Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Drobabes]

Vin had been eyeing the man suspiciously, trying to figure out just what the hell he was doing pacing back and forth like that. So when he stopped and seemed to look in a certain direction, Vin followed his line of sight and saw Cora.

An awful pit dropped I'm his stomach as he remembered what the man had asked for earlier, and sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed when he turned his eyes back just in time to see him drop something in the bottle and shake it. He moved quick, putting a hand on Damien's back and starting to push him towards the guy. To Sabastian he said,

"You stay here, do you understand me? Do not fucking move from this spot."

His tone was white hot fire. If Sabastian had thought he had been angry in the car, it was nothing compared to the way he spoke to him now. Vin couldn't risk him getting involved though, or put in danger.

Once they were a few feet away, he spoke again.

"He put something in her drink, go, go get him!"

He knew Damien would be able to make it through the crowd with more ease than himself, being much leaner and more nimble.

___ ___

Robbie was almost to her, if he had just taken another few steps, he would have had it. However, he had once again lost his nerve and gave in to his fear, and he had scanned the crowd, one last time. Except this time, he didn't see the face that had he expected to see. Instead he saw the two of the men who had been with her all day, coming through the crowd, right for him.

He took one last look at the women, who hadn't even noticed him, and he let out a curse. Letting the bottle drop to the ground, he turned and began to flee, first jogging, then full out sprinting.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian was a bit taken aback by the man's tone, but understood that he wasn't fucking around. Something was happening, something bad, and it involved their drinks and possibly Cora. He wanted to go with them too, but knew that in his current state, he would only slow them down. "Okay." He nodded seriously, sitting back down on the stool with a worried expression.

As soon as the words, "he put something in her drink," left Vin's mouth, Damien's eyes widened and he looked over to Robbie in alarm. He saw the man starting toward Cora and he knew he had to get over there fast. Damien moved like a man possessed, effortlessly slipping through the crowd with his eyes fixed on the man who wanted to drug her. Panic had settled in his chest and his heart beat quickly with fear and worry. Had the guy waited until she was alone to make his move? How long had he been watching them?

Honestly, the questions didn't matter as much as getting there in time. He feared he might not be able to reach her quickly enough when he saw Robbie make eye contact with him. He felt relieved when the man started jogging, then running the other direction. With Cora now relatively safe, he trailed after the guy, still going as quickly as he could in the crowd. Now that his fear had been taken care of, he could feel himself becoming livid. It was the type of anger where one almost felt disconnected from their body.

Once he had cleared the crowd, he full-on sprinted after the guy. He felt like right now he might even be able to rival Cora in speed. It took a bit, but he soon caught up to the guy enough to trip him and slam him to the ground. Damien towered over him, slowly advancing with hate-filled eyes. He wasn't typically the type of man that would beat someone up, but he felt like this called for it. The man didn't deserve to live as far as he was concerned.

One might make the argument that people such as himself that preyed upon women were trash, people that should be taken out back and put down. Honestly, he couldn't argue against that. If he was the one being pinned down by a man who had discovered that Damien kidnapped his girlfriend, he would begrudge if the guy took his life. He had something to live for now though, and hoped to God that he could be a better person for Cora.

Grabbing the guy by the neck, he started punching him in the face over and over again, with no signs of stopping. He didn't know if he wanted or could stop. All he knew was that Robbie had tried to roofie her, and he would be punished accordingly.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora had begun to get bored of playing with the strings and started to look around. She had, luckily, missed Damien chasing after the guy, otherwise she might have done something stupid. However, when she scanned the crowd and saw him nowhere to be seen, and only Sabastian by the bar, she got a bit confused. She started making her way over, intending to sit with Sabastian and wait. Maybe he had just went to the bathroom.
___ ____

Vin had been hot on his heels, but just like he thought, he had a harder time getting through the crowd. By the time he was able to full out run and catch up with Damien, he had already done a number on the sorry bastard. He looked as if he had given up, only putting his arms up to cover his face as best he could while Damien's fist slammed into him over and over.

For one split second, Vin was tempted to walk away. He was disgusted by what the man had been attempting to do, and more than a few times he had seen what someone's greed could do to someone. However, just as soon as the temptation came, it was quickly replaced by Cora's sweet face up on stage, and her words from earlier echoed through his mind. He couldn't just let him kill the guy, as much as he thought he deserved it.

Delvin was not a weak man, but he still found himself grunting as he pulled Damien up and off of him, wrapping an arm around his torso and pulling with some force. Once he had him up, he didn't let go though.

"Alright! Enough! Cora wouldn't want you to kill him, man!"

