Chapter 15
Hellooooo, Nurse?
Lihn dropped forward onto her knees from her crouched position by the kitchen counter, exhausted. She looked from 2D to the slightly singed shadow demon behind her, to salt all over the floor that she'd thrown at the beast, to the cupboards still hanging open, and finally back to 2D. "What the Hell?" she thought. It had been a very long night.
First, she'd been roped into having drinks with Murdoc. Then, while they were talking, she'd had that 'vision'. She'd had them ever since she was a small girl, it was one of the things she hated about the girl she'd been, one of the things that set her apart form others. They would happen randomly and she would never remember what she had said but it would inevitably become relevant at the most inoportune time. It was the main source of the ridicule she'd received and the reason she'd been taken by that fat, evil tyrant…. But that was another story. After her transformation, the visions didn't stop they just happened less often.
And now she'd something in front of Murdoc and she had no idea what. She certainly wasn't going to ask him. He didn't seem the type of person you told your weaknesses too, unless you didn't mind them being exploited, of course. Still, she wondered what she had said, he didn't comment or make a big deal about it, so Lihn assumed it had fit in with their conversation but seriously hoped it didn't get her into trouble.
Then she'd had that bit of an argument with Noodle. She hoped it wouldn't put a wall between them. She'd been truly enjoying the time they'd spent together. The in-human woman hadn't called anyone family in a few life spans, still she was falling into the role of 'aunt' easily. She was supposed to be watching the girl to find out if she was indeed the reason she'd been brought here, but she was enjoying the company so much, that she'd been avoiding the topic all together. She had to admit to herself that she wanted to be wrong. And not just for Noodle's sake.
Then, she'd had the confrontation with Russ and Del. She hadn't been ready to tell them. She'd hoped to know them better before dropping the whole 'I'm not human' thing on them, but what else could she do? It was definitely too soon though. She could tell that the man who was completely fine with a spirit living in his head, was incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of dating an 'alien', which, she supposed, was technically what she was. And though Russel had been the real reason she'd wanted to hang around in the first place, after getting to know Noodle and the others a bit, she was starting to feel comfortable with this 'life', and if decided that he couldn't handle this new information, things could become difficult.
It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. She'd fall for someone, Things would be going great. They'd learn her truths and things would change. Either they would be too uncomfortable with her not being whatever she looked like at the time, or they would try to use her, or more pointedly, her Talents. It saddened her to think this sort of thing might happen already here.
AND THEN!, just when she's starting to cheer up and enjoy herself the shadow demon finally shows up. She was glad to be able to take care of the situation, but she'd actually been looking forward to spending time with Stuart. He was kind and funny and she felt so comfortable around him. As if she could trust him with her life even though he knew nothing about her, And it had been so long since she'd had a real friend. She already decided that she would love whatever film 2D played for her just to be able to spend time with someone who wasn't trying to exploit her.
She'd enjoyed being the scientist NoriLihn... for the most part, but she never had any real friends in that place. After 30 years, she was never able to feel comfortable around most of her colleagues and she never spent much time outside of the lab, so there was no one else to be-friend besides her cat. And now that she had the chance to feel like a person again, and stupid a shadow demon has to show up and poison her companion!
Lihn made an irritated sound and leaned forward to take 2D's hand. He was leaning back against the cupbourd, head hanging to one side. His hand was bleeding were the demon had bitten him and the skin around the wound was turning an awful shade of green. His skin was already starting to feel feverish and the fingers on his other hand twitched occasionally. "Chikusho!" She needed to do something quickly but she needed to take care of the demon before it regained consciousness.
The small woman stood, pressing a hand to the gashes in her side where the creature had scratched her and turned to where the demon was laying. There were still small tendrils of smoke drifting from it's shapeless form. That Jimmy is going to have some explaining to do! she thought darkly. Twisting her free hand a certain way, she summoned a demon trap to surround the beast and blinked it off to her room for the time being. Ha! Who's a hoarder now! She thought. Though she couldn't really rememeber who the quip was aimed at at the moment, she still felt proud for having used the trap.
Looking up, she glanced around at the open cupboards and they obediently shut themselves. The dishes she and 2D had used were clean and in their proper places. The salt she'd tossed at the demon was whisked away and the blood dripping from her side had disappeared as if it had never been. No one would even know they'd been there. Finally, she turned back to her wounded friend. His bare chest rose and fell with his ragged breathing, his blue hair stuck out around his head and his mouth hung open as if he were simply sleeping, but his arm was already starting to swell and become discolored.
Stooping she slid her arms under him, one under his knees, the other around his back and shoulders, and lifted him like a child. She knew they must look ridiculous. He was so tall and she was so short that his bare feet were still swinging near the tiled floor. His hands were in his lap and his head rolled onto her shoulder. His breathing was becoming more unsteady and his body shuddered against her. She took a step forward and the world seemed to fly past in a blur. Colors, shapes, and time become nothing for an instant, Cupboards, tile, stair case, all become one and nothing. And then, she was standing outside 2D's bedroom door.
