Dysfunctional -- Chapter 22

Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Alec, Biggs, Renfro, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (X5-121, etc.).

Notes: More heavy-duty swearing in this chapter.

Units 3 and 4 marched out of the woods, Unit 3 looking triumphant and most of Unit 4 looking less happy than their fellow X5s. They formed two lines in the yard and waited for the trainers to come by to debrief them.

“That was a close one,” 494 commented. He turned his head so that he could see 849 directly behind him. “Wouldn’t you say?”

“Damn near a dead heat,” 849 agreed. “620 and I were within sight of your flag when you radioed in that you’d gotten our flag. Two more minutes and we would have gotten it.”

“It wouldn’t have been that close if we’d had 908 on our side,” 786 said, turning her head to glare at 121.

121 closed her eyes for a moment. Great. 908 gets called to Director Renfro’s office at breakfast and hasn’t been seen since and 786 and 714 automatically blame me. I know that for once, at least part of the blame does rest on my shoulders, but this shit is seriously getting old, not to mention that there is no way that those two should know that I told Director Renfro that 908 had been making herself puke this morning. “Drop the bullshit, 786. You say the same crap no matter what, even when 908 goes to isolation when she goes into heat four times a year. It’s getting tiresome.”

511 looked around and saw the trainer approaching them and sighed in relief. “Saved by the trainer.” When the trainer got closer, they all straightened to attention and stood there as they were debriefed. Finally, the trainer finished and dismissed them. 511 grinned. “Well, we’ve actually got free schedules until lights out. How about that?”

“I’ve got to get something from the cafeteria,” 494 said. “I wish we didn’t have to miss dinner.”

“Men,” 228 teased. “Are you always thinking with your stomachs?”

“They don’t always think with their stomachs, 228,” 849 reminded her unitmate, grinning. “When they aren’t thinking with their stomachs, they’re thinking with their dicks. Remember?” She, 121, and 228 laughed.

“I happen to disagree with that statement. We do happen to use our brains at least some of the time,” 494 insisted. “As a matter of fact, I believed that I was using my brain when—“ He stopped abruptly when a lab tech approached them. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Yes,” the tech said. “Director Renfro wants to see you, X5-511, and X5-121 in her office immediately.”

“We’ll be there,” 494 promised. The lab tech nodded and went back to the building.

121 exchanged nervous looks with the other four, who knew about what had happened early that morning. “Well, I guess we shouldn’t keep Director Renfro waiting.”

“Just find us when you can,” 849 said reassuringly.

“Thanks,” 511 said. “We will.” He, 494, and 121 marched inside and towards Renfro’s office. When they arrived at the door, the guards simply nodded to them and gestured them inside. They opened the door and went inside and formed a line in front of the desk.

“X5-494 reporting as ordered, ma’am.”

“X5-511 reporting as ordered, ma’am.”

“X5-121 reporting as ordered, ma’am.”

“At ease,” Renfro instructed. She waited for a moment. “I brought all three of you in here because I have a status update on X5-908. As you all know, I called 908 into this office after lineup and roll call. From here, I sent her directly to Psychological Operations.” She got up from behind her desk and began to pace in front of the three X5s. “I got the report back from the people down there about an hour-and-a-half ago and since then, I have been determining a course of action.” She stopped her pacing. “X5-908 has officially been diagnosed with bulimia nervosa.” Renfro looked closely at 494, 511, and 121 for a reaction from any of them. “You learned about the disorder in the Psychology classes that you have taken, correct?”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” the three of them replied.

“Very good,” Renfro said. “908 will be kept for various forms of…treatment…in Psychological Operations for a period of no less than two years. You will of course be informed when 908 has been cleared to return to active duty. Do you understand?”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am.”

“That is all,” Renfro concluded. “Dismissed.”

494, 511, and 121 saluted her and left the office. As soon as they went around the corner and were out of the sights and hearing ranges of the guards, they stopped. 121 leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh. “Oh man, that was even worse that I’d thought it would be.”

“You did see her forcing herself to yark,” 494 pointed out.

“I know,” 121 said, unable to keep a small smile off of her face at 494’s use of the slang despite the circumstances. “But you know as well as I do that sometimes even when you see something or part of something, it still doesn’t prepare you when the whole truth of it smacks you in the face.”

494 nodded. “I know.”

“What’s the plan now, boss?” 511 asked.

“We’ve got to let everybody know,” 494 replied. “Let’s find everybody and get them together and give them the heads up.”

“I’m going to get such a fucking backlash for this if and when they find out that I’m the one who ratted 908 out to Renfro,” 121 said, groaning.

