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Post by skybright on Dec 17, 2006 23:41:01 GMT -5
Daws reached out and put her hand on Sid's shoulder. "It's nothin' easy to figure out -- or anything to rush. When the time comes . . . you'll know what to do. Even if it's just tearing the envelope up without lookin' at it. You'll know."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 17, 2006 23:47:48 GMT -5
"Yeah. I know. An' I guess I'm no worse off in the meantime." Sid shrugged. "'Sides, I've sorta been thinkin'... well, Henry must be glad ta know he's not the only norm in the outfit. He sorta takes things rough, but he's a right guy."
He glanced toward the kitchen with a frown. "Wish we knew what was goin' on in there."
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Post by skybright on Dec 17, 2006 23:58:42 GMT -5
Daws flinched slightly and looked away from the direction of the kitchen. "Yeah . . . me, too."
She took a deep, if somewhat shaky, breath. "Caddy knows what he's doing." She said quietly, sounding as if she were trying to convince herself. "Best doctor I've ever met -- best in the City, even. He'll take care of Vance."
The group lapsed into a long, tense silence, which lasted for nearly half an hour before Caddy finally slipped out of the kitchen, looking tired and rubbing at the bridge of his nose.
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 18, 2006 0:11:55 GMT -5
Handy lurched to his feet and almost pounced on Caddy, gripping the doctor's arm with all four hands. "How is he, Doc? Is he gonna be alright?"
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Post by skybright on Dec 18, 2006 0:21:45 GMT -5
Caddy held up one hand and looked around at Sid, Alex and Daws -- who had quickly gathered around him in a knot.
"We've done everything we can for tonight." He said calmly. "I don't have to tell any of you guys that Vance is a fighter -- that's gonna make a world of difference. He shouldn't be moved for quite a while -- a week at the very least."
"Caddy," Daws crossed her arms. "You're not talking to a bunch of strangers at Mount Sinai. Just . . . tell us, will you?"
Caddy smiled faintly. "I don't wanna promise anything, but . . . I'm optimistic. Lemme put it that way."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 18, 2006 0:43:39 GMT -5
Handy looked at Miriam, who had just stepped into the room herself--and who did not look optimistic.
"He's not levelin' with us, is he, Doc?" the small man asked, with a quiver in his voice.
Miriam bit her lip. "I... I don't--"
"It's just possible I can help him."
The words came from Proteus, who had quietly slipped back in himself. He folded his arms and regarded the group gravely.
"You might as well know it. You see, it's not only myself I can change. I can do it to objects--even another person. But only as long as I'm touching them."
He slouched against the doorway with a shrug. "I did it already tonight. How do you think I took Vance out of the building after I got him past the guards? And later... it didn't show on the outside, Miss Dawson, but I did it to lessen his pain. I'm no healer--but there's a chance I can hold him together well enough to let him heal. With time and effort, at least."
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Post by skybright on Dec 18, 2006 0:48:52 GMT -5
Daws shot a brief look at Caddy -- who was examining his toes with an apologetic expression on his face -- and then turned to Proteus. "I know we broke our word to you. Frankly, I figured by now you'd have washed your hands of us for a bunch of hopeless cases.
"But . . ." She swallowed painfully. "If you can help him . . . please do." She dropped her eyes. "Please."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 18, 2006 22:23:05 GMT -5
"We'll talk about all that later. In the meantime, I share part of the responsibility for the mess you got yourselves into, and I don't want to see anyone else die." Proteus turned to Sid. "If you've got someplace private to put Vance up for a while, now's the time to move him."
"He can have my own room," Sid replied, unhesitating.
In short order, Vance had been carried up to Sid's room and laid on the bed. Proteus sat beside the bed, thoughtfully gazed down at his flexing fingers, and then gently placed his hands on Vance's forehead and face.
"Tiernan tore up his insides pretty good," he said quietly to the others. "While I've got my hands on him, I can--change his cells, I guess. Make them stitch together again, so he can heal on his own."
