another sigh and tells Clementine what she saw of her past when touching AJ's hat this afternoon, "I also saw and heard your cries as you shot Lee when you were nine, and when Arvo shot you and lied about it when I first met you. The gift I seek is called clairvoyance. It is a blessing at times, and sometimes it is a curse. Memories like yours are so painful it is hard to see the good in my gift."
"You get all this through visions." Clementine was still skeptical.
Maya nods, "Yes, I see it as a loop of time playing back to me. It's a psychic ability, and it is rare. My grandmother had it, and now I inherited her gift. You don't have to believe what I am saying is true, Clem, I know this gift I have is sometimes out there to believe in, but I telling you the truth."
Clementine sighs, "How much have you know of my past through what you saw." Clementine is still not convinced.
"Enough. Let's see…. shooting and killing a man who kidnapped you, Lee, who seems to be your protector or what I am getting, your father figure, and you blamed yourself for letting him get killed because he told you that they didn't have time to look for your family when you were in a city called Savannah. Blamed yourself for Omid's death, and causing the grief of a woman named Christa and losing her baby…" Maya started listing off every one of Clementine's tragedies in order as if she had been there all this time.
"Okay, okay, I get your point." Clementine had enough and didn't want to listen to Maya reminding Clementine of her failures. Clementine slowly looks back at Maya, "You get that all from a touch on my arm or something."
"Sometimes. But no, what triggered it for me was touching the hat you gave to AJ. That holds a lot of history from your past, Clem. A past so hurtful and painful I can't put into words of deep the pain is you feel inside of you."
Clementine looks to Maya then and decides to let down her guard and start trusting her to get them out of this mess. She has been faithful to her word so far of keeping Clementine out of harm's way and helping Louis. Clementine lets out a sigh. "Okay, so your gift can't help us figure a way out of here, then what is your plan? We need those meds that Robert needs to help Louis so he won't get infected after his surgery of removing the appendix."
Maya looks over the small compartment above the owner of the store's body and sees an air duct to the furnace. She looks at Clementine, "How are you comfortable in tight places?"
"Not really comfortable why?" Clementine asks.
"We can use the ducts or exhaust to go outside, sneak back inside, and find the keys to unlock that door. I think it may be in that office, but…I am not 100% sure." Maya said.
"You don't think those people upstairs will see us?" Clementine asks.
"They may have moved on, but let's not risk it," Maya said. "So, who you or I will go in the air duct?"
Clementine looks to Maya, "I guess that will be me since you are a bit taller than me."
"By an inch. I will go, Clem, since I can tell you really hate tight places." Maya offers up her service to stick her neck out. Maya shakes her head and pushes past the pain of the dead man beneath her feet as she looks around for something to pry open the duct. She finds an old rusty crowbar and puts a little muscle in opening it up, and a pop sound sounds as the gate to the duct is open. Maya takes a deep breath and looks back at Clementine, "Be back in a flash."
"I think it will be more than a flash." Clementine, in a way kind of teases Maya.
Maya was about to go in when she heard that remark, "It is an expression, Clem. Try not to psyche me out now." Like Clementine, the one thing Maya hates and what terrifies her just as much as getting bit by a walker is tight places. Maya suffers a little bit of claustrophobia as out west in Jackson, she was stuck in a tight hole in a cave once.
Maya took three deep breaths and went in the duct, and tried to focus her mind to not think of her fear. Maya travels, and the further she goes, the more her panic starts to set in her. Maya can feel her pulse quicken shit, shit, shit. Clam down heart. Breathe, Breathe. Maya pauses to get her breathing under control as she starts to feel her panic take over. Maya closed her eyes, and the face flashed in her mind was Violet. Maya focuses on her pretty smile, her tender heart, and her eyes looking into hers in a deep tender way. Maya opened her eyes, and her only thought was getting back to see Violet again. Maya pushes through the opening of the air duct to the outside, and Maya kicks it with her feet. Took a few kicks, but soon, the small gate broke loose, and Maya crawled out of the air duct with her body. Once out of the air duct, Maya moves and puts her back up against the wall of the small drug store. And Maya heaved to find her breath as it was out of control. Never doing that shit again. Hate fucking small places!
