S2E15: Part 1
Citizen Z POV
"Delta X-ray Delta, Addy, do you copy?" he said feeding papers into a fire he'd started in a metal barrel, "Bailey do you copy? Anybody copy? Citizen Z down to my last battery. If you can hear this broadcast, tell the package to abort mission. Repeat. Abort mission. Location compromised. I –" then the static from his pack went off and he sighed in defeat. He dropped the files he was holding and stared into the flames.
"All good things must come to an end." He said before taking the radio and tossing it into the pit of fire.
Bailey POV
"What is taking so long?" Murphy grumbled now in a dress and cardigan.
"I hope it's not another top secret underground lab." Doc said, "That last elevator made me nauseous for a week."
"Whatever it is I just want to get it over with." Murphy said throwing on a hat.
"Got that right." 10K agreed looking to Bailey, both thinking about the north and everything they'd talked about, the sooner they could drop Murphy off to whoever was left the sooner they could get on with their lives. She blushed thinking about the family he'd talked about having someday.
"Here she comes." 10K said as he turned and spotted Warren who walked out the front door and waved them over.
"Here we go." Addy said turning to Murphy, "I gotta say, I kinda like the new you."
"You don't want to meet the new me." He said taking out a fan and flicked it open with his wrist.
When they got closer they heard retro-pop music playing inside. When they stepped through the front door after Warren Bailey saw the windows were haphazardly boarded up letting in light through the spaces. There was one wall covered in records and a floor scattered with tables and chairs before a small fight of steps led to a second floor with a long table and barstools. A second bar ran perpendicular to it were an older woman with grey hair, a yellow apron and a warm smile stood making tea.
"So is this a real restaurant?" Doc asked looking around making his way up the small flight of stairs.
"Well except for Black Summer, we've been in continuous operation since 1967." The woman replied cheerfully, "We've had a limited menu at times but, eh. Where you folks from?" she asked moving out from behind the bar to pass out tea, Bailey noticed the woman was a bit on the heavier side, odd given that in the apocalypse food had become scarce, she must have one hell of a food supply, especially if she was still serving customers.
"New York." Warren replied taking a sip from her glass.
"New York." The woman repeated impressed, "I didn't know anybody could still be from New York." Bailey noticed Murphy had strayed away from the group, not standing around the high table with them but instead sat at a table for two a bit off in the corner.
"Upstate. The city's gone one hundred percent Z." Warren said.
"Oh long drive." The woman said brushing her hands on her apron. "What was it like out there?"
"Well nothing but Z's and those soon to become Z's." Doc said turning on a lantern at the table illuminating their faces.
"Wasn't there anybody safe? Anywhere?"
"There are." Warren said, "Few and far between."
Then the woman smiled brightly again, "So what does bring you to California?"
Warren opened her mouth to respond but stopped when they heard a vehicle pull up outside.
"Bounty hunters." Vasquez said and Murphy pulled his scarf up over the bottom half of his face, a pair of big round sunglasses covering his eyes.
"Oh busy day." The woman said moving back to the bar, probably to get more tea. Four men entered with a Z on a chain leash with a sack over its head. They were filthy and armed and sat at a table by the door.
"Can I get you boys some tea?"
"You got any brown liquor?" one in a pair of twisted and broken glasses asked.
"Oh I think I can squeeze some out of the still." The woman said turning from the men to get them their drinks.
"Are you Auntie?" one with tattoos all over his bald head asked and she paused then turned still with that warm smile.
"I am."
"We heard you're the one to talk to about The Murphy." Baldy said turning to one of his guys. "Show her."
They pulled the sack off the Z's head and Bailey had to admit it did look like Murphy, the height, the hair, it was a good fake.
"We're here to claim our bounty." Baldy said.
"Let me get you those drinks." Auntie replied and Bailey noticed that her smile had fallen from her face. She served the bounty hunters their drinks as Warren subtly looked to each of the team telling them to play it cool. They each sipped their tea quietly hoping to go unnoticed but Bailey felt this tension in the air and felt something brewing. Getting out of this would be rough.
"Another round of drinks for my men." Baldy said, "And this time make it the clear stuff. Hey." He called his eyes going to Warren, "We're celebrating over here. How bout I buy you a drink?"
"No thanks. I already got one." She said lifting her mug but Baldy got up and wandered toward them anyway.
