ZRP-2 Chapter 8: Survivors One and All

Estel didn't know what to say really. It wasn't like she was being presented with vast riches, that wasn't why she didn't know what to say. She just truly did not know what to say. James climbed into Nomad's saddle, and Marcus rolled down the window to say "See you back at the town James. Safe ride." James nodded, and Marcus started driving down the road, with James following suit as he spurred Nomad forward.

Eve slightly curled into Hibiki, who held her.
"It's okay babe...we're heading home. We'll have some medicine ready for you. We're going home...it's over."

Thankfully, the rain and slick roads forced Marcus to stay at a slow speed, so James and Nomad weren't left behind in their trot.

Hibiki looked over to Estel.
"Okay. Be straight. Were you two sharing body heat? If so, I won't throw you in a cage match with Sam."

"Just exchanging body heat," Estel said quickly.

"Good." She patted Estel's shoulder. "That means a lot to me. She was a handfull, wasnt she?" She joked softly, cradling Eve's head. "And...Marcus? How much longer?"

"We're close," Marcus said. "With luck it won't be much longer."

"Do we have anything to knock down her fever at the town? Anything? Just one tablet." Hibiki asked. "Feels like a lava flow."

"Should be some medicine, but we're low enough as it is," Marcus said.

Hibiki cursed in Japanese. "I'll just have Sam stick close and try and keep her warm, sweat out the toxins."

"Is that really wise?" Marcus said. "Wouldn't that risk having Sam catching some of whatever Eve has?"

"Its that or she doesnt get better anytime within the forseeable future. That, and Sam's immune system is most likely better then hers, andmletsmnotmeven get into the fact she wont be facing Eve if she coughs..."

Cristina had been about to respond but they where in a hurry and she had to quickly get back into the vehicle a life was at risk. However, being recognised by someone had managed to bring a small smile to her face, she was after all still famous. For the journey back she had fallen uncharacteristically quiet, not wishing to disturb the conversation as it went on.

Abel sat in an old empty diner in a booth next to a window that viewed the town's entrance.  All the watches through the settlement were covered so he had nowhere to be.  He rolled a shotgun shell across the surface of the table, almost letting it go off the edge before catching it.  As he held the shell, he stared at it deep in thought.  So many people dead, just so we could have the tools to keep killing.  When will the cycle end?  Abel could see a few of the watch guards on the wall pointing at something on the other side.  

Abel slid the shell into an elastic sleeve on his bandoleer and continued to stare out of the window.

It wasn't long before they came within sight of the town gates, and Marcus picked up some speed, wanting to get to the town and out of the storm as fast as possible. James, still atop Nomad, also spurred his steed into a gallop as they were both thoroughly soaked to the bone.

"This is where you live?" Cristina inquired her voice somewhat cautious, it had been a long time since she had ventured near a town. Normally, such a notion would be a certain why to get yourself killed. The idea of living inside of one she found herself hard to believe and even harder to accept that it could be a safe place, or at least a safer place.

"Yeah, it's been our home for the past few weeks," Marcus said. "It's safe enough, if that's what you're getting at." They reached the gate, guards on top aiming their rifles at them and demanding their identity. Marcus stepped out for a moment to show who he was, and they opened the gate to let him through after he stepped back in and drove the car again. James was swift on his tail, and the guards saw who he was and kept the gate open, closing it after he had passed. Marcus drove the car to a stop outside the same house that James called home, and said "Guess this is your stop, Hibiki. Not sure about you Cristina."

Hibiki nodded. "C'mon Estel." Hibiki gathered Eve and rushed inside. "SAM! We have her! She' sick!" Hibiki called out as she went into the home, heading for the stairs. "If we got something for a fever, grab a single tablet!"
She headed upstairs as Eve groaned.

Sam, who had been sitting with Ella and Hayley in the living room, immediately jumped up when she saw Hibiki barge in, Eve in her arms. Ella moved to stand when she saw Estel, but sat down when her leg twinged from the arrow wound. "Eve!" Sam said, while Ella said at the same time "Estel!" Estel nodded at Ella, and said "Yeah, I'm back." Really, what else was there to say? James came in soon after, and Ella said "James, you're alright!" He flashed a small grin, and said "You were expecting something else?"

