SLIPPERY SLOPE — PART 5
When Nick came to, it was getting dark outside. His wound was getting antsy as the painkillers were rapidly losing their hold on things. He felt the withdrawals creeping closer. The aching in his bones was already starting.
He visited the bathroom and executed his routine with two pills in the end. One he just swallowed, the other he crushed in his mouth to not have to wait. He drank a bit more water, then went back to his room. He sat down on the bed, feeling lightheaded. He had to start eating while nausea wasn't visiting him as often because he was getting sick of that bed by the hour.
Nick sat a few more minutes, then plodded for the kitchen.
Nick had been out most of the next few days which kept Alicia plenty worried, but at least no new trouble arose. He was getting some of his color back, and his wound was finally starting to heal right. They still needed to remove more of the necrotic skin. She'd taken some of it off with medical pliers and a scalpel while Nick was sleeping, but hadn't dared to go too deep yet without anesthesia on hand.
Seeing him coming down the stairs and into the kitchen as she was perusing their food options was a pleasant surprise, though.
"Morning sunshine," she greeted him with a genuine smile. "Can I offer you a cold beverage? Some tea?"
Nick smiled, settling at the table. He was actually feeling better, although his side still gave him complaints when he moved. He imagined he was stuck with that wonderful sensation for another couple of weeks. "I won't say no to one," he said. "Nor to something edible."
Alicia grabbed a can of ginger ale from the fridge and handed it to him, elated to hear him ask for food. So much so she was pretty sure her whole face lit up, even as she tried to contain herself.
She shuffled a couple of cans around to get at one in the back. "Spaghetti and meatballs?" she asked, holding the tin out for his inspection. "I hid it from Troy."
Nick had to laugh. "In that case, I just can't refuse. Although, in all honesty, I'm not sure I can jump right to meatballs. Got something simpler?"
The last two days had been uneventful and almost too peaceful, but Troy couldn't really complain as it was a nice change from all the drama they'd been dealing with. He'd finished two books and had started in on the third sometime in the middle of the morning. He hadn't gotten very far and the series wasn't really doing much for him anymore. But what else was there to do while Nick healed and they hid?
He'd showered, eaten more food in dishes that were piled in the room he'd claimed for himself, along with cups and other snack papers he hadn't thrown away. Unlike the ranch where the regime he'd laid for himself had been pretty strict – here it was different. The only thing that hadn't changed was that he was still wearing his shoes, prepared to run at all times and that his weapon was fused to his hip.
Troy strolled out of the bedroom and down the stairs with a stretch, having heard the activity, and glad to see Nick on his feet and not looking as if he were in constant pain whenever he was. "There's powdered milk and that instant porridge you can stir up that's pretty good. I had some of that yesterday." And now that Troy thought about it, he could do with some more.
"Not a good idea. Unless you want him to vomit all over you," Alicia murmured in passing at Troy, pushing the can to the back again and pulling out a tin of chicken noodle soup. Alicia heated it up on the gas stove and poured some into a bowl for Nick, sliding it over to him along with a spoon.
Nick grimaced at Troy's suggestion and accepted the spoon from Alicia. The soup wasn't making him sick with its smell, so he took a careful first spoonful. It tasted okay. He could do it.
He almost managed the full bowl. His stomach gained new habits and refused to be stretched for normal portions just yet, but it was progress, nonetheless.
"We should be fine," Alicia told Troy in regards to Nick's current condition. He could still use rest, sure, but it was no longer as likely he'd succumb to death as before. She put the medical equipment down on the table, regarding her brother with a small, knowing smile. "Don't think it's the best idea for you to chase after him, even if you are feeling a little better. Take your shirt off." Alicia lowered to her haunches to peel away his old bandages and replace them with the new ones.
"I don't need someone to act as a mouthpiece for me," Troy retorted, moving to lean on the counter while Alicia changed Nick's bandages. "Besides, you're not up to it and even if you thought you were, I'm not dragging you out there with an open wound and increasing your chance of infection. You need to heal, and unfortunately for Alicia, she needs to make sure that you do."
Nick fixed Troy with a knowing look. "Let's face it, sometimes you do need a better adjusted negotiation-wise mouthpiece. And guys, if you make it a prison for me, I'll feel compelled to flee."
