Suffering: Male Reader x TWDG

Chapter 2: Breakfast

"Great" he says as he walks you back to the cafeteria. "After breakfast we'll sort you out with a haircut and get a bed set up for you in the boys quarters"

"What's wrong with my hair?" you ask slightly puzzled as you both enter the cafeteria, a large log building with a huge skylight illuminating most of the room and rows of tables and benches across the floor with what looks to be a door that leads to a kitchen at the far end.

"Looks a mess" He replies before turning on his heels and leading you off towards a man who was sitting on a bench whittling. He looked to be late forties and had a few grey hairs on his head and beard which was neatly trimmed. "Hank" the Generals voice boomed as the man quickly stands up and salutes. "Just the man we wanted to see, how's your whittling?"

"Good sir" the man who you now presume to be Hank replies finishing the salute and putting his arms behind his back. The General puts an arm around your shoulders before speaking, "This is Y/N, and I believe he has something to tell you". He nudges you to speak.

"Oh, umm, yes. Thank you for saving me" You stutter not expecting to be a part of the conversation.

"Don't mention it kid" he says smiling at you. "To be honest, you kinda fell into our patrol and at first we thought you were one of our recruits that had snuck outta camp. Glad you're up and about now, you were unconscious for a couple days".

You nod at this and the General pokes you in the ribs. "Don't you have something to ask Hank?" he says smirking.

"Oh, yes I need a sheath for my machete please" you say looking down and realising you were still holding it in your hands. You forgot about that. You think about what else you have forgotten about and your hand moves to your neck to check if your father's dog tags were still there. They were.

"Sure, just give me your machete and I should have it done by the end of the day" Hank says reaching a hand out for the machete. You reluctantly hand it over and the General guides you to the far end of the cafeteria where a queue was starting to form.

"Looks like it's breakfast time" he says looking at the queue that's growing by the second. "Tell you what, you must be quite hungry, after all, you haven't eaten in days. Why don't you go off and find a seat while I get you some food". You nod and slowly make your way to a table at the corner of the room before sitting down and looking around. You can see through the skylight that the sun has now risen and it looks like a nice day. Not a cloud in sight.

You observe the queue, everyone is wearing the same uniform, like a proper professional army. You see the General skip the line and walk straight up to the serving window at the kitchen picking up two bowls of food and a jug water before turning around and walking towards where you're seated.

"Here you go Y/N" he says placing a bowl of porridge down in front of you and grabbing some glasses from a cabinet on the wall and filling them up with the jug of water. He sets a glass of water in front of you before returning the jug and sitting down himself. You grab the spoon that was resting in the bowl and start shovelling the porridge into your mouth.

He gives out a small chuckle seeing this and starts to eat his own food a lot slower than you. "You must have been starving" he laughs as you finish your bowl of food and lean back on the bench. A man approaches and whispers something in the Generals ear. He frowns slightly before turning to you "Sorry Y/N but I have somewhere I need to be" he says to you before grabbing his bowl and glass and leaving with the man.

You're not sitting on your own for long before someone sits down next to you. "Hey you're the new kid ain't you. My name's Harvey, what's yours?"

"Umm, it's Y/N" you say as you look him up and down. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He looks well fed and has a bruise on his left cheek.

"Well Y/N how old are you? I'm twelve" he says sounding way too energetic for whatever time in the morning it was.

"I'm twelve, but I'll be thirteen in a month" You say remembering the calendar you had back at the camp. A memory that's probably best left in the past so you don't start crying in front of the whole cafeteria.

"It was Jessie's birthday a couple days ago, she's thirteen now." he says pointing to a group of kids that were walking towards you both. "She's the brunette girl with green eyes". The group all sit down at the table and start talking amongst themselves. You were hoping to find a way to quietly slip out of this situation when before you know it Harvey speaks up.

"Guys this is Y/N. He's the kid they brought in a couple days ago". You shuffle on the bench slightly uncomfortable as all eyes at the table shift over to you. "Woah, we saw you get carried in, you were covered in blood. What happened?" a kid with short brown hair and glasses asks excitedly. He looks about ten years old and is quite skinny.

"Oliver would you shut up" says one of the girls, "How would you like it if you were interrogated during your breakfast?" she growls at him before turning to you. "Sorry about him, he gets a bit excited sometimes" she says to you as she holds out her hand.

"No problem" you say shaking her hand. You open your mouth to ask her name but just before you do the General comes back.

"Y/N I need you to come with me" He says, a hint of concern in his voice. You follow him out of the cafeteria and he takes you to his office where he sits down behind his desk. There isnt another chair so you are left standing in front of him. He looks at you like he is trying to figure you out, maybe read your mind.

"We found something concerning and as you were discovered coming from that direction, alone. Well, I want to ask you a few questions".

He pauses and clasps his hands together.