OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
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ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
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FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
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outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
It had been two days since Brynlee was locked in a supply closet with another nurse and Kane. It took hours to get things back under control, back out of a state of emergency. Kane dropped on her, which she barely had time to help catch him. Only saving his head from crashing hard into the floor below them. Her immediate panic bubbled in her throat as she thought that he was going to die on the floor, that her efforts in saving him were going to be in vain. At some point she shook him and told him that he couldn't leave her yet. That he promised her a slow dance that she planned on cashing in on once they were out of there.
She went into full operation mode and cut his pants off and kept her efforts up on saving him and keeping him as stable as she possibly could. The keypad beeped several times, but no one entered. For hours, it went on like that until she finally grew frustrated and hated the color his skin was turning. She told the nurse to wait there, keep him stable and she'd be back. She left the room, and it was eerily quiet in the halls, and from the look of it she knew that they would be recovering from this for a long time. But it wasn't the time to look at that now, she rushed down the halls and as if a guardian angel was watching over her and Kane, she ran straight into a surgeon who worked in ER. There was a slight disagreement of 'I have others to tend to' in which Brynlee grabbed the front of his coat with bloody hands and brought the mans face down to meet hers. "And I won't repeat myself after this. I have a... police officer who is on the verge of dying. I have done the best I can and you WILL go prep the surgery room."
From there she grabbed another nurse and had them come help her move Kane. From there it was a blur. Her mind was exhausted, but she was in full on auto mode as she assisted in the surgery, refusing to leave him until he was settled into a bed to recover. As she watched them settle him in, pain relief hooked up and his face cleaned. She wasn't sure how long she stood there just analyzing everything that had happened. All the questions she had for him, though they seemed so small compared to the fact that she just wanted to see him open those blue eyes and look at her. She left him only long enough to switch into a fresh set of scrubs and a cup of coffee. And then she was pulled.
She worked for twenty four more hours straight after that. Helping try to get the patients settled, helping who she could as they were overwhelmed with new patients. She was glad the military stepped in and took their own back to the base to treat. That was, all of them except the one that she easily fibbed was a police officer. When her body was shaking from exhaustion, she was told to go home. But that's not where she wound up. Instead, she was changed again and wound up in Kane's room. He had been still sleeping peacefully when she entered and she picked up his chart, reading over it to ensure that everything was still checking out. She let out a shaky breath when she saw so far he was doing well.
The redhead cross the room, pulling the lounge chair in the room close to his bed side and folding herself into the chair. She turned the TV on just for light background noise to help her not listen to the voices outside their door as she reached out and took his hand in hers. Lightly stroking his knuckles as she laid her head back on the chair and fell into a sleep that washed over her in only a few minutes, her body and mind craving that escape and demand that it needed. Her body shifted and she wound up sitting in the chair, leaned over so her head rested on his bed with her hand still above her head holding onto his hand securely.
Kane had only blacked out twice in his life. Once was during SEAL training when the underwater submersion tank had fallen too fast by mistake and he had slammed his head into the wall, rendering him unconscious underwater. The second had been when he had gotten shot during a mission. The wound hadn't been all that bad, but the blood loss and shock got to him quickly. If it hadn't been for a teammate pulling some off-the-cuff thinking, he wouldn't have made it out alive. The hospital attack was apparently number three.
Kane's eyes fluttered open, his throat unbearably dry. The lights were bright in his room and he found himself squinting until they adjusted. He swallowed hard as the room slowly came into view. He kept still as his eyes made sense of where he was. The hospital room came into focus at the same time her fiery-red hair did. Brynlee's head was laying against his bed, her hand reaching out to his. An unfamiliar emotion exploded in his chest and it took all of his willpower not to grab her up and hold her to him.
Why she had bothered to wait around in the room was beyond him. She had saved his life, she didn't owe him a thing. The way her hand was reaching for his though sparked the idea that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the only one falling head over heels into something. And he knew for certain that he was falling. It was in the way his heartbeat quickened whenever she looked at him, the way her smile made him feel like everything was right in the world. He knew he had already bought a one-way ticket down that path. He knew it was pointless. He knew where the path would end but damn it all, he didn't care. He couldn't stop himself. He couldn't leave her alone and he knew that it was selfish, but he couldn't resist the pull she had on him.
His hand carefully and gently closed around hers. He didn't want to disturb her, she was sleeping soundly and he knew how badly she probably needed the rest. There was no telling what had happened since he had passed out. He wasn't even sure how long he had even been asleep. Someone slipped inside his door and he moved his free hand quickly, pressing his finger to his lips to tell the nurse to be quiet. She nodded and quietly began moving about him, checking over his vitals and handing him some water. He did what was asked of him, moving very minimally so he wouldn't wake Brynlee. When the nurse was done he asked her for a blanket for Bryn. He wanted to pull her into his bed, to hold her against his chest so badly it was killing him. He knew that wasn't an option, at least not right now.
The woman covered Brynlee with a light blanket before leaving and he gently stroked his thumb against her soft hand. She was beautiful, heartrendingly beautiful. Her face was relaxed in her sleep and he watched as her lips pulled softly as she continued to dream. Kane watched her a minute more before he leaned his head back, closing his eyes. He had almost fallen back asleep when his phone went off nearby, and not the good one. He turned to see if he could see it, the action causing a dull roar of pain from his leg. He grunted, trying to keep his voice down, knowing that the ringer would probably wake her up anyway. He saw the phone on the nearby sink's counter and he reached over, his voice gently trying to soothe Brynlee as he did, "Shh, it's okay. Go back to sleep."
His fingers made contact and he pulled it to him, answering the phone to silence the loud noise, knowing it was probably too late. "Shelby." He spoke. "Local PD identified you before we could get McCabe over to bring you to base. Looks like your cover wasn't blown. Go dark until we reach out again. Your cover's patrol car will be re-stocked, cleaned, and dropped off at your apartment. Are there any loose ends we need to know about?" Kane's eyes met Brynlee's face, his chest tight from the question. He knew he should call her in, they would force her to sign a non-disclosure, and that was at the very least, but he couldn't do it. He didn't want anyone who knew about him to know anything about her. "Negative." the words coming out smooth and sure. "Affirmative. Destroy this phone, a new one will be in your cover car." The phone cut out and he let it drop onto the bed, his eyes finding hers.
