Setting
Default Location for A Handful of Dust Remake
Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |
The Wild West is a part of 
A Handful of Dust Remake.
11 Characters Here
Evanne Luna Remmington [82] "You leave her alone or you'll get a boot up your ass!"
Noah Ripley [76] "Each person will do their share."
Rob Braddock [70] "Let's see if we can't shake things up a bit." [WIP]
Ginny Thompkins [70] "I can't tell him how scared I truly am."
Juniper Jacobs [69] "If there's no telling then no one gets hurt."
Owen Thompkins [55] "My family is the only thing I have."
Risalda Enudo [54] "I screwed up. Don't remind me about it."
Dana Clay [50] "We all deserve the freedom to define who we are."
Aaron "Sullivan" [36] There is so much to say, and not enough time to say it."
Pamela Clay [31] "Without rules, this town would crumble."
Start Character Here »
”I’m sorry to you want to do this?” Risalda asked her.
Evanne almost lost it then. The fact that Risalda actually have the nerve to talk to her like that nearly sent her over the edge. She opened her mouth but Noah spoke before she could retort. ”That’s enough Risalda. She knows what she’s doing as well.” The fact that he stood up for her so quickly made her happy. She blushed, taking the baby over to a scale and weighing him. She wrote down the number and began to clean him up. She put on a cloth diaper then wrapped him up in a clean blanket. She placed him carefully in the little crib they had for him. She went into the next room and grabbed more supplies they didn’t have a lot of those cribs. In fact, she didn’t even see another one. The boy was so small that they would be fine, snuggled up together.
She smiled down at the little boy as he started sucking on his thumb. She went back to the delivery. It was progressing faster, much faster than the other. Ginny was already crowning. She went back over to her and dabbed at her forehead with a cool towel. With two babies, she didn’t know how the town could force them to leave. They wouldn’t make it out there. How much longer could the town survive? Inbreeding was not something that this town needed. They would need to bring families in just to avoid that. They didn’t need sickness and disabilities to add to their hardship.
Evanne’s blue eyes met Noah’s. Where was he siding? They could use the help. They were all smart and talented. They could be accests to the town. She tried to convey that to him wordless but she didn’t know if he understood. She broke the contact, looking down at Ginny as she pushed hard. The baby came out into Risalda’s hands. But immediately she knew something was wrong.
Unlike the first child, this one didn’t cry out while she was in the doctor’s hands. The umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby girl’s neck. She moved around to help Risalda. The baby’s skin was a little blue. Risalda’s hands were fast as she unwrapped the cord. The baby still didn’t cry. It was only when Risalda spanked her that she finally gave a cry.
Evanne let out a sigh of relief. She let Owen cut the cord again before she took the baby. She cleared out the little girl’s passage ways and checked vitals then weighed her and wrote it down. She cleaned off the baby then put a diaper on her and wrapped her up in a soft blanket. She smiled at Owen, Ginny, and Robin. “Congratulations. You have a healthy baby boy and a healthy baby girl.” She brought over the little girl first so Ginny could hold her. Then she took the baby boy over to Owen. She stepped back out of the way, next to Noah. She looked over at him. ”We can’t let them leave… They’ll need us… we need them too.” She told him softly.
Ginny knew she was going to die. There was too much pain for her to possibly live through this. She pushed and pushed. She didn’t hear what anyone said. It was just like tunnel vision. She had one goal, even if she didn’t survive. She needed her children to be safe. After so many miscarriages, she couldn’t lose these children. The boy may be safe but who knew about the other one. She screamed as she continued to push.
It seemed like it took hours but soon, the baby was out. She collapsed back on the bed. Tears of pain rolled down her cheeks. It took her a moment to realize something was wrong. The boy had cried so loudly, but she heard nothing from this one. She tried to sit up but she was too tired. ”What’s wrong?” She asked Evanne as she moved around to help the doctor. She couldn’t see what they were doing. ”What’s happening?”
Ginny looked to Robin and Owen, trying to get some hint. Her minds wouldn’t let her go to the possibility that she might be losing another child. ”Owen?”
When she heard the baby cry, it was like music to her ears. She smiled, looking as Evanne scooped up the baby. She couldn’t tell what the baby was. She just wanted the babies to be healthy. She wiped at her tears as Evanne brought the little girl to her. She adjusted herself as best as she took and cradled the girl. She smiled at her husband as she took the boy. ”Two? A boy and a girl?” She laughed softly. ”What will we name them?” She asked him. She looked at Robin and smiled. ”I guess you know why I was so big now, Uncle Robin.” She teased him.
Entry:
coming up
He took in a deep breath and held it and silently swore to himself as he watched the entire ordeal, both hands clasped over Ginny's as she pushed. Somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped that he wouldn't have to see this again anytime soon. His eyes flickered over to his sister's face, then to the look of abject terror in his brother-in-law's face. He had to hold in the urge to laugh as he reached over and gave him a rough pat on the shoulder.
"The girl's tougher than she looks," he said, somehow half-hoping that was actually true and that she wasn't going to bleed out or succumb to infection at all. He was only too relieved when he heard that one strangled cry on the other end. He peered over to see the squirming infant boy, covered in what appeared to be mucus and milk by-product and suddenly he couldn't believe his eyes. Well, fuck. I'm an uncle. He was completely caught off-guard the moment Evanne suddenly announced, ”We’re not done. There’s another heartbeat.”
He realized he was in a stupor when the even more strangled cries came from the second infant. A girl.
His mind was blank from the day's events. All he knew he wanted to do was go and say hi to his new niece and nephew. From the looks on their little faces, he could tell they were going to be rascals one day just like him. (He doubted Ginny would like that, but being the stubborn man he was it wouldn't keep him.)
"Two? A boy and a girl? What will we name them?” He was sure that Ginny was clearly grinning from ear to ear about all this. ”I guess you know why I was so big now, Uncle Robin.”
He took his time thinking, and feigning thinking, before he offered the new family a laugh and a wink. "Simple. Name the kids after me."
"The girl's tougher than she looks," he said, somehow half-hoping that was actually true and that she wasn't going to bleed out or succumb to infection at all. He was only too relieved when he heard that one strangled cry on the other end. He peered over to see the squirming infant boy, covered in what appeared to be mucus and milk by-product and suddenly he couldn't believe his eyes. Well, fuck. I'm an uncle. He was completely caught off-guard the moment Evanne suddenly announced, ”We’re not done. There’s another heartbeat.”
He realized he was in a stupor when the even more strangled cries came from the second infant. A girl.
His mind was blank from the day's events. All he knew he wanted to do was go and say hi to his new niece and nephew. From the looks on their little faces, he could tell they were going to be rascals one day just like him. (He doubted Ginny would like that, but being the stubborn man he was it wouldn't keep him.)
"Two? A boy and a girl? What will we name them?” He was sure that Ginny was clearly grinning from ear to ear about all this. ”I guess you know why I was so big now, Uncle Robin.”
He took his time thinking, and feigning thinking, before he offered the new family a laugh and a wink. "Simple. Name the kids after me."
......
Start time skip!
Start time skip!
Owen could have died right there. He was so overwrought with emotions that he could have exploded. First, he was in terror, sheer terror. And it didn't help that Owen knew that his kid brother-in-law thought it a little humorous. But finally, after all of the noise and the struggle, there were two. There were still two Thompkins, and now two Thompkins babies. What a roller coaster Owen was riding today. He could only hope that every father felt the same way. A little embarrassed, Owen cut the second chord in a daze. They had done it! Well, Ginny did it really, but regardless, they had finally done it. And as far as Owen could tell both of the precious little lumps were healthy. He of course would need to hear word from the doctor, but he imagined that this was exactly what was supposed to happen. Though he didn't know that they were be so ugly and dirty when they first came out. Every account of childbirth that he had read about or heard about was described with some kind of ethereal beauty. All that nonsense was a lie. This whole process had been hard and scary. Not to mention sweaty, painful, and loud. But put all of those things aside and Owen was as happy as a bird with a french fry!