"I know," Alicia murmured, gently peeling the bandage away, tilting her head slightly to get a better look at the wound. It looked on the mend. So much better than it had just a few days ago. It would still bring him plenty of discomfort and pain, but if he took it easy, it would no longer be lethal. "Which is why I'm not demanding that you stay. I'm asking." She grabbed the clean gauze and wet it with water from the tap before returning, crouching down to clean the wound, pausing only to look up at Nick earnestly. "Please? Troy can handle himself. Should have seen him when we first met. He was damn right charming. You know, other than the distinct kidnappy-vibe." She smirked to herself, trying to work as quickly and painlessly as possible.
It annoyed Troy that Nick thought they were trying to cage him, when anyone looking from the outside would say that it was the right thing – in the real world – it's what he'd have to do. And they had the chance to do so, so why not? Maybe he just needed some fresh air on his face? There was a courtyard, so, she could help him figure that out.
"That almost sounds like a compliment," Troy mused, smiling, happy that his impression had done what it was meant to. He knew that but the reminder was an unwitting encouragement. "And she's right, Nick, I'm capable of taking care of myself."
Nick sighed, trying to keep the winces to himself as Alicia was busy with the bandages.
"Look, if you wanna be the lone ranger, it's fine, I don't wanna steal your thunder or anything. I just want out of here. I'd go in a different direction, even. I just can't stand this house and that room anymore. It's like I'm trapped."
Alicia patted his side dry and replaced the bandages, making sure they would last now that Nick was moving around more. "Alright, so let's go for a walk or something. Just not explore potentially dangerous buildings." She gathered the used bandages and brought them over to the trash, washing her hands and drying them on the thighs of her jeans.
Nick smiled with knowing irony. "Yeah, no, it's not gonna be a rehab walk."
"Why not sit in the courtyard? Get some sun?" Troy said, pointing to the backyard. It was enclosed, sure, but it was outside and they wouldn't be seen. "Pity this place doesn't have a swimming pool, if it did, it would be near perfect."
He walked from behind the counter while they finished up and headed upstairs to make use of the restroom, to wash his face, and to collect a few more weapons before heading off.
Alicia turned to face her brother as Troy left, watching him, trying to read the emotion on his face. She wasn't going to physically restrain him in order to hold him back. She wasn't Mom. If Nick needed to get out, he'd find a way sooner or later anyway. But that nagging insecurity in the pit of her stomach wouldn't ease up. "Will you come back?"
Nick peered at her, a bit surprised at the sheer insecurity that flickered in her eyes searching him for a split second, but enough for him to catch it. But then, of course, it wasn't a surprise. It was something she was so used to, and it was his doing.
He canted his head, regarding her with faint amusement. "You think I'd venture out leaving both of you behind for good?"
"You better not," Troy retorted without even knowing the context of what they'd been talking about as he descended the stairs. He walked over to their bags still stacked in the corner with the rest of their stuff and added an extra clip to his pants and jacket pocket.
Alicia averted her gaze momentarily, feeling a flicker of guilt at even thinking he might leave. But it had been a real concern in the past, and she worried after the crazy lady had forced heroin into his system things might not be so different now. "Not for good. Just for too long. You used to…" She cleared her throat, trying to rid herself of the vulnerability in her voice, especially when Troy approached. "I'd just prefer it if you didn't die," she said, directly quoting his earlier words to her a few weeks ago, smiling a little.
Nick allowed a small smile, not really feeling much amused deep down. "It's not my goal to die. I'm not horrible at surviving, Lisha. What I'm horrible at is being confined to one space for any possible reason. I don't do good with that."
"I know," Alicia acknowledged Nick with a nod, opening the fridge to grab a soda. "So… what am I to do while you two are out gallivanting?" She hoisted herself onto the counter to sit, opening the soda to take a sip.
"You're going out?" Troy asked, checking how many bullets were in the M9 semi-automatic clip before tucking it into the waistband of his pants beneath the shirt. He seriously needed to find a holster again.
"Not really in the mood to play the merry housewife. Got ideas for anything useful?"
Nick ignored Troy's question, smiling wider at Alicia. "Why don't you come with? Unless it's another sect, people liking you can actually help us."
"You've always been better with people," Alicia smirked, taking another sip. And it was true. Nick was a charmer. Always had been. Easy to like and easy to talk to.
"Us?" Troy echoed, turning to regard Nick. "You're coming with me now?" What the heck had happened while he was upstairs that turned a stroll into a joint recon mission? "No, you need to stay here or around this place, if your sister wants to come though and gives you the all go, then…" Why did he even have to discuss this when they'd just talked about it?
