Urban Dead: No Rest For the Wicked

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:35 am

"No need," he said kindly, sliding her arm from his as he prepared the injection. He waved Riley off and then finished with the shot. After that came the antiseptic as well as a coagulant, then the sutures.

As he spoke, he wasn't sure exactly why he was opening up to someone who was indeed a stranger, but it lightened him.

"Indeed, we've all lost," he said quietly. "I lost mine this morning."

Rukia · Post by **Rukia** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:54 am

'Ell looked at Dorian with slight shock. She wasn't expecting something that happened so sudden. She nodded. "It's tough, I lost my entire family to this thing." She held back a cough and tears. "If you want to talk about it, you can. I'm a great listener, even when I'm not exhausted."

She paused, "God, I just can't get over how much you look like dad, you're a bit younger than him I think. But you could be brothers" She sighed, "I'm Melani... Call me 'Ell."

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:29 am

"I've often been told that I look younger," he said with a chuckle, leaving out the fact that he honestly wasn't sure how old he was. He wasn't sure what to make of the whole 'father' nonsense, although his analytical side preferred to relate that to the girl's condition.

He turned his attention to the cut on her head. Although he'd delivered the local to her leg, he knew it would numb her sufficiently for him to clean and suture the gash as well. After rummaging through the kit and finding what he needed, he began doing so. As he spoke, he delicately tweezed debris from the blood-matted hair and the wound.

"A fine name, Melani," he said. "We've got one of those running around. She's a right hellion and a top-knotch medic. Great set of knockers, I've been told, too," he chided, trying to add some humour to their increasingly-dour conversation. "Of course, not that I'd be interested or anything."

Rukia · Post by **Rukia** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:25 pm

She laughed. "I remember there were 17 Melanie's in my graduating class. Everyone called me 'Ell or my close friends called me Urchin. That was started by my dad. From the time I was five I was his 'urchin princess'." She rolled her eyes but looked wistful. "It was so lame, but I loved it. We lived in the slums ya see, I was a street crafty youngin."

She began coughing and took that as a sign to shut up. But not before she let curiosity get the best of her... "Not interested in the knockers part or the female part? What's your story? Oh and your name. I can't remember if ya gave it or not...minds a bit hazy still." She grinned and hoped she hadn't crossed the line.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:51 pm

He couldn't exactly shake her hand as he was currently sewing her scalp back on, but hey, formalities were useless lately anyhow. He waited until he'd finished the sutures to speak. As he did so, he applied a gauze pad and wound it into place with some strips of heavy bandage.

"All set there, Urchin," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Now that he'd finished, he allowed himself a moment and sank onto a chair beside her bed, yawning a bit.

"My name's Dorian Davies," he said with no hesitation. "And I've no interest in Melanie because she's my commanding officer and also the queen of this little castle. And her king is protective of her as anything."

Rukia · Post by **Rukia** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:32 pm

'Ell giggled and nodded. "Nice to meet you Dorian Davies." She cleared her throat to keep from coughing. "Nice to have human interaction. Lord knows its been... well hell if I can remember."

She took a minute to look around. "Castle indeed. And majorly impressive, I saw this place from over four blocks away. Granted, it was really small, but I knew it was it." She paused, "Nothing like optunistic love in a post-apocalypic city, yea?" She grinned.

A few seconds passed and her face turned serious. "Hey Dorian? Can you promise me something?" Without waiting for an answer she continued, "I'm sure you're good at what you do, and I'm beyond greatful. But if something happens and this stupid infection-virus thing gets me anyway..." She coughed then sighed, "Don- don't let me become one of those things. I've fought too hard for too damn long to let them get me. Can you do that, please?" She looked at him tears in her eyes again.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can tell you're tired, you don't have to stay if you don't wanna. Thank you for everything. If I make it, and I'm praying I do, I want to help as much as I can."

Her eyes started to droop and her voice got softer, "Whoever you lost, They're in a better place, where ever that may be. And if you need to talk. I'm...." the last word was little more than a sigh as she finally let herself sleep.

