To Every Ending, There Is A New Beginning
By: Tiffany Mahala
Chapter Two: The Awakening
I didn't want Faye to know that Vicious was here but when I heard her scream, I knew the cat was out of the bag.
"Spike! Spike!" She stood in my door looking at the comatose killer, sprawled out on my bed. "What is he doing here?"
"I brought him here." I walked past her, hands in pockets, making my way to the big yellow couch to try and rest before the doc got there. Jet and I had already used all the available bandages and wrappings to cover the wounds, but the doc would have to stitch him up.
"Well, why did you bring him here?" she yelled as she followed me into the living room.
"I dunno." She stopped and put her hands on her hips. The ever present 'don't you think that is just a little stupid' look on her face. "What? He asked me to help him."
"And the fact that he's been trying to kill you must have slipped your mind."
"What do you want me to say Faye? 'I'm sorry I didn't consult the princess of the Bebop before bringing someone on board'?" We would have got in a heated arguement if Ed hadn't alerted us that the doc was on his way.
"Hey, Spike! Get Doc from the loading dock and show him in." Jet's husky voice boomed through the vessel and I made my way to the dock. The old man was getting out of his own ship and I walked over to pick up his medical bag.
"So, I see you've lived to see another day?" he quipped.
"Yeah, (laughs) I guess you could say that." I scratched the back of my head and smiled in nervousness. "Uh-hmm. This way Doc. The patient is not a regular crew member, but I didn't want to take him to a hospital."
"I see."
We walked through the many chambers of Bebop until we reached the hallway containing all the rooms. I opened the door and motioned him in. Doc looked at Vicious and rubbed his chin.
"Hmm, I see you and Jet have bandaged him up. What happened to him?" He sat down beside the bed and began to unwrap the gauze.
"Well, we were. . um. . .I don't really feel like talking about it, Doc."
"Suit yourself. Eww." He had unwrapped the final piece of white linen and saw the wound on his side. He looked up at me with one eyebrow raised. I just motioned him to work and he did so. He rummaged through his black medical bag and came out with some stitching equipment. He quickly went to work sewing up Vicious. Faye had entered out of curiosity and leaned against the door jamb. Vicious roused a little bit but didn't wake entirely up. Doc finished up and picked up his bag, not saying a word. I followed him out to the hall where he pulled me aside.
"Give this to Jet. This is a list of instructions for tending the wound. The stitches will disintegrate within a few days. And keep fresh gauze on him, it might bleed a little." He handed me the little paper and retraced his journey to his ship again. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. There's some bandages in the nightstand. Okay?"
"Spike, you got a cigarette?", Faye said from the doorway. I patted myself down only to find that my cigs were on the nightstand.
"They're on the nightstand." I waved for her to go on and get them and I went to the cockpit to give Jet the note.
Meanwhile in the room, Faye tried to find my lighter which was not in the usual location. She then reached for the spare I kept between the bed and table. She steadied herself with one arm on the bed and the other reaching for the desired instrument. She gasped as she felt clammy hands grab her arm and shot her head up to see Vicious staring at her with pale blue eyes. She tried to get free of his cold grip and when she finally liberated her arm he mummbled something to her.
"What?". She leaned in closer to maybe hear again what he said. His eyes closed slowly and reopened just as slowly.
"Veronica?" He fell back asleep and Faye exited my room, running up to where Jet and I were talking.
"Guys, he just said something." She was drained of all the color in her face and was breathing shallow.
"What did he say?" I wanted to know because he hadn't said anything since I put him in the Swordfish. Faye breathed a few deep breaths and decided to start the story from the beginning.
". . .and he said 'Veronica'. Does that name sound familiar to you Spike?", she looked at me, expecting a yes.
"Nope. Never heard of her or whatever it pretains to." I picked a cigarette out of the pack that Faye had laid on the dash panel.
"Well maybe we can ask him when he gets up." Jet spoke optimistically.
