Day 4 | Morning | The Infirmary

[Hadrian Martikova]

She had the odd sensation of smiling while her eyes welled up with tears.

"Hey, you."

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"We seem to end up in the nicest places together, don't we?"

"Can't.... catch a break."

He tried with everything he had to sit up some. But the effort proved futile and left him feeling dejected.

"Dammit! Wanna hold you." His own eyes started leaking some. "Was afraid... I'd never see you again."

[Laila Bridger]

"Can't.... catch a break."

He tried with everything he had to sit up some. But the effort proved futile and left him feeling dejected.

"Dammit! Wanna hold you." His own eyes started leaking some. "Was afraid... I'd never see you again."

"I..."

She couldn't really hold him either, not with the injuries still on the mend. So she leaned over and kissed him instead. And said nothing more until she came up for air.

"I think you're stuck with me."

She kept one hand holding his, while the other went to the side of his face and she rested her forehead on his.

"It was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I thought we were dead. And the thought that I'd die without... Anyway. You saved my life."

[Kannon]

Xard.jpg (31.9 KiB) Viewed 1034 times

Xard, once he got out of Dr Yueh that his daughter was here, dropped onto the floor while trying to get off the bed, but pulled himself up and looked around desperately trying to find her. Yueh was saying some soothing words but was also getting a sedative ready.

[Cuyler Gray]

Cuyler nearly fell herself as she immediately moved to assist him.

"Dr. Vim. Please, let me help you."

[Kiran Alsahar]

Xard.jpg

Xard, once he got out of Dr Yueh that his daughter was here, dropped onto the floor while trying to get off the bed, but pulled himself up and looked around desperately trying to find her. Yueh was saying some soothing words but was also getting a sedative ready.

Cuyler nearly fell herself as she immediately moved to assist him.

"Dr. Vim. Please, let me help you."

Kiran spoke up. "You're both falling over where you stand. You need some rest."

[Kannon]

A flash of recognition crossed Xard's face when he saw Kiran, but he appeared grateful to them both for assistance. Yueh sighed and decided that in such circumstances another sedation was uncalled for after all.

"I must see Sinsei." Xard uttered.

[Cuyler Gray]

"Of he's anything like his daughter, he's not going to stop." Cuyler shook her head. "It's best to help him."

[Kiran Alsahar]

Kiran nodded to Cuyler and got up cautiously, testing their legs before stepping over. "I'll help, too, then." They looked at him with a slight smile as they stepped over.

[Hadrian Martikova]

"I..."

...kissed him... said nothing more until she came up for air.

"I think you're stuck with me."

She kept one hand holding his, while the other went to the side of his face and she rested her forehead on his.

"It was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I thought we were dead. And the thought that I'd die without... Anyway. You saved my life."

At the first part, a smile. The second part a look of frustration that he bit back.

"What... did they...?"

Then there was the commotion. Hadrian looked to the man with concern. Then he turned back to Laila questioningly.

[Laila Bridger]

"What... did they...?"

"Woke up trussed in shigawire, and then that little Tleilaxu fuck shot us up with near-lethal concentrations of ailar.
Like a test. The woman you met at the festival would have died. Given up. You saved me."

Then there was the commotion. Hadrian looked to the man with concern. Then he turned back to Laila questioningly.

Given the racket, she spoke at a more normal volume.

"Xard went through it too, and he's... you and I weren't the only ones with worries about someone. About all he could think of was his daughter. I should check on him, but..."

But I don't want to let go of your hand.

[Hadrian Martikova]

Snip

He opened his mouth to say something. But he found her words reassuring. At the very least they abated his frustration for the time being. As did her reluctance to leave his side.

"Climb in... while the doctor's not looking."

[Kannon]

The doctor was indeed not looking.

Yueh had to find a passage in the OCB in his head to replace his irritation with educated compassion. Keeping patients from jeopardising chances of recovery of other patients was not something he had to deal with often. The father, however, could be contained by reasoning, scientist to scientist. He went ahead of them to the isolated space where Sinsei was to control access.

"Dr Vim, your daughter is alive but comatose. Uncontrolled interventions may subvert my chances to restore her health."

Xard stopped at the plaz dividing him from Sinsei. There she lay, unmoving, He was suppressing tears.

"What happened?"

Yueh looked at Cuyler to explain.

[Cuyler Gray]

"She came with us, to rescue you." She said a bit breathlessly, as she attempted to guide him to a place for them to sit. "We encountered that man, Marek. He poisoned her with needles. I did what I could to slow the poison, while our comrade fought the man."

A coughing fit interrupted her.

"When he realized he was defeated, Marek released another poison. Gas. I'm sorry. We weren't able to get an antidote."

[Laila Bridger]

"Climb in... while the doctor's not looking."

She bit her lip.

"Okay, Hadrian, I am sorely tempted, but if I do that, the doc might burst a blood vessel, and then who'd discharge you?"

[Hadrian Martikova]

He grinned slyly, "Tell him... you're my medicine." He chuckled. "Besides-"

He coughed.

"I... don't want to dream right now." He breathed. "Not without you."

[Laila Bridger]

"I... don't want to dream right now." He breathed. "Not without you."

That... that hit close to home.

"Oh, Hadrian. I... I'll be right here, okay?"

She glanced over toward Yueh.

"I see 'em too, sometimes, when I sleep. I carry some of the ghosts I made."

[Kannon]

Recollections of the cave experiences with Marek he had partially shared with Kiran returned to inform his understanding what he had been just told. He shuddered. He sat where he could still see his daughter.

"Informing Kaitain is one recourse. When is the next heighliner?"

"Tomorrow." Yueh replied, his tone hiding lack of confidence in this call for help being effective. "The request to Parmentier is already in orbit."

"Melange?"

"Potentially."

"Then I'll procure at least that." How could a planetologist procure something that became too expensive for some nobles was anyone's guess.

[Cuyler Gray]

"We'll find a way." She assured him. "I'll do whatever I can."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"I see 'em too, sometimes, when I sleep. I carry some of the ghosts I made."

He winced, "It's not them... that I'm afraid of."

Whatever thought he was suppressing, it made him shiver.

[Laila Bridger]

He winced, "It's not them... that I'm afraid of."

Whatever thought he was suppressing, it made him shiver.

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"Of course it's not. You're afraid of the one who made them."