Arrrrgggh. I know its been a long time. So sorry about that. And (brings out shield for protection) I might not be able to post as many chapters as I was before! Thought I would just tell ya real quick-like...like a band-aid. I got a lot on my plate right now, and don't get me wrong I love this story to death, but I just dont think I can handle as much as I was. I do plan on doing a rather late christmas or new years chapter...or not, if you guys dont want that let me know.
(Oh yeah, I DO NOT own Halo. ;_; Sad I know.) Please enjoy this next chapter.
\/\/\M/\/\/
"I fucking give up!" Missy screamed.
The huge old-tech microwave was a little worse for wear after being Missy-handled: a few dents here and there, its door more than a little bent with a cracked, tinted view window.
Note to self: never try to cook again. Geez, what a piece of… The beaten machine mockingly blasted a staticky beep, beep, BEE… before Missy began murderously tearing the god-awful thing apart.
She let out an angry huff as she threw away the mutilated microwave and the burnt remains of what she had hoped would be a good meal. After taking a moment to calm her infuriated nerves, she grabbed a handful of brown packaged REMs. They weren't bad, but they were getting to be harder and harder to find. She really needed to find another source of food. She had hoped she could use the microwave to boil water and cook food but obviously that wasn't gonna happen. Why did they have to make microwaves such a pain in the ass to use?
Huddy could have figured it out in no time… Just the thought made her sad. He is probably long gone by now, or dead. Along with most of the other Spartans. Half-assed anger fluttered in her belly for a moment at her brief moment of weakness. So what? You are alive...that's all that matters.
As she came to the double kitchen doors she made sure to wipe her face clear of expression. The last thing I need is for split-face to see any sign of weakness.
She kicked the heavy metal kitchen doors open and revealed her patient sitting up in bed, rapt with attention.
She tried not to laugh. He looked so hungry; she could see thin silvery strands of liquid dangling from his mandibles. He was drooling! Like a hungry stray dog. She smiled sweetly to try and cover up the humor in her eyes. Lucky for him though, I like dogs.
He watched her with a mixed expression of caution and anticipation."You are so big. I figured around 10 foot? Anyways…I knew you would need more food than me." She handed him the tomato soup, beef and beans, and the beef stew packets. Those didn't contain dairy, which from her study of elite physiology, would cause him to have very irritable bowels. She had definitely made a personal mission to one day give him dairy though, as payback for her scar. Not now though, he's sick enough. But soon. It took every ounce of decency in the maniacal medic to hold in an evil laugh.
He eyed her cautiously when he took the packets of food. After the ordeal with the microwave she wasn't feeling in a particularly good mood. Her patience suddenly evaporated, "Oh for the love of… Here!" She snatched the packets back and scooped small samples of each food item out with her white plastic spork and dumped them into her palm. She showed him the palm full of food then licked it up and swallowed. As she showed him her clean, wet palm she huffed, "There. No poison. You have my word as a doctor."He grumbled at her comment, but accepted the food packets back without any complaints.
She went over to a nearby crate and got busy eating her own food. Peas, carrots, white rice and chicken (or what was supposed to pass as chicken). She scarfed the questionable sustenance cubes down all the same, not really caring about taste.
When she looked up at Splits he wasn't eating his food. "Aren't you hungry Splits?" The elite looked at the food packs longingly, "Erm…how am I supposed to eat this?" Honestly? She hadn't even thought he would have trouble with that. "I gave you a spork. Figure it out." She knew it sounded harsh, but he deserved it. He glared at her but went back to swirling the contents of his food pack.
She watched him out of the corner of her eye, curious to see what he would do. He was toying with the too-small plastic spork, studying the shape and picking at the midget prongs. Her superb hearing caught him mumble, "Interesting utensil." But as he tried maneuvering it in his massive hand he broke the cheap plastic in two. Splits growled in contempt but refused to let that keep him down. He tried picking it up with his hands, and then tried using his mandibles to grasp a bit of the bean mush…neither of which worked entirely well. After making a beany mess, he stared at his food angrily, as if that might make it give him an answer.
