Gains and Losses

Former Smuggler's Guild leader John Falkenberg, who disappeared after being shot in the head by Vechkov Prague during Arc V: Into The Silent Land, has returned - with a chip in his brain containing instructions to kill several key people aboard Sanctuary. He has been captured, and efforts are underway to free him from the electronic enslavement, but at what price...?

Medical Bay 

- Sanctuary -

The medical bay would rival a fully equipped planetside hospital. It has been divided into operating theaters, isolation wards, intensive care wards, recovery rooms, and examination rooms. Doctors offices have doctors from every race know to allow those coming here comfort in relating to someone of their own kind. A pharmecutical dispensing facility has been set up with around the clock staffing to allow those with minor aches and pains access to medications. This area is kept super sterile and clean as a pin.

Sun Jan 09 14:59:11 2652

Contents: Exits:

Guildmaster Falkenberg   Out

Human Corpse

Vid-Panel - 5636

Jest'liana strides in, shoulders square and gray eyes set. She looks to the side and the partitioned off area where Nicholas Mern still sleeps.

Falkenberg groans and shifts a little in his restraints. His eyes are closed.

Marcus walks in along with Jest'liana, just behind the woman. Holding the door open for an elderly lady to step through, she grows distant, though he's quick to catch up with long, crisp strides. "Where's he at?" He asks Jest'liana quietly, eyes flickering a bit of recognition to a nearby nurse.

Jest'liana watches Mern sleep from this distance for a while, then turns. "Private room. Over this way." She says simply. She strides by Marcus towards the said room, crisp footsteps echoing.

Marcus nods a bit to Jest'liana's words, though whether he cares or not is unknown at the moment. He's staring at Mern. "Good luck, kid." Said with a nod before turning to follow in the path Jest'liana has made.

Jest'liana opens the door to Falkenberg's room, glancing over her shoulder to check on Marcus' positioning before entering.

Falkenberg seems to be unconscious. His breathing is shallow. A number of restraints hold him secure to the bed.

Marcus is within a few feet of Jest'liana when she looks back, he simply returns the glance off-handedly and places a hand on the door just above her head. "I want to see him for a few, see the layout of the room. His positioning to the door. Then I'll leave you be."

Falkenberg groans faintly and shifts in his restraints.

Jest'liana raises an eyebrow, glancing up Marcus' hand on the door. She smirks at him. "But better not let your Mouse see this, dear. Makes you look like a teenage boy trying to ask me to the prom." Her voice is a drawl. She winks and slips into the room, headed for the chair that sits against the wall, a good distance from Falk.

"And it begins.." Marcus is heard mumbling as he slips into the room as well, taking a place at the foot of the bed and observing first Falkenberg then Jest'liana for personal reactions, if any. Once that's done, his eyes scan the room slowly and his expression gets hard. "And watch your mouth." A bit of anger flowing from his lips before it's tightly reigned in. "I could say a few things about this situation that would be down right nasty, now couldn't I? Think about why I don't." This said, he continues to observe the room.

Falkenberg's eyes flutter open. He stares at the ceiling, eyes glazed over. If he is aware of the visitors, or his present surroundings, he gives no sign.

Jest'liana's shoulder stiffen again. "Shut up, Slyden." She says quietly, crossing her legs. As Falkenberg's eyes open her eyes flare. She takes a long breath and simply watches for a moment. "John?" She says, tone going even more quiet.

Sha has arrived.

A petite girl in black leather and kevlar shoulders aside a rather surprised nurse and goes up to the counter. She looks very sober, very quiet and uncommunicative as she waits for the nurse therein to finish what she's dong.

Falkenberg begins mumbling inaudibly. After a moment, he can be heard speaking more clearly, but what he says makes little sense. "Bring us down....to the Guild Landing pad, Messer. We'll load up some fuel and get ready for the run to.....Demaria..."

Marcus' expression softens a bit as Jest'liana begins to beg for Falkenberg's attention. "You know.." He ponders, head tilted to the side. "He don't exactly /look/ like the J.C. Falkenberg I found in the files.."

The nurse, a rather buxom platinum blond with severe Nordic features, finishes up what she's notating on a datapad and turns to the black-clad girl. "May I help you, miss?"

