Chapter 21 – The Delta (Part 1)
Clementine opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a harsh, blinding light. Instinctively, she squeezed them shut, wincing as the sharp brightness pierced through her vision.
'What the hell is that?' she thought, frustration mixing with the dull ache behind her eyelids. Her eyes stung, and she took a moment to let them adjust before trying again. This time, she was careful, opening them just a little bit, slowly but surely, blinking as her vision began to adjust to the room's brightness.
As her sight gradually focused, she took in her surroundings. The room was sterile, and far too clean than what she was used to. Her bed was relatively soft, but had an itchy quality that scratched her skin every time she moved. But it was a minor inconvenience compared to places she slept before.
The windows were draped with thick curtains, letting in little natural light, giving the room a sealed, almost suffocating feeling. Beside her, a simple wooden table sat with a glass of water and a stale piece of bread, neither of which looked particularly appetizing for now, but it was better than nothing. Clementine glanced down at herself. Her usual clothes had been replaced with a plain white shirt and denim pants—cleaner, though clearly not hers.
She felt disoriented. What happened to her clothes? Where is she? How did she get here? She wracked her brain, but the last thing she remembered was...
Clementine's heart skipped a beat, her hand instinctively clutching at her abdomen, where she had been shot. However, her fingers met a thick layer of bandages, neatly wrapped and secure. Confused, she looked down to examine herself more closely, and to her surprise, the wound had been expertly patched up.
Before she could dwell about it, the door to her room swung open. Instinctively, Clementine shuffled back, her muscles tensing, ready for action, but the sudden movement sent a sharp, stinging pain radiating from her wound. She clutched her stomach, groaning as the overwhelming pain forced her eyes shut.
There was a gasp from across the room, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching her bed. "Oh dear!" a feminine voice said, filled with concern. The footsteps stopped just short of her bedside. "My name is Doctor Laura Mitchells. Please, let me help you," the voice urged, soft yet firm.
Clementine forced one eye open, grimacing as she tried to push the pain aside. Standing before her was a dark-skinned woman, her eyes full of worry. She didn't know this woman, and her instincts told her to wave her off, to handle things herself, but the pain was overwhelming. She hesitated for a brief moment before nodding reluctantly, giving in to the woman's assistance.
The doctor moved swiftly, her hands rummaging through a medical bag she brought with her. The sound of pill bottles clinking together briefly filled the silence before she took out one of those bottles and shook it gently in front of Clementine. "I'm going to prescribe you some painkillers, okay? You'll be alright," she reassured, her voice steady and calm.
Dr. Laura handed Clementine a couple of pills, along with the glass of water that had been sitting on the bedside table. Clementine didn't hesitate, downing the medicine with water, hoping the pain would soon subside.
"The medicine will kick in shortly, so try not to move too much in the meantime, alright?" Dr. Laura instructed kindly. She pulled out her stethoscope and sphygmomanometer, her hands moving with the smooth efficiency of someone who had done this countless of times. "I'm just going to check some of your vitals now, to monitor your recovery."
Clementine nodded, her heart still racing with questions, but for the moment, she let the doctor proceed. Laura worked quickly, her touch was both gentle and cautious, taking extra care not to aggravate the wounds or cause her patient any discomfort. The rhythmic sound of the doctor's tools— the soft click of the blood pressure cuff and the rustle of medical supplies— was almost soothing in the sterile silence of the room.
After a few minutes, Laura finished taking the vitals, nodding to herself in satisfaction. "There we go. The medication should kick in after a few hours. You'll be fine as long as you don't move too much honey." She smiled warmly.
Clementine, however, wasn't ready to let her go just yet. Before Laura could turn away, Clementine reached out and grabbed her wrist, the action sudden and firm. The doctor's eyes widened slightly in alarm, but Clementine's grip wasn't aggressive. As Laura saw the desperation in her eyes, her expression softened.
Clementine's voice trembled slightly, urgency clear in her tone. "Wait." She loosened her hold and looked up at the doctor, her eyes searching. "There was a little boy with me... His name is AJ. Where is he?"
The doctor hesitated, pressing her lips into a thin line as she contemplated Clementine's question. But before she could respond, a knock on the door interrupted them. Without waiting for a response, the door swung open, revealing a tall, blonde woman with a no-nonsense expression. "Hey, Laura, Shepard sent me to check on..." Her voice trailed off when she noticed Clementine awake. "...you. You're awake."
