Hope - A Louisentine Story

Chapter 6

Description: As time goes by, Clementine and Louis start adapting to life at Richmond and the troubles of keeping secrets from its inhabitants.

Wordcount: 2915

---

"Come on, you can do better than that."

Javier's taunts kept coming from the pitcher's mound, a smug grin on the old baseball player's face. Louis was at the home plate on the makeshift baseball pitch. He had Javi's metal bat in his hands. After the grueling three weeks of training, Javi suggested a little rest would do him good. Clem and Gabe sat at the stands watching the men practice.

Having just missed three swings in a row, Louis rolled his eyes. He gripped the handle of the bat firmly, his knuckles white from the pressure. Raising it over his head, he nodded at Javier.

"I'll get it this time," he assured the man. Javi nodded and threw back his arm, ready to pitch.

Before the ball flew through the air, a blinding pain shot up Clem's abdomen, lodging itself by her pelvis. She doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach. She barely heard the distinctive metallic sound when Louis finally hit the ball and it flew over Javier's head. A hand gripped her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay Clem?" Gabe asked, concern in his voice.

Clementine managed to compose herself, straightening her back and breathing deeply. She nodded and looked at Gabe, who was frowning. With the best smile she could muster, she said, "Yeah, I think I may have caught a bug or something."

"You should go have that checked out by Eleanor," he suggested, eyeing her up and down.

"I'll be fine, Gabe," she assured him, rolling her eyes. Her stomach betrayed her words as another pain made her flinch.

"He's right, Clem," Louis's voice came from in front of them. He was leaning against the stands, Javi's bat forgotten by the plate. "You might be getting sick," he added, winking at her conspicuously.

She pursed her lips but agreed nonetheless. It wouldn't do to actually get sick with a baby on the way. Dismissing Gabe's hand when he tried to help her up, Clementine left the three men at the stands and started walking down the street. Her hurried pace drew a few heads in her direction. Their presence had been accepted by practically everyone, some of them even offering them a small welcome present. Apparently, any friend of Javi's was a friend of theirs.

She spotted the big white tent from up ahead, its red cross looming over the crowded street. As she got to the door, she spotted a woman with deep grey eyes staring at her from behind a column. When they locked eyes, the woman sprinted off through an alley at full speed.

"That was weird," Clem muttered to herself as she entered the tent. A dozen beds surrounded her on either side. As she walked, she was startled by a pained moan coming from an occupied bed on her left. A bearded man was lying on it, his glasses askew and his hand clutching a pulsing bite mark on his right calf.

"Take it off! Take it off!" he kept screaming, his eyes watering.

"At this point, it's too late, Mark," the doctor beside him said, closing his eyes.

"Please, you have to try," the man pleaded.

Clementine didn't hear the rest of the conversation as she spotted Eleanor standing beside an empty bed and went to her. The older woman lifted her head from some paperwork and smiled at Clem.

"Hey there," she said, putting down the clipboard. "What brings you by?"

Hesitant, Clem shuffled her feet. She debated whether or not to tell her about her condition. "I think I may have a stomach bug," she lied.