My name is George Jeans, and I am lost.

[Rick-Banana]

Entry Twenty Eight.

After a pretty decent nights sleep I packed up and got ready to move out. Ran into a guy on the road, we exchanged pleasantries and he introduced himself as Mark. He asked me if I'd seen any line because he wanted to do some farming. I helped him find some and decided to just have an easy morning, enjoy the friendly company while it lasted. We got talking properly and he told me he'd been a U.N pilot before the fall, that he'd been part of the relief effort when all hell broke loose. I'll bet he didn't even know the shit he was flying into, so far as anyone on this side could tell the rest of the world had no real idea what was going on in Chernarus.

 Anyways we got onto talking about our travels, things we'd seen and done. The funny moments that really probably aren't that funny. Like a time when he was at the airfield and some guy just appeared behind him, called out. Apparently Mark span round with his gun out and this guy almost shit his shorts. Like I said, funny but not funny. After a while of talking he shared some fresh tomatoes with me he'd grown a while ago. I've never been much of a salad man but dam where they good! Fresh food, not canned crap! It was the best food I've eaten in a long time. After a while he said he was going to go grab some shut eye, so I took that as my cue to get on with my travels. Decided to head back Stary way, to see if there was anyone kicking around. There was, but not who I was looking for. When I got there it was absolutely crawling with the dead. I don't know how or why so many of them were around but I didn't wait to look for reasons, I got the hell out of dodge. Way too much heat for one man to handle in the daylight. I'm hunkered down on the edge of town now, grabbing a bite and then I think I'll head Vybor way, see what shakes loose.

Entry Twenty Nine

Well, things got interesting up north... I met a group of three on the road to Vybor, two women and a bloke. One of the women was a Doctor, Dr Pisces I think. The guy introduced himself as Dragoslav Novak. They were a pretty friendly bunch, Novak even spent a little time repairing my tac vest. For some reason though they also commented on my goddam pants. What do people have against paramedic pants...?

 After some more wandering lost for a while I found myself at the far end of the North Airfield. This is when things got interesting. Night had fallen at this point, and out of the darkness I hear shots ringing out. Automatic fire, and a lot of it. When it all quieted down I made my way over to where it sounded like it came from. Stumbled upon two guys, and one had the other at gun point. Scared the shit out of me. When the guy in control saw me he assured me they were actually friendly, just that the ChernoRussian dude he was coverings friend had attacked and killed his friend and that he had returned fire; explaining all the gunshots. They'd both lost a friend, but they seemed remarkably civil with each other in the aftermath. I guess no one wants to really get into a feud and wind up dead. I left them to wander down the runway as they were helping each other bury their friends. Strange sort of sight really.

 Halfway down the runway I ran into another guy. From a ways off he did this strange wiggle when he saw me. I was pretty confused but when he got to me he handed me a note that said he was mute. So I guess that was his was of signalling friendly maybe? Anyways the dude had lost his voice with everything that happened during the fall. Not surprising really, I'd seen similar things before. Before we could really communicate though some shots started popping off pretty near to us. I hit the deck but the mute guy, Regan, ran straight off towards them. I started to crawl my way outta there when he reappeared. Wrote down that some guy had been shooting walkers, had booked it when he saw Regan approach, but was circling back towards us. So he signaled I should follow him, cover him. I'm not proud to admit, but once we were in the trees I broke off and ran. I didn't know the guy, I had no reason to follow him towards a gun fight. Although it was pretty hard to shut up the voice inside my head when I heard a single shot ring out not long later... I guess this is how we have to live now though. I can't just blindly follow people towards danger. I'm a fucking paramedic for Christs sake! And I can't die over something so stupid. If that guy wanted to throw his life away that's his call to make.

 Later on in some barracks I'd missed before I hit the jackpot. Some AK variant rifle, three mags plus ammo for them all and a scope that fit well enough. The scope isn't in the best condition but its better than nothing. I took it all, plus held on to my mosin. I'm not a fan of being so visibly armed but maybe I could trade some of it away. Or give it to some poor bastard in trouble I guess. I'm calling it quits for the day now, in a small house not far off from the base. Its been a weird travel and the more I think about it the worse I feel about abandoning that guy, Regan. When all this started, just after the fall, I'd have stuck with that guy. I'd have been there with him even though I'm a useless shot and would have been scared shitless. I'd have done anything to help anyone. And now, now I think about it I've changed a lot. Less willing to stick my neck out, less willing to give help for free. I know that's how you have to be to survive this world, but it doesn't make me feel any better about it. Or what Helena would probably say if she could see me now. I wonder what she'd say. I wonder if she'd tell me I was doing the right thing, or if she'd chastise me for not being charitable. I wonder how she would have gotten on in this life, if she'd survived the initial outbreak. If her and Oscar could have made it, or if they'd just have ended up like so many other people. Robbed and wounded and scared. Sometimes I think they're the lucky ones, the ones who died. The ones who haven't had to change who they are to get by. The ones who don't have to struggle through every day with the memories of how the world used to be, with all that they've lost.

 Christ I could use a scotch...