Chapter Text
Violet sighs for what feels like the hundredth time over these past couple of days. The book she’d been reading just ended on a cliffhanger, and unluckily for her, she’s pretty sure that Ericson’s library doesn’t have the sequel. Whatever. She’s never been the biggest fan of reading anyway, so it’s not like she’ll throw a fit over something so insignificant. The only reason she had been reading in the first place is because, well, she has to do something while she sits in Clementine’s room, waiting for the girl to wake up. Or to not wake up.
Violet frowns at herself, closing her book and placing it on the bedside dresser. She shouldn’t be thinking things like that. Clementine is a fighter, always has been. There’s no way she wouldn’t pull through. Then again, she did lose a leg, which is a pretty gnarly thing to recover from. Ruby had said that the chances of Clementine waking up were about 50/50, considering how much blood she lost over the whole ordeal. Violet, however, is trying to be optimistic.
It’s already been four days since AJ brought Clementine back, pushing her through the gates of Ericson in a busted up wheelbarrow. Four days since Clementine was supposedly bitten, four days since Clementine had her left leg chopped off, four days since Clementine was last awake. Surprisingly, the girl had been barely conscious when AJ first brought her in, but she passed out cold as soon as Ruby started disinfecting her wound, and hasn’t woken up since then. Sometimes she’ll mutter in her sleep, her perfect eyebrows twisted in fever. It worries Violet, and she tries her best to soothe Clementine’s discomfort by placing a cool towel on her head or holding her hand.
Of course, Violet can’t look after her all the time. She still has duties and responsibilities to uphold around Ericson, and it’s not like she can just shirk them off. The only time she really gets to spend looking after Clementine are during her breaks, or after she finishes dinner. AJ, on the other hand, spends the entire day with Clementine. As a group, everyone had decided that AJ was exempt from chores and duties until further notice. It was only fair, considering he and Clementine had saved them all from being kidnapped by the raiders. Violet, after sitting around with AJ for the past couple of days, finds herself getting used to the kid. Sure, he may have shot Tenn, but she knows deep down that she would have died on that bridge if AJ didn’t do what he did.
To Violet’s left, AJ sighs, tossing the book he had been reading onto the floor. He jumps off the bed and walks towards the desk, inspecting the pile of books Violet had previously brought over for them from the library.
“Are there any interesting books in this pile?” AJ asks, glancing over his shoulder at Violet.
Violet cocks her head to the side. “Depends on what you mean by ‘interesting.’”
“The book I was just reading was about plants and flowers,” AJ says, picking up a book and inspecting it. “It was boring. I didn’t like it.”
“Well, I don’t blame you for not liking it. Plants are pretty boring.” Violet gets up from her seat and makes her way over to AJ, standing over him to look at the random selection of books. “Maybe you’ll like reading a fiction book instead.”
AJ furrows his brow. “What does fiction mean?”
“Uh.” Violet thinks for a moment, trying to come up with a decent explanation. She doesn’t know how Clementine deals with AJ’s questions all the time. “It’s a kind of story that’s been made up or exaggerated. Has Clem ever told you about Disco Broccoli?”
AJ nods.
“Well, it’s sort of like that,” Violet continues. “Obviously, Disco Broccoli isn’t real, but people made him and his story up to entertain other people. That’s usually why people prefer fictional stuff over nonfictional stuff.”
“Oh.” AJ looks back towards the pile of books. “Are there any books here about Disco Broccoli?”
Violet shakes her head. “Sorry bud. We don’t have many children’s books in our library.”
AJ frowns. “I’m not a child.”
“That’s not really what I meant–”
Suddenly, Violet is cut off by a low groan coming from the other side of the room. She whirls around in disbelief and is greeted with the sight of Clementine attempting to sit up in her bed. The girl’s eyes are scrunched shut, and her arms are shaking from the effort of trying to adjust her position. Violet and AJ are by her side in an instant, both of them reaching out to help her. AJ pulls the blanket away while Violet puts a steady hand on Clementine’s back as she continues to squirm her way into a sitting position.
