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When Sadie and Jack return from who knows where John has been hanging out at the saloon while waiting for them. Mostly taking stoke on what they have and what they need more of. Mostly ammo. No one has any to spare and John has been struggling just to find some on the corpses; believing that someone had to die with some on them.
He marks off another batch when the doors swing and the two come walking in. Sadie didn’t come in – giving a greeting – and just left before John could say anything. “What was that about?” John asks as his son takes a seat next to him. “And don’t say nothing because I know Sadie longer than you.”
Jack tries to figure out a lie but his son knows that he can see right through it. Something that he had learned from Hosea and…Dutch. Even though he doesn’t like to think of the man, John can’t help remembering what he had learned from someone who was once viewed as a father. Sometimes he wants to see if maybe – by some miracle – their undead selves are different but John doesn’t want to be the one to gun them down.
“An undead attacked us while out, nothing too terrible.”
There’s more to the story but John knows how stubborn his son can be; getting it some both Abigail and him. Maybe even a little from Arthur as well.
Instead, John went about searching his bag before pulling out a chocolate bar and handing it to his son. “The shopkeeper was eaten and others were just going to loot the place anyway.” His son just stares before taking it and slowly opening it. John couldn’t help the chuckle. “What? A treat from your Uncle Arthur was a gift from the heavens but from me, it’s like sin or something?”
“No, no just that the world really became an awful place to be right now.”
Jack opened the bar from the back and broke the pieces before sliding it a bit so John could take some.
“Son, the world has always been an awful place, your mom and I just try to shield you from it.”
His son used to have quite the sweet tooth and loved any kind of candy that Arthur would bring back to camp, always making sure to share with others. Even sneaked some to his Aunt Tilly whenever someone said that Jack should keep it to himself. The first time Jack sneaked a piece to John was a surprising experience and he was still unsure of how to view it.
John takes another piece before packing everything up. “Alright, we better continue on.” Sure, they can stay here but something tells him that they can’t stay in one place for too long. “Just wrap it up and throw it into your bag.”
He looks back and watches as his son copies – grabbing a piece before putting it away into his bag – and suddenly John can’t help but picture himself back in the day. Arthur had shown a chocolate bar that he had stolen and the two shared it while talking about something or other. They didn’t even notice Hosea and Dutch showing up until Dutch stole two pieces; one for himself and the other for Hosea.
Then that moment was gone and he could only see his son standing before him.
John flicked Jack’s hat – the one that once belonged to himself – over his eyes before heading to the door. His son had cried out and already jumping into a new topic that John enjoyed listening to. Maybe the world isn’t as cruel as John has always believed, even just these tiny moments make this seem just a little better.