N'Sha-El looks decidedly unhappy about having to be in medical at all at this point, but her answer is quiet and to the point. "I need some painkillers, mostly. Think I pulled a muscle briefly, dunno. Could just be over exertion."

Falkenberg's mumbling becomes incoherent again. Occasionally a word or two can be picked out...."Zephyr...mmmmph...Grim wanted....swing by Odysseus on..."

Jest'liana bites her lip, looking at Falk intently. She covers her mouth with her hand. "Yeah. He doesn't." She says nuetrally. She stands up and slowly walks closer to Falkenberg, wary.

The nurse studies Sha for a while. "Let's take a look at you," she decides and touches a beep-button by the side of the counter.

Marcus nods a bit, arms folding infront of him as he watches the scene before him. "What've they got him on?"

N'Sha-El's brows arch as she gives the nurse a rather wary look. "O-kay," she mutters, stance changing just enough to put her in a good position to flee if she has to.

"I don't know. I told them to keep him sedated..." Jest answers. "Just simpler that way, and cuts down on the risks." She looks down at Falkenberg, hand dropping back to her side.

In response to the beeper, a curly-haired male doctor with hazel eyes and a rather stocky build traipses up. He is limping slightly, probably from an old injury from the looks of it. He receives confirmation from the nurse who briskly turns to Sha. "This is Doctor Van Helzen. He'll take a look at you."

Falkenberg continues mumbling. "pick up......new power converter.......had to.....Jest..."

Marcus walks now to the opposite side of the bed as Jest'liana, though he hugs near the wall, careful not to invade whichever personal 'bubble' may be around the bed with Jest standing there. "But how long will you keep him sedated, Jest?" Comes another question.

The doctor, a graying, dignified man, nods to Sha and offers a warm, tobacco stained smile. "Hello, ma'am. What seems to be the problem?"

Denick enters, going in the direction of the pharmacy.

N'Sha-El eyes Dr. Van Helzen up and down warily. "Just needed some painkillers mostly - I think I pulled a muscle. Or somethin'." She hasn't relaxed from her rather defensive stance.

"Shit." Jest whispers, hearing her name spoken. Her lips curve. "Can't exactly keep him out forever, can I? Well, it looks like he's coming out of it now. At least a little... I was hoping we could figure out what happened first though.." She pauses, "Falk, can you hear me, at all?" It is a tentative question.

Falkenberg blinks. He says more clearly, "Jest...run a check on the reactor for me..."

A smile and Van Helzen opens his arms wide, a grand sweeping movement meant to indicate a series of tables towards the back of the lobby in a small cubicle. "After you, my dear. We can have a looksee and decide where to go from there. Alright?"

Marcus raises an eyebrow and stands on his tiptoes, eyes going from Falkenber to Jest'liana curiously.

"The reactor is just fine." Jest replies, hands still clenching and unclenching in sharp contrast to her calm tone. "Fixed it like I told ya I would."

N'Sha-El looks in the direction she's being waved in and nods. Once. She uncurls a hand that's balled up into a fist and follows Van Helzen with a rather clipped, forced docility of sorts.

Falkenberg begins blinking more rapidly. His eyes clear, and after a moment, he turns and looks at Marcus and Jest for the first time. He tries to move, and is stopped by the restraints. "This..." his voice becomes stronger, "this is NOT a part of my mission. I cannot permti the mission to be interfered with."

Falkenberg begins to struggle at the restraints.

"Get him to calm his jets." Marcus tells Jest'liana. "I don't think more sedation will be overly good for him in the long run."

Falkenberg continues to struggle. "I must complete my mission! Primary targets must be located!" His voice is growing louder.

Jest'liana watches the breif window slam shut and flinches. "I don't know that I /can/, Slyden." She says, "Falkenberg. John, listen to me..."

A pair of Vanguard enlisted personel walk into the room and towards the front desk. "Coddrington sent us here. We're waiting for his boys to relieve us. Where's a.." One withdraws a notepad and thumbs through it. "A Flakenheimer? No no..Wait. Fahkenburger? No...Falkenberg. Ah. John Christain. Yes. That's it."

Falkenberg seems to calm somewhat. A confused look crosses his face, and he regards Jest'liana.

Marcus blinks for a moment and shakes his head as he looks from Falkenberg and Jest'liana once more. "Just do your best, Jest..That's all I ask." His eyes once again sweep through the room, primarily to the small crack where he can see outside, ensuring no one's attention was drawn.. Or so it seems.

