[Junk XIII] Wet and Wild (K 6-1, S 6-1)

Rich

Stitch,

After a day of playing hooky, how are you feeling when Metro wheels you back into the Infirmary? The place is relatively calm, Janco checks in with you, giving you updates on the day. She seems a little terse, but she isn't rude. Metro excuses himself to go check on the comm relay. Before he goes, he reminds you, "Stitch, don't forget tonight's council meeting. Nezzy and the others should be here in an hour." He leaves.

Janco's filling you in on some meds for alternative pain control when Kiddo and some other folks come into the infirmary.

Kiddo,

You come up to the infirmary with VB and I assume Costco and the waterskin. Did you bring any other members of the crew? You spot Stitch, in her chair, wheeling herself along with Janco, the two of them talking.

What do you do?

Genevieve

I'm feeling surprisingly ok- I felt a bit guilty for skipping out on work, but I'm so relaxed, maybe it's exactly what I needed. I nod at Metro. "Therapy after the council meeting?" I ask Janco.

Adam

It's just me and Vee when we get to the infirmary... We wound up taking a lot longer to get back than I originally planned, and the girls were all gone off doing their own thing. I walk up to Stitch, arm in arm with Vee, "Hey doc. You got a minute? We've got some weird shit for you to look at."

I wiggle the waterskin demonstratively.

What? I like big words sometimes!

Rich

Stitch,

Janco answers a little surprised, "Well, yes."

Genevieve

"Ok, I'm there." I tell Janco, enjoying her surprise.

"Sure." I answer Kiddo and wheel around to face her. "Weird shit... that's definitely my area!"

Adam

I walk up to Stitch and hand her the water, "Well, that's good... 'Cause this one's a doozy. Folks who drink that water end up all frakked up in the head and join this cult." I throw my thumb over my shoulder to Coscto, "Costco here can fill you in on the details if you've got questions, but the jist of what I've seen is: when some people drink the water, they get all frakked up. Others start calling themselves "Chosen". A few, like Costco here, don't get affected."

I pause a minute, "just don't drink it, yeah?"

Genevieve

I laugh at her last comment- like I haven't been handed samples before.

"Interesting." I reply. I jerk my head over towards the lab. "Come with me and let me write all that down. I won't be able to do the workup today- got council then therapy and then I have a date with my bed." I start wheeling towards the lab with the waterskin on my lap.

Adam

I let loose an exasperated sigh when she mentions council, "Oh... Right... That's today." I follow her into the lab, and lean against one of the counters, crossing my hands over my tummy. "What do you make of it, Stitch? The folks there... Some of them seem alright, but some of them seem... Weird..."

Genevieve

"Yup." I smile when she sighs. "I agree with you. There's a lot going on around here and if people on the council have ulterior motives it could be very bad."

I pour out some of the water into a tube and stopper it. I have her repeat the symptoms and I enter it all in the terminal.

Adam

I watch Stitch work, repeating the details I can remember from the water cult as she types. When she's done, I ask, "we checked all of those council folks out, yeah? I thought we did, at least... "

Genevieve

"I thought we did, too, but a second look wouldn't do any harm..." If Bran does have moles left they're deep- and smart. Not making waves.

"Hey- do you know who might be going up to the garden at night? Somebody's nicking Beneful's best plants." I ask her. "Another mystery to solve..."

Adam

If Bran does have moles left, and they're in that deep, we may need extra help to sniff them out... Maybe I should finally put that word out to find Jack...

The garden? "Uh, no? That frakker keeps giving me dirty looks in the council meetings, so I stay far the frak away from there... Why? You want the girls to look into it?"

Genevieve

"Maybe." I answer her. "He want me to bring it up at council- says Nezzy won't listen to him. I don't really blame her- what with having other concerns- but if someone is sneaking up there stealing, she should at least hear him out."

I finish up with the water sample and turn my chair to face her. "He's just old and set in his ways. You're young and not from around here. Give him a chance to get to know you and he'll change his tune- mark my words."

Adam

My tummy grumbles, loudly, and I squint at Stitch dubiously. "Do I have to? He's so... Old." I sigh, and look out into the hall. I don't blame Nezzy for not listening to a Gardener either, but if someone's stealing food, or something, this could be a problem... "Costco's boys were found trying to hock some of the Gardener's tools. Maybe he can tell us where to look."

