He limped down the stairs, clutching his side like he was trying to hold in the blood pouring for his gut.
Clunk.
His shoe seemed to echo throughout the building as it settled on the stair. He was half way down. He was dizzy. He couldn't make it the rest of the way. The blood flowed out of him like a river, and he felt cold. He was dying.
Again.
He looked to the group at the foot of the stairs. People he had once called his comrades, his friends, had their guns aimed at him. They were ready to end his life. They were ready to see him die. He was unarmed, but he was not down. He smirked and formed his hand into the shape of a gun.
"Bang."
He collapsed upon the stairs, barely registering the pain as his head hit one of them, and blackness filled his vision.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're Gonna Carry That Weight
By Sailor Red
3/28/02
Cowboy Bebop copyright 1998 Sunrise Inc. Bandai Visual (Not me)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1
Mars in Retrograde
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seven months. Had it really been that long?
Jet sat at the side of the hospital bed, and shook his head. He ran his hands through nonexistent hair, and stared at his lifeless friend with melancholy eyes. Seven months ago he had gotten the call. An anonymous Red Dragon had told him that Spike had been sent to the local hospital with a couple of bullet wounds, a sliced open gut, and a head injury.
The bullet wounds and the long gash on Spike's stomach had long since healed. However, his head injury . . . The doctors had said that after three months there would be brain damage if he didn't wake up. Jet refused to pull the plug on him. He was so sure that Spike would wake up. He would not believe that Spike would remain comatose for so long. It was now four months after the stage that would cause brain damage. Jet knew that there was no way that Spike would be the same if he were to wake up now. Yet, he still had faith. He was just running dangerously low of money.
There were so many things he was trying to do. In between Spike's exorbitant hospital fees, there was the search he was conducting to find Faye. That bitch had gone and run off when things got tough. As soon as Spike had left the ship on that fateful day, she had left as well. She said she couldn't take all of the shit anymore, hopped into her ship, and left. She hadn't been seen since. She probably didn't even know that Spike was alive. Jet was hoping the purple haired woman would help out . . . at least a little. She seemed to care for Spike. She wouldn't have been crying that day if she didn't.
There was a knock at the door. Jet instinctively put his hand on his gun.
He wasn't taking any chances.
"It's open." The door opened and in walked a young girl with tanned skin, bright flame colored hair, and rosy cheeks. Jet's eyes widened. "Ed!" Ed smiled.
"Edward heard that fluffy green haired man wasn't feeling good. Ed wanted to see if she could help." Jet rose from his chair and walked over to the young girl.
"How'd you find out?"
"Jet forget that Ed's a hacker. Ed knows Jet's been looking for Faye-Faye. Ed wants to help Jet. Jet let Edward ride in the Bebop." a whimper came from behind Ed. "Ein wants to help Jet, too." Ed looked down to her wiggling toes. "Ed is worried about Spike-Spike. Ed has an idea to help Jet find Faye, so Jet can raise more money to help Spike."
"Ed . . . all the money in the world isn't gonna help Spike. He's gotta wake up on his own." Ed looked up at the bald man, confused.
"Then why does Jet want to find Faye-Faye so bad?" Jet sighed and rubbed Ed's head affectionately.
"It's a long shot, but Spike might wake up for her. As long as she acts like a woman instead of the tomboy she usually is . . ."
"Ed thinks Jet is gambling."
"I might be. But anything is worth a shot right now."
"What if Faye doesn't want to come and see Spike? Faye was pretty angry last time Ed talked to her. Faye was drunk too, though." Jet's eyes lit up in shock. He gripped Ed's shoulders.
"Ed! When did you talk to Faye?!"
"Yesterday. Faye was at the Loser Bar. Ed snuck in. Ed had Shitake."
"WHAT?! You're selling mushrooms now?!" Ed started giggling like a hyena and hopped around the room like she had just told the biggest joke in the world.
"Not funny mushrooms. But people thought they were funny mushrooms . . ."
Ed made a faux guilty face and then started hopping around again. "Ed got in big trouble. Faye-Faye had to start shooting people." Jet face vaulted and then stared at the young girl. He'd have to get used to her again. He shook his head.
"So, do you know where Faye is now?"
