S8E11:
Bailey POV
"There's debris everywhere." Bailey said through her ragged breathing as Warren sat beside her and rubbed up and down her arm. Just seeing how the people had been coming out put enough ideas in Bailey's head to give her nightmares for months about what might have happened to Tommy.
Warren seemed to be able to tell where her mind had gone by the look in her eyes, "Don't go there. He's fine. He'll come out fine, you have to believe that."
"I should be in there helping Doc." Bailey said, her voice becoming insistent as she regained some of her strength from all the sitting around she'd been forced to do.
"Oh no." Warren said grabbing her shoulders and pulling her back forcing her onto her butt again. "Everyone else has to sit out here and worry about their loved ones who are still in there and so do you. We can't just have everyone who wants to go in run in and try to be a hero."
"Warren –"
"No. You have to listen to what George and the rescue teams are saying." She said sternly, "I know it's hard, after apocalypse life and years of looking out for yourself. Knowing no one else would look out for you, no group of marines, no military, no one but you. It's easy to fall back into that, to count on yourself and know that you'll try harder to keep yourself and your loved ones alive. But the world is moving past that, we're rebuilding, and with that comes swallowing your pride and your baser instincts and trusting other people to do their jobs to the best of their abilities."
"Warren no one is going to keep searching for Tommy if they're afraid the ceiling is going to cave in and cost them their life." Bailey argued.
Warren gave her a long hard look before she responded, "What do you think it was I did when I signed up for the National Guard? I ran into life and death situations to help people I didn't know because I could provide help to those who needed it. That's what I did, that's what firemen did, police officers, EMT's, every other branch of military. Yes I worked with some people who were jackasses and who might run to save themselves or disgrace the job but it made me work harder to bring honor to it. To ensure people that the one bad seed they saw on the news was the few and the good people like Garnett and like Sarge, those good people were the many and we outnumbered the bad a million to one. You have to put your trust in these people now, once it's safe to go back in there they are going to fight tooth and nail to get your husband out alive."
Doc POV
He noticed it was starting to get lighter and when he looked up from his hands he turned to the doors to see the clouds outside were getting lighter – the sun was rising. And he still hadn't found 10K. He'd been up all night and was exhausted and running out of steam to keep turning over the debris.
"Jeff." He sighed out loud wondering if pleading to the dead would work. "I know I never did right by you or your mom, bailing like I did. I never called, I never got to meet you. But you raised a great kid, and your boy is in here somewhere. Help me find him. I gotta find him."
He was on the verge of tears as he lifted his head and looked around the room again. This time he caught a glimpse of something red among all the grey. It didn't look like blood, it didn't shine like a liquid would, it had texture, it looked like fabric. His eyes almost fell out of their sockets when he realized it was the red fabric that was tied around the base of 10K's antler, and that thing poking out of it wasn't debris, it was the Kid's false hand. One prong of the antler had snapped off making it now shoot out like a stick but looking closer it was definitely a broken antler. Doc rushed across the room and started digging through the pile praying that he'd find the Kid still breathing under there.
Sparks from the failing electrical still put a zap in the air and there was more creaking above him and he knew he had to get the Kid out of here pronto. He kept digging and digging revealing more and more of 10K's arm until he finally unburied the rest of him. His dark hair was as white as Doc's beard from all the powdered concrete and plaster and he noticed a long bloody gash that cut from just above the inner corner of 10K's right eyebrow – almost going to the bridge of his nose - up into his temple right above the small scar he'd had since the day they met. The blood had dried but it looked like a fair amount had dripped down the Kid's face making a dotted red line down his cheek, it almost looked like a red tear; and more blood was dried along his hairline going down to his jaw.
"Please just be knocked out. Please just be knocked out." He whispered to himself again and again as he checked to see if 10K was breathing or had a pulse. It took some effort but eventually he pressed hard enough in the right spot on his neck and found a light beating. Then he threw 10K's arm over his shoulders and started to haul him out of the mountain of debris. It shifted and collapsed in on itself as it filled the space where 10K's body had been lying but Doc wasn't able to move him far.
"You're heavier then you look Kid." He groaned as he pulled 10K away from the wreckage until he made it to a different pile and propped 10K against it and sat down himself to catch his breath. "Alright. I gotta get you outta here. I gotta get you out of here now."
But no matter how urgent it was Doc just couldn't get the strength to do it and kept taking deep breaths as he tried to muster up his body into action. He moved onto his knees and knelt beside the Kid, the least he could do was make sure he wasn't bleeding from anywhere else. As Doc examined him he heard a groan and looked up to see 10K's eyelids flutter a bit before his head moved to the side and he started to open his eyes.
". . . Bailey!" he called sitting up too fast and falling back against the debris.
