"I don't really know". Said Shane. "It was Bryan here who has been tending to him. Where do you want us to put him"?
---------Bryan/Shane---------
You make your way toward the clinic but can tell the place is swamped, dozens of folks wait outside in the dark with no light from anywhere, but a few glows of what might be candles. You push you way though the crowed into a darkened waiting room, A few candles burn in here and you see injured people everywhere.
Someone in scrubs makes his way toward you."How bad is he hurt? " the man says holding up a candle, he looks tired and his scrubs are spotted with blood.
---------Tommy/Adam----------
The men listen to Adams words and seeing the axe in Tommys rather large hands and Greygard starting the growl at his feet nod. 'Yeah, us too" He says with a laugh "You should be careful out here, all kinds of unsavory types ya know" He says and nods as he and the other walk back down the ally, out of sight.
You arrive at Adams apartment with no other trouble and make your way inside, The temperature has started to drop and you see no one on the streets but a few flicking lights in mostly darkened windows. The apartment is only a little warmer then the outside, about 50 or so and dark, but at lest it is dry.
"Well I guess we either hole up here till daylight, or try to make our way back to the clinic". "It's still fairly early, and I'm sure the people back there would like to hear some news from the outside". "It looks like cold could be our biggest foe at the moment, and if possible lets gather up any winter gear you have, and all the blankets you have and head back to the clinic". "Also if you have any candles that would be helpful as well". "If we're going to head back, let's get a move on before more ruffians begin to roam the streets".
Adam picks up a dog-earred book from the table and tucks it under his arm. "I'd rather not stay the night. Only so long until Rat comes along and decides to steal my stuff. Well, there are some cans of food in the kitchen, can opener's in the second drawer. I'll go grab some blankets."
------- Shane/Bryan-------
The man sighs and calls for some help. "Follow me" He says as you make your way into the darkened rooms, finding a bed for the man, he starts to check him out as Mrs. Briggs looks on. Seeing how crowed the small room is you step out having done what you can. The halls are dark and lined with people, some burns, cuts and maybe some just unsure where to go. The rain is more snow then rain now and it's cold, you can see your breath even inside the clinic. Modern building are not made to be without electricity in the winter. Around you the town lays dark, and the snow rain mix makes it hard to see very far without the lights you have always known, now the town looks so surreal and dark as the ground whitens with the snow.
---------Tommy/Adam-----------
The three of you strip Adams Apartment of canned food and blankets in little time.You also manage a couple boxes of candles and matches, noodle packs, along with Adams watch. As you expected the flashlight was dead. Emptying a book bag you manage to get the canned gods along with most of the other things into the book bag, while stuffing blankets and linen, {Tommy said it would make good bandages} into garbage bags
As you make your way back out in to the street, the Rain is more snow then rain and the ground is starting to get white. You can smell soot in the air, something is burning.
Tommy will look around for a metal sign, or something that can be made into a sled to haul their gear, then rig up a pulling harness.
Repair Item (Crafts + Dex)
Then will then head towards the Clinic taking the most direct route. Adam pulling the sled with assistance from Glenda, and Tommy walking a few steps ahead with Greybeard.
perception (Composure + Wits)
Perception overload (At watching his sled fall apart, and keep drifting off to one side as it's pulled)
OOC: Is this the Animal Clinic or the Outpatient Surgery Place the McCoy mentioned?
IC:Shane will undo the bungie cords that held the litter to his Mt. Bike. Leaving the litter there at the Clinic for them to use if needed. Putting them in his backpack. (If this is the Animal Clinic he will ask for Sara Wakeland, if not he will try to find the Animal Clinic. Riding his Mt. Bike he will catch up with Bryan to ask if he knows where it is at. And or also finding some light to read the rough map that McCoy gave him).
-------Tommy/Adam----------
Tommy manages to find a sign with ease and no one around to say much to him for pulling it down, however the harness he makes is not so great and the tree spend a good deal of time trying to keep the make shift sled stable, and from skidding or hitting cars or the side walk. You do make it back to the clinic however, wet and cold.
