Spilled
((writing prompt from @corvidprompts))
A stroll around the ship with a mug of caffe tucked in her hand, Reyna was checking to see if all her Rogues had clocked out and called it a night. Orendi was curled up in her hammock over Shayne’s bed; Pendles lay in a bundle completely buried under electric blankets and stuffed toys; Toby... was likely asleep in his mech again, despite the Valkyrie’s constant persuasions to use an actual bed before she rented it out to someone else. Everyone was in and sound asleep. Save for one. He didn’t need minding over, didn’t need tending to in any respect. He’d survived on far less and didn’t require her sticking her nose in to see if he slept snugly in his bed. Made easier by the fact that he’d left the Favour at least nine days ago. Not out of the ordinary for him. Still, Reyna made sure to always leave a single light on in his room, just for her peace of mind. >>Approaching Vessel The words flickering on and off on her comms device sent her sprinting to the bridge. She couldn’t take any more of those UPR scuttle ships trying to reclaim what was no longer theirs. She thought she and Ghalt had an agreement, but he assured her that if any more came, it wasn’t by his command. The tiny familiar shuttle drifted towards the bay doors, the thrusters compensating to prevent collision with the massive freighter. A wave of tranquility undid the knot in her stomach she didn’t even know was there, had been there since he’d left. A good thing too, with everyone else asleep. She wanted this moment selfishly for herself. She tried to appear nonplussed as she all but sprinted down to the shuttle bay, another mug of caffe in hand in case he needed it. Or wanted it. It was a gesture all the same to remind him that he could treat this ship as his home, if he chose to. There would never be the obligation to stay if he found somewhere better. Of course, she went out of her way to ensure that there was no such alternative. She couldn’t afford for someone else to have his skills. That’s what she’d convinced herself of, anyway. A clawed hand pulled the exhausted purple form out of the shuttle and, as he made his way out, caught his boot on the lip of it. Stumbled, but never fell. He was just stubborn that way. “You look tired,” she jeered, nearing with the caffe. Perhaps the smell of it would perk him up. “Yeah, thanks. That’s the exhaustion. Also, probably blood loss.” Whiskey’s glowing yellow eye rolled into the back of its socket as he collapsed to the ground. The mugs were forgotten, crashing into a million pieces on the floor as Reyna lunged forward to catch him as best she could. The pools of warm java started to cool, as was the clone’s skin once she got his arm wrapped around her shoulder. He was pretty much dead weight against her back. Without the others to help, she wasn’t going to be able to carry him all the way back to his room. “Hey. Hey.” A gloved hand smacked him on the cheek in an attempt to rouse him. It didn’t work. As she lowered him to the floor after a few minutes of struggle, she noticed her shirt and back felt wet and tacky. That was when she saw just how bad his condition was. His skin was pale and there were several injuries covering his body and bleeding freely. Some looked like stab wounds while others appeared to be the results of bullets. Bullets that hadn’t been dug out yet. “You’re a messed up piece of s**t, you know that?” Despite his bloodied appearance, Reyna had no choice but to remain calm. Panicking would send her into a spiral and they’d both be worse off for it. Pulse: check. Breathing: check. She cracked open a small vial of smelling salts: nothing. She started to retrieve a medkit from the wall when she heard the familiar clicking of nails against the floor. She’d forgotten about that pudgy mutt and now she was going to have to deal with his whining too. “I don’t think he wants to play,” she barked at Cuddles, trying to nudge him out of the way with her foot. He liberally licked his owner’s face, hoping it would wake him up so that he could cook him another healthy portion of bacon, and huffed a nasaly bark at him when he got no response. When he realized it was a futile effort, he busied himself with cleaning up the spilled caffe from off the floor. Reyna probably should have shooed him away from it but she had more important matters on her mind. A caffeinated pug wasn’t high on her list of concerns.









