Nicholas Clark/Season 1/The Dog

## Summary

This article contains details of the events during the episode "The Dog" which were directly contributed to or witnessed by Nicholas Clark.

## Plot Details

At the Clark home Madison distracts her children with a game of Monopoly. Alicia tries a token "Really?" but Nick sits straight up. As soon as Madison says she wants to play as "The Top Hat", Alicia claims "The Car" and Nick "The Shoe". Alicia says that "Dad was always The Shoe", and Maddy replies that Daddy wouldn't mind. This is the first time we've heard them mention him. They go quiet for a moment but then fall into an established routine of gently squabbling over who gets to play with which piece and Nick saying he's going to wipe the floor with them.

The game of monopoly goes quite well, the Clarks are relaxed and laughing as they play, Nick wins something and gloats a bit, Madison says that she's crushing them - etc. The mood is broken when they hear something like a gunshot but the game continues after a few moments. Madison takes her move, then Alicia asks how long they are going to wait for Travis? Madison replies that they can go to sleep soon but Alicia says that she can't sleep while she's waiting for someone to come home, that she's having a major case of deja-vu right now. Nick and Madison avoid answering her.

Later Nick asks again what they will do if Travis doesn't return. As he says that it's been 6 hours the power goes out. Madison, determinedly normal, insists on the rule of "loser puts the game away" and makes Alicia go and do it. Nick presses harder once Alicia is out of the room, Maddy tells him that Travis will be back, to be with his family here, Nick replies that maybe Travis has already gone to be with his family.

Alicia interrupts them to say that it's happening again and they look out at the street. Whatever "it" is, it's not visible when they look outside. Nick says that the need to get away from the windows and tries to convince his mother that they "need to tell 'licia what's out there" - but Madison refuses. A noise at the patio window makes them jump and, when Nick looks, it's a dog asking to come in. Nick appears to know the dog, (it looks like the dog that was with the Cruz family in the episode "So Close, Yet So Far") Nick lets it in, the dog is covered with blood that's not his; it barks at the front door. Looking out they can see an Infected Peter Dawson shambling his way towards them from across the road, he appears to be coming from the Cruz home opposite. You can still see the remains of the bouncy castle and balloons behind him.

Nick gets decisive and is off to get the gun, a shotgun, from the Tran home over the fence at the bottom of the garden. They all go out the back, leaving the patio door open and the dog still inside, barking at the closed front door. They climb the fence at the back into the Tran's back garden. The garden is a complicated covered maze, Japanese water and wind ornaments can be heard as they follow Nick through the maze to the back door. He knows where the key is (under the mat) and they go in, calling for Susan and Patrick as they do. The house is empty, dark and silent. The lights flicker back on and Madison and Nick search for the weapon. Alicia looks at the pictures on the wall while Nick finds it and the shells.

They hear the dog barking again and, looking out of the window, Alicia sees someone go into the Clark home through the open patio doors. They hear the dog, aggresive at first but then whimpering and silent. Travis chooses this moment to arrive back and they rush to warn him. Travis goes into the dark house, calling for Maddy. Liza and Chris follow him in. Maddy races through the maze to get to him before Travis encounters Peter.

Maddy, Nick and Alicia are climbing the fence back from the Tran's garden. Madison takes the weapon and Nick asks Alicia where the shells are, she goes back for them. He says to leave it but Alicia is already on her way back into the house. Nick follows his mother to the house but doesn't go inside.

From outiside, Nick sees Madison come in with the shotgun and Travis fighting Peter, He sees Daniel take the weapon from his mogther and shoots Infected Peter in the face from about 2 metres. Twice. They all go silent in the house and then Chris comes out to vomit. When Alicia screams for help it's Chris who tries to save her, not her brother.

Alicia and this attracts Madison's attention inside the house. Madison runs out back giving the (now empty) shotgun to Nick as she goes. Alicia has made it 1/2 way across the fence but the infected woman is trying to pull her back. Chris wants to help Alicia, he gets to her and helps pull her all the way over the fence but Alicia kicks him in the face in her panic and making his nose bleed. There's some shouting and pushing while they sort themselves out. Chris isn't happy that Alicia didn't realise he was saving her and goes inside. They look at the Infected woman through a gap in the fence and recognise her as their neighbour and friend Susan Tran. Infected Susan growls as she reaches through a gap in the fence trying to get at them.

Madison says that she's sick. But Nick says that "She's not sick, she's dead." Alicia immediately thinks of Matt, her boyfriend, and panics. Madison comforts her as Travis turns to Nick and asks him why would he say that? (It's not clear whether Travis means "Why would you say that in front of your sister?" or "What the hell do you mean by that?" but the first seems more likely)

They load the cars int the morning and get in, Nick wants more pills and Madison gives him two. He finds out that Griselda has the rest and complains that Griselda's a stranger.

Alicia finally comes out of the house and the two families pull off the drive. Two Chinook helicopters are thudding around overhead. They drive through the housing estate and Maddy sees Susan's husband arriving home. She calls out to him but he can't hear her over the noise of the Chinooks and she goes after him. Alicia and Nick follow her, they come around the side of the house as Maddy is shouting to him and infected Susan reaches for Patrick her husband as her head explodes from a round shot by a National Guardsman. The garden fills with shouting soldiers.