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Affinity's groggy eyes opened at John B's touch as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Now awake, all of the unfiltered pain from the previous days took over any thought she could've had. She groaned, her eyes squinting and her hand grabbing at the gunshot wound. It was less of a sharp pain, more of a constant, pounding ache. She took a deep breath and made sure it filled the entire capacity of her lungs, no matter how bad it hurt, before she breathed out slowly.
John B smiled sadly. "I should've just let you sleep."
"Nah,"she grunted, sitting up. "I'm fine." Affinity pulled her hair into a low ponytail with the hair tie that had miraculously made it through all the chaos with her. She extended her hand out and wiggled her fingers. "Just give me the drugs."
John B chuckled and handed her the bottles of pills. With the boat pulled up far enough on shore, John B anchored them to the sand as Affinity grabbed two gas tanks that were stashed near the bow. She handed it to him and he set them on the beach. Affinity, wincing with every movement, was able to lift herself on the edge of the boat and swing her legs over.
John B reached his hands out to her. "You ready?"
Affinity nodded, exhaling sharply at the overbearing pain in her ribs. One of John B's hands wrapped around her thighs while the other supported her back as he let her weight down onto the sand. She struggled to stabilize herself at first, but after a moment, she was able to muster the strength to walk...well...limp.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"Charleston, I think," he said quietly. "Alright, we're gonna get some food, get some gas, find a phone if we can, and get outta here."
"How are we gonna pay for gas?"
He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out, yeah?"
She wasn't quite convinced. "Yeah."
From the beach, the pair walked down a concrete path and upstairs leading into a restaurant bustling with the kook-like people of Charleston, dressed in their expensive heels and polos, ordering the most exquisite, petite portions. Affinity could never understand that part of kook life but anything they served looked mouth-watering to her empty stomach.
"John B, I'm starving."
"Yeah, yeah, me too. Just- follow my lead."
John B came up behind a waiter serving a couple and bumped into him enough that he spilled the bottles of seltzer water all over the man and woman. John B continued with the act as Affinity eyed the wallet on the table.
"Oh, my god. I'm so sorry," John B apologized as sincerely as he could make it to be.
Affinity pretended to mourn the woman's shoes. "Oh, your shoes!"
"You little bastard!" The angry man boomed as he stood. He took off his jacket, displaying it to John B. "This is a $1,700 jacket!"
"It's 100% on me," John B continued. "I'm so sorry. I-I bumped into him."