She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, nor why her body felt weirdly placed. The first thing that stirred her was a soft weight being placed over her. A blanket, which only made her sigh and relax a bit more. Letting the warmth start to cover her which just made her feel the exhaustion in her muscles loosen up a bit more. And then the soft movement of a someone holding her hand. Her hand twitched lightly at the feeling, encouraging whoever it was to keep on. Their warm hand was comforting and she wanted them to continue in the daze of her sleep filled mind.
And then a ringing started up. A soft groan left her. No, it was too early to have an alarm going off. There shouldn't be an alarm. But the grunt of pain was what caught her attention. Her eyes pried open only to reshut when the light hit her and caused her to be temporarily blind. She wasn't at home. She was inside the hospital still. Which made sense because she didn't remember driving home.
"Shh, it's okay. Go back to sleep."
Oh, she knew that voice. Her mind immediately pulling up an image of bright blue eyes. Kane. The police officer... no. He wasn't police. Military of some kind. The dog tags gave her that clue, and the fact that he mentioned something to her about SEAL training. Her eyes opened as she heard him talk again. The muffled voice replying to him as well. She shifted her head and looked up at him. Tears pricked the corners of her brown eyes, seeing him awake, talking. He was okay. When he hung up the phone, they met eyes and she gave him the brightest smile. One that she was sure would have broken her cheeks if that was possible. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes, blondie." Her voice was rough from sleep, but she was so happy to see him.
Brynlee sat up and did a once over of him in the bed before she reached for his clipboard and briefly looked over the latest readings. Well, look at that, they were just there not too long ago. "Vitals look good," She said lightly, for once being at a loss for words as she placed the clipboard back into its spot on the end of his bed. She turned to look at him and she gripped the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders. "You had me scared there for a bit. And that's one hell of an accomplishment there, I normally don't spook easily." Truth be told, she was scared beyond anything she had felt. Even more so then when she was being forced against the door when the masked man was trying to force her to open a locked door.
"How are you feeling? We had to do a bit more intensive surgery when I got us out of that room. You had a few blood transfusions as well. Oh, and here," She jumped up and headed to a pile of now clean clothes of hers in the room. She reached into a pocket and pulled out his dog tags, the ones she removed before they wheeled him into surgery. She had a feeling that whatever he was doing, it would be best if they didn't see that he was not a cop like what he told her before. "I figured you wouldn't want everyone seeing these."
Kane wanted to throw the phone across the room for waking her up. One glance at her pretty face told him that she was exhausted. She wasn't the kind of girl to slack off and he knew, especially with what had happened, she'd be jumping into superwoman mode. He couldn't fault her for it of course. He was exactly the same way. If things had to be done, he did it. There was no other option. There wasn't any shifting blame or taking it easy. Even if it meant stretching yourself much too thin to get the job done.
It was clear that she wasn't going back to sleep either as her eyes met his. The corners of her eyes glistened and he felt his brain come to a sudden halt at wondering what caused them. When she spoke, his brain might as well have died from shock as he realized those were happy tears...for him. The corners of Kane's lips pulled into a grin and he shook his head, "Did you doubt it? C'mon. I had the amazing Dr. Valentine working on me, of course I made it."
Kane sipped the water that the nurse left for him. The icy liquid soothed his throat. He hated being on narcotics. He knew why of course, and he wouldn't complain about it, but they always left him slightly groggy. They made his throat dry and he, on the whole, felt like he was moving through a fog. He would be glad to be done with them. He watched Brynlee as she looked over his chart, relating the information to him. He didn't personally care what they said. It wasn't like he knew much medically anyway. If she said it was good, it was good enough for him. She then put the chart down and spoke, her voice oddly serious.
He wanted more than anything in the world to hold her. He knew that was entirely impossible and it wasn't even warranted, but damn did he want to have her in his arms when she said things like that. His chest tightened at the mere thought that a girl like her caring anything about a guy like him. And that was when his mind snapped back into place. A guy like him indeed.
He was a soldier, but even more than that, he was SEAL. Guys like him didn't have families or friends and there was a damn good reason for that. Relationships couldn't stand up against the rigors of living a life like that. He could be sent half-way across the world in a minute's notice. There was no paternity leave, there were no sick days. He gave a tired grin, "Sorry about that." He looked over at her, wishing they could stay like this, just the two of them with the world locked firmly outside, "How are you? When's the last time you've eaten something?" He nodded towards the hospital menu that was laying on the nearby counter, "Can I tempt you into having some five-star gourmet dinner with me?"
He listened as she spoke about what went on with his surgery. Nothing stood out to him, he had assumed they had done the transfusion. He couldn't remember much, but the color of red stood out which was never a good sign. Then she pulled out his dog tags and he felt his heart hit the floor. She held them out to him, yet another reminder of who he actually was thrown in his face, who he couldn't keep pretending to be. "Thanks."
He took them from her, moving his hand to cover them. The cold metal might as well have been blindingly hot with how much they rattled him. He wanted to say a million other things than what he knew he had to say, but he picked this road a long time ago and there were no detours from it. At least none other than the grave. "Brynlee, I can't thank you enough for what you did for me. I owe you my life. And I don't say that lightly." He looked up at her, meeting her eyes, wishing he was someone else. "I need a favor from you though. I need you to promise to keep what you saw and what you might have heard a secret." His eyes moved to the door, making sure there was no one lingering before he continued. "I'm not with the police. I'm with the military and my job is to remain covert until I'm needed and to do that, it's imperative that no one knows anything other than my cover of being a policeman." He searched her eyes, hoping he was conveying how incredibly serious of a situation this was. "Can I trust you?"
