Outside the last vestiges of a very cold winter were reluctantly releasing their grip on Sabattan. In the lobby of the hospital as Terra entered that night, it was exceedingly quiet. She spoke to the diminutive girl at the desk but there had been no problems and for all intents and purposes, there were no injuries to tend to. Terra was surprised by it and concerned as well for her desire that night had been to avoid thinking too much about Garth and where he might be. Without the distraction of work, that was going to be much harder than it had been before.
She glanced out a window into the dusty darkness and knew he was out there, somewhere. Her fingers trailed over her bulging stomach as she made her way to the cafeteria. There a young man was occasionally stroking a musical instrument and talking quietly with a young woman who's face she recognized from somewhere; probably the cafeteria itself. She also saw Bliss and Caine there. Caine looked tired to Doctor Lowinn, but she said nothing to him at first since the two were quietly engaged in conversation.
She couldn't help listening in, though, just a little. Caine rubbed his neck and complained about business having dropped off considerably. Bliss encouraged him that it would pick up again and he seemed to agree that perhaps a break was best right up until his coughing fits began. The cough wasn't good and Terra noted that he covered his mouth with a handkerchief and wiped carefully when the first fit passed. Bliss behaved in a conciliatory fashion with Caine, patting his back, reassuring him with gentle rubs of her hand until he said something quietly to her as he sat up and she withdrew her hand. She spoke again as if apologizing and he indicated that it wasn't necessary when a second fit took him, doubling him over. Terra rose and made her way to them, waddling over, as his coughing again ended.
"That cough doesn't sound good.. care to have me check it?"
Caine wiped the moisture from his mouth again as he spoke to Terra. "I am afraid not, doctor Lowinn.. not after my last visit here where one of your doctors threatened my life. You'll have to forgive me if that leaves me a bit reluctant to trust this place's staff."
Terra reassured him that she held her Hippocratic oath in higher regard than some might and that he was safe in her hands. Bliss fairly begged him to let himself be examined and promised to defend him if anything should go wrong. Finally, after coughing again, he acquiesced to being examined. Caine and Bliss followed Terra back into the ER from the cafeteria where she asked him to settle on an exam table.
"You aren't going to give me one of those gowns that show off all of my ass...ets, are you?"
Terra shook her head to indicate the negative and smiled indulgently. "How long have you had this cough Caine?" He told her he'd had it for about a week and Bliss piped up to say he'd had a fever as well. He admitted to headaches and a sore throat.
After examining him carefully, taking a culture from his throat and sticking him for a blood test, all of which kept Terra's mind happily occupied away from thoughts of her missing husband, Terra disappeared with the tests to the lab.
Caine glanced at Bliss where she leaned against the cubicle wall. "You are enjoying yourself immensely, aren't you, Bliss?"
Of course she denied it. "Nope, I prefer not to have to see you go through this at all; but you are ill, so it's necessary."
==
While Terra made her way to the lab, Doctor Adeline Frostt had taken the young woman she called Angel to where she could wash her hands. She washed her hands for her, the doctor did, and the girl trembled because she hadn't initiated the touch. Her skin was warm and clean as she was released and she watched her apparent benefactor with intense eyes.
Once they had moved back into the lobby where the comfortable seats were, Adeline reached in her pocket and produced a small metal object. A file for the nails. "This.... this is a nail file." The girl curiously regarded the object, her mind conjuring all sorts of uses for the tool. Of course, none of her ideas involved manicures. "Can I show you how too use it before I give it to you?" Angel nodded and shifted to a cross-legged position on the old lobby sofa.
Taking a hand, extending one of her fingers, Adeline briskly and carefully brought the file across the nail. Within a short time, the nail was as lovely a shape as Addy's own nails were. With gentle movements, she went through the woman's right hand that way. Then the left. Angel stared in complete wonder at her fingers and the question in her eyes was plain: Why? Addy didn't answer, but rather leaned in to blow the nail dust away and sat back again, pocketing the file. "There yah are.... what do yah think?"
Angel's hands were clean, stark and pale against the dirt that began again at her wrist. She smiled in a way that lit her small face. Addy extended her own hands for a comparison test. "What do you think?" Angel's fingers were skin stretched tight over bone. Still there was some dirt beneath the now finely shaped nails. It was obvious in her face that she had determined her hands were no where near as pretty as Adeline's own. She nodded however, still smiling.
"Hummm.... Well, a little thin maybe, but lovely anyway. Very, very lovely," the doctor said and Angel ducked her head, embarrassed.
Addy reached to lift up her chin. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. It's the God's honist truth."
