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.
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CODING
GRAPHICS
ADVERTISING
CHARACTERS
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!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
APPLICATIONS
THREAD MODERATION
MEDIATOR
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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!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CLAIMS
DIRECTORY
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STAFF NAME
OPEN MODERATOR POSITION
outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
[attr="class","CONTENT"] “I did?” he let out surprised, drawing his fair eyebrows together as the question was more towards himself than her. “I guess I did,” Mick added, eyes looking up at the ceiling of his apartment as he tried to remember. It was just then that he realized all the memories that were lost to him. He turned his gaze and attention back to Maggie, running a hand over the back of his head and finding his smile again. “Now I just feel old,” he said, followed by a chuckle.
Mick clapped his hands together, his jaw dropped ever so slightly. “A performer?” His mouth formed a silent whoa in astonishment. He expected a lot of ordinary jobs but not this. But he couldn’t have guessed it right anyway, the year gap since their separation was too wide. He offered her an understanding nod of his head about not being able to perform. These days sucked, not just for him and his shitton of work but also for those who didn’t have any work anymore. “You don’t mind if a google what an aerial dancer is, do you?”
When Maggie mentioned their mom, Mick’s shoulders slumped, the smile was gone, the corner of his lips arching down softly. A hint of concern covered his features usually bright and delightful. A shadow loomed over them. It wasn’t that he was too shocked or surprised by it but then again, he was so young when they left, and he could barely grasp the memories of Maggie and her dream occupation that she certainly couldn’t remember what his mom, their mom, was up to or used to be up to. “That makes two of us,” he said jokingly, adding a short-lived sarcastic laugh at the end. Maybe it was best to just drop the topic. It was toxic and only brought sad memories to resurface, memories he didn’t want to remember or think about. He gave the topic a dismissive wave with his hand even though it was him that started it but it could be him that ended it as well.
He wrung his hands, glancing over his shoulder to discover the light had switched off. Coffee was ready, and he was glad it was. Jumping up from where he sat he strode over to the kitchen, pulling out a mug from the cupboard above the coffee machine and filling it with the steaming hot beverage. “You want sugar? Milk?” he asked, already in the middle of gathering the small jar filled with sugar. “I hope I didn’t leave the milk I bought at the fire station…” He didn’t pour a cup of his own, instead, he grabbed his old one filled with the coffee he made in the morning and just popped it into the microwave.
[attr="class","CONTENT"] Mick walked through the ER doors, out of the building. He never really minded hospitals, especially not since he dropped off patients on a daily basis but it doubled or even tripled these days. Now he was more than grateful to leave as quickly as he could. Once he stepped through the automatic doors he pulled down his mask, desperate for some fresh air. He didn't mind the drop in temperature, feeling as if he was too hot all the time anyway from the constant moving, walking, running, climbing up the stairs, carrying patients in all sort of weight ranges. The only upside about it was that there was no need to exercise, no fear of gaining weight from all the unhealthy snacking and takeout food. It might sound a little macabre but it was something that helped him hold on to the smallest of lights at the end of this dark tunnel filled with chaos and grief.
He leaned against the ambulance parked close by. His partner sat on the driver's side, sipping on his coffee which was probably only lukewarm by now. Their radio crackled before a voice on the other end informed them about a car accident with multiple vehicles involved. Without hesitation, he pulled the mask back over his nose, adjusting it on its sides and above the bridge of his nose, and jogged to the vehicle. For once he wasn't driving. He got into the passenger seat and they drove off. There were several types of calls Mick disliked, hated, or even loathed. Car accidents were one of them.
It didn't take them long to reach the scene. As their ambulance approached he couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine the moment he set on upon the scene. Four cars had crashed, one was flipped over. Mick swallowed hard, his right hand impatiently slapping the side of his door. The police officer waved them through and even though he was still seated he tried to get a good look at the horror that unfolded in front of them.
Once the vehicle came to a stop he bolted out of it, almost slipping on the road after he jumped out. He grabbed what he needed and made his way over to the middle of the road when one of the officers, kneeling beside another car, pointed him to the one that flipped. Long and fast strides carried him over. He glanced over his shoulder towards his partner and told him to go check the other passengers of the cars to see who had a higher priority. A quick look over the roads told him they were the only ambulance arriving so far and oh dear, he hoped there would be others coming soon. At the thought of the opposite happening, a knot of dread appeared inside his chest, a gloved fist punching at it to make it disappear.