Laura gave Clementine a quick, apologetic look before stepping aside. She walked up to the blonde woman, and the two engaged in a brief, hushed conversation by the door. Their voices were too low for Clementine to make out what they were saying, but the serious exchange only made her feel more anxious. After a few moments, Laura nodded to the woman and left the room, leaving Clementine alone with the stranger.
As the woman approached, a flicker of recognition sparked in Clementine's mind. Something about her—the way she held herself, her sharp gaze, the confident stride—felt eerily familiar. But she swept the thought away for now as there is only one thing on her mind right now: AJ. The boy is still out there in the camp, alone, vulnerable, probably terrified. She had to find him first before something else happens.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tension hung in the air like a heavy fog until the blonde woman finally broke the silence. "If you're wondering about the kid, he's safe." She leaned against the wall, arms folded across her chest, studying Clementine with a sharp gaze. "Your boyfriend, though… he's a different story."
Clementine barely registered the comment about her supposed "boyfriend," her mind too fixated on AJ's safety. Anxiety gripped her heart as she thought of him. "AJ," she repeated, her voice tinged with urgency. "Where is he?"
The woman sighed, her tone laced with irritation. "Like I said, he's safe. But—"
"Where?" Clementine snapped, her voice slicing through the air. She didn't want to hear half-assed reassurances. She needed a straight answer, now.
The woman's eyes narrowed, and Clementine felt a flash of worry, wondering if she'd overstepped her boundaries. A tense pause followed as the two stared each other. Finally, the woman relented, exhaling a long, annoyed breath "He's by the barracks, just west of here. Supervised."
While she was relieved to hear an answer, she still wishes to see AJ to confirm it herself. She pushed herself up, ignoring the stabbing pain in her abdomen. "I want to see him," she demanded, her tone firm.
The woman raised a hand, stopping her. "Hold up. That's not up to me. Besides, you're in no shape to be walking around —let alone allowed to wander the base. Just sit tight, alright?"
But Clementine wasn't one to back down, not when AJ's safety is on the line. She swallowed her pride, her voice cracking as she pleaded to the woman. "Please… he's all I have left."
She already lost him once, she can't afford to lose him again.
The sound of her plea flicked a switch in the woman's mind, her eyes softened and her resolve weakened. She pressed her lips into a tight line, looking away briefly before exhaling sharply through her nose. Her stance softened, if only slightly, though she kept her arms crossed defensively over her chest. "Alright," she muttered, a note of reluctance in her tone, though her expression hinted at some underlying sympathy. The woman pulled a radio from her waistband and pressed a button. "Kareem? It's Molly. Bring the kid up the clinic. Now."
A wave of relief washed over Clementine, the invisible weight on her shoulders lifted ever so slightly and the tightness in her chest that gripped her chest loosened. She gave the woman a warm smile, "Thank you," she said, her voice soft with gratitude.
Molly waved her off dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I did you a favor this once. Consider it a debt repaid." She huffed, looking away.
Clementine frowned slightly, puzzled. 'A debt repaid?' she thought, her curiosity piqued. Have they met before? Now that thought about it, why did her name sound familiar? After a short deliberation, she decided to ask directly. "Excuse me," she said, her voice uncertain.
Molly turned back to her, one eyebrow raised.
Clementine hesitated, but the question was already on her lips. "Do I…know you?"
Molly's response was quick, and dismissive. "No. You must've figured me for someone else."
"Oh…" Clementine muttered, her voice laced with disappointment. 'I must be thinking of someone else. Like Jane.' She reasoned. She shook off the nagging sense of familiarity, forcing herself to focus on more pressing matters like AJ and Derek's safety.
All she needed to do now is wait for AJ, on the other hand, she worried about Derek. She had faith that he could handle himself—he was strong, smart, resourceful, and always knew how to keep his head in a crisis. But for the first time since their partnership, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, they had bitten off more than they could chew.
'He'll be fine,' she told herself, trying to calm the anxious flutter in her chest. She was confident enough that Derek would be able to adapt to the situation faster than she could, he'll come up with some solutions and find a way to get them out of this mess just like always. For now, all she has to do is get AJ and keep him safe, and then make up with her own plan to get out just in-case Derek's plan won't work.
'After all, two plans are better than none.' She thought to herself.
However, her doubts and fears gnawed in her heart, chipping away the reassurances she built up. 'He'll be fine. He's got to be.' she repeated herself, after all, they've been through worse scenarios.
Then why does it feel like she's just lying to herself?
AN: This was supposed to be one big chapter but due to time constraints and conflicting schedules with both work and this, I decided to split it into multi-chapters. I hope you guys enjoyed. Stay tuned for updates sometime this month. (Probably)