No lights shine from the inside. The place seems empty,The front door locked. Tommy slowly makes his way into the darkened building but no sign of life, the building is cold, not much warmer then outside but dry, he finds a note written on the desk
Tommy, We have taken the woman and her baby to the hospital. It's to cold in here and with no heat they would not last long. Maybe someone there can help
Shelia
He looks over the room seeing most of the supplies he gathered before dark still sitting in the room. It seems those that left didn't take them.Hoping this will be over in the morning maybe or maybe they just didn't think.
--------Bryan/Shane-----------
The man thanks Bryan for the lantern, but seems to have many people that need some kind of help and really does not notice when they leave.
A younger guy in the faded blue coat, holding his arm snorts as Bryan makes the food comment 'Heh, good luck. Nothings open." He says with a dry laugh."Can't sell nothing with no lights, would you stay or lock the place up and go home? Best ya can do is steal something, not like the cops will stop ya or maybe they will. Some just itching to shoot a fella ya know. That's the Pol-lice for ya"
Shane is able to read the map inside the clinic before heading out into the rain, and should not be all that hard to find. You can smell soot in the air, something is burning, rain or no rain somewhere there is a fire.
Shane had a bowl of Beef Stew back at Mr. McCoy's. So he's ok in that department. Leaving St. John Neumann's Clinic behind. Heading down Park Rd. He catches up with Bryan outside a KFC. It is closed just like the MacDonald's had been, a block or so before the Clinic, when they came into town.
"I'm going to head over to Hazard Community and Technical College to try to find Mr. McCoy's Granddaughter Glenda, and from there to find his daughter, Sara Wakeland at the Wakeland Animal Clinic over in the old part of town. From the map Mr. McCoy gave me. I got to go down to Washington Ave. An follow it south. Do you want to come with me. We can stop if we can find some place to find some food. By the way, do you live somewhere around here"?
"Well it looks like they're safe". "I think we should just stay here for tonight". "If the hospital has warmth it will be crowded, and we would just be in the way". "Besides we should watch the supplies...who knows when the power will be back on". "With the blankets we got from Adam's house we should be warm enough".
"If the Doc shows up, she'll probably come here as well". "Should we light one of the candles and keep in in the window, so others will know we are here, or keep things Dark and silent"?
-----Bryan/shane--------
Your not sure just how far the school or the animal clinic is from where your at and Bryan's stomach is growling. They walk down Park road, standing outside a closed KFC. On either side of the road also stand darkened strip malls, small stores line the structures, dollar stores and clothing stores a music stores and what looks to be a kroger.
-------Tommy/Adam---------
As you go about fixing the place up for the night Glenda puts a candle in the window "I think mom my have stayed at her last call, it's cold out I am not sure she would have walked the 8 miles so close to dark" her breath sends small clouds of frost into the air as she talks. It's warmer inside the clinic and dry, but the cold still clings in here as well. With no heat you can feel the cold settle on your face, not as bad as outside, but it's not much warmer either.
Shane won't have anything to do with breaking and entering. Unless they find something open. I guess he will continue with his plan of action mentioned in the previous message.
-----Bryan/shane--------
Your not sure just how far the school or the animal clinic is from where your at and Bryan's stomach is growling. They walk down Park road, standing outside a closed KFC. On either side of the road also stand darkened strip malls, small stores line the structures, dollar stores and clothing stores a music stores and what looks to be a kroger.
-------Tommy/Adam---------
As you go about fixing the place up for the night Glenda puts a candle in the window "I think mom my have stayed at her last call, it's cold out I am not sure she would have walked the 8 miles so close to dark" her breath sends small clouds of frost into the air as she talks. It's warmer inside the clinic and dry, but the cold still clings in here as well. With no heat you can feel the cold settle on your face, not as bad as outside, but it's not much warmer either.
"Yeah, but with the computer not working we can't see where she was when this all went down". "We'll find Shelia tomorrow, and ask her if she remembers where your mom was supposed to be, then we'll go find her at first light". "If we have no luck we'll just head for the farm, and hole up there till she shows up". "The animals will need some care by tomorrow anyway".
