[They'd been walking for days. Meals were scarce, but they managed. Mostly, they didn't talk; it was all they could do to keep warm without uncovering their faces
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[The snow had seen fit to lighten up, but only because the sky had cleared and the stars had come out to make it all the colder. By the time they're inside and out of the wind, Calavicci was unpacking their collective wares, trying to get to the blankets in the mix.] Here're the blankets.
[Kara nods, going about the routine they'd silently developed. Blankets, light the candle, open a can. Cook. By the time a can of tomato soup was heating slowly, Kara retreated to her half of the blankets where even hunger wasn't sufficient to keep her eyes open.]
[Al was worried. More than worried, though he was trying his hardest not to show that part of him. Kara looked sick. Sicker by the day, and while Calavicci had mentioned stopping a few times, his companion had urged them to keep moving.]
[He thought to wake her up to eat, but figuring she was much better off sleeping, he took the can off the heat and set it aside.]
[Gathering his blankets, he moved over to his traveling companion and laid them carefully over her. She could shed them if she got hot, but from the looks of things, she was cold enough to tremble.]
[Al crouched, reaching a hand out to feel for fever.]
[Vaguely aware of being touched, Kara opens her eyes. She blinks, trying to reconcile the twin Al's hovering over her into a single image.] D'I miss dinner?
[Al has trouble sleeping. Al has trouble staying awake. For what remains of the night, he slips in and out of consciousness, ever worried he might blink and find that Kara has stopped breathing altogether. He isn't thankful to hear her raspy breathing or frequent coughing spells, but at least he knows she's alive.]
[By the time morning sets in and the sun comes out, Calavicci's drifting half in dreams, his legs pulled up to his chest and his back to the wall not that far from Kara's covered form.]
[At some point in the night he must cleaned himself up a bit becuase now he's bandaged his knuckles and left the small cut on his forehead cleaned, but open to breath.]
[When Thrace shifts, he lifts his head groggily aware of the movement and listening for trouble.]
[Kara spends her night equally fitfully, but it's not for such altruistic reasons. When she finally struggles away, her fever has broken, but she's still exhausted and weak. A cough plagues her, but it's nowhere near as bad. Al hadn't lied - the pills seem to have worked.]
[He clears his throat, but there's still not much behind his voice when he replies.] Yeah, I'm up. [And now that he has a purpose for being awake, he skitters over to the brown bag and fishes for her pills.] How do you feel? Sore?
[No use lying.] Yeah. [She rubs her back as though offering proof, accepting his pills. Sitting up so as not to choke, she observes him in the grey winter light.] How 'bout you? You don't look good.
[It's almost two hours before they return, sans John. Al doesn't look triumphant, but he's not in handcuffs and the sheriff's relaxed. Adler speaks up as they come through the door.] You two can't stay at that house. Gotta find yourself a place or move on.
[Calavicci stops and looks at Adler.] Well, wait, what about my sister? She's still sick. I think I've got a couple bucks, but we can't afford a room. And we can't move on -- not when she's like that.
[Kara emerges from the sheriff's office where she'd been pretending to sleep for Rita's benefit when she hears Adler's voice. She's limping pretty badly, but at least her ankle is wrapped. Her color has improved for the food and warmth, but she's still coughing and there are dark streaks under her eyes.]
I think we should go, Al. Please. [To Rita.] Not that we don't appreciate it, but -
But nothing, Little Miss! [Rita crosses to Kara, taking her by the arm and placing her firmly in a chair.] You're not going to spoil all my hard work on that ankle by going out to make it worse. My kids are grown, child, so you two can take my sons' bedroom. [To al, pointedly.] No argument!
[Al lifts his hands.] I agree, ma'am. Wholeheartedly. And since I'm the older sibling, what I say goes. [He shoots Kara a look bordering a grin. Hey, all's not back to normal, but at least they weren't in a shit ton of trouble anymore.]
[Rita nods and smiles.] Good! That's about the first real sense I've heard all night.
[Calavicci shrugs.] When family's all you got, you do what you gotta before it's too late. [...if you're lucky.]
[Kara pulls a face at Al while Rita's focusing on gathering her coat. Adler sees it and tosses her a wry grin.] Be good, kids. My apologies for putting you through this today.
[Kara shrugs under his scrutiny, looking down, and struggles to her feet once more. She crosses the room gingerly and once she finally makes it to her 'dear brother,' she leans heavily on the desk nearest the door and buttons her coat.
Rita's beside her a moment later.] Help your sister, son. My car's just outside - the blue wagon. [She pats Adler on the arm as she passes him in front of Al.] Did good today, boss.
[He tips a wink at Rita then grins at Al and Kara.] Thanks, Rita. Now I can sleep easily.
[Once Al finished the drive and Kara had finished tidying up and packing (two of her least favorite chores, thanks!), they headed out. It was below freezing and the wind sliced through their clothes, but both were in good spirits thanks to the food and good night's sleep. Kara's cough had even abated by the evening, though she was still moving a little more slowly than usual.