She considered Nick a moment with the knowledge it was unwise for him to venture outside at all, especially these days where danger lurked around every corner. But he was right – keeping him caged would never work. He'd always find a way out. Especially if staying put made him feel miserable.
She looked to Troy. "We've still got the trucker's gun?"
Troy glanced down at the container in search of the gun she was talking about but didn't see it. "It's probably in the jeep."
"I'll go get it," she said, slipping off the counter to approach Troy, holding her hand out for the keys, looking to Nick. "You take it. Just in case."
Nick wasn't enthused to claim the gun of someone they traded for him, but didn't reject her proposal. He nodded and pulled his shirt back on. "It's better if we all go," he told Troy and got up to his feet cautiously. It was bearable now while the pills were working. They would last a bit, and he wanted to do something useful with that time.
"I'll come," Alicia assured, taking the keys and heading for the front door, taking a good look out the window before unlocking and opening it. She headed for the garage, opened the one door they had used in the past, and slipped inside, rooting around the back of the Jeep.
The gun lay in a cooler along with numerous knives. She picked it up and checked the ammo, locating Troy's stash of bullets to fill the magazine to capacity before locking up and heading back to the house.
Troy'd argue all that he could, and since both were on board now, there really wasn't any other choice. He walked toward the door to follow Alicia out, stepping out into the courtyard while he waited on her return and for Nick to join him outside. He wasn't going to take the radios because he wasn't intending them to split up – not even for a second.
"If we do get caught or taken or anything goes wrong," he said once Alicia returned and Nick was within range, "don't say anything about this place. We can use it to meet up and regroup. Deal?"
Nick looked at him, amused. "It's not a military mission, Troy. We're going to look around here, and if anyone breathing hangs around here, it means they probably already know about this place."
"Of course they know about this place, that doesn't mean they know we've inhabiting it for the last three days. There is a difference, Nick." Clark had to know that and to explain it was painful. "Just keep your lips sealed on it and for the love of God don't get kidnapped."
Alicia snorted with faint amusement, handing Nick the gun. "Yes, sir." She decided to keep her knife in her boot for now, heading down the path she'd just walked to back onto the streets, looking back at them over her shoulder. "Which direction?"
Nick dismissed Troy's retort and took the gun, trying to forget for the time being who it belonged to. Without waiting for anyone to choose the direction, he started walking down the driveway for the road, keeping an eye on the houses nearby for any movement. He was undecided whether he wanted to find people or rather not. It could go bad both ways – there was always space for things getting worse, no matter what. He knew that very well by now.
At least one of them appeared to be taking him seriously, the other seemed to dismiss every one of his thoughts as if Troy had no idea what he was talking about. But the records showed; two kidnaps for none.
Troy trailed after Nick as he took point, pulling ahead, determined to take his freedom stroll. The direction didn't matter since Troy hadn't really found a map or determined where to go. All he knew was what he suspected and what he'd intended to look for had he gone it alone.
"How long do we have before those painkillers of his wear off?" Troy asked, lowering his voice so that he could direct the question solely to Alicia.
"I haven't given him any since last night, so by my count, they'll wear off any moment now," she answered, keeping her gaze on their surroundings, wary of threats. "I brought the Oxy, so if he needs it, he'll get it." She always kept them on her person these days whenever they weren't in Troy's possession, and so far Nick hadn't nagged her about it, which was strange but pleasant.
"He's going to need it, Alicia. I'd rather he be in some form, than no form or be riddled with more pain than is necessary while out here. It'll be a distraction and I need him to be able to defend himself if anything should come up, without the constraints of his pain holding him back."
Troy knew they didn't think like him, and that Nick saw his fussing as some weird attempts to hold him down, but Troy was thinking of his safety—her safety—and Troy's own.
It would help no one if they were attacked and somehow they were prevented from being able to get to him in time and he was bit. Troy dreaded to think about that but it was a possibility and pain had a tendency of zapping your strength when you least expected it.
"He'll get it when he asks for it," Alicia assured him quietly. She wasn't going to push it onto her brother before then. After all, if they made sure his time on the painkillers always overlapped, he'd never truly know when he was starting to feel better.
Troy narrowed his eyes, as if he hadn't heard her correctly, and was unsure of what she viewed this situation as. Anything could happen out here, and Nick wasn't supposed to be with them – him.
Troy heaved a light sigh and broke away from her side, speeding up marginally to keep up with Nick.
