Young and Young at Heart (The Rewrite of The Walking Dead Game: S2) [TWDG/TWD]

48. Behind Closed Doors

"Something bothering you, boss?" Clem jumped as she heard the locker door slam shut in response to George's question.

"You know damn well what's bothering me," growled Bill.

"You still on that?"

"I told you, whatever Pete found up north must have been big for him to run off with three others like he did," explained Bill. "And we would have found it if you had just stayed put until he came out to get it. But—"

"Pete knew you'd be waiting for him in Springfield, and he'd be ready by the time he came out of hiding for whatever piss ants you left up there to watch out for him, assuming they even saw him coming to begin with," stated George. "It was best to settle this right away, so I settled it."

"You lost a man and nearly got Connie killed, all to bring back a bunch of useless fucking idiots we don't need and a doctor we can't trust."

"Not my fault the two people you sent to keep an eye on me didn't know what the fuck they were doing," spoke George in a dismissive tone. "And as for bringing people back. We had enough beds, so I brought them back. That's your policy, not mine."

"It's also my policy you do what the fuck I say, you hear me you goddamn dumb ape?" Clem listened for an answer, but she didn't hear one. "What, you deaf? Let me spell it out for you. You're only here because I want you to be, not because any of us need you. And if you want it to stay that way, you'd better not step out of line again." Clem listened again for an answer, and this time she heard George softly chuckling.

"Something funny you want to share with me?" asked Bill.

"What's it like?" asked George in an oddly curious tone.

"What's what like?"

"Having to do all this talking and scheming and scamming just to get people to do what you want?" asked George. "See, I got no idea. Anytime I tell someone to do something, they do it. If they're particularly thick-headed, I'll tell them a second time. Like your glorified hall monitor Maude. Practically pissed herself when I made it clear she was coming with me to bring Pete and the others back. All I had to do was ask, and that's all it takes for me to get someone to do what I want. But you, seems like you have to work real hard to make that happen."

"I ain't telling you again—"

"Yeah, you will." Clem listened as George moved away from the locker.

"Don't you walk away from me!" shouted Bill.

"I gotta get some sleep, I got a class to teach tomorrow," said George in an aloof voice. An odd silence followed George's departure for a few seconds before Bill spoke up.

"He's just about outlived his usefulness," commented Bill.

"You sure about that?" asked a tepid Gene. "He's still our best scavenger."

"He was," said Bill. "Big farm animal like him was useful back when we were competing with every wayward looter and a flood of lurkers none of us knew anything about.

"Now that things have settled a little and we know how they work, any couple of dopes with machetes can handle things. Which reminds me, I wanted to talk to you about the school."

"I think it's going well."

"Well I don't."

"Look, you said the same thing when Lauren started the greenhouse. Now it's helping to feed everyone. You said Cookie was unnecessary, and everyone perked up after he started handling the meals. You said the long lunch break for everyone would reduce how much work we'd get done in a day, and we get more done. And—"