[Private RP] Date Night

[Miss Conception]

This is a private RP between Miss Conception and Slick Southpaw. Feel free to read along, but please, don't post here. Thank you!

Table of Contents:

Chapter I: How to Heal a Heart (pg. 1 through 6)
Chapter II: A Very Bevsey Christmas (pg. 7)
Chapter III: Date Night (in progress)

Chapter I: How to Heal a Heart

"An' how da we know this ain't some kinda setup, bub?"

"Ey, he's right! This is a setup, ain't it?"

Captain Everheart's intelligent, faded blue eyes regarded his guests with a skeptic stare over the silver rims of his reading glasses. He was not in the mood to tolerate their disrespectful insolence, not today. Not when he had more important contracts to manage. Razorbacks were getting tougher, meaner, and more paranoid with each passing decade, but their wits were not advancing alongside the rest of their traits. "Gentlemen, please." A shallow sigh escaped Everheart's dry, cracked lips, and he removed his glasses, placing them demurely atop one of the several stacks of papers adorning his desk. Just because he'd grown used to striking deals with criminals didn't mean he enjoyed it, and gang members had been particularly abrasive as of late. With a wrinkled hand, he massaged the bridge of his nose and forced himself to breathe deeply until he collected his thoughts. "If this was a setup, don't you think I'd have arrested you by now?" No matter how unfavorable the clientele, Everheart was running a business and he a reputation to live up to. Lining his pockets with gold was the welcome return of the illegal enterprise he'd built for himself.

The two men, one stocky and brawny to complement his partner's tall, lithe frame, looked at each other, shrugged, and looked back at the Captain. "Fair 'nuff. What're yer terms?" Asked the stocky one, flexing his gratuitous bicep muscles with each and every word. Everheart struggled to maintain his composure.

"After you have paid the amount agreed upon, you are free to conduct your business within Aekea's boundaries free of legal consequence until the contract expires. Understood?" There was an exaggerated pause, and after much deliberation, the lithe one nodded and offered his hand across the desk to Captain Everheart. He accepted it. Following a handshake, a signature, and an exchange of gold, a new contract was formed. "Good. Now get out of my office." No sooner had he finished speaking than the Razorbacks had taken their leave, just as Andrea, the office secretary, wedged her way inside. Once she was certain that the door was securely shut, her bubbly, good-natured smile faltered and twisted into a scowl. Furious, she ripped the white wig from her head and threw it aside, revealing the shaved, red-dipped black hair underneath.

"I'm sick of this bullshit, Greg. When are you gonna let me in on the fun, huh?"

The Captain remained silent, the tip of his pen moving fluidly across his paperwork as he dotted his i's and crossed his t's. Recordkeeping was a task he passionately enjoyed, and he was not about to let his secretary ruin the single highlight of his day. When at last he finished, he carefully shuffled his papers into a neat pile and handed them over to Andrea for safekeeping. She did not look pleased. "Soon, Veronika. You're going to need to keep a lower profile if you expect me to keep you around, however."

"Tch, yeah, whatever." Huffing angrily, Veronika snatched the papers away from him and retrieved her wig before returning it to her head with practiced finesse. Glancing back over her shoulder on her way out the door, her accent shifted effortlessly into the innocent, foreign dialect she'd chosen for Andrea, her latest alias. "You better make it worth my while, Mr. Captain, or I will kill you. Ta!"

To his delight, Captain Everheart was, once again, alone.

[Slick Southpaw]

Casey glared at the corpse that laid on the table. Another BVG dressed as a Razorback, it seemed, judging by the half-assed paint job and heck, even the attire was wrong. His neck was cruelly snapped. More and more had been coming into HQ, and she couldn't figure out why. The "Kagato Kills Humans" campaign seemed to have partially died down, but still going strong.


A faint smile twitched at the corners of her mouth at her morbid pun usage even in her own thoughts. Casey held up one of the man's arms, looking for other signs of struggle. Why was the Captain so interested in these knockoffs? Granted, there were a few undercover BVG gang members that were so well dressed that even she was convinced they were part of the Razorback gang, and had recorded some of the more brutal cases as such, and they were always the ones involved with high amounts of money gone missing. It wasn't until she had reviewed her cases later that she realized she made a mistake when going over the photos-but who would care? A gang member is dead; no tears would be shed over a criminal lost.

The Captain seemed to ignore her inquiries when it came to actual Razorbacks showing up at the morgue; blood samples would mysteriously disappear or be discovered to be contaminated; always after the body was cremated of course. It's not like she could keep blaming Alexa, the girl was a hard worker, even if she was far too uppity for Casey's taste. Strange patterns kept on continuing. Not to least mention that the whole dealio with Kagato was still giving her nightmares. Casey let out an involuntary shiver that had nothing to do with the coldness of the autopsy room.