He couldn't believe it. He was a father. And not to just one baby, but to two. Owen laughed in his delirious happiness before kissing his wife. He then turn around a suddenly hugged Risalda, "Thank you. Thank you so much!" He squeezed her once more before letting her go and going to hug Evanne. He couldn't imagine doing this without these two women. Owen had no idea how to deliver a baby and if the three of them were out in the wilderness, they certainly would have lost someone.
Owen then remembered that Noah was there. He would also be eternally grateful to him. After all, he was the leader of this town and he had allowed them to stay here and have the assistance of his doctor. Owen, almost dancing, made his way to Noah. Heartily, he shook the man's hand and patted his back. In a low, serious voice he thanked Noah.
He quickly went back to his Ginny who asked him about names, Owen let out another chuckle while shrugging his shoulders. "What about one of your parents names?" He suggested. In all of the chaos of trying to find somewhere safe to live they had completely forgotten to think about names. He also didn't have many people he could name the children after. He looked at Robin when he jokingly suggested his own name, but Owen nodded his head. There was someone.
"One of of the middle names can be Robin. Or we could name the boy Michael, Rob's middle name." Owen was serious about this one. Though Robin was often more of pain, Owen knew that he and Ginny wouldn't be where they are today without him.
Honestly, Owen had never put much thought into a name. He was too preoccupied with his paranoia of his wife dying. During the whole of Ginny's pregnancy Owen stayed true and supportive of her while his mind wandered into dark territory. He didn't think that they would get this far. And once they did get here he had very little faith that Ginny and or the baby would survive. But here they were, with two babies. It was like the stars had finally lined up for Owen.
**Time Skip Ready methinks**
For the first time in a long while, Risalda's job was done, just as quickly as it had started. While everyone was preoccupied with welcoming the newborns, who were surprisingly healthy, Risalda managed to slip away after Owen gave her an involuntary hug. She simply smiled at him, and slipped outside behind the tent.
The first words that were spoken to her by the man she used to love, were not only harsh, but sticking up for another female. God, she hated Noah with a passion. Now Evanne, the nurse here. She didn't seem to show up much, or help Risalda with the medications to hand out to the people of Dust, but damn it, she was the nurse.
She sighed, sitting on an empty crate outside, listening to them celebrate the birth from inside the tent. Running a hand through her hair, she wondered why she couldn't just.. start over for once.
Time Skip Ready
Luke registered Dana standing up and taking a few steps away, his concoction still clasped in her hand. However, with his mind still wandering through a list of her numerous assets and imagining the sense of achievement he would feel when admiring them in his bed, he didn't quite realise the implications of this until Dana opened her mouth.
"I think I should go, Luke. You're hot, everyone in the town knows that, but I am not Risalda. You won't be able to have sex with me just because you deem it necessary. I refuse to be another girl on your already too long list."
For once, Luke was slightly lost for words. He had been so confident Dana had been taken in by his compliments and plying her with alcohol while listening to her problems that he had slightly forgotten quite how young and innocent Dana was. She wasn't Juni, she couldn't give back as good as Luke could dole out, and she needed a slightly gentler, more gentlemanly touch if he was going to have any luck. Then again, realistically, Luke wasn't going to try and lure Dana into bed under false pretences. For starters, she was Patrick's daughter, and of the few people Luke actually respected, Patrick was one. Secondly, Dana was still his friend, and she clearly didn't sleep around. Luke reckoned there was probably a good chance she was still a virgin anyway, and truthfully, though he wouldn't admit this to anyone, he had a reputation to maintain after all, he did value his friendship with Dana more than luring her into his bed. Thirdly, he wouldn't lie, he was still kind of scared of Pamela. Of course he wouldn't stop flirting with Dana altogether forever, he just needed to rein it in a little.
"Dana, I'm-" he began.
But Dana interrupted him instead. "We can be friends, Luke, but you'll need to pull some strings with God if you want any chance at this."
"Well I guess I'll just have to keep saying my prayers," Luke chuckled. He sat down opposite her on a small stool his side of the bar and poured himself a glass of his new recipe. He held it up a little in Dana's direction, as though to clink their glasses.
"Friends?" he smiled, before taking a long drink.
XXX
Time Skip
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Time Skip
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The morning air had been strangely calm as the blistered hands of Dust submitted their votes. A mixture of emotions stained the normal atmosphere of the regularly bustling town center. There in the middle sat a funny little stand that was monitored by none other than Patrick Clay. Atop the stall a sign read ‘Vote Today!’ in red white and blue. Though most of the youngest residents of Dust didn’t understand the connection, many of the old folks chuckled at the thing, remembering the gumption and enthusiasm of being a voter in the old world. It was there that the people of Dust voted on the situation with the newcomers. The voting hours were short, starting at 5am and only going until noon. After all, they wanted the results to be revealed that evening in the town hall.
Before this day, people held secret meetings in the quiet corners of their humble homes, and exchanged heated words of rights and wrongs. Those who were against the newcomers stood their ground, while those who were more accepting tried not to bring attention to themselves. There was an obvious tension in the town. And for those who weren’t sure, there was plenty of word of mouth to persuade them either way.
Juniper’s long blonde hair shimmered in the dull light. Dust had no public electricity, which made having a town meeting hard at nighttime. Luckily for them, it was summertime and the sun didn’t care to stop until well past seven o’clock. Because of all this, meeting was started just before dusk.
The small town hall was overly crowded with the residents of Dust. Men and women stood in discontent, eagerness, and apathy. Juniper was a mixture of the last two. Sure, she loved Ginny and Owen and had voted yes solely for them, but inklings of sour feelings seeped through her about Robin. After her little chat with Patrick, Juniper tried not to ignore Robin, but because of the nature of all of this, she never really saw him in the first place. Maybe they shared a glance here and there, or saw each other from across the way, but Juniper didn’t want to get any closer than that. Her little scene in the shack was enough for her, even though she seemed to convince people otherwise.
Juniper wore a thin blue shirt that fit loosely; tucked into the brim of her dirty old jeans that she wore everywhere. Below she had on her trusty boots, and on top she sported a simple leather jacket that had belonged to her mother. In the corner, on a small wooden table, Juniper sat. She had arrived at a reasonable time, not too earnestly early but not too carelessly late. When she arrived, where was quite the crowd formed, moving back and forth like an ocean of limbs and cheap words. Juniper had taken her place in the back with pride. She didn’t need to be in the thick of things, nor did she really want to be. As she sat, the different people engrossed Juni. Young, old, fragile, strong, you name it. Though Dust wasn’t as diverse at it should have been, Juniper still enjoyed seeing the different people. It bothered her though, the way that everyone was so divergent, yet the majority of the town was so afraid of the outside that they didn’t dare talk about what was wrong with the inside.
While perched in her place, Juniper saw the newcomers. Why they were there for the revealing seemed a little strange to Juniper. Then again, if the answer was no, the townsfolk would want to make sure to kick the Thompkins out themselves. Seeing the Thompkin babies bundled in their parents arms made Juni smile. The babies weren’t quite at the cute stage yet, but she smiled anyway, in a sort of half empty way. Robin had to have been there somewhere. Instinctually Juniper’s eyes searched for that mop of auburn hair. And once she found those freckles, she couldn’t help but stare for a little longer than she should have. Her heart pulsing in her throat as she realized what she was doing. Snap out of it! In contempt, Juni crossed her arms around her chest and leaned against the the wall. As she did this she saw Noah step up to the podium.
