#anything under the sun could work tbh either directly answering him or yanking his attention from somewhere else

[ashton-ryder]

// open. int. atrium - morning. 8th april. @ruthellry adjacent

Ashton was usually one of the early risers for breakfast and had already avoided the crowd peaking an hour later and he and Ruth had decided to take their tea up to the roof, quoting her wanting to visit the chicks again and just talk rubbish about their lives and happenings as they used to do at least once a week. He forgot how much it pulls him out of his head to have these again with Ruth, even if just a moment. And lo and behold a moment was too quick, from the rooftop open air they could hear a wide range of noises escalating - a loud grotesque oof thud, a scream, familiar shouts, more screams, gun shots-- the two of them shared a gaze and immediately sprinted down to the source of the chaos. A quick stop by their places, Ruth picking up emergency supplies and Ashton grabbing his handgun and combat knife, he refused to relive the helplessness with Courtney's death all over again.

By the time they made it down the threats had seemingly been quelled but it was still chaos, panic, sobs, blood- everywhere. "Where's.." Ash murmurs as his eyes widened, a panicked second that overwhelmed and consumed him eyes darting across the entire scene trying to figure out who needed help, what happened, were there still threats, where were the people he was instinctive wanting to reach out for. Where was Jeremiah? His own panic rising not finding his face at all amongst the blurred chaos. Ashton pulled himself back together hearing Ruth get to work, following to whatever she needed, nodding to her, people needed help. He had to do what he could right now. Tucking his gun behind his pants waistband, He grabbed a spare medical kit from Ruth before reaching out to the next person, eyes still darting around to access the situation and search for his people, "you okay? what happened, who's hurt? Who needs help?"