Maya shakes off her the trembling in her body as she has no time to think about her phobia now. Maya reaches for her father's knife as a defense weapon in case she comes across danger. Maya, in a low hunting crouch, carefully sneaks around the corner to the front side of the building. And carefully draws up her knife the closer she gets to the entrance of the store. Maya's hands were sweating now, and she could hear the roar of the pulse of her heart in her ears. Maya braced herself and counted to three before viewing the entranceway. She peeks inside and sees no one. Except for a few more added bodies to the floor of the walkers, the four men stumble upon. She looked up and noticed they had raided the drugs. Figures. She hopes and prays they didn't find the drugs Robert needs. Will worry about that a bit later. Clementine needs my help.
Maya stores her knife back in her proper place and beelines to the office and pushes the heavy feeling aside, and searches for keys. Maya tore open the desk and looked to the drawers to find it. Nothing. Fuck. Maya leans forward with her hands gripping the edge. She feels something under it and opens up a hidden compartment. And there opens a slight drawer and finds a set of keys on a metal ring. Cleaver. Maya takes the ring that holds several and exits the office to the basement door. Maya hears more gunshots up the street. Fuck we don't have much time. Maya tries any and every key on the ring and finally finds the correct one to open the door. Once she opens it she calls for Clementine, "Clem, we got to hurry."
Clementine comes running up the stairs, "Yeah, I know I heard the gunshots too, and walkers. Let's find those keys to get into that case to get the drugs and get the fuck back to Ericson."
Maya shows Clementine the keys, "Find them when trying to find keys to get you out from being locked in the basement." Maya jumps through the window again as the men take a lot of drugs. Well, won't be hitting this place again.
"Don't tell me those bastards didn't take our drugs." Clementine eyes the pharmacy shelves as they took most of everything.
"They didn't only the stuff they could see and get in easy access. I think they were in a hurry when those walkers surprised them." Maya said from behind the counter. Maya takes the keys and unlocks the cage, and takes all of the locked-up drugs that were in there. She knows Robert only needs two kinds of drugs, but the others could benefit both Clementine's group and hers.
Maya stuffs her pockets of the drugs and jumps out of the window. Clementine looks at her, "You're taking all those?"
"I will split with you when we are not in danger. Your group and mine can use this medicine." Maya told her. Maya motions to get out, "Let's get the fuck out of here before we become lunch." Clementine agrees and follows Maya a different way than where they came in from.
Once, they were far from the small town and back into the woods, where Clementine and Maya had to kill a few walkers here and there. Maya eyes Clementine with her prosthetic foot and notices how she is limping a little. Maya halts in her step, "You look like you are in pain."
"I'm fine. Not used to doing this much action in one day." Clementine comments.
"Want me to look at your foot?" Maya asks.
Clementine stops moving and eyes her, "I said I am fine. Louis can't wait." Clementine then moves, and the pain shoots through her body.
Maya then comes up beside her, "Okay, stubborn one. If you won't let me look at it, then at least let me help you walk."
Clementine looks upon Maya's face and is very hesitant, "Help me walk? How?"
Maya carefully holds up her hand, non-threatening, "If you let me, you can lean on me to keep pressure off your left foot."
Clementine sighs and silently nods. Maya comes to Clementine's left side and holds Clementine firmly with her arm over her shoulders, and Clementine holds Maya's right side. She hates being a burden and has to rely on other people to help her. Clementine then sighed and apologized to Maya as she was wrong about her, "Sorry for my behavior and attitude I had with you. And for me being a hard ass. Earlier and when we met."
"You don't have to apologize, Clem. I know what you have been through. Can't be easy to extend trust. Especially to someone who is with people who severely destroyed your trust in others when you were a little girl." Maya said as she helped Clementine walk back to Ericson.
Clementine looks down at the ground. "Still, that was wrong of me, and I am sorry for it." Clementine closes her eyes. She reopens them again and starts to see what Violet sees in Maya. "I hate to admit I was wrong, but I now am beginning to see what Violet sees in you."
Maya looks over at Clementine now and hears the words she didn't expect to come from Violet's leader. Clementine looks away, "You're not a bad person or as bad as I thought you were. You looked after me and protected me against those men without a second thought and had my back. Not what I expected."
Maya holds firm Clementine's arm, "I appreciate that. Means a lot." Maya smiles at Clementine and, for the first time, sees her returning a small smile in return. Maya sighs, "Come on, let's get those meds back to your school."
…..
Robert looks at his son and puts his hand over his face. He tucks his son's hair behind Louis's ear. I'm so sorry, son. For putting you through the hell, you went through. I wish I could tell you how sorry I was. Robert bows his head and then kisses the crown of Louis's head, and in a low whisper that no one is around for the time being, he whispers, "Hang in there, my son."
