It had been several weeks now since the group of survives had been outside, fighting off the infected and running for their lives while looking for safety, which was in an apparent short supply these days. And speaking of safety, their makeshift hold continued to prove useful; It being on the second floor of a building only making it easier for them to protect their temperary home, though that hardly deterded the special infected. They tried their hardest to gain access to the saferoom by any means possible. One of them almost succeeded, dragging Rochelle halfway out the window before Coach or Nick could even blink, but thanks to Coach and the smoker's tongue was cut and Ro was dropped. Moral of the story, she learned not to sit too close to the windows that day.
Other than the odd wonderer and the event of Rochelle being pulled out the window nothing else happened. Ellis was healing, slowly, but he was now able to talk and he could even sit up, well, with a little help. Ro, of course, still worried over him constantly asking if there was anything he needed and whatnot while Nick and Coach watched the perimeter, always rotating around the room to cover the open windows and holes in the walls. They had tried their best to cover and threatening holes rather than the ones that could easily be guarded.
Ro was busy cleaning one of her pistols when Ellis propped himself up on one elbow. Her gaze shifting up form the gun she held in her callosed hands to focus on the youngest still laying on the pool table. "What is it hun?" she asked, a tad concerned. While he was making better progress after Nick cauterized his wounds, he was still in pain and no one wanted the skin tearing and make matters worse.
It took a moment for him to reply, his mouth dry. " 'athroom.."
She gave him a look, leaning forward and straining slightly to hear the mechanic's words. They were quiet, soft and oh so sexy, well, to Ro anyways. She loved the tone of a man just waking up. "Coach..." No response, so she waited a moment before calling out for him again.
Coach had been watching the far back windows. They were a bit inconvinetally placed within a smaller room with a smashed up computer and some filing cabinets. It was only a few seconds later he heard Ro calling for him. Her tone didn't cause him any panic which meant it was something to do with Ellis. The bulkier male left out a low huff before stepping into the other room.
"Bathroom." She spoke, carefully putting the pistol back together as she await his response while Ellis remained on the pool table, lifting himself up and dangling his legs over the edge.
"It's Nick's turn." He spoke, looking over Ellis before turning back to take his place in rear room.
Ro gave him a look, the last piece clicking into place as she stood and returned it back to it's holster on her thigh. "Men.." she muttered under her breath, turning to spot Nick already looking in her direction. Clearly he had heard the conversation, but then it wasn't really private and the fact that they had been stuck in this hold for weeks without food or clean water wasn't helping. She had noticed it was doing a number on each of them; Nick and Coach especially.
"Ah, hell, I'll do it myself!" Ellis spoke, pushing himself off the edge and onto his own feet. It had been quite sometime since he had done anything for himself and waiting on help was becoming an unwanted battle. He stumbled forward slightly, taking a sharp breath in as he placed a hand on the edge of the pool table to steady himself; both Rochelle and Nick starting forward slightly.
"El-"
He cut her off with a wave of his free hand before making his way to the door, edging himself slowly and carefully along the side of the pool table.
The two both watched the young mechanic as he made his way towards the door, Rochelle turning suddenly to look behind her at Nick, unimpressed. Nick could only return the look with an added shrug and huff of frustration before following after the kid.
It took several minutes to get down the stairs, Nick trailing unwillingly behind him. "I don't need yur help Nick."
"Fine." The other spoke, turning to head off back up the stairs. If the hick didn't want help then that was that. He wasn't going to fight him.
Ellis let out a soft sigh as he hobbled over to the wall, placing a hand on it for support as he took the last few steps to the bathroom door. While it wasn't in the best condition it still functioned well as a washroom, well, more like a port-a-potty since there was no running water. He made his way to one of the urinals, unzipping and relieving himself. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he leaned his head back slightly.
He was doing up his fly when he heard a noise. "Nick?" He questioned, figuring the stubborn man had come back to check on him. No reply, so he called out again. Still nothing. "This ain't funny guys.. come on" Figuring it was a prank of some kind now. He took another step forward, stopping as the sound echoed louder; it was getting closer. Ellis took in a shaky breath, the sound of his heart beat loud in his ears. Was it a zombie? .. or another hunter perhaps. Oh god, he hoped not. He was still having bad dreams of what that undead nightmare did to him. "Ro...Coach.." He took a step back, slowly inching himself away from the noise. "Nick.." he added, his voice sounding a bit more desperate than he had liked.
Just as he got to the first stall, the noise stopped, Ellis taking this time to look behind him. 'Thank god..' he thought, turning to face the door and exit the bathroom quickly without tripping over the broken dry wall and god knows what else all over the floor. He reached out for the handle, about to pull when the door comes flying back at him, knocking him back and onto the ground. He clutched his chest as it throbbed before looking up at the new arrival.
"The hell are you doing on the ground Overalls?"
Ellis dropped his head, shaking it lightly as he let out a huff of air. "The hell are you doing down here Nick?" He forced out, his heart still racing. "Thought you went back up.."
"I did." He certainly had but thanks to Ro and her annoying guilt-tripping looks he was sent back down.
"Rochelle..?" He asked, not getting an answer. Of course it was. She was the one that kept them all in line, keeping them together. "Totally was." he chuckled, his hand still gripping tightly to his shirt.