“Clem!” AJ shouts, almost lunging at the girl.
Violet quickly puts her arm out, blocking AJ from potentially jumping onto the bed. “Careful, buddy. Give her some space.”
AJ reluctantly obeys, backing up slightly, his face dripping with concern. After a long and concentrated effort, Violet manages to help Clementine up into a sitting position. Slowly, Clementine’s eyes begin to open, her amber irises flooding the room with their richness. Violet’s never been more happy to see a pair of eyes in her entire life.
Obviously, it’s amazing that Clementine’s awake now, but something seems a little off with the girl as she gradually joins the world of the living. She blinks hard several times, seemingly not noticing the presence of AJ or Violet beside her.
“Clem?” Violet says warily. Suddenly, the color from Clementine’s face instantly drains, and Violet knows exactly what’s going to happen next. “Fuck–”
Violet barely manages to grab a conveniently placed bucket on the floor before sticking it in front of Clementine, who immediately proceeds to projectile vomit into the metal container. Violet winces as Clementine continues to heave, making a mental note to make sure whoever cleans this bucket cleans it extra well before they use it to collect fish again.
“Clem! Clem!” AJ shouts again, worry ripping his voice apart, clearly distressed about not being able to do anything for his guardian.
“AJ, do you think you could go get Ruby and tell her that Clem’s awake?” Violet asks, trying to keep her voice calm. The last thing she wants to do is send AJ into a panic, even though Violet is kind of panicking herself. After all, it can’t exactly be a good sign to vomit your guts out after regaining consciousness for the first time in four days, right?
Without needing to be told twice, AJ runs out of the room, flinging the door open and letting it slam into the wall. Violet watches him leave before turning her attention back to Clementine, who is, unfortunately, still retching, her hands gripping onto the sides of the bucket for dear life.
“Jesus Christ, Clem,” Violet mutters, rubbing circles into the girl’s back with one hand while holding the bucket in place with the other. “How’d you even manage to fit all of this stuff inside you?”
If Clementine were in better shape at the moment, she might’ve retorted with something witty. Might’ve given Violet the stink eye, lifting one perfectly crafted eyebrow in an attempt to appear annoyed. The current Clementine, however, much to Violet’s disappointment, is in no condition to do either of those things, instead miserably emptying her stomach of what seems like gallons and gallons of discolored liquid.
After what feels like an eternity, Clementine finally finishes, laying back down in her bed with a groan. Violet quickly relocates the bucket onto the floor, careful not to spill any of its contents. With her hands now free, she reaches out towards the bedside dresser, grabs a clean towel off of it, and gently begins to wipe the mess off of Clementine’s face. Violet’s half-expecting the girl to squirm and resist, but Clementine barely even reacts when the rough texture of the towel brushes against her skin. Not a good sign.
“Talk to me, Clem,” Violet urges, using the other side of the towel to wipe away at the sweat beginning to bead on the girl’s forehead. “How are you feeling?”
Clementine’s eyes are squeezed shut, her face twisted with discomfort. Eventually, one feverish eye opens slightly and immediately lands on Violet.
“Violet?” Clementine croaks out, voice harsh from disuse.
“Hey,” Violet breathes, carefully pushing back a few of Clementine’s curls with her hand. “Don’t worry. You’re safe. You’re alive.”
“Where…?”
“Ericson’s,” Violet answers in a heartbeat. “AJ brought you back here after…”
Suddenly, both of Clementine’s eyes snap open, and she begins to look around the room frantically. “Where’s AJ?”
“He’s fine,” Violet assures her, putting a hand on Clementine’s shoulder to prevent her from trying to sit up again. “He just went to get Ruby. They’ll be here in a second.”
At that, Clementine visibly relaxes, her body sinking deeper into the mattress. She closes her eyes again and takes a deep inhale, her face contorting once she exhales. When she speaks again, her voice sounds like a child’s. “It hurts, Violet.”
Violet frowns, her heart breaking at Clementine’s rare display of vulnerability. “Can I do anything?”