That night, they weren't taking any chances, so they didn't stop until they'd found an entirely abandoned house on the edge of the dense wood. Clouds were gathering, and the temperature held steady. They scouted around for anything usable, but finding nothing, they headed for the attic. Together, they prepared their meager supper and went to sleep.
The following morning, they woke to gusting winds and deep drifts of slow. It was still falling heavily outside when Kara checked, and she hurriedly retreated to her nest of blankets, looking in the direction of Al's sleeping form.] You awake?
[Al was not awake. Or, more accurately, he was not awake until he heard her voice. Pulled to the waking world, he shifted underneath his blankets and left out a long groan. Guess the shoveling had added its share of aches and pains.] Yeah, 'm awake. [He didn't want to be.] Something wrong?
[Well, if there was something to be fixed, he figured there was something broken, and that was enough to keep him out of reach of the sleepiness that threatened. The lean young man slowly sat up, rolling his shoulders in hopes of loosening the joints some.] S'okay, 'm up now. ['Course, he didn't much look it, just sitting there half-covered in blankets and nowhere near cognitive enough to hold a full conversation.] What's the matter?
[Days passed and Kara and Al made better time running from some unseen assailant than they had before. The fire it lit under them made them warmer and quicker and much more cautious about where they put their heads.]
[It wasn't until they had crossed the border into Ohio and settled for the night in Toledo that trouble found them once more. At first, Al hadn't brought it to Kara's attention, but there was a persistence of one particular face in more than one location that had him worried.]
[When he finally felt confident there was more than coincidence involved, he found them a very public place (in this case, the docks overlooking Maumee Bay) and leaned over the edge of the water to talk to Kara.]
[Kara shivers as the cold winter air sluices off the water, penetrating layer upon layer of clothing. The news, while surprising, isn't the worst thing she'd had to hear in recent weeks, so she shrugs, rubbing her hands together and blowing hot air onto her numb fingertips.] Yeah? What're we gonna do about it? Walk faster? Hide? [She snorts indelicately, then has to sniffle against the feeling her nose was running again.] If someone wants to catch us, they will.
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[He thought to wake her up to eat, but figuring she was much better off sleeping, he took the can off the heat and set it aside.]
[Gathering his blankets, he moved over to his traveling companion and laid them carefully over her. She could shed them if she got hot, but from the looks of things, she was cold enough to tremble.]
[Al crouched, reaching a hand out to feel for fever.]
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[By the time morning sets in and the sun comes out, Calavicci's drifting half in dreams, his legs pulled up to his chest and his back to the wall not that far from Kara's covered form.]
[At some point in the night he must cleaned himself up a bit becuase now he's bandaged his knuckles and left the small cut on his forehead cleaned, but open to breath.]
[When Thrace shifts, he lifts his head groggily aware of the movement and listening for trouble.]
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You up?
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[Calavicci stops and looks at Adler.] Well, wait, what about my sister? She's still sick. I think I've got a couple bucks, but we can't afford a room. And we can't move on -- not when she's like that.
I'll put you up. [This was Rita.]
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I think we should go, Al. Please. [To Rita.] Not that we don't appreciate it, but -
But nothing, Little Miss! [Rita crosses to Kara, taking her by the arm and placing her firmly in a chair.] You're not going to spoil all my hard work on that ankle by going out to make it worse. My kids are grown, child, so you two can take my sons' bedroom. [To al, pointedly.] No argument!
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[Rita nods and smiles.] Good! That's about the first real sense I've heard all night.
[Calavicci shrugs.] When family's all you got, you do what you gotta before it's too late. [...if you're lucky.]
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[Kara shrugs under his scrutiny, looking down, and struggles to her feet once more. She crosses the room gingerly and once she finally makes it to her 'dear brother,' she leans heavily on the desk nearest the door and buttons her coat.
Rita's beside her a moment later.] Help your sister, son. My car's just outside - the blue wagon. [She pats Adler on the arm as she passes him in front of Al.] Did good today, boss.
[He tips a wink at Rita then grins at Al and Kara.] Thanks, Rita. Now I can sleep easily.
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That night, they weren't taking any chances, so they didn't stop until they'd found an entirely abandoned house on the edge of the dense wood. Clouds were gathering, and the temperature held steady. They scouted around for anything usable, but finding nothing, they headed for the attic.
Together, they prepared their meager supper and went to sleep.
The following morning, they woke to gusting winds and deep drifts of slow. It was still falling heavily outside when Kara checked, and she hurriedly retreated to her nest of blankets, looking in the direction of Al's sleeping form.] You awake?
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[It wasn't until they had crossed the border into Ohio and settled for the night in Toledo that trouble found them once more. At first, Al hadn't brought it to Kara's attention, but there was a persistence of one particular face in more than one location that had him worried.]
[When he finally felt confident there was more than coincidence involved, he found them a very public place (in this case, the docks overlooking Maumee Bay) and leaned over the edge of the water to talk to Kara.]
There's someone following us.
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