Evil Dead - Versus the World [CONTENT WARNING]

[GazMania]

Tom

Shouldering Ed's other arm, Tom helps Jeff to support him. Trying to feel some reassurance from what Jeff said, Tom really struggles to see how Ed will be allright. Knowing that he needs to get to a hospital, and that they are probably quite far from one, Tom can only think of the worst.

Putting on a false smile however, Tom does his best to help Jeff make him feel better. "Yeah, Ed, you gonna be fine. Like Jeff says, soon as we done 'ere we gonna get you some help." Hopefully soon will be soon enough...

[HellFencer]

Ed looks dazily out past everyone, staring blankly into the abyss of pavement that lays behind them. After a moment, he regains some composure and looks at Jeff and then Tom, both trying to reassure him. With a slight cough, some blood drips from his lips and hangs in the air before dropping to the cement. "You and I both know that I won't be getting to a hospital.... At the very least... I'd like to get inside and get warm before I die...."

Ed seems to have taken on a very grim, and realistic approach to his situation, which drives a bit of fear and doubt into each of your own hearts. How long would it be before you yourselves died in much the same manner; alone and cold, slowly fading away into nothing.

[Logain]

Jeff

Jeff is a little scared at Ed's predictions, seeing as how he was the other guy shot by Jack. Using his best 'reassuring' voice, he helps Ed up toward where the others are waiting by the door. "Oh, come on man. It's not as bad as it looks, and it's not as bad as it feels. We'll get you patched up, and get some fluids in you, and you'll be good as new."

The only thing Jeff can remember from his first aid classes is that you're supposed to keep the person engaged- keep them talking and alert. "I've seen worse than this, though- I used to surf a lot, did I tell you that? And this one time a guy crashed into a pylon, those big wooden pillars that hold up docks, and he was messed up WAY worse than you. We had to drag him out of the water, and then up the beach to a place the ambulance could get to him. His face was all smashed up, and he was having a hard time breathing. He couldn't even walk on his own, and you can do that! You'll be fine!"

Jeff glances at Tom and Jane with the relief in his voice gone from his face. After a moment's glace at either of them, Jeff turns his attention back to Ed. "And you had to go save your girlfriend, right? That's where we're going right after the hospital. We'll save her and everyone will be okay."

[GazMania]

Tom

No god damn, you 'ain gonna die here Ed. You can't die here! After all you been through, I 'aint gonna let you just give up an die.. Tom wasn't about to let Ed resign himself to his fate, and from the looks of it neither was Jeff. Taking Jeff's lead, Tom tries to help him reassure Ed that he really would be allright, despite what it looks like...

"Jeff's right kid, you gonna be fine. I remember this one day, few years back, I went to see a fight. It was a wrestlin' fight. I know those things are rigged, but it don't stop accidents happenin'. This guy had his opponent down, so went to land on 'im. I dunno if he thought he weighed less or what, or if jumpin' off the ropes was a bad idea... Well, he broke the guys back. This guy could barely move, when he got carried into the ambulance we all thought he was dead. He was in hospital for a long time, but he got better. Doctors said he would never move again, but he proved 'em wrong. He is in a wheelchair, but hes alive..."

Tom noticed the look Jeff had given him, just after he had finished his story and before Tom had started his. That look was in his mind all the time he spoke to Ed, Jeff clearly thinks the worst as well. Glancing back at him over Ed's head, Tom tries to get all the worrying thoughts he feels into one short look. "Well kid, what im tryin' to say is, everythin' is gonna be allright."

[HellFencer]

Ed tries to smile through his pain, but only ends up coughing more blood out. "Alright... if you say so... can we just get inside; I'm freezing my ass off...." he says, looking down a little, still staring at the pavement. Indeed, his skin feels rather cold and clamy and he seems to be getting a bit pale. The large bloodstain on the seat where he was sitting is proof enough of his blood loss.

[Logain]

Jeff
With Ed, Tom, and Jane all closing on the two by the door, Jeff will raise his voice a little higher than he'd like, and ask "How are you guys doing on that door?"

Jeff takes Tom's look and stores it away- Ed could still pull through. Maybe.

