Realistic or Modern The Dead Hills - IC

[Cosmosis]

Simon Petrikov​

A voice yelled at him from behind him. Probably the truck. Slowly, Simon thought he was having some caked mud crack and fall off of him as he moved his body to do as he wanted. How many had he killed? More then he had time to count right now. All he knew was it was quite a lot and he felt great about it. Slowly he walked until his body started moving better.

Grabbing Jake's axe he also grabbed Tendy Roids and lifted it just above the ground as he went towards the truck. That's when he saw the blood pooling from the back. Did he not kill them all himself? Simon just picked up his pace before he dropped the kid's weapon on the ground, Tendy being gently set to lean against the truck's grill. Stepping by the back the man heard the sobs first.

The girl was bawling her little eyes out and had the Russian not just been in one hell of a fight, he'd probably have been acting much diffrently. But alas, he had been in a fight. Not like WWII or WWI where his people lost two or more whole generations in both wars combined but still a fight he could have easily died in.

She has a side of softness after all. ' He told himself, approaching the back with a confident stride. Making sure not to step in blood he saw the fireman. It was in his eyes, the vodka drinker didn't need to see all of the blood to know what was going on. Death was all around the group but this man's death was different. He had been alive all of this time, fighting hard and one mistake cost him. Sure, he may have lost his gun from the Russian disarming him but an survivor still had a melee weapon. Course, Simon didn't know if he had just forgotten it or not until he saw a machete laying a bit away from the truck.

No word had escaped him and he had yet to look at the man fully. Walking to the side more, Simon looked right at the man and exhaled long and hard from his nostrils. "You've done well but now your journey ends here sir. Now, it may not have been as you wanted but it will be over quite soon. Don't speak unless you choose. I shan't stop you from saying as you wish because i know you're to die even if it were the olden days of working hospitals and modernized medicine." A slight breeze came and went without a second thought. "You've saved many i assume? Be happy with what you've done and don't allow what you could have done differently ruin he final moments you have in your body. Accept all the good you've done and if you know you have been in good character for most of life before and after the end started, rest well." Not a hint of sadness came from the man, nor pity or regret. Just what he had thought to say to help the others more-so than the dying man as he could bet money now that nothing was carried to the afterlife.

Here was a first generation survivor, dying after a pretty long run into the sickness from a mistake that anyone could and may make. Nothing could change the outcome in this timeline and Simon knew that. However, once he had passed, The Russian would hold a toast to the man not as a friend, but a survivor who seemed good of heart in the very end and even before his departure. The burly man could guess this as the girl he had arrived with had broken her hard shell and was now bawling for him. Tears of regret? Maybe. Or maybe tears of heartache that would be forever known only to her and never to the man she may love.

Either way, it was partly Simon's fault this turned out the way it had. Maybe if he had stuck to Archie's tactic, the man would be alright. As would Archie himself. The fight with the dead may have happened either way but the injury and death could have possibly been avoided but it happened. Simon would learn from this and not allow events to transpire the same way they had today. Every day added to their story as many stories partly ended just like Austin's. As long as one memory is kept, the person is not fully dead no matter what.

 

[Crono]

Austin was rather distraught as he lay awkwardly in the bed of the truck, breathing rapid and face giving away the fear he currently felt. Jennifer had appeared above him, emotional and yelling, though he hadn't heard what she said. Her voice drowned out by the dazed state he was in, Austin knew he was mumbling but couldn't hear the words, doubted they were actually words. He was aware that his body was in shock, and that it was difficult to think. Then the Scotsman appeared in his view, wasn't that idiot supposed to be in the truck?

The other mans words were the first of noises to break through the barrier. Austin made a guttural sound before he started shifting his position slightly while the third, the Russian, spoke. He understood he was going to die but having another speak it caused the fear to rise up, his bloodied hand shooting to grasp at Archie's hand which had taken over in applying pressure to his neck wound. It was the only living thing within immediate reach. The fear of dying, the fear of dying alone, not fears Austin had ever truly faced until this moment. He'd seen men and women in this state both before and after the world had gone to shit, been there as the life flowed from them. He'd always assumed his death would be quick, hopefully painless, not drawn out and slowed. But it was, and it was his turn, and he was afraid.

"I-I'm not...dead y-yet." He choked out with a hoarse voice, the fear driving to some small anger that they were all just watching him rather than doing something. "Gauze...and duck tape." He spoke to nobody in particular, just requesting it. His breathing was shaky as he fully started processing everything. "I don't..want to die." He mumbled, almost as a whisper. Knowing full well that he would, no matter what was done in the end he was still bitten.​

 

[Peacemaker .45]

Jennifer was zoned out when everyone came over. She was lost in her own mind, and for the first time in a long time, lost in her own emotions. I’m the past, her group lost people. But none were like this. None of them she saw die the way Austin was going to die. And after some of the things Austin had been around for when it came to Jennifer, it was hard to imagine losing him. But it was a reality now.

Jennifer suddenly snapped back into it when she heard Austin requested gauze and duck tape. Blinking quickly and shaking her head as she broke out of her trance, she looked around for the medical bag. Seeing it, she got up and grabbed it at the end of her tailgate.

“Archie,” Jennifer turned to him with the weakness in her to speak at the moment due to blood loss, “let Simon take over, you are too wounded.”

The words came out slightly mumbled. Jennifer was lightheaded. She needed to sterilize and stitch her own wound. There was no more time to waste with this.

“There’s duct tape in that bag beside Austin in the bed. Grab it. I need to sterilize and stitch my wounds. I can’t go longer right now without dealing with this. Archie, you need to be taken care of.”

Jennifer paused for a minute. While her thoughts weren’t the clearest, she knew a couple of things going on that needed to be added into the equation on what to do next. Nighttime was starting to fall. They didn’t have much daylight left. They needed to move into a building for the night. Not only was the night falling, but the sound of the gunshots from earlier when engaging the undead only would draw more in. Now only to add to this were two injuries, one serious and one somewhere in the middle, and one of them being bitten. Jennifer knew that, while she was injured, and her gunshot wounds were more of scrapes on her sides, she needed to help the others. But she needed to help herself first and clean her wounds. She decided now was the time to fix herself up first. She had to step up now.

“Jake and Simon, focus on the two back there. I have to stitch my wounds right now. As soon as we’re done,” she said, pausing momentarily to access the the building around her. She spotted or house on the outskirts of the town, elevated more on a hill, two stories, and far enough away from the town center where most undead might be.

“That house, the brick one up that hill, we’re going to go there and we’ll take care of everything there,” she finished, before taking her medical kit, and getting the necessary supplies to stitch herself up.

Jennifer had needed stitches many times before. Austin himself administered them to her every time. He taught her how to do it a couple of times. While it wasn’t easy, and it hurt, it worked. And she became somewhat effective at doing it. It would do for now. Grabbing the needle, she sterilized it. She then went to sterilize her wound. With a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide, she began to sterilize the two wounds. She kicked and winced, and even grunted, in pain. She tried to keep her voice down during the entire painful event. I’m nice she finally finished stitching herself, she got out of the truck and went towards the bed.

“Okay, everyone in the truck, we’re going to that house now.”

With everyone in the bed, Jennifer turned the Ram 2500 with the Cummins Turbo Diesel on, the diesel roaring when started. Jennifer slowly accelerated, making sure to drive the smoothest ride she could to the house. Pulling up the hill to the house, Jennifer parked outside the front door, thinking it’ll be the easiest and shortest way to get them inside. But there still was the issue of making sure the house was clear.

Jennifer got out of the truck and grabbed her AR in the back, and attacked a Surefire weapon light on the free rail slot. Jennifer was in no way in the physical capacity to do this clearing. She was slow, and in pain. But she had to. She walked to the bed.

“Either Jake or Simon, I need one of you with me to clear this house. Meet me inside and clear it with me. I’ll get the first floor and second floor. One of you get the basement. Cmon, let’s go,” said Jennifer as she loaded a mag and chambered a round, and attached her suppressor.

While she tried acting like she was okay, it was apparent she wasn’t. Not wanting to wait, Jennifer walked to the front door. It was locked, which was normal. Picking the lock, Jennifer walked inside, flashlight on and clearing the rooms. The whole house was left like the owners just left, practically everything was still intact. It seemed unchanged by the apocalypse. Something about it didn’t feel right. Could it have been used by survivors? She kept this thought in mind when she looked in every crack and crevasse in the House. She determined it was clear.

“Alright, it’s clear, let’s get them inside. Jake, Simon, you carry them in. I can’t. I’m too weak. Simon,” she said to them as she walked to the truck and got gear for the night. She walked up to Austin. She still didn’t want to accept what was going on, but she had to put her emotions away right now.

“Austin, we’re going to get you inside, just hang tight,” she said, before turning to Simon and Archie.

“Archie, Simon, do you know if anyone lives here? It’s eerily well kept, practically untouched by this world? It was clear when I was in there,” she said to them.

“Hold on,” Jennifer said as a thought popped into her head, “once we ge them inside, Simon, if you can, open the garage door manually, and I’ll park the truck in there. If we need supplies, it’ll be the safest way to go back and forth without going outside. But we need to get them inside first. Simon, Jake, let’s go, we don’t have time to waste.”

Jennifer’s words were slightly slurred. She lost too much blood. She’s took weak. Her body can’t hamdle this all. But she has to. She has to survive. And right now, she has to do this. And that’s what she planned on doing. She grabbed the medical supplies and walked inside, laying them down next to the couches in the living room.

idalie Cosmosis Crono

 

[Cosmosis]

Simon Petrikov​

Simon hadn't gotten into the bed of the truck. He had gotten into the cab while that kid hopped in the back. Before the kid grabbed the gauze and duct-tape, Simon had pocketed them. He wasn't wasting anything on a dead man unless they truly needed it. M&N had been returned to their holsters and HAR had done the same. Tendy made the truck sag a bit when it had been placed in the cab and then Simon made it sink further when he got in himself.