He did a quick walk around the car to check if there was any fluid leaking out of it and while he expected to see puddles of gas the only small puddle he saw was that of blood, slowly dripping out of the driver's side. At least it was safe for now. In one smooth motion, he dropped to his knees next to the flipped truck, the emergency bag landing on the road beside him with a thud. The window was shattered so he pulled off his jacket and brushed away some of the glass shards around the area before throwing the jacket halfway over the window of the car.
He lied down on his stomach and rested his lower arms against the concrete. "Hey there. Don't worry someone is already there." he said with such certainty that he didn't even know where it came from. He wasn't sure if there was any help but he glanced over his shoulder to look. He saw the officer that told him to come here first. His partner was on the second car involved. Turning his attention back to the redhead inside the car he tried to brush off the dread inside him with a smile underneath his mask."What's your name?" he asked the woman, before scooting slightly closer. He tried to get a look on the inside, to see if she was free, to see if he could get her out without any help but the window was squished by the weight of the car and probably happened in the event of it flipping over. "I need some assistance over here!" he yelled over his shoulder, wondering if the fire department was already on their way.
Biting his lower lip he ducked his head inside the window as far as he could, which in all honesty wasn't that far in. One hand fiddled with the flashlight he took out of its pocket. "Don't move. Just lay still."
[attr="class","CONTENT"] Mick let out a choppy chuckle. “Yeah, maybe not a million times but too many to my personal liking. Pretty sure you’ve seen more firearm-related wounds than me.” Too many to count now. In fact, gunshot wounds weren’t as common pre-pandemic as one would have thought. And if he ran into these occasions it would usually be nonfatal, a graze, a bullet to the leg. Nothing dramatic, nothing life-threatening, nothing that would take lives. He was pretty sure those who died of their wounds were discarded before medics would even be called if they were called. Gang crime was the city’s main issue and while most of them did yield various firearms they didn’t always leave bodies or couldn’t afford to leave them. Reports were few but still existed.
In the past few months, he had been shot himself, but it was just a graze as well. It barely scratched his shoulder. It left a silhouette of a scar but it would always remind him of that day someone held him and a friend hostage inside the ambulance while forcing them to save his friend. He lovingly called it his battle scar. Then there was the situation where the riots enabled rebels to storm the City Hall and he had to deal with both someones injured by an explosive device and someone being shot in almost the exact same shoulder area as Lexi. As far as he knew she survived but he wasn’t sure what became of her after that.
He gave Faulkner an understanding nod when he told him he was fine. He still felt the need to have his gaze linger on the soldier for a bit longer, doing a small check-up from what he could see on the surface. The guy seemed to be fine enough, well enough. So Mick lowered his gaze and looked back at Lexi and her shoulder. Worried he drew his eyebrows together. She looked like she didn’t have the energy or will to stay with them anymore. “Lexi? Lexi, you really have to stay with me. We’re almost there. Just a little longer alright?”
Situations like these made even the most experienced medic nervous. Her life could slip away under his hands at any moment and even though he was very good at pretending to be calm he wasn’t. Underneath his mask, he gave her a reassuring smile and as they turned around a corner he lifted his head to look out of the window in one of the back doors. Almost. He recognized the street. The hospital would be just down the road. Almost. Mick looked at Faulkner, glancing over his shoulder. “I’m not sure how long she could be in surgery but I would suggest you stay for a while. It might be nice to see a familiar face after waking up.”
[attr="class","CONTENT"] Gunshot wounds were tricky. Even if looked harmless on the outside the damage a single bullet was able to do on the inside of a human being was tremendous. He couldn't really tell how much was damaged, if it hit a vital artery or not but so far the blood loss seemed to be the main issue. And that surely wasn't helping at all. "There you go." he said, the corners of his lips arching up into a bigger smaller underneath his mask as Lexi managed to squeeze his hands, a wave of relief washing over him for just a moment. She was still with them, somewhat conscious but it was better than nothing.
As they moved her into the ambulance and his partner took a seat in the driver's cabin Mick went over to the doors, accepting the other guy's answer that he won't go with them because he needed to follow orders. Mick couldn't help but chuckle softly, all in good will, when he was told thanks. "You're very much welcome. No worries." The paramedic was about to shut them when Faulkner returned, telling him that he would ride with them despite saying no earlier. Mick gave him a quick nod and waited for him to get into the ambulance before pulling the doors closed.
