Quarantined in the new year

[PoeticJustice]

All of the animation drained out of Alice's body as her head snapped up and over at the words, her hand twitching towards her hip. She studied Kelsey intently for a few minutes, her muscles tightening as her shoulders went rigid. She watched her for a long few seconds, not speaking as her hands clenched into fists.

And then, with a visible act of will, she forced herself to relax, sliding her chair across the porch so that she could watch all three of them at once, placing the now empty breakfast plate on the table and pulling her copy of the Last Free Voice with her. She continued watching her, although more now with the same intensity that she had been studying V and Lou rather than outright hostility or suspicion.

[Tempest]

vasily looked at the paper lou had and just shrugged as his eyes glazed over. not being the smartest person vasily did not bother himself with reading and trying to understand complex things.

na lou you saw the other night when we tried to help those other people.


as vasily noticed Kelsey he tilted his head, he remembered her but still didn't know what to think of her.

hello little miss I don't mind but I think lou was here first so ask him.

looking away he continued to play with the tape. the world around him did not matter as much as the world inside him. vasily felt it was for the best this way. others don't need to know. then a thought hit him.so he asked

Do any of ya know about McGregor at all or crazy doctor folks? just wonderin if ya do.

[ronfiction]

Lou was about give his two cents about the paper when the other woman arrived. He had seen her around the camp and remembered her from the island. He couldn't remember her name. He was bad with names and on too of that, he had met so many new people recently that it was hard to keep them straight. He took note of her cheer and enjoyed the shot of energy she added to this somber group.

"Well good morning ma'am." You're certainly welcome to join us."

Lou asked and gave her a nod. He raised an eyebrow at Vasily and his question.

"I don't know anything about them. Maybe you do miss...?"

Lou asked and looked to the new comer, trying to remember her name.

[PoeticJustice]

The girl just shook her head as she looked down at the paper, tracing a crease with a finger.

"I am not... good at doctors," she murmured softly. Add that to the list with 'People' and 'Crowds' it would seem. One would almost wonder what the girl was good at. She also looked to the newcomer, watching her.

[Owle Isohos]

Kelsey stopped moving when she noted Alice's reaction, pausing a foot from the porch like a deer in the headlights. She watched the other woman for a long moment, wondering if she had to worry about being attacked.

When Alice relaxed, Kelsey let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She smiled again, turning cheerfully towards Vasily.

"Hey, V! Sorry I missed you at the holiday party."

She beamed at Lou. "Kelsey. Kelsey Graham. And you're...Lou, right?" She remembered his name mostly from hearing it around, and a vague memory of a terrifying trip to collect diesel fuel.

"McGregor...you mean McGregor Pharmaceuticals? I've heard of them, but I don't know much more than their name and that they make medicines. I think they're expanding into the Whisper Hill area?"

She nodded in understanding at Alice's words, though she still seemed a bit wary of the intense young woman. Not being good with doctors seemed to be a pretty common trait around here, and for good reason. It made her glad, not for the first time, that she didn't look much like a medical professional. certified EMT or no.

[ronfiction]

Lou offers a hand shake to Kelsey and does his best to commit her name to memory. There were a lot of corporate types about; management, lab workers and a lot of security folks as well. Lou knew little to nothing about any of the companies and wasn't even sure who worked for who. He tried his best to keep any comment he had about them to himself. He felt like the companies around here we're not gonna be friendly and Lou didn't want to be seen as picking sides so early in his time in town. He wouldn't mind working for either company if they needed a grounds keeper or a janitor, but was yet to be offered a job by either company or even apply to either.

"Lots of companies moving into the area. Maybe it'll help the local economy. The north country has always been lacking in major companies."

Lou thought about for a little bit.

"Heck, we don't even have a Walmart around here."

He said with a chuckle. He motioned out to the surrounding wilderness and took a deep breath of air.

[PoeticJustice]

"It is quieter," Alice murmured, perhaps the first time she had spoken without being directly addressed. She too looked up at the New Hampshire horizon and inhaled. Her eyes closed for a moment and she cocked her head as if listening to something very quiet. For a moment the edge left her, her arms relaxing, and shoulders slouching slightly. Her hands relaxed to flatten on the table.

She looked almost peaceful, not constantly wary of her surroundings, on edge or waiting for some attack.

And then a pot clattered inside the cafeteria and her entire body went rigid, tightening as her eyes opened and her head snapped to the sound, recoiling as her hand twitched to her hip. It took her a few minutes to recover before she looked down at the folded piece of paper again.

"Quieter isn't so bad..." she murmured for a moment, frowning and deeply and looking sad and lost.

[ronfiction]

Lou watched Alice with some interest. He wasn't a smart man but he was social and can get a read on folks. Be started to feel a measure of pity for Alice, she was so jumpy.

"Yeah, I've lived here in Coos county all my life. Things certainly move slow around these parts and that's the way most people like it."

Lou said and looked around at the others.

"Where are you all from?"

He asked in a pleasant tone.

[Tempest]

vasily finally finished with the tape and put it back in lou's toolbox. debating on borrowing the tape but he liked lou so he mentally put him on the list of people not to borrow from.

thanks lou.

he looked at Kelsey quickly and then back at his broken radio and began to shake it.

its ok a lot of people were around. a lot of faces to see.

he looked a bit crestfallen that no one knew about crazy doctors. it seemed like he would need to ask more people, but all he wanted was to be back underground.

it may be quit up here but, why is everything coming here. lou your from here what so special. why whisper hill.

[ronfiction]

Lou shook a finger at Vasily's comment.

"I'm not from 'here' really."

Lou says and points off in the direction of south.

"I'm from Berlin. Er... Not the one in Germany or even Massachusettes. Berlin New Hampshire. Born and raised. I recently left Berlin when I quit my last job. Decided I would try out Whisper hill."

Lou said and looked around the scenery.

"Down in Berlin we all knew of Whisper Hill as a weird town full of shut ins. In all my years of living here in coos county, I've never been to Whisper Hill for more than an hour or two. You know; passing through, or when I was working for the high way department trimming the trees."

Lou explains and rubs his chin some.

"The only real local I know who's kicking around with us is Billy St. Jean. If you want to know more about the town you should talk with him."