Tommy then begins to make a bed with room for two, as he's obviously got other things in mind than warmth.
"Good plan. Well, I'll just head into the other room, light a candle or two, give you two some privacy, etcetera." With that, Adam heads to the other room and lights a candle, tactfully ignoring any noises from the other room.
------Bryan/Shane-------
The decide to head for the school , Bryan hopping to find something open, but no luck there. Everything seems dark and locked. The owners or workers long gone, with the power out. Once they get to the school, they notice a few fires and huddled groups around burning trash cans. Asking about a bit they learn that the girl they are looking for seems to have went to an animal clinic. Seeing as that is where they were told to look next, after warming a bit by the fire they head toward the Wakeland animal clinic.
The streets are deserted other then cars, some smashed into building and poles, a few have unmoving forms inside, ones that did not survive the crash or maybe the cold that seems to be setting into your bones as the wind drives the snow and rain ever down upon you and the slick darkened street. After what seems like forever to Bryan's growling stomach you came to a large two story building with a worn sign reading "Wakeland Animal clinic" candles burn in the frost covered windows, half gone by the looks of em as you near the building. From the inside you her a bark, however is inside knows your here
----Adam/Tommy------
Adam wraps himself in the blankets as the cold creeps in,his face still chilly with little warmth other then his body heat and the small flame of the candle. He tries to ignore the noises from the other room by reading the book he rescued from his apartment to the dim light of the candle. He was so engrossed in his study that the bark made him jump as Tommy's dog growled and barked , running toward the window, baying at something outside.
Tommy and Glenda managed to forget the troubles of the day, lost in hot passion in another stolen moment when her parents weren't around. Tommy was so caught up in Glenda that he didn't even notice Greygaurds bark until the third or forth time, pulling his mouth away from her and his hands resting under her cloths, he paused...'What is it?" she asked breathless as he starts to raise. He knew Greygaurds barks, someone was outside.
Arrive at the Animal Clinc with Bryan, Shane can see some faint flickering light coming from within. As soon as they approached the front entrance. From inside comes the barking of a good sized dog. Shane knocks heavily on the doors. An say's quite loudly. "Hello in there, is Sara Wakeland around, I need to speak to her or her daughter Glenda, if she is here! Hello is there anyone in there"?
Adam is shocked to his feet and steps towards the door, holding his book in front of him like a crucifix. "Depends, who's asking?", he yells back.
My name is Shane MacIntyre, I'm a Marine Law Enforcement Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. I have a badge and ID., if you want to see it. I was driving through the area this afternoon when all this happened. I have with me a gentleman named Bryan Woods, who's first response skills kept a man alive when he was badly injured in a big pile up about 4 miles north of town on Highway 15. The two of us just delievered the man to St. John Neumann's Clinic. A Mr. McCoy, who lives out that way and who was a big help to us and others. Asked Bryan and me to stop on by and check to see if his daughter Sara and granddaughter Glenda, were doing alright. Someone at the college said Glenda may have been heading this way. As we stopped by there first, before coming here. Are they here? Also do you have any food? Bryan here hasn't had anything to eat since lunch. Saving lives burns alot of calories. An since nothing is open in town. I'm sure anything you have would be fine".
Glancing over at Bryan, with a wry smile on his face. He said, "You know, I read somewhere that a man survived two weeks on half a box of Milk-Bone Dog Biscuits, I wonder if they have any of those in there? Maybe they could throw ya a bone, after all you've done"!
He finished, hoping his companion would see the humor in it all. He had learned in the Coast Guard, that a little humor, could help to defuse the most stressful of situations. An can get you through the toughest of times.
