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Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,830 Views)
DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Connor waited for his moment, then struck. He took a knee brought down the knife Brandon had gifted him like he had something to prove. The rotter snarled one final objection before going still forever. Connor tore the knife out again as he stood up.

When he was back on his feet, he gave John and his son a cocky and defiant glare.

“Okay, next,” he said.

* * *

The car ride had been quiet since Eli and Kelsey had left Alma’s grave-site. The silence was starting to feel oppressive. Eli didn’t know how to break it, however. All he could do was keep stealing glances at his diminutive passenger in an effort to gauge her mood, all in the futile hope that it would change.

Eventually, when the oppression became too much, Eli gathered the will to say something. Even if it was something stupid, something he already knew the answer too.

“Did it make you feel any better?”
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
The image of looking down at Alma's dead body had stayed with Kelsey, even after they left her behind and continued down the highway. It wasn't so different from looking at Jen. The eyes that were once full of life and energy, now empty of everything. Kelsey had been sure that was what she wanted going into this. To see their eyes as lifeless as they had made Nolan's. And yet...

"No." She broke her silence flatly.
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
It took a while but eventually as promised everyone found a kind of rhythm. The mob around the van got smaller and smaller as the party got more and more practiced. Between five pairs the hundred-something creeps were dead within about an hour, even with the few late comers drawn by the sound of Iris's gunshot. Iris had turned down her music and lay on her back with her legs dangling over the side, tantalizing the few remaining creeps as she tapped her feet and mumbled along to Bad Girls by M.I.A.

As the last creep went down with a pickaroon to the head Jake and Romain eagerly let their gore coats slide off. Dwight and Hunter took a moment to check their surroundings one more time to ensure they weren't about to have company before doing the same. Iris began climbing off the truck by hopping down on top of the cab. Jake, being a gentleman, offered her a hand.

"I'm good, dude." she said as she declined and hopped down.

"Nice moves." Emily commented as Iris came around the back of the truck.

"You too." she replied with a smile.

Iris grabbed hold of a handle on the side of the truck and lifted herself up to a small panel. She pressed a button and lowered a sturdy looking ramp. Once it was down at the level of the door she stepped onto it and rolled the rear door up. It stank inside as much as outside. Emily could see why, it was filthy in there. Dry blood caked the floor and up the sides a little too.

"Take a breather, people. We're about to start the hard work." Hunter informed them.

"We really can't leave them?" Emily asked.

"You mean can we leave our dead neighbors lying around our home?" Dwight asked.

"Gotcha. Stupid question I guess." Emily said, though she really did think moving them was a waste of time as they didn't actually live anywhere near this mess.

...

Brandon fought to stay awake back at town hall. He thought it was hard on the drive, the quiet of waiting for the others to return was even worse. He tried to occupy himself with weapon maintenance, sharping his blades and checking all their firearms while keeping an eye out the front. He checked in with Annie and Emmett from time to time, but his condition hadn't changed for better or worse.

He hated that there wasn't anything more he could do to help him after everything Emmett had done for them, he could only imagine how distressing it was for Annie being his doctor on top of that. He spoke to him briefly, in case he could hear him or if hearing a friendly voice could help him somehow, filling him in on everything that was happening. So long as he was doing something it felt a little better. The only times he felt this powerless were when he lost his brother, when they lost Julie and when they lost Jen. The memories left him feeling bitter.

It was almost a relief when a van pulled up outside and interrupted him as he was dwelling on them. He raised his carbine and stood back from the window in case it was being watched by a shooter.

"We've got guests." he alerted the others calmly.

The driver was familiar to him. Byron from the casino. He exited the van and opened the side door where Saxon was waiting. With the use of a small lifter he exited the van also and thanked Byron.

"Hello." he greeted them, unsure who he was even speaking to.

"Hello Mr. King." Brandon replied.

"Ah, the young man from before, Brandon." he recollected from the sound of his voice.