It was like strolling through a ghost town. The lawns were thriving with no one to maintain their vigor, some went dry, the houses looked fine on the outside but gave out vibes of abandonment that were eerie, like that famous ship found with no crew as though people had just suddenly dispersed.
On the whole, it reminded Nick of Los Angeles, and he didn't like the comparison. Some withered dead plodded around, and Troy dashed past him and disposed of them before he had a chance to raise his knife. Nick didn't mind. He kept seeing bodies that had been lying here for years, and some were barely visible among the terrain as nature tried to take back every inch of dirt and concrete. The army was the same everywhere. Same orders, same methods. At least they didn't bomb this neighborhood.
"We'll need to look through the houses later," he said when Troy approached to walk beside him. "Doesn't seem like this area gets many visitors. A lot of things could be intact."
It was too quiet. Eerily so. And as they continued to make their way through the abandoned streets, Alicia couldn't help but feel they were being watched. She hoped it was her paranoia. She kept a small distance from the boys, allowing them to take the lead while she guarded their backs.
"Look for tampons," Alicia said when she caught her brother's words. "Priceless items for those of us who bleed every month."
Troy didn't so much mind the quiet as he did the fact that they were walking as if they were talking a stroll in search of a Seven-Eleven or something equally atrocious. They were too exposed.
"We're still going to be here awhile while you recuperate, so we don't have to sling everything we do into the same day," he stated, just so they were clear and Nick wasn't trying to push the limits. Troy acknowledged Alicia's statement with a thumbs up, too. "This place was probably just a pass-through town."
"I didn't say we need to search the houses today," Nick said, scanning the windows, garages, and lawns. His side was unhappy about all the activity, but he hoped to go on for longer before swallowing more pills.
A few more infected hurried their way from between the houses. Alicia took care of a straggler as he shuffled their way across the nearest lawn, stabbing her knife into his temple and letting him fall when he stilled. "Where do you think the electricity and water are coming from?"
Troy thought it might be an actual substation that had been left in the hands of someone capable or even just the municipality but who knew? He saw nothing that indicated either and mostly this place just looked like an abandoned suburb with a lot of open fields.
"It could be solar, although… I haven't seen any panels. And that also wouldn't explain the water… I don't honestly know. I assume that someone is behind it, a multiple someones' since it's a lot of stuff to run at once and it takes a lot more resources. They have to have coal, they have to have someone that knows how to handle the water station if it breaks, how to repair it and pipes – unless they've actually already figured how to close that off from the dead and to keep it clean. I half expect it to be an army." But there was still dead out here, and they were still on their feet, so maybe Troy was wrong about that, too.
"Might be a wind power, or gas, or coal," Nick put in. "In any case, the power station is not located here. Some other town, probably. Like, a hundred miles away."
Alicia contemplated that a moment and what it might mean. Could that be the reason there were so few infected here? Because there were no people? Would be nice, but still seemed too good to be true. They couldn't let their guard down.
Alicia flicked some blood off her knife, eyeing the various houses they passed with cautious curiosity, half expecting to eventually see someone staring out at them from behind the grimy windows. But there was no one.
"It feels wrong," she commented, eyeing a dead body that had long since been put down, weeds and grass snaking around it as if the earth itself was trying to swallow it. Clearly, there had been people here after the outbreak. If there were as many resources here as they suspected, why had they left?
Alicia's bat senses were tingling but Troy's were barely even fluttering, not for the reason they should be – it was all concern. He kept a hold of the knife he'd used to dispose of that straggler earlier, eyeing the houses, and followed the road until they came across a fence, one that stretched along the road around a set of houses and wasn't exactly standard-issue government, but had all the makings to be. They had probably used what they could get their hands on while and if they were here.
Troy stopped walking and turned to Nick, raising his free hand to gently brace it against his chest.
"You should stay here," he urged, glancing at Alicia over his shoulder for support. If there was trouble inside, it wouldn't be easy to get him out, and Troy didn't trust what might be in the middle. "I'm going to check this out and see if it's abandoned…"
Nick gave him an are you for real look. "You're not going anywhere alone, Troy. We're all coming, since we're all here, anyway."
Alicia didn't particularly like the thought of Nick having to fight or run in his current condition if they stepped into trouble, but nor did she think it was a good idea for them to stay behind and out here in the open. They were too exposed. Especially if they weren't moving. So to Troy's great dismay, they followed.
Nick wasn't buying that it was abandoned. Nothing that had a fence as good could truly be deemed abandoned until proven to be. In the world of corpses rising, living behind a fence that would shield the living from any undead danger was everyone's dream.