Genevieve

"No, you don't have to." I tell her. "But you're gonna see him in council meetings, so you might as well get used to that glare..." I wink at her.

"Oh? That is curious." I say.

Adam

Stitch's daily recommended dose of reality can be sickening sometimes... But I know she's right... "Anyway, Costco's going to play nice. Just let me know if you need anything to make some headway on that stuff." I rub Vee's back. "We're gunna get some food before the meeting, you want in? Or are you busy?"

Genevieve

"Thanks." I say. "Sure, so long as it doesn't involve stairs?"

Adam

Oh yeah... Stairs... "Well, Vee and me can get you something. What do you feel like eating, sweetie?"

Genevieve

"Heh." I chuckle. "If Janco has her way I may be out of the chair in a week or two. Don't worry about me- go enjoy your food. Eat some extra for that baby, yeah?"

Adam

No worries there, "we'll bring you back some leftovers... Presuming we don't eat them all between us."

Genevieve

"No rush- usually Janco or Metro bring me something. See you at council." I say, giving her a little wave.

Adam

I wave back, and leave her to her work.

Rich

Kiddo,

Are you heading to Chef's? Who's coming with you?

Stitch,

How are you going to check out this water? You've got tons of equipment, of course.

Adam

Chef's... Ugh... Fine. I'll go to Chef's — but I'm sure as shit not going there without Vee... And maybe Hump... It'd be nice to have Ma' there too...

Genevieve

I'll put a sample under the microscope, and test it for toxins and chemicals- I'm not even sure what some of that equipment does, so mostly it's me trying everything. If I was back on the moon I could just put the tube into the scanner and the computer would do the rest.

Rich

Kiddo,

Alright, you grab VB, Hump and your Ma comes along. This is her place:


The place does a healthy trade, lots of folks come in and out. Barilla's a good cook, especially when she and Beneful are on good terms and she has fresh fruits and veggies. She doesn't get as fancy as Butter Nut, but it's a pretty sweet second place.

Santi and du are sitting at the couch to the south, some of the engineers are talking over dinner, one of them is mapping out schematics with Nescafe. Barilla takes orders and cooks, so service is slow.

Hump's still in the dumps, Zero's not much company, just quiet, observing. VB tries to fill the space, talking about the valley.

What do you do?

Rich

Stitch,

To check out these toxins, you're going to need to get Costco's blood sample. Also, it will take dozens of tries. If you cut back on working in the infirmary, you can get through this in a few days.

Adam

I let Vee go on about the Valley for a while. I'm busy trying to ignore the look and feel of this place, thinking about what I'm going to do for a more permanent place to stay. Hump's downer mood, and Ma's quiet observation isn't helping me focus... Eventually I turn to Hump and whisper, "I read that letter from Topps."

Rich

Kiddo,

Hump glares at you, surprised, whispers back, "What? That wasn't yours to read, Kiddo. Why in the hell did you do that?"

Zero's busy "not paying attention". VB's trying to play nice, so she looks at her food.

Adam

I breathe sharply out of my nose, "because you love that girl, and you won't even read the frakking letter she wrote you! You don't even know what it says! It could be she frakking needs you down south! Why the frak wouldn't you read that letter?"

Rich

Hump looks up, like it hadn't occurred to him. Is she okay? I just... I just figured it was a no, you know?" He forgot to whisper that, Zero looks over to him, then away again. VB still looks at her food.

Genevieve

I sigh and set up the stuff so I can work on it later. I wheel around looking for Janco.

Once I find her- I give her the situation on the water. "So just leave it for me, and don't let anyone drink it. I locked it up in the lab." I tell her. "I need to get a blood sample from Costco, but I'm going to want a couple Candies there, probably."

Rich

You caught up with Janco as she was looking over some manuals on tablet, reading how things work. She looks up when you brief her, then responds, "Sure, no problem." She flicks off the screen, "Enjoy the time away? You needed it. You look good today, considering."

