From the Darkness....
By Icelightning
Chapter 2: Musings
Author's Note: *Coughs* Ahem. *Sings* It was the fanfic that would never end... It went on and on my friend! Ice starting writing it, not knowing what it was, but she'll be writing it forever just because it was the fanfic that would never end... *Innocent look* Well, that's how this chapter felt like. And my fanfic decided to take a life of it's own. Again. Thanks to Ottercub for ideas! =P Somehow they're sneaking their way into my fanfic. I think my fanfic is in love with Ottercub and is trying to get favors from her. O.o; At least, that would explain a lot! At any rate.. Onto the fanfic!
Author's Second Note: Everyone's too happy in this chapter. Grr. I'm going to have to make sure that doesn't happen again! Oh, wait, I did. HA! .... Although the action doesn't happen until the next chapter. =P
Author's Third Note: The ending didn't quite come out the way I wanted, but this chapter has taken so long that I really don't care. No offense, but if I wait to get that ending just perfect, this chapter will never get out. =P
Duke stood uncertainly in front of the Infirmary door, deliberating over whether it would be safe for him to enter. What if the boy woke up while he was in there? If he scared Camden, he'd never forgive himself...
That wouldn't happen. Camden had to be asleep. He'd just go in there quickly to check how the boy looked and he would leave. Maybe he would even keep Nosedive company for a while. The child would be tired after crying like that, wouldn't he? Right?
-Ya ain't gonna get nowhere just standin' here,- Duke quietly berated himself, shaking his head. -There's only one way ta find out...-
Duke walked into the Infirmary, the doors sliding shut after he entered. Silence greeted him. It was obvious that the child was asleep and Duke sighed in relief. There would be no chance of him scaring the boy now...
Nosedive was sitting with his back to Duke, his arms wrapped around something. Probably the child, Duke realized when he thought about it for a moment. The teenager was humming something gently under his breath as he rocked gently back and forth. He had to be holding the boy, then.
"How is he?" Duke asked in a whisper as he walked over to Nosedive's side and sat down in a chair.
The teenager's response was to all but fall off the cot he had been sitting on, barely stopping himself from dropping the little boy in his arms. He stared at Duke in shock for a moment, having been taken by surprise, before he began to blush. Thankfully, Camden had exhausted himself enough that he continued to sleep despite Nosedive's reaction.
"He was crying earlier," Nosedive managed to get out after his blushing had subsided a bit, "And he misses his family..."
Duke's eyes softened, "Can't really blame the kid. He's been through a lot..."
Nosedive nodded quietly and hung his head, "And it didn't help that I told him that Wildwing's my big bro'! It was my fault that he remembered his family was dead in the first place! I should've just lied!"
"Kid..."
"It's true!" Nosedive sighed, hugging the little boy tighter to his chest. "I practically made him remember!"
"He woulda remembered about 'em eventually, Nosedive," Duke replied, frowning. "It's not your fault."
"B-But it--Mmph!" Duke clamped his hand over Nosedive's beak when the teenager's voice began to rise.
"Shh, you'll wake 'im if you keep that up," Duke smiled slightly when Nosedive blushed again, and he let go of the teenager's beak.
"S-Sorry..." Nosedive looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment--what had he been thinking?
Silence came over the Infirmary, neither mallard knowing what to say. Duke's gaze trailed over the toys scattered around Camden's cot and smiled softly. The kid was at least well enough that he could play a little.
Eventually Nosedive, most of the reddness in his cheeks gone, turned back to Duke with confusion, "Why did you come, anyways?"
"Taunny wasn't sleeping well," Duke sighed, "I wanted ta know if Camden was really that bad off."
"No shit she hasn't been sleeping well," Nosedive frowned and shook his head, ignoring Duke raising his eyebrow at the curse, "And Cammy's getting better everyday, at any rate. She's just worried that he'll get sick or something. His immune system ain't too good yet."
Duke nodded, glancing to Camden, "So, how is he, anyways?"
"Besides the crying fit?" Nosedive smoothed down Cammy's hair as the boy slept. "Pretty good, although he's getting rather mischievious."
"Oh?"
"He purposely bonked me in the head with a ball earlier today."
Duke snorted in laughter, "I'm sure you played that up."
"Of course!" Nosedive gave Duke a mock-incrediblous look. "What would you expect from me?"
"Nothing less than you being a complete ham," Duke smirked.
"Hey!" Nosedive whined, although with a smile.
Duke feigned innocence.
Nosedive stuck out his tongue and Duke grinned, "No wonder why Cammy likes ya. You're too much like a kid yourself."
The teenager gave him a mock-glare, "If he wasn't asleep on my lap, I'd have to hurt you."
"Excuses, excuses..." Duke smirked again, "Aren't ya supposed ta be takin' it easy still?"
"Naw! That was a long time ago," Nosedive rolled his eyes, "You're getting old. Can't even remember the time now, can you?"
"Watch it."
The teenager just grinned back innocently in response.
Tanya, after a long nap, came back and relieved Nosedive of his watch, practically shoving him out of the infirmary while telling him to get some rest. Nosedive found himself wandering down the halls, trying to hold back a yawn. He really could use the rest.
A chuckle behind him suddenly made him jump and he whirled around to face an amused Wildwing.
His older brother tilted his head a little to look at Nosedive, "A bit tired, baby bro'?"
Nosedive's response was cut off by a yawn and Wildwing rolled his eyes, "Bed, you."
"Aw man..." Nosedive whined softly, but otherwise didn't protest as Wildwing wrapped an arm around his shoulders and started leading him back to their room.
"You shouldn't stay up late worrying about Cammy so much, 'Dive. He's a strong kid from what you've been telling me." Wildwing nuzzled his brother's forehead when the teenager rested his head up against him.
"But I made him cry..." Nosedive whispered and Wildwing blinked.
"What do you mean...?" Wildwing nuzzled Nosedive again when the younger of the two sighed.
"I told him about you..." Nosedive pressed a bit closer into Wildwing, seeking comfort, "And then he remembered about his f-family..."
Wildwing's eyes softened, "He would've eventually remembered about them, anyways, baby bro'..."
"That's what Duke said.." Nosedive sighed, looking down at the floor. "I-It doesn't make me feel any less horrible, though..."
"Nosedive..." Wildwing pulled his brother closer as they reached the door to their room. "Things like that happen... You shouldn't blame yourself."
"But.." Nosedive's protested weakly, too tired to put up much of an argument.
"No buts, baby bro'. Let's just get you in bed and we can talk about it when you're more coherent, okay?" Wildwing punched in the code to open the door, then lead his brother over to his bed. "You can sleep in my bed. Stars know that you're too tired to climb up to yours."