And, after a while of them strolling alongside the fence, his thoughts were proven right.
"Stop right there! Or we'll shoot."
The voice came from somewhere up, which had that someone hiding behind the fence. They were watching the area. Having guards meant structure.
"No need to shoot us," Nick called, stepping back from the fence with his hands held up. "We mean you no harm, just passing by. We didn't mean to trespass if that's the case."
Nick stepped away and Alicia did the same on pure instinct, unwilling to give whoever was behind that fence a reason to make good on their threats.
"Back off," the voice called again, not appeased by her brother's words. "Turn around and go back wherever you came from."
She eyed Nick and Troy in turn, gauging their intention to do as told, hoping they both would. They were in no shape to fight. "Let's go."
Neither of them left Troy much room to argue or brace for a reason before they started walking along the fence line, literally moving as if they were taking a stroll.
He'd planned on taking it slow, on seeing who and what might be out there and using every part of his training to keep himself safe and yet – here he was – being threatened from afar and apologizing. They were lucky they didn't get an immediate bullet to the head. Or worse – kidnapped – again.
Next time Troy would simply sneak out of the house himself and just check things out.
He couldn't really make out anything on the inside and when they warned the three off, told them to leave, he made a point of veering away from the fencing, of not turning his back on them and starting back into town. It was one of the stupidest things they had ever done. Even more so than the fuckery at Jake's place and trusting those ranch people to be anything but backstabbing cult breeding a-holes. Now these assholes knew they were here, around, and who knew what they'd have planned?
They needed to go.
Troy brushed a hand against his brow to wipe away the sweat, caused by uncharted anxiety that had sprouted at the thought of getting one in the back. He didn't say anything the whole way back across town and to the house they'd confiscated. What was there to say? This was probably what he wanted, anyway – to be forced to leave.
"I'll load up the jeep," he announced as they walked inside.
It wasn't a big surprise to find out there were people behind the fence, after all. Nor that they were armed and cautious. At least they didn't shoot them - so there was hope, where Nick was concerned.
He was happy to get back to the house - his pains were returning full force. He needed his medicine. Which he told Alicia about as they were approaching their temporary home.
Troy was grim and silent all the way back, seemingly sulking. Nick expected a lecture about whatever standards of recon having been buried beneath their lack of professionalism, but what he said turned Nick to him with his eyebrows rising. "What for?"
"Think they'll try and track us down?" Alicia asked Troy, his concern and eagerness to leave not going unnoticed. She fished the baggie of painkillers out of her pocket, handing one pill over to Nick before stashing the bag away again.
Troy didn't have time to scope out anything or figure out what they were about so he had no opinion on what they would or wouldn't do – it was the possibility that drove him. He fixed Nick with an 'are you serious' look and then regarded his sister. "You don't?" He walked over to the table that held the walkie-talkies, now charged to their fullest capacity, and dumped them into one of the open clothing bags.
"They had a chance to shoot us - they didn't," Nick reasoned, swallowing the pill. "We can't run from any people we ever meet. Besides, I'd rather not sleep on the ground just yet."
He headed upstairs for the bathroom that held his meds back-up. He felt he could use some.
"I think it's possible, but not a sure thing," Alicia said, watching her brother's retreating back. "We need to at least think this through. We have running water here and a bed for Nick. In his current condition, those aren't exactly little things."
"A bed and water don't mean anything if they rush in here and cart the two of you off to use you for another sacrifice. Let's play it safe. We can find another bed, in another house, in another town…"
It wasn't simple but that was the risk they'd taken in exposing themselves like they did, and why were they even fighting him on this when they were all about their ill-conceived nomad lifestyle?
"We've overstayed our welcome anyway and Nick's holding up enough to drive, right?"
"Technically, though it's hard to say how he's really doing. Those painkillers can mask a lot of pain." Also, Alicia wasn't sure they'd actually be able to find another place as decent as this for Nick's recovery. They needed a few more days unless it became life and death with those people behind the fence.
"We're not leaving now, Troy," Nick called before disappearing into the bathroom.
He took another pill, biting it apart, washed his face, and took care of nature's call, contemplating the settlement. He didn't believe those people would go out of their way to take them out. It didn't seem like that.
Nick's voice sounded from upstairs, and Alicia arched a brow at Troy, expecting him to lose his temper at her brother's insistence they stay.
