VFF The Book Continues part 5

POSTED BY: Colt999
UPDATED: Monday, March 16, 2009 23:49
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PAGE 4 of 15

ABBEYGIRL

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:47 AM

abbey is sleeping when Oram comes in, so she sits down next to her on the bed and starts going through the contents of her bag, pulling out any items that she knows she will be using. abbey stirs a bit.

abbey *murmuring with a slight smile on her face*: Colt? You staying for a bit?

Oram *smiling*: Nope. Just me. Captain’s on the bridge. His days of having to look in on you in the middle of the night have come to an end.

abbey jolts awake, her heart pounding against her chest. She hadn’t thought about the possibility of anyone else coming into her shuttle. She replays what she just said. She was asking Colt if he was going to stay. Even though she is still angry with him for their blowup about Grayson, she still wanted him to stay. She is immensely grateful that Oram did not read between the lines of her request.

abbey sits up quickly and winces in pain. Oram looks over at her in concern. She can see abbey’s shoulder a lot better now that she is sitting up.

Oram: That looks nasty.

abbey *dryly*: Is that your expert opinion? You learn that at the MedAcad?

Oram *sticking tongue out at abbey*: No. It’s just an observation. I do need to look at it though.

abbey: While you are doing that, could you please tell me how Mobbex puked Panaflex on me? I wasn’t exactly able to get the whole story last night on account of me being half-conscious and burned.

After a thorough examination and explanation, Oram starts putting her stethoscope and other things back in her bag.

abbey: What’s the verdict?

Oram: Your lungs are clear. I didn’t think there would be any problem there, but I know it’s comforting to know for sure.

abbey: Thanks.

Oram: All in all, the burn is not as bad as I thought it would be.

abbey: Not as bad?

Oram: These usually blister or worse and can cause extensive scarring. Yours just seems like a bad sunburn.

abbey: Just a sunburn? Oram, it hurts like hell!

Oram: Big baby.

abbey *getting annoyed*: You have something constructive to say, mei mei?

Oram *as she pulls out a tube of cream*: This is an analgesic cream. It will help with the pain and soothe the affected area. I need you to put it on often.

abbey *sniffing the cream, and wrinkling up her nose*: Wo de tian, Oram. This stuff smells foul!

Oram *taking the cream back and sniffing it*: It does not! *hands it back to abbey who smells it again, this time turning a slight shade of green.* You ok?

abbey puts her hand over her mouth, bolts from the bed and retches into the sink. Oram follows her. Without looking, abbey reaches for a nearby cloth when she is finished and wipes her face. The whole process seems too calculated to Oram.

Oram: Been nauseous? You look a little too… familiar with your sink.

abbey *taking in a deep breath*: A bit.

Oram: You were gonna mention it when?

abbey *standing up*: It’s just nerves.

Oram: Or could be something more.

abbey: Like what?

Oram: I had Mobbex on a cocktail of different things. Since the Panaflex made the area it touched like a big open wound, it wouldn’t be a stretch that to think that some of the other drugs might have been absorbed into your skin.

abbey *a little more concerned*: Like what?

Oram: You were drinking last night weren’t you?

abbey: Yes. Had a couple of glasses of d’Orange.

Oram: Mobbex got sick after he drank. Although he chugged all of his beverage at once, so it came up really fast. Unfortunately, all on you.

abbey: Thank him for me will you?

Oram: You, on the other hand, drank slower and more steadily. One of the drugs I gave him binds itself to alcohol if it’s present and can cause vomiting for a couple of days.

abbey *groans*: The gift that keeps giving.

Oram: That particular drug is supposed to keep you awake for long periods of time.

abbey walked to her bed a tiredly flopped herself back onto it.

abbey: Well, that’s not a problem here.

Oram: The Panaflex overwhelmed that particular function of the drug.

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COLT99

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:09 PM

*Oram comes across Colt in the galley. He is sitting there, with a cup of coffee in one hand and his head leaning back on the chair. His eyes are closed, so she almost thinks he is asleep.*

Do you need something Doc?

Oram: You look like crap.

*picking his head up and opening his eyes to look at her* You come here just to tell me that?

Oram: You look like you didn’t sleep all night.

Very little.

Oram: Checking in on abbey?

*nodding* I was worried.

Oram: I let her sleep most of the day before going to visit her. She needs the rest. I just got done checking her out.

*sitting up straighter in his chair* How is she?

Oram: Lungs are clear. *He lets out a breath of relief* There wasn’t much of a chance they would be affected, but I checked for sure.

I watched her while she was asleep. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining if I heard a wheeze or not. *He catches himself. He had told her earlier that he had only checked in on her. He changes the subject quickly.* It’s good to know.