"Huh? ... 'k..." Nosedive mumbled, before crawling under the covers and curling up.
Wildwing chuckled sadly and stroked Nosedive's hair, "Shh. Just go to sleep."
Nosedive mumbled something unintelligible and was asleep a minute later, breathing softly. Wildwing rolled his eyes, tucking his brother in. Judging from how tired Nosedive had been, he wouldn't be up for a number of hours.
"Just get some sleep, baby bro'," Wildwing whispered to the sleeping form in front of him, "And leave the worrying to me."
"You really think he'll be okay with this?" Mallory looked to Tanya uncertainly. "I mean, after..."
"He'll be okay with it," Tanya smiled, stroking Camden's hair as the boy slept. "You're only scary when you're angry."
"HEY!" Mallory gave Tanya a withering glare, which the other woman promptly ignored. Tanya just hummed quietly, trying her best not to laugh and even harder not to smile.
The red-head beside Tanya took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She didn't want to scare Camden, Mallory told herself repeatedly. Especially after all he had gone through. No, she didn't want to be the enemy...
"Heh.. He is pretty cute," Mallory shook her head, a smile creeping up on her, her anger fading. "Heard from Duke that he played a trick on Nosedive..."
"You mean you and Duke are on speaking terms again?" Mallory grated her teeth at that question. Did Tanya have to bring up the other night?
"Yes," Mallory replied, taking another deep breath. "He said he won't drink the rest of the coffee without making another pot first."
"... And how much bodily harm did you threaten him with if he didn't?" Tanya carefully hid her smile again.
Mallory smirked, "Oh... I only stopped at one specific body part."
Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes, "I suppose that was the best case scenario.. Did you threaten to use his own sword on him?"
"Of course," Mallory grinned viciously and Tanya shook her head.
"You two act like children," Tanya rolled her eyes and glanced back down to Camden.
"He started it, not me!" Mallory frowned and Tanya tried her best not to laugh once again.
"I'll just take your word for it," Tanya replied, hiding a snicker. "But, at any rate, Cammy should be waking up soon."
"How soon?" Mallory asked, shifting a bit closer to the boy. "He looks like he could sleep for few hours..."
"Oh, pretty soon I'm guessing since it's nearly time for his bath," Tanya smiled, "He was pretty excited in the morning when I told him that he was finally going to be able to have a bath... His wounds are healed enough that it won't hurt them anymore."
Mallory shook her head and grinned, "That excited over a bath?"
"He may be clean, but he hasn't had a bath in months," Tanya smoothed down the duckling's hair. "He was talking about all the stuff he wanted to do in the bath..."
"Are you saying that, if I'm going to help, I should probably be wearing a bathing suit and plan on getting soaked?" Mallory smirked when Tanya smiled slyly. "He's worse than Nosedive..."
"Much, much worse," Tanya agreed with a laugh, rolling her eyes. "Nosedive's been making him hyper lately."
"Oh?" Mallory raised an eyebrow. "I thought he was still recovering..."
"He is, but that doesn't stop him from having giggle-fits," Mallory snorted with laughter at Tanya's reply.
"Giggle-fits?"
"Yes, giggle-fits," Tanya smiled down to the boy, "And they're catching."
"What, Nosedive went giggly on you a few times?" Mallory grinned evily.
"Uh, I'm not at liberty to say."
"And he swore you to secrecy, too?" Mallory's grin widened. "Oooh, blackmail."
Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes once again, "Just don't whine to me when he pranks you for it."
"I think he's a little too busy snoring away to be pranking. Wildwing told me that he was out cold," Mallory smirked, "I'll have plenty of time to come up with something evil while he sleeps."
"I'm sure you will, too," Tanya was about to add another comment, but she blinked when she felt movement under her hand. "Shh, Cammy's waking up."
"He is?" Mallory fidgeted, suddenly nervous.
Tanya nodded, going back to stroking Camden's hair, "Did you sleep well, Cammy?"
Camden, barely awake, nodded and curled up in the direction of Tanya's voice, "... Yeah..."
"That's good to hear," Tanya chuckled as the boy yawned, "I've got a new friend for you to meet."
The duckling blinked his eyes open, looking to Tanya, "R-Really?"
"Yup!" Tanya replied cheerfully, shaking her head with a smile. "She's very excited to be meeting you.."
"Where is she?" Camden's eyes went wide with excitment and Mallory found herself having to bite back a laugh.
"Right behind you, silly," Mallory replied, forcing back another laugh back when Camden gasped and turned to stare at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled down to the little boy, her earlier nervousness already forgotten. "I'm Mallory. Tanya's been telling me a lot about you--"
"I like Taunny!" Camden piped up and Mallory raised an eyebrow.
"Taunny?" Mallory glanced over to Tanya, giving her an amused look. "She lets you call her that?"
Camden nodded vigorously, "Uh-huh! She said I can 'cause I'm special!"
Mallory looked back to Camden and laughed as he puffed out his little chest proudly, "Oh, I see how it is..."
The duckling just grinned to her.
Tanya's eyes filled up with tears as she listened to Camden chatter away to Mallory. He had come so far in so little time... Camden was almost ready to leave the Infirmary and move in with someone. She knew, however, that his recovery would prove to be a double-edged sword. While he would grow heathier everday, and be able to start taking lessons from her, there would be a new, devestating after-effect stemming from the horrors he had suffered.
Camden would begin to have nightmares. Horrible, awful nightmares. So bad that he would refuse to sleep by himself, would cry himself back to sleep, and could possibly even regress in his emotional recovery. Tanya suspected that his mind had buried the memories of what had happened to him, but that wouldn't save him from the nightmares. Even if he didn't remember anything, his subconsciousness always would. And it was his subconsciousness, not him, that determined what he would dream.
A tug at her sleeve provided a welcome break from her morose thoughts, and she looked down to see Camden looking up at her with worried eyes, "Why are you sad?"
"O-Oh!" Tanya blushed, then quickly shook her head and smiled, "I was just thinking about something, sweetie.. Don't worry about it."
"..But I don't want you to be sad anymore.." Camden sniffled, his eyes becoming moist.
Tanya's heart broke, and she opened up her arms to the little boy, smiling weakly, "Then give me a hug so I don't have to be sad anymore!"
Camden grinned, glad he could do something to help Tanya, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, "Then I'll give you lots of hugs!"
Mallory shook her head at Camden, smiling softly. That boy was too cute for his own good. Maybe she'd have to buy him some more toys... Mallory fully intended to spoil him, and enjoy doing it.