"Or we could check out what Ed can find and see if he's using other women's names for his dirty business deals." Faye still didn't trust Vicious and who really could blame her?
"All right you can have Ed check the web and Jet and I will take turns keeping a bedside vigil." Faye looked anything but relieved but since no other alternatives were presented, she agreed. Jet looked at me with a look that if verbalized would have sounded like: 'how did I get dragged into this?'. I gave him a smirk that immediately answered his question; 'because you let yourself.'
Faye walked back and found Ed in front of her computer typing with her toes. I could her Faye say something about looking something up and a squeal of delight from Ed.
Jet and I watched him on alternate nights that way one would be up during the day while the other slept. For five whole days Vicious didn't say a word and I was beginning to think that maybe Faye just dreamed this up. Day six came and went and when Jet was helping Faye dress his wounds he spoke again.
"Veronica." , his eyes shot wide open and when he realized where he was he relaxed once again, but didn't go to sleep. Faye sprinted from the room to my resting spot on the yellow couch.
"Vicious just said it again. Spike! Get up!", Faye shook me hard and when I didn't wake up she rolled me off the couch. "Spike! Get up! He said Veronica again!"
I walked wearily to the room which was now officially his and stood at the door, half leaning in. He laid there, his eyes half open, and when he saw me he smiled a warm and, for him, creepy smile.
"Spike, I found Veronica!" he said slowly.
"Who is Veronica? I don't know of any Veronica." I said honestly. His eyes then started to look sad again like they were in the elevator shaft.
"You know Veronica." he tried to convince me that I had known someone that I assumed was in his dreams.
"No, I don't. Maybe you could introduce me to her later when you get healed.", those eyes they looked so helpless, so vulnerable. Unlike the Vicious I had known for so long. "I'm going back to sleep." I walked back to the living room and plopped down on the yellow sleep demon. I laid back, hands behind my head, looking at the ceiling fan spinning and drifted off once more to the hum of the Bebop and Ed typing mechanically. Hoping no more excitement would come for the rest of the day.
Chapter Two: The Awakening
I didn't want Faye to know that Vicious was here but when I heard her scream, I knew the cat was out of the bag.
"Spike! Spike!" She stood in my door looking at the comatose killer, sprawled out on my bed. "What is he doing here?"
"I brought him here." I walked past her, hands in pockets, making my way to the big yellow couch to try and rest before the doc got there. Jet and I had already used all the available bandages and wrappings to cover the wounds, but the doc would have to stitch him up.
"Well, why did you bring him here?" she yelled as she followed me into the living room.
"I dunno." She stopped and put her hands on her hips. The ever present 'don't you think that is just a little stupid' look on her face. "What? He asked me to help him."
"And the fact that he's been trying to kill you must have slipped your mind."
"What do you want me to say Faye? 'I'm sorry I didn't consult the princess of the Bebop before bringing someone on board'?" We would have got in a heated arguement if Ed hadn't alerted us that the doc was on his way.
"Hey, Spike! Get Doc from the loading dock and show him in." Jet's husky voice boomed through the vessel and I made my way to the dock. The old man was getting out of his own ship and I walked over to pick up his medical bag.
"So, I see you've lived to see another day?" he quipped.
"Yeah, (laughs) I guess you could say that." I scratched the back of my head and smiled in nervousness. "Uh-hmm. This way Doc. The patient is not a regular crew member, but I didn't want to take him to a hospital."
"I see."
We walked through the many chambers of Bebop until we reached the hallway containing all the rooms. I opened the door and motioned him in. Doc looked at Vicious and rubbed his chin.
"Hmm, I see you and Jet have bandaged him up. What happened to him?" He sat down beside the bed and began to unwrap the gauze.
"Well, we were. . um. . .I don't really feel like talking about it, Doc."