Not a word was spoken until they got to the building. "I highly doubt anyone lives so close to Ghoul Valley. Let's stay careful though. I don't know bout you folks but i'm not really up to being disabled like Teddy is right now." A smirk before he cracked his knuckles and went inside. Austin was dead. Simon brushed it off and paid no heed to it as he wasn't being weighed down by the death. Dust was everywhere but besides that, nothing seemed touched really. "Be careful Miss Jennifer. You need to rest and cover your mouth. I don't want to have you fall into an asthma attack from all of this dust." The man said soothingly, his rough voice sounding, if you looked for it, concerned for her well-being. Why though? Simon looked for a reason and when it came to him he seemed to sadden a bit before returning to his calm demeanor. 'Jessie...' Was all he could tell himself, tossing the name away from his mind with a weak throw. He'd be up late cause of that name now.

No one was around but traps were plausible. Nothing was within the living room, its sofas being checked by Simon before the girl was helped down by him. "Stay put." The man ordered, pointing at her like a kid. Walking off, he entered the kitchen, his boots stepping on the tiles with slow movements. With his weight, he would easily trigger a pressure plate hidden as a tile. Alas, none were there and he made his way back with a spoon and a dusty can of cubed pineapples and a bottle of water he took from his backpack. Giving them to the girl he sighed. She'd seen quite enough for the day and Simon bet that her little crew had been on the road for some time. One left them within the deadly Ghoul Valley and another had been killed. Course, Austin wasn't dead just yet but Simon chalked him off already. Even if he lived through the wound the bite would end him."Eat and relax. I'll be back." Simon said calmly as he headed for the garage, finding it open with shelves of stuff he couldn't make out in the darkness. Opening the garage door with a series of bangs and creaks, he snorted like a pig, welcoming the dusk and slight wind like he would a fly. Irritation and light annoyance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob Everneil​

He didn't need to be told a second time to get in the truck. Austin was dying and he didn't even get a single kill. Maybe if he had actually been paying attention, he could have saved him from the fate he now was doomed with. The mere thought tore him up like a corn husker from the old days. The Lost had taken Austin easily after that half nugget got his leg.

Slamming his fist on the truck's ledge, he growled. 'I seem to mess up at every turn.' "DAMNIT ALL!" Jake yelled through the wind as they drove away a bit from the town to a brick building. He had his axe right along the side of the truck and before he knew it, Jen had come back out and said it was all clear inside.

Archie looked like a crayola crayon white from his blood loss but Austin... Gray snow was all his skin appeared like in the gloom. Was he dead? Jake didn't want to know so he just hopped out of the back and took his melee weapon indoors along with the cots. The Russian handed Jennifer a can with some water and Jake only scoffed when he ordered the girl around before walking off. Like hell she'd listen right? Shaking his head, the kid set up both cots and went into a room he assumed to be a guest room, taking out blankets and pillows while he shook them free of the layer of dust. Coughing, the farm boy folded the blankets and set them on a chair, the pillows on top before he went and sat on the couch once more, hands holding his face, his arms supported by his bent legs as he fought the depression that seemed to be clawing his back and spine just like The Lost had back at the Manor over a day or so ago. Why did he have to fuck up so much? Why Austin and not him? 'Why? Why why why why... WHY!'

Crono Peacemaker .45 CabalAnomicPotato idalie

(I didn't get Archie cause i didn't know if you would be aight with it. Jake could get him right after the blankets and pillows though!)

 

[Crono]

Austin was rather silent unless spoken to after the initial shock of being bitten. Someone had taped gauze to his neck, he wasn't entirely sure who. The blood-loss had left him rather disoriented for a bit, but once they'd arrived at what looked like a home he started to gain some semblance of sanity. Eventually he managed to maneuver to the edge of the tailgate on his own, leaning harshly against the side still. Briefly he looked over his shoulder at Archie, "Don't take her shooting you too harshly. You can't really be friends with her until she's shot you." There was a light smile on his face, "Been there, done that." His words were slow between breaths so that he didn't exert himself and end up coughing.

The others came and went, bringing things in until Jennifer arrived to help him in. It was rather frustrating that it was her, she and Archie were wounded. The Russian and the kid were in much better shape to help him in. But Austin didn't decline, instead using what energy he had to make sure they both didn't end up taking a tumble in the end. Jennifer tried to insist he lay on one of the cots but Austin argued against it. In the end he'd snatched one of the covers from the chair on the way in, and decided to lay up against the wall in the room that held the cots. Laying down wasn't the best idea for him currently and he didn't want to, fear of drifting off and not coming back. What he knew was he was chilly, likely from the blood loss, possibly from the infection the bites were to eventually give him.

Austin stayed silent afterwards, staring at the window across the room with his head and back propped up against the wall and blanket lying over him. He felt stupid for how emotional he got from the thought of dying, now of all times. Considering he'd been so ready to go many months before, Austin wondered if he'd have had the guts in the end, to take his life. The man wiped briefly at his eyes with the blanket before letting out a long sigh. There was no doubt he wasn't going to make it through the night, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to try.

Jennifer returned briefly to check on him, or she'd stayed, he couldn't be sure. Either way he took notice of her presence and pursed his lips to speak, "Jennifer...when it's time could you..." He paused, searching for the right words. "Would you be the one to put me out of my misery?" The man clearly hated asking for such a thing, but more-so was asking it from her. But there was nobody else he'd rather be the one to send him to a better place, if there was such a thing.​

 

[Peacemaker .45]

Though she was injured, and in no capacity to do the things she did, Jennifer took charge anyway because she had to. No one else was being a leader in this right. With Archie down and in serious pain, from an accident she was responsible for, and Austin being bitten, only Simon and Jake were left. Jake was still just a kid who was scared and timid. He could never fight on his own. He needs the stronger to fight for him. Simon was a brute, but he didn’t quite do much to help the situation. In fact, once the house was cleared, Jennifer ran out and brought Austin inside. Through the stitches wanting to pull apart and her blood loss, she got him inside. She tried being gentle, but there was no choice in the state she was in, especially when Simon wasn’t right there. As soon as she heard Simon come in from the garage, she knew the garage door was open.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, grabbing her keys, starting to walk out the front door. “I’m pulling the truck in, and then we need to get Archie inside and he needs medical attention. One of us has to figure out how to do this.”

Without saying a word else, Jennifer jogged in pain to the truck and out the key in. Archie was still back there in pain. Jennifer had a new feeling overcome her. She felt like she was now the leader of whoever was left. When Holliday left, the man in charge of their group left, without warning. No one could step up but her. This wasn’t about emotions or anything at the moment. This was about making sure she, and everyone else, survives this day. While her emotions still confronted her, she pushed them to the pack of her head for now. It was simply not the time.

“Hang on, Archie, we’re going to get you inside soon and we’ll try to do our best to take care of you,” she yelled back to him, opening the power sliding rear window of the truck.

Putting it in drive, she directed the diesel into the opened garage, bed in first so unloading Archie was easier. Once in the garage, Jennifer parked and turned the truck off. She then got out, and pulled the garage door down. In the process, she felt one or two stitches break. It sent an immediate shock of pain to her side. With a small cry of pain, she forced herself to pull the garage door down. She overstretched and that caused her stitches to break.

With the garage door down, she locked them so they couldn’t open. She ran past Archie, saying something about hanging on in the process. Once inside, she got walked over to Simon.

“We need to get Archie inside right now. I need you to get him. Bring him to the living room where Austin is.”

The injured girl then slowly made her way back to where Austin was. He was whiter than a ghost. She put her hand on his forehead to feel if he had a fever. He was burning up. Jennifer knew he wasn’t going to make it.

Plopping down on the couch, she held her head with her hands, leaning forward. The pain was vibrating, and she was starting to feel the gravity of the situation more and more. Slowly, tears began to fall from her eyes. She silently cursed the world for what it’s done to her and her friends.

Amidst her quiet crying, she heard Austin. Picking her head up and looking at him, she wiped the tears from her eyes. She listened as he said something to her. Once she heard the words, her heart sank farther than she’d ever felt.

“Y-you-u want-t me to do-o it,” she said, shivering at the though of what he asked her.

She leaned back on the couch and began to cry more, until she told herself to pull it together. She got up, and bent down next to Austin, tears still in her eyes. Her mouth opened, but words didn’t come out. Her eyes drifted all over, searching for the strength to say what she needed to say. The girl paused, and took a deep breath, only leading to more tears. She took a second to try to regain her composure for good this time. With a deep breath, she felt the weight of her response settle momentarily, and looked back at Austin. Holding back her emotions, she put her hand on his head and looked him in the eyes. She shook her head and let the word “yes” slip through her mouth.

To some, the gesture Jennifer did might one think that she had feelings for him. That wasn’t the case. Austin was like a brother to her. He had been there in some of her darkest moments. She needed someone to help her in this world. She needed a family-like figure in her life. Austin just so happened to fill that void. With her parents dead, and having no family, Austin was the closest to family-and a brother-she had. Everyone else was gone. And now, she was about to lose the one person that felt like true family to her. And that’s why this hurt even more.

“Tell me when,” she struggled to say, pressing her lips together with her eyes closed. “Tell me when and I’ll d-,” she turned away for a second, fighting back tears, before looking back at him. “I’ll do it.”

The words felt like enormous amounts of weight on her shoulders. But she had no choice. She had to, for him.

Getting up, she sat back on the couch and observed her stitches. Two broke, and some blood leaked through. She grabbed the medkit in her backpack and began to fix the stitches. Though it cause more pain, she did what she needed to do and fixed herself. She lay back in the couch, with a second to rest, with the weight of everything starting to set in more.

