Tatum's office is located in the back of the store. He's usually found here or doing some work in the store. The only ones allowed in here is Marion and Katie his trusted employees.
Tatum grunted as he lifted his head up. His phone kept vibrating, but he couldn't find enough strength to reach over and grab it. Bottle after bottle of whiskey lied in a cluster on the wooden floor and the table seemed to be all the same with the slight exception of his cell phone and a shot glass.
His body couldn't move the slightest inch and his head felt like it just came out of the microwave. He felt groggy most of all, so getting up seemed like the biggest challenge to him. Fortunately, he raised a daughter for a reason.
"Katie," he said in a voice that still sounded as drunk as can be. "Com'ere 'n give Uncle Tatum a hand, will ya?"
His body couldn't move the slightest inch and his head felt like it just came out of the microwave. He felt groggy most of all, so getting up seemed like the biggest challenge to him. Fortunately, he raised a daughter for a reason.
"Katie," he said in a voice that still sounded as drunk as can be. "Com'ere 'n give Uncle Tatum a hand, will ya?"
Katie popped her head inside Tatum's office only to find empty bottles of whiskey lying about and Tatum in one of the worst shapes of his life. A slight smile appeared on her face as she approached her father.
"You've got to stop drinking," Katie said, looking at the vibrating phone. "Are you gonna get that?"
"You've got to stop drinking," Katie said, looking at the vibrating phone. "Are you gonna get that?"
Tatum groaned when she asked that question. He figured that it might be important, but he didn't want to bother trying to answer it.
"Send it to voicemail," he told her as his body slowly sat up.
"Send it to voicemail," he told her as his body slowly sat up.
Katie picked up the device and decided to not only send the call to voicemail, but open up a text message from Alan, her cousin.
"Cousin Alan sent a message about a minute ago," Katie informed her uncle.
"Cousin Alan sent a message about a minute ago," Katie informed her uncle.
Tatum immediately sparked to life. He took the phone from her to read the message.
Hey, Uncle Tatum. It's Alan. Kirsten and I are almost there, and I just wanted to confirm where we're going to meet up. TMC right?
"Thanks Katie," Tatum said as he began tapping his thumbs away at the touchscreen keyboard. He sent his reply.
Yeah, the TMC. And your cousin is coming too.
After pressing send, Tatum ran a hand across his exhausted face.
Hey, Uncle Tatum. It's Alan. Kirsten and I are almost there, and I just wanted to confirm where we're going to meet up. TMC right?
"Thanks Katie," Tatum said as he began tapping his thumbs away at the touchscreen keyboard. He sent his reply.
Yeah, the TMC. And your cousin is coming too.
After pressing send, Tatum ran a hand across his exhausted face.
After her dad took the phone from her, Katie picked up the keys from his bed and walked over to him.
"You want to start heading to the truck," she asked him.
"You want to start heading to the truck," she asked him.
Tatum gently patted her head. She always knew what to do.
"Smart girl," he complimented as he stood up. Tatum stretched out before putting a hand on her back as they walked to the welcome area.
"Smart girl," he complimented as he stood up. Tatum stretched out before putting a hand on her back as they walked to the welcome area.
Tatum bursted into the room with the most serious of faces. His face lightened up slightly after seeing the impressive work Marion had did with the bed.
"Set 'er down here," Tatum instructed in his usually deep voice. When he walked past Marion, he patted her head.
"Good job," he told her.
"Set 'er down here," Tatum instructed in his usually deep voice. When he walked past Marion, he patted her head.
"Good job," he told her.
As Tanner entered, he immediately was hit by the smell of alcohol. Not only that, but bottles of the substance laid sprawled out on the floor. This environment wasn't something he'd recommend for a little girl, but beggars can't be choosers. He set his bag down on the stained table and began fishing around for proper medical supplies.
"Okay, I'm going to need everyone to give me some space once the girl's been set down."
"Okay, I'm going to need everyone to give me some space once the girl's been set down."
Entering the office behind Tatum, Alan set Kirsten down where he instructed. Kirsten cringed as she sniffed the air lightly.
