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“Don’t be afraid Brody, say what you have to say….What history?” Clementine questioned, glaring daggers into the blonde boy before her. It was obvious Brody was trying to say something; of what, she didn’t know, mainly because Marlon wouldn’t shut his big mouth.Brody looked at the ground, frowning and shaking her head. Whatever it was, it wasn’t exactly a history that would call for big smiles as it had been with Kenny. This was something the brunette was nervous to talk about, again, no doubt because of Marlon. “Marlon let him take the twins...him and his people.” Brody clarified, now glaring at Marlon herself.“Damn it, Brody!”Clementine turned to the other girl in shock, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “Tenn’s sisters….I thought they were killed by walkers?” If they weren’t killed, were they alive then? Or had that man’s group taken their bodies? She shuddered at the dark thoughts that filled her mind; what would a middle aged man want with two teenage girls? The thoughts she came up with disgusted her, and for a moment Clementine wished the girls were dead.“That’s the story we told everyone…”“Shut up!”Brody stared at Clementine, before shifting her gaze to the floor. There was a brief pause, followed by silence, before she glared up at Marlon. “...’cause Marlon was so ashamed of what-”Marlon’s words didn’t even process in Clementine’s brain. There were few things she actually latched onto and thought about, the rest being swept away in the quick pacing of the moment. The boys shrieking voice. The boom of Brody’s back hitting the boiler. The blood flying from her forehead to Marlon’s face. At some point in there, she was sure she might have even heard the crack of Brody’s skull. Clementine tensed, recoiling at the aggression, only to focus on Brody’s face once more. There was blood now...Lots of it.“Uh… What’d you say?”Brody’s back slid down against the boiler, her legs falling out from beneath her in odd directions, her hand focused on holding the spot over her head in which she had been hit. Her arm fell into her lap, the other falling at her side as her head rolled over, eyes fighting to stay open. “Oh shit, Brody. I’m sorry!”Marlon’s voice cracked, his hand loosely dropping the flashlight onto one of the shelves, before falling onto his knees next to her. “Shit...What’ve you done?!” Clementine yelled, glaring at Marlon. It was him and his anger that put Brody in that position; if he had just shut up and let the three of them talk it out, none of this would be happening. “I’m so sorry...Im so sorry… You’re gonna be okay, I promise.” Marlon eased, holding Brody’s hand. He couldn’t be serious. Moments ago he was yelling at the girl, going so far as to smash her skull open. Now he was crying? It had to be some sort of joke or trick. As if just now noticing Clementine looming over the two, he glanced up, glaring as he put a gentle hand on Brody’s back. “God damn it, help!” He glanced back to Brody, lightly shaking her. “Why’d you have to say it? I told you not to say it!”Clementine shook her head, squatting down next to him. “What can I do?!” Brody was bleeding. And judging by the slight deformation in her head shape, he had cracked her skull open. There was no surviving that. Marlon slowly rose to his feet, looking around in a panic, his voice once more softening. “Just- Just stay with her. There’s a first aid kit down here somewhere, right?”Ah, yes. Because a first aid kit meant to be taken on trips to the zoo had the proper tools to fix Brody’s skull. Good thinking, Marlon. “A First Aid Kit?!” That was it? He wasn’t going to go get the others, or find anything else, but the bandages and wet wipes from a fucking first aid kit? Clementine watched as Marlon’s shoulders rose up to around his ears, before falling down again. He had no idea what to do.“Brody? Its me, Clem, just--just stay still…” She trailed off softly. She was going to die, that was for sure. The least she could do was ease her suffering. She softly reached down, grabbing the other brunettes hand and holding it with both of hers; the last thing Brody deserved was to die cold and alone. “U-Uh...Who?” Brody turned to look at Clementine, causing her to grimace; her pupils were abnormally dilated. Definitely no surviving this. “I-I-I-I can’t see…” Brody trailed off, furrowing her eyebrows and glancing behind Clementine’s shoulder. “Clementine...Remember?” Of course she didn’t remember. “We talked about going to the beach; swimming? Driving along the coast?” “Sun…” Brody finished. Clementine felt a pang in her heart at the way Brody had said it; she sounded so happy. So peaceful, even. As if her head hadn't just been split open by the varsity wearing lunatic. “Clem…” She started off, smiling. It was obvious she was loopy. To her, this more than likely seemed like some sort of drug induced trip. “You’re in danger…You and AJ both...” She finished, frowning as she now shook her head.“What danger?” “Marlon’ll kill me if I tell…” She pleaded, staring off behind Clementine. “He’s scared...And when he gets scared, he gets angry…” So, this hadn’t been the first time? How many times had Marlon blown up on this poor girl just to get her to keep a secret he had forced on her? “Brody, if there’s a threat to the group, you have to tell me…” Clementine trailed off, moving her arm up and holding onto Brody’s hand. She wasn’t going to last much longer. “Everything is so faint...I can’t feel my legs…” She whimpered. “Be honest, Clem, Im gonna die aren't I?” Clementine felt another pang in her heart; in a world full of flesh eating dead people, no one should have to go out like this. Not knowing how you were going to die. Would it be the blood loss? Or brain damage? Maybe a bit of both, or even Marlon bashing in her skull again because he didn’t like the way she pleaded for Clementine to save the rest of them. “I think so, Brody...I’m sorry…” She mumbled out. What was she supposed to say? ‘Yeah, you’re dying, good riddance’? The way Brody’s face fell made her feel sick. It was as if all hope had dissipated. “They trust you. Not all of them, but I know Louis and Vi do. You’ll take care of them, won’t you? Promise me that?” The girl asked, looking over Clementine’s head. “You can’t let Marlon hurt them. Not like this…” She pleaded, causing Clementine to nod. “I promise, Brody.”