VFF The Book Continues Part 6
POSTED BY: Colt99
UPDATED: Friday, June 3, 2016 04:01
VIEWED: 92656
PAGE 1 of 15
Time for a new thread
Where we started:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=17&t=33104
Where we moved to:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=17&t=33308
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=17&t=33361
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=21&t=33451
Heres the one we are leaving:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=21&t=33796
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Colt paced back and forth in Jacey's office. The two goons she had placed outside the door had disarmed him and just locked him in. He had thought he heard Abbey scream and rushed past them only to be introduced to the floor a few feet from the door. Another thing bothering him had been something he heard the Doctor say when she had left him. Slavers.
Siringo might not have the reach that Badger did but he sure as hell had some imformants out there, and if the Doctor turned out to be one of them this would turn ugly in a hurry.
He had tried to raise Mobbex several times but no luck. Colt heard the door unlock behind him. Dr. Garner entered.
Colt: Was that Abbey screaming?
Jacey: Why do you ask? Afraid someone else has taken up where you left off?
Colt confused: What do you mean?
Jacey: Listen Captain I understand that there are places in the Verse where what you do is perfectly legal, sometimes encouraged. This is not one of those places.
When these people are well enough to identify you as their attacker I will make sure the authorities deal with you.
Colt: Lady I don't know what you got in your head but I didn't attack anyone (Colt paused) well at least not them.
Jacey: So you attacked someone and they just got in the way.
Colt: That aint the case at all.
Jacey: I wouldn't imagine it is. I'm sure we can sort it all out when the feds arrive.
Colt: You don't want to do that
Jacey: Yes...I do and I will. I know your type. At some point you'll produce legal or illegal papers for them and they will probably go right back to getting beat again, but a few months sorting it out in jail might give you a taste of your own medicine.
Colt didnt take much relief from the fact that she thought he was a slaver, but at least she wasn't an informant
Colt: You being a Doctor and all I would have thought you would have more brains than this.
These people are my crew. And its just sweeet as a grape how you are looking out for em but I aint a slaver and I didn't beat attack any of them.
Colt turned and slammed the door and slide the chair under the handle. Jacey raced to the comm on her desk but Colt was faster. He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, just as the orderlies busted in.
Colt: Stay back (holding a letter opener to Jaceys throat)
Jacey: What did you say about not attcking people?
Colt: I said I don't attack my crew... well maybe my merc from time to time, but not the rest. You (Pointing to one of the orderlies) Toss my piece on the table.
He hesitated for a second until Jacey nodded for him to do so.
Pistol in hand Colt ripped out the comm connection and locked all 3 inside the office.
He ran back to the room he had heard Abbeys voice in. When he rounded the corner he saw her resting in the bed.
Abbey: Hey you. Did you talk to the Doctor?
Colt: You could say that. She said you were free to go
Abbey: Not without Oram.
Colt: We're all going...now.
Colt took Abbey in his arms and started for the door. Before he reached it Abbey kissed him.
At the same time Jacey and more muscle than Colt could count blocked the door.
Abbey: Doctor, this is our Captain.
Jacey realizing the mistake she had made: Yes we met.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
sorry, posted too soon
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
The mule rumbles to a halt before the hospital building, acrid black smoke oozing off the air inlet slits that run down either side of the engine compartment. Its blown rear left tire clings to the rim in a mass of tangled ribbons bound together only by the heat of friction, and its partially detached rear bumper rakes the ground in its wake, producing a screeching grind as metal scrapes over craggy pavement.
Mobbex throws his leg over the mule's back and alights, prompting a squeak from the four wheel's suspension as he relieves his weight from the seat. He is disheveled and sweaty, and a ragged strip of blood-splotched cloth is tightly wound around his calf, but his eyes are shining with a feral glint, and his innate swagger is magnified by the zest of the recent kill.
