The Words That Turn Us (DD)

"The Words That Turn Us" is the sixth episode of Season 1 of Dark Days. It is the sixth episode overall. It premiered on October 20, 2018.

Synopsis
"Tensions rise at the university, as a handful of survivors are faced with making difficult decisions that will change their lives forever."

Plot
The funeral service continues, many students and staff saying goodbye to the closed casket containing Martha Collins, before Clark goes to bury it, in a dirty and bloody pair of shirt and pants. He digs the grave next to the actual grave for Victor Timmons, and the symbolic grave for Caroline and her group as a whole.

As people come and go, Virgil looks around, seeing Oliver leaning against the wall through the crowd. He maneuvers his way through the people to get to him.

“Hey, you okay?” He mutters upon arrival.

Oliver glances up at him, before staring back at the ground. “No, obviously.”

Virgil sighs. “I know, bud. I know. This shit sucks, and I know you were close to Martha.”

“She was one of my favorite professors.” Oliver mutters, his voice barely audible. “This is all a bunch of bullshit…”

Virgil looks over his shoulder, spotting Clark shoveling the dirt back into the hole. “You said it. Too many people are dying.”

“... I’m scared.” Virgil snaps his attention back to Oliver. “I’m still scared… I don’t know what the hell I should be expecting anymore. Every second of every day, someone is dying or about to die. Is that just how it’s supposed to be now?”

Virgil shakes his head. “No, no. Obviously not. Day after day of people dying… no, no, no. That should not be how survival plays out. Cause then it’s only a matter of time until… well, we all fall down.”

“So what do we do, then?” Oliver asks.

The man is about to reply, when a woman taps on his shoulder, getting his attention. He looks to see Pam Anderson standing there. “Mr. Black, I don’t mean to interrupt but… I was on my way to check on Blaine, and I was wondering if I could talk to you about something regarding that.”

He shakes his head. “If you tell me he’s gonna die…”

“Oh no, he’s stable.” Pam shakes her head. “He’ll make a recovery, but still. I could use your assistance.”

Virgil nods, turning back to Oliver quickly. “Make whatever decision you think will make you feel safe. We can talk later, okay?”

He walks off before Oliver can properly respond, and he silently throws his hands up, before putting them in his pocket and walking off.

The moment the young man turns away, he almost bumps into Kate Gardens. “Jeez-- Ms. Gardens, don’t freak me out like that…”

“Forgive me, Mr. Blake, but I overheard that conversation, and I want to ask you something…” Her smile does not waver. “Do you feel safe here?”

Oliver looks around, unsure. “... uh, no, not anymore, honestly.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Cause of, ya know… all the death.” He looks around again, gesturing to the gravesite.

“And do you think that all of this death would’ve been avoided if Principal Blaine Parker was not in charge?” Kate walks closer to him. “He could not save Victor Timmons, he could not convince Caroline and her group not to leave, and he still has not found the source of the undead break-ins, meaning that his incompetence has put Ms. Martha Collins in the ground.”

Oliver is silent, not breaking eye contact. He processes her words.

“Now he’s incapacitated, and everything is in disarray.” She continues. “But I think I would be a good replacement… I have plenty of solutions to all of these problems.”

Oliver takes yet another glance at the gravesite. “... okay, I’m listening.”

The front doors to the university open, Pam and Virgil walking in side by side, the two in the middle of conversation.

“Do you think you can do it?” Pam asks. “I want someone he trusts in charge of this place while he’s incapacitated, and in all honesty, I’d prefer you over Gardens.”

“Would you prefer anyone over her?” Virgil asks.

“Of course.” Pam shrugs. “She’s a bitch.”

Virgil shakes his head. “I don’t know. How has he not recovered yet? Did the knife really go that deep?”

She nods. “You would be surprised how bad the wound was.”

“Something tells me I probably wouldn’t.” He sighs in response.

“SERIOUSLY, PARKS NEEDS HELP!”

