Author's Note: Well, here we are! I do apologize for the ridiculously massive hiatus, but I quite honestly lost all my inspiration for this story after the completion of Season 2, which left much to be desired in my opinion. In fact, my dislike for how Season 2 played out played a huge factor in deciding to rewrite this story. Now, Clementine's amputation will not be the only thing that diverges from the canon. This is now a fully blown Season 2 rewrite, so buckle up, cause it's gonna be a crazy ride!

There are going to be many changes throughout the story. I'm even going to have different POV's from time to time, though Clem will be the main storyteller. I'm going to try my very best not to abandon this, because I've got some great plans that I hope to see through to the end.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to continue and never gave up on me. It really means a lot.

Rated T for: Amputation, blood, gore, violence, language, and child endangerment.

And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy the new and improved Stump, Chapter One! :) - Aqua

Stump

Chapter One

Clementine choked back a scream, tears streaming down her face as she tried to tie off the last of her stitches.

Her shaking fingers struggled to form the knot, the thick fishing line slick with blood. The shed smelled strongly of rotten wood, blood, and antiseptic, and Clementine was fighting back the urge to pass out, black spots dancing in front of her eyes. She sucked in a sharp breath as a wave of nausea swept through her, squeezing her eyes shut as she waited for it to pass.

"It's gonna be okay," She whispered to herself. "I'm going to be okay."

Only half-believing it, Clementine grit her teeth and went in for another attempt, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. The bite hurt like hell, and every pull on the tender area drew a strangled gasp from her. She pressed on, maneuvering the line into a knot and pulling it tight; grateful it wasn't her right arm that was injured. She didn't even want to think about how hard it would have been to do this left handed.

The stitch was finally secure.

"Thank god..." Clementine breathed, blinking back tears.

The hard part was done. She took a sip from the juice box, grateful for something else to taste besides the blood in her mouth from biting her lip so hard. Now all she needed to do was wrap it in bandages and call it a night. In the morning, they'd come get her, and see that they'd been wrong.

She had some choice words for that doctor. What kind of doctor couldn't tell a dog bite from a walker bite?

Clementine reached for the bandages, but her hand was still unsteady and she knocked it off the table. It landed with a soft thud, rolling a few inches away. She stifled a groan; who knew what had been on that filthy floor? Nevertheless, it was all she had in the way of bandages, so she bent over to retrieve it.

She found her face mere inches from a walker's.

A scream tore from her throat as she fell backwards, the walker growling as it pulled itself inside the shed. Faster than she could've anticipated, its hand shot out and grabbed her right ankle, its nails digging into her skin.

Clementine grabbed the leg of the table and pulled, her leg thrashing in an attempt to get free. Her hammer was on the table. She had to get it, or she was going to die.

Pushing against the ground with her left leg, Clementine strained for the hammer, her fingers brushing the tip of the handle. It was just out of reach…

The walker lunged forward, and pain shot up her right leg.

With a shout, her other leg slipped out from under her. Clementine lost her balance and landed hard, flat on her back. All the air rushed out of her lungs, her breath rattling in her chest like she'd swallowed nails. Disoriented, she didn't realize that the walker was on top of her until it lunged for her neck.

Her arms shot out and locked against its chest, keeping it just out of reach to deliver the killing blow. Her injured arm was in agony, shaking with the strain, but there was no way she was letting go. The living corpse gnashed its teeth together, its clammy hands scratching at her face as it tried to shake her grip. She tucked her legs in close and shoved them into the walker's stomach, kicking it away with all her strength.

She scrambled to her feet, her body screaming in protest. Her arm was on fire, her leg stinging from the fall, and the pressure in her chest made it hard to breathe.

Weapon… find a weapon!

Clementine scanned the shed for anything she could use. The hammer had fallen to the floor, an inch away from the walker, which was rising to its feet, its dead eyes fixed on her.

Too risky.

She backed away from the walker and nearly tripped over a brick.

