“They can, Jax. And they will, until each and every one of you gets better and the blood test confirms it.”Lele spoke from behind him, as a medic she had access to the isolation room, with proper equipment such as gloves and a mask, of course. “How about you come take a seat and tell me how are you feeling?”she asked. Lele had no intention of being here, but after finding out some base people were kept inside as well, she decided to make her way here and help out as much as she can.
“So we’re all just stuck here?” he asked, his tone a smidgen softer once he recognized the face under the thick plastic hood. With a final glance at the assholes outside the room he did as he was instructed and took a seat where the doctor has instructed “You mean aside from the eye bleeding and bloody vomit? I feel like shit” he stated simply, not really knowing what he should tell her. Doctors visits weren’t exactly something he did a lot growing up
Oscar had been a lot less sick than the other people in here. He had no idea why, he’d probably more medical problems than most of them in here. But still, he had a couple of days where things looked bleak, but then he came around. The worst thing was the lack of sleep, people crying and frightened during the night, medics poking and prodding at all hours. He couldn’t wait until it was time to leave. He spotted Jaxxon over by the door, losing his temper at every passerby. “You know, you could just walk out, but you’ll probably be wrestled back in. And in your state, even the tiniest nurse could beat your ass”
“Yeah? Tell that to the guards with guns outside the exit man. Unless we’re in one of those fancy hazmat suits we’re stuck in here for everyone to watch die” The deaths from this had been minimal so far- people actually seemed to be getting better but it didn’t make him feel less shitty. Jax scratched as his face, his eyes watching a dried, flaky blood floated off and landed on his dirty clothing. “You hear anything about what this shit is yet?”
Watching the people that were forced to stay behind glass walls, Lux took a deep breath. They looked like caged animals, some covered in their own blood as people tried to figure out a cure. A cure no one knew whether it existed or not. Recognizing some of the gawking bypassers, Lux quickly took a step forward and cleared her throat. “Hey, guess you didn’t hear it then. Nash was asking for you guys to join a run. And damn, he’s pissed. If I were you I’d definitely get to him as fast as possible. Maybe prepare to get my ass kicked for not listening to your radios.” She said smiling, everything completely made up and she was pretty sure Nash wasn’t even at the hospital in that moment. But it worked and the young supply runners scurried off with an expression of pure panic. No one liked to experience Nash angry. Once they were out of sight, she averted her gaze back to Jax and gave him a small smile as she lifted a protein bar. “Not much, but probably better than the shit you get here. How are you doing?”
There was a mild hint of amusement on Jaxxon’s face as he watched the woman spew literal bullshit to get the group of bystanders to leave- scurrying away to find a boy who wasn’t even looking for them “Not bad Young” he muttered, his words hinting a subtle gratefulness he’d never actually admit to. Whoever decided quarantine rooms needed to be high visibility was a dick.”How long do you think it’ll take them to realise Nash isn’t even here” the boy let out a quiet laugh, blood spitting out of his mouth as he did so. Maybe it was for the best that they were locked away from everyone but damn it sucked. Slowly he made his way to the drop box, his eyes on the protein bar. Jax hated the gesture, made it harder for him to blindly hate when people were so kind “Better. I can walk again which is nice but it feels like we’re gonna be stuck here for forever. Just got a new shipment of infected in with us this morning. The smell of blood is disgusting by the way- how are things out there?”
Jaxxon stood watching as people walked by the glass doors, the occasional eye falling on those who were contaminated with the sickness. His face was stained with dried blood but for the most part it seemed that the hemorrhages had stopped. That was what he got for being nice to people. Grimy hands punched at the door as a couple of particularly nosy people gawked at them, like some sort of zoo animals they were waiting to watch die. “This is bullshit- they can’t keep us in here”
Katherine rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to clench her fist. She could see that something had surely happened. Ignoring the obvious bullet holes in the wall, it was the way this guy had treated her. “It’s Kathy, not sugartits,” she snapped, correcting him. “I was in Ohio when it all started. And I didn’t really decide, or pick to be here. I was just driving. Then I found this place. You don’t have to trust me, or even believe me, but I didn’t deliberately find this place.”
