A Daughter?

Catch a Break

Leaving the next morning was a reluctant thing, almost. Nick was still sore and everyone was exhausted despite relaxing for a day.

If there was one thing they all learned, it was that Nick was not a morning person when he didn't wake up on his own terms.... The tongue of a smoker dragging his sleeping body across the safe room through the bars of the door was not his own terms... Seeing a half naked Ellis jumping up and slaughtering the thing lifted his mood though, so he wasn't too grouchy as they got ready and left for the next room.

"It's so quiet when no zombies are around..." Rochelle mumbled to the boys, making sure she was still aware of anything that could surprise them at any second.

"Mmmm...MMMMM!!! I could go for some of them sweet Georgia peaches right about now..." Coach exclaimed while rubbing his stomach.

"Can it Coach! Stop thinking with your stomach for once, and try using that big shiny head of yours? We talked about this, we're looking for ammo and extra health kits before food." Nick yelled at Coach.

Coach stepped in front of Nick and replied, "Woe-woe, Mister... I don't like your attitude. Just because "fancy-man" was frenched this mornin' doesn't mean you can get all sassy with Coach.", while he poked Nick in the chest to emphasize his "fancy man" insult.

Smacking Coach's hand away, Nick glared back, "First of all, don't touch the suit. Secondly, you and I both know you'd be just as irritated to have woken up choking."

Coach poked his suit again and said mockingly, "First of all, don't slap me boy, secondly, we get woken up by crazy shit every day there's a ZA goin' on so suck it up buttercup."

"You do that AGAIN, and I will bury you alive." Nick grumbled while staring down Coach not dignifying his last comment with a response even though he knew it was true.

Ellis looked at Rochelle and she shook her head in disappointment and irritation at the two children bickering in front of her, "Knock it off you two! We got more important things to deal with than your stupid fights!"

"Right! 'Member the ammo and health packs Nick? Then we can get us some grub Coach, we don't gotta argue or nothin'." Ellis started trying to help get Rochelle's point across but to no avail.

Completely ignoring the other two, Coach accepted Nick's staredown with his anger becoming more prominent on his face. He slowly raised his hand back up and poked him in the same spot for the third time.

"MoTHeR F-" Nick began as he reached for Coach's shirt collar only to just be put in a chokehold by Coach, only encouraging Nick to fight more.

"Damn it you two!! What did I say?? Ellis give me a hand!" Rochelle yelled as she threw her gun down to try and pry Coach off of Nick while Ellis adjusted his hat and ran towards Nick to get him out and hold him back from throwing a punch.

"Shoot, this is like the time my buddy Keith was hog wrestlin' with a-"

"ELLIS!!!!" The other three yelled in unison because now was not the time.

Ellis was able to get Nick out of Coach's hold, and continued his best to hold him back.

They would have been more prepared for what was to come next, if the two had stopped spitting tedious insults at one another a minute sooner.

*charger noise (I didn't know how to spell it lol)*

By the time everyone had realized where the sound was coming from, Nick was snatched out of Ellis's arms and smashed into a wall about a hundred feet from the group.

Ellis got thrown back in the shockwave, scrambling to get up and shake off how hard he hit the ground. He watched as Coach and Rochelle took off toward the Charger and Nick, shooting wildly to get the big thing off of their team mate.

Coach was quick to help Nick up once they killed the Charger, checking for new head injuries, "Can't catch a break huh?"

"This world is shit,'' Nick groaned, rubbing his back and hobbling back over to Ellis to see if he was okay as well.

"Ya good, Nick?" Ellis asked first, wanting to check Nick over. He knew he couldn't just grab him though, so he resisted the mother hen urge.

"I hate the end of the world," Nick groaned, hobbling on ahead, "Let's get going..." he grit out, limping heavily.

Ellis rushed over to Nick with his health kit out, "Lemme patch you up..." He grabbed Nick's arm gently to get him to stop moving.

"I'm alright, sharp shooter." Nick shot down, rubbing Ellis' arm a bit, "save it for you. I have a feeling we'll need to be extra alert today."

"Are ya sure, Nick? Yer not lookin' too good..." Ellis argued, brow creased in worry, "It's no trouble. I can take a coupl'a pills later if I get hurt."

"Save it, kid. Please? I've been through worse. Not having enough kits in the safe room won't kill me" Nick sighed, squeezing the younger's arm before turning away to start hobbling again.

"At least take my pills then? Yer hurt real bad, Nick..."

"Fine, Ace. If it'll make you feel better. I'll take them." Nick acquiesced, guzzling down the pills when they were handed to him. "Thanks kid." Nick said while giving Ellis a quick hair tussle. I knew it! How the hell can his hair be this soft?? We haven't had running water in I don't know how long. He continued forward.

Ellis adjusted his cap back on and hid his blushing face, following Nick a few seconds too late to not be considered gay panic, "anytime man."

For a while, things were pretty uneventful as they trekked the general direction of Alabama, calling out warnings of reloading and special infected every once in a while. They were so occupied with staying alive against commons and common special infected, none of the heard the crying until it was too late.

Ellis was backing up to keep distance between him and the commons coming at him when he tripped over her. He froze for a second before scrambling to get up and run, but the damage had been done. The witch has already started screaming and racing toward him, pushing him back to the ground and clawing him over and over. Plus he was still surrounded by commons who were kicking at him.

Nick got to him as fast as he could -what with the limp and the horde- and smacked the witch over the head a few times with an axe. He had run out of ammo a while back. He cleared out the commons before helping Ellis up, "Easy there, fireball, easy..." He mumbled, "Use your first aid now."

Ellis winced and slowly pulled out his kit, grimacing at any movement that pulled at his new wounds. He couldn't wait to find a safe room now.

"Guys?" Rochelle called, panic in her voice, "Tank!"

"We just can't catch a break, can we?!" Nick groaned, readying his axe. He was gonna be useless in this fight unless he could find a gas can or molotov... He began to scan his surroundings, getting in front of Ellis so the younger man could finish healing. It was going to be an even longer day now...