Joking was good, she thought as he grinned at her and went on about how she doubted her own skills. It made her heart feel like and she couldn’t help the small laugh that came from her at it. He was so much more confident in what she did than she was. What she did for him, was so out of her element. She did the best she could, but at the end of the day it was the surgeon that she almost gave a beat down that really saved him. “I’m glad to see you feel very confident with that statement.” She laughed, giving him a small glimpse at the insecurity and uncertainty that she had felt. What he did have working for him, was the fact that she was not afraid to find someone to give him that chance. Even though she assisted in the surgery, she was just a pair of steady hands.
Brynlee found herself watching him closely as he drank some water. A doctor’s eye in a way. Her siblings found it quite unnerving when she did it, but it was her way of assessing that things were working normally. He obviously had cotton mouth from the pain killers, which was normal. It meant they were working for him. She made a small note in her mind to maybe see if they could switch to something else that wouldn’t affect him as much. She was personally one that would rather feel pain than not feel in control of herself completely if she could. And thankfully she had never had to deal with anything like he was right now.
“How are you? When's the last time you've eaten something? Can I tempt you into having some five-star gourmet dinner with me?”
She felt her heart pick up a little as he fussed over her for a moment. Here he was, lying in the hospital bed, pain medication on board, body recovering from surgeries and exhaustion, and he was here worrying about her. When was the last time she ate? God, probably before everything happened at the hospital. Her stomach growled at the thought and she let out a laugh. “Trader.” She said down to it before she got up and grabbed the menu. It wasn’t the best thing ever, but she had to admit that the food, for the most part, was pretty damn good for hospital food. She knew what was on the menu by heart by now. And she handed it out to him. “I’d suggest something light. I don’t want you emptying your stomach because of the meds. It won’t be fun on your end.” She joked, but it was also partially true.
When she had his dog tags out for him, she watched his face. She had so many questions for him, and she couldn’t imagine the answers that she’d even get. Of course, she had looked over the information stamped on them. It seemed his name was what he told her. At least that was true. And she was sure that he had been genuine in their interactions. So why did it matter that he lied to her about being a police officer? As he took them from her hand, she shifted her weight from one foot to another but never looked away from him as he started talking. Her arms crossed over her chest as she listened.
Undercover. Dear God, what was going on that a navy SEAL was having to be placed undercover as a police officer. And from what she saw, he was a damn good one. No police training taught him how to handle the situations she saw him handle as easily as he did. She searched his face as if words would appear for her to read them to tell her what to do. Could she be trusted? Of course. That she had no question about. She glanced at the door herself, wishing that there was a lock she could slide into place so they could be unbothered by anyone and everyone that could come thru it. She crossed the room and took a seat on his bed, bending her knee up so she could sit closer to him.
“I thank you officer blondie for saving my ass back there.” She said with a slow smile. “But I will warn you, I will have so many questions on that date you promised me.” She was grinning by the end of that sentence before she took the menu from him and looked down at it with a thoughtful look. “Now, how about we get something to eat. We can try and get you out of bed afterward if you’d like to try out your legs. I already told the nursing staff that when you are released to let me know if I’m back on duty so I can take you home.” She wasn’t going to be told no. She would see him home when the time came.
Light laughter came from her and he felt himself mimicking her smile. She was the incarnation of happiness. Her freckled face lit up when she was happy, her eyes bright as bright and warm as the sun. He had never in his life met anyone like her. She was a kind of one-in-a-million girl and as much as he would deny it, if anyone dared asked, he knew she had him hooked. It was stupid, he knew that. He knew there was no chance of having a future with her. He had years left on his contract and he couldn't, he wouldn't, ask her to wait on him. And that was assuming their relationship could even make it to that point. No, he knew in the back of his mind that he needed to get himself under control. But when her bright eyes moved to his, he knew he was powerless to her.
He asked about being hungry and, as if on cue, her stomach grumbled. She called it a traitor and he laughed, "No denying it now Valentine." He watched as she moved towards the counter, picking up the menu. She held it out to her and his eyes scanned the list, "What do you recommend to stay away from?" She warned him not to eat too much and he knew it was probably sound advice. His stomach was protesting otherwise, but he wasn't a fan of throwing up either so the lighter the better. "Hmm. How about a BLT? Not too heavy and you get bacon." He looked up at her, his face playfully tempting, "Maybe I can tempt you into splitting some fries with me?" He wasn't sure where french fries fell on the medical grade of being heavy or light, but he figured with the lighter sandwich he could swing it. He hoped she took him up on it. He knew she could use the rest and the food of course, but more than that he wanted her near. Call it selfish or foolish he didn't care, he wanted her close for as long as he could get it.
Brynlee had locked eyes with him after he had begun to tell her his assignment and why the secrecy was important. He could almost read the thousands of questions that came across her face, her bright eyes turning dark and confused when he began to talk. He hated that. He hated every word that came out of his lips. He knew there was no other way, but he'd be damned if it didn't hurt to watch the realization move across her face.
She moved to his bed and he gently scooted over a bit so she'd have room. The pain was there, but it was easily manageable. She said his nickname and he smirked. That was a good sign, he thought amusingly to himself. He had thought she might just walk right out the door after he told her, but she was proving once again that she wasn't the kind of girl who could be described as predictable.
When she brought up their date he almost had to pick his jaw up off the floor at the surprise. The smirk turned to a genuine smile as he spoke, "Do you still want to take me up on a date after hearing all that? Let me feel your head, you might be the one needing some medical attention." He playfully moved forward as if pretending to see she if she had a fever, the back of his hand pressing for a short moment on her forehead. He looked into her brown eyes, skimming over her beautiful freckled face. The playful grin fell away as his hand dropped to her face, his thumb softly caressing the side of her cheek. "I think we can safely call it even. And as far as saving your ass goes...." His eyes moved over her face, committing it all to memory before meeting her eyes again. "You just say the word and I'll be here."
