Chapter Four
Francine's eyes fluttered open with great difficulty. As she went to sit up, she felt a sharp pain in her side. The next second, a dark skinned hand pushed her back down gently.
"Don't try and do anythan'." Abby said as she sat down with a tube with two butterfly needles on either end. "How ya feelin'?"
"Ugh, ok I guess." Francine replied, looking at the other girl begin to roll up her sleeve. "What're you doin'?"
"Numbuh 5's just gonna give you another blood transfusion." Abby replied, strapping the Scot's arm to excavate a vein. "You need one every five hours for the night."
"What do you mean another one?" Francine seemed to be panicking by then. "You did while I was out?"
"Yeah, just after we got y'all outta that heap of junk." Abby explained casually. She smiled on the inside at her patient's face. "What? You scared of needles or something?"
"I actually have a phobia." Francine replied nervously. "But if it needs to be done, I'll put up with it."
"I'll make you a deal. You turn and look away while I do this thang, and I'll be as gentle as possible." Abby smiled. "Here, I'll sing for ya."
Francine turned away, and closed her eyes as Abby began to sing quietly. It seemed to relax, and in mere seconds Abby had strapped her arm and began the transfusion.
"What, you're using your own blood?" The red head asked, looking as the French girl hummed.
"Well yeah, this ain't exactly a blood bank." Abby smiled reassuringly. "And coincidently I was the only one compatible with you. No one else has O+ blood. That, or they're too chicken to do this."
Francine smiled for the first time since she left the Moon Base. "Thank you for this." She looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before speaking again. "So, how's the rest of the team?"
"The twins are fine. Numbuh 99 just has a broken leg, but nothing too severe. But Numbuh 254 on the other hand…"
"What's wrong with her?" Francine looked in slight concern. Abby sighed.
"She's been unconscious since the crash. That was six hours ago." Abby shifted slightly. "Her breathing is back to normal, and her reflexes are working fine, but nothing else is. Then there's you with that gaping hole in your side…"
"It was a hole?" Francine lifted her jumper to find she was heavily bandaged, and a bloodstain was on the right side of the bandages. "So, how long will this have to go on for?"
"Will what go on for?" Abby knew she was pretending to be stupid, but she liked the other girl talking to her.
"This…" She replied, gesturing to the tube now full of blood. "Surely this this'll be weakening you as well."
"Hence why it only happens for an hour every five hours." Abby smiled down up on the other girl. "Don't worry, it's only until tomorrow morning. Then you only need to recover and y'all be fine." For a moment no words were shared, but there was a question Nigel had urged that she ask the commander. "Numbuh 5 was just wondering, what exactly happened up there?"
It seemed like this question really hit home, as the red head sighed and sat up slightly. Abby went to push her down, but she was waved off.
"Well, I ugh…don't tell anyone this…because of my rep…you know…well, it was my fault." She gestured her palm in an "it's like this ya see" way. "I was too busy thinking about my personal needs, that I failed to warn 254 to put the defense system on. I wasn't acting like a commander, I was acting like their…friend." Her voice strained at the last word, but she shook it off and continued as if it was nothing. "But what you can tell about, is that we were caught off guard by a ground attack. But, it wasn't from any known villain's house. I came to the conclusion that this person really doesn't want the Moon Base interfering with them."
Abby blinked in surprise at how calm she was in explaining the situation. Usually she'd be military and screaming, but something I her eye told Abby that the girl sitting on her bed was scared. Not only for her team, but for Sector V as well. Abby nodded so indicate she understood everything. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with Numbuh 5. But can I ask y'all something; what exactly did you mean by personal needs?"
Francine went a shade of pink and twiddled her thumbs. "I don't really want to talk about that."
"That's ok. But just know that Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 3's here to talk if ya need to."
Francine nodded, and her expression quickly turned back to her old irritated self as Wally came through the door, followed by Kuki.
"So, how's the patient." Kuki said with a giggle as she skipped in past her boyfriend.