"Do you need something?" Brandon asked bluntly.

"I'm here about your doctor's offered services. May I come in?" he asked.

Brandon looked to the others. It was as much their decision as his.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Yeah,” Eli said, almost under his breath. “That sounds about right.”

He let the silence linger a few moments as he stared out at the highway ahead. He reflected on his own experiences with that question. More than one face appeared in his mind’s eye.

“It won’t,” he said, finally. “I know. I’ve tried. More than once.”

* * *

Annie left Emmett’s side long enough to witness the arrival of a van. Brandon reacted evenly to the people emerging from it, so he must have recognized them from the casino. That didn’t make Annie relax, exactly, but it was at least a little bit of a relief.

She joined Brandon by the side door, and gave the wheelchair-bound man a thorough look over. She found him a curious sight. She wondered how challenging it must have been to survive these past months with such limited mobility.

“You may,” she said cautiously, peering at him from behind Brandon. “If that means you accept our terms, that is. One at a time, like my friend said earlier.”
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Kelsey's eyes never stopped looking through the windshield and down the highway before them. Nor did her lips move to give Eli an answer. There was nothing she had to say.

* * * * *

Willow lingered behind Brandon and Annie as they greeted their new guest. Or guests. So far only two had actually shown themselves; the old guy in the wheelchair that was evidently Mr. King and the Asian driver. Definitely not a very big show of force. Though it was highly unlikely that it was just the two of them. The thought made her nervous, but not that nervous. Her heart wasn't caught in her throat or anything like that.

"I'll make sure he doesn't try anything funny." Willow added.

They didn't have many sets of eyes right now. She didn't have the luxury of sitting idly by. Not like she'd be able to really relax with strangers in their midst right now.

* * * * *

Antonio was mildly amused by the answer Dwight gave Emily. This place wasn't their home, really. It was pretty far away from their base of operations. But maybe one day, it could be their home again. For him, that was enough of a reason to dispose of the bodies.

"So how do we do this?" He asked looking out over the field of corpses. "Just pile them up and burn them?"
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
"No. We bury the dead. There's a site just outside town with a grave already dug out, it'll need to expanded to accommodate the larger number but we've got an excavator so that won't be an issue." Dwight informed them.

Emily suppressed a sigh. Not only were they not just leaving them they were getting rid of them in the most inefficient way possible. Emily didn't mean any disrespect but the needs of the dead take a back seat to the needs of the loving and what they needed was to get the fuck away from there.

"We could use a lookout on top of the truck warn us if something's coming. Connor why don't climb up and be our eyes?" Hunter suggested as he and Dwight got started dragging bodies toward the truck.

The others got to work as well. This at least wouldn't take too long.

...

King turned to Byron and gave him a nod. Byron in turn reached into the van and produced a radio.

"It's okay here you can move up." he spoke into it before returning to Saxon's side.

"Those are acceptable conditions, and I wouldn't dream of abusing the hospitality of such lovely women. You ladies have me at a disadvantage, I assume you know my name." Saxon implored them indirectly.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Antonio exhaled softly through his lips after Dwight informed them of the method of disposal.

Burying, huh? Not the most efficient way to go about this. Funny to think I would have respected -- even agreed -- with this sentiment a month ago. But these aren't people. Not anymore.

Nevertheless, he grabbed the nearest body and started to drag it toward the truck like everyone else. He may have had his hangups, but they weren't in much of a position to complain. They needed the food and if burying this many corpses was what it took, then it was what it took.

* * * * *

"Sorry if we can't take you at your word on that." The woman with the pink hair answered him. "Our hospitality has been abused too many times already, you know?"

Had the situation been any different, she might have enjoyed the flattery he was throwing around, as cheap as it may have been. But she was too on edge from everything else to even really think about it. He may have looked disarming enough, sitting in his wheelchair and smiling, but that wasn't anywhere near enough to justify letting her guard down.