"Suit yourself. Eww." He had unwrapped the final piece of white linen and saw the wound on his side. He looked up at me with one eyebrow raised. I just motioned him to work and he did so. He rummaged through his black medical bag and came out with some stitching equipment. He quickly went to work sewing up Vicious. Faye had entered out of curiosity and leaned against the door jamb. Vicious roused a little bit but didn't wake entirely up. Doc finished up and picked up his bag, not saying a word. I followed him out to the hall where he pulled me aside.
"Give this to Jet. This is a list of instructions for tending the wound. The stitches will disintegrate within a few days. And keep fresh gauze on him, it might bleed a little." He handed me the little paper and retraced his journey to his ship again. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. There's some bandages in the nightstand. Okay?"
"Spike, you got a cigarette?", Faye said from the doorway. I patted myself down only to find that my cigs were on the nightstand.
"They're on the nightstand." I waved for her to go on and get them and I went to the cockpit to give Jet the note.
Meanwhile in the room, Faye tried to find my lighter which was not in the usual location. She then reached for the spare I kept between the bed and table. She steadied herself with one arm on the bed and the other reaching for the desired instrument. She gasped as she felt clammy hands grab her arm and shot her head up to see Vicious staring at her with pale blue eyes. She tried to get free of his cold grip and when she finally liberated her arm he mummbled something to her.
"What?". She leaned in closer to maybe hear again what he said. His eyes closed slowly and reopened just as slowly.
"Veronica?" He fell back asleep and Faye exited my room, running up to where Jet and I were talking.
"Guys, he just said something." She was drained of all the color in her face and was breathing shallow.
"What did he say?" I wanted to know because he hadn't said anything since I put him in the Swordfish. Faye breathed a few deep breaths and decided to start the story from the beginning.
". . .and he said 'Veronica'. Does that name sound familiar to you Spike?", she looked at me, expecting a yes.
"Nope. Never heard of her or whatever it pretains to." I picked a cigarette out of the pack that Faye had laid on the dash panel.
"Well maybe we can ask him when he gets up." Jet spoke optimistically.
"Or we could check out what Ed can find and see if he's using other women's names for his dirty business deals." Faye still didn't trust Vicious and who really could blame her?
"All right you can have Ed check the web and Jet and I will take turns keeping a bedside vigil." Faye looked anything but relieved but since no other alternatives were presented, she agreed. Jet looked at me with a look that if verbalized would have sounded like: 'how did I get dragged into this?'. I gave him a smirk that immediately answered his question; 'because you let yourself.'
Faye walked back and found Ed in front of her computer typing with her toes. I could her Faye say something about looking something up and a squeal of delight from Ed.
Jet and I watched him on alternate nights that way one would be up during the day while the other slept. For five whole days Vicious didn't say a word and I was beginning to think that maybe Faye just dreamed this up. Day six came and went and when Jet was helping Faye dress his wounds he spoke again.
"Veronica." , his eyes shot wide open and when he realized where he was he relaxed once again, but didn't go to sleep. Faye sprinted from the room to my resting spot on the yellow couch.
"Vicious just said it again. Spike! Get up!", Faye shook me hard and when I didn't wake up she rolled me off the couch. "Spike! Get up! He said Veronica again!"
I walked wearily to the room which was now officially his and stood at the door, half leaning in. He laid there, his eyes half open, and when he saw me he smiled a warm and, for him, creepy smile.
"Spike, I found Veronica!" he said slowly.
"Who is Veronica? I don't know of any Veronica." I said honestly. His eyes then started to look sad again like they were in the elevator shaft.
"You know Veronica." he tried to convince me that I had known someone that I assumed was in his dreams.
"No, I don't. Maybe you could introduce me to her later when you get healed.", those eyes they looked so helpless, so vulnerable. Unlike the Vicious I had known for so long. "I'm going back to sleep." I walked back to the living room and plopped down on the yellow sleep demon. I laid back, hands behind my head, looking at the ceiling fan spinning and drifted off once more to the hum of the Bebop and Ed typing mechanically. Hoping no more excitement would come for the rest of the day.