He hoped his words could get through the fog, but until he felt the tension leave him, he wouldn't let him go.

Robbie shakily let his arms come down, and then he slowly scooted back against the wall of a building and used the support to get back on his feet. As he tried to sniff and look at the two of them, it almost seemed as if he was crying.

Somewhere nearby, high up on a roof, Tommy was watching the party down below through his binoculars. He was so pissed that couldn't be down there, and he was all but pouting from his post. Suddenly his radio clicked and beeped.

"Tommy."

The tone was brief and brisk, leaving no room for him to ignore it. Not that he would have, but it set him on edge.

"Yes sir?"

"An infected made it through the left wing. Current location, south, right behind the women's restroom. You see it?"

Tommy got up and scanned the area that he had been directed to, but all he was was a man leaning up against a wall, and...Vin? And Damien?

"Sir, I see three civilians."

"No Tommy, you see two civilians and an infected that is turning. He's been bit Tommy, the one against the building. Take him out. Now."

Tommy gulped, but he brought his sniper up and readied it. In his training, he had been taught to obey without question, because to question meant hesitation, and hesitation meant people died. He looked through his sight and let out a deep breath.

Still, he did hesitate. That was, until he saw the man against the wall reach a hand out towards Vin and Damien, and then begin to lumber forward.
___ ____

Robbie stood watching the two men struggle, but all he could think about was what a fucking failure he was. He full on sobbed, not even having been able to grab the women. It wasn't as if she could have over powered him, he could have easily knocked her out and drug her away. But no, he had hesitated, and now they would pay the price.

"I'm so sorry Sam" he said as he stepped towards the two men, putting a hand out toward the nomad in a pleading manner.

Vin heard Robbie's weak words, and just when he turned his gaze back to look at the man, a loud boom rang out and Robbie's head jerked to the left and his brains splattered the ground. Then his body dropped like a sack of potatoes.

"Jesus fucking Christ!"

Delvin jumped back in alarm, almost tripping before he caught his balance.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian anxiously awaited their return, eating crackers as a way to keep himself from fidgeting or coming after them. Soon the packet of saltines was gone and he actually felt a lot better. He was still drunk it felt like, but he was far from being lost in the fog. He saw Cora coming over and he waved his hand, gesturing for her to come join him.

------------------------------------------

Damien was so caught up in beating the man that he hadn't heard Vin come up behind him. He looked around in surprise and impatience as he was pulled back, struggling to free himself from the strong arms that were snugly around his torso. Registering Vin's voice, he paused for a moment and listened briefly.

What the man said was true: Cora wouldn't want him to kill the man for simply drugging her with the intention of doing perverted things to her body that she wouldn't remember. Maybe he was rapist and a killer, finishing off his victims once he had his way with them. The thought of Cora's limp body being force-fucked by this man only caused him to struggle more. He had no intention of hurting Vin, so he was limited in his struggle, simply trying to pull the man with him as he tried to get back to Robbie.

He saw the man start to get back up and he clenched his teeth. Sure the man was crying, but it was probably only because he had been caught and punished for it. It wasn't until the man said, "I'm so sorry Sam." that Damien actually stopped struggling and stood there staring. What did he mean? Upon second look, the man's face seemed to be etched with regret of a different sort. It almost looked as though he was reaching out, beseeching them to have mercy and simply listen to him. Damien was just confused enough that he actually was curious what the man could say for himself that might change his mind from killing him.

He never got to know what the man meant though, because the next thing he knew, he was watching his brains splatter against the building. The suddenness of it all was alarming and too stumbled back. There was silence and he simply stared for a moment before looking at Vin, his eyes wide with shock. "What the fuck just happened?"

 

[Drobabes]

Cora saw him waving, and she waved back, oblivious to what was going on. She ran the last few steps and then pulled him into a typsy hug, half laughing, half giggling, and then she sat down.

"Where did Damien go?"

She still had a big smile on her face, reaching over for the water that she thought was Sabastians. The music had picked up again and the loud base covered the sound of the gun fire.

___ ____

Vin couldn't meet his gaze, as he was still staring in shock at the now, dead body. He had never seen someone killed before; not like that. Suddenly he heard bootsteps coming towards them, and he looked up to see Tommy coming from around the side of the building, carrying his gun.

"Are you guys ok? You almost got bit, he was turning."

He was panting between his words, obviously worried about the both of them. His words though, they only confused Delvin even more. That guy hadn't been turning, had he? And his hand...

When Vin looked back to the body, another officer was there, quickly covering it with what looked like some kind of hazmat material. He had his back turned to them, but he spoke briefly.

