Fracking Apocalypse - a ZNation 10K/Tommy Fanfiction

S1E13: Part 1

S1E13: Part 1

       Somewhere West of the Rockies

They had pulled over a while ago when Cassandra wasn't feeling well, she was now on the side of the road with 10K beside her as she got sick. Doc was on lookout for Z's with Bailey while Warren made the most of their pit stop and contacted Citizen Z.

"Not sure how much longer we can hold it together." Warren was telling Citizen Z on the radio.

"It's only another hundred and fifty miles."

"We have a man down, Cassandra. She's not looking good. And then there's the package."

"Uh, what about the package?"

"Don't know exactly, but Murphy's acting weird. More than usual. Where's this new destination?"

"It's Fort Collins, Colorado."

"What happened to California?"

"Lab's dark again. Maybe for good. You've been redeployed."

"By whose orders?"

"Well, I started picking up a teletype signal on the old civil defense frequency. At first I thought it was a hacker, but turns out its Doctor Merch. Yeah, that Dr. Merch. The one who injected Murphy. So deliver Murphy to Fort Collins. Dr. Merch will be there with her team to meet you."

"No more California?"

"Colorado is the new California."

"Copy." Then they heard Cassandra getting sick again and turned to see 10K rubbing her back.

"Feel better now?" he asked passing her a black bandana to wipe her mouth.

"Yeah, little bit." She replied as he lifted her arm over his shoulders and went to help her up. He barely got her off the ground when she started telling him no and shaking her head. He set her back down and she leaned over the grass again taking deep breaths. 

"Try to relax." He said gently rubbing her back again. Bailey toyed with the end of her braid nervously. She'd gotten all the blood out of her hair that she could but in the end just needed it out of her face. She wasn't as good at braiding as Addy had been so she'd made a simple three plait braid and pulled it over her shoulder. It was already falling apart at the top, the hair getting loose and covering her ear. Her fingers picked at the dried blood in the end of it as she watched Cassandra, she needed help, big antibiotic help and fast. Bailey really hoped this lab in Colorado would be their solution, not just for Murphy and the human race but for her friend.

"How much gas do we have left?" Warren asked.

"I don't know, half a tank or so." Doc replied with his shotgun over his shoulder.

"Make it a hundred and fifty miles?"

"Well, if it's mostly downhill." Doc said hopelessly, "We're real low on ammo too."

At that Bailey walked away, if they didn't make this final stretch then it was all over, they'd be out of gas, out of ammo and dangerously low on food. And if by some miracle they did make it. . . well it might still all be over. She thought back to Camp Blue Sky, the Emergency Infection Control HQ, Province Town, the FU-Bar, that reactor in South Dakota, and the Sisters of Mercy Camp. No matter where they ended up trouble either followed or they walked right into it, she had her doubts about this new lab CZ had found too but still she couldn't help but hope for the best, maybe that was a piece of Garnett that had been left behind with her.

When they were finally able to move Cassandra back into the van and got rolling again the small talk turned more positive.

"Doc how much further?" Warren asked.