N'Sha-El traipses along behind Dr. Van Helzen down the corridor, but manages to catch the tail end of the Vanguard personnel's quotes. Her fists suddenly ball up. Tight.

"John, listen to me, okay? You were talking about a run to Demaria. Was that the one where I got you to go to the baths with me?" Jest's hand hesitantly slips forward, now resting on the bed an inch or so away from Falk's.

Van Helzen nods to N'Sha-El and begins to walk slowly towards the examination tables. It should be noted that Falkenberg's room is off to a side corridor, though the front desk is pass by in doing so..

Falkenberg looks at her, a puzzled look still on his face. After a moment he closes his eyes, and settles back down in the bed. "The....Demarian.....we went to the..." His eyes open after a moment. "Why can't I..." He looks around and sees the room, as if for the first time. "This is not the Zephyr."

The two Vanguard men, both large and lumbering, nod to the nurse as she points down the specified corridor and make way for it. "You get left, I got right?" Asks one to the other, recieving a nod in reply.

'No it's not .. It sure as hell ain't Kansas anymore, either." Marcus offers briefly, looking towards Jest'liana and drawing his lips into a thin line, eyes appologetic.

Falkenberg sighs. "The ship....the colony ship."

"I was supposed to...get aboard...locate targets, seek and..." he sighs. "Von Nostrom said it would stop."

The two Vanguard men comes to a halt beside Falkenberg's door and close it the remainder of the way. One on the right, one on the left, they both have their hands on the butt of their pistols, assuming a parade rest position.

Marcus lips, "Von who?"

"Yes, it is the colony ship. But, its alright, John. It is going to be alright." Her gaze flickers over to Slyden, eyes narrowed, but a breif smile on her face. "Hush." She directs as if to a younger sibling. Her attention refocuses on Falkenberg. "Said what would stop?"

N'Sha-El's attention is drawn back to the heavy bootsteps behind her. She turns, just a little, enough to see what's going on. Her fist balls up, uncurls, balls again and a sudden look of haunted despair, anger and sadness briefly crosses her features. Whether Van Helzen catches it is entirely up to where he's looking at the moment.

Falkenberg sighs. "Dr. Von Nostrom said..." His face seems to twist in pain for a moment, and his eyes close. After a moment he opens his eyes, and looks around again. "Hospital..." he says. "I am in a...hospital?"

Van Helzen motions to a medical bed with a wide smile, "Anytime you're ready lass, hop right on - " His eyes, by now, have gone to Sha's features. "Miss..Is everything alright?"

N'Sha-El turns her eyes quickly back to Van Helzen, the brief flicker of emotion replaced by a mask-like calmness. "Oh, yes I'm fine," she assures him, the smile faint, voice smooth. She hops onto the medical bed as requested.

Marcus looks up to Jest'liana with a tilt of his head as she instructs him to hush. With the faintest snicker, a hint of humor somewhere within to show he's not entirely serious any longer, his eyes return to Falkenberg. "Ayup." Is all he says.

Grayback has arrived.

Jest'liana nods, "Yes. A hospital." She agrees. Her fingers inch forward and just barely brush against his hand.

Grayback steps in through the main entrance and walks up to the reception desk.

N'Sha-El is down a corridor away from the main reception area, sitting on a medical bed.

Falkenberg seems to become agitated. "No...don't let..him..." He looks around nervously. "Is Von Nostrom here? I can't..." After a moment he calms. "No...no...that was not here....that was...Odysseus.."

Falkenberg says, "I am on...colony ship. Crazy billionaire asked me for metals."

The receptionist, a buxom platinum-haired woman with severe Nordic features, turns to look at Grayback. "How can I help you sir?" she queries pleasantly.

"Now...Which foot was it again, dear?" Van Helzen asks N'Sha-El.

Grayback says, "Is Dr. Fernandez available at the moment?"

"John, he isn't here. Von Nostrom isn't here. And yeah. You were going to soak him for all the money you could." Jest says dryly. "Do you...?" She trails off.

Melissa is sitting n her office, a stack of pads in her hand, she looks tired, but not as tired as last night as she stands and walks towards the door stepping outside.

