The Walking Dead: Blood

Chapter 9: The Radio Announcement

Chapter 9: The Radio Announcement

That mattress was mine from when I still lived with my parents. I wondered why my dad had brought that over to the drug store. It's almost like he knew something like this was going to happen.

He must have come in here with my mom...hoping to survive. But it looked like one of them was badly hurt. I wondered if it was my dad. Trying to be a hero, maybe. Or trying to protect her at least. Yeah. I was going to assume that's what happened.

"Find anything?" I heard Carley's voice behind me. Startled, I turned around and dropped the piece of the torn picture with me on it to the ground. I hoped it landed face-down.

"It's a photo of the family that owned the place." I showed her the picture. "It might help us track down the keys to the pharmacy."

"I know who you are." The news hit me like a rock. I didn't think I let her know. "You're Lee Everett. You're a professor at Athens who shot and killed a state senator who was sleeping with your wife. This is your parents' store. Folks around here knew the owners had a son who got himself a life sentence. I'm a reporter for WABE in Atlanta."

"How could you have...?"

"I paid attention to that trial. Maybe you're a murderer, but I don't really care. Frankly, that's a skill that may come in handy."

I let out a defeated grunt at her.

"Did you tell anyone out there who you were or that you were tied to this place?"

"No." I was a little angry with her. "I've been sticking to first names for a reason."

She looked at me with a bit of sympathy. That eased the tension a little bit. "You seem like an ok guy. The last thing we need is drama out there. You've got this little girl to take care of." She pointed at Clem, and she smiled back at us. "And...look. Don't make me wrong on this."

I stood a bit closer to her. "I don't plan to."

"Good, because if this lasts longer than a few days, and you're a detriment to the group, we're gonna have a problem."

I stepped closer. She didn't step back. "I hear you."

"I'll just keep it to myself."

"I trust you." She blushed a little bit and looked down to the right, then looked back up to me. "Don't worry about it."

She left the room, leaving me standing there in place. After she had left, I realized I forgot to give her the batteries I picked up for her on the desk.

"Want to head back into the drug store with me?" I asked Clementine, who was still sitting on the desk. I hoped she wasn't listening to my conversation with Carley.

"Okay." I turned to open the door, but turned back to her when she said, "Lee? You're not bad...right?"

"I...why are you asking me that?"

"That lady said you killed someone. Was that because he was one of the things trying to eat you?"

I wanted to lie to Clem, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. "No. He wasn't."

"Oh." The news shocked her. "Was he bad?"

"He was." I vaguely had a flashback of that night. Glass flying everywhere. The dying man bleeding out. My wife's terrible scream. She seemed to accept that answer.

We left to go put them into the radio. As I entered the other room. Lilly was sitting there attending to her father. I felt a surge of rage for the old man, but I knelt down to talk to Lilly anyway.