Cooper's head swam as he flopped on the dock. There wasn't a part of him that didn't hurt. Things got really hazy after the second punch from Tyler. Second or third? He had lost count.
His face felt like it was on fire and he was pretty sure that at least one of his eyes was going to swell shut. If he was lucky, none of his teeth had been knocked loose. His only satisfaction came from seeing the blood cascading out of Tyler's nose. 'Hahaha, fucker. Bet you didn't know my head was that hard,' he thought with pride.
Fuck, he was tired. But he knew he needed to get up before Tyler got the bright idea of coming over and kicking him. The last thing he needed was a soccer kick to his neck. In fact, if that happened, it might be the last thing to happened to him.
An unexpected scream behind him startled him, his survival instinct driving him awkwardly to his feet, fumbling to stay upright. Something twinged in his midsection as he twisted to see the source of the noise.
Holy fuck! It was Cody! Sonofabitch was alive! And fucking bleeding! His relief soured to horror almost immediately. Cody wasn't in any kind of shape to take on Tyler. He had to do something before Tyler tried to finish the job he started.
With one last desperate push, Cooper threw himself at Tyler again.
Thin RED Line
Day 5, around noon
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
As Cooper hit the dock, Tyler's eyes flickered behind him, to the wet figure of Cody struggling up onto the dock and reaching for his gun. And Tyler was grinning still, even as he hopped away and grabbed for his fallen SMG, and turned around to see Cooper charging for him.
"You want to fuck with me some more!" Cody screamed, somewhere behind Cooper's battered form.
"Tell me you're not loving this!" Tyler yelled back, but for an instant his grin flickered, like a candle in a violent breeze.
He aimed his gun towards Cooper and fired, throwing up a haze of dust as his bullets bit into the ground just in front of him, bringing Cooper grinding to a halt. He was already moving backwards as he pulled the trigger
"Coach is dead!" he roared, releasing his hold on the trigger but still fleeing backwards. "Coach is dead and you killed someone Patton!"
He froze, just for a second. The grin on his face looked more like a grimace.
"If I'm a psycho, what the fuck does that make you?!"
(Tyler Lucas continued in Hello, Goodbye, Twas Nice to Know You)
"You want to fuck with me some more!" Cody screamed, somewhere behind Cooper's battered form.
"Tell me you're not loving this!" Tyler yelled back, but for an instant his grin flickered, like a candle in a violent breeze.
He aimed his gun towards Cooper and fired, throwing up a haze of dust as his bullets bit into the ground just in front of him, bringing Cooper grinding to a halt. He was already moving backwards as he pulled the trigger
"Coach is dead!" he roared, releasing his hold on the trigger but still fleeing backwards. "Coach is dead and you killed someone Patton!"
He froze, just for a second. The grin on his face looked more like a grimace.
"If I'm a psycho, what the fuck does that make you?!"
(Tyler Lucas continued in Hello, Goodbye, Twas Nice to Know You)
Those Whose Time Has Come]
Terra Johnson (female student no. 73, DECEASED): Oh...duh...Abel's...dead...the one who...lives is...
Tom Swift (male student no. 60): It didn't matter what he wanted anymore.
Daria Bhatia (female student no. 56): "I pity you, and everyone who knows you. Because if you can live with this, I don't...I don't think you're human anymore.”
Terra Johnson (female student no. 73, DECEASED): Oh...duh...Abel's...dead...the one who...lives is...
Tom Swift (male student no. 60): It didn't matter what he wanted anymore.
Daria Bhatia (female student no. 56): "I pity you, and everyone who knows you. Because if you can live with this, I don't...I don't think you're human anymore.”
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Another hail of bullet sprayed the dock and Cody could do nothing but guard his eyes from the hail of splinters it sent him, praying that he wasn't struck again or that Cooper was killed. He opened his eyes to neither of these happening, but also to no Tyler. Well, good. That was just as well.
A few limping steps brought Cody closer to checking on his friend and further from the edge of the dock where he might fall into the ocean again. He mentally ran through the last thing Tyler had said to him before running off just as suddenly as he had made his presence known.
'If I'm a psycho... what does that make you?'
"A person attacked by a psycho, dipshit..." Cody whispered, but the truth was that the words had affected Cody. However, they did not affect him quite in the way Tyler might have hoped. They were hardly profound and striking; he had just answered it as truthfully as he could, and in a matter of seconds. So Cody had killed somebody. That somebody was in the process of attacking his sister, and had killed somebody else in the process. Either way, at the end of the day, he still killed somebody. Yeah, Cody fucking got that.
He was also forcing himself not to care, because had he not done what he did, maybe Cooper and Eliza would be dead, too.
No, it was something else in that last statement that struck Cody as he, staring at Cooper, slumped to one knee without truly noticing. The rush of pain came following the fade of adrenaline, and then Cody noticed. That was right... he was bleeding. Like, a lot. A whole fucking lot.
"Oh... fuck, fuck fuck fuck..." he clutched at his wound, dropping the rifle in front of him. Without the water to wash the flow away, he was starting to notice just how much blood was coming out, and it wasn't a pleasant sight.
"This fucking day, FUCK!"
A few limping steps brought Cody closer to checking on his friend and further from the edge of the dock where he might fall into the ocean again. He mentally ran through the last thing Tyler had said to him before running off just as suddenly as he had made his presence known.
