The wound was bad, Clementine could tell that much. She drew a shaky breath, and peeled back the fabric on her arm. The dog that had bitten her had done a fair amount of damage- she could see below her skin, to all the red fleshy tissue underneath, but at least no bone was revealed, so that was a plus. She closed her eyes, the bottle of hydrogen peroxide that nice girl, Sarah, had given her suddenly began to feel heavy. She had always hated hydrogen peroxide. Whenever she had gotten a scrape or a cut that was deep enough to draw blood, her father would use it to clean the wound. She smiled a bit, remembering it. He'd carry her back to the bathroom and sit her up on top of the counter by his sink. The liquid burned like hell, it always did. (And she supposed that now wouldn't be any better) "Look at me, princess, I know it hurts, but it's gonna make you all better." She remembered her dad's words, his kind brown eyes, and wished that someone else was with her. "It's gonna make me better." She muttered to herself, and poured the liquid on her arm. The pain was immediate, Clementine screamed and grabbed her arm, digging her nails into the underside. The white foam in the wound was bubbling down, and she took a moment to catch her breath before picking up the needle. "This is really going to suck." She told herself. Stupid dog, stupid girl. If she hadn't gone around messing with wild animals, getting into trouble, she would never have been in this situation! 'Creak!' Clementine's head snapped up at the sound, thinking that she'd been discovered by a walker or perhaps someone dangerous. Instead, she saw a small, dainty hand carefully pushing back the board-entrance to her shed. "C-Clementine?" Sarah stuck her head into the shed and offered Clem a small smile. "You look like you could use a hand." Clementine couldn't believe her eyes. This girl was risking a lot coming out here, life and limb and the anger of her father, to list a few things. But then again, Clementine wasn't complaining, after all, she had just been wishing for some company. She nodded wordlessly, and offered Sarah the needle. "Do you know how to stitch a wound?" Sarah bit her lip, suddenly looking pale, but she nodded anyway. When Sarah took Clementine's arm in her hand, Clementine was surprised at how soft and reassuring her touch was. "Just do it, I really want to get this over with." Sarah nodded and took a breath before sticking the needle into Clementine's arm. She stitched the wound as quickly as possible, but that did nothing to ease her friend's pain. The girl screamed and trembled in Sarah's grasp, and Sarah could only begin to imagine how badly it hurt. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Clementine. I really wish I had some pain killers or something." Clementine looked at Sarah, her face pale and dirty, and tears dripping down her cheeks. Clementine sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It-it's fine, Sarah." She laughed a little, amused at how this girl was apologizing when she had knowing put herself into a dangerous situation for Clem. "I'm really glad that you came out here to help me. I... I haven't had someone to count on like that in a long time." She sniffed again, and adjusted her hat. Sarah nodded, and wrapped her arms around the girl. She stiffened in surprise, but met Sarah with an unsteady embrace. Clementine wiped her face on Sarah's shoulder, and though her arm still hurt badly, the warm hug was certainly easing the pain. They stood together for a moment, before Clem spoke. "You know, my dad used to take me out for ice cream whenever I got hurt." Sarah smiled, and a small laugh escaped her lips. "My dad used to do the same thing! My favorite was rocky road." Clementine giggled, no longer crying. Here she was, in a dark shack with a serious wound on her arm, in the middle of an undead wasteland, laughing about ice cream. "Mine was strawberry." The older girl patted Clementine's back and pulled away from the hug, her hand lingering on Clem's shoulder. "Let's get your arm patched up, and then I'll tell you about this one time my friend Travis ate three pints of ice cream in a single sitting." Clementine let Sarah wrap the flower printed rags around her arm, the pain now easing to a dull throb. "Hey Sarah?" She asked, looking up and meeting the girl's large brown eyes. "Thank you." Sarah paused, and set down the roll of rags in her lap. "No Clementine, thank you. For showing me that there are still good people out there. I'm glad I met you." Clementine nodded, unsure of what to say about Sarah's words. She was touched, flattered. The two girls sat in silence for a moment, and Clementine decided that no words were needed.
Friends by rinxlenfan4ever


