Discernment

Chapter 35

"Kyanna, hand me more cloth.. How's Fay? Is she fucking sober yet?" I say to Kyanna who is sitting next to me in the back of the ambulance, then over the walkie talkie. I began unwrapping the blood soaked cloth that was on Washington's leg, he was still unconscious. Indigo replies on the walkie talkie. "She's still passed out, Thomas. Nothing to do. We'll just have to wait until we arrive at the retirement community." Lucas is in the ambulance leading us there, Kyanna, Washington, Theodore and I are all in here with him. Theodore in front.

"Thomas.. It was? Sorry about your friend's leg.. And, I think I can help." Theodore says, still facing forward. "How? You're blind?" I ask him. "My great grandfather was in the war as a medic.. Told me a lot of stories, much like your friend went through. When someone lost a limb and was bleeding out, he told me that he would cauterize, or burn, the wound to get it to stop bleeding." Theodore explained. "Why, so he can be in more pain than he already is?" I complained. "N-No.. It'd help him.. I think." Theodore says. I don't reply and just keep putting pressure on Washington's leg wound.

A few mile pass and Indigo replies. "Thomas, she's fully away now. Seems sober to me." My eyes grew wide and I move across the crowded medical van and tap Lucas on his shoulder. "Yeah, I heard. I'll pull over now." He says before I could even request it. "Why are we stopping?" Alyson, from the last car asks over the walkie talkie.

Everyone gets out and stands around, Indigo and Quinton find a log and roll it up the small hill for people to sit on. I'm with Fay and Washington in the back of the ambulance bandaging his leg up. "Fay, I need to talk to you.." I say softly when we were finished and climbed out. "You're the doctor of this group, when people get hurt, they depend on you. We can't have you being drugged out like that.." I say to her sternly. "Last time I checked, I checked out as the medic of the group. You even agreed to it." Fay says to me. "Maybe you should become the doctor, if it'll get you away from taking drugs. You need to be the doctor so yourself can be healthy." I say to her getting frustrated. Fay goes silent as she nods "I care about you. You're a good friend of mine, I don't want to see you like that again.." I say, and turn back to Washington. "You keep an eye on him? I need to go speak with some other people.." I request, then depart from Fay when she replied with a nod.

I see Athena sitting on the trunk of one of the cars, and I make my way toward her. Alyson then steps in front of me and stops me from making my way to her. "Thomas, I know what you're going to do.. And, just.. Take it easy on her. Okay? She's had a rough past. And I personally think it wouldn't be a great idea to start a fight with the person who's in control of your next possible home.." Alyson says. "I know, just let me do this.." I say, then walk passed Alyson and approached her slowly.

"Where are we heading, Athena?" I ask her. "...The retirement community? I thought we went over this." Athena says with attitude. "Where are we really headed? Are we headed to some meth lab? Or are you going to turn us in to some slave labor camp that makes us work? Tell me the truth." I say, resting my hand on my bat as if it were a cane. "Thomas, stop fucking with me. We're headed to the retirement community. Now, I have a raging headache right now.. Please leave me be, bitch?" Athena groans. "Oh, you have a headache? Well you took like 20 painkillers you druggie. You shouldn't have a headache." I mock as I pointed at her.

"Excuse me? What the fuck did you call me, bitch?" Athena questions, now hopping off the trunk of the car and resting her hand on the grip of her python revolver. "You're putting my people in danger. You peer pressured our fucking doctor into popping pills with you!" I say, waving my hand and thumping my bat onto the ground. "I'm not a fucking druggie, bitch!" Athena says and clenches her fist. Quinton and Lucas walk over and the rest of the group is watching us argue. "Guys, calm down.. Let's just stop all of this." Quinton says. "Shut the fuck up, bitch." Athena says to Quinton, though is still frowning at me. "I don't have to take you into my home, bitch, and right now, you're not only fucking this up for you, but also for your friends too." Athena says. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I want to be bossed around by a druggie." I say.

"I told you not to fucking call me that, bitch!" Athena says and swings for me. I duck out of the way, grab her arm, swung her around and slammed her onto the trunk with her arm still raised to restrain her. I now have my gun pointed at her head, with Lucas aiming his gun at me, and Quinton aiming his at Lucas. "Thomas.. Let her go. W-We'll leave them right now." Jess, now approaching behind Quinton and Lucas, says. I'm still frowning at Athena and I let her go, though I took her gun and tossed it down the hill. "Not having this bitch shoot me from behind." I say and walk off. "Coming from the one who drew his gun first.." Athena muttered, then continued. "The bitch didn't even have the balls to shoot me."

It was awkward now. Athena, Alyson, Theodore, and Lucas sat around on their cars while my group and I sat around on the log and leaned up against the ambulance. Indigo managed to get a fire going, and we set Washington near it to keep him warm. "Thomas.. What are we going to do? Are we going with them or not?" Jess asks me softly. "I'm thinking about it.. Though if we go with them.. I may have to make some rules for them, before they lay down their's on us." I claim. "What are you talking about?" She replies. "It's either Athena cleans up her bad attitude and habits, or I kill the fucking bitch." I mutter. "Thomas, just.. Stop." Fay butts in the conversation. "I.. I was the one who suggested to even do that with her." Fay informs me. I sigh and shake my head, then stop talking altogether.

Alyson climbs off of the hood of their car and walks over to us. "Thomas.. Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asks in a soft tone. I nod and get off the ground and follow her a small distance away from the camp. "What is it you need?" I ask her. "Listen.. I really want you and your people to come live with us. You'd all be good additions to our community. And I know Athena has her flaws.. But, in order to have a better life in there with us, you just have to deal with those flaws.. Get it?" Alyson says to me. "I don't want you to live out here. You'll all be better off living with us.. Just deal with her, hopefully you'll change her while you guys are living with us." Alyson continues, now forming a small smile on her face. I nod and return the smile. "Yeah.. I-I'll try to." I say. Alyson now forms a full smile and pecks me on the cheek. "Welcome to the family then." She says.

Then we turned our attention to a large military truck park across the highway, and five people in camoflauge climb out, military grade weapons pointed at the group as well as our group's weapons pointed at them. "We're not here to harm y'all.. Just listen up and y'all be safe soon. We're part of the U.S. military and we're headed to Fort Braggs, an extremely large military base that's welcoming to survivors like yourselves, located in North Carolina. Would y'all like to join us on our journey?" One of the men in uniforms says.

"Sorry, bitch. We've already got a home." Athena says. "Oh, where's this place?" One of the soldiers asks. "It's a retirement community, we're about 15 miles from it. Why do you ask?" Lucas says. Alyson and I are hiding behind the ambulance with our weapons drawn and looking over to them. "Oh man.." Another military soldier sighs.

"Oh shit.. Listen.. Your community, we just drove passed there, hon'.. And, well, it'd been overrun by grabbers." The one who looked like the leader says with a pitiful tone. "So it looks like you'll just have to join us to Fort Braggs."