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Thalia had stayed calm overall so far, but she seemed to be getting sick of the petty jokes to keep her calm. What did take Manny by surprise, almost making his old heart skip a beat, was the circular saw that Thana had brought in. "Are you fucking crazy that is the exact opposite of calm and collective! Are you trying to paint the walls red with all natural paint?! Because that's what we're about to do!" We're. Manny knew there wasn't much in terms of options here. Thalia had seconds before it would be too late to do this. "Fuck my life..." Manny spoke with a dead tone, he couldn't let emotions get in the way now. Emotions got people killed.

Everyone else was emotional enough though to keep things moving, that was good. Everyone was comforting, preparing for the worst, preparing for the best, and... Manny was pretty sure flirting. He knew some Spanish, enough that he could follow some conversations, but he was almost sure that there was flirting going on. He never shared that he knew any Spanish, he couldn't speak it well at all, and he could barely understand it. Though it did give him the benefit of knowing what the girls were talking about when they thought he couldn't understand them. He hoped that Thalia and Beatrice could both be happy together. Like all the girls in Manny's life, they scared the ever living shit out of him.

Now, with the saw in hand, and the young girl pinned to the table. Manny would begin. "BRACE!" was all he said. Short enough to get people's attention, but not long enough for Thalia to jerk away. By the time she would instinctively jerk and resist the pain of the now aging saw there would be several people on top of her, keeping her from moving too much. The large circular blade cut through the lower arm like... well a saw through an arm. Sending skin, bone, blood, muscle, and anything else Manny could think of all over. God there was so much. The bleeding would be under control for a little bit, as least as much as could be in this situation, but once the arm was off Manny would have to act fast.

Cut goes through as smoothly as a circular saw can, but then she goes under. "Shit!" He figured this would happen, he wanted to avoid it if possible but at least she wouldn't move now. But this meant he had less time then he would have wanted to stop the bleeding, and there is no way to know for sure if the infection didn't spread or not. God he hoped not. To go through all of that just to still be infected? That would be... probably too much for anyone. Manny got to work sealing the blood vessels with what little he had available to him. Not much, but soon enough the blood stopped flowing. Finally, some good news. "THANA! Get me something to smooth down the bone with, the blood stopped for now but if we don't do something soon she will get infected." Once Thana got the tools from the garage needed to smooth out the bone Manny got started. It was... a longer process then he would have wished, but it was done. After that Manny pulled whatever loose skin he could and made flaps, sewing those together was probably the easiest part of this whole mess.

The whole process took hours to finish, but eventually he was done. The stump was bandaged and would heal eventually. If healed well a prosthetic could be applied in just a week or two. Maybe sooner if it healed up really well. Used up most of the bandages he had left, and it wasn't clean work. But it was done. She should live, and she doesn't have a real fever, so she's not infected. Most likely. So overall, things were.... great. This was one of his more intense doctoring moments, even more so then with Alexander, but overall, he was scared shit less. "God dammit... why couldn't I specialize in beer or something like that. Being a doctor sucks." He actually liked being a doctor, but the stress wasn't good for him.

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Ash's confirmation about the 'death' of the Horde Buster, made Amelia frown as she rubbed her temples for a moment. She held the really distant hope it wasn't that bad, but yeah things just took a turn for the worse... way worse. Without the Vehicle they didn't have safe haven anymore, they could carry so much less and travel so much slower! This wasn't good, hell this could very be the worst thing that could have happened short of them all being killed by a freak accident.

When Ash began barking the orders to scavenge everything of use from their home, Amelia could only sigh once more. What could they carry? There was so much things, well could be more things, but still. Between their own backpacks and bags with their things, if you start adding supplies from the Buster it would probably leave them all heavily loaded. Still... maybe they could find a vehicle to use. Well the chances to find a working car were rather slim all things considered. Still if it was only the battery that would be dead it could still be salvaged. Amelia was trying to run ideas through her mind, but it just wasn't working out. With the rain outside and their luggage, travel would be a nightmare!

Amelia threw a calculating glance while Ash and the nun were busy throwing threats at each other.” Huh?!” Amelia made a sound of surprise and confusion as Jack leaped out the Horde Buster and only now did she realize there was a car outside. Even with the Rain she could hear Jack making a shot. She from the windows could see how Jack reacted so it could only mean it's Tati!' Jack would never react like that unless it's her!' Amelia realized as she took another look and formulated a plan! She didn't have a firearm, but with this weather she could very well sneak around them and whack them in the back by surprise! She had to protect those close to her and really didn't want to have Riley outside.

Sadly as soon as she hopped outside the Horde Buster, she fucking slipped and busted her ass.” Fuck!” She groaned a profanity, while feeling the pain. Why the hell were these roads so god damned slippery! She wanted to cry at this pain, dammit it hurt, she just hoped no one had a direct shot at her.

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While Alexander didn't understand the tossing around of Spanish words around the table, he all too easily understood the sound of the circular saw that Manny was using on Thana. While the first sighting of it had brought a sense of impressiveness to the old soldier, the following realization of what it meant was anything but impressive. The sound of the rusted metal spinning around reminded him of the rotor-blades of Huey-choppers approaching the DZ, bringing the soldiers into the lush meatgrinder of the jungle. Old memories, bad memories sending shivers up and down his spine.

What followed only made it worse. Alexander caught sight of the first blood as he looked over his shoulding, seeing the medieval surgery Manny performed on Thalia, and instantly regretted it. The sound of skin, flesh, bones and tissue being cut and torn, it was terrifying, even to the veteran. And soon the sounds of Manny, Thana, Thalia and Beatrice morphed and were replaced by events four decades older; Bamboo booby trap, one of the bad ones. Reid, one of the replacements in their squad went out just like one could imagine, not watching his step. Stepped right into the bamboo trap, forcing his foot way down into a pit while a pair of bamboo-sticks punctured his leg both sides. His hysterical attempts to break free only made it worse, hence the comparison to Thalia. Even if Alexander had seen some shit already by then, it made his stomach turn and blood go cold. Gripping tightly to his rifle as he scanned the treeline for VC, while the carnage unfolded in his peripheral vision.

