Todd Wants Key's Face

Harry: *at this point, he is completely ready, taking out his gun. He waits patiently for Claire, still saying nothing. He was thankful for the gas mask, lest he may have given away how he felt from his expression alone*

Claire: *finishes putying on her armor and puts on her gasmask, looking around* ...Where's Paul...?

Paul: *runs in* D8 >.> <.< I'm not late.

Harry: *snickers form this, but also thankful to not be alone with Claire* Are you ALWAYS late? When was the last time you were on time?

Paul: uhhh... a few... days... ago...? ^^;

Claire: *snorts* riiiiiight. get ready. *her mood has improved even more because of the anonymous card, but she still wonders who it's from... she'll figure it out later. she grabs her gun and shuts her locker*

Paul: right, right... >.> *hastily puts his armor and gasmask on*

*they go out and patrol in the sparkling cityscape*

Harry: ... I think they're getting smarter. The infected, I mean. Like, they're still mutating, but in a way that'll help them survive and kill, and spread the infection more.

Paul: That'd explain how they're getting over the walls...

Claire: ... *nods* they need to hurry up and finish that cure-bomb... before anyone else winds up hurt, or worse...

*from behind the wall, a tank grunts*

Smoker: *had been flung up in the air by the Tank, and grasps onto the wall before it could fall back down. Now hanging off it, it shot its tongue at a soldier in another patrol*

Soldier: !!??

Harry: !! *immediately starts shooting at the Smoker*

Paul: !!? Okay, that is DEFINITELY new!! D8 *starts shooting at it*

Claire: *does the same* >:(

Smoker: AUUUUHH! *dies, sliding down the wall, and plopping in the wet snow*

Soldier: *gasping for breath, he claws the "tongue" off of him* Holy hell...!

Harry: They ARE mutating... they wouldn't of been able to do THAT a month ago...

Claire: *looks at the dead Infected, wondering how much longer it'll take for the bomb to be completed... if this continues, people willstart getting hurt* ....

Paul: ...this is crazy...

Harry: ... no kidding. That's why we should continue patrolling, I guess.

Claire: *nods* let's go. *walks off to continue the patrol*

Paul: ... *follows her*

Meanwhile, with Todd and Key

Todd: *it was still somewhat early in the morning, and he was still asleep, smiling blissfully*

Key: *is asleep next to him, arms wrapped around his middle, smiling contentedly. she was awake, but she didn't feel like moving--she was quite happy where she was*

Todd: mnhh... 'Morning, Key... happy Valentine's day...

Me: wow, my last post totally contradicted itself. XD It's *lying not *asleep. XP

Key: Happy Valentine's day, Todd... *leans closer and kisses him, snuggling into him*

Todd: *does the same to her, and puts an arm over her, cuddling with her*

Key: *breaks the kiss, and sighs happily, burying her face in his shoulder* I love you, Todd...

Todd: I love you too... do you want to... take it one step further?

Key: *blinks at the sudden offer, immediately understanding what it implied* I-I... I don't know...

Todd: Oh, c'moonn... it's Valentine's Day...

Key: *looks a bit nervous, and is obviously hesitant* W-Well, I know, but.... I-I-I'm just not sure if ee should...

Todd: Aw, c'mon... it's our own decision, anyway - there's no one here to tell us it's WRONG... and its normal... and it's Valentine's Day...

Key: mhhh... *is still rather unsure*

Me: But Thou Must! XD she's really going to need encouragement. XDDDD

Me: But its sooo haarrrdddd... XD

Todd: *caresses her face* Oh come on, Key...

Key: mnnnhh... *concedes, though she feels she might regret it* O-Okay. Alright. Okay. J-Just... don't... *sighs, trying to sort out her words become significantly quieter* D-Don't... don't be too... *trails off, unable to think of how to phrase it*

Todd: *raises an eyebrow* Rough?

Key: *blushes a deep shade of red, and nods* I-It's my first time...

Todd: Oh, okay. ^^; Don't worry about it.

*and so they do it. Eyup*

*and so they did. aha. ha. haha. lol idk what to post now.*

up

Todd: *furious* You went to one of THEM for the medicine?? D8<

Key: I didn't go to a soldier, I went to Harry's friend. And she offered to give me the medicine. You should be grateful, you would still be in bed if it wasn't because she was nice enough to help. >:/

Todd: *he flinches, almost as if in pain from her words. His response is forced through his teeth* Alright. FINE. So ONE of them isn't so bad.

Key: *again resists the urge to snap at him. instead, she sighs* You'll never know if any of the others are if you don't give them a chance, you know.

Todd: I don't WANT to give them a chance, Key - I don't WANT to congratulate them for who they are - they're all trigger-happy psychos under those gas masks! All of them! That's why they're in the military!

Key: Maybe they were in the military before they started. MAYBE, just MAYBE, they just wanted to help. Have you thought of that? :/

Todd: They're all the SAME! D:<

Key: So Harry's a trigger-happy psycho too? >:/

Todd: Y... yes! He's one of THEM now, and being one of THEM means that he's been force-fed their ideals! I... I don't want to talk about this anymore, Key! I don't want to start fighting with you, or anything, so let's just end this NOW!

Key: *opens her mouth to argue, but merely huffs and looks away from him* fine.

*the rest of the day becomes nothing more than simply living their lives*

*THE NEXT DAY WITH HARRY, CLAIRE, AND PAUL*

Harry: *takes the Valentine's Day card with him. He plans to slip it into Claire's locker after their shift, and after she left. That way, she'll find find it in the morning, on Valentine's Day*

Claire: *is already there, putting her armor on. she notices Harry* Oh! Good morning. Feeling better?

Harry: *nods* Yes. Yesterday helped - thank you for that. *puts his armor and gas mask on, then takes his gun*

Claire: *smiles* no problem-- it's the last I could do. :) *puts on her gasmask and grabs her gun* ....Where's Paul?

Paul: *runs in* sorry. overslept. .__.; *hurriedly puts his armor on*

Harry: *smiles a bit, finding this humorous*

*They patrol*

*AND SO THEY PATROL. DOES ANYTHING HAPPEN DURING THE PATROL?*

*NO, NOTHING HAPPENS DURING THE PATROL. When they get back to the CEDA Building, later at night, Harry lingers around the lockers* ...

Claire: *is done taking off her armor and puts it away. she looks at Harry as she closes her locker* ... sticking around?

Paul: *Leans against the door,waiting for them to follow*

Harry: Uh... oh, yeah. Just something I wanna check - you two can just go ahead and go home - I'll be done in a few minutes.