"Yup!! Faye-Faye is at the Honky Tonk Inn until tonight. Then Faye is going to Ganymede."
"Great." Jet grabbed his coat and started towards the door. He stopped before he turned the handle. " . . . Ed . . . did you tell Faye that Spike was alive?" Ed scratched her head.
"Was Ed supposed to?" Jet sighed and walked out the door, muttering something to Ed about staying put. He'd have to tell Faye about Spike himself, before she went and left for Ganymede. Otherwise, she would probably hound him for propellant money that he just did not have, AND be pissed about him not telling her about Spike BEFORE she left the planet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faye threw her bloody outfit in the garbage, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. That stupid Ed just had to sell fake mushrooms at the bar. She had liked that bar. Now she couldn't go into it anymore without some sort of gun fight starting up. Good thing she was headed to Ganymede. She hadn't been kicked out of all the bars there . . . yet. She was too damn hot headed lately. There was something about not having anything stable in life to do that to you. She traveled around from planet to planet making just enough money to pay for her hotels, her drinking, and the small amount she had left to pay off her debts. Thank god for that one 300 million woo long bounty she had caught. It had nearly got her killed, but it was a Red Dragon she had to bring in, and after Spike . . .
Well, it was worth it. She'd blow up the whole damn syndicate if she could bring that annoying bastard back.
Faye shook her head. Those stupid thoughts were coming back again. They always did when she had someone to catch on Mars. She got nostalgic, and that made her impossibly depressed. She didn't want to think of him. She wanted to forget that he had ever existed. He had walked out on her. He had walked out and took away from her everything that was secure and comfortable in her life.
And there had never been much that was secure in her life. The Bebop and its crew had become her home and her family. First she lost Ed and Ein. She could deal with the loss of those two. She had never really got close to them. Then Spike left. She had realized too late how much she cared about that green haired jerk when he walked out the door. She didn't realize how much she cared until he was gone. She growled at herself and slammed her suitcase on the bed. The faster she got off this planet, the better. She was getting all sentimental again.
She didn't want to be sentimental. It distracted her from what was important in the here and now. That is finding her next bounty, getting to Ganymede, and finding her newest bar hangout.
Her heart went to her stomach as a pounding knock on the door resounded throughout the room. She jumped for her gun and aimed at the entryway.
"I have nothing to do with your fucking mushrooms! Open the door and
I'll have your brains on my floor."
"Faye . . . it's me. Ed's sorry about the whole mushroom thing . . .
I think . . ." Faye's eyes widened and she lowered her gun. She slowly walked towards the door and opened it.
"J-Jet . . ." She wiped the confusion off her face and scowled. "What the hell do you want?" Jet smirked.
"Same old Faye."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Faye flared. She didn't know why she was letting him get on her nerves the way that he was, but he looked so serious, and it was scaring her.
"Nothing." he sighed. "There's something I have to talk to you about."
"Well, spit it out then, Jet. I have a gate to catch to Ganymede."
"Cancel it." Faye looked at Jet angrily.
"What the hell are you talking about?" She spat. "Since when did you become my father?!"
"Jesus Faye, calm down."
"Where do you get off telling me what to do? I'm not bumming a ride on your ship anymore, so you can't boss me around." Faye didn't know why she was yelling, it just felt right. She was angry at the world, so she was angry at Jet, too.
"Faye, I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm here to ask you for your help."
"What if I don't want . . ." Faye started, and Jet growled and slammed his fist on the wall.
"Goddammit Faye! Spike's fucking life is on the line, so shut UP!!" Faye opened her mouth as if to say something, but numbly closed it without saying a word. Her arms dropped and limply hung at her sides. She lifted her arm up slowly as if to grasp Jet's words in her hand, and trembling, lowered it a bit only to raise it back up to try to hide the shock on her face.
"S-Spike's . . . alive?" She changed over to anger. "How long have you known and haven't told me?!" Jet sighed and ran his hand over his head.
"I've been trying to track you down for months now. It wasn't until
Ed showed up at the hospital that I found out where you were."
"The hospital?"
"Yeah. Spike's been comatose for about seven months now. The doctors have done all that they can physically. Physically, there's nothing wrong with him, but he still hasn't woken up. So the Doc suggested that I gather people he knew. If he recognizes a voice he might wake up."
