"I could use some lab equipment. Mine recently ... burned."
"That would be worth a lot of supplies," he said. He paced slightly, though it was not apparent if that was in actual thought, or merely for her benefit.
"How much ... in supplies are we talking about?"
Alyssa had emerged from the garden, fully aware of her surroundings again and looked about to see who else was in the lobby. She noted the three currently there, who were then joined by a fourth. Medic Drachenn -- Ash -- walked purposefully in from the emergency room. Ash grumbled at her reflection in her palm-top. Terra glanced to Ash and conjured up a smile. Her attentions diverted for the moment from her dealings with Caine. "Good eve."
"Elliot, what's the status on that centrifuge?", Ash barked out as she stalked down the hall.
The chimes rang out as Elliot, the hospital's computer replied. "Mirandahh, the centrifuge is beyond repair. The calibration units were too damaged in the fire."
Ash punched data onto the keypad in front of her. "Well, hell. What am I supposed to do then."
Caine gave Terra a long list of basic supplies, more than half of which were potent antibiotics. Terra pressed him further on what exactly it was that she wished. He gave her an approximate for delivery and she made certain that the given list was all that he required. He nodded. "Yes, I take it we have a deal then?"
She winced, hearing Ash griping about the centrifuge to Elliot and nodded. "Yes ... deal."
Inside the cafeteria, Justice regarded Bliss calmly and took another sip from his canteen. She tilted her head before she spoke again. "Know what? I know who you are now if that is what you are asking."
"You're a sharp kid. I didn't figure it would take you long, though."
Her finger drifted over her new rifle, in an almost loving touch. "I'm a little distracted."
"This isn't your battle. It is mine. Mine alone."
Bliss pointed at her neck. "This isn't your throat. It's mine."
The pair of mercenaries argued over who would serve what punishment to who, and who would be left out of the fray. They both had their reasons, and all were sound. They both felt themselves alone in their respective crusades. Justice came upon an idea. "How long until you're out of here?"
Ash tried hard not to scowl at Terra as she walked behind the receptionist's desk, plugged the palm-top into the jack and began downloading several files from the E-7 database. Josi and Alyssa moved nearer to one another. Still each woman was still in her own personal space and world, not wholly aware of the other. They seemed content to merely listen in to the other's conversations, rather than giving any input. Terra, concluded with her trading talks, walked to Ash and again offered a greeting. "Good eve."
"Mebbe for you," came the sharp reply, immediately regretted.
"Do you wish to speak to me about the fire? I ... I am well aware of the problems it has caused, not to mention ... the loss of life ..." Terra's voice cracked as she spoke the last three words.
"Yeah, well ... some of that stuff can't be replaced ... and ..." Ash's voice trailed off as she for the first time really looked at Terra. "Aw geez, Terra." She reached a hand out to Terra's arm. "I ... I'm sorry."
Terra stammered through her reply, "I am ... trying to replace some of the equipment. It was my fault ... Mirandahh .... I ... I will take whatever punishment you deem fit."
Ash made a mental note of the two who were hovering nearby and held up one finger. She followed the gesture up by a swear. "I ain't your mother, Terra."
"No. You are however, my superior. Well, ... if you need to ask me anything, or if there is anything I can do ... I will ..."
"Look, Terra ..."
"Yes?" Terra looked at Ash in apprehension.
"It's all right. If you want to talk ... you know ... a ... about his death. I've been through it, right?" The briefly given weak smile of comfort turned quickly downward.
Terra nodded. "Thanks, Mirandahh." She smiled faintly and sighed, before she trundled back off to work. There was always a cure for which to search or a someone to treat. The monotony of it was both a comfort and a drain.
"Not until my throat is better," croaked Bliss. "Docs won't let me go for a while."
"You want out of here tonight?"
Bliss' eyes flew open. "Yes, of course."
"Bliss, I could use a partner in my crusade."
"What about Mik?", she queried.
"What about him?"
"I thought he was your partner, friend ... whatever."
Justice shook his head and smirked. "Mikkaill is much more important than you know, Bliss. He aids the crusade his way. So what do you say? I could use a partner. Plus, I could teach you some tricks, plus, it'll give you a place to stay and a reason for being. Plus, I could use a friend. "
She nodded. "I'm in. Got nothing else to do now. Not that I meant it like that."
That smirk lay still on his lips, having not left since his arrive it seemed. He cast a look toward the entering Terra. He quickly dismissed her, as she prepared a quiet cup of tea, and showed no sign of being intrusive. "Glad to have you."
Ash crooked her finger towards Josi and beckoned her over. Alyssa followed closely, as she listened to what might be an interesting conversation. It took Josi a moment to figure out what she was going to do, before her feet finally made the first step towards Ash. "Well, ... I was thinking," Josi began. "I might be able to fix your ... centi ..." She fumbled with the word, "centif ... centrifuge thing."
Ash peered over the monitor to the waif. "The centrifuge? You can't even pronounce it."
She shrugged. "Don't mean I can't fix it."
"Hmm ... calibration unit is all burnt out, so Elliot says. Pretty delicate wiring."
Josi nodded, and absorbed the details of the problem. "Can I look at it?"
Ash gave it a moment's thought and then shrugged. "Why not?"
Alyssa cleared her throat and announced her presence, and intent to accompany the other two women. After all, she may be able to help. Now there was something Josi was unfamiliar with, but sensing that the two might have much in common, she agreed. After instructing Elliot to light up the lab, Ash, Josi, and Alyssa made their way to the elevators. The mechanical lift whirred and groaned to life as it carried them to the second floor. The chimes announced their arrival, overriding the background music. The women stepped out and walked down the hallway to the freshly lit laboratory. Ash made an apologetic wrinkle with her nose. "It stinks, but the air's been filtered clean. No worries." The trio passed the numbered doors in relative silence before Ash opened the door to the lab. The ceiling tiles had all since been removed, revealing the tangled crisscross of wiring. The fire had burned hot, fueled by various chemicals. Melted metal hung in blobs where the most intent heat had smoldered. Questionable electronic apparatuses lay stacked and piled in the corner, as though abandoned in some half-assed salvage attempt.