"Hey, hey take it easy." Doc said trying to calm him, "She's fine okay? She's fine."
"Doc? When did you get here?" he asked groggily, "What happened?"
"Estes set off those explosives and blew the place up. I ran in here to look for you Kid."
"And Bailey? She's okay?"
"Yeah Kid you gave her a pretty good shove but it got her outside and away from the blast." Doc said with a small chuckle.
10K looked around seeming to regain more of his senses as he took in the destroyed lobby around him, "Oh my God."
"I know." Doc said in agreement before he shifted his weight, "Come on, it's not safe here. Can you walk?"
"Do I have a choice?" he asked moving to try and stand but looked like he was having trouble. Doc took his arm again and wrapped it over his shoulders as he helped 10K up.
"Ahh." The Kid groaned as his muscles stretched and Doc had to carry most of his weight. The Kid was pretty weak.
"Take your time, baby steps are better than no steps." He tried to encourage him.
"Everything hurts." 10K groaned as they slowly made their way to the door. It had gotten brighter outside as the sun started to rise and the sky was now a light pink and the clouds were turning into various shades of plum and lavender. They were almost through the doors when 10K stopped and screwed his eyes shut. Doc gave him a minute and looked worried at the cut in 10K's head. It was probably a dizzy spell, he guessed and hoped it would pass quickly. 10K took several breaths and when he opened his eyes he looked at his shoes while the world adjusted until it was right side up again.
"Okay." He moaned and they got going again. A breeze cut through the courtyard and 10K took a deep breath letting it fill his lungs. The fresh air would help especially after breathing in concrete and plaster powder for all the hours he'd been buried alive.
It didn't take Bailey long to spot them from where she was sitting with Warren. Roberta let her go as she got up and ran to 10K throwing her arms around him in a fierce hug. He made a small sound of pain but returned the hug holding onto her as tight as he could in his injured state and didn't seem like he was going to let go any time soon. However, when he swayed a bit on his feet Bailey pulled back and immediately helped Doc by putting 10K's free arm over her shoulder as they helped him hobble along to the triage center where he could get some medical attention.
Bailey POV
They were able to sit Tommy down on the steps where once he and Red had sat during the ceremony that honored Sarge and the others they'd lost that day. There was an emergency worker beside him in seconds with a needle ready to stitch up the gash in his head. Bailey stayed by his side holding his hand as he winced whenever the needle was threaded through his skin. She squeezed his hand when he tightened his grip trying to fight through the pain. Thankfully, it didn't take that long and soon enough he was given an ice pack to hold over the stitches to help numb the area since they were only using pain medication on the people who desperately needed it. Doc was called away pretty quickly to tend to some people and Bailey was thankful she had some alone time with Tommy, even if she was spending most of it telling herself he was really okay and she wasn't dreaming.
Bailey looked around at the others, Katie and Annie, Ray, Mariah, and even Kaya was there with CZ by her side. Volunteers walked around passing out blankets and pouring what looked like hot soup and coffee into mugs and handing them out. She saw Warren and George arrive now that things at the community building were settling down. It was a mess and people still had to be dug out, bodies had to be taken and prepared for a burial but the structure had to be checked before anything more could be done so they – like so many others – must have decided they could be more productive here where the injured needed them.
"Baby boy." Warren said and Tommy nodded slightly in acknowledgement not rattling his head too much. "You gave us quite a scare."
He smirked and muttered, "Sorry."
Bailey brought her hand up and began to run it through his messy dark hair, she knew it made Tommy feel relaxed and his smirk turned into a full smile at her actions.
"This is going to take a while to bounce back from." George said and they all followed her gaze seeing the scared and shocked looks on all the people's faces. After living in peace and safety for so long only to have something like this happen would be jarring for them. It was a reminder that the walls only kept the threat of the apocalypse out, not the threat of people to people.
"Even Pre-Z nothing was ever prefect." Bailey spoke up, "There were shootings, bombings, riots and pandemics. People always get through it, this will just be one more time we've had to pick up the pieces and carry on."
"Easier said then done." Warren said with her hands on her hips, "Finding the way forward might take time."
"Maybe the cure will help people stay positive." Tommy added.
George turned back looking in the direction of the community building, "If it isn't buried under a few feet of rubble and crushed."
"Holy shit." Warren gasped under her breath before storming off. They turned and saw why. Warren was heading for one man dressed in all black like the gunmen, there were tears in his clothes as one emergency worker tried to convince him to let them patch up his wounds.
"Warren!" Bailey shouted getting up and rushing over trying to get to her before she could get to the Man. Warren rested her hand on her gun obviously about to draw on him but Bailey got close enough to grab her wrist and stop her. George and Tommy weren't far behind them as the commotion drew the Man's attention.
