[As good as it is to hear her voice, he knows this won't end well. Every breath is still a struggle. He tries not to show it, but he doesn't have the focus for texting, and he figures that will tip her off just as much.]
[Well, that's unexpected. Tess finds herself frowning. Ten months and she hasn't gotten even a cold –– she doesn't suppose anyone else would, either. He doesn't sound drunk off his ass, either.
But Norton did post to the network about a whole lot of death.]
Don't be stupid. You're going to feel like shit longer if you don't eat something.
[She's there shortly anyway, and she lets herself in without knocking. She drops her backpack at the foot of the bed, and it hits the ground with a hard clunk as a can of soup bumps up against her gun. Tess sighs and sinks down to sit on the edge of his bed, at his hip.]
[Fair. Tess winds her fingers around his and adjusts his quilt with her free hand. She's more businesslike about it than tender, but that's just how it is.]
[Old-fashioned. She's never used an old wood stove, but she's lit many fires and it seems straightforward enough, so she's not even going to bother asking how.
My gun, ammo, a lighter, some medical supplies, a flashlight, duct tape, a water bottle, a hunting knife, a bit of alcohol and some rags. Some food, too, if I have something that'll keep, but it's harder to manage that here.
[Most girls probably don't feel their heart skip a beat over a couple tins of beans, but Tess is, regretfully, not like most girls. She glances at him over her shoulder, looking pretty pleased, but she keeps herself grounded. She tells him:]
You gotta have your own rations, Jake, you never know when this place is going to go to hell.
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Not tonight.
Gotta...sleep this off.
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But Norton did post to the network about a whole lot of death.]
... Did you get fucked up by that blonde woman?
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Wasn't a human woman.
She took my gun, my knife, and my goddamn boots. Woke up and got Misty.
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[She's not really annoyed at him, but it might sound that way. (And maybe she is, at least a little. His boots? Really? What kind of freak––)
She's picking up her bag to head over anywhere, wherever that may be.]
Is she still there? Are you at her place?
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You comin' over? Ain't good company.
[He is not going to try very hard to keep her away, but he has to put in some effort.]
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[Arthur sat with her through a good chunk of her own death toll. Who's going to sit with Jake, if Misty's already gone?]
I'll be there in a minute.
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Can't eat anythin', Tess.
But I'll see you. Door's unlocked. [Mostly because he doesn't want to get up to open the door every time.]
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[She's there shortly anyway, and she lets herself in without knocking. She drops her backpack at the foot of the bed, and it hits the ground with a hard clunk as a can of soup bumps up against her gun. Tess sighs and sinks down to sit on the edge of his bed, at his hip.]
Why didn't you just shoot her?
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He does reach out to put a hand on hers.]
Tried to. She was fuckin' fast. And strong. Couldn't get past her hands.
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Her hands?
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She was fast. She kept stoppin' me from gettin' to it.
Who else?
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Goddamn her.
[And he can't do a damn thing about it. He rests his head on his pillow instead.]
You ever been through this?
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I was here about a month when everything on the barge flipped. Someone killed me. I don't know who.
[And if she ever finds out, she'll destroy that person.]
Arthur took good care of me, though. It passed.
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He squeezes her hand.]
Arthur's a good man. Glad you got him.
You said you had somethin' to eat?
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[ Even if he has unknowingly been a huge cockblock lately. ]
Yeah. I brought soup. Hungry after all, huh?
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[He also doesn't want to talk about Arthur anymore.
He gestures to the stove.]
Should have wood ready. Matches in the drawer.
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Tess gives his hand a squeeze and pulls away.]
I don't go anywhere without a lighter, anyway.
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Surprised you don't always carry that bag.
[He turns so he can watch her, glad that she came.]
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Depends on how likely I think it is that I'll need it.
[Or: how safe she feels at any given time. Since the thing with Edward, that's not very, but she puts on a decent show otherwise for Jake.]
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[It's not really a question.]
What else you got in it?
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My gun, ammo, a lighter, some medical supplies, a flashlight, duct tape, a water bottle, a hunting knife, a bit of alcohol and some rags. Some food, too, if I have something that'll keep, but it's harder to manage that here.
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He pushes himself up slowly to lean back against the wall.]
Got some tinned beans around here somewhere. Don't normally touch 'em since we got enough elsewhere. If you ever want it.
[Because he might not get food insecurity, but he understands that food is difficult to come by where she's from. She's said so herself.]
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You gotta have your own rations, Jake, you never know when this place is going to go to hell.
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Didn't tell you where the canned fruit was, did I? Got a bit of flour and shit left if I need to make somethin'.
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