His eyes stayed on hers for a moment more before removing his hand and listening quietly as she spoke again. She mentioned getting him out of bed and he nodded. If she hadn't been there he would have already tried putting weight on it, but he figured with her nearby, she'd kick his ass if he tried anything without her approval. When she mentioned that she would take him home he chuckled, "I'm sure you have much more important things to do than worry about driving me home." He reached over and took another sip of the water before turning his attention back to her. "Speaking of...what's the aftermath? Did you guys lose many staff?"
”Hmm. How about a BLT? Not too heavy and you get bacon. Maybe I can tempt you into splitting some fries with me?”
She smiled lightly. The bread wouldn’t be too rough, lettuce wasn’t harsh, and if he felt up for the bacon they could give it a shot. Starch wasn’t bad either, normally she’d recommend the regular buttered pasta to people but she had a feeling this wasn’t his first go around. “Sharing food? Isn’t that more a second date kind of thing?” She joked lightly, her brown eyes narrowing lightly on him in a playful way. Even in a hospital bed he was handsome. She reached over to the side of the bed and picked up the phone, pressing the numbers until she head a voice pop through. “Deb, it’s Bryn.” She smiled as the woman on the other end greeted her with excitement. Her eyes moved over to look at Kane for a moment as the woman chatted away for a moment on the other line. Clearly she was busy and needed someone to just vent to, which the redhead would offer that spot to her. But her eyes remained focused on the man in front of her. She was drawn to him unlike any other and the way he looked at her made her stomach do back flips.
“Hello? Bryn are you there.” She snapped out of it and quickly turned her attention back to the phone. “Ah, yes sorry Deb. Listen, can you send up two BLT’s and a plate of fries to 204? And the best jello you have. You’re a doll. Thanks!” She hung up the phone and turned her attention back to Kane. “Be glad I have some connections. That jello is going to rock your world.” she said with a small smile. She could feel the tiredness pulling at her, but it was not a new feeling. Lately, she had been doing this show and had it memorized. Besides, she wasn’t ready to clock out just yet. Not with Kane up and actually seeming like he was a in rather good spirits considering everything.
“Do you still want to take me up on a date after hearing all that? Let me feel your head, you might be the one needing some medical attention.”
She chuckled as his hand made contact with her forehead. This was something so familiar. Something she had joked with him about the first time that she met him. That he needed more medical help if he saw things different from her, and that they’d work out the cost because that police salary might not cut it. She wondered how long he had been undercover at that point. “You can’t back out of it that easy.” She pressed back to him, only to shut her eyes as his hand moved down and his thumb slid over her cheek. She slowly reopened them in time for his eyes to land back on hers. He spoke about them being even, and she found her lips twitching into a smile. They were in a way. He saved her, and in return, she had saved him. With some assistance at the end, but she got the job started. “Ditto.” She shot back, this was clearly their mutual playing ground. She looked him over, just once before she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she sat back on the bed.
As he brushed off her offer to take him home, she shook her head at him. “Oh no, you are getting a ride home. It’s in your paperwork that you are released to me.” She pushed on, a look of confidence on her. One that said ‘try me, I’ll win this fight’. She had a lot of pull here at the hospital and quite a few people owed her favors. So she’d make it happen. Though her smile fell a bit as he asked about the aftermath. Did he really want to know that? She took a deep breath as she looked towards the door. “It’s rough. We have a lot to try and recover from, we are overwhelmed with the numbers. Our biggest concern is trying to keep the infected away from everyone else.” She paused before she shifted herself. She moved so she could sit next to him and face the same way he was facing. She didn’t press herself against him as she sat, she didn’t want to cause any pain.
“City hall is a mess. The police station was overrun at some point. Of course, all the information we are getting is that ‘everything is back under control’ and whatever other bullshit comes out of them. But the hospital officials are expecting really high amounts of deaths. We lost several of our own already.” She let out a sad laugh that came out in a harsh huff. “Thankfully they are giving us who went through the riot some time off. I postponed mine for a bit. I didn’t want you waking up without me here.” Brynlee wasn’t sure why that mattered so much to her. But she had put up a good fight on it. And thankfully they didn’t push it too much. They did need some staff still there while others took time off.
Kane grinned at her joke before shrugging, "Well I figured since you've seen the inside of me, sharing food wouldn't be such a milestone." He was thankful things hadn't been worse. If she hadn't of acted as quickly as she did he might not even be sitting there, smiling at her beautiful face. And by god was she beautiful. Even in the exhausted state she was in, every time her lashes fluttered and her lips pulled into a smile he had to remind himself where he was. He had to remind himself who he was.
He watched her as she got the phone, putting in their order. He softly smiled as she grinned on the phone, chatting with the person who was taking their order. He wondered how someone so incredibly smart and beautiful ended up in a town like Lethford. There wasn't anything necessarily bad about the place, but it wasn't anything remarkable either. He imagined a girl like her would be happy in New York or LA, someplace bright and exciting. She was too full of life, too charming to be stuck in a place like this. His mind wandered to traveling with her, taking her halfway across the world, wherever she asked. He could practically picture her lazy smile, red hair dancing in the wind on some beach somewhere. It was the kind of things dreams were made of.
Her attention was pulled to the phone conversation and he too found himself averting his gaze. He sat back in the bed, glancing over at his pile of clothes and personal items they had taken off of him. He didn't mind of course, there wasn't anything worth mentioning inside anyway. He knew better than to travel with anything compromising. Brynlee put the phone down and spoke up, pulling his attention back to her. He chuckled lightly at the Jello comment, "That's some high praise for Jello. I was always more of a pudding kid, but I'll give it a shot."
The pair were grinning at one another and he couldn't help but wonder how in the hell she was so perfect. It was so easy to be around her. He had never been this relaxed around anyone, had never been this comfortable. He wasn't exactly a people-person, he tended to be a man of few words, but with her it was all he could do not to smile and make jokes. He was settled in this little back and forth they always seemed to have going. It felt natural, it felt right.
