Urban Dead: The Price of the Oath

[Josh]

"It's different, now," he said. "The people who are left, they're worth fighting for."

[Caz]

"I bet," she said. "They're the ones who matter a damn."

She tried to sit up a bit, winced. Although the wounds were fairly numb, she was looking worse even in just the short while since they'd met her. The pallor of her face was a striking white against the contrast of her hair and coat.

[Josh]

"Easy," he said. "Just take it easy. You hungry at all? Thirsty?"

[Caz]

"Don't you 'easy' me!" she snapped, angered that he'd seen her flinch. "I'm not goddamn helpless!"

They called her 'hellion' after the commemoration for a reason.

But after a few tense minutes, her shoulders sagged.

"Haven't eaten in... A while..." She said. Meaning half a week or so. It was hard to come by on the streets. Even rotted leftovers had been picked through.

[Josh]

He reached into a pouch and pulled out a Powerbar. Fortunately, they hadn't had to use any of them for bribes after all, so they had a surplus. Holding it with his free hand, he attacked the wrapper with his teeth, stripping it open and offering it to her.

[Caz]

She ate it like a mouse would: small bites, so as to not sicken herself, subconsciously guarding the food as she nibbled.

And reluctantly offered a thanks.

[Josh]

"Don't worry about it," he said. He gently set it down on her leg and unhooked his canteen, offering her some water.

[Caz]

She drank in a similar fashion.

"So at the mall... There's enough to eat?" she asked.

[Josh]

"For the moment, yeah. We hauled in a major catch in livestock. But seeing that there stays enough, that's what this is about," he admitted. "And getting more of what we are short on, like ammo and medical supplies."

[Caz]

"And the people you're with?" she asked.

[Josh]

"Storm Hunters," he said, taking a drink for himself. "We're a bunch of lunatics that all hooked up about a week after the fall. When it became good and evident that the government wasn't going to fix what was going on any time soon, we decided that we had to take matters into our own hands. So we did."

[Caz]

"Wow," was all she had to say on that subject.

She realised just how out of her element she was in the company of people like these. She was used to running and hiding, they stood their ground. She went to dinner parties, they made the world theirs for the taking.

[Josh]

He grinned. "The Irregulars are the best hunters in the business, baby," he said proudly. Getting a chance to brag on his crew was always a way to perk up his day.

[Caz]

"Sounds like," she said appreciatively. And then, a bit more awkwardly: "So why isn't... She with you?"

Just curious.

[Josh]

"She's pregnant," he said simply.

Unspoken aside being that there was no way in hell that Melanie would've gotten to go along on a stupidly dangerous trip like this anyway. He would've found some way to keep her home, no matter what it took.

[Caz]

"Oh," she said, then sighed. "I'm assuming the father didn't make it? That's awful."

[Josh]

"Nooooo..." he said. "I am the father. We, ah, hit it off quickly."

As if she needed an explanation for that particular sort of circumstances, given their history.

[Caz]

Another: "Ohhhhhh."

"Yeah, hitting it off quickly... That seems to be your style," she said with a laugh. "Although, to be fair, I couldn't picture you with kids..."

[Josh]

"Six months ago, I would've agreed with you," he said. "Now... things are different. I'm really looking forward to it," he concluded, a somewhat dopey grin on his face.

[Caz]

Seeing his smile, she laughed loudly, then just grinned.

"So... She's something special to you then," she said with understanding.

[Josh]

"Yeah, she is," he agreed. "She's smart, she's tough, and... well, she doesn't appreciate just how much she's done for this dump of a town. While I was off doing my thing, she was putting together a cadre of docs and medicos to save people's lives."

[Caz]

"Wait," she said. Blinked.

"Her?"

[Josh]

"Melanie Booth," he said proudly.

[Caz]

"Now being Melanie... Schoo-hen-coo-becker?" she said slowly and from distant memory.

[Josh]

"Zoo-hawn-ko-becker," he corrected out of habit. "Well, we haven't gotten it formalized by a padre or anything, but yeah, that she is."