Reid didn't make it. Green ones never seemed to do, especially the good ones. The best ones died early. He didn't want Thalia to be like that.

Eventually Alexander snapped back to reality. His eyes felt swollen, his cheeks wet with something and his hands cold and tired. His hands had clenched his cane and hammer so hard that they were turning white, and tears had run down his face. He couldn't agree more with Manny once he heard his comment about being a doctor sucked, but he had no energy to throw anything back. Once his past caught up to him, in moment like these, it was just too much. He was getting too old for that shit. He only hoped that Thalia would live, that she wouldn't just became a liability like he was; That his friend would be okay.

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Hank, his name was Hank. Or so he preferred to be called, like Nigel preffered "Hadrian". He had no idea of knowing if that was true or not, but the gesture of having a name to call by was a step in the right direction, even if that direction was only temporary. That meant it was easier to coordinate if and when another battle came to be. "Okay, Hank." Nigel said shortly to The Shovel Man, waiting behind alongside Robert while Hank went up towards his drugged companion.

Nigel "Hadrian" bit his tounge in the side of his mouth, biting his words in his mouth as if to keep them from coming out. It was better not to be sarcastic back towards the two odd Greek characters in front of them, even if he didn't see them getting along. It wasn't that Nigel liked either Hank or Wayne, especially not the History Channel-banter, but one way of creating safety was in numbers, and in these days beggars couldn't be choosers.

While Wayne was starting to pull off a rather bad Queen song like this was some bread-and-circus-performance, Nigel turned back to Robert as the two began walking up the road, again not wanting to go the other way due to obvious dangers. "Just for the record, Robert, I think you're right. Safety in numbers. But understand this; you're probably a nice guy, but we just met and I don't know how much I trust either you or the two of them." Nigel "Hadrian" began to lay out to Robert quietly, changing his stern look from the road and back to Robert interchangeably. Robert he liked more than the others, but not by a long-shot. "I'm just being realistic, you understand? You wouldn't begin to fathom how many bad Pompeiians I've come across, or maybe you do?" Nigel continued, before Robert again offered him the choice between two bags of chips.

"...Fine, for the sake of the argument, I prefer Ranch. Just...keep hold of it until later, okay? Somewhere we can actually sit, eat and not worry about the Undead."

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The Sister had given her response to Ash's simple and direct statements concerning where they, as a group, were coming from and his stance on the issue of what to do with persons, clergy or otherwise, who threatened the safety of those he claimed as his own. Her response, or rather the beginning of her response, held the spirit of the words and inflection that he was looking for. Understanding. Reassurance. Even a hint of gratitude. Then she had to throw in her remaining comment, which was the exact opposite of what he needed to hear. Ash took in a breath to speak aloud his decision on the matter of her presence among people he swore to protect to the best of his ability, when a car raced by his window like a bat out of Hell.

Of the many things that Ash was trained to expect, coupled with that which he learned from experience these last five years, this was NOT one of them. A car speeding past was not an insurmountable bit of surprise, though it was not exactly the first thing he thought would happen today. But these things happened. The portion of the incident that threw him off was when a red-haired woman leapt from the vehicle and screamed; first in Russian, then his first name, among other things in English. Tati.

Jack was the first to react, and did he ever. Like a Massachusetts Commando, busting out of the Hordebuster with the subtlety of the Kool-Aid Man and covering the distance to secure his wife. The first reaction out of Ash was elation. Then the slightest twinge of jealousy. In the two seconds of that emotional development, the soldier in him came to the forefront. Tatiana wasn't his wife, but she was his people. He had no excuse to still be in the goddamned truck.

Ash swung open the door to the Hordebuster and secured his Marlin lever-action rifle. He swung out of the vehicle like a 1980's action movie superstar, landing solidly upon the ground and raising his rifle to take down one of those despicable subhumans who took that wonderful young woman and her baby against their will. It was at precisely at this time that he took a bullet to his shoulder. He spun partially and fell to one knee, a fast growing spot of red upon his shirt. Ash had been shot before. It never got any better. "I ain't dying in Alabama." he growled, trying like hell to act through the pain.

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Sarcasm and flirting, such as it was, was immediately knocked aside the instant that the saw kicked on. Thalia's first impulse was to jerk away from the sound of it, but immediately after that gut reaction a more purposeful thought process took over. She was scared beyond imagining right then, but knew that the only way to preserve her life was to make Manny's job as easy on him as possible. Her breathing increased in depth and frequency, her only saving grace in this being that she had no clear view as to the fate of her arm, as Thana's own limbs prevented it where she was being held down. Oh, she was going to try to move, regardless. It couldn't be helped. It's why she was being held down like the guest of honor at an S&M club.

When the saw parted her skin, she could hold herself back. When it entered the muscle and sinew, she could not help but scream. Scream, kick, try like hell to get away from the very act that was saving her life. She fought just as hard to stay still as she did to move, but that decision was already made for her, thanks to Beatrice and Thana. When it hit bone, she was done. Checked out. Gone. Shock slammed into her like getting drenched in freezing acid. It was only a second, maybe two, when she tried unsuccessfully to convulse. Tears were running before, but now they streaked her face, falling from her eyes even as her mouth broadcast the tortures she tried with naught but marginal success to choke back. She didn't want to draw anything toward them, living or dead.

As a blessing, shock fell away to unconsciousness. But not before the saw parted her radius and slammed into her ulna. Perhaps she would dream of the post-apocalyptic prosthesis she would eventually acquire. But most likely, her brain would try to spare Thalia from experiencing any of this, and keep her sleep dreamless and deep. Just before her senses left the waking world, Thalia could swear that she smelled the friction of the saw blade scorching her living marrow.

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Hank had to admit that Wayne was pretty damn good at this whole "not dying" thing. Then again, he also had to admit that running off like he did was a great way to break their "not dying" streak. Swallowing random pills of questionable origin wasn't the best way either, and so was intentionally distancing himself up the road a piece, singing... Queen? Give him some Stones any day. He could seriously take or leave Queen. Nonetheless, he had to respect the group for their talent, and rebuke Wayne for his vocal misadventure. "Freddy Mercury is goddamn cartwheeling right now." stated Hank flatly. "I know he's been dead for a while now, but I'm like, oh, 80% sure he'd come back from the grave to put a stop to this."