Kane had put his hand to her soft cheek and as she moved into it, closing her eyes for a moment. She was bound and determined that she would be the one taking him home and he couldn't help the amused grin that came to his face. "Ma'am yes ma'am." He put his fingers to his forehead and gave her a playful salute.
When he asked about the damage at the hospital he watched as the humor left her face. He nodded softly as she spoke about keeping the infected away. "I'm sure the military is already underway working towards barricading the hospital. I'm kind of surprised it hasn't happened yet. They should set up a barricade and a checkpoint. That'll help with making sure the right people get in when they need to get in."
She settled in next to him and he resisted the urge to pull her closer. When she laughed sarcastically about what they were being told he smirked. There was no fooling her. He was a little amused she saw past what the politicians and officials were trying to spin. "Not everyone is as level-headed as you. They've got to say they have everything under control or people will revolt. Big messes like this make a vacuum and it wouldn't take much for a rebel to gain traction as some sort of righteous leader." He had to remind himself that she wasn't trained for this. That seeing all that she had seen that day wasn't something she was trained for like he was. "Time off is good. You should take it. Stay home and do something you enjoy. You have any hobbies?" He glanced over at her. He didn't know why she was invested in him but he was damn thankful for it. He was thankful for a lot of things when it came to her. "You kicked ass by the way. I don't remember if I told you that or not, but you were amazing back there. I've dealt with special forces recruits that weren't as calm and quick as you were."
”Well I figured since you've seen the inside of me, sharing food wouldn't be such a milestone.”
Brynlee immediately felt the banter rise in her. Unable to stop herself even if she really wanted to. Her freckled face lifted into a smirk. “I did more than just see the inside of you. I was inside of you.” She laughed. It wasn’t every day that she got to do something out of the normal for her, or perhaps it was becoming normal at this point, and still have some flirting with the patient afterwards. Not to push aside the fact that she had also already shared a kiss with him as well. More than one. Her cheeks tinted a light pink at the sudden memory, but the smirk didn’t fall. “How many of your dates can say that to you?” She joked.
”That's some high praise for Jello. I was always more of a pudding kid, but I'll give it a shot.”
She snapped her fingers together, and exclaimed, “Well, damn. That’s information you’ve gotta tell a girl before she starts placing orders. Next time we will shoot for pudding. That’s not at the hospital. Trust me on that one.” She laughed, her hands going up at that point to try and detangle a few pieces of her red hair that she was sure was a mess at this point. And when her eyes met him, she had to just enjoy the moment.
She knew that she could be overwhelming at times. She had gotten off on the wrong foot several times with people over the fact that she’d push their comfort zones. She overstepped clear boundaries most the time. Some people really enjoyed it, made it so that there was none of that awkward ‘hey, hows the weather today?’ kind of conversation. But Kane, he was the one who was making her feel slightly overwhelmed, in a good way. In a nerve wrecking way. In a way that made her heart pound and a wide smile take up residence on her face. And when he ‘ma’am’ ed her, she almost swatted his arm. Stopping herself just shy of his arm, suddenly remembering why he was in the hospital bed.
She pursed her lips at him then. “You are just bound and determined to be in trouble for that word aren’t you? You keep that up and you will be riding in the back of my truck.” She teased, trying her best to hold back the smile that was tugging at her. She already warned him before she hated being called ma’am. Though she knew it was that military training in him, and maybe it was also because of her reaction now that he liked to press on about it. His way of teasing her just as she did to him. “Does it work the same way to you if I call you ‘sir’?” Wondering if it struck the same playful nerve.
Brynlee shrugged next to him as he talked about barricades and what the military could be doing to support them. “Honestly, it could be up for all I know at this point. I’ve been running between so many cases, I’ve barely had time to think about breathing, let alone what is happening outside this building. Though you seemed to take up quite a bit of those thoughts.” She teased, her hand reaching out to try and grab the one closest to her. If she managed to snag it she’d pull it to her lap and stroke the backside of his hand with her other one. A bold move for just about anyone else, but she liked being bold with him.
She let out a snort, as if mocking a laugh. “Yes, because clearly that tactic has worked so well this far.” She said, without her actually pointing at the fact that the people did just revolt and started something so violent in their city. She shot a look over her shoulder to him. “Sorry, I blame being exhausted for that.” She offered a small smile, her hand still stroking his lightly as he asked her about a hobby. “When I was a kid, I used to take things apart around the house and put them back together again. See if I could make them work just as well if not better.” She laughed lightly at the memory. “My dad used to get so pissed. He’d come home from work, and find the television apart in pieces on the living room floor. I always got it back together for the third quarter of the football game though.” She said, flashing a smile over to him. Her brown eyes crinkled lightly in the corners at the memory. “But honestly, I think this time off will be more spent in bed, eating, and maybe with some of your company as well.”
As he complimented her, she stared over at him for a moment. She was action oriented. Had always been that. Blame it on having four other siblings and having to stand out. But to hear him, out of all people, give her that compliment, was something that made her cheeks heat up. “I think you’d be most proud of the moment I almost kicked a surgeon’s ass for trying to brush me off when I told him to prep the surgery room.” She laughed lightly. It was true. She dragged that man right down to her height and was ready to go toe to toe with him. “I had to protect you, and I think I did a damn good job.” She smiled bright at him, giving his hand a light squeeze as she looked at him.
Kane sipped the water again, Brynlee's comment about being inside of him causing him to half-laugh and half-choke on the drink. Kane wasn't a dirty-minded person, but he had been in the military for most of his life. Being around men and women who were free with the jokes and comments tended to make his mind immediately pop up with inappropriate thoughts or jokes when certain things were said. Not that he voiced those thoughts or jokes, but they were certainly there. His eyes met hers, a grin wide on his face as he fondly spoke up, "There is never a dull moment with you, is there?"
