Inside Wellington: Clementine's Lost Friend

Prologue

*** I am aware Arvo's sisters name was Natasha, but I figured since she plays such a minor role in the games it would be okay. Hopefully you still enjoy the story!***

 I awoke from dreamless sleep to hear my mom screaming. I thought it was just a nightmare, so I turned a lamp on and looked around my room. The walls were a light green, my favourite colour, I had lots of little trinkets arranged neatly on my dresser, and a picture of my family and I on my end table.

Then, I heard my parents talking. It sounded intense, so I bolted up from my bed, and ran downstairs to my living room.

"Peter...? Are you alright?" My mother, Melanie, asked my father.

"Mom? What's going on?" I questioned.

"Your father just got back inside from taking the garbage out, but some madman attacked him."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." My dad finally had the strength to say something.

"Honey, you're burning up! We need to get you to the hospital!"

"I said I'm fine."

"Don't be stupid! We're going, and we're going now. You can hate me later. Natasha, go get dad's shoes and coat."

I did as my mother said, tears welled up in my eyes.

"Can I come too?"

"Sure, get your shoes and coat on, then open the door."

15 minutes later

Even though I'm eleven years old, I clung to my mom while we were in the waiting room of the ER. It was busy tonight, a lot of people were coming in with the same problem, though we were among the first to arrive. Fever, dizziness, weakness and fatigue, pale skin, and many more symptoms were all the same with everyone who was sick.

Nurses and doctors frantically got antibiotics to the patients, I had never seen so many of them working all at once. They must've had to call people in. The nurse said my dad's fever was dangerously high, but so was everyone else's. Every patient had the same level of urgency, it was a fact that not everyone would make it.

"Hey mom..."

"Yes honey?"

"Can we check on Clementine? What if she's not feeling well too?"

"I don't think that's necessary, Sandra is watching her while her parents are in Savannah. If she's not feeling well, Sandra will bring her here."

Clementine was a long time friend of mine. She was only eight years old, but we got along well. Plus, our parents have been close too, so we've kind of been growing up together. We're both an only child, so she kind of felt like a sister to me. We would spend time together almost every weekend.

"Melanie Bailey?" A nurse called out. My mom and I stood up, then walked over to the nurse.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I'm terribly sorry, but your husband is dead. We did everything we could, but the fever got too high. Would you and your daughter like to say goodbye?"

Mom looked me with tears in her eyes, "Would you like to?"

"Yeah.."

The nurse led us to dad's bed, he looked awful. The whites of his eyes were yellow, his skin was pale and I could still feel the heat from his fever. The nurse closed his eyes and let my mom and I have a moment alone with him.

"Peter...I love you so much. Please..watch over us in the afterlife. Stay close to us..." My mother began to cry, then leaned in to hug my now dead father.