Two large Vanguard members guard the door leading to a recently inhabited room. The room that belongs to a John C. Falkenberg, to be precise. The door is closed, flanked by either of the men. One a Private, the other a Corporal.

Falkenberg closes his eyes again. "The mission..." he murmurs.

N'Sha-El shakes her head. "Muscle, not foot, Doc. Arm, here." She holds out her left arm and runs her fingers down a section of the inner arm.

Melissa steps twoards teh receptionist desk, she looks rather animated at the moment.

"Ah ha!" Van Helzen laughs. Whether or not the mistake was done on purpose is entirely left in the air as the good Doctor seems to cover himself quite well either way. "I see...Flex for me?" Asked as he runs his fingers along the indicated section of her arm.

Grayback looks as Melissa steps out of her office. "Ah, Doctor. I was just looking for you."

Melissa looks up and towards Grayback smiling, "How can i help you?"

Grayback says, "A patient was brought into the medical bay a few days ago with severe injuries sustained in what is claimed to be a sparring match. I was looking to get further details on that if you have a few moments."

Jest'liana watches Falkenberg, falling silent for a while again. "John?"

Melissa looks back towards the flanked room then towards Graback nodding, "I have a few minutes." she motions towards her office, "If you'll come this way."

Grayback pulls out his datapad and follows.

Marcus looks towards Jest'liana, his eyes now watching hers quietly as Falkenberg falls silent.

N'Sha-El flexes her arm as requested, falling silent. There's certainly a bit of tenderness at one point where the good doctor probes, towards her shoulder and some swelling.

Falkenberg begins breathing shallowly again. "The mission....must complete the mission. Primary objectives....seek and destroy..."

Falkenberg seems to drift off to sleep.

"...no..." Jest says barely above a breath. Her eyes remain intent on Falkenberg's face as he drifts off.

Melissa turns and walks towards her office, opening it for Grayback.

LeBeau has arrived.

Grayback steps into the office and takes a seat in the guest chair..

There's a pause and Van Helzen nods to Sha. "That does feel stressed indeed. What were you doing exactly when this occured, may I ask?"

Melissa closes the door behind her and walks behind the desk, it is littered with resarch journals, patient files and scans. Not what one would call tidy. "NOw, what exactly do you need to knwo?"

Grayback says, "I need the specifics of the injury. Was it inflicted with fists, or was it inflicted with a weapon."

Melissa takes a breath thinking back, "It was Mr. Kai no?"

Grayback says, "We were not reported the name. He was involved in a sparring match with an individual named Mern."

N'Sha-El traces patterns on her lap with a finger idly. "Liftin' weights, 'bout 250lbs of it." Her eyes are disconcertingly distant, as if she is putting as much space as she can between the present and her mental world, or she just might be preoccupied with thinking.

Jest'liana takes her hand from the bed and backs up a step. She slowly looks over to Marcus.

Melissa nods slighlty, "Yes, it was Mr. Kai...let me pull up his file for you."

Grayback nods.

Melissa turns aroudn in her chair and types some information into her computer. After a moment she turns aroudn again and grabs a datapad, "Mr. Kai was brought in wth blunt injury trauma to his chest.."

Melissa is sitting behind her cluttered desk, Grayback in front.

Grayback says, "Can you be more specific about 'blunt'."

LeBeau walks into the waiting room and looks around, not seeing anyone he immediatly knows or seems to be looking for he walks over to an empty seat and sits down as if waitsing for someone.

Melissa shrugs a bit, "From the force of the impact and the direction i would say a fist or a glove was a good approximation and roughly the correct size."

Yama has arrived.

Melissa leans forward and frowns a bit, "Sir, i've been sparring for a long time, accidents happened. Mr. kai didnt seem to hold any grudges as to the incident adn all indication from my viewpoint poitn to an accident."

Falkenberg mumbles again in his sleep, occasionally.

Yama folds his arms primly as he peers over the admissions counter in an attempt to find Melissa.

Marcus looks up to Jest'liana as well, eyes swaying to a nuetral sympathy, closely guarded. "You okay?" He asks her quietly.

Grayback says, "And I've been investigating for a long time, Doctor. And in my experience, simple sparring matches don't result in multiple rib fractures, so far that they /protrude/ from the chest. Even if Mr. Kai does not wish to press charges, there is still an assault involved here. I would like the records from his treatment transmitted to the station so they can be added to our case file."