“...I’m scared, Clem…”“I know…” There was a pause, the only sound being the rattling of Marlon trying to find something to help. “I’m glad you’re here...They’ll have someone to look out for them.” Brody sighed, closing her eyes. She had maybe minutes left if she was lucky, and it was obvious. Clementine furrowed her eyebrows. “You’ll have someone to look out for you too. I know you will.” Brody gave a mix of a scoff and a laugh, opening her eyes once more and looking at her. “Who? The parents I never had?” Clementine shook her head, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She hated talking about this, but comfort was comfort and if she could give any to Brody before she died, it would make it a hell of a lot easier on herself. “I know a lot of people there...You’re my friend, and by default that makes you their friend too,” She started, sniffling. “Lee’ll look out for you. Try not to upset Kenny, and don’t let Luke take the blame for too much…” She almost joked, huffing. Brody’s brow furrowed, her head falling back slightly. “Lee…?” Clementine’s eyes widened, as if a lightbulb had gone off, reminding her that Brody wasn’t there during their card game. “You’ll know who he is, I promise.” Brody gave half a nod, her lip twitching slightly. She opened her mouth to say something, only to take a deep breath and sigh.“If those raiders come back? Marlon said he’d let ‘em take you…” Brody trailed off, shaking her head. She was there less and less as the seconds went by. “Take us?” “To make them go away…” She explained, her face contorting in pain. “Like he...Like he did with Tenn’s sisters…” She breathed. A groan escaped her throat, her body jerking every few seconds as she gasped, letting out whimpers of pain, before her eyes shut, her body going limp.“Brody…”Her hand fell out of Clementine’s, a frown taking over her features as she stared down at the dead girl. She shouldn’t have had to go through that. “Oh fuck…”Clementine turned to Marlon, watching as he dropped the flashlight. “No….No, no...What the hell am I gonna do?” He asked, speaking more to himself than he was to Clementine. A rumble of thunder shook the walls, the shelves rattling and pipes squealing as Marlon looked back up. “She’s going to turn.” He acknowledged, his sad face turning into one of anger before he swiftly twisted on his heel.“Marlon!” The brunette stood from Brody’s side as quick as she could, chasing after Marlon and reaching for his jacket, just barely missing him as he slammed the cellar doors shut, turning the hatch. “Marlon, you son of a bitch! Don’t do this!” She hollered, banging on the doors. Did he really think he could just tell the others both of them had died and they wouldn’t question a thing? “I’m sorry…” Lies. “I can’t let you tell the others.” “God, damn it! Marlon?! Anyone?! AJ?!”Nothing. Her eyes thinned, squinting at the small gap in between the doors. Were she able to find something thin, she might just be able to stick it through, abeling her to lift up the hatch and bring Marlon to justice; or whatever deformed sense of justice there was, nowadays. Now, all she had to do was find something thin enough before Brody turned. How hard could that be? A lot less harder if there was some damn light.Flashlight.Great! Who didn’t want to use the weapon used to murder their friend to aid in their escape from that same exact zombified friend? This was going to be lovely. Her steps seemed to echo off the walls, the small sploosh of her boot hitting a puddle joining as the thunder outside deemed it necessary to go quiet. At least this way she would be able to hear zombie Brody before she was eaten. That was a plus. Her pace slowed down as she neared the boiler, a frown spreading across her face. God fucking damn it. Brody had turned already? Was the universe out for her, or was Brody eager to get her revenge on the girl who had quite literally said ‘I can handle Marlon, say what you have to say!’ So much for ‘handling’ it. A few rats squeaked, running between her legs or over her shoe. Clementine slowly turned the corner, shielding her eyes from the beam of the flashlight that seemed intent on blinding her. Thanks for that. A sickening feeling found its way into her stomach, her throat feeling full as she could hears groans and grumbles from her formerly alive friend, accompanied by the squealing of what she assumed was a rat.Great. She was hungry.The girl swiftly bent down, grabbing onto the flashlight and smacking it a few times in order to stabilize the flow of light. Glancing in the direction of where the wall was lit up, she noticed a ruler sitting on an old desk, practically waiting for her. The universe had a very sick sense of humor. She picked up the wooden ruler, praying it was enough to get her out of this hell hole, only to be once more reminded of her obstacles as walker Brody once more snarled. She sighed, rounding the corner and using the light to make sure she wouldn’t turn into Brody’s next snack, until it decided to shut off. “Oh come on!” She grumbled to herself, glancing down at it and smacking it a few more times. She would surely die if this thing wouldn’t turn back on. Low visibility and a corpse that wants to eat your organs? Not exactly the best combination. After a few more smacks, Clementine finally got the light to turn back on, shifting it infront of her and taking note of the blood stained, vest wearing walker headed her way. Shit. “I’m sorry, Brody…” She managed to mumble, pulling the heavy storage shelf down and on top of the girl. She quickly glanced around, knowing there was no way she would stay trapped, before her eyes landed on an opening in another shelf. Her frame dropped to the floor, arms moving and pulling the rest of her small body through the opening, before she was able to stand up and make her way to the hatch. All she had to do now was stick the ruler through, open it up, and escape from the basement. Not to mention convince the rest of the kids she wasn’t the one who killed Brody. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be as easy as she had hoped. The rain fell through the crack in the cellar door, her arm lifting up the ruler in attempts to open it. At a loud crack of thunder, she jumped, being on edge from the presence of the brunette down below, and dropped the ruler. For fucks sake!She reached down, grabbing the ruler and putting it back in its place, her eyes welling with tears and knots finding their way into her stomach at Brody’s groans and squeals. The hatch seemed to want to fight her, not budging until she jerked the ruler, causing the latch to swing and unlock the door. Just as she opened the doors, however, she felt a pair of arms sliding around her waist.When she had thought to herself earlier that a hug from behind would be nice, she had the idea of, a parental figure, or maybe even a significant other. Not a fucking zombie. A soft ‘shit’ escaped her throat, the sudden feeling of falling setting her nerves on fire. Before she even knew what had happened, her head had smacked into the ground, Brody landing on top of her and knocking all the air out of her lungs. Her hand reached up just in time, grabbing at Brody’s neck and barely keeping the distance from them, giving Clementine enough time to grab the flashlight and smash it into Brody’s face.She knew at some point, no matter what, she was going to have to put Brody down. She had hoped, however, she would’ve been able to do it with a knife, or maybe even a gun. But smashing her head in with a flashlight? It was