"Might?"
"He's been down for more than three months, which means he's probably got some pretty bad brain damage. Even if everyone he ever knew tried talking to him, he might not be in a state to even recognize anyone's voice. He has to get up soon, otherwise I'll be out of cash, and the Doc's will pull the plug on him. Then it'll only be a short time until his brain completely fails him." Faye grabbed her coat and practically pushed Jet out the door.
"Quit the small talk Jet, let's go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faye was greeted by the sound of all the bleeps, blips, and blops of the hospital as she stepped in the door. She hated hospitals. They were all the same: emotionless, sterile, full of death. The smell of antiseptic and far too clean cotton sheets met her nostrils, and she subconsciously decided to breathe through her mouth.
Jet led her through the hallways, each new one looking like the last, with their plain white walls and paisley boarders. Metal stands carrying bags of sugar water lined one of the walls like a grim line of soldiers. Bins of discarded needles with their biohazard signs seemed to be on the side of every door.
Jet finally stopped at room 624; Faye noticed a hastily scribbled tag slipped into the name bar: Spiegel. There was also a note with a big smiley face on it taped to the door. Faye picked it up and read:
"Went to get Ein food. Ed be back." Faye handed it to Jet, who looked angry.
"I thought I told her to stay put!" he said, crumpling up the offending piece of paper. "It's not like Ein's never gone without food before . . ."
Faye ignored Jet's rant and pushed her way into Spike's room. She walked as confidently as she could to the bed and leaned over to look at the man.
She recoiled as he looked back up at her.
"Spike! You're awake!!" She exclaimed. Jet's 'Wha?!' and the sound of his feet running across the floor seemed to echo throughout the room. The two were both practically beaming, when they were smacked in the face.
Spike spoke up.
"Who the hell are you?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
to be continued . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm Baaaack!! Hope you enjoyed the first part. Hope you enjoy the
cliffhanger . . . mwahahaha. Writer's block has gone bye-bye, the muse
is back from vacation. Whoo hooo! ^_^ Next part will be up soon. Ja!
*fic copywrite March 2002 Sailor Red / Elaine Mahlecke*
Clunk.
His shoe seemed to echo throughout the building as it settled on the stair. He was half way down. He was dizzy. He couldn't make it the rest of the way. The blood flowed out of him like a river, and he felt cold. He was dying.
Again.
He looked to the group at the foot of the stairs. People he had once called his comrades, his friends, had their guns aimed at him. They were ready to end his life. They were ready to see him die. He was unarmed, but he was not down. He smirked and formed his hand into the shape of a gun.
"Bang."
He collapsed upon the stairs, barely registering the pain as his head hit one of them, and blackness filled his vision.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're Gonna Carry That Weight
By Sailor Red
3/28/02
Cowboy Bebop copyright 1998 Sunrise Inc. Bandai Visual (Not me)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1
Mars in Retrograde
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seven months. Had it really been that long?
Jet sat at the side of the hospital bed, and shook his head. He ran his hands through nonexistent hair, and stared at his lifeless friend with melancholy eyes. Seven months ago he had gotten the call. An anonymous Red Dragon had told him that Spike had been sent to the local hospital with a couple of bullet wounds, a sliced open gut, and a head injury.
The bullet wounds and the long gash on Spike's stomach had long since healed. However, his head injury . . . The doctors had said that after three months there would be brain damage if he didn't wake up. Jet refused to pull the plug on him. He was so sure that Spike would wake up. He would not believe that Spike would remain comatose for so long. It was now four months after the stage that would cause brain damage. Jet knew that there was no way that Spike would be the same if he were to wake up now. Yet, he still had faith. He was just running dangerously low of money.
There were so many things he was trying to do. In between Spike's exorbitant hospital fees, there was the search he was conducting to find Faye. That bitch had gone and run off when things got tough. As soon as Spike had left the ship on that fateful day, she had left as well. She said she couldn't take all of the shit anymore, hopped into her ship, and left. She hadn't been seen since. She probably didn't even know that Spike was alive. Jet was hoping the purple haired woman would help out . . . at least a little. She seemed to care for Spike. She wouldn't have been crying that day if she didn't.
