Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Wcrp. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,924 Views)
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"Don't worry, be happy." Emily said in a singsong voice and began humming the melody.

"You know that one? The song is about choosing to be happy. Because if you wait for the world to make you happy you'll be waiting a long time, so don't worry and choose to be happy." Emily explained.

She wished it was that easy. Maybe it was and she just somehow liked worrying. It was nice to have something to worry about again.

...

Brandon raised an eyebrow at Antonio's confession. He'd wondered in passing about the man's past, though with bigger concerns here in the present there was never much time to examine it. The fact that he was alive and wasn't out to kill or rob them was about all he needed to know. He did get the impression that the man hadn't always been a priest however. Perhaps when they had a moment of peace they could learn more about him. They had a job to do however, and it was going to be a long one.

Tediously, painstakingly they split the store up into three sectors and searched thrpugh ever aisle, looked through ever door, under ever rack and shelf. There wasn't a single nook or cranny left unchecked. The coats did their job perfectly and they moved completely invisible as they sought and destroyed every last rotter to be found. Brandon found two, one pinned to a wall with a pitchfork and another inside the pharmacy. The okay to move in was not going out until they were completely sure there was no chance a rotter might grab Kelsey or Connor from under one of the shelves.

Once they regrouped they moved the stack of carts out of the way and Brandon happily shed his coat and hat outside. Finally they were good to go and everything this store had to offer was their's for the taking.

...

"We're all clear guys. Move 'em on up." Brandon's voice rang out over the radio.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Finally,” Jimmy said, happily pushing himself off the truck and onto his feet. “Let’s get to work.”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, and Eli was no longer alone with Brandon and Antonio in the huge building. The others were there with them, and they were no longer looking for rotters – they were looking for supplies.

After shrugging off his gore-smeared apron – which he could hardly wait to do – Eli went looking for an item that caught his eye during the earlier sweep. He found it, and was carrying it by its plastic handle, heading for the door, when he ran into Annie.

“What have you got there?” she asked.

Eli looked down from the kit in his hand and then up into Annie’s now.

“You’re talking to me, again?” he asked.

She gave him a half-frown. “I’m not happy with you, Eli, but I was never not talking to you. We need to communicate to survive. I’m not about to lose sight of that.”

The annoyance in her voice made Eli annoyed. This world had no more use for First do no harm. She should know that. She should know what he did was for her and her son, and for the next doctor and child that might be travelling down that road. She should also know that he had done it so nobody else had to.

He dispelled his annoyance with a sigh. He figured he’d just have to accept that she wouldn’t accept that.

Deluxe Roadside Emergency Kit,” he answered her question by reading the packaging. “S’got road flares, tools, jumper cables, electrical tape, gloves, first aid stuff… Considering our experiences and our luck with vehicles, we probably should have had something like this long ago.”

“Makes sense,” Annie nodded.

Eli nodded back. When she didn’t follow up with anything, he assumed the conversation was over and headed outside, determined to find a spot for the kit in the minivan.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Nolan had enjoyed his conversation with Jen. She reminded him, in a way, of Monica. In way, that was good because the two of them meshed really well together and had a good relationship. But on the other hand, Monica was dead. And even though Nolan outwardly pretended to be past the deaths of his parents and his friends and Monica, the truth was that it still hurt. Just because he accepted them did not mean that he was at peace with it yet. Those skeletons were still in his closet. Jen was pretty well-liked by everyone here, he had noticed that. But he also noticed that she seemed to be paying special attention to him. And he got the feeling that it wasn't entirely innocent either.

"Nolan. Kelsey."

The sound of his name snapped him out of his daydream.

"Hey Antonio!" Kelsey greeted him immediately.

"Oh, Father Me- I mean... Antonio." Nolan nodded his greeting to the older man with a bandage over his ear. He was outside the Walmart, sitting by the main entrance.

It was odd calling him Antonio now. Before all of this, he had known him as 'Father Mendez'. It just felt more respectful. But recently he had insisted by going by his first name. Which he understood, there was no longer the sort of mentor-student relationship between them, it was more of a comrades in arms relationship. Formalities weren't really necessary anymore. That world was dead.