The receptionist, a rather buxom platinum-haired blond with severe Nordic features, looks towards Yama with a pleasant smile. "May I help you sir."

MacDonald walks in, carrying engineering kit slung over his shoulder and datapad in his hand. He walks over towards the reception desk to stand in line behind Yama.

"Fine." Jest says. She steps away from the bed. "I heard military boots out in the hall. Your doing?"

Van Helzen nods to Sha. "Hrm.. You strained your muscles a tad, tendon too.. I would suggest you keep your activities to a minimal. Anything requiring dextirity.. How badly does it hurt?"

Melissa frowns a bit and leans back, "All mern needs now." she mutters. After a minute she nods, "Fine, you'll have the report sent in by the rescue taht brought him here with our added comments."

Grayback says, "That will be fine. Thank you for your cooperation doctor."

N'Sha-El breaks her silence. "Nothin' to put me outta commission too long I hope Doc." She shrugs at the latter end of the question. "Don't hurt enough fer me to be screamin' so it ain't bad. Just wanted somethin' to reduce the swelling so it could heal up."

Grayback rises and steps out of the office.

Marcus nods a bit, eyes still on Jest'liana. "My men, sort to speak.. I got the word to them. Seems another request went up as well.. From where, I don't know."

Falkenberg's eyes snap open wide suddenly.

Yama ahs, and promptly lets himself in, seeing Melissa. He waves in an attempt to get her attention. "Doctor!"

Falkenberg begins to violently struggle at his restraints again. "Must...complete it! Must not be stopped!"

LeBeau stands from his seat and quietly walk past the nurse's station takeing a glance at the patient board and heading off towards the back rooms

The receptionist blinks at Yama. "Sir!" she says, rather annoyed. As he flits off, she turns to MacDonald. "Yes, may I help you sir?"

Grayback strides towards the exit.

Jest'liana's back is to Falkenberg at this point, so she doesn't see anything. "Request for protection? Or to try and take him from here?" She asks, "What exactly are their ord..?" She turns on her heel instantly at the sounds of the shouts.

Two large Vanguard enlisted men stand before the door to Falkenberg's room, both with hands on their pistols.

"Let me go! Interference cannot be tolerated!" He continues his futile struggle against the restraints.

Melissa stands and nods to Grayback following him out the door, as soon as she's about to step out she notices Yama."

Grayback heads into Medical Quarter .

Melissa sighs slightly but him them towards her.

Yama gives a curious glance to Grayback before addressing Melissa. "Has the maniac been detained yet?"

"Don't be paranoid." Marcus responds to Jest'liana, "They're my guys. I trust them more than most. If you trust - Damn.. " Marcus mutters, walking beside Falk's bed and looking to Jest'liana. "What's he babbling about?"

Jest'liana moves back over to Falkenberg's bed quickly, "John, don't.. Just listen to me, alright?" She glances to Slyden. "What else? What he's been told to do. Will you get Melissa if I can't calm him? Falkenberg? John..."

MacDonald glances up at the sudden noise from the back area. He asks, distracted, "I was told I would be able to find Major Marcus here.."

Falkenberg continues to fight the restraints, but appears to be tiring out quickly. "Primary objectives in danger! Must not permit interference!"

Melissa frowns a bit, "Mr. Falkenberg ha..." she pauses at the noise coming from the back room and excuses herself from yama, heading off in that direction.

The receptionist gestures to a chair in the waiting area. "I believe he's in one of the rooms with someone. You may wait for him out here."

LeBeau walks up to Falk door and nods to the military personal as he reaches for the door latch to enter "Stuck wit baby sidder duty I see, tough break"

Yama cranes his neck down the direction Melissa went, tapping his foot impatiently.

Melissa reaches the door, easily identifiable by the military presence outside.

Van Helzen nods to Sha and walks towards a small medical kit nearby. "This is Hydrox5. It's a salve. Warm and cold both. Penetrates the skin completely. It's great stuff.." Again another tobacco smile and he offers the tube to her.

The first Marine puts a hand to Lebeau's chest. "Nope." Is all he says. The second confronts Melissa and barks. "ID."

MacDonald nods slightly, "Right.." He however doesn't move back to the chairs. He brushes through the door towards the commotion..