He pulls back just in time when Ruby comes in, "How is he?"
Robert packed away the equipment and disposed of the organ in an old rag. "He is out for now, but I don't know how long. He will be in pain for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours when he wakes up. And maybe sick to his stomach for a few days after, but that is nothing out of the norm after having an appendectomy surgery." Robert explains. He looks at her, "Sorry for vomiting on you."
Ruby shook her head for no need to apologize, "No need. Your nerves got the best of you. it happens."
Robert didn't want this girl to know that Louis is his son, whom Robert performed surgery on. "Are Clementine and Maya back with the drugs yet?"
Ruby shook her head, "Not yet."
Robert slowly moves away from Louis's bedside and puts the organ inside the bag to bury it someplace out of the school's main yard. He didn't know what to say to the kids of Ericson as they all were on keeping things from each other and not sharing information. But Robert can't stand the silence. "So, you kids seem to survive on your own for quite some time here alone, huh."
Ruby looks up at Louis at this strange man who oddly resembles Louis. "Yes, we all had to work together since the adults left us."
Robert nods. There was a low moan and groan coming from Louis. Ruby looks down at him as Louis hugs his stomach and shivers. Robert watches as Ruby puts a blanket over him. Robert feels uncomfortable and excuses himself from the room, "I will go and watch for Maya and Clementine to return with the drugs, then Maya and I need to head back. Your friend there will be fine as long as he keeps off his feet for a bit. I see you kids do heavy labor things, so keep him off of those tasks for his sake. So, he doesn't tear his stitches."
Ruby looks at him and sees him distancing himself from Louis a bit. Ruby nods to what Robert tells her and watches him leave. Ruby felt a motion from Louis as he is starting to wake up, "Louis. Louis, can you hear me? It is Ruby."
Louis groans, and only soft syllables come out before he passes out again from the pain, "Cle—Cle—Clem"
Ruby squeezes Louis's hand and answers him, "Clem will be back soon, Louis. Hang in there."
…
Robert steps outside and can tell the sun is beginning to set as he rubs his hands over his arms. He looks down and soon begins to pace outside on the steps of the admin building. He feels so weird to be back at this place again. The last time Robert walked these steps was when he last left Louis when he was eight years old and turning his back on his son. He didn't see Violet coming up to him and almost ran into her, "Sorry…young one, sorry. I didn't see you."
Violet looks at him, "It's Violet, not young one, and it is okay." Violet eyes Maya's friend, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Robert shakes his head and rubs his forehead, "I feel like I have." He admitted. Robert sits down on the steps and puts his hand over his eyes and rubs them, and sighs.
Violet sits down next to him. There is something very odd about this man, like she feels a familiar connection with him suddenly. "How did the surgery go?"
Robert removes his hand from his eyes and looks at the blonde teenager that Maya is in love with, "Went well. I got the appendix out. Your friend should be fine if you keep him away from any physical activities. Once Maya and Clementine return with the drugs to keep your friend's pain down, he should be out of the woods." When Robert spoke Maya's name, he saw the blonde teen blush and could her feel her heartbeat increase. And the look on Violet's face told Robert everything he needed to know. He glances down and sees the panther necklace Maya was working on around Violet's neck. He smiles and looks elsewhere.
Violet looks back at the man, "Thank you for saving my best friend. I know you didn't have to do this, but I am truly grateful for saving my best friend's life. I don't know what I would do if I would have lost him."
Robert looks down on Maya's girlfriend and dares to ask, "You're welcome. You and he were close, huh."
Violet nodded. "Louis was like the brother I never had. Helped me when I first came to this shitty place and made me feel welcomed when I felt like an outcasted. But he looked after me like a big brother. To care of me when I felt my world crashed and burned. Even though he drove me crazy at times, he still found a way to hide his pain to make me smile and laugh." Violet remembers the memories. Violet looks back at the man, "Maya tells me you are a good person and the only person she trusts in her group besides her sister."
Robert looked at her and was touched to hear such kind words about his son from such a sweet soul like her. He can tell why Maya fell for this girl, "I am not like what most adults are that sees potential in smart kids like you guys and take advantage of you kids. There are tensions in the group I am in, but I don't like confrontation. Except in the operating room, but those days are long gone." Robert looks out at the gates.
When he spoke the word confrontation, it made Violet's light green eyes look at him more closely as she felt something weird about him. Not a bad feeling but something familiar. Almost like Louis. Violet was about to ask when he rose to his feet, and Violet heard AJ's voice, "Clem! You're back!"
