Hello all! This is for Taisi who suggested a car crash! I love it! Hope you guys do too! :D
Thunder rumbled distantly, a dull flash of lightning illuminating the blackening clouds overhead. The wind had picked up a bit over the past hour, the temperature dropping a few degrees with the ever increasing blanket of clouds. A soft patter of rain began to fall, splattering across the windshield only to be swept away by the windshield wipers. There was another roll of thunder high above them and the rain began to fall faster, heavy, round drops bursting on the glass on impact.
"Looks like we're in for a storm..." Tallahassee muttered to himself more than anyone, craning his neck to look out into the angry clouds above.
"Tropical humidity." Columbus said beside him, blinking up into the sky as well. "This close to the coast, the humidity and heat build up and create last afternoon storms like this."
Tallahassee just rolled his eyes. Leave it to the kid to come up with a textbook explanation for everything. "Thanks for the newsflash, genius." He muttered as he turned the windshield wipers up a little more. This rain was definitely going to get worse before it got better.
Columbus shrugged slightly, keeping his eyes glued out the window. "Just saying..." He said, letting the sentence fade into silence. Things had been tense between them for a couple of days and, like the storm outside, it didn't look like it was going to get any better for a while yet. The girls had split again, neither of them knew where this time, and both of them blamed the other for their disappearance. Wichita and Tallahassee had always been one step from drawing each others blood but Monday put all of that to shame. The argument had started off small, something stupid probably, and had escalated into a full blown war of the words before it was all over with. Little Rock had been asleep and Columbus had been upstairs in the shower so neither knew what the argument was about but it was abundantly clear that someone had crossed a line. Wichita snatched Little Rock out of the bed and took the car, driving off before either men could say anything else. They didn't say where they were going and it didn't really matter, following them would have just made things worse.
Columbus was pissed at Tallahassee for starting the argument (though the older man insisted Wichita had started it) and Tallahassee was pissed at him for taking her side when he didn't know the basis for the argument in the first place. Even though Columbus and Wichita had broken up months ago and he and and the kid had been sleeping together ever since, Tallahassee was still convinced that Columbus preferred the brunette over him. Columbus argued that that wasn't true and another argument had ensued. There had been considerable tension between them ever since; one-worded answers, only speaking when spoken to, ignoring each other for the most part. It was getting old but neither were quite ready to admit they were wrong.
Lightning crashed above them, illuminating the sky brilliantly. The rain increased, splattering over the windshield with renewed force and streaking the glass with water. Tallahassee squinted through the glass, trying to see the stormy road in front of him. Water was sloshing into the ditches on either side of the road, filling them with muddy water and scattering leaves from the trees above. There was another flash of lightning and something above the road snapped with a loud, twisting crack. There was a shuddering give and a large tree branch, easy the size of the truck they were in came crashing to the ground.
Tallahassee swerved suddenly, the tires screeching over the wet pavement and not gaining any purchase. They spun uselessly, kicking up water on either side, before giving out completely and sending them into a tale-spin. "Shit...!" Tallahassee growled, desperately trying to keep control of the steering wheel. The truck spun more violently and he lost his grip, the wheel spinning free from his hands. He caught Columbus' eyes, wide with panic, just before the truck flipped into the ditch. There was a crash of metal hitting earth, a sharp cry, and the sound of glass shattering before everything went dark.
OOOOO
Tallahassee blinked slowly, wincing as the very motion of opening his eyes caused his head to throb. He could feel water trickling down the sides of his face, or maybe it was blood? He wasn't sure but everything hurt. The storm was still raging outside, angrily tossing the trees around with the force of the wind. Thunder rumbled again and if it were possible, Tallahassee would have shot it for being so annoying. Columbus would have probably said something stupid about not being able to shoot clouds because they were made up of condensed water droplets or something brainy like that. Speaking of...Tallahassee turned slightly, looking across the seat to his passenger. "Shit! Columbus!"
The younger man was slumped against the crunched metal of the truck, his eyes closed and wet hair clinging to his face. The passenger-side window had shattered, water gushing into the open cab and soaking him to the bone. Even though he'd been wearing his seatbelt, there was a crack in the windshield, bloody and broken, from where he'd smacked his head against the unforgiving glass. Blood was running down his face in watery streams, dripping onto his shirt and staining it despite the presence of the ditch water. And he was so unbelievably still...
"Shit!" Tallahassee growled again, fighting with his seatbelt (an annoying habit he'd picked up from the kid) before finally giving up and slicing through it with his hunting knife. The seatbelt, however, was the only thing keeping him from sliding across the cab and crashing into Columbus, which he did the minute the belt was cut. His shoulder connected with Columbus' roughly and the kid moaned softly against the contact. Well, it was something...at least he knew he was alive.