This was going to be a day that Jennifer doesn’t want to remember.

Crono Cosmosis idalie

 

[idalie]

ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​

He was confused, barely correlating the links between getting into the car and arriving at the new location. The bearded fellow attempted to get up, only to make an odd, prolonged groan as he fell on his side. Teeth clenched together. Breath quick. Wearing only his leather jacket over open stitching, which the Scotsman protected with his hands as best he could. Alas, there was no hope for the wound on his back where the bullet had exited - and left a nice, open crater of flesh and pieces of fabric hanging from it. Still seeping a shade of ruby. Nevertheless, there would be a hit and miss with infection at the rate they were going. Lying down, he swallowed and licked his chapped lips. Making expressions consisting of frowns and stomach twisting grimaces.

Hang on.
​

It was repeated more times than he could count, although his head pounded and the Scotsman shivered, wanting nothing more than to be at home. Sitting in front of the log fire, wrapped in tartan blankets, with his parents' long-haired terrier settled on his feet. Watching Strictly Come Dancing with his mam, whilst his dad made faces at the contestants and a warm, cup of tea in his hands. The thoughts were so vivid, that when the garage door clanged close, McKeegan jolted. Muttering something about Bruce Forsythe. Of course, the Americans wouldn't understand a nugget of any his thoughts.

He panted and using his numb hands, grasped the bed of the truck tight, working his way around the edge, whilst trying to pull himself off with his weak, pale-faced state. Managing to push himself upright using the coordination of a newborn, only to stand and in succession - fall like a pile of bricks into the floor. It was barely even standing, more a continuous failure of moving. But it was painful enough he assumed the fetal position, and then again had to straighten his back as his torso exploded in blinding agony to the point he physically retched and gagged. A tear streaming from one of his eyes. "F-f-f-fuck." It was colder on the floor he discovered. Scented with old oil and petrol, much to his annoyance.

Breathing heavy, he stared up at the garage ceiling and uttered a weak "Fuck-fu-fuck-you." As if whatever God was up there could hear his insult. But there was none, there would never be one. Not since the dead rose. Not a prayer had been answered. His grandmother would give him a right thrashing for saying it, but as he accepted his predicament - not so much a strong man with a hole in his belly, Archie cursed every last notion of the afterlife to hell. His hand clumsily wiping at his cheek. There wasn't anything. Was there? This was all made up, by someone too scared to look into the darkness of nothing.

Their bodies would rot in the Earth and feed the land. This whole thing, it was just putting humans back in their place. A cough erupted his cold chest, sweat pooling on his brow. If he did die, just perhaps, he'd be home. For a second or a century, he didn't care. Alas, the fatigue had caught up. And with it, he wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and pretend he was seventeen again. Stupid and young, out drinking, faking ID's, taking the train to Glasgow. His first real girlfriend. A dysfunctional couple to the end. He wondered where she was now, whether she'd gotten married and had little bairns of her own. Or whether she lay rotting in a ditch like the rest of them.

Crono Peacemaker .45 Cosmosis

(Sorry for disrupting the message cycle or whatever we had going on D: I thought I should hop back in before it gets too ahead)

 

[tammynorthland]

the wind was chilly. The air had a strange bite to it. It just seemed.......like it was alive. The towns nearby filled with the smell of decay crossing the air. There were casts of bones and partially swollen decaying flesh littered all over the streets. Even the animals tended to stay far away from the scents. Like it plagued them as well.

It was the city....well sort of the city. There was a town. maybe filled with 10,000 people back in the hay day. The main strip of the town was littered with trash. Foot steps clipped through the city. Slight pace behind them. Almost as if they weren't in a hurry but time was not on their side either. The groans of a few scattered distant dead would echo. Followed with the squeaking of wheels turning. a large wagon was being pulled along as well. rubber inflatable tires whirring on the beat up paved road. As the footsteps begun to make way around the next block 2 undead were within 50 feet of the radius.

The 2 took notice on the figure looming past them as if they ignored them. Wagon stopped rolling and the hands came off. The human bore a poncho. Mainly for warmth. More or less it could have also just been a blanket with a hole cut in it. Isn't that what they are to begin with?

The first figure was waltzing and the second then divulged in its attention to the figure. They begun making rounds in the attempt to score the easy meal. The hands were unarmed. The body was not able to spot the quality of build the person had. Nor could tell the weaponry, if any, that was on hand. A hand reached out of the poncho. Followed by the second. A loud clink, followed with the sound of a Pin sliding and a final "Clack" sounded off. Followed with 2 loud thumps and the bodies collapsed on the ground.

The sun was going strong during the cool day but didn't help make it warmer. a glare hit the edge of the blade as it shined off the blackened blood from the 2 machetes welded together. the other 2 machetes on the opposite side of the weapon glimmering the identical amount of blood as the previous ones dripped onto the ground...

Crono Peacemaker .45 Cosmosis

 

[Crono]

"Thankyou." He spoke when she'd accepted, though it came out as a near whisper. "I just...I don't think I have the strength to do it." The man attempted to clear his throat, wincing at the pain that cascaded alongside the vibrations in his neck. Until now he'd still been rather tense but after the woman had answered his body had relaxed more, "I know what I said those months ago...about it being...the plan. But I don't think I could have gone through with it." Austin would have shrugged if he wasn't so tired.

"I'm sorry for checking out now...of all times." He told her between breaths, head turned from the window to look at her. Clearly emotional with what was to come, and the man attempted a comforting smile but looking at her had his own eyes brimming with tears. "Maybe I should have just stayed on that gas station roof." He was speaking on the day they'd met, there'd been several others they'd run into but they'd both been surviving solo. Austin had been sleeping on a gas station rooftop, taking a few day breather while he resupplied from the nearby buildings before heading back onto his travels to California.

Jennifer had told him to tell her when to do it. Austin had turned so he was staring out the nearby window and up at the night sky, the moon was shining bright. "I'm lucky." He spoke, hoping she could hear him as he continued to stare at the sky. "There are so...many worse ways to go these days. I'm roughly comfortable and....warm, with someone I care for next...to me. And it's...quiet." He smiled at the words, "It's so quiet."

Austin's breathing was slowing after a shuddered breath. "Take...care of yourself...Jenn, I won't...be around to...anymore."

These would be the last words the Firefighter from Vermont would utter before his world went dark. The last thing his eyes laid upon was the moon shining bright in the sky.​

 

[idalie]

ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​

Half unconscious with a wheeze to his breathing Archie found himself, at last, being lifted - if not partially dragged over the garage floor, indoors. Warmer than the garage and certainly softer due to the carpet beneath him instead of concrete. He'd concluded it must've been Simon, the only one around his weight who could shift the Scotsman without help. Nevertheless, he was still somewhat bitter at the Russian. And that'd be a grudge to take time to heal.

Archie's eyes were partially open, flickering back and forth erratically, pupils dilating with stress whilst he laboured for each inhale. McKeegan couldn't speak, at that point. Making slight grunts of pain every so often, but through his tunnelled vision, he saw Austin. His attention was drifting, but something was familiar about the outline of the silhouette lying there. It was safe to say, Archie had bypassed Class 2 haemorrhaging. Leaving him in a state of anxiety, easily agitated. His mind was in primitive tatters.

He was hurt. Yes, he was hurt. But by what? Simon? No, no - there was a bang - a gun! ... Jennifer. Jennifer hurt him. Everything was beginning to slip. Like being in a dream where you couldn't control yourself. What hurt Austin? His head lolled to the side. Something bad. It made Jennifer cry.

Fatigue dragged on his bones, and his eyes closed. A small sleep. That's all it was. A small sleep. If not for the involuntary shivering which continued to wrack his frame, Archie looked like a lost cause. Pale as a sheet of paper.

Cosmosis Peacemaker .45

 

[Peacemaker .45]

Jennifer closed her eyes after fixing the stitches and tried to relax for a minute. After this day, she was exhausted, physically and mentally. However, she knew it wasn’t over yet. She knew there was more she’d have to bear soon. But the opportunity to rest was one she couldn’t pass up. Resting her rifle on the couch next to her, along with her backpack, she took out a small canteen and downed whatever water was left in it. She was thirsty, tired, and hungry.

Austin began to try to speak once Jennifer finished sipping her water. Her beards perked up when she heard his weak voice. She practically jumped up and got to his side to listen, should it be the time. He began by thanking her for what she agreed to do. He was reflective. He spoke about his plan months ago to go to California and kill himself on the beach. He told her that after the events at the hospital happened. That conversation that lead to that revelation was something she remembered so vividly. Jennifer sat there, wiping tears from her eyes as she listened to Austin. She shook her head when he spoke, but waited until he was done speaking before she said anything.

He went on to bring up another thing, the day they met on a gas station roof. Jennifer had been attacked and shot at, and she was injured and held at gun point by others at that gas station. It wasn’t just him up there. There were a couple more. It’s been a long time since she saw some of those people. Jennifer began to tear up once again, reminiscing over those memories. But then Austin said he was sorry for checking out. Why he would feel that way, she couldn’t understand.

“Austin, it’s not your fault you are,” replied Jennifer to him, with a look of sorrow on her face. She just did not understand why he felt that way. “You didn’t choose for this to happen. We slipped up. We weren’t careful enough.” Jennifer looked away, and tears started collecting in her eyes. She fought them back as hard as she could. But her crying began. “It’s my fault this happened to you,” she said, “dropping her head, looking away from him, wiping tears from her eyes. “This is my fault! If I never shot Archie by mistake, or those people, you could have still been alive.” He tried to talk it down like it wasn’t her fault. But she knew it was.

Austin continued on talking to her. He told her she was lucky. He marveled at the silence. His words made Jennifer fight back more tears. But the last words he said to her were the ones that cut through her heart like a dagger. And she began to weep harder, still fighting back the eruption of tears and emotion she felt.

