Walking Dead: Hanging Onto Hope - Chapter 32

As Lee walked into the barn; he saw that Kristina, Cindy, Duck, Andy, Doug, Clementine and Katjaa were with the cow called Maybelle. He could see that the kids were curious about the cow and he thought that it was sweet.

Katjaa was giving Clementine a gentle smile. "It's okay, Clementine. You can pet her." She was encouraging the young girl and Clementine turned her head to look at Lee.

"It's okay. Go ahead." Lee nodded a little.

Clementine glanced back at the cow and she started to pet it. "Woah...." She was beaming brightly and Cindy giggled beside her. "Katjaa said that Maybelle could have her baby tonight!"

Katjaa shrugged slightly. "We'll see, Clementine...."

Lee gazed down at the ground and he noticed a salt lick near Duck. "What's this thing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cindy tilted her head a little. "Mommy says that it's called a salt lick."

"Yeah, but don't lick it. It's gross!" Clementine pulled a disgusted face up at Lee.

Lee folded his arms across his chest. "Did you lick it?" He asked curiously.

Clementine paused with an innocent look. "....I don't know...." She mumbled quietly.

Lee then remembered that he had to give something that was very special to Clementine. "Here, Clementine." He held out her hat to her.

Clementine took the hat happily and she placed it on her head. "My hat! You found it!! I knew you'd find it! You said you would!" She smiled.

Lee then looked down at her seriously and he crouched down. "Listen.... Did you.... give your hat to anyone?" He was speaking to her quietly.

Clementine shook her head. "No...."

"Did you see any strangers around the motor inn who might have taken it?" He asked worriedly.

Clementine shook her head again. "No.... Why?"

Lee was still on edge but he was starting to feel a bit relieved. "It's probably nothing. Just let me know if you ever see anything like that...." He showed her a small smile.

Clementine was feeling a bit confused. "Okay, I will..." She then decided to change the subject to something else. "Hey, Lee.... Will you ever have kids?"

Lee was surprised when she asked the question and he knew that he had to tell her about the baby. "Yes, of course...." He turned his face to look at Kristina and he gives her an awkward smile. "I am having a child with Kristina...."

Kristina nodded and she smiled as well. "Yes, I am pregnant with his child." She told Clementine.

Clementine gasped in amazement. "Woah.... So you're gonna be taking care of me, Cindy and your kid?"

Lee nodded. "Yes...."

Clementine grinned. "Okay!" She pointed at Maybelle. "Lee, do you want to pet the cow with me?"

"Nah. But you go on ahead." He got back up to his feet and he glanced over at Doug with a worried expression on his face.

"Okay." Clementine focused back onto the cow.

Lee moved over to where Doug was sitting and he noticed that the other man was coughing softly. "How are you feeling, Doug?" He asked, feeling concerned.

Doug was looking a bit pale. "I'm a bit better, I guess...." He cleared his throat and he was struggling to stand a little.

"Woah." Lee forced Doug back down gently. "I think you should really sit down and rest. Okay?"

"Yeah.... Okay...." Doug nodded slowly in agreement.

He's getting weak.... Lee thought to himself. He needs food and possibly something else.... Lee was helping Doug sit down more comfortably. "Take it easy, okay?"

Doug smiled a little at his friend. "Okay...." He bit his lip a little. "Soph wouldn't want me as a mess anyway...."

Lee chuckled softly. "....She does not want to see anyone as a mess...." He had to agree with Doug.

Doug sighed. "Yeah, she hates that...."

Lee frowned. "Are you having doubts about her...?"

Doug was shocked by Lee asking him that. "!!.... N-No, she loves me.... I know she does..." Doug stammered nervously. I'm the one who isn't showing her enough love.... He thought to himself sadly. And she and that kid Ben might be having.... a relationship together at the motor inn because of me.... "I'm fine.... Lee.... Check on the others...."

"....Alright...." Lee nodded and he moved away to go over to Andy. "Hey there, Andy...."

Andy looked up at Lee. "Yeah?"

