The Diego Diaries: Hell Night (dd8 370)

=0=A few moments later at the Autobot City Medical Center, Autobot City, Mars

He and Bando walked back into the lounge, then sat down again. Bando looked sick and Paxton grave. "It would appear that neither of them were taking their medications," Paxton said as Bando hung his helm further. "It happens. A lot of times dementia changes your personality a little or a lot. Sweet natured individuals become antagonistic and they don't mean it. They're ill. What we have to do is keep them here until they recover, both of them when Jezzy is found, and then go from there. It would appear that having them in some kind of care where the caregivers are aware of every kind of trick a patient can play will help here." Paxton glanced at Bando and his siblings. "No one is at fault here. You are doing your best out of love."

A helm peered in. "Paxton? We found the little femme, Jezzy."

It would be wild in the lounge for a few moments.

=0=On the trail

They rode across the colony meeting calls here and there. Beat cops on foot, those who used their alt format to drive and those who used small runabout style vessels, all of them Watchmen and femmes were hard at it. The night had been riotous and there were some serious offenses mixed amongst the drunkenness, fights and domestic disorders that were called in. Sirens could be heard all over the colony as they ran to each outbreak with haste.

Aerie Hill was staffed with Seekers for their Watchmen and femmes, all of them under Springer's command. They were working their end of the vast complex that was the colony, taking care of complaints, wrestling big mechs to the ground when they decided to break up a place and gathering the drunken, lost and pissed off from the streets as dawn worked its way forward once again.

It would be a busy Magistrate Court in Aerie Hill in the morning as well.

=0=Sciences Habitat

Sheila Conroy sat at the monitor station near the outside street side window chatting with her mom and dad who were coming back to their apartment in Unidad in a week. They were having a 'vacation' on Earth to help with their brother's peony business. He needed extra hands to plant bulbs and they decided to take a short jaunt before 'The Season' started on world. The Season was the event packed inter habitat social schedule that dominated the sunny season of Mars. It would be the most jam packed schedule of events, concerts, conferences, outings, shows and fairs of the year.

Emma and Anthony Conroy were retired with five adult children. Sheila had been the most adventurous and had wanted a career in science as it pertained to space. They'd helped her all they could but it was her particular genius and sweet personality that opened all her doors. When she was to be posted to Mars as one of the pioneering humans in the newly built habitat it was both a great pride and a secret fear they had for her.

They didn't tell her but kept tabs via face time programs and letters. When she asked them to come and weekend at the Habitat, something that was just allowed, it was with trembling spirits that they came. It was with burning and sorrowing reluctance that they left. The stay on Mars had been so wondrous that it made them think thoughts, too.

They worked to retirement, then made their way into the rotation of family that came, stayed for however long, then went back home again. When the possibility that they could immigrate and stay at Unidad happened they jumped at it. Packing their gear, two cats and a big fuzzy dog, handing the keys to their home and old life to their next oldest daughter who LOVED the family homestead, they journeyed to Mars and were granted a visa for an open ended, unspecified length of stay.

Emma had been a cook and homemaker all her life. She had decided to try something else and found herself baking all the bread that Unidad consumed. Anthony 'Tony' Conroy was a long haul truck driver. After lounging for a while, the bug bit and he was the head of the delivery system at Unidad. He also drove the little trucks and forklifts for a lark and enjoyed himself mightily.

:So we got it all done and we're getting ready to come home. Daddy has to get the Co-op shipments in order for the chain so we won't dally: Emma said as she sat in front of the screen with her husband.

:Have you checked on the animals?:

"I have," Sheila said. "They're doing fine with the Corbys." She glanced to one side as a police van with its siren blaring drove down the street toward the Metro Highway and the turn off toward Cultural Center Road where the jail was located at the Court House. "Its a hot night tonight. Police vans have been going past for hours."

:The game?: her dad asked. :I wish we could have been there. We watched it on the MCA:

"That was an epic game. Yeah. Everyone is going nuts tonight. Rung was on "GOOD MORNING, AUTOBOT CITY!" yesterday and said this might happen. The population is still ringing from the invasion."

:Them and us both: Emma said sympathetically as her husband nodded. :What sort of crimes and goings on? Anyone we know?:

"A lot of fighting. There's also been knife fights, a couple of gunfights and a lot of drunken and disorderly. We also had a little elder couple wander out of their homes and get lost. They both have dementia and protoform wasting really badly. They walked out of their son's home where they live. Fortunately, they were both found alive," Sheila replied. "Springer and Drift are going to be busy boys for a while."

:Those two make me laugh: Tony said with a grin as his wife smiled.

"Have you seen their baby? They adopted a newborn and he's the CUTEST little thing ever," Sheila said.

:Aren't they all?: Emma replied.

They would talk a long time before signing off. Emma and Tony Conroy would be 'home' in less than two days.

=0=Dinner, late

They sat on a blanket spread out by the window of their apartment. Beyond the lights of the vastness that was Unidad Terra 1, the lights of other cities, street lamps illuminating the roadways going in all directions and passing ships cast beauty in the inky darkness of Martian night time that was hard to describe. It glittered seemingly, the lights near and far.