Claire: Okay. See you tomorrow. *leaves with Paul*

Harry: Bye, Claire, bye Paul. *waits for them to be fully gone before slipping the Valentine into Claire's locker. He then leaves, himself*

*and then... the next day!*

Claire: *wakes up, and gets ready to go out. she looks at a calendar as she does so, and half-smiles when she sees the date--Valentine's day. Harry memories resurfaced in her mind, and she leaves her apartment in a good mood*

Harry: *Wakes up with the worried thought; what if Claire didn't like the card? Harry would have to pretend he wasn't the one to send it, then. ESPECIALLY if Claire found the whole thing to be "creepy". So onwards, Harry went. Onwards, to the CEDA Building. It was sunny out, and his shoes sloshed in the near-melted snow*

Claire: *arrives at the CEDA building before Harry, and goes to get herself ready. when she opens her locker, she's startled by something that falls out of it-- a card? confused, she picks it up and reads it*

Card: *was a very simple Valentine's Day card. It read out "Dear Claire, Will you be my valentine?" but instead of it being signed with a name, or any hint of who could have sent it, there was a little smiley face drawn where a signature should have gone*

Harry: *enters the locker room after much sloshing. He notices that Claire had found the Valentine's day card, and becomes nervous, quickly getting his armor out and getting ready and such, not saying a word*

Claire: *finds herself grinning at the card, then it hits her--who had left it there? before she could think about it any further, she realizes that Harry's walked in, and hides the card back in her locker, quickly pulling out her armor before he sees* <.<; .....

up

Todd: *it was harder for him to see it, since it was behind a window - or rather, it was harder to see what exactly made melting snow beautiful. He constantly made a low growling noise so that he could enjoy the view as much, or as close to as much, as Key could*

Key: *glances at Todd worriedly for a moment, but quickly figures out what he's doing and relaxes* ....Hey, you feeling up to going outside?

Todd: *looks at her, smiling giddily* Am I ever! Let's go! :D

Key: *grins back and hops out of bed, grabbing a hoodie out of her closet and hurrying out of the room*

Todd: *grabbing his black coat and putting it over his hoodie, he follows her down, and out the door* ^^

*Outside, there was a group of people talking about the rumor that had quickly spread - how a man by the name of Gazsky had overdosed on the cure for the Green Flu and had a hallucination attack. This was only able to spread because the doctor had told his friend what had happened, and the secret couldn't be kept*

Todd: *stops when he hears this, obvious concern possessing his features, despite his claims to have never forgiven Harry*

Key: *stops as well, concern obvious in her expression as well. she glances up at Todd, only half-surprised when she sees him showing concern as well* ...I hope he's doing okay now...

Claire: *is out on patrol with Paul. she's heard the rumor and is severely displeased with how quickly it spread-- she was going to have to have a talk with that Doctor very soon* ....

Todd: *remembers that he's in public, and tries to compose himself, regaining his displeasure for mention of Harry. It's all fake, and it SOUNDS fake* y-yeah, whatever. >:(

Key: ... *doesn't try to argue with him. (he'll realize it eventually...) she absently kicks a loose glob of half-melted snow, watching it splatter when it hit the ground* ...

Todd: *holds Key's hand, and tows her away from the gossiping group of survivors. They continued to walk through the half-melted snow* ... So an overdose, huh? I knew it. I knew it would all be so dangerous.

Key: That's only because he already had the cure in him, Todd...

Todd: Well SOMETHING BAD will come from that, I'm sure! >:(

Key: *sighs* That's the REASON they gave us the gas masks in the first place...

Todd: What about the people who were already infected?? They'll be out there for DAYS without any protection!

Key: The cure's probably airborne... it'll take longer to get into their systems than if they just injected people with the cure...

Todd: ... fine then. *he seems to look off to the side, away from Key* I... I'm wondering if Harry's doing okay. After that... overdose incident...

meanwhile

Harry: *wakes up again, this time realizing that it was going to be Valentine's Day in only a couple of days. He wanted to do something for Claire. But what? He then remembered something Todd had told him once. Advice on pleasing the opposite sex. Yes. He could try that. But she couldn't know it was him! No, if she knew it was him, it might ruin their friendship!* ... *Harry got some construction paper and a marker, and wet to work at the kitchen table. He felt like a child*

Key: *thinks of Claire, who Harry was fond of. she thinks she would've told them if something had happened* ...I think he'll be okay... the news would've been more widespread if something serious had happened to him... *thinks she mught be pushing it with this one, but tries it anyway* We could drop by, if you want to make sure...

Todd: ... ... yeah. Yeah, alright...

meanwhile

Harry: *finishes making the crude Valentine's day card (crafted as best as he could). He lets out a shuddering sigh, nervous of what may happen when she received the card*

Key: *blinks in surprise--she had expected the opposite reaction. her surprised expression fades into a small smile, and she pulls Todd along back towards the apartment building. she stops at the front desk and asks for Harry's new room number, then goes there with Todd*

Harry: *practically jumps out of his skin when he hears a faint knocking at his door. He quickly walks over to open it (first hiding the card, just in case). He is incredibly surprised to find Todd and Key* ... uh...

Todd: *quietly, not looking at him* ...We heard about what happened in the CEDA Building...

Harry: Oh... uh... yeah. Terrible doctor. *feels very awkward*

Key: *looks back and forth between the two of them, and groans inwardly. (yes, they had a fight, wasn't a month long enough to get over it?) she tries it break the awkward silence* We, umm, came to make sure you were doing okay. Which it seems like you are. :)

Harry: Y-Yeah... still, it was... pretty bad. The doctor tried fixing his mistake by taking ALL of the cure out, and I ended up with a Smoker-tongue dangling out of my mouth. It was vile.

Todd: *grimaces at the image Harry had given him*

Key: *tries to supress a shudder* Well, at least they got rid if it, right? <:D

Harry: Yeah. He did.

Todd: ... Well, you're okay, besides being in the military, so we should get going.

Harry: *snorts at his comment, but otherwise ignores it*

Key: *sighs, and half-smiles apologetically at Harry* Well, we're both glad you're feeling better, Harry.

Harry: Thanks... I'm glad I'm feeling better, too. Because not feeling better sucks.

Todd: *head down, he mumbles out a quiet "goodbye", and shuffles away from the door*

Key: *glances at Todd* Umm... I'll see you later, Harry. Good luck~ ;) *goes after Todd*

Harry: ... right... *he watches them leave until they're out of sight. Then he closes his door*

Todd: *still walks* mrph. 'Least he's okay.

Key: *nods, a small smile forming on her face. she was right, Todd did still care about Harry, he just didn't want to show it* ...He's got someone looking out for him, he'll be fine.

Todd: *snorts* Who? His SOLDIER friends?