Just beyond his friend, Hank saw the staggering figure of another one of those Dead Assholes that seemed to litter the world like so many flies on shit. He couldn't tell from this distance, but it kind of looked like it had a big, bushy moustache, reminiscent of the legendary vocalist. It could have been anything, including a trick of the light, but it was already on Hank's mind. "Well, cram a cactus up my ass, I think Freddy's actually going for it." Hank picked up his pace, shifting into a jog to try and catch up with his survival partner, regardless of the random assortment of drugs in his system. As long as he stayed out of swinging range, he figured he might be okay.

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Riley eyed between Ashton and Genevieve, the nun seemed to be in agreement at first which was good to her the last bit of both what Ashton and Genevieve said though was a bit unsettling. But she didn't say anything, Riley differed to Ashton's diagnosis of the Hordebuster itself, the thing was dead she really did not like the idea of having to go around on foot for now. And on top of that having to loot what they could from their former mobile home, which she did not want to part with either. Then Jack turned and quickly jumped out of the front door, Riley started to wonder why, then she spotted the car that wasn't there before either.

That's when Riley stopped, and paused she could hear Russian then the voice sounded exactly like Tatiana's her eyes quickly turned to get a closer look seeing the red hair. It was indeed her Amelia quickly got out as well but ended up falling onto her ass with a thud making her wince and looked away a bit, and then Ashton quickly got out as well. Jumping slightly when she could hear a shot go off, as Ashton got hit in the shoulder. "I'm coming hold on!" Riley said, looking down at the revolver as she started to try and frantically unjam her gun, moving the cylinder as best she could making sure that she didn't aim it at herself or at anyone else.

"C'monm get out of there you stupid piece of shit bullet!" Riley yelled as she even went as far as to banging it on the side of the hordebuster, eventually Riley managed to get it free finally. Riley looked down at the bullet, seeing that the casing was dented and bent quietly grumbling to herself as she did a final check on the revolver. She counted five bullets left, Riley looked out the rain was still going really hard she wasn't sure how many people were in that car. One of them was shot, and her girlfriend was still close by Riley reached for her pack and started to get herself ready to get out.

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Erica stopped for a moment as she saw yet another walker that was stuck in her way, looking over her shoulder the small herd was a good distance at least for now. Looking at the third one now today she had to put down Erica twirled the knife in her hand through the small rings that the knife's handle had and got into a stance. "Come at me." Erica said calmly and the moment the walker charged directly towards her Erica quickly side stepped away from the walker. Seeing the corpse stumble forward Erica quickly went forward in for the kill as she thrusted the knife into the back of the walker's skull.

Taking a step backwards as Erica pulled the knife out of the walker's head, hearing the sickening pop sound as she pushed the now dead body forward. Erica turned around as she whipped some sweat off of her forehead, the heat was really getting annoying now at this point she needed to get somewhere cool. Or at least somewhere inside, or some shade would do as well, pushing forward Erica started to make her way up the street then she paused for a few seconds as Erica heard some really, really bad singing. There was another person out there somewhere, she started to think if it was a good idea or not to approach. There was a herd on the street further back, and she did not want to move back or go into the swamp she did not know what was lurking in the woods as she decided to just move forward now.

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Wayne was having too much fun riding out his high. He was dancing and strolling and strutting as he went. "Oh! Let's go! Steve walks warily down the street with the brim pulled way down low. Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet. Machine guns ready to go. Are you ready, hey, are you ready for this? Are you hanging on the edge of your seat? Out of the doorway the bullets rip to the sound of the beat. Another one bites the dust, another one bites the dust and another one gone, and another one gone. Another one bites the dust. Hey, I'm gonna get you, too. Another one bites the dust."

It really didn't amount to a hill of beans that there was a walker coming right at him. He pulled out his machete and took a wack at the thing. The Blade went into the skull but not far enough and it kept trying for him but Wayne just started acting like he was leading it in the worse episode of Dancing With The Stars in History. Sadly the show had begun not too long before the outbreak. It only got one good season in before the world went to shit. Pity too because Wayne imagined that if they had ever gotten a chance to get Gary Busey on that show, it would have a marvelous train wreck.

Eventually Wayne apparently got tired of his dance partner and took another swing, leaving the things brains spilling out all over the asphalt. Then he just kept going and kept singing. Apparently his wailing was getting the attention of the other walkers because even as the small horde was following Erica around the bend, the other one in front of her wasn't paying attention. It was turning and heading down the road towards the high as a kite mother fucker doing his worst Michael Jackson impression.

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Tatiana looked over the top of the hood of the old car she was ducking behind, god let there be someone from Newnan in that big ass truck. She had passed tons of large vehicles over the last year but never stopped. The Hordebuster was another story though, she knew that truck. It was one of a kind. She had taken a gamble. Grabbing the wheel of the car she had been and yanking hard, it causing the driver to hit the breaks. That was when she had shoved open the door and jumped. Biting her bottom lip she wondered if she had made the right choice but as soon as she spotted a man leaping out of the Hordebuster as if he was possessed she knew she had. She didn't even have to see his face. There was only one man that would run blindly into a gun fight if she screamed. That was her husband.

As he hit the hood and started to slide over it she backed up and then fell into his arms as he covered her. She wasn't shaking like a leaf though, not like she once had. She couldn't afford to right then. She had been through too much. It was one thing to go through a shit storm of a world alone but she had their child to think of. That brought out the bear in a woman and the super in a man. Pulling back she looked at Jack, her hands coming up and pressing a deep kiss to his lips roughly. The rain beating down around them. "Ve make them suffer, gut them," she said darkly as she broke the kiss. There was shadow over her eyes and a venom in her voice. Tatiana had been the forgiving type. Hell she had even been nice to Richard! If she was saying this, shit had to go down.

