Weapon Of War (Clementine x Louis)

Chapter 8: Unexplainable

3:37 am

Clementine had been in a deep sleep when all of the sudden she felt a disturbance. Thrashing and kicking woke her from her peaceful slumber. She jolted up and found Louis right next to her. He was trembling and mumbling something she couldn't make out. She knew this behaviour all to well from AJ. She did the only thing she knew. Clementine lifted Louis up and held him close to her chest. The steady beat of ones heartbeat can give enough rhythm for someone else's to follow suit. Just like she hoped, his dream came to a sudden holt. Looking down at his side of the pillow she found it damp.

     Louis had been crying in his sleep. She hastily took out the elastic that was holding her bouncy curls in place and tied back his dreads to reveal his tear stained freckles. A wave of sadness and sympathy overwhelmed her wellbeing. It was similar to what she felt for AJ yet it was worlds apart. She began to hum her song. Suddenly Louis began to stir. "Clem?"

Looking down she smiled. It wasn't fake nor forced. In fact she was surprised when she felt her lips tug in the motion. "You were having a nightmare. So I did what I knew." Instead of pulling away he stayed in her grasp. "What were you dreaming about?"

    His throat was scratchy as it normally was in the mornings. "Just something I did that I wish I hadn't." He was remorseful towards the question. Clementine decided it was best to leave it at that. He never grilled her about her dreams so she would return the favour.

     Louis sat up in the bed. The moon seemed like a large night light that aluminized the room. Without warning she cupped his face in her palms and began examining. His cheeks remained damp. She grabbed the blanket that had been keeping her warm and brought it to his face. The soft cotton wiped away the salty water and left Louis puzzled. "AJ has bad dreams a lot. You learn how to comfort."

Louis admired her face. Seeing her take care of him made him feel safe. Waking up to her deep humming made him forget what he had been enduring. His eyes traveled to her hair. It really was uneven but the curls suited her. He could only imagine how cute she looked like when she was little. Eventually he stood up and made his way back to his own bed to sleep by his lonesome. Frankly, he quite enjoyed being so close to Clem. It felt like he was drawn to her yet they were such opposites. Before closing his eyes again he unplugged his head phones from his phone plugging it in to charge. By the time he got the chance to check on Clem she had already fallen asleep again. Who could blame her though?

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The following morning Louis kept his promise and made it to school on time. Thankfully Ms. Martin had covered for him. He left a note for Clementine for when she woke up. He placed it in her hat that AJ and Marlon had dropped off a few days prior. On his way to his 3rd class of the day he found AJ. "Louis!" The little boy made his way over dodging all the bodies that came to pass. "How is Clem?" He asked in desperation.

    Louis crouched down to his level, remembering that this was what Clem did when she talked to him. It must give him some kind of confidence not having to look up. "I don't know little dude. The surgery is going to take around 12-15 hours. We gotta be patient." He saw the little soldier's face fall. "Don't worry though. I made sure to tell her that we're all rooting for her. I promise we'll go and see her when she wakes up." His face lifted from its pit of sadness.

     "Thanks Louis." Louis put a hand on his shoulder giving him a small shake. The young boy laughed and playfully slapped his hand away.