OutBreak (for CleverFox)

[Lorie]

Gentle hand touched Connor all the while Ed, the doctor, spoke softly using his training from his former life to guild the ‘new comer’ along. Trying to herd his dad with him away from what Martha was doing, which happened to be drawing the creeping horde close enough to spear as many as she could threw the head with a sharpened metal rod, Krist just pressed his face to his dad’s shoulder and pushed forward toward the building. Once inside Ed lead the way to were some food was prepared waiting for the group to eat. Handing a bowl over to the non-catatonic of the pair Ed informed Krist that they needed to eat. Nodding the fifteen year old looked at the contents of the bowl before lifting a spoon full to his father’s mouth. “Dad, I know it’s messed up what just happened but you gotta eat.” the young survivor pleaded.

A few minutes later Martha came into the building fresh blood splattered across her clothes. Grabbing an axe left beside the inner door Martha looked over what was left of her group. Two small children cuddled together as Ed explained to them that their mother was dead. Casting cold eyes over the father and son Martha let out a sigh then turned to finish her task. She was nearly out the door when Ed piped up, “you can’t go beyond that gate without a shooter.” he scolded. Before a fight could break out, because Krist could see one in Martha’s eyes...something along the line of, ‘how dare you tell me what to do, I’m in charge here!’... he was up. “I’m a good shot.” the teenager announced, “what ever you need a shooter for I can.”

Thought Krist honestly wanted to do something to thank these people for helping them, thank the lost Shannon for her sacrifice, he was also extremely curious about the pile of corpses they’d come upon. More the scientific minded youth wanted to understand the reason for it. Putting the bowl of food on his dad’s lap Krist raised so he could cross to the leader of this little group. Holding up a hand Martha tried to catch Connor’s eye, “objections?” she asked wanting to prevent anymore bad situations. “I’m capable.” Krist argued, “and old enough to do what’s necessary.”

Ooc; sorry again about the wait. My muse for writing sort of ranaway from me the last few days.

[CleverFox]

A lot of completely screwed up things had happened since the world had pretty much gone to hell in a hand basket but this, this was something that not even Connor was equipped to deal with. The man had always been protective of his son and he would die for the boy but to have someone else di for him, and on top of that someone that he didn't even know, that was more than he could really deal with. So he ended up slipping into a catatonic state just so that his mind could save itself, the man pretty much staring blankly ahead even as his arms wrapped around his son almost automatically and completely without any conscious thought on his part. Nothing that was going on around him seemed to register to the man and even when Krist tried to coax him to eat the man just continued to stare blankly ahead, not even registering the pleading tone of his son. Once again it wasn't something that he was doing on purpose and he was no doubt going to feel like a horrible father when he realized what had happened and that he had more or less ignored his son but there was simply nothing that Connor could do about it. For the moment he was trapped inside his own mind and there was no escaping from that prison.

[Lorie]

When no objection came from his dad though Krist felt a ping of guilt hit him in the chest but suppressed it by reasoning with himself that he was repaying these people for their help. With a nod, because Martha didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong with this kid’s dad, the older woman lead the boy from the building. “Stand at the gate and keep an eye out for anything moving that’s not me.” she told striding to the pile of corpses. And Krist did just that. Winching at the first ten or fifteen beheadings the teenager kept a watchful eye on the road he and his dad had come from as well as the wooded area the creepers emerged from. It wasn’t until Martha came back into the ‘safezone’, dragging the mutilated body of her daughter, that the youth thought to ask about the pile in front of the gate.

Inside the building Ed watched his leader take the boy before directing his attention to said boy’s father. Leaving the children to eat their rations the former doctor crossed to the catatonic man “sir?” the older man started gazing into Connor’s eyes. With a resigned sigh Ed tried to break the shocked state, starting simply with, “My name is Edward Hays, I’m a physician from Chicago.” nodding at the continued lack of response Ed went on, “the woman you met earlier is Martha Culling, her daughter was Shannon Wisse.” gesturing to the children in the corner Ed finished with, “these are Shannon’s children Megan and Sam Wisse.” That done the doctor attempted to coax some sort of response from the shell shocked man. “What would your name be?” he tried adding, “and your son? Can you tell me his name?”

“Shannon’s husband found that the biters avoid places that have an overwhelming smell of themselves.” Martha sighed tossing a several heads into a pile several feet away from the building she and her group hunkered down in. “Like how they don’t attack each other?” Krist added, “I had theorized that creepers only feed of ‘fresh’ meat.” the boy mused. Giving the young man a sideways look Martha shook her head before lighting the mound of decapitated heads on fire. “Problem is the smell fades after their incapacitated.” the woman sighed. “The flesh rots quicker when they’re not moving.” Krist mumbled. Not particularly happy with the morbid obsession this kid seemed to have with the walking dead Martha resolved to make his father aware of the ‘problem’ once the man had returned to the land of the conscious. Until then she simply ordered the boy to go back to the building and eat something. “Kid is nothing but skin and bones.” the grandmother muttered to herself wondering how healthy the father must be if his kid looked like that.

