Will rappelled down into the cavernous cave behind Henry for the second time in as many days, only this time they weren't accompanied by Helen Magnus and they didn't really have a clue what they were doing. They knew they were supposed to bag and tag a four to five foot bat. Desmodus rotundus: the common vampire bat, though Will doubted there was anything common about a human sized, blood sucking, flying mammal.
"You know this particular species feeds on the blood of humans and only humans, right?" Henry rubbed at his neck.
"Only if you're sleeping, dude." Will adjusted his pack on his back and swung his light around. "So, unless you sleep on the job we shouldn't have a problem." He looked around again. "Why didn't we come back at dusk and just wait for him to come out? I mean he is nocturnal after all."
Henry shrugged and pointed to the tunnel where they had disturbed all the bats the previous day. "Shall we?"
Will shook his head. "I like this one better; it looks like it's the perfect size for Nikola's 'Mini-Me' to get in and out of."
Checking to make sure he had his gun set to tranqs, Henry nodded. "Lead the way, Sancho."
Taking the first tenuous step forward, Will looked back to make sure the rest of the crew was following. There were four of them in total and he was far more worried about being in charge of this mission than the abnormal that they had come to capture. Breathing deeply he carried on, with Henry close behind and the two Brazilians after him. All lights were on the floor and it wasn't until Will slipped and unceremoniously made his way down a natural slide in the rocks that he decided to push his light further ahead of where he was stepping. He really didn't want that to happen again. Calling back to the group behind him to inform them of his discovery he obviously missed the timing as Henry let out a squeak. "Hey! Watch the slide!" The HAP sped down the natural formation on his rear.
Henry's body came to a stop against Will's rubber sole as he glanced back to see the two lights from the Brazilians' follow his path. "Thanks for the heads up dude." The words were growled out.
"Well you were following a bit too closely." He snuffed at the man and turned to go on his way without offering him a hand up. It hadn't helped that the formation was covered in bat feces making it extra slippery. Will paused and pointed his light up into the cavern where the slope had deposited them. It really couldn't be that easy could it? "Henry."
"Yeah?" He finished brushing what he could of the bat guano off his backside.
"Tell me that's a bat shaped stalactite up there." He pointed his light directly at the bulge.
"Dude," A giant grin engulfed Henry's face. "Are stalactites covered in fur?"
Will swished his own light away and laid his hand heavily on Henry's forearm moving his light from the bat. Turning his own beam to his face he motioned for quiet; he really didn't want that thing waking up unless absolutely necessary. Pulling out his gun from where it was secured on his leg he checked the blue tranqs. Breathing deeply, he lifted the barrel and squeezed the trigger lightly going just past the safety point. Using his left eye he focused in on his target and released the air from his lungs while tightening his pointer finger and letting the tranq fly. He hit the target but the drug did not have the immediate effect on the abnormal he was hoping for.
The bat reared back, spreading its wings and screeching loudly. The three people behind him covered their ears in a panic but Will just aimed and fired two more rounds into the body of the beast. Breathing heavily, he watched as it flew up the full height of the cavern and swooped down grabbing him by the shirt. The gun slipped from his fingers and he reached up to cover the claws of the abnormal that were holding onto his shoulder. He started to tremble as he rose higher and higher into the air.
If he thought the bat was going to drop him, he was wrong. At first the fact that the clawed beast was holding so tightly to him was a relief, once he blocked out at least some of the pain. But as he rose higher into the cavern he realized the bat wasn't going to kindly put him back on terra firma. The other problem was what if the tranqs kicked in and the bat plummeted to the ground with Will beneath him?
He felt the air around him swirling as the bat flapped its great wings pulling him higher and higher before diving low to the ground dangling his prey just inches above Henry and the other men before he rose again. It was as if he was teasing them and tormenting poor Will all at the same time. He dove again only this time he was heading straight for the rock wall. Instead of hitting it face first he flung into a u-turn letting Will's body graze the outcropping none too softly and letting out a stark screech once more.
Henry was watching from below as Will was dragged about like a ragdoll. "Will! Hold on!"
"You expect me to let go!" The voice was heard from a distance as the bat had once again swooped upwards.
"Good point." Henry waited again to try and shoot a few more tranq's into the animal but with the way it was dangling Will the man's body was blocking all his shots. "Damn it." He muttered to himself and traded the gun for a large stunner that he'd put in his pack on a whim. "Never leave home without it." He stated to no one in particular while aiming carefully; he fired the weapon and watched as the bolt of electricity hit both man and abnormal. The bat dropped like a lead weight.
He ran over to where Will had landed and checked on his friend before aiming the weapon once more at the bat and circling it. He cocked his head to the side when he realized that the animal was not only not moving, but it wasn't breathing. Stepping closer to it he noticed that a stalagmite was pushed up through its back and exited through its front.