DING DING DING

The doctor jumped as she was dragged out of her thoughts. Her phone had gone off, indicating another email had come through from higher ups. Casey slammed her scalpel down and threw her gloves in the trash. If she was going to get another complaint about her gouged ears, she was going to point out that it most certainly fell within the uniform code and that she had checked with the manual to make sure it wasn't too big when talking with Human Resources.

Same goes for her bike. Just because she didn't trust mass transit and didn't care to spend money on an actual car didn't mean she couldn't park it in front of HQ in the bike rack. She scrubbed her hands furiously, attempting to think of why she was being called up. Ever since her first day of orientation, the only time she'd ever seen the captain was due to complaints about her attire or her bike. Nothing about the cases being solved, nothing about inquiries raised when inconsistencies about the labs rose. Maybe today would be different.

Casey gave an unladylike snort as she dried off her hands. And maybe she'd be taken seriously and make friends instead of colleagues who respected her for her help in getting them out of sticky situations.

Irritated, the doctor stomped out of the autopsy room, making her way to a less frigid upstairs as she smoothed down her lab coat, hoping it didn't look too wrinkly. One of these days the captain is going to realize she was not just someone to cut up corpses and to boss around. One day, she decided. Absorbed in her thoughts and internally debating out familiar arguments she had before, she barely noticed that two Razorbacks had stepped out of Everheart's office, arguing among themselves. As she half ran, half powerwalked to Captain Everheart's office, she abruptly bumped into the tall Razorback. Her bright green eyes widened enormously for a moment as she stared at the pair of gangsters, trying to process what her vision was giving her. Whatever the case, their outfits were spot on. Her mind reeled, trying to come up to speed while not trying to broadcast the snippets of conversation she heard. Money, Everheart, deals, trusting.

"Oh, uh, really sorry bout that. Um...nice undercover outfits, boys!" She said quickly, trying to place the faces. She had performed several physicals and provided care to most of the Aekean guard and was fairly certain she had a grasp of the police force as a whole. Perhaps their garb was too well done; which was the point of an undercover operation, last she checked. But why come to his office? Aren't secret briefings done elsewhere? Something was not adding up.

Shaking her head of distraught thoughts, the doctor quickly turned towards the captain's office. Knocking a little bit too hard, giving the door a lovely dent with her robotic arm. Trying to keep strain out of her voice, she stated in an out of breath voice:

"Er- Capt'n you uh...called me here?"

[Miss Conception]

The Captain's attention was jerked rudely away from his paperwork when he heard an urgent knock on his door, and he was barely able to shove whatever he'd been working on into the depths of his desk by the time Dr. Reid came strolling into his office. Masking his perplexed expression with a genial smile, he glanced casually down at his watch before gesturing at the chair that flanked the left side of his desk with a broad, sweeping motion. "Dr. Reid! I beg your pardon, I was involved in an emergency briefing that seems to have run overtime. My apologies. Please, have a seat." Settling himself more comfortably into his overstuffed chair, the Captain crossed one leg primly over the other and reached down to scratch the ears of his faithful companion, Bastion, who was slumbering dutifully at his side. His affections only succeeded in rousing the large German Shepard from his sleep, and Bastion begrudgingly vacated his bed to stretch himself out on the carpet with a deep, pink-tongued yawn. Once he was fully awake, the canine shook his finely-groomed coat and sniffed the air, picking up a strange, foreign scent permeating his domain. Trotting over to where Casey sat, he perched himself expectantly in front of her, eyes bright and tail wagging. Captain Everheart chuckled.

"Seems Bastion's taken a liking to you," he mused, attempting to diffuse the uncomfortable tension he'd heard in the Medical Examiner's voice. His lighthearted countenance seemed to shift into one of solemn regret as he prepared to get down to business, however. Unlike some employers, he didn't relish in the act of chastising his employees. Still, there were certain subjects he needed to touch upon with the young doctor. "I regret that I've been unable to speak with you until now. I've been meaning to commend you for your hard work; especially in the case of Mr. Kagato Misaki and K-corp. I am well aware of what happened, and am glad to see you back on your feet with such enthusiasm. Your bravery should not be overlooked." Bastion yipped in agreement and nuzzled Casey's human hand, eliciting a warm smile from the Captain. It didn't last, unfortunately, and his real reason for calling her into his office became apparent as he proceeded to the point of their conversation. "There is still the small matter of your professionalism, however..."

A startled scream from elsewhere in the building caused Bastion to bolt upright onto all fours, his ears standing tall and alert on top of his head. The Captain furrowed his brow and observed as shadows dashed past the frosted glass of his office door, but remained firmly planted in his chair. He figured it was one of the rookies playing harmless a prank on the receptionist; it wouldn't be the first time. If his interference was needed, he would be summoned.

[Slick Southpaw]

The doctor smiled as she patted the warm furry form of Bastion. Being among the dead so much, she forgot sometimes the small comforts of the living.