"How was it in there?" Nolan asked.

"Disgusting. I am glad to have that raincoat off of me." Antonio pointed his sword nearby -- the formerly yellow raincoat he had been wearing was a crumpled mess on the ground about ten feet away. "I'll be in there shortly, I just need a moment to breathe without having that thing on me is all."

Nolan was really glad he had not been the one wearing that. Even from here it smelled disgusting. But then again, he knew that already. Against his better judgement, he had been there when they were making it.

* * * * *

Despite Brandon's assertions that the store was safe, Willow was not able to let her guard down entirely as she made her way through the darkened aisles. She held Glenda's knife tightly in her right hand as she cautiously made her way around the spilled merchandise and the dead bodies left behind by their forward crew. The place looked like shit, but the pharmacy looked like it was in decent enough shape. And if she was fast, she could probably get here before Annie made her way back here. She glanced over her shoulder and slipped through the pharmacy door.

This was a Walmart Supercenter, but since it was kind of out of the way, the damage and looting here hadn't been as severe as a lot of other places she had seen. The pharmacy was no exception to that. A lot of pills had been knocked over and spilled across the ground, but there were just as many, if not more, still roughly organized on the shelves. Tons of little orange bottles of pre-ordered prescriptions already lined up and ready to go. It would have been easy to get lost in here with so many scientific and brand names plastered on these things, but Willow knew exactly what she was looking for. 10mg Zohydro ER. It was the painkiller that Annie had been giving to her. By Annie's own admission, it was not the best painkiller for her situation, but it was the best one they had at the time. And Willow could agree that it worked wonderfully. As far as she was concerned, it was a little pill that could magically suck away the pain and make her useful again. Without it, she would be a crippled woman laying on her back and moaning in agonizing pain. Without it, she was useless. And she couldn't be useless. Not anymore. She needed that medication.

And it did not take her long to find it among the pills that were back there. Prescriptions that had been made out to other people, Willow shamelessly slipped into the pockets of her jacket. She couldn't take all of them, since Annie would likely come back here and look for some as well. She needed to leave enough to make Annie happy as well. And not suspicious. Overall, she snagged about 100 of them. With her current stock, it was enough to probably last her another 3 months! By then, the pain would be better and she wouldn't need them anymore. But for now, she needed to make sure that no matter what, she had her own stash that nobody could touch. She would combine them all into one tube later to make everything easier, but she didn't have time to fiddle with that right this second. She needed to grab what she came for and slip out before anyone noticed her back here.

"Oh, it's just you."

Willow froze in place -- as she had been on her way out of the pharmacy, she walked straight into Jen, who was holding her baseball bat at the ready. The young woman lowered her guard and furled her brow ever so slightly.

"What are you doing back here?"

"I, uhh... I was just taking a small inventory check for Annie." Willow made up the first lie that came to mind. "She wanted to know how it was looking back here. It's looking good though! I got good news for her!"

"I heard shuffling back here and thought there might have been a rotter that the others missed." Jen let out a cautious sigh. "I'm glad I ran into you either way. Wanna go give Annie the good news then? Cause I wanna ask your help with something."

"Oh, what did you need help with?" Willow tried to dodge the whole Annie part of that question.

"Clothes." She motioned to her old black windbreaker and dark jeans. "This isn't exactly the best cold weather wear. Even if it wasn't absolutely filthy, I'd want a change of clothes. And I trust your fashion sense more than mine."

"I think the days for fashion are long gone."

Jen adopted a tentative look before finally admitting her true intentions. "But... I wanna... impress Nolan... and you said you'd help me... and I'm asking."

Willow let out a sigh. Of course, that was at the heart of the matter here. Jen wanted Willow to help her look good for Nolan. Even with the world going straight to hell, she was trying to get a boy's attention. Willow was hardly in any place to complain though, Brandon had pursued her with the same kind of fervor and it all worked out pretty well. Both her and Brandon were happy now because of it. Jen deserved that same happiness. She just hoped that it didn't backfire in her face. It was easy to forget that Nolan's girlfriend had died just a few weeks ago. Willow didn't know how that was going to play into Jen's attempts.

