Troubles | TROY OTTO |

Chapter Eight

Small talk with the Clark kids didn't go as she expected.  Distrust was the gleam in Alicia's gaze the moment Ella approached, a display of furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips.  Ella responded with a twitch of her lips in an uneasy smile.  She was just as uncomfortable, the intense feeling of misplacement making her skin crawl as she spared another look in her lover's direction. 

Troy appeared baffled by the older woman as he stared down at her, eyes flicking toward Ella and the remaining Clarks briefly.  He would have preferred Ella with their own people; he didn't necessarily trust the newcomers despite Jeremiah welcoming them  -  and despite proudly proclaiming Nick as his friend.  The distrust only grew when Madison went out of her way to sit with him after openly expressing her dislike rather than her own kids. 

Ella suspected the idea of keeping enemies closer than friends coming into play.  While mildly concerned, the medic knew it would only come to backfire against Madison if she overstepped.  Troy would only allow so much interference before he lashed out in retaliation, upset at the prospect of being underminded more than anything else.  He had fought diligently for the respect he has around the ranch  -  long hours of training,  harsh punishments,  and perserverence.  There was no way he would let it be taken from him - even if it meant he had to get rid of the obstacles in his way.

"What the hell is she doing?"

The aggravated hiss snapped Ella from her thoughts, interest gaining onto the spitfire across from her.  Alicia's gaze was trained on Madison, eyes narrowed when she witnessed the motherly act Madison was giving Troy.  Nick craned his neck to look, but turned back to his food just ad quickly.  "She has a plan," he offered blatantly, shoulders lifting in a shrug.

The exchange made Ella wonder if the distractiom had caused them to forget her presence, seeing that she had been silent since her initial "hello" as she sat down.

"I hope she's careful about it.  Troy might get angry if he finds out," the brunette nonchalantly chimes, missing the incredulous and wary expressions on the siblings faces as she shoveled a fork full of eggs into her mouth.  After entertaining her appetite, she looked back to them.

Alicia was on edge by her presence.  Ella and Alicia had not personally exchanged words yet.  All Ella knew about her was what Gretchen had told her - and all Alicia knew about Ella was the snippets Jake had accidentally spoken.

Alicia was uncertain how to feel about the medic.  Unease was festering in her chest, but that was not a new feeling; she had it toward all the ranchers - even Gretchen.  Her thoughts were drowned by what Gretchen had said in the bunker: the Militia did what everyone else was afraid to  -  or couldn't  -  do.    That included Ella, didn't it?  The brunette was just another lucky one, belonging to a survivalist colony before the dead began to rise; before dangers lurked around every corner.  Ella was just as helpless to the outside as any other civilian on the ranch.

But Alicia also knew that Troy constantly hovered around her in some way;  a distant look,  a protective stance.  Even now, his very being seemed to cloak her own despite being on the other side of the Mess Hall.  Jake had slipped information as they lugged Luciana to Broke Jaw,  telling Alicia that Ella would make sure the Mexican would live.  Before Alicia could question who Ella was, Jake had gone on to say that Troy would have to be convinced of it first.  It made Alicia pause in confusion, morbid curiosity begging to be answered.  She wanted to ask why Troy had to be okay with it first if he had no authority at the ranch, but the way Jake had spoken the sentence made her realize that whoever Ella was, she was important to Troy.  Alicia wondered what sort of girl could have such a beast as a guardian.

Looking at her now, Alicia knew.  She had seen the way Ella was the first to assist in any accidents - even if there had been no resulted injuries.  Alicia had seen her smile in confident understanding when Nick pleaded for Luciana to be treated.  She saw the way Ella oozed an instinct to care and trust;  something that was dangerous in their corrupted world.  Even Nick had told her how kind Ella was; recalling the brunette medic biting back Troy's pessimism on Luciana's condition with her own specialized confidence.  Ella was kind, as far as Alicia could tell.  So what the hell was wrong with her to willingly be embraced by such a monster?

"What is that supposed to mean?"  Alicia inquires, trying to analyze what Ella knew about Troy.  Did she know what he did on the outside missions?  Did she know how the cruelty he performed and thought to be justified?  From the corner of her eye, Alicia seen Nick freeze his movements of eating to squint at their company in question.  He was curious about her, too.

Ella hesitated  -  at least, she seemed to.  Really, her pause was for the purpose of swallowing another bite of food from her plate.  As confidently as she did everything else, Ella leaned forward to whisper a secret between the three of them.

"Well,  he'd probably time it,"  she replies, not supplying what she meant, but the Clarks tensed at the implication.  Ella knew.  She knew that Troy stole lives and did his twisted experiments.  The realization left a heavy weight in their chests, stomachs twisting in a sickening way.

Nick felt like his entire body had begun to freeze, pin-pricks of numbness traveling all the way to his toes.  Ella had been careful with Luciana, explaining all the procedures she performed and supplied snacks that his girlfriend refused - but would eat later when the medic was no longer present.  Ella smiled in greeting every time their eyes connected, pleasantness sticking to her whenever she would usher him to visit Luciana and try to make jokes Luciana didn't care for.  She carried band-aids in her pocket with a small tube of disinfectant,  ready to treat any small injuries that anyone else would deem unimportant.  Knowing this about her seemed to cause denial to flourish.  She had said it to them in such a confident way, but Nick wasn't convinced she knew everything that Troy did.  How would she - who had said her duty was to help anyone and everyone she could - be alright with the Militia leader taking needless lives, even if it was under the ruse of science? 

Before he can confront her, she's already pushing herself to stand, her expression soft;  as if she didn't just admit to the knowledge of Troy's questionable hobbies.  Her food was only half-eaten on the tray, but Ella knew it was her time to go.  She wouldn't be welcome at the table much longer after that; not with the way Nick's gaze darkened and the way Alicia's jaw clenched as she glared at the surface.

Turning to leave,  she makes it only a few steps before she stops.  Sending a look of her shoulder, light dancing in her eyes as she focused solely on Nick with that infuriatingly gentle smile stretching her cheeks.  "Oh,  Nick;  Luciana is cleared to leave the infirmary today."  As soon as the words fall from her lips,  she departs;  leaving her earlier words rampaging through their heads.

They'd have to tell their Mom this new information

Unedited.