Adam

That dink... Of course it hadn't occurred to him. I sigh, and look over to Ma'... Haven't these two talked? For frak's sake! "No! She's not OK! She misses you Hump! And KellyTires is frakking heartbroken about Gramma, and he won't let her come see you! He's petrified something will happen to her!"

I look over to Vee, and notice she's playing quiet. "Hon, c'mon... Help me out here. You saw them together — did it seem like Topps would up and leave him like that?"

Genevieve

"I did, thanks." I reply and then my brain catches up. "Wait... considering what?" My brow furrows, but I'm just giving her a hard time.

Rich

Kiddo,

VB looks up, blinks at being brought in, but she's right there, "Topps really liked you, dumbass. I mean, I don't why either, you being as bull-headed as Kiddo, but she does."

"Well, I'm hurting, too! I mean..." Hump has nothing else to say, really. He's been painted into a corner.

Zero looks at you all, then says, "You wanna ride south, Hump? I'll take you."

Rich

Stitch,

Janco huffs a laugh, unperturbed, "Considering you've been burning it at both ends for weeks. Plus," she taps the tablet, "I figured out how to check the cam feeds... you were in here before the sun even rose."

She walks around to take the handles on your chair, wheeling you towards physical therapy, "Ima get you back there and help you work on walking, what say?"

Adam

I listen to Vee and Ma' in turn, nodding emphatically at their pieces. "Thank you! See? Ma'll take you. I'll even lend her my bike if she needs it! Hump — considering everything you've been through these past couple weeks, do you really wanna add a fish that got away to that list?" I reach into my pack and pull out the letter, "at the very least read it, and see how much that girl feels for you. You owe her that much!"

Rich

Kiddo,

Hump slumps down, defeated soundly. "Okay... I wanna go, if it's alright." He looks up at you, "You got it with you?"

Genevieve

"I couldn't sleep." I explain weakly. "Aren't they having council today?" I ask. I'd honestly rather do physical therapy now- which says a lot about how I feel about the council meetings- but I don't want to miss out on helping Beneful.

Adam

I hand it to him, "you left it by Dad's bedside in the infirmary, Humperdink... Of course I've got it with me."

I look over to Ma, "There should be more than enough gas to get you there and back."

Rich

Stitch,

Janco keeps pushing you towards the PT room, but then she stops, "Oh, you know what? That's right, it is tonight. You wanna knock out a half session beforehand and sleep your way through the meeting?" She snickers.

Rich

Kiddo,

Hump takes the letter, carefully unfolds it and reads it. Zero looks at you, and says, "Good. I'll take care of your ride." She looks to VB, "You take care of Kiddo, you hear?"

VB gives her a sidelong grin, "Been thinking of locking her in her room, since she's all the time out running around."

Zero looks back at you, "You take it frakkin easy, Kiddo. You got these Candy wanna-bes, put em to work. Star will kick their asses for ya, if you need it. Or Mamba, she's not half bad, if she'd frakkin talk more. And watch out for that frakkin donkey Dick, half those girls want to frak his brains out, he'll cause trouble."

Hump tears up a bit, folds the letter again, looks to Zero, "Can we leave tomorrow?" Zero looks over at you, Kiddo.

What do you do?

Adam

The thought of being couped up for a few days — or maybe even weeks — without a ride feels weirdly limiting right now... I couldn't walk from here to Armour if I wanted to. I guess I could delegate a bit more... Maybe talk to Star about stepping up while I step down for the baby...

"I don't have a room," I tease Vee, "just that stupid infirmary bed that feels like plywood. Maybe that's something I should fix..." I look to Ma', "where are the good spots in here, Ma'?"

When Hump asks if we can leave tomorrow I nod.

Genevieve

"Yeah, sounds good." I answer her and laugh at her joke. "I'd ask if you wanted to go to council for me, but I told Beneful I'd talk to Nezzy about the garden."

Rich

Kiddo,

Zero looks at you, says, "I imagine Nezzy moved into his old place, which would leave Nezzy's for du and Santi. So their place is probably open. Wanna go check it out?"

Adam

I shudder at the thought of living in du and Santi's place... But... Well... I can't very well say no to a place of my own right now. "Sure, let's go."

Rich

Kiddo,

VB makes a face, too, but says, "We can bleach the whole damn room, and burn the sheets, Kiddo."

