MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Hope everyone had a great Christmas day. I hesitated putting this out until now. I mean its Christmas; you don't need to spend it on a computer. Anyway I'm glad so many enjoyed the last chapter; SuPeR hYpEr chick 101, Tsukikage1213, FairieAnglex30, Moonlitfantasy, StarryNightT, Tennisgal456, Skyler-A-Teloiv, My-Name-Is-Foxglove, SaoirseWaveglow, RoseXxxXThorn, Sizzlin'-Starry-Night-sky, Cartoonfire, BonitaChickia, Crimson Black, Bella-Rose, Realfanficts, Simone
Chapter Eleven
Kory Anders
Richard turned onto his stomach and crawled over to where Kory lay. In the hushed background he vaguely heard the surviving cop yelling into his radio.
"Shots fired on Massachusetts Ave, officer and civilian are down-requesting an ambulance."
Richard pulled himself over Kory and found that not only was she not dead, but she was slowly blinking her eyes.
"Kory?" She just looked at him. Her eyes then gestured down to her right hand which covered the spot where she had been hit; just above her chest. He gently took her hand and after moving it aside found a mashed and ruined slug. His mouth hung ajar, the bullet had hit an impenetrable barrier and collapsed within itself. He took the ruined slug off her chest. "I love you." He felt her breath slow somewhat. Her eyes then went glassy and she merely nodded.
"Oh….." Her eyes fluttered to a close and she was out like a light. Richard sat there frozen; both from the slush and from her answer. He gazed down at her with a stupidly incredulous look.
"Oh? That's it?" The EMT's arrived and pulled Kory out from under him, though Richard still remained where he sat. "That's it?!"
Kory lay comfortably in a bed within the hospital and was also currently the subject of several onlookers. Toni lowered the blinds before the window into her room. "Well, I have to say of all the stories I've heard of people being shot in the chest she has to be the first to survive."
Logan rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you…sure?" Toni raised an eyebrow.
"We've determined she was shot from a distance of about four hundred yards. From a high powered rifle-yeah I'm sure."
"Will she be okay?" asked Richard staring intently at the now blocked window. "No motor problems, memory loss, nothing?"
"Within a few hours actually she should be good as new."
"Good, now get out of here." Toni shot him the 'well-I'm-the-doctor' look. "All of you." Silently they all shuffled away from Kory's room while Richard stared after them with a stoic look. With a short hop preceding his first step Richard entered Kory's room and jerked his head at the nurse. "Wake her." She regarded him hesitantly.
"She was shot in che-"
"Yyyeah I know I was there. Wake her up." Rolling her eyes the nursed eased a new fluid into Kory's IV. Following another signal from Richard the nurse vacated the room. Richard shifted over to the foot of the bed amidst a short long moan from a stirring Kory. She limply rubbed her eyes with one hand while the other stretched. When her eyes finally focused on who was standing before her she smiled.
"Richard…are you okay?"
"My leg still works, so I guess I'm fine. You on the other hand…..well you stopped a speeding bullet. As far as I knew there was only one guy who could do that." Kory nodded.
"In comparison to your species my own is much more resilient to physical damage." To her curiosity she then saw Richard pull out his cell phone and aim the built in camera at her.
"Smile."
"I am sorry?"
"Don't be sorry be happy, smile." Still she looked confused. "Trust me it's for a good cause." The befuddlement was not entirely gone but she smiled nonetheless. His phone issued a silent click then became stowed away in his pocket. Kory cleared her throat.
"Did you manage to catch our attacker?" Richard sighed while plopping down in a chair now by her side.
"No, we're still looking for the actual window from which Dr. Strangelove was broadcasting from. But that's not why had the nurse prematurely wake you up." She tilted her head. "You and I need to talk."
"Concerning what?"
"I tell you I love you…..and all you can tell me is 'oh'?" Kory let her eyes fall to her lap. She moved a lock of hair behind her hair.
"Richard…"
"Look, I understand you were shot but obviously that cause any mental impairment." Kory turned her once awkward look to Richard as it was now slightly stern. "You'll forgive my candor, but I want to know why."
"I remember you telling me this, before I lost consciousness."
"That's great, now how about-"
"But there was also just enough time to think. I am unsure if you have any idea how much your words meant to me." Richard shook his head.
"I would've been happy with a 'really?' or a even a 'wow Richard I never you felt that way'." Richard crossed his arms and Kory's demeanor began to do the same. "I guess you would've been blacked out half way through the second one but…"
"You will forgive my candor but what is it that you are speaking of Richard?"
"I just want to know why I got such a lame response."
