Peter blearily watches his Captain give quiet orders to Oblo and the beetle-like Doc, but he doesn't have the energy to even be curious about it. His whole body throbs with his heartbeat and waves of nausea roll over him with frightening regularity. This is the pits...
The young Terran's eyes drift closed, and he thinks about the fights he used have with the boys on Earth. Those were the days... maybe he can sneak a knife outta the Captain's locker.
Quill feels a hand take his chin and lift his head, he knows it's Yondu without opening his eyes. The Ravager Captain is the only one on the ship that's occasionally so gentle with him.
"Looks like yer fallin' asleep sittin' up, son," Udonta says softly, "I've changed some of the plans, Peter, you payin' attention?"
"Yessir," the boy squints as he opens his eyes, but he smiles a tiny bit.
"'At's my boy... Doc'll get you level, then Oblo's gonna take you to Madam Sol-ya's. You remember her?"
Peter frowns, that's not the change of plans he was hoping for, "Yes, sir, but..."
Yondu shakes his head, "You're in no position ta argue, boy, you're goin' ta the Madam's."
"You're selling the kid to the Madam?" It's Brahl, he and Half-Nut have just returned to the medical suite with Wretch and Narblik, who glance at one another nervously. Half-Nut giggles.
"What? No! I ain't sellin' the kid ta the Madam," Udonta sneers at his bodyguard, "Quill's abou' ta help me crack the mos' secure vault in this sector, so what the hell would I do that for?! Her surgeon's got an upgrade for his implant."
"I t'ought I w' tha one oop-grradin' tha boy k-k-k-k-k," Doc clicks his whiskery mandibles as he sticks small devices to Peter's back and shoulders; the youngest Ravager flinches slightly, he's still not gotten used to the insectoid medic. "Tk-k-k-k-k, get drressed, boy, y'll feel betterrr-k-k-k in a minute," the Arthrosian says, handing Peter his jumpsuit with a pincer-like appendage.
Yondu rolls his eyes, he feels as if he's surrounded by children, "Not when yer the one that nearly cooked the kid's brain to begin with."
"But Captain, I-k-k-k-k di'n't-t know t'en T'rrrr'ns werrrre mammals t-t-t-t-t."
"That..." Udonta is momentarily stunned, "is the dumbest thing I ever heard you say... Oblo, get Quill outta here, we'll see you at the jump point in an hour."
"Aye, Cap'n," the pirate grabs a rough blanket and simply the bundles the boy up and whisks him away.
The Centaurian pinches the bridge of his nose and waves a signal to his bodyguards. Half-Nut whacks Narblik and Wretch in the back, dropping them to their knees in front of their clan leader. "An' what do you two idiots have to say fer yourselves?"