Four stitches.
She couldn't believe it.
That's all that Doc had given her.
Apparently only Knives' canines had broken the skin. Judging by the pain at the time, she had been sure he was trying to gnaw his way to the other side of Gunsmoke through her shoulder. Of course, she had 32 teeth-shaped imprints and a huge purple bruise to show the world if she chose to, but her skin was, for the most part, puncture-free. Doc did not look too worried about the wound itself, but did rattle off a standard physician's lecture about the septic nature of the mouth and recommended regular application of a topical antibiotic.
Doc went in alone to reactivate Knives' arms. They had both decided that she would be able to handle Knives if he got out of hand. They would just have to observe him quite stringently. She hadn't seen him since she'd been bitten. She wasn't sure she wanted to see him. She did promise him she'd check up on him, though.
She took a deep breath and tapped the door panel cautiously. Doc was just finishing up. Knives wasn't looking at her. Knives wasn't looking at Doc. He was just sitting up in bed, staring out of the one porthole in the room. He looked so quiet and alone. She suddenly felt bad for hitting him in the head so hard. He'd probably already had a headache, too.
She just wished he hadn't been…so…bitey.
"Hi, Mr. Knives. I hope you're feeling better," she tried with a cheerful voice.
No response.
She'd just have to try again later. "Hey, Doc. Do you need any help?"
Doc shook his head no as he pushed himself off the bed. "No, my dear. I've just finished with the mechanics. They should be fit as a fiddle now." She noticed Knives didn't so much as wiggle his fingers to see if Doc was correct. "What was I…Oh yes. I'm going to go get some of that ointment I was talking to you about." He walked to the door and stopped beside her momentarily. "Would you mind watching my patient for me for a few minutes?" he said cheerfully.
Oh! She didn't want to! But…if it was helpful… "Sure thing, Doc."
He smiled at her before he left the room. When he was gone, she half expected Knives to go into a tirade on the fact that he was now more a prisoner than a patient, but he didn't. He just sat there staring out the window. She wanted to say something, but didn't know what, so she just pulled up a chair and sat down.
When he finally spoke, she nearly jumped.
His voice was thick and quiet. "If you're worried about me trying to hurt myself again, don't. You may leave."
"But Mr. Knives…I…Doc…" He was nothing like Vash. He cut straight to the point and left no ambiguities. Where Vash might act like a suicide watch was an excuse for a slumber party, Knives just called it what it was.
He breathed heavily, almost a sigh, but with no real emotion behind it. "You can stay and watch, but I won't be very interesting."
For some reason, she felt horrible. "I am sorry for hitting you so hard."
Knives did nothing. Then he scoffed. He smiled dryly. "You shouldn't be."
Mr. Knives was confusing her to no end! What did he mean by that?
A sudden noise outside the room caught her attention. Maybe Doc was back! "Hold on a sec, Mr. Knives. I'll be right back." With that, she popped up and slipped through the doorway. She was surprised to find a recently showered Vash was just making his way out of the bathroom. His back was to her. She switched her brain from Knives-mode to Vash-mode in the blink of an eye. "Hey!" she nearly shouted. "Did you sleep well?" She was so happy to see him up!
His shoulders immediately hitched together under his hoodie, like he'd been caught trying to sneak away. He slowly turned around and wiggled his fingers in salutation. "Oh, hi there!" he said in a ridiculously high voice. He seemed nervous…or embarrassed…or surprised… "I was just going to--"
Milly cut in. "You must be starving! You've been out for almost two days straight. Would you like me to fix you something?" Before she'd even finished the sentence, she was already pulling foodstuffs from their places and warming them up and laying them out on the table. She got a plate and some flatware and set that out as well. She grabbed a glass of water and put it on the table and sat down. Then she realized he was still standing. She frowned and her eyebrows knitted together. "What's…wrong?" She looked at the table. Maybe this wasn't what he wanted. "If there's something you'd rather eat, I'm sure I can find it." She added a little quiver to the last few words. That always made him give in.
She heard him sigh and she looked up just in time to see him sitting down. "Yeah, Milly, I guess I am pretty hungry." He smiled a normal smile and tucked into the closest container of food. His smile kind of made her sad. She could tell he was hurting inside, but he was still trying to cover it up. Maybe she had been wrong in demoting Meryl. Maybe sempai shouldn't have left after all…
But he could have stopped her.
That's right! He had the opportunity and he let it slip past. Mr. Vash was going to have to do this by himself this time!
She silently sighed. These twins certainly were proving to be a handful.
She watched Vash as he continued to eat. He really could put it away! He basically ate everything she put out for him. "See! You were hungry. Do you want anything else to eat?"
