Deliquesce
Chapter 6: Dead
Rated: T
Warnings: Swear count = 1
A/N: Here's your next chapter. Not particularly long or interesting, but here you go.
Turrislucidus: Thank you for your review on my story once again, after all a little gambling is fun when you're with me.
FelinesandPheonixes: Have I ever mentioned that I like your username? Because I do. Thank you, and dude I need all the cookie I can get.
"I closed off a section of the factory a decade or two ago. Some of the workers stayed there. There's rooms, showers and some generic clothes. Work uniforms and plain t-shirts and trousers. If you don't like em, you can wash your own clothes. That section is all still fully functional, so you guys can stay there. No going into rooms without asking, 'Kay? You can use the library, though. There's a common room in your section. And a kitchen elsewhere, you can use the Wonkavator to get there. Plenty of food so help yerselves. I think there's a kitchen in your section, but it's empty. You can stock it up if you'd like. I expect you to follow up with your plan. Feel free to rest for a few days though. Uhm. You." He pointed at me. "Were you bitten?"
"No. I broke my arm. I mentioned it before."
"Ah. Righteo. Come with me, I'll dress it properly."
I nodded. The group stopped walking as we reached the elevator… or Wonkavator as he put it.
"Well, it's just that button there. Workers' Quarters. I presume you all know how to use and elevator. Alrighty then. You can make yerselves at home. You probably won't see much of me, but if you need something, I'm usually up in my office or my quarters. Or just floating around. Yeah."
Jackson inclined his head. "I appreciate this. Thank you, Mr. Wonka."
Wonka walked off, and I followed after him. We down the corridor, up two flights of stairs, down another hallway and through a door, not saying a word to each other. We soon reached a large room filled with small beds. He walked over to one of the beds, and opened the cupboard beside it.
"Ember, sit down please." He asked me, as he rummaged around in the cupboard. I sat down on the miniature bed and he set a box down beside me. He unwrapped the makeshift bandage, revealing my bruised, bloody arm that still had not healed.
"Oh my." He said in a low voice. I noticed he was wearing purple gloves. He took another pair out of the box and put them over top. I furrowed my brow, suppressing a laugh.
"You broke it?" Wonka asked, peering up at me with those violet eyes.
"Yes."
"How long ago?" His eyes flicked down again, revealing the faint shape of his brow bone, slightly darkened eyelids and long lashes.
"Half a month or so."
He took my arm with two hands and gently put pressure on it. I felt that deep, dull yet sharp pain in my bone and suppressed the urge to cry out.
"Fuck." I stuck a fist in my mouth, eyes tearing up as he prodded and poked.
"I don't think it's healed up much. So lucky for you, we don't have to break it again to set it straight!"
I winced.
He got a cloth and poured something on it, then dabbed around the area. It stung, and smelt like chemicals. With a pair of tweezers, he began to remove a few pieces of debris and leftover fibres from the bandage that had stuck to the blood.
"To the sink, please." He said. I got up and walked over to the sink next to the cupboard. He turned the water on, and brought my arm underneath. The pressure stung. He scrubbed very gently with a washcloth, although sensation hurt no matter how light. Flecks of dried blood and other stuff came off. When it was all clean, he let me take my arm out and gestured for me to sit back on the bed.
He brought a dry cloth over and dried it, before dabbing some more of that stinging stuff on.
"Alrighty then. I'm going to put a cast on now." Wonka said. He pulled a stockinette over my arm gently and slowly. He then wrapped this white roll stuff all around my arm, starting around my wrist, going around my thumb, then going back down the arm. Once he was done, he pulled a package out of the cupboard, cut it open and filled it with water. He left it for around 20 seconds, before pouring the water back out and bringing out wet blue roll.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Fiberglass." He began wrapping it around my arm, just like the white stuff. Starting around my wrist, cutting an area for my thumb, then going back down my arm. He pulled the rest of the stockinette down over the fiberglass, then did another layer with that.
"Done." He said, tying a sling around my neck to hold up my arm. "You just gotta let the cast set now. Fiberglass casts usually only take an hour."
"Thank you. Are you a doctor?"
"Nope."
"You're good at putting on casts."
"Much obliged."
"So, I'm curious, what do you do around the factory? You have no one to talk to. No candy to make. No things to do."
He paused for a moment. "I dunno. I do things. I make sure everything is still in running order. I take care of my factory. I don't let any room gather dust. Lemme tell you, it ain't easy to clean and keep track of two hundred and thirty-six rooms."
"Why do you do that? Why do you need everything in perfect order? You don't need all of those rooms."
"Because I enjoy it. My factory is my pride and joy, and I'll be darned if I let it go to waste while I'm still here. I kept it spick-and span before the world was dead. Why I wouldn't I do the same now?"
"How do you know our world is dead? Things could be okay outside our country. They probably sealed the UK off."
"In case you hadn't noticed, I have access to the most advanced technology known to mankind. North America fell soon after we did. The disease originated in South America, went up to the North and travelled. By planes, probably, before they put a stop to all that. It's pretty much everywhere. Main cities all over the world are, well, dead. Communications have gone down everywhere. There are some countries and places that haven't been affected, but for the most part, yes. Our world is dead."
*breathes down your neck in seductive but more so creepy manner* ..review..