Moving further into the ambulance as they started driving Mick looked at the monitor, checking her vitals every minute or so. "You can take a seat over there." he said to Faulkner, pointing at the seat right below the small window giving them access to the driver's cabin. He pulled out a pair of scissors and cut open the bandaging which was already applied prior to their arrival. As he gathered new dressings and bandages he glanced over his shoulder, even if most of his attention was solely on Lexi. "Are you alright? Hurt anywhere?" Mick asked the guy, just to make sure, his eyes flicked to the monitor one more time. "You did a good job doing first aid." he added. Reassuring people involved that they did a good job doing whatever they did and calling emergency services was always important.
Mick felt a little sorry having to remove it again though. He cut through the upper part of her top and through the bandages applied, revealing what seemed to be the entry hole to him. The moment he removed the wound dressing the blood started to flow out once again but less than it probably did before. "Everything's going to be just fine." he whispered to Lexi, an attempt to reassure her as weel as his hand moved to the back of her shoulder, feeling for the exit wound if there was one. And there was.
[attr="class","CONTENT"] Mick gave him a quick nod as he listened to what had happened. Unfortunately, it was a story he had heard too many times now. He didn’t reply when the guy asked him if he could save her. He surely hoped so but he didn’t want to raise false hope. The majority of his attention was on the female on the ground as his gloved hands checked the dressing that had already been applied. "Hey Lexi, I’m Mick. I need you to stay with me alright?" His voice was calm as sky blue eyes hovered over her face, the only part visible as the rest was hidden underneath a mask. And he smiled, as he would always do, even though she couldn't see it either. "If you can hear me squeeze my hand."
While his partner started administering oxygen he lifted his gaze towards PFC Faulkner once more. "You can help us move her into the ambulance." he told him, eyes flicking to his partner for approval that they were ready to leave. Mick pulled the lowered stretcher next to her, sliding aside to make space and pushing the bag behind him. "Careful." he said before lifting her up, steady hands easing her onto it and securing her to it. It was important to transport her to the hospital as soon as possible. He got a hold of the stretcher and started rolling it back to the ambulance, carefully pushing it inside on the ramps. "Do you want to ride with us?" Mick asked, his partner made his way to the front to drive it.
[attr="class","CONTENT"]Mick and his partner were just about to turn around the corner to get back to the station when yet another call came in. So instead of pulling into the station, he stepped on the gas, switching on the sirens, and drove past the initial destination. As dispatch ran them through the information they received he let out a resigned sigh. The number of gunshot wounds was soaring he felt. Lethford never had many cases, despite the local gangs causing ruckus here and there, but ever since the pandemic the amount doubled, tripled. He lost count already.
Thanks to the empty streets, despite being covered in snow, they were able to get to Venshaw Bridge fast. Blue eyes spotted various figures in the distance, one standing, three others on the ground. Mick swallowed, already preparing himself for the worst. Multiple injured meaning he had to decide to take the one with the lowest survival rate. The ambulance came to a halt, he turned off the sirens but left the lights, flashing a bright red through the area around them. Swinging the door open he jumped out of the driver‘s seat, ordering his partner to grab the stretcher while he slung the emergency bag equipped with various appliances over his shoulder.
His eyes scanned the scene as he jogged towards the group. One man was dressed in military gear, the other two looked like regular civilians and then there was a female on the ground bleeding profusely from what he could see came from the shoulder area. Now, normally Mick would have been required to wait for the police to clear the scene, make sure they were safe and wouldn‘t in harm‘s way but these days Mick couldn‘t care less. He definitely wasn‘t willing to waste time. Resources including patrol units were scarce anyway.
He glanced between the guys, one looking barely alive while the other was clutching his leg. Reaching for his radio he called for two more ambulances, even though he wasn’t sure those would be available. Their call was about a female so he immediately went over to kneel beside her, dropping the bag next to him. The blonde looked at her wound which was already covered in bandages but the blood was soaking through those already.
While his partner went through the basics Mick looked a the guy in uniform, listening to him introduce both himself and the woman. „What happened?“ His attention went back to the blonde on the ground who looked like she was falling in and out of consciousness. „Hey, you gotta stay with me okay? Can you tell me your name?“ Despite the guy already telling him her name Mick asked again, wanting her to speak to him, to talk, to just stay conscious as long as she could.
