the aftermath - twdg clouis fanfic

16.lucky

Clem rushed over to AJ. Her eyes widened when saw who was on the other side of the gate.
"James?" she asked in disbelief.
Her strange friend stood across from her, giving her a pained smile.  Clementine then noticed he was missing his left arm.
"James!" she said, pointing at his arm. "Wha-what happened to your arm?"
He laughed quietly. "I'm guessing the same thing that happened to your leg. I can explain it to you though...can I come in?"
"Oh, right sorry, AJ-"
AJ already was running to open the gate for James. Clem could tell he was excited - and worried, since their last confrontation didn't go so well - to see his friend again.
James gave AJ a grateful look as he held the gate open for him. James was in rough shape; he had used part of his shirt to bandage the wound, leaving his clothes were tattered and ripped. He looked like he had used the walker gut trick; he was covered in a dark red substance. Clem remembered how he had seemingly sacrificed himself for her and AJ; his last words to them being, "I'll make sure they don't follow you." She had then watched him pull out a knife - something he had never done before, being the peaceful, non-violet person he was - and got ready to fight the walkers that came his way.
"AJ, can you take James to the infirmary? I'll meet you there."
Clem hobbled back to the picnic table as quickly as she could manage. "Guys, my friend James is here. He's not in the best shape...Ruby, do you think you could-"
Needing no further instructions, Ruby gave her a quick nod and ran off to the infirmary.
"He's the guy with the skin mask, right?" Violet leaned over the table, looking interested. Clem nodded.
"So...what happened to him? Is he okay?" Louis inquired.
"I don't know, honestly. Last we saw him, we were in a cave, after the boat exploded. We were in a big fight about AJ killing Lily. But then I got him to see what I was telling him, so we got over it..." Clem winced a little, remembering that day. "He saved us, when we were leaving the cave. Stayed behind so we didn't get bitten. He came here with one arm. I'm guessing the same thing happened to him that happened to me."
Louis and Violet stared at her, absorbing this.
"Uh...wow," Louis finally said.
"I better go check on him," Clem muttered, realizing.
She found him seated on the edge of the bed in the infirmary, AJ next to him. James winced as a flustered Ruby dabbed alcohol on his stump. When he saw Clem come in, he tried to smile at her, only to wince in pain again.
"Hey, James." Clem made her way into the room and sat down on a metal chair. "Now's probably not a good time, but whenever you can...can you tell us what happened? I mean, AJ and I thought you were dead."
James shrugged. "I guess I was lucky. I came close, though. I stayed behind in that cave and...I-" His face scrunched up, either in pain from the alcohol or the memory. He sighed. "I had to...kill a lot of walkers. I hated it...going against my own way like that. But I had to survive."
Clem nodded, completely understanding.
James continued his story. "It wasn't until after I left the cave that I saw my arm. One of them got me right about here," he told her, gesturing towards the middle of his remaining forearm. "When I was a part of the Whisperers, one of my...friends...got bit. I remembered they cut it off, and they survived. So I did the same. It looks like you did too," he nodded at her leg, "unless that's from something else?"
She nodded. "Pretty soon after we left the cave I got bit, trying to climb up some rocks with AJ." She paused, feeling anger course through her. "And I would have made it...if that bitch Minerva hadn't fucked my leg all up." Clem stopped herself before she got too upset. "Anyway, I had gotten bit, and AJ here saved me." She smiled at him. AJ proudly nodded at James.
"Wow," James chuckled. "I guess we've both survived a lot."
"Yeah."
Ruby finished cleaning and bandaging James. "There ya go hon. That's gonna need to be cleaned every day."
With a worried expression, he replied, "I, uh, don't have any supplies."
Clem nearly face palmed. "Oh god, sorry James, what kind of friend am I to not offer sooner? Do you want to stay here?"
"Oh-" James appeared embarrassed, clearly caught off guard. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Yay! So James can stay?" AJ bounced on the bed.
"Of course, goofball."
The three excited the room. As Clementine was grabbing her crutches, James caught up to her. "Thank you, Clem," he said in his soft voice. "I uh...I really appreciate it."