New Rydynn Memorial Hospital stood vacant. Not vacant like it usually was, which meant a lull in the health care action. It was really vacant, like someone took everyone except for a handful and threw them out. Threw them out to the Celebration in Y'tallish, a three-day festival on the other side of the world. People would only begin to arrive home later that day. Mirandahh "Asche" Drachenn had desk duty. Her brother, Marshall Demoss was in the ER. It was a true skeleton staff.
At least one other person in the city was in town. Bliss Lovejoy was there and dragging another blonde in the door. Okay, so she wasn't physically dragging the woman but she was 'making' her go to the hospital.
"Ari, don't argue with me. You never win." There was a grin on Bliss' face, but there was worry clear in her eyes. "You're injured."
Ariadne, the tallest member of Bliss Lovejoy's crew at 6 feet, 5 inches, grumbled but she went along as Bliss pulled her to the front desk. Asche looked up from her reports when she heard the crazy double doors open. Her eyes glinted metallic blue.
"Hi Asche, I have a patient for you, " Bliss said. She sounded very, very cheerful considering the situation. "Bullet wound, and I think it's still in there."
Ari was cradling an arm; her face was considerably paler then normal, sweat making her gold hair stick to her face. Asche directed Bliss to take Ariadne though another set of doors that led into the ER where Marshall awaited any comers.
"Thanks, Asche. I could have fixed it myself but my crew wouldn't let me.
Something about maternity leave."
"No vacation from first aid, Bliss." Asche said with a sour tone. The whole notion made the medic frown. "Geezus, coulda gotten infected just on the trip over."
Bliss assured Asche that Bliss took steps to protect Ari from infection on the trip over. Bliss disappeared into the Emergency Room, calling for Marshall who was taking a catnap. Elliot informed Marshall that Bliss and Ariadne were coming and he met them in an examination cubby with a smile.
Bliss and Ari had a nice little argument about who was going where in one of the treatment areas. Bliss began setting things up for Marshall while making sure Ari stayed sitting on the table. When Marshall walked in, Bliss gave him, the man who delivered her twins a bright smile.
"Ari here has a boo-boo. Could you please fix it before her shadow finds out?" Bliss asked. Ariadne's shadow was a man named Hal. Hal and Ariadne were partners and part of Bliss' crew. Their specialty was gun fighting and it was Ariadne's decision to go off without Hal that got her into the fix she was in now.
---
Shin, who was once known as Garrett Donovann and Shad Gray, approached the hospital front steps. He recently arrived in New Rydynn from the Y'tallish Province in Perdoxx where he lately participated in its Celebration. Vacation had ended for the man who glided into the hospital with surprisingly no resistance from the doors.
Asche was back to working on her reports, but had to stop once again to check the doors. She glared at Shin, but also looked for wounds and visual signs of illness. She saw none.
"What do you want?" She barked.
"Just checking in," Shin replied.
"Why?"
"Why not?" Shin gave Asche a half smile. "Actually, have you had any trouble with the gangs recently?"
"No. Should I have?" Asche narrowed her eyes and knew she was asking the wrong questions. Talking with Shin remained the same no matter how many names the man took.
"Since the cleaning crew was out at the Celebration, we were wondering if anyone would take advantage of it."
"What cleaning crew?" Asche did not understand whom Shin referred too.
"More importantly, I've got someone to meet here," Shin said.
"Geezus, is it so hard to say that directly? I mean�" Asche's voice trailed off. She shook her head and tried a different approach. "This is what I know, kid. Some days, the bodies pile up. Some days they don't."
"Got that. Have the bodies been piling up more during the Celebration?"
"No." Asche smiled.
"Good." Shin smiled as well, and then went off to the cafeteria.
---
Ariadne stripped off her top so Marshall could get at her arm that Bliss had put a temporary bandage on. She had caught a stray from somebody else's crossfire on her way to visit her sister, Arlette, a dancer at the Lace Oasis. She told Marshall not to worry about Hal. Her partner would be upset only because Ariadne went out without him, Ariadne assured Marshall. Ariadne also complained about feeling sick.
Marshal poked and prodded the wound, taking a good close look. The bullet wound wasn't a real bad one, but bled considerable before Ariadne returned to the firehouse, Bliss' headquarters. The bullet was still lodged in her upper arm as well.
