This isn't how Nick wanted to go, being beaten to death by a charger trying to save the fucking kid. He had pushed Ellis out of the path of the raging charger only to put himself in harm's way, god damn the redneck. He was dragged quite a ways from the rest of the group and he couldn't hear gun fire. Fuck. Each time he hit the hard ground he felt himself slipping more. His chest was on fire, any more abuse and he'd be gone.
He kept thinking of all the mistakes he made in his life as a conman. Damn it was a good life, he always had money, a woman whenever he wanted, and no one fucked with him. At least not until this zombie outbreak happened, all he wanted was to con a few more dumb shits before he got the hell out of dodge.
"I'm not going to let you do what dozens of bastards before you couldn't do. If I'm going down you're coming with me asshole."
Nick wheezed moving his shaking right hand down to his sidearm grabbing the cool metal of the butt of the gun and unholstered it aiming it at the chargers head.
"I have not come this fair to die now!"
Nick grunted pulling the trigger killing the charger at point blank range. As it fell he guided it to fall to his side to prevent from being crushed by the damn thing even in death.
"God damn if this isn't my luck. Looks like this gambler is turning in his chips."
Nick laughed some reminiscing on his "adventures", so to speak. He looked around and tried to get up but met a painful reality, his ribs where bushed and his left arm was broken. Nick sighed trying to get up one last time. He bit his lip and got up yelling out in pain then propped himself against a nearby wall. Before he could do anything he looked over hearing a defining roar, the roar of a horde. He couldn't take them alone, but he was going to take out as many as he could. As the first wave ran towards him he raised his gun but before he pulled the trigger a familiar beeping sound attracted the horde away from him. This was then followed by the explosion from the pipe bomb and a series of gunshots.
Nick looked around expecting to see Ellis, Coach, and Rochelle but no such sight came instead another set of gun fire finished off the last of the horde. Nick was barely able to hold himself up when he felt soft hands on him, the hands of a woman.
"Wait, did you just save me? God I think I'd rather have the kid save my ass."
Nick scoffed but the women didn't react, she just examined his wounds taking want seemed to Nick as mental notes. She took his left arm in her hands softly assessing the break.
"You should be fine with some major rest and a med kit. I have some supplies back at my safe house. We should get moving, that noise is sure to attract more…."
The woman spoke with a soft yet firm voice but Nick just cut her off before she could finish.
"Look princess thanks for helping me but I think I know what's best for number one."
Nick smirked trying to get a rise out of the women. Her face was dirty but he could see hints of once milky white skin in the gray of the muck. With eyes like his, gray but with more of a hint of blue and her reddish brown hair complemented them. Her figure was curvy with some bulk. He admitted to himself that before this zombie shit he would be trying to have sex with her but he only felt like throwing jabs at this mystery woman.
"Yes insult the woman that just saved your ass, good idea. I could have left you but something about a pathetic looking man in a cheap suit made me feel bad for you. Now shut the hell up or I'll leave you. Let's make one thing clear once I get you healed up I'm going my own way. Where you go is your prerogative but you're not coming with me. You try and I will throw boomer bile on you and let the infected have their way."
She simply remained stoic as she looked at him.
"Please this suit is not cheap, it's worth more than your ass on a corner in Vegas on a Friday."
Nick scoffed getting defensive.
"I have a strong policy about not pistol whipping the injured but for you I might make an exception. After you're done being a prick you can follow me to the safe house or stand there like a zombie buffet, it's up to you jack ass. I don't give a shit, more supplies for me."
The woman said then walked off.
Nick was beside himself. He had never been treated like that and he wasn't going to let that go but she did save his life so he owed her that much.
"So cupcake what's your name or would you rather I call you bitch princess? By the way I'm Nick, trust me I don't plan on staying with you longer then I need to."
Nick said limping along behind her. He kept thinking about their conversation, not only did she take his shit but she threw it back at him with no problem.
"I'm Alice and I'm just like you, trying to survive this shit hole." She said then stopped and sighed. "Here let me help you. You're slowing me down and I don't want to die for you."
She slung his unbroken arm over her shoulder and helped him walk.
