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Everyday is exactly the same.

Continuing from Barrel of a Gun

I can feel their eyes are watching
In case I lose myself again
Sometimes I think I'm happy here
Sometimes, yet I still pretend
I can't remember how this got started
But I can tell you exactly how it will end

I'm writing on a little piece of paper
I'm hoping someday you might find
Well I'll hide it behind something
They won't look behind
I'm still inside here
A little bit comes bleeding through
I wish this could have been any other way
But I just don't know, I don't know what else I can do
-NIN

Carol was chewing on her perfectly manicured nail. Well...it was perfectly manicured up until about twelve days days ago. Twelve days ago Simon disappeared and was far enough away that she couldn't get a hold of him or get a feeling of his condition. The last thing she had heard was his car involved in a high speed chase downtown on the Strip. It had since been fished out of the Marina, in fact, that's where she was when she received Marthinus' very odd phone call.


'Huh...Marthinus?' Flicking open her phone she opened her mouth to say hello when he cut her off.

'Carol...you need to listen closely to what I'm about to tell you....'


She did listen. Then she freaked the fuck out.

So there she was, standing in Simon's room in Duibne Industries, exactly twelve days later, recovering from a hyper-blood lust. Looking down at her fingers she spit out a small piece of nail and waited for Alec to show up. She had the report of his findings but had not talked to him about it. This was her first time near Simon since he and Ellis had been recovered by Alec and the Mercs. Lots of puking had been involved. It wasn't near as bad as his recovery from the raid but it was bad enough. The pictures of his wounds were bad enough. She had questions. Lots and lots of questions. However there were a few that Alec would not be able to answer.

Like why the fuck Simon was with Ellis in the first place.


'Mmph,' she muttered and continued to chew her nails.

Alec Devereaux 16 years ago
To: Tacharan Heads of Staff
From: Devereaux
Subject: Merc Extractions 3431-A, 3431-B

All,

Simultaneous extractions 3431-A and 3431-B accomplished within parameters as of this morning. Huntington and Duban have been routed to DI for processing and recovery.

Target location at mission cited coordinates secured before arrival by outside operative action. Location security confirmed by Devereaux, Heyn, Mendoza. Cite perimeter established by Squad Alpha. Interior site confirmed by Devereaux. Outside operative initially engaged remotely by Hedley. On site engagement by Devereaux. Site secured by Squad Gamma.

Operative commentary stated enemy action within ranks. Confirmed by Allen. Outer site documentation processed by Heyn. Inner site documentation processed by Devereaux, flagged red. Targets extracted per emergency protocol, identities protected. Area left unsanitized for deep cover purposes of outside operative.

Huntington and Duban are recovering at expected rate. Infiltration of threat group 107A successful. Site confirmed sanitized by TG107A. Long range tracking and observation of 107A agents in place and running per standard protocol.

D.

Sometimes one shower was just not enough. After returning to the Domicile and confirming that all orders had been carried out perfectly, Alec returned to his quarters and sent his formal report. After, he washed himself again. Understanding that the second washing was primarily psychological, he tarried only briefly, letting the heat of his own shower soak in and relaxed openly. The sanitizing process was somehow lacking in time for relaxation and reflection, and there was much to consider here. Sadly, the shower did not seem to be the location for it - his new system alerted him of further obligations.

"New message from, Hedley, C."

Listening to Carol's voice made Alec wince slightly. He could imagine, in some academic sense, just what she might be going through. He did not envy her the emotional complexities present in her voice - sorrow, relief, joy, anger, confusion. Toweling off as the audio completed, Alec dressed informally - grey silk shirt, black slacks. He left his eye uncovered - it had not yet regained full color, but he knew he would feel odd concealing his own injuries in front of Carol, given the circumstance. Confirming that he would be arriving directly, he made preparation for all subordinate reports to be placed on hold. Some things were more important than checking over paperwork.

During the brief trip to Duibne, Alec pondered which questions might come first. He hoped they would be the easy, factual ones rather than the more difficult emotional ones that would likely be in the forefront of Carol's mind. Nodding briefly to the staff in place outside Simon's room, Alec opened the door and walked in. Swallowing, he smiled as well as he could, given the state of the form directly behind her.