Lee was unsure about things at the moment. But... "We met this woman up in the woods. She seemed to know your brother...." He was starting to feel suspicious of Andy's family.

"Yeah." Andy laughed a bit awkwardly. "He, uh, probably talks a little more than he oughta."

Lee was starting to feel more uneasy. "Uh...." He decided to change the topic to food. "When do you think, uh, we might eat?"

Andy smirked. "Hungry, huh? Don't worry. Mama's cooking up some good grub."

"How's the cow?"

"Well. Better now that we've got Doc on the case...." Andy smiled at Katjaa and she smiled in understanding.

Lee nodded. "Thanks."

"Yep." Andy replied to him before Lee walked away from him.

Lee was curious about the door that was at the back of the barn and he wanders over to it. He could see that it was locked and it made him feel more curious about what was behind the door.

Kenny moved beside Lee to look at the door as well. "You found it too, huh? Lee, they're hiding something. Behind this door." He told him.

Lee shook his head. "Don't get paranoid." He warned Kenny.

Kenny looked slightly annoyed. "It's my JOB to be paranoid, Lee. I got my whole family on this farm right now. How about you? What about Clem? What about Cindy? ....What about your girlfriend?"

"I'll protect them no matter what." Lee said to him calmly.

"I know you will. Look, that with Katjaa...." He nodded over to where Andy was. "What's-his-name. He locked it up real TIGHT the second we came in. I definitely heard a noise back there, Lee."

"What?" Lee asked, frowning.

Kenny sighed in frustration. "My point is, we gotta know for sure.... So, go find a hammer and I'll have this thing off in a second. You back me up in case those farmers come running..."

Lee was feeling unsure about this idea. It didn't seem to sound that smart to him. "Hang on, man. Think this though." He was looking at Kenny seriously. "You smash the lock. Then what if it turns out that you're wrong? You just fucked your chance to get a good meal into those kids you're trying to protect. Use your head, Kenny."

"Alright, professor. What do you have in mind?"

"Let me have a look at what we're dealing with first." Lee told him before looking at the lock again.

Kenny was silent for a few seconds. "Hey, Lee. You know how to pick a lock, right?"

"No!" Lee glanced at him in surprise. "Why would you say that?"

Kenny cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well. You're.... you know.... urban?"

Lee raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Oh. You are NOT saying what I think you're saying."

"Jesus, man! I'm from Florida! Crazy shit comes out of my mouth sometimes. Sorry." Kenny said.

Lee then shook his head and he turned back to the lock. "Hm."

"What?" Kenny asked curiously.

"See those screws?" Lee pointed at them. "Instead of breaking the padlock; we can just take off the assembly, have a peek inside, and then replace it all again. Like nothing ever happen."

Kenny nodded. "All right, sounds like you got a plan. I'll hang around and keep an eye on the guy with the cow."

"Andy?" Lee looked puzzled.

"Shit!" Kenny shrugged his shoulders. "I thought that was Danny. Whatever..."

Andy comes over to where Lee and Kenny were both standing. "Can I help you boys find something?" He asked in a suspicious tone.

Lee decided to be straight-forward with Andy. "What's behind this door, Andy?"

"Just tools. We keep it locked up so that the people in the woods don't try and grab 'em. We'd be dead without our tools." Andy explained to them quickly. "Hey, uh.... do me a favour. Don't fuck around with this door. Just, you know. Mama gets nervous."

Katjaa suddenly called over to them. "Andrew, I need your help again."

"No problem, right away, doc!" Andy headed back over to Katjaa and the others and Kenny followed over to him.

Lee left the barn and he closed the door. He turned around and he saw that Larry and Brenda were talking to each other.

"So, how does a woman like yourself run this whole place?" Larry was flirting with her badly.

Brenda chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh, I manage just fine." She said. "Plus I have my boys to help out. I couldn't do it without them...."

Lee shook his head and he found it a little uncomfortable that those two were bonding. Then he headed over to the generator with a plan in his mind....