Hurriedly, she stepped inside making sure not to knock her friend's feet on the door jam before closing it behind her with a nod. She crossed the room to his bed, stepping over dirty laundry, a small keyboard, discarded cigarette packs and pill bottles, and a number of other objects that had been carelessly thrown aside. She lay him on the bed and sat beside him taking his hand again. He was shivering and even paler than normal. Lihn felt a twinge of worry. She wasn't the best healer, but she shook her head and steeled herself. It was only a little poison extraction, she should be able to handle it, but where would she put it? Even if there'd been an animal or a plant near by, she didn't think she could bring herself to deliberately poison it but the poison had to go somewhere!
She glanced around the room helplessly. There was nothing for it. She'd draw it into herself. Spying a pocket knife on the bed stand, she hissed as she drew the blade across the soft part of her hand, opening a gash and pressed her palm against his, putting their wounds together. She reached out with her mind and through her palm. Soft tendrils of her being caressed the soft white skin before penetrating through to the poisoned blood that flowed beneath. She could feel it, almost taste it, tangy, dark and pungent. She pulled, reversing it's flow. It was hard, this sort of thing never came to her naturally. She had always been better at breaking things than fixing them. It had taken her years to learn the most elementary healing, but, despite her proffessors lamented predictions, she had learned it. It always left her feeling as though she had just worked a ten hour shift splitting wood, though and that was without willingly poisoning herself.
Slowly, she pulled the poisoned blood into herself. It stung when it first touched her and it burned when she drew it into her. The more she pulled the more it burned. She gasped at the pain but held on as it crawled greedily into her. She had to be sure to get it all. Even the smallest amount could be deadly to her mortal friend. She opened her eyes to look at him. His face was drawn in pain even in his unconscious state. Her eyes wandered down from his face. There was a fresh love bite on his neck that she hadn't noticed earlier because he was so much taller than her. There were several bruises on his arms and his middle, either from his natural clumsiness or Murdoc's 'rough-housing'. He was also covered in small, light scars, probably from the accidents he'd told her about earlier.
He seemed to have had a rough life, yet he managed to be cheerful, if somewhat skittish. Lihn admired that. She had a hard time letting go. After all these years, she still hadn't learned to get past things that had happened to her long ago . She would suppress the memories and feelings for a while, a long while perhaps, but then suddenly, it would come through and things would go bad. People would get hurt. She'd been brought before the Djinn Council once before because of it and she tried to control herself. It was easier to do when she had people around her to help her forget about the past for a few hundred years.
Her eyes began to droop and her head started to nod. She couldn't tell if she was growing tired from the effort of drawing the poison or if she were beginning to feel the affects of it. There couldn't be much more, she told herself letting her eyes close. She concentrated until she felt sure there was no more tainted blood in 2D's veins then collapsed against him, allowing herself to rest momentarily. As she tried to steady her breathing, she became very aware of the bare chest against her flushed cheek and she sat up too quickly, becoming dizzy and feeling vaugely guilty, though she didn't know why. She held her head in her hands until the room stopped spinning. Her arm burned up to her elbow and her side hurt incredibly from the claw marks there. She needed to finish up and make it back to her own room before she collapsed.
She took his hand, again, placed their palms together and whispered what would have been none sense to anyone listening then felt the torn flesh knitt itself back together, not even leaving a scar. Another whispered cantrip cleaned the blood away from his skin and clothes but the effort made her feel nasious. She swooned when she finally stood, steadying herself against the bed. She awkwardly pulled the blanket across him, tucking him in as best she could. She was beginning to sweat and her arm felt three times too big, still she stood looking at him. "How interesting," she thought in her clouded state. "His blood is in my veins. He's part of me now." She shook herself, feeling as though she were becoming delirious. 'D's face was still pale but was relaxed and he seemed to be breathing normally. Finally, satisfied that he would be alright, Lihn teleported to her own room.
She collapsed across the end of her bed letting her shoes fall to the floor and feeling the poison creep through her veins. She knew it wouldn't kill her, well, she was pretty sure at any rate, but she was going to be sick, very sick, perhaps for days. She lay there watching the ceiling as it swirled, wondering what the others would think happened if they found they send her to a hospital? She hadn't thought of that. And what if Jimmy managed to pull of something terrible while she was out of comission!
She shot up at a sudden scrapping sound behind her! At least she had tried too. But weakness stopped her not even half way and she flopped back onto the bed. She remembered what it was anyway and the panic subsided leaving the nausea and dizzyness to torrment her. Struggling and squirming, she rolled over onto her stomach. There it was, the shadow demon in the cage she'd conjured. She'd started buying and storing demon traps and various otrher restraints for for various other 'supernatural' critters after her first visit to Hel. There were things in the lands of the dead that were born there. And She was NOT going to be caught unprepared!
She gazed at the creature through a fever induced haze with mild contempt and pity. It didn't have any real matter. It was just a darker spot against the darkness. She could just make out the sillouette cowaring against the back of the cage where it sat beside her bed stand.. It must be terrified. floated across her thoughts. It was, after all, no more than an animal. A visious, indiscriminateing, poison filled animal. But an animal no less. Demons like this were often set lose by ignorant people opening portals between the dimentions for various reasons and Lihn had encountered them had a need to devour, no! Extinguish. They were mindless creatures riven by a hunger they couldn't fight.
The compassionate woman closed her eyes, which was getting harder not to do at this point, and focused all of her will. She looked at the creature one more time before weakly drawing a rune in the air with her good hand. POOF! It was gone.
Lihn finally closed her eyes and didn't open them again for several days.