Times of Tribulation
Kept in Stitches: Part One

Steam belched upwards and outwards as the battered radiator finally gave way. A thick acrid smoke began to pour inwards, into the cabin of the tattered panel van. The one good eye of the driver narrowed and the teeth chomped down harder on his unlit cig. The van lurched almost to a stop, but a boot slammed to the pedal kept it going.

Rounding a corner, the one eyed man looked behind him, and into the back of the van. A breath escaped his lips and was blown upwards, making the cig dance on his lips. Then a hiss, a loud pop and the van came to a dead stop. A shoulder shoved against the door and he slithered out. Tattered boots clumped to the ground as he made his way to the back of the van.

Tanned, almost leathery hands yanked on the back door and swung it fully open. Reaching inside, he tugged on the pant leg of an unconscious form. With precisely methodica movements he scooped up the form and gently eased it over a shoulder. He turned and headed up the street, coat billowing widely behind him.

The only sign of life from the draped form was that of a moan that mixed with the crunching of boots to stone and rubble. One good eye roved about in a defensive perusal as he made his way to the hospital. A shifting of the form received another moan, he took the steps carefully. The doors to the hospital lobby slid open with a hiss and he stood, looking about as the man-made wisp of air from within blew the sand and particles from his coat.

Slipping through the now closing doors he stood in the lobby and drifted his gaze as he shifted the form once more. A crimson rivulet of blood ran from the corner of his forehead, congealing on his cheek. He caught the gaze of the spike haired medic, Asche, and nodded once his voice was quiet, cool.

"Incoming."


Asher wore a long burnoose, cloth headgear, and old riding goggles. His old, leather buckled boots are coated with dust and grit, like the rest of him. He unwrapped his headwrap as he walked toward a table in the lobby of the hospital before removing his goggles too. He kept the burnoose on, covering the myriad packs and gear pockets as well as a long, sweeping caftan, black like the rest of his clothing but cleaner.

Asche was seated at the lobby desk watching pictures and information flash by on the E7 terminal. She was clean and in her uniform jumpsuit of many pockets.

"Stop, Elliot ... right there." Asche leaned forward, squinting at the picture on the screen. There, in vivid color, was a prewar picture of a She infestation.

"Upload that into my data base, Elliot." She eased back, knuckling her bleary eyes.

The black-headed youth walked up behind Asche, trying to see that at which she looked.

Asche sensed someone behind her and swiveled around, her eyes tight with crow's feet as a brow arched. "Need somethin'?"

Asher jumped back, almost tripping over a chair. The picture of She remained on the screen - a healthy plant amid much greenery. Asche's gaze was insistent as she watched the man stumble. His eyes went wide as he looked at her, and then he regained his balance.

"I was, ah, wondering, at what you were looking."

Asche scooted the chair over so he can see better, ignoring his discomfort. "Ever seen that before?"

Asher moved closer, the fringes of his caftan brushing over the sides of his boots. He peered at the computer monitor which displayed a healthy, viney plant in full bloom. The image even captured a cloud of pollen being borne away by the wind. "I've read descriptions and I've heard stories. None are good ones. What of importance is in the picture, other than the plant?"

Asche twisted around to look at the picture again. "You get infected by it ... that's it. No cure."

"They call it a 'She,' do they not?"

"It is She."

Quentari came running down the stairs. He tiptoed down the hallway, sneaky like and peeked around a corner and into the lobby where Asche and Asher were huddled around the terminal and talking. He moved closer to them.

"You've never seen a patch of that before?" Asche asked, raking her fingers through her buzz cut.

"I haven't seen one through my eyes. I've heard of its powers, and read about what She was before the War, but see one? No, I've not been so unfortunate."

Asche cast a sidelong glance up at him. "You can read?"

Asher looked at Asche, a brow arched. "Read? Why, of course, I can. I was taught to by my parents."

Quent watched them for a moment, then moved closer and turned his head to Asche, deciding then to be annoying. "I can't read."

Asche swiveled around in the chair again to face Quentari. "You sure?"

"Oh, wait ... I'm not sure. I think I can write ... sometimes."

"If you can write, Quentari, you can read." Asche tilted her head to give Asher a thoughtful study. "You the one who's parents were medics?"

"Oh, okay. I can read." Quent stated, matter of factly.

Asche gave Quent the thumbs up.

"No silly, my parents were street scum." He decided to be nice then and skipped away, noticing someone entering the hospital.

Asher looked curiously at Quent before answering the medic. "Yes, well, partially. My mother was from a very medical family, and my paternal grandmother was a medic, too."

Asche blinked in confusion at Quentari ... just in time to see him skip away and toward a newcomer who had entered with a purposeful stride, looking around at the people gathered in the lobby.

Quent ran toward the young woman, smiling like a little kid. "Hi, who are you?" He stopped and held out a hand, "My name's Quentari."

The woman smiled. "I'm Arium, who are you?"

"Why are you here?"