As her body went limp Dorian noticed something in her right hand. Standing, he reached over and gently plucked it out of her light grasp. It was a very worn picture. Six people smiled back at him, the smallest was 'Ell, only a bit younger than she was now, four burly young men stood behind her, one had her in a head lock. And right next to her was what he guessed to be her father. The girl was right, they did have a lot of similarities. She on the other hand didn't look anything like the men in the picture, he figured she looked like her mom who was absent.

Dorian smiled, he had a feeling that Melani "Urchin" was going to be a spit-fire herself.

He placed the picture back in her hand, sighed and whispered, "You'll fit in just fine." he made his rounds before heading back to his office.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:12 pm

'Office' was a bit of a liberal term to describe the little nook toward the back of the infirmary. A former check-out counter, but Dorian liked it because it gave him a full-view of the place. Fortunately, everything seemed fairly subdued. For the moment, at least. He idly leafed through the inventory they'd recorded of the supplies NecroTech had dropped.

Finally, they were going to be able to help people like a real goddamn hospital.

His eyes drooped closed for a moment, his mind concentrating on not allowing the phrase 'even if it's too late for...' to even enter his head.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 2:56 am

Sherry had called Marley out from bed early that morning and after a brief moment of shouting, convinced him to follow her out to the collapse site in order to see if there was anything in shape to salvage. He'd know, after all.

The two were now trekking out from the mall, and while they walked, she transmitted:

"Any nonessential personnel near the collapse site, would you mind helping us pull through this trash?"

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:07 am

Wendigo heard the remark on his radio and clicked off the tape recorder. He started to wander back. There wasn't anything interesting around here anyway.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:09 am

But nothing interesting meant nothing bad, at least. By the time Wendigo would arrive, the two humans had reached the bottom of the hill. Sherry surveyed the damage, noting glumly what were almost certainly signs of Gil's death.

But she'd ignore that now.

Marley jabbed her shoulder, she glanced up to see the ghoul arrive. She waved.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:17 am

Wendigo waved back. Whatever.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:19 am

A high, piercing scream broke through the morning chill.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:20 am

Sherry snapped her head up, axe at the ready.

"Doesn't sound like one of them," Marley said quietly as he readied his shotgun.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:23 am

"No. Throat's in too good shape," replied Wendigo as he started towards it. He sniffed. "Fresh blood."

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:24 am

The screaming started fading down to a series of yipping, sobbing cries.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:26 am

"Might be one of ours," Sherry said decisively. She looked to Wendigo, who was far more adept at this than she.

"Can you tell where it's coming from?"

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:27 am

"Yes. This way." His long stride were already eating up the distance. "Shamblers will come soon." He drew his shotgun from his shoulder scabbard as he walked.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:30 am

The cries continued to fade. When they rounded the corner, a balding, gray-haired man lay in the street, blood spurting from the stumps where once his arms had been.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:32 am

"Oh FUCK," Sherry snarled, taking off toward him at a loping run. Marley looked to her, then to Wendigo, not sure if he should follow.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:36 am

Reaper broke into a loping run, keeping pace with Sherry. He had no idea what she expected to do for the dying meat, but it was dangerous out here. A shambler could spring out from anywhere and she was being reckless.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:38 am

The ghoul would soon learn that 'reckless' was about as definitive as one could be of Sherry. She reached the man and dropped to one knee. Immediately she was in action, yanking his shirt off and wrapping it laterally around his shoulders, then using her belt to tourniquet the two blows at once.

"Keep an eye out, guys," she said, "look at the wounds: rotters didn't do this."

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:40 am

The man gibbered fearfully at Sherry, trying to pull away from her, his eyes wide with panic and terror.

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:42 am

She straddled his waist as she worked.

"Don't worry," she said, "we're not the people who did this to you..."

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:43 am

"Rebirth," he squeaked, his voice high and ragged. "REBIRTH!"

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:59 am

Great. Fucking gibberish. She held him down and looked over to Reaper and Marley.

"There are hostiles in the area," she said. "If you see any, take 'em down, don't give 'em a chance to explain."

She turned back to the man, put a hand on his forehead.

"It's okay," she said in the most soothing voice she could manage.

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Urban Dead: No Rest For the Wicked

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