"Columbus." He said, shifting so he was crouched in the water that was still flowing into the car. He reached out, cradling the younger man's face in his hands gently, brushing his thumb over his cheekbone. "Hey kid, can you hear me?"
Columbus' eyes squeezed shut slightly and he struggled to open them. Finally, he managed to crack open his eyelids and looked up at Tallahassee, blinking as a stream of bloody water trickled down the side of his face. "Tall...?" He asked, his voice nearly inaudible over the sound of the storm. He looked confused, not entirely sure where he was or what had happened, and Tallahassee cursed the fact that he probably had a concussion. "Yeah kiddo, its me." He was already working at cutting through the seatbelt that pinned Columbus to the seat. "Listen, we need to get out of here. The rain's not stoppin' and the longer we stay in this ditch, the worse its going to get." He reached out, snaking an arm around Columbus' chest right as the seatbelt cut away and he slumped limply in the seat. Columbus gasped sharply, wincing when Tallahassee grabbed him, and clenching his jaw. Stopping immediately, Tallahassee looked down at the younger man. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"Ribs..." Columbus gasped, shifting a bit in Tallahassee's grip. "Ahh...I think something's broken..." He face was pale, the blood standing out starkly against the whiteness of his skin.
Tallahassee cursed softly, even with the seatbelt the kid wasn't able to avoid the damage. "I'm sorry..." He whispered, tightening his grip a little lower and pulling him up and away from the broken window. "You can bitch at me for it later. Right now, we gotta move..."
Keeping a firm yet gentle grip around the younger man, Tallahassee wiggled and shifted his way to the driver-side door, pushing it open roughly with his free arm. The wind threatened to slam it closed once more but Tallahassee braced against it with his shoulder, keeping it open and pulling both he and Columbus out of the trashed truck. They landed on the soggy grass heavily, Columbus gasping sharply as he made contact with the ground. He had definitely taken the worst of the crash.
Tallahassee looped an arm around his shoulders and stood slowly, keeping Columbus pressed against his side. "Think you can walk?" He asked, taking in the pale, shivering ex-college student beside him uncertainly.
"Yeah..." Columbus assured him but the way he swayed and tipped dangerously on his feet suggested otherwise.
The last thing he needed was for the kid to fall again and make his injuries worse, so with quick, careful actions, Tallahassee scooped Columbus over one shoulder, careful not to injure his ribs anymore than necessary. He kept his arms wrapped around Columbus' knees and walked slowly, trying to see through the gusts of wind and rain. There was a dirt road a quarter mile up the street and with any luck a house wouldn't be too far away from that. He needed to get Columbus out of the rain or he'd be dealing with hypothermia on top of a head wound and broken bones.
The dirt road twisted away from the main highway slightly, leading into an overgrowth of trees. Normally, he'd be cautious of entering such a dangerous place but there didn't really seem to be any other options right then. Columbus was bleeding, the storm was getting worse, and their truck was trashed...dirt road it was.
A tiny house appeared just within the grove of trees, white paint peeling and porch made of decaying wood. The windows had been boarded up and thick padlocks had been placed on the doors. Either the previous occupants had been prepared for hurricanes or zombies, Tallahassee wasn't sure which and it didn't matter, he was just happy for the house. He scoped the area carefully, satisfied when no ravenous cannibals ran out to greet them, and made his way up to the rotting porch. The wooden planks held their combined weight well enough and he managed to break the locks with a few strikes. He stumbled inside clumsily as a new gust of wind hit him in the back. Had he not been so afraid of dropping Columbus, he would have let it knock him over into the living room of the house.
The room smelled musty with age and water damage; there was no telling how long it had been abandoned or if the occupants had ever planned to return but it would work for now. There was a dusty couch and a small table in the living room along with a few worn chairs. The rest of the house was dark, boarded up solidly against the weather and the zombie apocalypse. Still, airing on the safe side, Tallahassee gently lowered Columbus onto the couch and drew his gun, checking each room carefully before he was satisfied that they really were the only two there.
Re-holstering his gun, he went into the bathroom and began rummaging through the cabinets for any kind of first aid kit. The previous occupants really had thought of everything in preparation for hurricane season/zombie uprising: not only did he find a fully stocked first aid kit but there was also bottled water, canned food, thermal blankets, an emergency radio, and enough flashlights to light up a small town. Grabbing a few of the blankets, the first aid kit, and a lantern from the pile of flashlights on the ground, he made his way back into the living room.
Columbus was exactly where he'd left him, shivering and pale on the couch. Laying his findings out on the table next to the couch, Tallahassee knelt down next to him, gently stroking away the dripping hair from the kid's face. He flipped on the lantern (thank God for batteries) and looked down at the younger man. "You always manage to get yourself into some kind of trouble..." He muttered softly, brushing his thumb lightly over the split flesh at the kid's hairline. The cuts weren't deep but there was a knot the size of a golf ball marring his forehead and it was enough to convince him that Columbus did indeed have a concussion.
