The Bird And The Worm (Violentine)

Chapter Thirteen: Tracks

A/N: Dont like this one much either but I was told to post it, so here we go!     

"If you do not do what you are told to do, you will be punished, do you understand?!"

"Aye sir!"

"If you leave my base without proper authorization, I will hunt you down, and throw your ass in jail! Do you understand?!"

"Aye sir!"

"I can't hear you!!"

"Aye sir!!"

"Scream it!!!"

"Aye sir!!!"

Brown eyes jumped open, hand stretching out for the gun at his side.

No walkers.

No drill sergeant.

No boots digging into his ribs.

A breath of ease left his lips, chest heaving. His back fell onto the mattress, arm stretching over his eyes.

"I am in control, motherfucker! Do you understand?!"

"Aye sir!"

Minerva jumped as the mattress she was on flipped, throwing her onto the cold floor.

"Get up."

Her eyes squinted open, hand falling to her stomach as she weakly stood up. "What's happening?"

Emmanuel half threw the small mattress at the door, lobbing it over his side with the expectation that someone he had called with would remove it. "That pipe still leaking?"

Minerva's eyebrows furrowed, voice croaking at the pain in her neck. "What...?"

"Is the pipe still leaking?!"

"No-" A wheeze of air. "Barry helped me duct tape i-"

The girls words seemed to melt in her mouth as she watched Emmanuel pull out a pocket knife, digging it into the tape and begin peeling the pieces off to expose the leakage.

"Emmanuel-" "-get your things and get out. I suggest you find somewhere else to stay for the next week."

"Your ass belongs to me now!"

"Aye Sir!!!"

Minerva opened the door, eyes half open as she threw her things onto the floor. Her eyebrows furrowed, taking note of the blond lump on the cot.

"Uhhh..." Blue eyes shifted to the empty desk, then the door. "Why're you here?"

"Emmanuel's being a shit head."

There was a brief pause, before Barry sat up in the cot to look at the girl. "Why're YOU here?"

"Emmanuel's being a shit head."

"I will break you! Do you understand?!"

"Aye sir!!"

Clementine groaned as a hand grabbed for her waist, turning, only to wince in pain.

"Try any bullshit like yesterday and I'm throwing you off the boat. Understand?"

What the hell was even happening?

The girl felt herself being lifted off the cot that had been moved into her room, over the shoulder of someone with a hand on her legs and waist.

Her eyes burned, hand moving up to her face to feel the area. One was swollen shut. The other eye, she practically pried open, stretching the skin and closing it again. Not more than a few seconds later, she opened the eye successfully, taking note of metal floors.