brutal, and even as a zombie Brody didn’t deserve it. With another smash, what was left of the girl under her groaned, arms still flailing in attempts to grab hold of something she could sink her teeth into. It took three more tired, desperate smashes before Brody’s body finally went limp for the last time.Clementine sniffled, bring up her arm and wiping a tear from her eye. She hated killing people she knew before they had turned; especially those she had just met and now would never get the chance to learn more about. With a shaky sigh, she took in a few more deep breaths, before climbing off her dead body. “Im sorry, Brody…” She mumbled again, shining the light onto the smashed in face before shaking her head. Marlon was going to pay for this, that she was certain of.With a grunt, she bust open the cellar doors, turning her head in the direction of the court yard. “Where’s Clementine?!” Aj. Of course. She had told him she would be right back, so it made sense that he was outside. But why was everyone else out too? Perhaps it was Marlon’s booming voice, or the sound of Brody’s back hitting the boiler, or, here’s an idea, the noise of Clementine struggling to keep the girls zombified body off of her. “Aj, put the gun down.” “Get this fucking psycho away from me!” That was ironic. “Where is she?!” Clementine glanced in AJs direction, taking note of the gun pointed at Marlon. Good. They had the upper hand. “She-she’s in the basement… S-She murdered Brody!” She was never going to catch a break was she? She stopped in her tracks, eyes rushing over the faces of those she could see to monitor their reactions. “What…? But she was friends with Brody…?” Good, Willy was somewhat on her side. “Is that blood on your face…?” Mitch, observant as always. “Why Brody…?” “Did you see it happen?” “Is she a walker now?” This was good. Or, as good as it could be. One of their closest friends had died, so of course it wasn’t good. But they were questioning what it was that Marlon had said. It gave her a chance. “That’s bullshit Marlon!” Clementine bit, clenching her fists as she approached the group. She heard AJ make a small ‘Clem!’ and silently hoped whatever happened, he would be okay. “You killed Brody. You hit her so hard, her head split open!” She argued, approaching him. No way was she going to take the blame for his mistakes. She had promised Brody she would protect this group, and that’s what she was going to do. “That’s a lie!” Unfortunately, she decided this wasn’t exactly the moment for a ”I know your words are, but what are mine”. “I saw you kill her!” Marlon argued, pointing at her as a few of the others joined the group. Clementine glanced to see exactly who it was. Tenn was there, and that was good. He and AJ were close, and he was also close with Violet. Violet. “What the hell is going on?” The blonde croaked, sleep evident in her voice. She turned her head to meet the blondes gaze; it may have only been for a moment, but her racing head made it feel like minutes. Brody had said that Louis and Violet trusted her. They were there, and maybe she might be able to influence the others too with their help. “Look at her hands! She’s covered in Brody’s blood!” Marlon pointed out. Aasim shook his head, Tenn coming up next to him. “Jesus Christ, Clem.” “What did you do…?” It was now she realized why she was so tense. She hadn’t been this angry in a long time, and having all these things happen so quickly and all at once was a sensory overload. “Its her blood because you killed her, and locked me in the basement with her! She turned Marlon, and she almost killed me too! That’s what you were planning on, though, wasn't it?!” She retorted, shifting the crowds gaze from her to Marlon. AJ’s gaze lingered, making him susceptible to what happened next. Before she had a chance to rip the boys hands off of him, Marlon had shoved AJ to the ground, grabbing his gun and aiming it in the air. “We saved their lives, when anyone else would’ve kept walking!” He started, aiming the gun at his friends. Did he really think that was going to get him anywhere?! “We fed them...We kept them warm! And this is how they thank us?! Guns being pulled, and...and Murder!” He growled at the group, shifting the barrel of the gun to line up with Clementine’s head. “Well fuck. Them.” “What the fuck Marlon!” “Jesus Christ…” “If you shoot me, what do you offer up to your raider friends when they come knocking?!” “What the hell is she talking about?!” Of course Aasim would be the one to become defensive. “He won’t do it because he needs us alive.” “Shut up!” “Brody told me; Marlon was going to give me and AJ up to raiders in exchange for safety. The same way he gave up Sophie and Minnie!” It was going to sting, she knew it would. But if she hadn’t said it, it wouldn’t have backed her case, and it wouldn’t have bought her more time. Time that she needed. Not to mention, they were going to have to find out sometime anyways. “Raiders?” “Oh my god…” “Shut the fuck up, Clementine!” Marlon argued, his voice booming over the others. He held the gun with one hand, aiming it at her forehead. Either she was going to fix this now, or she would die trying. “Let her talk!” Aasim interjected, taking a step into the circle. “Brody told me the truth, and that’s when Marlon killed her!” The group turned to Marlon. They were questioning him more and more, and hopefully, they would decide to have a conversation where there wasn’t a chance she would be shot at any second. “Aw, come the fuck on! They only met up with these ‘raiders’ because she insisted they go out there! Quite the coincidence, isn’t it? Shame I don’t believe in those.” This cocky, smug, motherfucker. “The first thing she did was attack you Tenn. Think about how scared we all were when the adults left. I pulled us out of that fear. I gave us all courage again. Who are y’all gonna believe, huh?! Johnny-come-lately and her little fucking lunatic? Or me? Your friend?” He must’ve missed the lesson where you’re taught that being their friend doesn’t give you the right to murder them.“She did help us get food…” “What good is food if a group of outsiders is going to come along and take it?”Clementine felt sick to her stomach. She had no way out. What was she going to do? If Brody were alive, things would be so much easier. Hell, they wouldn’t have this problem in the first place. Her mind raced back to the cellar. ‘They trust you. Not all of them, but I know Louis and Vi do.’ That was it. But who to pick? Louis was friends with Marlon. They were close. Meanwhile however...She couldn’t help but turn to the blonde. Violet had no problem telling either of them to shut up. She kept her arms crossed around them, closing herself off. Not to mention, she was probably closest to Violet seeing as they had talked during the fishing trip, and when she came for the art box. “Violet, you have to believe me…” She begged, pleading her with her eyes. If this fucked up now, she was done for. For a moment, it seemed almost as if Violet was about to say something, before Marlon interrupted her. “You don’t! You met her like two days ago!” At this moment, Clementine swore she would rip out that boys vocal chords if she could. The girl glanced to the ground, folding her arms. “I don’t know you Clem...Not really…” She mumbled, glancing to the side. She was hiding. Letting Marlon make the decision for her as he had done for so many years before this. “I’m sorry.” And sorry she was. Clementine could tell by the way her voice dropped along side her already slouched posture, she did mean it. But just because she was sorry, didn’t mean she was going to let Marlon make their decisions for them.“This isn’t like you…”She started, furrowing her eyebrows. “I know you’re not weak!” Violet glanced to the ground, the wheels in her head practically visibly turning. “Don’t let her get in your head…” Marlon warned, continuing to point the barrel down Clementine’s throat as he spoke. “Hey...What would Minnie want you to do? She was my friend too. So was Brody.” He did not go there. “Clem, I…..Shit.” She sighed, her arms falling at her side.“It will all feel safer, once I pull this trigger.”Clementine shook her head. This was her last chance before she ended up with a bullet in the brain, a broken promise, and a traumatized child. “If you were there that day those raiders came? He would’ve abandoned you too!” She argued, the thought alone making her sick. It seemed to do the trick, however, Violet’s eyebrows furrowing into a glare as she took a few steps forwards, putting herself in the line of fire. This, Clementine had somewhat expected. Violet to come over and more or less try to put distance between the two. What she didn’t expect however, was when the girl pulled out her weapon, holding it in a way that showed she would cut his fucking arm off if she had to. “Violet being difficult...Why am I not surprised?” “Put down the gun, now. We’re gonna do this the right way.” Clementine felt a pang of something in her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was hope, or happiness, or maybe a mixture of both, but she did know it happened because of Violet.“Stand down Marlon, be reasonable.” Aasim spoke softly, Omar and Louis joining him as they slowly approached the boy. “You don’t get it...You just don’t understand at all, do you!” He started off, raising the gun and swinging it at the group. “I’m trying, to protect you! All of you! Every! Fucking! One of you!” He screeched, causing them to draw back in fear. “He’s lying to you. He can’t -- or won’t -- protect you. Look what happened to Brody...To Sophie, Minerva! You suck at protection!” Clementine pointed out. “Shut your fucking mouth! I saved the lives of everyone in this fucking school! If they came back...I’d do it again!”“Excuse me?!” “I didn’t realize we were so fuckin’ expendable!” “You’re a dick!” “You told me they died…” She turned her head at the sound of the Tenn’s voice, a frown washing over her features. “I had to save the rest of you, okay…?” “You gave my sisters away… Why would you do something like that? I trusted you, Marlon...They trusted you.” “Easy. Because he’s a coward.” “I wanted to get them...Stage...Some kind of rescue? Honest, Tenn...I just couldn’t. I was..I was too afraid.” “You killed Brody, because she knew?” There was a pause, frowns spreading across the faces of most of the group. “Mmhm...I didn’t mean to...I didn’t want this.” Marlon whimpered, the gun falling to his side. “I wanted to save all of you. Sophie...Minerva?”“You’re pathetic.”It wasn’t a lie. Giving up two to save the many? Why wouldn’t he have just told them, instead of trying to hide it so they could solve the problem together? Marlon turned to Clementine, looking as if he had seen a ghost. He scanned the faces of the rest of the group, before glancing down at the gun in his hand. His grip softened, before he dropped it completely, bringing his hand up to his face. “I know...Always was.”Louis stepped forwards, shaking his head. “That isn’t true…”“No, Louis, it is. You were just the only one who couldn’t see it.” He sounded broken. Tired. No doubt partially from having finally let go of a secret he had kept for so long. “I know I betrayed you… All of you… Just let me leave. You’ll never have to see me again…” He asked, his head falling in shame. At least he felt guilty for what he had done. Now, it would take awhile to forgive him, but this? This was a start. “Just let me become a bad memory. Just give me that...Please.”Clementine sighed, internally debating with herself. Why did these things have to be decided right now? When everyone was too tired and too panicked to think clearly. Marlon could come back from this; he deserved a chance. It would be the only one he got, however. After this? After this the chance she owed him was repaid, and she wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. “Fine--”Blood. It was in her hair, on her face, and all over her hands. But...Where was it from? Her ears rang, eyes wide in shock. What had just happened? She felt Marlon’s body collapse onto her, and the next second hit the floor. What? She glanced up from the body, only to see AJ standing with his feet parted, both hands on the gun. Her eyes trailed back down to the bullet hole in Marlon’s head, and back up to AJ once more.“What…? I aimed for the head…” He trailed off, looking like a child who had just been caught doing something he had no idea was wrong; most likely because that’s exactly what this was. “No!”“Oh, my god…”“Shit!”“We can get medicine…? From the nurses office.”“He’s dead! The kid blew his brains out!”He? Marlon. Marlon was dead, and it was AJ’s fault. The ringing in her ears failed to subside, her lungs begging for air and reminding her to breath. “You shot him… He’s dead. You’re a murderer.” Louis whispered in horror, looking up to AJ. “You got Marlon to give up...You saw how broken he was. What the fuck did you teach this kid?!” He yelled, turning his attention to Clementine. She could barely even think, let alone process what it was Louis was saying. AJ killed Marlon. Marlon was dead, bleeding out on the ground like a pig. What happened. She could feel the groups’ eyes on her, prompting her to answer Louis. Was there even an answer to this? She had taught him to kill monsters; it had to say something if AJ thought Marlon was a monster, but what about? Did it say something about her and how she taught him? Or did it say something about Marlon’s behavior and how he couldn’t be trusted? Mitch tensed, balling up his fist, no doubt planning something. Another crack of thunder caused Clementine to jump; for the first time in a long time, she was scared. Scared of what would happen to AJ, scared of what would happen to her, and scared of what would happen to this group. They were already broken; AJ shooting Marlon had only dug the crowbar into the cracks, picking and pulling and eventually it was going to break. Brody’s words seemed to repeat in her head, playing like an obnoxious alarm that was begging to be snoozed.