Violet's heart burst, and a happy smile fell over her face as she saw Maya helping Clementine walk. Violet rose to her feet and thought to herself, this was something new. What happened out there that made Clementine trust Maya? Maya lets go of Clementine as she hobbles to go to Robert. Maya follows closely behind Clementine as she watches her go up the stairs first, and Maya looks at Violet, who comes running down the stair and hugs Maya. The hug almost knocked Maya to her feet, "I'm okay, Spring Meadow Beauty. No harm."
Violet sighs and smiles when hearing her nickname. Violet hugs Maya closer and nuzzles her face in her lover's embrace. Maya hugged her back but soon heard Clementine calling her name. Maya opens her eyes up and squints at Clementine, and holds up one of her fingers to give her a moment. Maya slowly pulls Violet back a little, "I will be right back I got to go give these drugs to your leader, okay."
"What did you do to get Clementine to trust you?" Violet asks.
"We talked and understood each other," Maya said. Maya sighs, "I got to, though, Vi. Be right back." Maya kisses her cheek for a quick minute and heads up the stairs to follow Clementine and Robert up the stairs.
…
Clementine, Robert, and Maya enter Ruby's nursing station, and Ruby looks up from Louis's bedside as Louis is awake and alerted. Clementine drops everything on Ruby's small desk and runs to her lover's side. "Louis! Oh, thank God, you're okay."
"Yeah…just…what happened to me." Louis groans.
"You don't remember?" Clementine asks.
"Not really. I passed out from a sharp pain, woke up to more pain, and still..." Louis grits his teeth.
Robert watches his son from a distance as he stays near the doorway. He sees the love this prosthetic girl with amber eyes has for his son and the love his son has for her. He sees the love shared between his son and his girlfriend as it reminds Robert of how he felt with Louis's mother. Robert silently moves out of the small office, not ready to face his son yet, and Maya notices his absence and can tell he is not ready to face him or let the truth be known to these strangers that he is their friend's father.
Maya looks as Ruby comes to her. Maya empties out her pockets of medicine she grabbed and sorts them out for half for Ruby and the Ericson kids and half for her group. "Those are for you guys. And here is the Penicillin and Morphine for Louis."
Ruby looks to Maya, "Thank you so much for this. We owe you a lot."
Maya shook her head, "No, you don't really."
"Yes, we do. Without you bringing your friend here, Louis—" Ruby couldn't finish saying the end of that sentence. Then she came and hugged Maya, which was new for Maya as felt like an outcast from this group. The red hair girl pulled back. "Thank you." Ruby looks upon the native girl and smiles at her, and turns to leave.
Maya looks at the two lovers and catches Ruby's arm before she leaves, "Give this to your leader."
Ruby looks at the object Maya handed her and back up at her, "What is it?"
"Something to help with her leg. I noticed when we got back from our outing she was favoriting her left foot where her prosthetic foot is. And it looks like she is in pain. I offered to inspect it, but she didn't want any more delays to keep her from getting back to see her man." Maya softly spoke. She watched as Clementine and Louis shared a loving moment which made her think of her love for Violet. She turns her brown eyes onto Ruby, "Just…something to help her." Maya turns to exit the small hospital. Robert was at the base of the steps as he looked at his group mate.
Maya makes her way to him, and before she and Robert turn to go back outside, Maya is caught short when Clementine comes to her, "Maya, wait."
Maya turns to look at Clementine and then at Robert. Robert looks at Maya, "Go. I will be outside."
Maya nods and turns to look at Clementine. Clementine eyes Maya with her amber eyes and admits to giving her gratitude, "I don't know what to say. But thank you. Thank you for giving me back an important piece of my life. I don't know how I can ever repay the favor."
Maya looks to the ground and then back up into Clementine's eyes, "Promise not to shoot me when I see Violet from time to time, and promise you won't scold her for seeing me. I haven't told anyone in my group besides my sister and," Maya pauses and nudges her head where Robert went. "I love her just as much as you love Louis. I won't put her or anyone she cares for in danger, including you. You have my word."
Clementine looks to Maya and sees she is true to her word as how she protected Clementine today in the drug store basement. "Alright. Deal" Clementine extends her hand and shakes it with Maya. "Just no more adults. Your friend is good and all, but..."
"I know, I understand. One time thing, I swear." Maya pulls away.
"Nevertheless, I owe him my thanks as well. He did save Louis's life. Without your friend, Robert. I don't know what the outcome would have been." Clementine admitted. "He is a good person, and that is rare to see in adults these days."
