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The Dude stared wide eyed at Aubrey, more then surprised to see her there, with a rag and alcohol and a first aid kit ready to go. But he was all too happy to just see a helpful face, so he didn't give this observation any particullar thought.

"I got bit in the face by a black snake." - he pointed self explanatory to his face, trying to sound not too panicky. But the adrenaline of the flight was still rushing thru his sytems and he was sweating.

"Big snake, about 4 or 5 feet, I think? Maybe longer? It was hanging from the tree and went right for my face."

He breathed in and out, trying to calm down, but still holding Madison by her hand, squeezing it mercilessly without realizing it.

"Do you have poisonous snakes here, on the island?"

The Dude finally let go of Madison's hand and turned his face towards Aubrey so she could get a better look. The cheek didn't really hurt that much anymore at all, just stung, like a scrape would sting, but he could feel the uncomfortable trickling of blood on his neck and that told him it still bled pretty bad.

Listening to Aubrey, he shook he head: "No, it was all black, kinda with a reddish tint. And it had white squigly s**t all over it. Like, a net or something. And I didn't see any yellow, I think. I don't remember." He shook his head again.

No, he was definately feeling allright. Breathing normally, no numb feeling anywhere. A slight flush of embarassment started to spread across his blood stained face. Oh man ...

"I'm okey. You think I just paniced? Man, I don't do snakes, man. They are cool and all, and they got rights, too. But not when they try to bite my nose off."

"Oh yeah, thanks, Dr. Lockheart." - the Dude patted the now bandaged cheeck. "And yeah, I'd like a ride ..." - he continued but stopped.

"... Huh? " - the Dude's face looked perplexed for a second and then a realization of the situation came.

"Oh - her?" - he pointed at Madison, who was standing there, looking all cute and worried in her cute shorts and cute tank top. Then he grinned wide and hooked his arm around Dr. Lockheart's shoulders:

"'S not a date, Aubrey-baby, no worries. My heart is all yours! After all, you are my guardian angel, arriving on a chariot to save the day." - was the prompt response.

"How'd you DO that, by the way?" - he wondered, still grinning like the Cheshire cat.

The Dude climbed into the back seat, letting Madison have the front. His arms resting on the head rests of the front seats he was looking in the rear view mirror, trying to see the bandage. Aubrey did a very neat job cleaning out the wound, and he looked even more like a rugged sea rat, with a bandage and a two day old scrub on his cheeks, and all that jazz. The Dude indeed let Aubrey's explanation slide - she was too sweet to pester and whatever she was doing, it was all Dr. Moreau's fault. Of that the Dude was sure.

When Aubrey climbed in, he promptly stole her hat and put it on his head backwards, without much explanation, leaning away so she couldn't reach it easily. Madison probably gigled at that.

All was good.

As the line crossed The Dude's mouth



There were footsteps behind Sabin, as Moreau walked up behind him in the monitor room. He had expected Aubrey to be here at first and was very suprised to find she was not. But he didn't require any explination as he watched the scene play out on the monitor screen in the middle. The line rang in his ears as he continued to watch the scene.



He watched the monitor as the dude turned Aubrey's hat around in some attempt to be cute. Moreau snapped his pencil, the anger was as plain as the snarl on his face. Moreau had almost never shown this side of himself to anyone, he was suddenly very glad that he had choosen a fat and ugly animal for "The Dude".

Sabin heard the "SNAP!" Behind him and leaned his head baaaaack, looking at an upside-down, VERY upset Moreau.

Sabin had known Moreau for years since he had been the impetuous and "worrysome" student at Harvard. He had seen him driven, he had seen him sleep deprived and exhausted, he had seen him disappointed, and he had seen him with his charismatic act. He had never seen him this downright MAD.

"Ah.... Hello Doctor" Sabin tried to put a pleasant spin on his voice. Deep down, a part of Sabin was clamboring to see the assured fireworks that were coming. That same part in him smiled, seeing just how bothered Moreau was when he lost control of one of his "possessions". Becuase, as far as Sabin could tell, while Moreau did like Aubrey - as much as he could like anyone, it wasn't so much of a romantic feeling - let alone a "love". It was a deep seated, possesion. She was his right, and the Dude was impeding on that.

The Doctor didn't respond at all to Sabin's attempts to be cordial to him, he appeared to be in his own world as he watched the monitor. A world in which he was very very angry. He watched the monitor as Aubrey seemed to even respond to that beach bum's pathetic attempts to flirt with her.

Moreau watched the monitor with the snarl still on his face, it had all of his attention at the moment. There would be retribution of some kind, Moreau was not a forgiving man and though he didn't want harm to come to one of his "subjects" he swore to himself at the right moment, however long it took there would be revenge to pay to the "Dude"

Aubrey was his... and he intended to make sure of that.

Pretty happy to be alive and not convulsing from the deadly bite of the black mamba, the Dude flailed his arms and, grabbing Madison by the hand jumped out of the Jeep after Aubrey.

"Arrgh! Our booty has been plundered from us! Surround her!" - with that he tried to corner the fleeing doctor, but was too slow. She had already climbed back into the Jeep and was pressing on the gas pedal.

"Don't work too hard, Dr. Lockheart! And thanks!" - he waved as the Jeep sped off, then said bye to Madison and headed for his Duplex to grab diving gear and go scavange for his sunked loot.