[CleverFox]

The thought that someone had died for himself and his son, and someone that they didn't even know and that didn't know them, was simply more than Connor's mind could cope with and so in an attempt to save his sanity his mind just sort of turned itself off. It was not something that he would have been proud of had he been aware of the situation, since to him it would have seen cowardly, however he naturally was not aware and it wasn't a conscious choice that he had made but rather an attempt to save himself. The sound of his son's voice should have gotten through the fog of his mind but not even that served to rouse him.

So it stood to reason that the words of the strange man wasn't really going to do much of anything, Connor just continuing to stare ahead even as the man continued to speak to him and introduce the survivors that were left. His gaze never even shifted, Connor not regarding any of them, and it was evident simply looking at the man that he wasn't in any better physical shape than was his son, probably more malnourished considering he always tended to eat less so that Krist could have a bit more of the rations that they managed to acquire.

He had his faults but Connor was a good father and his son was his top priority.

[Lorie]

Entering the inner room he’d left his dad in Krist started babbling at his father about what he’d learned regarding the creepers and scent and how useful that knowledge was going to be going forward. After a solid minute of talking excitedly Krist realized his dad wasn’t responding and his heart started a rapid pace. “What’s wrong with my dad?” the teenager asked kneeling in front of Connor so he could look directly at his face. “Was he bit? Is he turn?” Krist fired at the doctor growing more and more panicked by the moment.

A sad expression took over Ed’s face as he watched the boy struggle with the thought that the only person he had might become one of the living dead. “No.” the former doctor assured wanting to give the child at least that comfort, “no, he wasn’t bitten. At least not that I can tell.” placing gentle hands on bone shoulders Ed gave a try at guiding the boy growing more distraught by the second away but was simply shrugged off. “He seems to be in a catatonic shock.” Ed settled for telling since Krist was not going to be moved from his position before his father.

Nodding at that information Krist, without looking away from his dad’s face, asked, “but he’ll be better soon right?” Receiving an exhausted sigh and an, “I’m not sure.” the wiry fifteen year old shook his head angrily. “He’d got to get better.” Krist muttered not allowing himself to consider that once his father was better whether this may happen again without the benefit of kind people to help them. “You should eat.” Ed offered, “you’re so very skinny.” he attempted when his offer went unanswered. “I’m skinny naturally.” Krist replied curtly wanting to waste as little time on not getting his dad back around as possible. “Dad.” the young survivor started hating the desperation he heard in his own voice, “dad, I need you to come back to me. Please.” Krist begged fighting back tears of desperation, fear, and anger.

“Perhaps feeding him details of his life might help him come around.” Ed offered keeping his distance but trying all the same to assist this little family. Choking back a sob wanting to break from his throat Krist shook his head. He knew somewhere that just talking to his dad wasn’t going to be enough to get him out of this state. What Krist figure would required doing something that could land him in a shit load of trouble. Which in turn lead the youth to battle with himself over whether it would really work. “Dad?” he tried once more clutching his father’s hands in his own slight grasp, “I need to know that you hear me or I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.”

[CleverFox]

It was a horrible thing to be locked in one's own mind but it wasn't something from which Connor could really escape nor did he even realize that was what had happened, he was too overwhelmed to really register much of anything. The events that had taken place and the fact that someone had died, someone that he didn't know but yet had saved him and his son, proved to be too much for the man to cope with. Were it not for that fact, the fact that it was as though her life had been traded for theirs, Connor could have coped. He would not have been happy that someone had died but there would not have been that overwhelming guilt that caused his mind to shut down as was the case currently.

And nothing that the doctor said seemed to reach through the haze that surrounded his mind, Connor conscious and yet at the same time, oddly not. He just continued to stare ahead, his eyes having a glassy look to them which almost resembled the eyes of the dead though he was not one of them, there was simply no life in his eyes. Connor didn't blink, didn't shift his eyes, he just continued to stare blankly ahead even though there was nothing to look at and he wasn't taking in his surroundings anyway. Were it not for the faint rise and fall of his chest he may have been presumed to be dead.

Not even the desperate voice of his son served to break through and rouse Connor from this catatonic state. Normally he would have pushed everything aside in order to be there for his son, sacrificing for Krist was something that he never hesitated to do, however right now he was just not capable of doing even that.