[attr="class","CONTENT"] The blonde brushed off his hands on the pair of joggers he was wearing, his palms began to sweat for whatever reason. It was his sister standing there, not a stranger. Although, he couldn’t shake off the mild feeling that she was indeed a bit of a stranger after all these years of not seeing her. It was an odd moment… probably for both of them, he assumed at least. "Cool, cool." he replied, a wave of relief washing over him that the mess didn’t bother her. He really needed to clean up before having to go to work again.
Mick swallowed hard when she asked him what he was doing for work. He wasn’t sure how she would react if he told her he was working for the Fire Department. He couldn’t even remember what made him choose that path. Was it a random ad? Was it at school? Was it his dad? Any thoughts of stepping into his father’s footsteps and becoming a firefighter were abandoned the moment his family received his death notification. Mick will never forget the moment the uniformed men were standing in front of their door, with the news playing on the tv in the background reporting about the fire.
Clearing his throat he moved over to the coffee machine which still had some cold, leftover coffee in the glass jug. "I… uh-" he began, slipping it out of the machine and tossing its contents into the sink. "I’m actually a paramedic." he finally spat out, nodding as he bit his lower lip. He only glanced over his shoulder to avoid looking at her to see her reaction. Refilling the jug with water and pouring it into the back of the machine he set it up to brew fresh coffee.
In the meantime he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, of course, it wasn’t from the brand that had issues. He twisted the cap open for her as he brought it over, holding it out to her. "Coffee will be ready in ten." he said, his lips curving up in the usual, welcoming warm smile he was known for. "How about you? Ha, it’s a bit embarrassing but I don’t really remember what you wanted to be as a kid… feel free to punch me for that." he admitted, ruffling through his bed-head hair.
"Sit wherever you want. Make yourself at home." Mick told her before taking a seat himself on the armchair, opposite the couch. The moment he sat everything seemed to drop with him. Feeling the need to slap himself he shifted positions on the armchair, interlacing hands and breathing out slowly. "You’re really here…" he mumbled to himself, blue eyes gazing up at her through a curtain of thick lashes. Long lost brother, he repeated in his head. It wasn’t like it was his choice to leave her and cut off all contact back then.
"I missed you too." he said, giving her once again that warm smile of his. Being the person that would smile at everyone even in the worst-case scenarios Mick never found it hard to do so. Maybe that’s why he chose his job. He just had a knack for it. "But how did you find me? I was trying to look for you but…" he said, glancing over to the coffee maker as it dripped, one drop after another. "I tried reaching out to you so many times but there was never… an answer. How.. how’s mom?"
[attr="class","CONTENT"] Having half a day off was already a miracle itself. Having a whole day off was very questionable, even suspicious, but very much appreciated after all the trouble he had been through the past couple of months. Mick was very resistant to all kinds of chaos and stress but he could only take so much. So after a hostage situation, getting shot, being trapped inside the ambulance with thugs pounding on the vehicle ready to smash it including him to pieces, stuck inside a building taken over by rebels dealing with yet more gunshot wounds (though, this time it wasn't him who got shot) and the worst: his sister appearing out of nowhere and causing trouble. He didn't mind a little more action here and there, something exciting and a little adrenaline boost, but too much was just too much.
And while he felt like staying at home, in bed, doing nothing but sleep he figured he needed to eat. Unfortunately, not being at home most of the time also meant no food It was a wonder he wasn't starving to death, the apartment looking like it was raided. And in the end, he decided it was time to gear up and buy groceries.
Mick stood in front of empty shelves. He scurried through each aisle, looking for things he could use. It wasn't much of a want situation anymore ever since the pandemic started and people looted the hell out of all stores. It was ridiculous. Despite the government attempting to reassure everyone that starvation was not an issue, they did it. Food, water, sanitizer, wet wipes. Pasta for years, oats for months. What were they going to do with all of it? Build a panic room with it?
And then there was the toilet paper shortage. Sometimes Mick questioned people’s sanity. He had observed various brawls which all started with toilet paper. He was called in for injuries resulting from those aforementioned fights. Their capacities were already maxed out but yet people had the nerve to cause more trouble… over pieces of paper. Shaking his head softly he looked down at his cart which was mostly filled with microwave meals, cans, and frozen dishes. Anything time saving, quick to make, and ready to eat. He acquired a couple of instant noodles which he threw in as well.