However, the Captain's compliments had caught her off guard, and Casey turned a bright shade of red, and it only increased in hue as he gently notified her of her lack of professionalism. It was one of the few things Casey prided herself on as a new doctor; she wasn't as arrogant as her rich stuck up comrades. Her bravado was struck down a few pegs, and she suddenly felt like she was back in the dean's office as a med student again, being reminded that decking another student for attempting to steal her notes was not an appropriate way for a to-be doctor to act, especially when one's punch could shatter a jawbone.

"P-professionalism, sir? If it's about the baking for the Guard, uh, I suppose I could stop. But y'see, several of your soldiers often miss eating breakfast when coming in from late patrols and hardly of the stuff available is healthy or adequate for the demands on their bodies."

The doctor froze as a screech echoed elsewhere. She hoped that no one would notice that she dashed up to see the captain without putting the body away; a grievous oversight on her part. Casey made a mental note that short of a lifethreatening episode, she wouldn't hesitate to put the body away before seeing superiors.

"Uhhh...if it's about Kagato, um, I didn't think that visiting him again would have ended in a monster hostage crisis. I was very concerned about his practices after an initial consult and when I got this emailohmanwaitwhatdidiscrewupon...."

Casey sucked in a deep breath as the words tumbled out, deciding that remaining silent might be a better way to receive discipline from a military type man. She'd read somewhere about these stoic types, and they're a bear when roused to anger. Her tail flicked anxiously before she grasped the end to keep from accidentally putting more holes into the wall as she awaited further words from the man while she made a mental checklist to see if she accidentally skipped out on an appointment was the reason for the scream. There had been several a soldier or messenger that had been scarred while coming in the middle of her dissections when she forgot about checkups in her daily planner.

[Miss Conception]

The Captain was robbed of his chance to respond by the escalating commotion outside his office, which continued to intensify with every passing second. The sounds of falling furniture and shattering glass were punctuated by the concerned shouts of various police officers, and Captain Everheart rose from his chair, his features as hard and unwavering as stone. Clearly, his subordinates didn't know how to handle even minor disturbances without his supervision. His meeting with Casey would have to wait, and he moved to take his leave of her without so much as a farewell. Sometimes, duties took prescience over manners.

No sooner had he walked in front of his desk than the door burst open with shocking force, revealing the source of chaotic uproar. So tall that she took up nearly the entire expanse of the doorframe, Bev braced herself against the splintered wood, her face glistening with sweat and her chest heaving from the sheer amount of effort it required to remain standing. She was a truly fearsome sight, dramatically lit by the fluorescent hallway lights and dripping dark, crimson blood onto the Captain's pristine carpet. Her shaven hair was matted against her head with dirt, grime, and bodily fluids, a far cry from the uniform look she was known for. Her face was torn to shreds by the faun's repeated attacks and dyed a gruesome shade of red, making her seem almost inhuman. Barely held together by Slick's mending magic, the guardswoman looked like a demon possessed; running on pure, undiluted rage and adrenaline. Murder gleamed in her bloodstained eyes, and she reached out with her right hand, grabbing the Captain by his collar and pulling him close to inspect the damage his words had done. His mouth hung agape; he'd thought for sure that she was dead. Hell, she looked like she was dead. Bev grinned. Her mind didn't pause to register that anyone else was in the room; her focus was on her prey, and her prey alone.

"WERE YOU TRYING TO GET ME KILLED?" She roared, lifting the man clear off his feet with a single hand. Viciously, she tossed him aside and collapsed on top of him, at which point Bastion growled angrily and barked before bearing his fangs and sinking them into the Sergeant's leg. Bev didn't even flinch. She was completely consumed by bloodlust, and her only concern was making the Captain pay. Cocking her right fist, she landed a solid punch across the man's face and broke his nose instantly. Blood trickled from his nostrils and he raised his palms to for plead for mercy, but made no attempts to defend himself. This was the mental break he'd been waiting for; this was the opportunity he needed to deliver the final blow to the woman that had been a thorn in his side since day one. Bev raised her fist in preparation for another punch, but was intercepted this time by a senior officer who had come rushing in to break up the fight. As soon as he touched her, Bev grabbed his arm and flung him aside, only to resume her destructive frenzy of pain and panic.

[Slick Southpaw]

As soon as Bev entered the room, Casey couldn't help but gasp-not of fear or surprise, but out of concern for her state. She didn't understand why; the woman clearly made her point that they were not to be friends when she was in the process of getting repaired, or why her heart kept on beating frantically as she gazed upon her wrecked state with a critical doctor's eye in a few short seconds.

Then all hell broke loose as the sergeant flung herself upon the captain, claiming he was trying to kill her. Guards burst in, trying to subdue her without success. Heck, even the dog joined in.

It was a testament to Casey's belief in the human person when all she cared about was the fact that Bev's actions were clearly destroying herself. She didn't care that this was a career killer, didn't care that there were serious accusations being made, all she could see was a broken down shell of a human who desperately needed help, and this was how the guard reacted?