"Sure hope that drunkard's got her head screwed on on straight 'cause I ain't trustin' 'em core dandies with takin' that shot outta my leg." He sets off with a slight limp in his step, making a beeline for the health center. Colt sure ain't gonna be jolly when he sees the state the cart's in, but he oughta know I all but got myself shot dead trying to get it back, I mean that's gotta amount to somethin' right? . . . Plus who says I gotta take crap from that midget? He gets mouthy w'me, I'll show him. . .
He groans as a sharp pain shoots up his injured leg. Uggh... gonna need to get that looked at when we're back in the air. Ruttin' boozer had to run off on her own too. . . s'all her fault, every damn bit of it. Oh, the minute I get ahold o' that loony b
. . . The sliding doors hiss apart to grant him passage, and he hobbles over to the reception desk.
Receptionist: *does a quick double take, glancing him up and down once, twice, three times* What... seems to be the problem?
Mobbex: Problem? *pushes up a guiltless expression* I don't got no problem. M'jes' payin' a gal a visit is all.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
*Although she was granted consciousness every now and again, Oram wasn’t fully aware of where she was, what was happening or whether she was in safe and trusted hands.
When her mind deemed it ready to join the land of the conscious, it was with the nausea that comes from being given anaesthetic. Dear god she hurt all over… especially her back and left side, like she’d been hit by a freight train and then dragged across shards of broken glass with sprinklings of salt to add insult to injury.
She felt a mattress under her body, a blanket over her legs and a gown over her torso. Opening her eyes to the blurry vision around her, the room was dark and cool, but she could hear people out in the corridor and couldn’t understand what they were on about, nor did she care all the much.
Overlooking herself she found her shoulder was massively bandaged, her left arm in a sling as well as a cast… the cast was purple for some odd reason.
Trying not to groan and not think about what it meant, she dropped her head back, wincing at the dazzling light display in her vision and turned her head away from seeing her injured arm… and froze.
Oram felt the pit of her stomach drop as adrenaline rushed her system. Without thinking she pushed herself away from the intruder as fast as she could. Seeing that she couldn’t get anywhere with the IV in, she ripped the line from her arm and tried to hurriedly get off the bed, only succeeding in backing herself against the wall.*
Oram: Dear god… they’ve sent you to kill me because I went and wandered off….
*Mobbex merely raised an eyebrow and dropped the pillow he was holding*
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"So he is your Captain?" Jacey asked abbey as she laid her head tiredly onto Colt's shoulder. "And he hasn't... hurt you... in any way?"
abbey snorted.
"Of course not," abbey responded. "He saved my life. If he didn't come looking for me, I would have drowned."
"But you were afraid slavers were coming to get you," Jacey sputtered a bit. "I was sure that..."
Colt leaned down to her ear.
"She seemed to think I was a slaver and I beat you up," he said still eying them warily. "Those orderlies must have taken boxing classes."
abbey's eyes grew wide and she looked up at him. Then she looked at Jacey, then the orderlies and back at Colt.
"They hit you?" she exclaimed as she kicked a little making Colt put her down. He winced a bit. "You need medical attention."
"I DO not!" Colt retorted. "I can take a couple of punches."
"A couple? You definitely need medical attention," she insisted. She turned to Jacey. "Do you at least make sure he was OK after your boys pulverized him?"
"I didn't get pulverized!" Colt insisted, his voice rising up an octave. "It was a couple of punches and then the floor. The floor has a nice design if you look close enough."
abbey looked at Jacey again with disapproval in her eyes.
"I know you thought you were doing right by me, Oram and even Stan, but doesn't that go a little against the Hippocratic Oath?" she asked a little upset. "Why didn't you call the feds instead?"
Colt cleared his throat a little and abbey looked up at him.
"Well... OK... That would have been bad too..." she corrected herself as Colt smirked at Jacey. "Why don't you just check him out now, OK?"
Jacey nodded and came towards Colt who backed up and hid behind abbey.
"I'm fine," Colt insisted. He pointed at Jacey. "Why don't you just stay over there. So I can keep my eye on you *points at orderlies* They can go though."
abbey turned to Colt and put her hands on her hips (or at least one) and glared at him.