"Take...care of yourself...Jenn, I won't...be around to...anymore."

Once done saying this, a loud, long breath came out of his mouth. Jennifer stopped crying for a moment.

“Austin?,” she started. “Austin,” she said, shacking him. “Austin, Austin! Wake up! Austin,” she said, still shaking him.

She didn’t know know whether he was dead or not. She put her fingers on his neck and tried to feel a pulse.

Nothing.

Jennifer sat there, tears dripping off her face onto Austin’s shirt. She shook him again, as if he were asleep, trying to wake him up. She felt tried again feeling for a pulse.

Nothing.

“No, no, no, no,” she began weeping and her body shook. “Austin no, no, no!”

Jennifer placed her arms and head on his lifeless body. She sat there for a minute, crying, trying to accept what happened. But she knew she had to do one thing. She needed to stop him from turning.

As she wept, Simon brought Archie in next to Austin. Jennifer looked up at Simon, her face red, full of tears. “He died,” she forced out through her mouth, fighting back her emotions. “I’ll do it. He wanted me to. Give me a minute,” she added, talking to Simon.

Jennifer continued crying for another 30 seconds or so. After that, she took a deep breath, and reached for her handgun, holstered to her side. Pulling it out, she took the mag out, checked to see if it was loaded. She then checked the chamber and verified it was. But in that room wasn’t where she wanted to do it. Jennifer turned to Simon, not making eye contact.

“Can you take him out to the garage,” she asked him, wiping tears from her cheek, her voice low and barely audible. Simon obliged, and carried him out to the garage. Jennifer followed in.

“You mind stepping out,” she asked him. “I’d rather do this alone.”

Simon did as Jennifer wished, and left the garage. She opened up her truck and grabbed two blankets. She wrapped one around his head, and put the other one covering him. Once he was covered, Jennifer knelt down, and did something she didn’t normally do. Before the world changed, she was religious. After the hospital, she lost her faith. But as of recently, Jennifer felt her faith. It was bringing light back into her dark soul. Because of this, she knelt down, and recited a prayer she had remembered.

“Dear Lord. In your mercy and love,
blot out the sins he has committed
through human weakness.
In this world he has died:
let him live with you for ever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.
Let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in piece. Amen.”

Jennifer then took her handgun, and placed the end of the suppressor against where Austin’s head was. She fought back tears, trying to get the strength to pull the trigger.

“I’m sorry Austin,” she said with tears in her eyes, before pulling the trigger. “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m going to really miss you. You were family to me. You were like my older brother. Rest In Peace. Go join the others who didn’t make it. Say hello to my parents for me.”

Jennifer pauses fighting back more tears with what she was about to say. She took a moment to gain her composure before saying what she wanted to last.

“I’ll see you and then all again someday. Until then, this is goodbye.”

Jennifer adjusted her placement of the barrel on Austin’s lifeless head, and pulled the trigger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Next Morning

Jennifer woke up on the couch. She got more sleep than she thought she could get, given what happened the following day. But her little injury still hurt her. Everyone else was still asleep, or so it seemed. Archie made a lot of noise, given his injury. It was still relatively early, as it was mostly dark outside, some light from the sun rising broke through the clouds. Out the window, she saw a sizable group of the dead in the streets of the town. Jennifer watched from a distance as them limped and wandered around hopelessly. She thought about how Austin could be one of them if she hadn’t done what she did, per his wishes. She tried not to tear up thinking about him, but it was to no avail. He still lie there on the garage floor. He deserves a proper burial, if she could get one to happen.

Walking back to the couch, she pulled out a breakfast food bar from her backpack and ate it. She was hungry, starving for food. The taste of the stale food felt good on her tongue.

As she ate, Archie made more noise. Whether he was asleep or not, she didn’t know. But what was next at this point? Where do they go from here? Jennifer thought about her options. There was one she considered that was dark, her darkness seeping through after the light made way in her mind. She considered simply just shooting Archie and Simon, taking their stuff, and leaving with Jake. She didn’t know if she could trust them. One of them was practically already dying. She considered the options. But the light battled the darkness. Archie was suffering. She could save him, or kill him and put him out of his misery. By then she’d have to kill Simon most likely. She battled these thoughts more and more. The longer she studied Archie, the more she felt she needed to help, and the light made its way in. She grabbed a pill bottle from her backpack and walked to Archie.

“Hey,” she said, shaking him, trying to wake him up. “Here,” she said, out the medication. “Take this. It’s vicodin, an opioid painkiller. It’s strong, it’ll help lessen the pain.” She took a moment to look at his wound, what was visible, at least. And it didn’t look good. She’d have to do something about it if she wanted him to live. Austin didn’t get a chance to fully fix him up. But Austin taught her some medical care. She’d have to try to remember it and do what she could for him.

“Just take that and relax,” she said, getting up and walking to Simon.

“Hey, Simon, wake up,” she said, relatively louder. She was afraid to shake him. She didn’t know was his response would be. “Simon, wake up,” she said clapping her hands.

“I need to know where the nearest pharmacy, doctor’s office, or hospital is. If your friend wants to live, he’s going to need care. But I don’t have everything I would need. Are there any in town, or nearby?”

Jennifer needed some more medication and specific medical supplies. His exit wound was too large for the stitches she had. She’d need sedatives. Broken bone would fragment in his body. These fragments need to be removed. And if he had organ damage, it could be all over for him. Either way, she needed a sedative, a heart rate and O2 monitor, and an oxygen tank and mask. Otherwise, it would be too risky to try and fix him up. She knew that this would be another long day. And she’s not in the best of shape for this, but she has to do it.

In the distance outside the house, Jennifer heard the sound of undead getting closer. “Ah, shit,” she said, turning away from Simon and looking out the window. The herd of them started moving their way to the house.

“Mother fucker,” she said quietly, expressing her annoyance with the situation. “Just when I thought we dealt with them yesterday.

“Herd’s moving this way, guys. Everyone up. Get a gun. Don’t attract their attention, don’t make loud noises. Let’s try to let this herd pass.”

Jennifer walked to the couch and grabbed her rifle.
“Just had to end up in a place called ‘Ghoul Valley’ and have them pop up in a time like this,” she said under her breath.


Cosmosis idalie Crono

 

[idalie]

ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​

It was hard to think the crippled man lying on the floor had once tossed cabers during the Highland Games. His skin had paled dramatically, with dark circles around his eyes and a gauntness to his cheeks. The noises he made, were half-conscious - he just wanted somebody, anybody, to tell him it'd be alright. Childish yet it was human of him to want interaction - something to make him feel like he wasn't going to slip over the great blue yonder in his sleep. He'd been dosing in and out, fearful that the next gun would be put to his head, giving the same end as they had Austin.

Oh, but he was so cold, so very cold it felt as if the warmth was sapped from his bones. Archie just didn't have the energy to shiver. He barely even registered Jennifer, till she shook him. McKeegan gazed at her with the same eyes as that of a wounded dog, who'd been kicked too many times. His hands were clumsy, barely cooperating as they accepted the medication, arm tired from the small movement he threw it in his mouth and swallowed.

He parted his chapped lips, tongue sluggishly trying to turn out words. Only wheezing out "Help" Among his laboured breaths as he lay on the floor pathetically. It made him want to cry in fury, anger, sorrow. He was weaker than a bairn.

Those who knew Archie, would also know he was the sort of bloke who cried at rom-coms and newborn babies or the occasional wedding. Of course, he was big and bad when he needed to be - yet there was something undeniably soft-hearted about the big Scotsman. A bear who was more like Paddington than he was wild. McKeegan's head lolled as he rolled onto his side, visibly with eyes watering as he bent over - letting out a cry. By the time he'd even reached his knees, McKeegan's blood pressure was so low he practically fell sideways and into the floor with grunts and half muffled agony.

His chest heaved up and down, whilst he panted out "Help - ME" Again, desperate not to be left behind. A death by the undead was worse than passing in your sleep.

Peacemaker .45 Cosmosis

 

[Peacemaker .45]

A sea of undead stumbled their way to the house Jennifer and the rest were at. Gun in hand, Jennifer stepped up to the window and observed the herd of them. She thought she saw anywhere between 40-70 undead. It was truly a massive herd. There was nothing she or the rest could truly do. There was no way around it, and Jennifer wouldn’t run them down either. They had to either try to thin the herd, divert them somewhere, or wait it out. But the situation currently was dire. They didn’t have time to sit around and let the clock tick. They had to consider their options. But first, Jennifer needed to know where the nearest hospital or medical facility is.

“Simon, is there a hospital or some sort of medical facility anywhere nearby,” she asked the Russian, her tone serious and to the point.

The Russian thought for a moment. He scratched his beard as he thought. Then, the lightbulb went off in his head.

“Yes,” said Simon, “a couple miles out of town there is one near. Bill T. Sharp Jr. hospital.”

“Okay, good,” Jennifer replied. “You’ll need to guide me there.”

Jennifer returned her attention at the approaching undead. With a herd that large, even if the herd was diverted, it was so large that it’s almost certain that some wouldn’t follow the sound. Jennifer did have firecrackers, but the issue is she would have to throw them. But with her stitches right now, it wouldn’t be a good idea.

Come on, Jennifer! Think, think, think, she thought to herself. An idea suddenly popped into her head. Jennifer opened up her backpack and pulled out firecrackers and a lighter. She then ran out to her truck in the garage, and got her AR-10. She paused, however, monetarily when she saw the sheet Austin was under. It pained her to see that, but she didn’t have the time to mourn now. She ran back into the living room.

“Simon, get Archie and put him in the truck. Jake, you help.” Jennifer paused for a moment, she had one more wish from Simon. It wasn’t an easy one. “Can you, she started, holding back some tears, “put Austin in the bed of the truck? He deserves a proper burial.”

