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Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,967 Views)
DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie emerged from the hotel for the second time in a few minutes. Previously, she had come to check on Connor, who – if Jen’s report was to be believed – had proven a surprisingly adept shot. Annie would have been happier about that news if he didn’t also look profoundly unsettled by the experience.

Seeing the long minivan pull up did successfully lift her spirits a bit, though. Brandon and Eli’s mission had been about as successful as it could have been.

“I’m not much of a car person, but, uh, looks good,” she said.

She saw Emmett’s shadow in front of her before she heard him speak. “Can I see under the hood?” he asked in his soft rumble.

“Sure you can,” Eli responded casually.

He reached under the seat and pressed the latch, then turned to Jen as Emmett approached to do his thing.

“An’ yeah, it’s the plan for now,” he said, without humour. “It’s nice that you ride, but motorcycles present a noise problem. Also a gas problem. Now that we got more than a day’s journey ahead of us, we’ll have to start thinkin’ harder about that.”
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
"Grandpa was an enthusiast." Jen explained a little bit of her past. "He taught me how to drive them and even coaxed me into getting a Class M license by saying he'd give me one of his old bikes as a gift."

Back at Flint, gas was never really a problem. Jimmy was pretty adept at picking the stuff up; he somehow had a knack for finding gas trucks and that kept the entire community well stocked for all their needs. Out here though, things were different. They couldn't just park a big gas truck somewhere and take gas from it when they needed it.

"I guess you're right on those counts though." She admitted afterward. "At least most of us are pretty small so we won't be total sardines in this thing."

* * * * *

Willow had taken an extra minute or two to recompose herself after almost breaking down in front of Annie. She hadn't expected that sort of emotional reaction even out of herself. She made the mistake of thinking about it too much; yet she was the one that had directed the conversation in that direction.

No, it wasn't even a conversation. I just talked myself in that direction.

She took a deep breath and limped outside to join everyone else. Her small breakdown was quickly forgotten when she laid eyes on Brandon; "What happened to your hair?"
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
"Exactly." Brandon concurred with Eli.

There were a lot of things to consider now. They'd lost four of their's now. Rule of thumb from this point on was stay together. At all times. Another rule was daily practice, with knives mostly, guns if they can spare the ammo only.

"Rotter got grabby. Wasn't much of a threat but it really got a good grip. How bad is it?" he answered.

It gave him a thought. He looked around at them all. Everyone of them save Eli and Connor had a lot of hair. Especially Emmett. Brandon was overdue for a cut but even so, his hair wasn't that long and it was still easy to grab. Jen's hair was problematic especially. Normally he'd leave it alone, but that little episode sparked another concern in light of the long trip they had ahead of them. Personal grooming.

That was more than a vanity issue. A rotter could easily grab one of them by the hair,in the middle of a crisis that could be a death sentence. He looked at Kelsey and her long pretty hair. He didn't like the idea but if it was their job to keep her safe... He still had those scissors. Willow wasn't exactly rocking a pixie cut either, he knew personally she had enough to grab. He really didn't like this idea. He ran a hand through his hair, and over the missing patch.

"Are you any good with a pair of scissors?" he asked her.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
"It's not that bad." Willow commented.

Of course, she had spent more time looking at Brandon than probably anyone else here -- it only made sense that she would notice a little patch of shortened hair on his head. She reached up and placed her hands on his stubbly cheek and chin, moving his head left and right slightly so she could see the damage.

"I'm no scissor wizard, but I think I can do something with it."
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
Brandon smiled ruefully. He had prided himself on his appearance, and his hair in particular. The infrequent bathing and high physical exertion and poor quality of food the last month had taken a toll on that appearance however. Everyone was in the same boat though and it certainly didn't bother him when it came to Willow. He kind of liked her a little dirty. It would be safer and more comfortable to get rid of his unkempt hair.

What he really dreaded was taking care of Willow and Kelsey's hair. He'd put that proposal to them later. For now they needed to talk about more important things.

"So. We've got some wheels now. What route are we going with and when do we leave?" he asked.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
"Well, Annie and I talked and we came to the agreement that no matter where we go we'll hit trouble." Willow explained to Brandon. "With that in mind, maybe the shortest route is best and the shortest route is right down Highway 80. Really, all we gotta do is go south first chance we get until we hit the 80. It'll take us right through Iowa City and straight to San Francisco."

Barring a few minor detours. But Willow left that part out. Salt Lake City in particular was going to be difficult to get around, but there was some time yet before they needed to worry about that leg of their journey. There were always bigger things to worry about these days; things that could never be prepared for.

