PetrA

Chapter sixty-nine: Kim

Kim was relieved when Timothy had pulled him away from Joachim. Although, he was extremely annoyed that the theme once again was Ellie. He watched Timothy walk away leaving him standing by the sea. He ran a hand down his face as the argument with Joachim bothered him. Joachim had asked what was going on with Ellie... he'd even said that he had noticed that something was wrong with her. At least Ellie had told Timothy. He walked back to the house. The fire was still burning, as the place would be too cold without. The winter was cold and harsher than it had been in years. Kim sat down on the worn out couch in one of the corners and looked out of the window. He had always imagined that he one day would become a father, after he'd gotten his education, found the right girl married her and settled down as he had a nice solid job. He would never go back to school, and he'd never have the job he'd imagined, but one thing he was sure of, was that he'd found the right girl. "Hey what's up with you?" Henrik asked sitting down next to him on the couch. He was wearing his jacket, with a vest over it and a fluffy pink sweater underneath. "Just Joachim." Kim said sighing rubbing his eyes. "What'd he does now?" Henrik asked raising his eyebrows.

"It's not something he's done, but he knows that something is up with Ellie, and he tried to get out of me what it was." Henrik snorted. "Well he'll find out sooner or later." Kim rolled his eyes. "I know that, but Ellie doesn't want to tell people. I'll have to admit that I am not very keen on letting Joachim know until that it is too obvious." Henrik laughed. "Still mad at him, eh?" Kim gave his best friend a look. "Ooh kay." Henrik said shaking his head. "It's been several months Kim, and he's kept his distance, haven't he?" Kim scowled. What Henrik said was true, but Kim couldn't forgive Joachim despite that he is his friend, he hit Ellie and that was not alright. "Whatever you say man." He said. "Are you here too." Grant asked walking into the room. He ditched his gloves and warmed his hands by the fire. "What's up with you guys lately?" He asked rubbing his hands together before turning them towards the fire again. "You're all so secretive and uptight. Even Timothy is acting weird." He said looking at them. Kim didn't answer and Henrik just shrugged.

"I see Ellie have quiet arguments with Stella, and Mary constantly. You also seem hell bent on keeping her inside at all times. What's that all about?" Henrik looked at Kim asking for permission, however, this did not go unnoticed by Grant. "It's nothing Grant." Henrik said. Grant snorted, "Yeah nothing, my ass." He said. "I'm not blind, something's up and Marlene knows it too. Although, getting anything out of Marlene is practically impossible. So what's up? Did Ellie suddenly become pregnant or something like that?" Kim pressed his lips together into a thin line and neither of them answered. Grant stared, "Oh wow, she's pregnant?" He asked stunned. Kim pulled a face, "Okay, uh I had not seen that one coming." He said. "No wonder." He continued. "Could you keep quiet about it?" Kim asked. Grant looked at him for a moment, "Of course. But where's Ellie?" He asked looking around. "Probably with Mary or something like that." Henrik said shrugging. Grant nodded, "I'll see you guys around then." He said disappearing. Kim groaned and let his head, rest against the wall. "Look on the bright side." Henrik said patting Kim on the shoulder. "The two of you will make the cutest babies." Kim groaned again and shoved Henrik slightly. "Dude!" Henrik laughed and Kim cracked a smile.

Later that night Timothy called for a meeting. The room was so full that people stood like sardines in a box. Ellie was sitting on Kim's lap as they watched Timothy call for them all to be quiet. "Okay, so there's going to be a few changes." He said looking down at the paper in his hands. "First of all there's going to be a change in the guards." He said. People murmured, "Lewis you will be guarding the entrance with Grant and Anthony instead of kitchen duty." Lewis made a silent YES and Timothy continued. "Second Stella will now be our permanent nurse or doctor or whatever, due to her experience and former career as a one. Taking her place on guard duty will be Travis." Timothy voiced the changes in people's chores and duties, people either groaned or made small cries of approval. "Lastly I want to discuss a more pressing problem." He said loudly. People began to mutter, "We need to discuss what we're going to do with Daniel." Ellie stiffened in Kim's arms. "Kill him!" Somebody called loudly, many voiced their approval but Timothy called for them to be silent. Ellie stood up and made her way so she was next to Timothy.