His phone started vibrating inside his jacket announcing an incoming call. He pulled it out and swiped on the screen to accept the call as he reached forward to grab one of the last available pasta sauce jars from the shelf in front of him, accidentally grabbing it the moment someone else was going for it.
[attr="class","CONTENT"] "It really is you." Mick whispered, not believing his eyes. He rubbed one of them, just in case. He also considered slapping himself to make sure he wasn’t still dreaming, asleep on the couch. But he wasn’t. She really was standing there right in front of him.
If it weren’t for the pandemic he would rush to give her a hug. However, he was just standing in the doorway and even though he was in the midst of taking a step forward he stopped himself. It was difficult, oh so difficult, to not reach out and embrace her after all these years. Years where he hadn’t even hear her voice, hadn’t seen her face, hadn’t even known where she was.
Shaking his head as if to toss out the confusion he felt at that moment he stepped aside, opening the door wider, and gestured for her to come inside. "Don’t mind the mess. I spend a lot of time at work. Didn’t have time to clean… or the energy." he said, clearing his throat and peeking outside, past her.
"You want coffee? Tea? I don’t know what’s left inside the fridge.. maybe orange juice?" he asked her, scrambling over to the kitchen. Upon opening the fridge his eyes caught the orange juice - expired. "Never mind about the juice." Mick commented, grimacing at the juice carton but left it untouched inside the fridge, making a mental note to throw it out later. The excitement of seeing his sister again was rushing through him so fast it didn't take long for it to be overrun by shock.
Wait a minute. Turning around he looked at her, stepping back into her direction. "You're here... how come?"
[attr="class","CONTENT"] Mick couldn’t really remember the last time he had an entire day off. Sure, they would call him if an inevitable emergency occurred but until that happened he had time to spare. Free time. Time to spend at home, go out to buy groceries, cook a nutritional meal. But the first thing he did after waking up was to brew himself a fresh cup of coffee and for the longest time in forever, he was able to just sit down and enjoy it.
As he stood in the kitchen, fingers drumming the counter, he looked around, taking in the sight of his own apartment. He had been living there for years, ever since he moved to Lethford but it suddenly felt unfamiliar after spending most of his time at the station, inside the ambulance, or at the hospital. He was barely at home and he had to admit it looked just like that. It was a mess.
Mick was a bit of a messy person to begin with, organization really was one of his biggest flaws. Blue eyes wandered around the kitchen area and the living room, laundry lying around all over the floor and several chairs, comforters, and the couch. Welp. Guess that’s where he should start. After taking a long sip of his coffee he clapped his hands together, letting out a motivational shout.
And after picking up a couple of clothing items he fell asleep on the couch. By the time he woke up he didn’t even remember how it happened. Exhaustion hit him hard. Understandable considering the amount of work he and his coworkers had.
Rubbing his eyes the blonde swung his legs over, forcing himself up in a sitting position. He had to blink several times, gaze moving from one shirt on the floor to another. Right. He was trying to clean. That apparently didn’t work out as good as he thought and the almost full cup of coffee was now cold.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
With a groan he got up, lifting his arms to stretch as he stood. He didn’t expect anyone. Ruffling his hair he walked over to the door, turning the knob and opening it. He couldn’t help the big yawn, covering his mouth with his hand before they moved to his eyes, rubbing over the lids once again. "Yeah?" he said, stifling another incoming yawn.
It took a moment before he was out of the sleepy and groggy state to register the person standing in front of him. His gaze moved up and down, taking in the appearance of the woman. The blue hair threw him off but there was something about her face that looked too familiar for him not to recognize and even though he wasn’t entirely sure if he was right, it was her name that left his lips first.
[break] NAME: ___ Jereau; open first name but should start with an M (I like Maddison/Madison and Macie but it's up to you!)[break] AGE: 23-27[break] MEMBERGROUP: open[break] JOB: open[break][break]
Meet Mick’s sister! She moved away with their mother shortly after the dad passed away during a work accident (he‘s a firefighter) and their mom couldn‘t take it anymore. She took the sister with her while leaving Mick with an uncle. However, the sister decided to break free and visit/move in with her brother in Lethford, leaving the mother alone. What she did during all these years is up to you as well as what she‘s doing now![break][break]
PERSONALITY
[break]
Personality is super open. Considering she left their mom to move in with her brother could make her a troublemaker sort-ish person. Or maybe she was worried or just wanted to spend more time with him before the world is ending <3 [break][break]
FACE CLAIM
[break] I picked Gabriella Wilde for the images but it's negotiable! I'd just like if she was blonde and not too innocent looking. Other suggestions would be Ashley Benson, Nicola Peltz, Amanda Seyfried. [break]
[attr="class","alibipanel"]ROLLERCOASTER falling through highs and lows yeah
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Mick shrugged her apology off. He was thankful for it but it wasn‘t really her fault to begin with. While she might have aggravated the thugs she couldn‘t have seen their reaction coming. „Eh. What are you sorry for? They started it.“ he said, offering her a reassuring smile. He would be fine. There was one good thing about this whole pandemic and lack of employees. His job was pretty much safe as long as he was healthy and good to work. Hopefully, that would last long.
