Lifeline

Chapter 6

He watched her from the hallway, not sure whether she'd heard him come through the door or not. She leaned against the kitchen counter, staring into a steaming mug, lost in thought. The mug rose, steam curling in the air as she took a sip, her eyes lingering in a blink for just a moment. He watched as the muscles in her throat contracted and relaxed as she swallowed.

"You plannin' on letting me have a look at that?" she asked quietly, lifting her eyes to his face. He glanced down at himself, noting the dark stain beginning to dry on the side of his shirt. A's not good." He shrugged, his head following her as she walked away from him. "Come here," she commanded, not turning back to him. He heaved a sigh and followed her down the hallway and into a bathroom. "Sit," she said, pointing to the bathtub before going back to rummaging through a small kit. He stepped into the tub, sitting on the inside edge after pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it in the bottom of the shower. She set the kit next to her on the opposite edge of the tub, sitting across from him. "Not that bad my ass," she muttered. He laughed, but it turned into a growl as she dug a pair of forceps into the wound, searchin/P>

"It's still in there," she said, tilting her head, "and that's not good." He shrugged, his head following her as she walked away from him. "Come here," she commanded, not turning back to him. He heaved a sigh and followed her down the hallway and into a bathroom. "Sit," she said, pointing to the bathtub before going back to rummaging through a small kit. He stepped into the tub, sitting on the inside edge after pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it in the bottom of the shower. She set the kit next to her on the opposite edge of the tub, sitting across from him. "Not that bad my ass," she muttered. He laughed, but it turned into a growl as she dug a pair of forceps into the wound, searching out the bullet. A steady stream of blood ran down his side. "Lucky you've got abs of granite," she said with a chuckle. He wasn't laughing. She turned the faucet onto a slow stream of hot water, rinsing the bullet off, her brows furrowing.

"What?" he asked, still grimacing. She shook her head, dropping the bullet into a tray and untying his boots, pulling them from his feet and setting them on the floor behind her. His socks quickly followed. His head fell back against the tile as she cleaned the wound, gently mopping up the blood with an alcohol wipe. Silver eyes followed her fingers as she placed a few stitches to hold the injury closed, rubbed coagulation gel over it, and taped a piece of gauze over it. His eyebrow rose as she handed him two pills.

"Just take them," she said, rolling her eyes as she held out her mug of tea. He complied, staring at her sideways as he did. "One of ours," she said with a small shrug.

"What?"

"You just took an antidote. You'll feel a little woozy for a few hours, but you'll be fine."

"An antidote?" She nodded, standing. His hand shot out, grabbing her around the knee before she moved away from him. "Talk." Heavy sigh.

"One of our snipers. I'll find out who and take care of it."

"And I needed an antidote why?" She gave him a single shouldered shrug.

"Insurance." He shook his head, glancing down at her medical work. "Lucky it didn't start already, actually." He glared up at her, but she didn't divulge any more. "I can find you some more clothes," she added quietly. He nodded, standing shakily. She reached out, grasping his hand to help him over the side of the tub, and led him down another hallway to a darkened room. After calling up the lights to barely dim, she helped him to the bed, watching him sit for a moment before deciding he wouldn't fall over while she rummaged through the extra closet. She emerged a few seconds later, watching him stare with wide eyes at the carpet, and stifled a laugh. "Here," she said, waiting until his eyes found her before holding out a pair of sweats and a beater. He blinked, and she couldn't help but laugh. She knew first hand what the drug and antidote did to a person.

"What the fuck did you give me?" he growled, grudgingly letting her pull him to his feet.

"I told you, it was an antidote. That with the drug we lace our sniper ammo with pack a mean punch." He nodded, not really caring anymore at this point. She wrestled the beater over his head, avoiding the gauze as she pulled it down over him, then went to work on his pants. He wobbled a little, his hands grasping her shoulders firmly, and she smiled, pushing the cargos over his hips. "What do you say we forget about the sweats, huh?" He nodded again, more slowly this time, and she pulled the pants from his ankles so he wouldn't trip. "Sorry about this," she added with a wry smirk. He shrugged, a hand lingering on her back for support as she pulled back the sheets, watching him slide onto the bed. A gravelly groan escaped him as he burrowed deeper under the covers, shifting every now and again to get comfortable. She smiled, taking the seat next to the bed, facing the door.

---

"Hey Chi?" Dave stuck his head in the door, smiling as he pushed it further to enter. She was conked out in the chair, snoring softly. His eyes darkened as they fell on the body lying in the bed next to her, but he shook his head, reaching out to wake the woman instead of concentrating on Riddick. Her eyes opened after she started, and she glanced at Riddick quickly before returning her attention to Dave. "What happened?" She sighed, stifling a groan as she stood.

"We gotta talk to our snipers, Dave." His eyebrow rose. "Antidote knocked him on his ass," she added with a smile.

"They do that, don't they?" She nodded with a wince, remembering. "How bad is it?" A sharp inhale, and she shrugged.