With mixed feelings the blonde flicked her hair back and waited. This was going to be good.
Luke stepped into the already busy town hall, having come from shutting up the bar for an hour until the vote was announced. Looking round, he was certain shutting it wouldn't lose him any custom. The entire population of Dust seemed to already be gathering here. He began to wind his way through the crowds, looking for a place to sit, hearing snatches of tumultuous conversation about the vote as he passed huddled groups of Dusties.
Frankly, he wasn't sure why he'd even bothered turning up to hear the result. He didn't really care that much if the newcomers stayed or went. They'd had their babies now, returning to the wilderness would do them no harm, Luke didn't think. He'd voted against them, purely because he wanted rid of Robin, for Juniper's sake. Though she'd probably hang him if she found out he'd put her feelings first, at the cost of the two new parents (whatever the hell their names were, Luke hadn't bothered learning them), Luke truly believed Robin's presence in Dust would do Juniper no favours. No matter how strong or brave she though she was, Luke knew better. He had been with her before she had returned from the wilderness, he'd suffered her time of need along with her, and he couldn't bare to see even an echo of that again in his oldest and closest friend.
With Juniper in his thoughts, Luke found her familiar face in the crowd, sitting on a table, leaning against the back wall. Luke followed her gaze towards Robin, with disapproval and concern. And in that moment he was certain he felt no guilt for his decision. Robin needed to go, there was no other way around it. Luke made his way over to join her, sliding onto the table next to her, nudging her slightly to move over. He slung an arm round her shoulder in a friendly gesture, but squeezed slightly, comfortingly, to acknowledge he had seen her looking at Robin.
Their relationship was easy like that, it had been for a long time. They went way back. He was the sixteen year old brother of the ever perfect Noah and was just beginning to rebel against the expectations placed on him. She was a seventeen year old orphan who'd been in and out of the Dust system and was now living alone. She was his first and she taught him everything he knew; how to get girls, what to do in bed, and most importantly, how to be his own person. She was a mentor of sorts to him, and he'd looked up to her. Gradually, their sexual relationship had fizzled out, they occasionally slept together and, of course, he still flirted with her. But it was their friendship that remained strongest of all. Juniper was probably the person in Dust he felt most comfortable around and he cared for her deeply. Unlike most girls, he had a great deal of respect for her. But when it came to Robin, he was also extremely protective of her. He'd been there for the fallout of what had happened with him, and Luke was willing to do anything to protect Juniper being hurt by him again.
"So what d'ya reckon?" he asked Juni, glancing towards the newcomers. "Staying or going?"
Luke's eyes travelled to the front of the room, where his brother was stepping up on to the podium to make his announcement. Why did he always have to act like he was damn king of the world when he did anything remotely official? Luke thought with irritation.
"Self-important ass," he muttered under his breath. Luke cared for his brother and wished the could have some reconciliation, but it didn't stop him resenting him for their childhood and all the things he had over Luke.
Aaron "Sullivan"
The day had come; Dust was supposedly going to decide whether the new arrivals would stay or not. Supposedly, Aaron thought, because Noah Ripley was really the one who had final say on any of this. The votes didn't really matter, they were really a courtesy. If Noah wanted to, he could invoke the three rules of Dust and say that Ginny, Robin and Owen had to scram or else. But, if the votes supporting the newcomer's staying was more than a simple majority, than it was like that they'd stay; if tensions in Dust would be too high based off the vote, Noah may not allow them to stay.
That's what Aaron guessed at. That didn't stop him though from getting up at sunrise and getting himself prepared for the day. He made sure to have his badge, handgun, a wide brimmed hat for shade, and water with him as he walked out of the guards' station of Dust. He stood around the polling booth making sure that all remained civil during the booth's set up, and more importantly during voting. When the heat of day started beaming down on the desert that was, Aaron positioned himself between Patrick Clay and the podium Noah would eventually use for some kind of address or speech. So far, the crowd kept itself contained. There had been some loud arguments that quickly diffused when Aaron or one of the other guards approached, but that was it.
Aaron kept himself at least at arm's length from everyone. For awhile now, he'd just been standing and waiting. Standing and waiting, he thought, was something he was becoming too good at lately. Maybe life was just this boring, or maybe he wasn't really living.
Outfit
Evanne had a very busy day. Not only was she one of the first to the polls that morning, the petite blonde had been all around the town, checking in on people who were unable to make it in to see Risalda. She even stopped at the Mech Tent to make sure things were going right. Today, she had decided to take her daughter around with her. Her mother had tried picking her daughter up from the daycare the day before. Evanne had not been happy about that at all.
She made sure that the guards and Patrick Clay had plenty of water throughout the day. Though she had given Aaron water, she hadn't really spoken to him too much. She check on Patrick regularly to see how he was doing.
Evelyn had a good time, playing with Patrick and running around in the dirt. Evanne sat and ate dinner with her daughter before she left for the announcement with her daughter. She brought more water, knowing the water would have been depleted now. She doubted if anyone else had bothered to bring more. Evelyn clung to her mother's bag that she had slung over her shoulder.
She paused to scoop up her daughter, even though she was already carrying a heavy pale of water. She brought it to the front where the podium was. She made Patrick a glass. She smiled at him. "How are you feeling, Mr. Clay?" She asked him with a smile.
Her daughter was shy in large crowds so she clung to her mother and hid her face. She smiled, looking down at her. "She can be so shy." She laughed softly.
Evanne shook her head and looked around. That's when she noticed Aaron. She had been avoiding him since she been back. She bit her lip. It wasn't far of her to do that to him. He hadn't been in the wrong when she left. She made a cup of water for him and brought it over to him. "Hey Aaron... uh you looked thirsty so I thought you could use a drink." She said nervously as she handed over the cup.
Pushing her hair behind her ear, Evanne shifted so she was holding Evelyn on her other hip. She knew that the Thompkins and Robin would mostly be kicked out. She couldn't let them go out there alone with no healthcare for the babies. The baby girl especially could have medical problems due to her birth. She figured if she would leave with them, then she at least needed to make things right with the people she hurt.
"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry... about how I left things between us." She said softly so only he could hear in this crowd. Evelyn peeked her head out to look at Aaron.
Outfit
Ginny felt so blessed to have gotten two beautiful babies, even though they were like alarms going off around the clock and it had been very hard to get any sleep. She thanked God for Owen and Robin to help her take care of them. With their help, they all managed to get some sleep. But today was the day of the vote. She stayed in with the twins, letting Robin and Owen doing whatever they'd like. Finally, they couldn't wait any longer so she got the twins ready and left with Owen to go to the meeting place. She found a seat and held the cranky Wren. "Shhh... it's okay." She tried to soothe her daughter but that was impossible since there were so many noisy people. She doubted either of the twins would be able to sleep through this.
She looked over at her husband, worried for the outcome. "What will we do if they don't let us stay?" She asked him softly. The three of them had managed outside Dust but she wouldn't call that living. They always had trouble. And she had had many health problems out there. How could they keep their newborns alive out there? She chewed on her lower lip, looking at Micah in Owen's arms. He didn't seem to be as cranky as his sister.