Claiming back the driver‘s seat was a much better feeling than hiding in the back of the ambulance, trying to get rid of those awful criminals. He closed the door shut and went straight for the radio, trying once again to reach dispatch. It was then that he finally received the answer he had needed a while ago. However, a sigh of relief escaped his lips, both, because they were finally free and safe, and because the radio signal wasn‘t broken after all. Mick responded, updating them on his situation and that he would return to the station soon.
He reached for his phone, wincing at the ridiculous amount of missed calls and text messages. Oh, he couldn‘t wait to return…
Patiently waiting for Ezra to get in, he instantly looked at her and her injured hip. „You alright? I can still drop you off at the hospital if you prefer. After all this additional trauma you might want to have someone check it out. I‘m really, really, concerned about it.“ he suggested, though, foreshadowing that she would turn down this offer. He raised his eyebrows at her in expectation, one hand curling around the steering wheel.
As he got back on the road, driving more casually and slower than Ezra did as they tried escaping, he glanced over at her, a smirk playing on his lips. „Does your top secret stuff include writing stories about heroic paramedics who die a not so honorable death because they destroyed their ambulance? Twice. In a row. I should mention that.“ he wondered, wiggling his eyebrows in a joking manner before turning his attention back on the road. „But if you, by some miracle, are able to save my unfortunate ass, I’d be more than thankful. Anyway, where do you live? Since there is no traffic we should be there in a few.“
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
He stayed at the window, arm resting on the towel he had thrown over the frame in case of glass shards. He shuddered at the thought of them being in a horror movie directed by Stephen King. Mick wasn’t a big fan of horror movies, to begin with, but Stephen King was twisted. "No thank you. I’d rather consider this some kind of superhero action movie." he chuckled, before answering her next question. "Me? Yeah, I’m good. I won’t be though, once I get back to the station with this damage. I’m pretty sure this will be my last day on this not so wonderful planet." Mick replied, half-joking, half-serious. He was in trouble for this even though it wasn’t really his fault.
How was he supposed to explain this to the chief? He’ll probably be banned from driving or even going near any ambulance for the rest of the month and be assigned cleaning duty, especially cleaning the bathrooms and toilets duty. Oh, wonderful. He couldn’t wait. It probably didn’t even matter anymore that they were using the sirens without permission or reason.
‘Do you want me to pull over so we can switch out?’
"Mhm." he said, moving to the side door and opening it halfway as they were still driving. Mick held onto the bar next to it and poke his head out, checking the road behind them. Nothing. "Looks safe enough. I hope. I really do." he called over to her and closed the door again. He let himself fall back into the seat for a moment until she decided to pull over. He took a deep breath to relax, now that they seemed to be free of any danger. Hopefully at least.
Once the vehicle came to a halt he opened the back doors, jumped out, and slammed them close. He grimaced at the damage done to the doors, a wince escaping his lips as he walked around and spotted all the dents they made. Smacking his lips together he walked over to the driver’s side. "Yep. I’m going to be dead tomorrow. You’re more than welcome to attend my funeral. Let me drive you home while I still can."
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Mick hated these situations. The ones where he had to make a decision - a choice. Choose between two people because he knows he can’t possibly save both of them. Unfortunately, he had to pick the one with a higher chance of survival and that happened to be Sloan. Her gunshot wound was bad but it was not as bad as the burned guy because chances are he’ll die from sepsis or shock. He hated the thought of not being able to save a single person but it was inevitable in his line of work. Pressing his lips together he looked over at the guy who by now had lost consciousness. Mick wasn't even sure he was still alive at this point but he already felt guilty for leaving him behind.