"... and it's Willow." She added onto the end as an afterthought.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Yeah,” Eli repeated, his voice weary and resigned.

He couldn’t blame her. He wouldn’t have heeded that advice either.

* * *

Connor made sure his knife was as clean as he could make it before silently agreeing to Hunter’s suggestion. He figured he would seem cooler and more capable if he kept his words to a minimum, so he just gave a subtle nod as he climbed up and took position.

* * *

“Annie,” she added, her tone still even, unmoved by Saxon’s attempt at charm.

Leonora was polite at first, too, she remembered.

“So what’s the problem?”
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Strompy
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"Willow and Annie." Saxon affirmed with a nod.

"As for the problem, that's what we've come to find out. I'm your first patient." he answered Annie.

"I need to search you." Brandon informed him flatly.

Saxon nodded his assent. Brandon patted the man down as thoroughly as he could, sparing him the indignity of the strip search Brandon, Connor and Antonio were subject to. Brandon nodded for Annie and Willow to escort him inside.

"That's all? I could be sitting on a knife or a gun." King pointed out.

"Annie has lots of sharp things. And a gun. You'd also have to fgure out a way to deal with Willow who also has sharp things and a gun." Brandon retorted evenly.

"Fair point." Saxon admitted before proceeding inside.

Brandon knew he didn't need to tell the others to keep an eye on all their guests, so he kept his attention fixed on Byron who looked on after Saxon with a look of concern. Brandon could appreciate his apprehension. A moment later the sound of a noisy engine broke the silence as a vehicle drew closer. Byron wasn't fazed at all so he knew it was one of theirs. Sure enough a small bus came around the corner and pulled up out the front.

With just one glance Brandon could make out several women and a few children. A sullen pre-teen boy in the back tried to look disinterested in what was happening but Brandon imagined this was the first time they'd been out of doors in a while. A child of maybe four years didn't attempt any such subterfuge and bounced excitedly next to his mother. One row in front of him was toddler who was playing with her ears and simply looked out the window, probably taken with the experience of being higher up than usual.

Brandon tried to keep his expression indifferent, but he couldn't deny a small smile and a friendly nod to the excited boy as he waved at him.

"Lead on, Doctor Annie." King prompted after fondly watching the faces on the bus for a moment.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Before answering, Annie flinched at the sound of the incoming engine, and gave a worried look Brandon’s way. When he seemed unfazed, Annie calmed down and looked again at Saxon.

She didn’t blink at being called ‘Doctor Annie,’ at least. In her few years as a paediatrician, that’s what most of her patients called her anyway.

“There’s a conference room down this way,” she said. “I can examine you there.”

She led the way, as instructed. She gave Brandon one more look before exiting the foyer.

“So is something bothering you in particular?” she asked over her shoulder as she walked.

She hoped it was something more benign than his legs not working. She was pretty sure she couldn’t help him with that.
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
"I've got this problem with my legs, I just can't feel anything from here down. I'm starting to worry." Saxon said with a guilty smile.

"I'm sorry. You saw that coming I know, I do it for myself. A sense of humor helps with this." he confessed gesturing to his legs and wheelchair.

For a few moments he simply rolled along idly. Inspecting the room absently, lingering on details that weren't there. He stared past the walls in actuality, and his thoughts were far away. He started abrutly as if he'd forgotten Annie was there.

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot to explain. I promised Byron I'd come see you about my cough, but I already know it's lung cancer. I'm going to be dead very soon. I'd appreciate it if we waited a little while and pretended to have a check-up though. I was also wondering if you'd be kind enough to tell anyone that asks about me that I have a chest cold or something. I'm sure you can think of something more imaginative than that though if you'd like to give them something with a little more... sophistication. Might sell a little beter. What would you recommend I tell them?" he asked calmly.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Oh,” Annie said.

