Scared Straight

## Summary

After Lawrence gets Ryker out of the hospitable trying to break Dale out, Lawrence puts Dale in the passenger seat of his car. Lawrence begins speeding the car and flooring the gas pedal.

Ryker asks where they're going, Lawrence says that they're going somewhere they need to see.

"Consider this a favor kid, Valentine doesn't know about this. She hasn't a clue that i've even left my house."

"A favor? You're drving at a million miles an hour in the middle of the night without anyone but you on earth knowing where we're going. If you're trying to get rid of me, just say it already."

"... I'm not trying to get rid of you. Gotta admit, you got heart... wish I had one." Lawrence reassures. They both stay silent for a while. After driving for a while, they enter a city. Ryker asks where they are, Lawrence ignores him.

After a bit more of driving, Lawrence mutters "Found one."

The car comes to a stop and Lawrence climbs out of the car. After that, Lawrence walks around the car and opens the door for Ryker. Ryker sits for a few seconds and climbs out of the car. Lawrence walks over to a humanoid figure and grabs it by the throat, then slams it against a wall.

Ryker walks over to Lawrence to see what's going on. Ryker sees what's happening and is taken aback.

Standing there, Lawrence is holding a member of the Rotten against a wall by it's neck. Description of the Rotten. Lawrence begins to yell at Ryker.

"You see this Ryker! This is what happens to victims of the Rot if they don't die! Now, almost all members of the Rot die a slow.. and painful death." Lawrence states, beggining to cry. "And if they don't die! They turn into this! A shadow of what they once were. They lose their humanity at this point, and you have to watch them slowly, and painfully turn into these monsters! I had to watch the person I loved dearly turn into this, I had to watch *my wife,* one of the only two people I've ever loved... lose what made me love them.... So tell me again... that you want to watch your friend either die a more painful death than you can imagine! Or become a literal shell of the living being they once used to be. You have the choice, of watching them do either of those... or letting them go through a painless ending surrounded by the ones you love." Lawrence screams, at this point sobbing.

Ryker begins to shake and then stumbles over against Lawrence's car. He sinks to the ground and slams his head painfully against the metal of the car then puts his head in his hands for a few seconds, then rests his head against the car and stares at the stars for a few seconds as tears stream from his face.

"That's..." Ryker begins, but is cut off by Lawrence.

"This is what's going to happen to your friend if you don't make the right choice." Lawrence finishes. Lawrence lets go off the Rotten, and they both watch as it walks away from them. Lawrence sighs and walks over to Ryker, then slides down the side of the car and sits next to Ryker with tears on his face as well.

"You watched that happen to your wife?" Ryker asks.

"Yep. Everyday... she grew worse and worse. Then eventually... something snapped in her disease, or just within her... I guess."

"Few months before I came to Sacramento... My uh... my adoptive father... my *dad* died."

"Rot?" Asks Lawrence.

"No.. no." Ryker responds quietly, then put his hands around his neck with tears still falling from his eyes.

"Hit and run, y'know? One second he's walking home, another car comes by, hits him, then drives off like a madman. Dead. Instantly. That's.. that's why I don't want to see another person *so* close to me, just die when I could save them. Worst part is.. I told you my last name is Wendell, right? Well, it *is.* But when Noah, my dad, adopted me, my last name was Asden. So.. on his 44th birthday, I was 18 so I got my last name changed to Wendell, the same one as his, some sort of birthday gift I guess. I had it ready for him right next to a cake that I had ready for him when he got home from work... Course' he got hit by a goddamn car on his way home." Ryker continues.

Lawrence takes a flask of alcohol out of his jacket and takes the bottle out of it. He hands the bottle over to Ryker.

"What's in this?" Ryker asks.

"Pink Lemonade. Drink it." Lawrence reassures. Ryker takes the bottle and drinks a swig of it, then hands it to Lawrence. Ryker stares at the dirt beneath him and sighs. They both spend the next few hours there, staring at the dirt.