Jack
Jack stretched his arms above his head and yawned. His chest and arm muscles still ached from the morning. Training had been shortened for the upcoming physical of the three new comers, but Donnie hadn't gone easy on them. In fact, if anything, he had been harder on them, giving them a shorter, but far more intense workout. Even Zxander and Leven, who were pretty much at the top of their game in regards to fitness, had struggled towards the end. As for Jack, he was just glad not to have thrown up, like he had done the first couple of sessions. For a moment he simply stood, studying his face in the mirrored reflection of the small operating theatre's glass window. It was the only room in the hospital that Herman and Bryan allowed to use electricity constantly, and so was where he carried out most of his treatments and diagnoses.
And occasionally emergency procedures.
It had only been around two months ago that Zxander and Herman had carried a screaming and cursing Dayo in. Blood pouring from an open bite wound on his leg had seemed to seal his fate. Administer a lethal injection, taken from the prison to ease his passing, and place a stake into his head to prevent the turning. Jack had been ready to do it. But something had clicked in his head. Instead of reaching for the needle, Jack had inexplicably grabbed a fire axe and, with a strength he didn't know he had, amputated Dayos leg at the knee.
Herman had almost had him arrested. It had taken Dayos screams to distract him, and both Zxander and Donnie pulling him out of the room to let Jack get on with the urgent task of applying ligatures to the various veins and arteries, using wire from a tool kit he'd found, and cleaning the wound.
Two days later, Dayo still lived, and Jack had found a way to survive being bitten. He'd gone from being a skinny no-body to one of the most important players in Elysium, earning the respect of everyone in the district-including the five 'Seniors' as they were known, and the gratitude of Herman, one of the most important Seniors. After Herman had come to apologise to him personally, Jacci and Danny had not been able to stop laughing at his amazement.
"What did you expect you muppet?" Danny had squeezed his arm around his shoulders and punched him on the cheek. "You stopped his nephew from becoming a rotting mess. Of course he's going to be chuffed with you?"
"Chuffed?" Jack still couldn't get his head around some of Danny's London dialect.
"Yeah chuffed. Pleased as punch. Happy!"
"Oh." Jack nodded. "Well, I just did what was best. He was going to die anyway; it couldn't do any harm to try. It's just a shame he'll be bound to crutches."
"You leave that to me Jack my son." Danny had tapped the side of his nose mysteriously and then disappeared, leaving Jack and Jacci bemused.
"What do you think he's up to?" Jacci shrugged.
"No idea." She twisted her strawberry blonde hair into a bun, and tied it up behind her ears. "You know Danny, he likes to keep the wheeler dealer thing going. He'll turn up with what you need, he always does." And sure enough he had. Before he'd been trapped in America, Danny had been an orderly in a London hospital. Although he had no medical training himself, he had picked up a lot. He returned to Jack a few days later with an inexplicable number of false legs.
"Where did you get these?" Jack had barely been able to speak, so amazed was he.
"Never you mind Jack. Just get one of these on to Dayo, make us look good down here," Danny had grinned, his slightly pointed canine teeth making him look more feline than usual. The application of the limb had proven tricky, and many times Jack had wanted to give in, but two months later, Dayo had been able to go out with Zxander and Bella for a routine sweep of the wilds. Bringing back three strangers.
Jack stared up at the clock. It was time for him to go to the gymnasium in the middle school. This was where the physicals of the three people were to be held-two full days earlier than usual. Somehow, Bella had convinced the Seniors to push it forward, on the urging of the three-a highly unusual move on the parts of everyone involved. He wondered what was in store. Picking up his medical bag, he made his way down the street.
He still couldn't get over the odd mix of normal life and military camp that was Elysium. He could hear that recess was in session for the fifteen or so children under the age of sixteen that lived in the complex, and could see a few of them clambering running around the high school. But he knew if he went to the elementary school, he'd see people working on their sword and knife skills, going through boot camps and training to destroy Zombies. That, or working on recovered vehicles from Washington. Everyone in Elysium had to have a purpose. If you hadn't been something that was considered useful in pre zombie life-a mechanic, a doctor like himself, military personnel-then you were either trained to be one.