"I'm fine." The Scot replied, her expression not changing as she looked at Wally.
"Look, we just wanted to stop by an' give ya your helmet back." He added, pulling it from behind his back. "Hard to believe it was the only thing intact. Must be lucky or somethin'."
He chucked it to her before leaving the room. He realized the girls were better left alone to talk without him eavesdropping. And plus, he got this weird feeling that Francine had assumed he knew something about her that he wasn't supposed to by her face. Well, he did have an odd feeling about how she was suddenly acting, and it wasn't for the better.
Francine put on her helmet as fast as she could, and tucked up and loose strands. Abby sighed inwardly as she stared at the old Head of Decommissioning again. Kuki however, didn't care one bit as she flung her arms around the girl's neck and buried her head in her shoulder.
"Jeez, you've got a hard grip." Francine said uneasily as she attempted to wrench herself from the blubbering mess of the Japanese girl. "I can't breathe."
"Oh Fanny!" Kuki squealed as the tears ran down her face. "Why did they wanna hurt you? And I wasn't there to help you! I'm such a bad friend!"
Kuki let go and bought her knees up to cry into. Francine's expression changed to half sympathy half sheepish. She pat the girl's shoulder as if she attempted to reassure her. "It's alright, you're not a bad friend. We didn't know it would happen, and I'm still alive. So what's there to cry about?"
Kuki looked up with blurry eyes, and once again was around her neck. "Oh Fanny!"
Abby couldn't help but giggle as her best friend clung on like a leech to bare skin. She sighed and pulled out a Rainbow Monkey she was keeping under her bed. She gave it to Kuki, who immediately let go and cuddled it instead.
"Thanks." Francine muttered as Abby merely took the butterfly needles out.
"Now y'all need your rest if ya wanna help us." She said in a cool tone. "Kuki, you can come and check up later, ok?"
The Japanese nodded, and skipped out of the room. Abby shook her head and muttered to herself about that girl. Francine didn't obviously hear, as she repeated it seconds later.
"Jeez, she takes this way too seriously." She stated as she pulled her sleeve back down and adjusted her skirt. "How do you put up with it anyway?"
"You manage after a while." Abby gestured to the helmet with her head. "So why do you wear that helmet anyway?"
"Well, why do you always wear your hat?" Francine smirked. "And why do you always keep your hair in a braid? Same thing."
"No need to get smart." Abby rolled her eyes. "I was actually being serious."
"Oh." The Scot placed her hands on her lap. "Well, 362 insists we wear them to show our Numbuhs, and different helmets show different ranks. Also, I've never told anyone this but it saved my neck once. We were on a mission to capture a KND membuh that betrayed us. She shot me in the neck, and the only thing that saved me was this old piece of junk. I just feel safe with it I guess." It was her turn to gesture. "And your reasons?"
"Well, this hat was from my sister when she was…" She cut off for a second. "Anyway, it's as lucky as your helmet now I think about it. It's helped me in ways you can't even begin to imagine. And the braid," She pulled it around so it sat on her shoulder. "Well that's quite obvious." Abby hesitated before she said the next part. "You should keep that thing off more often, you look nicer without it on."
Francine smirked, and Abby got the feeling she was teasing her. "Well, I'll leave it off if you take your braid out and your hat off more often."
"Fine, you got yourself a deal." She said, standing up and heading for the door. "Now, you need to rest. I'll close the door for privacy, but Kuki will come and check up on you in about and hour."
Francine put her hands behind her head and watched the door close. As she looked up at the ceiling of the four-poster bed, she sighed deeply.
0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o
Nigel rubbed his forehead as he sat before the communication computer. He breathed in deeply and typed in a code. The next second, 362 appeared on the big screen. She however, seemed a little preoccupied with some of the trainees swinging off her.
"Would you please get off me for a minute?" She stated, currently unaware that Nigel was smirking at her attempt to shake them off. "Please get off, I need to contact…oh, hi Numbuh 1." She said sheepishly. "I was just about to contact you."