[WhiteKnight777]

*Jack stood back silently as the others clustered around to reassure Ed... He gave a small sigh, staring into the night, chewing his lip.. this was too much... It was like being back there all over again. Worse? of course he'd seen worse. men burned alive, turned inside out.. war could do horrible things to a person's body... and what they'd been doing was worse than war. At least in war there were rules, usually. sides. Us and them... back in the black.. there had been the squad. that was it. You didn't even have the knowing that what you were doing was right. At first it was all fun and games.. secret agents and super heroes, defending Truth and Justice from the Red Menace.. and then, slowly, the reds, whites and blues faded out of everything, leaving only gray and black. Black ops, yeah, that was a good name, all right. Because you were always. Skunk's speech stirred him from his reverie, and he looked around, shuddering a bit*

"Hmmm? Oh, right. Let's get to it. the sooner we do this the sooner we can get somewhere safe. Let's look for some Penicilin, too. This place has a pharmacy, I assume... Yeah, best stock up on some other essentials while we're here. Preferably canned goods, as they don't need water to be eaten. Plus bottled water, and as many basic medicines as we can find."

[Velvet Elvis]

Skunk

As Ed is escorted toward the area of the door, Skunk feels a twinge of compassion for him. He looked like crap, and probably felt worse. Another person may have said something about it; tried to reassure him, but Skunk's bedside manner was no better than his singing--and the last thing he needed was to increase his death tally.

Instead of just ignoring them, he raises a hand in their direction, palm out. Even a cave man could interpret that as a sign to stop there and stay back. "Dunno if there's any reason yet to be paranoid...more paranoid...but just in case, better not to cluster around the door when we open it," he says in a low voice.

A glance cast at Jack followed by a nod set things in motion. Odds were the door would just open quietly on its grey metal hinges and reveal an unoccupied office, but what were the odds his trip to play poker last night would find him running from human torches today?

A flashlight was definitely one thing Skunk was going to get a few of on this visit, and one would be nice now, but.... Standing to the side, pistol in hand, and crouched, Skunk grabs the metal knob, twists and yanks the door open. It swings about half way before hitting the tip of Jack's boot....

[Twilight]

Cold...like in the movies...

Jane quickly catches on to Tom and Jeff's keep Ed alert game. She chimes in:

"Is that what you wanted to do? Get your girlfriend? What's her name? Where does she live? We'll have to figure out a way to get there from h..the hospital. Maybe we can call her once we get inside...We'll need to find a phone, of course, but that shouldn't be a problem. I know the layout of S-Marts...they all have the same pattern."

[GazMania]

Tom

More than happy to let Jack and Skunk be the closest to the door, Tom cannot help but feel nervous as to what could be inside. Tom barely hears Jack's instructions, his mind full of thoughts, most of them to do with Ed. He could still pull through... It's doubtful, but he could.. Trying not to let his thoughts show through, Tom listens to what Jane says. He had forgotten all about Ed wanting to find his girlfriend. Shes probably the least of his worries right now, or at least she should be. He 'aint gonna be around to save her if he don't pull through...Realisation dawned on Tom that if he did die this day then Ed's help would never reach his girlfriend. "So, where does your girlfriend live anyways Ed? Is it far from 'ere?"

[HellFencer]

Ed lazily nods about his girlfriend, adding in, "She's just east of here, at Irish Hills. Her name's.. Sara." He barely manages to get out her name before having another coughing fit, leaning heavily into Jeff.

The door swings open partway to reveal a mostly empty storage room. It is quite dark, but a distinct pounding sound can be heard from across the black void. A moment later, the pounding stops, and you can hear a man's voice call out, "Is someone there? Please help me!!" The fear is quite evident, sounding similar to how you all were several hours ago.

[WhiteKnight777]

Jack moves forward, towards the voice, but cautiously.. he knows all too well that the "damsel in distress" ploy is one of the oldest ambush tricks in the book. Even if, in this case, it isn't a damsel.

[Logain]

Jeff

Jeff makes a mental note that she'll be in Irish Hills, but he wants to keep Ed talking. "Where does she live in Irish Hills? What street? What apartment number?"

