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

51. Numbers Game

Clementine felt her chest tightening as she tried to decide what to do, knowing full well her next decision may be her last. She moved her hand forward, then suddenly stopped herself.

"You're stalling," teased Patty as she leaned back in her seat.

"I'm thinking," insisted Clem as she looked at the cards she was holding.

"Well that can't be easy with this damn music." Patty turned around and looked to the front of the RV. "Seriously, Sarah, do you ever put on anything but this Pink Floyd crap?"

"When you're driving you can pick the music," said Sarah without turning away from the road.

"That's not what I asked you," said Patty. "I'm wondering if you've literally ever listened to anything else?"

"Not while she's driving," said Clem as she studied her cards. "It's always the same three CD's when it's her turn."

"It helps me relax when I'm driving," said Sarah. "Which I have to do all the time."

"And here I was thinking I'd be grateful for any music after going without it for so long. Remind me to switch off with you after our next stop so we can have some better tunes," said Patty as she turned away from Sarah. "That's assuming Clem here ever finishes this hand or not."

"I told you, I'm thinking." Clem had a pair of aces, along with a ten, a jack, and a queen. Her first instinct was just to ditch every card that wasn't an ace and hope for another pair or even three of a kind. Except for the ace of hearts, all the cards in her hand were diamonds. If she got rid of it, she might get another diamond and have a flush. She might also get a king, which would give her a straight. And if she got the king of diamonds, that would give her a royal flush.

"Kem-men, Kem-men." Clementine turned to find Omid standing right beside her, an excited look on his face. "El-muh," he said as he held up a worn stuffed elephant.

"Hey Little Man," said Patty in a sweet voice. "Why don't you bring Elma over here? You two can sit on my lap and watch Clem lose the rest of her money."

"Pah-duh." Omid walked over to Patty, giggling as the woman lifted him into her lap. Clementine couldn't stop herself from smirking, then looked back at her cards. She placed her fingers on the ace of hearts, but hesitated from removing it from her hand.

"Clem, I've seen people at the DMV move faster than this."

"What's the DMV?" asked Clem.

"What? It's where you—forget it, I'm just saying you're taking forever." Clem sighed, then pulled the ace of hearts out of her hand. She quickly slapped it face down on the table and pulled another card off the top of the deck. "Finally. I raise you five bucks." Patty reached past Omid and grabbed a five-dollar bill out of the pile of money sitting in front of her.

"Just like that?" asked Clem as she watched the Patty toss the bill onto the other ones sitting in the middle of the table.

"Um... yeah, I've had like ten minutes to decide," said Patty. "So are you in, or should I break for lunch while you make up your mind?"

Clementine realized she hadn't even looked at her new card yet. She quickly glanced down, making a mental note to look pleased regardless of what she saw. There was now a five of clubs in Clem's hand, a card that did her absolutely no good.

"Mah-bah." Omid let go of his elephant, letting it tumble onto the floor while he started clumsily pawing at the loose pile of dollar bills lying in front of Patty.

"Yeah, you're in the money," said Patty as she helped shovel the pile of bills closer to Omid. "You're the richest baby in the world."

Clem looked at her cards one more time and forced a sly smile across her face. "Well, he's about to get a little less rich." Clem collected whatever little money was left on her side of the table. "I see your five, and raise you... twenty." Clem dumped the bills onto the pile, making sure to flash Patty a wicked grin before she did. The woman looked puzzled for a second, then opened her mouth to speak.