Key: *resists the urge to snap at him* You'd be surprised. She helped me out while you were sick, she gave me the medicine that I gave you. And LOOK, you're still here. :/

up

WHERE'S... THE REPLY? D8

*later that night, Harry was asleep, and experiencing his destined nightmare*

Harry: *dreams of an empty city. He walked through this city, it being ominously broken down. He felt compelled to look down at his hands. As soon as he did, they turned into the ugly grey-green, swollen and scabby hands of a Smoker. Harry gasped, but his own gasp sounded choked, and he coughed uncontrollably. Suddenly, a shadowy hand grabbed his tongue, and spun him around - it was his father*

Dream!Harry's Dad: You're nothing but garbage, Harry, m'boy - nothing but a filthy little failure. *squeezes Harry's tongue tight. He grows, becoming more and more demonic* You're just like me. A failure, just like me.

Harry: !! *backs away, then stumbles as he tries to run*

Dream!Harry's Dad: *cackles maniacally, and slams his shadowy hand down on Harry, forcing him against the earth* WHY RUN AWAY FROM IT, BOY?? WHY TRY AND RUN WHEN YOU KNOW SHE COULD NEVER LOVE YOU! NOT WHEN YOU'VE ALREADY TRIED TO KILL HER!!

Harry: I can't breathe...!

Dream!Harry's Dad: AND YOU CAN'T FEEL, BOY - YOU CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING BUT EVIL - THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE, BOY! YOU'RE EVIL, AND YOU CAN TRY TO HIDE IT, AND YOU CAN TRY TO RUN TO YOUR FRIENDS, BUT THEY'LL ONLY LEAVE YOU IN THE END!

Harry: ... no...!

Dream!Harry's Dad: YES! YES, YOU LITTLE WORM! A FAILURE JUST LIKE ME! A FAILURE! SHE CANNOT LOVE YOU - YOU'LL KILL HER FIRST - FAILURE! EVIL FAILURE!

Harry: *can't claw himself out from under the shadowy hand - that shadow grows around him - SWALLOWS HIM - he struggles in the darkness - struggling, his father's voice still screaming at him. Finally, Harry wakes up* !! *he sits up, groggy and confused from the nightmare, rubbing an eye and squinting from the blinding light that had flooded his room. It was morning already*

Claire: *gets up, and yawns. she had barely gotten any sleep the night before, though it wasn't due to a nightmare--she just couldn't fall asleep* ...mrrr... *gets out of bed and gets ready to go to work*

Harry: *still dazed, he stumbles out of bed, still feeling exhausted, as if he hadn't slept at all. After he (barely) got ready, he walked down to the CEDA Building* ...

Claire: *is already there, changing into her armor*

Paul: *is not there*

Harry: *drags his feet into the CEDA Building, mumbling a "hello" to Claire. He manages to get his armor fully on, before his brain shuts off from exhaustion, and he falls asleep standing up*

Claire: Good morning, Harry *looks at him,* ...Harry...? *slightly prods him with her gun*

Harry: !! *his head shoots back up, and he looks at Claire, his startled expression hidden by his mask* Wh-what? What??

Claire: ...Were you asleep just now? :/

Paul: *walks in* g'mornin' guys.

Harry: Oh... I... I guess I was... *when Paul walks in* hello.

Claire: ... You should go home, Harry.

Paul: *is getting his armor on* Wait, what? What happened?

Claire: He fell asleep just now. Standing up.

Paul: ...oh.

Harry: N-no! I'm okay, now, really! I just kinda had a rough night is all. But I'm okay, now!

Claire: ...If you fall asleep again, I'm sending you home, alright? <:/

Paul: >.> *puts his gasmask on*

Harry: Yeah... yeah, alright (should've made myself some coffee...).

Claire: Let's get this done with, shall we?

Paul: Just hope no more Hunters get over the wall... >.> *goes outside*

Claire: *follows*

Harry: *shudders at the recent memory* ... right...

*they patrol until nightfall. A cold wind smothers them as they return to the CEDA building. Before, on the patrol, Harry had almost fallen asleep twice. He was lucky to have the bitter wind snap at him those times that he did. Still the patrol was exhausting, and Harry crashes against his locker after taking off his gas mask, blacking out*

Claire: *is startled by the loud crash, and snaps her head in the direction of the sound* Harry! D:>

Paul: *also whirls around* Whoa! D: *tries to stand Harry up* Jeez, did he just black out?

Claire: He must have been more tired than he thought he was... We're going to have to take him back.

Harry: *still quite asleep. Really, he was half-asleep all day, so nothing seemed off to him when he had felt himself black out*

Claire: *finishes taking off and putting away her armor, and puts her coat on* Here, hand him over.

Paul: Okay. *waits until Claire has a firm hold on Harry before releasing him, and goes to get rid of his own armor and such*

Claire: *lets Harry lean against her, putting an arm around him to keep him from toppling over. she felt slightly uncomfortable, but ignored the feeling due to the situation*

Paul: *puts away his things* Okay, I'm done. You want to try to wake him up?

Claire: i don't think so... *looks over at Harry, and reddens slightly at the proximity* ...i think he needs all the rest he can get.

Harry: *dreams of absolutely nothing, but this is bliss to him in his passed out state*

Paul: I guess you're right... Here-- *takes Harry's armor off, and puts it back in his locker* There. NOW we can go. *helps Claire half-drag, half-carry Harry out of the CEDA building and to the apartments*

*and so they took Harry back to his apartment. they opened the door with the keys in his coat pocket, and brought him inside*

Paul: *drops him on his bed* There we go. Man, poor guy really needs the nap. :/

Claire: ... *nods* Come on, we should let him sleep.

Paul: Mhmm. *leaves the room, and the apartment*

Claire: *leaves the room, but pauses before she leaves the apartment. she looks around for paper and something to write with, and upon finding it, she writes a note and leaves it on his kitchen table. satisfied, she runs out after Paul, closing the door behind her*

Paul: *raises an eyebrow at her*

Claire: Don't make me hit you. >:P

Paul: *laughs* I didn't even say anything! XD

Claire: *rolls her eyes and walks off towards her apartment*

Paul: Aww, come on! I was just teasing! *runs to catch up*

*and they both went to their apartments*

/walloftext

Me: No kidding. I love walls of text! XD

Harry: *a few hours later, Harry woke up, and was startled to find himself on his bed in his apartment. He immediately sits upright, and looks around, as if he wasn't even familiar with the place - though this was only confusion. Climbing out of bed, he walked out of his room, and spotted the piece of paper on the kitchen table. Curious, he went over and picked it up, reading it*

Note: "Harry,

Don't come in to work today, we're calling you in sick. Get some rest, and you can come back in tomorrow.

--C. Orello"

Harry: *places the note back down on the table, and rubs the back of his neck, sighing. He didn't want to sleep. He didn't want to experience a nightmare like last night's AGAIN... but he was still so tired from the amount of sleep he lost* Fffrack it... Claire wants me to, anyway... *He trudges back to bed, and sleeps for the rest of the night*

THE NEXT DAY WITH TODD AND KEY

Todd: *wakes up and looks out the window. He speaks to himself* Snow's clearing up...

Key: *drowsily* the snow's doing what now...?

