'Finally,' Riddick thought as he stepped up to the doorway of a small motel. The wound in his leg burned from the sweat that was pouring down his whole frame. Riddick knew he was on the verge of falling down. From heat, exhaustion, and blood loss, among other things.
Inside was a large desk behind which was a gangly young man. He couldn't have been older than twenty, dressed in dirty work pants and a t-shirt, complimented by his greasy blonde hair and untrimmed beard. He was sitting at an old fashioned computer and Riddick could hear the shooting sounds of the game that the young man was playing. He didn't seem to notice the sweaty, shaky man that stood in the doorway.
On his wobbly legs Riddick took a step forward, trying to compose himself as best as he could. The sound of Riddick's boot on the wooden floor startled the young man at the computer, and he jumped up nervously.
"Uh, yes, may I help you?" stuttered the young man.
"A room," Riddick growled. At that moment Jack and Imam stepped into the doorway. "Also, a doctor and directions to the nearest market," Riddick finished, glaring at the kid.
"Yeah, sure. Uh, that room for you three or just you sir?" he asked.
Riddick glanced over at his shoulder at Imam and Jack. Imam was waiting patiently behind Riddick and Jack was busy looking through an ancient magazine. For some reason, New Mecca was having a hard time updating its style. Books and magazines made out of actual paper were a thing of the past in the rest of the system. Most other planets used internet book sites for anyone's reading pleasure.
"Three," he said.
"Alright sir," the kid said, pulling out a holoboard and handing it to Riddick, "sign here on this line. It's twenty creds a night."
Riddick scribbled something illegible on the holoboard. "I'm sure it'll be alright if we pay before we leave." It wasn't a question.
"Well, standard protocol-" but the younger man was cut off by the look on Riddick's face. "Yeah, yeah that'll be fine."
Riddick tossed him the holoboard in exchange for a key card, raising his eyebrows in expectation. He still needed answers as to where the nearest doctor and market were.
"Oh, uh, yes sir. The doctor lives seven streets down, big wooden building on the left. The market is in the town square. Just go down this road about four clicks, make a left and continue on down that road for a little while. Bang a right and keep going until you hit a large white house. It's in the middle of a fork. Take the left fork and keep going. You'll run right into the middle of town."
Riddick just nodded and hoped that Imam was taking notes on this. He didn't know how well he would be able to remember everything. He turned and walked out of the lobby to the rooms, which were across the street, without saying another word to the young punk. Tottering on the brink of passing out from blood loss, he realized that he needed a doctor fast.
"Imam," he shouted behind his shoulder, not slowing his pace. The holy man jogged up to Riddick.
"Yes, Mr. Riddick," he said, rolling the R.
"You know this planet. Find me a doctor. We're in room 14."
"Mr. Riddick, I highly advise-" Imam started.
"Now!" Riddick shouted. It took all of his breath to yell, but he did need a doctor. He surely couldn't find one, and Jack would undoubtedly get lost.
"Farewell, Mr. Riddick," Imam said. "I will be back as soon as possible." Riddick only nodded and kept walking.
Finally, making it to the door to their room, he slipped the card into the slot and the door opened. The room was broiling but Riddick didn't care. His first trip was to the bathroom, to clean out the cut in his leg and to see if he could stop the bleeding. He turned on the water.
From in the bathroom, Riddick heard the door shut, and he heard Jack's light footsteps on the worn-down carpeting.
"Jack," he said, and immediately the footsteps stopped. "Open all the windows," he commanded, without waiting for her reply.
Slowly he moved his leg under the water, hissing quietly. Removing his mind from the pain, he realized that he would need new clothes. His pants were soaked with blood, and there was a tear in them. What was left of his shirt was dirty, bloodstained, and also in tatters.
He grabbed a towel and shut off the water. Wrapping it around his leg, he tied it tightly. As soon as the towel was in place, blooming roses of fresh blood appeared.
