Abeyance

It had been days now since disaster stuck the city. Thousands of people are dead. A large number injured. And the amount missing, well that, nobody's sure of yet.
I looked down at my hands, which by now were black with dirt. I had spent the past few hours searching. And like always, I got nowhere. My gaze went to my feet as I stepped into what used to be known as the busiest street in New York City; 42nd street. But now, it was empty. Silent, destroyed, and empty. I crossed the road, the only trouble being my shoelace untied.
I walked into the grocery store. Also vacant. Towards the register lay packs of cigarettes. I took one and slid it into my pocket along with a lighter, and started out of the store.
"Going to pay for that, Mr. Quinn?" The familiar voice shook me, causing me to turn around. It was the first voice I'd heard since the attack. I looked the older man up and down. He looked battered and dull before this all happened, I didn't think he can possibly look any worse. But he did now. He scratched at the grey stubble growing at his chin as he awaited my reply.
I only nodded and took out my wallet from my small backpack. Tay had gotten it for me while she was away in Japan for a summer.
Oh, Tay...
The man held his hand out, and I handed him fifteen bucks. I didn't have a lot, but soon enough, nobody would need money anymore.
"Keep the change," I added, "You need it more than I do."
He nodded and stuffed it into the front pocket of his pants.
"It's good to see you're alive and well, Mr. Quinn."
I just shrugged and took out a cigarette from my fresh pack as well as the lighter.
"I'm okay, I guess." I lit it and took a long puff. I really wasn't okay.
He opened his mouth to say something, but I stopped him before he was able to say any more.
"See you around, Mr. Baker."
He nodded. "Protect yourself, Mr. Quinn. And them. You're still young, it can change more than you'd think." I looked at him for a moment. It wasn't until then that his age really showed. The wrinkles on his face became more noticeable, just as the sadness in his eyes did. He had that sadness since his wife passed away a few years back, but if anything, that depression progressed. I wondered if he lost someone else. Maybe he was searching, just like I was. Maybe he was in the same predicament as i was - Dead, or missing? But he was too old to search. His fragile state couldn't go out there and fight these... Extraterrestrials! Impossible! Preposterous! Maybe that's why Mr. Baker wanted me to search. To give him some kind of hope.
I didn't ask or say anything on the subject. I walked out of the family owned store and back into the empty street. I finally fixed that shoelace, and wondered if my hurt from not knowing what happened to my girlfriend showed as easily as whatever Mr. Baker was upset about.