Todd: *gives her a warm smile* The suns coming out - the snow's melting! ^^

*indeed, outside, the snow sparkled form the rays of sunlight that his it, making it almost look MAGICAL*

Me: bahaha.... i know ALL ABOUT that... XD

Key: huh..? *gets up, and looks out the window* Oh WOW.... It looks... beautiful. :D

up

Harry: *coughs louder this time between painful, choked gasps, and he practically rips off the plastic mask. He was officially infected again, and he snarled at the two soldiers like a madman. He got off the bed, glaring at them, coughing, but had a hard time actually stepping forward. Suddenly, with a shaky gasp, he bent over in pain, coughing so hard that something - something wet and long - a TONGUE? - came out, and hung there, blood soon following afterwards. Harry stayed in that hunched over position - as hateful as he felt towards Claire and Paul in his feverish state, he felt fear much more when he saw that wet THING hanging out of his numb body* Oh... ohh... g-god...

Claire: !! *backs away from Harry, towards Paul* H-He stayed hooked up to that machine too long...! D:>

Paul: shoot. Where do these doctors keep the cure!? D:

Claire: *is somewhat terrified at the moment--she's not immune*

Harry: *holds onto the bed tightly, feeling extremely light headed* aahhkk... *The tongue (was it even a tongue??) was hanging from his mouth like a dead worm. He continues coughing violently*

Doctor: *returns* Hey, I'm back with - AAHH!! *had been meaning to get ALL OF the cure out of Harry's system, and was holding a new dose of it in his hand*

Paul: *actually IS immune* What are you waiting for? Give him the damn cure! D:

Claire: *looks back and forth between the doctor and Harry* D:> ....

Doctor: R-right! D8 *approaches Harry with the syringe*

Harry: *backs away from the doctor, distrusting of him (yes, yes, kill him too), distrusting of ALL OF THEM* S-stay back...!

Doctor: N-Now hold still, Harry. D8

Harry: *glaring at them menacingly, he takes a scalpel from a nearby table, and grips it so tightly, his knuckles turn white*

Paul: *approaches behind the doctor, ready to help him if necessary* Harry, don't do anything drastic....

Claire: *watches them carefully* ....

Harry: *wheezing - choking on his own tongue (no, he already FELT his tongue - then what was THIS?) - coughing so hard he thought his lungs would burst, and surrounded by enemies* Guhh... gahack... *he weakly points the scalpel at them, dizzy and swaying, barely keeping his head up to glare at them*

Doctor: ... jesus, okay, here I go - *suddenly lunges at Harry, stabbing the needle into his arm*

Harry: *does the same to the doctor with the scalpel*

Doctor: AHHGH!!

Paul: !! *grabs Harry's wrists and pulls the scalpel out of the doctor's arm, trying to hold Harry still* D-Did you get the cure in? D:

Doctor: *wordlessly, he nods, biting his bottom lip from the pain of the stabbing. He backs away from Harry*

Harry: *struggles against Paul angrily, though the struggles soon die, and his arms become limp. He drops the scalpel* ...

Paul: *isn't about to take any chances, and doesn't let go of Harry just yet* ...You alright?

Claire: *grabs some materials and goes to help the doctor, occasionally glancing up at Harry and Paul*

Harry: Ghh... hhkk... *he looks up at Paul, then past him at Claire, feeling a large wave of shame hit him. Dear god, it had happened again. He had almost killed two people he cared about. What's worse, he couldn't even tell them how sorry he was, because he was choking on his own... tongue-thing (oh god, it was still so gross)*

Doctor: Uh... u-u-um... I-I can fix the tongue...

Claire: I most certainly hope you can... >:/

Paul: ... *deems it safe to release Harry* ... Okay. We're alright. We're good.

Doctor: U-uh, c'mon, Harry. *puts a hand on Harry's shoulder, leading him out of the room* We're going to have to use a different room if we want to get rid of that tongue of yours.

Harry: *lets the doctor lead him out. Tears silently form and roll down his face*

Claire: *watches them go* .... *looks down, and sighs*

Paul: ...he'll be alright, Claire. Well, he will NOW, at least.

*Harry was gone for about thirty minutes. When he came back, both he, and the doctor looked bewildered*

Doctor: I-It came right out! Like... like it was MEANT to break off. But... but it was his LARGE INTESTINE!

Harry: *shudders, this bit of news just as disturbing as the first time he heard it*

Paul: *supresses a shudder of his own* that's... interesting... D:

Claire: *blinks in surprise. she'd heard rumors that that's what Smokers' "tongues" were, but she didn't think they were true* H-He still HAS a large intestine... r-right?

Doctor: I x-rayed him, just in case. It seems that he grew a spare one as soon as his original one came out. Weird.

Harry: *quietly* I'm sorry Claire... I'm sorry, Paul...

Paul: Hey, it's alright. No one got seriously injured, and no one got infected. AND you're not dead. So it's all good. :)

Claire: *nods in agreement, and smiles* What happened was ufortunate, but it wasn't your fault, so you shouldn't blame yourself for it.

Harry: ... I know it's not really my fault or anything, but I still feel like such an idiot... you two don't know what it's like to get infected. It... there's just... it FEELS like my conscience, and it TELLS me to stop trusting people, and it TOLD me to kill you three... and... I have no idea why I believed it...

Doctor: Well, I'm going to... uh, leave. *does so*

Claire: That's... just how the infection works... there's really nothing you can do about it.

Paul: But hey, it's all in the past, right? C'mon, let's go home.

Me: these three are NAKAMAAAAA. and CRAP, now i have to draw Paul. For some reason, i see Nathan Drake when i think of him, but then i'd be stealing Harry's voice. >.>

Me: Lol and then Harry and Paul can sound EXACTLY ALIKE - that would be creepy. XD

Harry: ... right...

*they go home, to the apartment building*

Harry: *in his apartment, he checked himself over in the mirror in the bathroom, as he had been curious, yet fearful of the damage that may have been done during his short time being infected again. He was relieved to find that nothing had changed, and that the infection had only focused on producing that horrible tongue* Oh... oh good... I'd hate to look any WORSE in front of Claire... *suddenly, the memory of the hallucinations fills his mind again - blocks his vision for a split-second, and caused him to cry out in terror, gripping the sink, shaking* gah... uh... Uhhhgawd...

Me: lol if they DID sound alike, then Key should have been scared shootless of Harry when the first met, just by the sound of his voice. XD

Claire *walks with Paul, as his apartment is just a bit farther down the hall than hers* ...You think he'll be okay?

Paul: He'll be fine, he has the cure in him again. *beat* Hey, are you and Harry--

Claire: No. Why?

Paul: I saw him coming out of your apartment yesterday.

Claire: He was just over for lunch. :/

Paul: riiiight. :P

Claire: oh, shut up. don't make me demote you to snow-shoveling duty.