That was if you passed the physical. The physical wasn't hard, just a series of circuits designed to make sure you weren't going to slow a scouting party down and put them at risk, that you were agile and quick enough to get yourself out of danger. In all the time Elysium had been up and running, it was said that only one person had failed the physical-a morbidly obese computer technician, who had refused an offer to be allowed to stay in the holding cells and trained to pass, and had opted to leave Elysium, claiming he'd be able to find a less 'barbaric' community to hold up in.
Pushing open the doors to the school, Jack could hear that the physicals were already underway-possibly nearly done. He wasn't required to be there for the whole thing, he was more of a back up, in case someone broke an ankle falling from the ropes. He usually turned up around the end, unless he was sent for, just to check that the new intake hadn't over stretched themselves too soon. Today, he was keen to check on the younger woman, and make sure the stitches on her stab wound hadn't come undone. He turned the corner down to the gymnasium and was met by Dayo.
"How's the leg?" In response, Dayo tapped on his leg. The sound of hollow metal echoed down the hall.
"Great for walking and driving. Still a little shaky when I run, but I'll get use to it." He smiled at Jack, showing disarmingly white teeth against his almost coal black skin. He lead Jack to the gym and showed him inside. "The woman are done. Both fine. Uncle Herman and George are just speaking to the sword bearing one. Michonne her name is. Grace, Oscar and Libby are just dealing with the man. He's Medical Corp, so he'll be of use to you. You just need to deal with Robin Hood."
"What?" Jack frowned. Dayo pointed to a corner of the room, where the third stranger sat, the younger woman, who had been covered in scars. "Oh, her." Jack nodded. "Her wound..?" Dayo nodded.
"Uncle Herman just want you to check it. And if it needs antibiotics I guess she can have them now." He went back to the other side of the room, where the Medical Corp was being put through the beep test, the last part of the physical.
Approaching the woman, Jack felt a nervous twinge in his stomach. He was reassured to see Bella and Zxander stood with her. Strangers made him feel uneasy, and even though he was reasonably sure none of the three posed a danger, he wouldn't be comfortable until he knew them better. Neither Bella or Zxander seemed to have such reservations, both chatting to the woman with no qualms. She in turn was looking at them with such a look of incredulity, that Jack couldn't help being amused. Considering the pair of them had essentially abducted her from the wilds, he could understand her being confused. It had to be done though. Ever since Jennifer and Todd had been murdered by a wondering stranger on the wilds, it had been policy to subdue and observe before even considering people for physicals. Kneeling in front of her, he re-introduced himself.
"Hey. Remember me? Jack Ludwig? I just want to check your dressing before you go off to get settled in. And maybe prescribe you some antibiotics if you need it. Mind if I take a look?" The woman didn't hesitate to show him the wound this time. Obviously he'd been gentle enough with it before for her to realise he really did just want to help her. She lifted up the kaki t-shirt she was wearing, to expose her stomach. Jack heard Zxander give a sharp intake of breath at the scars across her abdomen. Bella had obviously seen the worse of them, as had he, but this evidently was the first time Zxander had seen the full extent.
"Yeah, I get that reaction a lot." The sound of her voice made Jack jump slightly. He hadn't heard her speak before. British, like Danny. He examined the dressing-no weeping, no sign of infection. Lifting the bandage away slightly, he saw with satisfaction that the stitches had held well. He moved away and let her lower her top.
"Well it is a pretty impressive collection you got there." He stood up. "You'll be fine. I'll pass a message on to go easy on the training and such, but it's healing nicely." The woman nodded, and then stuck out her hand. Surprised, Jack hesitated, then shook it.
"Georgina Powell. Georgie if you want. Isabelle was telling me about Elysium. How you run it here." Georgie let go of his hand. "It's not what I thought it was."
"How do you mean?" Zxander asked.
"It's...hard to...it's just not as..."Georgie seemed to be struggling for words. Eventually she managed, "it seems freer. And not as controlled." She shook her head. "I don't know. Last time I was somewhere like this, it was pretty brutal. And very misogynist."
"What?" Bella wrinkled her nose. "What does that mean?"
"Woman hating." Jack answered coldly before Georgie could. "I suppose that's the root of your collection then." Cold memories flooded his mind and he tried to push them away. Georgie slowly nodded.
"Something like that yeah." She looked at him curiously. "You ok?"
"Fine," Jack lied. "I just, I should check your friends." He picked up his kit, and attempted a warm smile. He got the impression he failed. "Good to finally know your name Georgie. I hope to see more of you around here." And before anyone could say anything more, he rushed away, without a backward glance.