'If I'm a psycho... what does that make you?'
"A person attacked by a psycho, dipshit..." Cody whispered, but the truth was that the words had affected Cody. However, they did not affect him quite in the way Tyler might have hoped. They were hardly profound and striking; he had just answered it as truthfully as he could, and in a matter of seconds. So Cody had killed somebody. That somebody was in the process of attacking his sister, and had killed somebody else in the process. Either way, at the end of the day, he still killed somebody. Yeah, Cody fucking got that.
He was also forcing himself not to care, because had he not done what he did, maybe Cooper and Eliza would be dead, too.
No, it was something else in that last statement that struck Cody as he, staring at Cooper, slumped to one knee without truly noticing. The rush of pain came following the fade of adrenaline, and then Cody noticed. That was right... he was bleeding. Like, a lot. A whole fucking lot.
"Oh... fuck, fuck fuck fuck..." he clutched at his wound, dropping the rifle in front of him. Without the water to wash the flow away, he was starting to notice just how much blood was coming out, and it wasn't a pleasant sight.
"This fucking day, FUCK!"
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
"Oh fuck, dude. You're bleeding all over the place, man," Cooper pointed out in a breathless voice. Shit! This was so beyond his ability to fix. This was WAY worse than anything they did to each other during backyard sparing. This was on the same fucked-up level as that story Uncle Mike told about the time one of the guys accidentally cut off their hand with a table saw at a job site.
"Oooooh, shit, son." He flailed helplessly at Cody for a minute, motioning at the wound. Fuck! Where was an ambulance when he needed one? What the fuck was he supposed to do?! Panic was taking hold when his brain reminded him that if he didn't get his lame ass in gear RIGHT NOW his sole current friend could bleed out and die RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.
Cooper chanted profanities under his breath as he raced for his bag of supplies. There was a first aid kit in here, right? Something that would help Cody? Anything that would help Cody? As he threw himself down and frantically ripped the bag open, he called out to his friend. "Hang tight, bro. I'm gonna grab my med kit and we're gonna... we're gonna take care of that."
What the fuck was it they said on shit like Cops when people got fucked up? Oh, right. "Just stay with me, okay, Cody? You're gonna be a-okay, man." Pawing aside the rest of the crap, Cooper quickly located the first aid kit and flew back to Cody's side. What the fuck was he supposed to do? This was way worse than something he could slap a band-aid on. He tried to remember the basic first-aid that he got rushed through the first time his dad let him work on a job site. 'Fuuuuuuuuuuuck, I should have paid more attention! Think, Cooper, think!'
"Never fear, Med Kit Man is here!" He laughed nervously and tried to look competent as he fumbled with the box. The contents were comforting and nerve-wrackingly foreign at the same time. If he could just figure out how to use all this correctly, everything would be fine. Maybe Cody would know. They could figure it out together, right?
"Dude, don't freak, but I gotta confess. I, uh, I don't really know what to do. Help me out here, bro." Cooper looked up at Cody with a pleading expression, holding up a roll of ace wrap in one hand and the biggest sterile pad he could find in the other.
"Oooooh, shit, son." He flailed helplessly at Cody for a minute, motioning at the wound. Fuck! Where was an ambulance when he needed one? What the fuck was he supposed to do?! Panic was taking hold when his brain reminded him that if he didn't get his lame ass in gear RIGHT NOW his sole current friend could bleed out and die RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.
Cooper chanted profanities under his breath as he raced for his bag of supplies. There was a first aid kit in here, right? Something that would help Cody? Anything that would help Cody? As he threw himself down and frantically ripped the bag open, he called out to his friend. "Hang tight, bro. I'm gonna grab my med kit and we're gonna... we're gonna take care of that."
What the fuck was it they said on shit like Cops when people got fucked up? Oh, right. "Just stay with me, okay, Cody? You're gonna be a-okay, man." Pawing aside the rest of the crap, Cooper quickly located the first aid kit and flew back to Cody's side. What the fuck was he supposed to do? This was way worse than something he could slap a band-aid on. He tried to remember the basic first-aid that he got rushed through the first time his dad let him work on a job site. 'Fuuuuuuuuuuuck, I should have paid more attention! Think, Cooper, think!'
"Never fear, Med Kit Man is here!" He laughed nervously and tried to look competent as he fumbled with the box. The contents were comforting and nerve-wrackingly foreign at the same time. If he could just figure out how to use all this correctly, everything would be fine. Maybe Cody would know. They could figure it out together, right?
"Dude, don't freak, but I gotta confess. I, uh, I don't really know what to do. Help me out here, bro." Cooper looked up at Cody with a pleading expression, holding up a roll of ace wrap in one hand and the biggest sterile pad he could find in the other.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
There went the other knee, straight to the dock. Cody would have thought that being in so much pain meant that his knee slamming down like that wouldn't really get through given the sensory overload. He had no such luck; in fact, the pain shooting up through him made him wish he could just tear his leg off at the hip and be done with the pain.