"Lame?" Kory was new to the planet Earth but she'd watched enough of Richard's TV to know what he meant. "Lame?!" It was now Richard's turn to lower his eyes. "Have you no knowledge of my people?!" Richard shrugged incredulously.
"No, of course I don't." Richard could see it; Kory was now seething. And there was another feeling accompanying this realization, he felt sorry for it.
"Declaring one's love to another, on my world, is among one of the highest levels affection….next to procreation I suppose."
"Sounds fun."
"Richard either you cease your sarcasm when speaking with me or say nothing." She took his silent frown as an affirmative. "I am a complete and total stranger to this planet. I have no way of knowing the social standards of your people and for you……" Her minor anger washed over with an almost dreamy look. "For you to say such a thing to me, I nearly believed my eyes and ears were deceiving me." But Richard still wasn't satisfied. He stood up and slowly paced about her room.
"There's still something you're not telling me." Kory crossed her arms.
"Am I?"
"I never dated in high school or even college. Barbara was the first woman, and I assumed would be the only one, whom I would say that to. Then you come along literally out of a clear blue sky and all of a sudden I'm saying things like this-what did you do TO ME!" His voice caused her to jump.
"O-Other than to heal your leg?"
"Yeah! Besides that."
"If you wish I can certainly regret it!" Tears were now forming in her eyes. "Why must you transform everything into an enigma?"
"Because I judge a book by both of its covers and every single page in between. It needs to make sense."
"So is that all I am to you? A mere anomaly?"
"The real question is what am I to you? Am I just a place to sleep and a mustard bottle to slurp out of?" Her mouth hung open. "Is there some kind of Tamaranian quota for how many human guys she screw up?"
"W-What?"
"What is it about me you have trouble with?"
Kory raised an eyebrow, "Well for example you are a caustic, sour tempered, poorly groomed, curmudgeon!"
"And you expected someone better, someone kind and sensitive."
"That is possible."
"Well then maybe you should've crash landed in someone else's backyard!" The only sounds that echoed throughout the room now came from Kory's heart monitor. One of the tears that had built up in her eyes slid down her face. She turned her gaze away from him and lay back down.
"Leave me."
"Couldn't I trade in one silent treatment for another three gripes?"
"RICHARD!" He backed up somewhat when she suddenly turned back to him and he saw her eyes were burning with a vibrant green aura. "Leave me….now please." He retrieved a painkiller from his pocket, gulped it down, and then left without another word. Soon after the nurse entered but obviously without any warning from the former. "RICHARD I TOLD YOU-" The nurse positively turned white. "Oh…please forgive me." The nurse calmed and walked over to her. "I am sorry for my temper; I am simply spelled by anger at the moment."
"Hey, I know how you feel." Said the nurse as she began readjusting the equipment. "All the times I wanted to lash out at Agent Gimpy…" Kory then reached out and took the nurse's arm.
"Please, will you stay with me?"
"Me?"
"I require council?" The nurse smiled and released herself from Kory's grip.
"Well that's not really my department but I do have this." She then handed Kory a card for the Bureau's renowned psychologist. "She's done wonders for me." Kory nodded in thanks, her eyes drawing to the phone number.
-----
Richard speed walked down the hall in the company of a sour temper. He met Victor along the way.
"You wanna tell me what just happened?"
"Hadn't considered it."
"I seem to remember telling you not to screw it up." Victor followed the mordant agent around a corner.
"If this is your way of letting me know that I'll be hearing this from everyone else, thanks for the warning." They drew nearer to the parking garage. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to go make carrot head's new identity."
"If that's more important than catching a psycho killer-and did you just call Kory 'carrot head'?"
He turned back at the door. "It was a lot more merciful than calling her Carrot Top. Don't worry; I'm just royally pissed right now." He let the door slam shut behind him.
Kory lay sitting up in her bed; the lack of activity was not something the Tamaranian enjoyed. Between her fingers she held the card the nurse gave her. She long dialed the number and awaited the therapist's arrival. The concept of such a person was foreign to her people and the notion unsettled her somewhat, her previous experience with Rachael not withstanding.
Just as she began to question her decision there was a knock on her door. Kory's head perked up and she stared curiously at who would come in. Shiny blonde hair reached past her shoulders. Kitten Moth stepped up to her bed with a small smile.
"You rang?" The timid alien nodded.
"Hello, yes I did send for you. The nurse tending to me said you gave her exceptional counsel. I was hoping you would extend the same courtesy to me." Kitten sat down and removed her pair of thin glasses.