Clementine huffs. “Not unless you’d be willing to donate your left leg to me.”
Completely caught off guard, Violet can’t help the sharp laugh that escapes her throat. She watches as the corners of Clementine’s mouth tug upwards. Maybe it’s a good sign that Clementine still has the energy to joke around even under these circumstances.
“You know I’d give it to you if I could,” Violet answers amusedly. “Though you’d probably look a bit like Frankenstein’s monster with my leg, considering I’m about three shades lighter than you.”
“I’d look cool as hell,” Clementine mutters, her eyes still closed, her breathing shallow and pained. “I’m really tired, Vi.”
“I know,” Violet says, feeling guilty for some reason. “Try not to fall back asleep before Ruby gets here, though. She’ll want you awake so she can have a proper look at you.”
As if on cue, Ruby and AJ come barrelling into the room, both of them out of breath. A few neatly folded towels and a medkit are piled up on top of Ruby’s arms.
“Clem!” AJ exclaims, running over to the bed and throwing his arms around Clementine, who hugs him back and buries her face into his hair.
“Hey there, Goofball,” Clementine says, relief and affection evident in her voice. She kisses the top of his head before pulling back, holding onto his shoulders so she can get a better look at him. “How’ve you been? Did I miss anything important?”
AJ shakes his head. “Not really. Everyone’s been trying to make repairs around the school, but they’re really clumsy sometimes. Aasim cut his hand on a piece of wood, and Ruby accidentally hit her thumb while trying to use a hammer, and–”
“Okay, that’s enough out of you,” Ruby says sharply, interrupting AJ before he gets a chance to chronicle everything that happened in the last four days. She walks over to the dresser and puts her supplies down before turning to Violet. “How’s she been doing since she woke up?”
“She threw up a fuck ton of stuff,” Violet answers, pointing to the half-filled bucket of primordial soup on the floor.
“Tattletale,” Clementine grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ruby chuckles, looking over at Clementine. “Sorry to break it to you, Hun, but I could smell it as soon as I walked into the room.”
Violet clears her throat. “So… is her puking a good thing or a bad thing?”
Ruby hums, opening the medkit to root around for something. “Could be good. Could be bad. Her body’s probably just trying to flush out all the bad things in there, though there’s a small chance that it could be a sign of blood poisoning.”
“Blood poisoning?” Violet asks queasily.
“From the ax AJ used to cut her leg off,” Ruby clarifies.
Violet doesn’t know much about medical stuff, but blood poisoning does not sound like a good thing. In fact, it sounds horrible, and Violet can’t imagine that their meager, little supply of medicine will be able to fix something that serious.
“I’m sorry,” AJ mumbles, looking at the floor guiltily.
“Don’t apologize, Shug,” Ruby chirps, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You saved her life! There was no other way.”
“It’s true,” Clementine pipes up from her position on the bed, giving AJ a gentle smile. “I wouldn’t be here right now if you didn’t do what you did.”
“But aren’t you mad I went against the rules?” AJ asks.
Clementine chuckles and reaches out a weak hand to ruffle his hair. “I think we can make an exception this time.”
AJ beams, playfully trying to wriggle out of Clementine’s grasp. Violet watches the two of them in a daze, her chest blooming with warmth. She could have lost this, could have lost Clementine, could still lose Clementine, and there’s nothing she can do but look on and hope for the best. It’s scary to think about, even though it’s a very real possibility.
“How long was I out for?” Clementine suddenly asks, drawing her hand back from AJ.
“About four days,” Ruby answers.
“Violet and I watched over you the whole time,” AJ adds.
Clementine raises an eyebrow and looks over at Violet. The corners of her lips begin to curl upwards. “My heroes.”
Violet blushes and tries to look anywhere except for Clementine. She clears her throat and addresses Ruby again. “So what do we do if she has blood poisoning?”
Ruby pulls out a small bottle from the medkit, opens it, and shakes out two pills before screwing the cap back on. “For now, I’ll just have to give her some fever pills and see how she fares over the next couple of days. I’ll also change her bandages as often as I can to avoid infection. Other than that, there’s nothing much we can do.”
