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Silent Hill: Lost Empathy: Part Five
The man shifted in the bed, resting his head against a pillow and finding himself unwilling to wake. Marko was going to kill him for sleeping in so late, but there wasn't any supply runs today and if anything had happened he'd have been called on. Logan was one of the best fighters in the group, they couldn't afford an encounter without him or Marko nearby. Kain had been a great help at defending the apartments and making enough of a defense that no one without a key could get in. It's not like the monsters had arms anyways.

Monsters... Logan sat up and reached for his gun. When it wasn't there, he looked at his surroundings. It wasn't the base in Wood Side. It wasn't where Logan could easily arm himself. It was new and foreign. Soft light flooded in from the nearby window and there was the smell of home cooking. It was beautifully furnished and seemed so out of place in a town like Silent Hill.

He was still in Silent Hill, wasn't he?

“Relax,” came the voice from before. It was stern but not so forceful that Logan felt intimidated. He slowly began to move from the bed. He was on a fold out couch in the middle of a spacious room. There were several decorations, mostly glass, a few pictures. He recognized one of the pictures as Toluca Lake, another one as the Wish House. The man began to rise when a woman came through from the kitchen.

“I'm going to administer a tetanus shot. I suggest you sit back down.” Her voice matched her frame. Thin, but strong looking. She wore a black tank-top, faded and dirty blue jeans, what looked like a utility belt, several gun holsters, and combat boots. Perhaps the most piercing aspect of her was the way that her eyes followed movement, flicking cooly at anything at any time. They were a sharp and stunning blue that seemed to give her an even more deadly edge. Brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, from which a few strands had come loose and dangled across her face, accompanied by her bangs.

Logan did as he was told and the woman began to create a makeshift tourniquet. Cleaning the inside of his arm even further, she bit the cap of the syringe and pulled the device out, spitting the plastic to the side. It was only as she worked that Logan realized that his wounds had been tended to with extreme care. Whomever she was, this woman seemed to have some medical training.

“I'm Helen,” she said bluntly, finally looking him in the face. The full blast of her features caught the man off guard. She looked so familiar. Logan's eyes met hers and he realized it was his turn to speak.

“Logan,” he said cautiously, confused about the woman. He was certain he'd seen her before but she wasn't part of the group in Wood Side and he wasn't sure of any other dwellers in Silent Hill. Most, if not all, individuals didn't have the resources to survive long in the town.

“There, I'm finished,” she said, bandaging where she pulled the needle from. “Apply pressure to that and don't make any sudden movements with your arms.” Helen stood straight and glanced out the window before heading back into the kitchen to dispose of the syringe. “I don't think I've seen you around,” came her voice from a distance. “I tend to the wounded here and then send them on their way, so it might be good for you that I've never seen you.”

Logan gave a weak chuckle. “Maybe.” The man pressed down on his arm and the stabbing feel where the needle had been sent shivers through him. The man sighed, slightly more content now that pain was back. “If you've met people, why haven't you joined them? We could use a medic.”

Helen returned with warm drinks and soup. “Groups slow me down. I go through Brookhaven and Alchemilla to get my supplies, I don't have the time for a group and all the politics that come with them.” She pulled over a chair and sat near the man, those eyes never really leaving him. It was obvious she had her suspicions, but in a town like this, it was to be expected.

“The supplies aren't outdated?” Logan asked, now somewhat distraught at what was coursing through his blood. It would be his luck to have his arm fall off because some wanna-be nurse got absent-minded.

“I use non-perishable items, such as bandages and whatever hasn't expired when I go to Alchemilla. Brookhaven is more up to date, but even those are going to be outdated soon. I'm not sure what I'll do at that point.” Helen sipped some of the drink she had brought. “Don't be shy,” she continued with a slight hint of annoyance. “The sweet tea is to get some sugar back into your blood and the soup will give you some sustenance. If you keep that down then I'll get you something more solid.”

The two sat in silence as Logan lifted the tea to his lips slowly. Feeling the warmth run down his chest as he drank, the man began to gulp faster before finishing and turning towards the soup. It wasn't until now that he realized how famished he felt. It had been a while since the events at the grocery store. Quickly, Logan started on the soup before feeling light headed.

“Whoah,” Helen said, leaning back and crossing her legs. “Just relax. The soup isn't going anywhere and there's more food where that came from.” She laughed, shaking her head as she finished her own cup of tea.

Logan moved his eyes from hers, down her body, and back to the soup. It was crazy to know that other people were living in the town just fine. He finished the soup and then looked out the window. It was going to get dark soon.

“I have to go. I've got a base back in Wood Side Apartments and I need to make sure they're alright.” Logan stood and shook his head. The motion made him feel woozy and he fell back onto the bed, landing sprawled on his back. Helen simply shook her head and began to move everything back into the kitchen.