Tombstone
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The caverns aren’t made for comfort. They’re not really made for much besides the perpetuation of the species and even that’s a stretch. Regardless, there’s no good place to lay the violet down. Instead the woman gets rested upon Abba’s side while they struggle to contain the bleeding. Harvey hasn’t answered and it’s almost night again. With any luck they’ll get an answer soon but Beatrx knows the outcome now. Xennaa wouldn’t believe it if she told her, but there’s only one result here. There’s so much seadweller blood in the dirt- if an inspection were to happen they’d both be taken away. Everything about this is dangerous. Everything is risking every single life here.
And yet all Beatrx can do is pull the fabric tighter against the nameless woman’s chest. It’s already ruined with blood and stiff, probably sticking to the troll’s skin from it having dried, but there’s nothing else she can do. The horn was easy to handle, quick and simple first aid. The head wound wasn’t as bad as it seemed- those kinds of wounds always were more dramatic than they really were but.. This gore was beyond their capabilities. Between her and Xennaa, they didn’t know any doctors themselves. They were in the business of getting mutants out, but once they were out it was up to those they’d been handed to. Now she regrets not being more involved. She’d reached out to the few trolls she did have on trollian- no one was awake. Or they didn’t know what to do.
Trisin had blocked her. Beatrx has no idea why but when the message asking for help with a hurt violet had been read, she’d gotten blocked instantly. She didn’t have Harvey or Harvey’s red, that was up to Xennaa. Asking Rimmer- as a fleet officer- was just asking to be culled. Velosi had told Beatrx she couldn’t get involved right now, something about how she’d barely just escaped legal action herself. There wasn’t anyone else she knew- she never felt a need to socialize before now. Everything in her life was about here in the caverns and now it was all being jeopardized by some violet woman.
“Uhm.” A violet woman who apparently was in a state to talk. That had to be good right?
“Don’t move-” Beatrx tried to keep her voice calm but she knew it was more of a command than anything else.
“Yeah I’m not ta-” The violet sputtered and more blood joined the floor stains. “I’m not taking that from some stranger in a cavern trying to kill me thanks. I’m getting out of here.”
“I’m trying to save you! You-”
“That’s what they all say- but I can feel the burn on my right arm. You..”
“Saved your ass from the sun.”
“Sure, I’ll believe a fucking rainbow drinker!” “A- what?”
“A rainbow drinker! You’ve got me in some dank cave, my blood’s everywhere, you’re so pale and can take the sun! You’re a fucking drinker and you’re here to finish me off!”
“Holy shit you’re fucking insane. You messaged us!”
“What? No I didn’t.”
“You messaged Xens! I left the caverns and the grubs to go save your ass and have spent the last who knows how many fucking hours trying to keep you from bleeding out on my grounds! I never wanted this! But Xens cares for everyone and couldn’t just ignore a message asking for help from someone she didn’t even know.”
“Who’s Xens?”
“I’m Xens!” Xennaa interrupted, her voice a much more welcoming sound. “Or Xennaa. Harvs just messaged Bea, he thinks this might be Sy.”
“Who’s Sy?” Bea asked, moving away from the violet and covering her eyes with her hand.
“Vlad’s black! You know how Harvs’ red has that black they have a whole little detective agency thing together? Apparently she’s been missing.”
“Stop talking about me like I’m not right fucking here! Who are you? Where am I?” The woman’s voice rings loudly- echoing off the rock walls. She’ll wake the damn grubs and then this will all be another horrible incident.
“You’re in the Tombstone caverns, bleak name I know but it came before us. I’m Xennaa, a jade who works here. That’s Beatrx, she also takes care of the grubs here! You messaged me, I think by mistake. I message Harvey, he’s a ni- Well there’s a lot of Harveys. Harvey Chavez? I messaged him, he’s a nice rancher who gives this cavern lusii deliveries and-”
“I know Harvey.” The woman sighs, a violent and wet thing. “I’m Syhren. Sorry, it’s been a really rough night.”
Beatrx stands up, leaving the two to talk from there. Socializing still isn’t her thing and she’s a bit shaken from the accusation. Mostly because she wonders if it’s true. Xennaa can’t handle the sun like she can but isn’t it a fairly common jade trait? She may love meat but she’s never had a craving for blood before. Plus her skin doesn’t glow! Isn’t a rainbow drinker’s skin supposed to glow? It’s nonsense. She’s just worked up from this whole day. A nice nap will put her right and now that Harvey’s responded it’s out of her hands. A doctor will come and take this violet away. The caverns will be safe. Xennaa will be safe. She’ll have time to try to figure out what’s going on with Trisin.
Of course, that’s not how it goes. All it takes is four steps out of the cavern before she hears it. The coughs get progressively more wet and worse. Beatrx is dashing back in, cursing herself for relaxing. The noise stops as she comes to stand over Xennaa who’s holding Syhren in her lap. There’s no noise from the violet at all. No stutter, no more indignance, no shaky breaths. Xennaa is gently shaking the poor thing and Beatrx feels like pulling out her hair. She never should have gone to help. This is going to drag them all to the fleet’s justice- the tainted justice that won’t care they tried to help. Slowly she removes Syhren from Xennaa’s hands, undeterred by how cold she is. It’s not much of a change, seadwellers always felt like a winter’s night. There’s no shovels in the caverns. Harvey’s the only one who knows the next inspection date.
Fuck.