Troy closed his eyes to will himself to calm down, to see from their perspective, and to keep their sudden refusal to move on the down-low. It was as if at every turn they were purposely going out of their way to work against him. Outside, inside – no matter the idea – there was some form of resistance. At least when it came to this stuff.
"I'm going out," he declared airily, looking Alicia directly in the eye. He removed one of the radios from the top of the bag, set the channel to twelve, and tossed it onto the couch where she could reach it, doing the same to another before attaching it to his waistband by the clip and smoothing it beneath his shirt. "I won't use it unless it's a real emergency, I suggest you do the same."
"Out where?" she asked, even if Troy had that look in his eye that made her think he secretly wanted to smack her.
"For a stroll," he supplied shortly.
"We were just out," Nick said, coming down the stairs. "Knowing there's a settlement around, we should be more careful to not tease them to shoot while they don't really want to."
Contrary to her brother, Alicia had no intention of arguing for Troy to stay. Making either of them do something they didn't want to was like pushing at a mountain. Pointless and a waste of effort.
"Don't get shot," she commented, wandering over to the kitchen to reclaim her drink from earlier.
"So? I'm a nature enthusiast, Nick. Just take your meds, get some rest, I'll be fine…" Troy directed a glance at Alicia, gave a nod as if to say 'I won't', and then headed for the door before Nick could argue with him any further.
Nick merely smiled at Alicia, then followed Troy out. "You got a problem with something?" he asked, approaching Otto.
Nick's voice stopped him in his tracks. As petty as Troy could be, he wasn't going to run from Clark and have him hurt himself. "Should I?"
Nick smiled subtly. "I can't tell you what to feel. You either do or don't. It seems you do. What is it?"
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Nick, but I don't need a therapy session – I'm too sober for that. Just go back inside."
Nick winced. "I don't do therapy sessions, never have. I'm merely asking what's bothering you about staying."
Had his reasoning for needing to leave been thought instead of spoken aloud? Troy heaved a small sigh, swiped a hand across his face, and forced himself to let it go as best he could – he wasn't used to repeating himself so often.
"What's bothering me is that they know our numbers and that quite possibly, they could have followed us here. We weren't being mister invisi-o or even smart for that matter. I get that you two like to see the good in people and that it's all sunshine and rainbows until someone tries to gut you, but the fact of the matter is; we're wide-open. What's with you wanting to stay, anyway? One minute you're grouching about your bedroom, being caged, and now you don't want to be on the road? I can't keep track of what the two of you are aiming for. Is it security or the road?"
"There is good in people, Troy, whether you look for it or not, but that's beside the point. Those people sitting behind a fence are not up for risks, either. They coulda picked this place clean but somehow haven't. Why? We might find out eventually - feels like an important piece of information. They coulda shot us, but they haven't - they're not killers. It's likely they won't even bother looking for us because their behavior shows a lack of enthusiasm for any scuffles.
"As for me, I'm not up for traveling yet. I've still an open hole in my hide. I'm still on pills. It's not the best set-up for relocation."
Everyone gets killed in this new world, Troy thought, and if you hadn't yet, you eventually would, there was no trying to navigate around it and raise yourself onto some moral high ground.
"That's reasonable, Nick, I'm also glad that you're trying to take it easy, but two weeks ago – that wasn't an issue. You've been stabbed, kidnapped, and you couldn't leave Jake's place fast enough. It wasn't bad there, either. And a two-second interaction with someone does not afford you a good observation of what they can or won't do. We're both guessing here, and from experience, I choose to go with the more cynical route because I'm comfortable with it." He offered up a smile to let Nick know he wasn't trying to be a dick but that he needed to do this for himself. "Just go back inside, lock up, rest, and take advantage while you can."
"Jake's place was different - shit happened there. I wasn't feeling like staying after that. And coming here wasn't my choice. But since we're here, and there are many things we can benefit from that we didn't have before - why not give it a chance? And no, you won't be grounding me like a kid. I'm talking to you, not at you."
"I wasn't trying to ground you, I was trying…" Troy gave up trying to justify himself, let him read that as he wanted to. "How long do you want to give it a chance? Until you're healed up? Until they come knocking? You're losing me on the goals, Nick, what are you trying to gain?"
Nick peered at him, slightly confused. "Our goal is survival, as far as I thought. And you wanted to stick around here when we came. So why not stick around until we've picked the place and are ready in all senses? Why are you suddenly scared those people would come to talk? We can't run from any group of people we meet that isn't immediately hostile. We're not the last people standing. And not all of the others are maniacs."