She lost interest after a few moments and went back to eating. When she had finished her whole packet she found him still staring at the food, more saliva dripping from his jaws. He looked so pitiful.
Oh sure. Make me feel sorry for you. You big pussy.
She sighed angrily, "Why don't you try dumping it down your throat…hole…thingy?" Splits shot her an angry look, again. "Fine. Starve, whatever. Can't say I didn't try to help you." The medic kicked her feet up onto the nearest counter and pretended to sleep.
She knew he would take her advice…but only if he thought that she didn't know it. A low rumble came from his chest, followed by an exasperated rarrgh. Before she could count to 200 he dumped one of the packets down his throat. Once the contents were down he sat there a moment, as if waiting to explode or something. Then, when he felt sure of not exploding, he downed the other two packets eagerly.
The Spartan opened her eyes and kept a poker face, but inside she was smirking, "Feel better Splits?" Surprisingly, he didn't give her the I'm-gonna-kill-you-in-your-sleep look. He actually looked...grateful?
"Yes…erm, thank you…" He seemed to struggle as to what to call her.
Before he could come up with something worse than Demon she interjected, "Missy. You can call me Missy. And you're welcome."
…
With Splits resting up in the operating room, she decided to check on her other patients. She had already checked on them twice today, but her stress was making it difficult to do anything else. Not just from Splits' strange behavior, but because Nurse was still not back.
What could have happened to him? It's been two days since I woke up and who knows how long I was out before then?
She knew technically the grunt was an adult, but (as much as she hated admitting it) she felt an odd maternal tie to him.
She looked down at her unconscious Unggoy patient "Me. Maternal. Hmm, hmm, that's pretty funny." She had saved him, so she was responsible for him right? The big, bad Spartan couldn't stop worrying about the poor lil alien. Where could he have possibly gone? A few gory mental pictures of other grunts on the battlefield flashed through her mind some of which she had personally killed. Ripping their packs off leaving them to suffocate, tearing out their intestines, twisting heads off, kicking them like a football...gory, monstrous memories. Which she quickly suppressed.
Suck it up medic. Whether he came back or not, she was well over due for a visit back at The Base. She hadn't been back in months! They were bound to wonder where she was. Not only did she need to help them…but she needed a good dose of humanity. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of actually talking to other humans. She missed the marines' sassy, smart ass comments.
The grunt on the bed gave a little squeak and interrupted her attempt at happy thoughts. "You think you have it bad buddy? Step in my boots once. I nearly died, my assistant is missing, and to top it all off I got a crazy elite watching me like a hawk!" After a few moments of ranting to the oblivious alien, she decided it best to get back to duty.
/\/\/N/\/\/\
"Nnnrrk." Nurse grunted as he finally, finally reached the bunker.
He hated how long of a walk it was to The Covenant encampment. It was worth it though. Mistress should be proud of me for taking things into my own hands when she wakes up. A huge yawn interrupted his thoughts. "So…tired. Sleep…" He felt half dead with exhaustion.
The grunt made his way through the dark maze of curving corridors that led to the secret chambers. The darkness made him feel all the more sleepy. Snap out of it. After you take care of Mistress you can sleep.
He just prayed he didn't have to change out the waste disposal units in her suit again. He shivered at the thought…that had been horribly awkward. He really hoped that she might be awake already.
He entered the main hallway of the bunker, half expecting to see Mistress waiting for him. But she was not there. She must still be unconscious. Now I feel really bad leaving her like that. He had been worrying about her safety the whole time he was gone. Her armor made her too heavy for him to drag away from the Sangheili. He had even tried taking it off, but with no luck. The Spartan II book had given him instructions for the waste disposal units…but the rest of the armor had been too heavy and too difficult for him to take off by himself. So he had to leave her there, and now terrible thoughts were bubbling up.
