kuebiko

“I will literally shut you up so don’t tempt me. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to give an overworked cop firearms needs to be shot. And I’m not even joking.”

“There are better ways to shut me up than with a gun.”

“no, absolutely not. if i let you go, everyone else will think they can go as well. that’s out of the question. you will wait until there’s another officer and deal with it like everyone else.” 

It was obvious this woman was not going to budge. “Fine, ok, I’ll find another way.” He would search around until he found another way through.

Valentina pinches her nose and closes her eyes, milling over her answer for a scant few moments.  Better that she disseminate information rather than someone completely panicked.  Or worse, a conspiracy theorist.

He nodded like he understood completely what the good doctor was talking about. Though he had didn’t completely follow all that Dr. Venturi was talking about, there was one key phrase that scared the perpetual public smile off his face. 98% mortality. Shit. 

“Too bad, I’ve been hoping to see a fire or two today and so far I’ve been disappointed. Did you piss off someone to wind up with that mountain of paper?”

“Okay, sure, but are you certain this is the best and least painful way to get the glass out of my hand?”

“Yes, I’m sure. But do you know what’s an even better idea? You shutting up.”

“Can’t shut up. Literally can’t. Don’t know how anymore. I’ve worked in radio so long I don’t know how to be silent.”

“No…–” It was a TERRIBLE idea. “But it’s the only I have, so I’m sticking with it.” She had to sleep somewhere, that much was for sure. 

“Why are you even climbing a tree though?” he asked obviously confused. “If you’re trying to get a bird’s eye view, climbing a tree is, in fact, not the safest or even best place around here to get an ariel view. Shocking, I know.”

“Like you have a better idea to get cell reception.” She snapped a little as she got onto the bench of the sidewalk. The telephone pole was right besides her and if she could only get more height to get closer, her reception would be sure to return.

“I do have a better idea, if you’re trying to make a call.” He nodded at a telephone booth. “It’s called a telephone booth. I know you young’ins probably don’t know what it is, but it’s like a cellphone that works on wires in the ground instead of radio waves.” He dug through his pockets and pulled out a handful of change, “Got a couple quarters if you need.”

“That’s assuring. Need a hand? What are you even trying to do?”

“…And what a lovely, heroic end that would have made for yours truly. I can see the headline now,” Ashton drawled, “How does this sound? Local Man Dies During Finest Hour of Giving to Society: The Candy Bar That Ended It All. Nice ring to it, no?”

 “Headline of the decade, have you considered a career in radio?” he joked.

“no, i can’t leave my post. you’ll have to wait for another officer to get here to check for you.”

His frustration was on overdrive, it felt like he was talking with a brick wall. “That’ll take too long. No to mention that seems like a waste of another officer’s time, and I know there isn’t a lot of spare officers around here. Please, just let me go through I’ll be twenty minutes, thirty tops. If I’m not back within the hour you can issue a warrant for my arrest or whatever.”

“Throwing a stick at the electric fence to measure how many kilowatts of energy the fence is using to accurately be able to treat electricity burns is not stupid, radio-man. And it will not go horribly wrong, either. Have some faith, will ya?” Jade rolled her eyes, before brandishing her large stick, taking a step or two further back from the fence itself. “Ready?

Being called ‘radio-man’ didn’t exactly offend him, but it wasn’t exactly his favourite nickname either. “Call me Topher, and no I’m not ready,” he said, knowing that answer would likely be ignored by the girl. He stepped backwards with her. “Ten bucks that the stick catches on fire.”

“Burn it all,” he was joking, “There’s always fires in happening during disasters, at least in the movies there is.”

 – Sigh escapes in a loud huff of air, emerald orbs finally lifting from her phone’s surface. There’s no use in trying to contact anyone, she’s well aware that it won’t change anything. Once you’re in quarantine you’re in until it’s safe again, or the worst case scenario picks up. “Jesus Christ –” Agitation riddled through her tone as her head snaps towards the other person, gaze narrowing. “Will you stop that? It’s not going to make this any better.”

Topher had always enjoyed entertaining small children. Kids could be fickle with what they thought was funny, but for some reason those little assholes always loved to watch grownups fail miserably at something. Juggling was not a talent Topher had, so he was currently trying to do so with a handful of pens, letting them drop on his head or near the child. Waiting in line for this checkpoint was boring anyways, so this was entertaining to both him and the little girl. He was surprised when a woman snapped at him. “Your kid seems to like it though,” he pointed out.

Cassia finally decided to return to the hospital after being scared to step foot in the building when they announed the 48 hour quarantine. She walked to the nurses station taking a seat in an open chair. She grapped a cup of coffee as she read through some files trying to figure out who she had to see next. With the quarantine more healthy people were coming in freaking out that they had the virus, giving the staff a bigger workload.

Topher didn’t panic easily, but his sister not having contacted him since this outbreak started was starting to scare him. He had called her multiple times, gone to her apartment and checked her workplace, but she was no where to be found. The last place he could think of was the worst - the hospital. If she was here, sick or worse, he wouldn’t know what he would do. He approached the only person he saw not currently attending to a patient. “I’m sorry, but have you’ve seen this girl, has she been in here?” he asked, passing his phone over with a picture of his sister brought up.

“It’s a candy bar, and the kid was five years old. What’s the worst that could’ve happened?”

“For all you know, that kid was a deadly carrier of the infection sweeping the nation. You could have potentially been bitten by a carrier and died.” His words were dramatic but his voice was monotone.

“What are you, like twelve? Who even bought you those?”