Tess Collins

**Tess Collins** is a character role-played by Jminamistar.

## Description

Tess Collins is a 23 year old nurse from Sullivan, Missouri. In the month leading up to the EMP storm, Tess was working in Los Santos for the first time since getting her nursing license. Initially nervous about such a big move, Tess was also excited to throw herself into her work and help people.

Tess is very sociable, albeit a touch naive at times, and will always help those in need. Since the world ended, Tess will often exchange her basic medical knowledge or supplies for just enough to get by; whether that be food, resources, or even just friendly conversation to get by. While she dislikes asking

for anything in return for basic medical care, she also recognizes that it's her biggest strength in this new way of life. Despite the dire circumstances humanity faces, Tess holds out hope that things will get better.

## Backstory

Tess Collins was born on March 28th, 2000 to a decently wealthy family in Missouri. Her great grandfather, decades ago, started a successful mining tycoon in the 1800s that has lended the Collins their wealth ever since. Because of this, Tess grew up comfortable. Anything she could ever want was given to her, though her parents - and most of her family members - were surprised to see that she often wanted for nothing. Indeed, though her family could afford it, Tess rarely dressed in anything extravagant, nor had any expensive hobbies she partook in.

From an early age, Tess always enjoyed taking care of others. From setting up imaginary hospital rooms for her stuffed animals, to helping her mother or father whenever they got the cold or flu, Tess was eager to help. This translated to her working as hard as she could in school to ensure she could get a career in nursing. While she briefly debated becoming a doctor, Tess realized she much preferred the patient interaction. At its core, nursing always seemed to focus on the wellness of a patient, not just studying what was wrong with them. She respects doctors, of course, but the often scientific-focused methods she associated with them felt different from what she wanted to do.

When she finished her studies, Tess knew she wanted to move somewhere big and busy enough to feel like she was truly making a difference with those she was helping. She settled on Los Santos, and made the move a month before the EMP storm hit. After the strike, life at the hospital was chaos. Patients were dying, and many more were coming in for help that they simply couldn't provide. Then, rumors of an unimaginable virus spreading further impacted the hospital. At that point, recognizing the danger they all were in, Tess realized she couldn't do anything to help. Heartbroken, scared, and in disbelief, Tess fled on her own - ignoring the screams and plees of people dying or being torn apart by those *things*. "Every man for himself" was a way of life she didn't acclimate well to.

Tess survived by trading any medical supplies she could find, or her medical knowledge itself, for food, water, and weapons. Though not fond of combat, Tess will try to help out any lone survivors who seem to be in trouble, if she can. Sometimes, all she really needs is a conversation next to a warm fire, and will be happy to offer her supplies for nothing in return except for that. In a world permeated by death and ungodly horrors, saving humanity happens by preserving the little things.