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| Dead Men Walking | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (71,009 Views) | |
| Make-7-Up-Yours | Apr 17 2015, 05:26 AM Post #1006 |
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Is that so?
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"I understand some of you have limitations." Geraldine assured Julie with an earnest smile. "We can arrange things for you and Mr. Phillips to do that accommodate your injuries. I'll speak with my advisers and see what sorts of odd jobs need doing that would be within your capabilities." "That is... awfully kind of you." Randall nodded his head appreciatively. "Well I'm still in good shape. I can do scavenging." Glenda offered. Geraldine looked at Glenda curiously. Randall imagined that she was surprised someone willingly volunteered to go on scavenging duty. Back at Mount Kisco, that had always been an issue as well and most of the people there were blissfully unaware of the full extent of what was going on. She suspected that this camp knew full well how bad it was outside these walls, even if they had grown accustomed to living behind them. "Your enthusiasm is appreciated, but there is really no rush to decide right this second. I am not expecting any of you to work today." She finally responded. Ethan seemed shocked and his eyes quickly darted to Geraldine. But he didn't say anything. Geraldine seemed to see the response from the corner of her eye, but made no visible sign of caring; "You've all been through a lot the past few days. Take a day to relax, get yourselves in order, and familiarize yourself with our little camp. Watch what people do, talk to some of them, and see if there are any particular jobs that you think yourself suited for or would like to do." Randall's hand had been amputated all of two days ago. While it felt like so much longer, his body had never really had time to recover. To hear that they could take a day to relax a little was refreshing. He felt like he really needed it. It made the fact that he couldn't solidify any supplies for the group a little better since at least he had solidified a day of absolute rest. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Apr 17 2015, 05:45 AM Post #1007 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Eli gave Julie a sympathetic smile when she mentioned his wrist. All this talk of the group's injuries made him feel a bit guilty for making it through it all in such good shape. Even his ankle was doing fine -- he woke up this morning and rotated it around with no problem. "Appreciate that," Eli said, turning back to Geraldine. "An' everything else too." "Deal me in on that appreciation," Jeff added. "Still, though -- administration. Pretty confident about that." He really wanted that break from rotters. Eli guessed it made sense. He wasn't as good at dealing with them as the rest of the group, barring maybe Kelsey. Eli also wondered what Emmett would do, though -- if he ever showed his face again. That guy was as opaque as Jeff was transparent. |
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| Strompy | Apr 17 2015, 08:45 AM Post #1008 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"Hahaha... a day off? Haha. Oh my god." Julie laughed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. A day where she didn't wonder where the next meal was coming from, or have to watch her back for deadites. No keeping one eye open at all times. No gunfire. No need to carry a weapon. She really could just relax? All day? ... At the clinic Brandon dozed happily in his chair next to Willow. The doctor said she'd take a look at him, but he was more than content to wait. He was exactly where he wanted to be doing exactly what he wanted to do. No reason to rush, no reason at all. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Apr 17 2015, 01:29 PM Post #1009 |
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Is that so?
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"Well, I am hardly in any position to complain about a day off." Maxwell spoke up for the first time in this meeting. Technically he was still fairly gimped because of his injured leg, so the less running for his life he had to do today, the better. Or even running in general. These travelling companions he had chosen, they were durable and capable for sure but yesterday was the first time Maxwell had actually seen them avoid a fight that they should have avoided. Sure, he advocated fighting, but only because he did not believe they would actually be able to get past the bridge any other way. He had been proven wrong. If only they avoided all their dangerous fights as well as that. "Still, that seems rather generous, don't you think?" He pressed the issue. "And your adviser hardly seems to agree with it." "Ethan and I often have... differing opinions." Geraldine was quick to confirm with a shade of hesitation in her eyes. "But I was there yesterday to see the condition of your group when you came in and you all looked, quite frankly, like you had seen hell. I got into politics because I wanted to help people. And I still see an opportunity to do that here." ********** Back in the clinic, Willow watched the sleeping Brandon with a smile. He had gotten all cleaned up and was looking very good. Probably a lot better than she was right now. The thought of looking into a mirror right now terrified her beyond belief. And her teeth. Oh God, her teeth must look terrible. Brandon would never get close to her