Without Guilt
Chapter XXIV: In Sight
"Simmons, there's no time for this." Otis reprimanded as he entered the supermarket, having to squeeze through the gap of the jammed automatic doors. He managed to shoulder one aside wide enough to allow him to carry the crate of supplies inside.
"If we can just find…" Dorothy was already wandering between the aisles, carefully stepping over fallen shelves and broken glass.
The store had been looted many years ago and the only testament to its once full shelves were the empty wrappers and bottles left for the wind to throw about.
Otis gently eased the crate onto a counter at the front of the store, sighing as he clicked his flashlight on. The pale beam swept over the dusty tills, rats scurrying from between the exposed underflooring where a burst pipe had frozen completely solid in the sub-zero temperatures.
Nothing else stirred, but the adrenaline was still making him uncomfortably tense.
He moved to track down his wandering companion when he heard her struggling with something. "We can't stay out here, Dorothy." He warned as he joined her in the frozen goods aisle.
The electric wiring had faulted a long time ago and the contents of the freezers already gone.
"I just thought it would be-" Dorothy grunted with the effort to push a shopping cart upright, her wet boots nearly slipping on the trash underfoot. "Woah!"
Otis managed to catch her before she could hit her head on the shelf behind her, drawing a little squeak from the petite woman. "Everyone is tired. You're tired." He reminded her.
Dorothy scrambled a little uncertainly as she was pulled back to her feet. "I thought it would be easier to move the stuff if we had something mobile." She admitted, straightening her clothes out awkwardly. "… Dominique shouldn't really be out here."
Otis glanced towards the cart before looking back to her. "No," He sighed. "You're right."
He'd right the shopping cart, picking out some trash from it before motioning for her to take it over while he retrieved the supply crate.
"It's a little lopsided." Dorothy observed as she wiggled the cart in an attempt to straighten its path. It still continued to draw to one side, but it was better for managing the weight of the supplies. Plus, she could lean on it.
They were back on the street in minutes, the rest of the supplies that Kumi hadn't taken being added to the cart.
Dorothy carefully stepped around the dead Clicker, trying not to focus on its misshapen head too much. "Where do you think it came from?" She asked the man, grateful for the additional hand guiding the cart since it was straining to trudge uphill against the snow.
"Doesn't matter." Otis replied nonchalantly.
Dorothy glanced towards him. He was rarely anything other than quiet and distant, though she had noticed there was a difference in the way he spoke with Layla to everyone else. "About two weeks ago…" She started slowly. "When we were staying in that warehouse, and I woke you up. I thought you were having a nightmare." She confessed. "You talk in your sleep."
Otis couldn't quite remember what she was talking about. The days often blurred together when you were so focused on surviving. "Mason said the same thing." He admitted.
Dorothy laughed lightly. "It was my first time seeing you smile." She added, leaning a little forward on the cart to get a better look at him. "What did you do before the breakout?"
"Do you always need to fill in the silence?" Otis countered.
"Just thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to, I guess." She shrugged.
Otis side-eyed her. She was too curious for her own good. "Ammunition Technical Officer."
Dorothy squinted at him. "You mean… army?"
"Sure." He replied, hoping that was the end of the conversation.
Dorothy could imagine it, a smile appearing on her face. "I bet you looked good in uniform!" She expressed enthusiastically. An awkward silence ensued in which she realised how random the compliment was. "Gosh, Otis, I wasn't flirting with you-" She scrambled to explain, releasing the cart and holding her hands up.
Otis felt the cart jerk when she released it though he kept his gaze ahead. He cleared his throat. "Just stop talking, Simmons."
"Otis-!"
"What?" He turned on her in frustration.
"No, Otis, look!" She pointed towards the smoke in the distance, rising from the direction of the QZ.
"It's white. It's not burning anymore." Otis jerked the cart forward so he could push it properly. "Let's go!"
"What's going on?" Otis asked as he joined Kumi and Dominique at the checkpoint.
"We're not sure, a fire started in one of the flats and spread all the way through the east block." Dominique filled in.
"Did anyone get hurt?" Dorothy questioned worriedly as she shrugged off her backpack to unpack the rest of the supplies for the inventory crew who were disgruntled and trying to sort through everything amidst the chaos.
"Where's Pier and Scarlett?" Kumi tried to spot the two amongst the crowd of onlookers.
"We're here." Pier raised a hand to grab their attention as he and Scarlett appeared around the other side of the checkpoint barrier.
"Heard you came back loaded; Layla called us down to the warehouse to help." Scarlett filled in, wasting no time in making her way around to help Phil in taking stock. The sooner they got done, the sooner they could get their share and get gone - a bonus of working with the inventory crew was that you could skip the line to collect your rations.
"You got any idea what's going on?" Otis asked Pier as he slid over the barrier to join them.
Pier gave his shoulder a strong squeeze. "Someone's taken a torch to Murphy's place. Probably didn't think the direction of the wind through though. No one got hurt, but the boss is pretty aggravated 'bout the whole thing."
Otis and Kumi exchanged silent looks, a frown appearing on the former's face.
"Ain't our business," Pier insisted. "Could've just been faulty wiring or a heater left on too long – no one's seen or heard anythin'. You're not worried 'bout Murphy sleeping out on the street, are ya?"
"Like hell I am." Otis scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the barrier. He needed a moment off his feet before he could continue. "I'm just disappointed he wasn't in there."
"Otis." Dominique reprimanded him.
"Son of a bitch deserves it." He dismissed, though he knew it wasn't a good idea to voice his dislike after such an event, he was smarter than to openly express his opinions. "Anyway, I'm off to Will's place, got some cleaning to do."
"Why you going there? Thought we were staying with Pier and Scarlett." Dominique frowned lightly in confusion.
"You are." Otis replied as he emptied his backpack, pushing himself to his feet again. "I'm not."
Dominique looked to Kumi in silent accusation, but the large man just shrugged. "Don't look at me."
"You folks go ahead and get comfortable, there's still some hot water in the tank." Pier added, giving Otis a nod in farewell before focusing on Kumi, Dominique, and Dorothy. "Upstairs is mine and Scarlett's though, but there's plenty room downstairs so make yourselves at home." He encouraged.
"Thanks, Pier." Dominique expressed warmly, truthfully dying to have a hot shower and be in fresh clothes and sleep in clean sheets on something comfortable.
Dorothy stared after Otis' retreating form.
Kumi briefly looked to her. "You're welcome to go back to Will's place if you want, but I don't recommend it." He half joked before nudging her. "Dorothy, seriously?"
She gave him a nervous smile. "No, I was just- his hand was bleeding again, thought I might patch it up." She reasoned.
"He's a grown man, he can take care of it." Kumi assured, waiting for her to start walking before following.
Please R&R!
