I sat down at the bar at Fook’s, cracking open the ol’ book on the circulatory system. I have been coming to Fook’s mostly for the Green River water. Seems I went and gotten myself addicted to it. I hadn’t gotten far when I heard someone behind me.
Immi…
She asked for water, so I got her a glass of water. She said no… she needed more and headed to the hydrogarden. I followed her, tossing the water aside before chasing her. She was there, filling up a container with the hose and I asked her what she was doing. Going to the Wastes. And the way she was talking, she wasn’t gonna come back. Not allowed. I tried to talk her into taking me. She refused. The radiation would hurt me especially so soon after the surgery. She was hurt… angry… she was in love with Duncan as well. She loved both Td and Duncan and she was so torn and crazed with guilt that she wasn’t thinking straight.
I didn’t want to do it. I had to. I gave her a sedative. Just walked up behind her and injected her. I knew she was going to be angry with me. But she wasn’t about to go. Not until I got a hold of someone to talk her out of it since she wasn’t listening to me. A local helped me carry her to the infirmary and into bed. I thanked them with some credits and waved them off.
It was a long night and day. I fell asleep in the chair, watching her and making sure she was comfortable. General visited and we talked. He was adamant that she make her own choice. But he wasn’t there. He didn’t see her. Didn’t see the wild look in her eyes. I knew that look. I had that look. And it was a look of someone who wasn’t planning on coming back. I told him that if he ever did that again… what he did in that bar, he was going to get a needle in the neck. But I forgave him and he left, I suppose wondering what was going through my head and if I had gone crazy.
I spent the day checking Immi, reading my books and contacting Xav and Bridge through cortex. Fell in and out of sleep. Seemed the lack of it while going through the side effects of my tumor was catching up with me. I startled when I heard heavy boot steps and I looked over my shoulder.
Td. I felt scared and happy at the same time.
He asked what happened and I told him the ins and outs of it. He asked me if I could bring her out and I did. She came out frantic, not knowing what was going on. I held her down and Td told me to move aside. He whispered in her ear and she immediately calmed down.
I sat on the floor and listened to them talk for a minute… not knowing if I should leave or stay. But the choice was made for me when Immi told Td that she loved Duncan. I had to go. I had to.
I left; wandering town for a bit while I thought about things. How I could be so angry at Immi for something she couldn’t control? Why was I so angry? If Immi and Td broke up… would he still be in my life? Even after the talk and declaration of our relation? I was his adopted sister now. Was that why I was so angry? Why?
These answers were not going to answer themselves. So I returned and sat back down on the floor at the foot of Immi’s bed. Immi was resting, so Td and I talked. Everything I felt came out. And as I said them, I felt silly. I was thinking this stuff without merit. I knew Td would never hurt me that way. We just weren’t right. I wasn’t what he needed. And yet he tried to assure me that he did. Just in a different way.
I believed him.
I heard some more footsteps behind me and I jumped up to see a stranger. He said his name was Scott Blackstone. Doctor from the Alliance. I knew that from the uniform. I instantly felt my stomach knot.
He wanted Lily. Wanted to study her. Wanted to study all the mutants. Then he asked me who I was. I told him. Immediately he was interested. Saying he had heard of me and had a document to sign and went over details of my life. My father’s death, my mother’s death. Then he said that I had one living relative. Oh go-se. Xaviar… then he asked about an uncle. No.. no uncles. I was relieved.
If he had asked me about a cousin… about Xaviar. I don’t know if I could lie convincingly. I thanked the gods that Xaviar was as far away as possible. Save with the Golden Dawn.
Then the temptation. I could be a bona fide doctor if I signed the form. A real doctor! But I would have to help this Alliance doctor. Oh… the temptation was great. Only my signature. That’s all. Then I would be a doctor. I wouldn’t be some medic. Looked down on by other doctors… but then Immi said something.
Orange.
I had heard her say that before. Danger. Danger… I knew it was too good to be true. I returned the document and said no, trying to escort him to the door. Then… a shot.
Td had heard enough. He shot the doctor.. Immi went nuts. Slamming her foot down on his head over and over again. I tried pulling her off and she kept saying.. “It’s uplinking. We have to stop the uplink.” I injected some acid into the doctor’s neck. Hoping that it will melt the doctor’s insides. But Immi kept screaming. We had to get out. I told Td to get the heck out of there, get Immi and run. I ran after them. No sooner had we left the infirmary, there was an explosion. The bot had detonated a self destruct sequence.
How in the hell do we get into this mess?
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