with gunk covered teeth and rotten breath. Now that everyone else was showered and cleaned up, it made the contrast that much more apparent. Despite nearly just dying, she found herself focusing now on how terrible and filthy she must look in front of him. "Hey... Candice." Willow whispered to the nurse that was still in the clinic. She spoke quietly, she didn't want to wake up Brandon. He needed his sleep and she didn't want to wake him up from that adorable position. She held out her right hand as Candice approached; with all the tubing and stitching on her left side, she was afraid of using her left arm. "I want to sit up." "Already?" Candice seemed hesitant. "No time like the present. I got people worried about me." Willow was uncharacteristically stubborn. "Gotta impress them." Candice grabbed Willow's arm with one hand and supported her upper back with another. On the count of three, both parties pulled. Pain tore through Willow's chest as she moved, but she had expected that. She bit her lower lip to dull the pain and pushed through it. And before she knew it, she was sitting upright. A little dizzy and light-headed, but upright. "You okay?" Candice asked. "Y-yeah. Just gimme a second..." Willow took as deep a breath as she could manage, cringing at the feeling of discomfort she got from doing so. After a few seconds, she reached her right arm around to her left side and felt the tube protruding from her ribs underneath the loose gown she was wearing. I really did fuck myself up good, didn't I? She frowned. "My goal... is to get these machines off me by tomorrow." She announced stubbornly. "That's..." Candice trailed off after only one word, her looks of doubt replaced by an amused smile. "That's a good goal. I can help with that, just don't push yourself too hard, okay?" ********** The meeting ultimately dragged on for another hour or so. Geraldine answered questions about the community in general while Randall and the others told them about their experiences out in the world thus far. Geraldine explained how she had pulled a few favors and gotten a couple of industrial grade generators; how they had gotten lucky and found an abandoned gasoline truck on the freeway to help fuel it. Because of that, their community had electricity. She talked about the nearby Kearsley Reservoir as a source of fresh water and how that had contributed to her decision to start the community here and the ordeals that she had to go through to get that fresh water to them. Geraldine discussed their plans for expansion in a little more depth, admittedly getting a little carried away in the process. Meanwhile, Randall's group shared how they had found the so-called cure, their time at Mount Kisco (or lack thereof for some of them), and some of the hardships that they had to overcome in order to get to where they were today. Obviously Randall kept a fair number of things hidden; he didn't talk about Eli shooting the kid or how Emmett kidnapped his daughter and Julie. While he was sure Geraldine would understand, those were still fresh memories to a lot of them and he didn't want to delve into them. As the meeting up wrapped up and Geraldine prepared to leave, Randall had one last question to ask. "Which house does Annie live in?" It was not Geraldine, but Ethan who 'answered' first. "Oh? What business do you have with Annie?" "She told me to see her later so she can look at my arm." Randall further explained, unsure of why Ethan seemed to be getting a little defensive on the issue. Spencer was a quiet guy, but he had been reading them the entire time. Ethan, on the other hand, seemed like he had something else on his mind during the meeting. Either that, or he was just a self-entitled asshole who thought he was too important to be here. Possibly both. "Is that so?" There was an undeniable edge behind his voice. "Were you going to go now?" Geraldine butt in. "If so, just tag along with us, we'll point it out to you on the way back." "That would be great. Thanks again." Randall thanked her, but Ethan seemed less keen on the idea. As Randall prepared to follow them out the door, he called out to Kelsey, who was quick to come trotting over and follow her dad outside. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Apr 17 2015, 04:08 PM Post #1010 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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As the Flint leaders left with Randall and Kelsey in tow, Eli leaned back in his chosen chair. Relaxing – how ‘bout that? It was a strange and foreign feeling after the constant stress he’d been under since New York. He liked it, and after Geraldine’s forthrightness, he was trying his best to believe it was for real. He looked over to Julie, who had laughed out loud at the prospect about an hour ago. “At some point today, you should probably get that looked at by someone at the clinic,” he advised, gesturing to her wrist. “Other’n that, looks like the day planner’s empty. Been so long since that’s true, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with myself.” “I do,” Jeff piped up again. “I got a whole list – find some more cigarettes, take a nap, some other stuff I can’t mention in polite company…” “Okay, I get it,” Eli said, raising a hand. “Have fun.” “You know, I’m gonna do my best ’mano,” Jeff smiled back at him, then stretched as he stood up and headed for the door. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Apr 17 2015, 04:38 PM Post #1011 |
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Is that so?