Angel blinked rapidly, and her silvered eyes glistened. Again she tried to speak, her lips moved but no sound came. Frustrated...frustrated...she pulled away and gritted her teeth against the sudden burning of her eyes. Compassion filled the doctor's eyes. "Angel.... don't," she said as she reached for her. "Please. It's all right."
The girl gave a deep shuddering breath and through narrowed eyes she looked at the woman. The woman who had given her a name.
"Please.... stay calm... please," Addy said. Angel pulled at her pale hair memories long distant welled up and weighed at her shoulders till she was bent double. Her head rested on Adeline's lap.
A soft sigh left Addy's lips and she leaned in and wrapped her arms around the other women. "Oh angel don't be so upset," she whispered very softly. "This is a happy thing. Really, it's a happy thing." The girl's shoulders shook, but she didn't cry because it was a waste of water, of precious salt. Addy hugged her as she held her, but lightly. "Darling... it's okay." She could feel the cloak around Angel and it could barely hide the feel of her ribs, every vertebrae pronounced. She could have been a stick figure within its folds.
"How often do you eat little one? You scare me how skinny you are..."
After a while she was exhausted and rested in Addy's lap though her heart pounded in her chest yet. Her tiny murmur was her only answer to the doctor's question.
Addy stroked her hair out of her face, and looked down at her. "You know," she began softly, "they've given me a big room." The girl peered up, trying to understand what the woman is saying. The doctor sighed and blurted out what she meant quickly. "Stay with me." The girl's eyes widened impossibly large, the whites of them shown all around the pupils. "I know... I'd be suspicious were I you. It's just... I don't want you to vanish on me one day."
Perhaps she wasn't really hearing past the "stay with me" comment Addy had made; but Angel moved up closer. Whenever anyone had taken her in, this was what was required of her to remain. So, seemingly boldly, she leaned in to kiss Addy.
The Doctor pulled back, in more than a little shock. She reached up and put her hand on the other woman's cheek to stop her and yet to reassure. "Darling," she began, "I that's not what I'm looking for. I'm sorry." She studied the girl's features to watch for signs of rejection. What she saw instead was confusion. Confusion mingled with clear relief. There was a tinge of fear even and Addy realized that it was because she was concerned she'd made a grave error and Addy's offer of a place to stay would be denied in her in the end. The Doctor smiled slowly. "I'm not looking for a lover, Angel. I'm looking for a friend. Can you be that for me?"
Angel sat up. Again the frustration welled up in her but she nodded. There was disbelief lingering in her eyes. Addy cocked her head to one side and smiled. She leaned in to explain in a soft whisper. "I spend all my time talking to a computer. I could use the break... someone to spend time with."
Angel knew she couldn't speak and she touched her newly found fingers to her lips. Addy chuckled. "It's not that you're not a great kisser," she said with a wink and the girl shrugged. "Well.... what do you think? Stay with me for awhile?"
She couldn't explain it, but those things, kisses and what they brought were means to an end for her. There was never anything too deep or meaningful in them. She didn't think anything was free either, till she found the hospital. She was thinking still of ways to pay the woman back for her kindness' and she nodded again. Sure, she'd give it a try, what did she have to lose?
That warm smile infected Addy's lips and she leaned into to hug Angel again. "Thank you. It means a great deal to me." Small and thin she might very well be; but Angel's embrace was strong.
==
Terra must have done the tests herself in the lab because she came back about half an hour later with the results. Bliss was reviewing an ancient magazine left in a cabinet drawer and Caine was lying back on the exam table, taking advantage of the quiet.
"OK," Terra told him. "You have a bacterial infection, which has settled in your upper respiratory tract. Antibiotics and a cough elixir will straighten it right out."
"Infection? From what?" Caine was suspicious.
"You could have picked it up from anyone you do business with Caine," Bliss told him with faint humor in her voice. "You'll be good as new in no time Caine."
"I'd like to give you a quick IV with a dose of antibiotics." The hospital was low on vials of antibiotics which could be injected.
"Is that necessary?" Caine didn't seem to mind chatting in the cafeteria when it came to doing business but accepting the help of the hospital in any way that might incapacitate him for any length of time made him nervous.
"The IV's help is twofold. One: it will jump start the attack on the infection, it will help keep you from dehydration, and two: it will bring down the fever. It shouldn't keep you here too long while it's administered. This is a common infection and you could have gotten it anywhere. I'll write you a 'script for oral antibiotics and for an elixir either way."
Resigned, Caine said, "Very well, doctor."
Pleased, smiling ear to ear, Bliss quipped, "One less sick fellow to worry about now. I'd, uh, offer to hold your hand Caine but I know you are too tough for that." Terra quickly started an IV, adding a bag of the sucrose /saline drip and then disappeared to reappear with a small bag which she added to the other.