It didn't occur to her in her naivety that she was working with a military police when she rushed over, her bright green eyes blazing. A soldier made to move her out of the way when she snapped angrily, hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"HEY. YOU GONNA KEEP ME FROM MY PATIENT OR WHAT? HUH? HUH? THAT WOMAN NEEDS HELP."

Taken aback by the ferocity of the fiery redhead's statement, the soldier backed off as another unsuccessful man was hurled off-it seemed that Bev's insanity punching mode had reached its peak.

Casey quickly knelt down, glaring at Bastion, who wilted away as she clamped her left hand-her cybernetic one around Bev's bicep in an ironclad grip. Her gears whined as they worked on applying the appropriate pressure while not breaking her arm in the process. She struggled to keep a firm position so as not to get thrown off.

"Dammit, girl, you're better than this. I know this. Pleasepleaseplease just come with me."

She wiggled, trying to fight against Bev's maniac fury while skidding in the carpet, probably accidentally kicking the captain in the head once or twice, but oh well. Patient priorities, y'know.

[Miss Conception]

Bev was too far gone to listen to words of reason. The Guard's futile, repeated attempts to restrain her did nothing except add fuel to the fire, and she managed to land another punch on the Captain's jaw mere seconds before feeling a strong hand enclose around her arm. She knew immediately that this one was not like the others; it posed more of a threat, and the sense of urgency she perceived from its wary tugging was more personal than she wanted to believe. Nevertheless, the Sergeant was so consumed by her passionate hatred that she never once stopped to consider the collateral damage she was causing. "GET. OFF. ME." She snarled, jerking her arm violently away from Casey. When the doctor refused to obey her command, she growled a warning and drew her arm back just far enough to backhand the redhead with merciless force.

Free of her assailant, Bev shifted her attention back to the Captain and prepared to finish her work. She hesitated when she noticed his shocked, mortified expression, mirroring that of everyone else in the room. At that moment, something inside Bev clicked back into place. Her surroundings rushed to catch up to her all at once, leaving her head spinning as she tried to grasp the severity of her actions. She swayed precariously in place and dropped to her knees on top of the Captain, who seized the opportunity to worm his way out from underneath her. He was helped to his feet by Andrea, who was doing her best to look concerned despite the fact that she was exploding with giddiness behind her innocent façade.

Through her bleary, foggy vision, Bev could just make out the shock of red hair that she recognized as belonging to Casey on the floor beside her. "Casey...?" She asked, her voice so laden with guilt that it cracked beneath the immense weight of her iniquity. Her face fell, the remains of her heart broke anew, and before she could mutter an apology, the floor surged up to greet her as the world faded to black and she passed out in the middle of the Captain's office. A stunned silence hung in the air as everyone watched the scene draw to a close, many of the onlookers unsure how to feel about the Sergeant they'd once looked up to and admired for one reason or another. Clearly, even the finest steel had a breaking point.

[Slick Southpaw]

One moment, she was wrestling with Bev's berserker-like strength, the next moment her head snapped back in a kaleidoscope of colors as the doctor felt the full force of Bev's backhand. There was a loud crack as her glasses smashed, some of the lens digging into her face from the brutal impact.

Instinctively, she released herself, thankful that at least when she crash-landed, it was going to be on soft carpet instead of hard tile. Head throbbing mercilessly, all she could think about the time she had to deal with vampire gone insane from taking trippy blood when she was at Durem Asylum. You stupid fool, she chided herself, a single tear dripping from her eye that was not swelling up. You know better than to do something like this without another backup.

Once again, it seemed, her impulsive actions got the better of her. Why did she think she could calm someone down when fully trained soldiers couldn't?

Much to her surprise, despite seeing doubles, she saw Bev halt her psychotic fury mid-punch. The sergeant looked...apologetic? Seeing Bev passing out like that, despite her condition, spurred her into action. Self pity can come later. Now there were two injured.

Blinking furiously, Casey yanked the shards that were jammed into her skin, not really caring if it was protocol or not. Brushing her face, she exhaled loudly a sigh of relief, her glasses had only broken into large pieces. Wiping the blood out of her eye-she didn't bother with both due to the fact at how quickly the right eye swelled shut from the force of the backhand. She sat up slowly until she was sitting on both knees. Once the world stopped spinning, Casey quickly checked the unconscious Bev for a pulse on her neck. Weak, but still pumping. She glanced at the many injuries still visible as well as the strange purple stuff clinging to her, but barely. A distant memory came to mind, but she shook her head. Must stay focused. Forget the fact that the guard barely knew what she was capable of, she didn't care. Rolling up her sleeve on her cybernetic arm, the lights on her tail began to glow.

There was a whirring of metal as her hand literally changed into something more akin to a medical pack shot. An odd reddish hue emenated from the contents within as she quickly jammed the needle into the back of Bev's thigh, feeling down her leg where she estimated the biceps femoris muscle to be. It was over in a matter of seconds as she reversed her mechanical arm back to its normal hand mode

She glanced up at the Captain, standing up unsteadily, fishing her lab pockets for her spare pair of glasses. It sat crazily on her face as she squinted at him. The doctor peered at him intensely as a jingling sound occurred while she handed him three capped syringes. With a small voice that steadily grew stronger, she attempted to sound as professional as possible when addressing him.