Columbus winced a bit as the older man's fingers made contact with the tender bump, sending a dull shock wave of pain through his head and down into his neck. "Do you think we're okay here?" He asked softly, blinking around at the darkness of the house.
Tallahassee nodded and began rummaging through the first aid kit. "Yeah, all the windows and doors are locked up pretty tight..." He pulled out an antiseptic wipe from the kit and opened it, gently swabbing away some of the blood from Columbus' forehead. "I think we'll be okay for a while until we can figure out what to do."
Columbus nodded, falling silent and laying still as the older man tended to his wounds. The rain continued to beat against the roof and the boarded windows, pattering loudly with the gusts of the wind. Had their situation been different, it might have been nice. "I'm sorry..."
Tallahassee stopped, frowning down at the younger man. "Wha?"
"I'm sorry." Columbus repeated, shifting his gaze to Tallahassee's. "For being angry...for arguing..." He winced as he shifted causing his ribs to ache in protest. "For everything really..."
Tallahassee sighed softly and shook his head, resuming his cleaning. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry...I shouldn't have let things get this bad..." He faded off, placing a bandage over the cuts and moving down to unbutton Columbus' shirt. "I'm a jealous sonuvabitch, kid...little things tip me off and I guess it just got to a breaking point." He shrugged half-hearted and hissed softly through his teeth when he saw the ugly purple bruises on Columbus' side. Yep, broken ribs were definitely there.
"I know..." Columbus sucked in a sharp breath when cold hands slid over his chest, feeling for anymore breaks. "But you don't have to worry...I'd rather be with you than Wichita."
Tallahassee smiled softly and pulled away. "Well, if there was anyone in the world I'd rather survive a zombie apocalypse with, I'm glad its you."
Columbus smiled; for Tallahassee that was a definite compliment. Before he could voice his thoughts though, a sudden shiver rippled its way through him, shaking him to his core. The older man seemed to notice and frowned, stripping the remaining wet clothes off of Columbus and then doing the same to himself until they were both clad in nothing but their underwear. As gently as he could, Tallahassee slid onto the couch with Columbus, pulling him into his lap and cradling him in his arms. He pulled the thermal blanket over them, tucking it around them securely and making a cocoon around them. "You getting pneumonia is definitely not something I want to go through either, one near death experience per day is enough for me."
Columbus wasn't about to complain and instead snuggled a little more against the older man's chest, shifting slightly to keep the pressure off his broken ribs. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, listening to the rain and saying nothing. A few times, Tallahassee would shake him awake, making sure he didn't slip into a coma or anything else traumatic.
The rain died off after a few more hours but the rumble of thunder made it clear that the threat wasn't gone completely yet. Tallahassee looked down at the younger man snuggled in his arms, silently timing the even breaths and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The kid had fallen asleep about twenty minutes ago and Tallahassee was content to let him sleep, so long as he was there to make sure nothing happened. He knew he probably felt like death warmed over too so maybe sleep wasn't such a bad idea either.
Careful not to jostle the younger man too much, he snaked an arm out of the blanket cocoon and grabbed the emergency radio, turning it down low and switching through the frequencies. When he found the one he wanted, he pulled the walkie-talkie to his mouth and spoke in a soft, subdued tone. "Wichita..." He paused, not really expecting an answer but knowing it had gone through. "Look, I know I pissed you off and I'm sorry...we can hash all this out later. Columbus is hurt, I kinda flipped the truck earlier and he took the brunt of it and we could really use ya'll's help." Asking for help tasted like acid in his mouth but even he knew that they all stood a better chance of survival if they were all together. "Please...I know we've got our problems but I really need your help right now..." Thunder rumbled again, shaking the house a bit. "So uh...yeah...I guess that's about it..."
There was a crackle of silence, nothing filling the air but the sound of thunder. Tallahassee had almost given up when a voice came through the radio. "Where are you guys?" It sounded like Little Rock. At that moment, Tallahassee could have kissed both of them.
"Some little shit-hole shack in Mississippi. I don't know the exact road."
Another crackle of silence, this one a bit longer and it made him antsy. "We're in Florida, we'll be there by tomorrow. Just stay put." This time it was Wichita, her voice sharp and clipped, but they were coming.
Tallahassee smiled a bit and nodded though she couldn't see him. "We'll be here." He said before the other frequency was cut off and the house fell into silence again. Tallahassee tightened his grip on Columbus a bit, leaning back into the couch. He and Wichita could duke it out once they got here but for now they just had to ride out the storm. Though he would never admit it to anyone, he kinda missed the girls. Tucking the blanket around them a little more tightly, Tallahassee closed his eyes and simply listened to the wind outside.
Woot! Okay, so this is going to be one of those weird two-part one-shots becuase I couldn't get the idea out of my head :P So guess what's next? Pneumonia! :D