He shook his head no and smiled that old smile. "This was more than enough." His eyes had a saddened edge. "Really, you've already done so much…" He looked down. "You shouldn't have to worry about me." She could see he was embarrassed now for sure.
"Oh Vash, don't be silly. I'm your friend! I'm going to worry about you even when nothing is wrong," she told him with a smile. He looked up at her, and for a split second, she saw that emptiness floating in his eyes again and it scared her. His expression changed so fast, though, that she wasn't even sure that she hadn't just made it up.
He smiled at her. Vash seemed genuinely relieved. "I'm glad you can still think of me that way." He extended his arm and patted her on the shoulder.
Her injured shoulder.
She closed her eyes and tried not to wince. She really tried, but she couldn't help it. Her shoulder really hurt! Maybe with her eyes closed, he wouldn't notice…
"What's wrong, Milly?"
Dadgumit! He noticed! "Oh, I just--"
Before she could even protest, he'd gently pulled the collar of her sweater away from her neck, revealing her freshly bandaged wound. He looked at her hard. "Tell me what happened."
What was she supposed to say? She hadn't expected Vash to be awake yet. She just couldn't tell Vash what had happened…especially with him so sad and trying to be strong for her. She wondered what Knives would say. She glanced towards his room.
Vash followed her eyes to the door…Knives' door. Recognition set in. He returned his gaze to her. "Did…did he hurt you?" His jaw was clenched. He was gripping her sweater collar now. She didn't even know if he realized what he was doing.
"Vash, it's not…it's not…"
His eyes were lit with rage. He let go of her sweater. "He hurt you," he quietly admitted to himself. Before she could stop him, he'd made his way across the room and slammed his hand so hard against the door panel that a few sparks flew out. He advanced into the dark room. She could feel the anger dripping off of him. Knives was still looking out of the portal, the injured side of his face turned away from his brother.
"Knives," he seethed. "Look at me."
Knives did no such thing.
Vash lost it. "LOOK AT ME!" He shouted so loud it made Milly cringe.
Slowly, very slowly, Knives turned towards his brother.
Milly watched as Vash's posture changed completely. His broad shoulders slumped down. His knees sagged. His fists uncurled and his arms swung limply. She heard a strange whimper come from him. She took a few steps toward him. He was looking at the bruise on Knives' face. It had started right at his temple, but now, it was spreading more and more. The translucent skin below his eye was dark purple now.
"What happened?" he finally asked quietly. Knives didn't say anything. "What happened?" He sounded more desperate this time. Knives still didn't say anything. He turned to Milly. She could see the unshed tears in his worried eyes. "What happened?!" he shouted at her. She jumped.
"I…Vash…I took…" How could she tell him? She made eye contact with Knives. "We…I…"
"Milly took care of it," a clear, strong voice dictated.
Vash turned around to look at his brother. "Milly took care of it," Knives stated again, "so don't worry about it." Knives saw a war being fought in Vash's eyes. He could feel the anger and the worry and the hurt rolling off of his brother.
Vash was worried about him.
"Milly, can you leave us alone?" Knives asked flatly.
"Yes…of course," she said. She tried hitting the door panel to give them more privacy, but whatever Vash had done to it had locked it open. She almost said something, but she saw Vash walking towards his brother and knew it would be better just to make herself scarce.
Knives wondered if Vash knew his link was still wide open. With every step Vash took towards him, Vash's anger yielded to his worry. It hurt Knives to know Vash was so hurt, but in a way, it was incredibly satisfying.
And for the first time in his life, that satisfaction made Knives hate himself.
He watched as Vash slowly approached. He looked Knives over. Knives sat very still, worried that any sudden movement might scare his brother away. Vash's eyes scanned over the bruise. He balled his hand into a fist and timidly sat on the side of his twin's bed. Knives could read the questions in his eyes. What had happened? Did he really want to know?
Knives took a deep breath. His brother was so close. How long had it been since they had last been able to simply regard one another? A hundred years? Was he ready to admit to himself that they probably hadn't been this close since they were children?
He closed his eyes and found himself slowly leaning forward. Finally, his forehead rested lightly against Vash's shoulder. He could feel Vash's slightly damp hair as it stuck to his cheek. He stayed as still as he possibly could. He didn't want to force himself on Vash. He didn't want to make Vash run away. He just wanted to be with his brother.
Vash sat motionlessly, then slowly copied his brother's posture. He brought an arm around and loosely embraced Knives. Knives felt something well up inside of him that he hadn't felt since he and Vash had been little boys.
Joy. Acceptance. Peace.
He almost started to cry.