Turning she moved along the backside of the back side of the car, around the trunk and stayed down. The man was firing his automatic rifle at the area of the Hordebuster. Tatiana didn't know Amelia was there, or Riley, or that Ash was shot. They were too far down the road in the rain to see. The mans attention was in front of him so she moved quickly behind him and shoved her knife into his back. He dropped the gun, spinning around and back fisting her against the cheek. Tatiana flew against the car she had climbed out of. The sound of a baby crying came from the car. Tatiana brought her boot up and kicked the man in the stomach as he charged her, kicking him back before she jumped at him and the two got into a knock down drag out fight in the middle of the street. Both of them spilling out onto the asphalt with Tatiana pinned under him. Her knife fallen out to the side. Each hit that landed on her she grunted or tried to block with one hand as she scuffled to roll over and grab her knife.

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"Tell you what Doc, next time you take care of the engineering and I'll do the surgery," Thana quipped. She had been slowly more and more out of her usual uptightedness but she still wasn't wavering from her position over Thalia. This wasn't going to pretty or neat. Thana knew that. Yet she didn't move. Not as the blade made contact with Thalia's arm and the blood splattered everywhere, Thana taking a heavy amount of it on the side of her face and hair. She didn't flinch as the scream ripped from Thalia's lips. It stung her ears being so close but she held her still, she wasn't going to move, not now. She had a death grip on her shoulders and arm. When Thalia passed out it was a blessing. Probably for everyone.

Once it was calm enough for her to move, she did. Thana's arms were aching from refusing to move in case Thalia woke up during surgery. She didn't. Once Manny was done she stood up, her back cracking like a bubble wrap factory had been blown up and she grunted. "Time to assess the situation," she said as she pulled her gun out and walked down the hallway. If there was another walker in the house it would have shown itself by now but she wasn't taking chances. Once she knew for herself everything was clear she came back in with pillows and blankets from the bed rooms. Dropping them on the floor by the table.

"Doc, do your job and keep her alive. The place s halfway stocked. Towels and cleaning supplies in the bathroom it seems. Clothes in closets and drawers. Looks like someone was moving in but never got a chance," she said idly as she walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinets. "Some canned food," she said pointing. It wasn't much. Mostly canned vegetables and fruit, a few cans of tuna. She took one can and shoved it into Manny's chest. "Give that to her when she wakes up," she said. It was a can of SpaghettiO's.

Grabbing the battery she unhooked it from the saw. "There is a truck in the garage. I am going to go hunt medical supplies. She is gonna need them. You keep her alive," Thana restated to the Doctor. "You keep watch," she said towards Alex. "You're in fucking charge," she said to Beatrice before marching towards the garage with car battery in her hand. "My last order until I return is Thalia gets them O's! I'll shoot anyone that eats them besides her while I am gone," she barked as she shoved the battery back into the engine and hooked it up. Slamming the hood down she then opened the garage door. The winds were still kicking up something nasty but she didn't care.

Jumping in the cab, she took a minute, she didn't have keys. Fuck it, red neck engineering. If she could weld together a boat and a 4 wheeler to make a snow mobile, she could get a Ford F-150 to start. And she did. The engine roaring to life. Checking the gas gauge she let out a small breath. It was half full. She could scout for a bit on that. Time to get moving. Pulling out of the garage she backed the truck up before throwing it into first. Good thing she knew how to drive a stick. Who the fuck even had sticks these days? Well those days. Alan Jackson Chattahoochee came on the CD player and she grinned a bit as she hit the gas. She liked this song and it was nice to hear music once again. A cloud of dust kicking up under the tires as she sped down the road.

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“Ranch huh? I thought you more of a cheese man,” Robert joked, trying to lighten up the stillness in Hadrian’s tone while putting away the food once again. Sure, they were strangers but the circumstances they shared were at least one indication of a possible friendship - especially when put in contrast with the heathens up the road, singing and cursing like there was nontomorrow. However, Robert did always forget that his faith was his alone, others experienced it differently and some were absent the opportunity to embrace it.

“I’ve come across a fair share of bad ‘hombres’ in my travels. But....I can’t say I would’nt have helped each one of them if the opportunity arose. I think I come across people for a reason. I may not like them at first (he said while looking at Hank and Wayne), I may not trust them at first, but in the end, it all works out. It always does. Either we end up helping each other, getting through this world together, or we simply go our different ways. And sometimes we help each other go in different directions,” he expressed with a smile, looking at thebroad beneath him as he walked.

Robert’s ideology was a simple one, and he expressed it firsthand. At first, Robert prioritized finding his wife. However, he has undergone many tribulations when he distanced himself from those in need, actually felt further away from not only his wife, but from himself. When he did push to help, he found a sense of peace and purpose. There was no science behind it - at least he refuses to believe that - but it all came down to faith. So if he is able to help, Robert will.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something. I hope I’m not overstepping, but the sword the shield, the whole Roman thing, why? What does it mean to you?” He asked Hadrian without a hint of playfulness. If he didn’t trust him, it was time to build that trust. And it started by getting to know him.

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As gunfire pelted the truck along with the pitter patter or rain, Genevieve closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for protection over them in their time of need. After that, Genevieve took out her gun and checked it before she stepped out of the Hordebuster. The gunfire was an issue, but Genevieve had noticed that Ash was shot. While the others handled their own things, Genevieve ran over to Ash. "No, you will not be dying tonight. Not if I can help it."

Genevieve glanced around at the man unleashing his spray of bullets. He wasn't hitting anyone, but he was coming close. "You're better alive than dead, I'll provide you cover fire, get behind the truck and we can take care of your wound." Genevieve didn't wait for a response. Instead, she aimed her gun at the firing man and shot at him. Her aim was true (Praise God!) and hit him directly in the chest. He stopped firing and fell to the ground in a pool of his blood. He was alive, but he was not shooting.

She glanced at Ash, waving him to get moving as she watched for more danger.

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The heavy rain was falling and greatly deafening all around them. It was quite hard to hear anything aside the sound of water hitting everything, but even with that and the thunder, you could still somewhat hear the gunshots. Gosh there were a lot of gunshots, Amelia realized as she was on the ground.' Luckily Riley is still inside...!' She thought as she tried to gather her bearings and stand up. The nun was also acting out and she couldn't quite see exactly the conditions of the others from her position out the back of the Horde Buster, but eventually the gunshots stopped after one final one.

