When the Walls Close In

Posted on Sat May 30th, 2020 @ 8:42pm by Karen Dawson MD & Alden Loxley & Alison Bliss
Edited on on Sat May 30th, 2020 @ 11:22pm

Mission: Fortune & Glory
Location: Karen's Free Medical Clinic, Eavesdown Docks, Persephone
Timeline: 4 Months Ago

"You look like Lā shǐ," Jack spoke as he stood outside the Federal Marshal's station.

Karen appreciated her now resident doctor, Jack Kwon. He held the fort while she was Held For Questioning for almost three days. She smelled of stale body odor and her wrists were raw from having worn tight metal binds for likely the same amount of time.

"You'd look this way too if purple-bellies kept you awake all the gorram time," Karen groaned as she bit back a yawn.

"Well... Clinic is fine, cleaned, and the community is behind you. Lieutenant Evans even went to bat for you, when he heard the station chief pulled you in," Jack informed her, then handed her a cheese danish wrapped in wax paper.

"So long as that crazy old man holds command of his station, he's not gonna stop persuing anyone sympathetic or neutral towards the Independents," Karen complained, a large level of exhaustion in her voice.

She was held a full day more than the law allowed, but the current federal leadership on the planet did not care when it concerned rebels and dissidents who bucked Alliance rule. While she was none of that, her willingness to heal anyone who needed aid with no questions asked is what got the ire of Marshal Station Chief Woo.

So many cases she forced him and his loyal marshals to come back with magistrate-signed papers, only to find she did not list how or when someone was injured. Almost always, Woo's faction of corrupt marshals was thwarted by the lack of information in her medical records.

Jack passed her a bottle of apple juice, made fresh from one of Persephone's shepperd abbeys. The way his mentor and friend walked, it was clear she was made to sit uncomfortably for long periods of time. While technically not tortured, Alliance marshals had ways of making people suffer under interrogation.

Far too many confessions were made under duress. Jack could feel this last time Karen was held for questioning was... well... different. They had not broken her, yet her spirit seemed weakened. Another session and Karen may very likely confess to a crime she never committed. She'd be put in prison for the rest of her life.

"We need to get you off-world," Jack finally spoke as they got close to her clinic. "And we need them to come to you... Feds spot you at a port trying to run for it now, they may pick you up again."

"I'm gonna get some sleep... You make the call," Karen agreed with much defeat in her voice.

Jack helped her up the second floor of the clinic, where she and Jack lived. Albeit separate rooms. Once he tucked her in bed and set a hydration drip into her arm, he went back downstairs into the clinic and began to search the port listings.

Once Jack found Alden's name listed as one of the captain's, he sent him a simple message:


[ Doctor Dawson needs your help. Can't say much on this channel. Don't know who's watching. Meet where you two first met.

- Jack Kwon, M.D. ]


And now the long wait. Jack was nervous. Very nervous. Sneaking Karen away was not an easy thing, this soon after a raid. He paced the main lobby of the clinic, occasionally looking out the front door. Would Alden answer? He didn't know.

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Persephone. They found themselves back here from time to time, as did all ship's captains. The planet was a hub where flotsam and jetsam of the smuggling and legit cargo trading world ended up by necessity, choice or by occasional happy accident.

This visit was strictly business, a stop off on the way around a fairly routine run of pick up and drop-offs, just trying out the new ship and working out the kinks. And then the wave hit Alden's terminal and he was taken back two years to the worst visit he'd ever had to Persephone.

[I'll be there. AJL. Capt.] He couldn't resist that last part, even if it was an afterthought.

-------

So, an hour later and with Alison beside him, Alden walked right past all the market stalls, traders, well-wishers, charlatons and pubs and straight back into the little medical clinic in Eavesdown Docks.

"Hullo! Anyone there?" He called out from the doorway tentatively, his mind unable to totally cast out the last time he'd been here. Alden turned to Alison and wrinkled his nose with a deeper concern than was implied by his friendly shout.

