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Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,827 Views)
Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
At least it looks legit.

Willow felt a small sense of relief. She wasn't even sure why she was surprised -- if they had really wanted to launch an attack, they had the perfect opportunity while they had their people here. Though that didn't rule out the possibility of something being in the food or supplies, though Willow's paranoia was ultimately beaten out by her hunger. Her stomach audibly growled at the sight of even TV dinners and canned soup.

"Thank you." She told the man simply.
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
The man nodded again and made his way back into the van. He'd probably been warned about their form of sociability, he got the feeling the man had never had a gun pointed at him before. Brandon didn't know if he saw him in the window or not but it wasn't a leap to make a connection between a voice from a window and there being a gun pointed at you. He took off without anymore prompting, Brandon might have felt a little bad for the guy's nerves, but right now he liked that these people were nervous, better they all keep each other at arm's lengths.

"Okay guys. Food's here." Brandon announced.

The able bodied brought the boxes in and Brandon regarded them as he might a bear trap. There was about a day's worth of food for them all. It as a little lean but it'd keep them going at least. He felt odd about it. After everything that had happened he didn't want to trust any of this, but they kept their end of the deal. They even threw in some water.

"I know you're all hungry but let's not dig in just yet. Check all the packaging. Check under labels for signs of tampering. Point out any damage so we can inspect it, the food could be drugged. These water bottles are refills, so boil it first." he instructed the others.

"Annie, how about the other supplies they sent? How much do they help us?" he asked.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Before Brandon had even asked, Annie was already looking through the smaller box that had just been delivered. She took a quick mental inventory of what was inside, and cracked a slight smile at their good fortune. Saxon had delivered on what he promised.

“It helps,” she answered Brandon. “It helps a lot.”
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
Brandon was glad to hear it but kept it from his face, he didn't want to seem too grateful for any of it incase anyone felt they were recieving some kind of gift. This was payment for services rendered, they'd earned this.

He recognized that it seemed these people had plenty of supplies to spare. The frozen dinners were still frosty, so they had a working freezer, maybe several, and it stood to reason they'd use perishables like these first and save the stuff with the longer shelf life so they could eventually turn off the freezers and save as much gas as possible. If they were still eating refrigerated food that ment they must have had rooms full of stuff they hadn't even touched. If they did have to leave without Eli and Kelsey they could do with having a few of those supplies with them. It might actually be worth getting a little friendly with these people.

"Good. I need you to take a look at my shoulder in a moment. Somebody should go tell the Kellys. After we eat we've got one more thing to take care of." he announced.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“I’ll go,” Emmett volunteered.

“Connor can go,” Annie said, looking over at him.

Since the delivery, he had been helping to inspect the food, as per Brandon’s instructions. Now he was standing up, despite Annie’s objection.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“You should be resting,” Annie said.

“I will,” he said. “After dinner.”

Annie didn’t bother prolonging the argument. It was just a walk down a hallway, she knew he could handle it. She knew she was being overly cautious. She was just so grateful he has awake. She had learned firsthand more than once that not everyone could be so lucky.

When Emmett was gone from the room, she redirected her attention to Brandon.

“Your shoulder, of course,” she nodded. “Whenever you’re ready. But when you say one more thing, do you mean… Andy?”
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Strompy
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Brandon nodded gravely. They'd put it off for the sake of the Kellys, but Andy's body had been in that hot trunk for almost half a day. Brandon wished he could be of some use to them with it, but his shoulder left him practically one-armed. Even if he weren't he couldn't know how the Kelly's would feel about his involvement. If they blamed him for Andy they'd be within their rights to refuse him, though on the other hand they may even insist he do what he could for Andy in death. For his own part of it, Brandon wanted to help to show his thanks to the man. If it weren't for Andy he and Emily would be dead and Willow and Annie would be in crazy-bumpkin HQ.

"Is now good?" he asked in reply.

He took one of the open seats nearby and undid two buttons of his oversized flannel shirt. He slid the shirt off his shoulder and considered the amateurish but adequate job they'd done on it in the RV. It was angry looking, possibly infected, but a sharp piece of metal leaves an angry mark for a while so it could just be that.

"We couldn't have gotten you out of there without Andy. Probably wouldn't have made it out of Salt Lake City without him." Brandon explained.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie frowned as she went to work – a reaction to both the extent of Brandon’s injury and the somber subject matter.

“I’m grateful,” she said. “He was a good man.”

She finished sorting through the materials she’d need, and then took a seat next to Brandon. Her first objective was to remove the dressing they had already applied. After that, cleaning the wound. It looked like it hurt, so she went about those tasks as gently as she could.

“About the Kelly’s,” she continued the conversation as she worked. “Hank’s one thing, maybe, but his family… They’re not like us.”

She remembered her time with them in the train cart, and how thoroughly they had broken down. It probably wasn’t fair to judge. The situation was about as frightening as it could be. She and Willow’s reaction might have been just as adverse, if they hadn’t already gone through what they had gone through.

“It may take them a long time to bounce back from this,” she said. “We should do what we can to help them, but…”

She hesitated. How to put this?