Hovering over Sloan, he locked eyes with her. "Look at me. Focus on me." he told her, pressing the gauze against the blood. "It’s bad. You’re right, but it’s not as bad as it could be." he agreed with her, offering her an empathetic smile. "I’ve dealt with a couple of gunshot wounds. It’s quite common you know?" Mick said, trying to keep the conversation going to keep her awake and with him.
His free hand, which had pulled out the gauze, searched for the radio nearby. Glancing around them he found it, quickly grabbing it and pushing the button for the dispatch channel. He tried again to call for backup even though all his hope was almost gone. Cursing silently inside his head he let go of the radio, placing it beside him.
"Here’s the plan. I’m going to take care of your wound as much as I can but we need to get out here as soon as possible so I'll need to pick you up and move you out. I hope you’re alright with that and not sue me after this." Mick joked, keeping his laugh quiet to not gain anyone else's attention. Attention they couldn’t need right now.
[attr="class","dilyrics3"]Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But
[attr="class","dilyric3"]you're dead inside
[attr="class","dibody3"]
Mick playfully rolled his eyes at her disappointment when he mentioned not to use the sirens. He took the chance and knocked three times on the wall of the ambulance for luck and to not have them jinxed because of what he said. It wasn’t wood but maybe just the symbol of doing it would help. "Alright, alright. You got this. I’ll trust you that you won’t crash." he told her quickly, giving her an approving nod and a thumbs up before catering to the army of men trying to break into the car.
Thugs were extremely durable when it came to any sort of fighting. Mick had to jab him twice with the needle. He plugged it out of the man’s hand when he wasn’t going to let go the first time and launched it back into the back of the hand for another round, trying to avoid the bones and knuckles and just dig it deep inside the flesh. The metal poked out from the palm of his hand and finally, he let go, a surprised yelp following his departure.
However, as the thug withdrew his hand Mick wasn’t quick enough to move his own and the needle - which now had the stranger’s blood on it - scraped his left hand as he flung himself out of the way, landing on the ambulance floor. Someone had managed to open one of the doors in the chaos and Mick lunged himself forward to shut it, holding on to both doors to keep them closed.
'Hold on!'
Mick didn’t need her to tell him twice. He scrambled backward, hands grabbing the edges of the stretcher as he pulled himself back up to his feet. He was used to moving inside the ambulance during high-speed drives to get to a hospital or a scene but those included experienced medics as drivers. Any thoughts to move around at the back were dismissed as the ambulance suddenly lurched forward, sending him staggering through the vehicle. As he tried to balance himself he managed to get to the seat at the back near the small window where he could at least see the street.
'Where are we going?'
"Just… anywhere! Let’s get out of here first. They might follow us if they have any bikes or cars nearby." he called out, holding onto the seat for his dear life. The road seemed to appear fairly empty but it didn’t help much in convincing him that she could drive it without crashing. It wasn’t necessarily about driving skills, but the ambulance wasn’t a sedan. It was big, bigger than the average car and that was an issue for a lot of newbies who just started training. The number of times he had seen them crash was too high to have faith in a stranger. Nonetheless, he trusted her at least a little bit… enough to sit down, his back towards the window, and Ezra.
Blue eyes examined the back of his hand, holding it up and turning it slightly sideways as he looked at the cut. It wasn’t deep or anything tragic but with a pandemic raging through the city, a simple cut could be proven to be extremely dangerous - especially since he came in contact with the thugs’ blood. Not to mention all the diseases he could have. A chill climbed down his spine and he shuddered softly at the thought of being infected with not just the known viruses but also the new, worse one. This would prompt a visit to the hospital to get tested for everything. Fun.
Mick’s reached out to one of the drawers and fished out a bottle of antiseptic, pouring the content over the wound. He dropped the bottle next to his seat before moving back up to look through the window, the sight of blonde hair in the corner of his eye.
His gaze narrowed at the road ahead as he tried to figure out their coordinates. His radio was still more than uncomfortably quiet, making him wonder if there was no signal or if it was somehow broken. "Isn’t that usually the part in the movies where suddenly cop cars appear and escort us to a safe place with sirens and lights on and such? I guess they are taking their sweet time." he laughed, feeling a little relieved that they at least managed to get away in one piece - for now.
Clearing his throat he tried leaning over the broken window, finger pointing at the control panel. "Since I don’t really have any authority over a civilian… the switch for the sirens is over there. Just saying." he said, as casually as he could, adding a brief, innocent whistle at the end of his sentence.