This will do…

Clementine took the brick and hurled it as hard as she could at the walker. The brick connected with the corpse's skull, sending it lurching to the side. Thinking quickly, Clementine grabbed a rake from its hook on the wall and drove it into the walker's chest, pushing it back.

There was a plow hanging on the back wall, its sharp blade facing out. With a final push, Clementine sent the walker stumbled back into it. The blade ripped through the walker's chest with a spray of dark blood, its guts spilling out of the gaping wound.

The monster was still alive, growling and snapping at her, but it was stuck.

Wasting no time, Clementine dropped the rake, grabbed her hammer, and drove it into the walker's skull. The corpse fell silent, sagging against the plow.

Clementine hunched over, breathing heavily. It was over.

The heavy door opened, flooding the shed with moonlight. Shadows stretched across the back wall, and several voices started talking at once.

"What the hell-"

"How did it get in?"

"The shed should've been safe."

"You alright..?"

"Clementine?"

Clementine didn't respond. She let her hand slide off the hammer, turning around slowly. She met the anxious gazes of the group, her golden eyes flicking from one person to the other.

"I- I…" Her voice cracked and she took a shuddering breath. "I don't…"

She tried to take a step forward, but her leg wouldn't support her anymore, and she sank to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and curled into herself, willing the pounding in her head to go away. Someone approached her, their footsteps quick and heavy.

Clementine looked up into the concerned face of Luke. He had been the one to rescue her from the forest, after her dog bite. He had a long sort of face with a square jaw, lined with stubble, and wide brown eyes, which studied her carefully.

"Clem, are you okay?" He asked again, kneeling down to her level.

"…hurts…" Clementine whimpered, her voice small. "Everything... h-hurts…"

"Okay, we need t'get you into the house, alright?" Luke ran a hand through his hair. "Carlos'll take a look at you. Can you walk?"

Grimacing, Clementine shook her head. Her leg hurt.

Why did her leg hurt?

"Alright then, I'm gonna have t'carry you. Is that okay?"

Clementine wasn't listening. Her leg was throbbing now. She replayed what had happened in her mind, right up until her leg started hurting. The walker had grabbed her ankle and then jerked forward, and…

Her stomach dropped, her heart beginning to race. Her pant leg was dripping blood. Not possible. It simply wasn't possible. Carefully, Clementine rolled up the leg of her jeans.

Oh god…

"Clem, what's wro-" Luke trailed off mid-word, his eyes widening. "Holy shit."

"What is it, Luke?" Someone called. "What's going on?"

"I'm bitten?" Clementine stared at her leg, uncomprehending. "I... I'm bitten…"

The bite was deep, about two inches above her ankle. Dark blood streamed from the wound, dripping to the floor. Her sock was soaked. A wave of nausea swept through her, tears springing unbidden from her eyes.

"Oh my god, I'm bitten… I'm bitten!" Her voice was shrill, and panicked, and it didn't sound like hers at all. "No, no, no, I- we have to do something, I can't- please, no…"

"Motherfu-"

"Oh my god…"

"We can't, not like last time-"

"We have to do something!"

"Get Carlos!"

"Fuck, Clementine," Luke's voice brought her back. "We have to- god, I dunno we-"

"We have to cut it off," Clementine realized. "Now."

"But-"

"I said now, Luke!" Clementine balled her hands into fists. "I-I don't wanna turn! I won't! Please, help me, it's the only way, we have to…" She choked back a sob. "P-please."

"Okay… okay, but not out here." Luke told her, gathering her carefully into his arms. "We'll go inside, alright? Carlos'll know what to do."

"O-okay..." Clementine sniffled, burying her face into Luke's shoulder.

This can't be happening…

She began to sob, her whole body shaking as the gravity of the situation fully hit her. A bite meant certain death. She was about to cut off her leg, and it wasn't guaranteed to save her. Everything she'd been through, her whole life, could end right here, right now.