Hearing her name Glenda walks toward the door, nodding at Tommy who opens it. "I'm Glenda , did papaw send you?" she says waving Shane and Bryan inside. The Clinic is small it seems the waiting area got alot of use tonight from the bloody bandages and mud on the floor. The building is not much warmer then outside, but it is dry. Glancing at Tommy she goes on 'umm, we have some stuff. No fire or anything, but maybe some crackers and candybars and jerky'
As the front door opens, in the candle light Shane see's a young woman, much as her grandfather discribed her. "If by Papaw you mean your grandfather, Mr. McCoy, then yes he did. Thank's for letting us in" As he wheels his Mt. Bike, into the waiting room. He say's. "I
hope you don't mind that I bring it in. Since I don't have my bicycle lock with me, I thought it might be stolen if I left it outside. By the way is your Mother here too"?
"Go ahead, come in. I'm Adam Fletcher, I teach down at the university. We just got here ourselves, actually. So, make yourselves at home."
Putting down the kickstand and parking the bike. Shane took off his bike helmet and hung it on the handlebars and pulled back the hood on his jacket and unzipped it a bit. He shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you Adam Fletcher, what do you teach at the college? How to make arrows perhaps"? He said jokingly, making a reference to the orgins of Adam's sirname.
Continuing he said, "So Professor, do you have a hypothesis on why everything went all wonky this afternoon"?
"Oh, I'm only a teaching assistant. I teach history, by the way."
"Oh, I've got plenty of hypotheses. There's just no way of telling if they're right. It could be an EMP, but who would set one off out here? It could be the Mayan apocalypse, but that's not for another fourteen years. It could be the regular Apocalypse, but I'm waiting until I meet a few good Christians until I rule that out. It could be a solar flare, it could be anything. You get what I'm saying?"
"I get what your saying. What it is doesn't really matter what "It"
is. It's the effects caused by whatever it is that we have to deal with. I take it that there is no phone service here either. I wonder if this is a localised event or something bigger. I'm suppose to be reporting off leave and be ready for Duty, down in Key West Flordia tomorrow at O700 hours in the morning. Something tells me that I'm going to make it in time". Shane say's with an ironic laugh.
Tommy finally makes an appearance looking a bit flushed, and with a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He is time to hear the end of the exchange.
"Hi". "I'm Tommy and I work here". There is some food over there, and a few blankets left". "Make yourself comfortable as you can, and we'll go find the Doc first thing in the morning".
Tommy then gestures at Glenda to return to the warmth of his embrace.
"Nice to meet you Tommy, I'm sure Bryan here, is glad to hear about the food. I told him he might have to settle for Milk-Bone Dog Biscuits". Said Shane. Continuing he said,"By "Doc" I assume your talking about Glenda's Mom, Sara. Was she out on a call this afternoon when everthing went down"?
Glenda allows Tommy to pull her back into the other room, leaving the three strangers alone to talk.
Looking at Adam and gesturing with his head in the direction that Tommy and Glenda went. Shane says. "I guess when the cat's away, the mice will play. Not that I begrudge them. I haven't gotten much sleep in the last 48 hours or so either. Do to doing what comes naturally with my Lady Love. So I guess I'll grab one of those blankets and find a comfortable place to lie down and try to catch up on my sleep. There's no telling what the dawn will bring. Good Night one and all"! He finished, pulling up his jacket hood and rapping a blanket around himself. He curling up on one of the couches in the waiting room. His shotgun nestled in his arms, ready to be brought into action if need be. Soon he was fast asleep, snoring just a bit.
You all get some sleep that night, some of you warmer then others. As even inside the building as the sun starts to climb over the mountains your breath still leaves trails of frost though the air. The gauge on the wall reads 39F but peaking outside you can see at lest the rain has stopped.
Your stomachs grumbles as you sit in the darkened building. You can't help but try the light switch with a faint hope it will come on, but that hope is dashed as you just hear a click and nothing comes of it. As you open the door the smell of soot is strong, very strong. The street seems deserted which it would as there are very few homes on it Tommy tells you. You see cars hap-hazed on the street and the place looks eerie with no lights in the dawns shadows. Every thing looks otherworldly with a dusting of snow you know will be gone in a few hours.