"H-Hey Cooper, how about you hurry it up over there, h-huh? No big fucking rush..." Cody said through forced whispers. Cooper was moving about and fiddling with something. Really, he was fiddling with many things and had at least made his intentions clear that he was going to be trying to patch Cody up. With each passing second that Cooper spent rummaging through in a panic, it became easier to realize that the guy had probably never done something of this sort before. Hell, it felt like he had never so much as had to fetch a band-aid for somebody.
While he waited, Cody passed the time by bleeding onto the dock... as fun an activity as any at the moment. His right hand remained firmly planted on the wound, trying to apply pressure to hinder the damned flow of blood. As much as even looking at the hole hurt immensely, the pain was well worth staving off death. His left hand had found the dock and was clawing at the space between two boards, trying to push through all on their own simply out of the habit and having nothing better to do.
Relief wasn't something strongly felt at this time, but something akin to it bubbled up when Cooper held up some materials that looked fairly promising. That feeling then magically poofed away when Cooper subsequently revealed he had no idea how to use them. It wasn't rocket science... but then again... it wasn't rocket science. This meant that somebody with experience with patching up wounds, and Cody had a little, could pull this off even through the searing fires of pain.
"Give it here, damn it," Cody snapped without meaning to as he roughly snatched the materials out of Cooper's hands, a little bit rougher than he had truly meant to. He was halfway to rolling from his knees to his butt when he realized that he'd probably have to pull off his pants to get this done properly.
He only hesitated for a moment. Then, with hands trembling slightly from the pain, Cody worked the button and zipper of his jeans before tugging down the waist band. His boxers, drenched in blood and ruined by the bullet, were barely covering up the wound themselves. He tugged down that side as well, not exactly placing modesty above his life at the current moment.
"Fuck's sakes..." Cody grunted, opening the gauze bandage and placing it over the wound. He would have to tape it for it to stay there, but right now, he just wanted to press it in place with his hand and curl up for a little while. This was, funny enough, not the first time in his life he had been in this much pain. It was, however, the first time he felt there was a real chance of him dying, with any opportunistic asshole coming in to kill him, even Tyler returning to finish the job.
Or Cooper...
Cody squinted his eyes shut as a fear he felt and wanted to address BEFORE Mr. Blam-Blam-Blam arrived returned to his mind.
"You know what, Cooper?" Cody said without thinking. "Don't know what the fuck you're up to, or if I can trust you, or if I can trust anybody. So do me a fucking favor." A wince. He dared pry one eye open to see some spots of red showing through the bandage. He might have to fetch another, assuming he lived through this.
"There's a gun on the dock. If you're going to fucking kill me, if you're going to try and win for yourself, then you pick it up and you fucking shoot me. Because I swear, this is the best fucking chance you're going to get."
"H-Hey Cooper, how about you hurry it up over there, h-huh? No big fucking rush..." Cody said through forced whispers. Cooper was moving about and fiddling with something. Really, he was fiddling with many things and had at least made his intentions clear that he was going to be trying to patch Cody up. With each passing second that Cooper spent rummaging through in a panic, it became easier to realize that the guy had probably never done something of this sort before. Hell, it felt like he had never so much as had to fetch a band-aid for somebody.
While he waited, Cody passed the time by bleeding onto the dock... as fun an activity as any at the moment. His right hand remained firmly planted on the wound, trying to apply pressure to hinder the damned flow of blood. As much as even looking at the hole hurt immensely, the pain was well worth staving off death. His left hand had found the dock and was clawing at the space between two boards, trying to push through all on their own simply out of the habit and having nothing better to do.
Relief wasn't something strongly felt at this time, but something akin to it bubbled up when Cooper held up some materials that looked fairly promising. That feeling then magically poofed away when Cooper subsequently revealed he had no idea how to use them. It wasn't rocket science... but then again... it wasn't rocket science. This meant that somebody with experience with patching up wounds, and Cody had a little, could pull this off even through the searing fires of pain.
"Give it here, damn it," Cody snapped without meaning to as he roughly snatched the materials out of Cooper's hands, a little bit rougher than he had truly meant to. He was halfway to rolling from his knees to his butt when he realized that he'd probably have to pull off his pants to get this done properly.
He only hesitated for a moment. Then, with hands trembling slightly from the pain, Cody worked the button and zipper of his jeans before tugging down the waist band. His boxers, drenched in blood and ruined by the bullet, were barely covering up the wound themselves. He tugged down that side as well, not exactly placing modesty above his life at the current moment.
"Fuck's sakes..." Cody grunted, opening the gauze bandage and placing it over the wound. He would have to tape it for it to stay there, but right now, he just wanted to press it in place with his hand and curl up for a little while. This was, funny enough, not the first time in his life he had been in this much pain. It was, however, the first time he felt there was a real chance of him dying, with any opportunistic asshole coming in to kill him, even Tyler returning to finish the job.
Or Cooper...
Cody squinted his eyes shut as a fear he felt and wanted to address BEFORE Mr. Blam-Blam-Blam arrived returned to his mind.
"You know what, Cooper?" Cody said without thinking. "Don't know what the fuck you're up to, or if I can trust you, or if I can trust anybody. So do me a fucking favor." A wince. He dared pry one eye open to see some spots of red showing through the bandage. He might have to fetch another, assuming he lived through this.
"There's a gun on the dock. If you're going to fucking kill me, if you're going to try and win for yourself, then you pick it up and you fucking shoot me. Because I swear, this is the best fucking chance you're going to get."