"Sir, aside from a broken nose, it looks like you m-might have s'more facial fractures. That's 2miligrams of morphine in two of these syringes for the pain. That third one is Narcan, which is in case you have a bad reaction to the morphine. You're gonna need an X-ray to see the extent of the damage and-whoooah"

The room swam for a moment and Casey momentarily swayed, placing her human hand on Andrea. Blinking, she continued, apologizing before addressing the Captain.

"Ah, er...sorry miss Andrea. Feelin bit out of it...um, look, I know you're probably royally ticked off at Be-sergeant B-blacksheep, but right now, she really needs more medical attention. I can arrange transport with Aekea General's Behavioral Health staff...got connections there so I can call up an appropriate vehicle to come here within minutes. She'll be secure and stabilized while you recover and get things settled."

Casey tried her best to look sincere and professional, but in her current state, all she managed to do was look like a really distressed doctor as she awaited his response.

[Miss Conception]

Slick Southpaw

Captain Everheart said nothing for a long while and stood cradling his broken nose, blood seeping over his lips and dripping from his fingertips. The carpet would need to be completely replaced at this rate, and he'd already begun to calculate the expenses deep within the further recesses of his mind. His expression was, for the most part, unreadable. Outwardly, he seemed to be in a state of shock, but he remained as stoic and professional as ever despite having been attacked by one of his senior officers. Unlike Bev, he was a man who never broke face. His composure was the key to his success, and he'd finally been given the proper ammunition to gun down his adversary where she stood. Granted, he'd have to wait until she could actually stand up in order to do so.

Andrea resisted the urge to shrink away from Casey's touch and put on a warm, fake smile, nodding encouragingly as she tried to feign actual concern for the eccentric young doctor. Clearly, Casey and Bev shared a connection that surpassed that of typical coworkers, and she made a mental note of this to file away for later use. "Are you feeling well, Doctor?" She asked, her voice sickeningly sweet and laced with an accent that might have originated in the distant, Northern mountains. "You do not look well. Perhaps you should sit." For being the alleged twin sister of Big "Charlie" Red, Veronika was not impressed by Casey's adverse reaction to such a weak attack. Charlie would have shrugged it off like a mosquito bite.

The Captain grunted in agreement with Andrea after graciously accepting the syringes from Casey. "You were attacked as well, Dr. Reid. When the time comes, I'll need you here to make a statement for the police report. First things first, however. Andrea, call an ambulance. No need to place further stress on Dr. Reid, now." Glancing down at Bev, the Captain's eyes flashed with a sort of restrained satisfaction at her ravaged state. If he had his way, he'd let her bleed out all over the carpet and be done with it; replacement costs be damned. Unfortunately, such methods would most likely be detrimental to his image. "There is little to settle in regards to Miss Blacksheep. She needn't bother returning to work when she recovers; she's fired." His tone was terse and echoed with a sense of finality, but there was something else, too; it was almost as though he'd been wanting to say those words for a very long time. Looking at Casey, he added, "Depending on the extent of the injuries sustained by all those involved, I may need to press charges. You should consider accompanying her to the hospital, looks like you took a pretty hard hit."

[Slick Southpaw]

Casey nodded, but not too hard, as her head continued to swim. She stumbled back into one of the chairs seated in front of the Captain’s desk that still managed to look flawless as ever, despite the ruthless attack. She felt numb all over, hearing the finality of the statement. Bev was going to be devastated, and Casey had no desire for her to experience it in the cruel atmosphere of a psych ward without the privacy to mourn. She ran her good hand through her hair slowly as she wondered how to present the information…not to mention she was genuinely worried about how Bev was going to react.

The doctor fell silent for a few moments before meekly looking through her glasses. She had to look compliant. Otherwise, this wasn't going to pull off.

“I’ll hitch a ride with the EMS.” She said quietly. “They’ll need to know her stats anyways…”

Casey continued, but looking at the faces of the duo, she could see that they were far from interested in caring with the well-being of a soon-to-be former employee; she soon cut off the statement.

Sirens sounded, mercifully saving her from an awkward pause while a migraine continued to eat at the back of her skull. Two men came rushing in with a stretcher while Casey shakily stood, explaining to them what happened in as objective manner as possible, trying to keep her voice stable.

“We have an acute case of psychosis along with several lacerations upon the shoulders, leg and face from trauma of unknown origin. Patient was found attacking…this gentleman with accusations of attempted murder on her. Pulse is weak and irregular and I administered 10mL of the V-Gen drug to jumpstart healing and provide a numbing sensation….”

She stopped abruptly as the larger of the two patted her heftily on the back, winking at her.