Hibiki moved to Sam.
"Upstairs. You can hold her and be play nurse when I put down...god Eve, if we were not in a zombie apocalypse, I'd order you onto a diet." She muttered.

It was a miracle she was carrying her, but as Estel had been delegated to carrying everything after getting out of the car, Hibiki could hurry to the staircase. "Bring some blankets, she caught a cold and is burning up."

"Crap," Sam muttered as Eve was dumped into her arms. She carried Eve up the stairs to their room, leaving James behind in the living room.

Hibiki was upstairs. She pulled the covers back of the bunk bed. "Lay her down. Keep her warm...and you stay with her, alright Sam? I...I should go make some things right with James."

That's when Eve spoke. "Estel...tell her...she should be nice more."

Hibiki chuckled. "Okay kiddo."

And as soon as she was downstairs, she looked at Estel. "Eve says she'd like you to be nice more. Oh, and James? C...can we talk?"

"Sure thing Hibiki," Sam said, not sure why she needed to talk to James, but then she was more concerned with Eve anyway. She sat on the bed, making sure Eve was comfortable.

Estel blinked, but bit back her retort.

James looked at Hibiki, a somewhat hard expression on his face and said "Yeah, we can talk. Should talk." He led her out of the room, to the porch and in the direction of Nomad. The horse shifted now and then, and James grabbed the reigns as he guided the horse around to the back of the house. He was heading for the yard, and to a large tool shed where they would have some privacy. They had a conversation to finish, a personal one that he feared......well, that he feared.

Eve reached out for Sam's hand.
"So. I guess celebratory sex is out of the question?" She joked. "For an hour there...or was it a minute? Im not sure...for a bit there...I was afraid I wouldn't see you again. "She coughed. "Least we know I'm not an idiot."

Hibiki followed, and once it was clear, door mostly closed, she turned to him.
"...i'm not wanting you to be an unfeeling fucker, James. I want you to keep it together and grieve when everyone is safe at home. I can't exactly drop allnmy worries and comfort you when for all I know my daughter is being ripped to pieces by a walker. I'm sorry I was harsh, but there is a time to grieve and a time to hold it together. Now is a time to cry like babies."

She hugged James...and started to cry. "I was terrified. You don't know what I felt, those moments before I opened that door. I thought I wouldn't find her. I thought I had lost my baby." She sobbed. "Even sick, she's alive...it's all I can ask for."

"Nope.....now we know you're a tiny idiot," Sam said with a small smile.

Estel sat down, and Ella gave her a sad look. "Estel.....about Aiden, I'm so so--" Estel raised a hand, cutting her off and said "No, just don't. It's really not going to help one bit."

James said nothing as he let Hibiki have her cry. A nastier side of him suggested that keeping her from crying, would have been a petty way to balance the scales. But he squashed that voice, and said "Back there in the garage......I may not have known if everyone was alright or not. If Eve was alive or not. But it was a place I had, for privacy. For quiet. Where I could at least release some of it, so I didn't let it eat me up at the worst possible times. Where I wouldn't cry like a baby......I'd cry, like a human."

Eve chuckled. "I love you."

Hayley said nothing.

Hibiki's sobbing sounded choked.
"Then cry. A baby is still human." She said.

James tried......but it was difficult. Either he had his cry (or as much of it was possible) back at the garage, or it all finally sunk in and he had become that much of a hardened person. But before he had a chance to say anything, his grip tightened, and his body went slack as he sagged against Hibiki, chin resting in the crook of her shoulder. He didn't really cry, not vocally. But tears started to run down his cheeks.

"Back at ya Eve," Sam said.

"Okay," Ella said, leaning back in the chair. She looked at Hayley, unsure of what to say at this point. She was never any good at starting conversations after all.

Cristina felt a bit awkward, clearly everyone here had become a tight knit group. She was uncertain as to what she should do. Leaving seemed like a wise idea, larger groups required more resources, attracted more dangers, not just from the walkers but other diseases and sicknesses that had threatened humanity for centuries. Perhaps staying would not be the wisest course of action, considering how everyone here seemed to be just fine without her.

