Clementine strained as she pushed the cart back into the warehouse. Even with it being empty now and Adam helping, it felt like it weighed a ton. After hours of rolling logs, stacking wood, pushing the cart, re-stacking the wood in a cargo container in the yard, and being repeatedly yelled at every step of the way for everything she did wrong, Clem felt ready to just fall over and die.
"Hustle up you two," ordered Richard as the pair slid the cart into place near the entrance. "You've made me late enough as it is." Clementine followed after Richard, more on instinct than anything at this point. She long had given up ever trying to speak in front of him, knowing anything she'd say would be met with more scorn and derision. She followed after the man, not really looking at where she was going. It wasn't until Richard stopped moving did Clem bother looking around.
"Did they work?" Hearing Maude's voice, Clementine realized she was actually standing in line for lunch.
"The girl did a shit job from start to finish." Clem felt what little strength she had left draining out of her body. She could barely remain standing as her legs wobbled at just the thought of getting nothing to eat after working so hard. "But she finished, so, sure, whatever."
Richard took his food and headed for the table in the middle. Adam took his next, greedily gulping it while moving off to the side. Clementine rushed to the window next, impatiently watching for Cookie or Edmund to hand her a bowl. When she didn't immediately see them, she had a horrible feeling she wasn't getting one, but then she saw Cookie's hand.
Clementine snatched the bowl and rushed to the nearest seat. She immediately started chugging the soup, crying in joy when she felt the warm delectable liquid move down her throat and into her empty stomach. She set the bowl down, having to take a deep breath after swallowing so much.
"Jesus, Clementine..." Clem looked up and found Christa and Nick sitting across from her, troubled expressions on both their faces. "What happened to you?"
"Wood," answered an exhausted Clem as she looked at what little soup she had left. "Lots of wood." Clementine finished the last of her soup and set the bowl down. She was about to get her water when she noticed Nick was looking around.
"What—" Nick held up his hand and Clem went quiet. She watched him move closer to Christa, then put his hand on his bowl. Looking around, Clem noticed Nick was staring at Maude. As she walked past the table, Nick quietly slid his bowl towards Clem, then pulled her empty one towards him. Christa nodded to Clem, who quickly downed what was left in Nick's bowl. The trio waited in silence after Clem set the bowl down, waiting for someone to say something, then breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"I can't believe they made you work," spoke an outraged Christa.
"I got in a fight with Matt," explained Clem as she filled her empty bowl with water. "So Gene said I had to work instead." Clementine looked around the table for anyone else sitting nearby. "Um, Matt's not here, is he?"
"No," answered Christa.
"Neither's Carlos," noted Nick. "Probably because they're not feeding them." Clementine watched as Gene, Bridget, Ed and Sarah approached Cookie's kitchen shack.
"I can't wait to drive out on the open road," beamed an exuberant Bridget as she collected her food. "It's gonna be awesome."
"Yeah, well, that'll be a while with the way you were handling the truck today," commented Ed as he waited for his meals. "Should take a cue from Sarah and slow things down a bit."
"Her? She's four years younger than me," scoffed Bridget. "And she never drove anything before today."
"And yet I'd feel a helluva lot more comfortable with her behind the wheel than you." Sarah took her bowl of soup and moved away from the shack.
"Sarah," called Gene. "You've got a bowl of canned goods coming too." Sarah stepped back to the counter and watched as a smaller bowl of peas was set out for her. Sarah just stared at it, not sure what to think. "Go on. It's yours." Sarah slowly picked up the bowl and then started moving towards the table Clementine was sitting at.
"Sarah, you need to sit with the rest of us," explained Gene as he placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "It's not a big deal for me, but Maude will turn it into one, so come on." Clementine noticed Sarah looking at her, a desperate look in the older girl's eyes. Clementine looked at the two bowls of food Sarah was holding and just glowered at her. Sarah hung her head in shame and went with Gene.
"I had to work all morning just to get a bowl of soup," recounted a bitter Clem before taking a sip of water. "And I'm the smallest, weakest person here." Clem scratched her bandaged arm.
"And your arm is hurt," added a saddened Christa.