"And what is all this quality care going to cost me?" the patient asked acerbically, his suspicions returned.
Terra sped up the drip for him and called to order the meds. Bliss asked about liquids and the meds and while Terra explained, Caine complained that his question wasn't being answered. Terra looked confused as if she hadn't been listening and Bliss repeated it for her.
"Cost him?" Terra frowned. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Caine was extremely doubtful of that and his glare said so.
"Nothing Caine... unless you wish to give something. You know we dont charge."
"No, I didn't know that, doctor."
The girl suggested that Caine pay with some sweets and since he was out of chocolate he suggested a lollipop - something he'd never heard of before and consequently didn't get the name completely right - as compensation. Terra, having fully heard of the sweets, accepted happily when Caine informed her that the sweet had a purity index of 6. It was apparently high enough. Terra withdrew the IV needle when the bag was empty and tended the site with the appropriate measures. Caine sat up and rolled down his sleeve. The Nurse brought the meds as they'd been ordered and Bliss said she'd pass on all information to Sierra Black, Caine's associate to be sure Caine would be well taken care of.
The three discussed the possibilities of Caine's people contracting the same bacterial infection from him. Terra explained that it was common, but easily dealt with. The problem was that not everyone got the infection to the same degree and so cases weren't reported since people didn't always come in for treatment. It was decided that Caine would keep an eye on his people, just in case. Terra repeated the final med instructions again and Caine thanked her.
Some good-natured banter went back and forth between Caine and Bliss about how much of a mother she was. Caine primped up again and together he and Bliss followed Terra's path out to the lobby, with Bliss keeping an eye on his every step so that he didn't falter. Once out there, while Terra took care of her paper work on what seemed the only case of her night, she turned with a casual air to Bliss.
When she asked Bliss if she had heard from Garth Lowinn, her husband, Bliss said she hadn't and Caine found himself suddenly interested in the conversation. It turned out that Garth had been missing since Mera had been kidnapped by Valentine. Not everyone was clear on all the details, but Mera had shown up again, retrieved almost miraculously from Valentine's evil intentions and Garth was now the one missing. Things had definitely been out of whack with the soon to be former Freemen Commander. His official status in the Legion was questionable; though perhaps not in the minds of everyone in that regal company.
Terra was clearly worried and Bliss, who herself had seen Mera back at the hospital, safe, tried to reassure Dr. Lowinn. "Of course he is okay Terra, this is Garth we are talking about. He's probably hunting down that red headed creep that took Mera in the first place." Caine dropped into a seat, tired as he was, to listen.
"I suppose..." Terra trailed off.
"You know he is Terra. That guy took Mera out of the hospital. It was Garth's job to protect her and you know how personal he takes that sort of thing. Besides he'd be thinking that the guy could come back for you." She moved closer as Terra tried to find something to distract her and took the lollipop from Caine, unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. "I worked with the man in the field Terra, he's all right, believe me."
Around the sweet in her mouth, Terra offered a faint smile to Bliss. "Of course he is."
"How's the candy?"
"It's good. Just what I needed. Or rather," gesturing to her belly, "what they needed." Her soft laugh was good to hear, though it was tinged with a tone of worry.
Bliss smiled and Adeline Frostt came up to Terra in the lobby to let her know that she needed her help on something. Terra watched Adeline walk away and looked at Bliss. "Well.. let's see what this is about.. I will be right back Bliss."
"Sure Terra," bliss said in an odd tone as the other woman walked away to confer with her colleague. "I'll be around."
==
Rising to her feet slowly, Dr. Frostt reached to help little Angel with her. Adeline's bones popped and cracked with the effort. Clearly, Angel was more than a little hesitant about what was to happen next. "You all right? I just need to talk to one of the other doctors before I lose sight of her. You can follow me if you want." The girl drew her hood over her head and as a result her nod of agreement was barely visible.
Together they made there way to Terra while she was still speaking with Bliss and Adeline asked her if she'd come find them when she had a moment. Angel's discomfiture kept her from lingering too long with the girl in the open of the ER lobby where Terra, Bliss and Caine were. Too many people, too much fear. A corner would do for them while they waited. It wasn't long before Terra came looking for them and Adeline had her opportunity to ask for Terra's cooperation.
Adeline stood protectively beside Angel but the girl was still leary as Terra approached. "Terra," Adeline began in a soft voice. "Mera's back. I've seen her and I'm worried."
"Oh?" Dr. Lowinn's eyes widened. "So she is back." Bliss words were enforced with Frostt's confirmation.