*Oram doesn’t seem to notice.*

Oram: The burn is relatively minor. I was surprised.

Surprised?

Oram: It’s just that when things like this happen, it is usually much more serious. Blistering and even loss of layers of skin. Extensive scarring is a very real possibility.

*flinching inwardly at the thought of abbey being scarred* She’s not gonna have that, is she?

Oram: No, like I said, hers is not much more that a bad sunburn.

Good.

Oram *pausing and looking at him*: You found her last night? Right after it happened? *Colt nods* What did you do to keep it from getting as bad as it could have been?

*Colt thinks back to the shower. He isn’t sure he could explain it without it coming out misunderstood. He swallows thickly.*

What do you mean?

Oram: What did you do? Short of dumping her in a shower, I don’t see how the Panaflex got off her skin.

That’s what I did. Carried her to the nearest shower and dumped her in there. *he adds the next part quickly * Clothes and all.

Oram: And she was able to stand on her own when you put her in there? *Oram sits down and rubs her head.* That’s odd.

*trying to change the subject* Your head still hurt?

Oram *nodding*: Hurts a bit. *She continues her line of questioning* She was Ok enough to stand?

*knows she isn’t going to stop until he tells her more* No. I turned on the cold water and held her underneath it until she came around.

Oram: It probably saved her from having permanent damage. *chuckling a bit* I bet she liked that. Jolting awake under freezing cold water.

*rubbing the place where she had elbowed him the night before* I know. She packs a good whollop. I didn’t think I was going to be able to pull a decent breath the whole time she was in there showering.

Oram: She showered after then?

*nervously* I was a perfect gentleman, you can ask her. I didn’t… watch… or anything.

Oram *rubbing her head again*: Well, you did a fine job, Captain.

Anything else I should know?

Oram: She’ll be a bit fatigued for a while. She should probably stay in bed. She’s also a bit nauseous. I gave her some medicine for that and the burn. She should be good by the time we have to do the upcoming job.

*Colt tenses up at the thought of abbey putting herself in danger when she doesn’t have to. He has crew for jobs like this. But he knows she has her mind set and short of doping her, she is going to insist on coming. He also knows she is right. She will be able to pose as a buyer easier, plus she is a better shot. He doesn’t have to like it though. Oram’s voice brings him out of his thoughts.*

Oram: I don’t want her to go either.

You know she won’t be persuaded from what she’s decided.

Oram: I know. *she gets up from the table* I’m going to go take a nap myself before dinner comes around. Mobbex kept me up half the night. *Colt gives her a strange look* In the Infirmary!

Just playing with you, Doc. You go get that rest. Dinner’s is an hour or so away.

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ABBEYGIRL

Thursday, June 12, 2008 2:22 AM

*She comes out of her slumber to find the curtain between her living area and the cockpit pulled back. Colt is sitting in the pilot’s chair, dozing. She looks down and notices the tray of food he must have brought her. For once, she is feeling hungry and devours everything that is there. When she finishes, she places the tray on her nightstand, sits up in bed and watches him. He looks tired. He stirs, opens his eyes and looks at her.*

abbey: That’s got to be uncomfortable.

Colt *stretching*: That’s an understatement. But I probably should have slept here last night. Instead of…

abbey: It’s OK. I didn’t mind.

Colt: I… uh… I didn’t mean to wake up with you like that.

abbey *thinking about how she woke up a couple of times with him holding her *: It’s OK.

Colt: I know you said no touching…

abbey: I know. I'm sure it wasn’t intentional.

*A silence fills the room. Both of them avoid eye contact. Colt breaks the silence with small talk.*

Colt: You feeling better?

abbey: A lot. Oram gave me some medicine. The pain from the burn is mild. *pause* Thanks for the food, by the way.

Colt *shrugging slightly*: I thought you might be hungry seeing how you missed breakfast and lunch.

*Silence fills the room again. Colt busies himself by taking inventory on the screws along the floor, but he knows this is the best time to try to apologize to her for his behavior the other day. They are alone and not likely to be interrupted. He wants to fix things with her.*

Colt: I wanted to tell you that I jumped the gun about Grayson the other day. I’m sorry about that. I really am. I hope you can forgive me.

abbey: I know, but you should trust me a little more. I didn’t know how long it would be before I forgave you or even if I ever could. *Colt tensed at that comment* But you’ve been extra nice lately. Nothing says ‘I’m sorry’ like saving a girl from permanent scarring. Makes her want to reconsider. *takes in deep breath* I don’t want to be angry with you, I don’t like it.

Colt *smiling*: Really? *I have a chance, he thought.* I don’t like being angry with you either, but…

abbey: You have questions, don’t you?