Marcus, still in the car with Cristina, said to her "Hey listen, you can leave if you want; I can see it in your eyes through the mirror, the awkwardness of an outsider looking in on a tight group. It's your choice, but.....at least here, you have a better chance of survival as opposed to being out there, alone."

"True... I guess but everyone in your group seems to fit in I don't think I ever could" Cristina answered quietly. "What do you think I should do? You seen me fight you know I am good same as you know you already have plenty of fighters"

"Actually, we don't," Marcus said. "We lost some people, good people, back at that raid. You would be invaluable here. Plus.....I'm sure James and the others will open up to you, soon. After all, you saved his life and mine, so that earned you both our respect, and friendship."

She felt herself smile at the second half of his sentence. "Thanks I'll think about it... Sorry about your losses"

"Thanks," Marcus said, and really there wasn't much else to say on the last bit. Friends and comrades dead, a reality that he had grown accustomed to.......something that disturbed him slightly. Shaking his head though, Marcus said "So, where do you want to be? Not sure if James has any room in the house, but there are plenty other homes free of people."

"If you mean here I don't know I honestly have not thought about where to stay here but if you mean where I honestly want to be" She paused slightly for dramatic effect. "Poland comes to mind"

Grinning slightly, Marcus said "We all want to go home. Doubt there's a lot of us here in town that used to call this place home." He looked out the window, as the rain lightly fell on the hood. "If you're lucky.....then stick with us long enough, and maybe we'll be able to help you get back home."

"It won't be luck it is something I must do... I have to go and see what state my home is in for better or for worse" Cristina answered determinedly. "There is nothing worse than not knowing what happened I would rather have a straight answer for better or for worse"

"I hear ya there," Marcus said. "Well like I said, we'll probably find a way to help you. For now though.....well, what happens in the immediate future, is for you to decide. Stay or go."

"I honestly don't know I would be foolish to join before I had seen what was what" Cristina admitted.

"Then stick around long enough to see what's what," Marcus suggested. "Better to make an informed decision, right?"

"Yeah it is better to make an informed choice" Cristina agreed with him.

"Alright then," Marcus said, stepping out of the car. "Care to come in then? I'd let you walk around, but you'll need to be cleared with Clara first."

She dismounted and slung her rifle over her shoulder. "Who is Clara?" She inquired though common sense would have her placed either as their leader or their chief of security.

"Town leader.....or at least, one of them. But she has the loudest voice, so to speak and she's kept the place afloat. She'll come to us, so I say we stick around inside James' house. Besides, they've got couches."

"Yeah but they will be working to heal your sickly friend... I will be in the way and this is not something that I will want" She responded quietly. "Well... Let us go then because I really do not want to get in the way of your friends as they heal"

"Alright.....guess the sheriff's office wouldn't be the worst place to go. I'll drive ya over," Marcus said, turning the car back on and driving the short distance over.

"So will I be able to keep my rifle? Or will I have to hand it over because if it is the latter then I will go this is after all my rifle" She questioned, wishing to keep her rifle probably her most important possession and most valued tool.

"Nah, you can keep it," Marcus said. "Here you're allowed to keep the weapons you have, and use them only when it is necessary."

"Makes perfect sense shall we go meet your boss then? Maybe she is a fan?" She laughed at her joke.

Eve smiled, gripping Sam's hand. "Say it, will you? Not right back at you...just four words Sam...please?"

Hibiki had plenty of tears. "Cooper...Aiden...it isnt our fault. So grieve James. Let us grieve. "She loosened her grip, mostly because James kinda was crushing her.

"Sure thing," Marcus said, getting out of the car and moving to open Cristina's door. Yes the world was practically at an end, but that didn't mean he had to stop being courteous or chivalrous. Plus, it was a habit that he had yet to kill.

James was about to say something in response (he loosened his grip at the same time) but something oddly.....humorous, happened. A bolt of lightning, perhaps the last one of the storm, struck the ground outside the shed, a deafening crack of thunder following instantly. Instinctively, James let go of Hibiki only to slam his hands down over his ears, and shout "JESUS CHRIST!" Nomad reared, eyes bulging in fear as he neighed wildly, and it was a miracle he didn't hit either James or Hibiki.