"Good work Tommy. I'll take care of the clean up, you take the civilians back to the party."

Tommy stood tall and saluted the man with a "Yes Sir!", then turned back to the two of them.

"Come on you guys."

He placed a hand on each of their shoulders after he slung his gun over his arm, and began to lead them out.

"I didn't mean for you guys to see that."

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian smiled and hugged her back, feeling a bit cheered by her easygoing demeaner. It relaxed him a bit and he took one of the bottles of water and took a drink.

"They ran after a guy after they saw him spike a drink. They looked pissed, so that guy better watch out. At least both of them went, so neither of them will get too out of hand." He had honestly been super drunk at the time, so he wasn't sure if he had imagined it being Cora's drink, so he left that part out for now.

------------------------------------------

While his thoughts were still swirling around his head, Damien took relatively little time to compose himself. "Both of us are fine," he answered distantly, his eyes going to the boy.

He had to admit he was a bit confused. There was no way the man could have been turning, could there? He had the marbles to find drugs, wait till Cora was alone, and then he planned on dragging her away to some dark corner; it was premeditated. It seemed unlikely that someone freshly bit would be trying to get his rocks off by drugging and kidnapping a girl. In fact, he would have thought the man would be a mess, sick as a dog.

Furthermore, there was no way a freshly-bitten man could have gotten past the army men and gotten into the base unless they were keeping zombies locked away somewhere. But still, his previous points stood. He looked down at his bloody hand and tried to reconcile what had happened.

Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought the man's voice felt familiar. That was ridiculous, though, so he entirely dismissed the thought as he started to be led away by Tommy. He was quiet for a moment before he nodded, "it's okay. I appreciate you trying to protect us." The man left it at that.

The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. Why would they kill the man if he wasn't turning. Maybe they didn't see him getting beaten up and then saw him covered in blood. If that was the case, had Damien sentenced him to death? Looking up, he saw Cora at the bar with Sabastian. Try as he might, he didn't think he would be very good company for the rest of the night.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora choked on her water, coughing a bit up into her hand as she looked at Sabastian with wide eyes.

"They what?!"

She started looking around, a bit panicked.

"Which way did they go?"

She got up off her chair and she was about to go looking for them, when she spotted Tommy leading them out from some building. Relief flooded through her system, although she wouldn't be able to relax completely until they told her what happened.
___ ___

Vin was still in a bit of shock, the shots of alcohol having hit him pretty fast and hard and mixing rather badly with the emotional rollercoaster he had just gone through. He was grateful Damien was there to talk because he didn't think he could manage it right at that moment.

"Alright, well...Tommy said, giving them both a soft pat on their shoulders before stepping back.

"I need to get back on duty. I'll see you guys later."

With that he turned and started walking back to his post, leaving the two men standing there.

Vin was quiet for a few seconds more, watching Sabastian and Cora at the bar. Then he turned his gaze to Damien.

"He had a mark on his hand. Did you catch that?"

His expression was a mixture of fear and unease, no longer feeling safe within the compounds walls. He trusted Tommy, the boy was way too innocent to have known what he had just done, likely having taken an order from a higher up. However, after what Aurora had told him earlier about possibly not being able to leave if they had a mark, he suddenly felt like a trapped animal.

His eyes looked down to Damien's hands, noticing for the first time that his mark wasn't there. Or perhaps covered up. If only he were so lucky.

He reached back into his jeans pocket and took out his pack and lighter. He was going through them way faster than he wanted, but, he needed it. After he lit it, not giving a single fuck if he got in trouble for smoking inside the compound, he looked around a bit.

"I think you guys should leave."

He didn't know what the fuck was going on, but he knew the feeling in his gut shouldn't be ignored.

 

[Poprockz]

"They went that way," as he pointed, he saw Vin and Damien standing at the other end of the concert. They both seemed a bit pale and disturbed, but they didn't look hurt or anything.

Sabastian looked at her and then back to Vin, still slightly pining for the man. While he was now simply drunk rather than smashed, he still had strong feelings about him. While he had technically been taken advantage of by Margaret, he didn't count that since she only really liked to ride him. He really wished that Vin would have taken him up on his offer and let Sabastian have him as his first. The blonde looked away from them and started drinking more from his water bottle.

-----------------------

"See you..." he said quietly as Tommy turned and jogged away. He was such a bright, naive boy, Damien hated the idea of Tommy having accidentally killed a man who wasn't a zombie.