"So what do you suppose the humans are going to do about this, Joe?" Olivia Bowers asked her husband. The deck was being cleared and the saga of the indicted humans was coming up.

"We're going to have an extradition fight I believe. Its up to Optimus what he wants to do. He can hold them or let them go," Joe Bowers said as he leaned against a chair. They were 'picnicking' together, eating their light late dinner on the floor. "I'd like them all to go to Earth to face the music. There's something so … lacking in character to have all the money in the world and then lie and cheat to get more."

Olivia nodded. "I always wondered what a cashless society was like. This place makes more sense than anywhere I've ever been and any system I've ever seen."

Joe nodded. "Its a hard habit to break."

Olivia glanced at him, then grinned. "You're the champion of change, Joe Bowers and that's why you're my hero."

It would be a very pleasant evening in the apartment that night. Driving on the roads, flying in the sky, they could tell the police from the rest by their sirens and flashing lights.

=0=Later that morning when things were up and going in the colony

Ratchet walked into the Medical Center to check up on the overnight haul. He knew it was busy and the intake statistics would show that was true. He walked to an elevator to go up which was held for him by Breakdown. "What are you doing here? I gave you and Knockout weekends off."

"I have to get something," Breakdown said. "We're heading for the Valles with friends to camp and I left some of Breakout's toys here."

"How's that little cutie?" Ratchet asked.

"Growing like a weed. He's doing really well in school. The Academy really wants them to be well rounded and smart," Breakdown said proudly.

"Well, he's a pistol, that one. Are you taking him?" Ratchet asked as he enjoyed Breakdown's pride in his son.

"We are. We have a little tiny tent and sleeping bag for him. We're putting it up inside our own. Its cute," Breakdown said.

Ratchet grinned. "Well, that's what you do with your kids. Love them and do fun things. Anything of interest happen here if you know? Besides shooting and stabbing?"

"They found that elder couple," Breakdown said as he reached his floor. "They got lost last night. A really impaired couple. They're up in Elder ICU now."

"I hadn't heard. Thanks and have a great time. Hug that cutie for me," Ratchet said with a dazzler.

"I will and I'll hug Breakout, too," he said as he stepped off the elevator. He would hear Ratchet's loud laughter until the doors closed again. It would add something to his already happy mood. Taking the piss out of Knockout was fun. Doing it with someone else was funner all the way around.

=0=Upstairs at Elder ICU

Ratchet walked past the lounge where a morose appearing family sat together as he headed toward the nurse's station. He glanced at them, nodded and kept going. He reached the desk and began to read through the notes from nurses, doctors, specialists, social workers, Watchmen and femmes and others. He glanced at the day shift nurse, a tall youngling mech named Paginet. "What's the story on the little couple, Pag?"

Paginet who was a graduate of the nursing program at the University three years before and had risen swiftly through skill, tenacity and a kindly spirit glanced at the desk monitor. "They're a little couple from Uraya who have severe Cache's Disease and Dementia Grande level 4," he replied using the illnesses more formal names. "They hid their medications, then slipped out of their son's apartment and wandered away. They got separated. He was found on a lighting platform on the highway heading toward Aerie Hill and she wandered into the scrub land near the Arena and fell into a hole. It was a miracle she was found."

"Well, that's not good. I hadn't heard. I'll check them out now," Ratchet said as he walked toward the double doors that led to the silent and highly secured Elder ICU.

It was very quiet but for the beeping of machines as around the center of the vast room where the nurse's station was screened off compartments for the patients could be seen. There was eighteen spaces in this ward of the Elder ICU and all of them were full. Ratchet found the ones he wanted and checked them out.

Jezzy of Uraya was the worse off of the two. She was serious but stable. Her levels of both illnesses were in the red but rising slowly. It would be a long, long convalescence for her. Her bond, Mercury of Uraya was less ill but as poorly as her. He would take a good time to recover himself. Both of them would but this couldn't happen again. They didn't have the margins for errors.

Ratchet walked out out to the waiting room, then paused in the doorway. "Are you the family of Mercury and Jezzy? I'm the CMO around here."

Several adults jumped up.

"We are. I'm their son, Bando and they lived with me. I don't know how they got out. We watch them orn and night," he said with an anguished voice as the others nodded.

"Its easy when they don't take their medications." Ratchet walked in and sat, waiting for them to do the same. "We have them. They're going to get better but they can't have a situation where things can go wrong. Did Paragon explain to you what's possible?"

They nodded but it was clear they weren't sold.

Ratchet stood. "How about coming with me to Central Point and we can see the set up. This is going to make you feel better. I wish we had this when my amma had the same problems. Paragon has been through this as well and he only wants the best for our Elders. How about we go and look around. I haven't been there since they started taking residents."

The rest stood and with Ratchet chatting away they walked out the door to take the Metro to the newest planned development in the colony.

=0=TBC 2-18-2022

Paginet is pronounced pah-juh-net