This was the flag in her mind as she quickly groaned and slowly managed to stand up, using her bat to prop herself as she stood. Ever since those tumbles in the snow during that winter, she hoped she'd never have or witness any tumbles like this, but seems fate had other ideas. Amelia well understood that she was still lucky though. If she wasn't, she could very well have busted her head instead of her ass. Hurt heads were way over more dangerous than a little pain in the butt.

Shaking her head, she looked around, but there were no more gunshots going on she could recognize that was good. Still she could only hope the rain and thunder were enough to keep walkers away from them for the moment. They were going to need to take stock after this battle.

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He had dreamed about his reunion with Tatiana regularly, using it as a piece of hope to center himself. He never had imagined it quite less like this - but her kiss stirred things in him all the same and he nodded. She wasn't the same person he had married about a year ago - but at the same time, he wasn't the same person she had married anymore. He didn't hesitate to nod in affirmation. Hell, he wouldn't bat an eye at torturing the sons of bitches that kidnapped Jamie. He watched and waited as Tatiana struck, his heart clenching for a moment as he heard the sound of a baby crying - it had to be Jamie.

With his baby right there, he wasn't going to risk firing off his gun - and he only had four bullets left. Jumping over the roof of the car with all of the fabulousness of a Disney prince, he went for the man that had Tatiana pinned to the ground. It was one hell of a struggle, with Jack barely managing to get a hold of him, but his wife and child were one hell of a strong motivator. Eventually, Jack managed to get his arms around the man, despite the fight he was putting up, and he lifted him off of his wife. However, lifting a struggling man was by no means an easy feat and the two of them stumbled backwards, creating a Car-Jack-Foe sandwich against the orange vehicle. He wasn't able to shove him off or anything quite yet, but at least he was off of Tatiana.

"Prinesite yemu nozh, solovey!₁"

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Beatrice kept in her dominatrix pose throughout the gritty and messy ordeal, watching Thalia carefully. She knew that she'd pull through this - Thalia was strong. She was a Gonzalez, whatever that was supposed to mean, Beatrice honestly didn't know but it seemed to be important. Once the job was done, Beatrice got off of Thalia and off of the table, doing a few light stretches on her legs. She then pushed a bit of stray hair out of her face, raising an eyebrow as Thana went off - only to return with a can of O's.

"Got it," Beatrice acknowledged Thana. It made sense and she'd take the job seriously. Manny was an emotional mess at best and Alex was missing a limb. Thalia hadn't even woken up yet, but she also joined the limbless category. She walked away from Thalia for a moment, retrieving her bow from where she had left it, before she came back over and looked at the three left with her. "Anyone who makes any idiotic choices will become target practice," she then said simply. She never had quite been put in the leadership role before, but it seemed like something Thana would have said. Beatrice was used to either being the lone wolf or being a pack member - never the pack leader.

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Sawing off limbs with power tools wasn't what Manny had in mind when he applied to medical school. Mostly he was thinking that he could escape his past, help others better themselves, and make an honest living. Thinking about how things have been, at least he was helping others still. The operation was bloody, messy, and now Manny would be seeing that every time he came into the main room. God, he hated that idea. Getting yet another reminder of what he now has to do just to keep people alive.

When Manny had gotten himself off the floor again Manny was surprised to get a can of canned pasta pressed against his chest. With the simple command of keeping Thalia alive. Simple being a relative term. Once she gave everyone their jobs Manny tried to cut her off. "Is you heading out there really the best idea? We only have a couple able bodies, and now you want to go out and risk your life so carelessly?" He knew why, they needed medical supplies. And who else was there to send out? Who would keep watch? What would they do if Thalia didn't make it? God he hated that idea. "For fucks sake, just be safe. You die we're going to be in a bad spot." He knew nothing he said would change her mind. They needed those supplies anyways.

After she left Manny tried to get Alexander's attention. "Shotgun's against the wall, feel free to use it if need be. Box of shell are right here." He pulled them out, setting them on the counter. Also covered in blood, and whatever else decided to catch the attention of the blade. "We're going to need to figure things out sooner rather then later. Either we need more people, or we will need someplace to bunker down." They had this place for now, but Manny didn't like the idea of staying here anymore. Even with the supplies here.

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Whatever it had been a few moments earlier, it was certainly a true mess right then. It been brutal, good ol' combat surgery, quick and efficient. He'd seen it before, but the flashback had pulled the worst of it back as the tears running down Aleander's face were slow to cease. But he had to, there wasn't any time for weeping. Partly because she was, as far as he knew and prayed, still alive and safe the infection. Hopefully. Hope, such an easy word that was all they had those days.

Alexander looked at Thana as she started giving orders again, thankful that she was taking charge of the situation and giving it some sense of direction. Manny was to keep Thalia Alive, Alexander keep a watch over them and Bea making sure they didn't do anything stupid. "Yes, ma'am." Alexander said direct and briefly to Thana, almost throwing his hand up in a salute but stopping it once his balance started to falther.

With Thana handing command over to Beatrice and having left the house, Alexander remained at the counter and leaned against it, looking at each person still left with him. They were a rag-tag team of survivors, unlikely to end up together. But they were one hell of a group, and they had survived so far. And Alexander were glad to be with them. "Understood, Bea. I'm not that hungry either way..." he said to her, before turning to Manny. "How long you reckon she'll be out?"

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Nigel couldn't help but feel the slightest pull of his smile as Robert threw a joke his way, however small it was. It had been a cheesy comment, and even for a complete stranger it was nice to see some positive attiude for once. Who knew, maybe in the end it would all turn out well in the end? "Hadrian" hoped for that, he and his optimistic disposition from before the Apocalypse, but his hardened shell kept a laugh or chuckle at an arm's lenght.

With Wayne far off doing his Queen-act and Hank a little further behind him, Robert and Nigel stuck together as they walked up the road at a decent pace. "That's a very noble take on it, Robert, I'll give you that. I'm just worried, and have seen it too many times myself, that helping others ends up with them getting the whole deal, while the helpers end up being thrown into the lion's pit. Sometimes people take advantage of others." Nigel said back to Robert, understanding his line of thinking, but knowing all too well how many people ended up helping the wrong people. It gave him a bad taste in his mouth, or was it a knot in his throat? "But I hope helping them helps us, like you said. You might surprise."