Hump says he's going to go pack and tell Ollie, so it's the three of you heading up to du and Santi's old place. It's a deck above the Candie's place, actually:


Zero asked Chufi to join you, since he handles clean-ups. Chufi comes in with a couple of his people, asks you, "So, Kiddo. You want to pay rent for this place?"

Adam

Vee's idea about bleaching the frak out of this place isn't that bad... I can't help but wonder how much rent is. I turn to Chufi. "So you're trying to rent out a place with 5 beds in the main room, that stinks of sweat and sex... How much are you charging for this place?"

Rich

Chufi shrugs, "A couple of the beds are shot, the sex smell, well, that's cleanable. With all the new arrivals, space is going to be a premium soon. I think a couple barter a month is fair, yeah? One for me, one for Nezzy and the Council." He pauses, then adds, "And that's considering that you and the Candies do security. It should be three, really."

Rich

Stitch,

Janco takes you into the PT room, quickly pulls you out of your chair and to the mats, and starts making you push against her hands. As you're working, Janco says, "So Stitch, those manuals are really difficult to get through. Any idea why spacefolk have to talk in circles?"

Adam

Three a month?!?! Even two is pushing it. I chuckle loudly, defiantly, "I'd sooner live in a frakking shack outside than pay that kind of bullshit – were you charging du and Santi that kind of jingle? Good luck finding the sucker who pays that kind of extortion."

Rich

Kiddo,

Chufi tilts his head to the side, "It's steep, but the three beds are in great shape, there's a lounge and bathroom, the whole place will have juice... and it will move soon. For three."

VB looks to you, she sort of really wants this place. You can tell. Zero shrugs like it isn't a bad deal, and says, "I can kick in a little, Kiddo. Crash in the lounge at night."

Adam

I was about to walk out when I spot Vee's look... It stops me dead in my tracks. Damn it Vee... You're lucky I love you. I could only just barely afford this place myself, and that doesn't even include food!

I sigh and spin around to narrow my eyes at Chufi... Is this what passes for frakking luxury? A few boxy rooms in a giant tin can? It feels so cold ... So impersonal. "It had better be frakking spotless when I move in," I answer, "who do I pay?"

I look to Vee and smirk. I really hope she's happy... This is a boatload of jingle...

Rich

Kiddo,

Chufi nods quickly, "Bacardi. He'll send someone around. The clock won't start ticking until I say it's clean. I'll have the bedroom ready for moving in by tomorrow. I can give you a day to move in while we work on the lounge and the bathrooms. Then we can do final walkthrough and the clock will start then." He looks to Zero, ducks his head.

Zero says, "Sounds like we have a deal, Chufi. Thanks. And my daughter didn't mean anything by it."

Chufi shrugs, "Sure. You want us to start work on it now, or do you want to... take measurements or something?"

VB pipes in, "Give us ten minutes, please. I want to figure the place out. Alright?" Chufi nods and he and his crew leave you three in there. VB heads over to the big bed and pulls off the sheets, "I hope these can be saved!" She turns and sits on the edge, beaming, "Gods, Kiddo! This place is great!"

Zero rolls her eyes at VB and walks over to a wall, "I don't know why Chufi didn't show you this..." She slides back a section of wall to show a small keypad, types in a few letters, and then a section of the wall begins moving, and you have a huge, two meter window that shows the horizon.

Adam

Measurements? For what? And what didn't I mean anything by?

Thankfully Vee answers for me, and I relax a little when Chufi and his crew leave. I have no idea why this place is worth 3 jingle a month, but I'd hate to see the stuff that's only worth 1... I walk over to the bed with Vee on it, and and smile down at her as I run my fingers through her hair. "Great"... Well... It's something I guess...

That's when Ma' walks over to the wall and fiddles with the keypad. My eyes widen, and my eyebrows raise with the shade as it reveals the sprawling landscape of the flats to the south, the foothills to the east, and even the bay up North near that big-ass mountain.

Ok... That's something. I reach for Vee's hand, and give it a little squeeze. I can see how a girl could get used to something like this.

Rich

VB giggles constantly as she takes your hand and practically skips to the window, "Gods, Kiddo, this is the most flash thing I've ever seen!" She hops a little, excitement so thoroughly energizing her. VB slides an arm around you and whispers, "We could raise your little baby here, Kiddo. This could be our home."