Pam and Virgil quickly look at each other with wide eyes, before they sprint down the hall towards the infirmary, recognizing the sudden scream as Gina’s voice.

The two rush inside the infirmary, Virgil letting Pam enter first as she shouts. “''Gina, what is it?! What’s wrong--?!''”

The girl steps aside from the bed as the two stop, witnessing Parker laying still, staring up at the ceiling, foam pouring from his mouth, and his heart monitor completely still.

“... oh my fucking god…” Virgil shakes his head.

“He’s…” Pam puts a hand to her mouth. “... he’s dead, Gina.”

Gina looks up and quickly shakes her head. “N-No, he’s not, look! He’s still breathing, I can feel a pulse! Fucking look!”

“Gina, I… what do you expect me to do here?!” Pam glares at the girl. “His heart monitor is flat, and he’s just had a seizure! I don’t know what’s going on, and he’s going to die!”

“Well he’s not dead yet, so fucking save him!” Gina screams. “YOU HAVE TO!”

“WELL I CAN’T!” Pam screams back. “'I couldn’t save Victor Timmons! I panicked and he DIED! What kind of nurse am I?! I can barely save anybody’s lives!'”

She collapses into the seat, and there is a silence in the air for a moment. Gina shakes her head. “Yeah, that’s right… you couldn’t save Timmons. And you have to live with that. And now you have the chance to save somebody’s life and you’re not even going to try?”

Pam looks up at her as she continues. “I gave him his medicine, and he had a fucking seizure. Work with that and save his fucking life!”

The nurse looks at Gina, still a bit distraught, before her frown fades into a determined expression. She stands up and rounds the bed, ripping out the heart monitor from the outlet and pulling the sheets back.

“If he’s had a seizure, then it means he’s had an allergic reaction to the medicine.” She says, grabbing a stethoscope. “Virgil, while I get a heartbeat, clean off the foam and grab me a syringe and every vile from the black cabinet that you can. I need to focus.”

“On it.” Virgil rushes to the cabinets, and Gina watches the two work, until Pam looks up at her.

“I know you want to help, but I need space, Ms. Lestrade.”

Gina shakes her head. “... but, but I--”

“Now, Gina.” Pam nods. “I’m going to save him. He is not dying today.”

After a moment, the girl nods, and steps out of the room, closing the door and heading down the hall. She rubs her arms, a chill going down her spine as she sits on the bench in the foyer of the university.

She continuously moves to other spots on a few more benches, before she just paces back and forth around the area.

Warren sits idly on his bed, body loose and slouched, staring at the floor with a far off gaze. The blood stains coating his chin and left cheek have dried into a slightly faded, but still noticeable dull red.

Fast footsteps are heard, as Dahlia quickly rounds into the room through the open door. “Kenny still won’t come out of his room, and who knows where the fuck Raye went.”

Warren doesn’t respond, as Dahlia crosses her arms and paces back and forth across the small dorm.

“We’re gonna have to tell somebody.” The girl wipes sweat from her forehead with a forced sigh. “Dammit, we’re gonna have to tell somebody…”

Still no response.

Dahlia swivels around. “Will you just fucking say something?”

Warren blinks, clearing his throat a bit. “... she just… sh-shot herself…”

“Yeah, she did. I don’t know why the fuck she did, but--”

“She killed her best fucking friend!” Warren suddenly stands up, getting in Dahlia’s face. “''She caved his face in! She was depressed Dahlia!''”

Dahlia steps back, shaking her head. “Yeah, I’m sorry Mike died. But if she would’ve just talked to us--”

“You think she wanted to talk after a fucking murder?!”

“I don’t know, but she DIDN’T NEED TO DIE!” Dahlia screams, silencing Warren as he sees tears starting to form in her eyes. “She didn’t… she didn’t need to!”

She shakes her head, before collapsing into Warren. She sobs into his chest, and he slowly puts his arms around her.