As the pair kept walking, Nigel started to look around their surrounding. One could never be too careful, let your guard down and all that. Nigel "Hadrian" turned his head around, looking from side to side and scanning each bush or thing that could mean danger. But as he looked, the nagging knot in his throat stuck. Or did...did it grow bigger? Robert then asked him almost the same question Hank had asked him earlier, and for that matter many before him, but in a much more civilized manner; why did he prefer his Roman gear? At least he asked in a polite way.

"It's a long story, Robert." Nigel started, turning his head back from his scouting to face Robert, trying to swallow the knot before answering. "But short version of it is that it worked before, and has worked so far. Sword and shiels work well against the Undead." The knot refused to go down into his stomach, and instead threw itself upwards and out his mouth before he could stop it. "I was at a fair when this happened, and there were..." Nigel said before the knot realized itself from its captivity like a Phonician slave running for his life. "NO VISIGOTHS IN SIGHT!" He shouted from the top of his lungs straight into Robert's face, clearly shocked at what he had just done as his left hand instantly covered his mouth to keep any more words in. Nigel looked around, even up in the sky as if someone up there in the Panthenon had made him do this, before looking back at Robert.

He was speechless, and it was showing.

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Riley heard the gunshot go off as she watched the body of the gunman who shot at Ashton went down by Genevieve, which she was surprised to see, usually they were all peace loving people and always prayed to damn god. Riley hopped out of the Hordebuster the asphalt was extremely slick. "Fucking shit!" Riley said, as she nearly fell on her face and quickly made a beeline while occasionally trying to keep her footing firmly, and would slip occasionally but never fell as she made her way towards the body of the guy that laid down now. Seeing the pool of blood that was on the ground Riley quickly gave the rifle a swift kick so that it was out of arms length, Riley aimed her revolver at the dying man's head. "Don't move." Riley said, it looked like he was going to end up bleeding out anytime now and he would eventually turn. She had a feeling that the man wouldn't respond regardless but, she wanted to make sure that he knew that he was out numbered against them.

Riley did not want to risk getting bit in the leg either so she kept her distance as well, her eyes wondering over to Amelia. "Amelia get the first aid kit for Ashton!" Riley yelled out to her over the rain, as the gunfight seemed to finally settle down for now as her attention turned to Jack and Tatiana. She aimed the revolver over towards the guy, but seeing the fight going on between the two of them, Riley knew that it would be a real big risk that she should not even try and take. And the heavy rain wasn't helping either at all as her attention quickly went back to the armed guy below her. Riley looked over towards Genevieve and nodded towards the nun, then went back to the dying man below her as well she wasn't going to spare him if they tried to hurt one of their own.

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Erica spotted yet another single walker, it's back turning towards the dumb asshat that was singing on the top of his longs that was obviously getting the attention of all the walkers in the area to be drawn over towards him. The good thing was that the walker's attention was fully now on the dumb man's singing to Another One Bites the Dust by Queen. Which did brought up memories of seeing the movie Small Soldiers way back in the late 90's, which wasn't that bad of a movie at least to her anyway.

Her attention turned towards the walker, as it made it's groaning sound Erica took out her knife once more and thrusted her knife forward once more. The end of her knife going through the back of it's skull, as the tip end of her knife stuck out through it's mouth Erica quickly pulled it back out. Erica heard the sickening pop as her knife came out and shook the walker's blood off of the knife sighing to herself. The way she was continuing forward she would make sure that whoever was singing would shut up, it was getting really on her nerves from where she was now currently or she would let him get attacked by the walkers that were getting drawn to him.

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The deluge of rain seemed to make everything more difficult. Sometimes it was a good thing. It made the firefight as difficult for their adversaries as it did for his own people. Between the atmospheric discharge and his own sense of style exiting his grand (if now deceased) Hordebuster, that bullet that was likely meant for his heart found his shoulder instead. It wasn't ideal, as if anything in this world really was anymore. But he wasn't dead yet, and probably wouldn't be dead for a while yet with this as his only injury.

He was down to a knee, in a field of bullets and carnage. The half-sarcasm he had spouted earlier was picked up by the Nun. Ash shot her a look that contained elements of anger and distrust. She shows up in a highly conspicuous manner, gives a response that sets off a warning bell in the back of his brain, and now a car containing captured people he cared about roars by. Ash did not like coincidences. Nor was he of a mood to tend to his own discomfort while others lives were at stake. Growling, trying not to writhe from the foreign object lodged in his shoulder, Ash half rolled, half pulled himself toward the side of the Hordebuster. It was a big truck, there was room. Glancing in the direction of Tatiana and Jack, Ash grunted through clenched teeth, "They need help now, not me!" He wasn't losing Tatiana and her baby now. Not to treat a shoulder injury, no matter how agonizing.

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Darkness.

Nothing more. Not even a feeling of self. Just clean, serene peace associated with warm, neutral absence. Whether it was weeks or merely minutes, Thalia could not guess. But the fact that she had the barest presence of awareness to question anything at all was progress. She was still cut off from the majority of her perception, but through the haze of subconscious memory Thalia somehow knew that consciousness was her enemy. Whatever was waiting for her out in the world was a thing she did not want to deal with. Not right then. Probably not for a while. Eventually, want or not, this would have to be faced. Just not now. Just an hour more. Half hour. Whatever time meant in this place of vast nothingness.

Thoughts began to congeal, bringing flashes of color to the abyss. Random, irrational at first. But slowly, images started to form. Frightening things to begin; wisps of nightmare escaping from their locked cages, the expression of Thalia's constant fears held in check by discipline. Searching through the horror and doubt, she latched onto a single point of light. It was her father. Biological father, anyway. He was a priest, and often had the want to sing his little Angelita to sleep. Yes, sleep - a thing she needed to maintain for a while more. Quietly, she sat down in the minefield of her inner thoughts and remembered her father, singing one of his favorite songs to her in English with gentle voice:



The rest of the world saw Thalia's lips barely moving, occasionally catching part of a phrase. "...descending angel... ...alone we face the night... descending... stand by my side... descending angel..." Deep within the sanctuary of her mind, Thalia knew that she was no longer whole. On the outside, the realization was reflected with a single, barely noticeable teardrop.

