In The Dark (Sequel To Light) -Clementine/Louis, Clouis, Louisentine

Chapter 11

Nathan once again holds the door open for him, the spacious double doors giving Louis ample room to make his way through to the office buildings corridor, pausing once he's out so that Nathan can catch up, and then lead the way back outside.

"Ah, good, seems Matt has wrangled everyone together for the meeting already."

Louis looks over to where Nathan had nodded his head to, nearly stopping in his pace at what he sees.

Nearby the hospital they had entered earlier was a group of people, most he recognised with a few he didn't. While some of them were stood off to the side, chatting amongst one another, Louis could see Doctor Williams, James, Nora, and someone he didn't know grouped around Clementine and AJ.

The thing that stood out to him the most though was the young baby Clementine was holding in her arms, subconsciously bouncing the kid as she spoke to AJ, who was stretching up on his tip-toes in an attempt to get a better look.

"You really are a natural, huh?" Nathan states once they're close enough, standing off to Nora and the unknown man's side, crossing his arms with a smile as he watches her.

"Not the first time I've done it," Clementine shrugs it off, smiling gently at Louis once he reaches her side.

"So who's this little guy?" Louis asks to the group, smiling in response to the smile the baby had on its face as it was gently bounced.

"Well, we thought you might want to meet the life you saved," Doctor Williams responds, one hand in his coat pocket as he reaches out the other to tickle at the baby's stomach, getting a delighted squeal as a response. "Benjamin here is about six months old. Poor little guy was born a bit prematurely, and his immune system wasn't strong enough to fight off a nasty flu that had spread through the barracks. If it wasn't for the medication you guys had found, and Nora's round the clock care, this little guy here wouldn't be with us."

"Oh, I didn't know he was yours?" Clementine says to Nora, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Benjamin isn't mine, exactly. Me and Eli have been looking after him."

"What happened to his mom?"

The atmosphere becomes tense after Louis's question, a blanket of sadness falling upon the group at the mention.

"You remember when we first met, I mentioned how one of our group me members was pregnant?" Nathan asks

"Yeah, of course I do. You guys wanted advice on how to raise a kid from Clem," Louis answers.

"She was Benjamin's mother. Lexi went into labor early and... It was a difficult birth. There were some problems and Lexi lost a lot of blood. She didn't make it."

"But... I thought that's why you have the extra bags of blood? Why didn't you use that?" AJ asks, directing the question to Doctor Williams with an upset and somewhat confused frown.

"Sometimes it just doesn't work," Nathan responds quietly. "I tried my best, but she was far too weak, had lost far too much blood. She didn't even make it long enough to hold her baby before she passed..."

"I'm so sorry," Clementine whispers apologetically, locking eyes with a sorrowful looking Doctor Williams before moving her gaze back down to Benjamin, who had started fussing slightly.

"Do you want to give him a hold, Louis?" Eli asks, seeing how attentively Louis was watching Benjamin.

Truth be told, Louis was slightly terrified he'd drop the poor kid while holding him, but if there was one thing Louis was, he was a go-getter, and he was going to try his best.