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Post by Jordanna on Jul 5, 2008 22:12:39 GMT -5
"It'll only be for the worse, for you," Vance said quietly.
He shook his head and pushed away his coffee cup. "Tiernan had better not make the slightest move for a while. I... need some time."
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Post by skybright on Jul 5, 2008 22:17:05 GMT -5
"We all do." Daws said quietly. She glanced up at him and added "It probably wouldn't kill you to get some rest, either."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 5, 2008 22:30:35 GMT -5
Vance shook his head slightly. "I want to hear how the men are first. I know nobody's in real danger, but..." He made an odd shrugging gesture.
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Post by skybright on Jul 5, 2008 22:41:20 GMT -5
"Yeah." Daws sighed and took a drink of her coffee, grimacing at the lukewarm beverage. "I didn't even find out how bad anyone else but Miriam and me got hurt."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 5, 2008 22:50:22 GMT -5
"Nobody's crippled," Vance said quietly. "Some acid burns are about the worst of it. Lacerations, concussions... I think Blizzard might've broken a bone."
He sighed. "How is Van Linden, anyway?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 5, 2008 22:58:09 GMT -5
Daws tightened her jaw slightly and stared hard at her coffee cup. "She's . . . I dunno." She sighed and shook her head.
"Caddy keeps saying that she's stable and not very deep in the coma -- like those are good things. Maybe they are." Daws shrugged. "All I know is she's not waking up -- and Caddy doesn't know when she's gonna. Or if . . . not that he's sayin' that last part out loud."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 5, 2008 23:09:00 GMT -5
Vance grimaced. "I guess Malone is with her," he presumed, and met Daws' nod with a nod of his own. "If anybody'll get to her, he will... I just hope she's alright in other ways."
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Post by skybright on Jul 5, 2008 23:19:13 GMT -5
"Yeah." Daws sighed. "So do I. Caddy says he's gonna put off doing anything to wake her up unless she gets worse -- for a couple days, anyhow. Says her body will take advantage of the coma and do whatever it can to repair the damage."
She closed her eyes. "But there's some kinds of damage that don't have anything to do with the body. And like you say . . . that's where I really hope she's gonna be all right."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2008 22:13:09 GMT -5
Proteus poked his head into the kitchen at that moment, looking solemn and thoughtful. He smiled wanly at the pair. "Am I intruding?"
"No." Vance shook his head and leaned back, regarding the shapeshifter rather sadly. Proteus shrugged and stepped in, and noticing the coffee pot on the counter, he moved over to help himself.
"I tried to see if there was anything I could do for the doctors," he said over his shoulder. "There wasn't--so I thought I'd better just get out of the way."
"There's nothing you can do for Van Linden?" Vance asked. "The way you helped me once?"
Proteus turned with his coffee cup. "I wish there was... but I'm afraid I'm no miracle worker. Oh, I can make cells knit back together for a while, until a broken body gets strong enough to heal by itself--but the mind?" He shook his head ruefully. "I can't cure what hurts that."
Vance nodded quietly, then met Proteus' silver eyes. "I'm sorry it all turned out this way... sorry we couldn't live up to what you expected from us."
The shapeshifter smiled sadly, and stepped closer to grip Vance's shoulder. "You tried, Major. I knew that was all I had any right to expect. Besides, we don't know how many guards and scientists might have managed to get out of the tunnels somehow. And even if Highsmith was the only one you saved--at least that was one life Nocturne wouldn't have spared."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2008 22:25:32 GMT -5
Daws smiled humorlessly. "I guess anything we score off of Tiernan counts for something." She sighed and glanced down at her coffee cup. "And we did keep him from getting his hands on a lot of information."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 7, 2008 20:38:57 GMT -5
"Not just information," Proteus said quietly. "I regret Colonel Ashley's choice... but I know how he felt."
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Post by skybright on Jul 7, 2008 23:05:10 GMT -5
Daws flinched slightly. "Yeah." She murmured, flexing the claws of one hand slightly. "If I had to make that choice . . ." She broke off with a bitter shake of her head.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2008 22:18:01 GMT -5
"One more score to settle with Tiernan," Vance murmured.
Proteus eyed the Major thoughtfully. "Have you slept at all since we got out of those tunnels?"
"No. Been too busy."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2008 22:31:25 GMT -5
"We could all do with some sleep." Daws said quietly.
At that moment Hubert ducked into the kitchen, rubbing his palms together absently. He nodded at the three seated individuals as he made a beeline for the coffeemaker. "Hello, Major. Proteus."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2008 22:41:22 GMT -5
"Hello, Hubert," Vance said wearily. "How are the patients?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2008 22:48:23 GMT -5
"As well as can be expected, I suppose." Hubert poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned back against the counter.
"I've done all I could." He smiled thinly. 'Triage isn't exactly my field, I'm afraid. Cadeceus is setting Blizzard's arm, and that should finish things up -- except for Sid's nose."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2008 22:52:02 GMT -5
Vance shook his head. "I don't know how Sid's gonna explain that to his kids--not to mention his people at the Paragon Club."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2008 22:58:34 GMT -5
"I suppose he might pass it off as an accident." Hubert said over the rim of his coffee cup. "I once had a colleague who broke his nose by walking into a doorframe."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2008 23:10:59 GMT -5
"What did he have his eyes on--a lab report, or a nurse?" Proteus retorted.
Vance shrugged and rested his chin on his hand. "I guess the excuse is up to Sid. Anyway, we oughta get him home soon... What about Doctor Van Linden, Hubert? Will you be keeping her here until she comes out of it?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2008 23:20:00 GMT -5
Hubert sighed. "I'm afraid we've little other choice in the matter. Ideally she'd be moved to a hospital -- Cadeceus' examination room isn't precisely equipped for long-term clinical care -- but . . ."
Daws glanced up with a frown. "But we can't take her to a hospital. Tiernan'd snatch her up before the cops even had time to realize who she was, no matter what kinda alias we checked her in under."
"Precisely." Hubert sighed and shook his head. "So we'll simply have to do the best we can here. In the stage of coma she's in, it's not too great of a concern -- extremely long-term care isn't an issue. Not just yet, anyway."
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