Chapter 7
Planning
I didn't know what to think anymore really. Her words still
echoed in my head from this afternoon. I had taken a glimpse of
her as she spoke them and the fire she held in her eyes was unmatched
really. Picking up my drink I took another gulp of it hoping it
could deaden the feeling of dread and remorse I had gotten from it
all. I knew she was right though, I couldn't and shouldn't take
my brothers mistakes upon myself. I was just eating myself up
inside. Why did she have to be right?
"Can I get another?" I raised my hand once more as the bar tender
eyed me and then grumbled taking my cup away from me.
"I think not." Is what he said wiping the glass and putting it
under the bar. Frowning I glared at him but then just let it go
standing up. I realized I should head back to the hotel. It
was nearing midnight already and I had been here for about 5
hours. The time before that all I did was wonder around,
thinking. I never saw Candy looking for me, nor herd her call
after me after I had told her I was going to think. Though I
think she knew where I was going. I had taken refuge in the
golden mind numbing drink many times before in my journeys.
Looking around I realized I was the only one left in the bar. I
was to lost in my thoughts to realize everyone had left. I placed
the money I had owed the bar and walked out. Looking about I saw
one of the moons in the night sky, the one that held my mark upon
it. That night passed through my memory. Candy could say
all that, but in the end it's between Knives and me. Kicking a
rock past me I looked down at it. These past few years have been
very different compared to the 100 or so years before it. These
past few years Meryl and Milly came along and followed me.
Eventually I became friends with them, along with Wolfwood...
Wolfwood..Sighing I prayed to God quietly wishing Wolfwood heath where
ever he would be. Then my mind wondered to the woman Candy.
The one who I thought about a lot today. I really didn't know
what to think of her. I believed the story about the Earth,
mainly because she told me things that nobody else could have beside
Knives, then again Knives didn't seem to like the woman very much but
then AGAIN she was human which never sat well with my brother. I
decided to head back to the hotel and check on the girl. Luckily
the bar I went to wasn't that far from the hotel, mainly two blocks
away. Walking ahead I saw the hotel lobby lit up and a few random
windows above the lobby. I wondered if one of those windows was
the room she had rented. Walking into the lobby I saw a bell by
the desk and went over ringing it. Not to long after I had a
woman from the room behind the desk came yawning. Stretching she
looked at me then smiled.
"Hi." She said. "Name please if your renting a room."
"Yeah I am," I said pulling out my wallet and placing 100 double
dollars on the desk. "..and a friend of mine rented a room here."
"O really?" She said flipping through the pages. "What's
their name?"
"Candy, Candy Rae," I said which got a strange reaction from the
woman who broke out in a smile clapping a little.
"O your a friend of hers?" She said. I nodded kind of
baffled at why the woman would be reacting so weird. "Could you
do me a favor?" Nodding I watched as she headed up the stairs
motioning me to follow her. Walking up she led me down the hall
after we got up to the top of the stairs and she took a master key ring
unlocking the room 27 on it and entering it. The light was
already on as I walked in. Looking ahead the scene before me made
me chuckling lightly. There on the bed was Candy but surrounding
her where 3 sleeping children, all on some part of her. The
little girl was huddled on Candy's arm, the two boys where across her
legs. "I'm not that strong to carry them. See Candy came
and offered to watch my kids while I got myself together. Well
when I came to retrieve them I found this scene." I couldn't help
but laugh again. All of them sleeping like that was just to
cute. I nodded walking over and picking up one of the boys and
followed her down the stairs and to the back room behind the
desk. The woman led me to a small bed room and pulled the
blankets back as I placed the boy in the blankets and went up and
retrieved the next boy and brought him down placing him beside the
first. The little girl was another situation. I figured I
would have to probably wake Candy to get her off of her. Walking
up I entered the room once more and walked over shaking Candy a bit
till I got a reaction from her which was mainly a yawn. Her eyes
blinked as she turned towards me.
" Yawn ...Vash...what time is it...?" She muttered
as I looked at the clock.
"12:20," I said. "I'm trying to bring the girl down
stairs." Candy looked over at the girl and smiled moving her hand
slowly from the little girls grasp till it was free and the little girl
turned over. Slowly I picked her up and thanked Candy leaving the
room and heading back down the stairs seeing the woman near the door as
I entered it and placed her in the bed with the other two
children. The innkeeper smiled pulling the blankets up around her
children and smiled.
"She's really an angel isn't she..?" The woman said looking up at
me.
"Who do you me.." I asked.
"Candy, that woman you know," The innkeeper said. "It was
really sweet of her to watch them while I had some time to
myself." I nodded looking back toward the stairs and felt myself
yawning. It had been a long day. "Here's your room."
The woman held out a key that said 29 on it. "It should be right
beside her room." Nodding I took the key and thanked her heading
up the stairs. A good decent bed was calling out for me.