He glanced up gravely at Daws. "Knowing now what I can do to help... you might think about what I could do to hurt, Miss Dawson. And ask yourself again why I want no part of any bloodshed."
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Post by skybright on Dec 18, 2006 22:55:40 GMT -5
Daws winced at that. "You could do what Tiernan does." She said, very faintly. "And any sane person who did that once . . ." She shuddered quietly and then nodded. "I understand."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 18, 2006 23:13:06 GMT -5
Proteus glanced up at Caddy and Miriam. "You can clean up Vance's cuts and bruises now. After that... Well, to do him any real good, I'll have to give him all my concentration. That means not keeping my own shape."
He dropped his gaze and half-smiled ruefully. "Call it pride, but I'd rather you didn't see what I really look like."
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Post by skybright on Dec 18, 2006 23:22:15 GMT -5
"That's not asking much," Caddy said placidly, "Not considerin' what you're offering to do."
He moved to the side of the bed and reached into his medical bag -- which he'd levitated upstairs with them -- and began attending to the superficial wounds that Vance had suffered.
Daws shot a hesitant look at Proteus. "How long will you need?"
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 18, 2006 23:34:03 GMT -5
The shapeshifter gave Daws a vaguely aggrieved look. "Miss Dawson, I'm just trying to keep him alive. I told you I'm not a healer--his body has got to do the real work on its own. It could take days for him to get strong enough not to need me."
He frowned. "Come to think of it, I'd appreciate it if you could take a message to the Spooks. I'll write it in a little while. Some of them know my handwriting."
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Post by skybright on Dec 18, 2006 23:40:30 GMT -5
Daws sighed and rubbed tiredly at the fur on her face. . "Yeah. I can do that.
"I'll have to go back to the City sooner or later, I guess." She added, not sounding very enthused at the prospect.
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 18, 2006 23:48:43 GMT -5
From his place near the doorway, Sid scowled. "Yeah. When he hears he had a lookalike walk outta the place with Vance, the bat's gonna be screamin' fer the detective he thinks he's got in his pocket."
Proteus glanced up sharply at Daws. "No retribution against Tiernan, Miss Dawson. If you want to repay me for what I'm doing now, call that my price."
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Post by skybright on Dec 18, 2006 23:54:43 GMT -5
Daws sighed. "I won't. It wouldn't be worth it anyway." She said quietly. "All that'd happen would be that we'd lose our in with Tiernan -- and he'd do to me what he did to Vance."
She scowled and glanced down at her hands, flexing her claws. "But we're going to ruin him. I'm going to, if it takes the rest of my life. And when he goes down, you can bet I'll make certain he knows that tonight is part of the reason why."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 18, 2006 23:59:56 GMT -5
"We all got a reason why." Sid steppped forward and squeezed Daws' shoulder. "We're gonna get him."
"Just leave me out of that," Proteus murmured. Then, feeling a movement beneath his hands, he glanced down at Vance's face. "I think he's waking up again."
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Post by skybright on Dec 19, 2006 0:08:10 GMT -5
Daws' head instantly snapped up, her gaze focusing on Vance.
Caddy paused in his motions of bandaging and reached for Vance's wrist. "Pulse is a bit more regular." He said quietly. "That's a good sign."
Daws frowned faintly and moved closer to the bedside. "Vance?"
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 19, 2006 0:13:35 GMT -5
As Vance half-opened his good eye, Proteus' hand moved down from his face to the pulse point of his throat, giving him more freedom to speak. The Major's gaze settled immediately on Daws.
"Some night," he murmured faintly.
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Post by skybright on Dec 19, 2006 0:20:27 GMT -5
A faint smile tugged at one corner of Daws' mouth. "You don't know the half of it."
She knelt on the opposite side of the bed from Caddy and Proteus and gingerly touched Vance's shoulder. "You owe me one, Grenadier."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 19, 2006 0:28:45 GMT -5
Vance's swollen lips twitched slightly. "You'll collect. You always do."
He winced at Caddy's ministrations, shooting the ghost of a glare at the doctor. "Now get this sawbones offa me 'n' let me get up. I got work to do."
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