~Hale's Moon~
Davion missed all the action. Rumor has it two gunmen staked a claim on Hale's Moon… held someone hostage on a roof. And Cody Winterwolf sailed in, like a knight in shining armor, onboard his trusted mule to take everyone down and restore order. And while is was restored, there were casualties. The knight had fallen, a rogue bullet shattering Cody's body armor and leaving him with a nasty wound.
By the time Dav arrives, Cody has already admitted himself to the infirmary, and is given the proper cleaning and pain-relieving injector. Dav takes it upon himself to do a perimeter search; making sure those brigands ain't coming back for seconds. And once the coast was clear, he visited Cody, holed up in his "Eagle's Nest" while he recovers.
Cody sits up a little. "Hey Dav. Welcome to the eagle's nest."
"No no... you stay down." Dav glances at the arsenal, then down at the Christmas tree. "Looks like Santa came here early this year."
"Lily likes to make sure nothin' gets by her. Go on ahead and sit."
Dav sits slowly in the chair adjacent to Cody's bunk. "Or in front of her, or flanks her."
"Yeah." Cody replied. "She's good." Though he frowns suddenly and face palms.
"Whats wrong?" Dav inquires.
Cody grumbles. "She'll be on me over this now."
"Well, its the mother goose in her."
"No.. it's more to do with AuroraBlue. She can feel when somethin' happens. Like this…" He gestures to the wound. "Didn't come out the other side did it?" Cody asks as he toys with the small injector.
"Not that I saw." Dav replies. "Meaning there's a bullet floating around inside you."
"Yeah… I know. Means I got to wait for the doc to finish her rounds to get it fixed."
"And hence why I am here."
"What.. You got doc training'?"
Davion shakes his head. "Sorry, no. I'm here making sure you don't run off to the other side while we wait for the doc to come around."
Cody snickers. "It'll take a lot more then this to kill me, Dav. I had a large caliber go through me and my armor spacesuit way back."
"Don't underestimate the potency of a bullet." Dav replies sternly.
"Yeah.. I know. I been there a few times. Last time I think I got a transfusion from Lily. She was a might mad at me today. Not sure what set her off..."
Davion nods. "You'll be fine. And I figure you'd do the same for me if it ever arose."
Cody nods. "I don't leave anyone b'hind.
"From my …'interactions'…. with her, I am sure it wasn't you that set her off. Not sure her method, but she comes off very strong and without reason." Davion sunk a little deeper into the chair.
"She's not tame. No matter how you put it. She's like a wild puma. You don't tame it. You accept it and deal. She can be nice as pie then turn on you as fast. Sort of like Xoxo. She bite's too. I got the scars to prove it.... That and a good claw in the leg for it."
Davion nods slowly. "Just wish I could reach Lily, is all. And for some reason, it'll take some time for that to settle in my head."
Cody winces in his bed. "You don't reach her. You accept her how she is. Lily won't change. She can't. It's hardwired into her."
Dav nods quickly.
Cody continues. "She's one of my best friends. I was ready to marry her you know. Gave her a ring and all too."
Dav's eyes widen slightly.
"AuroraBlue happened and it all changed." Cody notices the slight look of surprise.
"AuroraBlue happened?" Dav inquires. Cody looks at the ceiling for a moment, then back at him. "Yeah. For that I need to go back a spell. I met and learned a lot 'bout Lily.... Like what she was. Then I found out more and more. She was made for somethin' important." Davion leans a little closer in his chair, enjoying the story time. Anything to take Cody's mind off his injury.
Cody continues. "Like me, she was part of an experiment. But hers was one made by Mindo. Her 'pa'. Sort of pa. He made her. Her task was to make the perfect bein'. One that was both human and machine." Cody settles himself a little more on the cot and winces slightly. "It took a power source and a lot of mixed DNAs to do it. Some folks had more involved in it then others.
Dav interrupts. "Investors?" Cody nods. "You could say that. Investors of sorts."
Dav agrees slowly, sitting back in his chair a little more so Cody can continue.