"Piece of shit." Warren spat at him though Bailey tried to hold her back, "I don't know if I should arrest you or mercy you where you stand."
"Warren it's not what it looks like!" Bailey tried to talk to her but she seemed too angry to listen. It was obvious she thought the Man had been working as one of Estes' men, Warren didn't know the Man had been there to help them like she and Tommy had found out.
"He wasn't with Estes." Tommy added when he and George caught up and Warren seemed to relax enough to turn to the injured sniper. "He was just impersonating one of the men."
Warren cocked an eyebrow and didn't seem to buy it. She turned away from Tommy and looked back to the Man who was calm just like every other time Bailey had seen him. "Why were you impersonating one of them?"
"Lieutenant you know Roman Estes was a former Zona resident as much as I do." The Man replied, "Even with Zona gone there are still loose ends that need to be tied up. Information that people know that could have dangerous consequences."
Warren rolled her eyes, "So what, you're here to take out Estes in the name of the 'greater good'? I'm supposed to believe there's nothing in it for you?"
Bailey jumped in wanting her own answers from the Man and knowing Warren would overlook them, blinded by her anger. "What happened after the lights went out?"
The Man turned to her, he still had that same stone-cold expression but Bailey could have sworn he seemed a little more inclined to talk to her then Warren. "I went for Estes and tried to get the briefcase, I'll give him this, the weasel is a scrappy little fighter. The briefcase landed somewhere in the dark, I didn't have time to find it before the blast –"
"And Estes?" George interrupted. She had no history with the Man but she did have a past with Estes and it was clear she was concerned about it coming back to bite her – harder then it already had that is.
"I saw Estes after the explosion as he fled the lobby. I'm not sure if he's still armed, his gun may have gone flying with the briefcase in our fight."
Warren scoffed again, "Give me one good reason why I should believe any of this."
The Man turned to her and Bailey could tell he looked amused, like he was playing poker and knew he held the winning hand. "If I was trying to bullshit you Lieutenant, would I hand over this without 'something in it for me'?"
He lifted his hand and raised the silver briefcase. They all looked at it in awe, it had what looked like some black scorch marks and a small dent here and there but was relatively safe.
"You found it?" George asked and he nodded.
"Buried under some rubble." He confirmed as he passed it to George and she looked it over.
"It's still armed." She saw seeing the small light by the handle.
"How do we know you didn't steal the cure and rearm the case?" Warren continued her interrogation.
"There's one way to find out."
"Not without the code." Warren replied without missing a beat.
"Actually." 10K began and all eyes turned to him, "We figured it out."
Bailey nodded at him before turning to George and Warren. "It's Lucinda."
A sad look entered Warren's eyes, "Lucy."
At the mention of her name Bailey saw something in the Man's hard mask break but in the next second that sliver of emotion was gone.
"Are you sure?" George asked, "Because if that's not it. . . " she trailed off and they all knew what she was thinking. If it wasn't the correct code, goodbye cure.
"It makes the most sense." Warren said this time speaking in their favor, "And Murphy can't remember what code he used. This is our only shot."
George took a deep breath before turning to the lock next to the handle. She began rolling the small metal pieces until it spelled out the name LUCINDA. Then she pressed the small button by the light and the tiny bulb went out. George unlatched the clasps on either side and popped it open. Inside there were seven little glass bottles, four in the top row, three on the bottom, all surrounded in black foam to keep them in their places. Each one had a small label on it that read HZN1 – M1.
George smiled and Warren turned to the Man, "I'm still keeping my eye on you."
Then the chief walked away and started helping the other victims around them. 10K wobbled a bit on his feet but tried to play it off.
"You should sit down before you fall down." The Man said and Bailey took Tommy's arm and made him sit on the concrete steps behind them again. George spoke to the Man a bit before deciding she needed a full report from him, given that he was in the building she wanted his perspective as much as any of the other hostages and given the Man was the Man she could clearly tell his report might answer some questions about Estes that were still floating around, like his involvement in the Black Market, the rag tag team he'd put together for the heist, maybe even why he'd left Zona to begin with.
Bailey sat with Tommy while he continued to hold the ice pack on his head. He looked bummed, like back when he lost his hand and kept insisting he was fine and Bailey wanted to be sure he wasn't going to ignore his own health again.
"Do you want me to get you a fresh pack? Is that one too melted?"
"It's fine." He told her taking it off his head, "My forehead feels pretty numb now anyway."
"Can I get you a water bottle? You must be thirsty, and you're probably dehydrated –"
He smiled, "I'm fine." He replied but his smile on her lingered which made her blush and look at her lap. She looked around the triage again recognizing more faces as the sun rose higher and everything became brighter. "Go."
She turned to Tommy confused but he was still smiling at her. "What?"
"I know you want to help. Don't let me stop you."