"Well if you won't come drink with me. . . you won't mind if I just mosey on over and have a drink with you?" he asked and Bailey saw Vasquez and 10K tense as he got closer, "Relax fellas. I'm gonna buy you a drink too. Hell, drinks for everyone. And don't worry about The Murphy we got him sedated." He reassured them as his guys made their way over too with The Murphy fake. Auntie came around and passed out their drinks while one of the men in a coonhat stared at Addy getting closer to her. Glasses had his eyes on Murphy in the corner dressed in women's clothes and the fourth man was busy restraining the zombie. Addy looked across the table at Bailey her eyes stony trying to keep the viciousness out of them and Bailey gave her a warning look, Addy was smart enough to keep her emotions in control and play this the smart way, hell, she'd seen Bailey do it enough times in the past four years.
"How bout a toast?" Baldy asked, "To The Murphy."
"To The Murphy." they all repeated, their group quieter than the men as they all sipped their drinks. The liquid burned Bailey's throat and she put her glass down not taking any more than need be.
"Hey Auntie, we could use some music." Baldy said. And Auntie turned on the jukebox, "Yeah that's better." Baldy said turning to Doc who nodded in agreement.
"So what brings you folks here to Auntie's?" Baldy asked them.
"Passing through." Warren replied and Bailey hoped Baldy kept his friendly manner, her eyes glanced at Coonhat who was still staring at Addy. So long as his friends didn't get too friendly this still had a chance of turning out okay. That was until she heard Glasses speak up.
"Well you sure are a shy one." He said trying to flirt with Murphy drawing the group's attention. Glasses finished his drink and stood up, "How bout a dance there, shy girl?"
Murphy waved the guy off and Bailey heard the chains around the Z rattle as it copied Murphy's action. Her heart started to race hoping none of the bounty hunters noticed.
"Come on baby." Glasses persisted, "It's a slow song." He tried grabbing Murphy's arm but he hit him away playfully with his fan.
"No, no, no, no, I don't dance." Murphy said his voice either getting higher on purpose or just from his uncomfortable position. Baldy made his way over to the pair as Warren kept her eyes on him and followed him over with a hand on her gun. Bailey saw 10K take a step back from the table and subtly get his hands into position on his rifle ready to use it if he had to. Bailey rested her hand on her knife knowing in such close quarters it'd be best not to swing her hatchet.
"Hey shy girl." Baldy said picking up a pitcher on another table, "Shy girl. . .think fast." He said tossing Murphy the pitcher. He caught it, but the Z made the same movement and Baldy smiled. Bailey moved to her right over to where Doc was while 10K stepped back a bit more needing space for his gun. Then suddenly everyone drew their weapons. Warren had her gun to Coonhead, who had his gun on Addy. Addy had her gun on Glasses who had his gun on Murphy, while Vasquez had his gun on Baldy. Baldy had two guns one on Murphy and one on Vasquez. The guy who was holding the Z by its chains had his gun aimed at 10K and 10K was aiming at Baldy. Bailey had her gun aimed across the long table at the guy holding the Z praying that he would switch his aim to someone else, anyone else, even her, better her than 10K. Doc was the only one without a gun and he stood closest to Bailey holding his crowbar.
"Now that's interesting." Baldy said, "When shy girl here moves, my Murphy moves the same way. Like they're connected or something. It's . . . interesting. Why don't you take off that hat?"
"No." Murphy said his voice back to normal.
Baldy chucked, "Take off the hat."
There was a long pause while Murphy turned and saw where all the guns were aimed then he sighed and took off the hat.
"Whew! Wow, that's life like." Baldy said seeing Murphy's blue forehead, "That's good work. Hell, if didn't know any better I'd think you were the real deal. Wouldn't be hiding any bites under that dress would you? Take off the dress." He ordered and Murphy hesitated, "Take off the dress."
Murphy shook his head then removed his sunglasses, then when he looked up at Baldy the fake Murphy bit into his shoulder. Baldy cried out in pain as six gunshots went off and the music stopped. In the chaos Bailey had seen Addy and Warren shoot but she didn't see much else as Doc pulled Bailey into his side and down out of the way of the insanity when the shooting began and he still hadn't let go. Bailey had been able to tell some time ago that Doc had, in a way, adopted her and Addy and he treated them like they were his own daughters. And in a way he'd become a father figure to them too.
"That'll be enough of that." Auntie said and they turned to see her with an impressive rifle, "Put down your weapons." She said and Bailey looked around to see all the bounty hunters had been shot and killed along with the fake Murphy. The real Murphy stood up looking around the room "Please." Auntie said and they all did as she asked. "Your name Murphy?"
"Yeah." He said taking off the scarf.