Damien tried to wrack his brain to remember, but he couldn't tell if he had seen a mark or not. He shook his head, "no, I wasn't able to catch that. I was honestly just confused about what the guy was trying to say. Who is Sam? What the fuck is going on...?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and bewilderment, following Vin's eyes down to where his mark was covered up. Getting closer to the man he said in a low voice, "you need to cover yours up too. The bartender seemed pretty desperate to cover it up when he saw I had it, but he played it off like he was being watched. He told us "not to forget" to remove it since they do routine checks for people who have them."

Part of him was relieved that he wasn't the only one who looked disturbed by the implications of what they just saw. It told him that it wasn't just himself being paranoid- it was a legitimate concern.

When Vin next spoke, he looked sharply up at Vin and frowned for a moment. "I think we should leave. It's not any safer for you here either. I know things are... rough between you and I, but I know all of us would be upset if you stayed behind and got hurt, myself included." Damien reached up and rubbed his own neck awkwardly. He felt a little bit odd saying something like that, but it was the truth and he wanted Vin to know that he was a member of their group if he wanted to be.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora sat back down, hers eyes still on the boys. They looked upset, but from what exactly, she didn't know. Maybe they hadn't caught the guy before he managed to drug some poor girl? But Tommy had been with them, so at least a soldier knew and could take care of it.

She waited for them to come back over, nervously crossing her arms and biting her lip. They both looked worried and unnerved,and that in turn made her worried.

___ ___

"Who is Sam? What the fuck is going on...?"

"No clue" he said curtly, taking a long drag then letting it out after crossing his arms. When Damien next spoke, and mentioned things being rough between them, he simply gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"I'm already over it. Holding onto grudges is useless from my point of view, as long as everyone's on the same page."

Of course, he couldn't quite carry that attitude over to crushes, but he wasn't about to bring that up now. His gaze meets Cora's, knowing she was probably going to question the shit out of both of them until they told her everything. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do that though, leave her worried and panicked like that.

"I'm too drunk for this shit" he says suddenly, tossing his cigarette down on the ground and stomping it out, barely having even gotten halfway through it. Damien was offering for him to come with them, and while that was probably the safe thing to do, the smart thing, he didn't think that he could. Sabastian pulled up too many feelings that he wasn't used to, and that he almost felt as if he couldn't control. He didn't like that-not that having control. Especially over himself.

"What are you going to tell them?"

Despite having been there to see what went down, Vin found himself not wanting to go over there and talk to the two of them. It was weird, but, he almost wanted to be alone. And that was another knew feeling. Although maybe it was just from stress. Maybe he just needed to go back to the bands room and play out some tunes on the guitar until no thoughts were left buzzing through his mind.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian reached up and patted her back, leaning against her and sighing heavily. "I think I'm pooped for the night Cora. You guys can keep dancing, but I think I'm spent."

His blue eye found Vin again and he wished things were different once more. He wanted to throw off his eyepatch and look at Vin with his own two eyes. As much as he talked about staying away for Vin's safety, something inside him was also afraid of what he might think. Sabastian was infected, had a purple eye, was super strong, and could grow tentacles out of his sides as well as elongating his tongue. Who would want someone like that?

-----------------------------------------------

He was glad and surprised to hear that Vin had moved on, not holding it against him. If he was able to move on from something like that, then he must be a very forgiving man.

However, Damien sighed- the man had blown off his offer, clearly intent on staying on the base until his legs took him somewhere else on his own. He heartily disagreed with that decision, especially with what they just witnessed. It wasn't as though he could force the man, though.

He let out a weak little chuckle, "would you laugh at me if I said "the truth?" I'm not one for hiding things to keep people safe unless it's something they could go without knowing. This is too big to keep to myself and I respect them too much to keep my mouth shut about it."

The man shifted and looked at Vin, pursing his lips a bit. "Are you going to say goodbye before we leave tomorrow? If you aren't... What do you want me to tell them about why you stayed?" He felt a bit upset at the idea that Vin might not say goodbye, especially when Sabastian seemed so attached to him.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora put her arm around his shoulder and leaned back against him as well. She was still pretty tipsy and couldn't quite get a hold on her fear, so she was grateful for the physical comfort.

"No. I think we're done dancing for tonight..."

Why were they still talking? Why weren't they coming over already?

___ ____

Vin didn't laugh, but simply nodded in acknowledgement. Honestly the only reason he had asked is because he didn't want to get their stories mixed up if Damien wanted him to come over there and help back him up on it. Telling them the simple truth was better though, as much as he didn't want them worrying. It would probably be best in the long run, especially if they came across another base.

"No I'll...say goodbye tomorrow."

Now he felt a little awkward. They had all only known each other for one day, was a goodbye really necessary? Especially having to say goodbye to Sabastian?.. Yea, he had definitely drank too fast.