"Do you want me to report back later?" He asked as he leant back on the chair. "You seem a little busy right now."
"No, no, no, I'm not busy at all." She put on a huge grin as one of the kids suddenly went off the screen. Nigel assumed she had used her foot to push him away. "So report, did the team make it and did they make it safely?"
"Um, yes and no." He replied, rubbing the back off his head. "The ship crashed outside the tree house."
"What? Is everyone alright?" 362 asked nervously. The other trainees had decided to leave her at that point.
"Well, Numbuh 44 and 44 are fine, only minor cuts and bruises. Numbuh 99 has a broken leg and will be out of action for a while. Numbuh 254 was unconscious, but has woken up I the past fifteen minutes, and Numbuh 86…"
"What about her? She's alright, isn't she?" 362 was shaking by then. These were her finest operatives they were talking about.
"Numbuh 5 can take it from here." Abby stated, entering the communication room. "She's gonna be fine, as long as she has blood transfusions until tomorrow morning. She acquired a wound to her right side, but it's been stitched up. She should be fine in a couple of weeks."
"Oh my…" 362 was speechless. "I'm coming down to help."
"I wouldn't move." Abby said sternly. "It was this unknown foe that shot 'em down. Whoever it is doesn't want the Moon Base involved. If you come down here it may become a worse situation."
"But. The operatives…" 362 started, but Nigel cut her off.
"Will be fine in our care. Don't send anyone down, we don't know exactly what we're dealing with." He stood up and stroked his chin. "But it seems like they know what they're doing, and are full aware of who's a threat and who's not. But don't worry Numbuh 362, we'll get to the bottom of this and get this villain behind bars."
"I sure hope so." 362 nodded. "Alright, but I want regular reports on both the operatives and this villain. Numbuh 362 out."
The screen went blank, and Nigel stared at Abby. "So, did you get an answer from her?"
"Yeah, I was surprised she told me."
Well I definitely wasn't. Nigel thought with an inward grin. "Well, care to share it with me?"
"Sure thang baby."
0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o
Kuki came skipping down the hall an hour later, going to check up on Francine as she was told to do. She reached the door, and put on her best smile as she turned the handle.
"So, how's the…" her voice trailed off to the tranquil sound of the wind gently blowing the curtains through the window. The bed was empty, and the room seemed to have been searched through. So Kuki did the only thing see could do.
"ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed, running down the hall. Hoagie poked his head out and scratched his head as Kuki ran around in circles. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and looked him in the eye.
"She's gone!" She cried, shaking the other operative a little. "I went to Numbuh 5's room and she was gone!"
"Wait, is Numbuh 5 with Numbuh 1?" He asked, completely confused by his friend's behaviour.
"I'm not talking about Numbuh 5!" She screamed angrily.
"Oh, you're talking about toots?" He smiled at his nickname for the fiery red head.
"Who's that?" She asked, letting go of his shirt. "Oh never mind. I have to tell Numbuh 1!" And with that, Kuki dashed to Numbuh 1's room. She barged through his door, and found Nigel and Abby quite cosy on his bed.
"Um, Numbuh 3." Nigel said, removing his arm from Abby's shoulders. "What's up?"
"It's Numbuh 86. I went to check on her, and she was gone!" Kuki cried. "I didn't know what to do so I came to tell you!"
Abby and Nigel followed Kuki down the hall, and stopped at Abby's door, which was closed again. Abby put her ear to the door, and heard a thump come from it. She turned the handle and opened the door, only to find the operative in question sound asleep with her back to them. Kuki gaped like a fish as the other two just looked at her.
"Are you trying to pull our leg or something?" Nigel asked. "Never mind Numbuh 3, just don't scare us like that in future alright?"
"But…oh alright." She hung her head, and followed Nigel. Abby smiled, and closed the door quietly.
In the dark room, a pair of green eyes were visible in the moonlight. Francine sighed in relief. "That was too close." She whispered to herself.