“I-I’m a bad leader…” Dahlia mutters. “I keep… I keep trying too hard to keep everyone in line, away from the sharp objects and the nooses and the guns and the painful shit… cause we’re safe in here.

“But it’s like… the harder I try, the more people die.” She shakes her head again. “And it’s all getting to me… too many people are d-dying…”

“... then don’t try so hard.” Warren mutters back to her. “Dollie, you don’t have to be responsible for everyone… just yourself. We all have each other’s backs here, and bad shit just happens.

“Yeah, it might be some time before we process everything, but… we can make it. I still need to realize that… Melanie and Mike are gone now. But just because they’re gone, doesn’t mean it’s all hopeless. Just… put your life back in order.”

Dahlia looks him right in the eyes. “... and h-how do you expect me to just… handle my life?”

Warren shrugs. “... maybe just stop surviving, and start living?”

The girl’s eyes dart around a bit, as she sniffs, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. She meets Warren’s gaze again. “Are we gonna be okay?”

He slowly pulls her in for a soft kiss. “You and I will be just fine… I promise.”

Dahlia doesn’t pull away, her shoulders relaxing. After a moment, they stop, and Dahlia looks him in the eye again. “... what now?”

“How about we clean everything up, and figure out what to do after?” Warren sighs. “I think we should get them ready for their own funerals… and then we have to go tell someone.”

Dahlia nods, and the two slowly part as Warren goes to leave. “... hey Warren?”

“Yeah?” He turns back to look at her.

“Do you have an answer to my question yet?” She asks. “Are we safe here?”

He shakes his head. “I’m still looking for an answer, but I know we’ll find one.” And he leaves the room, Dahlia soon following, somewhat unsure.

Gina continues to pace back and forth, wiping sweat from her forehead rapidly. On one hand, she despises Pam for giving up right on the spot. On the other, she is thankful she was there at all, and that she was easy to convince to try.

Still unsure of everything, she continues to pace around, not noticing two boys approaching her. “Hey! Gina!”

She stops and turns around, spotting two friends, Duncan and Edmond. She sighs. “The hell do you two want?”

“Whoa, hostile.” Duncan looks at Edmond with a chuckle. “Calm down, princess.”

“Oh shut it, I don’t have time for your douchiness.” Gina glares at the two. “Now go away.”

The two look at each other, before Edmond speaks up, walking closer. “Heard Parker is doing pretty terribly.”

Gina is about to speak up when a thought crosses her mind. “... wait, how did you know that?”

“If he’s in pretty bad shape, you mind if we go see him?” Duncan asks. “We’ve got… a message.”

Something makes her feel uneasy, as she shakes her head. “No, no way. You two cocks with legs can go shove yourselves in a meat grinder. Stay away.”

“Aaaaaaand there’s Lil’ Miss Bitch.” Edmond pulls out a switchblade, their smiles fading as he draws closer to Gina. “You may have been tough shit before the world ended, Gina, but you can’t push us or anyone else around this time. Not anymore.”

Duncan shakes his head. “No way. Now that we’ve got Kate’s guidance, you can’t push any of us around anymore. So let us see Parker. Now.”

Edmond nears her with the knife, and she reacts fast. “NO!” Edmond starts a sprint after her shout, causing her to pull her foot up and kick him in the abdomen. He grunts and falls back into Duncan, and the two fall to the floor as Gina turns and runs towards the infirmary.

Kate comes around a corner, frowning at the two on the floor. “Well that was very on the nose.”

And then Oliver walks out from behind Kate. “She’s gonna try and warn them about us now.”

Kate looks over her shoulder at him. “So put a stop to it. You have it in you.”

Oliver turns around as a few other students gather; Chad and Erika among them. Erika crosses her arms. “Those two dumbasses messed up?”

“Obviously.” Oliver nods. “We have to hurry before we lose our chance to finish this.”

“So what, we just go in there and slit his throat?” A girl named Abbie asks, casually holding up a knife.

