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Island of Moreau Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 2:02 am
"Of course sir." He watched Moreau for a moment, then slipped out, leaving Moreau alone with her. He sent a fresh team of scientiests to work on her clothes.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 2:23 am
Moreau flipped open his small radio device. He pushed a small red button at the bottom as an audioable hum was heard as every single speaker in the village, the beach bar, and in the duplexes came on at once.
"Hello my precious subjects,
If you didn't already know, my second-in-command, Dr. Aubrey Lockheart was severly injured recently. She may not survive.
No one but Aubrey has entered the labs since the travesty, and no one else is allowed to, so the guilty party must be on the outside.
Bring me the guilty party, or else you'll all suffer for this. I hope no more than that needs to be said.
If you are the responsible party, know that all eyes will turn to you. You can't escape the eyes of those you might have considered friend, or even lover.
I want the person responsible to be brought to me."
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:08 pm
As the hours passed...
Moreau spent the rest of the night pacing, peering over at Aubrey occassionally. Eventually he started drifting off, just about falling asleep standing up. Eventually he leaned up against the side wall, and sort of dozed off there.
It was fairly restless sleep...
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:16 pm
Moreau was probably woken up throughout the night as doctors came in and out to check on her. Every hour her pulse was checked, blood was drawn, IVs adjusted, wounds cleaned. The docs informed Moreau that they were keeping her heavily sedated for her own safety, but there was no trauma to her head, so hopefully in a few days they could start to see if she could wake up. At some point they would have brought Moreau a chair for him and some water. The next morning, a courier would deliver a professional-grade plastic evidence bag that contained, neatly folded, Aubrey's personal effects. They had been cleaned of mud, and rinsed during the process, but even through the blurry plastic bloodstains were still visible. On top of the bag was the report, neatly slipped in an envelope. It read: Quote: Grey Shoes - Size Women's 9. Very little blood, covered in mud from jungle floor. Soaked completely through, worn near the ball of the foot. Socks - no label. Mud from the jungle floor, no blood. Khaki Pants - W18. Mud all the way around the bottom, all down the front and mixed with massive amount of blood, all conclusively A.Lockeart. Also found splatters of black dye-like substance, further lab tests have concluded to be ink from octopus vulgaris. Found near lap, down leg. White Shirt - Men's L button up. Front covered in jungle floor and blood from A.Lockheart. Multiple tears across abdomen area. Tear pattern consistent with strong, forceful slashes of a sharp object. Not made with a medical-grade tool. Very little tearing, mostly slash. Right shoulder ripped at seam. Found two hairs belonging to William Woodrow. White LabCoat - Feral Labs, unisex L. Embroidered Dr. Aubrey Lockheart. Mud and blood consistent with other clothing. Found multiple hairs, all belonging to A.Lockheart. Right shoulder torn at seams. Personal Garments - blood splotting; all blood A.Lockheart. Pair of Glasses - no evidence found. Cleaned of mud from Jungle Floor. No fingerprint found of lenses, could have been washed away by the storm.
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Island of Moreau Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:25 pm
Moreau found the news encouraging atleast as he sat out the procedure. Hours passed as he dozed in and out of concienceness. Moreau had spent many nights staying up, but there was something so physically and mentally exausting about this.
Finally, he began to stir, comming to a tired awareness as the package was brought to him. As he read the list his lip curled angerly at the mention of he shirt and the hairs that were found on it.
"Billy..." he said disgustedly. as he crinkled the paper up in his hand.
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Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 1:06 am
Moreau had settled into a quiet vigil beside Aubrey's bed. He'd been there since she fell ill. He had been sleeping in the hospital bed near her. He had also brought in a small table desk where he attempted to work occassionally, to take his mind off things. It hadn't worked though.
He hadn't meant the things he'd said, the things he did, atleast he hadn't meant them to cause this. He reached over and softly stroked her hair. Moreau realized how much he wanted her back. For the first time in his life he was tempted to pray to someone, to anyone to just make her alright.
It was like waking up from a very strange dream. She was aware of the fact that she was awake, and she was lying down long before she was able to move at all, or even open her eyes. Everything from groggy and disorienting. Everything hurt. She became aware of sounds. Electronic beeping, mostly. Hospital sounds. But it was like she had cotton stuck in her ears. She felt heavy, like lead weights were tied to every limb of her body. Her breathing, as she came to conciousness, changed pace... quickening from a slow and steady rise and fall to a more labored venue. Her whole body seemed to be pusling with a steady, deep trob, and to her great dismay, she didn't seem to feel like she had a lower body at the moment.
Finally she was able, with great effort, to open her eyes. She looked around the room slowly without moving her head, trying to bring things into focus.
Moreau's hand jerked a bit as she started to move. More out of shock than anything else. She was awake and she had been stabalizing. "Aubrey?" Moreau said with a geniuely happy look in his face. His eyes had even teared up a bit.
