{"id":150,"date":"2011-05-04T00:00:25","date_gmt":"2011-05-04T04:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=150"},"modified":"2011-05-04T00:00:25","modified_gmt":"2011-05-04T04:00:25","slug":"day-zero-chapter-3-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=150","title":{"rendered":"Day Zero – Chapter 3 – 01"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI hear something.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHopefully it\u2019s not something else<\/em> coming down.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Hopefully.<\/em>\u00a0 J.T. looked upwards grimly, up into the twisted remains of supports and walls.\u00a0 \u201cThom still breathing?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brandon nodded.\u00a0 \u201cStill breathing.\u00a0 Looks bad, though.\u00a0 Hope it\u2019s some kind of rescue crew.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rescue crew.\u00a0 Yeah, right.\u00a0 Rescue crew.\u00a0 Guess he missed the memo that when we picked teams for the end of the world, it wasn\u2019t some joke.<\/em>\u00a0 J.T. took a slow, deep breath, exhaling through his mouth before taking a step back from the edge of the stairway they were sheltered in, drawing back to crouch next to Thom\u2019s prone form. They\u2019d dragged him out from under some of the rubble not long before, gotten him to this relatively stable platform.\u00a0 He\u2019d been conscious then, joking even, about their long-ago decision to pick teams for the apocalypse, back when things looked bleak when they were freshman, back when Marin had seen what she\u2019d seen\u2014the end, they all thought.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t supposed to be like this.\u00a0 The end wasn\u2019t supposed to come like this.\u00a0 But somehow, J.T. had always suspected it might.\u00a0 Marin seeing whatever she\u2019d actually seen back then had changed something<\/em>, though he wasn\u2019t sure what.\u00a0 So now things had found a different end.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But it was still an end.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom hadn\u2019t stayed conscious for very long, though, after they\u2019d pulled him out from under the pile of debris.\u00a0 He had mumbled something unintelligible in J.T.\u2019s direction and then closed his eyes.\u00a0 But he was still breathing.\u00a0 For how long, though?
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stay with me, man.\u00a0 We can\u2019t handle this shit without you, you asshole.<\/em>\u00a0 The purplish knot on Thom\u2019s head didn\u2019t look any worse, at least.\u00a0 Brandon was frowning.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe needs a hospital.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe can keep our fingers crossed that that\u2019ll be an option, Brandon.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. bit down on his tongue, regretting saying it as soon as it had slipped out.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Now <\/em>my nerves are frayed.\u00a0 Fucking fantastic.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cWe should\u2019ve gotten it in gear when we heard the first explosion.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think it was?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cDamned if I know.\u00a0 Bombs, maybe.\u00a0 Something worse.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t firecrackers.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNot funny, Jay.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNot supposed to be funny, Brandon.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. shrugged out of his tattered black hoodie and threw it over Thom, frowning.\u00a0 Got to stay with me, Thom.\u00a0 How the hell are you supposed to try to patch it up with Marin if you\u2019re dead?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDid you hear that?\u201d\u00a0 Brandon squinted upwards.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 J.T. shook himself.\u00a0 \u201cHear what?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSounds like someone starting to dig.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 J.T. knelt, sliding a meaty hand under Thom\u2019s shoulders and gently easing his friend closer to the wall, more out of range of the drifting bits of debris that would inevitably be coming down as whoever was above dug them out.\u00a0 Thom\u2019s eyelids fluttered and he groaned quietly as he was moved.\u00a0 J.T. winced despite himself.\u00a0 Not sure if that\u2019s a good sign or a bad sign.<\/em>\u00a0 He looked at Brandon.\u00a0 \u201cSo start yelling.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brandon looked bewildered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat am I supposed to yell?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Think of something.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. leaned down, close to Thom\u2019s faintly moving lips, trying to hear whatever the other man was trying to say.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSo sorry,\u201d Thom whispered, almost too quiet for him to hear.\u00a0 \u201cLove her\u2026so sorry\u2026\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFuck, Thom,\u201d J.T. muttered.\u00a0 \u201cNow\u2019s not the time to be being sorry for shit that happened between the two of you.\u201d\u00a0 I don\u2019t even understand half that crap, just that some things you\u2019ll talk about and there\u2019s some things she\u2019ll talk about and they\u2019re never the same problems.<\/em>\u00a0 Thom kept whispering another few minutes before he exhaled, went quiet again, just breathing, unconscious again.\u00a0 Brandon had begun yelling.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDown here!\u00a0 Help!\u00a0 We\u2019re down here!\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 J.T. leaned against the wall, stable for now, the pylons for this particular wall driven deep, down into the bedrock.\u00a0 He exhaled slowly, steadying himself.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be lucky if they have a way to get us out of here.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dust started to fall from above.\u00a0 J.T. mumbled a quiet curse, scrubbing his hand over his own face.\u00a0 He tugged his sweatshirt up over Thom\u2019s mouth and nose so his friend wouldn\u2019t inhale too much of whatever masonry dust\u2014or otherwise\u2014came down as whoever it was above them dug them out.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A distorted voice drifted down to them with the dust.\u00a0 \u201cHow many?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThree,\u201d Brandon shouted up.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnyone hurt?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYeah!\u201d\u00a0 Brandon glanced at J.T. and Thom.\u00a0 \u201cJust one, but bad.\u00a0 Gonna need some attention real quick!\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Silence answered them.\u00a0 Brandon frowned; J.T. grimaced.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I thought.\u00a0 <\/em>J.T. glanced down toward Thom again.\u00a0 Hope her visions of a future with you true, man.\u00a0 We need fate on our side.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rubble shifted above them.\u00a0 Dust showered down, peppered with bits of drywall and masonry.\u00a0 J.T. braced himself, trying to shield Thom from any debris coming down.\u00a0 \u201cWish they could be a little more careful,\u201d he grumbled, glancing toward Brandon briefly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brandon shrugged, throwing an arm over his own head to shield himself from some more small debris coming down.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as it gets out of out here, I\u2019ll take it.\u201d\u00a0 He risked a glance up.\u00a0 \u201cI can see a little more light.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGood,\u201d J.T. muttered.\u00a0 \u201cThe sooner we see more, the better.\u00a0 Need to get Thom somewhere stable.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLike a hospital.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLike somewhere more stable.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. stared at the nineteen year old, grimacing.\u00a0 How do you tell a kid that there probably isn\u2019t a functioning hospital in a four hundred mile radius?<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s much world left up there, Brandon.\u00a0 Don\u2019t ask me how I know.\u00a0 That\u2019s just what I feel.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re crazy, Jay.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 J.T. shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHope so, Brandon.\u00a0 Don\u2019t think so, though.\u00a0 Not about this crap, not this time.\u00a0 Don\u2019t think so at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI hear something.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHopefully it\u2019s not something else coming down.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Hopefully.\u00a0 J.T. looked upwards grimly, up into the twisted remains of supports and walls.\u00a0 \u201cThom still breathing?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brandon nodded.\u00a0 \u201cStill breathing.\u00a0 Looks bad, though.\u00a0 Hope … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-03","category-day-zero"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-2q","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}