Chapter 2 : Next Target

In the meantime

?????? :

(?????? placed behind the young woman's knee tells her.)

I hope this treatment is enough to ease your pain.

Normally I'd have given you more appropriate care, but I do with the equipment I've got left.

??????? :

Yes, yes, Doctor, you're worrying too much, I'm not going to die from it, and I've already said it's not serious, it's just a little wound anyway.

?????? :

I insist, I want to make myself look good, and to do that I have to give my patients the best results.

??????? :

Hey, I told you to stop justifying yourself.

You ruin the mood with the way you justify every word you say.

Seriously, do what the other doctors do, shut your mouth and concentrate on your work.

I feel like I'm looking at someone who has no self-confidence.

?????? :

Ah ha ha, I often heard this complain, sorry it's a bad habit I have.

It's true that I justify myself a lot when I realize that there's something wrong with the treatment I'm giving a patient.

??????? :

Okay, but you did that the whole time you were treating me, so don't do that in the future.

I hate people who can't stop talking about nothing, it's like a kind of vacuum magnet that clings to you and sucks all your energy away.

You'd love it!

Not me!

It lasted fifteen minutes, but you've tired me out with your justifications at least eight times, so it's only natural that I'm a bit fed up!

You can at least... "The young woman is interrupted."

???? :

Hey, Rebecca, is that you who scream?!

I'm coming to see you, wait for me, you'll

see !

Rebecca:

Damn, I started talking too loud again.

"???? climbs the stairs of ground floor, then opens the door to Rebecca room, he then goes next to Rebecca."

????:

What's all this racket you're making? I'd like to remind you that there are customers here and they shouldn't be disturbed.

Rebecca:

I know, I know, Dad, I wouldn't do it again.

Ludo:

Don't hold it against her, Mr. Fetch, she's still young and doesn't yet know how to restrain herself from doing silly things when the situation calls for it.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Victor :

"Victor smiles when he hears this."

There's no need to apologize, Rebecca is Rebecca, and she can't easily change her personality, as you well know.

I went through that when I was young, so you can't say I was a blameless person, but I've also done some stupid things, so I can understand.

Ludo:

If you say so.

Well, Rebecca, your wound doesn't hurt anymore?

Rebecca:

"Rebecca smiles."

No, it's all right now, I might even go hunting with you again the day after tomorrow with my current state, ready to slice rabbits at the drop of a hat like before.

Ludo :

"Ludo strokes Rebecca's head."

That's good to hear, for payment doctor I'll give you 5 silver vams before I let you go.

Victor :

Thank you very much for the welcome you gave me, Mr. Cryzim, I won't forget the hospitality you showed me.

Ludo :

It's true that such hospitality is being lost these days, but in any case I'm delighted to receive so many compliments. I hope you'll enjoy the scenery of this village before heading home.

Victor :

I'm counting on it, sir.

"Ludo and Victor both head for the ground floor, leaving Rebecca all alone."

Ludo :

"The two of them were heading for the exit of the inn, as soon as they were near the exit door, Ludo held out 5 silver vams in his hand, Victor then took the money from him."

I hope you won't lose hope in these difficult times.

Victor :

"Victor smiles."

Thank you, I wish you the same.

On that note, I'm on my way again.

"Victor left the inn through the open front door."

Ludo :

Until next time, Doctor.

"Ludo gave Victor a friendly wave as he went further and further away, not having seen him, Victor continued on his way without paying any attention."

Victor :

"During this brief moment of departure, Victor was on his way to a bakery near the village exit to the southwest."

"On reaching this bakery, after more than five minutes, he asked, stopping in front of the bread seller."

I'll take half a baguette, please.

Unknown :

Okay.

"The salesman placed half a baguette on the fixed stand connected to the front of the store."

"The baguette in question was not a baguette baked in the vendor's natural oven in the present moment, instead it was half a baguette that had time to lose its crunch."

I'll take 3 bronze vams.

Victor:

Here.

"Victor places 3 bronze vams on the stand, taken from the pocket of his small jacket, then takes the half-bread."

Unknown :

"As soon as the seller was sure it was the right amount, he said to Victor with a smile."

Thank you, have a nice day.

Victor :

Have a nice day, you too.

"Victor redirected himself this time towards the forest below the village, in the distance lay a large expanse of trees as far as the eye could see, largely filling the landscape to only see that."

"Victor, still walking inside the forest, picks up the half baguette he'd just bought and starts munching bits of it."

Victor :

(It's surprisingly pretty good for a two-day-old loaf, hm?)

"As he walked along, he noticed a tree trunk cut off at the top, and when he saw it, he decided to sit on it after removing all the leaves and earth that were left on it."

Haah!

"Victor puts his left hand, the one he wasn't using to eat the bread, on the tree trunk, in order to not dirty his other hand."

(I feel incredible on this trunk, it would almost make me want to lie down on the ground, if only the grass wasn't infested with mites, those damn abominations that give me that feeling I hate when they wander around my body.)

"Victor began to observe his surroundings more closely."

(It's really fascinating the way nature has reclaimed all this once city-filled land with such ease, you can tell just by the fact that this tree trunk surely wouldn't have been so surrounded by its fellow trees before the Grim Reaper.

It's a metaphor that's quite funny to see, as soon as humanity ceases to exist, the rest takes over, be it animals or plants.

We see the best example that at any moment humanity could return to dust and be nothing more than a vestige where greed, hatred, cupidity, megalomania and all those kinds of very human ways of thinking existed on Earth, like some kind of fresh fossils.

It's ironic, really, that everything it took mankind millennia to build has collapsed like a fragile house of cards in just two years.

Humanity, up to here complacent in seeing the cruel truths of this world and fighting against them, ended up crushed under the weight of its own ignorance and hypocrisy.

Arriving too late and suffering the pain, letting the person who decided to kill all the problems posed by the modern world pressed the red button and let go of his own responsibilities.

... Boy, just hearing myself talk about this makes me feel like I'm not doing well.

 Maybe I should think more about myself these days instead of constantly living with this stress, I should try to take some time off once in a while without worrying about all these delusions with the East Coast control.

I think a little too much, don't you?

I should just carry out my mission properly and then go home, report back quietly.

Tss, I've got to stop thinking about all this crap, it's already depressing me.

I just hope I don't run into any surprises tonight on my way to Greenville, I'd like not to tire myself out more than necessary, it would annoy me to find myself facing a horde of infected coming to hunt me down.)

"Victor pulls a photo out of his pocket and stares at it, constantly looking at a woman in the photo."

(Frida, I wonder how long it's been since I've seen you, if you only knew how much I miss you, it's been a long time since we've been alone to talk.

I wonder how you're doing.)

"Victor repeatedly touches the head of the woman in the photo."

(Frida, do you really think I could ever get you out of this situation, when only our 4 beloved sisters ran away years ago?

I feel I'm unable to do as much because of these two watchdogs, Badrick and Zed.

I'm sorry, Frida.

I've never been able to say it to your face, but I sincerely believe that nothing can be done for you or for me, I don't want to give up hope but I'm not strong enough to protect you.

 I feel so helpless, I... "Victor lets a few tears fall, lowering his head.".. , I don't know what to do.

I've felt so alone for far too long.)