𝙵𝙻𝙴𝚂𝙷 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙴 | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙾 𐂃

Chapter 20

There was a calmness to cleaning the infirmary. Smoothing the clean sheets over the empty beds. Discarding all of the waste and reorganizing all the supplies inside the cabin, everything felt lighter and brighter inside. After discharging the boys, Cristine occupied her mind with her usual shift after a treatment in her working space with purpose. The infirmary was her domain, a place she spent the majority of her time here. Now that she made a promise and thought some more about it, Cristine begrudgingly admitted that her father was right about needing her back home. Their new community member, Alicia Clark, was a nurse in training before and Cristine thought of asking if she was interested to help around here. Perhaps the girl would like to help. After several minutes, Cristine slunk down on the foldable chair and started her routine of checking the list of foraged medicine stock and equipment.

Time went by quickly as Cristine turfed the supply and focused on the stock. Distracted by the list, Cristine hardly spared a glance at the figure that stood at the entrance. It wasn't until she heard the hard scrapes of boots that she looked up to see the man standing near the entrance, half cocked and with a tense air radiating from around him in waves. Cristine pen hovered above the checklist and a slight arch of her brow at the prolonged silence from his side. He hadn't really cleaned and looked worse for wear even now that he changed into his usual casual attire. Cristine kept staring at Troy. Whatever put him in this mood, it didn't look like it was just because of the failure of his recent mission. Pressing her lips together, she put up her guard, not really in the mood or looking forward to Troy's antics. While he managed to push most of it down, the irritation locked his tense jaw and knitted brows that left a deep dent between the skin could be spotted from a mile away. Seeing him roll his palms against the front of his pants, Troy opened his mouth, voice steady, "I heard about the surprise guest you and Joe brought back." Troy tapped his finger against the edge of his mouth, pointing at the bruising near the corner of her mouth from her own scuffle. "Seems it was quite the fight."

"We handled it," Cristine didn't wait for him to get to the point and put her writing block on the top of the small table. The man scoffed and scurried towards the near display Cristine organized. She glowered when he fished one of the medicine bottles, shaking it so he could assess the volume. He did that with a few more until Cristine her patience ran thin. "After Joe and me brought the only living one back my father kept watch the rest of the night," she clarified during his feigned nonchalance and was messing up the order of the medicine bottles, still listening to the information.

"What did James say about the prisoner? My dad is pretty tight-lipped about it." Troy slightly leaned back and lowered his tune, "sounds to me that whatever information they have it's valuable." Troy absently fished out another bottle, but this time Cristine stopped him by swiping it from his hand, shoved him aside, and put it back with the rest. The brunette his prodding eyes intrusive, heavy on her face. As understandably pissed and impatient as Troy was, what use was it to vent it on her?

"He didn't say and what does it matter? Sounds to me that Walker is determined to end us."

"It matters cause that asshole and his people were keeping tabs on us for who knows how long. It matters cause people were slacking and it got at least eight of ours killed," feeling him lean that bit closer, Cristine responded. She swiveled to face him. His rough tone revealed the extent of his exasperation with the situation and she was receiving the brunt of it.

Cristine folded her arms over her chest to put some type of barrier between them. "If you think you're the only one mad you're wrong. What use is venting it on me going to do? I don't care if you're pissed with Mike, your family, or the Nation, I'm on your side Troy. We all are." Cristine reminded him, hands up in exasperation.