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"Yes." She admitted, though the truth was far more than that. She'd bitten about three of them - or perhaps it had been the same man all three times? She had no way of knowing. Someone was really good at touching her when she didn't want to be touched, however.

"So come closer, let me have a little nibble."

She leaned in, as if she was going to bite his hand, but her free hand brought a cracker close to her mouth and she chomped noisily on that instead.

Dawson was the only reason she was going to get out of this hospital room sane. No matter what.



It should have taken longer. The medical team told her two days, tops, and this time they were right on the mark. When the bandages came off this time, it was only the ones that wrapped around her. Her head - which sported a square bandage covering the more horrific circle of shaved hair, looked otherwise unharmed.

If one could call the destruction of her perfect hairstyle unharmed.

"I still can't see, ********> She barked out before even being asked, and the medic who'd taken the bandages off backed away out of sheer instinct.

"It's going to take some time, if it worked." He tried to tell her, but she was already starting to get too riled up to listen.

medigel

Maebe did not look sufficiently appeased.

"How long?" She seethed out, waiting just long enough to hear him tell her that there was no way to know for sure before picking up her pillow and flinging it in his general direction. It missed, but he acted as though it hit him, for effect. Perhaps he wasn't such a bad guy, after all.

"You're discharged." He told her, already trying to back out of the room. "There's a cane on the door, but it's best if you get someone to bring you in once a day to see what progress your eyes have made. It might come back today, or it might take days - "

Another pillow was flung in his direction.

"You know, I was rooting for you-"

And a third. The medic wisely left.

But as soon as the medic left, all of Maebe's rage bled away in place of the inevitable melancholy that sunk through her, filling her from head to toe. She felt Dawson try to get her to move, but she was sluggish and stubborn, taking every step as if she was made of lead.

She paused, when she was handed a cane, and felt down it's stem with a slow stroke of her hand.

Her face perked in confusion, and then she sighed, shaking her head. "The lab. I need a golem. Thaw says he wants to take care of me, because-" Her lips pinched with that same stubborn expression she always got when she was arguing with someone. "Because he thinks he's failed me. Which he hasn't, of course, and he needs to shut the <******** up about it, but." Her expression smoothed, and her hand rested on the crook of Dawson's. "At least having him around will give you a break. As much as I secretly love taking up all of your time, I'm going to die of guilt if you don't get some time to yourself soon. You've done enough, Dawson."

"Not devil, exactly. But I mean, close enough. Big fire demon thing. The first time I saw him, I screamed, and he thought that was really awesome. But then again, they're built to scare, right?" She chuckled weakly. "He's not so scary. He's a big pussycat."

They arrived at the labs after a few minutes, and she held out her arm to receive the cuff that would allow her Thaw to transfer into an appropriate mound of silly putty. That was how it worked, as far as she knew.

"A couple of hours. But don't worry. Once he's got me, I'm just going straight to my room, and that's it for me. If the hospital wants to see me, they can get off their asses and come house call. I'm not moving." The words were left hanging, unsaid, unsure. Until I can see.

Well. That was actually a pretty good question. Thaw had never actually laid on her bedsheets, and he was crackly with molten goodness to the touch, but if he hadn't set her on fire, there was a good chance he wasn't actually harmful, right?

... That was a bad metric of comparison.

She shrugged, even as the golem took shape, growing in size and form until it began to darken and smolder. "I mean, we've got sprinklers if there's a fire, right?" She muttered; unaware of the plumbing problems, and whether or not that might have affected the sprinkler system at all. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

The monstrous beast grew and grew, dripping with what looked like melting clay in every spot that attempted to protrude some kind of appendage. His wings snapped out behind him and hardened. His claws sharpened to points, and the hands that held them tensed and flexed quickly, like jaws opening and closing. The thick, blackened neck rolled as it solidified, with two large, curved horns creeping out from the top of it. When he opened his eyes, they burned with pure white fire raging from within, until they cooled to a crisp, orange embered glow.

"Child." His voice sounded like slow, rolling thunder. He wasn't even fully formed yet, and already he looked impatient to break free of the glass cage he was forming in, and go to her. His deep, growling voice cracked with emotion. "My child."

"Relax, big guy." Maebe grumbled out in a sigh. "Christ, he's such a baby."

Dawson had made the right choice.

Maebe could not see when Thaw was released and charged forward for her, but she did not look surprised when his scaly, rocky arms tore her up from the ground and lifted her several feet in the air. It could have been disorienting to see a giant fiery monster pick up the woman so swiftly and hold her like a toy in his arms, but she remained as limp as a ragdoll, waiting for him to get it all out.

"Thaw, we're in public. Come on." She whined, to which the balrog turned it's orange eyes at Dawson, and slowly put Maebe down. He lurched forward, his claws clicking with each haunched step, until he reached Dawson - and reached out for Dawson.

"You have taken great care of the ghoul." Thaw's rumbly voice practically purred out, while he pulled Dawson into a great big heated bear hug. "I can not express my gratitude. Please know that I am eternally grateful."

Maebe quieted down, the sarcasm on hold for the moment. She owed Dawson more than she could ever repay, too - but at least she had the chance to try. This was all Thaw could do, and she tried her best to stay quiet for it. Even if she did want to gag a little..

Maebe looked like she'd just smelled something awful when Dawson said 'all the Balrog', but she quickly realized what he'd meant and let out a choked laugh.

"I am a Balrog. You are correct. Well done." Thaw let Dawson go, and slapped him hard on the back. "I will take good care of her until I must return." He turned away, immediately wrapping Maebe up in one arm and lifting her up until she was curled, tiny and helpless, against the left plane of his chest. She dropped her head against it, and her expression pinched with over-exaggerated annoyance. This, of course, meant she was happy.

"Dawson, of the Moon Division." Thaw boomed out, turning with his charge in his arms. "I have known you for little time, therefore I cannot determine whether or not you deserve the child's affections-"

Maebe squirmed in horror, reaching up to try and slap Thaw's mouth with her hand. She reached as far as his chin, and did nothing to stop him.

"But I implore you to be careful with her. Though she may lie strenuously concerning it, I have found a heart worth fighting for within her. Please do not injure her further, or allow others to do so. She trusts and cares for you deeply, and I insist that you reciprocate."

"Thaw, if you don't shut the ******** UP RIGHT NOW-" The balrog did, however, shut up - because he'd said his piece. He began to exit, carrying her kicking and screaming.