She was stunned. She didn’t know what to expect going in, but she especially didn’t expect cancer. She was just as ill-equipped to deal with that as she was his paralysis, and he seemed to know that. He was remarkably calm.

“I’m sorry,” she added, the words coming automatically.

Cancer, she repeated in her mind, unable to suppress a frown. With all the extraordinary trials and tribulations of the last couple months, and all the medical emergencies she had to cope with, she had almost forgotten what it was like to be confronted with something like that.

“When were you diagnosed?”
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Strompy
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"Thank you. I was diagnosed months ago, and they gave me about a year or so without treatment. Long enough to get my affairs in order. Chemotherapy was an option but it would have left me wasted and only been a slim chance at success, which I'm not too proud to admit I was just too proud agree to. Since my accident my dignity has become more valuable to me than almost anything, so I wasn't going to give it up. I actually started to plan a household accident for myself once I had gotten everything in order, but then all of this happened and my people needed me a little longer. I just hope I have enough time to see them come out the other side of all this." Saxon explained sinking a little deeper into his chair.

The far away look in his eyes had returned as he spoke, but he blinked it away and looked back up at Annie with a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry. Heh, I'm apologizing a lot. I'm sorry to go on, it's just your the first person I've even told about this. Other than my own doctor who is probably dead now, which I have to admit is a little amusing in a sick way. He was young and fit and healthy, had nice teeth. Very bright future. Now he's dead, and the old man, who smoked most of his adult life whom he'd informed was a dead man walking, frgive the pun, is still very much alive. That isn't fair at all. Life can be horrifically strange and cruel, have to marvel at it sometimes, don't you think?" he continued with a little more animation and a rueful smile.

"I'm going on again. I'm done now, I can't stand maudlin existentialism for long. Please, if we're going to be here a few minutes I'd much rather know more about you and your people. Where have you all come from? Before Salt Lake City that is. Your friends told me a little about it. The boy outside, Brandon, his injuries. Was that...?" Saxon asked with a hint of uncertainty.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie absorbed Saxon’s story silently, trying not to look overly somber. She shook her head at his apologies, however, trying to indicate quietly that she didn’t mind that he wanted to talk about it.

By the time he was finished, and asking a question of his own, Annie had already decided to respect his wishes. Even if physician-patient privilege was no longer enforceable, it still seemed like a good concept to adhere to.

“It was…” she almost answered without thinking about it, but caught herself.

She took a moment to consider whether she should be honest or not. Saxon had been so open, though, and his story seemed so tragic and genuine – she didn’t see a reason not to be. He had confirmed that she couldn’t help him with what ailed him, so maybe that was the least she could do.

“It was people,” she said. “Bad people – or at least, a bad person. There seem to be a lot of those around. He sustained those before Salt Lake City, even. As for where we came from, I don’t know how much Brandon already told you. All over, really. I’m from Michigan, he’s from New York, we even have someone from Canada.”

Her train of thought was derailed suddenly when she remembered his earlier question.

“Acute bronchitis,” she said abruptly. “It’s just a more technical way to say ‘chest cold,’ but maybe it will sell better.”
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
Saxon listened with a commiserative expression as Annie informed him passingly about Cory and their other run ins. He tilted his head when Annie explained where some of them were from however.

"Michigan, New York and Canada? You've all come a long way to Nevada. There's a story there." Saxon noted.

It stood as an invitation but he didn't press it, instead he moved on knowing he was unlikely to hear anything more on it.

"Acute bronchitis. I like it, I think it'll sell. Should buy me a little while longer. I should get back to Byron and give him the good news. If I take too long for a simple case of bronchitis it might seem suspicious. Thank you, Annie, I really appreciate this, you'll get whatever supplies you need from us. I'd like to thank you more personally if I may. Though truthfully it's that I've enjoyed being able to speak with you and I'd like a chance to continue. If you'd do me the kindness I'd like you to join me for dinner this evening, we have a talented chef at The Lion." Saxon offered as he paused by the door.
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