There was a knock at the door. Jet instinctively put his hand on his gun.
He wasn't taking any chances.
"It's open." The door opened and in walked a young girl with tanned skin, bright flame colored hair, and rosy cheeks. Jet's eyes widened. "Ed!" Ed smiled.
"Edward heard that fluffy green haired man wasn't feeling good. Ed wanted to see if she could help." Jet rose from his chair and walked over to the young girl.
"How'd you find out?"
"Jet forget that Ed's a hacker. Ed knows Jet's been looking for Faye-Faye. Ed wants to help Jet. Jet let Edward ride in the Bebop." a whimper came from behind Ed. "Ein wants to help Jet, too." Ed looked down to her wiggling toes. "Ed is worried about Spike-Spike. Ed has an idea to help Jet find Faye, so Jet can raise more money to help Spike."
"Ed . . . all the money in the world isn't gonna help Spike. He's gotta wake up on his own." Ed looked up at the bald man, confused.
"Then why does Jet want to find Faye-Faye so bad?" Jet sighed and rubbed Ed's head affectionately.
"It's a long shot, but Spike might wake up for her. As long as she acts like a woman instead of the tomboy she usually is . . ."
"Ed thinks Jet is gambling."
"I might be. But anything is worth a shot right now."
"What if Faye doesn't want to come and see Spike? Faye was pretty angry last time Ed talked to her. Faye was drunk too, though." Jet's eyes lit up in shock. He gripped Ed's shoulders.
"Ed! When did you talk to Faye?!"
"Yesterday. Faye was at the Loser Bar. Ed snuck in. Ed had Shitake."
"WHAT?! You're selling mushrooms now?!" Ed started giggling like a hyena and hopped around the room like she had just told the biggest joke in the world.
"Not funny mushrooms. But people thought they were funny mushrooms . . ."
Ed made a faux guilty face and then started hopping around again. "Ed got in big trouble. Faye-Faye had to start shooting people." Jet face vaulted and then stared at the young girl. He'd have to get used to her again. He shook his head.
"So, do you know where Faye is now?"
"Yup!! Faye-Faye is at the Honky Tonk Inn until tonight. Then Faye is going to Ganymede."
"Great." Jet grabbed his coat and started towards the door. He stopped before he turned the handle. " . . . Ed . . . did you tell Faye that Spike was alive?" Ed scratched her head.
"Was Ed supposed to?" Jet sighed and walked out the door, muttering something to Ed about staying put. He'd have to tell Faye about Spike himself, before she went and left for Ganymede. Otherwise, she would probably hound him for propellant money that he just did not have, AND be pissed about him not telling her about Spike BEFORE she left the planet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faye threw her bloody outfit in the garbage, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. That stupid Ed just had to sell fake mushrooms at the bar. She had liked that bar. Now she couldn't go into it anymore without some sort of gun fight starting up. Good thing she was headed to Ganymede. She hadn't been kicked out of all the bars there . . . yet. She was too damn hot headed lately. There was something about not having anything stable in life to do that to you. She traveled around from planet to planet making just enough money to pay for her hotels, her drinking, and the small amount she had left to pay off her debts. Thank god for that one 300 million woo long bounty she had caught. It had nearly got her killed, but it was a Red Dragon she had to bring in, and after Spike . . .
Well, it was worth it. She'd blow up the whole damn syndicate if she could bring that annoying bastard back.
Faye shook her head. Those stupid thoughts were coming back again. They always did when she had someone to catch on Mars. She got nostalgic, and that made her impossibly depressed. She didn't want to think of him. She wanted to forget that he had ever existed. He had walked out on her. He had walked out and took away from her everything that was secure and comfortable in her life.
And there had never been much that was secure in her life. The Bebop and its crew had become her home and her family. First she lost Ed and Ein. She could deal with the loss of those two. She had never really got close to them. Then Spike left. She had realized too late how much she cared about that green haired jerk when he walked out the door. She didn't realize how much she cared until he was gone. She growled at herself and slammed her suitcase on the bed. The faster she got off this planet, the better. She was getting all sentimental again.
She didn't want to be sentimental. It distracted her from what was important in the here and now. That is finding her next bounty, getting to Ganymede, and finding her newest bar hangout.
