Wayne made his way to the second floor via the stairs, carrying most of the weapons they'd just been using on his shoulders, the weapons clattering against each other with each step. He'd volunteered to take them back to the room that housed the majority of their weapons which they called the Armory. He stepped inside the room after unlocking the door and walked to the metal shelf and started setting the rifles in their slots. Luke was supposed follow him up after collecting the rest of the weapons. He put the last rifle in it's slot, double counting to make sure how many we're missing still.
The door creaked as someone entered behind him. Hearing the footsteps near him he started to turn. "Luke I--" He was cut off by something slamming into the side of his head knocking him out cold and crashing into the rifle rack.
Izzie stepped into the room she shared with both her sister and Luke. Shannon followed behind her before sitting down on her bed. Izzie tossed a bag on the bed, rifling through it for something. "You screwed up big time you know that?" She said looking up and meeting Shannon's gaze briefly. Shannon crossed her arms, "I've gotten shit from like half the group already. I was hoping you'd atleast wait a bit before jumping down my throat. It'll be fine."
Izzie seemed to find what she needed because she put the bag back underneath her hospital bed bringing her full concentration to Shannon. "Will it Shannon? Your my sister and I love you but you can be so damn naive. Tony was hurt, we got shot at, and they could still come back for another crack at us. All because you and your boyfriend couldn't wait until you we're back at the hospital before you ripped each others clothes off."
"He's not my boyfriend." Izzie sighed. "Fine, your boytoy whatever the hell you two are to each other. I've given up on trying to figure that out." She threw her arms up in the air. Shannon rolled her eyes before turning to face away from Izzie, "I'm trying to make sure you survive. Maybe you hadn't noticed but it's not the same as it was before. The shit you pull won't cut it anymore." Shannon glanced over her shoulder. "I don't need you to 'teach' me. I can survive just fine, I've done it this far haven't I?" Izzie laughed mockingly. "Oh yeah you've survived this far. You've had the hospital, you've had me, and we've had Ben. All three of those things have kept you safe. But the moment your out there and you don't have any of those it's a completely different situation. If people don't trust you to have their backs how do you expect them to have yours?" She stared at Shannon a moment to see if the words would sink in.
"I'll be on watch." Izzie gave up, leaving the room frustrated. Shannon tried her damnedest to stop the tears but they couldn't be stopped. She knew they'd been idiots, that things could have gone much worse, and still could. She knew her relationship with Shiloh was an odd one, it was fun, it helped relieve the stress of this fucked up world, and they'd both agreed that's all it ever would be. She understood that she shared the burden for putting the group at risk but for a moment she needed her sister not another group member or a wannabe step-mother.
"We've all lived here together for so long why would someone start screwing with stuff now?" Tony asked. Others nodded in agreement. Luke had stumbled upon the unconscious Wayne while bringing up the weapons, now the two we're downstairs with several members of the group trying to figure out what exactly happened.
"Not all of us. What about the new girls?" Liam said shooting a look and taking a step towards Bailey who shot him the bird, "Fuck you buddy." "Hey!" Klaire cried out placing a protective hand on Bailey's shoulder. "Back off Liam." She warned moving partially in front of Bailey. "I'm just saying. They are the new guys." Alicia rolled her eyes as she rocked her hips to the side. "You are not serious. Now why in the hell would we sabotage this place? You took us in." Liam shrugged. "Why the hell do people do most of the things they do anymore? Wayne can you atleast tell us if it was a man or woman."
Wayne sat in a chair off to the side nursing his sore jaw. "Didn't get a look." Liam started to pace before Ben intervened. "Look, we just need to calm down." Liam shook his head, "No, Ben we need to do this here and now." Ben and Liam stepped towards each other. "There's no sense in making everyone paranoid and trying to cause a panic." Ben said staring Liam down. "There's no sense in letting someone untrustworthy, someone who'd attack one of us run free either. I warned you that inviting so many people in was a mistake. We we're doing just fine with the five of us." Liam shot back. "That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that there is a smarter way to go about this without everyone yelling and blaming one another." Ben was getting agitated, Liam had to always oppose him at every turn. Neither was backing down. "Is there even anything missing?" Patrick asked trying to defuse the two, it seemed to work as Liam backed off turning his back to Ben. Ben looked at Patrick, "Yeah the AR 15 with the only red dot scope." Both Wayne and Liam's heads snapped to look at each other. "Alright then we find the gun we have the culprit. Let's just keep our eyes out for it and go back to normal, standing around getting worked up won't help anyone." With that the small crowd dispersed.
--
Liam headed down a lone hallway, he knew Wayne would be following him. However he wasn't expecting to be thrown against the wall and held there by the larger man. "I cannot believe you! Knocking me out, stealing that gun, then pointing fingers at everybody else!" He said in an angry hushed tone. Liam scrambled to pull at Wayne's hands trying to break free. "It wasn't me you moron!" Wayne let the man fall to his feet turning around rubbing his jaw before shoving a finger into Liam's face. "Bullshit, you and I both know it was you. I should rat you out to everyone here and now!" Liam adjusted his shirt where Wayne had clenched it before shoving Wayne's hand away. "I'll say it again, it wasn't me. Besides you rat me out and you rat yourself out. Then they won't trust either of us, probably throw us out or kill us." Wayne growled as he started walking away. "I'm beginning to think it's damn well worth it."