"I'm going to go back and crash in the band's room, if they'll let me. If you see that redhaired women, do me a favour and act like you don't know where I went. After that shit, I can't handle that clingy women right now."

He almost felt like a prick for saying it that way, but it was the truth, and he didn't feel like explaining himself to anyone.

 

[Poprockz]

"Okay... We'll meet you at the bar tomorrow, then. Maybe we could share some of those famous potato wedges of Dave's." He was relieved that the man was willing to say goodbye. It was true that they hadn't known each other for long, but in this dangerous and frightening new world, it didn't take too long to feel a kinship with certain people. His mind wandered to Daphne and he pursed his lips, having to take a deep breath to relax his shoulders and take on an easier expression.

He didn't want to think about that room, his mother, the things she did to them and to poor Daphne... They had only known the woman for half a day, but maybe their sympathy for her situation bonded them to her more quickly. He supposed it didn't matter now. She was gone.

The man shook his head before listening to Vin talk about Aurora and her thirstiness. Damien chuckled, "I'll do you one better. I'll tell her that you got in a fight with someone and got detained. That way she won't go looking for you." He offered Vin a weak smile, patting him on the shoulder before leaving him to return to Cora and Sabastian. When he got back, he had almost forgotten about how blood soaked his hand had become.

 

[Drobabes]

Delvin finally managed a tired smile at Damien's offer. It was a good plan, although he hoped Aurora wasn't one of the people in charge of detaining people or he might have some explaining to do. He finally left then, giving Sabastian and Cora just a small, two fingered, half-hearted wave before putting his hands in his pockets and walking away. Once he made it to the band room, he noticed that no one was there yet, but someone had sat his guitar on the table. He picked it up and carried it over to the couch with him, then plopped down heavily on the cushion. In no more than ten minutes he was fast asleep.

___ ___

Cora gave a small wave back, though she couldn't bring herself to smile, too high strung now with anxiety. As Damien finally came over to them, her eyes roamed all over him, her brows knitted and her face in a bit of a pout.

When she spotted his hand her eyes lingered a moment on the blood, and then finally came up to meet his gaze. She crossed her arms to hide the fact that her hands were shaking, but for a moment, she doesn't say anything.

She bites her lip a bit, looking past his shoulders, then back to him.

"Tommy took care of it?" Was her first question before she paused again. Then before he could answer, she asked another.

"Did anyone get hurt?"

Cora knew the blood on his hand meant that, obviously, someone had gotten hurt, but that's not what she was really trying to ask, and she had the feeling Damien would know what she meant. After what happened with Daphne, she imagined he had little patience for that type of behavior. If she didn't have alcohol running through her system she might have just asked him if he was ok and left it at that, but with her anxiety slightly amped up and harder to control, she was worried about many things she probably didn't need to be worried about.

Had the women gotten hurt? Had Vin seen that darker side to Damien? Was either of them now in trouble with the army for starting a fight? How bad had the fight been, if there had been one at all? Not to mention just the violence itself had her damn near quaking. A lump was starting to form in her throat, though she tries to swallow it down and hide it.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian also offered a small wave to Delvin, not sure what else to do. The man looked a bit defeated, and Sabastian wondered what was going on with him. He bit his lip as he watched him walk away, wishing he could run over there and comfort the man, maybe give him a hug. Breathe in that comforting aroma of his...

Blood. His eyes snapped over to Damien and he eyed that bloodied knuckle, the metallic scent of blood in the air. He wondered what in the world had happened over there. Did Damien really beat the shit out of someone?

Damien looked at Cora, seeing that she was a nervous ball of anxiety right then. She looked worried, her questions sounding quick and strained as she questioned him about what had happened.

"I was coming over to get Sabastian when Vin saw some guy grab the drinks we left on the bench. He dropped a pill into yours and was going to approach you and try to get you to drink it. The guy saw us coming and bolted, and I eventually tracked him down." He looked down at his hand, trying to think of a more delicate way to word things for her.

"I... roughed him up quite a bit. Vin ended up grabbing me and pulling me off of him. Then..." He swallowed for a moment, his throat suddenly very dry. Reaching over, he took a bottle of water and took a couple drinks before continuing. "Then he was dead. Shot. I think Tommy was given the order to take him out. They said he was turning, that he had been bitten, but I don't think I believe that. When I was pulled off, the guy started to say something like "I'm so sorry Sam," but I don't know what it means."

He sighed and shook his head, "I'm a bit unsettled to be honest."