“There aren’t any painkillers you can give her?” Violet questions, tapping her foot impatiently.
“We ran out sometime last year,” Ruby replies, shaking her head sadly. She turns to Clementine again, handing her the pills and a glass of water. “Clem, Honey, how bad’s the pain for you right now?”
“Um.” Clementine shifts uncomfortably. She pops the pills in her mouth and takes a few tentative sips of the water. “It’s fine.”
“Clem,” Violet scolds.
Clementine pouts, closing her eyes. “Hurts like a motherfucker.”
“Swear,” AJ chimes in.
Ruby sighs, pulling out a roll of bandages and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from the medkit. “Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s about to hurt a hell of a lot more because I need to change your bandages.”
Clementine nods solemnly. “Do what you gotta do, Ruby.”
“Right.” Ruby places the bandages and the bottle on the dresser before beginning to roll up her sleeves. “First things first, I gotta get those pants off of you.”
Clementine blinks. Violet blinks. AJ blinks.
“What?” Ruby says, shrugging. “Nothing weird about it. I just can’t change the bandages if your pants are in the way. I took them off when you first got here and I had to operate on the wound. No big deal.”
“Well… alright,” Clementine relents, wriggling into a more accessible position so that Ruby can do whatever she needs to do.
Ruby is deadly professional as she gets to work, instructing Clementine on what to do and what not to do. Obviously, Clementine is able-bodied enough to unbuckle her own pants, but she begins to struggle when she tries to get them below her waist, which is when Ruby swoops in to help her. Violet bites her lip as she watches the two of them, nervous for the potential pain that Clementine’s going to be in soon. She barely even registers that she’s about to see Clementine with her pants off, only snapping back to reality when she catches a glimpse of the girl’s bare thighs.
Violet immediately averts her gaze, her face on fire and her mouth suddenly dry. “Uh, maybe I should go.”
“Stay!” Clementine exclaims, looking slightly embarrassed considering the circumstances. Her voice is hushed when she speaks again. “Please.”
Violet swallows, her chest tightening. “Sure. I’ll be right here, Clem.”
After Ruby manages to get Clementine’s pants off and folds them into a neat, little pile at the end of the bed, she goes right into removing the old bandages on Clementine’s leg. As Ruby begins to unspool the blood-stained cloth, Violet makes sure to maintain eye contact with Clementine, who is nervously flitting her gaze between her missing leg and Violet.
When the bandages come off fully, Violet doesn’t look. She just keeps her eyes firmly on Clementine’s, just in case the girl looks up and needs her. For a while, Clementine just stares at her leg, or lack thereof. Violet can’t quite place the expression on the girl’s face, her brows furrowing, her mouth hanging open slightly, but it isn’t exactly positive. After Clementine takes a good long look at it, she shakes her head and looks up to meet Violet’s eyes.
“You’re okay,” Violet reassures her.
Clementine bites her lip, nodding.
“Alright, I’m going to start disinfecting it now,” Ruby says, the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a towel in her hands. She gives Clementine an apologetic look. “This probably isn’t going to be very fun.”
“I know,” Clementine replies, sighing.
She’s putting on a brave face, probably for AJ’s sake, who is looking on nervously, but Violet can tell that she’s feeling uneasy about this whole thing. Before she can think better of it, Violet quickly scoops up Clementine’s hand in her’s, intertwining their fingers. Clementine looks up at her, confused.
“Squeeze it when it starts to hurt, okay?” Violet says.
Clementine takes a deep breath, her expression changing from anxious to determined. “Thanks.”
As Ruby begins to dab at the wound, Clementine grunts in pain, her eyes slamming shut, her teeth clenching together. Of course, she squeezes the literal life out of Violet’s hand, possibly breaking some of her bones in the process, but Violet doesn’t mind. She’s too busy concentrating on the warmth of their joined hands.
The warmth. The sheer amount of strength in Clementine’s grip. The lively grunts of pain. They’re all good signs, Violet decides.