Colt *shifting in his chair*: Yes.

abbey *stiffening up*: About Grayson?

Colt *trying to tread lightly*: Yes.

abbey *swallowing hard*: OK. Just no yelling or accusations, OK?

Colt: Fair enough.

abbey *taking a deep breath and closing her eyes*: OK. I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.

Colt: How long have you known him?

abbey: Twelve years.

Colt: And your… thing… was a long time ago?

abbey: Yes. Nine years ago.

Colt: Why’d it end?

abbey: He was a client… It was… unprofessional.

Colt: Did you love him?

abbey: I think both of us knew that it was a short term thing. It was at a low point in both of our lives.

Colt: But did you love him.

abbey: No.

Colt: So now, he really is just an old friend?

abbey: Yes.

Colt *taking in a deep breath of his own*: Why did he act like he owned you? Like he had the right to take over your life?

abbey: I don’t know. He just feels overprotective of me since we…

*They pause for a moment before Colt breaks the silence.*

Colt: Why did he just expect you to leave?

abbey: He did background checks on everyone on the ship. *Colt stiffened at her statement* He didn’t like what he saw, even though he couldn’t find anything concrete. He was just was worried. He tried to convince me to leave, but I turned him down.

Colt *shocked*: You did?

abbey *chuckling a bit*: I actually ditched him. Sneaked out the bathroom window. Left a note telling him it wasn’t going to happen.

Colt: Why?

abbey: Oram is here… And you. *Colt gets a big smile on his face. He really has a chance now.*

Colt: It helps now that we have everything out in the open.

abbey *knows that isn’t the truth, she is still hiding a very large part in her life and isn’t willing to tell him… yet*: I do too.

Colt: Are we OK now?

ab

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STRANGEBIRD

Friday, June 13, 2008 12:54 AM

*Piloting can be an exciting career, some days. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, this was not one of those days. Stan went about his duty of minding the ships heading, as he has helped to do for the past few weeks. As the day ran on he busied himself with various tasks and checked every hour for any incoming waves. By the end of his original shift, having done both Colt's and his own, he grows weary and starts to drift off at the helm. A faint chime from the ship's communications terminal catches his attention and saves him the trouble he would have gotten in, had he fallen asleep. Leaning forward he finds the wave he'd been waiting for has come.*

*Secure Encrypted Wave*
Sender: Joey Li #87642-16733-321-21-7
Recipient: Stanley Enys #87621-15013-332-21-7

Brah!

Ya right, I really didn' expect to hear from ya so soon. Figured ya'd be off having fun, living the life of a pirate! Hah! Hope ya's got plenny wahine to keep ya warm in the black. Eh? Any kine, I got what ya need all set up. Kay? I got a contact in Little Port, remember there? It's about two hundred miles south of Vanteel... about three hundred east of Nelumbo. I sent the exact coords tagged onto the wave. Braddah by the name of Coaster, crazy akamai, dun let his face fool ya! I was able to talk him down to sell ya everthin' plenny chang. So not as akamai as they say, maybe? Either way, brah, deals all set out. Don' hesitate to ask me for help, anytime. Family, 'ohana holo'oko'a as my grandma say.

Aloha kāua.
Joey

*Stan enters the coordinates tagged onto the wave and makes sure the Book's computer navigations can easily find the small port city. After another hour at the watch, Wash comes in to relieve Stan.*

Wash: "Hey Stan.." *She notes his relaxed state, leaning back with his feet on the control dash* "..tired?"

Stan: "Wah?" *He takes his feet off the dash and sits up.* "Oh.. no, just sorta.. bored."

Wash: "Yeah, let me know if you're ever think you can't stay awake. God knows I've nearly fallen asleep up here myself."

Stan: "Yeah, sure..."

*Stan gets up and lets Wash take the helm. She fiddles with some of the navigational settings and adjusts the heading a smidge.*

Stan: "Good night... big day tomorrow. Let me know if you want me to mind the ship while you get some sleep in the morning. I'm pretty sure I might even be ready to land this bird."

Wash: "Well.... we'll see. G'night."

*Stan leaves the bridge and proceeds to the galley to see if there's anything around to eat. After a small, and late dinner he heads off to find the captain, after twenty minutes of looking about he gives up and walks down to the passenger's head. Deciding against a shower, he brushes his teeth and splashes some water on his face before he goes to his quarters. As he strips out of his coveralls he briefly considers reading a few pages of the journal before sleeping.*

"Nah... that journal will keep me awake for hours if I pick it up. Tomorrow's going to be crazy, and I need at least a couple hours of sleep."

*He turns off the light and tucks in, falling to sleep within moments.*


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