N'Sha-El shifts a little on the medical bed, some distant sounds filtering faintly through the air causing her some distinct change in demeanor. Eyes narrowed, body tensed, she listens for a moment before turning attention back to Van Helzen, smiling charmingly. "Thank you Doc." She takes the tube. "Twice a day?"

Melissa growls at the marine brining out her id and pushing it into his hand as she pushes past him.

The receptionist snaps, "Sir, come back here now! This is medical not a damn military training installation."

Falkenberg continues his struggle, but has little strength left. The restraints are too strong for him, and he's still feeling the aftereffects of the drugs.

The Marine's hand impales itself on Melissa's chest and pushes her back forcefully. "Stand at ease, Private." This from the Corporal. His other hand fumbles lazily for the ID card and turns to look at it. It's upside down. He turns it over, flips it and then stares at the picture before placing the plastic device next to Melissa and studying..

LeBeau glances down at teh hand on his chest and doesn't even look at the marine as he speaks "Solider I really sugges dat if yu wan to make a career oud o dat han yu had bedder ged id off me befo I break e'ery bone in id fo yu"

Jest'liana begins a quiet continous liteny, "John. Remember those piloting lessons? I overshot us so many times and then.."

Melissa growls, "Major!"

As usual, MacDonald ignores the receptionist and continues walking towards the room from which the noise is coming. He walks towards the soldiers, "What exactly is going on here, Corporal?"

Melissa steps back and at ease but is obviouselly indignant as she calls for marcus.

Falkenberg pauses for a moment, a confused look crossing his face again.

"...and going through the ruins on M'ralu? All that snow? I must have fiddled with the heating units on Zephyr for hours, trying to get the temperature to stay to a decent level..." Jest continues.

LeBeau looks over and give a faint passing glance to the marine "Boy befo yu do someting stupid an ged yerself en to trouble I sugges yu ged yu han off me befo I bring yu up on charges o assuld an yu ar stuck scrubbing da hulls o ships fo da res o yer stay en da Vanguard"

Melissa realizes the major isn't coming and turns to the marine, "Corporal, unless you want smethign to happen to that patient because he coudl NOT get medical attention i suggest you allow me to enter, NOW."

Falkenberg looks at Jest, a look of confusion and pain on his face. "M'ralu? ....The Galore..."

"Back down. NOW." The Marine tells Lebeau, his hand easing a bit, hovering infront of the man's coat. If Lebeau would move forward, it would be him that were instigating.

There's a faint nod. "As you were, Private." The corporal says to Melissa as he hands her back her ID and moves infront of Lebeau to guide the Doctor into the room while his comrade remains vigilint over Lebeau.

"Yes. The Galore was there in orbit. And I was very afraid and utterly sure I was going to die... Wonder if you knew that? Did you?" Jest continues, and her head tilts to the side. Everything else is ignored, her full focus is here.

Melissa growls taking her id and storming into the room.

N'Sha-El slips off the bed. "Thanks once more Doc. Twice a day yes?" Her words are tight, almost a perfunctory afterthought.

Falkenberg lies back, easing his resistance to the restraints. "Not...allow..." he sighs.

Melissa steps in and glares at Marcus before turning and walking towards Jest and Falk.

Marcus continues to watch Jest'liana and Falkenberg, not bothering to pay any real attention to the new arrival. The Marines would do their jobs.

"I remember we talked about that once. You were going to try and keep me safe, and I was going to keep you safe. Decided that in the baths..." Jest keeps talking. If her tone weren't so calm, she could be accused of babbling.

LeBeau chuckles faintly as he looks at the two marines " 'll be back, an I hope next time we won hav to deal wit dis sord o scene." He then turns and walks back down the hall.

Melissa steps back, giving the two room as her eyes check the vital signs monitor.

MacDonald walks over towards the two marines, "Corporal. Would you do me a favor and explain what is going on?" He nods slightly towards LeBeau as he leaves.

Falkenberg's face twists into a grimace of pain. He cries out, "Aaaahhgggg! The....mission..." He nods his head rapidly, eyes shut tight in pain. "I'm trying....I'm trying..."

N'Sha-El tracks her steps towards the corridor and away from the table, arching a brow for Van Helzen's answer. The hubbub seems to be growing just a tad more, filtering through a little louder, and it seems to make her uneasy. Wary. Heck, one might even say defensive.