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Cooper sat back, shamefaced as Cody worked on bandaging his wound. It wasn't like he didn't want to help. He really just wasn't sure what he could be doing. For a second, he thought about offering his belt as a tourniquet until he realized there wasn't really a place to apply a tourniquet. The only way he could think to slow the bleeding was to maybe pack the hole with other gauze. Maybe?
God he wished he'd paid attention during that first aid training.
Brow furrowed in concern as Cody turtled up, he was hesitant to try to reach in and touch the injured boy. When Cody started to talk to him, he reared back, shocked. What the fuck? What the FUCK was Cody accusing him of?
Cooper skittered back, accidentally dragging the first aid kit with him. He shook his head, trying to make sense of the comments. What the hell was going on here? "The fuck am I hearing, man? You don't know what the fuck I'm up to? I'm fucking trying to help you, you stupid prick!" He scrambled to his feet, backing up as he looked down at the guy he had thought was his friend.
"You think I'm trying to kill you? What are you, fucking high? Or just plain retarded," he asked, his face contorted in a grimace. "Yeah, Cody. That's exactly what I'm trying to do. That's why I brought you MY FUCKING FIRST AID KIT!" Cooper was so angry, almost as angry as when he thought Tyler had killed Cody.
Of all the fucking dumb shit he had ever been accused of doing, this definitely had to top the list. Granted, he had never been one of the smartest kids at school or as motivated as the regular athletes but he'd never been cruel or a complete douchebag to people. Alda and the softball girls, well, they didn't count. He had always thought that he'd been a fairly stand-up guy and trustworthy. He had fought Tyler with a GODDAMNED ROCK for Cody, and now his loyalty and friendship were being questioned?
Stupid fucking football jock assholes. Fuck Tyler AND Cody. Fuck Cody with a whole bag of dicks.
"I tried to help you because I'm trying to kill you. Right. Of course. I didn't let you sit there and fucking bleed to death, you stupid fucking bastard, because I want to kill you. It's so obvious!" Cooper hit the heel of his hand against his forehead. He shook his head in disgust, looking at Cody with narrow eyes. A bitter bark of laughter escaped his lips.
"You know what, man? Fuck. You. I went toe-to-toe with Tyler to try and help you and this is my thanks? Fuck off, you stupid piece of shit. Fix your own fucking leg." He kicked the kit towards Cody, that fucking moron. See if he'd try to keep that motherfucker from bleeding to death anymore. At least then Cody's allegations would be true.
Stalking down the dock, he went and gathered up his bag of supplies before going to sit by the corner of the farthest building. He hadn't felt the absence of Paulo so keenly since this whole mess started. Wrapping his arms around his legs, Cooper watched Cody intently while he fumed. Stupid fucking know-it-all jock douchewaffle. Like he was supposed to be a fucking EMT or some shit.
"Like I'm a goddamned certified ER doc or some shit! Fuck you, man!" he screamed at his 'friend'.
God he wished he'd paid attention during that first aid training.
Brow furrowed in concern as Cody turtled up, he was hesitant to try to reach in and touch the injured boy. When Cody started to talk to him, he reared back, shocked. What the fuck? What the FUCK was Cody accusing him of?
Cooper skittered back, accidentally dragging the first aid kit with him. He shook his head, trying to make sense of the comments. What the hell was going on here? "The fuck am I hearing, man? You don't know what the fuck I'm up to? I'm fucking trying to help you, you stupid prick!" He scrambled to his feet, backing up as he looked down at the guy he had thought was his friend.
"You think I'm trying to kill you? What are you, fucking high? Or just plain retarded," he asked, his face contorted in a grimace. "Yeah, Cody. That's exactly what I'm trying to do. That's why I brought you MY FUCKING FIRST AID KIT!" Cooper was so angry, almost as angry as when he thought Tyler had killed Cody.
Of all the fucking dumb shit he had ever been accused of doing, this definitely had to top the list. Granted, he had never been one of the smartest kids at school or as motivated as the regular athletes but he'd never been cruel or a complete douchebag to people. Alda and the softball girls, well, they didn't count. He had always thought that he'd been a fairly stand-up guy and trustworthy. He had fought Tyler with a GODDAMNED ROCK for Cody, and now his loyalty and friendship were being questioned?
Stupid fucking football jock assholes. Fuck Tyler AND Cody. Fuck Cody with a whole bag of dicks.
"I tried to help you because I'm trying to kill you. Right. Of course. I didn't let you sit there and fucking bleed to death, you stupid fucking bastard, because I want to kill you. It's so obvious!" Cooper hit the heel of his hand against his forehead. He shook his head in disgust, looking at Cody with narrow eyes. A bitter bark of laughter escaped his lips.
"You know what, man? Fuck. You. I went toe-to-toe with Tyler to try and help you and this is my thanks? Fuck off, you stupid piece of shit. Fix your own fucking leg." He kicked the kit towards Cody, that fucking moron. See if he'd try to keep that motherfucker from bleeding to death anymore. At least then Cody's allegations would be true.
Stalking down the dock, he went and gathered up his bag of supplies before going to sit by the corner of the farthest building. He hadn't felt the absence of Paulo so keenly since this whole mess started. Wrapping his arms around his legs, Cooper watched Cody intently while he fumed. Stupid fucking know-it-all jock douchewaffle. Like he was supposed to be a fucking EMT or some shit.