Vash put his other arm around his brother and held him closer. Knives stayed in the same position. He was afraid that if he moved, his brother would go away. He realized Vash was whispering to him.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you alone. I'm so, so sorry. Please believe me, Knives." The worry in his brother was turning into uncontrollable guilt.
Vash's words broke Knives' heart. Knives finally returned his brother's embrace. He held Vash close, a little too tightly with his prosthetics. He could feel Vash's metal implants pushing into his body. The metal parts that used to make him so angry at the humans now made him feel guilt and shame. The pain that Vash had experienced at the hands of the humans was nothing compared to what he dragged his own brother through. He had been so stupid to think he was protecting Vash. All this time, he'd been trying to protect himself. He couldn't go on hurting his brother any more.
"I'm going to say this once," he said in a clear voice. He took a deep breath. "Never apologize to me again."
Vash tried to pull away, tried to look Knives in the face, but Knives continued to lean against his brother. He loosened his hold on Vash a little, but he kept his head down on Vash's shoulder. Suddenly, Vash redoubled the strength of his embrace and Knives found himself pressed flat against his crying brother. He was shocked for a few moments. Finally, Knives felt relief wash over him and he couldn't help but smile.
"Don't be such a crybaby," he gently chided his brother.
"I'm so-- I mean…" Vash was at a total loss for words.
Knives held on tight. He couldn't think of anything to say, either.
The two brothers finally pulled away from each other, both a little embarrassed to be so open after all this time.
They stayed like that for a good while, but not as long as either one of them had hoped. A glass shattering in the other room startled them out of the tender moment. Vash whipped his head around and almost got up to see what was the matter, but Doc appeared in the doorway before he had a chance to move.
He didn't look happy.
"What's wrong?" Vash asked quickly.
Before Doc could answer, a positively distressed Milly popped in behind him. Knives wondered to himself why they all found the need to congregate in his room.
Doc hesitated uncharacteristically. Knives noticed.
"I just received a dispatch from Max in New Oregon." Another uncharacteristic pause. "The caravan has not arrived on schedule. A search party was sent out. It seems…the caravan was raided…by slavers. Supplies were stolen." He paused again. "Not everyone could be…accounted for."
Hmm… Knives thought to himself. Wasn't that the mode of transportation that small woman had decided on? To leave his brother? Oh well. One less human was nothing to worry abo-- Oh god. Meryl.
Unadulterated fear.
Chaotic panic.
Paralyzing anxiety.
Knives started to sweat. These were not his thoughts. Why was he feeling this? He looked over at Vash, expecting him to be a complete wreck, but was shocked to see him sitting exactly the same way he had been. The only difference was that his jaw had clenched tight and a vein was visibly throbbing in his neck.
Was Vash…really capable of masking these terrifyingly strong emotions?
Knives couldn't do it. He tried not to hyperventilate. If he'd been able to feel anything besides what his brother was pumping into him, he probably would have been insanely jealous of that small human at this point. All areas of rational thought in his mind, however, had been short-circuited, and Vash had overridden any kind of emotional response Knives would normally have to this situation.
Knives had only felt this kind of fear from his brother one time, but the magnitude hadn't been nearly as great. It might have been because it was conducted through another channel. The last transmission Legato sent him…it was almost the same.
He was being brainwashed. He could feel it. And Vash didn't even know he was doing it. He was feeling the strangest sense of empathy for the small woman, the same woman who had chopped his arms off and stolen his strength, the same woman he had tried to get rid of for good just a few days ago. If Vash didn't get away from him soon, Knives feared he'd feel like this about that little spider for the rest of eternity.
He had to get away from Vash.
"What are we going to do?" Knives barely heard Milly ask.
Vash sat silently for a few moments. He shook his head. "I have to stay here with my brother."
What!? Under any other circumstance, Knives would have been pleased as punch to hear a response like that come from his brother, but not now. Vash was completely incapable of keeping his emotions to himself at this point, and Knives absolutely could not shield himself from his brother's mind. It was all Knives could do to keep control of his body's reaction to these emotions. Knives tried to speak, but he found it nearly impossible to try to slow down his breaths to prevent losing consciousness and talk at the same time. He tried to send a mental transmission, but Vash wasn't letting him get a thought in edgewise.
Somehow, Milly understood. "Don't worry, Vash. Meryl is strong."
Vash looked at her, seemingly relieved at what Milly had told him, but Knives knew better. The panic in his brother spiked, which nearly caused Knives to pass out. He had to do something or Vash would mentally destroy him.
"Yes, she is very strong…isn't she." Knives managed to grind out slowly. "They'll…probably have to take turns…breaking her." He was immediately blasted with a wave of panic so intense that it almost made him faint.