She commented about his previous dates and he shook his head, "You've got me there. Though it's not much of a competition, my job doesn't offer up much time for dating." He gave her a tight smile, hoping the words didn't come out as odd as he felt as he said them. He knew it had to be said though, he had to interject it because it was the truth. There wasn't some normal path that he could offer up to her. This was his normal and if her smiles and glances were any indication of the way she was feeling, he owed it to her to see that now. He owed her that at the very least of it all.
He listened as she spoke about the pudding. He didn't care one bit about it. Dessert was a luxury in his line of work, something he did without, and that worked just fine with him. What he never got was her. There was no option of having an attractive as hell fiery red-head to give him company while he recovered box anywhere near his command checklist. As long as she was there with him, her bright smile lighting the room around them up, he was just fine.
As soon as the word ma'am left his lips, he knew he was in trouble. Her fiery side almost made an impact to his injury and he found himself in response holding up his hands in surrender, "Ah. Sorry." When she threatened him with riding in the back of her truck he put his hand mockingly over his heart, "Oh ouch. Kicked to the rear like cargo. Come on, you wouldn't do that to a defenseless, wounded soldier would you?" He looked over and gave her his best sad face and pout lip. He prepared himself for the possible swatting that might come of course. And when she threatened to call him sir he chuckled, "Alright. Fair point. No more ma'am. It'll be...ADA for here on out." He smirked, sitting back in the bed, pleased with his nickname choice. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. At least it was in his humble opinion. He was curious to see if she had any guesses to what it stood for, or if she guessed that it was an acronym and not some random short name.
Kane listened quietly as she began speaking. She sounded tired and as she gently pulled his hand to her lap, her fingers tracing his skin, he wished he could do something for her. He was all but helpless when it came to what she was dealing with. He couldn't lessen her load, he couldn't promise her that it'd get easier, no all he could do was hold her. So that's what he did. Kane moved his right hand away from hers so he could put it around her, softly holding her to him. His other hand moved to hers again, and his head leaned over, his lips softly kissing the top of her head, "You need rest." He wished more than anything he could freeze time in that moment, with her in his arms. It was frustrating and downright tragic at how natural and right it felt to him.
He listened to her speak out against the government and media's front and he chuckled. Yes, ADA had been the right call. He continued to listen as she spoke about her childhood, repairing things and her father. He met her grin as she looked up at him. "I wish I could take you along with me to some of these places. You'd get a kick out of all the crap we have to rig up or make on the fly daily." That was a part of the job he was never that great at. Physical stuff? Sure. Mcgyver kind of stuff? No thanks.
Brynlee mentioned she'd like his company and he leaned his head over to rest his cheek against her head, her fiery red hair tickling his cheek, "Comfy bed. Entirely too much television and obscene amounts of takeout? How could a guy say no?" He was wistfully speaking of course. There was no way he could allow himself to fall that far. It would be easy, utterly too easy to spend days with her, but it wasn't rational. It wasn't something he could indulge because he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to climb back up out of that free-fall.
She angled herself to look at him as he had complimented her and he might as well have been hit with a shovel as he saw the red blush that crept into her cheeks. How someone so damningly beautiful could make his heart stop so suddenly was unnatural. How she could still the beating in his chest with the slightest incline of her lips was beyond him. Yet, she did.
A wry smile came across his face as she mentioned the surgeon. "Heaven help the person who tries to defy your wishes ADA. Poor guy never had a chance." Was he talking about the surgeon or himself? He wasn't sure anymore. When she spoke about protecting him his eyes searched her face. Why? Why did she have to be so brave and smart? Why did she have to be so beautiful? The questions bounced around in his head. Control. He needed to get control of himself.
What he wanted to do, was to kiss her lips. To lock the door and spend the afternoon talking and making out in bed with her. But he needed to get control. He needed to remember who he was. He swallowed hard before softly squeezing her hand back in return. "So, why Lethford? Seems like too small of a town for someone like you." He asked as he glanced over at her. He needed to keep this light, friendly. If he distracted himself with easy conversation maybe he could find it easier to resist the damn hold she already had on him. Maybe he could pretend that she wasn't the damn answer to a question he had been afraid of ever asking.
NOTES ; Nickname is pronounced like Aid-ah if that makes sense? Also...cannot wait to explain that one
tag: Kane Shelby | OOC: i’m ready for ada to be explained!
She snorted out a small laugh as he choked on his drink. Not that she wanted him actually choking, but she knew he was tough and could handle the action. Her smirk flashing over her features as she stared down at him. His grin had her almost laughing again. “Never claimed there would be one. You are in for one hell of a ride if you stick around blondie.” She explained, a smug look on her face. He really was going to be entertained, at the very least.
Brynlee found herself eyeing him with a certain type of skepticism. “Hook ups, one night stands? Are those better ways to refer to them then?” She said with a raised eyebrow. She somehow didn’t see him not being someone who didn’t at least find the comfort of a woman for a night or so. No matter how busy he claimed his job kept him. Which made her think, was she willing to be one of those? A bed warmer for his time in Lethford, until he got called away, with more SEAL tasks? If he kept looking at her the way he was, she knew what her answer was. But he also would be in for a rude awakening if he expected her to be forgotten about.
She laughed as he held his hands up to her, apologizing for his ‘ma’am’ing her. “Be glad I am not going to make you walk back to your apartment.” She warned him. Though she found herself laughing. “’Defenseless?’, yeah okay. I have seen you in action. Even injured you were ready to defend me and that other nurse. I wouldn’t use that word to describe you, ever.” She pressed. “And besides, the back of my truck would be a nice smooth ride. You could lay down and everything back there.” She bit her lip to try and hold back the smile that threatened to burst forward. Though she felt her brows pull together as he called her Aida? A look that held a hundred questions was tossed his way.
“Aida? How in the world did you even get that from Brynlee?” She asked, laughing lightly. “Or do you mean like ADA? The American’s with Disabilities Act?” Now she felt like she was grasping at straws. What did that even mean? He seemed to really enjoy whatever it was that he named her. And now she was curious. And waiting far too long already for an explanation when he didnt’ just tell her right away why he was going to call her that.
