Sorta like now.
"Oh, damn." Perfect Tommy hissed. his eyes squeezed shut and he pressed his head back into the pillow.
"Just lie still." Jersey mumbled. "Janice, give him a stab of morphine."
Tommy held up a finger. "Decafinated, please."
The doctor leaned away from the leg and glared at his patient. "You need a pain killer."
"Fine. Something mild." Tommy answered, through gritted teeth.
"P.T...." Janice, the nurse, started.
But Buckaroo interupted with "Give him some codine. The mildest dose." He moved to the head of the bed and looked down at his friend. "It won't be a problem." he promised.
Perfect Tommy didn't need to open his eyes to know who was there. He nodded slightly. "How's Knuckles?" he wanted to know.
"Mrs james?" Buckaroo glanced over to where the sleeping girl was being wheeled out to await the ambulances. "She'll be fine. Bullet went straight through, missed everything important." He smiled. "She's more upset about her hair than the hole in her gut."
Perfect Tommy chuckled, something he instently regreted.
"Hold still!" Jersey snapped.
"Hey, doc." someone called from across the infirmary. "The ambulances are here." The more seriousely injured was going to be shipped to the hospital. Thier infirmary could handle nearly anything, just not the volume.
"Go, Sidney." Buckaroo told his fellow doctor. "He's not going anywhere."
Jersey snapped off his rubber gloves and stomped off, grumbling something about having to do this, having to do that, and having unappretiated patients on top of it all.
"He's having the time of his life, isn't he." Perfect Tommy mumbled.
"Oh, yea." Buckaroo chuckled. "Perhaps, though, next time... lets get him a hobby rather than shooting up the joint."
Perfect Tommy's eyes opened and he gazed up at Buckaroo. They had a pain induced sparkle to them, but it took his friend only a glance to know it wasn't all physical pain. He licked his lips and offered "I'm sorry, Buckaroo."
Dr banzai frowned. "Sorry for saving our butts? Gee, thanks."
Tommy shook his head. "They wouldn't have been here if I hadn't screwed up."
Buckaroo sighed. He leaned close. "Now, you listen very closely to me, Perfect Tommy! You are not at fault for what happened here! They knew what we were up to long before you went in. They set us all up."
Tommy stared up at him, unconvinced. "It was my plan."
"And we couldn't tell a fake from the one and only authentic Perfect Tommy!" Buckaroo countered. "Now who's to blame for letting that thing into the house?"
Tommy's eyes narrowed. "How could you confuse Mr Robotic with me? Sure, it was handsome..."
Buckaroo grinned. "But it was no you." He knew he had won the argument by surrender and not by convincing his friend, but it would have to do for now.
Perfect Tommy yawned, his eyes closing once more. "Damn, I'm tired. Slight concussion, you know."
"Yea, I heard." Buckaroo glanced up as a pair of EMTs came up to the bed. "They're going to take you to the hospital now. Go to sleep. We'll be there when you wake up."
Perfect Tommy didn't respond.
Sighing, he nodded to the EMTs and backed out of the way. As they carried the wounded Cavalier out, they passed rawhide and reno who were making thier way to the head huncho.
"The cops picked up the last of the bad guys." Rawhide let Buckaroo know.
"Kinda spooky how calm that gal was." Reno observed.
Buckaroo nodded but said nothing.
"Blue Blazes Irregulars have been coming in for the pass hour. Apparently Jack Burton got through to them, passed on Jersey's call for help." Rawhide continued, frowning at his friend's reactions. "Now that we have the go-phones up and runnin', we've been able to count for just about everyone."
"Looks like we were the only ones seriousely hit." Reno put in. "The local garages and the mop up crew in california took some hits, kept them occupied, but no one was hurt and they wrapped it up."
Again Buckaroo just nodded.
Rawhide and reno exchanged concerned looks. "You alright, boss?" reno asked.
One more time, Buckaroo nodded. After a moment, though, he looked at them. "How the hell did we become so volunerble that this..." he waved about at the wounded being carried out on stretchers, "that this happened?" He shook his head, then walked passed the men and out of the infirmary.
Lady Oran de Nathair sat with a calmness that could only be compared to death. Her gentle smile and pride that twinkled in her eyes never wavered. She had been left alone in the interrigation room. No one seemed to feel overly comfortable in her prescence. In fact, some seemed even afraid.
Her smile broadened at the thought. They knew her, knew the power of her bloodline. Even if they didn't know exactly, they knew instictively. Animals always knew thier betters.
The door opened and a tall, oriental man stepped into the room. The door closed behind him. he walked to the end of the table and bowed to the woman. "My Lady, I bring you homage from my Lord." he said, his voice soft and trained.
Lady Oran de Nathair eyed the man. "And who is your Lord?" she wondered.
"He is quite impressed with your deeds of the last few days." he continued.
Oran's beautiful eyes grew hard. She did not like mogrels who did not answer her questions.
The man seemed unaware of her tension. "My Lord believes that, with his aid, your attempt would of been successful." He smiled ever so slightly. "He would like to know if you would like another shot?"
The cut along her cheak ached, reminding her of the humilation she recieved at the hands of two particular people. "I do not give a damn about the scientice any longer. Thay have proven uncoporative, thus not worth our time."
The man sighed, turning to leave.
"But Jessica James and Perfect Tommy." Lady Oran de Nathair continued, stopping him. "I want them!"
The man turned back. "My Lord, then, suggests a union. He can get Perfect Tommy and Mrs James."
Oran's chin twitched. "And in return?"
The man shrugged. "Finish what you began: destroy Buckaroo Banzai."
The Lady smiled. "You get mine, I'll get yours?" She paused, the idea of making a deal with a mongrel... yet such partnerships had been made through out history. And when the mongrel was no longer needed, the partnership would be dissolved, along with the partner. Thus she answered "I agree."
Again, he bowed. "Then I will arrange for your... release." He turned for the door, but paused before leaving just long enough to say "My Lord Xan eagerly awaits your meeting." Then he was gone.