“But sometimes people have to want to be helped,” she said. “That’s all.”

That was a lesson she had to learn herself, multiple times throughout her medical internship and residence. She had slowly forgotten it after starting her own practice, when she was mostly dealing with kids and their worried parents, but it had come roaring back into her life since arriving in the Flint community.
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Strompy
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Brandon agreed with Annie about the Kelly's. There were wolves out there that'd make a meal of them without a thought, they almost had back in Salt Lake City. Now that Andy was gone it was just Hank that could keep them safe from that danger. He wouldn't be enough.

Brandon wished they could go to California and finish this. That in a couple days everything would be over. The truth was this wasn't going to end so neatly or quickly. Even if they handed the cure over tomorrow, the fallout from all this would last for years. People would be just as desperate for food, just as desperate to feel safe, to protect what was theirs. People would be just as willing to wrong each other to save themselves. Sooner or later, no matter what happened, those people needed to know how to fight.

"I owe Andy. I have to keep those people safe, even if they don't want me to. The best way I know how is to teach them how to look out for themselves." Brandon said as he watched Connor take the label off one of the cans to inspect underneath it.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie sighed. She hoped that Brandon could teach them. She had observed the way the Kelly’s had been acting around him since this morning, however, and wasn’t optimistic. Maybe Brandon needed to learn this lesson for himself.

“Okay,” she said. “I hope they’ll come around. Maybe they just need some time.”

She left it that, then leaned in to take a closer look at his wound. She bit her lip.

“This might be infected,” she admitted. “Hard to be certain without a wound culture. Either way, it needs a thorough cleaning. I’m going to need you to lie down.”
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Strompy
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"Heh, I lie down I might fall asleep." Brandon joked, he knew this was going to hurt.

"Food checks out." Emily informed him happily.

"There's a staff kitchen with some pans..." Brandon began.

"Way ahead of you." Emily said holding up one in each hand.

"I guess you should start breaking down some of this furniture then. We'll need an appropriate fire pit, Connor knows what to do. Careful when you're burning this stuff the varnish is full of chemicals try to avoid inhaling the smoke." he instructed, his voice raising as they got further away from him, already getting underway.

Delegating. That was part of the job they all asked him to do. Right at that moment it was the only thing he could do, it made him feel worse than helpless, he felt unnecessary. Everyone knew what they were doing now, he didn't have to remind anyone to be careful.

"I wonder if this is how Randall felt after I cut his hand off. That was his good hand too." Brandon remarked as he gingerly lay down where Emmett had been recouperating.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“I’m on it,” Connor said, standing up from the food. He looked and sounded proud of himself.

Annie smiled a little at his confidence, then turned back to Brandon.

“Sleep wouldn’t be so bad,” she said. “But this might be uncomfortable.”

She produced some of the saline solution that had come in the delivery, and went to work. Only a few moments into the cleaning, Emmett returned to the room.

“Hank said he’d be out to collect his share soon,” the big man reported.
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The night passed without incident. Annie came back from her evening with King with nothing but good things to report. They finally put Andy in the ground and retired for the night. It was still and quiet and sleep came easily to them after the day they'd had.

When the morning came it was pleasantly cool. Antonio had final watch and roused them as soon as the sun had broken free of the horizon. The eeriness of the empty streets had faded, it no longer seemed strange. The sound of a single engine disturbed the still morning. A sedan crawled around the corner. Brandon readied his carbine but didn't raise it. As it approached he recognized the driver. A weight lifted off his shoulders as he walked over to meet him.

"Eli!" he greeted him.

The sedan came to a stop. Eli greeted him with a silent nod. In the back seat Brandon could make out the top of Kelsey's head. He should have been glad but he suddenly felt overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of dread. Eli exited the car and made his way around to Kelsey's door. He opened it and Kelsey swung her dirt covered bare feet out. She stood up and walked past Eli. Her skin was palid and bruised, her hands covered in dirt and blood and she stared with milky white eyes. A bullet hole in her chest kept weeping blood.

...

Brandon didn't wake with a start, but he was far from easy. His chest was tied up in knots, exacerbating his already battered ribs and bruised muscle. As much as his waking mind wouldn't even entertain that scenario he couldn't deny his fears when he slept. Kelsey might not come back. Eli might not come back.

He fell asleep pretty soon after Annie got to work. He looked down as best he could, he had to turn his head at a pretty uncomfortable angle in order to see his shoulder wound with his remaining good eye. Neat and professional like always. They'd all be dead right now without Annie.

"Cool. You're awake." Emily noted.

"How long was I out?" Brandon asked.

"Long enough to almost miss dinner. Would have woken you up a little sooner but Annie and Willow said to let you have a few more minutes." she explained.

"Could have used the rescue honestly." Brandon said as he got back to his feet with Emily's help.

Brandon buttoned up his shirt eagerly, his stomach growling in anticipation. He could barely see, but the fact he could at all without a source of light nearby told him there was still some color left in the sky.

"Hey, there's one other thing. Annie isn't the only one with a date tonight." Emily confessed.

"Are you kidding me?" Brandon said in disbelief.