You can't help but feel dread at the though "what if the lights don't come back on?"
Shane wakes at first light. Being quiet as possible, as not to wake Bryan and Adam. He goes over to the the receiption desk and tries the phone. Nothing. He guessed that he was now offically UA. Since he hadn't reported off of leave on time this morning at his new duty station down in Key West. He hated to think it. But he sort of hoped it was like this down there. So they would atleast know he wasn't UA on purpose.
Finding the food, Shane takes a couple pieces of jerky and a some crackers and quickly eats them to take the edge off his hunger. As he ate in silence. He was wondering what he should do. All his belongs where 4 miles north of town. Suzanna, the woman he loved, was a further 25 to 30 miles North northwest of that, in Campton.
If things didn't change. He would fullfill his promise to Mr. McCoy on locating and assureing that his daughter Sara was safe. Then he was going to take off on his Mt. Bike and head north for Campton and his Lady Love.
"Well no use staying around here". "Lets go by the clinic, and check on the new mom and baby, and see if Shelia remembers where the doc was supposed to be when this crap went down".
"We could stop by there first, and if nothings there we should head for the farm". "She'll go there if we can't find her knowing we'll eventually head there". "Besides the animals will need care today".
"If you guys have nothing better to do, you're welcome to come along".
Tommy then begins to load up one of the wheeled examination tables with the leftover food, and the shelf underneath it with medical supplies. He takes the key from the doc's desk and opens the prescription medical cabinet, and removes painkillers, and anti infection drugs, then covers the whole cart with sheets so the shelf underneath is hidden.
Then calling for Greybeard he leads the party towards the clinic.
Shane says, "I gave my word to Mr. McCoy that I would do my best to find his daughter and make sure she was ok". If anything else, I am a man of my word".
He eagerly accompanies Tommy and the rest. Walking his Mt. Bike through the melting slushy remains of last nights percipitation. He is ever vigilant to be ready to act quickly to any threat. While at the same time hoping to find someplace open where they can get a quick bite to eat. To fill up his still relatively empty stomach.
He has high hopes for a swift completion to his obligation to Mr. McCoy. So that he can be on his way up north. He wondered how far away that Farm that Tommy had been talking about was?
Putting on his Mt. Bike helmet, he tells the rest he going to scout a little bit ahead (No more then 2 blocks in any direction away from the group)for any place they can get some breakfast. (Of course his real reason is to keep an eye out for any source of potential danger. An either deal with it, if he reasonable can. Or swiftly warn the others of it, so that it can hopefully be avoided).
The five of you start up the highway in the early morning light with Tommy and Glenda pushing the cart as Shane bikes ahead to scout. As you make your way toward main street the smell of soot gets thinker and you can see great clouds of black smoke over the northern half of the town,small groups of people can be seen, some making toward the smoke, others look to be looting shops as Shane races ahead to see whats going on.
Shane races toward park rod, seeing groups of people some runing toward the smoke, some away. When he crests the hill smoke fills the air, something large is burning , a few somethings would be his guess as the soot is think, it burns his lungs as the smoke stings his eyes. He passes a few burned smoke covered men headed away from the smoke. He can hear braking class and people screaming and looting in the morning hours as others call for water and buckets. It feels to him as if he has stepped into some hellish nightmare.
Trying to stay well clear of the smoke. Shane looks around for any sign of anyone from the Jackson City Police, or the Hazard County Sherifs Department. Even though he knowing he has no jurisdiction there. Shane gets off his Mt. Bike and parks it on the sidewalk on the other side of the street, away for the burning buildings. He hopes the rest of his group will use their heads and find a detour route around this area of unrest. Unmounting his shotgun, africania style, he quickly uses the pump action to chamber a shell and clicks off the safety. He adjusts it, so he can hold it pointing barrel up, by it's pistol grip in his right hand. With his left, he reaches into the jacket's inside pocket and again takes out his badge and I.D..
Pointing the tip of the shotgun's barrel slightly to the west, away from the population of the city. Thinking he would fire a shot off to get the attention of the chaotic people in the area and try to talk some sense into them.