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Glenda couldn't disagree with Jeff; his schedule for the day was pretty solid. It might have even matched her own if Willow hadn't been hospitalized. She hadn't even smoked a cigarette in almost twenty years, but if there was ever a time and a place to start up again, this was it. However, she had more pressing matters to concern to. "I guess I'll go see how Willow is holding up." Glenda headed for the door as well. She figured Brandon would want some time alone with her, but despite his chipper attitude, the poor boy looked so exhausted that he was probably out like a light right now. This must be what it feels like to be a mother; always worrying about your child even though she is safe. But after last night, she felt like she had a right to be at least a little worried. Besides... someone needed to tell her and Brandon what the update was for the community here. Now if only anyone knew where Emmett was. "Well you have fun with that." Maxwell said. "I'll be pulling an Emmett and sitting under a tree somewhere if anyone needs me." ********** "What do you think of this place so far?" Randall asked his daughter as they approached the white and blue house that Geraldine had pointed out as Annie's; it had a long driveway so he had some time to ask questions. "I like it here." She said after a moment of contemplation. "I slept really good last night." Randall rubbed her head with his free hand and the little girl smiled at the display of affection from her father. Randall had felt a sort of rift growing between them. They still had a close relationship as father and daughter, but he felt like she was drifting to Brandon and Willow and Julie in particular. As a father, he wasn't sure how he should feel about his daughter seeking out other adults to talk to while foregoing her father. But then again, it had been this way since Elaine had died four or five very long days ago; the days had already started blurring together. He forlornly wondered if that was part of the reason. "I slept really good too." He mimicked her poor syntax as he rang the doorbell to Annie's house. Of course, it was a lie. He had been worried about Willow all night. But tonight he was sure he'd have an easier time sleeping. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Apr 17 2015, 05:43 PM Post #1012 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“I guess I should probably add that to my list,” Jeff conceded in response to Glenda. He stopped at the door and held it open for her. “You lead the way.” When she had passed the threshold, he followed her out, waving a quick goodbye to Julie and Eli. * * * Annie opened her door as soon just as the bell started ringing. She had been home for a while now, and had been watching for Randall’s arrival. She was dressed casually now – her coat and scrubs replaced by blue jeans and a white blouse over a black tank top. She mustered a friendly smile at the sight of them. “Hey, come on in,” she said, standing aside and letting them through. “I have coffee.” When they were in the foyer, she closed the door and gestured Randall towards the kitchen with the pot. Then she knelt down to talk to Kelsey. She had seen the girl a couple times now and had learned her time, but she had yet to reach out. She figured she’d do that now. “Hi Kelsey,” she said, putting on her distinctly kid-friendly voice. “I don’t know if I’ve introduced myself yet. I’m Annie.” She smiled again and extended her hand to shake. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Apr 17 2015, 06:25 PM Post #1013 |
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Is that so?
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Kelsey reached her hand out and grabbed Annie's much larger one. "Hi, Doctor Annie." Kelsey greeted her with an awkward smile. "Willow is like my big sister. Thank you for saving her." "I didn't know you considered her a big sister now." Randall helped himself to another cup of coffee. Being outside for so long, he had forgotten how much he missed the stuff. He figured it might be a while before he saw it again so there was no harm in drinking it at every opportunity. "I do! She's really cool when she wants to be! She taught me about the F-word and what condoms are for!" Randall almost spat out the coffee he was halfway through drinking; "She what!?" "And she killed that big deer in one shot! It was so cool!" |
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| DoctorYerishi | Apr 17 2015, 07:01 PM Post #1014 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Annie’s smile didn’t falter. She was pretty used to kids saying the darndest things from her life after med school. She was even sincerely amused. “That is pretty cool,” she said, while she was still at Kelsey’s eye level. “And you’re welcome.” She glanced to the door instinctively, then back to Kelsey. “I have a son who’s a little older than you, his name’s Connor. He recently turned 13. Right now, he’s with a few other kids learning… something. But he’ll be home soon and you can meet him. He has some games in the living room, though. You’re free to play them while I talk to your dad.” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Apr 17 2015, 07:11 PM Post #1015 |
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Is that so?
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"Really?" Kelsey grinned from ear to ear as if she was waiting for permission. A nod from her father served as all the confirmation she needed. Kelsey was on her way towards the living room immediately. "She hasn't seen a game since this all started. Apart from Willow's Game Boy and the GameCube she found yesterday." Randall mused out loud before his face became pensive. "Speaking of which, I'm going to need to ask Willow a few questions later." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Apr 17 2015, 07:23 PM Post #1016 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Annie said as she rose to her feet. “Girls tend to learn about that stuff sooner than boys. I know I did.” She gestured towards the kitchen, and led him inside. As they walked, she nodded to his amputation, ready to get right down to business. “Can I ask how it happened?” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Apr 17 2015, 07:32 PM Post #1017 |
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Is that so?