With that out of the way, Jennifer began to state her plan.

“I’m going to go out and place firecrackers away from the driveway and the house. Then I’m going to pick them off. We don’t have the time to wait and let them pass. We need to get out of here ASAP. And using a firecracker alone won’t get them all away. There’s far too many. We need to divert their course and thin them out so we can get out of here and to the hospital. I’ll need you, Simon, to guide me there. Now go!”

Simon and Jake started to get stuff together to enter the truck. Meanwhile, Jennifer ran out to the back door and quietly creeped her way around towards the front. The undead were about 300 feet away. She would be seen. She needed to get the herd to move towards the firecrackers, all while giving her a clean line of sight to pick them off. She had to run towards the herd, light the firecrackers and book it back to the back of the house. Jennifer’s stitches would be an issue, but she had no choice. She had to put pain aside so that she can survive.

Taking a deep breath, Jennifer told herself she can go it. Nervous, shaking and slightly scared, she popped out from the corner of the house and booked it towards the herd. They saw her, and their quieter docile bodies walking became excited and lively upon seeing Jennifer. Once she was about 100 feet away from the herd, Jennifer turned and looked back at the house. She had a clear line of sight. She then turned her attention to the firecrackers, lit the fuse, tossed them towards the herd. She then booked it back to the back of the house and went in through the back door and grabbed her rifle. She heard the firecrackers going off, and saw the undead congregating around the area. But they wouldn’t last long, as firecrackers aren’t long lasting noise devices. Knowing that it was almost certainly over in the next 30 seconds, Jennifer ran upstairs and into a room.

Opening the window up in the room, the woman rested her rifle on the window frame. She was breathing heavily from her running and fear. Jennifer tried calling herself down. Taking deep breaths, she calmed herself. The fireworks were over, and as she looked, the undead were walking around the area of the firecrackers, wondering where the sound went.

Flipping the rifle on fire, Jennifer lined up her reticule one of the walker’s heads. She squeeze the trigger. The rifle recoiled, the suppressor and subsonic ammo stayed quiet. And the undead corpse dropped. With a satisfied smile, Jennifer continued to pull the trigger, the undead oblivious to what was going on. Shot after shot, they dropped. After one magazine of 20 rounds were fired, she picked up her rifle and ran down to the garage. It was now less of a threat leaving.

Entering the garage, Simon sat by the garage door. “Open it, let’s go,” she ordered him as she threw her backpack in the bed and ran to the front, turning the diesel on. Simultaneously, Simon pushed the garage door open, then ran back into the truck. Hitting the accelerator, and the diesel roared out of the garage, and started towards the town. The undead, confused as they always were, turned towards the truck, and started to walk in it’s direction. Jennifer pushed the accelerator down more, and sped out towards town. Jennifer sighed, signaling relief.

“Okay, Simon, direct me towards the hospital.”

Directing her a several miles or so out of town, they came around towards a long and relatively curvy road to a hospital. Upon arriving, she stared at the building, unique in design. There seemed to be a lot of glass once, but most of it was destroyed. The lobby inside seemed to be static, lifeless. The outside seemed to indicate something happened here once. Jennifer had a bad feeling about this.

“Okay, I need someone to come with me,” Jennifer said, looking at Jake and Simon. Jennifer didn’t want to leave Jake with Archie. He wouldn’t do good defending himself or Archie is something happened. If he was with her, at least she could handle him. The kid was nothing special. He didn’t know how to fight. He was scared too easily. He often felt like a burden to Jennifer. He was, in some ways, useless. But she didn’t trust him to watch Archie. Simon could defend himself and Archie.

“Jake, load up and come with me. Simon, stay with Archie,” Jennifer said, feeling as if she was going to regret this. “We’re going to find a room for Archie. We need to clear it out first. Or rather, make sure it is clear.”

Jennifer scanned the surround area. It seemed clear, but she didn’t like how quiet it was. Jennifer walked out back to the bed. Dropping the tailgate quietly, Austin’s body covered in a blanket. She forgot about it being there. She took a deep breath in sorrow, and hopping in the bed. She grabbed her plate carrier with level 3 body armor and ballistic helmet, with night vision, she got from a military outpost she raided once.

With herself geared up, ready in case someone in there tried to shoot her, she grabbed her rifle and walked to Jake, who took a Ruger 10/22.

“Let’s go in, find a room, make sure the place is clear, and get Archie in so I can work on him. We need to do this as quick as possible.” Jennifer said to Jake, readying her weapons.

“Let’s go,” Jennifer said, signaling Jake to walk with her into the Hospital, Jennifer approaching the hospital carefully, scanning the building and surrounding area for threats.

idalie Cosmosis Catharsis Rumble Fish CabalAnomicPotato

 

[idalie]

ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​

They were moving, he knew that. From the pain which erupted through him as he found himself roughly half dragged and lifted into the truck, a strangled yell left his lips. Choked and practically bordering on a sob. He was numb, cold, and for all it was worth, he wanted someone to tell him it was all ok. McKeegan's heart was slowing rather than it's previous rapid patter, and the veins on his arms had all but constricted leaving the Scotsman looking like a dead man walking (pun unintended).​

Archie was beginning to get irritated, his slow movements and inability to stand were coupled with the lack of attention. Didn't they see?! Were they blind?! He was going to die. He was going to die and not even Jennifer would bother to make sure he had a burial. They'd wrap him in hospital sheets. Smother him like an unwanted bairn. His paranoia caused him to sit up, his head heavy - lurching forwards. "I'll- b-e -fi... fine." His speech was slurred, breathless, as he tried to keep from retching. Nausea setting in.

No help. No help. The words fizzed in his mind like soluble painkillers. Yet the pain never went. At this point, it felt like an itch, deep inside his wound. Gently prodding the raw and red injury, immediately flinging himself backwards till his head hit the seat. Throughout the time, his quick-paced breathing and low blood pressure had tinged his lips a light shade of purple - something that would proceed to deepen in hue.

The confusion began to lead to aggression, his foot ineffectively slamming into Simon - "She- gonn-ae - she -" His words were practically bordering on that of an insane patient. "Kill- kill - me." His eyes began to roll back into his head. Gasping for air that never came as oxygen failed to be transported around his system quick enough. He was asphyxiating practically, eyes wide as with each breath he took in - it wasn't enough.

The Scotsman's limbs began to tense with oncoming seizures, causing erratic movements - arms tightly folded up to his chest.

Cosmosis Peacemaker .45 [Anyone else? Idk]

 

[Peacemaker .45]

The inside of the building was dark. Though there was light from the sun outside, the inside was shielded from any of the sunlight. Jennifer, Jake behind her, approached the structure, scanning the outside. But the inside was almost impossible to see. The sun was shining on her, and she wouldn’t be able to see until she got into the shadow of the building.

As the shadow inched closer, the inside was becoming clear. Jennifer wasn’t expecting what she did. Glass shards littered the ground. An explosion of some sort happened near the windows and knocked them out. And as she approached the blown out window, all she saw inside were bodies. Body upon body littered the ground. They weren’t walker bodies. They were people who were killed, by gunfire and explosion it seemed. Parts of their bodies were tossed all over, with practically all the bodies missing some part of it. The dead, decaying, rotting bodies created a stench that was repulsive. The smell made Jennifer recoil slightly and cough.

“Holy shit,” said the girl, trying to cover her nose from the smell. “I’ve never smelled anything like that.”

Jennifer turned back, and Jake was practically holding back from throwing up. The smell was that strong, that repulsive. Before she moved forward, she needed to get rid of the smell. The girl, turned away from the building, knelt down and opened her backpack.

“Jake,” she said, catching a breath, pulling out a gas mask, “stay here,” she said, taking her ballistic helmet off, putting on the gas mask, and the then helmet on top, “stay here, the smell’s too strong. Watch my back from out here, I’m going in.”

Her words were muffled by the mask. But the smell of, what looked like, at least 50 dead individuals in the large lobby alone was too strong for them. But, with the gas mask on, Jennifer walked into the building. She walked, legs crouched and looking around. It was dark inside, and the gas mask negated the use of her night vision attachment to her ballistic helmet.

Walking past the sea of body and body parts, Jennifer had a feeling creeping in her mind that there was something more sinister going on here, or at least there was once. This only making her more on edge. Walking past the lobby, she noted the sign for the ER. There was all but certainly rooms in there. As she made her way to the ER door, she heard a noise from behind the door, a sort of aluminum tray falling. Jennifer’s gun raise right up as she looked through the door. Lining up with her back against the wall, she was readying herself to go through the door. With a deep breath, she slowly opened the door, making sure her rifle pointed where it needed to be. She could have used the flashlight, but opted to not instead. She knew that, tactically speaking, she was at a large disadvantage. Should someone looking to cause her harm be down that hall in a room, they could fire on the door and hit her, or fire as she peered around it and entered the hall. While she had the body armor to protect herself, she never like having slight odds like that against her. She was trying to survive, and with the added stress of Archie, her own wound and blood loss, she was doing more than she should be doing.

As she was about to enter the hall, Jennifer heard Jake’s voice calling her to get over there right away. She knew something with Archie was up.

Looking at the hall, hearing Jake yelling, she slowly backed up and let the door close, exclaiming “fuck” when she turned around. She ran back to Jake as fast as she could.

“What the hell’s going on,” she said between breaths and slight anger.

“Simon said to get over there now because Archie is doing ba-“ Jake said, being cut off by Jennifer.

“Fuck,” she yelled as she ran back to the truck.

“He needs to be worked on now,” said Simon as she rounded her way to see him.

“Oh shit he’s asphyxiating right now. We need to get him inside and he need to be worked on right now. Pick up up and let’s move,” Jennifer shot back, before shooting a question back at him.

