AN: Hidey hodey fanfic fans! Yay! Sagan Fox finally gets off her ass and updates! Hope you all enjoyed the last cliffhanger...muahahahahaha (coughcoughcough) ha! This chapter's a bit (translation: a helluvalot) longer than the other. Once again, I must thank my beta readers and storyboard reviewers Discordia and EarFetishGirl, as well as my little otaku/beta reader in training GutterAngel (note to GutterAngel—if you want a different nickname, tell me!). We'll convert you soon, hon! Once again, read, enjoy, review! Especially that enjoy part. Flame me and you'll be met with a berserking author clad only in fire wielding a katana. And that aint a pretty sight, folks. (Insert shameless plug for the fiction of Discordia, the Goddess of Irony here) Just read it. It's good, and I beta-read it myself!
(Wave of cigarette smoke wafts by)
Sagan Fox: What the...?
(Spike walks in)
Spike: I found where you hid my smokes.
Sagan Fox: (glomps Spike) Dammit! (Rips cigarette out of his mouth and slaps a nicotine patch on his forehead) I told you no smoking in Sagan Fox's brain! Now get back in the closet until I need you!
Spike: Listen, bitch, you can't just keep me locked up in here! You don't own me! You don't own the show!
Sagan Fox: Silence monkey! (Shoves him back in her Bishie Closet) Ahem...where was I? Oh yeah...on with the show! ^_^
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They had been sitting in the waiting room of the hospital for four hours. Four long hours since Ed was wheeled away from them into an unknown future. About half an hour after Faye and Jet arrived, Spike made his loud entrance into the waiting room, harassing the nurses about Ed's whereabouts and condition. After they threatened to have him removed, he quieted down and sat down across from Jet to brood.
Jet lazily glanced at the two of them, both silent since their arrival, before running a cold metal hand over his balding head. He watched as Faye tried for the sixth time to discreetly light a cigarette, and for the sixth time the attending nurse told her to either put it out or leave. She slumped back in her chair and began to chew the fingernail she had been gnawing on for the past hour. Jet wondered if it was the nicotine cravings or her attempt to appear impassive about the situation.
I hate hospitals, he thought as he took in the pastel-toned room and faded art prints on the walls. They try so hard to make these godforsaken places look cheery, but all that does is remind you that you're supposed to be depressed.
This wasn't supposed to happen, thought Jet. Ed isn't supposed to get hurt. She's just supposed to sit in front of her computer, find the bounties, babble her nonsense, and run off to play with Ein. She's not supposed to be like me, or Spike, or Faye, and risk her life. She's just supposed to be a little girl.
Little girl.
Hmm. I've never thought of her like that before. She may be odd, but she's always been responsible for someone her age, and almost as useful as Spike or Faye. I guess I just saw her as another partner. No, not another partner. A daughter? Maybe.
Either way, she doesn't deserve this. No 13 year old does. Hell, most 36 year olds don't. Her eyes...she was so scared. I've never seen her in true fear of anything before. She may be a genius, she may be reliable for her age, but she is still a child at heart. Ed cannot be hurt again. I don't want the death of someone so innocent, a child, on my hands. I won't stand for it.
Just then a young woman came out of the hall into which Ed was taken. She glanced at the paperwork on her clipboard, then turned and addressed the party. "Are you the guardians of Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the Fourth?"
All three rose and clustered around her. Faye went at the woman first.
"Where's Ed? Is she alright? Can we see her?"
The woman backed away. Sensing her slight intimidation, Jet crossed in front of Faye and calmly held out his hand.
"Yes, I'm Jet Black; these are my associates Faye Valentine and Spike Spiegel."
She stepped forward again and shook his hand.
"I'm Dr. Hall, I performed Ed's surgery. She's going to be fine."
Unbeknownst to even themselves, all three breathed deep sighs of relief. The doctor continued explaining Ed's condition.
"The bullet went clean through, and by some miracle the only significant damage was a small nick on her right kidney. A centimeter or so lower and it would have had to be removed. It didn't hit any major blood vessels or nerves, and her bleeding wasn't very severe. We'd like to keep her here for a few days for observation, make sure there's no infection."
"Thank you so much, Doctor," he said as a relieved smile crept onto his face.
Spike spoke up from behind Jet. "Can we see her?" He was trying not to betray the concern in his voice.