"Magnus is going to be so pissed…" Will was out cold and was going to be no help at all, but at least he was still breathing. He was pretty sure it was only from the stun and not from hitting his head, and if he was right the fluffy haired boy should be waking soon. He mumbled to no one in particular as he glanced from human to beast, "Why is it big abnormals are always the ones who can't handle a little stun gun? That or they always have to fall on the wrong thing and kill themselves." He looked at the two Brazilians who were just standing there staring. He wasn't sure if they were in shock or if they knew how Magnus would react, but they were being completely useless. "Well don't just stand there, do something. Help Will."
He'd been in enough of these situations to know what to do, and as much as he hated the bloody stuff he was currently the only one he trusted who could do what needed to be done. Digging through his sack, he pulled out the supplies he would need before stepping up to the large and now definitely dead bat. The most important thing was to gather the blood samples before it completely bled out and while the blood could still be secured and preserved. That would at least save some face with Magnus during her fury. "Oh man." He spoke to himself. "Come on man, pull yourself together. Just put on your superman boxers and do this."
After filling seven and a half of the ten vials he turned back to the Brazilians. "We're going to have to lift this thing."
The three men surrounded it, each taking a side and lifting with all their might. The beast didn't budge. They tried again, this time making sure that each was pushing at exactly the same time with all their weight and from their legs. They moved the heavy dark brown body an inch or two off the rock but the other two men gave up and the bat slid down further than before. Henry issued them a sharp look that they missed because the stalagmite was still between them. He'd been practicing that look from all the times Magnus gave it to him and he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't see if it worked. Shrugging, he looked over at Will who was finally starting to move again he made the men try one more time.
Fingers pressed into the warm and bloody skin of the bat and they pushed with as much strength as they could muster. This time the beast didn't move at all. The men were becoming worn, and Henry realized he would have to change tactics. Glaring and huffing out heavy breaths he tried to come up with a new plan. "Alright, I'll do it." Stripping down to his boxers, that were not the superman one's he'd wanted to be wearing but rather a boring old man blue plaid, he started to transform. His teeth were bared, his nose elongated, his ears became pointy, and his body was covered in hair. The fabric around his waist ripped and tore and he shuddered as soon he was completely in his new form.
Sliding his arms under the bat he hefted and lifted the thing off the rock and laid it gently on the ground before transforming back into his human self and dressing quickly. He leaned beside Will who was grinning at him. "I saw your butt, dude."
"Glad to see the smack to your head didn't do any damage." Henry smiled back and patted his best friend's leg. "I'm gonna have to pull you up the wall."
"I'm thrilled."
Henry smirked. "Just pretend like you're the chick yesterday, only please, please, pleeeease with far less attitude. That chick was annoying."
Will snorted in response. "Yeah, anything for you."
It was a difficult task getting the bat back to the main cavern; luckily Will was much easier to move since he could partially walk. Despite swearing he was ok, Henry refused to let him move too much on his own. Magnus would have his ass on a silver platter to use as target practice if he caused Will anymore harm.
After securing Will in his harness and the bat in another apparatus Henry and the two Brazilians climbed out and started the tedious task of pulling the bat up. It took all three of them to pull the dead weight up to the surface and over the ledge. After drinking half a canteen of water and a five minute breather Henry started the arduous task of pulling Will up. It wasn't until he got him to the ledge that Henry enlisted the help of the Brazilians who were still trying to figure out how to attach the bat to the back of one of their ATVs. Henry would have let them drag the thing hog-style if he didn't think Magnus would only kill them more, and if there was a way to be deader than they were already going to be, she'd find it.
"Man, I think you're heavier than that thing." Henry motioned to the bat that they'd just barely managed to lift the few feet from the ground to the ATV and were lashing it to the rack. "Oh, and promise me you won't fall off the back of my four wheeler like that Jeci chick did."
"I'll try." Will made no promises as Henry helped pull him to his feet and over to the red ATV they would be riding back to the Sanctuary on.
Will had gripped Henry's shirt tightly the entire way back and Magnus had to work on getting his body unplastered from the HAP's. It wasn't that he didn't want to let go but having been tossed around and then stuck in one position for more than hour he didn't think that he could move. He was positioned into a wheelchair and moved toward the door while Magnus had some harsh words with his compatriot. He didn't really hear what was said because his head was starting to pound, but he was pretty sure he got the gist of it. He didn't want to have a secondary lecture for his benefit either. She pushed him down the hallways and into the same room that Jeci was still resting in.
The young caramel haired woman turned her head at the intrusion and smirked when she saw it was Will who was being brought into the room. "What'd you do to land in here with me, whiny-boy?" She called over to him.
Will glanced up at Magnus and shrugged. "Well it's better than huggy-bear."
"Yes, whiny-boy is far truer to your nature." The Doctor laughed and helped him to sit on a bed and telling him to pull his shirt off.
Will pouted momentarily before answering Jeci's question. "That bat is not so friendly when it comes to tranq's apparently. It's not a docile creature."
"What'd it do?" She was trying hard to keep her curiosity from bubbling too much.
