“Okay, show me these machines you want.”

Amanda led him to the portable X-ray machine first.  It was nothing fancy, and not particularly heavy.  The equipment to print the X-rays was much heavier and less portable.  Allistor was able to disconnect it all, as most of it was just ‘plug and play’, and load it onto a gurney, which he pushed outside along with the X-ray unit itself.   They grabbed a portable defibrillator on the way out.  Along with several networked pads that the staff used to pull records and such.  “For when you run out of pencils and paper,” she poked at him.

As Allistor ran back through the corridors to get the truck, Amanda added a few last-minute items to the pile outside.  Six of the posts they used to hang plasma bags, boxes of tubing and needles, blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and other assorted supplies.   Finally, she ran into a breakroom and emerged with a pillowcase filled with the trashy romance novels the nurses kept stashed in there.  And a gallon-sized jar of lollypops for Chloe.

Allistor retrieved the rope and used some of it to secure the refrigerator and other items already on the trailer.  Then he slowly pulled around to the ER to load and secure those items.  Amanda hopped into the truck and they pulled around to the loading dock for the bins of tools.  When they were done, there wasn’t a square foot of free space on the back of the trailer, and the truck bed was piled high.   Amanda volunteered to drive, and Allistor rode on the trailer, prepared to stabilize anything that shook loose.

She started moving slowly, creeping along over the single speed bump between them and the road.  When nothing fell off, she picked up some speed on the road.  The first three and a half miles she cruised along at about 30mph.  When they reached the outskirts of town she slowed way down and threaded her way through the debris.  Reaching the stronghold gates, she honked the horn once, and Nancy let them in.

As they passed, she told them that Sam and Meg had already returned twice with their truck filled with stuff.  They were inside when Amanda parked in front of the kitchen.   For the next half hour, the group unloaded and stowed all the loot amid surprised exclamations, laughter, and much congratulation.

Sam was especially appreciative of the many and varied pies.  When he saw them, a wide smile appeared on his face.  Seeing that smile, a suspicious Meg walked over and looked into the bin.  “Oh, no you don’t!”  She got in front of him and physically pushed him away from the cart.  “We’re going to need a lock for the refrigerator!”