"Last time I was here," he told her. "They shot me." He grimaced and put a hand to his belly. "Twice."

"They being ruffians," Jack corrected as he came back down the stairs. He had gone up to apply some medical cream and bandages to Karen's raw wrists while the experienced doctor slept.

"Fair point," said Alden, with a smile. He probably should have clarified that for Alison's sake at least. "Well made."

Jack then took note of the new faces. Alden... and a woman he didn't know. All the same, the young doc held his hand out in greeting to both.

"Jack Kwon. I'm Karen's associate," he spoke with some urgency in his face. "She approved my setting up her passage off-world. Or a job... if it's possible."

"Hi Jack. This is my First Mate, Alison," Alden said, avoiding last names. He quietly absorbed the man's suggestion. His brow furrowed. Karen was noticeably absent...

Alison looked around. Obviously, Alden knew those people. Still, she was far from relaxing. Keeping her hand near the pistol in the holster, she glanced at Alden.
"If that helps, I'll kill everyone that will shoot at you." She said with the straight face.

"Not right now," Alden noted with a grin. "But thanks."

So, they had potentially a doctor to move around or if she understood well, to hire... Alison's eyes moved to Jack and she raised her left hand.

"Hold on... you want Karen to work for us?"

The young doctor looked directly to Alison, addressing her question.

"The change in federal leadership of this planet has placed a bullseye on sympathizers and folks indifferent and neutral to former Independents. And even though Karen and I treat pretty much everyone who comes in here, without asking questions - The fact some of our patients were former Independents irks a large faction of the marshals," Jack informed with annoyance to the situation. "Fourth time she's been questioned in a Federal holding facility in the last five months... She can't take much more of their legalized torture. So yes, she needs to get off-world, and hopefully work in a place that needs her talents."

Jack turned to address Alden, hoping the exposition of the matter was enough to place everyone on the same page, and an informed decision could be reached.

Alden cursed. This wasn't good news. The Doc being hounded by the authorities, punished for helping people and hurt for doing the Right Thing by those who needed her services. Alden scowled, and couldn't help looking over his shoulder for trouble.

Alison turned to Alden and grinned.

"Well, for her sympathies or indifference alone, I am happy with her on board. Saves me the work on you every time we get in troubles." She said playfully.

"Trouble?" Alden pointed at his own chest. "Me?" But this was serious, and he knew it. If the Doc was actively seeking help then the situation was far worse than it had been last time he was here. Politics. Harassment. He weighed up the options for a millisecond or two, then nodded.

"Be more 'n' happy to have a skilled doc on the team," Alden agreed, his attention shifted from Alison to Jack. "You coming with too, Puhn Yoh? (buddy) Where is she - can I see her?"

"I need to stay here and keep the clinic going," Jack answered as he went to the medication cabinet and pulled out a syringe and a clear medicine bulb. He filled the needle, then capped it.

"She's laying down... Interrogators kept her unbearably uncomfortable, and I suspect had her cuffed beyond the basic standards, for a long time," Jack spoke with a wave of anger in his eyes, then pointed Alden to the staircase. "I can give her a shot of B12 to temporarily get Karen on her feet and able to travel, but she needs a few days to rest before she's of use to anyone."

Alden made a face that absolutely stated that he wished he could do something to pay these bastards back for their ill treatment of the nice doctor lady. But revenge might have to wait some, since their priority needed to be lifting Dr Dawson off-world as discreetly as possible.

"Ung Jeong Jia Ching Jien Soh," (Filthy fornicators of livestock)he said, invoking his inner fury to colour those words. "We'll get her safely away and let her rest," Alden agreed, but he had another concern as well. "But they ain't gonna be too pleased to find you with her gone. Might not wanna be here when they come lookin'..."

Alison put hand on Alden's shoulder.
"I am sure our Puhn Yoh here will manage. Let's get the doctor up and running. We need to move, and we need to move now." She pointed out and turned to the doctor. "Maybe we can grab some supplies, make a ruckus and break few things that you don't need. That way you can report it as a kidnapping and theft. You can put in for extra supplies... you know we pick two cases, you say there were four." She winked at Jack.