"Thank god." Moreau said almost out of instinct than the belief of a great diety, even now.
Aubrey blinked a few times as consciousness flooded around her. Recognition hit her face as she saw Moreau, then a look of sorrow. She looked around the room a bit with her eyes, then turned her head slightly to look at the man. Everything hurt. Everything was sore.
She tried to remember what happened. Memories, though fuddled, of her arguing with Nick. Him dimissing her as his lover. Saying he no longer respected her. Then going to Billy...
Billy.. what happened at Billy's? Oh god.. she kissed him... kissed him.. .anything more? He didn't have a shirt on, but was other fully dressed... yes, yes that was it.
Change. He was changing..and there was rain. But Aubrey couldn't remember anything after that. What happened?
Oh god.. something had happened. She opened and closed her mouth a few times to speak. "...doctor...?" Her voice was scratchy and barely above a whisper. What did he do to me...?
"Aubrey... I'm glad your alright." Moreau's concern was almost alien for him. Displays of this much affection were rare for him, still, they were alone. The only thing he'd been able to concentrate on was worrying about her, and it showed, from the bags under his eyes from the restless nights and the smile on his face.
He reached his hands to hold hers. Cupping both of his hands around her hand. He was careful however, not to disturb the IVs and needles that she was being fed. "You've been out for almost a week."
Aubrey watched his hands on hers, still a bit confused over what had happened. Had he injected her? Was she changed? Did something go wrong. "A week?" She was clearly disoriented. She looked down at herself, but everything save her arms were under the hospital blanket. She looked around at the desk and the scattered files and paperwork. She watched his face for a few minutes, and smiled back at him dispite herself. "What.. happened...?"
"I'm... not sure. You ran off during a storm. The storm got worse, succeeded in knocking out our backups as well." Moreau's smile had yet to stop, it was so uncharacteristic of him.
Moreau decided not to mention it was islanders who found her, since they were likely the ones who hurt you. "Then you were found, wounded, near death. It's a good thing we have some of the world's finest doctors here." Moreau wasn't sure he wanted to go too much into it, it meant bringing up a situation that he atleast felt partial responsible for.
Aubrey actually looked a bit relieved that the answer wasn't informing her that she had been injected with something horrible. She squeezed his hands that clutched hers. Upon mentioning it..something about a power outage seemed familiar. "Lucky me," she whispered out. "Most people..." she took a breath, speaking was still hard for her, "just get colds..."
"How did I...?"
"How did you what?" Moreau squeezed a little tighter, leaving the finger that rested over the IV loose. He didn't want to squeeze too hard, though he really did want to embrase her.
"Get wounded," her eyes darted to her chart at the end of the bed, curious to look it over, but knowing she was still too muzzy headed to make much sense of it.
Moreau knew that she was a Doctor, and if she was capable of reading it she'd almost perfer that. Moreau brought the board close to her. If she couldn't make heads or tales of it he was ready to explain it to her. Still, he thought she'd appreciate her own details. However greausome they may be.
Aubrey tried to focus her attention on the board, asking Moreau to help learn her bed so she could sit up a bit. She looked over the first couple of pages, her eyes growing wide. "My god..." She shook her head. "Nic-er, Doctor...this ... this for real? Its a miracle I'm alive...?"
"I recruited a top notch medical staff, all research related projects involving an MD were put on hold until you were taken care of." Moreau had made sure they knew that they weren't to be working on anything else. Only in the case of Aubrey was money not the issue.
"This is amazing." Aubrey's true scientific nature was shining through as she went through the pages of her treatment. While most people, assuming they could make heads or tails of the terms, would be horrified, she looked more facinated. "You're using my stem cel research..." she pointed to a page, "and some gene therapy? I may well be able to walk again after something like this." A slight, hopeful smile came to her face.
"If everything goes correctly you won't even have a scar." Moreau smiled. He rubbed her hand again. "I... missed you."
"What about having children...?" she asked, handing the board back to him. She felt the breath catch in her throat as he spoke, but she forced herself to look down and away, just giving him a slight nod. She nibbled gently on her bottom lip.
"I don't know... but if it's possible we'll make it happen. Even if it means dedicating a research team to that." Moreau shrugged. He didn't want to deliver any kind of bad news to her right now. Moreau noticed Aubrey looking away. "I'm sorry about the things I said Aubrey." Moreau swallowed, he had never been comfortable saying he was sorry.
He had just wanted her to know he was in charge, not driven her away. Especially not to get hurt, or to Billy...
Moreau decided he wasn't going to mention that yet, he just wanted Aubrey to be back and his again.