“Gotcha there, Doc Casey. Seems you got a bit of smackin from the gal yourself. Guess that means you’ll be hitchin a ride with us. Whatta gal, am I right, eh, Captain? I’ve seen her follow more soldiers to the ER than I have seen their wives or girlfriends. I must say--”

The doctor unceremoniously trod on his foot, cutting him off as she grabbed part of the stretcher while the other paramedic tipped his hat in Everheart’s direction.

“Doncha worry, sir, your employees will have a speedy and safe trip to the hospital—er, cept the lady strapped down, we’ll get her locked up for ya. We’ll have the doc report in later for ya, sir. Progress n’ all.”

The odd group soon rushed out with Casey in tow. With a squeal of tires, the ambulance took off. Casey slumped against the cool walls of the ambulance.

“C’mon boys, y’know the drill”

Jerry rolled his eyes as he applied an oxygen mask to the unconscious Bev.

“Woman, really? D’ya miss the part where she freaking bitchslapped you?! And tackled the big honcho?”

Casey dabbed her cut, wincing at the sting of the antibiotic ointment she had applied over her cut brow.

“Dammit Jerry, you should have seen how callous the man looked when he said those words. It’s like he wanted—y’know what? Case still stands. She’s gonna be unemployed and stuck with a ******** of hospital bills that she cannot afford. And since when do you trust Aekean’s psych ward? Hmm?”

Jerry rolled his eyes as they jerked into another corner, disappearing from the route to the hospital. Casey’s one good green eye glared at him.

“Hey now, you certainly weren’t protesting when I helped out your wife and kids with the flu. I know what your job pays and—“

“Fine, fine, you win. Please tell me you have some of the paperwork on hand?”

“Yes. This time, have transfer paperwork to Aekean Central ready when I make the call.”

“The really secure private psych ward that only allows doctors in that’s a b***h to find and takes forever paperwork just for a visitor’s pass, even police?”

“Course, perfect cover.”

Human hand shook Casey’s cybernetic hand and Jerry tried to not wince at the enthusiastic grip.
A bright light flashed into her eye suddenly ad Jerry leaned close. Casey tried to withdraw until a stern voice sounded.

“You might be a crazy doc, but I’ll be damned if I let you take care of someone if you’re not shipshape yourself, missy. ”

Casey stopped protesting as he finished the examination.
Soon, the car parked as the driver began fiddling with the GPS to indicate that there was a tire issue to explain the sudden delay. Casey and Jerry headed out the ambulance by the back of her complex, taking an out of it Bev, where a refurbished elevator stood behind locked gates. The doc handed him the key before dashing back inside, grabbing multiple drugs that she was going to need as well as several bags of saline for continuous fluids via the IV that had been started en route.

Face flushed with success, she helped Jerry push the cart in the elevator via tail, mentally going through her head what Bev would need. It was easier focusing on what she needed to do verses the fearful reflection about what happened earlier. The odd duo ran through the hallway—this time, no one bothered peeking out. Unlike her sister, Casey preferred earning neighbors’ loyalty through community projects and helping them out with various medical maladies.

Casey’s tail glowed erratically as it fumbled with opening and unlocking the door. The pause had brought her back to her immense concern for Bev and she couldn’t figure out why.

She breathed a sigh of relief as they entered her flat, a warm fruity scent embraced them. The flat looked like a post apocalyptic shelter with a mix of steampunk in terms of design. Iron bars held small pots of citrus trees on one side and there was a heavy scent of fresh bread baking in the kitchen. But over all it was very neat. As if they had done this several times before, Casey and Jerry worked in a fluid motion, getting Bev off the stretcher onto an enormous couch in both length and width. It had the perfect firm but softness, and a long drape was placed on it before Bev was gingerly laid down.

The doctor immediately went into her “in the zone” mode as she opened various drawers under the couch, revealing an impressive array of medications for emergency treatment. She adjusted a lamp and hook that was cleverly disguised as an IV pump and continued to work, attaching ECG leads to monitor the woman’s heart rate, cleaning her wounds, resetting her leg cast and working on the tedious effort needed to remove the purplish goo. It was many hours later before Casey felt satisfied enough that Bev was stable, and her wounds properly bandaged.

Exhausted, she hardly realized that she fell asleep next to her patient, arm on the cushion, and head gently lolled back on Bev’s side.

[Miss Conception]

The Captain excused Casey and her team without argument in favor of restoring the privacy of his office. Save for Veronika, he shooed away the crowd that had gathered outside his door and ordered them back to work. When all was said and done, his office looked like a crime scene; and, in a sense, it was. He collapsed heavily into his chair breathed a sigh of relief when Veronika locked the two of them safely inside. He couldn't have anyone eavesdropping on the conversation that was about to transpire. Reveling in the freedom of walking around without wearing a wig, Veronika tossed the uncomfortable accessory aside and ran her mechanical fingers through her hair. The technology that constituted her bionic arms was sufficiently better than what she'd been living with before she'd met Captain Everheart and Charlie, and the gears whirred almost silently underneath her long, black gloves. Unless someone took extreme care to point out the occasional awkwardness of her movements, they passed for real arms without a hitch. It was only when she attached her wickedly sharp claws that their true, deadly nature was revealed.