"Like I'm a goddamned certified ER doc or some shit! Fuck you, man!" he screamed at his 'friend'.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Well, wasn't this just a fucking treat? Here he was having suffered a pretty nasty injury in a gunfight that came, quite literally, out of nowhere, and Cooper was the one getting his fucking panties in a bunch when Cody dared to get upset about something he said. Just thinking about it, replaying the tantrum over and over in his head caused Cody to grow angrier and angrier, the fury overcoming the pain in his side for a brief moment.
He struggled to his feet using the rifle as a walking stick of sorts, then had the wits about him to actually turn on the goddamn safety before holding it any longer. If he accidentally shot his own toe off, he felt he'd want to kill himself then and there. Would've been a good time to crack a joke Cooper's way about it, something to get his mind off the pain, except Cooper clearly wasn't in a joking mood.
Well, to tell the truth, neither was he.
Cody began slowly limping in Cooper's direction, leaving the spare bags on the dock for now.
"The fuck is your problem!?" Cody snapped, resisting the urge to push on his hip. Fuck, walking hurt. Running would probably hurt more. Was he dead in the water? If anybody else saw him, or if Fucknutts McGee came back, he wouldn't be able to dodge bullets like the goddamn ninja Lucas seemed to be. "You the one bleeding to death? You the one fucking wondering if they're gonna..."
Cody bit his tongue. That next part was just going to lead into a statement that could easily be turned around on him if Cooper had the wits to do it, and realizing that was only slightly less frustrating than actually having that happen. He kicked at a loose piece of wood in irritation, then screamed in agony as he had instinctively used his right, and injured, leg.
After a good long screaming stream of cuss words at the sky, beginning somewhere around 'fucking' and ending around 'motherfucker', Cody slumped down to a seating position, staring at the ocean from a much more distant venue than his seat on the docks. Cooper, somewhere behind him, somewhere to the side and somewhere curled into a goddamn ball and pouting, was out of view. He couldn't look at him when saying what he wanted to next.
"I'm... sorry, alright?" Cody said through clenched teeth. "I know you're not a fucking medic. If it helps things, and I doubt it does, that was a question I was going to ask you BEFORE Mister Sir 'Blam Blam Blam' the Seventh showed up." He scratched at his brow, feeling himself come down from his high of rage. Anger subsided into guilt, and a sheepish admission that maybe he had handled it poorly with only something of an excuse of 'I was shot today'.
"At least you already answered that question. I figure if you want me dead, you would've let us kill each other and take out the winner. Or shoot me in the back when we were walking. Or something. I just... need to trust somebody." He fell back, knowing there'd be hell to pay as far as getting sand out of his shirt and hair.
"Because if you can't trust anybody, you can't fucking live here. But if you do trust somebody... then somebody you trust is going to die." Cody let the waves talk for him for a while before continuing, staving off a stutter or a voice break the best he could.
"You get that, right? That at least one of us, we're probably dying?"
He struggled to his feet using the rifle as a walking stick of sorts, then had the wits about him to actually turn on the goddamn safety before holding it any longer. If he accidentally shot his own toe off, he felt he'd want to kill himself then and there. Would've been a good time to crack a joke Cooper's way about it, something to get his mind off the pain, except Cooper clearly wasn't in a joking mood.
Well, to tell the truth, neither was he.
Cody began slowly limping in Cooper's direction, leaving the spare bags on the dock for now.
"The fuck is your problem!?" Cody snapped, resisting the urge to push on his hip. Fuck, walking hurt. Running would probably hurt more. Was he dead in the water? If anybody else saw him, or if Fucknutts McGee came back, he wouldn't be able to dodge bullets like the goddamn ninja Lucas seemed to be. "You the one bleeding to death? You the one fucking wondering if they're gonna..."
Cody bit his tongue. That next part was just going to lead into a statement that could easily be turned around on him if Cooper had the wits to do it, and realizing that was only slightly less frustrating than actually having that happen. He kicked at a loose piece of wood in irritation, then screamed in agony as he had instinctively used his right, and injured, leg.
After a good long screaming stream of cuss words at the sky, beginning somewhere around 'fucking' and ending around 'motherfucker', Cody slumped down to a seating position, staring at the ocean from a much more distant venue than his seat on the docks. Cooper, somewhere behind him, somewhere to the side and somewhere curled into a goddamn ball and pouting, was out of view. He couldn't look at him when saying what he wanted to next.
"I'm... sorry, alright?" Cody said through clenched teeth. "I know you're not a fucking medic. If it helps things, and I doubt it does, that was a question I was going to ask you BEFORE Mister Sir 'Blam Blam Blam' the Seventh showed up." He scratched at his brow, feeling himself come down from his high of rage. Anger subsided into guilt, and a sheepish admission that maybe he had handled it poorly with only something of an excuse of 'I was shot today'.
"At least you already answered that question. I figure if you want me dead, you would've let us kill each other and take out the winner. Or shoot me in the back when we were walking. Or something. I just... need to trust somebody." He fell back, knowing there'd be hell to pay as far as getting sand out of his shirt and hair.