Suddenly, he realized three sets of eyes were glaring at him in disbelief.
He felt like hell. He probably looked even worse. He didn't care. He had to get Vash away from him.
Vash stared at Knives, a little bit of the monumental panic finally seeping out through his eyes. He sputtered. "How could…how could you…say…?"
Knives ground his teeth together and spoke frankly. "I know…how humans can be…to their own."
Vash's eyes hardened. Knives felt righteous anger burn inside him. Then all that panic and fear suddenly rotated ninety degrees and Knives felt a huge swell of single-minded determination surround him. He sat straight in bed and felt his own chest puff up. If Milly hadn't been pinning him with the strangest look, Knives would have found it impossible not to jump up and accompany his brother to rescue that woman.
Luckily for Knives, at that moment Vash leaped up with inhuman speed and made a beeline to his room. The distance was a salve to his mind. He heard his brother thrash around a bit and emerge a few moments later with his black bag slung over his shoulder.
"Doc," he stated evenly, "I'm going to need to borrow a jeep." He walked over to Milly. He spoke to her with considerably more gentleness. "Hey, Big Girl, can you do me a favor?"
She looked at him with questions evident in her eyes. He didn't usually call her that. "Yes, of course."
He watched Vash lean in and whisper something to Milly. She nodded her head vigorously and gave him a quick bear hug.
Vash looked at Knives one more time, apology swimming in his expression.
"Go!" Knives shouted.
Knives sighed as he felt his brother finally exit the room. He closed his eyes, enjoying the vacuum in his brain that Vash's sudden retreat had left behind. He didn't see Milly smiling at him, but even if he had, he wouldn't care.
Doc and Vash made their way towards the hangar. Doc was surprised at how well Vash was taking the news about this unfortunate turn of events. After witnessing Vash's episode in the hallway a few days ago, he was certain the man had feelings for the young lady. But the way he was acting now, it almost seemed as if Vash were just going through the motions, merely obligated to help.
Maybe Vash had been so exhausted before that he simply couldn't control his emotions at all… Maybe he displayed emotions he didn't even feel. Sleep deprivation did effect emotional responses to stimuli.
Or maybe he was just really good at covering up his feelings when he'd had enough sleep.
"Vash, I want you to be careful."
The gunman seemed calm, but distracted. "I've dealt with worse than slavers."
Doc sighed. "That's not what I mean. There have been a lot of changes in New Oregon since you were last there."
"Oh yeah?" Vash didn't really seem to be paying attention at all.
"Yes, Vash. Listen to me. Remember the feud between the Polos and the Fries?"
Vash looked at him, finally displaying some interest in the subject. "You mean the two families fighting over that excavated plant?"
Doc nodded as they continued to walk. "Yes, those families."
"Did they ever stop fighting?" Vash asked hopefully.
Doc shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not." He saw Vash frown. How could such a tender heart still exist in this harsh reality? "The federal government found out about the plant and took over. That's why you need to be careful. The place is crawling with federal marshals."
Vash looked confused. "If there are so many agents around, then what about the slavers? Why are they in these parts? They've got to be pretty organized to be able to take down a caravan without tipping the authorities off."
"When the Polos and the Fries were thrown out of power, it left a vacuum. The slavers simply moved in." Doc's pager went off. He unclipped it and hit a few buttons, then clipped it back to his belt.
Vash's expression changed from confusion to anger. "Well, if there are so many agents around, why aren't they going after the slavers?" It seemed logical enough.
Doc sighed. "Not enough infrastructure is the official excuse. In reality, the government probably wants to secure the plant and monitor its functionality before they do anything else in the area. We are, pretty much, the edge of civilization out here."
Vash would have asked more questions, but they'd reached their destination. Vash walked straight to the first jeep he saw and threw his bag into the back seat. He was in mid leap over the driver's side door when Doc stopped him.
"You can't take that one."
Vash looked at him questioningly. "Why not?"
Doc pointed at a different vehicle. "You have to take that one." It was one of the few jeeps with diesel engines that had not been retrofitted for plant cells. He didn't want Vash tempted to use his powers to refuel. It would only hurt him in the long run.
One of the young doctors entered the hangar and caught Doc's attention. Doc walked over to the man and relieved him of his burden. He thanked the young man and turned towards Vash again.
Vash was checking out the old car. He threw his stuff in the back of that jeep and leaped over the driver's side door. He flipped the sun visors. A set of keys fell into his lap. He inserted the keys into the ignition and was about to start the engine when Doc spoke up.
"Don't you think you should take some extra fuel with you? Just in case?" These old jeeps had pretty large tanks. One tank would probably just be enough to get Vash into town, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.