Floors where cold and not soft. I looked ahead once I finished
climbing the stairs and headed down the hallway to my room only to stop
in front of Candy's room. The door was already closed. She
must have shut it once I left the room. A confusing feeling came
about me as I looked at the door thinking about the scene I had saw,
the one that made me laugh and the words the innkeeper had spoke.
Reaching in my pocket I pulled out a white feather, thinking about what
had happened today as well. I had found this light fluffy feather
under the gauze of Candy's stitches. It was a beautiful feather
but I never really asked Candy where it could have come from...but then
again why ask about a feather, it's...well a feather. Feathers
where found everywhere so it could have gotten under her gauze without
little to much effort without her even knowing but then again the first
meeting with my brother came into mind once again and that blinding
light she created. I never had asked her about it. Placing
the feather back in my pocket I went to my room and entered it shutting
it locking the door, turning I saw the nice bed. Dropping my bag
I always carried on the floor and began to undress hearing a showers
call. After undressing I looked over myself, the scars I had
gathered over the years very apparent and I began to feel an uneasiness
towards them. It wasn't much different then all the times
before. Walking to the bathroom I began to shower. I had my
shampoo next to me as I began to lather up and get my spiky blond hair
back to its golden shine as it normally did. Once I was finished
with the well deserved shower I got out and then pulled out my razor
and began to shave. After 100 years or so shaving I had gotten
pretty good at it so that didn't take me long. Yawning I looked
at the time and found it to be around 1 o'clock already. That bed
was really calling for me at the moment so I decided to give and and
enjoy the bed. Going over I placed on my pjs, putting away the
towel in the bathroom and crawled into my bed letting sleep overcome me.
I awoke hearing a knock at my door. Yawning I glanced at the
clock which said 8:43 on it. Well I guess it was close
enough. It didn't help that I had a hang over either.
Moving my legs over I stood up stretching and walking over to the door.
"Who is it?" I asked touching the knob of the door.
"Meeee!" A cheerful voice said behind the door. It was
Candy's voice. Rolling my eyes I opened the door to see her
standing there with two plates of food in her hands both still
hot. There was a big grin on her face as she came walking past me
and entered my room.
"I never invited you in," I said turning smirking at her who just
stuck her tongue out me setting the food on the small table in the
room. Again I found my self chuckling at the woman's weird ways
as I sat down in the chair she had moved to the table.
"A good wholesome meal is the best way to start a day," She said
taking the fork and picking up some of the egg of her plate and placing
it in her mouth. Smiling I took a sausage off my plate and began
to eat it. It was nice to have a home cooked meal, a
nice bed, and some nice company though she was really to cheerful today
for my liking. Biting a piece of my toast I started to remember
when I first really talked to her. Looking up I watched her as
she was talking like a flight of bees about some story probably from
Earth. A smile grew across my face as I watched her talk.
Something about Candy just seemed to hit a cord with me. Maybe it
was guilt about inivertalny causing her back problems but what ever it
was, I didn't feel quit alone anymore.
"...Vash...?" She said when I realized I had been out of it
because she was moving both of her hands back and forth trying to get
my attention. "..Are you ok?" Quickly I shook my head
tossing my blonde locks about and laughed nervously as I felt my cheeks
redden. That was really stupid to be caught in.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," I said.
"I asked you where Meryl and Milly are now," She stated plopping
one of the grapes on the plate in her mouth.
"O I think their back at their work in December," I said thinking
about those two. I did miss them as well. "We could head
there if you want." A nod came from the girl. "Though with
my brother following me threating to kill me I don't think it would be
a good idea." I ran my hands through my hair looking down at the
half eaten food now and then looking up at the human girl who just held
a strange toothy grin upon her face at me. Why, even with all the
things out in the open between us with my past, would she still hang
out with me? That's when it hit me really. I was the only
one she really knew on this world. She was brought here not by
her own choice but by something else's wish which meant she was an
alien of Gunsmokes ways and by the look of her skin and hair she wasn't
ever used to so much sun. I had realized by that same complexion
she was not from Gunsmoke just a few days earlier. It almost made
me feel sorry for her, while I was born with the freedom of choice, I
had my brother who was with me in that walk, while she a human, knew
everything here and yet she was still just a human, one not born of
this planet as well. She was by herself in a word. How
could one hold such a grin on their face when that inexplicable
knowledge of being alone at the back of their mind?! I always
found it hard for myself seeing the people around me die, yet she never
say anything of the sort. My heart began to hurt thinking about
it all.
