Board Thread:The Company/@comment-24930445-20140615054833/@comment-24866242-20140622033722

Stinel Awakens

Ben glanced around the room at their fellow captives then back up at Kat. His eyes were blackened and the swelling around his face made it difficult to see, but he eventually returned his focus to Kat and Tarin. “Got you too, did they?” he asked softly. It hurt to speak. “How many?”

“Seventy-six of us,” Tarin answered quietly. “Kat just got here.”

“I’m nae exactly a prisoner,” Kat told him. “I’m sorta here t’rescue ye.”

Ben looked at her incredulously and laughed. He instantly regretted it. “Some rescue.”

“Aye, well…”

Xyastia, the nurse from Nash Station moved into his field of view. “Captain Stinel, you’ve got some broken ribs and a broken nose.”

“So that’s why I can’t breath,” he quipped.

“I need to check you for a concussion. Follow my finger with your eyes for me?”

He did so and then she put her hands on either side of his head, snapping the fingers on her right hand. “Glance in the direction of the sound.” She repeated this again on the left side.

“State your full name?”

“Benjamin Lawrence Stinel”

“Do you know what day this is?”

“Uhm, Tuesday. I think. How long have I been out?”

“A couple of hours. What do you remember?” she asked next.

“Hmm. Power was out. Force fields on the landing decks failed. There was a man with a gun. Bastard was killing people. Last I remember I was under the Darwin.”

“There were bastards wi’ guns all over th’ place,” Kat told him. “Most of ‘em seemed rather dim. Just wanderin’ around shootin’ people. Blasters didnae hae any effect on ‘em.”

“Suppressors,” Ben said.

Kat nodded.

“This guy didn’t seem dim. Pretty competent. Picked his shots. Apparently he didn’t have any problem taking me down, but I’m pretty rusty at these sorts of things.”

Kat chuckled softly.

Tarrin nodded. “The people that came to the office were dressed in uniforms. Some sort of security people.”

“Sounds like th’ people that attacked me an Axin.” Kat said. “He said they were part o’ Jos’ security force. Lantis’ crew, b’lieve it or nae.”

“So what now,” Ben asked her. “We go dashing to your waiting escape craft? Wait.. did you say Axin or am I being delusional?”

“No, yer nae bein’ delusional. Aerli was taken. He promised Illrea he’d get her back. I’m nae sure yet his sense o’honor extends t’helping me get the rest o’ye out too…”

He nodded and glanced back to the nurse. “So what’s the prognosis, doc?”

She smiled grimly. “If you’ve got a concussion it seems mild. Try and stay awake though. Until we can get you under a mediscanner I don’t want to take any chances.”

Ben nodded. “Then I think I’d better stand up. Give me a hand?”

Kat and Tarin jumped up, standing to either side as the nurse came up behind to help him up. He grunted in pain and clenched his teeth as they propped him up and until he got his feet under him. He leaned against the wall for a moment with one hand, taking several shallow breaths, not wanting to shift his ribs around too much. The scarf around his middle seemed to be helping, but he’d be much happier after spending some time with a bone knitter.

As he leaned against the wall, a man he had never seen before stepped forward and glanced at Tarin who had been trying to keep Ben still. “May I?” Without waiting for her to agree, he took her hand and pulled her aside as he stepped in to take her place. He wasn’t much taller than Ben, and the height similarities seemed to help keep the strain off his ribs.

Kat frowned at the man and Vee chuckled. “Down, Miss K. He came with us from Windfall to.. protect us, he said. His name is Mack.”

She watched the man a moment longer, but didn’t ask the obvious questions. There would be time for that later.

“So how about that escape craft?” Ben asked.

Kat chuckled. “Yeah.. aboot tha’… “

Ben sighed. “I was afraid you were gonna say that.”