Ginny lifted her daughter to her chest and held her against her chest. She bounced her up and down gently. "Shhh... just go to sleep." She cooed to her daughter. Perhaps Wren was reacting to her mother's nerves. "Do you see Robin? I thought he was going to come and find us?" She said to Owen, looking around for her brother. Maybe putting on a solid front and looking like a happy
Noah stared at the tally marks on the paper, his frown deepening. His fingers carded through his short curls, the light coat of sweat from the heat sticking them up in wild directions. His eyes scrunched shut as his mind raced through a million different thoughts at once.
Evanne's eyes as she told him, "We can't let them leave… They’ll need us… we need them too." Noah didn't know what she meant by Dust needing the newcomers, but he knew she would always protect those in need.
The cries of the newborns and their tiny, wrinkly pink bodies.
The panic in their mother's eyes when the second one didn't cry at first.
The new father's look of pure gratitude as he clasped Noah's hand and thanked him.
The numbers were clear, but that didn't make Noah's decision any easier. He'd been in that delivery room, pointedly looking away from the birth. At Evelynn. Evelynn, who was living proof of this family's good deeds. They had taken care of both Evanne and her child. How could he turn them away when they needed help?
But he could hardly thrust another family on the people of Dust. Five more mouths to feed, three more adults without jobs and without so much as a garden. They would have to be trained and assimilated. Noah's eyes burned, the tallies seared into his retinas. His mind drifted again, this time to Risalda and his harsh words to her. The first time he had spoken to her in over a month, and the words were cold and angry.
But she deserved it, he thought bitterly, and then: Focus.
Going against the vote would upset some people when they inevitably figured it out, but he realized that he had made his decision as soon as the babies were born. He stood up from his desk and stepped out into the town hall proper. The podium was set up there in front of Dust's entire population.
Noah swallowed and tried to smooth his hair down to very little effect. Aligning himself with the podium, he plastered on his best politician's smile and cleared his throat. The dull roar of the crowd settled into a hushed silence within seconds as all eyes burned into Noah's skin.
"Today, we are faced with a difficult choice," he began. "After marking all of your votes and weighing all the possible outcomes, there is only one possible way for this to be decided." He chose each word carefully, making sure not to use "I" or "me." He needed the people to feel that this was their choice, even if it really wasn't.
"The newcomers will be allowed to stay for two months on a probationary basis. After two months have gone by, if they have not caused any trouble, they will become official citizens of Dust."
Chaos erupted. Nearly everyone was out of their seat, yelling or arguing or screaming, and Noah recoiled from the mob. Suddenly, a near-deafening crack rang out, and a sharp pain pierced Noah's right shoulder. Looking up, he saw Bobby Kentwood's handgun still pointed straight at him. His hand reached up to the pain in his shoulder and came away tinged with red. He stumbled backwards, his surprise landing him on the ground.
"Fuck," he breathed, his eyes locked on his bullet wound.
Evanne quieted down when she saw Noah come out. She gave Aaron a small smile, hoping he would accept her apology. She turned to look at Noah, chewing on her lip. It all came down to Noah. Even if the town voted against keeping them, Noah could still give that family a chance. If she trusted anyone to help them, it most certainly was Noah.
'Please, Noah, please let them stay.' She pleaded silently.
"Today, we are faced with a difficult choice. After making all of your votes and weighing all the possible outcomes, there is only one possible way for this to be decided." Noah said calmly.
Evanne held her breathe. Had she been in his situation, she wouldn't be able to speak. He finally continued.
"The newcomers will be allowed to stay for two months on a probationary basis. After two months have gone by, if they have not caused any trouble, they will become official citizens of Dust."
'They did it... they're staying.' Evanne grinned, even though there was chaos going all around. Evelyn clung to her mother as she made her way to the front to speak with Noah, completely forgetting about wanting to speak with Aaron. The blast made her jump and come to a stop. She didn't understand what happened. All she saw was the red colored liquid spreading out on his shirt. Evelyn was crying. Her gaze followed Noah's until she say Bobby Kentwood holding a gun.
By the time her eyes went back to Noah, he was on the ground. The world seemed to stand still. Memories of Noah started coming to her mind.
Evanne and Noah in the playground, only about seven years old. She held his hand as they played Red Rover. They held tight as his brother Luke ran at them, trying to break their grip but they never let go.
And then they were in their teens, Evanne listening as Noah gave a speech in school. She smiled and stuck her tongue between her teeth, giving him a thumbs up from the front row. He always had a way with words.
Then Noah sat across the table from her, crying. He just found out that Risalda had been cheating on him with his own brother. She reached out and held his hand. She could smell the whiskey on his breathe but she didn't pull away as he laid his head on her shoulder. Instead, she cradled and stroked his head.
And just like that Evanne was running through the screaming crowd. She climbed up to where Noah was. She set her daughter down as she ripped off her plaid over shirt and bundled it up, pressing it into the open wound. She didn't even realize tears were running down her cheeks until she saw them fall on his face. There was so much blood. This was possibly the one time panic could take over her usual steady demeanor when working on patients.
"Noah, look at me. I can't loose you." Evanne said, her voice cracking as she put more pressure on the wound.
She couldn't tell if he was actually listening. Could he hear her? Was he aware enough to really understand her? She glanced away from him to see Evelyn running over to Patrick Clay and crying into his dirty pant leg. She looked at the old, sick man for just a moment before she leaned down so her mouth was right next to his ear.
"You have to hold on, Noah. I need you... Evelyn needs you... You are her father, Noah. She can't grow up without her father. Please don't leave us." She sat up, staring into his eyes trying to see if there was any recognition. She looked away again. "Risalda!" She screamed, looking around for her. She couldn't do this on her own.
Aaron "Sullivan"
Aaron went about his business, standing and waiting. Evanne had come and gone once when she decided to approach him again; there was an obvious tense air when the two were around each other.
"Hey Aaron... uh you looked thirsty so I thought you could use a drink," Evanne said to him.
"Thanks." Aaron was curt; she had nothing to say to him before she left and he would have nothing to say to her now. Though he certainly pondered about their whole situation whenever he had nothing else to think about. All he did for now was gulp the water down and hold it in his hand with his arms crossed.
"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry... about how I left things between us."
As it turned out, however, Evanne did have something to say. Inside, Aaron felt a sort of malignant but righteous curiosity to pursue the issue. But in a public setting, with the decision about to be announced, it was like Evanne was just trying to clear her conscience without a real conversation, because that would make her uncomfortable. So, Aaron wouldn't acknowledge her apology this moment; they needed to talk about this another time. His brow furrowed in disapproval as he stared into Evanne's eyes.
"You want to talk about this now? Noah's about to talk; we can meet later tonight about this. Why don't you take this back, join your friends in the crowd." Aaron was cold and direct; he was usually direct, but nothing ever happened to him to make him so cold and angry in his own mind like Evanne leaving. He told her to join her friends in the crowd but she probably had few or none in Dust. Either way, he needed to keep his eyes on the crowd; things would probably be in an uproar the moment Noah began his announcement.
"... After marking all of your votes and weighing all the possible outcomes, there is only one possible way for this to be decided."
The crowd was silent, everything seemed still for a moment. For the moment, Aaron's mind reinforced the idea that the whole voting thing was a sham as Noah was to make the decision; as told by the last statement.
"The newcomers will be allowed to stay for two months on a probationary basis. After two months have gone by, if they have not caused any trouble, they will become official citizens of Dust."
Immediately the crowd was on the brink of a riot. And the few guards there were were not equipped or trained to deal with crowd control; never had a setting like this been presented to them. Almost instantly, a man jumped out of the crowd and shot at Noah; it was Bobby Kentwood. Luckily for Aaron, Bobby was in arm's reach. Quickly, Aaron stepped towards the gunman, grabbed the hand holding the handgun and twisted his arm. Subsequently, Aaron punched his face then pinched a vein in Bobby's neck. A shrill scream sounded and Aaron shouted for Bobby to drop the weapon, which Bobby naturally did. With swiftness, Aaron turned Bobby over and handcuffed him, then with the assistance of another guard, hauled him out of the crowd.
