Life Goes On

Posted on Sun May 15th, 2022 @ 6:11am by Cooper O'Reilly & Jacy Wright & Whit

Mission: Twas The Twelve Days of Travel
Location: Fortune's Echo Infirmary
Timeline: November 3, 2517 - late afternoon

They'd left Li Shen's a few hours ago now and the immediate chaos of needing to get folks in the right places had calmed at least a little. Cooper had ensured Alison was safely delivered to Echo's infirmary, and being no stranger to pain meds, he'd ensured Alden had a dose, then chomped a couple down himself too. Then he'd sat some, observed and when Jacy had needed it, he'd helped - fetched and carried and looked through the cupboards and drawers for whatever she needed.

The rest of his older wounds, the Shepherd would let their new doc take a look at once the platinum blond firecracker was up and awake again. He'd live, and that was enough for the moment.

Right now, Cooper stood stalwartly at the doorway leaning on the frame and - like the others present - waited for Alison to wake up.

"You did good lil lady," he said, hoping that helped Jacy some. She'd certainly been busy and focused, it had to have made a difference, right?

Things had been touch and go, and more than once Jacy had thought that she might not be able to do anything for Alison, but then she recalled seeing something in the backpack Arlo had given her. Had he known then just what she would need? Jacy had tried not to look too guilty, and hoped like hell she’d been able to pull it off. But…time would tell. Just like time would tell with Alison too.

She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder at… Cooper as he spoke and smiled faintly. He’d been a help, but she was tired. “Xie-xie. And thanks for the help.”

Whit wandered down from the passenger compartment where he'd left Daiyu in her desired solitude. "Hey, Coop," he said with a grin that quickly turned sardonic. "Mind telling me what in the huo hai happened back there?"

It wasn’t the new voice that grabbed her attention, but the question. Part of her didn’t want to know, didn’t want to have any information to give, but she was curious.

"Back on the station or back on Ghost?" Cooper asked simply, unsure which answers Whit was seeking and how much he should say in present company. He looked behind his fellow Shepherd and canted his head to the side as he added. "Where's the lil lady?"

Alison opened eyes. It all felt weird. Her eyelids were heavy and there was a headache akin to hangover. Slowly her vision refocused and she recognized the surrounding though was a bit surprised on the people gathered around. "Did we win?"

"Definitely not," said Cooper flatly. "But we didn't entirely lose either. How ya feeling?" He asked, avoiding the more obvious option of enquiring if Ali was 'okay' when clearly she wasn't. "You're real lucky we fell upon this lil lady here," he added, gifting Jacy a suspicious look. "With this here fancy equipment."

Focused on her patient, Jacy missed the look that was tossed in her direction. And maybe if she had been listening for it, might have heard it in the man's tone. Instead, she was looking over Alison, her hand resting on the woman's shoulder, a light, gentle smile on her face. She'd let them chat for a bit, as Alison seemed to want to know that had happened and...well, she guessed in some way, she should know as well.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Alison smiled weakly and winked at Jacy. "Hopefully the last time... but most likely not." She took deep inhale as talking was still taxing. She felt a bit lightheaded so she decided not to close her eyes afraid to lose the consciousness. "I'll be fine." She replied confidently. Taking everything in the account, it wasn't as bad as she thought though. "What were these guys?"

"Trouble," Whit said flatly.

Alison glared at Whit even despite her weak state the anger building up quickly and giving her strength. "Tian Xia Suo You De Ren Dou Gai Si." She drawled through clenched teeth not bothering to hide the anger.

"'Lliance trouble," Cooper added, helpfully. "Don't rightly know details." He looked to Whit and let his eye contact say the rest - he understood the other man's relative silence - but they were stuck on this Firefly for a week and a half and Coop appreciated the wounded woman's viewpoint well enough. "Too much trouble for us to handle on our own," he added, feeling the heat of Alison's fury in the air around them all. Then Cooper changed the subject, jabbing a thumb at Jacy as his paranoia wandered freely about his beleagured brain. "You trust her?"

Jacy's head jerked up and in his direction as he voiced the question, her brow furrowing in worry. She guessed it was a given, to be suspicious, but ta ma duh if that didn't sting a bit.

"Everyone is trustworthy," Whit said. "It's the devil inside them I don't trust."

Cooper snorted. "I know how you feel, brother," he confirmed with a smirk. "I wannna know what the wounded lady thinks 'bout this new Doc."

"I guess it's only fitting, huh?" She asked to no one in particular, but Jacy was looking back down at Alison as she spoke. There was no reason to try to sway Alison from saying one thing or another, they didn't really know each other all that well, "Say what you will," Jacy's shrugged, "just don't push yourself too much. And I adivse against getting up just yet, you still need rest." Then as an afterthought, "Everyone has secrets."

"Indeed, everyone has." Alison commented simply ignoring the actual question.

"A'right," Cooper noted. Good enough that Alison wasn't speaking out in the negative, he supposed. And really, so long as they could get themselves - him and his Shepherd brother - back to the Core safely, that would do for now. He wasn't rightly sure what they were doing with Daiyu once they got there, but Whit and Grimshaw had connections aplenty. Something was bound to be on the cards.

"Could you have a look at me once you're done with her?" the big Shepherd asked Jacy. He lifted his shirt to show the myriad of wounds he'd incurred upon Ghost and managed to appear calm and hopeful as a kid who'd taken a minor tumble out in a backyard somewhere.

Was it as simple as that? Somehow that didn't seem right, but maybe that was her own guilt eating at her at what she was going to have to do. But she didn't know these people, so - "What?" Blue eyes drifted over the wounds and she grimaced, "Of course."

"Figure you learn by doing," said Cooper in return to the visual clues he saw in the blond woman's expression. Many folks showed more of themselves non-verbally rather than via talking, and as a Shepherd, the big guy had learned that many times over in his travels around the Verse. He figured he'd give the new doc an explanation of his own though, on account of her being all frail-looking and him being a hefty unit, skilled in physical intimidation. "And I learn more 'bout you by you fixing me up. Or not."

That second gaze wasn't unkind or cruel or even filled with expectation of any magical doctoring powers. It simply said to Jacy - I don't trust you yet, but this here fixing me up right with whatever you can make hurt less? - that'll do fine for a start down that road of reliability. All of that was far too many words for Cooper to speak in actual words though, verbalising prettiness was something he left for Whit for the most part.

--------