"Oh no, I think Camden's going to squeeze me to death!" Tanya laughed, smiling as her comment earned a giggle from the boy.
"I'll save you!" Mallory grinned evilly and reached over to tickle the boy, causing him to squeal in surprise.
"Noooo!" Camden giggled, trying his best to squirm from the tickling, but failing miserably. "Ahh, Taunny!"
Tanya gave him an innocent look as he squirmed in her arms, "What? I'm not doing anything..."
"Heeeelllp!" Camden cried, still giggling hysterically.
"Oh, is that what you want?" Tanya asked with obviously amusement in her voice.
"Please??" Camden begged, trying his best to give her sad eyes while being tickled.
She mock-sighed, giving him an amused look so he knew she was kidding, "Oh, if I must."
Rolling her eyes, Mallory shared a look of amusement with Tanya before the taller woman struck clean and swiftly. Mallory let out a surprised yelp, not expecting Tanya to use that particular avenue of attack, and backed away, stopping her assault on Camden. A second later, she realized that she had backed too far away, toppling off her seat and onto the floor.
Camden took one look at Mallory's stunned look and burst out laughing, "S-She's ticklish!"
Tanya smirked as Mallory gave her a glare, "Seems that way, doesn't it?"
The boy nodded quickly and Mallory sighed, replacing her frown with a smirk, "That was sneaky... Want to help me get her back, Cammy?"
He burst into giggles and nodded, joining Mallory's revenge-tickling, Tanya too wide-eyed in surprise to stop them.
Nosedive yawned and stretched, finally waking up a number of hours later. Wildwing, hearing his brother's movement, glanced over the edge of his book and raised an eyebrow in amusement. The younger of the two brothers didn't see Wildwing's expression or chose to ignore it completely.
"Finally awake, baby bro'?" the white mallard shook his head and smoothed down Nosedive's tangled hair when he pulled his blanket down.
Nosedive shook his head slowly in response and then pulled the blanket back over his head, causing Wildwing to snort, "Or not.. Still sleepy?"
"A little," Nosedive mumbled, yawning quietly under his covers, "Did Cammy wake up?"
"A couple of hours ago," Wildwing stated, shaking his head at his brother with a smile. "He met Mal, too."
Nosedive forced himself awake, pulling his blanket away, and stared at Wildwing in shock, "R-Really?"
"Don't worry, Mal got along with him just fine," Wildwing chuckled, smiling as he watched his brother visibly relax. "She's been better with kids ever since she met Buzz."
"Yeah, well, she was a bit touched about the way he was trying to impress her, even if it was a bit annoying," Nosedive grinned. "He's a pretty cool kid once he stops trying to hide his real self."
He blinked, realizing something, and then glanced up to his brother, "Hey, speaking of Buzz... He hasn't been by in a while, has he?"
Wildwing thought back to the last few weeks in surprise and then shook his head, "Not in the last couple of weeks. Huh, that's weird--he usually swings by here at least weekly."
"Do you think he could be avoiding us because of Cammy?" Nosedive asked, finally sitting up. "He's a genius, you know, so he'd be able to figure out that we were busy with the little guy, and that he would be scared of humans, even without that speech of yours."
"You're right, 'Dive," Wildwing sighed and frowned, "But visiting us is the highlight of his weeks. It's gotta be hurting him by now."
Nosedive nodded, "That's what I was thinking. You know, Cammy has to meet humans eventually... Buzz might make a good playmate for him, especially if he's already met Mallory. He trusted me pretty quick because I was friends with Tanya, so that's probably why he trusted Mallory, too. It might happen the same way with Buzz, even if the kid's a whole different species from us."
"You might be right, but we'd better check with Tanya first," Wildwing smiled, "She's the one that's got the most training for this sort of thing."
"Probably, but it would be good if Cammy had another kid to play with," Nosedive shrugged. "Although we'll have to tell Buzz to not get too excited. That kid's rather... hyper sometimes, you know?"
Wildwing laughed, "Just a little bit, yeah. But he'll understand why once we explain to him how scared Cammy is."
"And once Cammy's used to him, it'll be okay for him to be hyper," Nosedive rolled his eyes. "Cammy can get pretty hyper himself sometimes."
"Especially when you put a sock over your beak," Wildwing smirked and Nosedive flushed.
"Tanya told you about that?!" Nosedive moaned, burying his face in his hands. "Oh man..."
"Don't worry about it, baby bro', you looked cute in the pictures!" Wildwing laughed and Nosedive's eyes went wide.
"She got pictures?!" the teenager looked like he was going to have a heart attack, but then he blinked and his eyes narrowed. "Wait a second... She didn't get pictures!"
"Made you freak out though, didn't I?" Wildwing gave his brother a lop-sided grin as Nosedive glared death in his direction.
"You are so freakin' pranked, 'Wing, you are so freakin' pranked!" Nosedive warned. "The second you let your guard down, you're gonna get it."
"I'll keep that in mind," Wildwing ruffled his brother's hair.
"HEY!" Nosedive tried to desperately fix it, "Hands off the hair!"
"It's not like I killed it or anything!" Wildwing raised an eyebrow. "It's already messed up from you sleeping, anyways."
"So?"
"So I can't do anymore damage to it," Wildwing stated, smirking to Nosedive.
"At least I have hair!" Nosedive retorted and Wildwing mock-glared at him.
"I have hair, it's just the same color as my feathers!" Wildwing replied instantly--it was Nosedive's little game to tease him, and it was Wildwing's little game to never be caught off guard by it.
"Everyone only says that because they feel sorry for you," Nosedive shook his head. "Really, bro', you should know that by now!"
"Humph!" Wildwing crossed his arms and pretended to pout, causing Nosedive to snort with laughter.
"You've been around me too much, 'Wing," Nosedive rolled his eyes and grinned wider, pointing to himself. "But then again, with a face this cute, who could resist?"
Wildwing ruffled his brother's hair once more, causing the younger to let out an indignant squeak, "WING!"
"If you're so worried about how you look, then maybe you should go take a shower," he stated with a smirk. "Or at least comb through your hair--it's a mess."
"I wonder how that happened . . . " Nosedive rolled his eyes. "Have any leads?"
"Nope, none. The criminal got away with a trace," Wildwing replied and Nosedive snorted.
"Uh-huh, riiiiiiiight; I'll just go take my shower before he strikes again," The teenager finally got up and headed towards the shower, mumbling under his breath, "The next time he won't be able to go anywhere without a trace!"
