Fracking Apocalypse - a ZNation 10K/Tommy Fanfiction

S5E04: Part 1

Good news! I've decided to do a 12 days of Christmas countdown! Be sure to check this story every day for a new chapter from now until the 25th! I'm so excited to show you guys season 6!

S5E04: Part 1

In the wake of the bombing everyone who was alive and well enough to help all pitched in to do their share. Guards rounded up a few groups to help collect the bodies of the dead while other teams helped repair what damage they could. Bailey had seen Ray earlier, an older middle aged man who had worked as a judge Pre-Z and was a priest on top of that. He was a good man, and she had seen him standing over the rows of bodies blessing them with a final prayer. It was a depressing sight, one man among the still corpses and Bailey couldn't look too long at the man. She tried to keep her head up, there was a lot to be done, and she made her way to the supply building to see what she could do to help.

In the supply center Bailey started pulling together all the food they had and gave instructions to her now limited staff on who got first priority on food. There was a division of the mess hall cooks who were busy making meals for those in the infirmary while Red, Sun Mei and any available first responder tended to them. Bailey was also on duty to help deliver the meals they made. At the end of the first day Bailey went back to her trailer exhausted but she didn't get to rest for long. Red had come knocking on her door as the events of the day weighed heavily on her mind too, one event in particular. She was still wracked with guilt over amputating 10K's hand and had been a mess when she'd shown up on Bailey's doorstep. Bailey had heard from Sun Mei earlier what Red had done and she was so grateful to her for saving 10K's life though it seemed Red was unsure if she deserved thanks. Spending the whole day in the infirmary tending to the wounded was hard enough but Red also had 10K there lying in a cot miserably as his hand healed. Sun Mei had told him he had to stay in the infirmary for at least forty eight hours for observation then he could go, he really should stay a week or two but she'd make an exception if he agreed to go to her for checkups daily – twice a day if she thought he needed them and he'd agreed though it hadn't brightened his mood.

"You saved his life." Bailey had told Red that night in her trailer as they both sat on the bed, "In time he'll see that."

"He can't shoot." Red said as another tear rolled down her cheek, "Shooting is what makes him him, it's what he enjoys the most, he dedicated his life, his name to killing zombies and now he can't shoot because of me. I took that all away from him."

"He's just in shock." Bailey said, "He needs to mourn what he's lost just like others are mourning the people they've lost. Once he's had time to lick his wounds he'll bounce back."

"What if he doesn't?" Red asked, "What if he hates me now for doing what I did?"

"You saved his –"

"What if he didn't want to be saved?" she asked and they both fell quiet. She hadn't thought of that. 10K had always been the person who survived, no matter how many zombies or how many people shot at him, no matter if it had been anthrax, a noose, a nuke, an exploding submarine or jumping off a bridge into raging rapids, 10K was the one who survived and kept going, she never imagined the day would come when he survived and wished he hadn't. But it made sense. So much had been ripped away from him in literally seconds. He lost his hand, then Sarge, now his independence and his ability to shoot, which was his ability to take care of himself. He'd need others to support him and he had no lack of that, but becoming completely dependent on others, losing the ability to look out for yourself was probably one of the worst feelings in the world.

"I can go talk to him tomorrow, if you think it'll help." She offered and Red nodded looking down at her lap and sniffling again. Bailey had her stay in her trailer the rest of the night, she didn't think it would be good for Red to be alone with her thoughts. They stayed up most of the night talking as a way to try and distract themselves from the horror that was just outside the door. They did try to get some sleep, they both knew they'd be needed to help again in the morning.