"Get yourself checked out. Or so help me..."
"You'll what?" Colt glared back. "Punch me yourself?"
abbey set her jaw, reached out and pinched him in the ribs.
"Ow!" Colt exclaimed, wincing again. "Hey! What was that for?"
"Check him out," abbey ordered Jacey. Colt started to object, but abbey reached out to pinch him again.
"Fine," Colt said finally, wrapping his arms around his sore abdomen, trying to protect himself from abbey's pinches.
Jacey smiled at the two and it was clear as day that they were more than friends.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Mobbex: *angles his head, arms folded across his chest* Now there's a fanciful notion.
Oram: *edges herself away from him, pressing her back against the bed's head* Then just what are you doing here?
The mercenary shrugs his massive shoulders, letting his arms fall by his hips.
Mobbex: M'jes' being thorough. Colt put me in to track ye down... *snatches up an apple from the stainless food tray sitting at the edge of the bed and bites a mouthful from it* ...hmm, n'that reminds me: there's sum'in I's been meanin' to ask ya. S'it possible fer ya to kick up more in the space o' one day or that pretty much yer max?
Oram: This is a bad day, I'll let you know tomorrow.
Mobbex gives a dry, humorless chuckle, then turns to lay a kick into a nearby trolley, sending it careening through the air.
Oram: Did that help?
Mobbex grumbles something unintelligible.
Oram: Did that hurt?
Mobbex: *throws an angry index finger at her face* Ye check that lil' sassy 'tude o' yers! I offed people for less, ye know! Heck, not even an hour ago I fed a guy the buckshot 'cause he looked at me funny!
Oram: Yeah, yeah, that's all impressive.
Mobbex: Gorram it! *hurls the apple at the floor, causing for the fruit to splatter with a crisp splash* Jes' what is it with ya? Gettin' stoned outta yer gourd an wanderin' off in the wilderness? You on some death wish type deal or sum'in? 'That it?
Oram: It's your fault, you bastards left me forgotten in a locked medi-bay.
Mobbex: UGH! *casts about for something he can maul and tear apart with his bare hands* Y'know what? Fine, be a nut, see if I care. But next time, ya jes' chew on a barrel an' save me the trouble. *does a quick about-face and stalks out in a huff*
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Oram and abbey were moved back to the ER to finish up the treatment they were getting. With her convincing, Colt had let Dr. Garner check him out.
"You have some bruised ribs," she announced as she taped up his abdomen in order to stabilize the area.
"Really?" Colt asked poking a little at the tape and wincing.
"Don't do that," Jacey sternly told him.
"I told you..." abbey sing-songed. "Pulverized."
Colt looked over at her and glared at her.
"It's not a big deal," he huffed. Jacey lightly poked him in the ribs, he winced again and abbey smirked at him.
"Yep. Pulverized," confirmed abbey.
"I'm not... HEY!" Colt exclaimed as he turned to Jacey. "You POKED me! Isn't that against some kind of oath that all you doctors take?"
"Didn't hurt you," she smiled as she placed the last bit of bandage on his ribs. "Just trying to prove a point."
Colt looked at her, then at abbey. He pointed to both of them.
"You two related?" he asked in mock suspicion. "Cause you act the same. Always a thorn in my side."
abbey giggled at the mention. They all turned at the sound of the big merc swearing and threatening the life of whoever was with him. Colt had ordered him to get his leg looked at while they were there and apparently he thought they weren't doing good enough.
"I shoulda' took his gun away while he was here," Colt mused. "Man is going to shoot someone."
"Already did. On the way here," Oram whispered, loud enough for only abbey and Colt to hear.
"Ai ya!" Colt muttered. "Did he get up on the wrong side of the bed today?"
Someone whispered into Jacey's ear. She smiled and addressed the group.
"Seems Stan is out of surgery," she told them. "He's got complications, but he's gonna be OK. Captain, Sky and the others would like to see you up in recovery to discuss his condition."
Colt looked at both Oram and abbey with apprehension.