"Alright, alright." Willow feigned resignation to the idea and started leading Jen towards the clothing department. "I heard you guys talking though. You sounded like you hit it off pretty well out there."

"Oh we totally did." Jen added in. "Did you know he was the quarterback of his high school varsity football team? And despite all that, he is still a nerd! We talked about movies, sports we played, video games. It was awesome!"

"Sounds like you made a good first impression then." Willow mused.

"Hey, should we go tell Annie what you found out about the pharmacy first?" Jen abruptly changed the topic and pointed toward the front of the store.

Willow kept walking, but mentally froze for a few moments. She hadn't expected Jen to ask for her help right after she made up that lie. She had almost dug herself right into this hole.

"No, no, that's fine." Willow assured Jen. "Annie is gonna head back there soon anyway. This is more important right now!"

Jen looked suspicious for a moment, but eventually accepted Willow's excuse without saying anything more on the matter.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"Shaving cream, razors, tooth brushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner..." Brandon listed off quietly as he pushed a cart through the toiletries aisle of the grocery section, knocking the items off the shelf into the cart.

He was collecting a lot, but between twelve people it would go fast. He'd already grabbed a few odd items from the gardening section. A clean ditch blade, a small spade and a large one, an axe and a hatchet, a hacksaw, two plastic tarps, gardening gloves and another raincoat if they ever needed to disappear again. He left the auto section to Antonio and the others, trusting them to decide what they may need. His parents wold be proud to see him preparing almost excessively. Whatever the road threw at them next he planned to be ready for it.

"Emily. Found anything good?" he called out.

...

Emily was a couple aisles over looking for food. The selection wasn't great. Even if it hadn't been hit by other people before them most of what was on the shelf wasn't much good anymore, and of the stuff that was still good... it wasn't very nice for the most part. She did find one good thing though. UHT milk. Before this she would have been reluctant to consume it, something about milk that doesn't go bad for about a year was concerning. Now though she was more than happy to stock up. They could have milk.

"Lots of pickled stuff, and milk." she replied.

"How's everybody else going?" he yelled.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Just a few months ago, Nolan had been convinced that ebooks were the future of writing. Old paper books just took up space while an ebook was completely virtual, saving massive amounts of space. Of course, there were always exceptions, but overall Nolan had expected the world to play out like that. Now he was thanking God that he had been wrong about that. The book and magazine department of Walmart was extremely underwhelming, but there were books and magazines and even a few comics. They were not quite as important as toiletries and food, but it was one more thing they had to stave off boredom. He hadn't been here long, but they spent a lot of time driving and conversation could only get you so far. Books were one method of stymieing the boredom that would come during those long, silent periods. He started piling some of the more interesting stuff into a cart.

"Got some reading material for you guys!" Nolan answered Brandon with a shout.

The store was big, so he really did have to put some effort into calling out.

"Hey Nolan, look at this!"

He turned around just in time to see Kelsey hold up a porno magazine. The front featured a man who was barely clothed at all with the words 'PLAYGIRL' lined up above it. She opened it up and pulled out the centerfold, which had a full body shot of a guy Nolan was sure he had seen on TV before who was, unsurprisingly, as naked as the day he was born.

"I think Jen likes you. You should give this to her as a present."

Nolan quickly snatched the magazine and placed it on the top rack out of Kelsey's reach. "No, I don't think I should. In fact, you shouldn't be looking at stuff like that. You're too young, that stuff isn't good for you."

He realized the absurdity of his statement after he said it. There were far worse things in the world than that these days. And he was pretty sure Kelsey had seen all of them. From what she had told him, she had seen a lot of dead people already. Nolan couldn't tell if the fact that she looked so unaffected by it at times was good or bad.

"I dunno. Boys look different than girls. And I don't think in a bad way. They are... interesting."