"It's bothering me again," said Clem. "But it's not as sore as before. Now it itches, and it feels like the stitches are pulling on my skin."
"They're probably ready to come out," explained Christa.
"They have to come out?" asked a frightened Clementine.
"Don't worry Clem, it's not nearly as bad as putting them in."
"I'm more worried about carrying wood that I can barely lift again."
"You won't have to do that again."
"You don't know that," stated Clem in a sad voice.
"Yes I do. I talked to Bill today. He told me when my baby is born, he'll move me out of the pen," announced Christa. "And he said as long as he thinks I'm cooperating, you'll come with me. He also said Consuelo and Lloyd won't be guarding the pen anymore. You'll be okay, you just got to hang in there for a little while longer."
"What... what if I don't get to come with you?" asked a forlorn Clem.
"That's not going to happen," asserted Christa. "They can't make me leave you."
"Yes they can. They can do whatever they want to us."
Christa took hold of Clementine's hands. "I'm going to do everything I possibly can to make sure you and I stay together," promised Christa. "I'm not leaving you Clem." Clementine knew Christa meant what she said, but it didn't make her feel any better. It seemed liked whatever they wanted didn't matter in this place.
"I'm really tired," Clem told Christa. "I think I'm just gonna lie down on the ground for a little while."
"Do whatever you feel like you need to sweetie," said Christa. "I'll be right here." After finishing her water and returning her bowl, Clementine moved under the table and lay down on the cold pavement. It wasn't very comfortable, but it still felt good to just rest for a little while. Looking across from her, she noticed Adam lying under the tables on the other end. She never really thought much about what he did at lunch, but now she knew, he was resting for more work. All though, she still couldn't understand why he slept under his bed.
As Clem lay there, she watched people's feet coming and going. It was kind of peaceful, being hidden from sight. She heard Maude call her one minute warning, and watched as people scrambled. She figured someone would eventually call for her. One by one the people left, even Adam, until it was just her under the table, and a single pair of legs at the table furthest from.
"Hey down there." Clem heeded the friendly sounding voice and came out from under the table. She saw Cookie standing over her, a welcome smile on his face. "Whatcha doing down there precious?"
"Trying to rest," answered a decidedly unfriendly Clementine. "I spent all morning toting wood in the cold even though my arm is bothering me, because if I don't they'd starve me to death."
"Oh, precious, they wouldn't—"
"Yes they would," snapped Clem. "Do you really think they wouldn't?" Cookie looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "You think because I'm a kid you can just lie to me, and make everything better when it's not?"
Cookie sighed. "Look, I just cook the food here. I—"
"Yeah, and Gertrude just takes care of the chickens. But nobody here takes cares of the kids, because we're just lazy... ungrateful... shits!" ranted Clem.
"Now don't talk like that. You—"
"What the fuck do you care?" retorted Clem. "That's how most of them talk to us. You think just because you don't say horrible things to me that I'll think you actually care about me?"
Cookie pulled out a chair and sat down. "What do you want me to say?" he asked in a resigned voice. "You think I don't know how fucked up it is they're working you kids the way they do? Or how they won't feed certain people some days? I got to make every meal in this place, so I always know when someone is not eating.
"The worst part is waiting to find out if someone is going to eat again. When someone doesn't eat for a day, I can hope maybe they will tomorrow. They don't eat for two days, then I figure it means they're gone. They don't tell me anything. Right now I'm wondering if Mick, Matt and Carlos are still alive or not."
"Matt and Carlos are, Mick's not," answered Clementine.
"Jesus," Cookie said to himself. "What happened?"
"Adam bashed his head in with a bucket, right in front of me."
"What?" Cookie looked at Clem in disbelief, who just nervously nodded at the man. "Good Lord."
"Why are you even talking to me?" asked Clem.
"I'm supposed to give you a cooking lesson today."
"They don't actually care if we learn anything or not."
"Well, consider it a break from work then," shrugged Cookie. "I'll get my things, you get your friend, and we'll get started."
"My friend?"
"Sitting over there."
Clementine looked over and saw Sarah resting her head on the table.