“What blood type are you,” she asked.

“O+,” he said as he picked Archie up, in pain and incoherent.

“What blood type are you,” she said in a rush.

“I.. I don’t know. O- I think, I remember donating blood once and I think-” he responded, unsure, nervous and stumbling his words.

“Let’s hope you are, because he needs blood now and that’s the universal donor type,” she said to Jake, before raising her voice for them all to hear.

“There might be someone in there, I thought I heard someone. Keep you damn eyes peeled!”

Jennifer ripped off her gas mask and threw it into her backpack, put her ballistic helmet back on, and started signaling to get moving towards the hospital.

“Let’s go, let’s go, we don’t have time to waste!”

She ran towards the hospital and into the ER section, her rifle kept up and pointing forward, trying to eliminate a potential threat, should there be one that pops up.

“Through here, c’mon,” she yelled as she stormed through the ER doors.

As she approached in, she looked for the nearest room. As she scanned, she found one, room 011, as it was marked. It was slightly cracked open.

“I’m here,” she yelled, as she kicked the door open, it hitting the wall with force.

As the door kicked open and Jennifer looked inside, she was startled to see two girls standing there, in shock and confusion on what just happened. Jennifer stood there for a second, trying to process it.

“Hands up and get down on the ground, right fucking now! Put them fucking up or I will shoot,” she yelled at the two girls, turning her weapon light on, illuminating them both.

“Get your mother fucking hands up and get on the ground,” she yelled again, as Simon, holding Archie, and Jake made their way to the room. Jennifer walked around the bed and kept her gun trained on them.

“Put him down on the bed,” Jennifer said to Simon, keeping her eyes on the girls. “Get your gun up and keep them in sight. If they move, shoot them,” she said to Simon, as Simon took out his weapon and pointed it at them.

“There’s no time for this shit, I need to work on him now,” exclaimed Jennifer, annoyed at the situation.
“I need to get sedatives, blood transfusion instruments, drugs, scalpel. We don’t have time for this or Archie will die,” Jennifer said to Simon as she searched for stuff in the room.

“There’s no time, just shoot them,” Jennifer finally exclaimed in anger.

Simon paused and looked at Jennifer with anger. “They did nothing wrong, why would I have them end up like those other people you shot,” he yelled back in disbelief from her words.

“I need all fucking hands on deck, including yours! We don’t have time or the manpower to keep them at gunpoint! I need to get shit for him so I can operate, which means I need one of you to go get the drugs from the pharmacy, and someone to stay here and closely watch him and prep for the surgery. Who do we have to spare to watch them in the process to make sure they don’t shoot or kill us,” Jennifer shot back, the stress of the situation making her grow increasingly frustrated and angry.

“What other choice do we have,” she said again.

“They’re two innocent girls,” he yelled back.

“You don’t know that,” Jennifer yelled as she searched for vital monitors in the room. “Just do it,” she again yelled.

idalie Cosmosis Rumble Fish Catharsis

 

[Rumble Fish]

Milly held onto her bear in both arms as she looked around the room, constantly readjusting her glasses, hoping to help her see out her left eye better. She looked at Jane, wondering what she was doing. She was still relieved to have come across the woman when she did. She didn't like being alone... she blinked a few times before preening her bear's fur. They were just scavenging at this time. She couldn't remember how long they had been here so far but it was safe. As far as she knew... "Did you find anything...?" She asked quietly, shaking a little. Despite the fact they had been together for a while, she was still wary of her. She was hardly in any shape to fight back if she was to suddenly turn on her.

She was just about to ask her something else when the sound of the door flying open made her jump and spin around. A woman leapt into the room, screaming at her to get down while pointing a gun right at her face! Milly's heart raced as it leapt into her throat. "Aaah! No!" She dropped onto the ground, still clinging to her bear. As she did, she felt her glasses fall off of her face. Now the vision out of her one eye was as if she was trying to open her eyes underwater. She wanted to grab them as soon as possible but the woman was still screaming and threatening to shoot both her and Jane.

There were more people in the room, all shouting. One of them was dying? Milly wanted to see what was going on but the thought of being shot was too frightening for her to move. They wanted supplies.... Oh! Trying to be as subtle as possible, she shimmied her rucksack off and pushed it at the group in impulse. "Here t-t-take it! Just don't shoot us!" She begged, knowing how pathetic she seemed in front of these people begging like this while... clinging to her bear as if it would make them disappear. She could only hope that Jane was close to her, the thought of being by herself on this was too much. Still... if they shot her maybe she could see her mum again... No, her mum was still alive, she knew it! But... what could she do? The woman sounded terrible, she was probably going to shoot them anyway. Milly curled up on the ground, this was far to much out of her comfort zone. She gave them her medicine, she could only hope they would accept it and leave her alone.
Peacemaker .45 idalie Catharsis Cosmosis

 

[Catharsis]

Jane rummaged carefully through a box of fine china, it had been packed very neatly with waded up paper and bubble wrap between each individual glass. It wasn't like her and Milly needed it, Jane just enjoyed going through things like this. Thinking of her old apartment, or her Mother's house; they were bittersweet memories, a life that had been taken away from her now. Her head shot up at Milly's question, and she felt a pang of guilt for focusing so much on the dishes rather than finding supplies. Milly was only a year younger than Jane, and dare she say it, the girl was in an even worse condition than she was.

"Not yet.." she mumbled, but her answer was quickly forgotten as the door busted open. Jane dropped the plate she was holding, and stared in awe at how quickly everything began to unfold. It was almost like a silent movie, all she could hear was buzzing as she crawled over to Milly's side, taking up the same position as her with her hands held above her head. After moments of confusion, Jane was finally able to recognize the weapon pointed at her. "Please, you don't have to do that. We aren't armed." she said slowly, her arms beginning to shake furiously.

Jane watched as Milly began to offer up her supplies, and did not want to do the same. As if the survived this, they possibly wouldn't survive another two days without Jane's things at least. There had to be another way to survive without losing everything. At this time, she noticed a wounded man being thrown unto the bed in the room, and knew what to say next. "I may be able to help, I was a vet intern." she offered, though she remembered very little from those days, she hoped that the woman would cling to it. She hoped that she and Milly could be spared.

Peacemaker .45 idalie Rumble Fish Cosmosis​

 

[Peacemaker .45]

While Jennifer searched, arguing for Simon to shoot the two girls, she heard a faint voice behind here, offering up supplies. Jennifer turned, adjusting her helmet, night vision goggles hanging off the front, pointed up. She glanced quickly at Simon, then back at the rugsack and the girl.

“Let me see it,” Jennifer said, frustration in her voice, as she walked over and picked up the rugsack.

There wasn’t much in there. Clothes, food, water, normal supplies on an individual. There were some prescription strength NSAID’s, pain relievers, all things that Jennifer couldn’t use for Archie.

“This is a damn waste of time,” Jennifer said, throwing the rugsack back at the one girl. At the same time, she pulled her handgun out and began to point it at the girls. “I’m ending this shit here, we don’t have time for thi-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jake yelled, cutting her off. “Do you think these two girls are a threat to us?”

“They may or may not be,” Jennifer shot back at Jake, lowering her handgun. “Archie’s dying every second we dick around here with them, trying to skirt around this.” Jennifer walked up and got in Jake’s face. “We. Do not. Have. The fucking. Manpower. To sit here. And babysit these two. When we need to get supplies now, or Archie here’s going to fucking die.”

Jake took a step back, the young farm boy was nervous, he was scared. He didn’t know what to say back. Jennifer was a dominant individual. Her presence was aggressive. She didn’t back down. She was hellbent on just shooting these two girls, not even caring so much as to know their names. They were, in her eyes, just another casualty in the New World. Their life seemingly had no value to the girl. But given who she is, after her last time in a hospital, she would do that with joy. But with Archie, a side of her was coming out, one like who she really was before that hospital event. It’s in her, but for now, she’s back to the cold and ruthless shell of a person she was after the hospital.

One of the girls spoke, the other one with the rugsack girl. She said she could help, staying she was a vet intern.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, a vet intern,” she said in some disbelief. “What the hell do you know that could be useful,” she said back to the girl, the pressure of the situation mounting on her shoulders.

Archie started to make more pain, his breathing was getting worse. “God damn it,” Jennifer exclaimed. “Where’s a fucking vital’s monitor,” she yelled in frustration. She looked around, and out in the hall, she saw one toppled over, a box pinning it down. “Shit,” Jennifer yelled and bolted out to get it.

Lifting the box up, she grabbed the monitor and ran back to the room. She checked the machine, and luckily, it turned on. “I don’t have time for anymore of this bullshit. This is a goddamn waste of fucking time! This son of a bitch is dying. I don’t have time for this,” she yelled out, grabbing the ECG cords, ripping Archie’s shirt and putting the pads for it on the corresponding parts of the body she remembered them going. Due to her extensive medical issues when she was younger before the New World, she knows a lot in theory. At one point, she wanted to be a doctor. She learned a lot in theory then, but not practice. This was going to be a miracle, and she knew it, if Archie lived.

With them on, Jennifer grabbed the blood pressure cuff, and put it around his arm. She turned it on, and let the machine do it’s work. The numbers started coming up, and they were bad. His heart rate was beating at 47 BPM, higher than what Jennifer expected, but this was surely going to slow down, as Archie was moving about in sporadic movements of pain. The machine started to beep as the blood pressure and O2 stats showed up. They were critically low. He needs attention now.

“This surgery has to happen now! But I need to be here to help do what I can,” Jennifer yelled. This was the critical moment she needed everything. “You, vet intern, you want to prove to me that you’re worth letting you live, I need you and my friend Simon here to go to the pharmacy. I need a sedative. I need anything, propofol, ketamine, fentanyl, lorazepam, midazolam. Furthermore, I need blood transfusion kits. I need a scalpel, some sort of pliers, I need things to get into his gunshot wound and remove parts of jacket and broken bones. I need disinfectants. I need an oxygen mask, we need to supply him with oxygen.”