Nosedive was still contemplating what would qualify as adequate payback while he was styling his hair. All of the ideas that he had come up with so far were inappropriate given the situation, too evil, or simply not evil enough. Nosedive rarely stroved for perfection in his everyday life, except when it came to his hair and his pranks. Neither were quite to his standards today and that irked him. His hair was at least progressing towards a more polished state.
He would have to be careful about the nature of his next prank, however. It would have to be good enough to satify him, but at the same time it could not make Wildwing explode. With Cammy both nearly healed and ready to leave the Infirmary, bad timing could result in him seeing Wildwing's response to Nosedive's prank. An angry response could deal setbacks to Camden's emotional recovery and that would be very, very bad.
So the best type of prank would be one that wouldn't anger Wildwing and immediately make the others laugh. The funnier it was to the others, the more likely Wildwing would quickly join in with their laughter. If he could somehow involve Cammy with the prank, it would be almost be a given that the others would find it hilarious. The idea of five-year-old child successfully pranking their "fearless leader" was too perfect for words.
Nosedive smirked into the mirror, finally finishing with his bangs. Now that he had idea of how to keep Wildwing from blowing up at him, all he had to do was come up with a prank that Cammy could participate in. It would have to be funny to the others, but interesting enough that Camden would enjoy it as well. There was nothing that hindered a prank's success more than boredom, especially if the person suffering from it happened to be a child.
He continued to hash out and then eliminate various ideas in rapid succession, frowning in concentration as he dried his hair. There just had to be a prank that would satisfy his need for revenge which would also provide amusement to Camden and keep Wildwing from killing his younger brother. It just happened to remain elusive.
Unfortunately, Nosedive's concentration was so intense that when Drake One's Alarm went off, he simultaneously jumped in surprise and dropped the hair-dryer on his foot. He let out a string of curses, any of which would have most likely earned reprimand from Wildwing, and tugged the plug out of the wall, not bothering to pick the hair-dryer up. Nosedive left the device and its cord on the floor as he rushed out of the bathroom, grabbing his comm off a stack of comic books on the way to the door.
Wildwing said that if he was late to the ready room during an alarm one more time, his daily hockey drills would be tripled for a month, regardless of how much Camden wanted to be with him. Nosedive, understanding his brother very well, knew that Wildwing would do just that! Not intending to be late again, Nosedive slapped on his wrist-comm and switched to his battle gear, not missing a step as he sprinted down the corridor.
His comm beeped half a minute later and he flipped it up, Wildwing's face appearing on the screen, still without the mask, "Baby bro'?"
Nosedive frowned at the tone of his brother's voice; Wildwing only used it when he was sure he was going to ask Nosedive to do something he wouldn't want to do. "Yeah, 'Wing? What's up?"
His suspicions were confirmed with Wildwing's reply, "I need you to go to the Infirmary."
The teenager frowned deeper and slowed down his sprinting, bringing himself to an abrupt stop. "Lemme guess, you want me to go watch over Cammy while you guys go after Dragaunus?"
"Uh..." Wildwing hesitated, then shook his head. "Tanya says it's some gang activity getting out of hand in one of the suburbs."
Nosedive somehow frowned even deeper, "They can be even worse than Dragaunus."
"That's why we need you to stay here," Wildwing stated, quickly continuing before Nosedive could open his mouth in protest, "Both Mallory and Tanya have better medical training than you do. If one of us gets hit, they'll be able to do more about it than you can."
He cursed under his breath, knowing that Wildwing was right, "And since I'm the only other person that Cammy trusts besides those two.."
Wildwing nodded, "Tanya already knows the plan and she's waiting for you to arrive before meeting us in the hangar. We can't leave Camden by himself."
"Right," Nosedive sighed. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Of course," then Wildwing smiled a little, "I'm not you, remember?"
"Oh har har," Nosedive rolled his eyes. "See you when you get back, big bro'. And don't let Duke drive, okay? He wrecks the Migrator more than I do!"
Wildwing snorted, "Tell me about it."
Nosedive watched his comm go dark, closed it with a sigh, and started running towards the Infirmary.
The teenager took a deep breath as he stood in front of the Infirmary door. If Camden saw how worried he was, he would become all the more frightened and harder to handle. No, Nosedive had to make sure there were no cues that Camden would pick up on. It was bad enough that Tanya had to leave the boy; it would be even worse if Camden thought that Nosedive was going to leave as well.
He punched the proper sequence into the keypad and walked inside as the door opened. The scene that greeted him was expected, but it still broke his heart to see the little boy curled up in Tanya's arms, shivering as Drake One continued to bellow out its warning. Tanya was trying her best to make Camden let go of her shirt, nuzzling him soothingly at the same time, but was having little success.
"Hey there, little guy," Nosedive put on a reassuring smile as he walked over to the others' side. "It's a bit loud, isn't it?"
Camden glanced up to him and nodded softly, letting out a small whimper. Tanya's eyes softened as she regarded the scared child and then looked up to Nosedive. "Wildwing told you the plan, then?"
"Yeah, he did," Nosedive relaxed a little as the alarm finally ended; now maybe they had a chance of getting Cammy to cooperate! "Want me to take the little squirt, then?"
"Could you? I need to join the others," Tanya nuzzled Camden's brow. "But you'd better not do anything to get him dirty--he just had his bath."
"Okay, okay," Nosedive rolled his eyes and held his arms out to Camden. "Come on, buddy, let's go and do some fun stuff while Tanya's away! Is that okay with you?"
The frightened child nodded quietly and unclasped himself from Tanya, reaching out for Nosedive with both arms outstretched. Tanya handed the boy over to Nosedive, then stood quickly. There wasn't time to spare--it had already been a while since the alarm first went off. "I'll see you two later." She gave Camden one last nuzzle and broke out into a run, going through the Infirmary doors before they automatically closed.
Nosedive sighed, watching her leave. Camden shifted in his arms, then tugged Nosedive's sleeve. "W-Where is Taunny going?"
"She's going to help some people; she'll be back soon," Nosedive reassured him, but Camden still fidgeted nervously.
"Y-You promise?"
"I promise," Nosedive replied, hearing the Migrator rumbled off into the distance. Camden went silent and they sat there together for a while, not sure what to do. And for the first time, for some reason he could not phantom, Nosedive was worried for the others. Maybe it was because he was effectively out of action without having been injured, and that he was still capable of helping out the others. Or maybe it was just his emotions reacting to Camden's unfound worries and fears.
Nosedive put on his best smile for Cammy, and lead the boy over to a nearby pile of toys scattered on the Infirmary floor. Even if it wouldn't get rid of his worries, playing with the boy would help keep him calm. Something told him it was going to be a long wait.