Paul: okay, okay! D: i was just wondering. :/

Claire: No, you were implying. *sighs* I'm just trying to get to know him better, is that a bad thing? He's not an open book like you. :P

Paul: *holds his hands up in surrender* Yeah, yeah, I got it.

Claire: *raises an eyebrow* right. I'll see you tomorrow.

Paul: see ya. *keeps walking to his own apartment*

Harry: *pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. His breath was shaky from the shock he had. Harry opened his eyes again, half-expecting to see some other horror flash before his eyes. But no, whatever had happened to him was over. He sighed in relief* ... frackin' doctor... never liked doctors, anyway... *he lost his appetite, and skipped dinner, going straight to bed, wincing when pressure was put on where he was slashed by the Hunter. He fell asleep, never expecting the nightmare he soon experienced in his dreams*

Claire: *gets ready for bed. she tries not to think too much about evrything that happened today, but she can't help but worry about Harry. The question she had been meaning to ask him had been answered (albeit somewhat involuntarily), and it only made her more sympathetic towards him. she tries to push these thoughts out of her mind and attempts to sleep* ....

Me: ooh, a nightmare? :D *grabs popcorn*

this required UP, because it's so epic, lol.

IN THE CEDA BUILDING, WHILE CLAIRE AND PAUL CONTINUED THEIR PATROL

Harry: *was getting treated by a doctor*

Doctor: *has never met Harry, and any record of him died with the creepier doctor during the CEDA Building massacre - the creepier one had destroyed Harry's, Todd's and Key's records in order to illegally create the cure* You're not immune?

Harry: *still in shock* Whah...?

Doctor: You're mutating, see? Well hang on - we can cure you now, that's the magic of science.

Harry: *doesn't understand what's going on*

Claire: *has a bad feeling. she's so distracted, she trips on something hidden under the snow* !

Paul: ! *grabs her arm and steadies her* ... Hey, are you okay? :/

Claire: Yeah, Yeah, I'm fine. I just... *shakes her head* never mind. Come on. *quickens her pace*

Paul: ! *follows her*

Doctor: *injects Harry with a copy of the cure* There you go... and now I'll be able to treat you. :)

Harry: ... wh-whaddiyou DO...??

Doctor: Uh, cured you? :/

Harry: I'm IMMUNE! D8<

Doctor: B-but wait - WHAT?? D8

Harry: *wanted to punch the doctor in the face for what he's done, but, lucky for the doctor, he was too weak from blood loss* >:(

Doctor: Ooh... Let's hope there's no negative side effects to that... *treats Harry's wounds*

*a while later*

Claire: *returns to the CEDA buiding with Paul, having finished their rounds. she hastily takes off her armor and gas mask, stashing tem in her locker*

Paul: *does the same* ...Are you SURE you're okay?

Claire: I just want to make sure Harry's alright. *puts her gun away* I worry about my men, you know.

Paul: Whatever you say, Sargeant. *puts his gun away* Don't mind if i come along , right?

Claire: No, not at all. Come on.

*and so they went off to find Harry*

Doctor: *watching Harry from a corner, unsure of how to help him* Oh shoot... I hope they don't take away my license for this...

Harry: *was hallucinating about something terrible, it seemed, because he was staring off blankly into space and twitching while mumbling gibberish and sobbing at the same time. He was completely pale, paler than his skin was NORMALLY*

Claire: *had asked another Doctor where they had taken Harry, and arrives at the room. she knocks on the door*

Paul: *waits with her, crossing his arms* ...

Doctor: *still staring at Harry, he nervously laughs. He sings out his response* Ahahah - Who iiis it ~ ? <:D

Harry: *still hallucinating*

Claire: *blinks at the odd response, and glances at Paul*

Paul: *raises an eyebrow*

Claire: ... This is Sargeant Claire Orello. I'm looking for a Harry Gazsky?

Paul: ....

Doctor: frack - soldiers! Uhhh, there's no one in here by that name!

Harry: *lets out a terrified scream, followed by a weak moan. He sobs more*

Doctor: *nervous* Just... just some other guy!

Claire: !! Let us in! That's an order!! D:<

Paul: ...

Doctor: Aww crap... *he trudges over to the door and let's them in*

Harry: *doesn't even see them. Behind his glazed eyes, in his fogged mind, he can only see bad memories, and horrible things. He whimpered and moaned, shaking*

Doctor: I-I... I couldn't find any record on him... I was guessing that he wasn't immune, so I gave him the cure, and... uh... yeah.

Claire: !! *pushes past the doctor and stands next to Harry, looking down at him in concern. she lglares at the doctor over her shoulder* and you didn't bother to wait and see if he was mutating?!

Paul: D: ....

Doctor: When he was rolled over here, he had green-grey dry skin and milky-white eyes! He definitely LOOKED like he was mutating!

Harry: *continues hallucinating and twitching and sobbing. He finally mutters something intelligible* I-I-I'm sorry, Daddy... d-d-don't hit me... please...

Claire: He already looked like--!! *looks back down at Harry when he speaks* D:> ...

Paul: *didn't hear what Harry said, but if Clai're's expression was anything to go by, it wasn't good* ... *to the doctor* isn't there anything you can do for him?? D:<

Doctor: U-uh, well, I can try flushing out his system or something...

Harry: *lets out another terrified scream*

Doctor: ... I'll hook him up. I might accidentally get rid of the original cure in his system (I'm guessing he was cured before, not immune). *walks out of the room to get the supplies needed*

Paul: ...tch. sometimes i wonder how competent these doctors are...

Claire: ... *hesitates, but puts a hand over Harry's, squeezing it reassuringly* ...

Harry: *sort of feeling her hand touching his own, near-completely numbed one, he turns his head to her direction, but couldn't see anything but nightmares and nothingness* n... ngh...

Claire: *doesn't let go of his hand. she speaks quietly* ...Harry, if you can hear me, I'm sorry...

Paul: ... *waits impatiently for the doctor to return*

Harry: *tears continued to roll down his cheeks, as he stared blankly in Claire's direction, but he was silent now* ...

Doctor: *comes back in with the supplies needed - he rolled in an ugly grey machine, and hooked Harry up to it through a plastic mask that went over his nose and mouth* There we go. If this works, all traces of the cure will be gone in a few hours. This is a good thing and a bad thing, because it could also wipe out the cure that was ALREADY in his system, and continue the infection process.

Claire: *very seriously* Make sure it doesn't, or you'll have to deal with the military.

Paul: ... She's not kidding, you know.

Doctor: *looks downwards, ashamed* ... I-I know... I'm gonna leave for a couple of hours - that'll be enough time for the cure to get flushed out, I think... *does so*

Harry: *breathes in the gas, still looking blankly at Claire*

Claire: .... *looks back at Paul* You can go home, you know.

Paul: *shrugs* I have nothing else to do... I figured you might want some company. :(

Claire: *smiles gratefully* Thanks...