With some difficulty, she managed to get up on the table. "We're not killing him." She said loudly looking at all the people that stood in the room. An angry muttering spread between people. "I know what he did, and that is not something we can forgive. He hurt one of our own." Timothy looked at Ellie wondering where she was going. "We cannot forget that like us he is a human being, and he's survived so far, just like we have." Kim watched silently a small smile on his face. He did not like Daniel, but he agreed with Ellie, they shouldn't kill him. "Personally I do not like Daniel and I know that neither of you do either, but we cannot take other people's lives. Even for a crime like his." She said. The room was so quiet you would be able to hear a pin drop. "Then what are we going to do with him?" Somebody called. "If we don't kill him, then he'll probably do it again." Ellie pondered what the person said and nodded her head slowly. "Probably yes, but killing is not the only option." She said. "Keeping him bound up and locked up is cost us supplies!" Another called. Ellie scoffed. "I know." Ellie said. "But I was thinking in another direction. One word." She looked over them all. "Banishment." The idea made people leap into a frenzy. "Banishment, banishment, banishment, banishment!" Ellie looked pleased but Timothy called for them to be quiet.

"Well that's settled then." He called looking at Ellie, "All of you can go back to your jobs." People began to leave the room. All except Ellie, Kim, Henrik, Joachim, Mary, Marlene, Grant and Timothy. "You're too soft on him." Marlene said shaking her head. "I know, but we're not murderers." Ellie said quietly. "Do we give him some supplies so he can manage for a little while until he gets out of this area?" Grant asked. "We'll give him enough to manage for a couple of days including his own things." Timothy said.

"Ellie?" Kim asked as he walked into the Auto camper. "What?" Ellie poked her head out from the small bathroom water dripping from her hair. Kim had to control himself, "What's wrong?" Ellie asked frowning. Kim sighed. There was no hiding from her. "It's nothing." Ellie closed the door quickly before opening it again shortly after. She was wrapped in only a towel and her hair was still dripping wet. "Tell me, what's wrong." She said crossing her arms across her chest. Her stomach was visibly larger than normal. "Ellie it's nothing you have to worry about." Kim said trying to make her think about something else by putting his arms around her waist. She scowled up at him, "It is. You look like somebody dragged you underneath a car for five miles." Kim sighed and rested his forehead on hers. "I just had an argument with Joachim." He said quietly. "Just an argument? What did he do now?" Kim chuckled. "Nothing much, he just tried to get information out of me." He said. Ellie scoffed, "What kind of information?" she asked raising an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing, he just asked what was going on with you." Kim said ignoring the look she was giving him. "And what did you say?" She asked. "I didn't tell him anything; your brother saved me by dragging me off to have a talk." Ellie snorted and went back into the bathroom. "Could you give me some clothes from my bag?" Ellie asked loudly. Kim scratched his head and looked at her bag, "Uh yeah sure." He opened her bag slowly not sure what he'd find. "What do you need?" He asked awkwardly. "What do you think? I forgot clean clothes, so a little bit of everything." She said opening the door slightly. Kim opened the bag and emptied the content on the bed. His face reddened as he grabbed a pair of random underwear and quickly handed it to her along with a clean shirt and a pair of pants. "Thanks." Kim quickly put everything back in the bag and closed it.

The days were long and cold and the food storage was running low. Someone would soon have to go on a hunt for more, possibly risking their own necks, as they never sent scouts too far from campgrounds. With the freezing temperatures, it was impossible to do anything to the ground other than remove the first layer of dirt, until they reached solid frozen earth underneath.