Her heart went to her stomach as a pounding knock on the door resounded throughout the room. She jumped for her gun and aimed at the entryway.
"I have nothing to do with your fucking mushrooms! Open the door and
I'll have your brains on my floor."
"Faye . . . it's me. Ed's sorry about the whole mushroom thing . . .
I think . . ." Faye's eyes widened and she lowered her gun. She slowly walked towards the door and opened it.
"J-Jet . . ." She wiped the confusion off her face and scowled. "What the hell do you want?" Jet smirked.
"Same old Faye."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Faye flared. She didn't know why she was letting him get on her nerves the way that he was, but he looked so serious, and it was scaring her.
"Nothing." he sighed. "There's something I have to talk to you about."
"Well, spit it out then, Jet. I have a gate to catch to Ganymede."
"Cancel it." Faye looked at Jet angrily.
"What the hell are you talking about?" She spat. "Since when did you become my father?!"
"Jesus Faye, calm down."
"Where do you get off telling me what to do? I'm not bumming a ride on your ship anymore, so you can't boss me around." Faye didn't know why she was yelling, it just felt right. She was angry at the world, so she was angry at Jet, too.
"Faye, I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm here to ask you for your help."
"What if I don't want . . ." Faye started, and Jet growled and slammed his fist on the wall.
"Goddammit Faye! Spike's fucking life is on the line, so shut UP!!" Faye opened her mouth as if to say something, but numbly closed it without saying a word. Her arms dropped and limply hung at her sides. She lifted her arm up slowly as if to grasp Jet's words in her hand, and trembling, lowered it a bit only to raise it back up to try to hide the shock on her face.
"S-Spike's . . . alive?" She changed over to anger. "How long have you known and haven't told me?!" Jet sighed and ran his hand over his head.
"I've been trying to track you down for months now. It wasn't until
Ed showed up at the hospital that I found out where you were."
"The hospital?"
"Yeah. Spike's been comatose for about seven months now. The doctors have done all that they can physically. Physically, there's nothing wrong with him, but he still hasn't woken up. So the Doc suggested that I gather people he knew. If he recognizes a voice he might wake up."
"Might?"
"He's been down for more than three months, which means he's probably got some pretty bad brain damage. Even if everyone he ever knew tried talking to him, he might not be in a state to even recognize anyone's voice. He has to get up soon, otherwise I'll be out of cash, and the Doc's will pull the plug on him. Then it'll only be a short time until his brain completely fails him." Faye grabbed her coat and practically pushed Jet out the door.
"Quit the small talk Jet, let's go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faye was greeted by the sound of all the bleeps, blips, and blops of the hospital as she stepped in the door. She hated hospitals. They were all the same: emotionless, sterile, full of death. The smell of antiseptic and far too clean cotton sheets met her nostrils, and she subconsciously decided to breathe through her mouth.
Jet led her through the hallways, each new one looking like the last, with their plain white walls and paisley boarders. Metal stands carrying bags of sugar water lined one of the walls like a grim line of soldiers. Bins of discarded needles with their biohazard signs seemed to be on the side of every door.
Jet finally stopped at room 624; Faye noticed a hastily scribbled tag slipped into the name bar: Spiegel. There was also a note with a big smiley face on it taped to the door. Faye picked it up and read:
"Went to get Ein food. Ed be back." Faye handed it to Jet, who looked angry.
"I thought I told her to stay put!" he said, crumpling up the offending piece of paper. "It's not like Ein's never gone without food before . . ."
Faye ignored Jet's rant and pushed her way into Spike's room. She walked as confidently as she could to the bed and leaned over to look at the man.
She recoiled as he looked back up at her.
"Spike! You're awake!!" She exclaimed. Jet's 'Wha?!' and the sound of his feet running across the floor seemed to echo throughout the room. The two were both practically beaming, when they were smacked in the face.
Spike spoke up.
"Who the hell are you?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
to be continued . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm Baaaack!! Hope you enjoyed the first part. Hope you enjoy the
cliffhanger . . . mwahahaha. Writer's block has gone bye-bye, the muse
is back from vacation. Whoo hooo! ^_^ Next part will be up soon. Ja!
*fic copywrite March 2002 Sailor Red / Elaine Mahlecke*