Did Kelsey just say that boys are interesting? Oh God, did she know about sex yet? Has she had her first period? Is this the start of puberty? Does she know anything about what is happening to her? She's only ten or eleven... wait, isn't that when most girls start puberty? I'm not ready for this! No, Nolan... relax. It doesn't mean anything.

The thoughts raced through his head a mile a minute, but he eventually slowed them down and reigned them in. As he cleared his head though, he led Kelsey out of the books section and down towards the stationary. He was hoping to find some notepads and pencils. Nolan was never much of an artist himself, but Jen had told him that she was pretty good. And Brandon seemed like the artsy type too. They might appreciate a few extra supplies as well. Most of the important areas were already being checked out by the others, so Nolan had dedicated himself to finding things to alleviate boredom.

Maybe I should ask Annie about it later. She's a mom and a doctor, she would know exactly what to do!

* * * * *

"Since when did Walmart start selling tires!?"

Antonio was almost beside himself. He hadn't been to one of the newer Walmart Supercenters yet. He didn't even know they had an auto parts section. They had some of the harder to find wrench sizes and spare parts, as well as the tires he had just praised! It was more than he had ever expected to see in a Walmart of all places. And the place was almost entirely untouched. While carrying around a full set of spares was realistically unnecessary, flat tires were also a statistically common occurrence with cars, right up there with dead batteries. Which they also had. He figured with all the cars they had now, he could afford a little room for an extra tire or two and a battery.

He didn't expect to have any big difficulties with these cars. But there were four of them and they did have to drive another 1000 miles or so. Over mountains. If one of the cars got a flat while they were travelling over the Rockies, he didn't want to be stuck with a spare. They were probably going to be driving over ice and snow; spare tires were not built for that kind of control.

Speaking of which... tire chains! No trip over mountains was complete without some of those bad boys. Antonio's lips curled into a smile.

They had those too!

And look at these prices! I should have shopped here back when I was working. I could have saved so much money!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Unlike you folk, I actually came prepared,” Jimmy answered Brandon’s question as he strolled through the aisles. As he walked, he amused himself by tapping a beat with the end of his spear. “Found a new toothbrush that spoke to me, though.”

As he passed Brandon, he held the toothbrush out for him to see, the packaging hanging off his pinky like a hook. It was a toothbrush meant for a kid, with a picture of Bugs Bunny dunking a basketball.

He kept walking down the aisle. When he arrived at the end, he ran into Annie leaving the pharmacy. Her son was with her. Both had shopping bags, presumably full of goodies.

Jimmy held out the Bugs Bunny toothbrush and smiled. “Hey Annie, guess what I’m gonna say?”

* * *

“Found these,” Emmett grunted as he shuffled up to Brandon, not long after Jimmy had passed by himself.

He held out a 16-pack of AA batteries he had recovered a few aisles over. They were a good find, but bending over to pick them up had caused a flare of pain in his side.

“Shelf was empty, but they were under the shelf,” he explained. “Must have gotten kicked there after the first wave of looting.”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
"How does it feel?"

"Warm."

Jen shifted in her new attire outside the changing room. On the one hand, it felt good to have those nasty old guard clothes from Flint gone. They were covered in the blood, sweat, and tears of several long days. Not to mention they were nowhere near warm enough for the mountains. But on the other hand, these clothes felt different from what she was used to. It hadn't taken Willow very long to walk her around the clothing section, find some clothes in Jen's size, and then force her into the dressing room to try them on. Though even she noticed that Willow had put more thought into it than Jen ever had when she was shopping for herself.

For starters, black skinny jeans and a black boots that covered her ankles -- Willow had insisted on those. She had also picked out a blue sleeveless shirt that Jen was wearing underneath a thicker gray long sleeve one. On top of that, she wore a dark blue winter coat that reached down to her thighs and was lined with fake fur.

"I feel like I walked out of a Walmart clothing department." Jen commented. "I'm not complaining though, I appreciate your help in picking this stuff out."

"That's because you did." Willow retorted. "Hey, I mean, you look pretty good all things considered. Definitely a step up from the black windbreaker."