"Picked me up, dragged me around, hit a wall or two, dropped me: you know, the usual." He laid back as Helen shined a light in his eyes.
Helen knew Will could be a drama queen when it came to injuries, but only when they were simple things like a splinter. When it came to the hardcore stuff he was really quite a trooper, though she suspected it was because he didn't really like medical doctors poking and prodding at him. She checked his pupils, asked him the pertinent questions: Who is president? What's today's date? When's your birthday? "When's the last time you had intercourse?"
"That's not one of the questions." He sputtered.
"I just wanted to make sure that you were actually paying attention." She grinned lightly while looking at the small puncture wounds in his shoulder from the bats claws making a mental note to scrub them clean. They weren't too deep so he was in luck.
"You know that's called sexual harassment." He joked back.
"Uh huh, and you not having to pay taxes every year gives me the right to say whatever I please." She winked over at Jeci. "Don't worry he pays his taxes. So, William, where are you hurting?"
"You know the usual: everywhere."
Helen pulled the curtain giving them some privacy, since she doubted he wanted Jeci seeing his ivory white bum when she made him strip down. "Why can't I keep my underwear on?"
"You know the routine, Will."
"Fine." He dropped his shorts quickly cupping his privates and blushing lightly before taking the sheet she offered him.
She ran her fingers over his skin and the bumps and bruises feeling for any breaks. "Well I'm not finding anything broken, that's a start. I'll have to take x-rays just to be sure. I'm sure, however, that you have a concussion."
"I could have diagnosed that."
"Yeah, you've had quite a few of them, haven't you?" She patted his cheek lightly. "Alright, into a gown."
"A gown." He whined and she laughed.
"Yes a gown, William. I need x-rays." She handed him the offending item and left the room so he could dress himself. Stepping up to Jeci's bed she ran her hand along her arm. "Looks like you'll have company tonight."
"Wonderful." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "It'll be nice though—wait, does he snore?"
Magnus shook her head, the loose curls at her shoulders bouncing with the movement. "Though sometimes he talks." Leaning down conspiratorially she whispered, "If he does, tell me what he says, yeah?"
Her eyes closed as her lips curved upwards. "Promise."
"It seems we'll be heading back to Old City in the morning; care to join us for the flight?" Helen fiddled with the medical board in her hands and tried to look nonchalant in her request. Either way the woman would be going back with them whether she wanted to or not. She had quite a bit to learn about young Jeci.
She opened her eyes and looked at Helen for a second. "Will told me I didn't want to fly with you."
"Did he now?" Her eyes slid over to where her protégé was dressing unseen on the other side of a curtain and she smirked. "Has he told you how much of a fraidy-cat he is? Scared of everything, that one."
"I am not!" He called over the courtesy curtain and opened it before backing onto the infirmary bed so no one would see his white bum. "I've been in two crashes with you Magnus. Two! In the year and a half I've been working for you."
"And you've survived both I might add. I would also like to point out that I was not flying when we crashed in the Hindu mountains."
"Semantics." He mumbled and lay back trying in vain to pull the cover over his legs. Helen giggled and moved to help.
Jeci watched the exchange carefully before deciding how to answer. She needed more information. "Are you taking the chest tube out?"
"Not likely in the next twenty-four hours." Helen pulled up the side bars on Will's bed.
Jeci bit her lip before running her eyes over the woman who looked too damn sexy in a white lab coat, all prim and proper. "Then do I even really have a choice?"
"You always have a choice." Helen kept her back to her even though she could feel her gaze slipping over her body.
"I do?" She sucked her lower lip in thought. "What's my other choice then?"
"Well, you can pull the tube out and collapse your lung so you can walk out of here tomorrow. Or," She turned, "Rather than hobble with that bum knee of yours, I can have one of the staff here drop you off at one of those hospitals we talked about yesterday, or you can go with us where I can continue to care for you until you are healed."
"Some choices." Jeci grumbled, but the truth was it was in her best interest to go with Helen back to Old City and find out what had happened to the bat. Of course she was hoping Will would give her some of the information in his sleep.
"Well, it's up to you. I'll let you sleep on it and you can tell me your decision in the morning. We'll be leaving at ten." Helen turned back to Will. "Let's get you x-rayed and give you something for pain so I can clean up those wounds."
"Do I have a choice?" He smirked.
"No, you don't." Helen looked pointedly at him.
"How come she gets a choice and I don't?" He whined.
"Because you, dear William, are under my employment."
She wheeled him out of the room and left Jeci to her own devices. Leaning over carefully in order not to jar her broken ribs and chest tube more than absolutely necessary, she reached for the tablet she'd been given to use while in their care. Pulling up the internet she logged into an email account and checked the mail. Nothing. Going to the drafts she found no pre-typed and un-sent messages. Opening a 'new message' she started to type before saving as a draft and logging out of the email. Now all she had to do was wait; it could be days before she heard anything. Settling back into the pillows she opened up a game and started to move the cards back and forth on the screen.