Marshall asked twenty questions, not about Ari's arm or medical condition, but about how and why her partner Hal would be upset. Bliss chided Marshall for confusing Ariadne with his questions.
"I'm confusing her? I'm just trying to find out if this Hal's her lover." Marshall smiled. He was king of getting people's minds off their pain. Ariadne's copper eyes opened wide and her and her normally smooth
voice came out as a squawk.
"No, he's not my lover! Yeesh! He doesn't� He didn't� He's not interested..."
"I can't see why he wouldn't be. You sure are a pretty thing," Marshall said as he injected her with the drug concoction - painkillers, initial antibiotics. Bliss bit her lip to keep from laughing at the expression on Ari's face.
"Take another look, Doctor. I'm too tall for Hal...too big," Ariadne said.
"Too tall? Too big? Good gracious, woman. Who worries about that?" Marshall said, and then took a breath. "Gonna hafta go into surgery for that. Can't remove it with a local and I want some x-rays. Y'got that Elliot Seven?"
The supercomputer acknowledged Marhsall's order, just as Ariadne whined:
"Surgery? I have to stay here?"
---
Azazel, a man of Marshall's age who seemed to take great interest in Shin, strode into the lobby. He brought his own special crow. Their names were Hiro and Aidan. The pair made their way to the cafeteria while Azazel, also known ask Az, made his way to the front desk and Asche, who gave everyone of them scrutiny.
"Has it been nice and quiet?" Az asked Asche, who had a strange feeling of de ja vue. Asche sighed and looked to her reports almost wistfully.
"Yes, nice and quiet. What do you want," she asked him.
"Just doing my utmost to make sure it stays that way," Az answered.
"That'll be the day," Asche said with sarcasm. She rested her elbows on her reports. It seemed she would not be finishing the reports today. "Why?"
"My rep seems to precede me, yet I haven't run out of surprises," Az said cryptically. Asche was about to reply but the ghosts surrounding Azazel distracted her and she nearly laughed when a young man burst through the temperamental doors and through one of them. The man's color took on a sickly pallor, but he quickly recovered. The most distinguishable thing about the youth was his yellow eyes. Asche almost laughed as the ghosts scattered.
"Where is she?" The young man asked in a panic laced voice and nearly skidded into Az, who halted the man calmly.
"Just a moment. Name?" Az asked the man who took an involuntary step backward. He turned slightly away from Az in a defensive posture.
"Get the hell outta my way, jack." The man threatened.
"You seek someone. Was just asking who?" Which was not what Az asked at all. Az stepped aside so that the man could speak to Asche.
It wasn't Asche that Hall looked up and down. Az spoke to young man first, and it was Az to whom the young man, who was coiled and wound so tight the energy vibrated off him, spoke first.
"Ariadne. She here? You work here?"
"She does," the older man said, gesturing to Asche.
"Is she here?" The young man gave Asche a hopeful look. "Where is she? I gotta see her."
"Cool yer jets lover boy. She's in the ER and you ain't goin in to see her," Asche said in a sour tone.
"Can you let her know I'm here?" He asked, just about to turn away.
"Sure, who are you?" Asche peered the slender youth who gave Az more scrutiny.
"Tell her Hal's here."
---
Ariadne let out a sigh, the pain was starting to ease but she still felt disconnected from her own body. "Okay, Doctor. It doesn't hurt so much now."
Marshall smiled. "I'm Marshall Demoss. You can call me Doctor or Marshall or even Marsh. Don't call me Doc though. We got one of those already."
"Marshall. You know, that's kinda the same kind of name as Deaconn or Bliss." Ari flashed him a rather goofy smile. Marshall did not stop smiling.
"What do you mean by that, fair lady?"
"Your name is a thing or a title, like Deaconn used to be a title. You're a marshal, Marshall. I think a marshal used to be some sort of law man." Ariadne chuckled. Then her copper-colored eyes closed. "I think, I think. I'm not as educated as the boss."
"You're correct, of course," Marshall said. "But I dunno if Dad thought about it when he named me."
Arlette, Ariadne, Arnan and Arabella." Ariadne listed her and her siblings' names. "I'm not sure but I think my mother thought about it." She spoke with one eye open. She felt very relaxed.
"Marshall, Monikerr, Mirandahh. I think my parents had it planned too," Marshall said thoughtfully.
