AN/ Okay, so it's been a really long time! But i've decided to pick this up again! I know it's a bit short, but the chapters are always short, and yet I still hope you'll enjoy it 3
Also, I have a gift for everyone who loves Ahz and Lorelei! I made it in celebration of continuing this story again and I hope you'll like it as much as I did when making it! (It's even my desktop background i'm so proud! xD) Deviantart hates links to sites, so you'll have to type it in, it's at deviantart, just add [ /art/Ahzrukhal-and-Lorelei-Throw-Me-Away-417871152]
Part VIII
"No, she hasn't moved since the outburst. Not a single time, just her chest rising and falling." Doc Barrows murmured quietly to the Nurse. "She isn't cold, and she isn't in a coma, what else could it be?" The Doctor crossed his arms, rubbing his rough skin, turning to the glass in the room, the feral ghouls scritching around on the other side. "Simply blood loss? Brain trauma? It could be alot of things." The Nurse only sighed in response as she looked to the smoothskin, the pretty little thing that captured that asshole's heart. Funnily enough, she was an asshole too. Nurse Graves smiled inwardly as she walked over, pulling the blanket up to cover her still body. The girl was a nightmare, but she was still a patient, and she'd never done any wrong to the Ghouls, she hadn't any real reason to hate her.. except for.. no. It didn't matter, she reminded herself.
Underworld straggled right on through the week, usual tendencies and habits kicking in for the residents, as if there had never been a sign or stress of something happening. Almost. Ahzrukhal ticked away at his terminal, his thoughts erratic and concerned, his musings a mix of frustration and fear. The damned regulators, the mutants, and damned Lorelei. His temperature rose as his agitation followed, pulling off his jacket, he looked to Charon, the ever standing Ghoul in the corner. He snorted haughtily as he reminded himself he was better than him, that he was the one over him. Ahzrukhal turned his attention back to the Terminal as he mused over the happenings. He hadn't heard anything about Lorelei and he knew damned well that anything would be reported to him first.. he knew the Doctor was.. aware of his disposition towards the little demon.
Ahzrukhal's thoughts were immediately interrupted by the sudden clashing of a chair and a ghoul, "Patchwork." Azrukhal growled angrily, standing up straight, the Barkeep locked eyes with Charon and nodded his head, assistance or throwing out the drunk, Ahzrukhal left Charon the choice. Charon, being as he was, opted with choice to simply help up the ghoul, threatening him a little, scare him sober hopefully. Patchwork was beside himself, curling away from the much larger man, "H-hey you.. you don't have to act like.. like.. this!" He trembled as he shuffled out of the Ninth Circle, moving away from the place like it was the plague. His mind worked a little slow as he carefully maneuvered down the stairs and around the railing. He wanted to see the nice smoothskin, the only nice one in the whole city. And she wasn't even a ghoul. He pulled open the double doors, peering in, the Nurse busy at the terminal, the doctor working with another ghoul.
Patchwork moved and pulled a chair beside Lorelei, looking her over with a small dopey smile, what a gal. "H-hey Do.. she awake yet?" Patchwork hiccuped, touching Lorelei's hand softly, his rough fingers admiringly touching her near flawless- compared to his own mottled- skin. "She's having an odd difficulty coming to. We're testing her blood as we can to find the problem.." He responded from across the room. Patchwork sat for a minute, his brain trying to process what he'd said under his drunken influence. Poor thing she was, he figured, no one in the Wastes but them ghouls to care for her.. "L-lorelei.." He murmured, softly patting her hand, trying to rouse her even a little, her hand twitched for a moment, before grabbing his, holding it. "D-Doc! She's movin'!" Nearly tripping over himself Doc Barrows made his way right over. "Move!" Patchwork choked as he demanded this, "I-I can't! She's holding mah hand!" The Doctor gave him a narrow look as he observed this, watching her fingers tap along Patchwork's hand.. How odd.