Jack wondered just who these two people were, but then gave a nod of agreement and walked both up the stairs. He opened the door to her room, where the lights were dim.

"Karen?" Jack sat on the edge of the bed as he gently woke his friend. "Time to go, Karen. Got you a ride."

The experienced doctor groggily opened her eyes and made to get up, but was gently pushed down by Jack.

"Wait until I get you off the line first," he smiled. Then he injected her with the B12 before he went to unhook her from the IV drip.

Karen let her eyes adjust. Her eyes were dark from little sleep and she appeared a bit confused. Like she were unsure where she was. Only when she looked to her bandaged wrists did she recall the events of late.

"Ride?" she asked with a weakened voice before she looked to Alden and Alison. Even more confusion danced in her eyes.

"We're getting you away from the Feds, before they do permanent damage to you," Jack reminded her while he bandaged the spot on her hand where the IV had been.

"I.. All right," Karen nodded weakly in agreement. She was too tired to think, but she kept glancing at Alden. Something about him was familiar but she had problems recalling.

Alison looked at the doctor and her lips curled. She was cute, despite the fact she looked terrible. Mindful that Alden’s emotion could flare up she put hand on her friend's shoulder to calm him down.

“Be a good gentleman and help Piow Liang (Pretty Lady), Alden.” She pointed at the doctor. Turning to Jack, she added. “So we just leave, or do you want us to do make it look like break and kidnapping?”

Her hand on his shoulder brought Alden out of his furious thoughts and back into the reality of the situation - they needed to move from this place.

They'd hurt her, the friendly doc who had saved his arse two years ago, back when he'd been trying to rescue her from a firefight. They'd hurt her for no reason he could fathom, nothing beyond mean hearted motives and unnecessary malevolence. But Alison was right - this was no time to get angry at things that had already been done and were out of his control. Action was needed, but not a violence. Not yet.

"It'll be okay, Doc," Alden said, his voice a gently firm promise of protection as he stepped up closer to the bed where Karen rested. "We're getting you out of here, somewhere safe."

"Trust me," he added, and it wasn't a question but a friendly demand as Alden leaned forward, reached outwards and lifted Karen carefully up into his arms like a baby.

"I'll have her bags packed in a few minutes," Jack promised. "...And three boxes of antibiotics and pain meds for your trouble. After that, I'll head to the bakery for a half-hour, to give you time to get away. Then I'll call in a false report of stolen goods once you're off-world."

Meanwhile, Karen was starting to stir. But she had used up so much energy walking back to the clinic, she had little strength to walk on her own. Her eyes, less-confused now, went up to Alden, then found Alison.

"Thank you," she spoke, barely above a whisper.

"Owe ya one, Doc," Alden said, his words coloured with a smile and he looked down upon the young woman cradled safely in his arms. "I gotcha, you're gonna be okay." He pulled Karen in close against his chest, took the bags as Jack offered them up and strode towards the exit. "Good thinking," he told his partner in crime, as he briefly turned back, entrusting Alison to handle carrying the medication.

Alison took the bags from Alden and stepped ahead, taking the lead. She opened the door and let Alden and the doctor out before moving again ahead of them.

"Just try to look natural." She said cautiously.

"Sure," Alden said with an amused look to his First Mate. "I'll walk casual," he added.

"I'll mail most of her things to Skyplex 2," Jack promised and handed Alison Karen's medical messenger bag. "Godspeed to the both of you."

"Thanks. Send us a wave if you need us," Alden told him, but he didn't expect to get one. "We'll look after her," he added one more time.

Next stop - Ariel, for Poseidon - Alden mused as he carried the weary and wounded Doc back to their ship. It should only take a day, all being well, and they might even be able to pick up some more meds if they were careful about it. The doc, for one, would definitely need to lay low, but there was an invite for a potential business deal from an unexpected quarter and another possible source of income for the Echo.

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