"She was wet when she came into the room. She went right for work." Dr. Frostt glanced over briefly to Angel who had begun to back away from Terra who was part of the fearful "crowd" until she was presented with an obstacle of a row of chairs along the wall. Adeline, she saw, extended a hand to her while her attention went back to Terra. Shy, skittish Angel was as she approached the offered hand. Silent as well and sneaky she took Adeline's hand in her own.
Of Mera's apparent dedication, Terra said, somewhat coldly, "Sounds like nine tenths of the staff here." She was chewing on her lower lip and her eyes were distant, obviously lost in thought. "She's back."
Adeline reached up to fix her glasses. "Well that's nine tenths too many. She can't just jump back into things if this guy did even half the things to Mera the gangers described." Dr. Frostt swallowed hard.
Terra looked at her, brows drawn tightly together. This wasn't a world where bad things happened only to bad people. Bad things, horrible things happened to someone someone knew everyday. "Some people handle things differently," Terra reminded her, not altogether unsympathetic to what Mera must have gone through. "You should know that." She rolled the sucker over her tongue, thoughtfully. In a voice so quiet Adeline missed the words, Terra mumured, "It works for me." Indeed, she'd been through many terrible things though perhaps not anything recently like what Mera may have been through but that didn't change the fact that living as if your husband were dead, to through off the threat of the church, and now not knowing where he was, was a traumatic experience.
"You'll have to speak to her," Terra told Adeline. "I'm sure she is traumatized. I'll have to check her out, as well, or someone will. She'll need to be examined. Was she checked by anyone?"
Dr. Frostt shook her head, not sure if anyone had seen Mera since her return. "Listen, I just want you to keep an eye on her for a few things. If she showers too much. Washes her hands constantly more than is necessary for her work. If she rubs her neck.... writes notes she won't let you read Any of those things. It might be a sign of ... well ..." and she trailed off. She didn't want to say it, but they both knew that she meant rape.
"I will try to observe her even though I am not down here all that much right now. I won't be until after the births; but, I will keep an eye out for her."
"I just want to alert all the staff to these things. Mera's one of us, she's going to need out help."
"OK," Terra said in full agreement. Then, after a beat, she tried to casually ask, "Did she mention Garth at all?" Well, that was obvious, she thought and took a slow measured deep breath before she then exhaled just as slowly.
Little Angel was unsure of what the two doctors were discussing, and so she stayed quiet. She clung to Adeline's hand, taking her comfort there. The doctor responded by lightly squeezing that clinging hand and frowned with a slow shake of her head to Terra. "No, I'm sorry."
Terra just nodded, not showing any emotion. That worried Adeline a bit. And the distraction of work that Terra took did even more. "Well. I suppose I should finish up down here before I take the samples to the lab."
Angel's ears caught the sound of footsteps as the lobby doors snickered open. The sound drew a wary glance from beneath her hood. A woman came into the lobby wrapped in a dirty duster. She had her hands hidden in the pockets, always a sign to be wary and her blue eyes were intense as they searched over the people in the lobby with Angel and the girl watched as the strange woman made her way toward Bliss and Caine who were quietly chatting in their own corner. They greeted her and there seemed to be no danger, but Angel kept an eye on them nevertheless.
"If you need to talk at any time. I'm around okay?"
Terra smiled warmly at Adeline, the first sign of any emotion in her at all. "Thank you," she said.
Adeline smiled back, tentatively, worried. "Thank you for your time on this matter, Terra. Oh, by the way, this is Angel." As Terra turned to look at the girl, smiling politely, Angel shrank in her cloak at the sudden attention.
"Well. Hello Angel," Terra ducked her head a bit to try to see the girl's face.
Angel nodded, but her eyes never met Terra's and her gaze stayed fixed on the floor. "She's uhhh ... well ... something of a ... well ..." Adeline fixed her glasses and finished more firmly. "She's a close friend." The appellation drew the girls gaze up, secret though it may have been, to Adeline. When Terra told her it was nice to meet her, she nodded again, silently.
"Thank you for your time," Adeline said, aware Angel was uncomfortable. But contact with others who were good, nice people, was good for her. "I'll let you get to your work."
"Thank you .. and you be well. and I just might take you up on the offer to talk."
"Good, that is what you feed me for," Adeline said with a wink and a smile. Terra gave a slightly sardonic smile back and waddled her way to the ER to retrieve the samples she had taken. Dr. Frostt turned her eyes to Angel and said, "I think she's going to have twins. Could you imagine?" Angel looked after the other Doctor and rubbed her stomach. At Adeline's question she gave a vigorous shake of her head, wide-eyed.
"Something wrong with twins?"
The girl hidden beneath the hood responded only with a diminutive smile.