Hopping onto edge of Captain Everheart's desk, Veronika crossed one leg demurely over the other and yanked a few tissues from the nearby tissue box. Offering them to her superior with a charming, albeit slightly sadistic grin, she awaited her orders with scarcely concealed excitement. She had a very, very good feeling about what was going to happen next. After storing Casey's syringes within one of his bottomless drawers, Captain Everheart accepted the tissues and began to mop up the blood that stained his finely shaven face. His cold, unforgiving eyes stared harshly into the distance as he mulled over his options. Veronika was nearly vibrating from anticipation by the time he came to a conclusion. "Veronika," he began, his assistant perking up at the sound of her name. "I'm about to make everything you've done for me worthwhile."

The sound that escaped Veronika's lips was nothing short of pure glee. Beaming, she leapt from his desk and hugged him about the shoulders as she bounced in place. She resembled a small child on a sugar high who had more energy than she knew what to do with. "Are you gonna let me kill her? Oh please please please let me kill her. Let me kill her nice and slow. I've got lots of new things to try, and she's the perfe--"

"Veronika, please. Dispose of her however you see fit, but make sure it's kept quiet. We can't have this tracing back to us."

Straightening herself into a stiff, upright position, Veronika gave a cheerful salute and repositioned her wig as she'd done so many times before. She didn't like conducting business as the sweet, timid Andrea. No, when she talked about business, she was Widow. "It'll be done, Cap'n. Just you wait and see. Me and that little Blacksheep have some unfinished business to attend to." Unable to keep the bounce out of her step, Andrea returned to her post at the secretary's desk, her mind buzzing with enough ideas to keep her entertained for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, Captain Everheart sat quietly behind his desk, his head in his hands.

~~~

Bev awoke with a sharp, painful intake of breath as her awareness returned to her. She had no way of knowing how long she'd been unconscious; it could have been hours, days, or weeks. It could have been years. Dazed, confused, and thoroughly disoriented, she slowly opened her hazel eyes and stared up at the ceiling of what was most certainty not a hospital. The comforting scents of citrus, bread, and cleanliness reminded her of Casey, and she was wracked with grief the instant the doctor's name crossed her mind. The gravity of what she'd done settled over her like a physical weight. She'd attacked the Captain. She'd attacked Casey. As far as she was concerned, she'd had a solid reason for going after Captain Everheart, but Casey? Casey deserved better. Casey deserved to be protected from the cruelties of the world, and she'd done exactly the opposite.

Hot tears began to well up in her eyes, and Bev groaned softly, ignoring her body's protests as she attempted to hoist herself into a sitting position so that she could get up and go home. She didn't make it very far, however. Immediately, she let herself fall back into the cushions of the couch when the noticed a gentle pressure pushing against her unwounded side. Casey. A quick glance around the room was all she needed to figure out where she was. Her heart raced and her mouth hung open in amazement; she wasn't sure if she was relieved, horrified, or both. Casey had saved her life, and how had Bev seen fit to repay her? With a healthy smack in the face, apparently. She'd hurt her pretty bad, too, judging by the bandage that was wrapped snugly around the sleeping girl's head. Inhaling a shaky breath, Bev exhaled through her nostrils and leveled her gaze with the ceiling once more. A single tear slid silently down her cheek, dampening the bandages that Casey had so lovingly and selflessly applied. Bev did everything in her power to keep quiet, desperately afraid of waking the redhead. She didn't know how to face Casey in the event that she did.

[Slick Southpaw]

It had been a long time since Casey had worked herself into such a state of exhaustion. Her tail twitched gently on the ground as she stirred in her dreams, oblivious to the self-loathing Bev was heaving upon herself.

Still stuck in the deep throes of sleep, the doctor half buried her head into the cushion and to Bev's unwounded side, notably shivering.


There it was, that purple, demonic glow, chasing her, haunting her and taunting her. Crying out for its master, demanding to be reunited. It was her fault; she poked the bee's nest and stirred up. Chasing her till she ran smack into the BVG.

That alien with his cruel cold eyes, wailing on her, beating her every time she moved.

The horrible, dreaded sensation of her batteries, her life being drained away. Of being powerless to control her own body.

Those threats from Charlie. They weren't threats, they were promises.

Casey shivered violently as the nightmare continued to hold, her cheek still firmly pressed into the couch. Her human hand grasping as she sought to climb out of the terror of despair flailed around, clasping gently around Bev's scarred hand.

Her voice sleepily mumbled audibly as she argued with her night terror. "No...doncha hurt Bev, y'done enuff!"

Then, her voice went back to a quivering whimper as she squeezed Bev's hand tighter, "Please sis...no...not again..."

[Miss Conception]