Aubrey swallowed, feeling her resolve weaken already. He had that effect on her. And she knew in her heart why she would never escape him, even if she wanted to. "Near death experiences wipe the slate clearn, eh?" It was impossible to tell if she was joking or being condiscending for her voice was still hardly above a whisper, though she sounded sad.
To be honest, she had no idea if he knew about Billy or not. If if he had seen the tapes. She didn't want to hide it from him, but she didn't exactly want to bring it up, either. But the pang of guilt stuck in her chest as he apologized.
"It wasn't meant like that Aubrey. You didn't deserve to be driven away like that. If our relationship was having issues we should have worked them out." he stroked her face softly. They were the right words, and he meant them, mostly.
"I don't ever want to loose you again." This was the woman he loved, but to him that also made her a posession in his mind. He didn't miss his
posessions as much though.
This was going too easy. This meant only one thing.
He had no idea about what happened between her and Billy.
Oh god. Was there no evidence? What if he found out... later? A cold dread filled her chest.
"You mean everything to me, Nick. My world falls apart when you turn me away." She motioned haphazardly to her bed. "Sometimes literally." She gave a small smile. On a more serious note, she added, "I'm afraid I'll never be what you want."
"What do you mean?" Moreau asked the tone turning a bit more serious at Aubrey's prompting.
A frown tugged at her mouth. "You have.. high expectations. And I'm more... weak willed than you are. I can't stand for you to be dissapointed in me." She gave a weak smile.
"I've never met another woman who satisfies me in the ways you do Aubrey. Intellectially, physically, emotionally (well as emotional as Moreau got anyway, maybe that's what he meant)." Moreau sighed.
"No other member of your gender has ever caught my attention like you. I want you with me, we'll work through what comes." Moreau hadn't really admitted that she couldn't disappoint him but he had decided to attempt to handle it better in the future.
She would have probably tired if it would hurt so much to do so. She managed a sincere smile and clutched to his hands, lifting her free one to join it so she was holding both his hands in both of hers. "You mean that?" she asked with a hopeful look.
"Yes" he smiled down at her. "I have the entire island trying to figure out who harmed you... and... while you slept I thought a lot about things. Important things."
Aubrey's heart fluttered in her chest, a part of her telling her she shouldn't be so forgiving. It hadn't seen like that long to her. Was Moreau just... happy she was okay? As mad as he could be at her somtimes, Aubrey was pretty sure they had been friends and coworkers long enough that he didn't wish to see her die. But she also knew that people tend to be overly quick to forgive people they love that get hurt. Its the same reason people who die are suddenly remembered for all their good qualities, and none of the bad.
....or was this all a blessing in disguise? Could it really be that Moreau needed a really drastic wake up call for him to realize she might not always be there.
"..oh?" she inquired, rubbing his hands with her hands.
"Yes... I know we have some things to work through, and even things to discuss. But to me, your more important than those things." The slight nod to the Billy situation was in there. This was not the time for it though.
He pulled in his breath. "I want you to be mine and only mine."
Moreau reached into his pocket and flipped open a small box. It wasn't in Moreau's nature to get down on a knee so perhaps this was better. "Aubrey, marry me?"
Aubrey quickly raised a hand to her mouth, feeling the tears well up there instantaneously. "Oh my god, Nick...." She took the box between her shaking hands, looking at it. It was here, the moment of truth. Her eyes darted between his and the ring, suddenly feeling light headed. "Nick... " she didn't feel she could continue, though, without knowing. She wasn't going to ruin this over something petty.
She looked at him seriously. "Nick... I.. I have to tell you something first..." She wiped away the tears spilling over her cheeks. "Do you know .. where I went when I left the labs?"
Moreau's face turned a bit offended. She wasn't saying yes, this wasn't how he had planned it. He hated it when things didn't go as planned.
Moreau didn't want to talk about this right now. "I have a good idea... you brought a sovenier."
Aubrey swallowed hard, her hands clucthed around the box. "I just... I didn't want you to find out later and feel like I was lying to you." She stared down at the ring, wondering if she could let it go now even if Moreau tried to take it back. "I can't... I can't risk ruining this. I can't... I'll never ever be able to let this go..."
"Did you and him... do anything?" Moreau asked. Now that it was there it needed to be asked. Had he done anything to Aubrey, that slimy individual. Stragely though none of Moreau's anger was directed to Billy at the moment.
"He kissed me," she admitted, looking away. "Thats all. I left... and thats the last thing I remember."
"Then it's not important to me." there was obviously a touch of anger, but he'd already made plans to hae revenge upon Billy. He pulled himself closer to Aubrey's bed. "Just as long as you'll take this, and be mine from here on. Forget about him."
The tears started up a again - but they were mostly happy ones. She just had to know that he knew so he wouldn't change his mind on her later. She couldn't handle that. "I'm already yours, Nick," she said, holding the box back out from his so he could take the ring from it to put it on. "Of course I'll marry you."