"AuroraBlue was born. A child of strange fates. Then Lily was hurt.. Dyin'.... She was put into a stasis chamber to stop it all. But it wasn't goin' to stop her end.... Only thin' that did was AuroraBlue givin' up her spirit to give to Lily. AuroraBlue died that day.... Aurora was now changed. Not a nice little child. A demon spawned. And Krenshar fanned it from a spark into a dangerous flame. One that could'a ended a lot of folk. Lily was of the mind it needed to be ended."
Cody looks back at the ceiling, remembering his part in it all. "When it was done....... Aurora was ended.... AuroraBlue wasn't born like normal children... She was made. Maybe like bein' cloned or somethin'. The first time failed. AuroraBlue was doomed. Lily wants another baby..... She'll steal one if she has to."
Davion leans forward in his chair again. "Does Lily have any kind of moral filter? Something that lets her know thats wrong?"
"She does. But it's a might screwed. She can't bare children. She wasn't made with those 'parts'. She gets attacked.... an eye for an eye or self preservation. She protects. Part of her programmin.' But she's got feelin's too. I seen her show em." Cody sighs, holds his side as he turns slightly. "She's a genetic construct. To me she's human like anyone. She lives and loves.... But she don't and can't comprehend the meanin's to a lot of stuff. Its like internal filters stop her for knowin' certain data. I tried a lot of times to explain how babies get born. Told her to watch a foal or puppy bein' born. She says she ain' allowed to know it. So that part of her learnin' shuts down. Like gettin' married. If you dance with her, you're married in her eyes. And she's married to a lot of fellers then.
Davion smiles deeply. "Reckon she never let me get that close, yet. And I can't blame her."
Cody smiles. "Wait til she bites you. Gorram can bite through heavy leather. I got a deep scar from one bite." He taps his right shoulder. Dav cringes a tad. "When she does that to me, thats a sign that she likes me?" "Well, yeah. Watch out if she gets to close. She thinks bitin' is kissin'. She's cat-like, but not a cat. Bitin' to her is part of the whole ritual. You chase her and she gets interested. Then she gets to wantin' to head butt you then comes the bite."
Davion grins. "So I'll know the signs, in case she tries. But I wear cologne, reckon she doesn't like it."
Cody snickers. "Don't let it fool you that its a deterrent. I let her bite me. Thinkin' it'd meant she loved me back. But there's more complications to it. She has the wisdom of the ages and the mind of a child all wrapped up in there. And you can't change that. Its another thin' thats hardwired in her.
Shaking his head, Dav replies. "Never would want to." Cody nods. "She's also family to me. Seana is too. When AuroraBlue came into my life... Well we connected. Imprinted. She grew fast. Not like normal. Like her growth was out of control. I took care of her like she was my own. Now she's grown more... Real pretty too... Under all that dirt." He chuckles and winces again.
Dav adds to the chuckling. "Is she still aging, or has she reached a plateau?"
"She might've hit her plateau. Not sure. She's physically grown." He smiles at that. He can see how pretty she is even though she's not here. "Now her mental growth? Not sure exactly where all thats at. Lily said she was out in the corn maze practicin' kissing'." He chuckles and holds his side. "Yeah... She's reached puberty." Davion stretches his back while laughing heartily.
"Thing is, now she's on Paquin with the companions… I hate to think what she's learned from em."
Dav inquires. "Ain't she learning it for you?"
Cody flushes slightly. "Well…. Yeah... But who all's teachin' her. I'd be a might unhappy if she learned from a male companion.... or they tell her she's got to.. well sleep with a feller. I think that'd make me real riled up.
Dav nods quickly. "Are they giving her special considerations? Knowing her condition and all?"
"She's doin' stuff like I did when I was in my early teens, Dav. I don't think she's signed up to train with em. Hell, when I was 'bout her age... I did some stuff. Got into a lot of trouble."
Davion leans in, grinning. "We all did."
Cody grins too. "More'n a few times. But then I done stuff not that long ago either. Stuff I ain't too proud of. And she knows it all." He rubs his neck and sighs.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Pure honesty." Dav retorts.
"Well there's a few things I'd wish I didn't do. Like gettin' involved with an engaged woman. And shootin' a marshal."
Dav's head lowers for a moment. "We all got regrets."
"Yeah. Just hope she don't follow in my footsteps. Gorram. I'm in love with her. She's my gravity. My sunlight." He fixes the pillow under his head.