*an hour later*

Harry: *the visions were finally starting to clear up. He closed his eyes, and sighed in relief, which fogged up the plastic mask that he wore*

Claire: *had pulled up a chair to sit next to the bed, and looks up at the movement* ...I think he's fine now...

Paul: that's good to hear... *beat* You know, this seems a bit more than just "worrying about your men."

Claire: Eh? *looks up* Ah... well... *blushes slightly, and turns away before the other man can see* He's my friend too. Imagine if we had just left him here! He could've been screaming all night...

Harry: *lays there with his eyes closed as the cure for the Green Flu was washed out of him like muck down a drain. He had gotten lucky today. He had gotten VERY lucky. Well, lucky enough, when one was to take the idiot doctor out of the equation. He opened his eyes again, and looked back at Claire. Thank god he wasn't hallucinating anymore - reliving his childhood was beyond torture - he would have rather just bled to death in the snow. He still watched Claire. Well... no. He wouldn't have wanted to die*

Claire: *sighs in relief when he seems to register her prescence* Hello, Harry. <:) You feeling alright now...?

Paul: *watches them* ...

Harry: *mumbles out his words* Yeah... fuggin'idiot doct'r... too syringe happy, 'f'ya ask me...

Claire: *nods* You're right, he should've checked first...

Paul: ...

Me: you intending to have something happen with the lack of cure in his body, or can we turn the machine off?

Me: Nooope, the machine can't be off just yet.

*another hour passes, and the doctor was still not back yet*

Harry: *it was ten minutes before the second hour that Harry had started coughing and hacking* Hhhhgk... *rage filled him, and all the trust that had built up for Claire and Paul had been thrown out the window. He felt threatened by them - he had to kill them - yes - yes, that was good - killing them was the only way*

Claire: ? Harry, are you okay?

Paul: *had been dozing off, but blinks awake and looks up* ...?

up

Todd: Yeah, yeah... better healthy than sweaty and gross. XP *takes the pill*

Key: *laughs a bit* sweaty and gross is never good. Hopefully you'll be back on your feet by tomorrow.... and maybe it'll be less FREEZING by then too.

Todd: Heh... I doubt it. Canada, and all that.

Key: tch. A girl can hope. :P

Todd: Heh, I guess so... XP So are you going to actually do something today, or stay here with me?

Key: *scoffs* After that medicine-hunt yesterday? I'm not going outside. The snow's up to my knees. D:

Todd: Yaaay, I won't be alone!

Key: *laughs* Yaaaaay! XD

Todd: So... I guess we should read our books or something. Good thing we got them before we got snowed it. ^^

Key: good idea. where'd you put yours?

Todd: Underneath my bed. Er - my OWN bed.

Key: okay. I'll be right back. ^^ *goes to get Todd's book*

Todd: *waits for her* heh. ^^;

Key: *returns with both books, handing Todd his, then getting back into bed next to him* reading session, go! XD

Todd: Pffft hahahaha... alrighty then. XD *opens his book, and begins reading*

meanwhile

Harry: *walks over to the CEDA Building*

Key: *also reads*

meanwhile

Claire: *sees him a bit ahead of her, and runs a bit to catch up* Good morning, Harry. :)

Harry: Good morning, Claire. ^^ Back on duty today, yeah?

Claire: I'm pretty sure we are, yeah.

Harry: Fine by me.

*They enter the locker room*

Harry: *puts his armor and gas mask on*

Claire: *does the same. she remembers the question she was going to ask, but--*

Soldier: *walks in* 'Morning.

Claire: Good morning. ^^; *decides to ask later*

Harry: ... well, time to patrol. *waits for them, happy to have something to do that wouldn't make him feel awkward*

Claire: *is already done. she grabs her gun and waits for the other soldier*

Soldier: *quickly puts on his armor and gas mask, and grabs his gun* Ready.

Claire: *nods* Let's go.

*and so they went outside*

*later, on the patrol*

Harry: *is suddenly pounced on by a hunter. He falls face first into the snow* MPH!

Hunter: *Is the second Hunter that got over the wall that month. It tears into Harry's back, ripping open the vulnerable part of his armor, and spilling blood*

Harry: AAUGH!!

Claire: HARRY!! *shoots the Hunter off his back, taking great care not to hit Harry. as soon as she gets the Infected off him, she tosses her radio at the other soldier* Call for a doctor!

Soldier: shoot! *fumbles it, but catches it* Hello? Is anyone there? over! *waits for a response* This is Paul Hoffman, from Sargeant Orello's patrol, a jumping Whiskey Delta just downed one of our men! YES, we need a doctor!

Claire: *kills the Hunter DEAD* D:<

Hunter: *dies*

Harry: *panicked, he speaks in a shaky whisper as his blood stained the snow around him red* God... h'oh god...

Me: if you have good memory, you will remember who Paul is. :D

Claire: *kneels next to him and drops her gun* Oh no... *yells over her shoulder* HOFFMAN, WHERE'S THE MEDIC?

Paul: They're on their way! D: *looks around, hoping that no more Infected get over the walls*

Claire: *turns back to Harry* The medics are on their way, just hang on... D:>

Me: medics are yours :P

Me: Loud?

Harry: *weakly lifts his head up a little to look at her*

Medic: *runs over with two assistants and a gurney* Get 'im on the gurney - hurry! Let's go! Don't want him catching pneumonia, now do we?

Assistants: *do so, and take Harry back to the CEDA Building*

Me: DING! Correct.

Claire: *watches them cart Harry away* ...

Paul: ...Should we--

Claire: We need to finish our rounds before going back. We can't let another WD in. *truthfully, she DOES want to go back to see whether Harry's okay, but her duty--keeping the Safe Zone SAFE--comes first* ...

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Harry: I'm fine with that. :)

Claire: Okay, good, because I don't think I had much else. ^^; *grabs two bowls and a can opener, and starts making the spaghetti*

Harry: *sits down in a chair at the kitchen table, his head being held in his hand. There was no way he could ever be with Claire. Not romantically, anyway. It was a hopeless situation*

Claire: *puts the bowls in the microwave and lets them cook. she looks at Harry, noticing he looks troubled. she leans against the counter and watches him for a few moments, not sure is she should ask him if anything was wrong or not* ...

Harry: ... *he glances over at Claire. He couldn't help but feel that longing. It showed, despite his efforts to hide it* Have you ever felt... alone?

Claire: *looks down* Sometimes... now more than ever, because of the infection.... *looks back up* ...You too?

Harry: ... I've felt alone for almost my entire life. Almost, because there was Todd, and there was Key... but now I'm alone again... is it weird to be USED to that feeling...?

Claire: *is about to answer, when the microwave beeps. somewhat grateful for the delay, she takes out the two bowls and sets one down in front of Harry, along with a fork. she sits down perpendicular to him with her own bowl* ...I don't think it's something one should have to get used to...