“You know, I think sugartits suits you a lot more. I think I’ll keep it for now” again she shoved the end of his gun hard into her back, letting her know not to forget it was there. Being in control was something the boy enjoyed a lot more than he’d ever care to admit “Ohio- you’re a long way from home. That’s like what? Nine hours? How’d you make it that far- last I checked the highways weren’t really all that travelable”
“Wait… w-what do you mean days ago?”she asked, looking at him like he was out of his mind. It was one of those moments when a person would say something like this could never happen to them, and here she was, apparently being gone for days without her actually being aware of it. Her bloody hands gripped onto his shoulders, making herself get up with his help; keeping herself balanced was tough enough but with his help it was manageable. “Thank you.”she manage to mumble quietly, feeling the pit of her stomach getting heavy. “I feel like throwing up.”
“Just like the others” With a little hesitance, Jaxxon moved to position himself so she could use him as support while walking. She looked like she was going to keel over at any moment. His hands gripped her waist, adding to the support he was already giving her. It was uncomfortable for him to be so close to some one- made his skin burn like she was coated in acid but with the way she was bleeding it didn’t seem very likely that anyone else would help the girl “If you’re going to throw up, make sure you face away from me please” slowly the two began to walk towards the medical wing, taking each step one at a time “You don’t remember anything? Nothing at all?”
I’m not tall but I’m not short either- just kind of an average in between. My hair is straight, brown and almost always falling in my face- usually greasy but that’s kind of how things are for everyone these days. Honestly everything about me is just kind of average, I’m not ripped but I don’t have jell-o arms. I’ve got definition but nothing to insane when it comes to muscles, I am built a little thinner I guess. My face is interesting, I get compared to a weasel a lot but I think that’s more because of my personality. I’ve got bright blue eyes but between a prominent brow and a general hooded effect they look pretty much the opposite of welcoming- hello permanent bitch face. Other then that I guess my nose is probably the most prominent feature, can’t really explain it but it’s there and it stands out a lot
Family
What is your family like?
-Is this a can of worms we’re really going to open? My family wasn’t really much of a family at all.
Who is your father, and what is he like?
-Johnathan Irons, he was an alright man. He wasn’t anything extraordinary but hard to support us and kept us a float. Honestly he was everything a father should have been and then some. I was six when he died- drown when our car went off a bridge. He died saving my life, pushed me out of a damn window so I could get to the surface.
Who is your mother, and what is she like?
-Henrietta Irons was a piece of work. After my father died everything just went down hill. It was like I was this burden- I looked too much like him, sounded too much like him, acted too much much him. Now while most mothers would appreciate this, it’s only made dear old Henrietta resentful. I guess the beatings started then she picked up a bottle of vodka and didn’t stop until the day she choked on her own puke. I was 16 and was going to help her but I didn’t.
What is your parents marriage like? Were they married? Do they remain married?
-I honestly don’t remember what their marriage was like, I was too young and now their both dead. They were married for a while before I came around though, so I suppose they had something good going on. Leave it to the kid to fuck everything up
What are your siblings names? What are they like?
-I was an only child, luckily
What’s the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you?
-N/A
Did you ever meet any other family members? Who were they? What did you think of them?
-If I did I don’t really remember much. People stopped coming around once mother dearest went off the deep end. And most of dads family was dead by the time I came around.
Do you have any children? If so, how old are/were they, what was their name, what happened to them?
-N/A
Past
What is your fondest, childhood memory?
-Anything I remember that had my dad in it. Throwing ball out int he back yard kind of sticks out though. It was just one of those moments where it was just us and no one else and I remember he talked to me like I was an adult- not a child. Or at least I thought he did, I was only four or five at the time though so I kind of remember it how I wanted it to be.
What is your worst childhood memory?
-I guess the days where I was used as a punching bag? Which was almost every day for about ten years of my life so...