The overall goal for life was survival but that wasn't the Clarks' goal. They had something else in mind that they only let Troy in on when they were ready to move.
"Just because a group isn't immediately hostile, doesn't mean they don't have intentions. Your sister was drugged after a night of coffee, conversation, and pie. The point is, you're not in a position to defend yourself, your sister isn't exactly Xena, and trying to keep you from keeling over or putting you in any more harm's way than you already are is priority one. If you want to stay here, then trust I know what I'm doing and let me get on with it." Troy turned to continue on his way again.
"You want me to trust you, but you're not trusting one bit that I know what I'm doing, either," Nick said at his back. "What is it that you're doing, exactly? What should I let you get on with? You wanna go there and agitate them with your snooping presence at the wall? That's surely gonna start up some shit. Just let them be. Come on, man, what intentions can they possibly have when they just saw us?"
Troy didn't bother to reiterate his point again when clearly Nick was missing it altogether, but he did stop. The fact that Nick knew he was going back and would snoop at least let Troy know that Nick did know him. "And what is it you're doing, Nick? How is it I haven't trusted you? If it's taking care of yourself, do you blame me? You almost died and you've been pushing at any concern."
"My almost dying's been going on most my life and it wore out on me, so I don't want any extra attention – doesn't mean I don't appreciate your giving a shit.
"Your going back there doesn't do us any good right now. If they spot you – and let's face it, you're not a dwarf and there are no bushes to hide in – they're gonna either shoot you or get shot by you, and either option is unacceptable. The least evil of all is your staying here, around the house you've picked. No need to put a stick in the ant's hill. Let's just wait. They might be willing to keep to themselves and ignore our existence just as they have been. Let them do that."
"How do you even know they've been doing that? That they've chosen to let us stay here or make use of this house? Maybe they only needed to know we were here – which they do – and who knows what intentions they have for that? You think murder is all that people do nowadays? You really want to risk that in favor of what could happen to your sister? She's got tits and something else that lesser men have killed and tortured for. I'm just going to scope it out, make sure their incentive is minimal. And if they're as docile as you think they are, they won't care if they see me, and not a single bullet or ant hill would be poked." Troy sucked in a breath, assuming that it was enough to make his intentions known and have them respected and then started to walk away again.
"For fuck's sake, Troy, you can't just scope it out. Did you see that fence? You can't x-ray it. They'll notice you snooping, and that might worry them more. Worried people get jumpy and dangerous. Just let them be. Don't poke the damn bear. Let's go inside. Please."
"Contrary to belief, Nick, I know these things. I've dealt with people, I've studied them and we can't know their intention without actually seeing them properly."
Troy was still walking and had made it as far as the corner with Nick trailing him. Otto paused, considering, and then turned back to fix him with a passing look before heading back to the house.
He made sure Nick went in ahead before following, locking up and putting Alicia's bells and whistles back in place.
"You won't see them properly unless – and until – they let you in," Nick retorted. "And let's not call your dealing with people a study of character. It wasn't that."
"Why don't you educate me then, Nick, what was it?"
Nick gave him a simultaneously hard and tired look. "I don't wanna rehash that shit now. Or ever."
Troy gave a shrug, unclipped the radio from his waistband, and tossed it on top of the clothing bag since he no longer needed it, and the thing was an icky reminder. He almost didn't trust it at all, anymore. He headed for the kitchen, helped himself to a can of sausages. He wiggled them out with his fingers and slowly started his way upstairs to make use of the bathroom.
Alicia eyed a silent Troy as he marched into the kitchen and claimed a can of sausages and left, putting the dish she had given Nick earlier that she'd now cleaned on the counter to dry.
"Wore him down?" she asked, assuming Nick was somewhere in the vicinity and able to hear her.
Nick heaved a sigh, feeling his weariness climbing toward exhaustion level. "I don't even know," he said.
She turned to her brother, wiping her hands on her jeans. "You want to stay?"
He looked at her, at a loss for a second. It was beginning to annoy him. "I don't know what I want, Alicia," he confessed. "Short term – yeah, it might be wiser to stay a bit. Long term – I have no fucking clue what I want and how and where and why."
Her lips twitched in a slight smile, recognizing the annoyance in his voice. "I wasn't asking long-term. I meant until you feel better. Unless we don't run into any trouble or those people come calling, we should stay, yeah?"
Nick spread his arms and let them fall back to his sides instead of an answer. What else was there to do? Run like headless chickens just because there was a camp?