494 put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, 121. 511 and I will head off any kind of backlash that you might get from any of those assholes.” He straightened out. “I know that some of them are going to be in the rec room and the rest of them were going to the library. 121, come with me and we’ll gather up our people in the rec room. 511, go to the library and tell our guys who are in there to stay there and if there are any other transgenics in there, try to clear them out. We need as much privacy as we can get. This is probably going to get messy.”

“Yes, sir,” 511 said. He nodded and went off in the direction of the library.

“Let’s go,” 494 said. 121 nodded and the two of them went to the rec room. 494 opened the door and poked his head in. “786, 714, 013, 237, 578, 665, and 304, we’re meeting in the library immediately. Come with me.” He and 121 heard several of them grumbling but all of them stopped what they had been doing and let 494 and 121 lead them to the library. When they got there, they saw the rest of their unit mates, including 511, sitting around a large table. The rest of the library appeared to be deserted. 494 gestured for them to have a seat, which they all did. 121 made sure to take a seat at the head of the table close to 494 and 511.

“So, what the hell is this about?” 237 wondered.

“We just got some news concerning 908,” 494 answered.

“What about her? Is something wrong?” 786 asked.

“Unfortunately, the answer to that one is yes,” 494 said. “According to Director Renfro, 908 has been diagnosed with having the eating disorder bulimia. She will be treated in Psy Ops for at least two years.”

“What the flying fuck?! Are you kidding me?” 714 exploded.

“Unfortunately, we aren’t kidding you,” 511 said. “We’re telling you what Director Renfro told us.”

“How the hell did Director Renfro know about 908?” 578 asked suspiciously. She crossed her arms across the chest. “I know what bulimia is, but if 908 was to have been diagnosed as having the stupid disorder, then Director Renfro had to have found out about it somehow.”

494, 511, and 121 exchanged a quick glance and 121 barely nodded. I might as well get it done and over with. “Director Renfro knows because I informed her,” 121 said. She repeated what she had told Renfro that morning.

“Oh, fuck you!” 786 yelled. “I knew it! I fucking knew it! I knew that one of these days, your stupid ‘09er twin ass would do something like this and screw us all over. You get over here right now you goddamn fucking twat and get what you have coming!” She got out of her chair and raced towards 121, but 511 anticipated this and shoved 786 back. “What the fuck was that for, 511? That little rat-faced bitch deserves this and you fucking know it!”

“I do not deserve whatever it was that you were going to do, 786,” 121 told her icily. “Whether you or anybody else chooses to believe it, I acted out of concern for 908’s health. Regardless of how she acts towards me and how I act towards her, she is still a part of this unit and so I did feel genuine worry when I saw her making herself throw up this morning. And if you still don’t believe that fact, and I’m willing to bet that most if not all of you don’t believe it, then the fact still stands that I am third in the chain of command of not only this unit, but of the entire Seattle X5 platoon and I’m an officer and as such, it is my responsibility to report anything out of the ordinary and potentially harmful like this to Director Renfro.”

“Do you think that I give a shit about all that garbage you just said?” 786 said angrily. “Do you really think that I’d bought any of it? That’s the biggest load of crap that I’ve ever heard you fucking bitch! I know that you got 908 in trouble and sent to Psy Ops for two years just because you are a pathetic little whore!” She made another move towards 121.

“That’s it! 786, sit your ass down right this instant!” 494 snapped. 786 stopped in her tracks, but she didn’t make any kind of move to sit back down in her seat. 494 noticed and glared at her. “786, I am giving you an order. Sit back down in your chair or I’m going to make sure you’re going to spend some time in the brig or solitary confinement.”

“Really?” 786 said insolently.

“I said sit!” 494 ordered angrily. 786’s eyes widened and she sat down. The others, even 511 and 121, looked at 494 a little nervously. None of them had ever heard him use that tone of voice before. “Now, I will have no more of this crap. What happened was not 121’s fault. She acted out of concern for 908’s safety and I want you all to remember that. Especially you, 786. Aren’t you 908’s friend?” 786 nodded and 494 continued. “I mean this. No more of the kind of shit that 786 just pulled or you will be punished immediately. Am I making myself clear?”

“Sir, yes, sir,” the rest of the unit replied.

“Thank you,” 494 said. “Dismissed.” Most of the unit, with the exception of himself, 511, and 121 left the room and 494 let his breath out and sank back in his chair. “Fuck. I didn’t mean to be that…asshole.”

“You weren’t being an asshole, you were being a commanding officer,” 121 corrected. “It freaked me out a little, but I completely understand.” She smiled. “And thank you for getting 786 off of my butt.”

“You’re welcome,” 494 said.

511 nodded. “That did scare me a little bit too, boss. But 121 was right. You did what you had to do.” He waited for 494 and 121 to stand up. “What do you want to do now?”

“Let’s find 849 and 228 and fill them in,” 494 decided. “After that, I just want to find someplace to relax until lights out.”

“You and me both,” 121 agreed.

TBC