“Whatever it takes.” They turn to see Alain standing there, fists clenched. “That fucker has to die. The longer this place is under his control, the faster we’re all gonna drop dead.”

“Fuck Parker.” Chad raises a knife. “Let’s get this over with and make this school a better place!”

They cheer in agreement, before Oliver and Chad lead them down the hall, Kate smiling as they go bye. They turn and spot Gina still running.

“GINA!” Oliver shouts. “Don’t fucking move!”

She glances over her shoulders, and continues to run, reaching the infirmary door. She kicks it open and enters, slamming it shut.

Pam and Virgil look at her in surprise. “Gina, what the fuck--?!”

“Don’t open this door!” Gina shouts, locking the door and grabbing a scalpel from the counter to defend herself. “And now you need to save his life faster!”

“What the hell is going on outside?” Virgil asks quickly.

Gina briefly glances at him. “There’s a mob coming for Parks. They want him dead.”

Pam briefly stops filling the syringe, before continuing. “Then it makes sense now. Blaine’s pills were poisoned. Someone’s trying to kill him.”

Her words surprise the girl, but she nods in agreement. “Well, I’ve got a pretty good idea of who it is.”

“It’s Kate, isn’t it.” Virgil mutters,

“Who else could it be?” Pam shakes her head. “Gina, she wants Blaine dead so she can take charge of this school. Do not let that bitch into this room.”

Gina spins the scalpel around in her hand, readying herself at the door. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”

Then there’s a knock at the door. Chad’s voice booms from the other side as he jiggles the knob. “Gina, open the damn door! You know this has to happen!”

“Fuck off, Chad!” Her grip tightens on the scalpel. “Pam is saving his life! Just go away!”

“He has to die!” Chad shouts, pounding on the door again. “He’s gonna get us all killed if he continues to lead us! And if you don’t open this door, we’re gonna bust it open!”

And the loud crowd of students cheer angrily.

Gina swallows nervously, grip on the scalpel loosening. Then, just as Pam is injecting another round of medicine into Parker through his neck, Gina yanks open the drawer to the right of the bed and digs through Parker’s belongings.

Pam glances up. “Gina, what are you--”

“Bingo.” She mutters.

The girl pulls out Blaine’s pistol and aims it at the door. Pam and Virgil stop what they’re doing and watch her in surprise,

“Chad, I have a gun.” Gina says, voice starting to shake. “I-If you don’t go away, I swear to Christ I will shoot you the moment that door opens.”

There is silence, before Chad speaks again. “You’re bluffing.”

Gina cocks the gun. “Wanna bet?”

There’s another period of silence. Then, a new voice speaks up. “Gina?”

Her eyes widen. “... M-Monica?”

The blond girl on the other side of the door sighs. “Hey, Gina… just stop this, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Y-You’re with them?” Her hold on the gun tightens.

“... I’m not.” Monica declines. “I’m not with them, I don’t want to be… but they’ll just kill you if you don’t stop this.”

Silence. Gina looks at the gun in her hands, considering stopping.

Then, a new voice joins in. “Gina, just put down the gun and open the door. We won’t hurt you or Pam. We don’t want to hurt you or Pam.”

Virgil’s eyes widen. “Oliver…?”

“... I-I’ll shoot you too, Oliver.” Gina stutters, tightening her grip on the gun. “I’ll shoot all of you. St-Stay away from Parks.”

The man races around the bed towards Gina. “Gina, don’t shoot.”

“I’m not letting them get in here to kill him.” She shakes her head. “I refuse to back down.”

Oliver once again raps at the door. “Open the fucking door, or we’re breaking in!”

“Oliver no!” Virgil shouts quickly. “This is wrong, don’t be a part of this! You’re putting your life on the line for murder!”

Oliver blinks, stepping back from the door. “... Virgil?”

“Is this what you really want?” Virgil pleads. “To kill your friends? To kill the principal? To kill me? Just walk away, okay? Kate is wrong, and I don’t want you to go down this road.”