Zero heads into the lounge, keeping the door open. She fiddles with the keypad and opens the side window there, letting even more light in. You Ma takes a seat and just stares out onto the vista. She says quietly, "You know... he would love this view." You know this is your Dad she's talking about. Not the ugly him she sometimes mentions like a cancer that went into remission.

Adam

I slip an arm around Vee's waist, and coo as she talks about raising the baby... This isn't so bad... I peck her lightly on the cheek and whisper "Our baby, hon. Ours."

I almost didn't catch Ma's comment about Dad... My heart flutters a little bit to hear her talking fondly of him again. She's right though... Dad would like this view. I smile over at her, "then we'll have to make him better, so he can come up and see it for himself."

Rich

Kiddo,

VB grins up at you, and slips a hand over your belly. "We'll see if you still want to call it ours when you push that sucker out and I just stand there and root you on. I am working on cheers, though."

Zero says from her seat, "We need to stay on Bacardi's good side. He's not one to mess around with late payments. I've got some drek hidden away I can sell to set us up for a month, maybe two. Can I hand it off to you two to take care of while I take Hump to Salt? I'm going to get a Ferryman to help me bring back some stuff from Jemma's to make this place look... well, nicer."

Zero looks over at you, Kiddo, asks, "How was Reunion?"

Adam

I giggle at the thought of Vee doing cheers as I push out little baby, but crying babies pawing at my tits all day and night, and stinky diapers up to your elbows? Color this baby shared.

"I've got enough jingle to cover the first month," I answer Ma', "but I'm gunna need more work to cover food and drinks... And we'll need the shit back from Boomtown for the babies at this rate, sooner rather than later." I guess I could sell the bike, if it really comes down to it... But it won't, I hope.

"Reunion sucked," I lie... Well, sort of... "All the Candies were hoping to see you guys again, and I was busy trying to get a crew together to find that messenger you sent out a year ago." I pause a moment, "the Candies are all good though... Boomtown is still thriving..."

Rich

Zero huffs a bit as she rises, but shakes it off, "I'll head on down to Boomtown to pick that up, too, then. I better sell some drek now to pay for the travel. Lend me a Candy, too, alright? Just in case. Give me a raw one, I'll break her ass in a bit." She heads over to stand close, almost like she is going to hug you both. But she doesn't.

"We may be gone a couple weeks," she says mater-of-factly, "I'll let Hump stay in Salt if it's safe, head south to Boomtown, then come back up, pick him up and then come on."

Adam

I don't give a frak if she wants to hug or not, I do. I pull her into a tight embrace, and answer, "I'd say take Zag, but that would be a waste of time... Take Amazon. She'll do you right." I pull back and smile, "and you know I'll come looking for you if you don't get back soon, yeah? You come back to us!"

Rich

Kiddo,

Zero's hug back is hesitant and a little stiff, but she doesn't jerk away. Zero huffs a laugh about Zag, "Zag'll surprise you, Kiddo. Don't write her off." She narrows her eyes at Amazon's name, "That's one of Kit Kat's girls? She's old enough to ride? Frak. I thought that bitch looked familiar. Yeah, that'll work."

She shakes her head lightly when you promise to come looking for her, "I know you will, sweetie." She puts an arm on your bicep, squeezes, "And I'm glad for it."

Adam

If Zag is able to surprise me, then I'm afraid to see what circumstances it would take for her to do it... Whatever. I smile up at Ma' as she squeezes my arm, and I give her a little peck on the cheek before letting her go.

I turn back to Vee, "You got anything more to do in this stinky little home of ours? I've got that council meeting in a bit..."

Rich

Kiddo,

She giggles, "Since it's totally grody in here, there's no way I'm gonna do you, so let's head back to the crap bed and cuddle till your big ole meeting. I stored some orange wedges in a little fridge for you, Momma."

Zero shakes her head, "You two." Then, she heads for the door ahead of you, "Ima get my drek I hid away, then check in with Amazon." She has her back to you when she says, "Will you tell him I'll be gone?