"Take him, I'm gonna stay here," Aaron told the other guard, who manhandled Bobby towards the guards' station. Looking around, his eyes fell near the podium where Noah was shot and Evanne was kneeling; it seemed like she was crying. His jaw dropped.
In that moment, nothing else mattered except this suspicion Aaron had. Coolly, he turned his back on the crowd and walked to stand in front of Evanne. He crouched down and tried to look into her eyes; she was crying alright. The urgency of Noah's possible death and the violent crowd before them made no impression on Aaron. Aaron knew Evanne well enough that she wouldn't be in this state unless Noah meant something to her; he was the father.
Aaron looked down; his eyes fell upon the paper Noah dropped. He picked it up, reading that the votes favored the newcomers were staying; why Noah didn't say this in the first place made no sense to Aaron. Aaron dropped the paper; he had the answers he needed. He looked back up at Evanne.
"You whore," he accused Evanne loudly; surely everyone around heard him. Without another word, he stood up. Aaron decided he was no longer fit to do his job as town guard, and began to walk towards the guards' station; he was going to turn himself in. And then what? Maybe all of this would go away if he just left.
Dana stood at the counter of the Mech Hall, cleaning and killing time. She looked down at her wrist, carefully examining her watch. Patrick gave it to her when she turned sixteen and it was the best sweet sixteen in history. Luke tried to consummate her becoming a woman by trying to sleep with her after the party...ugh, some things never change. Her watch read 5pm. Dusk was about an hour away and she was stranded behind the counter. Her friends, her enemies, and her family were all headed toward the town hall to listen to Noah and she got stuck with Mech Hall duty. Patrick told her not to complain because he got the job of standing outside a booth for seven hours straight. "You'd think they'd give a dying man a break sometimes," Patrick said to her at 4:45am that morning.
Dana could only imagine what was going through Noah's head right about now. All the votes must have been tallied by now and Noah must have been sweating bullets. Dana wished that she could be there with him, by his side, on the podium. She wished a lot of things when Noah was the shooting star. It's been nearly 2 weeks since Dana approached him and asked to see him and they haven't had a chance yet. It was infuriating. Every damn time she would go to see him Evanne and her fucking bastard child would be there taking up his time. You'd think a nurse would be busy, ya know, helping people! Instead she spent her time dry humping the ground that Noah walked on. That attention seeking wench needed Dana's wrench...to the head.
The ding of the front door's bell caused Dana to look up. A familiar face walked in and stepped up to the counter. "Hey, I didn't expect anyone at this time," Dana smiled, "shouldn't you be at the big reveal? The entire town
"Tab me, please."
Dana handed him the case and he was gone before he had a chance to hear her say, "Goodbye, Mr. Kentwood!"
Today was the day. The official voting on whether or not the family Risalda had helped not that long ago, would stay, or if they would be banished. She didn't know how to feel about this really, but decided that the family, in her mind, needed to stay in order to survive. There was no way that they would actually be at the greatest health they could be out there, out of Dust.
After pondering it for a while, Risalda finally drug herself out f her makeshift bed she'd conformed to over the years, just outside of the Med Hut. She heard all the crickets and wildlife when she fell asleep, the sounds like her own lullaby as she would remember her old self... Before she was a sinner in everyone's eyes.
She deserves the out casting she receives and even those harsh words He told her. It just bugged her how much he and Evelyn looked alike. She hated it, and had even thought intense thoughts. Maybe she'd leave Dust.
That's when I happened. The whole world stopped for only a second, Noah falling backwards, and Evanne playing hero as she cried out and helped him. "Risalda!" The whole world seemed to be in slow motion. Evelyn running to a leg, Aaron cursing at Evanne, Noah losing blood, Risalda standing still. She suddenly found herself running just two doors down to the Med Hut, and grabbing the first aid kit, running over to Noah. "Fuck." She muttered as she fell to her knees next to her ex-fíance. She remained silent as she managed to pry Evanne off of him.
Quickly working, she wrapped his shoulder as best as she could, seeing as the bullet went through his shoulder. She could further examine it once she got the bleeding down some. "Evanne." She snapped quickly. "We need to get him to the Med Hut." She ordered, slipping a hand under his back, and carefully trying to get him up somehow.
Luke didn't move at first.
He couldn't.
He just stared.
The whole room had fallen silent at the crack of the gun and everyone was simply staring, like him. Everyone had known the two sides of the debate on the newcomers were passionate and neither would go down without a fight, particularly the opposition. But he didn't think anyone expected a shooting, especially not of their very own leader. For a few moments, Luke felt guilty, in some way, for voting against them. If this was the side he had joined, then he wanted to change his vote.
He watched as Evanne fell all over his brother and a commotion with Aaron begun. He wasn't sure what over, or why Evanne was suddenly so attached to Noah. Luke didn't know anything any more, except that it was his big brother lying there with a bullet in him. And suddenly, he had never felt more afraid in his life.
He saw Risalda join Evanne with his brother and that was when he knew, no matter he and his brother's differences, he had to be there. These women, they were all just extras, people who had come into Noah's life. They didn't belong there, not in the way Luke did. He was Noah's only family. He should be there with his brother. Noah needed him, and in truth, Luke needed Noah too.
Luke was never doubted that he'd get a chance to repair things with his brother. Sure, he hated him now, and what Luke did was unforgivable. But they were family, they lived crammed together in this tiny tight-knit town. He was sure their chance for reconciliation would come one day. It wasn't to say Luke was desperate to make up with Noah, he still resented him and looked down on him for a whole host of reasons. But he didn't hate him and he was always so sure that they would die as brothers, that their fight wouldn't last forever. But now Noah was there, right in front of him, bleeding out. And Luke wasn't sure that he ever would get his chance. any more. Without another thought, Luke pushed his way forward, through the crowd of people, shoving them out of the way without a care for who they were.
As he reached the group Luke overheard Risalda's voice. "We need to get him to the Med Hut." He saw her put a hand under Noah's head, trying to lift him.
"Ris," he said, his voice full of emotion, putting a hand on her arm that was under Noah's body and removing it gently but firmly from him, "I've got him." With that, Luke lifted the weight of his brother clear off the floor and into his arms. But he didn't dare look in his eyes. He carried Noah the two doors down to the Med Hut and laid him on the table. With that, he pulled away from his brother, further back into the room, to watch from a distance.
But, as he did, he caught Risalda's hand and took it in his own. "Please help him, Ris," he said, his eyes meeting hers.
In that single look, Luke felt as though he had conveyed it all to her. All the years of childhood competition and inferiority, the pain he had caused his brother with their betrayal, and all the subsequent years of fighting and hatred. And this moment, right here and now, and the fear of losing his brother, with whom Luke still hadn't made his peace. And when Risalda's eyes met his, he knew she was the only other person that could understand this whole mess, the only one who had been as personally involved as Luke himself.
Perhaps when all of this was over, Owen would be back to his chipper, helpful self. But right now, he was far from feeling happy and generous with his time. First of all, as much as Owen loved his very own Daughter, Wren, and son, Micah, he was exhausted. Sure, it was helpful having Robin around, but Owen felt that his brother-in-law really didn't need to help with daddy duty. So, whenever Ginny tried to rope Robin into all of this parenting business Owen let him off the hook. Rob wasn't ready for this yet and Owen didn't want to avert him from the idea of children. After all, Robin would become a pretty sour uncle if he had to fully experience the exhaustion of new born children.
