"Yes, sorry. I know you're sick of laying in that bed- it won't be much longer." I assure him.
I'd like nothing better than to sit down. "I'm sorry, I can't. We got 8 new people from the bay." I sigh.
Yeah, I head down there alone. Buckingham is former customer and former trouble. He got rough with one of mine- Satin got a few cuts in, but he beat her up bad.
"Hey," I say, more to Trojan than Brita. "Nah, for me." I tell him. It's not the first …
It was The Mariner's Revenge.
Ollie could go home soon- but to what home? I was just about to discharge him when the explosions happened. The safest place for him is the infirmary, so I made up something about wanting to check his electrolytes out.…
The last time Tulle put a show together, she put the acts in the wrong order and Chiffon nearly broke an ankle slipping on the floor after Velour's act with water. I should have caught it beforehand, but I missed it. Chiffon sprained his ankle and c…
"It's ok. I'd rather have you blow off steam than work until you fall over... like I do." I smile. "I can split rounds with you, I'm done in the lab for a while." I tell her.
I go to check on Ollie first.
I rub the whiskers on my jaw and sigh. "Yeah." I say to both. "You want to organize the crew? Whatever you guys want to do is fine by me. I'm gonna go check on Satin." I say, finishing up with the wipes.
I have no intention of checking on Satin. I …
I want to stop her, to do what I can to help- but what am I going to do? Weetabix is still dead. There's nothing I can do about that.
I catch up to her. "I'm sorry. It doesn't help at all, I know, but I'm still sorry." I tell her. I want to look in…
"I don't know." I answer honestly. It's a guess either way. Maybe this is some gods way of telling me to get out of the business. "I don't even know where we'd move to. Trench? All the way down to Boomtown? Wal-Mart or Oasis?" Oasis wasn't a bad tho…
I sigh. "Thank you, Omo. I'll be out as soon as I can." I say.
A small part of my brain tells me I should go out there. It's not right to leave Omo in charge of all those patients. I'm just so damn close. If I have to start over again that's hours …
"Frak yes." I answer her question. The next time Janco wants something, she's gonna have to pay like everyone else. What the frak was I thinking, giving it away? I'm gonna develop a reputation...
"Yeah. Crazy, messed up. It's gonna frak business up…
Why the fuck didn't I write anything down?!? Dammit.
"Where's Janco?" I ask, not taking my eyes off my work. "Can you try and find her? I'm nearly done, and if I stop I'll have to start over." I mean to say it in a kinder tone than it comes out as.
"Heh. Something like that." I tell her. "Got any of those you can spare?" I ask.
That's... new. I don't ask my crew to share drek with me. I have my own stuff. And if I need something my crew has, I take it. Sometimes I tell them in advance, somet…
"Thank you. I'm going to be in the lab, but come and get me if you need help, ok?" I want Omo to be able to spend time with her babies. They are very cute.
It's good I've walked to the infirmary a million times- my feet know the steps. It's not eve…
I know the steps to this dance all too well. I start putting my clothes on- I'd love a shower, but those are right out I guess. I don't look at her.
Well, at least she got what she came for.
I go to leave, back to my room.
I hug him back weakly. "Ok." I reply. They're going to take advantage of him. Hell- it's his damn purpose. "You can start whenever. I'm not sure how Nescafe is going to feel, but the council voted to let you fix the filtration system. They didn't re…
No. I absolutely will not choke her. I slide my hand to the side, onto the bed. It's not that I won't do it- have done plenty of times- but not now. Not like this.
Something hardens in my brain. Or maybe my heart. Who the frak cares. I'm pissed- wh…
I know everyone will know who I'm talking about. I'm surprised they didn't guess it before I said his name. "Metro." I say, defeated.
As soon as the meeting is over, I rush back to my room. I can't decide if I'm hoping he's there, or dreading. I sh…
I don't know if Nescafe is taking credit for things Metro's fixed, but it wouldn't surprise me. I silently thank the gods for Nezzy- if there's any chance of this going right, it's because of her. I nod at her, it's obvious I'm glad she's moving thi…
Frakking frakky frak. When did it get so complicated? Why does it matter to me why she wants it?
I nod. It won't be the frenzied coupling she'd imagined, but I'll still frak her. Slower, gentler. A little like she's so fragile she might break. Wel…
"He's the guy who built the radio towers. He's fixed up a bunch of systems around here, actually- the intercom that stopped the bloodbath in the bay. He's just shy." I smile, a little. "Won't cost you anything- maybe jingle for parts and such. He li…
"If you start sending folk you don't care for away-" I say, looking straight at Bacardi. "I'm gone. I understand that we can't help everyone, but you, you don't get to choose who lives and who dies." My tone hard, my eyes full of anger. It's a half-…
"What? What do you want?" I ask her. "If it's me, specifically, I'll frak you on this bed right now. But if it's just to get away from something..." I let the sentence die.
I stand up and press my open palms to her sides, looking her in the eyes- w…
I wall off those feelings. Stuff them away. I swallow that lump in my throat and turn away from him. I've got that meeting. I wipe my face, not that it'll do much good.
That makes me pause. What the frak is wrong with me? Pretty girls says frak me, you frakking frak her! But I know something she doesn't. Frakking doesn't make the pain go away.
I slow her down a bit. "It won't fix anything." I tell her. "You think …