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Advancing upon the back of a high, crazy person was not the best way, overall, for Hank to hang onto the top half of his favorite head. Not with Wayne flinging about his machete carelessly in an attempt to keep his own, internal beat whilst attempting a foxtrot with an animated corpse. Not only was it fairly impolite, it was also fairly impossible for one of those two dance partners to perform a quick two-step changeover. At that moment, Hank wasn't 100% as to which one it was. Thankfully, the former Detective either saw the error of his ways or just got bored, and put the poor, dead Asshole out of its misery.

Hank closed some distance between himself and Wayne. It was aggravating sometimes, the way that Wayne would just go running off like that. Of course, Hank would follow. They were supposed to be a team. But he did ok while flying solo, or he had been so far. Perhaps one day he wouldn't bother trying to catch up. Then he shook his head. Nah, it was a stupid thought. They were a team. If his little proclivities meant that Hank had a jog a bit and talk him down, it was worth it to have someone who truly did not give a shit stand watch for cadavers while he took a quick dump in the woods. Bonus points if he held the wipes.

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Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing was up for debate but the drugs were starting to wear off. Wayne thought it was bad, others might think it was good. It had been five years since the out break so the potency of pharmaceuticals and the length of time the high lasted wasn't exactly at their best anymore. Least not the ones Wayne had, he did carry them in a sandwich plastic bag shoved in his pocket. Though for him the drugs were both a good and a bad thing as well. They made him quieten the little voice in his head. Then again the voice in his head might be his last bit of sanity. It was a double edged sword.

Or Machete. Machete was good enough for now as he wandered over towards the walker and drove it right through its skull. Shaking off the machete he threaded it through his belt loop. "And there goes the high," he groaned as he walked back onto the road and kept heading down it. "No, no, the fun is over, shut up. Stop it, no I'm no ready. I don't care if the sun is shining. It's fucking hot. No, well we can't all fly around to cool off you bucktoothed winged nightmare," Wayne yelled as he punched into the air.

Quirking a brow he stopped. "My god, tell me I ain't fucking hallucinating," he said as he spotted a woman coming up the street in his direction and she didn't look like worm food.

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Everything was blurry. Tatiana had taken several full blows right to the face on either side and it left her dazed. A cough came out of her and ripped through her lips as she spat the blood that had been pooling in her mouth out onto the wet asphalt. Slowly she crawled up onto all fours. She could hear Jack struggling and yelling behind her but the words were hard to make out over the ringing in her ears. It seemed to drown out everything else right then, other than the sound of her child crying in the car near her.

The rain was starting to let up but that didn't matter, it was still like looking through fogged glasses as she felt around for the knife on the ground. Eventually she did and stumbled onto her feet. Turning, through one very swollen eye she could make out the man kicking and trying to ram backwards on Jack as she eyed him. Fingers tightening on the knife she didn't so much rush forward as fall forward, exhausted. Putting everything she had in her into her arm as she thrust the blade into the mans lower gut. Both hands on the hilt she dripped upwards until the blade stopped against the rib cage and she ripped out.

Falling back onto her rear end she watched his gut spill out of his body cavity. Intestines hanging there, his face contorting s his knees gave way and he fell forward. Tatiana spitting on him as she dropped the knife and crawled towards the car. Opening the back door and pulling herself into the seat. In the center of the back seat was a car seat covered with a blanket. "Shh, shh, Jamie, it okay, ve safe, ve're safe," she said, her speech slightly slurred as she removed the blanket and unfastened the seat belt. Picking up her baby she sat Jamie in her lap and Jamie quieten as the pacifier was found.

"Jack, meet your son Jamie," she said s the bright hazel eyes boy looked out of the car, his little hand holding onto the pacifier as he sucked on it. The back of his hand was scarred. It looked like it had been burned not too long ago.

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Amelia finally got a hold of herself as the gunfight more or less ended. She observed the sky for a moment, but couldn't really figure out if anything special was going on. She then heard Riley call out to her to get working with Ash's wound.” Right away!” Amelia called back in a hurry and quickly dashed towards the wounded Ashton. She could see that Tati and Jack seemed to be on top of things and Tati had her baby with her. Nice, but given the weather she wasn't sure a child in the rain was a good idea even be it letting up rain.

She quickly looked at his wound.” That the only wound, right?” She asked, looking around, but couldn't really see another wound.” Did the ...” She was going to ask if the bullet was still in the wound, but she just had a massive brainfart and decided that the best possible course of action of checking if the bullet was still in him was to STICK HER FINGER INTO THE BULLET HOLE! And stick her finger into his wound she did!

It didn't take long for her to exclaim.” Bullet's still in!” Amelia's voice was firm and sure about it.” Now we'd better pull it out! Just a moment... where's that kit.” She added, looking for her first aid kit in her bag.

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Alexander was torn. Did he enjoy the time waiting for something interesting or important happen, or was as aganozing as some people felt it was? It all depended on two things; if he was with people he enjoyed the company of or just being by himself in a calm place, and if he had anything to do to pass the time. Most time out in the jungle they had nothing to pass the time. Well maybe they did, but playing a game of cards or small-talking with the guy lying next to you in the jungle mud wasn't always the things you wanted to if you knew Charlie could strike any second. Back home it was much easier, being with his wife or passing the time fiddling with electronics. Here though, neither were tragically any options.

He was put on watch-duty by Thana, and keeping watch was what he was going to do. But after a while of standing and sitting up against a wall with nothing happening, Alexander felt the need to stretch his leg. Getting up on his good leg and the walking cane, the veteran limped out of the main room and slowly into the garage. "So this is where Navy did her magic?" Alexander mused to himself, looking around the garage for…something. It wasn't that he was looking for anything particular, but he figured it was worth a shot, just to get moving. He carefully sat down his knees, thankfully possibly since the leg was taken off beneath the knee and not above it, even if it was a little painful.

