"Stocking the Chateau" (closed)

"Stocking the Chateau"

(closed to AnthonyBarker and Aussie_Wolf)​

OOC: This is a "Scene Thread". It is a 1x1 within the larger role play, "The Bad With The Good". Splitting away like this allows the two of us to more easily write this scene and allows readers to more easily follow and enjoy the scene. It begins with the last paragraph posted in the IC thread:


"Ranger Edwards?" a woman' voice called. A moment later, one of the Gleaners located the two and hurried over to them. She greeted the caretaker with a nod, then looked to Taylor and asked, "So ... where do you want us to put the donations?"

Taylor immediately turned to Harry and -- obviously giving the caretaker his due -- said, "It's your place, Mister Keswick."

Harry nodded his thanks.

"All perishable stuff can go in the large fridge. It is located in the kitchen just off the dining room over there," he said pointing. "You will also find a walk in pantry for the non perishable food stuff as well."

He then thought about where to put the other stuff. "For now just put everything else in room one. The key is behind the desk. We can sort everything out later."

Watching Harry, Taylor found himself instantly flooded with relief. The caretaker was taking this little change in his life with ease. Or ... he was simply holding back his disappointment. Taylor couldn't know, but he was sure he would find out soon.

Of course, taking in a few Boarders wasn't that dramatic a change when compared, for example, to rebuilding your entire life after a nuclear holocaust. So, maybe Harry didn't see this new life as that much of an inconvenience. Who knew?

"I want to thank you for opening your home to all of us, Harry," Taylor said. He gave the caretaker a sly little smile. That was the way Taylor dealt with changes: humor. Sometimes his sense of humor wasn't well understood, so he added, "At least we're not your In-Laws. Compared to that, 50 strangers should be a snap."

Another one of the Gleaners came up to ask a couple of questions, and as he left Taylor asked Harry with a soft, concerned tone, "How, um ... how are we sitting on food and drink? I know you weren't expecting guests, let alone this many of them."

Harry shook his head. "Not that well actually. While the roads are open I normally only shop for myself by the week. Gets me out of the place you know before the winter. It was only before the first snowfalls were forecast that I really stocked up. Oh the pantry is probably decently full, but besides that there isn't going to be much."

He looked around at all the people. At least they had the space, but some people might be bunking up together four in a room normally built for two. "Of course we have plenty of water, so nobody is going to go thirsty, and for awhile we can all shower and bathe. However I would suggest we fill up a few of the large containers we have just in case the water shuts off."

Taylor wasn't surprised by what Harry had to tell him. It was like inviting your grandparents over for a barbeque, only to find out that the old buggers had invited with them all of their children, who invited all of their, who then invited all of their children. Pretty soon, you were hoping to get a bite of hot dog before all of the rug rats came screaming We're hungry!

As if right on cue, the Brownies and Cub Scouts -- and all of the noise they brought with them -- flooded into the foyer just beyond the Chateau's dining hall. Taylor looked their way, then looked back to Harry with an apologetic shrug. "They've got no where else to go."

Lois Reed, the Brownies Troop leader, approached the two men. She got instructions from Harry on what to do with her brood, thanked Taylor again, and herded the kids way.

"If I put together a supply run down to Cave Junction," Taylor asked Harry, remembering what he'd said about purchasing supplies, "would you be interested in heading it up. I need to stay here and figure out how we are going to make a home for these people in the cave before the fallout arrives."

Harry had already heard that the people in the lot were coming to the Chateau to stay, so he presumed that the man had also heard that, ultimately, they were all going down into the cave.

Harry nodded his head. It was a good plan.Those caves went deep and with a bit of planning could be livable. They would probably even have light for awhile until someone either crashed the power lines or fucked up the power station.

"Yeah I can do that. I might even be able to scrounge up a lot more than you bargained for, although it might cost us a few more places. I am pretty tight with the owner where I get all my winter food from. He was expecting my order pretty soon now so he might have already stocked up. Even if he hasn't that guy protects his stuff well. he wouldn't let looters or anybody like that get to it. I bet if we offer him and his family a place here he will gladly stock us up."

Taylor contemplated the thought of adding even more people, and though he didn't like it, he knew it had to be done. There was very little he and the others had to offer that was going to be worth a damn in a radioactive world other than cover.

"I agree," he told Harry. He was interrupted by yet more questions, then turned back to the caretaker. "We can gather up cash, though it probably won't do us any good. Offer this friend of your sanctuary, but ... if possible, keep what we're doing her a secret. Before you know it, we'll have half of Illinois County rushing up 46 looking for a place to hide."

They shook hands and Taylor turned to leave. He hesitated for a moment, asking, "Does Cave Junction have a doctor?"

He knew they would be needing one. The only question was whether one would want to come up here to hide out in a cave, leaving all of his patients and neighbors to face the fallout alone.

Harry thought about it. he hadn't needed a doctor himself but he did recall a few of the guests needing one. Now who had they called?A doctor Jenson, Janson, no that didn't sound right. No it had been Benson, Gloria Benson. Yeah he remembered now. Everyone had just called her Glory. She was good to. Fixed everyone up pretty good, including that kid who had fallen and broken his leg.

"Yeah they got a Doc, and She is good, but yeah I don't know about her coming up here. I mean we have the lure of survival but she has been in town for ages if the stories I have heard are true. She might not want to come and she is the only Doc around for miles. I know basic first aid and I bet others do too but it would have been great to have a real Doc up here. Still no harm in asking,we can always phone her or visit her when we go down there."

"Good," Taylor said at Harry's information. "All we can do is try."

He prepared to depart again, then turned back and offered the man his hand again. "Thank you, Harry. I know this is putting you out. Hell, it's putting us all out. You could have simply said no ... stay away. The Chateau may be National Park property, but ... legally, its under contract and not ours-- mine to control. I'll make this right by you. I promise."

He listened to Harry's response, smiled again, then headed off to deal with ... well, what ever needed to be dealt with.


OOC: About this Scene Threads:

• Taylor is done with this Scene Thread and returning (in a manner of speaking) to the main IC thread.
• However, I presume that Harry will post once more, so please make sure you read that post before you leave this thread.
• Then come back to these instructions.
• Select this link. It will open a tab at the exact spot where this Scene Thread began, Post #16.
• If your computer works the same way mine does -- a PC with Windows 8.1 -- Post #16 will open as a single post. If it does, click the link "The Bad With The Good" in the upper right hand corner of your screen. That will open the entire IC thread, beginning at Post #16, and you can continue on with our story and ignore the rest of these instructions.
• If your computer didn't open Post #16 as a single post but instead opened the entire thread, you are again good to go.
• If none of this happened and you're wondering What the fuck! ... just go to "The Bad With The Good", find Post #16, and read on my friend.

Harry shook the Rangers hand. "It's the end of the world Taylor. What was I going to do, leave everyone out there to try and rough it?It is at times like this you find out if you are a decent person or an idiot. Me I prefer to be decent."

He smiled as the ranger strolled off to take care of things and he went the other way to find the Gleaners. He had to see what they had in the way of food and decide what they could cook for dinner. He had a feeling it was just going to be whatever stew. A favorite among galley cooks.