"You two gonna be OK for a few?"
"Should be," abbey said. "After all, we have orderlies down here and we know they are quite capable of causing someone damage."
"Shut it, abbey," Colt snipped at her. abbey, Oram and Jacey all snorted at his quip. "I reconsider it, you ALL are related."
"I'll show you up to the surgical suite," Jacey offered and Colt got up to follow her.
On their way out, Colt stopped by where Mobbex was causing woe and asked him to keep an eye on the others down there. Mobbex swore at him too, but agreed to do just that. Then Colt and Jacey disappeared from the area.
abbey and Oram laid back on the gurneys where they were, trying to rest, but that rest was short lived. There was some commotion at the doorway between the waiting room and the ER room itself.
"It would have been a few people. Come in with bullet wounds and such," the man threatened. "I'm especially interested if a woman with a tattoo on her back came in here. The tattoo is in chinese and means 'Home'."
abbey's eyes widened as she pulled back the curtain just a touch to look out. There they stood, trying to push themselves in. Some orderlies and security guards were blocking their way, but weapons were quickly drawn.
"Siringo," she whispered. She started removing the IV from her arm as she turned to Oram. "Slavers. They've come looking for us. We have to get out of here."
She hopped off the bed and stealthily grabbed a wheelchair that was sitting next to their area. She helped Oram into it, grabbed their clothes and placed them in Oram's lap. She glanced down at the file that was barely showing out from underneath her pillow and paused to think of what to do with it. Deciding to leave it behind and with a considerable amount of shoulder pain, she pushed Oram out of their makeshift room. Mobbex must have heard them too, because he slid up behind them and took over for pushing Oram.
"We have to warn the others," abbey whispered to them as they quickened their pace, turned a corner and moved down a hallway.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Colt, Sky, Jacey and Stan's three friends stood next to a holoimage that was being projected of Stan's injuries. The surgeon was giving them the run down.
"When we got in to repair the damage, we found more here... here... and here," he said as he pointed to the spots on the holoimage.
"What does that mean?" Colt asked.
"That means that we had to put him in a coma to make sure that he didn't jar anything before it had time to heal some."
"What does that mean?" Colt asked again.
The surgeon sighed.
"Any kind of jarring could undo the repairs we did."
"So what do we have to do? We have a doc on board. We just have to keep him still for a while?"
"No, Captain," the surgeon said in a condescending tone. "That means he won't be leaving here for at least two weeks and then he'll have extensive rehab to do."
Colt swore as he turned around to Sky, his mind looking for a solution.
"Any thoughts?" he asked her quietly. She shook her head.
"I just know we don't have that much coin," she said.
"You think?"
"You'll have to leave him behind," the older man of Stan's friends said. "We will care for him."
Not having any other choice in the matter, Colt nodded.
"You tell Joey Li that I expect regular updates on his condition," Colt ordered him. "And make sure that Stan knows that when he is able and willing, he is still a member of my crew and we'll come get him."
"Of course. It will be done as you say," the older man agreed.
"Now I don't know you from Adam, so I am taking a big leap here. Don't make me regret this, dong ma?" Colt warned as he pointed his finger at the three.
"Dang ran," the man reassured him.
Colt took a deep breath in as a hospital worker anxiously came up to Jacey and excitedly whispered into her ear.
"There is men with guns in the ER? And they are tearing the place apart?" she asked, almost not believing what she was being told. Colt and Sky's attention trained onto Jacey'e words. The worker went on to tell her more. "But I don't have a patient with a tattoo on her shoulder-"
"Chinese symbol for Home?" Colt interrupted. The worker nodded. Colt swore some more. "That's abbey. They've come looking for us. We need to get out of here."
"Who has come looking for you?" Jacey asked, slightly bewildered.
"Slavers," Sky said as she drew her gun, checking to make sure it was fully loaded.
"Keep Stan safe," Colt ordered the old man and his two companions. They nodded in agreement.