"Shut up Overalls." Nick retaliated, slinging the gun over his shoulder before moving to help Ellis up. "You alright?" he asked, figuring it was the nice thing to do since he did just clock the boy with the door.
Ellis gave him a nod, moving his hand from his tattered shirt and into Nick's offered hand. "Jus' stings a bit is all.."
"Lemme see."
"I'm fine Nick."
"Yeah, and if you aren't I'm going to get lectured again." And that was one thing he didn't want to sit through again. So, instead of helping the redneck up, he crouched beside him and grabbed hold of the edge of his shirt, slowly inching it up until Ellis had enough and took the task it into his own hands. The conman let it happen, his eyes flickering up to look at Ellis before looking back down at his wounds.
The wounds themselves were still a bright pink and scabbed over. Other than that everything thing appeared fine and still intact. Though, being curious, Nick let his fingers trace over one of the tender parts of one of the wounds, his cold hands sending a chill throughout the mechanic's body. He smirked at the reaction, Ellis pushing his shirt back down. "Inspection over, thank you Doctor Nick.."
"Anytime, Overalls" Nick took his hand back with a soft laugh before offering it again. The other took it and was quickly pulled up. "Now, why were you calling me?"
Ellis gave him a confused look. "Wha? Oh, uh.. I heard somethan' and.. well.."
"You got scared?"
"Nah, I wasn' ... just.. uh.. startled.."
"Right.. right, sure you were." He turned back to the door, opening it. "Don't worry Princess, I'm here to protect you."
"Oh, shut up." He replied, squeezing past Nick into the next room. The two ignored each other on the way back up, Ellis not quite sure what to say and Nick satisfied with the silence.
Once back up in the hold, Ro moved over to his side. "Everything alright, hun?"
"Yeah, everythan's fine."
She looked to Nick before stealing a glance at Ellis again. "We'll have to keep an eye out for a new shirt for you El."
The redneck in question looked down at his torn shirt. His favorite shirt. The one Keith got him; Keith being his best friend. The two got into quite a bit o trouble together, well, mainly Keith. He had burned himself, nearly drowned himself, burned himself again, fell under his mower, tangled with a gator, got robbed by a ghost, tear gased by police, had missiles/shrapnile bombs/etc shot at him, forced to dodge a roller coaster, and the list just went on. He was a mess and a lot of people were surprised he was still alive and walking. "I can always just pull on my overalls.." He spoke, not really wanting to rid himself of the last thing that reminded him of home.
"Whatever you wanna do hun, but I'll keep my eye out anyway."
Ellis gave her a nod before heading back over to the pool table. Stopping, he turned to look at Nick before glancing back to Rochelle and then finally Coach. Seemed all of them were on the edge, but always seemed to be looking out for each other. It was interesting to witness. He padded his hand gently on the pool table, his gaze shifting down to his open hand as it hit the solid wood beneath it. Honestly, he was beginning to feel a tad useless, but perhaps now that he was able to move around a bit they'd let him take a window or heck even start preperations to start moving.
He thought to himself for a moment before heading for the back room where Coach was.
"Might wanna think twice about going back there Princess." Nick spoke suddenly, causing Ellis to stop and look in his direction.
"Why?"
"Cause Coach has been a little on edge from the lack of food and all."
Ellis had almost forgotten about that situation since he really didn't have any need to eat what with sleeping most of the time. "Why haven't we moved on then?"
Nick gave him a look, one that made Ellis feel like his was stupid for asking such a question. "Seriously Overalls?"
"Well.. yeah.. I mean I could've-"
"No, not in the state you were. You were barley able to sit let alone get up yourself."
"..But we can head out now, I mean I can walk by myself now and can hold a gun"
"Oh? You think so, do you?" Nick asked, Ellis nodding. He let out a short laugh before picking up the rifle that sat beside the window and throwing it to the redneck. Ellis caught it in his chest, both arms closing around it to avoid dropping the weapon. "Prove it."
Ellis took the gun in his hand before moving over to the window beside Nick where he readjusted the weapon and lined up a shot. "No pressure, Princess." Nick chimed in again before Ellis pulled the trigger, hitting the dirt right beside the undead corpse. "Shoot.." he muttered, Nick laughing at his error. "Oh shut up Nick.." He mumbled, lining up his shot again. This time it hit, taking off the zombie's leg.
"Wow, impressive.." Nick mocked, watching the lopsided figure as it staggered and fall face down into the dirt.
"Like you can do better."
"Is that a challenge?" He enjoed challenges especially if there was something in it for himself. The boy nodded, the grin on Nick's face only growing. "Challenge accepted, now what's on the line if I win?" Ellis stared at him, trying to think of something he could offer up but nothing came to mind. "How bought... a favor?"
"Like what?"
"Nothing specific now, but if the time calls for it then the winner can bring it up."
Ellis thought out the pros and cons of owing Nick a favor; the cons outweighing the pros, but hell, if he won then he'd have something to hold over the other. He held out his hand, Nick taking it in his own before both shaking each other's hand. "Deal."
After taking their hands back, Nick lined himself up, following the target's slow movements before pulling the trigger and punching a hole clean through it's gut. "Looks like I win."
