These Different Times (Nick Clark FF)

62.

The day dragged on, it always seemed to these days but at last, it was dinner. Though things between The Nation and The Ranch had been tense earlier on, it seemed that people were at least trying to live harmoniously. 

I got myself a tray, thanking Martha when she hands me a cup of water before finding an empty table. Alicia and Madison would probably join me soon but as for Nick, he sat with the Militia now.

I'm sipping at my water when Terrance, one of Alicia's friends, comes around the tent and just by the look on his face, I knew something was going to happen and whatever that was, it wasn't going to be good.

No one else noticed his arrival yet and I watch his hand go into his pocket.

"Shit," I breathe and without thinking, I get up and move towards him, reaching his side just as he brandishes the gun. 

"Terrance, no!" I push his arm up at the last second, the gun goes off and sends a bullet up into the sky.

"Get off of me!" he yells and a loud crack sounds when his elbow jerks back and hits my nose. 

I stumble back, ass hitting the ground when I trip over my feet and I hold my hands up when he points the gun at me. 

"Taylor!" I hear Nick yell, "Terrance, come on man." 

I wipe the blood from my mouth and look up at the boy who is quite obviously not over the death of his friend and her family. 

"Terrance," I say softly, voice shaking slightly, "Terrance, Gretchen wouldn't want you to do this." 

"Shut up!" he roars, "Just shut up! Don't talk about her like you knew her. You didn't. Ever since you got here, they've all died; Charlene, Phil, Gretchen and now Jeremiah! It's you! It-" 

One of the members of the Nation, I believe his name is Crazy Dog, spins him around and knocks the gun away, resulting in it going off again and Troy, who I didn't realise was standing behind me, moves to stand in front of me, as if he's shielding me. 

Crazy Dog locks Terrance in a choke-hold while members of the Militia scramble to try and stop the situation escalating but Terrance starts gasping, clawing at his restrainer's arm in an attempt to get free. 

"Hey," Nick's fingers are gentle on my chin, guiding my head so he can look over my injury. 

"I'm fine," I shake my head, wiping away some more blood. 

"You sure?" Troy asks and I nod, "He knocked you pretty hard." 

"I'm fine," I assure, "At most, it'll be a broken nose." 

"Enough!" I flinch when Qaletaqa yells, "I said enough!" 

"Come on," Nick murmurs, helping me up from the ground, "I'll take you to the medical tent." 

"Is he alright?" I ask, looking around the pair to Terrance, who is now free but he's wheezing on the ground.

"He's fine," Troy says quickly, aslmost dismissing the severity of the guy's injury. 

He certainly didn't look alright. 

~~|~~

Luckily, my nose wasn't broken. Jake had checked me over and said that while it wasn't broken, I was most like going to get some absolutely cracking bruises.

Terrance...he wasn't going to survive. His throat was crushed and nowadays, with no hospitals or doctors, there wasn't anything that could be done for him and so they were just waiting until he passed, handcuffed to the bed so he didn't hurt anyone else.