"I want to go as soon as possible. I think all of us could stand to put this place behind us."
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Strompy
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"Okay then. Unless somebody has something else to do or say, we should get our things and head out. Days are getting really short now, it'll be dark in a few hours. Eli and I found some more winter wear, we'll need it at night until we get further south." Brandon said, opening the rear door and placing the bag he'd packed with warm clothing open in the back for everyone to help themselves to.

One thing about the trip he looked forward to was an escape from this early snow. He felt bad for Eli in particular, snow wasn't something he grew up with. Nearby Connor was holding his new pistol with a strange expression. It was his first time shooting. Normally that was a fun experience or at least a slightly amusing one. Connor didn't look amused. Brandon approached him while everyone went about their business.

"So, first time shooting. How do you feel about it?" he asked.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Nothing else to say,” Eli said. “Let’s get moving.”

Annie glanced at him as he moved past her and back into the hotel, presumably to collect his things. She didn’t know what to make of his new straightforward, right-to-business demeanour. She wished she knew him a little better and could figure out what was going on in his head.

As soon as Eli was inside, Emmett lowered the hood on their new used Sienna. Annie couldn’t read the stony look on his face, either.

“Okay.” Nearby, Connor answered Brandon’s query hesitantly. Then, like it was a confession – “I don’t like guns.”

Annie frowned at that, and wanted to chip in with some words of comfort. Before she could, Emmett returned to the scrum with her, Willow and Jen.

“Looks good,” the big man reported without prompting. “Transmission fluid, radiator fluid, brake fluid, air filter, battery – all good.”
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Strompy
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"It's not for everyone. I liked a guns a whole lot more before this. I appreciate them more than ever though. The only thing that's important is that you're not afraid of them. That pistol will save your life if you let it." Brandon offered.

He supposed it was probably a good sign Connor didn't like them. It meant he would be less eager to use to use it. Brandon only wanted him to use it if he had to, just like with Kelsey.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Connor sucked in a breath as looked down from the snow on the pavement. He forced himself to look up and make eye contact for at least a second. “I’ll, uh… I’ll try.”

When he looked away, he spared another sad look at Kelsey. He couldn’t help but think how a gun didn’t save her dad’s life.
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Is that so?
Jen returned to her room. It wasn't much, but that little dufflebag held all the possessions she had now that she wasn't wearing on her back. Which is to say it mostly carried ammo, a few snacks, one change of clothes (which she was planning to save for a rainy day), and some personal belongings. She lifted the bag over her shoulder and slung it diagonally across her chest with the bag resting on her left hip. She let out a sigh and left the room for the last time; as much as she was gong to miss those beds, she wanted to get a move on as much as anyone else.

Outside her room, she found Willow waiting for her. She was carrying her own bag, Brandon's, and Kelsey's as well. Or at least trying as best she could. She gave Jen a smile between the greasy strands of hair that hovered in front of her face. A very forced smile. It was clear the woman was a little down. Who wasn't though? Jen extended one of her fists; Willow glanced down at it curiously for a few seconds, then bumped her own fist against it. A small, but genuine greeting.

"Gimme those bags." Jen told her afterwards. "You shouldn't be carrying all that."

"Yeah, I know." Willow complied as she handed two of the bags over and Jen threw them over her other shoulder. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

The bags were pretty light for her, but Jen could really feel the pain of the extra weight in her injured leg. She didn't make a fuss about it, however, she simply grit her teeth and bore with it as the two of them started heading toward the front.

"How did they do out there?" Willow asked as the two of them started walking.

"Kelsey's head wasn't really in the game at all. She just fired away blindly. I can't really blame her, but I just hope letting off a little steam helped her out."

"Good thinking." Willow conceded.

"I hope so. Connor was a surprise though. Kid's got good aim, but he isn't as comfortable around a gun as Kelsey is." Jen tilted her head to the side. "If we get the cure to San Francisco though, he may not need to get comfortable with it. That would be the best we can hope for."

"Yeah."

"How are you holding up?"

"Not well." Willow admitted freely. "Made the mistake of going and babbling about all my thoughts to Annie. She's my doctor, not my psychiatrist."

"Probably not the best move, sis." Jen wryly smiled. "Problem with Annie is that she bottles everything up inside her -- makes her hard to get a read on sometimes. We both know she had a thing for Randall going on though. So she's probably feeling it pretty bad right now, especially if she doesn't show it. Next time you need to rant to someone that's not your boyfriend though, just let me know. That's what friends are for."

"Friends, huh?" Willow's smile was a little more genuine this time. "Thanks, Jen. Again. Just so you know, it goes both ways."

"Whoa there, I don't roll both ways like that." Jen feigned disgust. "We're just friends!"

"Oh, you just had to make it gay." Willow chuckled and rolled her eyes.

Jen smiled. Willow did look a little more relaxed now. Mission accomplished.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. That was pretty bad even by my standards." Jen assured her as they opened the doors to rejoin the others. "But you walked right into that one."