Dr. Hall smiled and nodded. "Yes, of course. She hasn't come out of the anesthesia yet, but we expect her to be conscious in a few minutes. Follow me." She turned and led them down a long, harshly lit hall.
Spike shoved his hands in his pockets and trailed a few feet behind the other two. One less death on my hands for a change. This one would have been harder to bear than the others.
Why do I even care? It's not like she means anything to me. What are the three things in the world I hate? Animals, kids, and women with attitudes. She's just another person to put up with on the ship. A burden. Albeit, a burden useful for finding bounties, but still, a burden. Just another person to worry about.
Damn. I do care, don't I? Now I remember why I hate kids...they make you care.
Ed isn't like most kids, though. It's not every schoolyard brat that can stop a bounty's ship in its tracks, or trace the untraceable. She might even be pretty cool if it weren't for her strange, random behavior.
He flashed back to his encounters with Ed on the Bebop, and found himself with a specter of a smile. I suppose she does lighten the mood. At the very least she's a distraction from Faye's bitching. As annoying as she can be, I guess I do like the little teenage hacker.
He rounded a corner, trailing Faye, and was struck by what he saw.
She's so helpless. Like a child. She really is still a kid, isn't she? As un-kid like as she can be, she's still just a 13 year old girl. She doesn't deserve this. I shouldn't have picked that fight. Ed, this is just between you and me, but I promise I won't let you get hurt again. I won't have your death on my hands.
Edward was still asleep under the worn sheets and blankets of your average hospital bed in an average hospital room, decorated much like the waiting room. The only sounds were the beeps and soft whirring of the monitors she had been hooked up to. While her skin had regained some of its former color, she was still somewhat pale.
Dr. Hall walked over in front of Ed's monitors and checked them, quickly scribbling information onto her papers. She quickly looked Ed over before moving to the door.
"I'll be back to check on her later," she said with a small smile, and left.
Faye leaned against the wall near a window and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared at Ed and thought, Lucky girl. Not everyone would take a bullet there and have almost no damage whatsoever. Maybe this will teach her not to crawl around in those pipes anymore. Maybe from now on she'll stay the hell out of the way.
She'd better not go and die on me. I'd hate to be the only female on that ship again. Need another woman to balance out all that testosterone. Men are idiots. If Spike hadn't picked that fight and distracted Jet, that guy wouldn't have tried to run and shot Ed! Of course...I could have avoided the fight.
She's so pale. I wonder how close she came to dying. Too close. Ein would be devastated if she didn't come back. Even Spike, big jerk that he is, might feel something. I...I'd miss her. Who'd paint my toenails then? Imagine that. Faye Valentine just felt something. Now I know why Spike hates kids...
She really is a very small person. Even for a kid. Despite her eccentricity, she's probably more mature than most 13-year olds. But it's a childish maturity. Thanks for not dying, Ed. I'd hate to be hindered by any guilt over having been able to stop this. You're not supposed to get hurt. I put myself in danger, I get used to it. You're just supposed to be you.
Damn, I need a cigarette.
The rustling of Ed's blankets distracted her from her thoughts. The three clustered around her as she slowly but surely returned to consciousness. At first everything was blindingly bright, but soon her eyes adjusted and began to focus on nearby objects. The first recognizable objects that passed into her line of sight were her comrades, Spike, Faye, and Jet.
Too bright! Spike. Faye. Jet, she thought, her mind still jumbled and fuzzy. Warm. Not on Bebop. Itchy. Hospital? Head hurt. Body hurt more. They're worried about me, even Spike. Not mad? Focus, eyes, focus. Speak. Come on lips, move, must tell them I'm ok. Ugh, mouth dry.
She yawned and tried to stretch her arms, but found herself almost immobile from the painkiller cocktail she had been given. She concentrated more on forcing a weak smile on her face.
"Greetings, Earthlings." she said emphatically, trying to regain some of her hyperactive energy. She sighed in relief as the almost stricken looks on their faces faded, and Jet cracked a faint smile. Spike drifted away with his trademark smirk to lean against a wall, and Faye just crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hey there, Ed," said Jet, "how you feeling?"
"Hurts, but Edward will be ok. Edward is a tough Cowgirl like Faye-Faye and Spike-person and Jet-person."
Even Faye had to crack a smile. "Yeah, they are tough Cowgirls aren't they?"