"Hello, Carol. How is Simon coming along?"
Carol 16 years ago
Carol turned as Alec entered the hospital room and blinked, signaling the end of her cheerful hello. Dropping her hand from her mouth she crossed her arms and looked back at Simon.

'Physically he's fine. Just...sleeping. He should be coming out of it anytime now.'

Her voice was monotone and her demeanor very un-Carol like. She was upset and having a hard time not showing it.


'I'm just trying to figure out just what exactly they were doing. And honestly Alec, I'm having a hard fucking time trying to put together what he was doing with her.'

Jealously. She didn't wear its ugly green shade very well. Carol made a face and was immediately ashamed of herself.

'Mmmphf,' she muttered again.

Turning the conversation back to the extraction, she blew at a bit of blond hair in her face and asked, 'The pictures of the cabin they were at. The other men there - who killed them, do you think? That couldn't have been Simon or Ellis. Especially not Ellis. Do you think it was the one in the basement that did it?'

That type of treachery was beyond her. Why would one of them kill the teammates? What kind of fucking crazy was that individual?

'Wait...that was one guy down there, right? I mean...it's hard to tell.' Carol made a sick face just thinking of it.

'Blech,' she added. 'Is there anything else you can tell me?'
Alec Devereaux 16 years ago
As Carol summarized, Alec heightened and wrapped his tendrils of perception around the dormant form of Simon. His rate of recovery was truly incredible. Damage that had taken him months to heal Simon had accomplished in short order. He wondered, abstractly, if the corresponding stiffness and disorientation were as pronounced due to the accelerated rate. He suspected not, but made a note to study medicine during the endless nights ahead. It seemed to come up quite a lot in his new line of work.

Looking back to Carol, he withdrew the expansion of his senses. Somehow it felt unfair to know how much her heart rate and the details of her skin proclaimed her emotional state when she was holding it together so admirably. The jealousy was very present, and did not suit her as well as happiness and joy. It was unfortunate to get the glimpse of it over her skin, but then that was a part of life. Did it have to be? Alec blinked at her questions - she had started with the hardest ones, but forged on ahead with only a slight pause...certainly not enough time for him to formulate and discuss his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps she wished to work through it on her own.

Her point blank questions would be the easiest to answer. Thankful, he latched onto them before she could return to the other aspects of her thoughts.


Outside operative initially engaged remotely by Hedley. On site engagement by Devereaux. Site secured by Squad Gamma.

Operative commentary stated enemy action within ranks. Confirmed by Allen.


Thinking back, Alec paused. After the securing of the site, much had happened in rapid timing. Closing his eyes, he replayed what he could recall. The site secured, he entered into discussion with Marthinus. The changes in the old man were still horrible, yet wonderous to behold. His revitalized form, increased strength and agility, a sharp predatory motion to his eyes. The man was no longer who he was, but Alec was to trust him. A plant in the enemy camp would be valuable as the war began to escalate, and it seems that a huge move on the part of the mutts had been somehow foiled by the old man.

Marthinus provided only the basest of sketches for Alec to go by. He had already confirmed the position of the bodies, which he wished to get greater clarification on from the team's ballistics expert. Something had clearly gone wrong within the enemy's ranks, as Simon and Ellis were unarmed, and would not have selected the weapon in any case given the scenario. Such disregard of rank was uncommon in even the most violent of their own cells, but not unheard of in the history of the Clan. Very valuable information, indeed, and easy to confirm. Gesturing to Allen to come to his own conclusions and report, he turned away from Marthinus to process the scene downstairs. Given that Simon and Ellis were still down there, Alec confirmed the claims himself, keeping their identities under wraps for the time being.

The killing was certainly trademark Tacharan. They seemed to both have entered states of bloodlust and done considerable damage to themselves in addition to their previous torture. The results were somewhat spectacular. Alec, not skilled in some of the more detailed aspects of anatomy, was puzzled by some of the organ meats that he saw splayed about the room, but a basic count of the more identifiable bits confirmed that it was one man. The blood volume of the room was significantly higher, however...likely that of Simon and Ellis, based on the scent. The most peculiar thing were the small punctures that each bore...barbed tips had been inserted and extracted...which tied to something he had found earlier. Something truly critical.