* * * * *

Kelsey slowly wandered over to the area where Emmett and Brandon seemed to be talking to Annie and Connor. She looked helplessly at the new van, then back to everyone walking out of the hotel with their bags.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She asked them weakly with a tinge of panicked desperation in her voice. "What if dad comes back and we're already gone? How will he know where to find us?"
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Strompy
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Brandon took the bags from Willow with a reproachful look. She a problem with taking it easy obviously. Just like him. When he heard Kelsey's little voice it gave his heart a twist. Part of him wished he could lie to her. At least for the moment. Lying wouldn't help though. She knew Randall wasn't coming back, just like she knew her mother was dead. She was just upset and what she was doing and saying didn't have anything to do with what she wss really thinking. It was just grief beyond rationality speaking.

Brandon gestured with his head for the others to go to the van while he spoke to Kelsey. He placed the bags on the ground and knelt down.

"He's not coming, Kelsey. You know he isn't coming. Now we're going to Iowa City to look for your brother, if we find him or not we're then going to California to deliver the cure. This was your dad's plan." he said in a gentle but firm tone, placing his hands on her shoulders.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
"B-but... he could..." Kelsey whimpered.

She looked down to the ground in shame. She knew otherwise. She knew that her dad wasn't really coming back; that was why she wanted to go see Nolan so badly. But the reality of it now was hitting her pretty suddenly now that they were preparing to leave without her dad. Despite what she knew, it felt wrong.

She opened her mouth to say more to Brandon, but pulled away from him and headed towards the van with the others.

He went to see mom, that's all. She tried to assure herself mentally. They're happy together now. So I should be happy too. At least until I can go see them too.

Eli and Emmett had already claimed the front seats, and Willow was sitting by herself in the back. Kelsey wordlessly crawled back there and took the middle seat of the back row next to Willow.

"Did you remember to turn the safety on?" Jen gently asked her from the middle row of seats as she looked down at the M9 still in her hands.

"... No..." Kelsey admitted.

Kelsey let Willow carefully take the weapon out of her hands. She flipped the safety on and then deposited it into a holder on her side of the van.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
It didn’t take long for Eli to pack up and get ready. On the way out, he stopped by the grave he had dug for Julie. At the time, he had told himself there would be time for a proper memorial when they got back. Of course, now there wasn’t. Just like there wasn’t time for Glenda or Randall. He wanted to believe that time would come. After everything that had happened, he wasn’t sure it would.

“Goodbye,” he whispered as he turned and walked away from the grave. He told himself that would have to do for now.

After putting his stuff in the trunk of the Sienna, he headed towards the driver’s seat. By the time he got there, Emmett was already waiting in the passenger’s. Eli gave him a small nod, and Emmett gave him a nod back. If anybody else in the car noticed, they wouldn’t know what it really meant.

When the car was full up, and the doors were closed, Eli turned the key in the ignition.

“As soon as you can, head south,” Annie instructed him from the middle seat. “Then get on the 80. That should take us all the way there.”

Eli grunted back his assent, and the vehicle started rolling.

As he started driving, he took note of the air and mood inside the car – cold and melancholy, respectively.

At the very least, he thought. We’re heading away from the cold.
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Strompy
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The van rolled on, leaving the lodge behind. Brandon bid Julie a silent farewell as it disappwared from sight. As they continued on they passed the pillar of smoke that marked Randall's final resting place. Just like the others there would be no send off for him. They'd make sure everyone knew the names of the people they lost on this mission. Let everyone who was saved know who they owed their lives to.

Soon the smoke was behind them too as they turned right onto the 355 and headed north. They turned west again onto the 88. Aside from the usual sights there was nothing to see really. Abandoned cars, the occasional mob of rotters. Conversation was sparce. If Julie were there they'd probably be talking movies and music just to keep the pensive silence at bay. Their music was still in the SUV and this van didn't have much in the way of broad appeal either, even on a good day he didn't think anyone would be in the mood for One Direction. The silence felt like the only appropriate thing.

Next to him Kelsey was a still and silent as a statue. He wanted to tell her he knew exactly how she felt but he didn't think it would be any comfort. He wanted to tell her she'd be happy again eventually, maybe even sooner than she thought but again it wouldn't help. Nobody wanted to be the bad guy like he had been just before they left. Was she angry at him for it? He hoped she knew that he and Willow adored her. Everyone adored her.

She's in so much pain, Randall. God I wish you were here.

Brandon extended his hand and placed it on Kelsey's shoulder. Unsure if the gesture was welcome from him.

"We're going to be crossing the Mississippi soon. It's a pretty big deal crossing it the first time, it's a memory you might want to hold onto." he suggested, hoping to distract her from whatever bleak place her mind was in.
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