Harry: ... Well... I guess I'm not very alone NOW, am I? We're f-friends... right?

Me: The first thing I thought of when Harry said that last sentence was Zack talking to a half-comatose Cloud. After that, Zack DIES. now i'm DEPRESSED. ;o;

Claire: *smiles warmly* Yes, we are. :)

Me: Oh lawd. DX

Harry: *he can't help but smile from her response. At least they were friends. It was hard to make friends. He then takes a bite of spaghetti*

Claire: *also takes a bite of spaghetti (definitely better than ramen)*

Me: that's a baaaad siiiiiiiiiiign! DX then again, we know how well this ends.

Me: With Harry dying? XD

*after lunch*

Harry: Um... I... had a good time... just coming over, and hanging out like this... I-I think I should go, though...

Me: that would SUCK. D: but no, lol.

Claire: Well, alright. :/ We should hang out like this again sometime. *smiles*

Harry: Uh... yeah... yeah, we should. ^^ *he leaves Claire's apartment, and walks over to his own* ... God, I suck at talking to her...

Claire: ... *grabs the bowls off the table and goes to the kitchen to wash them out, their various conversations running through her mind. one in paritcular stuck out to her... what could have possibly happened to him to make him be "used to" feeling alone...?*

Harry: *now back in his apartment, he sat down on the couch, not really thinking all too clearly. At least Claire didn't hate him, like Sam did. Being around Sam had been torture. This... this was pretty okay...*

Claire: ... *feels like she's still hungry, and decides to make herself some hot chocolate. she decides to ask Harry about it later, the next time they get together* ....

Me: I feel we need a timeskip. do we need a timeskip?

Me: Yesh.

THE NEXT DAY, WITH TODD AND KEY

Todd: *his fever had gone down tremendously from the medicine he took. He was still asleep in bed*

Key: *had already woken up. she gets out of bed, and puts a hand on Todd's forehead, sighing in relief when it doesn't feel nearly as warm anymore* Thank goodness... I really do owe Claire for that one...

Todd: *half-awake, he feels around for, then holds Key's hand. He speaks in a drowsy mumble* ... Hey, Key...

Key: Hey, Todd. <:) Feeling better?

Todd: *gives her a half-smile* ... much. *coughs a bit into his arm* ghh... I can't believe how fast yesterday went... was I pretty much just sleeping for the whole day? I can't really remember much that happened...

Key: Yeah, you slept all day... I woke you up to give you medicine, but that was about it.

Todd: Yeesh... I don't usually get sick, so when I do, it can get really bad... Heh. I wasn't all delirious or anything, was I? D:

Key: Naah, you weren't that bad. Again, you were asleep most of the day, so you didn't really say much.

Todd: *sniffles* I must've said SOMETHING, though... you said I wasn't that bad.

Key: well... I'm pretty sure you didn't even know you were sick. When I came to give you medicine, we acted all confused. *is trying to avoid mentioning Harry*

Todd: Ah, okay. That's good. I wouldn't want to be spouting out random embarrassing bullshoot, y'know? XP

Key: Yeah. ^^; *grabs the pill bottle off the table next to the bed, and reads the label* ...I'm gonna give you one more of these, just to be safe. you should just rest for today too, so you can recover faster, okay?

Todd: ... ugh. Trapped in bed for another day. Fiiine...

Key: Hey, better this, than getting sick again. :P *pops a pill out of the bottle, and hands it to Todd*

up

Harry: ... well... I figured that you guys were really still trying to keep order in a world of chaos... that you guys were these responsible people who could really make a difference. I wanted to be a part of that. I was hoping that it could help ME be a better person... *he looks away from her* ... I've... done things that I'm not proud of... things that I NEED to repent for...

meanwhile

Todd: ...M'kay... *he slowly - carefully - sits himself up, then coughs painfully into his arm* Gahh... *he takes the pills and swallows them, then sniffles afterwards* ...

Claire: *sits up straight as he talked, watching him carefully* ...I see. *there is a pause before she hastily adds* You don't have to tell me what it was, by the way.

meanwhile

Key: ...okay... you can go back to sleep.

Me: the flu SUCKS. I would know.

Me: I would also know. XD

Harry: *looks at her, an extreme gratefulness in his eyes* ... thank you. *he rubs his hands together nervously, before asking* I-I'm sorry - can I use your bathroom? D:>

meanwhile

Todd: Mmngh... *slowly lays himself back down on the bed* didjoo say "hi" to Harry for me...?

Claire: Oh, sure, go right ahead!

meanwhile

Key: ...Mhmm. He hopes you'll get better soon.

Harry: ._.; *gets up and locks himself in the bathroom, muttering to himself, not actually using the bathroom* ohh-hoh god... this was a mistake - she'll be just like any other girl I've met - the best we'd ever become is friends if I'm LUCKY... h'oh god, fff... okay, suck it up. Suck it up, Harry. You can do this... jesus, this hasn't ever HAPPENED before... *smacks himself across his face* ... Okay. Yeah. Okay. *he exits the bathroom* Sorry about that! ^^;

Me: YOU AND I. O_O

meanwhile

Todd: Thas'good... Harry'sah good friend...

Me: IIIIIIIIT KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWS

Claire: It's no problem. ^^;

meanwhile

Key: ...I know, I think so too. Get some rest, okay?

Harry: U-um, so what now? Er... you wanna just keep talking, or...?

meanwhile

Todd: M'kay... *he becomes silent after saying these words. Having been already still exhausted, he had no trouble with falling back asleep*

Claire: Well... *trying to find another conversation topic (just sitting here'd be kind of awkward)* What did you do before the infection?

meanwhile

Key: .... *brushes his cheek with the back of her hand, and sighs* There's always something, huh? *gets up, and goes out of the room*

Harry: Uh, well, I was studying film in college. I wanted to go into the movie-business. Todd was my roommate. He'd help me if I needed a stunt-guy.

Claire: Really? *is genuinely interested* Huh. What did you do, camera? Direct?

Harry: We had a team, and we took turns for the different parts of it in order to get a good feel of all the jobs.

Claire: Oh, that's cool... what kind of films did you make? I'm guessing you had to do all different types...?

Harry: Yeah. My least favorite was the abstract films.

Claire: Ah. I was never really fond of watching those either. :/

Me: *is getting bored* something needs to happen. or this conversation needs to get more interesting. or something. not like that.

Me: I dunnoooo thoouugghhh... YOU think of somethiiiing. D;

Harry: So... uh... what now? *He loves Claire. He loves her and only wishes for her to love him back. This was impossible, and added onto his large list of many frustrations*

Me: adgjgdagjgsaagjjffffffffuuuuummmmmmmm......