Jen glanced at herself in the mirror. Willow wasn't wrong, it certainly was better looking than what she had before. And it was definitely more practical too. She had been worried that Willow was going to pick something out that had been too flashy. Like red or orange. While they were good colors, she wasn't sure they would be great when you were dealing with rotters and people trying to shoot you. They stood out way too much.

"Why give me the pink sports bra though? I thought pink was more your thing. I'm more of a blue girl myself."

"Do I look like a C cup to you, Jen?" Willow covered her face with her palm.

"N-no..." Jen admitted cautiously.

"Exactly. And even if it wasn't too big, I am kind of enjoying the freedom to be honest."

Before the conversation could progress any further, Nolan came rolling by the changing rooms with his cart. He waved casually at Jen and Willow.

"Find anything good?" He asked.

"Just some new clothes for Jen." Willow casually grabbed Jen by the shoulders and turned her around to face Nolan.

"That looks good."

"Thanks." Jen muttered quietly, caught off guard by the sudden spotlight and compliment.

"I guess you guys had the same idea that we did. Fresh clothes, might as well pick up something clean, right?" He motioned to his own cart.

Inside of it, on top of the layer of books, magazines, and art supplies that he had picked up, were several sets of new clothes. One pile was obviously for Nolan, and the other was for Kelsey, who was standing silently at his side with a goofy grin on her face.

"Do you mind if we use the changing rooms for a bit?"

"Nah, I'm done with it. Go ahead." Jen informed him. "I think I'll go see if Antonio needs help with the auto parts."

* * * * *

Of course, checking with Antonio in the auto parts section was a lie. Jen was definitely curious to see what he had found and was putting together for their trip over the mountains, but there was something else on Jen's mind right now. It could just be nothing, but she wanted to be absolutely sure.

It was Willow. He remembered how she puked her guts out after shooting that sniper, and how she had popped a pain pill afterward. At the time, it seemed pretty normal and understandable. But the more Jen thought about it, the weirder it seemed in hindsight. Trouble sleeping? Waves of nausea? These were problems Willow had shared with her or mentioned in passing. And she also noticed that Willow had been looking a little haggard recently. Jen hadn't really questioned it in the past since her injuries were bad and she was in pain. Trouble sleeping would lead to a tired appearance. And nausea was common for someone in pain. She could explain it was pretty easily. It wasn't until Jen caught Willow trying to sneak out of the pharmacy that she realized there could be another cause to all of this. But she wasn't any sort of expert on that. That is why she needed to find Annie.

And find her she did; near the front of the store carrying some shopping bags with her son.

"Hey, Annie." Jen got her attention quietly. "Do you have a moment?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie gave Jimmy a sarcastic smile, which seemed to satisfy him, as he kept walking. She was about to lead Connor back into the parking lot when Jen quietly interrupted her.

Annie turned – the concern on the young girl’s face was evident.

“Sure,” she said. “Connor, honey, do you mind just waiting over there for a second?”

Connor gave an exaggerated shrug, before swinging and rattling his bag of pills and other medications as he walked off. When he was out of earshot, Annie lowered her gaze and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
"Have you..."

Jen started off hesitantly. She wasn't the kind of person that went behind someone's back and talked about them. Especially a good friend like Willow. But this was something she didn't have much experience with either.

"Have you noticed anything... off with Willow recently?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“She’s been through a lot,” Annie said, after a long moment’s consideration. “But she’s handling it remarkably well, given the circumstances. I can’t say I’ve noticed anything too concerning.”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Jen scratched her head. For a moment she considered that she was overthinking the situation. But she had already come out here to talk to Annie about it, so she might as well see it through.

"She's been telling me that she has been feeling a little nauseous and has had trouble sleeping recently. And yesterday I saw her puke... and then immediately take one of those painkillers you gave her."

Maybe Annie had heard this from Willow already. In fact, Jen hoped that she had. She hoped that she was just regurgitating information to Annie that she already knew. Then it would mean that she was just looking too hard into all of this.

