The world in and outside her head started spinning, her knees started to wobble and if she hadn't sat on a chair then she would've fallen to the ground. But even now it was close, Adrian held her shoulder so she wouldn't fall of the seat.
"Easy there, hey, it's okay to be scared.", he said, his eyes were filled with worry, he didn't know if and how the teenager would cope with her situation.
"I'm okay it's just... I didn't expect it to happen this soon.", Clem said while touching her belly. She did have a talk with Louis about all of this but they had both said that it wasn't the right moment, the war wasn't completely over yet. She was worried how he would react when she told him the truth, would he be angry? Would he be disappointed? She inhaled deeply, the air around her felt fresh but a little bit too sterile. She turned to her left to face Adrian, her mind was racing.
"What should I do now? It's all so... much. First Louis gets shot and now this? What if he doesn't want the baby, what if he leaves me because of this?", she asked as the tears started rolling again.
Adrian hugged her, he knew that she needed comfort now, anyone would be in despair in such hard times.
"Clementine, do you really think that? I know I haven't been around for very long but even I can see how strong the bond between you two is, he will not be angry or anything, he will be happy for what happened! This boy is in love with you arse about face, I doubt that he would ever leave you voluntary."
Clem raised her head and her gaze wandered to the freckled boy lying on the steel table, his chest lifted and fell in a regular rhythm, his face was relaxed, he looked peaceful and almost angelic.
"I'm scared Adrian.", she confessed in a low whisper, she folded her arms and stroked them, she had never felt so many different and conflicting emotions at once, fear, happiness, despair, braveness... her head was filled to the brim, she couldn't think clearly.
"That's okay Clem, everyone would be.", he answered and rose from the ground. "You know what, a little coffee would do wonders, why don't you join me, Tripp and Javi?"
After a quick consideration she looked up and asked, "What's if something happens to Lou, who will take care of him while were gone?"
The doctor patted her shoulder and pulled a white walkie-talkie out of his coat.
"We've got a nurse, I asked her to come already, she'll watch over him and call me in case something happen, don't worry, he's in good hands.", he told her and ignored her skeptical glance.
Clem nodded and stood up from the chair, her feet were weak but after some steps she felt better. "Yeah, a good strong coffee would be good."
"Say WHAT now?!", Tripp almost yelled as he heard the news, his eyes were opened widely and a big smile covered his face.
"Pssst, not the whole world needs to know that I'm pregnant.", Clementine hissed, she was embarrassed and her cheeks glowed bright red. Javier laughed out loud, he was happy for the two teens, both of them were like family for him.
"Hey, it's great news! Everyone should be happy for you, it shouldn't be a secret."
"Yeah Tripp but still, I don't need everyone to hear it, I'd rather keep my privacy..."
Clem sipped on her cup, the hot dark liquid inside of it tasted better than any coffee she had drunk before, to be fair, she hadn't drunk much of it since there was little of it to find on the streets when she was traveling around with AJ. Javier gave her a big smile and hugged her.
"He's right, it's great news but you're right as well, you'll need some privacy. The most important thing though is: How are you feeling about all of this?"
She knew this question would come eventually and she still had no idea how to answer it. Her lip quivered as she tried to find the right words, Javier saw this and backed off a little.
"Take your time, I don't want to pressure you."
"It's just... I don't know how to comprehend all of this. I'm scared, afraid of what might happen but I'm happy about it too, I've always wanted children since I raised AJ. But I know the risks and the times aren't the best to raise a kid, I've never faced so much responsibility, not even when I lead the school kids...", she said, her voice was raspy and broke sometimes but it was clear to all of them that she would do anything to protect the new life she had created.
"Don't worry, you are strong, brave and a natural protector. You raised one great kid already, why wouldn't you be able to do it again?"
"Y...You really think I raised AJ good enough, you haven't even met him yet Javi...", Clementine responded, her eyes met the gaze of Richmond's leader and she could see he meant what he said.
"I don't need to see him to know that he's a good child, Adrian and Louis told me enough already. He's strong and brave just like you are, he can survive no matter what happens. You did a great job, look at you, you're what, seventeen now and you took care of him with eleven, you'll be able to do that again, I'll help you, we all will."
Tripp nodded furiously.
"Hell yeah we will, Eleanore and Kate can help you with everything, uhm, let's say "Problematic" about your body back in Richmond, they'll be so happy to hear this!"
Clementine's eyes welled up again but she smiled, she was astonished by the support of her friends, a tear of happiness left her eye and fell to the ground as she hugged everyone around the table.
"Thank you so much guys, you really know how to lift my mood.", she whispered after she took a seat again, then she turned towards Javi.
"I'm not seventeen by the way, I got eighteen a month ago when all of this started..."
Adrian looked at her with surprise.
"Hey, you didn't tell me 'bout that, I would've gotten you a present or something, Happy birthday afterwards then!", the doctor exclaimed and shook her hand.
The other followed his example, they were surprised of why Clem hadn't told them about it. The truth was that she hadn't known herself until she had seen one of the makeshift calendars in her and Louis' room, but even then she didn't tell them because she had thought that it wouldn't be necessary, this custom didn't seem to have survived the apocalypse. The medic pulled out a stack of cards and put them on the table between the four coffee cups.