Clementine and Maya looked at each other, and there was a mutual understanding between the two of them. Clementine then feels pain in her leg and winces. Maya then looks at Clementine, "I gave Ruby something to help your leg pain. See her when Rob and I are gone. But it is getting late, and Rob and I need to head back, and you…" Maya smiles as she looks into Clementine's eyes, "Someone in that room will need you to support him tonight. See you around, Clementine." Maya winks and heads down the grand central staircase and out the doors.
….
Maya looked as Violet had her back leaning up against the pillar as Robert told her Maya would be coming out shortly. Robert allowed Maya to say goodbye to her girlfriend as he went to the gates. The boy who ushered him and Maya in was at the watch tower when he saw three young boys and another older teen by the cooking pot.
Maya comes to her girlfriend, "Hey."
Violet looks at her as the soft hue of the sunset is fading, making this chilly November night cold. "You're leaving, aren't you."
Maya nods, "I got to get back to my camp. Rob did his duty and saved your friend." Violet looks away, saddened, as she lets out a sigh. There were soft tears in her eyes just then. Maya comes closer to Violet, "Vi? It is okay."
"No…it's not. I wish you were here, Maya. I wish you didn't have to go. I wish I didn't have to break my heart every time I watch you walk away from me." Violet closes her eyes as tears fall. Then she looks up into Maya's brown eyes. "I want you with me. I want you to sleep in my room beside me and hold me in your arms, damn it! I want you, Maya. I love you."
Maya steps forward and holds Violet close in her arms, and lets Violet cry on her shoulder for a bit. She wants the same desire as Violet does. It pains Maya every night to sleep alone in her bed without Violet's warm body next to hers. And pains Maya's heart not to wake up in Violet's embrace every morning and see her sweet face. Maya closes her eyes and holds Violet in her arms. Maya softly kisses her forehead and snuggles Violet's hair tenderly. Maya softly spoke to her, "I know Vi. I know. I want that more than anything, and if I could, I would. But I got my sister. I still have to care for and look after her."
Violet hugs Maya tighter and knows her sister is also important to Maya. Shakingly, she spoke to her girlfriend, "It's not fair. I finally find true love in you, and I can't even share it in my home the way Clementine can with hers."
Maya lifts Violet's tear-stained face. She reaches out and rubs the tears from Violet's sad spring meadow eyes. Then very tenderly, Maya leans forward and places her lips onto Violet's and kisses her tenderly, and holds her close. Maya felt Violet squeezing and taking hold of Maya's forearms to feel the love Maya is giving to her. Maya pulls back from Violet's lips and presses her forehead to hers. "One day Vi, I will come here and live with you. I will think about asking Aniya to come with me here. And it is up to your leader if she wants to take my sister in as well, not just me. I love you, Violet." Maya moves to kiss Violet one last time before doing the hardest thing parting ways with her lover.
Violet holds Maya's kiss with her lips and knows she has to let her go. Violet held Maya's hand around her face to feel those soft hands she loves so much. "Come back to me."
Maya smiles and puts her forehead with Violet's. Violet reaches up and plants a tender kiss on Maya's scar. And the two lovers look into each other's eyes before Maya turns with a thorn in her heart from Violet's sad face.
It was well known know now of Violet and Maya's love relationship with the Ericson kids that Violet is, in fact, in love with Maya from the caravan group. Maya with a shaky voice, looks to Robert as tears flow out of her eyes, "Let's go, Robert."
Robert looks at Maya and then back at the blond girl he sees Maya kissing so passionately, "Maya, you sure? I know how much you care for the blonde and how much she cares for you. You belong here with her, not with Bonnie, Alberto, and me."
Maya's lips quivered, and with a heart-breaking voice, she spoke to Robert, "Please, Rob…don't make me choose between my love for Violet or my loyal and duty to you and my sister." Maya looks up at her friend. And bullet tears fell out of Maya's eyes and landed on the ground.
Robert understands Maya is in a very tough spot. He looked up at the boy, and Aasim nodded for them to depart. Robert, for the second time, turns away from Ericson boarding school and walks a long walk back to their camp when hearing Maya sobbing for the first time about her broken heart.
As they left the school grounds, he put his arm over the child and held her close, as if he was giving a second chance at being a father figure to the last person he thought he would find a kinship in. Maya embraced Robert's tender fatherly touch and held him close as she walked a solemn walk back to her camp.