"Okay, sisters. The centrifuge is over there," said Ash, as she pointed to the pile of parts.
"What is it supposed to do?" Asked Josi.
"Basically, it spins the stuff really fast."
"Oh." Josi nodded, and came to a halt next to the machine. Alyssa let her take the lead, as she thought and took in what might have once been the centrifuge.
Bliss grinned at Justice. "Okay, but I am waiting for a few more things from Caine."
"Like what?"
"Just some clothes to replace those I lost."
"Anything special about these clothes or will any do?" He nodded to Terra as she left, apparently done with her tea ritual for the night.
"Only that I made a deal with the man and I intend to stick with it. I'm in enough trouble without breaking a deal with Caine."
"Honorable as well? I think you and I will get along just fine, Bliss. We'll return, don't worry. Do you have any gear in your room?"
"Just my saddlebags, not much left in them."
"You want them," came his quiet reply.
Before she could give her answer, the woman who had been seen with Caine during earlier dealings appeared in the cafeteria. She moved in a manner that was purely professional and dropped a satchel at Bliss' feet without a word. She left as Bliss nodded to her and checked the bag's contents. She found them satisfactory. In the lobby, Caine tapped a pad and deleted some items under Bliss' name. "Exactly where it was supposed to be. Well, that's such a satisfying feeling." Business, was of course, business.
"Elliot tells me the basic unit itself is sound, just the calibrations are shot. The whole unit," Ash continued in her explanation of what she knew regarding the malfunction of the centrifuge. Alyssa and Josi both nodded and then launched into quite the lengthy discussion between themselves of what supplies they needed to fix the medical equipment. The skittish mumbler that Josi had impressed upon them all earlier had vanished, to be replaced by a more business manner. The two inspected the problem with an obvious degree of adeptness and skill as Mirandahh looked on. "What's your price?" Asked Ash.
Josi paused in her tirade of facts and possibilities and looked at Alyssa. She hadn't considered that. They lit into more discourse as they talked over what the price would be. "Eh, you think this over, all right?" Ash finished without them truly hearing her. They continued in their mediations of parts, labor, and the like. Josi exalted her abilities a bit, and Alyssa, impressed, offered her help. A partnership formed between the burgeoning friends. They paid no mind to the now turned back of the nurse. Mirandahh left the room to the electronic doctors and headed back to the lobby, via the stairs. She was in a bit of a hurry, and careless in her step. The stairs passed beneath her in two and three at a time, and she lost her footing. Down the stairs she tumbled, ending up as a heap on the landing.
"Get all your gear and bring it to the door." Instructed Justice. "We leave as soon as I finish my business."
Bliss nodded. "Works for me." She packed her new guns into the provided satchel and made her path to Caine once more. He waved his hand to dismiss his associate.
"Yes, Bliss?"
"Body armor. The good stuff. Full combat gear."
He nodded and gave her the standard company line. "It'll cost you. How soon and what do you offer?"
"You just let me know what it'll cost. I'll be in touch about when."
"After I meet with the Demon people, I'll let you know my price." He grinned at his usage of one of the Cult names. He tapped at his keypad, and reestablished her account with the armor order.
"Thank you. I'll be in touch ... soon." Bliss nodded and headed away from Caine, almost afraid of what the price of the armor would be.
Terra glanced up at Justice, having heard the crunch of his teeth into an apple. "I need you to release one Bliss Lovejoy."
She raised a brow. "Excuse me?"
Justice chomped on his apple. "I didn't stutter, Doc."
The intern looked at him. "She is still under treatment I believe."
"She's fine. I have a friend that'll fix her up good and quick."
"Let me check her file," Terra said, her fingers tapping Bliss' name into the computer for her updated records.
The stairwell door opened, and Ash gimped out. With each step she winced. The two at the computer terminal spotted her. Justice merely ate his apple with a calm look to Ash as Terra jumped up and ran over to her. "Mirandahh! What happened?"
"Ahhh ... just took a tumble down the stairs."
"Let me help you to the treatment area." Terra didn't wait for a protest as she wheeled a chair over to carry Ash. She needed to be X-rayed. They could not afford to take any chances. Mirandahh was already suffering from more than a slight amount of embarrassment and did not want any more fuss than was necessary. Terra would have none of it and performed the exam and the films herself. Thankfully, the x-ray showed no sign of even a fracture. It was a sprain, as Ash had predicted. Nonetheless, Terra wrapped it in long strands of dressing.
"Oww ... hey ... that's tender."
"Stay off your feet for a couple of days. Doctor's orders." Terra chuckled as she finished off the wrap.
"Oh yeah ... like I can do that," said Ash, in a statement that sounded like half of her patients.
"Want something for pain?"
Ash nodded, still mortified about the entire affair. "Just something to take the edge off."
Caine caught Bliss as she was about to enter the elevator. "Getting paroled, Bliss?"
A smile that bordered on dazzling met his question. "Yeah, and early even."
He gave only a small nod. "Don't count on in."
"What do you mean by that?"
He responded in a manner, as though he were having to explain this to a child. "They don't take too well to letting people go before their time ... a whole morality thing."
The elevator doors opened in their gentle whoosh. Bliss stepped inside and offered a little wink. "We'll see ... "
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