‘They trust you. Not all of them, but I know Louis and Vi do.’
Turning her head, Clementine looked at Violet with pleading eyes. She didn’t know why she did it; maybe because she trusted her. Maybe because Brody’s words had been drilled into her skull. Or maybe, because she wanted one last second to see her before Mitch pushed her to the ground and beat her to death. Violet, seeming to understand, rushed forward without a hesitant bone in her body, gripping the handle of her weapon and holding it out in a protective manner. This was a development. Violet was buying her time, and all the while protecting AJ too.
‘Think, Clementine.’
“Back off. All of you!” The girl warned, glaring at the group. “You talked Marlon down, and then they fucking murdered him!” Louis argued, scoffing in disbelief.Violet looked to Clementine, somehow knowing she was still processing it all; the bullet, AJ, the storm, Brody, everything. “Take AJ, and go inside.” She instructed, Clementine’s feet seeming to move on their own as she approached her, grabbing AJ’s hand. “Oh, just let them go back to the dorms?! What happens the next time one of us does something this kid doesn’t like? Should we expect a bullet too?” Louis yelled. He was angry, and understandably so, but why did he have to be so loud?“That’s not what happened.” “It’s exactly what happened! It was over ‘till little Mr.Trigger-Happy decided otherwise!”She felt her throat tighten, lungs begging for another breath of air as words forced their way out of her throat before she could even think. “He wouldn’t do that! AJ would never hurt any of you! It was--” She glanced around the group wide eyed. She hadn’t thought out what she was going to say this far, and now she was stuck. “Marlon threatened us!” She choked out, only for Louis to send her a spine chilling glare.“AJ pointed the gun first!” “We get it, Louis, just back off! Okay?” “Back off?! Seriously?!” AJ looked up to Clementine. She had to do something. He was looking to her for what to do, and she had nothing. ‘Take AJ and go inside.’ Violet’s words rung in her ears, her hand moving and grasping AJs, beginning to pull him towards the dorms. “For god’s sake, someone help me with this!” “He saved you from that car wreck, and you fucking murdered him?” Mitch. He was an obstacle, and quite literally so. “Get back, Mitch…” She trailed off, holding AJ behind her. She could barely think, yet she knew that she would die before she let him lay a hand on that boy. “Or what? You gonna let him kill me too?” She drew back as he pulled his knife, his voice wavering. He was going to cry, and it was showing. “Then who’s next? Aasim? Willy?!”“Haven’t enough people died tonight?” She spoke, asking herself more than she was Mitch. This was a start. She could go from here. “Brody...Marlon? We can’t keep killing each other!”“..How the fuck are you saying that to me after what he did…? Screw both of you…” It came out as a whimper. They cared, all of them did. It didn’t matter to them that Marlon had killed Brody, tried to kill her, and given up two of their friends to raiders, they were still loyal, and it was somewhat sickening to think about. Maybe that’s what the feeling in the pit of her stomach was. She felt sick about that. Or maybe it was just lack of sleep. At the simple thought, a soft sigh escaped her lips. She wasn’t going to be able to sleep tonight; she had to stay up to make sure no one pulled anything. She was sure Violet would do her best to prevent it, and it did calm her slightly, knowing at least one of them was smart enough to analyze the situation. For right now, she just needed to take AJ and get back to their room. Back to where it was safe; where she could at least protect him and think about what she was going to have to do next.-The man sighed, glumly looking over the younger girls features, a single, loud continuous beeping flooding his head and every so often interrupting his thoughts. He wasn’t sure why; he had spent next to nine years listening to sets of monitored heart beats at a match, variations of mechanical shrieks and cries ringing out whenever someone had woken up. Maybe it was because after nine years, several switched groups and changes in heart pace, shrieks ever so often alerting him of the pain she was in, she hadn’t woken up. Almost everyone else she had been with had woken up, but not her. A loud shrill interrupted his thoughts, causing him to sigh and twist his head to the other side of the room. It had come from some pale skinned auburn haired girl, around the same age as her. Hell, they all were. He glanced up to the body monitor, taking note of the dark red mark just above her eye. So whatever had happened to her was something considerably painful. Before he had time to wonder what, her heart rate began to slow, the monitors starting to let out loud beeps and shrieks to alert whatever medical professional of what was happening. “Get the oxygen tubes, I’ll pull the IV.”His head turned to the doorway of the room, several nurses walking in and surrounding the girl as the shrieking came to a stop, being replaced with a flatline. She was waking up. “Brody Burress… Alright, c’mon, it should be second hand by now.” One of the nurses called out, taking hold of some sort of remote that moved the bed so that this Brody was in more of a sitting position than laying flat on her back. “Any family?” “Nope. None that we know of. It says that she and the rest of these kids belonged to some school for something or other. Now they’re just...here, waiting to wake up.” A few of them talked, making no point to hide their conversation. He had been there for days and at this point, the more he knew about them the better. He could get to know them for how they were, and think about it in a way that let him see how she was seeing it. How she thought of them.“Rise and shine, kid.” One of the nurses greeted. This was good. Maybe he would be able to talk to this Brody after a week or so, if she let him. It had been years since she had been around anyone else, all alone, no one. Now, she had finally found a group; consisting of ‘Brody’ and a few others whose names had escaped him that, as he quoted his favorite moustached friend, ‘sure look like a match’. Maybe she had made some friends. After leaving that baseball guy and whoever it was he was with, she had been alone for quite some time. All he wanted was for her to have someone. Something. A group, to watch her back. Then again, he didn’t want that. He wanted her to wake up; not have to suffer through the nightmare of that world anymore. To finally be at peace after years of losing people and struggling. “You’re a long ways from home…” The nurse sighed, snapping Brody’s chart shut and beginning the repetitive explanation they gave whenever anybody woke up. It served its purpose though. A sort of transition from the world they had known for years, back into a world they had most likely forgotten. The world without hunger, or loss, or worry that something at any second could end your life. A world without walkers.