𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗗 | 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗩
❝𝖸𝖮𝖴'𝖱𝖤 𝖣𝖤𝖥𝖨𝖭𝖨𝖳𝖤𝖫𝖸 𝖠 𝖲𝖴𝖱𝖵𝖨𝖵𝖮𝖱.❞
𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗢𝗥 slammed into place, Tripp locking it after pushing us in there. I leaned on the bars, completely shocked that I had been locked up within minutes. New record.
Tripp: I oughta punch your fucking lights out. All of ya. But… Eli was a grade-A certified dipshit. I’ll even have someone come take a look at those cuts.
He walked away with a huff, shaking his head, disappointed. Clementine looked over at me, taking my injured arm in her hand, smiling to herself.
Clementine: It’ll go with your dog bite.
Emma: Fuck yeah, it will.
Clementine: Thanks for having my back. It’s just been so long, I didn’t know…
Emma: I am always going to be on your side, Clem. Always.
Her smile widened and she dropped her arm to my hand, holding it in front of her.
Clementine: You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.
Emma: I don’t think I’m ever going to get over that we found each other again.
Clementine: Me neither.
She then dropped my hand and turned to Javier, a thankful glint in her eyes.
Clementine: Thank you, too. That was, um… that was cool of you.
Javier: Of course, anytime. I mean, you, Emma and me, we’re a team now.
Clementine: Thanks. I mean it. Just… don’t think this makes us friends or anything.
He nodded with a slight smile, not sure how else to react. Clementine nodded back, laying down, me sitting beside her and Javier leaning up against the bars. A woman approached the cell, an unsure look on her face.
Woman: Hello?
She unlocked the door, letting herself in and caught sight of mine and Javi’s injuries.
Eleanor: I’m Eleanor. I’m what passes for a doctor around here. But Tripp sort of overdoes it sometimes. I hate that I’m treating you both in a cage, like you’re some feral animals…
Javier: Javier. Pleasure’s all mine.
Eleanor: Is it now?
I got up from my position, rolling my eyes at Javier.
Emma: Name’s Emma. That was just Javi’s horrible way of flirting.
Eleanor: Smooth.
Javier: I– I wasn’t–
Emma: He’s sweet, really.
Eleanor: Nice to know. Now, let’s see about those wounds.
She started on Javi, letting me sit back down on the floor with Clem, while Javi sat on the bed with Eleanor leaning over his head.
Eleanor: Yeah, he got you good.
She pulled a rag out, cleaning out the wound.
Eleanor: Try to hold still. Why is it always the pretty ones who end up causing the most trouble? As if good looks equal bad behavior or something. I’ve never understood it.
Looking over at me, she gave me a teasing smile and I winked back. I had to admit the lady was attractive.
Javier: Yeah, well, it takes one to know one.
Eleanor: One… what?
Javier: One pretty troublemaker.
She laughed at him, nodding slightly.
Eleanor: Emma was right, you’re pretty horrible at flirting.
Javier just sighed, turning red while I laughed. Eleanor leaned closer to Javi, but her voice was pretty clear in the small proximity. Her words made Clementine tense, then she laid and turned her head away, but I put a hand on her arm, stroking my thumb across her wrist.
Eleanor: People are saying she killed a man in cold blood. If you don’t mind me asking… what did happen, exactly? That they were arguing, and then she went crazy over nothing?
Javier: That guy had it coming. Believe me. Karma, justice, you call it whatever you want. Fuck that bastard.
Eleanor: Hey, okay. If you say so.
She finished up with Javi, looking over to me and gestured for me to push up my sleeve. I decided to just take off my jacket, making it easier, but then all my arms were for show. The amount of scars I had accumulated over the years made me shudder, but the most vivid was the dog bite.
Eleanor: Well, you have had a journey.
Emma: Heh. Guess I have.
She started to clean my wound, expecting me to wince like Javi, but after sewing your own wound up with a fishing line, nothing hurts that much.
Eleanor: Huh…
Emma: What?
Eleanor: You’re definitely a survivor. No flinch or anything…
Emma: I’m used to it.
Eleanor: You don’t look Javi’s age… How old are you?
Emma: Sixteen.
Her eyes widened in shock, freezing as she cleaned my wound for a minute.
Eleanor: Damn… Was not expecting that answer. You must have been young when this all started.
Emma: Mhm. Not as young as Clementine, though.