'Fuck,' Riddick swore in his head. This was going to take a while to heal completely. He didn't know how much time he had on New Mecca, but he was betting that it wasn't enough for him to make a full recovery before having to leave.
Inside was a large desk behind which was a gangly young man. He couldn't have been older than twenty, dressed in dirty work pants and a t-shirt, complimented by his greasy blonde hair and untrimmed beard. He was sitting at an old fashioned computer and Riddick could hear the shooting sounds of the game that the young man was playing. He didn't seem to notice the sweaty, shaky man that stood in the doorway.
On his wobbly legs Riddick took a step forward, trying to compose himself as best as he could. The sound of Riddick's boot on the wooden floor startled the young man at the computer, and he jumped up nervously.
"Uh, yes, may I help you?" stuttered the young man.
"A room," Riddick growled. At that moment Jack and Imam stepped into the doorway. "Also, a doctor and directions to the nearest market," Riddick finished, glaring at the kid.
"Yeah, sure. Uh, that room for you three or just you sir?" he asked.
Riddick glanced over at his shoulder at Imam and Jack. Imam was waiting patiently behind Riddick and Jack was busy looking through an ancient magazine. For some reason, New Mecca was having a hard time updating its style. Books and magazines made out of actual paper were a thing of the past in the rest of the system. Most other planets used internet book sites for anyone's reading pleasure.
"Three," he said.
"Alright sir," the kid said, pulling out a holoboard and handing it to Riddick, "sign here on this line. It's twenty creds a night."
Riddick scribbled something illegible on the holoboard. "I'm sure it'll be alright if we pay before we leave." It wasn't a question.
"Well, standard protocol-" but the younger man was cut off by the look on Riddick's face. "Yeah, yeah that'll be fine."
Riddick tossed him the holoboard in exchange for a key card, raising his eyebrows in expectation. He still needed answers as to where the nearest doctor and market were.
"Oh, uh, yes sir. The doctor lives seven streets down, big wooden building on the left. The market is in the town square. Just go down this road about four clicks, make a left and continue on down that road for a little while. Bang a right and keep going until you hit a large white house. It's in the middle of a fork. Take the left fork and keep going. You'll run right into the middle of town."
Riddick just nodded and hoped that Imam was taking notes on this. He didn't know how well he would be able to remember everything. He turned and walked out of the lobby to the rooms, which were across the street, without saying another word to the young punk. Tottering on the brink of passing out from blood loss, he realized that he needed a doctor fast.
"Imam," he shouted behind his shoulder, not slowing his pace. The holy man jogged up to Riddick.
"Yes, Mr. Riddick," he said, rolling the R.
"You know this planet. Find me a doctor. We're in room 14."
"Mr. Riddick, I highly advise-" Imam started.
"Now!" Riddick shouted. It took all of his breath to yell, but he did need a doctor. He surely couldn't find one, and Jack would undoubtedly get lost.
"Farewell, Mr. Riddick," Imam said. "I will be back as soon as possible." Riddick only nodded and kept walking.
Finally, making it to the door to their room, he slipped the card into the slot and the door opened. The room was broiling but Riddick didn't care. His first trip was to the bathroom, to clean out the cut in his leg and to see if he could stop the bleeding. He turned on the water.
From in the bathroom, Riddick heard the door shut, and he heard Jack's light footsteps on the worn-down carpeting.
"Jack," he said, and immediately the footsteps stopped. "Open all the windows," he commanded, without waiting for her reply.
Slowly he moved his leg under the water, hissing quietly. Removing his mind from the pain, he realized that he would need new clothes. His pants were soaked with blood, and there was a tear in them. What was left of his shirt was dirty, bloodstained, and also in tatters.
He grabbed a towel and shut off the water. Wrapping it around his leg, he tied it tightly. As soon as the towel was in place, blooming roses of fresh blood appeared.
'Fuck,' Riddick swore in his head. This was going to take a while to heal completely. He didn't know how much time he had on New Mecca, but he was betting that it wasn't enough for him to make a full recovery before having to leave.