'Got Your Back' A Gabentine Story?

Chapter Eight A Choice Made

693 Words.

Clementine was in and out of consciousness. She had a hard time telling the difference between reality and dreams. She thought Gabe had been holding her and he said "It's okay,Clem, you're going to be fine." but she wasn't sure. Next thing she thought was real was that she laying on a cold floor, shaking,and she heard Gabe yelling before she slipped out again. She remembered having a particularly embarrassing dream where she talked to Gabe about having a crush on him. The rest of it blurred together,dreams and reality, the cold, the screaming, the shaking, the death. Clem wasn't sure what was happening anymore.

Gabe was worried for Clementine. The next morning she was still hot and she slept for nearly the whole day. Gabe had smeared her with walker guts when he decided to go hunting, so that he didn't have to worry about her too much. He didn't get anything and upon returning to the cave he found her awake sitting against the wall, her eyes looking up.

"Clem? You're awake? How are you feeling?" Gabe asked concerned for her.

She stared blankly at him and didn't answer.

"Are you hungry?" Gabe asked digging in her backpack for a can.

She didn't answer but her eyes followed him.

"Uh...here you go." Gabe said holding out the opened can of peaches.

She didn't move for a second, then she took it slowly and started eating.

Gabe felt a little better, "Yeah she's not talking but eating is good."

She finished the can, set it down and went back to sleep.

Gabe wasn't sure how to feel except worried. "Come on Clem." He thought.

Clementine was worse the next day. Much Worse. Gabe woke to her pale face breathing slowly, "Too slowly!" Thought Gabe who scrambled up and examined her. She was pale and her breathing was labored. "No. No! Hang in there Clem!" Gabe thought his mind starting to panic. Gabe watched her closely, he noticed something that horrified him, her breathing was getting slower and slower. "Clem please! Hang in there!" He said to her.

Clementine's mind was at ease, she was having a familiar dream. Eight-year old her and Lee were on the train again. It was different this time though, on one side of the train was Lee, smiling at her, he seemed to be glowing. On the other side was Gabe, talking to her....body? She looked at Lee, a question on her face, he nodded.

"It's your choice sweetpea." He said.

Clem looked back and forth, Gabe or Lee?

She could dimly hear Gabe's voice, "Clem, please! Hang in there!"

"Clem c'mon! I know you can fight it! Please, for me." He said grabbing her cold hand and squeezing it. "Please," his voice broke, "You can't die! We-we have to get to AJ! We ne-need to get back to Richmond! I-I need to tell you-you how much I care about you!" Gabe said crying brokenly. "I can't lose you too, Clem. I-I can't!"

Clementine smiled at Gabe, he was a good guy, he had made her happy and they had been good friends. She remembered their first game of Euchre, the time she ruffled his hair, the time they held hands and she slept on his shoulder, "huh I guess that wasn't a dream." She smiled. "Good-Bye Gabe, Thank you, for everything."

She thought about AJ, he was safe at the ranch, he wouldn't see her again and she was sorry for that, she had wanted to see him again,but she had run out of road. It was okay though, her little goofball was safe.

She turned towards Lee and walked towards him, each step she took relieved her of some pain, each step she felt happier, each step got her closer to the ones she loved. Lee smiled and opened his arms, Clementine ran into them and hugged him, she could almost feel him again. Everything was going to be okay.

Gabe watched Clementine's every breath, begging her to come back, until she smiled and exhaled peacefully. "Clementine?" He cried. "Clementine!"