|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 3, 2008 21:54:20 GMT -5
"Yeah... Thanks, Daws." Alex closed his head and lowered his eyes, ostensibly praying. He still held Miriam's hand in both of his.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 3, 2008 22:04:19 GMT -5
"Sure." Daws sighed.
Caddy clapped her gently on the shoulder and nodded towards the door. "C'mon." He murmured. "Alex could use some time, and you need some rest -- no arguments. I know you won't get any once Vance and the others show up."
Daws nodded wearily, and -- with one last glance back in Alex and Miriam's direction -- allowed herself to be led from the room.
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 3, 2008 22:18:42 GMT -5
In the afternoon, Vance and his team finally arrived. The wounded men waited in the back of the van, while Vance, Nate, and Proteus went up to the front door.
Nate looked anxiously at his brooding father as they stepped up to the porch. "C'mon, Dad... don't make Daws worry. You know she's worrying enough about things already."
Vance made no reply as he knocked on the door.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 3, 2008 22:26:51 GMT -5
Caddy and Hubert were in the kitchen when Vance's knock came, and Hubert looked up gravely. "I suppose that will be them."
"Yeah." Caddy sighed and pushed back from the kitchen table. "I'll get the door. Do me a favor and wake up Roger and Daws, willya? I'd just as soon let 'em both sleep -- they need the rest more than I need 'em in my hair -- but I don't really feel like having the argument that'd start once they did wake up."
Hubert nodded and left the kitchen as Caddy moved to the front door and unlocked it.
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 3, 2008 22:35:50 GMT -5
When the door opened, Vance met Caddy's eyes gravely.
"Hello, Doc... I guess you know we've got patients for you." He turned to Nate. "Start bringing the men up."
The Major looked back at Caddy. "How's Doc Van Linden?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 3, 2008 22:38:56 GMT -5
"She's in a coma -- but stable. Alex is with her." Caddy replied. He stepped back from the doorway to allow Proteus and Vance to enter. "Who's hurt, and how bad?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 3, 2008 23:00:12 GMT -5
"Nearly everybody with us got banged up at the least," Vance replied. "We've got just about everything. Concussion, blunt trauma, claw scratches, some burns... maybe a coupla broken bones. Sid took a good crack across the nose, too. No gunshots, though--it was mutant-to-mutant combat."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 3, 2008 23:05:08 GMT -5
Caddy nodded. "Okay, well, come on back and let's get started. Hubert went upstairs to fetch Daws, but he should be down in a sec." Caddy grinned crookedly. "His bedside manner's not great, but he can handle the less severe cases without any problems."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 3, 2008 23:12:45 GMT -5
Sid was already coming up with two of Vance's men as Caddy spoke, and he shook his head with subdued irony. "Back when we first picked up Hubert, I never woulda figgered he'd be patchin' up our people one day... Hi, Caddy."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 3, 2008 23:18:08 GMT -5
Caddy nodded. "Hi, Sid." He eyed the impressive bruise spread across the bridge of Sid's nose as he led the group down the hallway to the examination room. "Man, you really did get cracked a good one, huh?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 3, 2008 23:32:36 GMT -5
Sid grimaced--and that mere change of expression was enough to make him wince in pain. "Ya shoulda seen me earlier. I was bleedin' all over the place."
He gripped Caddy's arm lightly. "Foxy's here, I guess... how's he dealin', Doc?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 3, 2008 23:38:07 GMT -5
Caddy made a faint gesture with one hand. "About as well as can be expected, I guess. It's a tough situation because there's so little we can do right now except wait. He's been with her all day."
He paused at the door of the examination room and glanced back at the group that had followed him. "I'm gonna curtain off that end of the room, try and keep things a little bit calmer while we're doing treatments." He explained quietly. "Sid, you probably want to see them both, huh?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 3, 2008 23:53:14 GMT -5
"Yeah, if it wouldn't be botherin' anything." Sid shrugged morosely and stepped past Caddy, moving toward Alex where he sat beside the bed Miriam had been moved to.
Seeing Sid, Alex stood up, and hurried forward to hug his friend tightly. Sid returned the embrace, for a moment looking more like a father than a best friend.
"She'll be okay, Foxy," he said gently. "We all will."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 3, 2008 23:57:18 GMT -5
"You should listen to him, Alex -- he's a smart guy." Caddy smiled slightly at the pair and reached to draw the curtain. "Take your time, Sid. I'll take a look at your nose whenever you're ready."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 4, 2008 0:10:07 GMT -5
"Yeah. Thanks." Sid patted Alex's shoulder, then turned to gaze ruefully at Miriam.
Nate came up beside Caddy. "We've got your first patients out in the hall here. There are ten guys total who need fixing. We did what first aid we could back in West Virginia."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 4, 2008 0:17:05 GMT -5
Caddy nodded and pulled the curtain shut, then turned to Nate. "Okay, then. No sense wasting any more time."
He gestured slightly with one hand, and his customary bright-green labcoat dislodged itself from its hook behind the exam room door and came sailing through the air. He slipped into it and reached out to intercept a pair of latex gloves that had likewise floated across the room. "Bring in the first case, willya, Nate?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 4, 2008 0:23:03 GMT -5
Nate shrugged and went into the hallway. A moment later, he led in Auger, who was grimacing at the bandages on his arms and chest.
"Acid burns from a spitter," Nate explained to Caddy. "And, uh--make sure you give him plenty of warning before you stick him with any needles. I'm sure you wouldn't want any bone spikes decorating your walls."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 4, 2008 0:33:40 GMT -5
"Yeah, not so much." Caddy said with a mildly alarmed look. "Lots of warning it is. Got it."
He retrieved a pair of scissors and began carefully cutting away at the bandages, grimacing slightly at the burns. "Geeze, these are pretty nasty."
Caddy floated a small bottle of painkiller and a syringe over, then glanced at Auger with a conciliating grin. "Okay, this is the fair warning we were talking about." He held up the wrapped syringe. "Needle. Just FYI."
As he filled the syringe, Hubert appeared in the doorway of the exam room. "I presume you'd like some help, Cadeuceus?" He remarked mildly.
Caddy nodded absently and gestured in Nate's direction. "Aim my housemate at the nearest guy who's not too bad off, willya?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 4, 2008 21:44:02 GMT -5
"Uh--sure." Nate ducked into the hallway. A moment later he came back with Outlander.
"Just some cuts and bruises here," Nate explained to Hubert. "We did what we could for it with some antiseptic and bandages this morning."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 4, 2008 21:49:13 GMT -5
Hubert nodded and gestured Outlander towards a chair. "All right -- take a seat. I'll wash my hands and then look you over."
|
|