Melissa steps forward quickly twoards the medical cabinet, she pulls out a pneumatic injector and quickly retrusn to Falkenberg's side.

Van Helzen nods to N'Sha-El and smiles. "Twice a day, lass."

"John!" Jest's voice rises a notch, and her gaze darts to Melissa.

Melissa puts the pneumatic injecto to his neck and presses a button, causing a pain killr to be injected into his system.

N'Sha-El gives Van Helzen a brief smile and turns decisively for the corridor. The sudden interjection of a female voice into the altercation outside freezes her motions briefly, a tightening of all muscles noticeable. Then, as if nothing's happened, she strides down the corridor.

Marcus says, "Private.." Eyes now bouncing between the three present

Falkenberg relaxes somewhat, and begins breathing easier.

The corporal merely stares straight through MacDonald despite the noises coming from behind him. "Nothing, sir"

MacDonald raises an eyebrow, "Right..Screaming and yelling are considered nothing in your book?" He shakes his head and turns away from the corporal to begin pacing.

Melissa ignores Marcus for the moment, fingers immediately going to work on the buttons of the med bed.

"..it is going to be alright.." Jest says quietly.

N'Sha-El tromps down the corridor, straight-backed and subdued. She flicks a glance at the pacing MacDonald and the Marines guarding the doorway she passes, eyes hard and strangely glittering.

Mordecai has arrived.

Mordecai steps into the medical facility, fingers steepled before himself, a vague smile on his face as he approaches the receptionist. "Good afternoon."

MacDonald paces outside of the room, giving the Marines shaded glances once in a while..

Melissa shakes her head slightly, "This damn thigns gonna kill him if it keeps this up." she mutters to herself.

LeBeau walks back down the corridor and back to teh waiting area and sits back down in the sit he had originaly take up in when he first came in

The platinum-haired, rather buxom receptionist with a severe Nordic face looks up at Mordecai, her expression rather stiff. "May I help you sir?"

Mordecai seems unfazed by the stiffness of the receptionist. "I have come to offer my services in the matter of Mr. Falkenberg."

The Marines are simply staring through MacDonald, slightly amused lips perked skyward.

The receptionist blinks at Mordecai for a few moments. "Mr...Are you a referred doctor, sir?"

Melissa opens a small tray on the bed and grabs a small light from the tray, she looks up and directly at Marcus, her eyes glaring, "Major, why don' you make yoruself useful and go bring a nurse in here. I'd call one but she'd never get in, in time with those soldiers outside."

Mordecai smiles vaguely. "A doctor...no. I am the Eye of Val Shohob. I am a Mystic, trained in the cerebral arts. It might be possible for my gifts to be of some use in this case."

"...what are you going to do?" Jest asks Melissa quietly.

N'Sha-El passes down by the corridor, ignoring everything else completely. She emerges into the main medical bay with the receptionist counter and is about ready to stalk out before she catches sight of Mordecai and stops, narrowing her eyes. "Eye Mordecai," she says quietly and nods in curt acknowledgement.

Volzann gracefully enters the Medical Bay.

Mordecai nods to N'Sha-El.

Melissa shifts her eyes from Marcus to jest, the anger in them dissipatng, "I'm going to put him on a path of a strong pain killer..his system won't be able to take this level of pain for much longer."

"Why don't you make a trip to hell, Private?" Marcus responds back sharply to Melissa. "Consider yourself on report." Is all he says before walking towards the door and whispering something to one of the guards. A moment later and a nurse walks in. Marcus returns to his side of the bed.

The receptionist digests this, looks rather confused, and motions for Mordecai to sit down. "I'll page Dr. Fernandez, sir. Please wait here."

Mordecai seems perfectly willing to remain standing, fingers steepled, vague and noncommittal smile pasted on his broad face.

The receptionist presses a button on an array behind the counter.

Jest'liana pales a degree more and simply nods. "Better figure out what is going on soon, I guess." She says lightly. She looks at Marcus.

Volzann moves past the counter and those waiting for aid, give a nod to the receptionist to indicate that he is now on duty. He moves past to his office.

Melissa looks up towards marcus, about to respond when her pager beeps, she looks down at it and grumbles. Back up to the nurse her gaze moves, "Nurse, go get me a level 3 pain patch and find out what the hell the reception desk wants."