"I am of course here to serve." Kory let out a sigh of relief and smiled with gratitude.
"Oh thank you. I would ask friend Rachael for her assistance but she may be engaged at the moment." The hawkish young woman crossed her legs and removed from her attaché a notepad and pen.
"Well, what shall we talk about?"
ELSEWHERE…………….
"No no no no no no no."
"Danielle saying 'no' over and over again just makes me want it more," said Richard with a grin. "I would've thought you'd be flattered."
"Tsk, I could go to prison."
He shrugged, "So could I." Danielle chuckled and shook her head.
"Richard, the answer is no. Find some other fast easy way for your friend to get a new ID."
"Five grand." She stopped in mid walk and turned back to him with an incredulous smile.
"You're actually trying to bribe me into risking my career for one job?"
"It's a tiny job," insisted Richard. Danielle hardly looked convinced.
"It's the Social Security Office, I'm pretty sure how they would react to being hacked but I'm not sure what they would say when they found out it was me." Richard waved his hand.
"I'd never tattle on you."
"Drop dead Richard."
"Okay, help me get this done or I might drop a memo by the director's office about how I somehow forgot to include your name under the latest list of Black Hats." The forensic/pathological expert crossed her arms.
"Ohhhh, so we've moved on from bribery to blackmail."
"Don't go feeling special, I'm going to do this to everyone. So I'll just leave you with this…" He handed her a printed out version of the photo he took of Kory with his phone. "And once I've finished preparing the finer details you bring me a passable driver's license and passport."
"I don't run a printing press."
"You do today." Richard walked by Danielle. "And who knows, you might even get paid for your troubles." She didn't look at him as he made he was out.
"You're the devil."
"No, but I am a winner."
Toni kept her stare with her microscope while the one who had intruded upon her continued to speak.
"I don't see why you're continuing to resist me on this." The Attending finally took her eyes away and shot daggers at Kitten.
"Because aside from the lack of ethics it's a breach in patient confidentiality."
"I'm hardly asking for you to reveal his entire medical history," she said with a leer. "Besides, I'm only here asking you in person as a respectful courtesy. In a short time my patience will wear out and I'll be back with a subpoena, which will require you to provide me with everything I need as well as appearing in court to testify on our behalf."
"You don't have the authority," retorted Toni. Her heart was beginning to race.
"The right judge will say I do." The bullied doctor tried with all her might not to cry.
"You think I'm that naïve? Are you seriously trying to convince me that this has nothing to do with your personal grudge against Richard?" Kitten shrugged casually. "Get out; I won't help you hurt him."
"Answer me this; how does a man who clearly has no respect for anyone earn this kind of loyalty?"
"Yes his personality can be less to be desired but he-"
"Is someone who believes he is above the rules."
"I don't care!" Kitten nodded. She slipped her glasses back on. "Now please go."
"Okay, I understand. But keep in mind my position as well as yours. If I come back with that warrant and you still refuse I will have you arrested for hindering a federal investigation." Still Toni held her ground. Kitten stepped closer until she was mere inches from the doctor's downtrodden face. She peered at her from over her glasses.
In a low viscous whisper Kitten said, "You think Richard is the only one who play hard ball? He's not the one you should be scared of." Toni mouth quivered. "I know people….who do scary things." Kitten straightened herself and patted Toni off the shoulder.
"You have a very Merry Christmas Dr. Monetti, I'm certain I'll be hearing from you again real soon." While Kitten strutted out of the lab Toni fell limply onto a nearby stool.
----------
Richard sat at his desk and labored over the minute details that were to become Kory's new past. His feelings at the moment were still heated as far as he was concerned but that didn't mean he wouldn't make good on his promise to help her get a job. Kory's name seemed oddly enough to be the most difficult part. It had to be something close enough to what it really was and still something he could refer to easily.
Name: Kory Anders
Date of birth: April 17, 1986
It was sensible to have her just a few years younger than he was. In all honesty he had no idea how the Tamaranian calendar worked. She could very well be three or forty three.
Kory Anders was born a native citizen of Dublin Ireland on April 17, 1984. After finishing high school she pursued an academic career in the United States and was successful in securing a Master's Degree in foreign languages. Before submitting her resume to the Bureau she was an integral member of Interpol's department of international relations.
The, as Kory put it, caustic FBI agent read over his work and after doing so another two times nodded, twirling a pen between his fingers.
"I'd buy that." But there was a lot more that went into just inventing a person's life, these days anyway. Later he would have to 'ask' Rachael for a thoroughly clean psychiatric history.