"Because if you can't trust anybody, you can't fucking live here. But if you do trust somebody... then somebody you trust is going to die." Cody let the waves talk for him for a while before continuing, staving off a stutter or a voice break the best he could.
"You get that, right? That at least one of us, we're probably dying?"
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Even though Cooper knew Cody was trying to make up for yelling at him, the other boy's words dug at him like knives. Yeah, the situation looked bad but they couldn't just give up all hope. If people stopped being dicks, then they could last a lot longer here. Maybe, if they lasted long enough, the government would come and find them. Last time people made it out. Who was to say that they wouldn't make it out this time? The chances of rescue were small right now, but they got bigger every day they stayed alive, didn't they?
"Yo-you don't know that," he called back to Cody, hating the quaver in his voice. It made him sound weak, like some kind of wussy little babysuck who needed his mommy to defend him. That wasn't him at all. He could take care of himself. He was sitting down here because he was in shock after getting his ass handed to him by Tyler, that's all. It wasn't because he was afraid.
Cooper could feel the shaking in his hands and he held himself tighter. Maybe if he said that enough times, he would start to believe it. Despite the fact that he attacked Tyler with a rock, he really didn't want to kill anyone. How could he look his mother and sister in the eye if he killed innocent people? It would be hard enough to try and explain his part in Rose and Michael's deaths.
Once again, he was stuck rethinking what he did and winding up with another case of 'too little, too late'. If he hadn't taken his knife out, if he hadn't jumped in to play the hero, if he had thought before he acted, then maybe Rose would still be alive. Maybe Cody wouldn't have had to bash Mike's brains in to try and stop him.
Cooper rested his forehead on his knees. He did not want to kill people he had known practically his whole life. But he wasn't ready to lay down and die either. Not for Paulo, not for Cody, and sure as shit for not people like Tyler. There had to be some kind of middle ground.
"We could both make it. It could happen."
He wasn't quite sure how at the moment, but just because he didn't know *right now* didn't mean that it was impossible. Maybe it was better to change the subject.
"So, uh, you still bleeding like a bitch, huh. What are we gonna do about your leg, man?" Cooper went for off-handed casual in the hopes that Cody didn't start yelling at him again. He needed someone to hang around with, at least until he found Paulo, Adam, or Kyran.
"Yo-you don't know that," he called back to Cody, hating the quaver in his voice. It made him sound weak, like some kind of wussy little babysuck who needed his mommy to defend him. That wasn't him at all. He could take care of himself. He was sitting down here because he was in shock after getting his ass handed to him by Tyler, that's all. It wasn't because he was afraid.
Cooper could feel the shaking in his hands and he held himself tighter. Maybe if he said that enough times, he would start to believe it. Despite the fact that he attacked Tyler with a rock, he really didn't want to kill anyone. How could he look his mother and sister in the eye if he killed innocent people? It would be hard enough to try and explain his part in Rose and Michael's deaths.
Once again, he was stuck rethinking what he did and winding up with another case of 'too little, too late'. If he hadn't taken his knife out, if he hadn't jumped in to play the hero, if he had thought before he acted, then maybe Rose would still be alive. Maybe Cody wouldn't have had to bash Mike's brains in to try and stop him.
Cooper rested his forehead on his knees. He did not want to kill people he had known practically his whole life. But he wasn't ready to lay down and die either. Not for Paulo, not for Cody, and sure as shit for not people like Tyler. There had to be some kind of middle ground.
"We could both make it. It could happen."
He wasn't quite sure how at the moment, but just because he didn't know *right now* didn't mean that it was impossible. Maybe it was better to change the subject.
"So, uh, you still bleeding like a bitch, huh. What are we gonna do about your leg, man?" Cooper went for off-handed casual in the hopes that Cody didn't start yelling at him again. He needed someone to hang around with, at least until he found Paulo, Adam, or Kyran.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Before doing or saying anything else, Cody took a deep breath, not stopping until his lungs were so full they felt like they were going to burst. The exhalation was slow, easy, calming... all in an attempt to counteract the stress of the past few minutes as well as the pain he was simply attempting to ignore at this point. Though for how long remained to be seen, it seemed to have worked.
"I'm gonna be fine. My leg... really sucks right now, but I'm probably not going to die of blood loss or anything." It was unclear to him whether it amused him or concerned him that Cooper seemed genuinely more shaken by this than he was, despite the fact he was the one holding the serious injury. Maybe it was shock? Maybe he himself was the one in shock, under-reacting to what was, in fact, a dire situation? Cooper was never the guy with the thickest backbone but... fuck, now Cody just felt bad.
"Yeah. I'll be fine. Don't feel up for running anywhere, though." Speaking of which, the injured boy slowly stood up, limping closer to where Cooper was. All the shouting and speaking at anything above a particularly loud whisper was making his head hurt. He reached out for the tallest and most available outcropping to ease him into a sitting position once more, next to Cooper.
"Anyway."
Cody did not feel like humoring Cooper's assertions that they could both survive this little game. Even if there was an escape last time, just like he heard on the news years ago, only so many kids were rescued. Somebody had to be left to fight it out, and according to the rules of the game, the two of them couldn't exactly win as a team. Not unless they were willing to just up and change the rules last-second.
Still, even if he wasn't going to play the game of make-believe, Cody no longer had the energy to play dreamcrusher either. A change of subject was in order, then.