Sharing the weight between him and Ed, rather than carrying him alone, allows them to move at a pretty decent pace. Soon they've caught up to Jack and the punker, and see them waiting by the door. "What's going on in there? Why are we waiting?"

[Velvet Elvis]

Skunk

"There's someone inside. Jack's gone in already, so I better get in with him. You might want to stay out here for the moment, or let Jane keep an eye on Ed and come with. Up to you..." he says to Jeff in a harsh whisper, and with the last word turns to face the void.

Taking a position a couple feet to one side of Jack, and pacing him a few steps behind, Skunk follows inside, pistol in hand and eyes trying to squint away the darkness enough to get a bead on where the voice is coming from.

With each step he takes, an internal debate rages on. Should he respond so as to give the apparently frightened man some reason not to shoot them on sight, or should he keep quiet until he can see what it is that called out to them--a man's voice no longer necessarily guarantees the source was a human at all.

[HellFencer]

The darkness clouds all vision, leaving Jack and Skunk to rely on sound for the moment. A few shuffled footsteps are heard across the void, at least twenty feet away. "Who's there!?" the voice says, obviously frightened. There is a wall next to the door where Jack walks in, and as his eyes adjust, he can see there is a window on the upper half of it.

[Logain]

Jeff
As Jeff, Tom, and Ed come into the darkened room, Jeff digs into his pocket for the tiny flashlight he usually carries with him. As he twists it to turn it on, a small beam penetrates the darkness. He offers it to Jane hesitantly, and tries to keep talking to keep Ed alert.

"Ed, so where does she live? What's the street address?"

[Twilight]

Jane nods and takes the small torch. She gathers her courage and walks into the darkened room a few steps behind Jack and Skunk.

She seeks the source of the voice with the small beam of light.

"Hi...Um...S-Mart employee number 109065. I work in housewares. Are you hurt? Do you need assistance sir?"

[HellFencer]

As the tiny beam of light pierces the black void, a security guard is revealed, staggering towards the lot of you. He shields his face from the sudden light, almost veering away from it. "Hey! Point that somewhere else! At least not the eyes!" He seems off-balance a bit, but recovers and tries to see whom you all are. "Well, are you gonna help me or what? This door is locked from the outside."

Ed dazily looks at Jeff and says, "4313... 3c..." before stumbling a bit and nearly falling out of the gripping hands upon him.

[Twilight]

Stall Jane. Why is this guy locked inside this place? What if Jack and Skunk go insane and shoot him? Gah...What if they decide I've seen too much and they shoot me?! Distract them.

She speaks to her companions in a lowered voice.
"Maybe we should find the lights. This place most likely has a generator. So even if there isn't power coming in it can keep going for some time. Can you two look for a switch? I'll try to get something out of this guy before letting him out."

Jane lowers the beam and slowly walks towards the security guard.

"Sorry about that. Um...How'd you get stuck inside?" Her voice is soothing and measured, her gaze steady despite the shadows that made her jump a moment ago.

[Velvet Elvis]

Skunk

Calling upon his incredible memory, Skunk tries to recall the general layout of the S-Mart stock room. Light panels were in two places, one near the door to the main display floor, and another on one or the other side of the delivery door, near the door's controls. Of course, it would be nice to know the orientation of this particular room. He didn't, but he now knew someone that should....

Taking part of the initiative from Jane, he asks the security guard, "Hey, mac, can you flip the lights on? I'm not sure where they are in this layout--I slave at another S-Mart south of here, Hunting Department, if it's of any interest. We're all bro's, sorta. Umm...Ya do have lights, right?" He silently wished he didn't have to ask the trailing question, knowing that the odds weren't as high as they should be given the state of affairs the world's been thrown into.

Almost as soon as he asked, the little hairs on the back of his forearms tingled and his usual paranoia kicked in. Angling the pistol toward the security guard, he waited for a reply. The little beam of light could barely illuminate part of the man, so it was unlikely he'd even notice how many people stood before him, much less a little detail like a loaded gun pointed at his gut....