"Something smells weird..." she said in a quiet voice. It was clear she found the smell to be discomforting, at the very least.
"Huh?" Alan sniffed the air after her. "Yeah, what is that smell?"
It was then that he noticed the many bottles along the floor. "Uncle Tatum, do you drink?" asked Alan. It was a pretty stupid question to ask, now that he thought about it, since the evidence was right in front of him. But he'd still prefer to hear it from his uncle's mouth.
"Something smells weird..." she said in a quiet voice. It was clear she found the smell to be discomforting, at the very least.
"Huh?" Alan sniffed the air after her. "Yeah, what is that smell?"
It was then that he noticed the many bottles along the floor. "Uncle Tatum, do you drink?" asked Alan. It was a pretty stupid question to ask, now that he thought about it, since the evidence was right in front of him. But he'd still prefer to hear it from his uncle's mouth.
(
I feel like this is a question that Marion should answer)
I feel like this is a question that Marion should answer)
Marion quickly interjected, "Considering these bottles are lying around in his office, I think that question answers itself."
Marion leaned in towards the others and lowered her voice. "Legend has it that his beard conceals a very sacred bottle of alcohol."
Marion leaned in towards the others and lowered her voice. "Legend has it that his beard conceals a very sacred bottle of alcohol."
Kirsten gasped and quickly turned to Tatum, her big, blue eyes widened in awe. She began studying his beard, trying to find the bottle. She didn't really know what "concealed" or "sacred" meant, but she assumed that it meant that his beard was a bottle of alcohol.
She also didn't know what alcohol was. She had at least heard the name before, but didn't know what it was past it being a drink.
"Really?" she asked, amazed at the notion of her Uncle being some sort of superhero. Only superheroes had beard-bottle thingies, right?
"Come on, that's not the least bit true." Alan said as he put a hand on top of Kirsten's head, causing her to pout slightly.
"Mmm...it so is." Kirsten replied stubbornly. Her eyes fluttered up to Tatum once again.
"Right, Uncle Tatum?"
She also didn't know what alcohol was. She had at least heard the name before, but didn't know what it was past it being a drink.
"Really?" she asked, amazed at the notion of her Uncle being some sort of superhero. Only superheroes had beard-bottle thingies, right?
"Come on, that's not the least bit true." Alan said as he put a hand on top of Kirsten's head, causing her to pout slightly.
"Mmm...it so is." Kirsten replied stubbornly. Her eyes fluttered up to Tatum once again.
"Right, Uncle Tatum?"
Marion turned to Tatum. "Yes Uncle Tatum, please enlighten us about your secret beer-d powers."
Tatum grunted. How he wound up in such a position became the question of the night. Still, he smiled at the thought of Kirsten's attention drifting away from her leg. He didn't know how to answer her question, but he figured that lying would only back-stab him in the end, just like his wife.
Tatum turned his attention to Tanner and completely ignored the alcohol subject entirely.
"Can you do something for her, doc?"
Tatum turned his attention to Tanner and completely ignored the alcohol subject entirely.
"Can you do something for her, doc?"
"That all depends on her situation," Tanner told him. Getting a closer look at her leg, he still couldn't see much more than dried blood stains or ash that possibly resulted from the bus crash. "We're going to need to clean her leg. Do you have anything we can use? Alcohol? Water? Wet wipes? Just anything that could take away the blood."
Tatum shrugged. "Well there's probably something in the bathroom."
He then turned to Alan. "It's just down the hall. I'll watch her."
He then turned to Alan. "It's just down the hall. I'll watch her."
Alan nodded and proceeded where Tatum instructed to grab something to clean Kirsten's leg.
Tanner walked over to where he laid his bag and fished out a bottle of water. It was the second one he would be wasting, but this little girl needed it way more than he did. He walked over to her and handed her the bottle.
"Drink up," he ordered. "You're going to need to stay hydrated."
"Drink up," he ordered. "You're going to need to stay hydrated."
Moderators: Anastasia Jordan (played by Sweet16) Marion (played anonymously) The Lyfelds (played anonymously)