(I can't write David's character right just yet, I apologize in advance)

David filled up another mug of beer, having had his previous one taken by Lucas right underneath his nose. "He won't notice," he had said. Ha! Jokes on him, David was keenly aware of everything around him. Ready to quick draw his weapon at a moment's spare. A dust particle didn't float by without him knowing.

"You didn't even notice, did you? It's been that way all day and you didn't even think to fix it...I want to help you, I really do. But you have to let me help. How can you help take care of [REDACTED] if you can't even take care of yourself?"

David threw back his head, downing the contents whole. He could feel his sense tensing up while the rest of him threatened to shut down, as if his body wasn't used to this treatment by now.

Taking care of himself meant nothing. He kept these two kids alive didn't he? Behind him, he could hear Brandon and Lucas discussing the preparations for the plan to kill the Warden. Strategies and angles that hadn't been covered earlier. They knew what they were doing, thanks to him.

"Hey David, have you seen Michael's spare duct tape? I can't find it anywhere." Lucas walked up to him, pointedly not looking at the beer that David didn't even hide as he drank some more.

"Ugh. Have you checked his office?"

"Yes, I did. That was the first place I checked."

"Might want to look again. You tend to miss things the first go around." David spun the half empty mug around his hands. "Very easy to miss something when you're not paying attention. You got to have sharp eyes like me." To prove his point, he lifted the mug up above his head and waterfalled the rest of the beer into his mouth.

"Oh my god, could you just-" Lucas groaned and grabbed the mug out of his hand. "Where did you even get this one?"

"You think Michael only has two mugs back here? Not seeing the duct tape, not seeing the stack of mugs right in front of us... do we need to go back to the Doc and get you some glasses? Might improve your aim as well."

"I don't need glasses, I need you to stay sober for five minutes until we leave!"

"Can't you stay sober for five seconds? This is important!" She screamed into her hands, muffling her frustration just enough to not let the kid in the next room here. "I told you. Over and over. For weeks. All you had to do was not drink for one day and you couldn't even do that for us..."

A hand waved in front of his face and he blinked. "Uhh, David? You there?" Lucas asked, still holding the beer mug.

"All here, kid! Right as rain as always." Yup yup.

"Riiiight. Well just be somewhat sober when we head out. You can drink all you want to celebrate after we get your axe back. Until then, we all need to be on alert and ready."

David narrowed his eyes. "You doubting my skills again, boy?"

"No, I'm just saying it'll be more useful if you weren't drunk when we ambush a town hall full of people who want to kill us and zombies who want to eat us."

David waved him off. "I'll be fiiiine. You just be ready to keep up with me!"

Lucas threw up his hands in exasperation. "Fine! I'll go help Leo with counting supplies. And don't," he cut David off when he opened his mouth, "say anything about my being able to count." He walked off, muttering, "I give up. I give up! He's useless." under his breath.

David chuckled and leaned over the bar to grab another mug. Drunk or sober, he'd be a straight shot and focused just as he was as a state trooper. He was perfectly capable of following a simple get in and get out plan. Especially with his axe on the line.

His head pounded inwardly, yelling at him unsparingly, and he barely winced. He downed half the mug, slamming it onto the bar with a loud bang. The voices of his friends paused for a moment then resumed as normal. This was normal and that was completely up to par.

Lucas knew how to do things because of him! Sharpen his knives, stealth 100 skills, all that. If he could teach an uneducated high school dropout how to survive, then clearly he was doing just fine. Could a dysfunctional person do that?!

Brandon was a psychiatrist and all he diagnosed was that he was a drunk. He already knew that! Useless psychiatrist.

David stared glaze-eyed into the golden liquid still sloshing around in the mug. No, not useless. None of them were useless, even Lucas. David himself was highly useful! He was one half of the best fighting duo, even higher ranked when he had his axe. His wisdom and knowledge of his age aided them in their expeditions!

He was useful drunk as he was sober, if his shooting aim was anything to go by. The mug emptied out and sat with its many just-as-empty companions on the bar. Another joined them as the minutes passed by, more frequently as those minutes merged together until time continued on without him.

David drowned the images out of his head. He didn't want to remember anything he saw today. Blur it all into a haze until the faces haunting him were pixelated. His chest burned with every gulp, but it covered the useless feeling he had instead. He was damn useless to help those kids, might as well make himself useless for the rest of the day. Made no difference.

The front door opened and he felt hands touch his face, gently lifting his head up. He saw beautiful eyes that were filled with sadness, staring at him with so much regret. "I'm sorry about this, David. I really am. But I have to do what's right for [REDACTED] and me."

In his drunken stupor, he didn't even register her kissing his forehead before the door shut quietly. Leaving him in his self-imposed dark abyss with only starkey memories of runaway kids not getting home, not even reaching the state border alive, to keep him company.