[Logain]

Jeff
Letting other people worry about the security guard, Jeff tries to keep Ed talking. "So, what street does she live on? Does she have any roommates?" Even though Ed is clearly weakening, Jeff keeps him on his feet, unsure that they'll get the man moving again if they stop to rest.

[GazMania]

Tom

Tom keeps in line with Jeff as they enter the store room. While intrigued, and slightly worried about the presence of the security guard, Tom's main concern rested on his shoulders. Aware of Jeff's attempts to keep Ed talking, Tom throws in a few questions of his own. "What did you say her name was? How long you been goin' out with her?"

[WhiteKnight777]

Jack

Jack puts one hand out in a palm-up, calming gesture

Hey, don't worry, man. We're just looking to get out of the ****storm that's going on out there. What's with the barricade out front? did you put that together?

[HellFencer]

As Jack makes his gesture, a very familiar smell catches his nostrils. There is no way to mistake it, for it is etched in his mind as a most basic instinct. The smell of pooled blood engulfs his senses as he steps past the corner of the room next to him. The guard shrugs and says, "No, I didn't put any barricade up. In fact, that's why I'm stuck in here. Some asstard locked me in here, screaming about not getting infected or something." When Jane and Skunk both mention the lights, he continues, "Well, I'd have turned them on, if the panel was still intact."

Ed nearly passes out from the blood loss combined with the effort it takes to stay up. He dazily looks forward and says, "Rest...." and follows with a small coughing fit, spraying blood out onto the pavement.

[Velvet Elvis]

Skunk

Skunk squints an eye at the guard's remark. "Great, well it kinda figures. Hey, don't you have a flashlight or something? I thought all security guards had a big fat flashlight handy, something better than that stupid penlight."

OOC

Spoiler

Show

Is there any light at all visible in the whole room, other than that from the penlight?

[Logain]

Jeff
"Hey... security guy. We've got a buddy injured here. Would you happen to have a first aid kit or something?"

[Twilight]

She stops in her tracks.

"Not getting infected? Infected by what? Did something happen here?"

[HellFencer]

Skunk takes a quick look around the room after questioning the guard. to his eyes, there are no lights anywhere, save for the opened door he came through. The guard tilts his head for a second and reaches down to his belt. Pulling a large flashlight out, it clicks on and pierces more of the darkness. "Well, whaddya know. I forgot all about it in the panic." The light swivels across the vision of everyone standing by the open door as the guard takes in your features.

"Yeah, you're friend doesn't look too good there," he says, shining the light on Ed. Taking a second to find Jane, he says to her, "Not really sure what he meant. The other guard that was trapped in here with me attacked me though. I had to shoot him to save myself; he was delusional."

Spoiler

Show

Sense motive checks from everyone. Either post the response in a spoiler tag, or in the OOC board.

[GazMania]

Tom

Tom had no idea what he could say to the guard to make things better, so he did one of the things he always found useful: kept quiet. As Ed's condition worsens, Tom is more than aware that he probably won't last much longer without help. Tom is ready to ask the guard if he has anything when Jeff takes the initiative himself.

The fact that the guard notices Ed's injuries but does not offer aid does little to make Tom feel better. Nor does him mentioning that he has just killed someone. He can't shake the feeling that maybe the guard isn't telling the truth, however he finds no real evidence to contradict what he says.

Spoiler

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Sense Motive (1d20=9) I can't open my sheet right now, so that may be 1d20+1. Don't thnk it makes much of a difference though

[Logain]

Jeff

Having Ed coughing up blood right next to him wasn't the most settling thing Jeff had ever heard, but he was waiting to hear the Guard's response. When the guard sweeps the flashlight over the obviously injured man, and even comments on it before moving on to Jane, Jeff's eyebrows shoot up- not that anyone can see them in the darkness.

The way the guard callously says that he was forced to kill someone else doesn't sit well with this hippy surfer, either. He's eyeing what he can see of the man with the flashlight.

Spoiler

Show

http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=878448
(15)

While he's watching this new arrival with the skepticism that he usually reserves for Jack and other people who have shot him, he'll finally speak up in a low voice reminiscent of the growl he made earlier at Tom on accident. "Yeah, we know he's hurt. Do you have a first aid kit, or do we have to go into the store ourselves?"