Adam

Normally I'd jump all over orange wedges, but they've been giving me heartburn like crazy ever since baby showed up... I mean, that's not going to stop me from eating them, but... well... No, I'll just eat them. It'll totally be worth it.

I smile and kiss Vee's forehead before Ma' asks me to tell Dad she's leaving... I bite my lip, concerned, "Ma'... You know I will, but don't you think you should do that yourself? He's stronger than you think... He can take it." I mean, he did spend a frakking year alone in that gods damned room... No music, no Ma', just the occasional company of that frakking prick to keep him company... "I promised him I'd bring you back."

Rich

Kiddo,

Zero heads on to the door, not pausing, "Tell him for me... tell him I'll be back. When I can."

When she's gone, VB makes a sad hrm, and says, "C'mon, Momma. Ima feed you oranges and comb your hair, and you can sing to me, kay?"

Adam

You ever wonder why I have abandonment issues? I don't.

"Sure," I whisper, to nobody in particular after Vee's comment... I can't help but think back to finding that note back in Boomtown, and wondering where the frak Rinso is... How ironic it is he was worried I'd abandon him, like my Ma' did to my Dad, and yet here we are...

I look down to Vee, "sure hon. What do you wanna hear?"

Rich

Kiddo,

She stops you before you leave the room, throws her arms around your neck and looks up at you. "Anything you wanna sing, Momma." She tippy-toe kisses you, then says, "It's gonna be okay, Kiddo. You got your Daddy back. Your Ma's coming back, and Hump's comin, too. Rinnie'll be around."

She gives you this real serious stare, "And I'm here. I'm always gonna be here. I've always been here. I've never left. I'm never, ever gonna leave. And you know they aren't just words. I'm yours. This place, it's gonna be our home, for our baby. Now, you better act frakkin happy about it, or Ima pout a whole bunch." VB kisses you again, then walks backwards towards the door, pulling you along.

Adam

So I'll admit I'm not feeling too great when Ma' left — and that I'm worried— but I smile lightly when Vee pops her arms around my neck, and I slip my arms around her waist when she starts talking. I relax when she kisses me, and follow her out the door.

She's right... I've just gotta remember her.

Genevieve

"I'm not sure." I answer Janco while pushing her hands away. "They try and make it foolproof, but end up over-complicating it." I work hard this time- I'm not so afraid of never being able to walk again.

Rich

Stitch,

Janco notices your spirit, and after she's got you stretched out, she says, "You're doing great today, Stitch. Really seeing progress. Listen, you want to get up to the bars now, or some more floor work?"

Genevieve

"Might as well do the bars." Though I'm much less enthused about it. "Then I can really fall asleep at the meeting!"

Rich

Stitch,

She chuckles, then picks you up to the chair, wheels you around to them, "I figured out how to access the camera feeds, though. So there's that for progress, right?" She reaches behind you to ease you up, lets you support your weight while she moves the chair.

When she comes back behind you, she's close to catch you. She asks with a little curious tone, "What did you find in that room? No cameras in there."

Genevieve

"Is that just the infirmary cameras? Or all of them?" I ask, wondering.

I prop myself up on those damn bars. "Iso-cubes. Six of them. Like I was in. But these people were criminals- they won't open automatically after a certain amount of time." I speak softly over my shoulder towards her.

I set my right foot down and let some of my weight settle on it. It hurts like a bitch, but I'm gonna get out of that chair, so I work through it. So what if my breath sounds like a marathon runner, right?

Rich

Stitch,

"Just the infirmary ones, they're key-coded. I used your backdoor thingie," she replies while keeping a close eye on you in case you fall. "Criminals? Worse than the ones we call security here?" She laughs, like she's joking. She isn't.

You take the first step, and push on through to a second foot. The push-off is awful, and your arms are shaking like leaves on a trees in a hurricane. She tries to distract you, "What's it like in an iso-cube?"

Genevieve

"Maybe. I don't know. There was at least one mdk." I say, my voice showing my concern about the issue.

I try to remember to breathe in and out. No sense trying to walk if I'm not taking in air, right? "It's... I don't consciously remember it." I say. After a long pause, "I have memories, and I'm not sure if they are real or not." I put my foot down for a third step, doubting I can even do it today, but what the hell, right?