Doc Barrows ushered Patchwork out after Lorelei released him, and wrote notes on this odd thing, trying to figure if she was conscious or if this was only a muscle spasm, a reaction her brain used to test her body's motor skills, he wrote these things down, his brain droning on about these things. The day falls on as normal, Ahzrukhal chain smoking in his worry, his fingers working out his thoughts at his terminal, his head in a confused and worried ache. Between his paranoia and vicious worry over that woman, he was in a vortex of.. fuck. He groaned, inhaling deeply of his cigarette. This worry, this pain, all over her, it was nothing he wanted, this fear was something he despised. He thought so much of her and all she could do was tease him and bother him, he was an idiot. And he admitted it.. to himself anyways. Ahzrukhal sighed as he finished his latest entry, turning back to the bar with a sigh. This wasn't like him, he knew. I'm a sleazy asshole who doesn't care for anyone but himself. Fuck.. that isn't so true, is it.. Ahz, old friend, you need to get yourself in check, straighten up. You're just as much of a man as you are a ghoul, so start acting like it. He chided himself a few more times quietly, spacing out as he poured drinks for the patrons.
Doc Barrows calmly walked in, immediately locking eyes with the barkeep. Ahzrukhal immediately straightened up as he rolled up his sleeves, Doc standing at the counter, leaning over it with a sigh. "Well, she's awake, but only barely, she keeps asking for you." He whispered, what was left of Ahzrukhal's eyebrows raised, "Me?" He tilted his head, this was too much, she was awake and asking for him? He cleared his throat and nodded. "And I expect you'd like me to come down then?" Doc nodded and stood straight, leading Ahzrukhal to the door. After a quick nod to Charon, to keep an eye on the place, he headed after the Doc, slicking his tufts of hair back with a sigh, his heart in a twist of worry and hope. He swallowed the taste of metal in his mouth and walked with Doc Barrows down the stairs. He stopped them outside the doors to the clinic and sighed, looking at Ahzrukhal.
"Her wounds aren't fully healed, so keep that in mind, do your best to keep her laying down rather than sitting up." Doc warned, Ahzrukhal nodded in his compliance before they opened the doors and walked in. Ahzrukhal was immediately presented with the scent of disinfectant and soaked bandages, a welcome change from the alcohol clouded atmosphere of his bar. His eyes quickly scanned the room and they fell upon Lorelei, laying in bed, Nurse Graves over her, checking her eyes and pulse, and he could hear her, whispering his name. The Nurse turned to the door and sighed, leaning down and whispering something to Lorelei, to which the patient smiled. Nurse Graves nodded at Ahzrukhal and the Doc, moving out of their way to see another patient.
Doc Barrows stood back, in case something happened, Ahzrukhal sat beside Lorelei and sighed, relaxing his nervous heart, trying to calm his worried brow. "You awake at all, Lorelei?" He rasped in a soft tone, the softest he could manage. God, was he being sweet? He inwardly growled, reminding himself who this pitiful looking woman was, this wounded creature was the Devil of the Wastes... and yet.. here, she was still a smoothskin.. "Ahz.." She tried, her hand reaching up for him, she pulled at the hanging tie from his neck, he leaned in as she pulled. "It's me.." He spoke in a more calmed, less sticky sweet tone. She smiled at this and sighed. "Ahzrukhal.. I need.." She sighed, as if taking time to make sure she spoke clearly. "Take your time Lorelei." He watched her lips move, it was odd to see her without her red lipstick, but the red had stained her lips a pleasant shade of pink.
"I have to leave.. not die.. but go.. Out.. " He tilted his head as she spoke, " What? Where?" He asked quietly, so as not to attract Doc's attention. She only shook her head, "I'll tell you when I can walk.." She gave him a little smile and released his tie, relaxing into the bed, her eyes closing as if dismissing him. Ahzrukhal stood wordlessly and moved towards Doc Barrows, who immediately questioned him on the nature of the conversation, worried about her mental health. "Well, she said she wants to go somewhere, but she wouldn't say where.. Said she'd move when she could walk." Ahzrukhal spoke calmly, his inner thoughts a vastly different turmoil, she wanted to leave again?! After being nearly maimed? What could possibly be that important?! He left the Clinic after Doc finished his questioning. The barkeep took his time heading back to the 9th Circle, his hands in his pockets as he calmed himself, clearing his head as well as he could.