"Well... looks like since it's just going to be the two of us for right now, tell me something," Cody said while trying his damndest to just forget about his newly-made hip piercing. It was all the rage these days. "Actually, you don't have to tell me much of anything. Not if you don't want to. But I just want to make sure you're going to be alright. You're shaken as fuck."
Half of it was because Cody needed somebody with some damn nerve in his corner. The other half, well... shouting at Cooper obviously wasn't helping those matters.
"I'm gonna be fine. My leg... really sucks right now, but I'm probably not going to die of blood loss or anything." It was unclear to him whether it amused him or concerned him that Cooper seemed genuinely more shaken by this than he was, despite the fact he was the one holding the serious injury. Maybe it was shock? Maybe he himself was the one in shock, under-reacting to what was, in fact, a dire situation? Cooper was never the guy with the thickest backbone but... fuck, now Cody just felt bad.
"Yeah. I'll be fine. Don't feel up for running anywhere, though." Speaking of which, the injured boy slowly stood up, limping closer to where Cooper was. All the shouting and speaking at anything above a particularly loud whisper was making his head hurt. He reached out for the tallest and most available outcropping to ease him into a sitting position once more, next to Cooper.
"Anyway."
Cody did not feel like humoring Cooper's assertions that they could both survive this little game. Even if there was an escape last time, just like he heard on the news years ago, only so many kids were rescued. Somebody had to be left to fight it out, and according to the rules of the game, the two of them couldn't exactly win as a team. Not unless they were willing to just up and change the rules last-second.
Still, even if he wasn't going to play the game of make-believe, Cody no longer had the energy to play dreamcrusher either. A change of subject was in order, then.
"Well... looks like since it's just going to be the two of us for right now, tell me something," Cody said while trying his damndest to just forget about his newly-made hip piercing. It was all the rage these days. "Actually, you don't have to tell me much of anything. Not if you don't want to. But I just want to make sure you're going to be alright. You're shaken as fuck."
Half of it was because Cody needed somebody with some damn nerve in his corner. The other half, well... shouting at Cooper obviously wasn't helping those matters.
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
"Shaken?" Cooper blinked at Cody's much calmer tone. Did Cody just imply that he was acting like a bitch? Oh, hell no. There was no way he was going to be the one crying like the bitch with a skinned knee in this exchange. If Cody 'I have a bleeding hole in me' Patton was going to be a smooth motherfucker about this, he would show Cody how smooth he could be.
"Nah, man, nah," he blustered with a renewed bravado. "I'm not shaken. Fuck that. I'm good. It's just post-battle adrenaline, son." Cooper unfolded himself and climbed to see feet. "I'm good. I'm better than good. I'm fucking amazing."
Cooper looked Cody square in the eyes and said in a off-handed tone, "I just gave Tyler Lucas a red-ass beat-down and made him turn tail and run." He did his best to project a cocky swagger, puffing out his chest a little. Of course he realized that he was...massaging the truth of the situation just a little but boosting morale was important. And having Cody not think him some sniveling, sandy vagina'd little baby was even *more* important.
Besides, if Paulo had been around to see that fight, he would have been proud of Cooper's showing. Tyler had probably given him the worst thrashing he'd gotten in a long, long time.
"I don't know about you, but I say we find some more friendly faces since our last few encounters haven't been so great. See if maybe we can find Kyran or Paulo or anyone who's not, you know, a fucking crazy douche bag. Maybe they can help us with your leg or something."
"Nah, man, nah," he blustered with a renewed bravado. "I'm not shaken. Fuck that. I'm good. It's just post-battle adrenaline, son." Cooper unfolded himself and climbed to see feet. "I'm good. I'm better than good. I'm fucking amazing."
Cooper looked Cody square in the eyes and said in a off-handed tone, "I just gave Tyler Lucas a red-ass beat-down and made him turn tail and run." He did his best to project a cocky swagger, puffing out his chest a little. Of course he realized that he was...massaging the truth of the situation just a little but boosting morale was important. And having Cody not think him some sniveling, sandy vagina'd little baby was even *more* important.
Besides, if Paulo had been around to see that fight, he would have been proud of Cooper's showing. Tyler had probably given him the worst thrashing he'd gotten in a long, long time.
"I don't know about you, but I say we find some more friendly faces since our last few encounters haven't been so great. See if maybe we can find Kyran or Paulo or anyone who's not, you know, a fucking crazy douche bag. Maybe they can help us with your leg or something."
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
As the transformation from fear to machismo played out in the form of a one-man one-act, Cody wasn't sure whether to be confused or to laugh. Instead, he just watched Cooper work it out. Somewhere between the 'post nerves, son' bit and the puffing out of the chest, he decided he understood what his old teammate was doing. He also decided not to let on about it.
Instead, he just let on a rather... stunned expression. That part wasn't too hard, given that he was already confused as hell about Cooper's attempts to puff himself up like a damn rooster. Then he just worked the usual charm he did with everybody else at school. It was like being a popular guy at Aurora all over again.
"Alright, alright," Cody said, avoiding Cooper's gaze and turning to look over the rifle in his hands. "Well, in that case, I'm glad we're all straightened out and shit. It's good to actually have somebody have my back." Right now, Cody needed that part to be true more than ever. He thought he could carry this entire game on his back, but these past few days... what with the kids he knew dying, him being injured, everything was just serving to prove him wrong. He did need somebody. Cooper was trying to be that somebody.