" Monikerr? I'm going to have to remember that name. I like it," Bliss said. She stayed silent for the most part, keeping a close eye on Ari even though she had complete confidence in Marshall's abilities.
It was then that Elliot Seven chimed with its synthesized singsong voice. "A gurney is on the way. OR room 6 has been prepared. There is a man named 'Hal' in the lobby. He wished for me to let the patient know he had arrived."
"Hal's here?" Ariadne's eyes opened. She tried to get up. "I gotta tell him everything's okay."
The gurney arrived at that point and Marshall worked his magic and soothed Ari. He assured her that he would take her to the OR via the lobby so she could talk to this Hal, her partner. The one, Marshall remembered, would not take it lightly that Ariadne was hurt. Hal waited nervously in the lobby. Bliss told Ariadne that she would look after Hal while Ariadne was in the operating room. Ariadne didn't have the strength to battle both Marshall and Bliss and finally consented.
Ari was placed on the gurney and strapped down. Marshall explained that the straps kept her from sliding off the board on wheels. Marshall walked beside the gurney while the orderly pushed. Bliss trailed along behind them. The troop of them entered the lobby and was immediately accosted by Hal.
"Ari? Ari? Is that you, Ari?" Hal said after nearly running over Az to get to Ariadne and company.
"That was polite," Az said.
"Give the kid a break," Asche admonished. She felt magnanimous. Az simply nodded, almost sagely.
"Would it surprise you if I was the same at that age?" Az asked. "Not completely. But similar."
"I'd say you were killing folks that early," Asche said cryptically.
"Yeah. He was." That came from Az, but Asche suddenly wasn't too sure. She narrowed her eyes on the guy.
"You as confused as that guy?" Asche thumbed in the direction of the cafeteria where was.
"Was, not anymore," Az said. "We both needed to be whole. He's going through the process."
"You two related? You talk alike too." Asche shook her head and then dug at her ear. She thought she heard an echo in Az's voice.
"We go back." Az smiled calmly, but did not clarify if he was related to Shin or simply knew the man from the past.
"You wanna be a little clearer? Right now, talkin' to ya is like walkin' through mud," Asche said.
"What would you think if I answered yes?" His tone turned philosophical.
"If you were related? I'd think you were kin. Uncle, cousin or something."
"First is partially right," Az said quietly.
"Partially? Either it is or it ain't, brother."
"Can't hide anything from you. Half-uncle."
"Well, I hope you keep him from carrying the baggage you do. Sheesh." By baggage Asche meant ghosts. Az had a crowd of ghosts around him like she'd never seen before.
"Hey, Hal. It's me." Ariadne lay on the gurney, pale and sweaty with her eyes closed.
"Ari. Ari. What happened? Dey said you was shot." Hal had to run beside the gurney. The worry was plain in his eyes to those who knew him. Bliss caught up and gave Marshall a glance. She hadn't expected quite this reaction from Hal. Marshall had nothing to add. He didn't know the kid from a sand tro'kk.
"Oh, just caught a stray on my way to see Lettie. She was going to cook," Ariadne said. Hal knew Ariadne loved food. "Marshall here says I have to stay and
have surgery to take out the bullet."
Hal gripped the edge of the gurney so hard he almost stopped it. "You hafta stay? They gonna cut ya?"
"I'll be fine. If it were a through and through I'd be outta here already." Ariadne tried to figure out what was wrong with Hal. Where were his sunglasses? He always wore his shades.
"They ain't gonna cut her�" Hal gave Bliss a panicked look.
"It's okay, Hal." Ariadne's voice was soft. "I'll be fine, honest."
"You can't stay with her, Hal." Bliss lightly touched his arm. "We can see her once they are done with her in surgery but we have to wait here."
Hal's jibe came out sounding sweet. "Ya betta, Amazon, or I'm gonna kick yer ass." He let go of the gurney just as the elevator doors opened.
"Bring help. You'll need it." Ari whispered and lifted a hand to lightly stroke his cheek.
The orderly and Ariadne disappeared into the elevator car. Marshall wasn't the OR doctor. Doc Hollidayy was. Marshall and Bliss both knew Doc would take good care of Ariadne. Hal thought differently, but allowed Bliss to take him to the cafeteria to wait.