"Based on our investigations...it seems the creatures have some serious dissent in the ranks, or perhaps some sort of exploitable control issue. One of the creatures seems to have killed the remainder of their own squad. There was a pursuit, now somewhat a matter of public record, and Simon's car wound up in the bay. Around that time, the alarm tripped at your home, and I lead a team to investigate. Simon and Ellis were injured before entering the home - I suspect Simon was grievously injured or unconscious as Ellis chose to trip the alarm rather than simply overcome it. He recovered rapidly, as there is evidence of his movements around the top room before there was a second breach on the house. I suspect that there is a new subdual weapon in the enemy arsenal, as the signs of struggle were much more minimal than I would have expected. On site, I found several barbed needle-like structures. Some sort of deployment device. I had the barbs sent for analysis, but at this point we have no clue what it contained."

Alec couldn't say that Ellis had saved Simon, and ultimately it had not been sufficient. The fact was fairly obvious, but he had difficulty believing it. Likely they simply did not see the extent of her game, yet.

"There is a lot more that I can tell you, but I am unsure where to proceed. I will help as best I can to clarify things, though many are beyond me at this point."

Glancing over at Simon, Alec wondered, as Carol had...why HAD he been meeting with Ellis?
Carol 16 years ago
Carol couldn't meet Alec's eyes when he mentioned that both Simon and Ellis had been at the house on Juniper Hill. Instead she looked at her fingernails and mourned them for weeks, maybe even months, to come.

'I....' She started, trying to focus on the matter at hand but her head could not wrap around what Alec had just told her.

'...Around that time, the alarm tripped at your home...there is evidence of his movements around the top room...'

Carol closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hands. They were shaking and there was no hiding that from Alec. Then that little something in her that had been strung so tight snapped. She turned and looked at Alec with a gracious smile.


'One second. K?'

She walked up to Simon's bed and then proceeded to climb up onto his chest. She grabbed him by the collar of his bed gown and began to shake Simon, unconscious and all.


'WHAT WERE YOU DOING THERE WITH HER? SIMON? WAKE UP! WAKE UP SO I CAN FUCKING KNOCK YOU OUT!'
Doctor 16 years ago
Nurse Hendricks sat at the nurse's station just outside of the clan leader's room busily entering her reports in the computer. Doctor Hansen walked up and popped a double dose of hubba bubba gum.

Without looking up, Nurse Hendricks heard the doctor approaching, his tell tale sign of his sugary snapping proceeding him.


'Good day, Nurse Hendricks.' The doctor smiled and swiveled the station's log in screen. He thumbed in his access and reviewed Huntington's progress.

'It's a wonder you have any teeth left.' Nurse Hendricks said before looking up. 'And good evening.'

'We have an awesome dental plan, Nurse Hendricks. Simply awesome sauce.'

'Awesome sauce indeed, Dr. Hansen.' The nurse looked back down at her computer.

'How's Mr. Huntington doing?' The good doctor touched the screen which answered all his questions but he liked talking to the good nurse. Her snarky attitude always cheered him up.

'He's fine. Ms. Hedley is in there now.' The doctor made an O face and then snorted. 'Hardly, doctor. Someone else from the clan is in there too.' The doctor looked dejected to which Nurse Hendricks couldn't help but smile.

'So all's quiet on the western front, ma'am?'

'Aye, Captain. All's wel...'

Just then the alarm on the monitor next to Huntington's door began to blare. He was either going into cardiac arrest or one of the monitoring clips slipped off.

Not too concerned, Doctor Hansen moved across the hall and pushed open the door.


'What the...GET OFF HIM!'

Nurse Hendricks sat stunned. 'Well...I thought they had company...ew all of them?'

'GET OFF HIM MISS HEDLEY!'

Nurse Hendricks chuckled and circled the nurse's station, stepping into the hallway. As the door swung close from the doctor rushing in, she could see Carol Hedley shaking the clan leader by the collar of his gown.