Oliver looks down at the knife in his hand, then back at the locked infirmary door. He releases his grip on the knife, and it falls to the floor. The others look at him curiously, as he shakes his head. “... we can’t do this, guys. I can’t do this. This is wrong.”

“Seriously?” Abbie speaks up. “You’re just gonna pussy out?”

“What the fuck, man?!” Alain shouts. “We have to kill him!”

Chad glares at him. “If you aren’t doing it, then I am.”

“Chad, this is wrong!” Oliver glares back. “We’re trying to stop death by causing more death. What about this is right?!”

“This is gonna be the last death.” Chad says. “The last one. And it will all be over!”

He shoves Oliver aside, holding up a hammer and slamming it against the door handle.

Gina places her finger on the trigger, hands shaking. “''D-Don’t do it! I’m warning you!''”

Another slam. The noise draws the attention of others, as Clark storms down the hall towards them. “What the hell are you people doing?!”

The final slam, the door to the infirmary is unlocked as the handle is bent and broken off. Chad charges and pushes it open, despite protests from the others.

Virgil’s eyes widen as he reaches for Gina. “Gina, NO!”

Gina shrieks and squeezes her eyes shut, pulling the trigger.

A gunshot rings out, and the commotion stops as the bullet zips through the side of Clark’s neck.

The man’s eyes widen in surprise, as he coughs and hacks, gurgling on his blood as he slowly collapses against the wall. He holds his neck, reaching up at the others, who back away with wide eyes. Even Chad stares at him from the infirmary doorway.

Finally, his movements cease, and he slumps awkwardly against the wall before sliding to the floor, a pool of his own blood starting to form around him. The survivors look at his body in shock, Monica placing a hand over her mouth and Oliver shaking his head in disbelief.

More people appear, including Warren and Dahlia at the end of the hall, who are surprised to see the result of the carnage. Even Candice and Rocky show up at the scene, but they’re joined by one particularly booming voice.

“What the FUCK WAS THAT?!” Daniel storms down the hall, glaring at each and every one of them. He pushes past them all and glances down at Clark’s corpse.

Without hesitation, he gets down on one knee, pulls out his knife, and stabs him right in the temple, before ripping the knife out in one fell swoop.

Gina hisses a bit, wincing in surprise at the sudden but painful sight, still unable to process what she had done. Her arms fall to her sides.

Daniel stands back up. “'All of you, GET OUT OF HERE! RIGHT THIS FUCKING INSTANT!'”

They all back up, Chad and Erika hurrying off instantly. Oliver takes one look at Vergil, before walking off with the crowd, all of whom have turned to Kate at the end of the hall, who silently leads them back.

Daniel turns his attention to Gina, storming into the infirmary. “'And YOU! What the ever-loving SHIT did you just DO to this man?!'”

“I-I just, I mean, I didn’t m-mean…” Gina stammers, stumbling back against the bed and dropping the gun to the floor. Tears well in her eyes, as she shakes her head rapidly. “N-No, he shouldn’t have, I-I didn’t want, didn’t m-mean to…”

“Are you out of your MIND?!” Daniel continues to scream. “'You reckless bitch, YOU KILLED HIM IN COLD BLOOD! YOU’RE A MURDERER!!'”

“Enough, Daniel.”

Silence falls over the infirmary, and Gina instantly whips her head around, sniffling with widened eyes.

Parker’s head is turned towards the officer, and he glares at him. “Stop your yelling… leave her alone.”

Daniel breathes, glancing at the others. Without another word, he turns around and storms out of the room in a hurry.

Gina sighs in relief. “O-Oh my god, Parks…!”

“Gina, help me up.” Parker mutters.

Pam clears her throat. “... um, Blaine… you should really be resting.”

“Help me up.” Parker repeats. Gina instantly helps him sit up, Pam hesitantly joining in.

