Rain

"Hey, are you alright? You're soaking wet and just kind of... standing there.

"Um, miss? Can you hear me? Shit, she's not even looking at me...

"Fuck, uh, okay, miss? I'm going to hold your hand, okay?

"Holy shit you're freezing.

"Uh, can you feel me? No... I guess? Fuck, what do I do.

"I can't just leave her here...

"Melanie is going to be pissed but...

"Okay, follow me, okay? Just don't let go.

"Oh thank god she can walk...

"You'll be okay, okay? We're almost there, and then you can dry off and warm up.

"Just up these stairs.

"Hey Mel! You here?

"Can you grab a towel?

"Maybe a lot of towels?

"No, I'm fine, I just-

"I brought a guest and-"

"Holy shit, did you find her in a pool or something?"

"She was just standing in the rain. She's really, really cold."

"No shit. Start drying her off, I'll get some blankets

"I think we even have a space heater around here..."

"Okay, uh, rain girl. I'm going to call you Rain, okay?

"Rain, I'm going to start drying you off.

"And uh, shit, I need to take your clothes off.

"Okay, there we go...

"Are you okay? The towels aren't too rough, are they?"

"Got the blankets."

"Thanks."

"Okay, Rain, here, I'm going to start drying your hair now.

"You have really nice hair, you know?

"Fuck, why am I even trying..."

"I knew we had a heater somewhere! How's the girl doing?"

"She's uh, I don't know."

"Hey girl, how're you feeling?"

"She doesn't, um,

Respond."

"...Oh."

"At least she's dry now. Dryer."

"That's... good.

"Can I try a bit?"

"Sure."

"Hey, girl-"

"Rain."

"Rain?"

"We can't just call her girl, so..."

"Rain."

"Yeah."

"Okay, okay.

"Hey, Rain. I'm Melanie.

"The brute who brought you here-"

"Hey!"

"The brute who brought you here is April.

"Do you have a name?

"Other than Rain.

"Shit, she really is unresponsive.

"I think she can hear us, though."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's really subtle, but she reacts a bit.

"But I don't think she can see."

"Damn."

"Yeah.

"So, Rain.

"April brought you here, okay?

"And she's the boss.

"That means you can stay here as long as you want.

"Okay?

"We won't kick you back out in the rain.

"So just keep sitting here and warming up, okay?

"I'll cook something for you."

"No you won't."

"Fine, April will cook something for you.

"So just sit tight, okay?"

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"Hey, Rain.

"It's me, Melanie again.

"We made soup for you.

"Can you drink soup?

"Here, it's right in front of you.

"This is where the spoon is, okay?

"I'm putting it into your hand.

"And here's the bowl.

"Don't worry about making a mess, just-

"Oh thank god, she can feed herself."

"Thank god."

"Okay, that's... that's good.

"She's not completely gone."

"Don't say it like that."

"How else am I supposed to say it?

"This is the first thing she's done since she got here!

"Sorry.

"Sorry, Rain.

"I didn't mean to shout.

"...Did you even notice?"

"Do you have any spare clothes?"

"Huh?"

"She's more your size.

"I'll take over while you're up."

"...Thanks.

"Sorry, it's just-"

"I get it."

"It's just my power.

"I need something to start from.

"And she's not giving me *anything*.

"I'll... get some clothing."

"Thanks.

"Don't worry, Rain.

"You'll feel better when you have something dry to wear.

"You'll like Melanie's clothes.

"She's got a way better fashion sense than me.

"You'd look like a lumberjack.

"Uh, anyways.

"Do you want more soup?

"I made plenty.

"Um, I'm just going to refill your bowl.

"But you shouldn't eat it if you don't want to.

"Okay?"

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"She's still here, huh."

"Fuck off, Galen."

"Not sure if you've noticed, boss, but this isn't exactly a daycare."

"I know that."

"So why's she still here?"

"She doesn't have anywhere else to go.

"We checked.

"And I'm not just going to leave her somewhere."

"Why not?"

"Why-!"

"I don't mean, like, on the street.

"Give her to the police or something.

"Or the hospital.

"Somewhere they can take care of someone like her."

"Galen!"

"She's doesn't *do anything* April!

"She just sits there.

"All day.

"Doing nothing.

"Literally staring a hole in the wall."

"Not *literally*."

"Stay out of this Mel."

"Fine fine."

"Boss.

"This isn't a charity.

"We're not exactly good people.

"We don't work, we don't eat.

"So why is she eating."

"That...

"I'm taking care of that.

"I'm paying for her all her stuff myself.

"It's won't affect the group."

"Except it kind of is."

"She's staying.

"That's final."

"Fine.

"Don't be surprised when everyone else complains."

"I'll say the same-

"And he's gone.

"Sorry, Rain.

"He doesn't really mean it.

"He's just...

"Worried.

"You know?

"If something happens here...

"You wouldn't be safe.

"You'd be a lot safer with.

"I don't know.

"Probably not the police.

"Fuck them.

"But...

"Fuck.

"I don't know.

"Sorry."

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"God.

"I hate it.

"I hate that I can't go with them.

"I mean.

"I get it.

"I can't fight for shit.

"I'm the planner.

"I just need to trust my plan.

"But.

"God.

"It's so nerve wracking.

"Sometimes...

"Sometimes I wish I were like you, Rain.

"Nothing ever bothers you.

"You're never worried."

'I am.'

"Just relaxing all-

"Did you just say something?"

'Worried.'

"Holy shit.

"Holy shit.

"You.

"You can talk.

"You can, right?

"You just did!

"Say something again!

"Come on!

"No?

"Fuck.

"Why?

"Because you were worried?

"No, that's not it...

"Because I said you *weren't* worried?

"How's that any different..."

<><><><><><><><><><>

"Hey guys!

"Welcome back!

"Great job stealing and shit.

"You'll never fucking guess what happened.

"Rain said her first word.

"It was 'Melanie'.

"Okay, it wasn't.

"Whatever-"

"Calm down Mel.

"At least let us sit down."

"Sorry, sorry."

"Did Rain really say something?"

"Yeah.

"I was telling her.

"That I was jealous of how calm she always is.

"That she was never worried.

"And then.

"And then-"

"She said something?"

"Yeah.

"Don't interrupt Galen.

"She said 'I am' and then 'worried'

"That's huge.

"That's really fucking huge."

"Why?

"I mean, okay.

"She's worried.

"God knows of what."

"Of you getting hurt.

"Well.

"Of April getting hurt, probably.

"And that's big.

"Just being able to talk is big.

"Because that means she can *think*.

"Eating on her own, or washing herself.

"Those things could be.

"You know?

"Sort of automated.

"They're not that complicated.

"Language is different."

"Maybe she was just copying you.

"Like a parrot."

"Yeah, maybe.

"It's not impossible.

"But I don't think so.

"And you pay me to do the thinking."

"Okay, fine.

"So she can talk and think.

"Does that actually change anything?"

"Yeah, it really does.

"It means she's not a zombie.

"It means she can *do* things.

"More than what she already does, I mean."

"Rain, expert lock picker?

"Or something?"

"Probably not.

"But.

"I don't know.

"Depends on what she's good at."

"Sitting."

"Yeah, so.

"Maybe she could do stake outs?

"Put her in front of a window.

"Come back in a couple hours.

"Ask her if anything happened?"

"...Huh."

"If she can use a phone, she could even call us.

"I don't know about you.

"But when it comes to sitting perfectly still for hours on end.

"I'm pretty sure Rain's the best."

"...I do fucking hate stake outs..."