He shifted her and at first she almost felt like maybe she laid on the flirting a little to thick until his arm wrapped around her. She let out a small breath of comfort as she did her best to not just plaster herself to his side, knowing his wounds were still tender even with pain killers on board for him. She readjusted her hold as he gave her his other hand and kissed the top of her head. “I should be telling you that. I wasn’t the one who just went through hours of surgery.” She said, tucking her head against his shoulder.
Her eyes flashed with amusement. He already wanted to keep her around in a small way, huh? “Maybe you can talk to your boss. I make a damn good addition to any team that needs a professional tinkerer. I have degrees to prove it.” She said with a laugh. “Dr. Brynlee Rose Valentine. Tinkerer extraordinaire.” She offered to him, though she couldn’t picture herself being a SEAL. Let along making it through boot camp. She would find herself in all kinds of trouble along the way with her wit and comments. And she certainly wouldn’t want it worked out of her.
“So its settled then. I get to black out sleep my first twenty four hours off, you invade my apartment for the rest of it. Sounds like a plan blondie.” She sealed the deal. Whether he realized it or not, he had just signed himself up for a rather interesting date, that might be more than a few hours. She did huff out a small, smug laugh at his comment of the person defying her wishes. With that damn nickname tacked on. “He did not stand a chance. I made sure of it.”
As he asked about Lethford, it wasn’t one that she hadn’t answered before. Her family asked the same thing. With as bright and bold as she was, why did she not shoot for the biggest hospital to be in. Where her talents would truly shine through and used to their fullest capabilities. A knock on the door had her looking at him for a moment. “Hold that question,” She said as she untangled herself from the bed and went to the door. “Ah, you little saint Deb, bringing forth the best morsels for us!” She joked as she opened the door for the food to be delivered. The little woman came forth as she swatted Brynlee’s arm playfully. Her gray hair was pulled back and she seemed to do a double take at Kane in the bed. She shot Bryn a look which could only be returned with one that said “oh I know. He’s quite the looker isn’t he” back.
“Well I wish she would have warned me about a handsome man being the one she ordered food for. You dearie, are just adorable. You take good care of little Bryn here, she’s a handful.” Which earned a wide eyed, shocked expression from the red head. “Deb!” She laughed lightly as the woman waved her hand over her shoulder as she left the room. Only to let Brynlee stand there with her arms crossed over her chest and laugh. “And that’s Debbie for you.” She walked back over and immediately moved her wave back to sitting beside him in the bed, pulling the tray stand close so they could both reach the arrangement in front of them.
“Lethford,” She started as she lifted the tops off their plates to reveal their BLT’s and sides of jello. “Honestly, I wanted to start off small. Get my footing with my job, start to build a name for myself in a way. Lethford offered that for me. And I’m sure after my resume now, I could transfer to where I wanted to. Though I haven’t quite gotten to that next step yet. Where to go, what to do.” She said with a light shrug as she grabbed the sandwich and took a bite. It was utter perfection for a BLT. She chewed thoughtfully before she looked at him. “What made you want to be... a police officer?” Her tone suggested that she didn’t actually mean ‘police officer’, but was hinting at his SEAL decision.
Kane didn't doubt the redhead's words. There was no way of being around someone like her without it being anything less than a wild ride. She was quick and smart, she was confident and funny. There wasn't another girl out there like her anywhere else in the world, and that he was sure of. When she made a joke about his entanglements being hook-ups or one night stands he laughed. "Way off the mark Valentine." He had tried that route and sure, when the nights got way too lonely he wasn't against them on the rarest occasion, but on the whole, he just wasn't that guy. He got too involved, too invested. He wasn't good with keeping his feelings out of things so having romantic entanglements with women who didn't care enough to remember his name wasn't something he considered fulfilling in any sense of the word.
Kane grinned as she threatened to make him walk back. She was shorter than him but he didn't doubt for one second that if need be, she could muscle her way into making anyone do what she asked. He had seen plenty of women like her in the military. Small-sized utterly delicate-looking women who were absolute tanks when they wanted to be.
She talked about his coming to her defense and he couldn't help the feeling of pride as she spoke about him. "I'm just a normal cop miss, I don't have the slightest idea about what you're talking about." the grin was apparent as he spoke lightheartedly about what he had done. There wasn't anyone else in the room with them and though soon he'd have to keep on top of what cover story he told, right now he was enjoying the banter with her.
Brynlee's laugh filled the room as he spoke her nickname and he was smirking as she rattled off her ideas about just where exactly it had come from. He shook his head, the grin still on his lips as his eyes shifted away from her gaze. "Air Defense Artillery. They're the ones you call when you're in too deep. It doesn't matter what you might be against or what's coming your way. They've got your back." His grin softened as his eyes found hers, "Just one call and a red-tailed missile comes over your head, breaking through the sky out of nowhere like a vengeful angel. Leveling the threat, securing your safety. Sometimes it's all fire and explosions and other times you don't even see what they do until you get the all-clear. They are a force to be reckoned with and often, my only back-up, and you..." His hand reached over softly, slowly, his fingers touching the end of her hair. That red hair that reminded him of those missiles, coming in and over him, lighting the sky on fire. His eyes drifted back to her, a small tug at his lips, "You fit that bill."
He wasn't sure what her reaction would be. He was learning quickly that she wasn't someone who could be classified as predictable. He hoped in the very least that she thought it was humorous. At the worst, he supposed she might think he was a naive love-struck dummy but he could work with that.
Then she was in his arms and he didn't care much about what was happening around them. His first reaction was to shake his head at her suggestion that he was the one who needed sleep, but instead, she moved in closer to him and he leaned his head over to rest against hers. She called him blondie and he chuckled. "Yeah, I'll just pack you in my rucksack. You've had all your shots right?" He sat back in the bed, a soft grin on his face. It was easy to banter together about things like this when he was stuck in the hospital. It was easier to pretend that he wasn't who he was when it was just the two of them. Much too easy.