"Well it's about time." Auntie said then there was a groan and Addy turned around scanning their group. Six shots, Bailey thought, four bounty hunters and a zombie, that was only five so who was -
"10K?" Addy asked and Bailey felt her heart leap into her throat. No. They made their way around the table they'd been standing at and found 10K on the floor with his hands pressed to his stomach already coated in blood. "Oh God." Addy said dropping her Z Whacker and kneeling by 10K and Bailey moved to sit by his head as Doc fell to one knee to look at his wound.
"I've been shot." Ten said sounding in pain and shock. Then his expression became something Bailey had never seen before, never, not during the nuke crisis, not during any horde, nothing; it was a look of pure fear and terror as he looked at them trying to see some hope and her worry only grew. She knelt by his head, resting it in her lap and ran her fingers through his hair, they couldn't make him anymore comfortable, not without moving his torso and making the pain worse. Bailey leaned over and rested her forehead on Tommy's, her thumb stroking his cheek, trying to keep herself together, trying to be strong for him but she could feel herself starting to break. She put her hand over his heart monitoring its beats, it was still strong and steady though how long that would last she didn't know.
"Don't move Kid. I'll try to stop the bleeding." Doc said grabbing whatever he could to press down on the bullet wound and Bailey hated the way Doc's voice quivered as he started losing his composure too. If Addy and Bailey had become like his daughters then 10K was like his son. Bailey remembered Addy telling her how much Doc had insisted they stay and look for her and 10K back at the Mississippi River, the way he'd fought for them and she hated that now Doc had to watch 10K suffer too.
"Auntie do you have a first aid kit?" Bailey heard Warren ask, "Where are you going?"
She heard the door open and shut but couldn't take her attention off 10K, not when any breath could be his last. She shook her head trying to get rid of those thoughts. No, he'd be okay, he was always okay. Somehow he'd get through this too.
"We've got to move him." Doc said.
"We can't he's in too much pain." Bailey protested.
"Bailey, I can only try to help him if I can actually see the wound, up on the table I'll have more light." Doc reasoned as Vasquez came over. She nodded her head as Doc and Vasquez lifted him while Addy took a quilt and laid it over the table clearing it of their glasses and mugs. 10K groaned as he was lifted and put on the table though Doc and Vasquez were doing their best not to cause him any more discomfort.
Every time he let out a groan of pain or a moan in agony Bailey felt her heart clench almost like his pain triggered her own. Addy was able to find a cloth behind the bar and wet it in the sink which was full of fresh boiled water. She rested the cloth on 10K's forehead moving his goggles up and out of the way though Bailey failed to see what that would do to help a bullet wound. Warren came back in with Murphy and Auntie, telling them Auntie had signaled the CDC lab which was apparently in a submarine not far from their location.
"He's losing a lot of blood." Doc said checking the wound better now that he could see it.
"Do you have anything that will at least help the pain?" Bailey asked with tears in her eyes that she was desperately trying to hold back.
"Anything I give him will thin his blood and he'll bleed faster." Doc said folding the bloody towel he had and pushing harder to try and slow the bleeding, "This is way out of my league. Sorry Kid. Maybe the submarine has a surgeon. They're bound to have a sick bay."
Bailey pulled over a barstool and sat beside 10K who's face, neck and chest were covered in sweat and he was lolling his head from one side to the other fighting off unconsciousness, she had her hand holding his while her right hand ran through his hair keeping the sweaty strands off his face.
"I'm sorry." He said his voice cracking, "We should have left when you wanted." He groaned out clearly still in a lot of pain.
"Shhh." She leaned closer to him still running her fingers through his hair, stroking his cheek and speaking softly, "Don't worry about that now. You're going to be okay. We're still going to make it north. We'll still have the life we were talking about, all of it. This is just a bump in the road. Once you're better we'll be on our way." she tried to comfort him but her voice started to get choked up at the end.
"If I don't get better –"
"Don't talk like that." She cut him off.
"We need to talk about it. We've never talked about it, Bailey if I die –"
"Stop it. You're going to be okay."
"You have to prepare yourself in case I won't be." He said harsher now and when she looked back in his eyes his gaze softened, "If I'm going to die I want to be sure you'll be okay."
"I won't be." She admitted, "I'd keep fighting, because I know you'd want that. . . but I'd never be okay."
"Try. . . for me." He said softly and she had to close her eyes to fight off the tears. "I love you –"
"Don't." she said cutting him off, "Don't say it like a goodbye. Never say it as a goodbye."
He paused, "Then what do you want me to say?"
Her lip trembled a bit and she had to bite it to make it stop, "Just don't say goodbye."