She wasn't ready yet.

"Where should I put her?"

"On the couch."

Luke carefully laid Clementine down on the sofa. She was barely clinging to consciousness, staring up at him through half-lidded eyes. His heart was pounding, blood rushing in his ears.

They had done this.

"What exactly happened?" Carlos asked, setting down his medical bag on the coffee table.

"Hell, I don't know..." Luke ran a hand through his hair. "Somehow, a walker got in the shed… it must've nabbed her during the fight."

"Fuck, what're we gonna do?" Nick paced behind the couch, biting his fingernails.

"Right now, you can make yourself useful and go get our antiseptic," Carlos ordered, rummaging around in his bag. "It's probably in the bathroom."

"Yeah, okay..." Nick was in too much shock to argue, and he raced up the stairs without complaint.

"This is bad," Pete murmured, standing in the corner of the room with his arms crossed. "She's in rough shape, Carlos."

"I'm perfectly aware, Pete," Carlos cut away Clementine's jeans at her knee. "We're going to need towels."

The request went unspoken, and Pete hurried up the stairs. Luke hovered by the couch, anxiety building up in his chest. Guilt clawed at his insides.

"We never should've put her in that damn shed." He said.

"It was supposed to be secure," Carlos replied, tying a rope around Clementine's thigh as a tourniquet. "We thought it was secure."

"We couldn't have known," Alvin agreed, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "Last we checked, it was fine. And we had to be sure." He still looked uncomfortable, like he was trying to convince himself.

Nick clambered down the stairs, holding a bottle of antiseptic.

"Is this all you could find?" Carlos asked, taking the bottle.

"It's all we have," Nick replied. "I couldn't find the other bottle."

"What?" Carlos frowned. "I could've sworn-"

"Uhm," Clementine piped up unexpectedly, her voice faint. "That's… kinda my fault, I… took it, for my arm."

"No kidding?" Luke's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"And... some other stuff…" Clementine added meekly.

"The fuck?" Nick said angrily. She bristled at his expression.

"I had no choice!" She shot back. "You guys left me to die in there! I had to do something! My arm was getting worse, and you weren't helping."

"She's right…" Luke rubbed the back of his neck. "We didn't handle that situation as well as we could've."

"No kiddin'." Pete drawled, coming down the stairs with an armful of towels.

"Thank you, Pete," Carlos set the towels beside the couch. "We did what we had to before," He continued, wetting a washcloth with antiseptic. "We have our own group to think about."

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on Luke. They had been worried she was bitten, so they locked her in the shed, where she really did get bitten. The universe was cruel like that, it seemed.

Clementine didn't respond, her mouth pressed into a thin line. Sweat glistened on her forehead, and her hands were clenched into fists. Luke couldn't imagine the pain she was in.

"Listen, Clem, I'm real sorry this happened," He said softly. "I really am."

"Yes, well sorry isn't going to help her now," Carlos replied, his voice detached and cold. He was in full doctor mode now. He fished two white pills out of a bottle. "These are antibiotics, to prevent an infection. If we do this, you should get them in your system now."

"If?" Clementine knit her brows together. "What do you mean, if?"

"I have to tell you there is a large chance this will not work," Carlos explained, his voice clinical. "Even if the amputation is a success, you could still bleed out, or maybe the infection has already spread too much. A gun would be a kinder death." He said simply.

Clementine took the pills and swallowed them dry.

"I'm not gonna turn. Cut it off." She said.

Luke had to admit he was impressed with her bravery. Most people would give up and end it with a bullet.

"Very well, then. Here, bite down on this," He handed Clementine a small rag. "I'm going to disinfect the wound, now."

Clementine bit down on the rag, breathing heavily through her nose. Luke could tell she knew what to expect.

"Luke, would you please hold her down?" Carlos asked. "I don't want her aggravating the wound."

Swallowing hard, Luke nodded and positioned himself beside Clementine, one arm holding her hands in place so she wouldn't strike him and the other keeping her legs still.