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Brody…?”“Brody, c’mon, I woke up after you, I know you can talk.” Marlon croaked, his eyes shifting towards her figure.Brody however, stared glumly away. “I can talk, I just don’t want to. Give it a rest, Marlon.” She sighed, only glancing at him to frown. Her eyes traveled back in front of her, tearing up slightly at the sight. Violet was laying in the hospital bed, tubes and wires flooding her skin and leaving no area unmonitored. Her eyes were shut, head tilted back and mouth relaxed. She looked peaceful; something Brody hadn’t seen on her since that hell had started.“What, it’s not like I can go back to sleep. We’ve woken up early every day for the last nine years, coma or not we’re used to it.” Marlon sighed, his eyes fluttering shut. “You should be thanking me, anyways! You’re awake now, aren’t you?”Brody furrowed her eyebrows in a glare, not bothering to try to move her head to look at him - it wouldn’t work anyways. “You didn’t know. You killed me, Marlon! Don’t try to act like this was your big plan!” Brody yelled, only for her throat to itch at the strain. Her body convulsed with coughs, turning and shifting her into a position even more uncomfortable than the last. A soft whimper escaped her throat as she fought to move; an arm, a leg, even a finger. If she could at least move one muscle other than the ones on her face, she’d be happier.“Stop...You know there’s no point, Brody…” Marlon trailed off, watching with sad eyes.“I’m not just going to sit here and let them stay...there. You might, but I certainly won’t.” Brody bit, trying once more to move any muscle to no avail.“I can’t move either Brody! Did you hear nothing they said?! We’ve been in a coma for nine years. We aren’t going to be able to move our hands for days!” Marlon cried. “As for the others, you don’t think I want them awake just as much as you?! I care about them, Brody. I don’t want them to have to spend another second there! The same way I care about you.” “You sure have an odd way of showin’ it.” Brody whimpered, earning her more aggressive behavior.“I said I was sorry! I got mad, Brody! I didn’t mean to hit you, I swear!” Marlon defended, his eyes pleading any sort of forgiveness from her.Brody merely frowned. “Just like you were sorry for giving up Sophie and Minnie, huh?”Marlon looked at her with sad eyes, huffing before looking away. He glanced to the hospital bed across from him, taking note of Louis’ ghoulish figure. Hell, they were all ghoulish. Their skin was pressed against their bones like sealed packaging, pale and sporting an unhealthy tint - no doubt from the lack of sun. “I see you two are up then, huh?”Marlon glanced over to the entrance of the room, straining his eyes to focus on the figure. “Do we know you…?” He asked sharply, taking note of the man’s appearance. His hair was graying, specks of white finding their way through his thick beard. He had a rather large nose, and brown eyes that only returned Marlon’s hostility once given.“No. You don’t.” He glared. His eyebrows creased, deepening the lines on his forehead. It was at this moment Marlon took notice of the rather obvious brick colored hat on his head, immediately reminding him of a brunette he had been fighting with only the night before. “Ignore him…” Brody sighed, staring down at the floor, resenting her inability to move a single muscle. “It’s what I do.”The man tilted his head at her, huffing. “You’re that Brody, ain’t ya’?”Brody furrowed her eyebrows, desperately wishing she could give him a look over. “Depends. I can’t exactly see who’s askin’.”Marlon watched as the man sighed, leaning his shoulder off the doorway and walking over towards her. “Hey..” Marlon croaked. “Hey! Don’t touch her!” “Would you calm the fuck down? I’m movin’ her back into place.” The man grumbled, sending a glare Marlon’s way. “Is that alright with you, Brody?”Brody gave a huff, mentally shrugging. “Any position is better than this.” She answered, feeling his hands grab her shoulders, pulling her back into a more comfortable position. A sudden hopeless feeling washed her over her, causing the frown to find its way back onto her face; she was practically a ragdoll.“Jeez, yer’ light as a feather! We gotta get some food in ya’!” The man chuckled, prompting Brody to take in his features herself. She took note of the undrooping necklace around his neck, as well as the way his hair shaggily curled up in the back. He seemed to take notice of her staring, the giddy smile being replaced with a more calming, welcoming one as he nodded to her. “Name’s Kenny.”Brody’s eyes widened, her lungs tightening. “Kenny…?”“Sure is,” He grinned, before taking notice of her shocked look. “What, don’t tell me one’a you kids is named Kenny too?”Brody mentally shook her head, though the metaphorical light bulb remained. Her eyes traveled across their limited reach of the room, her wonders being confirmed by the blue and white baseball cap supporting a fancy D. “Clementine mentioned a Kenny.” She stated. Her thoughts rushed back to the night before in the cellar, her features wincing slightly at the remembrance of the pain.
“I know a lot of people there...You’re my friend, and by default that makes you their friend too. Lee’ll look out for you. Try not to upset Kenny, and don’t let Luke take the blame for too much…”
“Clementine…?” Kenny asked, his tone now one more serious. “So you knew her? Was she with your group?”“No-”“Yes-”Brody and Marlon glared at each other. “She wasn’t one of us, Brody. Everything was fine until she came along.” Marlon argued, earning a scoff.“You consider shrivelin’ up in fear and starvin’ as a result fine?!” She retorted, paying no mind to Kenny. “She did more for us in two days than you did in months!”“If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t’ve had to worry about Abel! That means you wouldn’t have died, Brody.”“Don’t you dare try to pin this on her, Marlon! You’re the one that bashed my skull in! Had she not gone to the train station, we wouldn’t have gotten all that food!” “As much as I’d like to hear more about this,” Kenny began, interrupting the two. “The hell do you mean he bashed your skull in?” Brody glanced over to him, sighing in attempts to relax. “We were talking in the cellar, and things escalated.” Marlon said briefly, the glare remaining on his face. “Are you serious, Marlon?” Brody scoffed. “I think what he meant to say,” She introduced, now directing her words to Kenny. “-Is that, long story short, Marlon gave up two of our people to raiders in exchange for protection. He made me help him convince the others that they had died instead of telling them the truth. When we were in the cellar, I was arguing that we should tell them. We started yelling, and that’s when Clementine came down.” Brody noticed Kenny’s features soften at the name, his demeanor calm as he listened. “She didn't know. When I tried to tell her, Marlon got mad and hit me over the head with a flashlight.” “I said I was sorry!” Marlon defended, his presence barely being acknowledged. “I don’t remember much of what happened after that..” Brody trailed off, earning an understanding nod from Kenny.Marlon scoffed. “I do. I-” Marlon stopped, suddenly realizing how guilty it all made him sound. “We ended up outside. When your back hit the boiler, it must’ve woken everyone up. Her lunatic fucking kid stuck his gun down my throat asking where she was, and when she came out of the cellar, she defended him! It was ridiculous.”