Claire: Err... *looks over her shoulder and squints at the clock on the stove* ....Lunch? ^^;

Harry: Sure. Why not. Uh... yeah. So. Yes. Okay. Why is talking to you so DIFFICULT? D8>

Claire: *blinks at the random question* Err...

Harry: R-right, because you're my boss - yes! That's it! I'm sorry, I'm not used to this - Todd was my only friend, a-and then Key, and - and - and it's just hard... D:>

Claire: Oh. *stands up* Well, that's understandable... but we're friends, aren't we? :) *heads into the kitchen to find something to eat*

Harry: We are? *shuffles into the kitchen after her*

Claire: Why not? We've known each other for a while now, been on the same squad for over a month, we talk regularly... What else would you call it?

Harry: ... Uh... I dunno... *feels awkward in her presence, and questions hanging out with her once more, feeling that it was a mistake*

Claire: *notices his awkwardness, finding it odd (odder than usual, at least)* There's no reason to be nervous, you know.

Harry: ... I-I know... I don't really know why I'm acting like this... *rubs the back of his neck. Yes he did*

Claire: ... :/ *looks through the pantry* What are you hungry for? I have pretty much the same things everyone else has...

Harry: *shrugs* I dunno. Something warm? What would YOU like?

Claire: Hmmm... *looks around some more* Ugh, not RAMEN again... AH! *reaches into the back of the pantry, and pulls out a can* Spaghetti? ^^;

up

Me: Yes. XP

Harry: *trudging through the snow to the CEDA building*

Claire: *is exiting the CEDA building, and she sees Harry as he approaches* Harry! We have today off! :)

meanwhile

Key: *trudges through the snow, looking for a pharmacy or drugstore or SOMETHING (holy crap it's cold.) * ....

Harry: Oh, awesome! :D So, uh... what now? Patrolling kinda made the day go by faster. ^^;

Claire: I have no idea. They usually give me something to do on my days off, but they didn't have anything today. Guess we go home, better than freezing out here. :/

Harry: ... Hey... here's an idea. Why not we hang out or something? Try to... I dunno, get to know each other a bit more?

Me: SKAVLNVKLNWNDNA YOU AND I CAME ON AGAIN AS I WAS TYPING THAT

Me: IT'S LIKE YOUR COMPUTER KNOWWWWWS. XDDDDD

Claire: *smiles* That sounds like a plan. Where to, then? :)

Harry: ... uh... *he looks around* er, not much to really do around here... why not back to the apartment building? ^^;

Claire: *laughs a bit at his akwardness* Sure.

Key: *is having no luck whatsoever. she'd ask around, but no one was outside* Mmh... *spots Harry and someone else from afar* ! *tries to get to them through the snow*

Harry: *spots Key* Oh, HEY! :D *to Claire* Key. In case you forgot.

Key: *manages to get to them, even though the snow comes up to her knees* H-H-Hi, Harry. :) *notices Claire* Oh, h-hi, umm..?

Claire: Claire. :)

Key: n-nice to meet you C-Claire. *to Harry* How've y-you been?

Me: IT KEEPS HAPPENING!!! I SWEAR I'M NOT DOING IT ON PURPOSE!!

Harry: I'm doing better. ^^ *he seemed genuinely happy for once* What about you and Todd? Are you two doing alright?

Me: XDDDDDD

Key: *smiles, glad he's doing well. she casts a glance at Claire (maybe SHE has something to do with it?)* W-We're doing okay... but T-Todd's sick.

Claire: Sick? What kind of sick...?

Key: I-I think he has the flu... like, the regular flu. He has a bad fever and he's a little loopy. D:

Harry: D:> Oh... did you give him medicine or something?

Key: I've been trying to find some, but I'm not having any luck...

Claire: Oh, I can get you some.

Key: Can you really?? <:D

Claire: Sure. :) I've got some in my apartment. We were heading up there anyway, I'd love to give you some.

Key: :D ..... thank you!

Harry: *he smiles gratefully at Claire*

Claire: *smiles back* Come on, let's go up. *starts heading back*

Key: *hangs back a bit* ...so whoooo's she, Harry~? :3

Harry: *follows Claire slowly in order to whisper to Key* She's Sergeant Claire Orello - pretty much my boss. I, uh... I kinda like her.

Claire: *looks over her shoulder and sees them hanging back, but assumes they're just catching up, and keeps walking*

Key: *incredulously* She's a Sargeant? But she's so nice... Hah. Todd should meet her, maybe he'd change his mind. :/

Harry: *smiles to himself* ... maybe...

*so they reach the apartment building*

Claire: *leads them to her apartment, and lets them in* Give me a minute, alright? *rummages throught a few cabinets until she finds it* Ahah. Here you go. *hands Key a bottle of pills* This should help. :)

Key: *takes them gratefully* Thank you so much! :D

Claire: No problem! Go get those to Todd before he gets any worse. :P

Key: *nods* right. I owe you. :) *runs out of the room, closing the door behind her*

Harry: *smiles thankfully at her* Thank you for that. You're a very good person, Claire - an important trait in the world as it is now.

Claire: It was the right thing to do. :) *takes her coat off, hanging it on the back of a chair*

meanwhile

Key: *runs back to her own apartment. she throws her coat over the couch and goes straight for the bedroom*

Harry: Heh... I see what you did there. :)

Me: YOU AND I!!! YOU AND I!!!! SJKBGAJSKVWDJVWEJANVJKAWBS

meanwhile

Todd: *without the use of drugs, he was asleep in his bed, passed out from exhaustion*

Me: IT KNOOOOOOOWS

Claire: *laughs* I kind of hoped you would. :) *goes around the table and sits on the couch, offering Harry the spot next to her* Sit down. :)

meanwhile

Key: D: ..... *isn't sure whether she should try to wake him up and give him the medicine, or just let him sleep*

Me: Well, now I'm listening to The Bells of Notre Dame. XD

Harry: Thank you. ^^ *he sits down next to her* So...

meanwhile

Todd: *doesn't wake up, but is definitely suffering*

Me: lol.

Claire: *leans her elbow against the armrest and rests her head on her hand, still looking at Harry* So...?

meanwhile

Key: .... *puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes him lightly. she'll let him sleep all day--after he takes the pills. (maybe he'll sleep better when the medicine starts taking effect...)*

Harry: Soo... Were you in the army before all this?

meanwhile

Todd: Sffghahhwut...?

Claire: mhmm. I had just been promoted when the Flu broke out.

meanwhile

Key: I found you some meds... I think you should take them before you get any worse.... :(

Harry: Huh... that must've been stressful.

meanwhile

Todd: *dazed* ... What's getting worse, now...?

Claire: Hah. Stressful was an understatement. A ton of new responsibilities and jobs with an apocalypse on top? Yeesh. What about you? You obviously weren't in the military before all this, what made you enlist?

meanwhile

Key: ... *reads the label on the bottle, and pops out two pills* just... take these, okay? you'll feel better. *offers them to Todd*

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