He pulled the trigger on the shotgun. Click, nothing! Shane looked questioningly up at the barrel the shotgun. Setting his badge and I.D. on the bike's seat. He manually ratcheted the pump, ejecting the unspent shell, bringing the next into the chamber. Again Shane, pointed the shotgun where he had before. Click, again nothing. Thinking something was wrong with the shotguns firing mechanism. He lowered the shotgun and leaned it up againt the Mt. Bike and drew his pistol from his belt holster and pulling back and releasing the slide mechanism, clicking off the safety, he raised it up, pointing it where he had the shotgun and pulled the trigger, click, again nothing. Doing like he had with the shotgun, and ejected the unspent bullet, bringing the next into the chamber. He pulled the trigger again. With the same results.
"What the heck is going on"?, exclaimed Shame. He bent down and picked up the bullet he had ejected. Looking at its rim, he see where the firing pin had hit the primer. It was the same with the shotgun shell that he also retrieved. Both should of fired. What was the chance of having four dud rounds for two different firearms. More then one and a million, if not more he thought.
Shane
You can make out groups of people carrying items and some seeming to try and organize thins in the morning light on seems to be a fireman. Seeing Shane with the gun he holds his hands up over his soot covered face. "Mister we don't need none of that' He says. His group seems to be dragging a barrel
Tommy
It seem to Tommy that all the smoke something big most be burning, and from the looks of it it would be around the hospital
OOC: Why does Shane think this guy is a Fireman. Does he have some sort of uniform, equipment etc., that says "Jackson Fire Department" etc.? Or someother type of Fire Department etc,? What is he doing? What kind of barrel are you talking about? A 55 gallon barrel or what? Need more details to go on.
Picking up his badge and ID. Shane shows the Fireman them, saying. "Are you the Scene Commander? Why aren't the Police here, doing crowd control? I don't think your going to beable to put out that fire with what you got in that barrel. Your best bet is to try and contain the spread of fire to any new buildings".
The man looks at Shane like he has lost his mind "Crowd control! Half the towns burning, To many dumb asses lighting fires to keep warm and something at the hospital went up last night. The trucks aren't working. We are tying to control the fire." The man looks at a loose "Damnest thing I ever saw, someone may have hit a gas line or used gas inside or god alone knows what. we are doing are best but half the police are helping the others are trying to keep folks clam...F+*# claim ya right" He waves the men onward and wipes soot from his face 'Hell and we have looters, bastards some folks staying in for cold or to keep what they have but others are tying to save half the town"
Seeing the man is doing his best with what he has. Shane says, "What's that about hospital? Me and some people I know are heading there. What do you mean by went up? Was there some kind of an explosion or something"?
The man shakes his head "No, you think there would be but nothing has exploded, I mean nothing." He says and gives weight to nothing as he looks off toward the smoke "Far as we know someone knocked over an oil lamp or something, or a barrel or hell if I know man. I was on the other side of town fighting fires on some trailers with buckets." He says with disgust. 'I heard the sheriff and some of the deputy's tried and stop some looters a few hours ago and got roughed up something bad, Bill miller lost and eye they say, They also say" He says wetting his lips "That the guns just didn't work"
Stepping closer to the Fireman, so no one else can hear their conversation. Shane said in a low voice. "Just found that out myself". Showing him the two fired but not shot pistol round and shotgun shell. Continuing, he said. "Damn, I thought this was from something like a EMT Burst from a nuclear bomb hitting DC or something. Knocking all the computer chips in everything out. But it seems like somehow, the Laws of Physics have been altered. Do you have any idea what's going on? Have you notice anything weird about the fires. I wonder if I threw a round into one, if it would even go off"?
"Damn"! "That looks like it might be coming from the clinic". Tommy exclaims and takes off at a run, before noticing he had left the supplies behind. He then hustles back and begins to move the gurney and his gang as quickly as possible towards the fire.
"I hope Shelia, and the new mother and child are safe". "What is going on"?