What if the Sangheili woke up before her? He would have killed her for sure! Despite his exhaustion, he found the strength to run to the operating room. His little grunty legs couldn't carry him there any faster! Lungs burning, he stumbled into the operating room. "Mistress!" He squeaked. But she was not on the floor like he had left her. But the Sangheili was right where he was supposed to be. And he was awake.
Nurse never realized just how big he was until the giant sat up from his table. He loomed over the grunt, blocking out the overhead fluorescent lights. His dark, serpentine neck coiled with thick muscles and bulging veins. He looked straight at Nurse, his orange eyes seemed to burn into his soul. "Who is your Mistress Unggoy?" His mandibles moved as he spoke, giving the appearance of gnashing jaws.
Nurse could feel the blood rush from his body at once. He was about to turn to leave, but the long armed elite grabbed the back of his methane tank and hoisted him into the air effortlessly.
"I asked you a question grunt! Who is your Mistress, are The Convenant here?" He growled, his mandibles clacking ferociously.
Nurse struggled in his grasp, and yelped when the strong alien shook him hard. The grunt was maybe 1/8 the size of the elite but Nurse flailed his arms and legs as hard as he could. "MISTRESS!" He screamed "Help! Help me!" The massive Sangheili growled again, his voice like thunder in the little alien's ears, "Worthless coward, answer me. Who is your Mistress? Who is it you serve?"
There was a swirl of white fabric and a glint of steel flashed in the dim kitchen lights.
"That would be me. Unhand my assistant, if you would be so kind." Nurse dropped to the floor and scuttled behind the strong human.
The Spartan held a deadly sharp scalpel right beneath the elite's throat, ready to slice with surgical precision.
The Sangheili flicked his eyes over to Mistress' face, filled with a restrained anger. Their eyes locked, his orange and hers blue, neither willing to give in to the other.
For a moment, Nurse thought the two might fight to the death. But to his shock, the Sangheili relaxed, "I did not realize that it was your assistant."
Missy carefully coiled back from her potentially deadly patient, but still held tightly on to her weapon. "His name is Nurse. I would ask that you treat him with the same respect that you give me. After all, he is the one who saved your life." The Sangheili did not appear interested in that prospect, but none the less he laid a hand on his chest and dipped his head ever so slightly "By my word."
Nurse did not feel comforted by his words.
Not. At. All.
/\/\/V\/\/\
Is this really worth it?
Voro' lay looking at the yellowish, chipping, grimy ceiling above him.
I haven't learned anything from this human. She continues to anger and humiliate me. I haven't learned anything since coming here! He slammed a fist on his metal bed.
And he was so sick and tired of just sitting here! Something must be done. Or else I am going to rot to nothingness on this bed.
For the fifth time today he turned himself onto his stomach, and grabbed the sides of the bed. The only thing I can do is try to keep my upper body strong. He would do 300 pushups this time, then maybe he will be exhausted enough to fall asleep. It seemed that was all he was able to do lately: sleep and eat. At least in his dreams he could walk, run, and imagine killing the human Missy as much as he wanted.
The Spartan hadn't allowed him the freedom to leave this room "because of your infection" she had said; more like, because I don't want you to learn the secrets of this place.
When she comes in here I am going to demand her to let me out of bed. I am perfectly healthy. She has no more excuses. The door began to move inward and he was about to give her a piece of his mind, but then he saw who came through the door. The little grunt named "Nurse" shambled into the room. He carried three brown packages of food. Voro' shifted back into a sitting position, and awaited his meal patiently.
When Nurse scuttled closer he could see the methane-breather was shaking something terrible. He took the packages from the assistant carefully, "Thank you Nurse." Nurse flinched back from the sound of his voice, but grunted in reply. He might know something After all he is her assistant.He tried to put a non-threatening smile on his face, but from the look on Nurse's face it did not work well. Instead he tried friendly chat, "Won't you stay awhile? I thought it necessary to speak to you, considering you saved my life." The grunt shook even harder than before. Fear will loosen his tongue.
