The night had gone quiet again.
The road was still empty, the broken car left behind somewhere in the dark, barely visible now under the faint glow of distant lights.
Kate walked beside Ray, still holding onto his arm, her grip firm like she didn't trust him not to disappear if she let go.
He didn't resist.
Didn't say much either.
Just kept walking, slower now, the earlier chaos fading into something quieter, his steps uneven but steady enough.
Behind them, Julia caught up after a few seconds, exhaling lightly as she fell into step. "…You two are unbelievable," she muttered, though there was no real weight behind it.
Kate didn't answer right away.
Her eyes flicked toward Ray for a second—
then forward again.
"…You couldn't just sit in the car," she said eventually, quieter this time.
Ray tilted his head slightly, like he was trying to process that.
"…Car was broken," he mumbled.
Kate let out a breath through her nose, shaking her head slightly. "…That wasn't the point."
Julia glanced between them briefly, then back ahead, keeping pace. "We're not making it to the hospital like this," she said, tone calm, more practical now.
Kate tightened her grip on his arm just a little.
"…We are," she said, almost under her breath.
"Hospital? I ain't going there to get fuckin treated by some jew!" he shot back, voice louder again, stumbling slightly as he kept walking.
Kate stopped for half a second, then grabbed his arm harder, pulling him back a step. "Okay—no, we're not doing that either," she snapped, her tone sharper now.
Julia slowed behind them, letting out a quiet breath through her nose before shaking her head. "…You're still going," she said calmly, like it wasn't even up for discussion.
"Allons enfant de la patrie—
Le jour de gloire est arrivé—
Contre nous de la tyrannie—
L'étendard sanglant est levé—"
he started singing out of nowhere, voice uneven but way too committed.
Kate slowed slightly, blinking at him in disbelief before a short breath escaped her. "…Are you serious right now?" she muttered, still holding onto him.
Julia glanced over at him as she walked, a faint smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth before she looked ahead again. "…At least this one's accurate," she said.
as he looked for a second at Kate—
"les incompeten!" he added, completely butchering it.
Kate stared at him, then let out a short, disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. "…That's not even right," she said, tightening her grip on his arm.
Julia huffed quietly behind them, a small smile slipping through. "…Confident though," she muttered.
And then—
the motherfucker started running.
Kate froze for half a second, then immediately lunged after him. "OH MY GOD—RAY!" she shouted, breaking into a run.
Julia stopped, staring at them for a second like she was reconsidering her life choices—then pushed off after them with a sharp exhale. "…You've got to be kidding me."
Mid run he started talking to himself, slightly out of breath—
"What was the song my beloved taught me? OH—"
"I need a gangsta
To love me better
Than all the others do
To always forgive me
Ride or die with me
That's just what gangsters do—"
he sang, somehow keeping rhythm while running.
Kate was right behind him, trying not to lose him, a breathless laugh slipping out despite everything. "You're singing now?!" she shouted, reaching forward.
Julia ran after them, shaking her head once as she caught up slightly. "…If he trips, I'm leaving him there," she called out, not even slowing down.
"I'm fucked up, I'm black and blue
I'm built for it, all the abuse
I got secrets
That nobody, nobody, nobody knows—"
—and as he was about to say the last word—
he tripped.
Hard.
Kate skidded to a stop right behind him. "OH MY—?!"
He hit the ground, rolled slightly—
then just stayed there.
A few seconds later, he laughed, laying flat on his back as he took a puff, staring up at the sky like nothing happened.
"I'm good on, that pussy shit
I don't want, what I can get
I want someone, with secrets
That nobody, nobody, nobody knows—"
Kate stood over him, catching her breath, staring down at him in disbelief before a short, helpless laugh escaped. "…You're not even getting up?" she said, hands on her hips.
Julia slowed to a stop a few steps behind, bending slightly with her hands on her knees for a second before straightening. "…Alright," she muttered, looking down at him. "That's where he lives now."
"Huh? What?" he said suddenly, eyes widening like he'd just snapped back, looking around in confusion.
His gaze landed on her.
"Kate…?"
Kate froze for a second, the laughter fading from her face as she looked down at him. "…Yeah," she said, a little quieter now.