Three days passed since the incidents. There'd been no sign of the people they'd clashed with and no signs of the missing gun. At first they'd held off anyone going on runs but today they'd decided it was worth to risk to resume them as they needed to stay ahead as far as food and water went.
Outside the snow coated the ground but the snowfall had stopped. "Remind me how I got stuck on dead duty with you two out here freezing my ass off?" Shiloh said as he lifted one of the dead outside the car barricade, a hole gaping in its head from an axe which Shiloh was using. Patrick shrugged, "Depends, who did you piss off recently?" It wasn't a real question since he and Ryan already knew the answer. Probably Klaire, possibly Shannon, the usual. "Who knows." Shiloh said with a grunt as he tossed the body onto a pile. Ryan and Patrick looked at each other with a smile, and looks of 'he couldn't be that clueless could he?' "Would you rather be freezing out on a run?" Ryan asked, adjusting his scarf to fit better over his mouth and nose. "I'd rather not freeze at all. I ain't built for the cold, I should have stayed in Cali when this damn apocalypse hit. I could be out on the beach right now. How is it again all of the women get out of this?" Patrick helped Shiloh lift a larger body, "They run the place hadn't you noticed?" Ryan chuckled jokingly. Over time Patrick seemed to heal, he'd become more of his old self. Not fully, he could never fully be the same person but it was enough. They looked up towards a third floor window, Anthony waved down to them from the viper Nest seeing them look up at him. A second Viper Nest had been set up on the third floor at the other side of the hospital just in case the unknown group returned, two people on watch at all times. Austin occupied this one at the moment.
Lukes eyes fluttered open, only just realizing how tired he was. He could tell by how far the sun had gone down that it was time to shift change. The sun was only half visible over the horizon, the light it cast combined with the dark sky and snowy ground cast an almost purple glow. "It's nice to see that beauty still exists in this world." He muttered as he stared out over the landscape. After a few moments he stood out of the vipers nest with a stretch followed by a shiver as the cold air infiltrated areas that had been covered and warm by blankets for hours. Only two stairwells they'd left usable, both at the front of the hospital but on opposite sides, the rest they'd decided to block and barricade. He was almost to the doors when he decided to peer down the hall at the other viper nest. He could see Anthony was still there even from this distance.
He walked halfway down the hall towards Anthony, "Want me to get someone to relieve you too?" He called down the echoey hall. Anthony waved him off, "No, I'm good but thanks, Luke." Luke hesitated. He knew Anthony had been on watch all day even before Luke started his own watch when he'd taken over for Austin, but respectfully left.
--
Once on the first floor Luke found Falisha. "Your turn." he told her with a grin handing over the rifle. She almost stomped her foot like a fussy child before making her way upstairs. She could see Anthony in his own nest and walked up to him. "Anthony, how long have you been on watch?" Anthony simply kept his eyes looking out the window. She moved her body-weight to get comfortable to let him know she wasn't leaving. "You've been on watch all day haven't you? You can't be doing that." Anthony sat back in his chair ruffling the blanket over his legs. "I want to. We can't...we can't lose this place. If they come back I 'need' to be here. No one's going to get hurt." He looked up at her. "I won't let it."
She bent over and kissed him on the forehead. "You can't do it all on your own. Don't let all this weight lay on your shoulders. Share that with the rest of us. It's the whole point of us all surviving together is leaning on one another. You are not alone, don't you ever forget that Anthony." She moved out of the way before pointing towards the stairs. "Now go get someone to take over." She stood waiting for him to stand. "March!" Anthony gave in before standing, "Alright mom." he said jokingly which earned him a gentle smack to the back of the head. "I'm not nearly old enough to be your mother."
Ben, Patrick, Liam, and Wayne all shared a room. Patrick sat on his bed, across from him Austin sat in a chair. "Have you even spoken to either of them?" Austin shook his head. "Not since the other day when everything went down, no." Patrick sighed laying backwards against the front of the hospital bed, putting his hands behind his head. "How have you managed that?" Austin rested his chin against his arms across the back of the chair staring off into space. "Not that hard, Shiloh's been sleeping somewhere else and I only go back to our room to sleep. By then Tony's already asleep...I don't think he's angry anymore but we've got to get over this awkward first conversation to find out...if we're still friends?" Austin wasn't really sure himself.
Patrick breathed in deeply, "Just talk to him...both of them. You guys are friends right? Shit happened but right now, all three of you are alive which means you have the chance to put things right." Austin peered up from the floor to Patrick. "You still mad at Shiloh?" Patrick asked. Austin cocked his head in thought, "Not really? Kind of? I don't know." Patrick jumped off the bed walking over to stand in front of Austin. "The three of you seriously need to makeup. It's been three days, and with the world the way it is you never know how many you have to say what you need to. It's awkward I get it but get past it. Your moping is getting old."