"Tommy you were just under a pile of rubble for hours, you aren't thinking clearly. I'm not leaving your side." She replied weaving her arm through his. His smile grew a little and he kissed her temple before he pulled back to look at her.
"If I was hurt like Addy I'd want you with me through every second." He said softly, "But I'm okay and I can tell you want to help. Besides. . . we've been sitting around for twelve hours forced to do nothing, you're well enough that you can help. I don't want to hold you back."
She contemplated that for a moment as she held onto his arm. There were still plenty of things to do to help out and not enough hands to do them. And Tommy was right, after Estes forced them to leave Kaya to her bleeding shoulder and take turns caring for Addy, being able to finally get her hands dirty and contribute would feel good. She took her head off Tommy's shoulder and looked at him, "You're sure you'll be okay without me?"
He kept smiling, "Bailey it's not like the triage stretches on for miles." He joked, "If I need you, I'll give a shout."
She knew he was right, with all the people crammed in here they'd lose sight of each other but one call and she'd be running back to him.
"You promise?" she asked and he smiled making little crinkles appear at the corners of his eyes.
"I promise." He replied before leaning in and giving her a peck on the mouth before she got up and headed for the volunteers who were still passing out the thermoses and mugs of soup and coffee.
10K POV
When the chill in his skin warmed up he placed the cold pack back against his stitches. He was glad Bailey now had something to occupy her time with other than worrying about him. It had hands down been the longest night of his life. Speaking of hands. . . he looked down at where his antler was. It was broken and pretty useless now, one prong snapped off entirely, there was no way he could use it to steady his rifle or fire a gear. He sighed remembering how many proto-type hands he'd gone through before finding one that had worked. He didn't know if Ayalla had another spare deer antler lying around that he could use as a replacement, if not he was back to square one.
At least it wasn't all bad this time, before without being able to shoot he'd felt like he'd lost his identity, he didn't know who he was. Now, if he couldn't shoot, it did put him at a disadvantage but there was less need to shoot these days anyway. He could stop working and be a stay at home dad, he thought with a small smile on his face. He wouldn't mind being able to spend more time at home with the kids, and there were other jobs that had flourished in Altura since he lost his hand, there was more to life then shooting now. It made him feel warmer inside knowing that if he couldn't shoot he wouldn't feel as useless as he had back then.
"10K." he heard someone call him and he looked up to see Rita approaching, "They got you out finally?"
"Yeah." He replied with a small smirk, "Doc found me unconscious under some rubble. How are things with the gunmen going?"
Rita crossed her arms, "We found two in with the triage hostages, we've put them in custody. Any of the others we're suspecting ended up like you, only they didn't have a Doc who cared to go in after them."
Then something behind her caught his sharp eye, "Rita."
His serious tone made her snap to attention and she saw where he was looking and turned. Behind her sneaking along the Memorial Wall behind EMT's and victims was a man in black tattered clothes with a layer of ash on his skin. His movements were enough to make him look suspicious as he tried to scurry away unseen.
"It's him." 10K said and Rita turned to him as she connected the dots, "That's Estes."
She rested her hand on her gun not taking it from its holster as he stood, they both headed in the direction Estes was fleeing in though Rita seemed hesitant to draw her gun. It was probably the hostages around them, they had been through enough tonight and they didn't need another scare.
The two of them picked up their pace as Estes disappeared behind the corner of the building and by the time they made it there they saw he'd taken off in a full sprint.
Rita ran and 10K did his best to follow, he knew he wasn't in any good condition for this but he knew Estes better then Rita did, he might be able to help. They ran across courtyards and around buildings and when Estes seemed to notice he was being followed he drew his own handgun which he must have recovered or pulled off the body of one of his lackies.
Instead of shooting behind him he fired wildly making anyone in his way duck and take cover. He was trying to make an easier escape. They were rounding the apartment building when Rita pulled out her gun and started gaining on Estes, 10K was falling behind, his head beginning to throb and his body protesting at the strain he was putting on his sore muscles. Eventually he had to stop as Rita took off and disappeared in the distance after Estes.
10K took several deep breaths trying to stop the burning in his lungs. He rested his one hand on his knee to keep him from doubling over from the pain in his chest. Then he heard a tiny voice, "Pa?"
He turned to see TJ, he was outside the apartment building and looked like he'd taken cover by the bench when Estes had started shooting. 10K straightened up as TJ stood and clutched a coloring book to his tiny torso. 10K noticed the crayons on the bench and thought he was probably coloring before going to the dining hall for breakfast with Lisa who must be inside getting Charlie ready. TJ's features were scrunched up which made 10K's confusion peak then his son dropped the coloring book from his shaking hands and 10K's eyes widened at the red stain on the pages, which matched the growing stain on TJ's shirt. He'd been shot.