“Are you serious Marlon?” Brody scoffed, mentally shaking her head. “She wouldn’t do that. That don’t sound like her at all.”Marlon's gaze narrowed back onto Brody. “Were you fucking there?! No, Brody! You weren’t! You have no idea what you’re talking about, so shut the hell-” “-Hey!” Marlon turned to Kenny, his gaze wavering.“You watch your mouth, boy.” Kenny warned, narrowing his eyes in a threatening manner. “I don’t care what happened - you ain’t gonna talk to anybody like that, you hear me?” Marlon huffed, glancing to the side. Be it that he were able to move his arms, he would’ve folded them in annoyance. “Now, you’re gonna tell me what really happened, or I’ll put you back to sleep.”Marlon stared Kenny down now, sitting for a few minutes and waiting, before clenching his jaw. “Brody died after I hit her with the flashlight.” He started, glancing over to her as he talked. “I freaked out...Panicked. I didn’t want the other kids to think I had done it. They would’ve-” He paused, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.“I figured it’d be easier if I pinned the blame on Clementine. She was new; hadn’t made the best impression with exactly everyone, wasn’t too rooted,” he continued,”So I locked her. Down there, with you, Brody.”Brody huffed in sadness. “You tried to kill her…?”“What else was I supposed to do?!” Marlon pleaded, voice breaking. “After that, I went back up to the yard. I tried to go back to my room, but then AJ started waving his gun around, asking where she was. I told them that she was the one that killed you, not me.” His eyes glanced over Kenny’s face in worry, noticing the death glare he was currently receiving. “Then Clementine came out, and she was okay. Covered in your blood, but still kicking.” He huffed softly, a small smile finding its way onto his face.“We argued for a bit after that; Trying to one up the other to convince everyone else that we weren’t the one to kill you.” Marlon glanced to Brody now, then over the blonde across from her, and back to Brody. “Violet stood up for her. Difficult as she is, I should've known. The two of them must be peas in a pod by now…” he trailed off, giving Clementine a quick glance, before looking back to Kenny with a sigh. “I started waving the gun around, didn’t want to be punished for lashing out. Clementine talked me down, and I dropped it. Next thing I know, I’m waking up here. Or, I think that’s what happened…?”“You woke up a few minutes after me.” Brody informed, remembering the nurses crowding around his bed to pull the several tubes out of him. “Yeah...That’s it, then.” he glanced to the ground, Kenny taking the silence as his turn to speak. “You mentioned Violet. Who’s that?”Brody shifted her eyes in front of her, given that she was unable to point. “The girl right in front of me. Blonde? Looks like a skeleton?” She directed almost jokingly, though truth didn’t hide much behind her words. Violet was naturally skinny, that was something she and everyone else had known for a while. But while everyone else had slimmed down to the point it was obviously unhealthy, Violet looked like she might as well be dead.“Jesus…” Kenny trailed off, slowly approaching her to get a better look. “Her wrists are the size of my three fingers…” He winced, shaking his head, before turning back to the two. “So...You think the rest of them are gonna wake up soon?”Brody bit her lip. “We wake up when we die, right…?” Kenny nodded. “I don’t think so… Clementine said she was gonna keep ‘em safe. I trust she’ll die before she lets that happen.”Kenny nodded softly, folding his arms and glancing around at the group of kids. It was silent for a moment, before he spoke up again. “What’s she like…?”Marlon and Brody both looked back up to him, thinking of an answer. “Tough, that’s for sure.” Marlon started, huffing. “She crashed a car and was back on her feet a day later. Had a pretty serious concussion, too.”Kenny grinned softly at the mention, huffing. “She has a knack for crashing cars then, huh?”“She’s done it before?”“Sure has.” Kenny chuckled, lifting his hat to brush his hair back, setting the hat back into place afterwards. “Middle of a snow storm. I tell you what, coma or not, worst fuckin’ driver I ever knew.”Brody smiled at this, glancing down to the bed sheet. “She’s got somethin’ about her, too. Makes it easy to trust her.” She glanced over to Violet, squinting her eyes. “Got Vi to warm up real quick. Louis, too.”“Louis?”Marlon hummed. “In front of me. Freckles, dark hair.” Kenny turned to the other boy, nodding in understanding. “Louis doesn’t count, though. He warms up to everybody pretty quick. Give him five minutes and you’ll regret the entire conversation before it’s over with.” Marlon snickered.Kenny crossed his arms, looking over the several faces of the kids once more. “So you belonged to a school?”“Yeah. Ericson’s Boarding School for Troubled Youth.” Marlon pledged sarcastically. “We’re troubled youth alright…”Kenny glanced to Marlon, opening his mouth to speak. “What were you two in f-” before he could finish his sentence, a familiar mechanical beeping filled their ears. “Shit…”“Kenny? What’s that mean?” Brody asked, glancing over the three bodies and monitors. Violet’s had been disrupted, as well as Louis’. There was more beeping from elsewhere in the room, to which she couldn’t quite place where. “It’s Clementine,” Kenny answered, making his way over to her bedside and reading the heart monitor. “Can you guys see what Louis and Violet’s say?”Brody strained her eyes from the distance, trying desperately to read the small green number above the waving line. “163.” She answered, hearing Kenny sigh in defeat.