*End of Chapter Two*
By Icelightning
Chapter 2: Musings
Author's Note: *Coughs* Ahem. *Sings* It was the fanfic that would never end... It went on and on my friend! Ice starting writing it, not knowing what it was, but she'll be writing it forever just because it was the fanfic that would never end... *Innocent look* Well, that's how this chapter felt like. And my fanfic decided to take a life of it's own. Again. Thanks to Ottercub for ideas! =P Somehow they're sneaking their way into my fanfic. I think my fanfic is in love with Ottercub and is trying to get favors from her. O.o; At least, that would explain a lot! At any rate.. Onto the fanfic!
Author's Second Note: Everyone's too happy in this chapter. Grr. I'm going to have to make sure that doesn't happen again! Oh, wait, I did. HA! .... Although the action doesn't happen until the next chapter. =P
Author's Third Note: The ending didn't quite come out the way I wanted, but this chapter has taken so long that I really don't care. No offense, but if I wait to get that ending just perfect, this chapter will never get out. =P
Duke stood uncertainly in front of the Infirmary door, deliberating over whether it would be safe for him to enter. What if the boy woke up while he was in there? If he scared Camden, he'd never forgive himself...
That wouldn't happen. Camden had to be asleep. He'd just go in there quickly to check how the boy looked and he would leave. Maybe he would even keep Nosedive company for a while. The child would be tired after crying like that, wouldn't he? Right?
-Ya ain't gonna get nowhere just standin' here,- Duke quietly berated himself, shaking his head. -There's only one way ta find out...-
Duke walked into the Infirmary, the doors sliding shut after he entered. Silence greeted him. It was obvious that the child was asleep and Duke sighed in relief. There would be no chance of him scaring the boy now...
Nosedive was sitting with his back to Duke, his arms wrapped around something. Probably the child, Duke realized when he thought about it for a moment. The teenager was humming something gently under his breath as he rocked gently back and forth. He had to be holding the boy, then.
"How is he?" Duke asked in a whisper as he walked over to Nosedive's side and sat down in a chair.
The teenager's response was to all but fall off the cot he had been sitting on, barely stopping himself from dropping the little boy in his arms. He stared at Duke in shock for a moment, having been taken by surprise, before he began to blush. Thankfully, Camden had exhausted himself enough that he continued to sleep despite Nosedive's reaction.
"He was crying earlier," Nosedive managed to get out after his blushing had subsided a bit, "And he misses his family..."
Duke's eyes softened, "Can't really blame the kid. He's been through a lot..."
Nosedive nodded quietly and hung his head, "And it didn't help that I told him that Wildwing's my big bro'! It was my fault that he remembered his family was dead in the first place! I should've just lied!"
"Kid..."
"It's true!" Nosedive sighed, hugging the little boy tighter to his chest. "I practically made him remember!"
"He woulda remembered about 'em eventually, Nosedive," Duke replied, frowning. "It's not your fault."
"B-But it--Mmph!" Duke clamped his hand over Nosedive's beak when the teenager's voice began to rise.
"Shh, you'll wake 'im if you keep that up," Duke smiled slightly when Nosedive blushed again, and he let go of the teenager's beak.
"S-Sorry..." Nosedive looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment--what had he been thinking?
Silence came over the Infirmary, neither mallard knowing what to say. Duke's gaze trailed over the toys scattered around Camden's cot and smiled softly. The kid was at least well enough that he could play a little.
Eventually Nosedive, most of the reddness in his cheeks gone, turned back to Duke with confusion, "Why did you come, anyways?"
"Taunny wasn't sleeping well," Duke sighed, "I wanted ta know if Camden was really that bad off."
"No shit she hasn't been sleeping well," Nosedive frowned and shook his head, ignoring Duke raising his eyebrow at the curse, "And Cammy's getting better everyday, at any rate. She's just worried that he'll get sick or something. His immune system ain't too good yet."
Duke nodded, glancing to Camden, "So, how is he, anyways?"
"Besides the crying fit?" Nosedive smoothed down Cammy's hair as the boy slept. "Pretty good, although he's getting rather mischievious."
"Oh?"
"He purposely bonked me in the head with a ball earlier today."
Duke snorted in laughter, "I'm sure you played that up."
"Of course!" Nosedive gave Duke a mock-incrediblous look. "What would you expect from me?"
"Nothing less than you being a complete ham," Duke smirked.
"Hey!" Nosedive whined, although with a smile.
Duke feigned innocence.
Nosedive stuck out his tongue and Duke grinned, "No wonder why Cammy likes ya. You're too much like a kid yourself."
The teenager gave him a mock-glare, "If he wasn't asleep on my lap, I'd have to hurt you."
"Excuses, excuses..." Duke smirked again, "Aren't ya supposed ta be takin' it easy still?"
"Naw! That was a long time ago," Nosedive rolled his eyes, "You're getting old. Can't even remember the time now, can you?"
"Watch it."
The teenager just grinned back innocently in response.
Tanya, after a long nap, came back and relieved Nosedive of his watch, practically shoving him out of the infirmary while telling him to get some rest. Nosedive found himself wandering down the halls, trying to hold back a yawn. He really could use the rest.
A chuckle behind him suddenly made him jump and he whirled around to face an amused Wildwing.
His older brother tilted his head a little to look at Nosedive, "A bit tired, baby bro'?"
Nosedive's response was cut off by a yawn and Wildwing rolled his eyes, "Bed, you."
"Aw man..." Nosedive whined softly, but otherwise didn't protest as Wildwing wrapped an arm around his shoulders and started leading him back to their room.
"You shouldn't stay up late worrying about Cammy so much, 'Dive. He's a strong kid from what you've been telling me." Wildwing nuzzled his brother's forehead when the teenager rested his head up against him.
"But I made him cry..." Nosedive whispered and Wildwing blinked.
"What do you mean...?" Wildwing nuzzled Nosedive again when the younger of the two sighed.
"I told him about you..." Nosedive pressed a bit closer into Wildwing, seeking comfort, "And then he remembered about his f-family..."
Wildwing's eyes softened, "He would've eventually remembered about them, anyways, baby bro'..."
"That's what Duke said.." Nosedive sighed, looking down at the floor. "I-It doesn't make me feel any less horrible, though..."
"Nosedive..." Wildwing pulled his brother closer as they reached the door to their room. "Things like that happen... You shouldn't blame yourself."
"But.." Nosedive's protested weakly, too tired to put up much of an argument.
"No buts, baby bro'. Let's just get you in bed and we can talk about it when you're more coherent, okay?" Wildwing punched in the code to open the door, then lead his brother over to his bed. "You can sleep in my bed. Stars know that you're too tired to climb up to yours."