"Earlier, I caught her sneaking around in the pharmacy. She was surprised when I showed up, but told me that you had asked her to look around it for you. But I got the feeling she was lying, and if you did tell her to do that, then please correct me, because I am starting think she might be abusing the painkillers you gave her so that she can push herself harder."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie’s look changed to mirror Jen’s. That was definitely something to worry about, and something that was eminently possible. She remember how Willow asked for more pills last night, a little earlier than expected. She also reminded herself of the mental strain Willow was under, having participated in Eli’s ambush. The risk factors were clearly there.

That’s concerning,” she agreed. “But it’s early days since her surgery yet. She has a valid medical reason for needing relief. Just… keep an eye on her, okay?”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Annie had agreed with her, but didn't seem able to offer any more advice than that. Or she wasn't willing to draw that conclusion without more proof. Even though her hesitation had been expected, Jennifer had been expecting something perhaps a little more concrete to go on.

"Yeah, definitely." Jen nodded in response and tried to hide her uncertainty behind a thankful smile. "Thanks, Annie. I'll keep you posted on what I find out."

As they ended the conversation, Jen turned around and headed back into the store. If Annie didn't think Willow needed immediate help, then there was no point in worrying about it right now. All she could do now was try to focus her efforts on picking up everything she needed and the group needed. Maybe now she could see what Antonio had found. Hopefully some snow chains.

I should also pick up some warm gloves too if I am gonna keep driving the bike. And a helmet. Brandon was getting toiletries right? I definitely want a toothbrush. I should go grab one too, just in case. And gum. Crap, all these little things you don't even think about when you leave.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
Emily regarded herself in a mirror. She'd stripped down and changed her clothes as she found the replacements, folding up her old articles neatly. There was a sad note in the action, like funeral of sorts. Being a cop had been what defined her before all of this, ever since it started that had slowly drifted away and left her feeling completely lost. The uniform itself was just an attempt to hold on to that, and one that hadn't worked. Even so to finally take it off for good was a bitter thing.

Instead she now stood wearing simple clothes, a long sleeved shirt, jeans, baseball cap, plain sweater and a jacket. With a little sigh she looked down at her badge, wondering if she should leave it. She'd never been one to do things by halves. Once she decided to do something it got done all the way. The badge dropped on top of her uniform and she walked away with a few new sets of clothes.

...

"Hey you." Brandon whispered as he found Willow idly walking through the clothing section.

Brandon had just stripped, or rather peeled, off his old clothes for a new set. It was the first change since they left Flint and they'd gotten a little on the rank side even with Brandon doing his best to stay clean. A change of clothes was invigorating, he felt brand new. He felt like tearing them off again as he studied Willow's body. He stared at her with undisguised lust, which was his greatest weakness or so he felt.

There were quite a few places here that they could be alone but no time to enjoy it. The idea of taking her right there gave him a little thrill, the prospect of getting caught, the rush of getting away with it. He hung his head and groaned in frustration as he gently rubbed her shoulders from behind.

"You and I should spend a solid two days in bed once this is over. I think we're about to leave, you find anything good?" he inquired, picking some stray hairs off of her.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Willow let out a silent sigh of relief as she heard Brandon's voice. She had been putting on a good front, but the truth was that she was sore, tired, and hurting all over. Brandon was one of the few people that could really make her feel safe enough to let her guard down enough to realize that.

"Two days?" She moaned as Brandon rubbed her shoulders. "If you gave me a bed and a working TV, I swear I wouldn't move for at least a week."

It was absolutely true too. And even then, a week was probably being conservative. After everything Willow had been through, two weeks in bed was what she would have predicted for herself. Annie would probably have her take it easier for longer. Most people that saw her would not have guessed she was someone that had been shot nearly to death a week ago. But she sure as hell felt like someone that had been. Even with her prescription painkillers, everything hurt like hell and she had to push herself daily. Without them, she didn't even want to think about it.

"All the major sections of the store already had people working them. I picked up a few toiletries for myself, but not much else. Wasn't much left for me to really do, so I loitered around here and looked at the clothes. I helped Jen pick out something nice; she has no fashion sense at all." Willow mused.