Brynlee spoke about having him over after her blackout and he nodded, giving her a mock salute, "Affirmative ADA. Will wait for your go-sign." He wasn't sure if he'd actually follow through. Spending a night with her was skirting that line of common sense that his brain kept throwing at him. He shouldn't, and he knew that. But it was hard to convince himself of that as her eyes met his again, a pleased smile on her lips. "I bet you had brothers growing up didn't you?" He angled his head so he could see her better.
As a knock sounded on the door, Kane tried sitting up more. Brynlee greeted the woman who walked in and as they began talking about him, Kane felt his cheeks getting hot. When the women told him to take care of Brynlee he nodded, "Yes ma'am." He resisted the urge to straighten up the hospital gown they had on him, but knew it didn't make much of a difference. The woman was out just as quickly as she came and he gave a soft laugh when Brynlee spoke fondly about her.
Kane watched as she took off the tops of their meals and he listened silently as she spoke about her work. He nodded along, it would make sense. He supposed if he had been in her shoes he might have done the same. Get in somewhere small so you could rise up quickly. It was smart. He took a bite of the BLT, pleased that he had made a good call on the sandwiches. "That's smart. You'll be able to land whatever job you want after all the experience you're getting here." He didn't know much about the medical field, but he did know it took a while to get where you wanted to be, especially when it came to specialist stuff.
Kane took a bite out of the jello and gave her a pleased grin, "Alright. You called it on the jello. That's actually really good." He grinned before taking another bite. When she asked about his career he shrugged, "My mom and dad were both military. So were my grandpas on both sides of the family. Guess you could say I had it in my blood."
She liked the way he grinned at her. The way he seemed to light up at her taunting, at her teases and jabs. Brynlee had seen the look earlier, like he was trying to figure her out. And not in a bad way, in a way that made her feel a small blush rise to her cheeks. He was quite adorable in a way that a grown man who had saved her life could actually be.
“I'm just a normal cop miss, I don't have the slightest idea about what you're talking about.”
She nodded lightly, the smiling bursting through her trying to hold it back. She knew that he was giving her a hard time. Especially since they had bounced back and forth amongst the line of work that he actually did and the job that he used as a cover. If she was going to hang around him though, she should get used to going with his undercover job. The one she had met him in. Though she had to admit, she rather liked seeing him in action now that she looked back on it. She wouldn’t want to go back into that situation or any situation where he’d be called into action again, but she found it awe inspiring and very attractive in a whole other way. “Best damn cop I’ve come across.” She tossed his way.
ADA. So an abbreviation. She listened intently to understand what about it made him think it was the perfect nickname for her. She definitely had his back. She was the back up he had needed, dragging him out of the hallway after the explosion happened, trying her best to help pull part of the explosion from his legs. There was something about him that made it where she didn’t think twice about helping him. She felt a smirk tug on her lips as he talked about the ‘red-tail’ of the missile. She wondered where he got that from. Her own red hair probably a strong reminder. She stilled as his hand reached for her. Grabbing the red hair attacked to her head and she heard her heart beating loudly in her ears.
“Best back up you’ve ever had.” She gave a small smile. She wanted to kiss him in that moment. The urge filled her chest and threatened to have it split if she didn’t do it. She wasn’t one to hold back that feeling, so she leaned over to him and brushed a soft kiss across his lips before she tucked herself next to him. “I can live with being your ADA.” As if it was even the slightest of burdens for her to have.
“Yeah, I'll just pack you in my rucksack. You've had all your shots right?”
She smiled to herself, his head resting against the top of hers. “Up to date on them all. Though I must warn you, you would probably have to give up some supplies to fit me in that rucksack. Hope you know how to prioritize.” She still thought that he needed sleep. And she didn’t want to break the current idea that she could just curl up and go to sleep next to him after their meal. More likely than not, she would find a knock at the door calling her back into work. She could only imagine the number of people who have arrived since she had found herself in his room. But that was not for her to linger on at the moment. She wanted to soak up every second she had with him. It would carry her until they were ready to discharge him.
She nodded as he agreed to her terms. Bryn was really going to look forward to whatever time he was going to allow her to have. Whether he wanted to take up the whole time until she got called back in or only a few hours of it. She was going to take what she could get. At the mention of brothers, she laughed again. Feeling him shift, she looked up to him. “Three older brothers actually. And a little sister. We had a very interesting household growing up. And loud. But I guess you could have assumed that from meeting me.”
With Deb making her debut in the room, she found herself biting back a smile at his red cheeks. She found it fit him. Something she was coming to really like about him. She had made him blush a few times before, and she was just glad to see that despite everything happening with his body right now, he was still able to find it in himself to act like he was. They started in on their meals, and she nodded as he commented on her smart move. She had thought it was too. “Definitely questioning it now considering we are the hot spot for this virus. But at least I’ve met some people who’ve made it worth it.” She looked to him, as if pointing out she was glad she had met him.
“Alright. You called it on the jello. That's actually really good.”
She had another bite of sandwich in her mouth when he spoke up. She nodded, chewing thoughtfully as a smile pulled at her cheeks. When she swallowed she spoke up, “And you doubted me...” A small accusation on her tone. Ah, born and raised military. That made sense. “You aren’t like the usual cops.” She almost laughed every time she even said it. Knowing it was a lie, but she was trying to keep up with it. “You seem to have way too much heart for what you do. Not that it’s a bad thing. Just surprising is all.” Especially when she thought about his earlier comment of how she was far off her mark on the idea that he had casual hook ups.
She leaned forward and refilled his water, just in case the case of cotton mouth started acting up again. She had just finished off her sandwich when she heard her beeper going off. She wanted to scream at it. Instead she just groaned, her back hitting the bed next to him as it buzzed lightly, calling her back to the hospital floor. “You don’t happen to have that rucksack hidden anywhere in here for me to hide in?” She joked, her brown eyes looking over to him as her head twisted his way. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay right next to him. But she also knew that the quicker her time went by, the sooner she’d get the call that he’d be ready to go home. And she would return the moment they did.