"Right, then. Let's..." Cody pushed himself up to his feet, groaning as he did so, and scanned for his daypack over by the docks. "Let's go find somebody else and see if we can't get this team back up on its feet." A couple steps forward. A sudden drop, and the earth was rising up to meet him.
His body picked a great time to remember that it had been shot today.
"Motherfuck-" Cody spat, spewing sand out of his mouth. "I'm okay... I'm good. Just need to be slower..." He slowly worked back up to his feet, limping, and using the rifle barrel-down as a cane as he powered on to his daypack.
"Let's get the fuck out of here."
Instead, he just let on a rather... stunned expression. That part wasn't too hard, given that he was already confused as hell about Cooper's attempts to puff himself up like a damn rooster. Then he just worked the usual charm he did with everybody else at school. It was like being a popular guy at Aurora all over again.
"Alright, alright," Cody said, avoiding Cooper's gaze and turning to look over the rifle in his hands. "Well, in that case, I'm glad we're all straightened out and shit. It's good to actually have somebody have my back." Right now, Cody needed that part to be true more than ever. He thought he could carry this entire game on his back, but these past few days... what with the kids he knew dying, him being injured, everything was just serving to prove him wrong. He did need somebody. Cooper was trying to be that somebody.
"Right, then. Let's..." Cody pushed himself up to his feet, groaning as he did so, and scanned for his daypack over by the docks. "Let's go find somebody else and see if we can't get this team back up on its feet." A couple steps forward. A sudden drop, and the earth was rising up to meet him.
His body picked a great time to remember that it had been shot today.
"Motherfuck-" Cody spat, spewing sand out of his mouth. "I'm okay... I'm good. Just need to be slower..." He slowly worked back up to his feet, limping, and using the rifle barrel-down as a cane as he powered on to his daypack.
"Let's get the fuck out of here."
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Cooper grimaced as Cody face-planted and ate shit but said nothing. There was no reason to say anything other than to piss Cody off. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to be carrying anything on account of his *fucked up* leg.
Realizing what he needed to do, he shouldered his bag and sprinted past Cody. "I got it, bro. Don't sweat it!" Reaching down, he awkwardly snatched up the injured guy's gear. The unbalanced weight of what he was doing spun Cooper around as he tried to regain his equilibrium. Trying to be mindful that Cody would not appreciate getting clocked with his shit and being sent to the ground to eat shit again, Cooper gave him a reassuring grin.
"Just tell me to stop when we need to stop and we'll blow this popsicle stand!" He set out, scanning the surrounding area for danger. Cody would need a little bit of a head's up to stop using the rifle like a walking stick if it was going to be useful to them.
((Cooper Komorowski continued in Bullet Dance))
Realizing what he needed to do, he shouldered his bag and sprinted past Cody. "I got it, bro. Don't sweat it!" Reaching down, he awkwardly snatched up the injured guy's gear. The unbalanced weight of what he was doing spun Cooper around as he tried to regain his equilibrium. Trying to be mindful that Cody would not appreciate getting clocked with his shit and being sent to the ground to eat shit again, Cooper gave him a reassuring grin.
"Just tell me to stop when we need to stop and we'll blow this popsicle stand!" He set out, scanning the surrounding area for danger. Cody would need a little bit of a head's up to stop using the rifle like a walking stick if it was going to be useful to them.
((Cooper Komorowski continued in Bullet Dance))
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
"Fuck man, don't-" but it was too late. Anything Cody had to say would have been ineffective against Cooper's new-found bravado as he booked it to the docks to pick up his stuff. Great. Now Cooper was over there pulling double-duty when it came to hauling shit, and Cody was left hobbling around using his gun as a cane.
So now he was the load, huh? This is what it felt like being on the other side of that coin and, truth be told, it was a most unpleasant experience. The thought of what to do crossed his mind several times, but nothing ever came to pass. Nothing managed to not sound like a total puss, or like too much of an assertive dick and, to be honest, maybe he really couldn't carry all of his stuff.
Admitting that to himself was difficult... very difficult. He, Cody Patton, star athlete and first-string quarterback of the football team, a motherfucking varsity dream, was practically a fucking cripple that needed somebody else to pull the weight. Right now? Yeah. That was fucking true with the way his leg was. Tomorrow wasn't looking too good either.
How fast did bullet wounds heal, again?
((Cody Patton, continued in Bullet Dance))
So now he was the load, huh? This is what it felt like being on the other side of that coin and, truth be told, it was a most unpleasant experience. The thought of what to do crossed his mind several times, but nothing ever came to pass. Nothing managed to not sound like a total puss, or like too much of an assertive dick and, to be honest, maybe he really couldn't carry all of his stuff.
Admitting that to himself was difficult... very difficult. He, Cody Patton, star athlete and first-string quarterback of the football team, a motherfucking varsity dream, was practically a fucking cripple that needed somebody else to pull the weight. Right now? Yeah. That was fucking true with the way his leg was. Tomorrow wasn't looking too good either.
How fast did bullet wounds heal, again?
((Cody Patton, continued in Bullet Dance))