Jennifer looked up at Simon and the girl, Jane. “Go! He’s going to die if you don’t move now!”

“Come on, there’s no time to waste,” Simon said to the girl Jane, running out to find the pharmacy in the hospital.

“Jake,” Jennifer said, turning to him stay here. I need you here because we need to get blood in Archie AFTER I work on him. He needs blood. But run out into the halls. Find an oxygen canister if you can. Find anything that looks useful in the halls or room around us. Go!” The young farm boy, nervous as ever, ran out and began searching.

Jennifer turned her attention to the young girl on the floor, her tone calming. “Hey, you, rugsack girl, can you do something for me? Yes, I know I was about to kill you, but if you want to give me a reason why I should let you all live after this, prove to me you’re useful. I need to search around the room for some IV stuff. I want you to keep an eye on those numbers on that screen. Can you do that while I look in this room for stuff in the cabinets and drawers?” Jennifer looked at the girl and said calmly, “I need you to do this or this man’s going to die here. Please.”

Cosmosis idalie Rumble Fish Catharsis

 

[Rumble Fish]

Despite being on the verge of a heart attack, Milly had managed to feel around and find her glasses. But just as she put the hem on, she heard the woman screaming again and felt the rucksack being thrown back at her as part of it hit her on the back, making her squeal and cover her head while putting her head on the floor. This maniac was going to shoot her, she just knew it! And at this point she was almost willing to let it happen. She couldn't handle the stress.

She heard Jane speak up, which reassured her knowing that her friend hadn't been hurt, only for her words to be met on deaf ears with the scary woman as she still wanted to shoot them. But she kept saying there was a man dying... if she wanted to kill them so badly and seemed to have no remorse over killing them, why would she care about this man? That's not fair!

Milly barely paid attention to what the scary woman said to Jane but she did react upon hearing come closer to her. No no no no no no- this was bad, she was going to shoot her now, she just knew it, there was no way she was just going to let her go now! But as she started speaking, Milly could hear a shift in her tone. Still shaking like a leaf, she looked up with her good eye and listened as the woman told her to... watch the numbers on the screen? What numbers? Then Milly remembered back to when she was young and she had to be in hospital. If she remembered correctly it was a heart monitor or something. Though she couldn't remember it much as her time spent in hospital scared her witless having been the only times she had spent time away from home. All the more reason staying home was much better... despite all this, there was a man's life at stake. "...Okay." She squeaked, raising her head up to look at it. Though part of her was afraid that once the woman saw her eyes, she'd still be shot. Wouldn't be the first time someone wanted her dead due to her ailment...

She scrambled to her feet and stood next the man, watching the screen. The numbers seemed to be stable for now. All she knew was that she would have to act fast if the numbers started going down. She couldnt stop herself from looking behind her, just to make sure the woman was not going to shoot her when she was not looking.
Peacemaker .45 idalie Catharsis Cosmosis

 

[Catharsis]

“You’ve got to be kidding me, a vet intern.What the hell do you know that could be useful?”
A lot actually, for example, Jane knew how to slice open animals and considering this woman's attitude, that's exactly what she was. Actually, no. Jane's pet Sugar glider had a better attitude than this woman. Jane pictured herself with the pocket knife in her pocket, slowly opening up the woman before her. A wound that she would never close, given the chance. Shake those thoughts. Somehow, the woman holding a weapon in her and Milly's face figured Jane was the one that had to prove herself trustworthy, and Jane was being sent out with a complete stranger to find medication for another complete stranger as directed by a very hostile stranger. Perfect.

Jane decided it was best to take this chance at survival, though, quickly turning to grab her backpack from behind her before following Simon out of the room, nearly tripping at her own frustration. She hated being rushed, more-so she hated being separated from allies. Milly was her ally.

After racing down several flights of stairs, Simon and her had reached the pharmacy. The room was very dark, spare a bit of natural light coming down from a window above the staircase, and it was difficult to navigate.

Jane squinted, grabbing several boxes of medications at once before running closer towards the light to check labels.​

"Your friend, she's looking for anesthesia drugs. The shelves are organized by purpose, then by alphabetical order." she said, as she read 'Xanax" on the label before her. She allowed it to fall to the ground, as it was not what she was looking for. Had it been years before, Jane would've taken it with her. Now, no type of medication could cure or temporarily diffuse Jane's anxiety.

After busting open a cabinet, Jane came across the anesthesia drugs, and was able to gather everything listed by the hostile stranger. Now, they needed to find tools and disinfectant. "I've got mostly everything except tools, and disinfectant, what about you?" she asked, watching the man, Simon's shadows move around. 'A few things.." he mumbled before coming to the light and holding up a few various medical tools, along with hydrogen peroxide.

With Jane's life depending on time rather than accuracy, she didn't have time to make sure everything was there. Nodding her head towards the stairs, the two raced back up to the room that they had been in initially.

"Here. Don't overdo the fentanyl." she said, laying the medications out on the metal table at the foot of the hospital bed, leaving room for Simon to do the same.

Peacemaker .45 idalie Rumble Fish Cosmosis​

 

[Peacemaker .45]

“Aha! Here it is,” Jennifer said, after rummaging around for what seemed like ages, as she opened a closet, IV and needles still inside. Snatching the tools, she rolled it over to the bedside.

“Alright, rugsack girl, step away,” she said, searching for the blood vessel on Archie’s arm. As she did so, the others returned with their stuff.

“I won’t overdue the fentanyl,” Jennifer said back to the girl, concentrating on Archie.

Everything she thought she needed was there. Being she had no surgical practice or training, she was doing this more on a whim, based off the theory of what she knew.

Taking Archie arm and finding the blood vessel, she constricted it with a piece of cloth, disinfected the spot, then put the needle inside. She then turned to the IV, and put on a hydration pack. With that, Jennifer knew that he had lost too much blood, and whatever was left needed to be kept inside, or at least enough so that he didn’t lose anymore blood. Looking through the supplies, she found an anticoagulant in there. Connecting it to the IV, the medication slowly eased into him. Jennifer then administered sedatives. Within minutes, Archie was sedated.

“Okay, okay, this is is the crucial part. We need to open up the wound on his upper abdomen and remove any bone of jacket fragments from the wound, while simultaneously disinfecting it,” she said, as she was watching his vitals and searching for the necessary tools.

“Truth be told have no idea what I’m honestly doing. All I know is in theory, not practice. Let’s see how this goes,” said nervous words from Jennifer.

As she got the tools, she carefully cleaned the wound, looking for whatever she could to get out. Bone fragments, bullet jacket fragments; whatever was there was wasn’t supposed to, she tried to take it out.

Jennifer was nervous the entire time. She was scared that Archie was going to die. She didn’t mean for any of this to happen to him. Then again, the past 24 hours have been a whirlwind of so much stuff happening. She came with who was left of her old group into a small town in West Virginia, meet Archie and Simon, accidentally shoot Archie, the have Holliday and Tammy speed off without any warning or reason why, leaving her with Jake, Austin, and the other two new people. Then Austin gets bit, and Jennifer has to put him down. Jennifer, while she herself suffered a minor GSW graze, lost bloods herself. Her body and mind were being overworked to extremes she hadn’t thought were possible before. But in this time, it seemed she appeared to rise up as the leader of whoever else was left. Someone had to. No one else stepped up to the plate. She did, she had to. Now, she has to save a stranger, accompanied but three other strangers, with her and Jake, the only ones who were left of the group she was once part of.

“Vet intern girl, if you say you can help, then come here and lend me a hand,” Said Jennifer, starting to open up the wound.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four hours after the surgery...


“Vitals are still doing good. We might have actually saved him,” Jennifer said, still in disbelief that they may have successfully saved his life.

Jake gave Archie a blood transfusion, but in the process, he passed out. It was nothing short of typical with Jake, as Jennifer noted the others. He was just a young farm kid who was scared and nervous. In ways, he was a liability to the group. He offered practically nothing. But for once, he came through on them.

There was still an elephant in the room that needed to be addressed, one which Jennifer was not wanting to get into. But she knew she had to. She was trying to kill these two girls before. She didn’t give a damn about their life in the moment. She was a 5.5 pound trigger pull away from ending their lives. This created a lot of tension and unease being in the room with them. Jennifer kept her guns and supplies close by, should the case arise that they want to attack her. But for now, they didn’t. She needed to address that, however half assed the apology sounded to them. She has to apologize, and mean it. They came through in this time.

“Hey, Milly, Jane,” Jennifer started, clearly uneasy, her tone low and apologetic. “I know my words may seem like empty cans be tossed at you, but I need to address this. I’m sorry, I’m sorry for what I said, how I tried to kill you. Words alone can’t take away what I was trying to do. Nor am I asking for your forgiveness. But I want you to know I’m sorry. And while this isn’t meant to be an excuse, but...”

The girl shifted in her seat, and took a deep breath before she continued, “but the past 24 hours have been hell. I lost practically everyone in my group, besides Jake. Archie and Simon are nothing more than people I met less than a day ago. I accidentally shot Archie, when I didn’t mean to do so. Then the rest of my group fled without warning and left Jake, I, and another fellow from the group. He was bit, and I had to end it for him, someone I was very close to, a brother figure, essentially. I had been shot, I lost blood. My actions were those of a woman under immense stress, immense pain.”

“They..,” Jennifer paused, lowering her head, feeling emotions again, and shedding a tear, “they are unacceptable... and I’m... I’m deeply sorrow for this. I dont need you to accept the apology. All I need is for you to know I deeply regret it, and I am truly sorry.”