Eleanor: Must have been through a lot. The scars make sense now.
Emma: Yeah. It’s been… hard. That’s sort of an understatement though… Although, everyone’s got it bad nowadays.
Eleanor: True… But for a child to go through it. I don’t even want to imagine.
She finished up cleaning my arm, wrapping it with a bandage and giving it a gentle pat before standing upright.
Eleanor: Best thing for you three to leave town, and get back to your group.
Javier: We were attacked earlier this evening. There were five of us…
Eleanor: Aw, shit, I’m sorry. If there’s… If there’s anything I can do to help… Not that I have much to offer you, but– I know a thing or two about losing family.
Emma: Eleanor, you’ve already done more than you should have to.
Eleanor: Yeah, but–
Tripp: Eleanor? You done yet?
The man strutted back over to us in the cage, eyeing Eleanor with a clearly smitten look.
Eleanor: Just about.
She walked back over to Javi, placing a bandage on his wound, turning back to Tripp as his voice bellowed through the bars.
Tripp: Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do. I’m driving you to that junkyard myself. Gets you all out of my hair, and no one can say I didn’t do right by no one. In the meantime, you three can sleep right here and think about what shitheads you were earlier.
Unlocking the caged door, Tripp held it open long enough for Eleanor to walk out before closing it again, giving us all a glare.
Tripp: On my terms, and on my timeline. You got me?
I shrugged, knowing it might be our only choice.
Javier: Alright, fair enough.
Tripp: Fair enough? Go kiss a skunk’s ass, I should be earning a goddamn boy scout badge for this.
Eleanor: Tripp… it doesn’t seem right to wait. Javi and Emma’s people… they could need a medic.
Tripp: Nuh-uh, no way. Not putting you in that kind of danger again.
Eleanor: That’s not your call!
The man sighed at her exclamation, giving up and walking away. Eleanor watched him before turning back to me and Javi, whispering through the cage.
Eleanor: Look… maybe there’s another way. We’ve got a rear gate, down at the other end of the airfield. We don’t use it much, but… well, we could leave tonight. All three of us. Slip past the herd, get a jump start on reaching that junkyard. If your family does need help, I’ll be right there to give it.
Javier: What? Seriously? You’d do that, for me?
Eleanor: I’m doing it for both of you. It’s just… it’s the right thing to do. Anyway, think about it. I’ve gotta check on some patients, but I’ll be back in an hour.
We both nodded our thanks as she walked away with a small smile, then Clementine got up from where she laid, dusting herself off.
Clementine: You know… I never would’ve guessed she had it in her.
Javier: Yeah, she’s… she’s something.
Emma: Calm yourself down, Javi.
Clementine: The thing is– is– and maybe this sounds weird– but I still trust Tripp more than I trust her.
Emma: I don’t know… She seems nice enough and Tripp is… reasonable? I don’t care who takes us, we just need to get there as fast as possible. But I won’t do it if it makes you uncomfortable, Clem…
She smiled slightly and I returned it, both of us looking at Javier to see his decision.
Javier: I’ve got to get to my family and that means we’re leaving tonight, with Eleanor. If it gets us there even a minute sooner, it’s worth it.
Clementine: Fine. I’m in.
I nodded because I wanted to make sure the rest of them were okay as much as Javi.
Clementine: You know… when I met you, I thought you’d just be another asshole like everyone else. I mean, I knew Emma wouldn’t be around you if you were, but… I couldn’t be completely sure.
Javier: And to think that when we met you nearly blew both our heads off.
Clementine: Yeah. Guess I made the right call… No. I definitely made the right call because I got to see my best friend again.
She looked at me, taking my hand in her’s, squeezing it tightly. I smiled at her, those pieces of my shattered heart repairing before my eyes as I looked at Clementine’s face.
Javier: It’s gonna be a while before that herd passes. We might as well get some sleep.
Emma: Fuck yeah… I feel like my legs are about to drop off.
Clementine: Yeah, I’m exhausted.
Javier: I’ll get the lamp. One of you two can get the bed.
I looked at Clem, nodding to her.
Emma: Have it.
Clementine: Always such a lady.
Emma: Well, you know me…
She chuckled softly, laying down on the bed while I laid next to her on the floor.
Clementine: Sweet dreams, Emma.
Emma: Good night, Clem.
I sighed, feeling the closest to happiness than I had in a long time and then sleep overcame me, my exhaustion filling me and my eyes closed.