"Not too bad, I guess. Had to pull the bullet out but it didn't do any major damage." He nodded. "I'm thinking it was probably Yanni. He was the furthest out. More time for it to slow down." Another thoughtful nod. "Didn't hit anything major. He'll be fine in a couple days."

"So what about Yanni?"

"Talk to him first," she answered through a monstrous yawn. Riddick stirred, but didn't wake. He'd be pissed when he did. "Then we'll see." Dave nodded.

"Marcus wants to see you." She nodded, and he glared as she glanced at Riddick again for a moment before following him through the door.

---

"So you think it was Yanni." Marcus posed it as a statement, instead of a question. Chikage shrugged.

"Can't be sure until I talk to him," she answered.

"Do that." Marcus returned to staring out the window.

"Are you planning on staying here for a while?" she asked, lighting a cigarette as she leaned back on his couch. He nodded. "James taking care of the club?" Another nod, and she mirrored it. "I'll check on him a little later."

"Is he going to be alright?" Marcus asked slowly, turning his gaze back to Chikage. She made a face as though the question was ridiculous and then shrugged, scratching her head.

"He should be okay later today. Just has to sleep off the antidote and then he'll be pissed, but okay." Marcus snickered. "He hates waking up and not having a clue," she added with a small smile.

"How far back do you two go?" Marcus ventured. She sighed. "Or is that too touchy of a subject?"

"Not really. It's not like you think," she added with a goofy grin. Marcus only chuckled, gnawing on his cigar. "Met at basic, screwed a few times, nothing serious," she said, playing with a boot lace. "He watched my back, caught a couple for me a few times, just like everyone else." Marcus nodded slowly. "He's a good guy, Marcus." Her eyes met his. "You should give him a chance."

"I have, Chi," he said with a touch of a smile. "And you were right, as always."

"He'd be an asset, Marc."

"I'm considering it."

"I can't promise he'll take you up on it," she added pensively, "but he might. I know he enjoys security detail and work is hard to find for a guy like him."

"It'd mean a pay cut for you and Dave though," Marcus noted with a smirk.

"I'll split my shift with him," she said with a smile. "Dave can keep his."

---

He shuffled into the kitchen, scratching the back of his neck. She sat at the kitchen table, watching him move slowly across the floor as she worked on her sandwich, noticing he'd managed to get the sweats on.

"Hungry?" she asked quietly. He nodded, stopping in the middle of the room to yawn. "Sit down. I'll fix you something." He shrugged a little, obviously still groggy, and complied. She felt his eyes on her as she made another sandwich, pouring him a cup of strong coffee, and smiled at him as she returned to the table, setting the meal down in front of him. They took turns glancing at each other as they ate, and when she'd finished, she leaned back in her chair to watch him eat slowly. "Still feeling cloudy?" He nodded, and she winced. "Sorry about that." He didn't respond. "How's it feel?" A shrug. "You might want to take it easy today." His eyes met hers. "You'll feel like shit for a while, but it'll wear off by tomorrow." His eyebrow rose.

"You know from experience?" Her wince was his answer, and he cocked his head.

"Stole the recipe from Company, actually," she explained. He couldn't help but smile as the coffee ran down his throat. "We don't use a lethal dose though," she added. His eyes met hers again, and she shrugged. "None of us knew we were experiments."

"Live round training?" She nodded. "They delay the antidote?" Another smaller nod, and he sighed. "They did give it to you though… right?"

"Wouldn't be here if they hadn't," she said, collecting their plates as she stood. He watched her walk to the sink and rinse the dishes off, eyes still following her as she returned to the table, picking up her mug.

"What's on the agenda today, boss?" he asked with a small smile. She smirked.

"You're going to rest, and I have a couple things to do at the club." She paused for a sip of coffee. "Other than that, detail here."

"How many you got?"

"Six," she said, cupping her mug in both hands. "Dave and I are in here, and then there's four roaming the grounds." Riddick nodded. "Don't know why Marcus keeps it so fucking cold in here," she commented quietly, smirking at Riddick's snort. She stared into the steam rising from her cup. "You're not going to rest, are you." Statement, not question. He only looked at her, but she noticed the tug of the smile he was trying to hide from her. "If you really want something to do, you can watch the monitors in the security room," she said with a shrug. "It's not much, but it's better than staying in bed all day."

"True," he said, letting the smile surface.

"Thanks, Riddick," she said quietly, staring into her mug again.

"For what?" Her eyes met his, and he shrugged like it was no big deal. "I'm guessing you think that bullet was for you," he said slowly. She stared at her coffee again. Suddenly it held all the answers in the world. "Have you told Marcus?"

"Not yet," she said with a slight shake of the head.

"Might want to." She nodded, looking up at him as he stood. "Take a shower, Chi," he said with a small smile. "You look like shit." She grinned at his back as he shuffled back to the spare bedroom.