Moreau smiled. He wasn't going to let anything, or anyone, get between him and Aubrey ever again.
Anyone.
He took the ring and slipped it over Aubrey's finger. He leaned forward, and carefully kissed her.
Aubrey closed her eyes and kissed him back, touching his face gently with her hand. She wanted to spring out of this hospital bed right now and into his arm. But unfortunately she still couldn't feel her legs.
"Get some rest love." Moreau pointed at the bed on the other side of the room. "I'll be sleeping right there. Where I've been since they rolled you in here." Moreau would make sure she knew atleast... he wanted to have his own dedication appreciated the same as hers.
Aubrey settled back into the bed, not quite willing to let go of his hand. "You've been here the whole time? The whole week?"
"I haven't left your side since they brought you in for surgery." Moreau shrugged, trying to make it look like it was no big deal. The truth was he did it without thinking, but now that she was awake, he wanted her to know.
Aubrey gave a satisfied smile. That gesture said more to her than any words that could come out his mouth. "I love you," she whispered, bringing his hand up to kiss his knuckles.
"I love you too Aubrey, my fiance." Moreau was relieved for the first time in days. The strain his own body had been under had him almost week on his legs.
Aubrey was on cloud nine, biting onto her bottom lip to keep from giggling. She learned back and tried to close her eyes, but kept opening them to stare at her finger.
Moreau was snoring before she was. His dreams were the most relieved he'd had since even before this started. Now they mearly turned to revenge, a smile crossing his face in his sleep.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:02 am
She had awoken even before the sun hd come up. Those animal instincts which burned in her chest told her the sun would kiss the horizon soon enough and it would be Aubreys day.
Her beautiful blue eyes caught the sun as she sat in the opening of her tent the suns rays reflecting off her perfect blue eyes making them shine like big blue stars. She smiled, giving a heavy sigh. She held tightly to a peice of some what crumpled paper, but she seemed very unwilling to let it go. Her gaze, fixed upon the building she smiled, she had a good feeling about today. It was Aubreys day.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:15 am
Moreau had recieved yet another report on the cheetah girl that had been stationed outside the labs. Moreau sighed to himself, he looked over at Aubrey who was laying in the bed there.
He sat down the papers and looked over at Aubrey. He was getting reports from guards on almost a daily basis at this point. Maybe this would give him some points with Aubrey.
Not that Moreau felt he needed any, he had already gone and proposed to her. Still, two birds with one stone. "Aubrey, any idea what day this is?"
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:21 am
Aubrey had been reading a book between her frequent naps. She was able to stay awake longer and longer each day, but still she spent most of her time sleeping.
"Mmmm...." she looked over to Moreau. "Not a clue."
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:24 am
"It's May the 14th." Moreau half smiled as he wrote a bit more of his paperwork down. "Think you could stand to vistor?"
He was already buzzing one of the guards, just waiting for the word from Aubrey.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:27 am
"May 14th..." She blinked, trying to register. Her brain was still muzzy, but after a moment. "Mother's Day?"
Then it registered and her eyes went ride. A vistor? "Oh, Nick! Would you really.... oh, please!!"
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:34 am
Moreau buzzed down to the guards. "Go ahead and see her in. Please lead her up to this room. Make sure someone is on trigger just in case there is a problem, Ms. Lockheart's condition is still very fragile." Moreau shrugged and looked over to Aubrey.
"She'll be here soon." he smiled again towards Aubrey. "I can go man the cameras..." Moreau intended to keep his distance, the Cheetah girl freaked him out a bit.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:39 am
"Yes, sir" said Markerson. "Hey you - you cat girl thing. Colche or whatever. They said we can take you in today."
Meanwhile, Aubrey gave a huge smile to Moreau. "Where are you going, honey? I'm sure she wants to meet you."
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:41 am
"I... just thought you might like your time alone with her." Moreau shrugged. "I can stay if you'd really like me to..." he said through slightly gritted teeth. Doing his best to stay and sound sincere.
He'd wait here, until Colche arrived of course.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:43 am
Cat thing? That was the strangest thing she had ever been called for sure. Go in..She could go in! She was on ehr foot paws before the words jack rabbit could come out of anyones mouth. Her tail tip twitched back and forth both hands pressed to her chest and the peice of paper she held there so dilligently.
Looking up at the guards she waited expectantly, open the gates, open the gates and let me in. Padding from one foot to the other the fur ont he back of her neck lifted on end. Aubrey was alright! Aubrey was alright! tears welled in those big baby blue eyes. "go see mommy..hurry" she says looking between the guards, she was too impaitent to wait at the gates for too long, she wanetd to jump them and run in to see Aubrey. She had to try and be calm, she was going in. At last Aubrey was alright and she was going in!
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