What one act in your past are you most ashamed of? What one act in your past are you most proud of?
-I don’t take pride or shame in any of my actions. I do what I need to do in order to survive. And I always have. I’ve been living in a shit world for a lot longer than this virus has been going on.
My past life wasn’t anything notable. I didn’t make friends easily in school, I wasn’t allowed to go out so I more or less just existed. It’s honestly nothing to write about.
Miscellaneous
Do you have a job? What is it? Do you like it?
-Before all this? I hopped around a lot doing odd jobs that let me pay the rent and eat but nothing every really stuck. I’m not the most personable of people, believe it or not
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
-Beauty is bullshit.
What habit that others have annoys you most?
-Does people breathing count? Aside from that, people who stab you in the back tends to get you on my bad side.
What don’t you like about yourself?
-Everything.
What’s the worst thing you’ve done to someone you loved?
-I haven’t loved anyone in a long time.
What do you feel most strongly about?
-Revenge I suppose? Karma? People getting what they deserve? I’m not sure, honestly. I don’t feel strongly about a lot of things
What trait do you find most admirable, and how often do you find it?
-I don’t admire people.
Are you a better leader or follower? Why do you think that?
-Neither. I’m a survivor. I do what I need to do to make it through this shit. Leading and following will only get you killed.
What is your responsibility to the world, if any? Why do you think that?
-The only thing I’m responsible for is myself. I don’t owe anyone else anything.
Do you think redemption is possible? If so, can anyone be redeemed, or are there only certain circumstances that can be? If not, why do you think nothing can redeem itself?
-Generally speaking the people who need it tend to be the most undeserving of it. Liars- backstabbers- those kind of people. Not everyone deserves to be redeemed and not everyone wants it.
Do you think the future is hopeful? Why?
-Nah, we’re all fucked.
‘’You know, you’re giving a lot of actual ideas for someone who doesn’t care.’’ Kate raised her eyebrows at him, a bit on the teasing side. There was something about Jax that Kate considered a bit of a mask, although there was not much she knew about him. ‘’I highly doubt that, though. Whatever it is, we’ll find out soon I guess. Lux didn’t go missing for too long, either. If the pattern is the same, I guess we’ll see.’’
“I care about whether or not it happens to our people- so far it’s just them but pretty soon I’m sure someone from the base will disappear if this keeps up” Self preservation was his number one goal and that meant keeping the people of the base safe. Taking care of people for ones own personal gain didn’t mean he cared in the slightest “The one before her, their doctor, was gone for an entire week though- and well now she’s dead”
Katherine was almost tense, feeling his gun on her back as he shoved her. “I’m not a dog,” she snapped. Her clenched as she kept walking, her eyes still scanning over the place. Did she look that threatening, or was it the car that raised suspicion? “There’s a pocket knife in my back pocket. There’s at least one or two guns in the car. Other than that, no.”
“Coulda fooled me” his words were muttered just loud enough for her and her alone to hear as he pushed her along- trigger finger itching to send a bullet through her skull. Now wasn’t the best time to be trusting anyone,not after the attack. But things at the hospital were different to things at the base, Jax had learned that the hard way “Thanks, sugartits” he commented, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out the knife “What’s your name? Where are you from? Why the hell did you decide to show up here of all places”
“— Jax?”she said almost surprised as he crouched in front of her. Out of all the faces she’d never imagine his being the one to come and help. She shook her head at the question, the girl felt far from alright at this point. Swallowing thickly as he reached for her neck, she looked away for a moment, trying to put up an answer for him. “In my room.”she stated simply, finding his gaze again. “I checked everyone at the patients wing yesterday and went to my room… I woke up feeling like a train wreck.”she spoke silently, not having much strength.“Why is everyone looking at me like this? - I was on my way to the medicals. I… I don’t feel good.”
