Young and Young at Heart (The Rewrite of The Walking Dead Game: S2) [TWDG/TWD]

40. The Vengeance Factor

Clementine took her bowl of soup and sat down next to Christa. Carlos and Walter were sitting across from her, and at the end of the table was Nick, sitting alone. Clem edged closer to Nick, noting the depressed look on his face as he stared down at his bowl.

"Nick?" called Clem. "Are you okay?"

"Since when do you care?" he mumbled in a quiet voice.

"I—" Christa grabbed Clem's shoulder, pulling her away from Nick.

"Just leave him alone Clem," instructed Christa.

"But—"

"Just give him some space," said Christa, sounding concerned herself. "He'll need some time after what's happened."

"Are you okay?" Clem asked Christa.

"I'm fine. Spent all morning in the warehouse with Walter and that Hector guy," informed Christa.

"Helping to keep tally on their spoils of war," added a bitter Walter.

"They're having me list out all the drugs they have here," said Carlos. "And write out layman explanations for what they do. Probably to make it easier to get rid of me." Carlos's grim expression warmed when he saw his daughter approaching. "Are you okay sweetheart?"

"I'm fine dad," assured Sarah as she sat down next to Carlos. "Are you okay? This morning—"

"I was just very thirsty and very hungry," assured Carlos. "I'm all right now." Carlos's hands moved to the crude bandage on Sarah's head. "How's your head?" asked Carlos as he untied the piece of cloth.

"It's okay." Removing the bandage, Clem grimaced at the sight of the bloody bruise on Sarah's forehead.

"They should have let me treat you," lamented Carlos as he reapplied the dressing.

"I'm all right," assured Sarah. "Clem and her mom took care of me."

Carlos turned to Clem and Christa. "Thank you for helping her," he said in a sincere voice.

"It's fine," assured a sympathetic Christa. "She's a good kid."

"I'm sorry about all this Sarah," said Carlos. "You just be good for now. I'll think of something. I promise."

"I'm okay," assured Sarah. "Some of the stuff they've taught us is really interesting."

"Like what?" asked Walter.

"Well that Byron guy let us practice shooting," commented Mick as he sat down with Matt. "That was a nice change of pace."

"So all that gunfire I heard was just you kids practicing?" asked Christa.

"Yeah, we each got three shots with a rifle," informed Clem.

"She got four for some reason," noted Matt.

"She got four because she could actually shoot things," said Mick.

"Only because she got to do it while lying down," reasoned Matt.

"Byron told you to lie down, you wouldn't listen," reminded Mick.

"Sarah, you didn't shoot anything did you?" asked Carlos, sounding more than a little concerned.

"Yeah, I managed to hit the head on my last shot," she said proudly.

"The head of what?" asked a disturbed Carlos.

"Of the practice dummy," answered Sarah, a little intimidated by her father.

"To use children like this," Carlos mumbled to himself.