TWDG\\II-South State

EIGHT

AJ
"Sit." Ivan said, as we entered a large, protected glass house. "Jerome told me to sit you down here for lunch, instead of eating in that cold cell."
The room itself was adorned with large tables, with plastic preschool chairs. Ethan and I looked at eachother, and we sat next to eachother at a table.
"Good." Ivan laughed. "Good job today. You can sorta shoot a rifle. That's more than I can say for some. Dinner will be out soon. And, don't wait for your friends. They've already had their food."
And with that, Ivan walked away, and sat at another table with three other men, and a woman. I looked back at the table.
"So, our plan is working." Ethan grinned at me. "They're finally trusting us enough to eat out of that cell."
I smiled back. "I know this sounds bad, but even though we're getting out, part of the plan is to belong and relax."
Ethan nodded. "I know right. Fun."
I looked at Ethan.
"How's your leg?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"It's okay. Still hurts a little." Ethan winced, as if experiencing the pain again. "I think I need to get the bandaged changed at some point."
"You'll be okay." I said. "I got a cut a few years ago, and Clementine needed to stitch it up. It was only two stitches, but it hurt."
"Ouch." Ethan sighed. "Stitches hurt, no matter how many."
"Yeah." I said, and sigh too.
"Is Clementine your Mom?" Ethan asked curiously. I shook my head.
"No. My parents are dead. Clementine has looked after me since I was born." I said, and sigh. "I would say I miss my parents, but how do I miss people I haven't even met?'
"My Dad died before I was born." Ethan said.
"Mine did too." I said.
"My Mom died when she was giving birth to my half sister." Ethan explained. "I was supposed to look after her, but then I couldn't."
Ethan looked away sadly.
"Is......." I sigh.
"I don't know." Ethan said, and shrugged. "I arrived at a community. They took her in, to their nursery to look after her. And then...one day I asked to look after her, and they said no. I got mad...and I just...I killed a few men."
My eyes widened.
"I was mad and I took my anger out on innocent people." Ethan shook his head. "And for that they kicked me out. I never saw Nevaeh again."
"I'm sorry." I said. "When I was younger, I got taken off Clementine, and she had to get me back. Maybe when we get out, we could take you to your sister. Do you remember where she last was?"
Ethan nodded. "She was at this camp about a few miles from where you guys found me."
"Okay. That's in the highway." I said, and smiled. "That's on the map. We can...drop you there."
"Okay." Ethan smiled. "It's a shot in the dark, but I have to take it."
Ivan walked over, with canned food and forks in his hands. He set down the food in front of us, and smiled.
"Get eating. You guys deserve it." He said, and walked away.
"Yum." I smiled, and scooped my fork in what seemed to be some kind of vegetable soup. I let the taste run on my mouth, the tomatoness of the broth tasting sweet.
"Soon, we'll be out." Ethan smiled, as he too swallowed his meal. "And then I can get Nevaeh, and leave."
"Where would you go?' I ask.
"I don't know. I don't trust communities anymore." Ethan smiled. "In the early years when I was raising her, we lived in a cabin in the woods. Me and my brother took care of her."
"You had a brother?" I asked.
"I had two." Ethan sighed, and scooped another lot of food into his mouth. I waited for him to eat. "We were triplets. One of them died in the early days. Oscar died when Nevaeh was thirteen months old. He told me to take care of her."
"I'm sorry." I said. I didn't have any real siblings, but Clementine was close to one. She was close to be my Mom.
"It's okay." Ethan said. "People die."
"I...killed my best friend." I said, and Ethan stopped eating. "He was...screwing up. And he was scared. He was going to get Violet killed. So...I shot him. I gave him what he wanted."
The bitter memories of Tenn sunk into my mind.
"I understand." Ethan said. "I had to kill Oscar when he got bit. It was hard. I also had to kill my Mom when she turned."
My shoulders slump.
"Clementine told me to kill her...when she got bit." I said. "But I couldn't do it. She meant everything to me. So I...."
Ethan raised his eyebrows, wanting to hear more.
"So I cut her leg off." I finished my sentence.
"That's why she has one. I always wondered." Ethan said. "Just didn't think I was allowed to ask."
"Yeah." I said, and shrugged. "More of my friends died before you came. Aasim and Ruby. I didn't even have to think about them."
"You were caught up in not trying to die." Ethan nodded. "It sucks. But..I've never known any other life."
"Same." I said.