"What's the deal with this submarine anyway?" Murphy asked, his voice carrying from across the room. "Is that where Dr. Merch has been hiding this whole time?"
"Sorry hun, that's classified." Auntie said.
"Classified? From who?" Murphy asked scoffing, "The zombies?"
"Uhhh. . . " she trailed off looking out the window waiting for the CDC to show up. Bailey heard engines not long after but she kept her eyes on 10K and he kept his on her. They both just stared at each other while they held hands and she ran her fingers through his hair. The same questions kept running through her head as she stared, did he look paler? Had the bags under his eyes grown darker? She felt him take an uneasy breath and squeezed his hand tighter. He tried to reciprocate but his grip was weak and it made her get all choked up again.
"Don't cry." He asked softly.
"I'm trying." She said sniffling trying to hold it all back.
"I know." He replied giving her a weak smile. She leaned forward and gently brought her lips to his, his were chapped and dry but she didn't care, it still felt perfect. When she pulled away from the short kiss she rested her forehead on his and felt him weakly bring up his free hand to run his thumb along her cheek. His hand was still covered in his own blood so she felt the wetness stick to her skin but she didn't care so long as she could feel his touch. Then she heard footsteps outside the door and she looked up pulling her head away from him as he turned to the door too.
"Alright, Doc and Bailey you stay with 10K." Warren instructed, "Vasquez and Addy, you guys cover us."
"Dearie put your guns away." Auntie said smiling, "They have a nuclear submarine."
"She's got a point." Warren said shrugging off the plan and turning to Murphy, "Hey. You ready?"
"No." Murphy said in a low voice, "But when did that ever matter?"
Then the door opened and two men walked in dressed in navy uniforms, the gold stars, the stripes, all the badges pinned to their chest, the whole nine yards.
"Captain." Auntie greeted.
"Auntie." He acknowledged her. "Looks like you had a busy morning."
"Oh, we had a bit of a lunch rush."
"That's not him is it?" he asked looking at one of the bodies.
"No Sir." Warren said stepping forward, "Lieutenant Roberta Warren, Missouri National Guard." She saluted. "We have the package here. Safe."
"So, you're The Murphy." The Captain said following Warren's gaze to Murphy who was standing as far from the door as possible.
"Actually, its just Murphy. I don't know where this whole 'the' came from." He replied.
"Do you have a doctor?" Bailey called across the room not bothering to mask the desperation in her voice.
"We have a wounded man." Warren explained calmly.
"I'm the ships doctor." The second man said, taking off his sunglasses, "Let me take a look at him." Warren gestured back to where 10K was and the doctor rushed over. Doc took Bailey by the shoulders and moved her away from 10K, she was forced to let go of his hand as the doctor looked him over.
She remembered Jane and Rick, that couple they'd found in Warren's house who needed help. Bailey remembered how torn up Jane had been, how much she begged for them to help Rick. Back then Bailey had never wanted that, she never wanted to be so attached to someone that it felt like her life was falling apart when she lost them. She thought it made you weak and she never wanted to be like Jane. But here she was begging a stranger to help the guy she loved, the guy who'd dug his way into her heart without really even trying, the guy who was bleeding to death in front of her.
"Lot of people have been looking for you Mr. Murphy." She heard the Captain say.
"Well you found me. Now what?"
"First we have to make sure you are who you say you are." The Captain said.
"Oh. I am."
"How do we know you are who you say you are?" Warren asked.
"I understand your reluctance Lieutenant Warren. We've been tracking Delta X-ray Delta for two years. If I'd been through what you'd been through I'd make damn sure I was giving that package to the right person too." He turned to the door, "Doctor would you mind joining us?"
A woman walked in and Bailey recognized her from the video footage they'd seen in Colorado – the woman was Dr. Merch.
"Is that him?" The Captain asked.
"I don't know. I'm sorry. I only saw him for a minute before we were evacuated." Dr. Merch said. "Everything was so chaotic there –"
"Perhaps this'll jog your memory." Murphy said enraged as he charged over, "Pike me. Pike me! Or I will hunt you down and eat your brains!" he shouted until he was only a few feet from Dr. Merch and the Captain. Dr. Merch looked shocked as she stared at him, like she was reliving a nightmare.
"That's him." She said softly.
"Satisfied?" Murphy asked turning to the Captain.
"Very." The Captain replied smiling, "Now let's get you back to the sub. We've got a lot of work to do."
"What happened to your Delta Force escort Lieutenant Hammond?" Dr. Merch asked.