Arium glanced at the others, still smiling. "Well, I'm not quite sure anymore."

"Really? It's fun here."

"I can imagine it is."

Quent was still holding out his hand. "Are you dying? Because that's why most people come here."

Arium decided to shake the offered hand. "Nope, not dying. Just Looking for someone, you could say . . . " Her voice trailed off.

"Oh, okay, you wanna come in more, there's food in the cafeteria." Quent motioned down the hall. "Maybe I can help, I'm here a lot cuz I live upstairs, I know lot's of doctors."

Arium removed the helmet she wore, letting a red frizzy braid fall to her back. She shook her head.

Quent turned and started to walk towards the cafeteria. "C'mon, it's fun I promise."




"Where you from?"

"Me?" Asher thought to himself for a moment, then determined that telling Asche hurt no one. "A very minor community to the West."

"Sabattann?" Asche asked him. She was half standing as she took note of the one-eyed man who had just entered with a body over his shoulder. She nodded to Asher.

"A postwar community, I'm afraid. Built from the wreckage. You can't find it on any map or file."

A frown and she completed the stand. "Tell Elliot about it. He loves to hear about such places."

The man with the body fluttered his one good eye a bit and his knee weakened, but he found a gurney and headed towards it. Asche rounded the desk, her eyes fixated on the limp body. The one eyed man's usual methodical walk was lopsided with the weight of the form over his shoulder.

Ed Archer's hooded figure entered into the lobby with a swift glance about before dropping onto a couch. Zac had managed to set the moaning form to the gurney as Ed watched him from across the room. He wondered who the body was ... but only in passing.

Asche slipped up beside Zac just in time to help with the gurney. "What happened?" She asked him.

Zac's gaze turned to look at Asche and he offered a weak smile. "Chick was all alone against four 'stickies'." He supplied quietly. "Damn bastards almost killed her." That was evidenced by pod like burns on her face and arms.

Asche got a good look at Zac. "You too." She was already pushing the gurney into the ER.

"They look worse than I do." The back of Zac's hand went absently to his wound.

"C'mon." Asche grabbed onto Zac's coat as she went. Zac forced a smirk, then looked to the body.

"I've no idea who she is. But she needs help."




Quent and Arium made their way down the hall to the cafeteria which was relatively empty for that time of night. He pointed to a serving line. "The mystery meat's in there."

"Mystery Meat? Lovely."

"Hey, it's better'n nuthin', plus it's tasty if you don't have tastebuds."

"I have those. But I'm not one to put off trying something new." Arium smiled and headed toward the mystery meat.

Quent walked over to a pig pot and took a ladle full of stew. He filled a bowl and handed it to Arium. "There ya' go."

"Thanks."

Arium smelled the contents of the bowl. "Phew!"

"It grows on you." Quent smiled at her.

"I sure hope you don't mean that literally."

"Oh, you'll find out."

Quent filled a bottle of water and walked to a table, pushing a chair back. "You wanna join me?"

"Sure." She followed and sat down, looking balefully to the bowl again.

"So, your name's Arium, right?"

"Yeah. That's what I go by."

Quent walked away before hearing her answer to the pot of stew. He filled a bowl and sat back down "What do you do?"

"I ride. I travel. I run. Whatever you want to call it."

"Have you been to Ground Zero?"

"No, I've heard about it though."

Quent began to shovel food into his mouth using his hands and wiped his mouth on his orderly's uniform.

"Wait. No, I have not heard of it." Arium had changed her mind.

"That's where the bomb that hit New Rydynn landed, it's about ten miles that way." He pointed out the window.

"Really?"

"Are you okay?"

Arium put her face into her hands. "I don't know." She lifted her head. "Yeah. I'm just lost ... Ha. I admitted it."

"Wow, you're lost?"

"That's a step. Yeah."

"My doctor says that admitting stuff is a step in doing the right thing." Quent smiled with a nod.

"I've heard."

More food was scooped into Quent's mouth. "Really, where're you from?"

"I don't remember." Arium cast a look around. "I can't remember."

"Really? Wow, that's weird, my friend Doc can't remember either, she's my doctor. It's okay to not remember. Until the Church people show up and try to kill you an' stuff."

"The Church people?"

Quent reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red rubber ball. "Man, I'm missing some great shows I think."

"Great shows? What kind of shows?"

"Yeah, there's all sorts of shows here, c'mon, I'll show you."

Quent grabbed Arium's hand, stood up and ran, dragging her in the direction of the ER.



Zac shrugged Asche off his arm. "You see me standin'?" He gave her the "look" and nodded in the direction of the female on the gurney.

Asche gave him a withering stare as she let go ... and off into the ER she flew.

Zac watched as Asche made her way to the ER, his tanned hand running through short chopped hair. Checking his hand, he took a curious interest in the blood that now covered it. The brow that peeked over the eyepatch arched in curiosity. He followed into the ER as well.

Asche let the emergency team take over and they quickly gauged the girl's condition.