"Brace yourself."

It hurt.

Clementine had never experienced an acid burn, but she expected it felt something like this. Like her flesh was melting away at the bone, burning into nothing, frying all her nerve ends with mind-numbing pain.

God, she could smell it, even.

She bit down on the rag so hard she felt like her jaw would break, choking back her screams. She was saving those for when the real pain started. Tears rolled down her face, dampening the couch cushions beneath her.

"Okay, that's done."

Carlos, the doctor. He had some kind of Spanish accent that fit with his warm skin and dark hair. He held some level of authority within the group, that much she could tell. He'd been the one to first suggest locking her in the shed.

"Nick, go get the axe we chop wood with."

Nick. The lanky twenty-something year old with the ball cap and the bright blue eyes. He'd almost shot her when they first met. He'd been the most aggressive one there, hands down. But he wasn't arguing now, so Clementine felt that maybe he'd gotten over his distrust.

"Yeah."

Nick ran out the back door. Clementine squeezed her eyes shut. Her head was pounding. She just wanted the pain to stop.

God, make it stop.

"Luke, I'm going to need you to do it."

"What? Carlos, I'm not-"

"You'll be able to do it more quickly than me. You've got a better swing."

"But I don't know where to cut!"

"I'll make an incision with the axe, to mark where to cut and give the blade a divot to fit into. This'll be the fastest way, and I have to be ready to stitch up the wound afterwards."

"I-I dunno, I…"

"I need you to do this, Luke. You're a great deal stronger than me."

"O-okay… fuck, okay, I'll do it."

"Good man. Pete, I'm going to need you to help me hold her down."

"You got it, boss."

Footsteps again, and a slamming door.

"Got it."

"Disinfect the blade, Nick."

"Do you need me to do anything, Carlos?"

Alvin, the large man with a large heart. He tried to convince Carlos to help her. He gave her the bandages, and a juice box. He seemed like he was on her side. She was worried about his wife, though. Rebecca had wanted to shoot her.

"No Alvin, you can go if you like."

"Okay, thanks. I'm gonna go talk to Becca."

Heavy footsteps up the stairs.

"It's done."

"Thank you, Nick. You don't have to be here for this."

"No, I'm staying."

"Nick-"

"I wanna be here in case something happens, Luke."

"It's gonna be fine."

"You don't know that-"

"Dad, what's going on..?"

A new voice. A girl, sounding scared and confused.

"Get back upstairs, and stay there until I come get you."

"But Dad-"

"Now!"

More hurried footsteps up the stairs.

"Alright, here we go. Everyone ready now."

A strong hand pressed down on her leg, pinning it against the couch. This was it, no turning back now. One way or another, it would all be over soon. She forced down her panic and sent up a silent prayer. Hopefully someone up there was listening.

Carlos began cutting into her leg.

All coherent thought ended. Initially, she was going to try and stay as still as possible, but self-preservation won over and she screamed, like she never had screamed before, and tried to wrench herself free, fresh tears streaming down her face.

She could feel him carving a line into her flesh, feel every muscle and tendon sever, and the blood-

Another scream tore from her throat, muffled by the rag in her mouth. She was going to break her teeth, biting down so hard, but at this point that would be a welcome distraction.

"Luke, now!"

CRACK

Clementine felt her bone split.

STOP STOP STOP

CRACK

Something warm sprayed her face. She wanted it to end.

OH GOD MAKE IT STOP

CRA-ACK, snap

She couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't take it-

SNAP, crunch

Finally, finally, she slipped away into nothingness.

AN: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed Chapter One! I'm probably going to take a break to write the next few chapters and get a game plan set up. I just wanted to let you know about the rewrite and give you a sneak peek. Once I start updating, hopefully it'll be consistent and we can get the ball rolling on this thing. But until then, I bid you farewell. Thanks for reading! - Aqua