"Huh? ... 'k..." Nosedive mumbled, before crawling under the covers and curling up.
Wildwing chuckled sadly and stroked Nosedive's hair, "Shh. Just go to sleep."
Nosedive mumbled something unintelligible and was asleep a minute later, breathing softly. Wildwing rolled his eyes, tucking his brother in. Judging from how tired Nosedive had been, he wouldn't be up for a number of hours.
"Just get some sleep, baby bro'," Wildwing whispered to the sleeping form in front of him, "And leave the worrying to me."
"You really think he'll be okay with this?" Mallory looked to Tanya uncertainly. "I mean, after..."
"He'll be okay with it," Tanya smiled, stroking Camden's hair as the boy slept. "You're only scary when you're angry."
"HEY!" Mallory gave Tanya a withering glare, which the other woman promptly ignored. Tanya just hummed quietly, trying her best not to laugh and even harder not to smile.
The red-head beside Tanya took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She didn't want to scare Camden, Mallory told herself repeatedly. Especially after all he had gone through. No, she didn't want to be the enemy...
"Heh.. He is pretty cute," Mallory shook her head, a smile creeping up on her, her anger fading. "Heard from Duke that he played a trick on Nosedive..."
"You mean you and Duke are on speaking terms again?" Mallory grated her teeth at that question. Did Tanya have to bring up the other night?
"Yes," Mallory replied, taking another deep breath. "He said he won't drink the rest of the coffee without making another pot first."
"... And how much bodily harm did you threaten him with if he didn't?" Tanya carefully hid her smile again.
Mallory smirked, "Oh... I only stopped at one specific body part."
Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes, "I suppose that was the best case scenario.. Did you threaten to use his own sword on him?"
"Of course," Mallory grinned viciously and Tanya shook her head.
"You two act like children," Tanya rolled her eyes and glanced back down to Camden.
"He started it, not me!" Mallory frowned and Tanya tried her best not to laugh once again.
"I'll just take your word for it," Tanya replied, hiding a snicker. "But, at any rate, Cammy should be waking up soon."
"How soon?" Mallory asked, shifting a bit closer to the boy. "He looks like he could sleep for few hours..."
"Oh, pretty soon I'm guessing since it's nearly time for his bath," Tanya smiled, "He was pretty excited in the morning when I told him that he was finally going to be able to have a bath... His wounds are healed enough that it won't hurt them anymore."
Mallory shook her head and grinned, "That excited over a bath?"
"He may be clean, but he hasn't had a bath in months," Tanya smoothed down the duckling's hair. "He was talking about all the stuff he wanted to do in the bath..."
"Are you saying that, if I'm going to help, I should probably be wearing a bathing suit and plan on getting soaked?" Mallory smirked when Tanya smiled slyly. "He's worse than Nosedive..."
"Much, much worse," Tanya agreed with a laugh, rolling her eyes. "Nosedive's been making him hyper lately."
"Oh?" Mallory raised an eyebrow. "I thought he was still recovering..."
"He is, but that doesn't stop him from having giggle-fits," Mallory snorted with laughter at Tanya's reply.
"Giggle-fits?"
"Yes, giggle-fits," Tanya smiled down to the boy, "And they're catching."
"What, Nosedive went giggly on you a few times?" Mallory grinned evily.
"Uh, I'm not at liberty to say."
"And he swore you to secrecy, too?" Mallory's grin widened. "Oooh, blackmail."
Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes once again, "Just don't whine to me when he pranks you for it."
"I think he's a little too busy snoring away to be pranking. Wildwing told me that he was out cold," Mallory smirked, "I'll have plenty of time to come up with something evil while he sleeps."
"I'm sure you will, too," Tanya was about to add another comment, but she blinked when she felt movement under her hand. "Shh, Cammy's waking up."
"He is?" Mallory fidgeted, suddenly nervous.
Tanya nodded, going back to stroking Camden's hair, "Did you sleep well, Cammy?"
Camden, barely awake, nodded and curled up in the direction of Tanya's voice, "... Yeah..."
"That's good to hear," Tanya chuckled as the boy yawned, "I've got a new friend for you to meet."
The duckling blinked his eyes open, looking to Tanya, "R-Really?"
"Yup!" Tanya replied cheerfully, shaking her head with a smile. "She's very excited to be meeting you.."
"Where is she?" Camden's eyes went wide with excitment and Mallory found herself having to bite back a laugh.
"Right behind you, silly," Mallory replied, forcing back another laugh back when Camden gasped and turned to stare at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled down to the little boy, her earlier nervousness already forgotten. "I'm Mallory. Tanya's been telling me a lot about you--"
"I like Taunny!" Camden piped up and Mallory raised an eyebrow.
"Taunny?" Mallory glanced over to Tanya, giving her an amused look. "She lets you call her that?"
Camden nodded vigorously, "Uh-huh! She said I can 'cause I'm special!"
Mallory looked back to Camden and laughed as he puffed out his little chest proudly, "Oh, I see how it is..."
The duckling just grinned to her.
Tanya's eyes filled up with tears as she listened to Camden chatter away to Mallory. He had come so far in so little time... Camden was almost ready to leave the Infirmary and move in with someone. She knew, however, that his recovery would prove to be a double-edged sword. While he would grow heathier everday, and be able to start taking lessons from her, there would be a new, devestating after-effect stemming from the horrors he had suffered.
Camden would begin to have nightmares. Horrible, awful nightmares. So bad that he would refuse to sleep by himself, would cry himself back to sleep, and could possibly even regress in his emotional recovery. Tanya suspected that his mind had buried the memories of what had happened to him, but that wouldn't save him from the nightmares. Even if he didn't remember anything, his subconsciousness always would. And it was his subconsciousness, not him, that determined what he would dream.
A tug at her sleeve provided a welcome break from her morose thoughts, and she looked down to see Camden looking up at her with worried eyes, "Why are you sad?"
"O-Oh!" Tanya blushed, then quickly shook her head and smiled, "I was just thinking about something, sweetie.. Don't worry about it."
"..But I don't want you to be sad anymore.." Camden sniffled, his eyes becoming moist.
Tanya's heart broke, and she opened up her arms to the little boy, smiling weakly, "Then give me a hug so I don't have to be sad anymore!"
Camden grinned, glad he could do something to help Tanya, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, "Then I'll give you lots of hugs!"
Mallory shook her head at Camden, smiling softly. That boy was too cute for his own good. Maybe she'd have to buy him some more toys... Mallory fully intended to spoil him, and enjoy doing it.
