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The call couldn't have been more than a minute or two, and yet still there was a frailness in your limbs that left you feeling shaky, a nauseating concoction of anxiety and excitement. You weren't sure how long you stayed there in complete silence, bouncing your leg to the thrum of your rapidly beating heart, until that too slowed down. Thankfully, the need to keep yourself busy manifested in finally organizing the new stock.
Not-so-fortunately, this also allowed you to finish the task far earlier than you would've on a lazy weekday. And with Renee gone, there was no one to pass the time with.
In the next three hours, only one person stepped through the front doors, meekly asking you about a stuffy nose. All they really needed was some over-the-counter cold medicine, which you gladly handed to them. After that, there was nothing to do other than read the local newspaper (but really, it was just an excuse for you to doodle in the margins).
You hadn't even realized how much time had passed until you looked out the windows by the front door. The street was doused with the shadows of the surrounding buildings as the sun began its downward march, and just outside, you saw a small group of people sprint past the clinic. Brushing it off as friends having fun, you carried on, counting the minutes until it was closing time (which, regrettably, you had chosen yourself). But then more ran by. And more. And more.
It didn't strike you as odd at first. There were other establishments just up ahead: apartments, a saloon, a few paltry tailors, but people weren't in this much of a rush. You didn't need an excuse to get up from your chair, peeking through the window as far as it would allow.
They all seemed to be converging toward one place, and a pit in your gut told you it was related to the call. It had been long enough for the authorities to arrive..right? And it was a small town, if word traveled fast, news of Vash being caught would spread at the speed of light. Taking a deep, shaky breath, you opened the door, the little chime above you ringing twice.
You could hardly see anyone at this distance, but the clamor of at least a hundred people pealed out not too far from where you stood. Double-checking the locks on the storage room and the front door, you followed the trail of voices. It was about a five minute walk from the clinic to the edge of the street, and it was overflowing with onlookers.
Right at the base of the crooked pillar for which Jeneora Rock was named, a crowd had gathered in loose circles. What they were looking at, you could make a pretty good guess. You normally didn't see this type of congregating outside of the market days on the lower levels, and only one thing could draw this much attention. Some were with their children, like they were watching some kind of sport. Others were in the middle of making bets, throwing absurd amounts of money on either Vash or the July captain, who were currently posted on the rocky shelf jutting out from the pillar. One of the men standing over the box of cash was shouting over the cacophony, trying to entice any passersby before dusk.
