NO WAY BACK | carl grimes | ON PAUSE

nine: tethered strings

"We move forward."

🏹🏹🏹

PEACE WAS A THING of the past for Wayne and Glenn, who had woken up with the worst headaches. After the festivities last night, they had went to bed reasonably early. Montana had warned Elaina about alcohol, and how, if you drank too much of it, you'd wake up with a very bad migraine. She called it a hangover; the price you had to pay for drinking too much.

"I am never drinking again," Glenn said, groaning. He was holding his forehead in sufferable pain. Jacqui massaged his neck as the others around him chuckled.

After getting powdered eggs from T-Dog, Elaina found a seat beside Sophia, who was having cereal.

"Good morning," Elaina smiled. "It's nice to see you."

"You too, Elaina," Sophia beamed. "Are Wayne and Glenn okay?"

Elaina looked over, to see that Wayne had his head on the table.

"Wayne, are you awake?" Elaina asked, giggling.

"Barely," he groaned. "What the heck was in that wine?"

"I think it's got something to do with how much you drank," Montana chuckled. "Smart decision, Wayne."

"Lecture number one hundred begins," Wayne sighed. "Number ninety nine was telling me off for some of the things I said. The thing is, I can't ever remember."

Sophia and Elaina giggled at this.

"The eggs are nice, T-Dog," Elaina smiled. "You do make them good."

"Thank you, little lady," he nodded. "They may not be fresh, but at least they're something."

Soon enough, Lori and Carl entered the room. Elaina noticed that Lori looked tired. She thought that, maybe, she had a hangover like Wayne and Glenn, but then she remembered that she had not drank that much.

"Morning, Lori," Elaina said brightly, hoping that would cheer her up.

"Morning, sweetie," she smiled, sitting down and grabbing a glass of orange juice.

"Hi, Carl," Elaina said, knowing that she couldn't say hello to his mom without saying hello to him.

"Hi," he said shyly. Elaina was surprised that he wasn't asking her any questions.

"Elaina, when you're done with that, come with me," Montana said in a matter of fact tone.

"Sure," Elaina nodded.