Sabastian looked at him with wide-eyes. How could they have shot the man if he wasn't really turning? Was there some kind of weird conspiracy going on? In any case, he felt so exhausted that this all felt like too much for one night.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora was relatively calm, well, as calm as she could be given her anxiety, until Damien mentioned the man trying to spike her drink. Her eyes held his then and she listened carefully, and when he was done, Cora looked as if she had just gotten the wind knocked out of her.

The color drains from her face and she reaches a shaky hand out behind her to feel for her seat, and then she quickly sits down. Her hands go to her lap and she just stares blankly at the ground.

There's no fucking way...

She doesn't realize how long she is sitting there, staring lifelessly at the ground, but eventually she realizes she needs to say or do something. She tries to stand but loses the strength and sits back down. Then after a few more seconds, she tries again and manages to get on her feet this time.

"I feel sick..."

It wasn't a lie. Her nerves had went from mildy uncomfortable and slightly panicked, to full on you are fucked. Her eyes finally leave the ground and she looks at Sabastian.

"Can you come in the bathroom with me? And Damien, can you just, wait like...inside the doors?"

She wanted them both to stick by her side, but she knew that Sabastian was a lot stronger then either of them, and right at that moment she really needed to know that someone could watch her back. Someone who was really strong and could keep someone else from grabbing her.

You're overreacting, you're overreacting, you're overreacting... He's dead. No way. Quint said so.

And yet still, something in her gut told her she wasn't safe. That she might never be safe, and her past twelve years of blissful peace had been a cruel joke meant to pull the wool over her eyes just long enough for her to learn how to hope again.

She crosses her arms and starts to walk to the bathroom, trying to keep her gaze steady and straight. When she's about halfway there she reaches her hand up to cover her mouth and she retches.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien soon regretted his decision of telling her. The way she looked right now was indicative of pure terror, the kind that twisted one's insides and tried to wrench them from reality. She looked so shocked, just staring at the ground as she shook like a leaf. Never had he seen her this shaken, even when she thought he was going to murder her out in the middle of the forest. At least then she had cried, been angry. With this there was just... nothing but raw fear

He wished he had taken Vin's unspoken advice and changed his story, but it was done now and there was no taking it back. When Cora first tried to stand up, he reached out as though to help her to her feet, only to see her sit back down. Damien wondered to himself whether she had a traumatic memory of being drugged in the past; perhaps that was why she was reacting this way. There was no real way to know though, and he didn't want to traumatize her more by asking about it.

The man wished he knew what to do or say to make her feel better and take away her fear, but simply found himself standing there with a deeply worried look on his face. He was just about to lean forward and wrap his arms around her when she said that she felt sick.

Sabastian had also been looking on in worry, his eyebrows knit as he watched her shut down. He too wanted nothing more than to support her and help her get through whatever it was that was triggered inside her.

When she looked at him and asked if he could come in with her, Sabastian donned a more serious expression and nodded, "whatever you need."

Damien also nodded, understanding the reasoning behind it. While he wished in a selfish part of himself that she had asked for him, he knew that he needed to listen to what she needed right now. He hovered very close by to her as they left, suddenly remembering what Vin had requested. The man looked at Dave, gestured him over and said, "tell the red-haired lady that Vin got detained for fighting." The bartender nodded in confusion and went about his rounds, watching them walk away with concern.

The little blonde man quickly moved up behind her and started rubbing her back when she retched. "You're okay. That guy can't hurt you." Sabastian had meant the guy who had spiked her drink, unaware of what was truly plaguing the woman. His face was concerned and sympathetic, treating Cora with the same gentleness he had treated his mother when she had started getting sick from the chemo. When she was done retching, he wrapped one of his arms around her and held her snugly to his side, unwilling to let her feel alone during whatever it was she was going through.

"Just breath Cora. Just focus on breathing right now. You're okay. We're here with you." He said to her in a soft, soothing voice that almost seemed uncharacteristic of him. While Sabastian could be a grumpy man in general, he had a soft spot for friends and family in crisis, having played the part of a caregiver for a good part of his life.

 

[Drobabes]

"That guy can't hurt you."

She wanted to yell at him. He had no idea. No, fucking, idea.

Her pace picked up a little, just trying to get to the restrooms now. She didn't know why, but even through the fog of fear, she hated the idea of puking out in public. Once she got there, she promptly went to the first stall and bent over the toilet.

After about five minutes her stomach finally gave in and let her rest. She flushed the toilet and then sat down on it, putting her face in her hands. She was aware that the boys were watching her, but she really didn't know how to deal with that just yet. She tried to do as Sabastian said, just breathe, before she hyperventilated. Her fingers already had started to tingle though.

