CHARLOTTE SHOT UP when she woke, forgetting where she was for a second. She looked around the room, trying to remember, calming down once she caught sight of Daryl passed out on the couch.
Being merely awake, Charlotte rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and stretched her muscles before climbing out of the bed. For the first time in a long time, she slept peacefully and through the night.
Assuming that everyone else was where they ate dinner last night, Charlotte grabbed her backpack and headed out the room.
Sure enough, most of the group was around the table, the adults recovering from the night before. "Eggs, powdered, but I do 'em good." T-dog chimed as he approached the table with a pan of eggs. "I bet you can't tell."
Charlotte eyes landed on a groaning Glenn, who looked like he was dying slowly. She knew it must've been all the drinking, since that always made adults heads ache.
"Protein, helps the hangover." T-dog amended as he scraped some eggs onto each persons plate. Charlotte sat down by Carl, her stomach rumbled eagerly as she watched T-dog dump some eggs onto her own plate. She quickly lifted her fork and stabbed into them, happily munching into them. Was eggs her first choice of food? Nope, but you work with what you got.
"Don't ever, ever, ever, let me drink again." Glenn moaned as he held his head in his hand, Jacqui rubbed his back supportively with a small smile on her face.
"Hey." Charlotte tensed as she heard Shane walk in, her stomach knotted up, remembering what she saw the night before. She slid down in her chair, wanting to be invisible. Lori obviously felt the same, she glanced at the girl before looking back at her food.
"Hey," Rick responded to his friend as the man went to get a cup of coffee. "Feel as bad as I do?"
"Worse." Shane uttered.
"The hell happened to you?" T-dog observed as he noticed the scratch mark etched into Shanes neck. It was obvious to Charlotte that Lori had done it, but Shane probably deserved it. "Your neck?"
"Must've done it in my sleep." Shane shrugged it off as he glanced at Charlotte, who was still shrunk down in her seat, her chin rested on her chest.
"Never seen you do that before." Rick articulated as he looked at Shanes neck in confusion.
"Me neither," The man muttered, taking a sip of his drink. "Not like me at all." He added, sparing a glance towards Lori, who only met his eyes for one second before immediately looking away.
"Morning." Dr Jenner verbalised as he walked in, making a beeline for the coffee machine too. Charlotte never could get the hype for that drink, she had tasted it once before, and it was just bitter and gross.
"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing..." Dale looked knowingly at the doctor, feeling bad for pestering the man so early.
"But you will anyway." Jenner replied in a dry monotone.
"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea belittled the man with an almost accusatory tone. Charlotte ended up sitting back in her seat, she still didn't want to look at Shane though, so she just ate her breakfast with her head low.
~
ONCE THE GROUP had finished eating, Dr Jenner led them to the main room again. "Give me a playback of TS-19." The doctor told Vi, who complied immediately. Charlotte leaned against one of the desks, her fingers playing with random objects that she could find.
Charlotte gazed with fascination as the screen lit up with images of a human brain. "Few people got to see this, very few." Jenner continued.
"Is that a brain?" Carl asked.
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Tragic Youth | TWD
Fanfiction8-year-old Charlotte Jones never had it easy, her father was never kind and her mother took off when she was born. Growing up in such a harsh way left the girl traumatised, cautious and angry. So when the end of the world came, she didn't know anyth...
