“Need to call….” Abby started, looking around for a phone.
Tony knelt down beside the body and felt for a pulse. There was none. Tony left a smear of his own blood on the man’s neck. “No use, Abby.” Tony said shaking his head. “That weather report we heard was talking about this area. Remember all those trees down. I’m surprised there’s electricity.”
Abby nodded, but she checked the phone when she found it, lying almost under the man’s body. “Apparently he was trying to call or reaching for the phone when he was shot.”
Tony nodded as Abby picked up the phone and found that it was indeed dead. She put the phone back on the stand and sat it up on the counter.
Abby helped Tony to his feet and they went outside. They both sat down on the curb under the shelter provided for the gas pumps. Abby pulled her jacket up around her. “How far off the main road are we?”
“I would guess miles. No cars have passed since we got here have they?” Tony asked.
Abby shook her head. “You need to lie down, Tony. You’re losing way to much blood.”
“I’m fine.” Tony said waving away her concern.
“Don’t I’m fine me, Anthony DiNozzo. I’m not Gibbs. I won’t fall for it.” Tony studied her expression for a moment. He could tell she was not going to budge.
Tony tried to stand up. “We should at least be inside. Those dark clouds don’t look too good.” Tony replied, studying the storm clouds in the sky.
Abby was beginning to get freaked out. “The dead guy is in there, Tony.”
“The weather report was calling for heavy rain and strong winds with temperatures in the 4os. I would rather be in there with the dead guy than out here with the elements.”
Abby nodded. “You do have a point.”
They both stood up slowly and made their way back inside.
Abby found some bandages and bandage tape. Before long they were both cleaned up as well as possible, courtesy of the employee bathroom in the back. Abby then managed to bandage Tony’s wound and he did a decent job helping her on hers. The store sold camping gear also. So they borrowed a sleeping bag and some blankets. Abby managed to spread out one sleeping bag on the floor in a back corner of the store. She helped Tony onto the sleeping bag and covered him with one of the thick heavy blankets she had borrowed. She had noticed he was starting to shiver and it worried her that he was not talking.
Abby microwaved them a couple burritos and got two ice cold Pepsis out of the cooler. She somehow managed to carry it all in one trip. “You need to eat something Tony.” Abby said, shaking Tony’s shoulder, causing him to open his eyes.
“…not hungry.” Tony stated, closing his eyes again.
“You were starving when we first decided to stop.” Abby said, handing him his burrito. “Here! Eat!” She sat down beside him and leaned against the shelves behind them. She spread part of the blanket over her legs and feet.
Tony continued to lie on his side. He munched slowly on his burrito and drank his Pepsi slowly.
“Which movie does this remind you of?” Abby asked, trying to get Tony to talk.
“Night of the Living Dead?” Tony replied, smiling.
“Not even funny, DiNozzo.” Abby replied thinking out the dead guy upfront. “There’s no door back here.” Abby said, looking around. “If he comes alive again, I’m making one. You’re on your own.”
Tony laughed, but quieted down again quickly. Abby lay down beside him and scooted as close to him as her injured shoulder would allow. She covered them both with the blanket.
“How’s your shoulder?” Tony asked.
“Hurts like hell. How’s your back?” Abby asked.
Tony nodded. “The same.”
Tony had considered getting back in the car and driving. And if he had been by himself he would have. He would have gotten gas, left some money and called the police as soon as he could have. But with Abby with him, he couldn’t risk hurting her any more. He couldn’t bear the thought that if they had gotten back in the car and he had wrecked. If he had passed out behind the wheel, he could have killed her. He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he had done that.
Abby had wanted to leave also. But she knew she could not handle the stick shift and the steering wheel with just one good hand. She actually could do it. She had done it many times as a teen ager, but it was dangerous because she had never perfected the skill. But now, she was not willing to risk her life, and more importantly, Tony’s life on that skill. Plus, she feared she might pass out. She had not told Tony, but she was feeling weak. She had stumbled a couple of times as she made her way around the store getting the things they had needed.
They had both fallen sleep and had both woken to the feeling of extreme cold. The lights were off in the store and the coolers. And it felt as cold inside as it probably did outside. Abby was the first to wake up and notice the change. She got up and looked out the window. The storm had died down, but it was still very dark outside. The parking lot lights were on, but the inside, store lights, were not. She used the light to find and tear open a package that held a flashlight and batteries. She had a working flashlight seconds later. She then headed outside the door and to the side of the building to check the generator. As she suspected the generator was out of gas. She would need to go back inside and find the switch to turn the pumps on. Probably somewhere near the dead guy. She shuttered at the thought and then get enough gas to fill up the generator and turn the lights and heat back on.
Tony was standing at the door looking for her by the time she got back to the front of the store.
“Where…?” Tony started.
“The generator was out of gas, which is why we have no lights and no heat. I need to find the switch for the pumps so that I can put gas in the generator.” Abby explained.
Tony looked at the area around the body and found the switch just a foot from the body. He flipped it. “Hey, don’t you need electricity to pump the gas?”
“Damn.” Abby said. Maybe there was some gas in the cans she saw under the storage shed beside the generator. Abby shook the two cans and was surprised to see that one of them was completely full. She filled the tank on the generator, started it up and then filled that one up again and sat it back beside the generator.
It was a good thing she was wearing black Abby thought. She had had to prop the gas can up on her leg go get a good grip on it to fill the generator and she had still managed to spill some of it in the process.
By the time Abby had come back into the store Tony was leaning heavily against the door frame. He was sweating and seemed about ready to pass out.
Chapter End Notes:
disclaimer: I know nothing about the mechanics of gas pumps at gas stations.