She put her hands down in her lap and started squeezing the tips of her fingers, one at a time, to give herself something to focus on. Emptying her stomach had relieved a small amount of stress, and she was starting to be able to think a little bit.

"Sorry guys. I'm just...drunk. I can't handle that type of shit when I'm drunk. I can handle it a lot better when I'm sober."

She hated lying to them. But maybe it wasn't a lie, maybe she was overreacting. She already had triggers that set her off, maybe this was just like another one of those episodes. Maybe it had nothing to do with her and it was just whatever Dave had tried to warn them about. Maybe they were just caught in the middle.

Maybe, maybe, maybe. Too many maybes. Too many unknowns. She had to calm down. Had to sober up. If he was...if.

Her eyes looked through the door at Damien feet. She didn't dare meet his eyes.

 

[Poprockz]

When Cora walked faster, Sabastian matched her pace but let go of her. It seemed as though she didn't want to be touched at that point, and he didn't want to overload her.

The two men followed her into the bathroom, Damien leaning near the sinks and Sabastian right outside her stall. They both traded a look as she vomited, both of them very concerned about her. Damien couldn't tell whether she was vomiting from fear, anxiety, drunkenness, or all of the above. All he knew was that she was going through something and that he didn't know jack shit about how to make it better. He felt helpless, watching her draped over the toilet bowl as her body heaved, that pained expression on her face.

He shifted, crossing his arms, uncrossing them, clenching and unclenching his fists, looking around at nothing in particular. God, he wished she had some kind of task he could accomplish for her, but all he could do was wait for her to feel better; he hated waiting.

Sabastian sat on the floor wit his back against the stall wall, his knees brought slightly up as he simply waited for her to stop. He would have rubbed her back, but he didn't want to be too physical if that was a trigger for her. Hopefully his and Damien's presence would be enough to bring her back from the brink of panic.

The blonde man fiddled with his gloves and wondered to himself why he hadn't sensed the zombie if the man had turned. The blood on Damien's hand also smelled like normal human blood and wasn't purple like most of the zombies.

They looked over at her when she spoke, neither of them making a move from where they were.

Damien nodded, "well... I imagine being so close to being roofied and being drunk at the same time could be a scary combination. We could just go sleep it off if you think that would help. Sabastian and I could take turns watching over you if that would make you feel safer."

 

[Drobabes]

She kept squeezing her fingertips as she forced herself to take deep breaths, letting each one out as slow as she could manage without it making the anxiety worse. When Damien mentioned them taking shifts sleeping, she shook her head.

"No, it's ok. I just got triggered, that's all. I'll calm down."

She hoped that would be enough for him, and he wouldn't question her further later. She had warned him before they left her apartment that something like this could happen, although she imagined she had probably just scared the crap out of Sabastian. He didn't know what she was going through, unless Damien had told him.

Cora wouldn't be sleeping, though. Either they were caught in the middle of some fucked up shit, she had way over reacted out of paranoia, or it was indeed what she dreaded. Of the three, two of those options required her to stay awake until they left, and if she was being honest with herself, she would rather she was the only one awake. They might not have to pay the price for her indiscretions if he were to come for her in the night.

She finally stopped moving her hands and just let them lay in her lap. Then she let out a small, strange sort of chuckle, and stood up.

What a fucking joke.

"Alright. Let's go figure out where we're sleeping. Or do you guys want to leave?"

She hoped they would say yes. Night would be the best time to travel. To watch and see if they were being followed.

As she came out of the bathroom, her body language was completely different. If it had been possible to take the deadpan expression and transfer it to her whole being, then that was what Cora had managed to do.

Her shoulders were back, her hands loose, her expression blank. She didn't sway or wobble, not did she tremble. The only sign that he had just nearly had a full on hyperventilating panic attack was that her face was a bit pale.

 

[Poprockz]

The two men were silent as she said she would be alright. They both had their doubts, but decided to leave it be for now and give her a chance.

When she loosened up and stood there still, Damien furrowed his brow. She looked like a doll, someone who was trying to keep it together for their benefit. He didn't feel like her body language was being honest right now, but he wasn't sure. When Vin had suggested reading people's body language more, he didn't think it would be so difficult sometimes.

"I'm fine either way. If you don't feel safe here anymore, then I'm fine leaving. I'm not attached to this place, and my home is wherever you are." Damien said seriously, intently looking at her as though he was trying to see past her deadpan shield.

Sabastian looked conflicted, "I'm willing to leave too but... we were going to say goodbye to Delvin in the morning. I don't want to leave things the way they were with him. " He glanced at Damien and then looked down at his shoes. "I acted really slutty with him at the bar, and if I never get to see him again, I don't want him to remember me like that."

