From the Ash II: Broken

Chapter V: It's Just A Flesh Wound

"I see," Hobbs whispered, taking my silence as an answer to his question.

I sniffed and wiped my nose. "So, what happened after that?" I asked, not wanting to pour any more salt into the wound that was still so fresh.

"After what?"

"With you and Parker—was there more to that story?" I cocked my head. "You...you do know what happened to Parker, right?"

Hobbs' jaw clenched. "Oh, I know exactly what happened to that son of a bitch."

I didn't expect that response.

He brought the jug he had carried into the room next to him and untwisted the cap. "We end up coming out into this open field, a place I've only been once or twice. When we realized the world had gone to shit and that farming was going to be a necessity, this was one of the first places we surveyed for potential harvesting. But since it wasn't fertile ground, we nixed that idea."

Ray walked in, dropped a handful of towels next to Hobbs and told him to hurry up or he would "take care of it" himself. Hobbs waved him off and wiped some more blood away that had trickled from the bottom of my hand. Ray went to stand by the front window with his back to us. Picking up one of the towels, Hobbs placed it over the opening of the jug and wetted the towel.

He saw me watching and said, "This is going to sting. Bad."

I raised my eyebrows. "I'm assuming that isn't water?"

"Vodka."

I exhaled loudly. "Fuck it, just pour it on there. And keep talking."

Hobbs shrugged. "Suit yourself." He offered me the jug.

I nodded and took a long swig when he brought it to my lips. It burned as it went down my throat, but it was worth it; the pain in my hand subsided a little with each gulp as the liquid coursed through my body.

"Good?" Hobbs asked, lowering the jug.

I nodded and coughed. "Damn, that burns." Wiping my mouth, I asked, "So, open field?"

"Right. Parker and I came through the tree line and there's two men just standing there casually, no one else. He told me to wait while he goes and talks to them. I stood there, watching what seemed to be a civilized conversation. They spoke in hushed tones, and it wasn't until Toro put his hand on Parker's shoulder that I suddenly felt way more uneasy than I already was."

Pain in my hand erupted again, and it took me a moment before I realized Hobbs was pouring the alcohol over my hand.

"Fucking shit, Hobbs!" I screamed.

He chuckled. "It's better not to know when it's coming."

He placed another towel so that it was covering both my Sai and hand. I could feel him begin to squeeze, applying pressure around the blade impaled into my hand.

"Finish your story," I said, blinking away tears.

He nodded. "Doc starts walking towards me, hands wide, speaking in welcoming tones like I was a long-lost friend. He gets about ten feet away when I see past the façade for what he truly was."

Hobbs stared blankly at the towel, clearly lost in the memory.

"Those teeth...I could see the blood staining them, clear as day. He told me that if I attempted to run, neither Parker nor I would leave that field alive. He introduced himself properly, told me all about how he is the one truly in charge of Haven, among other places. How Parker is nothing but a puppet. How his men are everywhere within Haven's walls. He knew everything about me; a doctor, went to med school at Northeastern, my birthday, and even my shoe size..."