Ben rolled over in his bed to face them, both turning to look at him. "Sorry we didn't mean to wake you." Patrick said, Ben raised a hand. "Nah it's fine. I wasn't getting any sleep anyways. But he's right Austin, friends you trust your life with are hard to come by in these days. You might be mad at Shiloh and he might have not deserve it but do you still trust him with your life?" Ben propped his head up on his hand with his elbow. "Alright you two I get it. Yes I trust Shiloh, I understand he made a mistake, I'm getting out of here before you two drag me out." Austin stood up leaving out the door.
"You sure about this?" Ben asked once Austin was gone. Patrick raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" Ben simply grinned. "You know exactly what I mean." Patrick eyed the older man for a moment trying to gauge him, he just shrugged at Ben. "Uh huh." Ben said in an underlying tone before turning back over. Patrick sat back down on his bed nibbling at his lower lip. "What did you mean?" Patrick called over after a few moments of quiet. Ben didn't stir, his back still towards Patrick. "You know." Patrick sighed, "I don't." "M'hm." Was all Ben said the two going quiet afterwards.
Ryan had been on his way to his room when he peered out the window to the front of the hospital, noticing someone by the barricade. It was dark but with the moonlight bouncing off the white ground he could see rather well. Realizing it was Anthony he rounded to the door and stepped outside, the snow crunching under his feet as he wandered towards the barricade. "Why are you out here doing this alone? Especially this late?" Ryan asked as he watched Anthony heave a dead walker onto another one, he slapped his hands together looking at Ryan. "I saw a few ambling by the barricade, figured I'd get rid of them." he shrugged with a smile. "You've got to stop." Anthony gave Ryan a puzzled look. "Your doing too much, pushing yourself too hard. It's late, they would have been taken care of on dead duty tomorrow." Anthony turned away to continue what he was doing trying to mask his annoyance. "What? You've been talking to Falisha then?" Ryan shook his head no. "No but it sounds like I'm not the only one noticing you running yourself too hard. I've seen you sneaking out to take over for people on watch at night lately. Then you take watch again in the evening, you go on runs and do dead duty more than anyone." Ryan knew this because he shared a room with both Anthony and Kate.
Anthony angrily threw a body onto the pile. "Do you seriously have a problem with me doing my part and helping out?" "Hell yeah I do if it means your not at a hundred percent. We need everyone at their best that's why we do shifts. So no one is overworked." Anthony growled, "I'm a big boy, Ryan. I don't need you checking up on me." "Someone's got to if you won't do it yourself. We're all on edge after the attack but it's no excuse. We're safe for now." Anthony snorted before forcefully pulling off his gloves and hopping the barricade of cars. "Fine Ryan, have it your way." Anthony stepped past Ryan with a quickened pace clearly frustrated. "You know I'm only on your ass because I care right?" Ryan called looking over his shoulder at the other man walking towards the doors. Anthony shoved the doors opened stepping inside. Cynthia and Kate were seated just inside, watching him enter. He didn't want to speak to anyone, just find a quiet place for now, he kept walking not paying them any attention.
--
Both Kate and Cynthia kept quiet as they watched Anthony enter and leave. "What's his problem?" Cynthia asked. Kate sighed, "I dunno. He's just...stressed, I think." Ryan entered back through the lobby doors he gave Kate a wave which she returned as he stepped past them heading towards the bedrooms. He'd smiled when he walked past but for a brief moment when he entered she could tell he was upset about something. He was never good at hiding things from her, unlike Ryan's twin Greg who had been just the opposite. "He didn't look too happy either." Cynthia turned back to Kate. "Yeah...I should go ask Ryan what happened." Cynthia nodded, "That's probably best." she said as Kate stood following after Ryan.
Both entered a room, one found nothing, the other's eyes going wide in anger.
Nobody saw the third figure, neither expected to find what they did.
The blade came out of nowhere.
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Coming Up: "You couldn't leave well enough alone could you?"
What's happening on the second floor. One survivor will pay the price for another's past, will anyone else. Someone will come to terms and admit their feelings, will love blossom or will tragedy befall them.
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What do you think is going on, on the second floor? Who's up there? Any theories? :p
So an unnamed friend *cough**cough* is impatient and texted me wanting the next episode. With my birthday being tomorrow and The Walking Dead premiere being Sunday I figured why not. :]
Leave a comment! I enjoy them.
Thanks for reading, and being apart of this journey.
This is tied for my favorite episode, along with 2. 6. 8. and 3. The character development was great! I've come to really, really like Izzie, Shannon, Anthony, Falisha and Ben. Loved their development. :). I know this is bias but I liked the part with Bailey and Liam. When she flipped him off I found funny.
I have no idea who's up there. Liam and Ben?
The relationship is about Shannon and Shiloh! SOOO CALLING IT.
Other than that I've got no clue
100/10
The Walking Dead Season 1 Episode 9 - Burden
I LITERALLY LOVE ALL THE EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS < 3