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"Maybe you're right... God, she is getting to be that age." Randall said more to himself than to Annie. He snapped himself back to matter at hand fairly quickly. He held out the amputated arm for her to get a better look at. "Rotter bite." He started to explain. "Got me on the hand. After it happened, Brandon performed an amputation with a fire axe, which was about as far as I got before blacking out. And I am glad I did, because they stopped the bleeding with cauterization. I got no idea what it looks like underneath the gauze, I just know it hurts like hell to the touch even with these painkillers." |
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| Strompy | Apr 17 2015, 07:43 PM Post #1018 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"So. What are your plans for the day?" Julie asked Eli as everyone left them. What were her plans for the day? Aside from having a look around, and doing the meet and greet thing, she couldn't think of anything she wanted to do. She'd have to pay a visit to the doctor at some point and then... what? Now they weren't on the road dealing with supply issues or life threatening ordeals they had the luxury of boredom. To be honest there was one thing she could think of to do, but Eli probably wanted to enjoy his day off with a little alone time. None of them had had the safety to enjoy some space or time to themselves. Still, maybe he was thinking the same thing. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Apr 17 2015, 07:53 PM Post #1019 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Annie was professional enough that she only frowned a little bit. The pain sounded bad and she could sympathize, but there was another part of that story that got her attention in particular. “Well take a seat and roll up your sleeve,” she said. “And feel free to close your eyes while I take a look.” She had more gauze on standby – as well as antibiotic ointment and aloe vera gel, all from her own supply. She also had another pair of plastic gloves. After sliding off her blouse, she took the opportunity to put those on. As she very carefully started to unwrap the stump, she rewound the conversation a minute. “I assume by 'rotter' you mean those… things,” she said, biting her lip a little as she concentrated. “It’s amazing you’re still alive. Everyone else I’ve seen bit by them has developed an unstoppable fever. We theorized that amputation might work, but we haven’t had a chance to test it yet. I hope it doesn’t sound too insensitive to say that you are an encouraging example.” She bit her lip a little harder. She finished talking and unwrapping Randall’s bandage at about the same time, and the sight wasn’t pretty. His skin was an unsightly mix of charred black and different shades of blood red. She inhaled through her nose. “Have you taken any pain meds today?” she asked. * * * Eli looked around. It took him a beat to realize he and Julie were alone again. She wasn’t entirely sure if her question was innocent or suggestive. “Take a look around, I guess,” he answered cautiously. “Relax for once, maybe. We could… talk, I guess.” He really wasn’t sure if she wanted to do that. His instinct was that she wouldn’t. But he did have questions that he wanted to ask her –wanted to for a while, even – but the timing had never seemed right. Maybe it never would. “We definitely don’t have to, though." |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Apr 17 2015, 08:20 PM Post #1020 |
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Is that so?
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"We didn't know amputation would work either. This is how we found out. But as you've noticed, our group is pretty hard to kill... well... most of them, at least..." Randall didn't look away. He looked at the mangled and charred mass of flesh that had previously been where his lower forearm and hand was attached. He took it all in. He wanted to see what he was dealing with. And it looked just as painful as it felt. That was his arm now; the thought was easier to swallow when it was wrapped in the gauze; now it just seemed like something out of a horror film. It almost didn't even look real to him. "Yeah, I took some this morning before the meeting. I haven't been without them since this happened" Randall said after a few moments of contemplation. "Even with them, it still hurts pretty bad. I have to avoid contact with it; even having it exposed to the air is making me cringe a little." ********** "Hey, guys." Willow greeted Glenda and Jeff as they came in to visit. She lifted her right arm in greeting. She was glad she was wearing this gown. She could feel the tubing and gauze on the left side of her body. She could feel where there had been a large incision. She was afraid to see what everything looked like underneath it. "Quiet though. Brandon is still asleep." She tilted her head to his sleeping form in the chair beside her bed, an affectionate smile on her face. Her voice was still hoarse, and although she looked a little more lively than she did a little over an hour ago, there were still the visible signs of exhaustion written on her face. She was sitting up in her bed now, using the pillow as a backrest for her to lean against the wall. She had the blanket pulled up to her lap. "Are you sure you should be sitting up already?" Glenda asked immediately. "Where's Candice? Does she know about this?" "Er... yeah? It was the doctor's orders, remember? Candice just went to grab some food. She'll be back soon." Willow wanted to get Glenda to stop worrying, so she tried to change the subject. "How was the meeting?" |
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