Vash doesn't always burst in to save the day, or does he....  What do you think?

  Write a review and tell me!  (surely there's more than one or two of ya out there…)

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CHAPTER ELEVEN:  BELIEVE IN UFOs

     "Aw, it's almost sunset already, Suze!  Can't we just get to sleep?" Hal whined.  "You're such a workaholic, it's going to kill me!"

     Suze sighed.  "You're the one with the bright idea about Vash having kids.  So far, nothing.  But I have a good feeling about May.  I really think we may get some info here!"

      "Fine.  Quick.  Then we get dinner and sleep."

     Suze nodded, dismounting from her toma.  She tied it and waited for Hal to retrieve his notepad before beginning their questioning routine.

      "Tall cloaked blondes?  Well, my cousin across town saw people like that earlier.  Here's her address."

      "Oh, my cousin sent you?  Yeah, I saw those people.  Vash's kids?  You don't say!"

      "Where they went?  No, except that they looked lost before they got to that playground over there."

      "The one I couldn't see…was a girl?  That kind of makes sense, the way they were standing."

      "Last I saw, they went towards the hospital.  Looked real tired and stuff, so maybe they were sick.  I don't know really."

      "From the Agency?  Is this about the Stampede?  His kids!  Oh, my!"

      "I don't think they've left the hospital.  Is that really fair, following them in there?  Isn't it Sanctuary?  Oh, that's church?  Oh, well, then I suppose…"

      "Give 'em Hell, Mr. Insurance Man!"

      "Yeah, they're still there.  Checked in as brother and sister, but the sister's the only one that's hurt.  Really nasty, I hear."

     Twenty-seven eye witnesses later, Suze and Hal were bursting with excitement.  They rushed back to their tomas to retrieve weaponry.

      "Two tickets to New Dakota, please."  Meryl slid 80$$ under the ticket booth window, and sighed, looking up at the massive sand steamer.  She walked slowly back to Millie, her feet dragging along as though ever fiber of her being was unwilling to leave Vash alone.  She wanted to jump back in that mini hummer and speed back to Vash.  After all, maybe he was hurt, or needed a ride from a successful battle.  Or maybe he was wrong about the whole stupid thing, and was out there moping in the middle of nowhere.

     Millie saved her a seat in the station.  "So that really was goodbye, huh, Meryl."

     Meryl nodded.  "For now at least."

      "I hope we see Mr. Vash again soon."

      "Vash the Stampede!?" a voice yelled across the room.

     Meryl looked up, alarmed.  Surely they couldn't hear her talking so far away.

      "No, his kids!  A girl and a man, blonde and evil just like their pop!  Agency sent people out here, saying they're awful dangerous.  Me and my family are lucky we got tickets – you all are sure to run out soon!"

      "We gotta up the prices then!  His kids, huh?  Why'd they have to attack such a peaceful city?  What a mess…"

      "Meryl…" Millie whined, frightened.

      "I know, Millie.  This is bad."

     Nurse Ulrich unwound the bandages from Vanessa's newly stitched eyes.  "Now lean back; this'll sting."

     Vanessa tipped her head back obligingly, cringing as a drop hit her searing flesh.

      "There now.  Wasn't too bad," he murmured, grabbing a new roll of gauze to cover her swollen eyes.

      "…Vash the Stampede…" a far off voice said.

     Showing no surprise in her face, Vanessa's heart fluttered.  She listened closer to the muffled conversation she wished desperately to catch.

      "…Agency…investigating…Humanoid Typhoon…here in May…sighted…"

     A door shut and the words became too quiet to decipher.

     Vanessa began to scribble messily on her paper, waiting until the nurse was about to leave to hand the page to him.  'Pain killer, please.  Kettle tea also, please.'

      "Didn't they give you some after surgery?" the nurse mumbled impatiently.

     She shook her head, adding an expression of pain to her features.

      "If it hurts so badly, you need an intravenous..."

     In an expression of disgust to disagree, Vanessa expressed her preference.  She pointed to her mouth.  "Pill, please."

      "Okay.  Back in a sec."  Frowning, he sauntered from the room.  He hated the way that freaky blonde guy glared at everybody.

     Vanessa pulled the pill from the little cup Nurse Ulrich just handed her.  She set it on the little table over her bed and carefully began to feel the indentations with her finger.

      "C'mon, I have to watch you take it," he insisted.

     She scrawled something onto her paper.  'Used to work at hospital.  Like to know meds exactly before I take them.'

     Nurse Ulrich sighed, watching her finish and finally bring the pill to her mouth.

     Vanessa made a gesture, closed her mouth, and poured a cup of tea.  She swallowed several mouthfuls and heard the nurse walk away.  Holding a grin, Vanessa turned to Knives.  "Hungry?"

      "No.  Are you sure you're alright?" he replied.

      "Yes.  Hurts.  But okay."  She continued to make broken conversation with him, distracting him from her movements.  Reaching into a fold of bandaging at her left shoulder, she pulled out a second pill, hiding the pair in her right palm.  She grabbed for an empty cup and slipped her thumb into its base, crushing the pills to a powder before reaching to fill it with tea.  This she handed to Knives.  "Not best, but good.  Drink," she insisted, holding a cheery tone to her voice.

     Knives swallowed it and asked for a second.  "So do they think you'll be able to see soon?"

     Vanessa shrugged.  "Not sure.  Time will tell."  She was internally giddy, and it was a real effort to hide.  'Vash is coming!  Vash is here!  Oh, Vash, what took you so long!  Finally, we can make things right!  Oh, Vash, hurry up…He'll be asleep and harmless soon…'

      "They liked my suturing…Did they say if they'll heal without scars?" he asked, two doses of Demerol flowing into his stomach.  "You're too beautiful to have more scars."

      "Oh, Knives.  So superficial," Vanessa replied.  "Maybe scars, probably scars.  Bones heal slowest of all."

     Knives frowned.  They sat in an awkward pause.

      "I'm…medicine, sleepy," Vanessa whispered, pretending to grow tired.  She leaned against her pillows and breathed slower, until she was visibly asleep.

     Watching her sadly, Knives sat at her bedside as the medicine slowly affected his body.  Within minutes he would be groggy, and within an hour he would be unconscious.

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