The grunt shifted his feet nervously "But Mistress might…"
Voro' cut him off, "I understand if you are preoccupied of course, being Missy's assistant and all. By all means, don't let me keep you." The Unggoy looked down at his feet shamefully.
Perfect. "Well, Mistress shouldn't be too busy. I guess I can stay for a bit." Voro' plastered a delighted look on his face "Good! Very good. I am glad, we have much to talk of." The Unggoy only stammered "W-what is it th-that you want t-t-to talk about?"
. . .
Waste of breath.
The grunt had only answered the vaguest of questions. Even after he tried to be friendly!
When I finally learn the secrets of this place I swear on the blood of my fathers that I will rip his head from his shoulders. The grunt had talked for hours on end about things he did not care to know. He had dodged all of his important questions and substituted in meaningless ramble. The only true piece of information I got out of him was the name out of this place.
And a rather dull name it was, he thought. Left Wing Trauma? What is that supposed to even mean? Voro' slammed his head back onto the cool metal bed and tried to get some sleep despite the heavy weight of failure pressing down on him.
\/\/\M/\/\/
After a session of pushups, crunches, melee and stick training; she felt like visiting Splits. His infection is most likely gone by now. It's been over a month. Sure enough, when she walked up to the kitchen door and peered in he was trying to keep his body in condition as well. He was completely focused on his exercising. He didn't notice when she walked up beside him.
She gave a cough to draw his attention. This surprised the elite, making his hand slip off the table, his body following suite. He landed on the floor with a *fwump* and a loud "Narrragh!" Missy bit her lip to keep from laughing, and went over to help him.
"Here, let me help you…" She stooped to sling his arm across her shoulders.
But he shoved her roughly, causing her to slam into the wall three feet away. Ouch. Any normal human would have probably been knocked unconscious from the blow, it just made her mad. At least now I know what he's like when he is completely pissed. Splits was clutching his stump of a leg, tenderly rubbing it.
"Fuck. Splits. Let me help you." He shifted his attention to her, a look of determination deep set in his alien features, "No. I must learn to adjust. Just allow me a moment to recover." She slouched against the wall, watching his breathing even out. He grabbed the side of the table and pulled himself up. At first she thought he was going to hoist himself back onto the bed…until he slung his other leg underneath him.
Sangheili legs aren't meant to support weight. She had learned that much from her corpse anatomical studies. They were like horses back on Earth; they lose a leg they can't live. Because of this she kept expecting to come in here and find him dead…yet he kept clinging on to his impossible life. His good leg was shaking terribly under his weight, crimpling from the pressure. It made her feel sick to her stomach, like watching an animal in a trap slowly tear its limb off.
She couldn't take it anymore. "STOP! Stop you're gonna break your other leg!" He slumped back onto the floor panting from the pain, "Wha…What? I have to learn…Gotta live. I need to know…so much I must learn."
She crouched next to him ad waited for him to snap out of it. Once he was calm enough the medic spoke softly "I can help you. Maybe we can work on this thing together huh? This is my job you know."
Splits rolled his eyes (something he must have picked up from her, she noted with pride), "Human...fine. Whatever."
She got up from the floor and started looking for something she could use. "Just stay right there Splits. I'll find ya somethin to help. Just don't move."
A broom? No he would break it in half. What about some human crutches? No, he would break those too…
Her eyes rested on a snaking length of metal piping near the wall to her left. It was a little rusty, but it looked to be good solid metal. With her augmented strength she ripped it from the wall. One end was flat, while the other had an elbow interlock. After bending it so it would be a little more comfortable she handed it to her patient, "Here, you can lean on this till I figure something out."
He looked at it curiously but grabbed hold of the elbow end.
Aaaand Cut! Ok. Thank you for reading my story! Please review! Oh, and quick shout out to our first and second place winner: Colonel-Mustard1990! Hooray! I will use your characters, trust me. I know its been awhile now, but I'm building up juicy story bits.