Seemingly unperturbed, Vash hopped out of the driver's seat and gave Doc a goofy smile. "That would probably be a good idea." Vash walked around the vehicles to the fuel storage area and grabbed a couple of gallons of gas. They were real gallons, not the dallons the merchants tried to pass of as the same size. He put them in the back seat. He turned to Doc and clapped his hands together. "Well, I guess that's all!" He turned to get back into the vehicle once again, but Doc stopped him.
"That's not quite all, Vash." Doc looked at the bag in his hands. He thrust his hand in and pulled out a leather belt. "You might need this." He waited for Vash to take it. Doc knew Vash hated to wear a gun outside his clothes, but that big roomy jacket was gone and he needed some sort of protection. Who knew…maybe seeing a gun on his person would dissuade ruffians from starting anything in the first place. After Vash had the belt around his hips and the holster strapped around his thigh, Doc handed him the six-shooter.
Suddenly, the goofy façade fell away and the gunman lurking in Vash's depths surfaced. He expertly checked out the gun, opened the cylinder, spun it, and snapped it shut. He holstered the gun with maximum efficiency. The familiarity Vash showed with the gun got to Doc, reminded him of how Vash had fought to survive for so long.
Vash looked at him expectantly. Doc cleared his throat. "I really want you to be careful out there. Don't lose your head and try not to be too conspicuous. You might not have a bounty on your head anymore, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch out, especially with all the marshals around."
"Anything else?" Vash grinned.
"One more thing." Doc reached into the bottom of the bag and pulled out an old bomber jacket. "I want you…to have this." He handed it to Vash. "I promised myself I'd give it to you the next time I saw you. It's cold at night. You need something more than that sweatshirt." He hesitated while Vash pulled his hoodie off and shrugged the jacket on. "It's far too big for me. It's from earth, too," he offered. Vash's eyes widened at that. "My grandfather brought it with him." He took a deep breath. "I want you to have it. I think of you…as part of my family, Vash. Almost like a son. I hope that isn't…insulting."
Vash shook his head. "Of course not. Of course not." The jacket fit great. "Thank you so much."
Doc smiled. "Well, I kind of feel guilty for not having a coat ready for you. Just remember this one isn't bullet proof."
Vash smiled. "Okay. Anything else, or can I go save the day?" he asked in a roguish voice.
Doc slapped him on the arm and gave him a squeeze. "Get out of here."
Finally, Vash successfully leaped into the jeep and gunned the engine.
A sand lizard looked down from his rock on his cliff at a tiny jeep on the horizon. The plume of sand behind the vehicle seemed to indicate great speed, but the desert was so wide that any forward motion was barely detectable. From such a distance, the jeep moved like a sluggish reptile on a cold day.
And the man in the jeep felt the same way.
Vash had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel. Beads of sweat dripped down his face. His foot had the accelerator flattened to the floorboard. He looked at the gear shifter and cursed the fact that the transmission didn't go to sixth. He couldn't go fast enough.
He had to go faster. He had to go faster. He had to go faster.
The dashboard already had two dents in it where Vash had punched it in frustration. Of all the times for Doc to need a heart-to-heart, why now…WHEN MERYL WAS IN DANGER?! It was almost unbearable to idly stand by, knowing… He let out a cry of panic. What if he'd already wasted too much time? That dispatch was already probably a day and a half old.
And this damned piece of junk wasn't going fast enough!
He'd seen slaver victims before. It was disgusting that anybody could treat people like that. The first time he'd come across a slaver encampment, he had a hard time not agreeing with his brother. Even the fortunate ones that didn't make it to the auction block were in bad shape. Young girls and boys, their eyes hollow, their cheeks sunken, old rags clinging to them, barely able to stretch the strips of dirty fabric to cover themselves…kidnapped, beaten, starved, abused, used…
Raped.
They were left scarred, untrusting, empty…broken.
What if he found Meryl like that?
What if they did something to her? What if they'd already done something to Meryl? She had that fiery temper and that iron will. Of course she'd be noticed. Of course she'd be targeted.
What if they forced her…
He let out another frustrated scream. He couldn't even finish the thought. This couldn't happen to Meryl. Not her. Not his insurance girl.
He was already close to breaking the steering wheel in half, and he really needed that if he had any intentions of getting to her in time. Even though nobody else was around, he needed to stay in control of his emotions. For Meryl.
If he drove straight there, he would be there in 5 hours.
A/N: HEY EVERYBODY!!! thanks for all the awesome reviews on the last chapter!! everybody gets imaginary funnel cakes!!!
THANKS TO MITAI for beta'ing again!!!
hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner. now...review:)