"We've got two things to celebrate then, why don't we play something with these cards?", he suggested, the mood was getting even better.
"Let's do it, what do we play? I'm definitely against poker, I'm done with that shit.", Javier said and grinned, he had been banned from baseball for that stuff, he didn't want history to repeat itself somehow.
Clementine knew a game, one that she had played with the schools kids a long time ago.
"What about war?"
Tripp laughed until he was practically lying on the table and wheezing.
"We got that already! HAHAHAHA!"
The three grinned at his reaction but she'd been serious about this.
"Okay, funny. But no, really, why not? Highest card gets to ask the lowest a question, I always played this with Lou and the other kids... He'd have fun if he was here."
"Good idea, there are some questions I haven't asked yet, let's go.", Adrian proclaimed and mixed the cards, he put four equal staples in front of them. After a nod that signalized to flip the first one on the stack they did so, the rustling of the cards filled the air.
"The luck hasn't left me.", Javi said as he observed the cards, he had drawn an ace and Tripp had picked up a two.
"Ask away Javi, what do you wanna know?"
The man grinned as he evaluated his options.
"About you and Eleanore. I noticed a change in the behavior of you two, you're way more careful than normally. What is going on there?", he asked smirking. Tripp's eyes widened as he tried to answer.
"Uhm, it's nothing really, I...", he stuttered, Javier raised his eyebrow.
"Come on buddy, I know you."
The muscular man grumbled as he answered.
"I didn't want to tell it that way but Clem's not the only one pregnant 'round her."
The three cheered and patted his back in acknowledgement, Clementine was the most happy about it.
"So that's why you mentioned Eleanore when we talked about helping me, huh? Well, I will have an even better contact than Kate then!", she exclaimed, her problems wouldn't fall on deaf ears then, Kate didn't have any children herself so she wouldn't have known all answers to her problems. After a short toast they flipped the cards again, Clem was victorious while the still somewhat mysterious Adrian.
"Ha! Finally I get to know more about you newbie.", she jeered, the man rolled with his eyes in response.
"So, Adrian, you told me that you came here as a tourist when everything started but not from where you are. Where were you born?"
The medic grinned as the question left her lips, it looked like he had a bad joke in mind.
"Born and raised in Germany, you can hear me cuss in German sometimes when I panic. And apparently I talk in my mother tongue in my sleep as well, Frank always teases me with that."
Tripp laughed and punched him in the shoulder with little force.
"You like flammenwerfers then? Was your cousin called Hans?"
"Naaah, but I like gas..."
Even though Clem didn't understand what they were talking about she joined in on their laughter, Javi did so too.
While they were playing most of the people around them left the cafeteria, it was getting too late to stay awake and almost everyone was exhausted from the fight this morning. Javier yawned and his tiredness was contagious, Clem knew that she wouldn't last very long anymore. She moved around on her chair and rubbed her eyes, the lids of them were getting as heavy as lead.
"One round and then we go to bed okay?", she announced as the last question got answered.
Adrian nodded and replied with a low voice that indicated that he was getting tired as well.
"Yeah, good idea, we'll need some recovery for sure."
A last flip was carried out and it was Clementine's turn to lose a round. She let her gaze wander over the opened cards and Javier had the highest one.
"It's a little bit too soon to ask that but... how do you want to call your little dude?", he pointed towards her belly and smiled softly, Clem's heart melted as she heard the warmness in his voice. She touched her denim jacket in the place she assumed to be the babies little cozy home and looked up.
"I don't know yet, it's very soon and I wanted to discuss it with Louis when he awakes... but there are some people that would be honored if I would give their names to my baby, they are the ones that got me here, without them I would be dead or bitten."
Javi nodded as he remembered the stories she had told him, about her time right after the outbreak and her time before they met.
"So... Kenny or Lee, am I right? But what if it is a girl, who would you name her then?"
She hesitated, he was right, her and Louis' child could be a girl after all.
"Jane. She taught me how to survive under the hardest circumstances. And then there's Christa, she helped me to get over Lee's and Omid's death... I think I'll go to bed now."
She stood up and the others did as well, Adrian stopped her from leaving by grabbing her shoulder. She turned around to see him pointing towards the hospital tent.
"You can sleep with Louis if you want to, we have a small bed for right that.", he assumed.
Clementine nodded and followed him, it would feel lonely to sleep on the big bunk alone without Louis around. His presence was even more important right now since there was a new family member on the way, she needed him by her side, needed him to be well and alive to care for their kid if something would happen to her.
"There you go, bed's right next to the one the nurse put Louis into, make yourself a home. If you need me I sleep in the little compartment over there. Goodnight.", the medic said as she entered the tent, Louis sleeping body had been moved to a upholstered bunk-bed, he looked as peaceful as he had before.
"Thanks, Goodnight.", Clem answered whilst pulling off her boots and jacket and lying down on the bed next to Louis'. The man nodded and blew out the candle, ending a very stressful day for good, her eyes closed immediately after the light vanished and she fell asleep into a happy dream about the future.