Owen had not been confident about vote up until just moments before Noah's announcement. It was just a feeling he had, remembering all of the times he had really tried to help out around town. And though they weren't anything official yet, Owen was grateful that he and his family had a chance.
What happened next was something that Owen had never prepared for. Dust was a safe place, a place that people talked about in the wilderness. It was supposed to be this golden town where the poster post-apocolpytic people lived in peace. Bullets flew into Noah's body before anyone had a chance to realize what was happening. The crowd grew wild, some of the people stared, while a couple of screams came from little old ladies and children. Instinctually, Owen pulled Ginny down to a crouching position with him, ducking out of sight of any other dangers. They were the reason for this, and it wouldn't surprise him if another lunatic would come after them.
Suddenly, Owen felt unsafe and unsure of Dust. Struggle after struggle only helped him confirm his belief in this town, but now all that was shattered with the sound of a gun shot. Owen looked around, seeing many people gather around Noah, others scamper away, and the guards take whoever that man was with the gun away. His dark eyes looked to Ginny as he said "Let's get out of here, before something worse happens."
If accepted into the town Owen had anticipated keeping his head low and staying out of trouble. Now that was looking like an impossibility.
Entry:
coming up
It was an understatement to say that their lives hadn't been changed by much since the birth of the twins. The midnight feeds and changes, which he had to help facilitate now that his brother-in-law, consistently working himself to the ground trying to establish a proper reputation for him and his new family, was often sound asleep were by far the worst they had to endure aside from the looming problem of not having enough to eat but he couldn't complain. If they didn't put in the necessary effort, Wren and Micah hardly stood a chance of surviving in a world as inhospitable as this—not without immense amounts of support from their family. Even then, they stood a chance of losing them. As such, he often agreed to help Ginny with the parenting duties despite Owen's protests.
Every so often, he reminded himself of his and Ginny's predicament. Of Juniper's. Of quite a lot of people he had come across while in the wilderness, and he took this burden upon him heavily. The only way he was able to vent this anger at everyone, everything, and himself was to work, and relief he found at Mech Hall. He took whatever scraps of work they could throw at him, tried to be of more use to Old Pat by volunteering to carry out errands, and tried to learn as best as he could from the older workers. This same routine of playing uncle and working carried on until the day of the vote.
Why they had to carry it out in the sweltering heat and direct sunlight was beyond him but they supposed they had no choice. Open-air was far better than holding it in a stuffy building, and he supposed none of the ones in Dust were big enough to hold that much of a crowd, anyway. He wiped his sweat clear with the red rag he brought with him and slung it over his shoulder, watching the crowd gathered there.
"Shhh... it's okay. What will we do if they don't let us stay?"
"Shhh... just go to sleep. Do you see Robin? I thought he was going to come and find us?"
"Right behind you," he muttered, gesturing a bit of hard plastic in his hands. "I looked for something to keep these two kiddos cool."
He stood beside his brother-in-law, keeping close watch on the tiny newborns in their arms. Each twin had a turn being fanned and to keep them from fussing too much in their parents' arms.
He stiffened as soon as Noah spoke.
"Today, we are faced with a difficult choice. After marking all of your votes and weighing all the possible outcomes, there is only one possible way for this to be decided. The newcomers will be allowed to stay for two months on a probationary basis. After two months have gone by, if they have not caused any trouble, they will become official citizens of Dust."
And just like that, it was as if the crowd had mirrored his own reaction.
"Fucking great. Probationary. We get fucking probationary." His fist clenched around the hard plastic, fanning harder. "Is that what we get? Is that what these fucking kids dese—"
Then Noah was thrown backwards and he immediately dropped the plastic to rush forward only to be one-upped by Evanne, followed by a young man who strongly resembled Noah. Of course, it was her duty as nurse to treat him, but why she had come forward so suddenly—and with little Evelyn—was beyond him. His attention turned toward the commotion between the gunman and what he assumed to be the town guard. There was little left for him to do but to find cover. He approached the crouched couple and pat them.
"You two, right there, quick," he said, gesturing toward a stack of wooden boxes nearby and running with them to hide until the coast was clear.
Every so often, he reminded himself of his and Ginny's predicament. Of Juniper's. Of quite a lot of people he had come across while in the wilderness, and he took this burden upon him heavily. The only way he was able to vent this anger at everyone, everything, and himself was to work, and relief he found at Mech Hall. He took whatever scraps of work they could throw at him, tried to be of more use to Old Pat by volunteering to carry out errands, and tried to learn as best as he could from the older workers. This same routine of playing uncle and working carried on until the day of the vote.
Why they had to carry it out in the sweltering heat and direct sunlight was beyond him but they supposed they had no choice. Open-air was far better than holding it in a stuffy building, and he supposed none of the ones in Dust were big enough to hold that much of a crowd, anyway. He wiped his sweat clear with the red rag he brought with him and slung it over his shoulder, watching the crowd gathered there.
"Shhh... it's okay. What will we do if they don't let us stay?"
"Shhh... just go to sleep. Do you see Robin? I thought he was going to come and find us?"
"Right behind you," he muttered, gesturing a bit of hard plastic in his hands. "I looked for something to keep these two kiddos cool."
He stood beside his brother-in-law, keeping close watch on the tiny newborns in their arms. Each twin had a turn being fanned and to keep them from fussing too much in their parents' arms.
He stiffened as soon as Noah spoke.
"Today, we are faced with a difficult choice. After marking all of your votes and weighing all the possible outcomes, there is only one possible way for this to be decided. The newcomers will be allowed to stay for two months on a probationary basis. After two months have gone by, if they have not caused any trouble, they will become official citizens of Dust."
And just like that, it was as if the crowd had mirrored his own reaction.
"Fucking great. Probationary. We get fucking probationary." His fist clenched around the hard plastic, fanning harder. "Is that what we get? Is that what these fucking kids dese—"
Then Noah was thrown backwards and he immediately dropped the plastic to rush forward only to be one-upped by Evanne, followed by a young man who strongly resembled Noah. Of course, it was her duty as nurse to treat him, but why she had come forward so suddenly—and with little Evelyn—was beyond him. His attention turned toward the commotion between the gunman and what he assumed to be the town guard. There was little left for him to do but to find cover. He approached the crouched couple and pat them.
"You two, right there, quick," he said, gesturing toward a stack of wooden boxes nearby and running with them to hide until the coast was clear.
Juniper didn't know what was worse about her staring, that Robin hadn't noticed her, unlike so many times before, or that Luke had. A little embarrassed she nestled her head into Luke's shoulder after he had planted himself next to her. To answer Luke's question she shrugged her shoulders. Honestly, it was a mystery to her. Juniper didn't converse freely enough with the townsfolk to have an idea of how they voted... Though she reckoned quite a few of them would be hard headed about the whole thing.
"Self-important ass," Luke muttered, Juniper first laughed, then she gave Luke a little shove as she sat up and said, "Be nice!" Juniper was fully aware of the struggles between the two boys, but she still didn't like Luke taking jabs at Noah. Regardless of the brothers' personal issues, Noah was really trying to do something good here and Juni respected that.
At first Juniper didn't recognize the sound of the gun. It wasn't until she saw the scene of the chaos that she realized what happened. Her next reaction was to curse. "Shit," she muttered as her eyes went from one thing to the next. First they needed to find Robin. He was fine, getting the hell out of here with his family. Then she watched Bobby Kentwood get hauled away by a handful of guards. Next her eyes darted to the scene at the front. Bloodied and unconscious was Noah, beside him was Evelyn and Risalda. Juniper swallowed the lump in her throat as Luke pushed his was to the front. Before Juniper had time to follow him she was sidetracked once again by Aaron's raging exit.
