Three Orphan Pilgrimage (The Alternative to TWDG's Final Season) [Walking Dead]

102. Enemy of My Enemy

Clementine sighed deeply as she leaned against the bathroom door. She hadn't slept well. This bus wasn't much warmer than a drafty house, but what really kept her up was its other inhabitants. After she had settled onto the mattress with Sarah and Omid yesterday, they received almost no attention from the others. Horatio stopped by twice, once to bring them half a can of green beans for dinner, and once more to check on them before Sabriya called for lights out. Both times he said very little and the rest had kept their distance.

Clem found that a relief initially. She had told Horatio she just wanted to be left alone and that's what she had gotten. It was just as well, as she and Sarah were far too tired to carry on a conversation with these new people, who seemed preoccupied with their own issues. But as dusk gave way to darkness and the others picked a place to park the bus for the night, Clem's mind was invaded with questions she couldn't ignore.

Who were these people exactly? Where had they been? What had they done? They had been attacked by the Vaquero, but the Vaquero attacked everyone so that didn't tell Clem anything. Why did Sabriya chain Horatio to a bed for three days? Who were the kids Horatio said Sabriya was shooting at? Who was Eskiya exactly, and why didn't any of his own people seem to trust him?

They kept their voices down after they picked up Omid, probably fearful Clementine was listening in on them; she had been. They were quiet enough Clem couldn't hear much of what they said to each other, but their body language gave her some information. Dilawar and Sabriya seemed close to each other, more than anyone else here. Sabriya kept Horatio at arm's length at best, but Dilawar seemed more amiable to him. Everyone kept their distance from Eskiya, and he did likewise.

She didn't necessarily trust any of these people, but Eskiya in particular stood out amongst this group. Dilawar had asked what he had been up to, Horatio singled him out as the one person he wouldn't doubt would be suspicious of children, and Sabriya lashed out at him for keeping information from her. None of them trusted him yet they all tolerated him, and even sent him out to meet Clem yesterday. What did that tell her about these people?

Moving away from the door, Clem walked over to where Omid was resting on the mattress. After the initial shock of seeing Horatio, he settled into the familiar but depressing habit of sleeping away the entire day. The only exceptions had been meals. Even though he didn't like green beans as much as corn, he was happy to have them for dinner. He was less excited when they were also his breakfast this morning. Clem was afraid by the end of the day he'd be sick of them and refuse to eat again.

She knelt down to check on him when she caught sight of the others outside the window. Horatio had brought them their breakfast, then all four of them hastily stepped outside, stopping only to take every gun and anything resembling a weapon before marching outside. The group had gathered in a circle, seemingly discussing something. Clem briefly eyed the door to the bathroom and when she didn't hear Sarah calling for her, she carefully pressed her ear up against the window nearest the group.

"...never should have stopped the other day," Clem could just barely make out Sabriya say.

"Jesus," said Horatio. "You keep talking like they're this great burden."

"Because they are!" Clem didn't have any trouble hearing that. "We're hanging on by a thread as it is and we pick up three stray kids, with a fourth one on the way! We've doubled the number of mouths we need to feed since yesterday!"

"Jesus Sab," said Dilawar. "What we're supposed to do?"

"Like I said, we should have just kept driving," said Sabriya. "We can't be responsible for everyone."

"Us?" said Horatio. "Or you?"

"Horatio," said Dilawar. "It's too early for this."

"Don't start with me." Even through the window, Clem could hear the anger rising in Sabriya's voice.