They were hard words to speak. She knew they probably hated her. But Jennifer needed to say them anyway. The sound of vitals from the machine echoed in the room. Archie’s sedatives might be wearing off soon, and he’ll be in a lot of pain. Thankfully, Jennifer had painkillers. But he won’t be feeling good. But it seems though that he was saved. But for now, she had to deal with her actions with the young girls in front of her.

“Food, water, anyone,” she offered, as a token of appreciation, and trying to make up for what she had done.

idalie Catharsis Rumble Fish Cosmosis

 

[idalie]

ARCHIE "THE SCOTSMAN" MCKEEGAN​

It was a blur of trying to breathe, shouting, and being moved one place to another till he felt a softer landing the second time around. A mattress - not that he cared, throughout his jolting and seizing. Throughout the surgery, there had been times where he'd almost stopped breathing entirely, nevertheless, the success was unprecedented for a bunch of survivors in the back end of nowhere. He found peace in his sleep, where fireplaces burnt and dogs sat on your feet over tartan blankets. His dreams were far more pleasant than reality.

Four hours of surgery, closed and at last resting - colour had begun to fill his features again. Surprisingly. His cheeks had taken a rosy hue like he'd drunk one too many scotches on a winter night. How he missed winter nights like that, stumbling from Christmassy bars or pubs, someone waving lingerie in the air, whilst people wrapped themselves in tinsel and pranced about as they attempted hitting on the hen parties out for the evening. Simpler days.

Coming to, quite fast at that, a low groan escaped. Signalling consciousness. He didn't try sitting up, after all, his head felt lighter than helium - if not for a cracking headache which pounded on his temples like being punched with brass knuckles. "Mmmnhgggff." McKeegan turned his head, eyes low-lidded. Slowly his memory began to fill in, but for some odd reason he blurted out the word 'Bubbles' and thus fell back asleep until another ten minutes later where he tried again.

It was far more surreal than before, nevertheless, Archie scowled. "Y'know - it's the chain - the chain - die like the other boy. You have - have to hook it - around the chain. Tree." His head turned to the other side. Humming to himself as his features softened.

"The sergeant who enlisted me slaps my back and then says he
A man like you so big and tall could ne'er be killed by a cannon ball
And the colonel then when he cam' roon', he looks me up, he looks me doon
And then said he, I'll take a guess - you must be the monster of Loch Ness

At our last battle across the sea the general he sent after me
When I got there wi' my big gun the battle was as good as won.
For the enemy a' ran awa' when they caught sight o' Big McGraw
A man like me so big and neat, ye ken yersel' can never be beat."

Archie seemed by all lengths off in his own world fuelled by medication. It was by certain standards, funny to watch. Until one would note he was crying. Crying yet taking no heed of his own tears. If one were to assess masculinity by the inability to express trauma, then perhaps Archie was better off being a boy. He could make tough decisions, he could throw cabers, split logs in one blow if need be. Yet even he couldn't keep it bottled up after everything which had happened. Being shot, almost dying, further taking into account he'd never see his home or family again. It hit hard to a man who had ducked death.

Peacemaker .45 Rumble Fish Catharsis Cosmosis

 

[Rumble Fish]

Milly jumped as the woman suddenly ordered her to move, calling her "Rucksack girl". "Oh-Ok, sorry-I...Sorry." She squeaked as she moved away. The younger woman kept quiet during the whole surgery. She just stared at the monitor, watching his vitals. She had seen Jane leave which left her very uncomfortable and even more anxious than she already had been. She had already been separated from her mother, she could not deal with the stress of being separated from Jane! She bit her lip in an attempt to not cry and just sat on the other bed, holding onto her bear anxiously, staring at the monitor. It seemed okay... she went into a trance when Jane then came back with the supplies. She wanted to go up and be close to Jane but she had to do what the woman wanted. She kept silent the whole time.

----
Milly blanked out as the surgery happened. All she could do was sit there, rocking back and forth while holding onto her bear for reassurance. “Hey, Milly, Jane,” The woman's voice made Milly jump violently as it came from the girl's blind side. She leapt to her feet and spun around to look at the woman. She didnt let go of her bear but put it behind her back, if the woman was still angry with her she knew seeing the bear would only make her angrier. Biting her lip, she shimmied closer to Jane as she listened to the woman as she explained her situation.

From what Milly could understand, the woman had been through hell. She kept biting her lip as she apologised over and over again for well... wanting to kill them. But... they hadn't done anything to the woman. She sounded genuine but... She really did not know. It was not the first time. She tried to focus on the woman's face but really struggled. She could not see her tears but she could still hear it in her voice. But, she really did not want to trust her. Not now. She looked like she could switch too easily. But... she didnt want the woman to have any further mental distress either.

"It... it's ok. I understand..." She mumbled before sitting on a bed, not looking at anyone. All she could hear was the beeping from the monitor. She turned her head towards the woman as she asked if she wanted any food or water. "Um...No thank you." She said, giving the woman a nervous smile, despite shaking like a leaf and almost about to pass out from anxiety. Truthfully, she had not eaten properly in quite some time. After her mother had vanished, Milly had spent a good deal of time alone and to use as little as possible, she had gotten into the habit of only eating a small cracker once... maybe twice a day and only a small amount of water. Even after being found by Jane and convinced to leave her hideout, she did not want to waste resources. Of course it did leave her shaky and tired but if it meant other people got to eat, it didnt matter.
Peacemaker .45 Catharsis idalie Cosmosis

 

[Cosmosis]

Simon Petrikov
​

Simon really wanted to shoot the two girls himself but he thought better of it due to a few reasons. If someone came and was a threat, Simon could use the two girls as bait by tossing one outside of the room. He'd possibly figure out their gun if they shot at her but, another reason was because they were small. Easy to get in smaller places.

The final reason was pretty odd to think of for him but Jake had blurted out the fact they were not kids but decent women which made the Russian think of procreation. Jake, Archie and himself would be balanced with the three females, able to create variety among themselves. Course, Simon didn't like any option from the newcomers and how they seemed to act already annoyed him. Before the burly man could think some more, Jen called orders out.

Had Simon went out with the girl he was told to go with? Yes. Had he done as asked? To an extent. At one point he told her to go back on her own as he went to do his own thing. Passing what he had to the female Simon went off and sat in a office chair.

Jennifer had cried for the other man. Who was Austin really? He seemed like quite a grumpo to Simon but obviously there was more. There always was in this new world when you met someone new. The man couldn't tell Jen what he did. The Crawler... Simon just let it go under the truck without a care and when she shot the man dead, the Russian had smirked. Not for Austin's release but because his body became a husk with no real purpose anymore. The body that Austin left was even more worthless than an infected with just the head left. At least the limbless zombie could still bite.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Simon walked back in after hours of being away. He'd been gone for almost six hours, Around fifteen minutes after Archie awoke.

Not a word was spoken. The rugsack girl was rocking as if she was six and just pissed herself while the vet lady, Simon didn't know. Didn't care to know either. Jake was slumped over and the Russian growled annoyed at the kid. Why was he not keeping watch for Jen?

"Jennifer." Simon started. "Sleep. I'm asking you to rest. So please. Do as i ask." Tendy Roids was set down by Archie's bedside, the blood cleaned off while it's owner was alone, contamplating and dueling with dark clouds as cold as his nation's winter season.

Please was a word Simon used sparingly these days. Archie would know. Looking at the man, a gutteral noise came forth from Simon. "Ey Arch. You better quit cryin or i'll give ya ass one. Damn wimp." He teased, lightly speaking his words. Him and Archie were like major brothers in a way who had diffrent views yet still got along.

Normallyot once had The Russian looked at Jen. He knew he could have saved her some pain. She was like the other and it made the man weak. So he wouldn't look towards the woman for risk of guilt spawning madness in his seemingly iron clad heart.
Peacemaker .45 Catharsis idalie Rumble Fish

 

[Catharsis]

It was nothing short of a pleasant surprise when the woman, Jennifer, asked for Jane's assistance. Working together, the two were able to perform a proper surgery while the patient, Archie, was put under anesthesia. After a few hours of ensuring Archie was stable, everyone seemed to be resting. Jane was glad to have had the chance to help out, but was still pretty upset about Jennifer's threats towards her and Milly originally. The only reason she was sticking around was to ensure that Archie woke up alive and well, after that she would ask Milly to leave with her. No point in staying around in a place they weren't welcomed.

As Jennifer updated the group on Archie's vitals, a wave of relief went through her. There was so little hope these days, and survival was nothing short of a miracle. Jane had started to go back to twiddling her thumbs, but started to notice the relief carried an awkward feeling as well. As Jennifer began to address them, Milly and Jane moved closer together to listen.

Today just seemed to be full of surprises, Jane couldn't help but think this as Jennifer began a detailed apology. Initially, Jane held unto her anger, but moved on from it once she realized the sincerity in the apology

Perhaps it had been Milly, Jane might have done the same thing. Jennifer, Jane decided, was no threat. However, the man named Simon seemed to be sketchy. She eyed him as he moved around the room, remembering his attitude towards her assistance in the pharmacy. "I accept your apology." Jane said, moving her eyes back to Jennifer. As Archie stirred in his sleep, Jane nodded at Jennifer's offer. "I wouldn't mind a little food and water." she stated, ignoring Milly's rejection. The two hardly had enough food as it was, and she didn't see it as a proper time to be humble.

After the apology, Jane wasn't sure how to feel. She was attempting to figure out what to do if the group offered to take the two in. Her and Milly had struggled on their own, and with a group it could either make the struggle harder or help. It depended on the efforts of all people, and Jane didn't know them well enough to know how hardworking they are. "Yeah, you should rest. Sounds like it's been a stressful day for you." she said, agreeing with Simon, more of a test than stating an actual concern.

Peacemaker .45 Cosmosis idalie Rumble Fish​