"He didn't make it. A lot of people didn't make it." Murphy sneered and Bailey hoped 10K's name wouldn't be added to that list by the end of the day.
«»
"Easy, easy." Doc said as they moved 10K outside so they could get him on a vehicle. Doc took 10K under one arm while the doctor took him under his other side. 10K was barely stumbling along as they moved him onto a stretcher, his face twisted and his teeth clenched in excruciating pain. The men lifted his stretcher onto the back of a jeep and secured it then Doc and Bailey moved to 10K's side again, Doc used a rolled up blanket to prop up 10K's head so he'd be a bit more comfortable.
"Hang in there." She said taking his bloody hand again, "Just keep holding on okay. Once they get you to the sub you'll be fine again. You'll be okay."
"It's gonna be okay Kid." Doc said. "They got a real surgeon. They're gonna fix you up." 10K bit his lip hard as he nodded.
"I'm his physician." Doc told the submarine doctor, "I'm gonna need to go with you."
"Sorry sir. We barely have room for these two."
"But I have to be. . . "
"Don't worry. We'll take good care of him." He said turning from Doc to Bailey.
"I -I have to go with him, I can't leave him." She said remembering what they'd said in the sewer the previous night, they promised they wouldn't leave each other, live together die together.
"Well it's your choice, you can split up and I can take him to our sick bay, or you can stick together and he'll die." The doctor told her and she started to shake. 10K must have felt it as they held hands and she felt him grip her fingers tighter making her look at him.
"Bailey, whatever you want to do, I'm on board." He said weakly and she was shocked that he was putting his life in her hands, even if she chose to keep him by her side – which would be a death sentence for him – he'd be okay with that? She tore her eyes from him and looked back at the surgeon.
"Take him, save him." She begged and he nodded, put his sunglasses back on and got in the jeep.
Doc patted 10K's head before moving to say goodbye to Murphy as Warren came over to wish 10K luck. When she left Bailey brought her hand to his face and used her thumb to stroke along his jaw again. He gave a small hum enjoying the calm that came from her touch but then she saw his jaw clench as he took a breath too deep and the pain in his abdomen flared up again. He gripped her hand tighter and his eyes were screwed shut as he fought through the pain.
"Shhhh." Bailey tried comforting him again, "Their surgeon is going to fix you up, the pain will be gone soon." She said softly as Addy came closer.
"Hey." She said with a small smile that 10K did his best to return though they could both see him struggling. "You hang in there okay?"
10K nodded trying to keep his breathing even, "Addy can you do me a favor?" he asked.
"Of course."
"Watch her back?" he asked, his eyes flashing to Bailey who brought their joined hands up and kissed his, touched by his request and fighting back tears. "Watch out for her until I get back?"
"10K I watch out for her even when you're here." Addy said with a short laugh trying to ease the tension.
"Thanks." 10K replied with a slight smile and Addy kissed his forehead before moving back over to Warren and the others giving the pair a minute alone.
"I –" he began then stopped remembering that she told him not to say it as a goodbye.
"I know." She said with a small smile, "Me too."
"I'll say it when I get back." He said mustering up a smile, "Promise."
They fell into silence with nothing more to say as they looked at each other. Finally, 10K couldn't take it anymore.
"Come here." He said moving his hand to cup her face as he pulled her down into a long deep kiss. He kept his hand along the side of her face and she could feel a bit of blood from his palm against her skin again but she refused to let it ruin their moment. She poured as much emotion as she could into the kiss and felt him respond with an equal amount of vigor. Eventually though, they had to pull away as the engine of the jeep roared to life. She held his hand and stared at him as long as she could making sure her memory held a perfect picture of him, from how green his eyes were, to the shape of his nose, his chapped lips, the freckle on his cheek just above his jaw, the little scar in his eyebrow – everything, just in case this was the last time she ever saw him. Then the vehicle moved forward and her hand slipped from his as Doc came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders as what was left of the Mount Wilson CDC drove off with 10K.
"He'll be okay." Doc said rubbing up and down her arms soothingly and she turned to look at him, "He's a cockroach." He said with a smile that grew a little bigger when her eyebrows pulled together in confusion, "They survive everything. . .He does too."
Even in the tense situation Bailey couldn't help but let out a tiny chuckle as Warren called their attention and they started clearing out the bodies in Auntie's diner. Bailey couldn't bring herself to go back inside though, she'd just keep picturing 10K on the table, or on the floor, bleeding and in pain. Instead she sat on the porch and watched the direction the jeeps had gone and silently prayed she'd see 10K walking back down the road toward her by the end of the day.