What follows is just an excerpt. I didn't include how our Hawk was able to create the antidote and all the efforts that took. This scene is really the culmination, and kudos to Arianna and Rourke and everyone who made it work. Thanks, guys!
Antidote
*The kids outside the train station ignore the biting cold wind off the river. Many of them clutch flyers that tell them to come here if they don't want to die from the Virus. Dozens of kids huddle in their coats outside the main entrance, waiting to see what happens next. As the morning grows brighter, more and more kids arrive. Many of them have Virus symptoms. Some can barely walk for the aches in their legs and backs. Some look like miniature "little old men" with graying hair and wrinkled faces. All of them look worried. There's an edge of panic in the voices that shout back and forth to each other.*
"What time does this thing start--anybody know?"
"You so sure there even IS an antidote?"
"Hey, who put the Misfits in charge anyway?"
"Don't bad-mouth the Misfits--Arianna helped my sister out with some food when she was starving. Not many woulda done that."
*Shouting and mumbling continues as the crowd grows and the sun comes up over the worried city. Everyone waits, hoping this antidote will do what the flyers say it will.*
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Arianna: Let's get this going. Lily, your job is to help kids with really bad symptoms to walk back here and get a cot. *to Saber's cohorts* You three go to the door and make sure no riots start when we open up. Make them stay in line, ok? Judge, you're responsible for getting everyone signed in and making sure they understand they have to come back next week on the same day--today is the 7th so on the 14th they need to come back.
Judge: All right, baby, I can handle that.
Arianna: Rourke, you're in control of distribution to kids with no symptoms, over there. *points him in the right direction* Saber, you handle distribution to the kids with some small symptoms. I'll handle the one with bad symptoms, ok?
Saber: No problem.
*Everyone begins setting out little paper cups, filling them with the dosages. After each area is set up for the first 100, they're ready.*
Arianna: *deep breath* Ok, open the doors.
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*As kids file in and sign in with Judge, the Misfits begin to notice that a lot of the kids are carrying things... food, jewelry, cd's, other things. When they sign in, they leave what they're carrying at the desk with Judge. One kid lays down a single candy bar, the paper dirty and scuffed but still sealed over the candy.*
Kid: *face shows wrinkle-signs from the Virus* I hope that's enough, man. The flyers you all put up didn't say what you wanted in trade. It's really all I got. Can I get a dose for this?
Arianna: *listens to the kid and blinks back tears* (Damn... ) *walks to the sign-in table, grabs the candy and gives it back to the kid* You keep this. *climbs up on table* LISTEN UP ALL OF YOU! There is NO CHARGE for your dose of antidote. All we ask is that you stay in line, no fighting, and come back next week for another dose. Now let's do this.
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*Hours pass, and dozens and dozens of kids come through the train station for a dose of the antidote. Some have early signs of sickness that the antidote erases in just a few minutes. Only 10 are so far gone that they have to go lie down until the antidote does its work and they can leave symptom-free. And even though Arianna said the antidote was free... they still find things left on a table or a chair. A necklace. A Gameboy. A tin of sardines. Mostly small things left by kids grateful that someone is trying to help them.*
*By the time the line dwindles and Saber's guys look in to say that's the lot... everyone is tired. It's almost totally dark outside. Snow is falling again. The streets are empty.*
Arianna: Well, looks like we're done. Judge? How many kids came through?
Judge: *studies his sign-in sheet* Almost 300. Exactly 275. I hope that was all of them. Doesn't really seem like very many.
Arianna: *nods* We can come back tomorrow, see if maybe some more show up. *half-smiles at Lily and the others* Let's go home. I'm beat.
-Chyna
Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
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