Jet glowered at her. Ed just laughed. "Funny Faye-Faye!" She paused, "did you turn in the dirty scoundrel?"
Spike spoke up from across the room. "Yeah, we turned him in."
"You sure you're ok, kid?" asked Faye.
Something's wrong, thought Ed. Something's different. Why are they looking at me like that? "Roger dodger Faye-Faye! Ed's just gonna take a little nap..." said Ed before rolling over and closing her eyes. Maybe if I go to sleep everything will be back the way it was before. I don't want them to look at me like I'm helpless. I won't have them calling me a burden, because they're all I have.
She closed her eyes and listened for any movement, hoping that they would leave now and come back as if nothing had happened.
Jet watched her for a few moments, and once he was convinced she was asleep he stepped back from the bed. Ed could feel him staring contemplatively at her. He spoke up in the silence to Jet and Faye.
"We need to talk."
"About what?" asked Spike, pushing himself up from the wall. They congregated in a corner of the room and spoke in hushed tones.
"What's this about, Jet? If it's about the hospital bill, the bounty should more than cover it."
"Is money really all you think about Faye?" shot Spike dismissively.
Faye reared to strike back, but was interrupted by Jet. "Not now, you two. We need to decide if Ed is going to stay on the Bebop or not."
Unbeknownst to any of them, Edward was not asleep. She strained her ears to catch every word of their conversation. They want me to leave?
"What's to discuss? We don't have anywhere to put her, she has nowhere to go. It wasn't her fault she was shot, and she didn't screw up the bounty, so why make an issue out of it?"
"Why are you on her side all of a sudden, Faye? You complain about her more than anyone," interjected Spike.
"I know, but still...it doesn't seem very fair to throw a thirteen year old out on her ass," she replied.
"Why are we talking about this anyway, Jet? We let you come back when you get hurt," asked Spike.
"It's not about that. It isn't healthy for a kid to be in an environment where things like this can happen. Do you really want her to end up like us? She needs to be somewhere safer, with a normal family and a normal life. What if she has a family out there somewhere looking for her?"
"When she forced her way onboard she was wandering alone in the desert. I don't think she has a family. They would have gone looking for her." said Spike.
"People on Earth go missing or dead all the time with all the meteor collisions. Maybe they all died."
Died? Thought Ed. Did my family die? I can't even remember. I had a father...but he left me. Forgot I even existed. After that, just a string of orphanages and shelters. Until I came to the Bebop, that is.
Faye crossed her arms over her chest. "So what do we do? Just say 'sorry kid, but we don't want you to die, so you have to go back to an orphanage now?'"
"No, not exactly. I just don't think its right for her to be someplace where she can get hurt, even killed! It's called 'child endangerment', Faye. I don't want her to die because of what we do."
Spike stepped forward. "Hey, she made her choice. She wanted to be here. I don't know why she'd want to stay in a rat hole of a ship with people like us, but still she chose."
"When you were thirteen would you have given up what you thought was a carefree cowboy life?"
"When I was thirteen I was being groomed as a low level syndicate operative."
Jet glared at him. Faye stepped between the two and looked from one to another. "Have either of you even considered what Ed wants?"
They were silent. Jet sighed heavily and ran a hand over his scalp. Spike mumbled "I'm going to get some coffee", and left, shutting the door behind him. Suddenly exhausted, Faye slumped down into an uncomfortable chair.
Ed shut her eyes tight to hold back forming tears. So, they're pushing me away. I'm just a bother, no one cares, and no one wants me around. All they're worried about is getting in trouble if I die. They're going to leave me alone again. Just like my father. Abandoned, again. No one wants me.
Fine. If they don't want me around, then I won't be around. I'll leave them before they can leave me. As soon as I'm healed, I'll gather my things and leave. It's what Faye would do. Somewhere there has to be a place for me; somewhere I can go and be accepted.
She felt herself being pulled into what would be an uneasy sleep if not for the painkillers and sedatives. I'll leave. They won't miss me. They won't come looking for me.
They won't even notice.
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End chapter! Now, did you all REALLY think I'd kill Ed? Silly readers! No, I don't work like that. Not in this fic anyway. Mental and emotional abuse is much more interesting than any physical wound! Pleeeease review! And please write something besides "This is cool, update soon" I love the compliment, but I'd really appreciate any tips you all have to offer!