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

49. Mobile

"Come on, start already." Clementine watched as Sarah pressed a button on the dashboard. They both could hear the generator making a cranking sound, but it wouldn't start. "Let's give it a shake."

"Another?" asked Clem.

"I don't know what else we can do," shrugged Sarah. "Other than go looking for a diesel generator."

"Do they even make those?" asked Clem as she stepped out of the RV.

"Yeah, they do," assured Sarah as they pair navigated past the gas pumps.

"Why haven't we taken one then?" asked Clem as she buttoned her jacket, finding the crisp morning air a bit chillier than she preferred.

"This one has been pretty good to us," said Sarah as she grabbed hold of the generator. "It's only lately it's been giving us trouble."

"But it's just going to keep giving us trouble." Clem grabbed her side of the generator. "And one day, it's not going to work at all."

"Let's just try to get it to start today, then we'll worry about one day." The pair hoisted the generator slightly off the ground, something Clementine found hard to do while it was filled with fuel, then proceeded to swing it slightly with Sarah's help. Clem could feel the gas inside sloshing around, which Sarah speculated helped stimulate the fumes needed to start the generator. Clem didn't know if that was true but shaking the generator always got it to start before, except this time.

"Okay, that should be enough," spoke Sarah between deep breaths.

"I hope so," said Clem as she set the generator down.

"You two okay down there?" Clem looked up to see Patty watching them from on top of the gas station.

"We're fine, we're just trying to get the generator to start." Clem wiped the sweat from her brow and followed Sarah back into the RV. "We really should just get another generator, we're gonna have to eventually."

"I know," said Sarah as she sat down in the driver's seat. "But I wanted to hold onto this one for as long as we could."

"Why?" asked Clem.

"Because, it hooks into the Brave and runs stuff like the fridge and the TV," said Sarah. "Even though we could get another generator, I don't think we could find another one that works with the RV."

"But we don't even use that stuff," reminded Clem.

"I know, but I was hoping we could someday, like if we ever found anywhere safe to stay. Plus, if the generator dies, it's like a part of the Brave dies, you know?" Sarah looked Clem in the eye, then turned away. "Never mind, it's stupid."

"No, I get it," assured Clem as she placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "You've worked really hard to take care of the Brave, just like Christa told us to. It makes sense you don't want to just leave a part of it behind."

"Yeah, but we'll probably have to soon." Sarah sighed, then pressed a button on the dashboard. The pair listened as the generator sputtered in the distance, exchanging disappointed looks as it did, then they heard a slight bang followed by a familiar mechanical humming. "But not today!"

Sarah smiled at Clem, who smiled back. The girls headed back outside and quickly got to work pumping fuel. It was a routine task they had done dozens of times, but they moved with the utmost focus. They weren't sure if they could restart their generator again and didn't want to waste time trying today, there was too much to do.

The girls worked fast; Clem filling cans with diesel and Sarah quickly measuring out fuel stabilizer. After the first few containers, Sarah started running diesel over to the Brave and filling its tank before running back to measure out more stabilizer. They didn't want a single empty can left when they were done today.