Colt drew his and checked his bullets as he pulled a comm from his pocket. He clicked the button on it a couple of times and waited. If he used his voice, he could have given their position away if they had avoided capture. A few seconds later, he received a similar answer.
"They're on the move," he announced as he turned to look at Jacey. "Where could they have gone if they could get out of the ER?"
"This way," Jacey called to them as she started running down the hallway. Sky and Colt started running too, following her lead.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Colt and Sky followed Jacey though the maze of halls in the hospital. The employee only access areas she took them through would slow the slavers. Abbey and the others wouldn't have the same option.
Mobbex turned and drew his pistol as the sounds arguing slavers drew closer. Shadows could be seen moving closer to the hall they occupied. He had leveled his weapon at the end of the hall way when Abbey rammed him from behind with Orams wheel chair. The big man fell back on top of Oram. Both let out a grunt and Abbey shoved hard pushing them into the room beside them. Once inside Mobbex got to his feet and spun to see Abbey holding a finger to her lips.
He bit off the string of cuss words trying to escape his mouth.
Abbey leaned to the door and listened as the group of slavers and orderlies went by.
Mobbex: Gorramit girl. I could a took em.
Abbey: Yeah or gotten us killed. You want to play around with your life go ahead. Just don't do it around us.
She kneeled down next to Oram: You ok?
Oram: I either need more alcohol or fewer things causing me pain. (Eyeing Mobbex)
Mobbex: Hell she pushed me into you.
Jacey told them to wait in the hall as she searched the shuttle entrance to the ER. She returned quickly.
Jacey: No sign of them. I checked and they haven't been found yet.
Colt started to push past her but she stopped him.
Jacey: There's one watching the door.
Abbey lead the group around the final turn just in time to see Sky, wearing Dr. Garner’s coat, smash what she assumed was a slavers head into the wall he was leaning against. He went down like a sack of potatoes and Sky headed for the shuttle. She was about to call out to her when she saw Colt and Dr. Garner enter from a side door.
Colt: You made it.
He moved to hug her but caught himself.
Colt: Everyone ok?
Abbey: Be a lot better once we're out of here.
Colt turned to Jacey: Well Doc...
Oram: What?
Colt: Other Doc. Appreciate what you done for us. You had no call to stick your neck out for us.
Jacey: Tell you what. Next time half you crew is in need of medical help, go somewhere else and we'll call it even.
Both grinned and shook hands, then the crew headed for the shuttle.
Colt: Ok Sky get our people home. Mobbex and I will be along directly in the mule.
Mobbex: Huh? I...I aint so sure we shouldn't just skin outta here with them.
Colt: What? Leave the Mule? No...Much as I'd like to leave now, we need the mule. Port shuttle still busted up. Mules the only way we got to move goods.
Before Mobbex could come clean or come up with a better lie, Colt had headed off around the hospital towards the mule.
He heard the shuttle lift off behind him as he limped to catch up.
Colt stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the mule, or what was left of it. The large puddle growing under the engine, the small trail of smoke creeping out from under the hood. The flatten rim that barely had any tire remaining.
Colt: Juhguh Jee Hua jun kuhpah! How the hell did they know which mule was ours?
Mobbex: Whaaa...yeah...yeah those bastards. They must a had a look out. Someone saw me pull up. Sorry Colt.
Colt was contemplating calling the shuttle back when heard the voice behind him.
Booming voice: You can’t park that piece of gos se here.
Colt spun around and came face to chest with a bearded mountain. As he looked up to see the man face he noticed the tin star pinned to his vest. The man was huge. Half a head taller than Mobbex. The two bookends accompanying him weren't small either. They wore the similar badges.
Sheriff Sasquatch: You hear me mister?
Colt: Oh...this this piece of gos se. No...no this isn't ours. We were just passing by when we saw a bunch of guys pull up in this, yanked out some guns and ran into the hospital. Said something about getting the guy that ran em off the road or something like that *looking to Mobbex for support*
Mobbex: Yeah mean looking lot.
Sheriff Sasquatch: Come on boys. Lets git in there before something bad happens.
As s
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME