Chapter Twenty-one:
He grimaced to himself, fingers caressing the buttons with a soft almost un-fellable touch. His lips curled into a distressed glower as he tipped the scope forward slightly to get a better look at the samples on the clean slate. Medic had been at it for ages with no breaks to ease his stressed and tangled mind that he found himself wishing he could take out his pent up anger, or more like pent up rage, and take it out on a calming surgery on a BLU team member. One of his members, if he could even get close enough without Healer telling him off for doing it around Kliner.
The girl was resting, he thought to himself, and she wouldn't dare step past those doors without loosing something valuable. Yes, he knew he was being cruel and yes he knew he was being unfair, but if it was one thing he couldn't stand-it was children. He had never had a liking for them and never would. Not because they are bad or cruel or understood or annoying, no of course not (well actually yes, all of those things irk him), but he never liked to stress about having to care for them. He had seen how much Healer had struggled with her emotions after her sessions, sometimes even making that extra step to ask if she was OK when she was pale, exhausted and dreary from missions and dragging speaking's about sadness.
Medic would never see it, but he could sort of get that in her head it was all grey and black and dull and bland. She only had spark when she was in the field or working on a surgery or planning her next 'master lobotomy'. But other then that, when she was alone, she was dark. She was darkness itself in flesh. And it was scary almost to see her with an angry glare aimed right at him when he would peek out the corner of his eye just to see, just for a glance, just a peek...And then his heart would miss a beat and then continue to beat faster and faster from surprise that she was staring.
He wasn't afraid of her, just weary of her. He had known her for awhile, but yet even so to him and his fellow team mates she was still a complete mystery.
'CLICK!'
He tutted loudly like a pebble hitting a window.
''Fick!'' He swore, throwing his hands up and backing away from the microscope.
The button had broken on the side that turns the scope in different angles just as he had seen something interesting in a moving, bobbled blob of bruised purple and sickly orange. It wouldn't move no further and he couldn't see into the bacteria without the scope.
Obviously, there shipment for his equipment had not arrived yet and he was stuck in wild limbo without knowing which step to take next.
''Schupid Schweinhunds.'' He hollered again, running a shaky hand through his hair.
He looked around the room in a frantic curiosity to see if there was a spare microscope around, but to his unfortunate self, there wasn't. And the only spare there was, was in the BLU team' base where their Medic worked.
It was a big risk to take even when there was no mission in commence and Medic wasn't looking for any bloodshed (not for any other eyes to see at least but himself), but he was desperate and he knew Healer was to. Slipping his coat on, he barged through the theatre doors like a firefighter out of a blaze, snarl on his face. Healer sat at her desk with a pen twiddling between her teeth lightly, her hair tied up into a more tighter ponytail and her eyes reading over observation notes.
''Healer.'' Medic called out, catching her attention.
He froze when she looked, that dimpled smile hitting him like strong perfume. He cleared his throat and shook his head, ''Um, I am in need of a favour.''
''Ja, of course. Vat is it?'' Healer accepted already, and that was what Medic liked about her-no arguments or bullshit.
''I need a microscope. Preferably now, ours has broken.'' Medic put his arms behind his back and twiddled his thumbs.
''Oh...But Soldier told me zhat za shipment hasn't come in yet and-''
''Ja, I know. But jou know exactly what I am asking for.''
Healer could see he was tilting his head in the direction of the window. Through the drawn blinds, past the godly light of the eve sunset, there was the enemy team's base and the window that led to the BLU teams Medic' room.
Healer crossed her arms. ''Doctor, I know zhis is an important time on our shoulders, but do jou seriously vant a fight vith zhem zhat isn't scheduled?''
She was doing that pout again, he would have to work extra hard to get on her good side.
He stepped closer with a grin, hands still glued to his back. ''Herr Healer, mein dearest assistant. Jou vant Kliner to be cured, do jou not?''
''Don't try zhat one on mein Doctor. I know manipulation vhen I see it.'' Healer grinned a cheesy grin back, and both didn't notice, but they were drawing nearer to each other' faces.
''Oh come on, jou don't zhink I vould use zhat on jou? How cruel do jou zhink I am?''
''Cruel enough to sway little ol' mein. I am not tricked, so Jou'll have to try another persuade.''
''Alright. Do zhis, and me and jou vill pick one lucky member to be jour first Guinea pig for jour lobotomy. I know jou've been vanting to do zhat for avhile.''
Medic leaned closer, Healer doing the same until they could feel each other's hot breaths stick to their cheeks and warm them like a dying fire.
''Jou said jou vere to busy to.'' Healer said sadly. ''So I gave up asking.''
''I Von't be busy zhis time. I promise.'' Medic replied, his eyes finding there way down to her nose, sliding down the bridge of it, hanging on her button tip and then circling around those plump red lips.
He was tempted, tempted by this she devil to do the naughty. He wanted to touch her cheek, just gently run his fingers along it but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't. He swallowed the lump that felt like a rock and shook his head clean off those thoughts.
''Jour only saying zhat so I vill do jour favour.'' Healer confessed, and he had forgotten she could see through people and all their dirty laundry on the inside.
''Nein. I mean it. Zhis is for jou, no one else not even me. Bitte? I vill make it up to jou but vee need to help Kliner.'' Medic pleaded.
He would have been on hand and knees, but Healer would have only hauled him up and told him to stop being so cliché and cheesy, because she hated typical romance and typical persuading and would rather go for short, rough and cruel. Being sweet was never her thing anyway and though she was annoyed at him for being so manipulative, she could see reason for his asking.
''Fine.'' Healer whispered, tapping her leg and crossing her arms. ''I'll do it.''
''Jou mean it?'' Medic said surprised.
''Ja, I vill. But jou owe me so much, Dr. Ludwig.''
He was stunned. She had never said his last name and not even his first. It sounded like silk on skin, smooth and strong enough to prickle your skin.
''I vill mark zhat 'I owe jou' on a paper zhen.''
There was a shuffling noise and Healer thought it was Medic, but then a froggy voice had risen.
''If jour going to kiss...Zhen do it and spare me za pregnant silence.''
There heads snapped towards Kliner who was lying on the gurney, legs and arms spread out so they hung over the neck of the gurney carelessly and her head propped up by the pillow. She was pasty, bland enough to match the colour of icing but a rosy tint had met her fingers.
''Mein Gott, jour OK!'' Healer sighed, rushing over and splitting the moment between her and Medic in two. She clasped Kliner's cheeks and tilted her head side-to-side, doing her usual routine checks.
''Get off...'' Kliner mumbled weakly. ''Mein body feels like it's full of cobwebs and muck clogging every hole.''
''Are jou in any pain?'' Healer asked, fingers pressing into her sides and poking her legs and tummy.
''I am now zhat jour poking me! Can jou not?'' Kliner tried to whine, but it came out more like a bland monotone cry.
Healer shifted slightly on her feet as Medic approached the other side of Kliner, his hands fetching to his pocket for his small light.
''I'll handle zhis. Jou go.'' He mumbled so Kliner couldn't hear. ''Have Scout and Demo man go, zhey vill be easy to heal and quicker to get around vith.''
Healer didn't say anything. She wanted to stay desperately with Kliner due to her being up, but then again she knew that she needed to speed up the process of recovery for her. All she gave was a nod and a smile before squeezing Kliner's hand and dashing off.
''Ay right, so ya want us to just run in and gun ta place down or?''
''Nein, jou didn't listen.''
Healer huffed and regretted even taken the two lowest intellectual people with her on her mission. Demo man was to busy being in a brawl with his own alcoholic mind making everything look dizzy or fuzzy, while Scout was to busy fawning over how he's going to get revenge on the Spy that backstabbed him on the last mission.
''Yeah, so am basically jus' gonna go 'wham', 'blam', and 'kablam' on that stuck-up guy!'' Scout informed Healer with heavy motions from his arms.
She rolled her eyes and peeked over the crate they were hidden behind to see how clear the path was, mainly to see if there was any threats in their way, but to her smallest strand of luck there wasn't.
''Alright. I vant it quick and clean. No witnesses. Vee go in, get za microscope and leave. Got it?'' Healer leaned back down as she spoke, her attention focusing to Demo man and Scout who were sniggering and smirking.