"Look I'm sorry but I need this. It was a long time even before all this started. It hasn't been easy, you and Willow have your thing, and we hear things sometimes which makes it all harder. I just really need this." Emily implored him for understanding.

Brandon frowned and sighed slightly. He was too tired, sore and hungry to muster more than a vague sense of objection to any more involvement with these people. If he were to ask her not to, she would probably wouldn't go. He wasn't just worried about everyone's safety though, there were other things they needed, and she was right this was a need. What he and Willow had was worth more than he could say.

"Just tell me you'll be careful." he said, to which she nodded simply.

Outside he could see the advancing dark to the east and the last orange hues to the west. Nights in the desert got very cold, and they had limited bedding, only what they scaveneged earlier in the day. They'd need to stay close. If they all slept in the same room they could keep themselves a little cozier. The last thing they needed was a case of pneumonia. The others were seated around the firepit Connor set up. He inspected it briefly and gave it an approving nod, allowing himself to take a little pride in seeing what he'd taught him used.

"The Kelly's eaten yet?" he asked as he sat down carefully.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Although she didn't like to admit it, Willow had been worried. About Brandon. It was easy to forget with all the wounds going around, but he took more than a few big hits back there; and so soon after Cory's beating of him. The past few days had seen him receive nothing but injuries. And she knew it was taking its toll on him just as it had to her. He was putting up a front to hide it, of course, but the risk of infection and the risk of serious complications were far too real. All she had to do was remember what happened to Jennifer. Despite their efforts, her injuries got the better of her and she slipped away without anyone having a chance to say goodbye. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to Brandon. He was all she had left.

And so it came as a relief to see him walk up to the rest of them. He looked a little worse for wear, but truthfully that was no worse than he had looked the past few days. She almost felt silly worrying about him over such a small thing as a wound cleaning. Nevertheless, she met his eyes and curled her lips into a relieved smile.

"Supposedly. I mean, Hank came out here and collected their food, so it's safe to assume they've eaten." She gave him the brief version of what he had missed. "I think they're still out back though."
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Strompy
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Brandon nodded, partly disappointed and partly relieved. Part of him wanted a chance to talk to the Kelly's but when he thought about it he didn't have idea what he could say to them. The other part of him was happy to avoid them.

He chewed slowly and carefully as he ate his hearty meal of rubbery string beans and soggy crumbed chicken. It was the best thing he'd eaten in days, it hadn't come from a can at least, though a box wasn't much better. Going from freezer straight to the frying pan left the food a little worse than if it had have been microwaved, but it was hot. It may have been unpleasant but at least he was eating vegetables and meat that wasn't either pickled or jerked, though he could go for some more cocktail onions.

He became aware that he kept looking in the direction of the Kelly's room and that he was frowning. He was also aware that Willow was looking at him. He smiled. It was easy to summon a smile for her and mean it. There was hot soup left over for him which he ate eagerly. Just staying awake had drained him let alone nursing healing wounds and fighting an infection. He thought he was hungry but he ravenous to be more accurate.

The food was gone soon enough leaving him and likely the others with room for more. They wouldn't starve but when he thought about how eager he would be for more he could only asdume it was true for the others. He took another account of their food. Split up between them for breakfast the next day he predicted another adequate meal. These rations didn't take into account the fact they had wounded still recouperating. Emmett would need more, Willow was still in recovery from her surgery. Those that weren't in recovery were engaging in strenuous activity. They all needed a higher caloric intake. This wasn't enough. If they didn't get more they'd be risking complications with Emmett and Willow, and if he was infected it could impare his ability to fight it off and still be functional. If they were going to be here a while they'd need more than this.

For what seemed the fiftieth time that day Brandon heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. They had no reason to expect King's people. Was it Eli? For a second the prospect gave him a mix of hope and apprehension. The cruel images his mind had created to torment his dream still lingered and he was still in a post-nightmare haze where his mind struggled to move past the shock and anxiety of what it had done to itself.

There were very real and equally unknown things for all of them to be concerned with already. Brandon made to rise from his chair to go investigate but Emily simply waved him off and went in his place. He heard the engine out the front of the building and after a few moments Emily returned.

"One of King's people, says he's here to pick up Annie." she explained.

At that Brandon did get up and make his way out the front, his carbine in hand for effect. He limped a short way outside, visibly unimpressed.

"I told you you weren't needed." he declared to the young black guy at the wheel.

"Mr. King insisted." the driver informed him.

"I don't care if he demanded it. Go away." Brandon ordered him.

The driver shrugged and turned the car back around. Once he was on his way again Brandon went back inside and then out the back to enjoy the fire. He passed Emily who stood by the front door.

"I'm gonna have a job for you." he whispered as he passed.

He took his seat again and extended his feet toward the fire warming his feet.

"I guess that means dinner is almost ready. Still sure you want to go?" he said to Annie.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie looked hesitantly towards the front of the building, where they had all heard a car engine just a minute ago. She wasn’t sure, was the honest answer, but she put on a brave face anyway.

“We need to maintain the status quo, right?” she asked rhetorically. “I don’t think it’d be very ingratiating to back out now.”
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