'Boy you don't see that everyday,' she said and quickly followed the doctor as he tried to peel the screaming blond off their clan leader.
Alec Devereaux 16 years ago
At Carol's sudden outburst, Alec blinked. He was simply shocked. He...did not disagree on any particular point...and did have to admit he had wanted to shake Simon from time to time since Ellis resurfaced and was repeatedly not killed. Sighing, Alec covered his mouth when the doctor came in and joined the fray.

One of the benefits of being able to become invisible is that it gave the bearer an instinct regarding when it was best NOT to get involved. Stepping back, he watched the scuffle wear itself down. That certainly was not a smirk on his face. Of course not.
Carol 16 years ago
'WAKE UP! WAKE UP GOD DAMNIT!!'

Carol shook as hard as she could trying to rouse the sleeping Simon just so she could knock him the fuck back out. The explosive tirade was undoubtedly jealousy fueled and looking back at this moment later, she'd be humiliated, but justified - if only in her mind.

She felt strong arms encircle her waist and begin to pull her off.

'WHA -! GET OFF...ME? WHY SHOULD...GOD...WAKE UP!!!!'

Carol caught a glimpse of a white coat and recognized the screaming voice of Simon's doctor. Hansen was trying desperately to remove her from on top of Simon, but she wasn't giving him an inch. Finally he forcibly grabbed her and lifted her off Simon. Instinctively her foot came up to kick Simon in the head but just narrowly missed him.

'MISS HEDLEY. MISS...Jesus Christ...MISS HEDLEY STOP!' The doctor yelled at her. Then another pair of arms grabbed her and pulled her one hundred and eight pound frame off the six foot four unconscious vampire.

'ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT!!!' Carol held her hands up and settled her feet onto the ground. The doctor and nurse immediately let her go, trying to catch their breath when she lept toward Simon again, only to be grabbed by the doctor who seemed to be anticpating that action.

'ALRIGHT GOD DAMNIT!' She was yelling. Really really loudly. Carol felt the flush in her face turn a new shade of red and she took a step back away from Simon's bed.

'Alright.'

She turned back and looked at Alec who was covering his mouth with his hand. The shocked look was quite apparent and the embarassment burned her cheeks with realization of just how stupid she was acting. Still, Simon had a lot of questions to answer when he woke up and god help him when he did.

'Ok then.' Carol went to the door and opened it, readying herself to leave. 'If there's nothing else, Alec? Shall we?'

((OOC Carol walking out pending response))
Alec Devereaux 16 years ago
Alec had managed not to laugh, and considered it a moral triumph. Unable to keep the grin from his face, he nodded.

"Delighted."

He really needed to carry a pocket video recorder with him everywhere.

((ooc: Alec out, following Carol))
Doctor 16 years ago
Doctor Hansen bent over trying to catch his breath as Miss Hedley and the clan member walked out of the room, leaving them alone with their patient.

'Jesus Christ,' he panted. 'How can someone so small be so strong?'

Nurse Hendricks wiped the sweat off her forehead and chuckled quietly. 'I don't know but it has to be over a woman.'

Doctor Hansen gave her a look, 'Pshaw.' Hendricks nodded and cocked her head toward the other side of the hospital floor. 'Oh.' Shaking his head he straightened his coat and helped Nurse Hendricks reposition Huntington on the bed.

'God I don't even want to think about that. No wonder she's pissed.'

'I know I would be.'

As they tucked the clan leader back into his bed, they fixed his sensors and turned to leave. They walked back to the nurse's station Doctor Hansen thumbed his access back onto the monitor.

'How's our other patient? Wait, where's Miss Hedley?'

Nurse Hendricks hid a smile and checked the floor cameras. Miss Hedley had left the floor via the elevator much to their relief.


'Ms. Duban is doing the same, recovering nicely.'

'Oh god, I don't want to go in there.' Doctor Hansen ran his hand over his tired face. 'I'm too old for this shit.'

'You and me both.'

'It's nice to know that coming to work is always fun.'

'Yup,' Nurse Hendricks replied. 'Every day is exactly the same.'

(OOC - Continued in Realize )