Bad Blood (Gabentine Fic)

Grudges

(7 Months Later)

"Alright, AJ, I think that's good enough today. You hungry?"

Clementine closed the sign language book that she was going through with AJ and ending their session. The two did this everyday after AJ had began to recover from his sickness and his hearing slowly deteriorated over the months before just going out almost completely. Clementine didn't let AJ see her cry at night and was thankful he couldn't hear her sob herself to sleep, letting out the feelings of failure that haunted Clementine for not protecting AJ and keeping him safe.

"Ye."

Hearing AJ talk, Clementine smiled at him and took his hand as they walked into the kitchen to look for something to eat. Clementine was thinking about something along the lines of a peanut butter sandwich or a granola bar, but she stopped short when she seen that Gabe was sitting at the counter drinking a bottle of water and reading a book.

"I thought you were supposed to be on a run?"

Gabe's eyes snapped up to meet Clementine's at her snippy tone and gave her sarcastic smile while closing his book and pushing it away.

"I just couldn't stand being away from you for more than a couple of hours, love."

Clementine rolled her eyes at his sarcastic words and flipped him off as she brushed past him, grabbing the peanut butter and loaf of bread that Carol had made them a couple days ago. Gabe ignored the finger Clementine gave him and knelt down in front of AJ to give him a hug, pulling back a little to reach into his back pocket and pull out a device. Gabe seen the scared look AJ gave him and he quickly signed to the kid.

It's okay. Trust me.

AJ brightened a bit when he seen Gabe sign to him and quickly signed back in response.

Okay

Hands shaking, Gabe places the hearing aid in and around AJ's ear before clicking it on. AJ cried out in pain for a moment and dropped to the floor, frantically holding his ears. Clementine, who had been busy making peanut butter sandwiches, heard AJ cry out and seen him on the floor.

"What the fuck are you doing to him?! Get away!"

Clementine jerked Gabe back away from AJ and swept him into her arms before setting him down on the counter. She gave AJ a once over to see exactly where he was hurting before AJ finally shoved her hands away.

"Clem, stop! I'm fine!"

Shock swept across Clementine's face as she heard AJ scream a full sentence at her for the first time in months. Gabe, having recovered from being shoved aside by Clementine, glared at her before looking at AJ and giving him a smile.

"Everything sounding okay, goofy goober?"

AJ tapped his ear with the hearing aid in it, making sure he was actually hearing Gabe and Clem, and smiled largely at Gabe.

"Yeah, I can hear both of you through this ear! What is it?!"

"It's called a hearing aid, buddy. I've been looking all over the place for one and finally found one on my last run. They help you hear and I'll have to look for another one for your other ear, but that one should be good for now."