"...Gah Vash really.." Her voice broke through. "Stop
zoning out!" Looking up I saw that she had finished her plate of
food and set it aside while new hospital tape was on the table and a
roll of gauze. I had no idea where she got those but then again
it wouldn't be to hard to find the hospital in Wyoming so she could
have went and picked some up while I slept. "I asked you if you
would mind changing the gauze on my back. I'm sure it needs to be
changed. My brother once had stitches on his leg, about 9 of them
and he always had to have the bandages changed...then again the leg is
closer to dirt which made it hard to stay clean..." Well at least
she was over her depressed mood a few days ago. I nodded
answering her question and got up walking up behind her as she lifted
the back of her shirt to reveal the large strip of gauze down her
back. Slowly I started to remove the gauze by working at the
bottom left corner. Lifting it up the gauze slowly peeled away
revealing the girls back and the line of stitches she held because of
my brother. Looking at the gauze there was a few spots of blood
seeping through but what struck me as odd is another feather...as
fluffy and white as the first was stuck in one of the patches of blood,
dried there. Picking it up I examined it quietly pulling the
feather away. How did that one get there? Looking down I
placed the feather and gauze aside and took the scissors that was in my
bag and cut a long strip of gauze as long as the cut and cut it.
Then I cut a piece of the hospital tape and taped the top to her
back. Slowly yet surely I finished taping the rest of it within a
few minutes.
"Done," I said as she nodded and pulled the shirt down as I came
around with the feather in hand.
"What's that?" She asked pointing at the object in my hand.
I laid it on the table and replied,
"A feather." I got the most puzzled look upon her face as she
picked it up and examined it. "I also found another one
yesterday."
"Really? Their really beautiful," She said. "We're
did you find them?" I almost fell over with the question.
Wasn't it quit odveous where I found that one with the spot of blood it
held in the middle of it. Instead of falling over I rubbed the
side of my face.
"Your gauze, both of them," I said taking it from her grasp as
she continued with the look of bewilderment.
"How did they get in there.." She said.
"That's what I'd like to know," I responded dropping the feather
on the table.
"Could they have been there when the doctor put the gauze on?"
"Well the first one maybe the second I don't see how unless you had
someone else look at your stitches. She shook her head no.
"Your the only one Vash," She said rubbing the back of her neck
looking up at the ceiling. Now this woman was really interesting
me. How in the world can two feathers get behind a strip of gauze
within 24 hours where nobody had removed or touched the gauze in
question. Was this some sick practical joke that she was doing on
me. But after a few seconds of thought I realized that that
couldn't be the case. Candy just didn't seem the type to do
practical jokes like this. Maybe it was a sign from my brother
telling me something. The second feather with the spot of blood
began to creep me out after that thought. Was he trying to tell
me that he was going to kill her?! Clenching my fist, I slammed
it on the small table making our cups bounce and cling along with the
plates and silverware. Looking up I saw Candy's worried face
gazing at me as she reached over and touched one of her hands to my
fist. "What's wrong?" After looking at her face, I felt
myself less angry for some odd reason. I couldn't be angry around
her, could I? Those brown eyes always seemed to worry about
me. I felt myself calm down as I looked down at her hand.
"I'm just worried about my brother, that's all." I lied standing
up. "I'll take the breakfast dishes back down to the kichten
while you get ready. I think we'll go visit December since you
want to go. I would like to see them again." A nod came
from her as her face lit up in a smile again.
"Ok then," She said. "I'll just go change and get ready and
we can go unless there is something else you want to do in
Wyoming?" I shook my head as she smiled nodding then seemed to
skip to the door. "See you in a little while Vash." She
closed it leaving me watching the door behind her. Then my eyes
turned down to the feather still on the table, considerably flattened
more because of my fist, but still it laid there. Picking it up I
walked over to my back pack pocket and placed it inside then gathering
up the plates and silverware with the cups to head down to the
kitchen. Looking about I saw the innkeeper standing there doing
the dishes of the people in the hotel and waved at her. Smiling
she waved back as I placed them there and headed out of the room.
Walking up the stairs I found myself thinking about the last time I
talked to Meryl and for another odd reason I felt quit uneasy about the
whole situation. I'm sure Milly would love to meet Candy.
At times I could swear that that blonde was standing in Candy's place
but then again the look Candy gave was never of one Milly could
do. Milly was just to free spirited. Candy on the other
hand had something in her past that seemed to bother her when she
thought I wasn't looking. Then at times I could swear that I was
standing there in place of her. I wish she would tell me more of
her life, I hated not knowing the person standing there. Though I
figured that the looks where from worry since she wasn't on Earth
anymore and also of her back. I found myself blinking in front of
her door once again after I stopped thinking about everything.
"..I really need to stop doing that..." I muttered quickly moving
to my door and entering it, gathering my stuff up. December was
at least a 3 days drive by one of the buses through the desert so we
would have to stop and load up on supplies before we went in case of a
break down of some sort or a high jacking and also get Candy a new
coat. I had forgotten about that. My mind was busy all the
time as of late and it was only about a week or so that I walked away
from the battle with my brother Knives slung across my shoulder.
Quickly I dug out my clothes from my pack and changed. Shoving my
pas back in the bag I turned to head out the door. Looking I saw
her standing at the end of the hallway waiting for me. Nodding I
headed out the door with her at my side.
Heh so what's going to happen now? Will their planned trip go
well or will something happen during it like so many of Vash's
adventures. Review please before you go and as always thanks for
taking the time to read one of my stories.