Once he’s seated upright, Parker slowly rises, standing up in the gown and slippers he’s been given as a patient of the infirmary. Yet despite this, his cold voice and far away glare still make him incredibly imposing.

And he starts forward, Gina by his side. Pam and Vergil follow him out of the room. Monica is there outside, and she and Gina share one knowing look, as she accompanies them. Even Warren and Dahlia, shocked and confused by what had happened, silently tag along from the back.

Oliver is at the end of the hall, and he locks eyes with Vergil, sharing a sad look. Vergil nods at him. “It’s okay…” He whispers. Oliver follows them.

The group led by Parker reach the lobby, with Kate and her group on the opposite side. Kate turns and smiles at Parker, walking over to meet him in the middle.

The two stand still, opposite each other, illuminated by the dim, dull light from outside.

“Good to see you up and walking.” Kate begins. Parker doesn’t respond. “Though, you may walk the walk, but you can’t yet talk the talk? I’m waiting, after all.”

The students look around at each other, unsure of what is going to happen.

“So you have nothing to say then? No profound wisdom to preach to us?” Kate still smiles at him.

“... you tried… to poison me.” Parker says quietly. “You forced all of these students… to try and assassinate me.”

“Forced? Oh, no no no, they say actions speak louder than words, but I didn’t force anything.” Kate shakes her head. “It’s the words that turn us, Blaine. Everything begins with words. All I did was tell everyone a truth they failed to realize without my help. And once they knew that truth, they made the decision to strike.”

Silence again. Despite Parker’s height over Kate, she is not intimidated whatsoever.

“So that’s it then? You have nothing else to tell me?” Kate smiles. “Or are you about to scream at me? Tell me I’m wrong? Use my logic against me? Prove how worthless of a leader you are?”

Parker takes one step towards Kate, looking down at her with cold, dead eyes. “Get out of my sight, you filthy cunt.”

Kate’s lips twitch briefly, but she still smiles. She takes one step back, and glances at Oliver, who shakes his head. She then turns away, and walks down the hall, the rest of her cult following.

And everyone stands there for a moment, before silently dispersing, no words being shared. The only two who remain in the lobby are Warren and Dahlia, who look at each other and take their hands.

“Let’s just stay calm.” Warren says quietly. “Okay? We’ll figure everything out…”

Dahlia nods, before her eyes dart to the front door. “There’s walkers at the front gates again.”

Warren looks and sees them. “I’ll go clear them out.”

He walks off to the front door, Dahlia following him just as he opens them and exits out into the dull evening. Warren approaches the gate quickly, hearing the snarls of the undead. He winces at the disgusting sounds they make, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a knife.

The first one on the left falls easily with one stab to the forehead. Warren yanks the knife out, and readies it again to the one on the right, before forcing it into its skull. It falls back, and only one remains. Warren readies the knife.

“''Wait, don’t! D-Don’t!''”

Warren’s eyes widen, and he stops, almost dropping the knife. He squints his eyes, stepping closer to the gate to look at the undead humanoid before him. Only now he can see it’s a person, a person covered in blood and muck.

“Warren… it’s me.”

Warren drops the knife, stumbling back in surprise. “... K-Kylie?!”

Special Guest Star

 * Amanda Arcuri as Kylie Washington

Co-Stars

 * Rekha Sharma as Pam Anderson
 * Craig Gellis as Clark
 * Tommy Knight as Alain
 * Chris Owen as Duncan
 * Joey Bragg as Edmond
 * Angela Sarafyan as Abbie

Uncredited

 * Camryn Manheim as Candice Noire
 * Gia Mantegna as Stacy
 * Abbie Cobb as Clara

Deaths

 * Clark

Trivia

 * First appearance of Duncan.
 * First appearance of Edmond.
 * First appearance of Abbie.
 * First appearance of Stacy.
 * First appearance of Clara.
 * Last appearance of Clark.
 * This episode reveals that Kylie Washington survived the herd attack in "A Bridge Too Far", and returned after an absence of two episodes.