She turned around and motioned to herself. She was wearing a new pair of blue skinny jeans, a black undershirt, and a heavy beige sweater with a large fold from the shoulders, around the neck and over the chest. Around her neck, she still wore the scarf that Brandon had picked out for her from Flint.

"Jen finished helping me get into these literally just a few minutes ago." She told Brandon with a smirk.

After Nolan and Kelsey had gotten changed, she had to go drag Jen away from Antonio in the auto part section to help her get changed since she was too stiff to do it herself. Jen seemed hesitant at first, but eventually conceded and helped. It was also the first time she had ever seen the wounds from the night Willow was carried into Flint. Jen's morbidly curious yet completely grossed out reaction had been the highlight of the event.

* * * * *

"I think a baseball bat would be a pretty good weapon."

Nolan and his siter were both in the sports section of the store, where Nolan held an aluminium baseball bat that he found. He gave it a quick, compact swing. As he finished, Nolan scrunched his face and grit his teeth at the wave of pain that traveled through his right arm and shoulder. He almost dropped the bat.

"You got shot twice. In the same arm. I don't think you should be swinging anything." Kelsey lectured him.

His own sister was lecturing him now. But she wasn't wrong. The shoulder wound was still just new and tender. But the one on his forearm would probably take a while to fully heal. It hurt even when he moved his right hand -- although the fact he could still move and feel his hand was a symbol of how lucky he had been. But lucky did not mean painless, and he it looked like swinging a bat around was far too much strain for him.

"You're right, Kels." Nolan conceded with a sigh. "Maybe I should get a sword or something like Antonio then. It would be a good for someone who can only use one arm right now."

"And where are you going to find a sword?" She furled her brow.

"Details!" Nolan exclaimed with a nonchalant wave of his left hand. "Antonio found one in a block of vegetable lard or something inside of a McDonald's, right? I'm sure they can't be too hard to find if that is the case. Maybe if I could find a katana or something. Badasses always use katanas."

Despite everything, Nolan could feel he was becoming more relaxed. When he first met these people and Kelsey, he had been tense. He had been quiet and reserved and not sure what to say or do. But as he got to know these people, even over the short time he had known them, he could feel himself becoming more comfortable and acting more naturally. He always considered himself as someone with a lot of personality and someone that liked to talk, but it was easy to repress those feelings when scared or unsure. Nolan figured that being more comfortable was nothing but good news for him so he decided to embrace it.

"I forgot how weird you could be sometimes." Kelsey commented offhandedly.

"I am choosing to ignore that." Nolan told her lightheartedly.

"Yo, Nolan!" A familiar voice called out to him and interrupted the playful banter between siblings.

It was Jen. She was waving them down from the aisle as she walked in their direction. Nolan put down the bat he had failed horribly at swinging and headed towards her.

"What's up?"

"We're rounding everyone up. We're getting ready to go." She reported.

They had been there for a while. Nolan had lost track of time. Despite the mess and the dead bodies strewn through the store, there was a kind of novelty in having a store to yourself where you could take whatever you want. Nolan had gotten a little carried away and found himself making the best of the situation and enjoying himself.

"Last call, Kels!" Nolan called out to his sister. "Anything else you want, go grab it quick. Then meet us all at the front of the store."

"Oh, there was something before we went!" Kelsey took off down a nearby aisle and disappeared.

Nolan shrugged. Whatever it was, he was sure she would be showing it off to him when she was finished. She had never mentioned anything she wanted before though. But that wasn't particularly shocking either. At least she remembered it now rather than after they got back on the road.

"You look good." Jen complimented him as the two of them started walking toward the front of the store. "Better than Antonio. He looks like one of the Super Mario Brothers with those overalls I saw him wearing."

He had also picked out a new wardrobe. He had replaced his grungy clothes with a new pair of jeans, a sturdy pair of boots (at Willow's behest), white shirt underneath a thin, dark red sweater and a brown pea coat on top of that. On his head, he had picked up a brown beanie as well to match the pea coat. He wasn't expecting to win any fashion awards, but he felt so much better without his month old clothes.

"Thanks. I've always wanted a pea coat, so I figured this was a good chance to try one. It's warm enough for the mountains." Nolan remarked wryly.