He headed upstairs, stood in his bedroom's doorway considering, then went for the room Troy picked.
Alicia watched her brother retreat as well, the tension in this house so notable it almost felt like something big was about to go down.
She moved to pull the curtains in front of all the windows and doors downstairs, ensuring they were all locked even if she had just checked them this morning.
When she finished, she headed for the basement, forgoing the lightbulb dangling from the ceiling for now and taking advantage of the faint sunlight streaming in through the narrow windows.
She crouched next to the collection of cardboard boxes with old clothes and toys, starting the process of emptying them.
Alicia brought the empty cardboard boxes upstairs to the kitchen, placing one on the counter and leaving the others on the floor. There was still a lot of tinned food left in the cupboards, and she began transferring it all into the boxes. They wouldn't leave for another few days unless they had to, but in case of emergency, she wanted them to be able to make a run for it without losing too many of their supplies. This would save time.
Troy emerged from the bathroom as Nick was heading into his bedroom. His book was still there. "Looking for reading material?"
"No. Just wanted to ask why you're so wound up."
Troy squeezed into the bedroom, set the half-eaten can down in the middle of his stacked bowls, and dropped down onto the mattress to perch against the headboard. "I like doing things a certain way and knowing who my enemies are, it's that simple."
Nick surveyed the dirty bowls, allowing a passing simper, then looked back at him. "You don't have any enemies to consider yet. There's nothing as alarming as you see it. Not yet. Maybe not at all. So why are you angry? Because I didn't want you to go stick out like a sore thumb in the daylight and potentially stir more trouble than we're in? Because I don't want you to be shot while doing that? Or because I don't believe that you're invincible for all harm? What is it that pisses you off most, Troy?"
What pissed him off was that he thought, like most of his family, Nick was trying to monitor him – to protect people from him because Troy was a hazardous snake in need of taming – and not the other way around. That was his argument, wasn't it? Troy was sure he'd said something accordingly while they were outside.
"We don't have friends yet either, Nick. It's better to know the numbers that we're dealing with than to see them, alert them and run off into hiding like a bunch of cowards. Rosemary was a semi-decent lady, but I'm not falling for that shit – trust needs to be earned. I'm not going to just give them the benefit of the doubt on the moral whim that they might be good. There's no such thing anymore and I need you to tell me that you see that, that getting kidnapped first by a bunch of cultists and then some crazy woman has opened your eyes to play it safer."
It was especially frustrating to Nick that Troy refused to doubt the ranchers' guilt in things the cultists did. Despite everything, he still considered them guilty and shady, and let that guide his decisions.
"How safer is your recon gonna make it? You can't look through that wall and have them line up for you to count their heads. Get real, man. There's nothing you can do stealthily during the day, and it's not a fact that they would make any move during the night. What you wanna do is a preventive measure. One that people take in fear of others making a move against them. A measure against a maybe, against a chance that hasn't happened. It's what my Mom did by breaking the parley with Walker. Were you on-board with that? Or did she have to make you do it?"
No, Troy hadn't been on board with that, he'd been quite content letting Jake handle it because he trusted his judgement, but the circumstances had also been different. Troy knew he could protect them if anything was to go wrong.
He didn't here because he didn't know the area, he didn't know who was around or how and what they were dealing with, and that's what Nick didn't seem to understand and wasn't prepared to look at properly.
"So, what… you're going to play Jake and go over there and talk to them to make peace?"
Nick grimaced. "I'm not Jake, nor trying to be. I don't wanna go anywhere and make peace. We just stay here while it's best for us, and then we leave. If they approach us by their own initiative – we decide what to do with it. If they never do – then so it should be. We don't have to make them or provoke them."
He sighed, his face turning more lenient, and leaned a shoulder against the doorframe.
"I know you wanna play it safe. I respect that. I believe the smartest thing to do right now is wait and be cautious here. Keep an eye out without making any first moves."
Troy picked up his book, opened it, thumbing the pages he'd folded to correct them, and gave a slow nod. "All right, let's see how this thing plays out."
There wasn't any other choice anyway, and anything else was just going to be ugly, and Nick was right –Troy would be seen – and there was a possibility of setting things off. There was also the possibility of making things easier for these people. Troy was going to be in two minds about this until something happened. He just didn't want it to be them.
"Have you taken your pills?"
"Oh bite me," Nick exhaled and detached from the doorframe, starting back for his room.
Troy smiled to himself and began to read.