Damien thought for a moment, "he's sleeping in the band room, you know. We could drop by there and say goodbye early before ducking out. The question then becomes will they let us out, especially at night? If they don't, then we'll be stuck inside with them knowing we want to leave. If there's something bigger going on, I almost think we should pretend we don't know about it until morning. For now, they just think that Delvin and I are two civilians who are freaked out from having seen a man shot right in front of them.

When Cora had opened up to him about her guardian and gave a brief overview of what he did (including forcing a hysterotomy on her), he assumed that the man was either dead or gone from her life, so he was just as ignorant as Sabastian when it came to the very real possibilities bouncing around Cora's head. As far as he was concerned, this was just a conspiracy pertaining to those who were marked as immune.

 

[Drobabes]

She listened to them both, barely moving an inch save for her eyes. They had a point. They might not let them out tonight, and if they tried to fight them on it, they might decide to detain them all and split them up. Her and Sabastian were too drunk to handle that, she imagined, so as much as she hated it, she knew she was going to have to just suck it up. Besides, if it was him, then it wouldn't matter where or how far she ran. She would have to wait for him to make his move.

"Alright, let's go ahead and stay here tonight. We could all use some rest, I think."

She started walking towards the door. The urge to take Damien's hand was so strong, but she didn't know if it was safe for him if she did.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian nodded but was silent. He felt a bit guilty for basically advocating to stay because of his silly need to have a proper goodbye with a man he just met. He was probably plowing this out of proportion. He got to his feet and started to follow her.

"Okay." Damien nodded and watched her start to walk out. As she walked by, Damien reached out and took her hand gently. He didn't pull her into her arms for fear that it might be too much, but he wanted to give her a little bit of comfort. Maybe it was partly for himself too. He felt so stressed from watching her terrified to the point of vomiting. Damien just wanted to feel her warm hand in his and feel more connected to her.

 

[Drobabes]

His warm hand over skin made her want to fall apart. She wanted to sob and bawl and tell him everything that had been done to her, and why she was really so terrified. But she couldn't do that, she couldn't put him in danger like that.

Arguably, he was already in danger, but she knew the rules to this game. She had to feign indifference. She had to show him that she knew now, knew he was there, and she was willing to comply to his wishes. If she did anything, anything at all that could be taken as her rubbing her new found love in his face, then death would be the kindest mercy she could grant any of them. Until she knew without a doubt that he was actually gone, then she couldn't risk showing Damien any affection where prying eyes could see.

Later, maybe. When she was sure they were completely alone. If that opportunity ever came again.

She matches her pace to the boys exactly, unwilling to go any faster or slower, until there were out amongst the buildings once more. She wasn't sure which way to go, so she didn't try to lead. She thought she had heard someone mention the sleeping quarters earlier, but she couldn't remember who said it, or where they had said it was.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien felt a bit confused as to why she didn't seem to be returning his affections, but he attributed it to her needing some space after everything that happened tonight. he gave her a little squeeze before focusing on getting them to the sleeping quarters. They reached a map soon, illuminated by small lights. It showed that the bunks were somewhat near the bar.

They followed that path, all of them quiet and exhausted from their eventful day. When they reached the bunks, there was a guard out front with a clipboard. When he was approached, he looked at it and said, "The three beds in the back corner are open." he then pointed them to the back. There were many survivors and army personnel sleeping in beds throughout the room, most of them sleeping peacefully. Occasionally they would pass one or two that was tossing and turning, likely due to bad memories.

When they reached the corner, Sabastian looked at the bottom bunk, then at Cora. "Can I sleep in the bottom with you?"

Damien looked over and pursed his lips- he wanted to be the one to sleep with her, but he assumed that Sabastian was operating under the assumption that she still needed him around. Or maybe he just wanted to be close to someone.

 

[Drobabes]

When Sabastian asked if he could sleep in the same bed with her, it gave her an idea, although she didn't know if the boys would go for it.

It was pretty dark in the room, but even in the dim light, Cora could see that the bottom bunk was actually somewhat spacious. She knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep and would likely be sitting up in the bed for most of the night, so she probably wouldn't take up much space. But more than the size of the bed, she didn't want either of them out of her sight. She was already willing to comply, but that wouldn't mean he wouldn't take extra steps to insure her total willingness. He had done it before, after all.

Her eyes went to Damien then, and even though it was dark, she finally let a little of her emotions through. Her face fell, just the smallest amount.

"Can we all three share the bed?" she asked softly.

"I really don't want to be alone tonight...please..."