"Hopefully we don't get stranded in any blizzards. But it's kind of reassuring knowing we're prepared now in case that does happen. That old windbreaker wouldn't have helped at all; I was freezing my tits off last night and it was barely below freezing."

It had been cold last night. He was glad he'd had time to dry off after skinny dipping in the lake last night. It took him an hour to be able to feel his fingers after that -- had he still been wet, he might have woken up with a head full of frozen hair. That would have made the night colder than it already was. Jen was right though, it did feel good to have a backup plan. Even before this whole end-of-the-world thing, getting trapped in the mountains during a blizzard thing was scary. But no matter how deadly it had been before, it could be more deadly now. Hopefully, as long as they stuck to the major roads, they shouldn't have too much problems. But it wasn't just the weather he was worried about either.

As they approached the front of the store, Nolan was stopped by Jen grabbing his wrist.

"Everything alright?"

She wasn't meeting his gaze -- Nolan was worried that something might be wrong. He slowly turned his body to look at her, his brow furled. But she didn't answer him for a few more seconds.

"Life is... too short for this." She finally said.

She grabbed the collar of his coat, leaned forward, stood on her toes, and gently planted her lips against his. After the initial shock of the experience wore off, Nolan could safely say that she had no idea how to kiss. But that was not the reason he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away from him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice laced with worry.

"I... I've only known you for a day." He managed. "We barely know anything about each other."

"So?" She tilted her head to the side with a difficult expression. "I have a crush on you, alright? I think you're cute, I like talking to you, and I think we have a lot in common. And I haven't felt that with any of the other guys here, so I figured I would take a leap on this one while I still have a chance. Yeah, I know I've only known you for a day, but you know what? We might all be dead tomorrow."

Nolan couldn't really deny the truth of her claim. But this was... well, he kind of suspected it. Girls had always liked him, he had learned to tell when someone was chasing after him. Usually it was just because he was 'the quarterback' or 'a cute guy', but when Jen talked, he got the feeling she was sincere about it, and looking deeper than just the aesthetics. She reminded him even more of Monica now. And that thought, that connection, hurt.

"I... can't. Not right now at least." Nolan admitted, noticing the pain in Jen's eyes as he said those words. "And it's not you. I think you're pretty awesome too. I could see us together. But it's just... I learned that my girlfriend and most of my family were all dead the other day. I expected it, but it's... heavier than I thought it would be. No matter how much I try to hide it, it's still there. The idea of getting close to someone like that and risking that same pain all over again. It's not easy."

He could see the disappointment in her eyes. And understandably so. He had just shot her down. Jen pursed her lips and shifted uncomfortably, but clearly didn't really know what to say.

"Hey, look." Nolan finally broke the silence. "Let's keep talking. Let's keep getting to know each other. If it gets to the point where I feel comfortable with the idea, then you will definitely be the first to know. Hell, if it goes well, I might just need a few days to finish digesting all the news. How does that sound?"

The disappointed look in her eyes was slowly replaced by a wry smile; "It means waiting a little while, but... I guess that's not so bad. I mean, you just admitted you did like me back, in a way."

"Yeah, definitely." Nolan admitted without a second thought -- she was pretty fun to talk to. "It's just complicated for me right now, and I want you to know that. I was taught to respect women, so I'm not gonna get involved with one when I'm not mentally ready for it. It's not fair to the woman and doesn't do anyone any favors."

"Nah, I get it. When you put it that way, it makes me feel like I'm making a really good call with you." Jen admitted with a soft laugh. "I knew it was a risk considering everything you've been through the past few weeks and honestly, this is a better result than I was expecting. But I wanted to let you know what I was thinking before someone else got a hold of you."

"Like who? Annie? No offense but she's old enough to be my mom. And isn't Emily gay?"

"What? How did you know that?" Jen shook her head.

"... she's a female cop."

In Nolan's eyes, it was a pretty infallible argument. The speechless expression on Jen's face pretty much confirmed it.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Create your own social network with a free forum.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Roleplaying · Next Topic »
Add Reply