Suddenly he winced and dropped the pen he'd been playing with. Slowly, he lowered his hand down to his right leg and snugly gripped the area which now began to throb. Hardly willing to admit it to even himself Richard began to fear, so much so that he drew two more of his pain killers and promptly shoved them down his throat. It was nothing but soreness from being shoved to the ground. For that reason he would push it out his mind.
Wouldn't you agree that they can't be from this world?
Richard's head and attention perked up as something from their recent encounter suddenly struck him. Along with considering Kory's place in his world Richard had also been preoccupied with the notion of the Silent having a spy among them.
Yes, I know everything about your new girlfriend
Why hadn't it occurred to him at the time? Those two sentences began to tell Richard more than they had learned in three weeks. Slowly his mind began to lead him somewhere, somewhere he didn't like.
BACK AT THE HOSPITAL……………….
Rachael poked her head into Kory's room and found her staring up at the small television near the ceiling.
"Hi."
"Friend Rachael!" Kory's face brightened with immense radiance.
"Can I come in?"
"Of course, please." Rachael entered followed closely by Logan. "I have had so few visitors since Richard left."
Logan shifted uneasily. "Yeah, I'm sure he's sorry about that." Kory sighed.
"I am sorry as well. I am sure insensitive things were said from both of us. But still, I find myself continually failing to understand him." Rachael smiled and held her hand.
"Don't worry, there's not much to understand anyway."
"Besides!" exclaimed Logan as he took a seat opposite of Rachael. "As soon as you get better we'll all go mini golfing." Kory regarded him strangely. "Or we could sit around….and play Wii golf."
"Garfield."
"Rachael don't call me that," he whined. She sent him a smirk. "Okay, so I'm not all that good at the bedside and encouragement for our alien friends stuff. But don't sweat it Kory, we're really glad you pulled through."
"Thank you." Rachael paused.
"Logan do you think you could give us a minute?" He wondered why he came with her to see some of her patients sometimes; he almost always inevitably ended up waiting outside. Nonetheless he gave Kory a nod and left the two of them alone. "Well, right now I'm just hoping that you're not the type who holds a grudge." The alien shook her head.
"I am not. But I am not sure I am ready to forgive him."
"I understand completely, but I also hope that you can understand my position. I've been trying for years to get Richard back to the way he was; still a disagreeable person but not nearly as intolerable."
"What would you have me do?"
"Just….give him another chance. There is a small window in which you could help him but if you push him away there may be no recovery. He might even get his limp back." Kory lowered her gaze just in sync with Rachael's pager beeping. She glanced at the small screen.
"What is it?"
"It's Richard, he needs to see us."
Whitman poured over the files brought back by Kitten as though they were a newspaper. Kitten sat in front of his desk and waited for what she knew would be an excellent review of her efforts. In actuality when he lifted his eyes back to her he seemed disappointed.
"This is all you have?"
"Well of course I can't legally go into specifics right now, but I can assure you it gets progressively darker." He stuffed her notes back into their folders and set them aside among other materials.
"Agent Grayson is a disgrace to everything this agency stands for. I want him gone Dr. Moth, I want his associates gone. I want everything that has to do with Richard Grayson eradicated from our midst." Kitten seemed impressed.
"Ask and ye shall receive." Whitman kept a sullen and doubtful demeanor.
"We'll see, just don't make me regret employing your services."
Richard leant against his desk staring up at the ceiling. Jumbled thoughts about their case, Kory, and his weird mixed up feelings buzzed about in his head. There was also the small matter of trying to patch things up with Kory. He didn't know how forthcoming she was after something like that but if she was anything like Barbara….then Richard had his work cut out for him.
"Hey man." Victor walked in followed by Shannon, Rachael, and Logan. "What's up?"
"I had an epiphany," said Richard. He only brought his stare downward when Shannon spoke.
"About what? Two witnesses claim they saw Serviacc leave the house before we arrived. That only confirms my theory about his source."
"If there is one," said Rachael. "That's something we have to be sure of before we act on it."
"Oh there's a leak," said Richard. "He said things about Kory, things he shouldn't have known. Then there's the small matter of knowing exactly where we were going to be that day."
"What are you getting at?" asked Logan. Richard raised his brows and sighed.
"There is a leak……and its one of you." Shannon was the first but not the last to let her mouth drop open and her eyes bulge. All four of them shot glances at one another then looked to Richard for the punch line. unfortunately Richard bore a look which told them beyond a doubt, this was no joke.
Hmm, the plot thickens yet again. It's anyone's guess as to who our culprit could be. Anyone care to take a guess? I'll blink twice if you pick the right one XD. Laters!