Chapter Text
Partners in law and being alive.
Thud.
He didn’t mean to hit her that hard but it seemed the blow had knocked her out cold.
"thanks, man. i owe you one."
Said Player, doggy’s police partner and pal, as they stare down at the fallen monster. Was monster the correct word?
Mrs Pig, if he recalled correctly. Recognise her from once before, when he was patrolling some of the towns. Based on her new appearance, deceptively and relatively the same but still mutated (zombified?) with a glowing eye and aggressive behaviour, doggy can confidently say she is probably no longer a safe civilian that he is required to not hit without warning. So maybe monster is the correct word.
“So. . . . Here’s the gas. I think, maybe since she is knocked out, for now, I can try to find some more gas, before we leave.
[I don’t know how to punctuate the dialogue so it seems like Player is taking a lot of pauses except by using commas.]
Player suggested, panting after nearly every word. wait. oh yeah... Player had probably spent the last 10 minutes running around, collecting items and tools whilst running away from that monster. D felt a painful pang of guilt stab his chest. He should have been able to help but he had to go collect other supplies and someone had to look after the car.
Doggy watches them swiftly fill the car with gas and then run back out the room to search for more, before staring down upon the monster again. He gripped his baton tighter, ready to strike again if needed. He hoped not. The previous hit had taken a lot of his strength and had maybe possibly dislocated his shoulder. regular hits won't do. He had heard the gun shots when he was starting his car, the sound of bullet piercing flesh, yet it had still followed his partner into the garage. When he had seen that creature, he knew that was the case. Again, he didn’t mean to hit her it that hard but now, after looking more closely at the beast, its twisted unnatural muscles and stunned but feral features, he can't help but feel almost relieved.
Definitely after spotting the bullet wounds (did the possibly newer, thicker skin and scabbing stop it from passing straight through?) on the right arm, the one with the bat. and the right leg. none at the vital spots though. Even in this situation, Player stuck to detaining instead of ending.
. . .
god dang it bro, why do you not question the code and guide book now? your moral compass is gonna get you hurt some day.
“Back.”
Player announced, sliding past Doggy and immediately getting back to work, adding more gas into the car. Doggy went to help. They seemed way more composed now. No longer tired but still tense, throwing quick glances back at the monster. Not out of fear, of course, but instead, out of confusion and worry. Doggy can practically hear the cogs turn in their heads. Ok, you needs to focus too.
Into the car. Seatbelts. Check. Player’s ok too. Check. Mirrors all good. Check. Start fully. Engine roars. Accelerate. Move out into the streets. Drive. Silence.
. . .
“So erm… you’re lucky I came in on my day off.”
He joked, attempting to break the tension in the air.
“Hm! Well, thank you my dear saviour for coming to save me.”
Player teased but continued focusing ahead.
Still deep in thought? Alright.
Silence continues.
The dark cloudy sky brings no comfort.
Continue driving.
Glance over.
No response.
. . .
I wish I can read minds.
So is this it, zombie apocalypse?
Oh dang, I’m scared.
I don’t know what to do.
Don’t think too much.
Monster bad, must help friend.
I was abit useless back there wasn’t I?
“So why did you come? Did you leave your hat behind again?”
Player asked jokingly, looking over. Doggy can see their classic grin, a familiar warm blend between a smirk and a smile. Calm. Cheerful. Smoothing. It suggested everything was ok. Worked well on children. Sheesh, I suck at dealing with kids. But of course, just like the clichés, this wasn’t reflected in their eyes. Which instead, though blank and normal to others, revealed flashes of tension and a suppressed anxiety that Doggy immediately picked out. They were close friends after all.
“Eh. Had an odd feeling you know? Maybe it was fate. But also because I knew you were on duty today. Detective stuff was it not? So I thought I could maybe give you a bit of a scare too. Didn’t know I was gonna see horrors myself…”
“I see. . . . I’m glad you’re here. I’m sorry to be a burden but, I gotta admit, I’m a bit spooked by all this. That twisted civilian. She was Mrs Pig, right? She called maybe yesterday or a few days back. Didn’t know she meant a violent invasion of the police station.” Pl joked, throwing Doggy another smile. As if Doggy couldn't decode the shock and worry hidden away in their posture. “Filed a missing person report. The literal case I was on.”
And more quietly, almost to themselves.
“God I hope the child is ok.”
They continued muttering stuff to themselves, asking questions then answering them themselves. Organising clues and joining dots. Always trying too hard. Lost in thought. Seems like a hassle. Doggy is glad he ain’t a detective or well, technically, ex-detective/part time one like Player.
