I own NOTHING but the idea for this story.
A State of Emergency, Lester's liquor collection, and nothing but time.
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Jess sat in Lester's chair and watched, through the glass panes, the glint of the torch on Connor's EMD as he did another sweep of the Main Operations Room for anything that could be of some use.
She watched as he came back into the office and closed the door tightly.
She could see the in dim light of the lantern that Connor had found some blankets; fire blankets no doubt, but again, better than nothing.
Connor handed one of the blankets to Jess.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
"We should get some sleep and work out a plan when we wake up." Connor spoke, not meeting her eyes.
Jess nodded.
Connor took his jacket off and folded it before handing it to Jess.
"It's cold." She argued.
"The blankets should keep us warm enough. Lester's office operates under a different thermostat and despite the electricity being gone; this room is still slightly warmer than outside of it. You can use it as a makeshift pillow." He offered the jacket again.
Jess took the jacket and set up a sleeping place on the floor between the glass pane and the left-hand side of Lester's desk.
Connor set up on the floor in front of Lester's desk; his feet to the door, EMD nearby.
"Night." Jess whispered.
"Night." Connor whispered back as they settled into their respective sleeping spaces.
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Jess couldn't sleep.
On other occasions, maybe she'd have been able to but, given the circumstances, right now seemed a terrible time to sleep.
She leaned over and grabbed one of the torches off Lester's desk and curled the fire blanket around her as she sat down next to the glass pane and turned the torch.
She surveyed the abandoned and darkened Main Operations Room with the small light.
Nothing seemed probable any longer.
Happiness she felt before the anomalies today now flickered like distant memories.
"What are you looking for?" A voice asked quietly in the dark behind her.
Maybe it was that her nerves were shot.
Yes, that was it.
Because she hadn't jumped when the words came from his mouth.
"I can't sleep." She replied simply.
"It's not a time for sleeping." He agreed.
She turned to look in his direction. The dim lantern casting dancing shadows across his face.
His chocolate eyes were looking up at her from his makeshift bed.
"The world's ending outside." Jess whispered. "And possibly a creature somewhere in the ARC looking for fresh meat."
"We'll be safe for now."
Jess hugged the fire blanket closer to her person.
"I'm thirsty." She muttered. "Shame those emergency packs didn't contain water or something."
Connor stared up at the ceiling as if he were thinking about something.
"Well, there's one place we hadn't checked just yet." He pointed out before sitting up and walking around Lester's desk.
"I doubt Lester would have anything—" Jess trailed off, watching Connor rifle through the various drawers and cabinets that usually surrounded Lester during his duties here.
Her eyes widened as Connor produced several bottles of liquor from a cabinet beneath the small television set behind Lester's chair.
"I never pegged Lester for a heavy drinker. I—I mean, I know we have all joked about it—but—but—" She rambled.
"Do you want whiskey, vodka, or" he held up a bottle to his face, searching for a label. "I'm really not sure what this one is; mystery liquor?"
"Lester would fire us if he found out we were drinking his stash. Besides, I was thinking more along the lines of water."
"Jess, we're probably the last people alive. Getting fired is the least of our worries."
Jess eyed the three bottles in the dimness.
"We've got nothing but time, Jess."
"Three bottles of liquor, a couple of protein bars, and nothing but time. One thing I've learned in the Cretaceous is to make due with what you have." Connor explained softly, after a moment.
Jess looked up from the bottles, having made up her mind.
"Have we got any glasses to split a bottle?"
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End it there? Or continue?
Tell me your thoughts.