"You make each other better. She keeps you in line and vice versa."
"I try. I know gettin' mad at what all she's been up to won't help. She was in a huge palace today on Al Raqis.... Like scopin' the place. Went and drunk some of their wine too. Hell I donee stuff like that, but seein' her do it.... Felt all strange.
"She'll survive."
"I know she will. She nipped at my ankle today too. Sort of like Lily. But she ain't talked since the accident." Cody frowns again, "Since that fall. I can understand her. I know what she's tryin' to get across pretty easy. She fell off Fook's roof one day when she was physically 'bout. I thought I was gonna lose her. Hell, Lily shot me. Took a graze in the leg. She didn't want me touchin' her. Touchin' AuroraBlue. She didn't know how much I was hurtin' over AuroraBlue's injuries. Seana had to stop her."
Davion calms for a moment. "Seana seems to be the moral compass 'round here."
"She is."
"Town like this needs that."
"Yeah. I don't want AuroraBlue to get worried over me. She's been through enough with the loss of her sort of daddy. She thought of Krenshar as her daddy. She knew when the meteor fell.... That it was done on purpose. Someone sent it." Cody grits his teeth as he sits up, "The meteor was man made. I took some scans of it." He points to the desk. "Its on that datapad."
Davion questions. "Where did it hit? Here on Hale's?"
"Yeah. Took out Destiny. That flaming' rock in our back yard." Davion shifts in his seat. "Guess I need to get out more." Cody continues. "Yep. She knew... she told me in her own way he was gone. That it was destroyed by the meteor."
Davion quiets him for a moment. "That kind of information can get you killed. You'd better make sure she's doesn't spill the beans to the wrong people."
"She won't. That's somethin' she ain't likely to want to repeat. She cried. Curled up into a ball and just cried. I could feel her hurtin' like it was my own. Then when I got back here and fixed what I screwed up... Xoxo.. well she was dealin' with the whole mess too. So I decided I needed some down time and took a little flight home. Not much there to see. Said my own goodbyes and come back here. Put ghosts to rest." Cody runs a hand through his hair then lays back gritting his teeth.
Davion nods, half-smiling. "Still have a few spooking me, but I aim to handle them soon enough."
Cody stiffens. "Some ghosts never rest. Like Kitten. I need to know what happened to her. Just hope hey ain't doin' experiments on her again. I had to make a deal with the gorram devil to find out what all happened to her." Cody growls to himself. "Gorram, Major Siendes. She came to the office the other day. Not sure what all she was lookin' to find there."
"Good thing she found nothing."
"No she found me instead…was askin' me 'bout my headaches and my eyes. If she ever takes me in I told her I wasn't goin' back to a facility. I wasn't goin' to be no lab rat again.
"I won't let that happen." Dav speaks solemnly.
"Lily said the same."
"Sure a lot of others round here'll say it, too."
Cody nods. "Puttin' me in a cage is a might dangerous. I think Seana'd send in a team after me too."
"Well, hole yourself up here and..." He glances around at the arsenal again. "...you'd be set."
Cody nods. "And I got a few hidden weapons 'round too."
"You'd give 'em hell, for sure."
"Hehe, yeah. I won't go down easy."
Dav grins. "You won't go down." Cody grins too. "I'm too pretty and I got someone I care too much 'bout to give up." He chuckles then gasps at the pain. "Gorram…."
Davion laughs as he stands. "Far too pretty. Anything I can get you? Tea? Water?"
Cody stares at the injector. "Water. Not sure I'm ready to use this yet. Stuff makes me a might loopy. High dose pain killer."
Dav heads to the table, removing an empty glass and pouring some water into it. He returns and hands Cody the glass. Cody takes the glass and leans up on one elbow to drink it. He groans slightly. "Well, if you're one of those people that feels the need to suffer through their pain, don't use it." Cody smiles. "You got no idea how much I need to make the pain go away. Take a gander at the done on that." Cody hands him the injector. Dav takes the injector, removing the needle guard. "Where am I stabbing this?" Cody grins. "In the forearm." He pulls out a second vial. "This's for later." He sets it on the sill over his head. "Thats in case I need it. That aughta hold me for a while though. Just don't get yourself with that dose." Cody holds out his forearm to Dav.