"Do you smoke Nick?"
She pulled out a pack of cigarettes as she asked. The cigarettes just so happened to be the brand he preferred before the infection.
"Just give me the damn cigarette, I could use one after this. Also I can walk on my own. I don't need you mothering me."
Nick pushed her off then tried to reach for the pack but Alice softly brushed his hand away. She pulled one out of the pack for him then lit it and passed it over, she then pulled out on for herself repeating the process.
"Thanks but I can still do things on my own."
He still took the cigarette with a low grunt and put it between his lips.
"Oh I'm sure you can big boy. With the fucked up arm and loss of blood, let's see you survive in that shape."
She laughed taking a drag then blew it out away from them. She laughed to herself in a way that annoyed Nick. Who was this woman to talk to him like that? It was silent while they walked a trail of smoke behind them. Alice still had that damn smirk on her face and Nick had enough.
"You're not a people person are you or are you really that much of a bitch on the inside."
Nick smirked blowing smoke out of his nose. Alice just kept walking and didn't look back.
"Oh I can work with people; I'm just looking out for myself, like you seem to be. I'm trying to get to DC and I have no time to let others slow me down."
She said arriving at the safe house. She opened the door then looked back at him.
"You coming in or would you rather sit outside?"
Nick did as he was asked and walked in.
"Why are you heading to DC of all places? It's overrun with infected or do you just have a death wish I should know about."
Nick sat down in an old looking chair and sighed feeling some comfort.
"I have people to save, people that I pulled into this mess and only I can pull them out."
She pulled the heavy metal door shut and bared it. Why the hell would a woman that looks out for only herself be risking her life for others in DC? Nick was starting to feel dizzy and Alice's logic was not helping.
Alice walked up a set of stairs as he was thinking and came back down with some pills, a med kit and a few other things he couldn't see. She handed him a bottle of water that had clearly been refilled but the water looked clean then gave him a dose of pain killers.
"This should help with the pain. Now I need to patch you up."
She said softly gently taking of his suit jacket then unbuttoned his shirt removing it to get a better view of the wounds.
"It looks like you have a few cracked ribs on your right side, nothing that won't fix itself with enough time. Your arm is a mess but I can splint that and cast it. You should be fine in a month and a half. The break in your arm while painful is minor and the ribs on your right side are cracked. You got lucky but I need to stop this bleeding first."
She seemed to be talking to herself as she took out some gauze and put presser on his neck then when the bleeding stop she disinfected it and bandaged it. She repeated the process with all of his gashes then started on his arm. Nick expected it to be a quick and piss poor job but as he watched her she seemed to know what she was doing. After some time she stopped and looked at him.
"Take four pills every four hours for the pain and when you sleep make sure it's on your right, it seems crazy but you'll be able to take the deep breaths you need to. Make sure you take some deep breaths once an hour. As much as I hate to do this I can't leave you so we're going to stay here till you heal up. Damn the Hippocratic Oath. Anyway your bed is upstairs, the first door on the right. I'll be down here should you need me pretty boy."
She sighed sitting down.
"Wait, you're a doctor? If that's not the most ironic things I've ever heard I don't know what is."
Nick laughed some noticing Alice rolling her eyes.
"I'm not a doctor, though for a long time I was going to become one. I'm actually a biochemical engineer."
Alice sighed starting to nod off. Nick noticed that and decided to go to bed and figure out what to do later. He was feeling better but each step up the stairs feel like a workout. He got to the top and looked around, it was small but he could tell it was in good shape, well as good as it could be. He opened the first door on the right and walked in seeing a room with a big bed and some old but usable blankets. He took off his shoes and carefully got on the bed and laid down on his right side. Much to his surprise she was right, he could breathe better.
"Damn this woman might be of use to me but I don't want to stay here too long."
He thought out loud starting to nod off. He did not want to be with this woman for more than a week if he could help it. He wanted to get back to the others and be on his way. Still spending time with someone with medical knowledge would be a good idea; he might be able to con some supplies off her. Nick fell asleep with his thoughts hearing the sounds of the infected outside growling and hissing and soon he was dreaming.