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trans_92012-03-11 08:05 pm
meat_mooks) wrote in trans_92012-03-11 08:05 pm
Survivalist Plot: All That Scarcity Promotes is Desperate Men and Tyrants
Day 3 and 4
The remaining hours of the night are tense and ugly, marred by the smell of blood and the complete distrust sewn by Bridge's death. When the sun finally rises, it feels as if the night's been far too long and yet their chance to rest was cruelly short.
The sun peeks over the horizon and onto the parched desert. In the bright sky, if one squints, it's possible to make out that lights are still flashing on the radio tower. The rest of the town is dead, as usual.
The remaining hours of the night are tense and ugly, marred by the smell of blood and the complete distrust sewn by Bridge's death. When the sun finally rises, it feels as if the night's been far too long and yet their chance to rest was cruelly short.
The sun peeks over the horizon and onto the parched desert. In the bright sky, if one squints, it's possible to make out that lights are still flashing on the radio tower. The rest of the town is dead, as usual.
no subject
At the very least Cedric has determination to spare. It doesn't fix problems but sometimes a little hope gets you to the point where you can see the solution.
"Karis might be our best bet. How are Maxine and Shorty going to handle having to work with her?"
Stay focused. Stay in the present and in the plans rather than thinking about how lightheaded he is and how badly he wants to vomit or pass out. He got enough sleep, and the infection shouldn't have spread this quickly, should it have? The only reason he'd be alright and then feel like crashing so fast would be blood poisoning.
...which is a distinct possibility.
"We need to get off this planet today. This morning, if we can."
no subject
Cedric would like to get off too---he's had brief snatches of sleep every now and then, and the night with Clef and Maxine has helped, but brains require sleep for a reason. And he knows he'll never sleep safely down here.
Not to mention Howard's problems, which Cedric sees for what they are: emergencies. He'll haul Howard out any way he has to.
"Look, I'll...I'll talk to everyone. They have to see that we all have the same need. We just need to do it quickly."
no subject
But he's adamant that they go together.
no subject
He stretches, preparing himself for the hike. He plans to stick close to Howard, just in case he needs to help a little more. But before they go...
"And I'll try to think of something the whole way. At the very least...if we broke the power suppressor, we wouldn't run out of water or food again."
no subject
But having food and water would buy them some time. Maybe not Howard, although water at the very least could help clean up the infection some.
"It's worth a shot. I guess the radio tower is still our best bet. Karis and I tried the radio and it's still giving out a signal up there."
While Cedric stretches and packs up some of the fluid, Howard excuses himself to change the plastic on his side to something less horrendous and switch the sleeves around his burns to some clean strips of curtain. While he's out of sight his nausea gets the best of him. He spends a few minutes vomiting into the house owner's clothing drawer, shivering, and struggling to breathe.
When he returns he looks possibly even worse, despite the clean dressings. "Let's see if we can get a car. I don't know how far I can walk."
no subject
He catches sight of Howard's state and doesn't like it. The situation's getting dire---they need that medbay, now. He nods shakily, heading out into the open.
"...you realise I don't know how to drive?"
no subject
He points a finger at Cedric's expression, that worry Cedric can't possibly keep under wraps. "Don't make that worried face at me, it freaks me out. I'm okay. I probably just caught a really badly-timed flu."
no subject
"What are the odds that we'll crash?"
no subject
Most of these cars are outdated from the ones Howard knows, so it takes a few to find one he can hotwire. There aren't any bodies on this street, so he can't scavenge off any for car keys. Finally, he settles in front of a Chevy and, picking up a large rock, tries to smash the driver's window in.
It doesn't work. The rock bounces off and Howard doubles over, having pushed his injured body a little too far on that forceful motion. "Dammit!"
It's beginning to really sink in how much he and Cedric are going to have to work as a team now. He's deteriorating quickly but he still has his wits about him, that knife-sharp survival instinct. Cedric has all the capability, though.
no subject
He searches for a bigger rock, one that'll pick up some nice speed as it's thrown, and steps back. "...On second thought, you may wan to duck."
That said, he lobs it as hard as he can.
no subject
Once that's done, he hops into the driver's seat and reaches into the space of car under the steering wheel. It takes about twenty minutes, and even with Cedric on watch Howard's paranoid that they're about to be attacked, but finally he gets the engine running.
"Hop on in, man. Let's get the hell out of here."
/wrap
It ends up being a little of both. He settles in for the uneasy ride, hoping that maybe they have a chance.