"Oh no, I think Camden's going to squeeze me to death!" Tanya laughed, smiling as her comment earned a giggle from the boy.
"I'll save you!" Mallory grinned evilly and reached over to tickle the boy, causing him to squeal in surprise.
"Noooo!" Camden giggled, trying his best to squirm from the tickling, but failing miserably. "Ahh, Taunny!"
Tanya gave him an innocent look as he squirmed in her arms, "What? I'm not doing anything..."
"Heeeelllp!" Camden cried, still giggling hysterically.
"Oh, is that what you want?" Tanya asked with obviously amusement in her voice.
"Please??" Camden begged, trying his best to give her sad eyes while being tickled.
She mock-sighed, giving him an amused look so he knew she was kidding, "Oh, if I must."
Rolling her eyes, Mallory shared a look of amusement with Tanya before the taller woman struck clean and swiftly. Mallory let out a surprised yelp, not expecting Tanya to use that particular avenue of attack, and backed away, stopping her assault on Camden. A second later, she realized that she had backed too far away, toppling off her seat and onto the floor.
Camden took one look at Mallory's stunned look and burst out laughing, "S-She's ticklish!"
Tanya smirked as Mallory gave her a glare, "Seems that way, doesn't it?"
The boy nodded quickly and Mallory sighed, replacing her frown with a smirk, "That was sneaky... Want to help me get her back, Cammy?"
He burst into giggles and nodded, joining Mallory's revenge-tickling, Tanya too wide-eyed in surprise to stop them.
Nosedive yawned and stretched, finally waking up a number of hours later. Wildwing, hearing his brother's movement, glanced over the edge of his book and raised an eyebrow in amusement. The younger of the two brothers didn't see Wildwing's expression or chose to ignore it completely.
"Finally awake, baby bro'?" the white mallard shook his head and smoothed down Nosedive's tangled hair when he pulled his blanket down.
Nosedive shook his head slowly in response and then pulled the blanket back over his head, causing Wildwing to snort, "Or not.. Still sleepy?"
"A little," Nosedive mumbled, yawning quietly under his covers, "Did Cammy wake up?"
"A couple of hours ago," Wildwing stated, shaking his head at his brother with a smile. "He met Mal, too."
Nosedive forced himself awake, pulling his blanket away, and stared at Wildwing in shock, "R-Really?"
"Don't worry, Mal got along with him just fine," Wildwing chuckled, smiling as he watched his brother visibly relax. "She's been better with kids ever since she met Buzz."
"Yeah, well, she was a bit touched about the way he was trying to impress her, even if it was a bit annoying," Nosedive grinned. "He's a pretty cool kid once he stops trying to hide his real self."
He blinked, realizing something, and then glanced up to his brother, "Hey, speaking of Buzz... He hasn't been by in a while, has he?"
Wildwing thought back to the last few weeks in surprise and then shook his head, "Not in the last couple of weeks. Huh, that's weird--he usually swings by here at least weekly."
"Do you think he could be avoiding us because of Cammy?" Nosedive asked, finally sitting up. "He's a genius, you know, so he'd be able to figure out that we were busy with the little guy, and that he would be scared of humans, even without that speech of yours."
"You're right, 'Dive," Wildwing sighed and frowned, "But visiting us is the highlight of his weeks. It's gotta be hurting him by now."
Nosedive nodded, "That's what I was thinking. You know, Cammy has to meet humans eventually... Buzz might make a good playmate for him, especially if he's already met Mallory. He trusted me pretty quick because I was friends with Tanya, so that's probably why he trusted Mallory, too. It might happen the same way with Buzz, even if the kid's a whole different species from us."
"You might be right, but we'd better check with Tanya first," Wildwing smiled, "She's the one that's got the most training for this sort of thing."
"Probably, but it would be good if Cammy had another kid to play with," Nosedive shrugged. "Although we'll have to tell Buzz to not get too excited. That kid's rather... hyper sometimes, you know?"
Wildwing laughed, "Just a little bit, yeah. But he'll understand why once we explain to him how scared Cammy is."
"And once Cammy's used to him, it'll be okay for him to be hyper," Nosedive rolled his eyes. "Cammy can get pretty hyper himself sometimes."
"Especially when you put a sock over your beak," Wildwing smirked and Nosedive flushed.
"Tanya told you about that?!" Nosedive moaned, burying his face in his hands. "Oh man..."
"Don't worry about it, baby bro', you looked cute in the pictures!" Wildwing laughed and Nosedive's eyes went wide.
"She got pictures?!" the teenager looked like he was going to have a heart attack, but then he blinked and his eyes narrowed. "Wait a second... She didn't get pictures!"
"Made you freak out though, didn't I?" Wildwing gave his brother a lop-sided grin as Nosedive glared death in his direction.
"You are so freakin' pranked, 'Wing, you are so freakin' pranked!" Nosedive warned. "The second you let your guard down, you're gonna get it."
"I'll keep that in mind," Wildwing ruffled his brother's hair.
"HEY!" Nosedive tried to desperately fix it, "Hands off the hair!"
"It's not like I killed it or anything!" Wildwing raised an eyebrow. "It's already messed up from you sleeping, anyways."
"So?"
"So I can't do anymore damage to it," Wildwing stated, smirking to Nosedive.
"At least I have hair!" Nosedive retorted and Wildwing mock-glared at him.
"I have hair, it's just the same color as my feathers!" Wildwing replied instantly--it was Nosedive's little game to tease him, and it was Wildwing's little game to never be caught off guard by it.
"Everyone only says that because they feel sorry for you," Nosedive shook his head. "Really, bro', you should know that by now!"
"Humph!" Wildwing crossed his arms and pretended to pout, causing Nosedive to snort with laughter.
"You've been around me too much, 'Wing," Nosedive rolled his eyes and grinned wider, pointing to himself. "But then again, with a face this cute, who could resist?"
Wildwing ruffled his brother's hair once more, causing the younger to let out an indignant squeak, "WING!"
"If you're so worried about how you look, then maybe you should go take a shower," he stated with a smirk. "Or at least comb through your hair--it's a mess."
"I wonder how that happened . . . " Nosedive rolled his eyes. "Have any leads?"
"Nope, none. The criminal got away with a trace," Wildwing replied and Nosedive snorted.
"Uh-huh, riiiiiiiight; I'll just go take my shower before he strikes again," The teenager finally got up and headed towards the shower, mumbling under his breath, "The next time he won't be able to go anywhere without a trace!"