And another one who didn’t remember being missing. There went his theory about her needing some air and taking a breather “That was days ago, Mae” He let out a hoarse sigh- even he was getting a little concerned with all these disappearances happening. Whatever was happening was starting to become more and more real- worse and worse each time these people turned back up “You don’t look good, pretty sure blood isn’t supposed to come out of your ears. Grab onto me, I’ll help you up and take you to medical, alright?”
Kate looked up at Jax with a raised eyebrow. ‘’And who’s gonna enforce those rules, you?” He was the second person to suggest this, but it still seemed silly to her personally. ‘’There’s always gonna be someone who leaves on their own.’’ She shrugged, not excluding herself from that possibility. She liked her privacy in all shapes and forms, especially these days when everyone lived in groups. ‘’Taking a breather without telling anyone about it, not a single person? Hardly. No one’s that irresponsible.’’
Jax let out a quiet laugh at the idea of the hospital people actually listening to him. The day that happened was the day the world literally ended “Maybe not rules- more of a suggestion to keep others safe” he shrugged, the obvious uncaring tone of his voice seeping through. As long as it didn’t happen to him he didn’t really give a shit “Well considering most of the people she was close with died- there’s a good chance that that’s all it is”
Maelynn woke up in her bed, secluded in it’s shadows as the blinds were shut; she couldn’t see if it was day or night. Her whole body felt like she has overslept - her muscles were stiffen, body felt weak,; her first thought was that she could be coming down with a cold or something. As she pushed herself up in order to sit, she winced as her head started to feel heavy, the back of it pounding, making her feel sick instantly. What caught her eye right away is the blood stains on her pillow. It startled her, and she brought her hands up to the face, touching it right away, and felt traces of dry blood that apparently came out of her nose, her skin burned under her touch. No big deal, she got elbowed right in the face on the night of the attack, capillaries could still be damaged. Mae barely made herself get up, her knees felt like giving in but she stumbled her way to the sink, and turned the water on to wash her face. The image in the mirror was anything but her old self; she was extremely pale, with dark circles under her eyes and her forehead was covered in thin layer of sweat. Her first instinct was to go and see a medic, something was off, and she had to be checked out.
Getting out of her room, Maelynn moved in slow pace, holding herself against the wall; curious eyes of people in the hallway were glued to her, which she thought was probably of how sick she looked. But someone told the other to go and fetch someone, that she’s back. It confused her for a moment, were they talking about her? As she took another step, her head started to hurt more, and she needed a break; stopping, she let her body glide down to the floor, head lulled back as Mae focused on her breathing that turned out to be not so easy. At the feeling of something… leaking, out of her ears, her hand went up, and when she looked back at it, there was more blood. Her whole body shuddered as her face showed utter panic, feeling like she was about to throw up. “What the hell-”
News had never stayed silent around the hospital and the missing girl showing back up again seemed to be the hot topic but no one seemed overly keen on checking up and her. The boy made his way through the halls, only stopping to ask if people had seen here here and there before finally reaching her. She was pale. Paler than she usually was. Large bags under her eyes and panic written on her face. Without much of a second thought he pushed he way to her, crouching down “Hey- you alright?” he asked, getting the feeling that asking her where she had been was going to be hopeless. Not with the fear she showed on her face. His hand reached out and touched the blood on her neck that seemed to be pouring out of her ears “What the hell? Mae- do you know where you were?”
“It was sarcasm,” Katherine muttered, correcting him. She would say he was bluffing, because if he was going go to do it, he would’ve already done it. But, from the looks of it, he wasn’t. She panicked for a second, slowly moving a hand to the pendant on her neck. She sighed, dropping her hands to the side. “Mind if I grab a few things?” She reached in, took what could fit in her pockets and started heading towards the gate. “Feel free to keep the car and whatever’s in it.”
Jax moved, making his way to the beat up gate and opening it just wide enough that the woman could step through “Keep your hands up like a good girl” he spoke as he shoved the gun into her back. He knew the hospital was open to new survivors but after the attack they couldn’t take the risk “I’ll get one of the engineers to bring it in. Got any weapons we might find on you?”