Her first reaction was to go with Luke and support him, but part of her also felt the need to make sure that Aaron was okay. Juni hadn't seen him that angry for a very long time, but perhaps that's what steered her away from following him. Quite honestly, Aaron was something hard to handle when he was steaming with rage. She knew that Aaron was one of the good guys, but she was always afraid of his temper. A temper she could handle, but she sensed rawness and aggression in his.
Without really thinking Juniper jumped from her spot and trailed after Noah's posse. She was several feet behind but by the time that she reached the Med. Hut, Luke was a mess. Wide eyed she approached Luke from behind and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Ugh, self-important ass," She said sarcastically. Though she probably shouldn't joke, she was having a hard time doing anything but that.
Although Noah knew his eyes were open, his vision was blackening around the edges, blurring and cutting in and out. He couldn't wrap his mind around the pain in his shoulder, and his brain was reeling trying to figure out what was happening. His body was jostled, sending bursts of pain shooting through him, and something wet fell on his face.
"Noah, look at me, I can't lose you," a voice cut through the confusion. Evanne.
You're dying, his brain supplied. You are so fucked.
Evanne was still talking when his eyes slid shut, though he only heard bits and pieces. "Need you... Evelyn... Her father, Noah... Don't leave us..."
When Noah woke again, he was on the table in the Med Hut. He jolted upright far too quickly, and the contents of his stomach made a desperate bid for escape at the pain it caused. Heaving over the edge of the table was a level of full-body agony Noah would have never thought possible. He heard Luke say something to Risalda, but the only words he made out were Juniper's.
"Oh, fuck off," he managed to croak with a tight-lipped smiled that turned into a grimace. It didn't have quite the "I'm fine" effect that he was going for. "Let's see you take a bullet for near strangers."
Setting
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Risalda nodded quickly to her ex-lover, Luke, as he came over and lifted his brother with some ease. "Alright. C'mon." She mumbled, and just did manage to get a table prepped as Luke set him down.
It was then in that short moment, Luke was a day of sunlight in her dark world. He begged her to help Noah, and then gave her a look. It was no ordinary pleading look as Risalda knew those from family members who had someone in the hospital. No, it was more emotional, more... lovely. In that moment, time stopped and she sucked in a breath, quickly biting her lip and nodding. "O-of course." She then turned to Noah and looked at his shoulder.
The main thing now was to just stop the bleeding. But how? They had limited resources here, the few they had, they shipped in over a course of months. Risalda thought for a minute then looked at Evanne. "Make sure he stays concious. That's the only thing that separating him from death." She didn't wait for a response before running towards the cabinets and boxes, hastily digging her way through them. "C'mon... C'mon..." She cursed until she found it.
(I have no idea what I'm doing.) It, was a shot opposite of a blood thinner. It was used primarily for instances like these, or maybe during child birth if the mother bleeds out. Risalda prepped just right under his wound, more upper arm, before injecting him. She sighed as the last drop went into his system. "Now.. Let's see.. Either Evanne or myself shall change your bandages in an hour or so. Until then, I'll hook you up with an IV, and administer some painkillers, and something for that nausea.." She nodded to him, before disappearing off to the medicines and sorting out the right dosages.
Sure enough, she came back with a little cup of pills, and water, then administered the IV To him after he drank them down. "I hope you feel better. " she smiled, in a friendly way. "I'll send in your visitors." She looked to Evanne. "If at any time he doesn't want to be seen, then tell them it's doctor's orders he needs to rest." She winked at her nurse, before walking towards Luke and Juniper.
"He should be fine in a few days, once the bleeding suffices. He's in the back with Evanne." She nodded to both of them casually.
Outfit
Evanne had dealt with a lot since she had gotten back. She ignored the whispers and the name calling. She never thought being called a whore again would ever hurt her again. She was wrong. Because when Aaron called her that, she felt like a piece of her heart had been ripped from her.
"A-aaron." She gasped, staring at him through her tears. But he was already running away.
As soon as Risalda took her place by Noah, Evanne moved to sit at his head. She stroked his head, looking at Risalda as she worked. "Evanne, we need to get him to the Med Hut." The doctor said to her. She nodded to her. "Yes, okay." She was slipping her hand over his other shoulder when Luke came up. She looked up at him. "I've got him."
That did make the most sense. She moved back and wiped her bloody hands on her already ruined white shirt. She got up and scooped up Evelyn. She followed Luke and Risalda to the Med Hut. Evelyn cried into her shoulder. She bounced her up and down, trying to soothe her. Too many questions swirled around in her head all she knew was that she needed to help Noah, that wasn't something she could do while holding Evelyn.
Evanne let out a sigh when she saw Juniper. Juniper was someone she could not only trust with the safety of Evelyn but someone Evelyn knew and loved. "Can you hold her so I can help?" She asked her friend. Evelyn was already reaching out for Juniper.
"Oh fuck off." Came Noah's ragged breath. She turned to look up at him as he tried to stand up. Evelyn already had her hands around Juni's neck. She sighed, relinquishing her hold to Juniper. "Let's see you take a bullet for near strangers."
She hurried over to Noah's side and pushed him back on the gurney gently. "Hey, you need to lay down."[color] She was already opening his shirt and cut it away from his wound so she and Risalda could work on him. She looked over at Risalda.
[color=orchid]"I've never had to deal with a gunshot wound this bad off. Just tell me what you need me to do." She told Risalda.
"Make sure he stays conscious. That's the only thing that separating him from death."
Evanne nodded, looking at Noah and smiling at him. "Hey, you remember why I told you you have to stay? You need to hold on to that and you can yell at me all you want when you're better, okay?" She told him. She helped where she could as she and Ris went to work.
"If at any time he doesn't want to be seen, then tell them it's doctor's orders he needs rest."
Evanne smiled and nodded to Ris. "You got it." She sighed, looking at Noah. She took his hand. "How ya feeling? You gave me quite a scare." She asked him.
Outfit
Ginny looked back and smiled at her brother. She smiled at him. It was comforting for him to be there. But then just like that, all of her attention went to where Noah had begun to speak. She couldn't help but give a gasp when they heard the verdict. She smiled, looking at her husband. "We have a chance." She rolled her eyes at her brother.
But then all hell broke loose. She dropped to the ground, keeping her child against her bosom. She leaned towards Owen, looking around them for any dangers. How could such good news bring such chaos?
"Let's get out of here, before something worse happens." Owen said.
Ginny nodded in agreement, "But not without Robin." She said.
She let herself relax only a small bit when she laid eyes on Robin. He gestured for a hidden spot for them to run to. She knew too much about Robin and his need for swift exits so she didn't question him.
She stood, still hunched and protecting Wren. Once she reached the wooden boxes, she crouched down behind them. Her daughter started crying in her arms. "Shh, it's okay. We have to be quiet." She tried to soothe her. She looked over at her husband. "What do we do?"
Evanne gently pushed Noah back on the gurney, and the weak struggle he put up was sadly unequipped to even get him upright in the first place. She was saying something to him, but he was hyper-focusing on her fingers as she opened the buttons on his shirt.
He tuned in just to catch the end of Risalda's instructions. "... separating him from death."
"Death?" he croaked. "Oh, God, I'm going to die." Evanne was smiling at him, far too calm for the situation at hand in Noah's opinion.
"Hey, you remember why I told you you have to stay? You need to hold on to that and you can yell at me all you want when you're better, okay?"