Some phrases were caught. An attack at a house. Another monster. Missing family members. But most words dissolved into a soup of incoherent mumbles and whispers, accompanied by a few frowns and finger fidgeting. Until, abruptly, silence. Again. And a long held look of confusion.
I should be watching the roads more carefully instead of analysing my friend’s face.
But there wasn’t much to look at anyways. The roads were oddly empty and even when he steered the car down a usually relatively busy street that joined the small neighbourhood to the bigger town, the lack of people carrying on with their day was disturbing. Is it possible there were more zombie creatures like the one at the station?
Doggy attempted to distract himself by making note of all the buildings he passed. A few random clothing shops, an old post office, a relatively small plain gallery and quite a lot of boarded up buildings. Not good signs. What further scared him were the sudden twitches of movement, quick darting shadows and flashes of glowing eyes. Thank god they had bought more gas. Doggy suspects with the original amount Player had bought, they may have needed to abandon the car by now and walk. He doesn’t want to jump to conclusions on what those shadows are but he doesn’t want to find out too.
“Doggy? D?”
“Huh? Yeah!”
Oh dang that was embarrassing.
Pl had turned to face him now, a frown of concern now replaced the previous concentration.
“Sorry about that. The mumbling. I forgot I need to fill in the deals with you. That was quite rude of me. . . . So… i dont want to assume the worst or state the obvious but I think an apocalypse has started or something. I caught some decent glances of whoever was in the shadows. People. Civilians. But infected. A virus or something must have spreaded.”
The rest slowly got drowned out by the creeping build up thoughts and static in D's brain. For some reason, the idea that they may actually be dealing with a zombie apocalypse frightened him tremendously. An apocalypse was messy. Rules fell apart. Tough decisions have to be made. There will no longer be clean sharp orders from officers higher up who you can put the responsibility on anymore. Every mistake will have consequences.
Maybe he had just realised how relatively easy and safe his life had been and now, the safety net had been ripped away.
"Let's not think about that right now." Doggy cuts in. Did he cut in? He couldn't tell if player was saying anything then. "I'm going to take us to a campsite area I know, still near the city but quiet and safe, I hope. So we can rest before we decide what to do."
Silence. Again. God damn it, there's a pattern. I messed up again. But he's thankful Player noticed his discomfort (they were always good at spotting hints) and gave him space. He did not want to think about it too much.
It would be so much easier to see the monsters as just monsters. Not fallen (infected?) civilians. Not innocent people. It was always easier to split the world into good and bad before, commanded by leaders above. And even when he faced cases that blurred the line into morally grey, the law was the law and the guilt was easily washed away.
His partner on the other hand. ... Again, player always knew what to do, knew when to stay silent and obey and when to dig deeper for more clues. It was a skill he greatly appreciated and admired. One of the reasons why Doggy themselves had asked to have them promoted. Back before they were even close friends but respected colleagues.
But just because they seemed to have listened on the outside, inside, in their head, they would still dwell on a case for too long. Let it make them feel bad and discontent. Searching for some personal dangerous justice. Always rational until emotions and morals were added to the mix. Never really affected their performance but Doggy knew it could potentially sprout into a ticking time bomb in their head. Cause them to do something rash. Get them killed.
Get them killed.
. . .
Something that now really loomed over them because of the apocalypse was death.
Death was always present in life and the chance of injury was always high in their career field. It was something Doggy accepted a long time ago.
But to die. Really die. For the light to fade from the eyes. For skin to turn cold and pale. The cold reality left a heavy sick feeling in his stomach.
To be dead. Reach an end. Was frightening.
To lose someone. Worse. It’s jus-
…
. . .
I don’t know how I’d deal with it. I’m not as mentally strong as pl-
“I just want to mentioned again that’s I’m grateful you were there to help, D.” Player’s voice melts away Doggy’s pessimistic inner monologue. The driver doesn’t turn, continuing focusing forward but visibly relaxes. He takes the left from the highway, the smooth paved roads transforms into narrow rural paths. “You’d always got my back and I hope I can repay in some way too. So you don’t need to worry man. We can do this.”
. . .
He could see the light (something he always found comfort in) that marked the campsite in the forest (nature too) ahead.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
And glancing over, the light that glowed from their friends eyes too. Maybe it was just the reflection from the last headlights of the highway but their face shone, revealing again that determined, trusting smile.
As long as we stick together. Everything will be ok.