''Dude, ya fricken' acting as if this is a mission! Look at this, just be cool about it, don't go Medic slash Soldier on us.'' Scout said honestly, crossing his arms thug like and nodding.
''Ay, shut up Scout. We do wot ever Healer needs.'' Demo man added, hiccupping loud enough to make a flock of birds take flight from a nearby bush.
Healer silenced them before they made any movements to the enemies base. Healer could remember from previous fights that the BLU team's Sniper is always guarding the front entrance to the intel room, while the Soldier handles the catwalks in the main shed of the base-which thankfully was clear on this rare occasion and made getting past the entrance a cake walk.
''Stay hidden in za shadows.'' Healer whispered as they rounded a corner with a sharp turn that almost sent Scout falling over a stack of un-opened crates.
''Dude, fricken' junk everywhere!'' Scout whined, ducking down again and following between Healer and Demo.
''Shut it boy.'' Demo tutted. ''Ay lass, me and ta team were actually wondering...''
Healer glanced over her shoulder, hands pawing against the wall to help guide her in the murky darkness hanging around them. It wasn't oblivious to anyone what had happened to Kliner; Someone had spread word and sent the cancer cell to infect each mind which Healer didn't want.
''Jour asking about Kliner, aren't jou?'' Healer said hardly.
''Ya, just to know if she' OK, lass, dat' all.'' Demo man replied embarrassed, his drunken state wearing off and sober coming into light.
''She's fine. She's going to be OK. Me and Medic are vorking on a cure.'' Healer lied, a bulge forming in her neck, a lump pulsating. ''She's-She's going to be OK.''
''Yeah, coz' you sound so certain.'' Scout mocked. ''It's so blatant in you're voice.''
''Scout, vat is za problem? Jou alvays zhink I'm lying.'' Healer argued, pointing her fingers to go left as she turned. ''Jou never seem to trust me at all.''
''Maybe that's coz' you were the one that nearly lost our last match!'' Scout argued, his voice raising in pitch.
''Shut up lad!'' Demo man scolded. ''Stop bloody bein' a pest and do ta task boy!''
''Both of jou just be quiet!'' Healer shouted, and just as she did, a black mass passed against the wall like a ghost had emerged from behind the window, the light going away and then coming back on quick like a light switch being flicked.
They all shut there mouths, Healer steadying her breaths as she pressed her back right up against the wall to try and hide, the other two following suit and trying to blend into the wall. Footsteps echoed around in the room; A small room which could have been a supply room, a room for the Medic's tools possibly. Healer bit down her excitement and carefully peered over the small ledge of the window, dust collecting and tingling her nostrils beyond annoyance. She wriggled it and shook it off as she got a good look of the room.
''Ya see anythin' lass?'' Demo asked, his black eye-patch torn slightly.
''Ja...Zhey have loads...Box's and crates full. No microscope's...'' Healer huffed, slouching down as the sound of footsteps was a Pyro winding his way through the marked box's from A-Z.
Scout tutted loudly at the disturbance and pulled out his shotgun, loading the bullets and cocking the gun. ''C'mon, he's alone and easy.''
'''Nein, Scout. Jou vant to make loads of noise and give us avay?'' Healer raised a brow, and Scout flapped his arms and crouched lower.
''Fine.'' He dragged. ''But I call shots if he see's us.''
''Z vay jour talking he vill hear jou before he see's us.'' Healer moaned, rolling her eyes and edging out of the corner and halting near the door.
She could see the enemy Pyro browsing through the 'P' isle with a gloved wandering finger, his fire suit looking dusty and torn and his posture domineered for the trio to keep a steady distance. Healer hushed her two friends as carefully guided them around the door way, never moving her eyes of the Pyro not even to blink; Hearts pounded, feet shuffled like mice, eyes twitched like cat eyes in the dark and weapons traced by brushing fingers in case of need.
Thankfully, the trio made it past just narrowly before the Pyro could spot them trailing down the second hall to the BLU Medic's lab and alerting his fellow members. Healer held her hand up to bring the two men to a halt.
''Vait. Zhis is it, I can tell by za doors.'' Healer whispered, her own mouth feeling dry.
''Yeah, and the fact that the signs are a total giveaway.'' Scout added sarcastically.
''Shut up lad! Just get on with it.'' Demo complained, shaking his head and following Healer.
She rose to her feet to peer through the round circular glass windows that showed a light up room similar to the one where she worked in, only there was one more drainage table and no theatre room. It was all in one; At least it would make it easier, she thought.
There was no sign of the lair's leader, or any poor and unlucky victims to the naked eye anywhere. All there was in the room was cleaned metal tools and counter tops polished to there very cores and the blinds on the windows shut tightly. She bit her tongue and sneered.
''No one inside.'' She informed. ''So be careful.''
''All this...For a microscope.'' Scout waved his hands and huffed like a child. ''Unbelievable.''
''Scout, jour za fastest one on za team. I needed jou, if me and Demo and got caught, to take it and run it back safely.''
''She right lad. She wouldan't 'ave picked anyone else.'' Demo added, seeing how Healer was trying to get on his good side.
Manipulation at it's finest.
Scout had plucked up his ego, cocking his head and smiling to himself. ''Well, I am da fastest runner, so...Fine.''
''Gut. Vatch mein back Demo vhile me and Scout go in and hunt around. Any enemies come by, jou know vat do to.''
Healer nodded firmly and so did Demo, before her hands smacked against the white doors and pushed it open with a heavy grunt grumbling through her throat and her back arching to push it open. The hinges creaked like broken bones being trod on while the screws squeaked awfully loud and tweaked like birds cooing.
''Damn doors...'' Healer said. ''Give us avay already.''
''Well let's jus' get dis' over with. Where do you keep all the tech stuff anyways?'' Scout asked, standing up straight and scratching the back of his head.
''Usually in cupboards at the bottom-Medic says it's safer so we don't drop them.'' Healer replied, padding her way past a lonesome desk with dried cup marks and opening up bottom cabinets like a frantic woman hunting for a child. It wasn't in the first cupboard and it wasn't in the second cupboard and the third was empty, only a single cobweb had decorated the cold and dark hovel.
''Fick.'' Healer said angrily. ''Nosing.''
She slammed the door and rose to her feet, crossing her arms and looking at Scout. ''No luck?''
''Nope. Nada'.'' He replied, itching his cheek. ''C'mon, he's got to have it somewhere round here.''
''In the top cupboards?''
Healer turned around and started raiding them to, gently moving things aside and then back into place, jars, pots, cardboard box's and containers. It was only when she got the third cupboard that she saw something large and white, the top pointed up like the tip of a cap just behind a box.
''Hey, Scout-'' Healer walked back to try and see further, but the box was to large to see past and she wasn't going to go climbing any counter without slipping and breaking something. ''Give mein a boost bitte.''
Healer waited for an answer, but there wasn't any. The egoistic, smack-talking and quick-witted boy was silent. An unusual worry had dwelled in Healer's mind.
''Scout?''
''I zhink Jou'll find he's in safe hands.'' A familiar voice cracked through the pregnant silence, a birth had begun and made the breeze feel cold-and not in a refreshing way but more a chilling way.
Healer looked towards Scout who was held by the hands of blue gloves, a cloth held over his mouth and his hands trying to pry them off.
''Get avay from him.'' Healer warned, her Orbito clasts in hand. ''Or I vill make jou regret it.''
''Oh, vas zhat a threat Schweinhund? Fiery veak if it vas.'' He smiled as he added pressure to the Scout's neck, ''Answer mein zhis; Vhy are jou in our base, and vhy are jou here in mein lab?''
''If I told jou, jou vould laugh.'' Healer admitted, the animation of the scene playing in her head like some joke.
''Nein, gorge me, bitte. I am sure it is brilliant.'' He pushed.
Healer bit her tongue. ''It is none of jour business.''
''It is if jour here standing in mein vay. Now, tell me or loose somesing precious.''
Healer found herself staring down the long silver edge of a crossbow, the needle's tip pointed right between her eyes as it balanced on Scout's shoulder in the Medic's clasped hand...