Evelynn, he thought. Evelynn's mine. I'm a dad. And I'm dying. His breathing quickened, and his heartbeat soared. A sickening panic seeped its way into his very bones. He was about ten thousand percent sure that he was still losing a lot of blood. He was going to die right after he learned he was a father, never getting a chance to be a real family with his daughter.Just before he decided to sprint out of the medical building and damn the consequences, a needle stuck his arm.
"Ow!" Noah yelled. He tried to yank his arm away, but someone was holding it tightly. His shoulder started to go numb, but he could still feel the hole. while the wound was stitched and bandaged, he let out a string of curse words that would've made his late mother blush.
"Now.. Let's see.." Risalda trailed off. "Either Evanne or myself shall change your bandages in an hour or so. Until then, I'll hook you up with an IV, and administer some painkillers, and something for that nausea.." He obediently swallowed the pills she gave him and winced at the IV, unable to meet her eyes when she wished him well. As she left, Noah turned to Evanne.
"How ya feeling?" she asked him sweetly, her hand gripping his. "You gave me quite a scare."
"You meant that about Evelynn," he said flatly. "I'm really her father. And you waited until now to tell me."
Owen held Micah’s head close to his chest as he tried to keep Ginny and Wren safe. The town was bustling with panic as they moved into hiding. Owen, like the rest of the town, was confused and upset. He never knew that one stupid person, a person he had even met, could ruin his feelings about Dust. His chest was tight as he looked around; there was absolutely no calm person on the street. Small groups of people bickered at each other, other individuals marched around rudely, and children cried when they realized their families who were rushing home had left them behind.
While frozen, he was transfixed by anyone who was close enough to him. First he watched a group of older people poke fingers at each other, they were clearing still debating whether Owen and his family were worthy of even being on probation. Owen’s skin crawled, he realized how many people still didn’t know him, nor cared to help his family. A rush of people passed them and they disappeared. Left behind was a ginger headed boy, maybe five years old. His face was smudged with dirt and his eyes were puffy with tears. The boy looked around frantically, trying to find his mother. He grabbed out toward many people who passed him, but few took notice of him.
Owen’s dark eyes stared empty at the lost child. His first reaction was to pick the boy up and help him find his mother. Owen was the type of man to help and heal anyone and everyone. But right now, something in his gut told him not to. “We go home.” He finally said in response to Ginny’s question. Regretfully, he ripped his eyes away from the desperate sight of the child and began walking back to their shack. He heaved a sigh as he walked at a purposeful pace, trying to be discreet but confidant.
The brunette man tried to keep a steady pace while making sure his wife wasn’t left behind. After all, nothing would be worse at this time than to lose Ginny and Wren. Up ahead were two men, both with their arms crossed and their attitudes foul. Owen tried to avoid them; crossing to the other side of the road, but it was no use.
“Hey! Hey you!” The first shouted as he approached Owen, once he was close enough he grabbed Owen by the arm. Instinctually, Owen ripped his arm away, trying not to get Micah involved in the tussle. “What makes you so special, huh?” asked the other one. “The whole town goes to shit and all you can do is fucking hide?” Owen said nothing. His eyes grew wide in surprise. He really didn’t want to deal with this right now.
“That’s fucking pathetic.” The first man said, trying to get a rise out of Owen. His words may have been enough for Robin, but this guy really wanted Owen to go dark. Next, the man spat at Owen. A warm glob of spit hit him in the eye before he even knew what was happening.
Aaron "Sullivan"
A year long relationship crushed, an affair behind his back, lies and deceit exposed, and this deep twisted mixture of emotions and impulses. Aaron had retreated to inside the guards' station of Dust, slamming the door behind him. The guard handling Bobby had just finished putting Bobby into a room with three walls and a cage facing the rest of the interior. The guard looked at Aaron, confused at his presence and upset at his apparent shirking.
"The whole town's 'bout to riot! The hell are you doing, Aaron?" the guard asked, following Aaron. Aaron walked into the guards' quarters; six bunk beds were neatly made and lockers lined the wall. Three windows let dim sunlight in, illuminating the room.
"I'm quitting," Aaron answered bluntly; his jaws were clenched as well as his fist. He put his backpack on a bed and opened his locker, beginning to pack things and leave appropriated town equipment on the bed.
"Quitting? Now!? Maybe you didn't see the mobs out there-"
"Jim!" Aaron interrupted sharply; he was shouting, and turned towards the pursuant guard. "I'm quitting because I can't do my job anymore! And I will not be able to for a very long time! Now I'm asking you nicely; get the hell out of here and do your fucking job!"
"Aaron..." Jim took a few steps closer; his tone was more solemn. He was a tall guy, middle aged, had a wife and two kids; he had the aura of a western cowboy with his hat, boots and jeans. "What's got you upset right now-"
"Jim... I'm about to do something irrational..." Aaron's voice was low, trying to repress his anger, "and I'm not sure what that thing is. But if I do, you'd best not be there."
For a moment, Jim simply stared at Aaron. Finally, Jim snapped back into reality and left Aaron alone in the quarters of the guards' post. Sighing, Aaron returned to packing his things.
Outfit
"You meant that about Evelynn. I'm really her father. And you waited until now to tell me." Noah said flatly.
Panic set in. Evanne opened her mouth to respond but she didn't know how to respond. She had so many reasons for not telling him. How could she even begin to explain. She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. She let go of her hand.
"I never really had the chance..." She finally said. She started pacing unable to look at him. She ran her hand across her forehead, leaving a streak of his blood there. "God, Noah. Do you realise I've loved you since we were kids?" She asked him, shaking her hand. "What was I supposed to do? Walk in to town with Evelyn in my arms and tell you in front of the whole god damned town or when Pamela was bossing you around?" She asked, turning to look at him.
"People might love and respect you but people like Pamela are just waiting for you to fuck up. They could turn on you in a second, like Bobby did tonight!" The blonde continued to shake her head. She couldn't stop herself. She was shaking. She couldn't stop. "I came back here because Evelyn needed to be here to survive... I thought... maybe one day when we were alone I would tell you... I thought maybe I wouldn't still feel something for you... I thought maybe you'd see me as something more than a one night stand."
Tears rolled down her red cheeks. She didn't bother trying to hide them. "I know that we made a mistake... We were both hurting. I thought Aaron had just broken up with me... but he hadn't. That was my mistake. I should have made sure. He came over like everything was fine and... I just had to run... I swear I didn't know I was pregnant." She told him.
Evanne took a step back. "I'm sorry... I-I can't do this right now and you need to rest." She told him. She turned away before he could say anything to stop her. She hurried out and stopped to look at Juniper. "I... I'll be back okay? I need some air." She didn't know if Luke, Juniper, or Risalda had heard anything but she couldn't stay.
She hurried outside into the chaos. That was what was going on around her. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know what she was doing. But soon she found herself walking up the familiar stairs of the guard's quarters. She didn't look at Bobby in the jail cell or listen to Jim as he tried to stop her from going back to where Aaron was. She deserved everything he had to say to her.
Evanne shut and locked the door behind her. If he was going to humiliate her, she'd rather it be in private. She stared at his back as he packed. She could only imagine what he was thinking. He had to know she was there. She knew he hated her.
"You were the one person I thought... I thought you of all people wouldn't call me that." Evanne shook her head. "I'll tell you everything... anything you want to know. You deserve that."
She moved across from him and sat down on one of the beds, still looking at his back. She let her gaze fall to her hands. She tried wiping off the dried blood on her jean shorts. It didn't help. She felt queasy looking at it. She had never been disgusted by blood before. "I know it doesn't make it okay but I thought we were over... You remember that fight we had? I had stupidly thought I was pregnant..." She tried to remind him.