Julia straightened behind them, watching the shift for a moment, her expression settling. "…Well," she muttered under her breath.
"Why the fuck am I shirtless in the middle of fucking nowhere laying on the ground?!!!!!!"
Kate blinked at him, then let out a breath that almost turned into a laugh, one hand coming up to her face. "…You ran," she said, still catching her breath.
Julia crossed her arms, looking down at him with a raised brow. "You also gave a speech to a forest," she added calmly.
Kate shook her head, a faint smile still there as she looked at him. "…And sang. A lot."
He laid back down like he was done with life, staring up at the sky as he took a slow puff.
Kate watched him for a second, then let out a quiet breath, her shoulders dropping a little. "…Yeah, that checks out," she muttered, still standing over him.
Julia shifted her weight slightly, glancing down at him before looking ahead again. "…You done?" she asked, calm but expectant.
And as he took another puff, he pulled out a small 200 ml vodka bottle—
and drank it whole in one go.
Kate just stared at him.
"…Okay—what the fuck?!" she said, stepping forward immediately, trying to grab the empty bottle from his hand.
"Oh fuck, it's better now. World is spining..." he muttered, eyes half-lidded, staring up at nothing.
"I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed days, the dark sacred nights
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world—"
he sang softly, completely gone again.
Kate just stood there for a second, then let out a quiet breath, shaking her head with a faint, tired smile. "…You're actually impossible," she muttered, looking down at him.
Julia glanced between them, then at the empty bottle, exhaling through her nose. "…We're not making it to that hospital tonight," she said calmly.
And—
he pulled out another bottle.
Kate's eyes widened immediately. "Oh no—no, no—" she said, dropping down beside him and grabbing at his hand before he could finish it.
Too late.
He downed it again.
Kate just stared at him for a second—
then immediately started patting down his pockets. "Are you serious?!" she snapped, checking his jacket, his pants.
Julia watched for a moment, then stepped a little closer, arms still crossed. "…Check the other side too," she added, like this was now a routine.
And—
he suddenly pushed himself up and took off again, stumbling into a short run—
before pulling out another bottle and downing it mid-stride.
Kate just stood there for a split second, completely stunned. "…HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE?!" she shouted, immediately running after him again.
Julia blinked once, watching him do it, then let out a short breath through her nose before following. "…He's a walking liquor store," she muttered, picking up pace.
"I'm out, ladies!" he said—
and then immediately collapsed onto his back, completely unconscious.
Kate stopped right over him, breathing hard, staring down at him. "…Oh my God," she muttered, crouching down quickly and grabbing his shoulder.
Julia slowed to a stop a step behind, looking down at him with a long exhale. "…Well," she said, hands on her hips, "that answers that."
As Kate checks his pockets—
"…of course," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she pulled out another small bottle.
Then another.
Then—
"…Are you kidding me?" she said, holding up three more, staring at them in disbelief.
Julia leaned slightly closer, looking down at the bottles before letting out a short breath. "…I'm almost impressed," she said, shaking her head.
"That explains why he's so out of it—and he was completely normal before getting into the car, he must have drunk when I was looking!" Kate said, still holding the bottles, her tone somewhere between annoyed and realizing.
She glanced down at him again, her expression shifting slightly.
Julia let out a quiet breath, crossing her arms. "…Wouldn't be surprised," she said, looking at him for a second longer before glancing back toward the road.
"But you can't deny he's hot." Julia said, glancing down at him, her eyes briefly scanning over his shirtless body.
Kate's head snapped toward her immediately, eyes narrowing. "…Are you serious right now?" she said, a bit too quick, still holding the bottles.
"But you can't deny he's hot." Julia said, glancing down at him, her eyes briefly scanning over his shirtless body.
Kate's head snapped toward her immediately, eyes narrowing. "…Are you serious right now?" she said, a bit too quick, still holding the bottles.
And they stood there, looking down at Ray's unconscious body, neither of them moving for a moment.
Kate still held the bottles in her hand, her grip tightening slightly as she exhaled.
Julia's eyes flicked from Ray… to the empty road… then back again.
"…So," she said quietly.