Bev jerked when she felt Casey's hand intertwine with her own, a cold terror running through her veins as she was struck with the realization that she was going to have to own up to her failures sooner than anticipated. Worried that Casey would wake up to catch her in a moment of weakness, Bev attempted to dry her cheek with her left hand, only to find that she was physically incapable of doing so. Furrowing her brow, she felt herself beginning to panic as she tried again and again to lift her arm and was unsuccessful every time. A sharp, agonizing pain shot through her shoulder upon her final attempt and she grimaced, involuntarily squeezing the smaller woman's hand in her own. Questions began to form in her mind like city lights flickering to life at dusk, dredging up a plethora of possible, unwelcome answers. Would she ever be able to use her hand again? Did she still have a job? Was Charlie alive? Would Casey ever be able to forgive her? Bev didn't think she could handle the answer to any of these questions being 'no,' and thankfully, she was distracted from her thoughts by Casey's soft, whimpering sleep talk.

The uncomfortable tugging in her chest returned and her eyes grew wide as she deciphered exactly what Casey was saying, and her throat tightened, threatening to bring her to tears once again. The last time she'd cried was when she'd been tortured and left alone to die, spending three eternally long nights in a cold, underground cellar without the comforts of food, water, or light. Only by forcing herself to grow a will of steel had she been able to survive, and after escaping Widow's clutches, she vowed never to cry again. Yet, here she was, breaking her own promises left and right. She'd also vowed to protect Casey, and she'd failed so miserably in that regard that she wasn't sure she could ever look at herself in a mirror again. She was a monster, and she would relieve that torture a hundred times over if it meant saving Casey an ounce of pain.

"Shhh," she whispered, clutching onto the girl's hand as comfortingly as she could. "I'm right here." Her voice was gentle, but ragged from overuse, and she probably sounded more like an aging chain smoker than she did a protective best friend. Regardless, her hope was to rouse Casey from whatever nightmares were plaguing her, deciding that she'd rather suffer the consequences of her own actions than let Casey endure another minute of torment. "C'mon, it's alright now."

[Slick Southpaw]

Casey fell still for a moment as Bev spoke, her eye fluttering as she fought her way out of the tortuous nightmares. Then, suddenly, she sat up straight rather violently, the right side of her face displaying the ugly purple bruising that Bev had marked her with. Her right eye could finally open, but not completely, giving her this sort of lazy-eye look. Blinking furiously, she stared sleepily at Bev, unsure if she was awake or still asleep.

Regardless, Casey beamed brightly as she gently squeezed Bev’s hand, placing it against the undamaged side of her face as she whispered softly, “T-thank you…” Her face flushed pink as she scooted closer, giving Bev a tender half hug.

Feeling the bandages, listening to her breathing, Casey’s eyes widened as it suddenly clicked that she was no longer dreaming. She quickly retreated, slipping effortlessly away so she could face Bev, her face completely red, nearly matching her hair. She hadn’t forgotten Bev’s words at Thil’s place-the woman had made herself clear that they were only to have a co-worker relationship. No friendships or anything like that.
Casey fiddled with her shirt, looking down at the ground, still very flushed as she grabbed her spare pair of glasses from her pocket. This time they didn’t sit so crazily on her face as the swelling had gone down.

“Uh, um…I’m uh, real sorry bout that. Didn’t mean to cross any boundaries, y’know. But I was real worriedandsogladyoupulledthroughandyoulookalotbetterthanwhenJerryandIhauledyouin.”

The doc took a deep breath to calm herself while her sparkling emerald eyes glanced into Bev’s own hazel eyes. Bev had made it clear that she wanted boundaries respected between them, and she would try her best to honor the woman’s wishes as best she could. It didn't help that Casey looked positively bursting with excitement at the fact that Bev was in a much calmer and more stable state of being. Her cybernetic arm had already picked up on her vitals and the doc could barely contain her delight. Even she had her quiet doubts, doubts that she shoved violently to the back of her mind so she could continue her work the day before. Still, happiness can only float people so long. There was work to do.
Casey sat down so she was at eye level as she spoke.

“Before anything continues, you’re gonna have to answer a few simple questions-aaah, no wait till I’m done, sergeant!”

She crossed her arms, attempting to put on her most serious face but it was failing miserably as a smile kept tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“Now, I want you to tell me what your pain level is on a scale of 1-10, one being the least pain and 10 being the most horrible pain imaginable---and doncha dare think about lying bout your pain because you think it makes you tough!”

Casey tapped Bev on the nose for emphasis, already forgetting about her vow to manage boundaries.

“Pain right now is your enemy if you want to heal up quickly, okay? Give me an honest answer. Oh, and I want you to choose between strawberries and lavender. Those are two answers I want right now. Got it? Just that. We can have more talk later. Baby steps for now.”

The doc stood up, walking off for a brief second, calling out as she dug through her kitchen. “After you give me your answers, then it’s some water and crackers. If you can get that down, I’ll move ya up to my fresh baked bread!”

Casey strolled back to the couch, with some crackers and a cold water bottle in hand, looking expectantly at Bev. “So, sergeant, what’s it gonna be?”