The Year 5066

Part 11: Barely Alive

'All I feel is pain...' I think as I slowly awake. I try to open my eyes but they feel too heavy. I try to say something but find I can't. All I see is darkness and all I feel is warmth and slow mind numbing pain. In short I feel like I'm dead.

That's when I hear a door open and close. I manage to open my eyes and find the low amount of light blinding. I look around and see I'm still in the store except I'm on a blow-up bed. I keep my eyes open and I see Sam's teary face appear above mine. When he sees my face he rubs his eyes and with a ecstatic face runs back out the door.

After what feels like an hour the door opens again and Javdir comes in followed by Sam. I try and sit up wincing the whole time I do so. Javdir immediately rushes over and makes me lay back down. Sam just sits by the bed but it's obvious that he's restless.
"Jackson how do you feel?" Javdir asks.
"Cold..." I say in a raspy voice.
"Is that all?" Javdir asks.
"Like crap..." I respond.
"Y-you'll be okay r-right Jackie?" Sam asks with a worried face.
"Of course I will." I respond with a weak smile.
"Yea in atleast a week or two... but we need to get you to your base." Javdir says.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because there we actually have good medical supplies." Javdir responds.
"Fine, I'll ride in the back I guess..." I say
"Why?" Sam asks.
"Because he needs to stay laying down mostly." Javdir says.
"Oh yeah..." Sam says.
"Well what are we waiting for then?" I groan out as I get up. With me struggling Javdir helps me up and I lean heavily on him from the pain. As we make our way out of the room I see some of my gear on the ground. As I'm about to ask where the rest of it is I see someone out back of the Pontiac and bend down. With Javdir giving me a questioning look I grab my hunting pistol and limp over to the door.

With pounding in my ears I open the door pointing my gun and holding my right side.
I go around the corner and see what looks like a girl that's about nineteen or twenty. I cough to announce my presence and the girl turns with a scared look in her eyes.
"Wait don't shoot!" She yells putting her hands in front of her.
"Give whatever is in your pocket back and we'll have no problems." I say
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" The girl says with fake tears swelling in her eyes.
"Drop the act or else." I say with a flat tone of voice.
"Y-you wouldn't shoot a girl would you?" She asks.
"It's the apocalypse, things have changed."
"You're a monster! Who would shoot a girl?" She yells.
"Five seconds."
"W-what?" She asks looking worried.
"Five seconds to return whatever you've stolen from me." I say slowly.
"But I didn't steal anything!"
"Four."
"Please, I didn't steal anything!"
"Three."
"Y-your joking right?"
"Two."
"W-wait!" She says reaching for her pocket.
"Try anything funny and I'll blow your face off, understand?" I say narrowing my eyes.
"O-ok." She says reaching into her pocket. As I see a thin chain and a crystal I put my pistol to her head.
"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you." I say with a deep rage in me.
"I'm sorry please don't kill me!" She says with real tears spilling out of her eyes.
"Tell me... what sparked your shall we say intrest, to steal this?" I say taking the necklace forcefully.
"I-it just looked really pretty, I didn't mean any harm." She says crying.
"I don't care, if you ever touch this again I'll cut your hand off." I say lowering my gun.
"Um by the way are you okay?" She says shyly while wiping her eyes.
"Yes." I say turning away to wince.
"Um are you sure?" She insists.
"Yea I have someone to help me, not that it's any of your business."
"Listen I'm really sorry about the necklace okay?" She says with sorrow in her voice.
"Well how about you maybe not go through someone's stuff looking for something to steal." I say turning back to her.
"I wasn't looking for something to steal!" She says defensively.
"Then what, you just happened to look over and see it?"
"Well not exactly..." She mutters.
"Then what?" I ask.
"Well I was walking to here to see if there's any supplies and I saw your car." She says.
"And you decided to open the trunk and go through my stuff?"
"No, I saw the car in good condition with the trunk already open and when I walked over I saw the sun glint off the necklace." She says quietly.
"Do you recognize I could have shot you on sight?"
"Y-yes..." She says looking down.
"Good atleast you know you did wrong."
"Um b-by the way, what's your name?" She asks.
"Jackson Rayner, yours?"
"Suzanne Collins, so is it just you and the person you mentioned?"
"Once again it's not really your business."
"Oh o-okay then... um can I join you?"
"I'd rather not."
"A-are you sure? I can help with your injuries..."
"And why should I trust you?"
"I used to be an ICU nurse before the nukes started dropping." She says with sadness in her voice.
"Fine I'll talk it over." I say, walking to the door.
"Stay out here." I say when I hear her following me.
"Oh um okay." She nervously responds. As I walk inside I hear Javdir talking in the staff room. Opening the door I see Javdir counting up medical supplies and weapons.
"Javdir did you find yourself any guns?" I ask as I approach him.
"Yeah I found a pump action shotgun and a revolver."
"Well I found a girl."
"What?" Javdir asks, turning torwards me.
"Her name is Suzanne Collins."
"Ok and that matters why?"
"She wants to join us."
"And I highly doubt that you want her to."
"Correct, especially 'cause she tried stealing my dead sister's necklace."
"Well then what do you want me to say?"
"Your opinion, your yes or no."
"I'm not sure Jackson because you do seem pissed at her."
"Well I just think four people is too many."
"Yea and you aren't upset about her trying to take your necklace."
"I'm more upset that you took it off me."
"Well it's in the past now, nothing I can do now."
"True, now what's your answer?"
"I don't think it'd be smart..."
"Then I'll tell her to get lost." I say limping out of the staff room and back to Suzanne.

A/N: (Finally posts something during school)