Let's Burn Down Our Hometown

1. The One Where Zombie's Exist

This madness.

'God help us all.'

The radio clicked to silence, and the van had no choice but to continue forward.

Steve jumped, hands flying to grip his steering wheel as he turned to find Eddie in a wheelchair beside his driver's door, motioning for him to roll the window down, looking highly annoyed for having to do so. Like Steve should have been paying attention, despite waiting the extra hour for his arrival.

"Is your trunk empty?" Eddie asked when Steve pushed the door open.

Steve opened his mouth to answer, glancing up at the stern-faced nurse. "No." He spoke. 

There were a few weapons he would rather not be confiscated rolling around in his trunk. A few very illegal weapons because Nancy's hands had shaken when she tried to put them in her car, so Steve had wordlessly taken them. He also had supplies, things he had found along the way to pick up Eddie.

Abandoned coolers from overturned camper vans. A package of toilet paper, and a case of water. A box half-filled with ammo, and a few wood boards he could fashion into something useful. Dented cans of food, three bags of flour-one torn that he had shoved into an old basketball bag he found in the tire well and a large case of tuna fish. He had almost left that one behind but thought better of it.

"Sounds like I don't need the crutches, asshole." Eddie spat, looking up at the nurse who only pursed his lips. Steve saw them then, clutched in the hands of the very pissed-off nurse.

"I'll take them." Steve sighed, then squeezed out as he rounded around the car to open the passenger door, wordlessly helping the nurse maneuver Eddie in. He took the crutches, shortening them before tossing them in his backseat among dirty folded blankets and a camping chair he had found. The nurse didn't ask a question, as the answer was rather obvious.

"I don't want to stay out here long if I can help it." The nurse finally spoke, cold and rude.

Then Steve was practically pinned against his car as the nurse began rattling off Eddie's care instructions, despite not asking how Steve even knew Eddie. But if Steve had to guess, and with the helpful hint of Eddie's mood, they were probably happy to be rid of him.

"It's all in the packet." The nurse finally sighed and handed over a gallon-sized Ziploc baggie. Little packets of pills, some powdered medicine that made Steve's eyes widen, and a thick packet of papers. "You were never here." The nurse ended, then turned on his heel and strolled away.

Steve finally took note of a guard standing a short distance away, a shield over his face and a large gun propped against their shoulder. Prepared for anything, and led the nurse back into the ivy-covered building.

As if they were never here.

Steve took a deep breath, before rounding around the car again and sliding into the driver's seat.

Eddie reached for the Ziploc bag, but Steve slipped it between his seat and the driver's door before starting the car.

"Give it to me, Harrington," Eddie demanded.

"No," Steve answered, reversing out of his parking spot, and checking his mirrors despite being the only car in the large lot. Though there were a few deserted ones-but the windows were shattered, and a few of them had doors torn off of them. Crumpled, and cast aside on the pavement.

"I'm not asking," Eddie demanded again.

"I don't care," Steve replied easily, turning out on the empty highway, avoiding a crater in the road from a fallen boulder. The boulder was a few feet away, having plowed down several trees before lodging in the wet soil.