Alexander quickly went through various containers and corners, and soon had gathered what he figured could be useful later, especially since it would appear that the windows were starting to crack; Nails. There weren't a whole lot of them, but he felt satisfied with his find, and eventually made his way back to Beatrice, Manny and Thalia. "How is she holding up, Manny?"

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Nigel really didn't know what had come over him, but with every step he and Robert took up the road, the better he felt that it had come and pass. Surely it had just been…something that happened to most people, right? A very temporal mental breakdown. His students had those all the time, and this was the end of the world; if something like that was going to happen, this had to be the right time for it? Right? Right. Nigel "Hadrian" shook the incident quickly off, turning his attention back to the two tasks at hand; survial and talking with Robert.

"Ehm…Like I said, was at a fair when the Endtimes started happening, and this was what I had. And so far, I have to say it has worked well enough for me to keep it. And yes before you ask, it is real." Nigel continued saying to Robert, referring to his Roman gear which some he had made himself actually. Back in the day he was constantly asked if he had bought it, or if it was made of foam, and each time he got more tired of the question. But Robert had been the least judgemental of him and his choice of equipment, so that was something.

While he kept walking, Nigel picked up his gaze and started scouting their surroundings. From experience, and what he had tried to avoid just down the road when they all first met, he knew that the Undead loved following noise. And with Wayne up there clearly Having such a good time, Nigel "Hadrian" worried that they could get swarmed by the minions of Hades anytime. He looked and looked, but the only thing that kept popping up in front of his eyes, taking all the attention that his mind could muster was what he apparently hadn't noticed before.

"Robert? Do you see…wow, trees. I didn't notice those before. Have they always been there, or have I been blinded in an odd twist of Greek fate?"

What in the name of Jupiter was wrong with him?

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It was an understatement to say that Hadrian’s sudden outburst took Robert by surprise. In reality, it scared the shit out of him. The man nearly tripped over his own two feet from stopping so abruptly. He even found himself raising his hands in defense - more of a natural reaction than one gained through self defense training. What stopped Robert from asking questions was Hadrian’s immediate composure after yelling. He looked utterly disappointed for an odd reason, as though the short outburst was just a hint of a bigger issue stocked and hidden within the soldier - but his pride his that almost instantly. Robert truly did care about Hadrian, but as the man moved on with the conversation it was clear it was not the right time to press for the truth.

Out of respect, Robert carried on - matching Hadrian’s rhythm and continuing down the road. He looked at the surroundings to ensure walkers didn’t attract to the sound. Thus far everything appeared safe. Moving forward, Hadrian revealed a little bit more about himself - which made Robert react warmly. It was then that Hadrian brought forth a realization that Robert himself had missed - the environmental beauty of the ‘fallen’ world.

Looking at their surroundings, Robert took it all in for a second. The gentle breeze, the vibrant colors of the life that carried on around them. Nature and the environment had suffered for centuries at the hands of man. Unfortunately political parties and men of power never really cared enough to make a much needed change. The Bible spoke of of life on earth, but Robert did not become truly invested until late. His wife on the other hand would always say ‘you better not throw those water bottles in the trash now, recycle recycle recycle’. Now that everything had changed, nature and it’s beauty flourished. It honestly was a spectacle, one Robert had never seen in the city. “Yea....it is beautiful. I guess I missed it too.”

The silence was serene, but at this point in time brought forth suspicion. Robert looked at Hadrian for a second with a raised brow, then back up the road to only see Hank’s back. “He stopped singing...” Robert stated nervously, Wayne nowhere in sight.

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Jack did a quick look around as Tatiana finished off the assailant, not spotting anything out of the ordinary. The rain was starting to stop slightly and he noted the orange tint to the sky. He hadn't spent the entirety of his last five years in Georgia, having ended up in the south from Illinois, so he didn't know its meaning. Instead, he knelt down next to the car, staring at his beautiful baby boy. Jamie was absolutely perfect - there was a tinge of anger in his gut at the scar on Jamie's hand, but everyone had scars these days. And those responsible were dead or dying, he was certain.

"Hi Jamie," he whispered, a tear falling from his eye as he smiled, looking at the baby. He felt overwhelmed by emotion and a desire to protect this small little creature - his son. He had hazel eyes - Tatiana's eyes. Jack couldn't help but smile at that, having to brush away a stray tear once more or they would threaten to overwhelm him. "He's so beautiful, Solovey," Jack said, his voice cracking slightly on the word beautiful. He already knew that he would do anything to protect his child - yet he made that vow to himself again quietly, entranced by the adorable infant.

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Beatrice glanced at Manny for a moment, observing him quietly. While he was right, Thana had put her in charge. She walked across the room, back to where the others were, keeping a hand on her bow. While leadership wasn't her thing, she wasn't going to fail at it without trying. She did a quick glance around the room, making sure there weren't any dangers that had been overlooked, before she turned to Manny and Alex. She didn't imagine Thalia would be waking up any time soon. "I guess you have your answer," Beatrice told Alex, as Thalia seemed to be mumbling something.

Yet as time passed, new dangers were presented. Three of the windows were cracked and Beatrice grimaced. As Manny returned from watch, she was keeping a sharp eye on the windows. "Not to change the subject, but the wind is concerning me," Beatrice admitted. "I'm from California. To me, our best answer would be to get to the room with the fewest windows just in case one of them shatters and a piece of debris flies in whilst Thalia's in recovery. But I'd like to hear opinions from those of you who have lived in this area longer."

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To others, the calm weather may be signs that the storm was letting up and that they could safely travel now and prepare. But Genevieve knew better. This was the calm before the storm. That wasn't just a saying, it was a fact. And they had to get to safety and soon. "You'll do your friends a lot better if you are not injured. I will go see to them." She let Amelia handle that, for now, as she made her way over to the two by the car.

She saw them both along with the little bundle of joy. "Praise be to the Lord that the little one is safe, but we are not out of the woods yet. The lull in the weather means a tornado is on its way and we need to get inside somewhere and board it up and hunker down until it passes. Are you both able to move?" It seems God was not through testing them yet, but He always did have a plan. Maybe it was a way to bring these people together for protection? She would see to their safety as best she could.