Nosedive was still contemplating what would qualify as adequate payback while he was styling his hair. All of the ideas that he had come up with so far were inappropriate given the situation, too evil, or simply not evil enough. Nosedive rarely stroved for perfection in his everyday life, except when it came to his hair and his pranks. Neither were quite to his standards today and that irked him. His hair was at least progressing towards a more polished state.
He would have to be careful about the nature of his next prank, however. It would have to be good enough to satify him, but at the same time it could not make Wildwing explode. With Cammy both nearly healed and ready to leave the Infirmary, bad timing could result in him seeing Wildwing's response to Nosedive's prank. An angry response could deal setbacks to Camden's emotional recovery and that would be very, very bad.
So the best type of prank would be one that wouldn't anger Wildwing and immediately make the others laugh. The funnier it was to the others, the more likely Wildwing would quickly join in with their laughter. If he could somehow involve Cammy with the prank, it would be almost be a given that the others would find it hilarious. The idea of five-year-old child successfully pranking their "fearless leader" was too perfect for words.
Nosedive smirked into the mirror, finally finishing with his bangs. Now that he had idea of how to keep Wildwing from blowing up at him, all he had to do was come up with a prank that Cammy could participate in. It would have to be funny to the others, but interesting enough that Camden would enjoy it as well. There was nothing that hindered a prank's success more than boredom, especially if the person suffering from it happened to be a child.
He continued to hash out and then eliminate various ideas in rapid succession, frowning in concentration as he dried his hair. There just had to be a prank that would satisfy his need for revenge which would also provide amusement to Camden and keep Wildwing from killing his younger brother. It just happened to remain elusive.
Unfortunately, Nosedive's concentration was so intense that when Drake One's Alarm went off, he simultaneously jumped in surprise and dropped the hair-dryer on his foot. He let out a string of curses, any of which would have most likely earned reprimand from Wildwing, and tugged the plug out of the wall, not bothering to pick the hair-dryer up. Nosedive left the device and its cord on the floor as he rushed out of the bathroom, grabbing his comm off a stack of comic books on the way to the door.
Wildwing said that if he was late to the ready room during an alarm one more time, his daily hockey drills would be tripled for a month, regardless of how much Camden wanted to be with him. Nosedive, understanding his brother very well, knew that Wildwing would do just that! Not intending to be late again, Nosedive slapped on his wrist-comm and switched to his battle gear, not missing a step as he sprinted down the corridor.
His comm beeped half a minute later and he flipped it up, Wildwing's face appearing on the screen, still without the mask, "Baby bro'?"
Nosedive frowned at the tone of his brother's voice; Wildwing only used it when he was sure he was going to ask Nosedive to do something he wouldn't want to do. "Yeah, 'Wing? What's up?"
His suspicions were confirmed with Wildwing's reply, "I need you to go to the Infirmary."
The teenager frowned deeper and slowed down his sprinting, bringing himself to an abrupt stop. "Lemme guess, you want me to go watch over Cammy while you guys go after Dragaunus?"
"Uh..." Wildwing hesitated, then shook his head. "Tanya says it's some gang activity getting out of hand in one of the suburbs."
Nosedive somehow frowned even deeper, "They can be even worse than Dragaunus."
"That's why we need you to stay here," Wildwing stated, quickly continuing before Nosedive could open his mouth in protest, "Both Mallory and Tanya have better medical training than you do. If one of us gets hit, they'll be able to do more about it than you can."
He cursed under his breath, knowing that Wildwing was right, "And since I'm the only other person that Cammy trusts besides those two.."
Wildwing nodded, "Tanya already knows the plan and she's waiting for you to arrive before meeting us in the hangar. We can't leave Camden by himself."
"Right," Nosedive sighed. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Of course," then Wildwing smiled a little, "I'm not you, remember?"
"Oh har har," Nosedive rolled his eyes. "See you when you get back, big bro'. And don't let Duke drive, okay? He wrecks the Migrator more than I do!"
Wildwing snorted, "Tell me about it."
Nosedive watched his comm go dark, closed it with a sigh, and started running towards the Infirmary.
The teenager took a deep breath as he stood in front of the Infirmary door. If Camden saw how worried he was, he would become all the more frightened and harder to handle. No, Nosedive had to make sure there were no cues that Camden would pick up on. It was bad enough that Tanya had to leave the boy; it would be even worse if Camden thought that Nosedive was going to leave as well.
He punched the proper sequence into the keypad and walked inside as the door opened. The scene that greeted him was expected, but it still broke his heart to see the little boy curled up in Tanya's arms, shivering as Drake One continued to bellow out its warning. Tanya was trying her best to make Camden let go of her shirt, nuzzling him soothingly at the same time, but was having little success.
"Hey there, little guy," Nosedive put on a reassuring smile as he walked over to the others' side. "It's a bit loud, isn't it?"
Camden glanced up to him and nodded softly, letting out a small whimper. Tanya's eyes softened as she regarded the scared child and then looked up to Nosedive. "Wildwing told you the plan, then?"
"Yeah, he did," Nosedive relaxed a little as the alarm finally ended; now maybe they had a chance of getting Cammy to cooperate! "Want me to take the little squirt, then?"
"Could you? I need to join the others," Tanya nuzzled Camden's brow. "But you'd better not do anything to get him dirty--he just had his bath."
"Okay, okay," Nosedive rolled his eyes and held his arms out to Camden. "Come on, buddy, let's go and do some fun stuff while Tanya's away! Is that okay with you?"
The frightened child nodded quietly and unclasped himself from Tanya, reaching out for Nosedive with both arms outstretched. Tanya handed the boy over to Nosedive, then stood quickly. There wasn't time to spare--it had already been a while since the alarm first went off. "I'll see you two later." She gave Camden one last nuzzle and broke out into a run, going through the Infirmary doors before they automatically closed.
Nosedive sighed, watching her leave. Camden shifted in his arms, then tugged Nosedive's sleeve. "W-Where is Taunny going?"
"She's going to help some people; she'll be back soon," Nosedive reassured him, but Camden still fidgeted nervously.
"Y-You promise?"
"I promise," Nosedive replied, hearing the Migrator rumbled off into the distance. Camden went silent and they sat there together for a while, not sure what to do. And for the first time, for some reason he could not phantom, Nosedive was worried for the others. Maybe it was because he was effectively out of action without having been injured, and that he was still capable of helping out the others. Or maybe it was just his emotions reacting to Camden's unfound worries and fears.
Nosedive put on his best smile for Cammy, and lead the boy over to a nearby pile of toys scattered on the Infirmary floor. Even if it wouldn't get rid of his worries, playing with the boy would help keep him calm. Something told him it was going to be a long wait.