Dav Holmeforth nods quickly, turning away for a sharp moment, then twisting around and jabbing the injector down into Cody's forearm. His other hand holds Cody at his chest, keeping him down. "This might take the pain away, but I ain't letting you get up after this. You still need to rest and I'll be checking." His strong hand slides away from Cody's chest and guides the injector back out. Dav walks away to the table to clean the needle and change cartridges.
Cody grits his teeth again, but lets Dav do what he has to. then he lays quiet as the drug starts to course through his body. He feels the world shift sideways for a moment, then the pain in his side starts to ease up. "Dav.. That data pad. It has some of the inventory codes on it…." Davion sets the injector on the sill above Cody's head. "Nurse Dav...who'd'a thought?"
"Doc Dav." Cody grins, thinking his words are slurred a little.
"I'll go check the inventory while you rest."
Cody sighs as the drug starts warming him and the world goes a little strange. "Hey.. you got a cigar?"
Dav hands a fresh cigar to Cody. "Don't smoke them much, just be careful. Thats a high dose you're on. Keep as much vitamin C in your body as you can." Cody nods. "Hell just the smell." He takes a whiff of it and lays it on the sill. Dav lets out a small snicker. "I could'a brought incense." Cody gets a might more loopy. "Oooo.. got some scotch. Shhh.. got it hid." He points almost drunkenly at the ceiling rafter. "Its real old stuff." "Doc" Davion shifts his index finger back and forth in front of Cody. "No alcohol." Cody watches the finger waver. Dav replies firmly. "Might hate me for it now, but you'll thank me for it later." "I need somethin' to do...." He sighs. "Juss need a little somethin'....Whoa.. is the tower shiftin'?" "Shut your eyes and rest. Don't make me sing you a lullaby."
"Gorram… You sing too?" Cody smiles, closing his eyes.
"Everyone can sing... its just other people's opinions on how good you are. Now I'm gonna' head down to the shop and check that inventory, then I'll be back." Cody nods. "Don forgit the data thing…got the code stuff in it….on it. Yeah.. somethin' like that." He shifts a little then starts to settle, untying his leg holster and drops it by the bed. Dav nods quietly, heading back to the table and retrieving the datapad.
It is routine and mandatory. Dav cringes as he checks off each piece of inventory on the datapad, double-checking each step he makes, not missing a beat. Shifting crates and boxes back to where they ought to be, Davion closes up shop again, setting the security system and locking the doors.
Facing the ladder again to head to the "Eagle's Nest," he slides the datapad against the small of his back, shoving it in to rest against his belt as he climbs back up.
Cody opens his eyes groggily, rubbing at them. Dav is quiet in his steps, speaking softly. "All's well down in the shop, Cody. You keep resting." Cody nods while Dav smiles. "I'll check up on you in a few hours." Cody murmurs. "You seen Lily?" Davion shakes his head. "Off trying to find those giant spiders, I reckon." Cody whimpers. "Don mention nothin' ok?" Dav nods quickly. "Secret's safe with me."
A low rumble picks at the Nest. Cody's eyes widen. "New ship…can hear it…." He fumbles around in the bunk for his pistol. Davion runs to the window, checking outside.
Cody looks toward Dav. "Hear it?" Davion nods quickly. "Landed…." Dav whispers "Want me to go check it out? Cody shakes his head. "Might not be safe.... may be 'liance.. come to see what all the ruckus was…." "We'll hole up here?" Cody nods. "So long's they don't come up. We stay quiet like. Put the fire out…." Hecloses his eyes to listen, cocking his head. "….. sounds like... transport…" Cody looks back over at Dav, who threw the lid over the fire, letting it extinguish on its own. Davion calmly speaks again. "Its alright. Keep resting. I've got it taken care of if anyone tries to sneak up here." Cody nods slowly and closes his eyes. He sighs as he lets the drug take over again. Davion removes his pistol from its holster at his side, swinging it around a few times before resting his hand on the top of his thigh. He glances over at Cody, who seems to be asleep. He lets his own head slide back against the back of the couch, shutting his eyes slowly.
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