[Joel doesn't make a habit of checking his phone even on the best of days, but when his private line rings he usually picks up pretty quick. Because there are only a few people in Haven who are likely to use it, and only when there's trouble or they can't find him in person for whatever reason.]
That's good. ['Not bitten' and 'still breathing' are pretty much Joel's criteria for being okay.]
Sarah and Ellie're both gone. [ He says that flatly, matter-of-factly. Or as much as he can, anyway, when talking about his daughter and his... almost-daughter. ]
[ Saying it makes it so real, makes it hard to breathe because his throat closes up with it, and that question. Clementine has a way of asking the most pointed questions that Joel just doesn't always have the answers to. ]
I dunno.
[ That's really it. He has no goddamn idea what he's doing now. Except breathing. Except putting one foot in front of the other, like always. ]
They might come back. Ellie has before. And Tess. And you. [ He doesn't really have much hope of that, and it probably shows through in the flatness of his tone. And Sarah. His baby girl, that Sarah-shaped hole in his life is back and bigger than ever. ]
[ Come over definitely has the ring of let's talk about it to Joel, until she says otherwise. Joel is not in a place to talk about it. Probably never will be. Talking about his grief is not something he does. But - sometimes it's good to not be alone. And he trusts Clementine, as much as he trusts anyone not from his world. If she says she won't make him talk about it, she won't.
She's just a kid, too. A kid on her own. ]
Yeah, if you want. I can fix some food if you're hungry.
[ knock knock-knock. guess who? fortunately, she's cleaned herself up a ton by the time she visits joel. no more walker guts, though the cut on her cheek and her black eye can't just be washed away. ]
[ Joel opens the door, and frowns at her appearance. Wow, Clem, way to be with that shiner and the cut on your face. Goddamn bastards. Who would give a kid a black eye, anyway?
Someone Joel would like to kill, that's who. ]
Hey. You had that looked at yet? C'mere and sit down.
It's okay, [ she says, crossing her arms and lifting a shoulder to defensively wipe at her cheek a little. ] It barely even hurts. [ but she's coming in to sit down anyway. ]
That don't matter. [ He goes to his little supply cache in the kitchen area and digs around for a reasonably clean scrap of cloth and a bit of rubbing alcohol for disinfectant. ]
It don't hurt now, but if we don't clean it, it'll get infected and hurt a whole lot more. Trust me on this one. Here - you need me to do it?
I've got it, [ she says, holding her hands out for the supplies. she would've let him do it if he insisted, but he asked if she needs him to do it and she doesn't need anyone to do anything.life's tough for a stubborn preteen. ]
[ Ah yes, the stubborn (almost-)adolescent. Joel knows that phenomenon well. His lips twitch a little, and he hands over the bandages and rubbing alcohol. ]
You do that, and I can fix us somethin' to eat. I got some canned asparagus here.
Yummy. [ she tried so hard to sound like she means it, honest she did. meanwhile, she's reaching for the rubbing alcohol. ] Do you have... a napkin? Or a towel?
[ she takes it, putting it over the top of the bottle of alcohol and wetting the rag. this is scrubbed over her cheek, covering a little wider radius just to be safe.
he's a man of few words, so she can be a girl of just as few - she's gonna start to bandage her cheek in companionable silence. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Clementine? You alright?
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[ she's so bad at this 'talking about stuff' thing, anymore. how to even approach this? ]
So... I went back to North Carolina.
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You got sent back? For how long?
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You alright? [ She sounds a little shaken up, to say the least. ]
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Sarah and Ellie're both gone. [ He says that flatly, matter-of-factly. Or as much as he can, anyway, when talking about his daughter and his... almost-daughter. ]
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slowly, she adds: ] What are you... gonna do?
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I dunno.
[ That's really it. He has no goddamn idea what he's doing now. Except breathing. Except putting one foot in front of the other, like always. ]
They might come back. Ellie has before. And Tess. And you. [ He doesn't really have much hope of that, and it probably shows through in the flatness of his tone. And Sarah. His baby girl, that Sarah-shaped hole in his life is back and bigger than ever. ]
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She's just a kid, too. A kid on her own. ]
Yeah, if you want. I can fix some food if you're hungry.
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I'll be there soon?
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action!
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Someone Joel would like to kill, that's who. ]
Hey. You had that looked at yet? C'mere and sit down.
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It don't hurt now, but if we don't clean it, it'll get infected and hurt a whole lot more. Trust me on this one. Here - you need me to do it?
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life's tough for a stubborn preteen. ]no subject
You do that, and I can fix us somethin' to eat. I got some canned asparagus here.
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Without another word, he grabs a small dish towel from his stash and hands it to her. ]
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he's a man of few words, so she can be a girl of just as few - she's gonna start to bandage her cheek in companionable silence. ]
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Don't worry, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. It'll taste alright.