“They aren’t waking up. Just moving.” Kenny moved back over to Marlon and Brody, keeping his eyes on the green line as it soon returned to normal.As if just now noticing it, Brody furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, glancing at the monitors. “There’s two beats now.”Kenny glanced to her, nodding his head. “Your heart rate lines up perfectly with those you’re around. Beats in sync. Means they’re heading out on their own somewhere.” He gestured to Clementine, Violet and Louis, before replacing his folded arms. “So you can tell who’s near someone by their heart rates?”Kenny nodded. “They try to keep everyone with a matching beat in the same room. Done ‘lotta stuff concerning the coma epidemic since it started. Like this one?” He walked over to Violet’s bed, gesturing to the monitor with an anatomic white figure. “You get shot? It shows up in red. Or orange, depending where it is. Break a finger? It shows up. You may look asleep, but ya’ ain’t. Your brain’s still awake under there; nerves are reacting still to the things you think are happening, even if only a little bit. Someone so much as brushes their hand against you, we can see.”Marlon furrowed his eyebrows. “Even hugs?”“Even hugs.”“So when Marlon hit me,” Brody started, thinking back to the night before. “It showed up on one of those?”“Sure did. They take it off when ya’ wake up. Don’ wanna waste it.” Kenny explained.Brody hummed in acknowledgement. “How long we gotta stay here for? I mean, how long do people generally have to wait before they can move again?”Kenny bounced his shoulder a bit in thought, before landing on an answer. “Well, it can differ between most people. By tonight, you should be able to move your heads fully. Twist ‘em ‘n so forth. Tomorrow you’ll probably be able to move your toes, fingers. After that, it’s all kinda just thrown in the air.” Brody mentally nodded. “You kids ever go to a carnival?”Marlon gave Kenny a confused look. “When we were much younger, why?”“You remember those mirrors? The ones that made you look all funky?” He started, continuing at hums of acknowledgement. “It’s like that. Technically, while you were in the ‘coma’, your nerves were still reacting to everything, just on a lesser scale. Walking is going to be like going from looking in one of those mirrors for nine years and then switching to a normal one. Pretty funky. It’s like carrying a bunch of bananas and suddenly switching to a rope of fifty pound-”Before he could finish, Kenny was once more interrupted by a set of nurses wheeling in two beds, the offset beeping returning as the two adjusted to the same beat Clementine, Violet and Louis had carried.“Who the fuck ‘er they?” Kenny bit, attempting to peer over the nurses’ shoulders.Marlon, too interested in the identity of the new two, glanced between a whole two of the nurses had provided, barely looking at the face long enough to recognize who it was before the whole was covered by the nurses attempting to stabilize the man to the best of their abilities.“Oh shit...Brody-” “-I saw him, Marlon…”Kenny turned to the two, now allowing the nurses to do their thing as he moved closer to them. “You two know these guys?”Marlon winced. “Well...I wouldn’t say we know them as much as we know who they are.” When Kenny gave him a confused look, he continued. “That one there on the right? That’s Abel. Can’t see who’s with him yet. Abel’s one of the raiders. The one’s I-” he hesitated, frowning. “The ones I gave Sophie and Minnie to for protection.”At these words, Kenny seemed to muster up the angriest look he could figure. “Your friends aint pulling that shit, are they?”“What…? No! I doubt Violet or Louis would just-”“-Well they took Clementine out on her own, doesn’t exactly add up to me. You?”Brody gave Marlon a fearful look; she surely hoped her friends weren’t dumb enough to make Clementine leave - not after she had accomplished so much in so little time - let alone give her to the raiders. As the nurses left the room, the awake three turned their heads to Clementine’s anatomic figure at another loud screech, signaling a change in physical status.Kenny walked over now that there was room, studying the figure before glancing back to Marlon and Brody. “Her neck. Not too bad, nothing’s broken. Hurts like a bitch though.” He turned to the other monitor, glancing over her heart rate, before landing on what he was looking for. “Damn it...Respirations is goin’ down…” Kenny ran his hand through his hair again, replacing his hat and glancing down to the second of the new group. At first his eyes narrowed, before widening in shock. “Ho-ly shit...”“What? Who is it?” Marlon asked, attempting to get a look. “This bitch is still alive and kickin’!” He chuckled, shaking his head. “She always was one tough son of a bitch. She deserves that world.” He nodded, a frown replacing his momentarily giddy features.“Who..?” Brody questioned, for she too wasn’t able to get a glance.“Her name’s Lilly. She was with the group Clementine and I were in when this first started. Few months after she gunned down Carley, so we left her on the side of the road. She was batshit.” He informed, watching as the mark of the monitor on Clementine’s neck faded off. “Her respirations is going up. That’s good.” Kenny thought aloud, before turning and walking back over to Brody and Marlon.“Look, I gotta get going here in a few minutes. Lee’ll probably stop by after his class to see Clem. Just make sure you don’t get on his bad side, and that means you, Marlon.” Kenny joked, only seeing Marlon huff in somewhat annoyance.“Hey Kenny?”“Hm?” He turned around, glancing back to Brody. “Who’s’ Lee? She mentioned him, like she mentioned you. But she didn’t exactly say who you were…” Brody mumbled, confused. Kenny’s gaze softened, a small hum escaping his throat. “When this all started, much like I’m sure y’all, Clementine was only about eight, near turnin’ nine. Lee was the one to find her all holed up in a treehouse. He kept her safe for the many months they were together, till he got bit.” A frown coated Kenny’s face now as he shook his head. “Clem had to put him down before he turned. The rest of our group had either been killed or separated. I didn’t find out what happened to Clem until we met back up in there. Then I think about a month later, I woke up and got the whole story again from Christa and Omid.”Brody furrowed her eyebrows. “Omid…?”Kenny huffed a laugh, shaking his head as he made his way to the door. “You’ll get a kick outta him, I’ll tell him to stop-” Once more, Kenny was interrupted by different nurses entering the room, a boy around the age of the kids on the hospital bed. “You gotta be jokin’ me…” Kenny muttered in annoyance. The same nurses grabbed at Lilly and Abel, ushering their changed heart rates out of the room with them as they disappeared into the hall. Now, Clementine and this new kid were on the far left, Louis and Violet back on the right, their heart rates matching the Ericson kids once more.Turning to the kids, Kenny raised an eyebrow. “What about him. You two know who he is?”“Never seen him in my life.” Marlon summed up, seeing Kenny shrug.“Alright. I’m gonna head on home for the day, get some food. I’ll be by again tomorrow, check up on y’all. Expect Lee to check in soon. His last class gets out at,” Kenny glanced to his watch,” about an hour. Good impressions,” Kenny cheered, before disappearing into the hospital. Brody glanced over to Marlon, the two sharing a look. “That was a lot to take in…”“I’ll say.”