LeBeau stands and walks over as Sha joins Mordecai "Sha wha ar yu doing here, o could id be fo da same reason I am?"

N'Sha-El glances around, rather warily, before changing her course for Mordecai. "Eye, what is going on?" she enquires quite simply and curtly. Her jaw is tight, but she manages a smile as LeBeau intercepts her. She waves a small tube in his face, responding lightly, "Muscle sprain, Jet hun."

The nurse in the room with Melissa nods and trots out. Moments later, she re-enters with the requisite pain patch and a rather strange look on her face. "Doctor, there's someone outside it seems who claims he can help this patient. An Eye Mordecai of Val...something Hob." The unfamiliar words trip off her tongue hesitantly.

Mordecai glances slowly toward N'Sha-El and explains, nonchalantly: "That Falkenberg fellow has been taken into protective custody here in the medical ward, and I intend to provide my services to alleviate his current...state. I have precious little else to do to be of any help."

LeBeau leans over and gives her a short hug "I tole yu dat would happen sooner o lader wit some o dose oudfids yu hav. Bu on a serious node id seems Mr. Falkenberg has popped up like da bad penny he es an I tink Jest es en dare wit hem bu I don know fo sur because dare ar a couple o muscle fo brain jarheads guarding da door

Melissa raises an eyebrow slighlty, she grabs the patch and rolls up his sleeve placing it on his upper arm, "Up to you jest. I honestly dont' think he can do much." she looks back up and into her eyes, "You where right, its not mental illness."

"A mystic?" Jest blurts out, blinking. She laughs a breath and rubs her forehead and murmurs, "Sha.." Her eyes refocus at Melissa's words, "Let him come in. Personal feelings about Mystic's aside, they helped a friend a lot before. And, what is it then?" She demands.

Marcus continues to watch the exchange of words between Jest'liana and Melissa.

N'Sha-El's jaw tightens a fraction more. "Oh," is all she says to Mordecai's news flatly and returns LeBeau's hug. "Eh, rather th'Marine types'n the others." She avoids the issue of Falk entirely.

Melissa looks towards the nurse and nods slighlty, signalling for him to be let in before she turns towards jest, "You where right..there's an implant just below his cerebral corrtex..tied in to his pain centers. Its whats causing this." she motions to the obvious distress in his vital signs, probably cuased by pain.

MacDonald finally appears to get tired of pacing and walks back towards the door..

The Marines stand infront of Mordecai before he can enter completely. "Name." They say gruffly.

The nurse leaves rapidly and trots back out to the receptionist. She gives Mordecai a rather dubious look, then says, "Dr. Fernandez says he can enter, Nurse Hill."

Volzann emerges from his office, data tablet in hand.

Mordecai smiles faintly as he approaches the Marines. "The name I answer to is Mordecai, Eye of Val Shohob. I am called other things - usually out of earshot - but I pay them no heed."

Falkenberg is breathing shallowly, his face more relaxed since the pain medication. His eyes are closed.

LeBeau nods "Dat day ar, so I can ged en wit oud mo den likely pounding da twoo dem an 'm no really en da mood fo dat righ now

"Well, that's kind for you." The Corporal says quickly, a cruel grin on his lips. "But you'll need more than Mordecai, Eye of Val Shohob to get you in."

Volzann glances over toward the marines standing outside Falkenburg's room.

"Why are you here?" Asks the other Marine.

N'Sha-El looks at Mordecai for a long while. "Help him as much as you can," she says quietly as he leaves for the room. "While I hate him..." She stops and firmly buttons her lips.

"Slyden..." Jest says quietly. The voices of the Marines outside the door can be vaguely made out.

Mordecai allows his brow to knit just a little. "What more do you require, good soldier?"

The nurse goes back, following Mordecai. "Dr. Fernandez has authorized him to help the patient," she says calmly to the two Marines.

The Marines do not budge for the Nurse. "Good for Dr. Fernandez." This from the Corporal. "Have the private out here immediately to verify that she takes full responsibility for this man."

Melissa hears the noises outside and looks over towards Marucs, "Why don't you go save the Eye from our fine Marines, Sir. I'd be nice if he arrived before Mr. Falkenberg was released.

LeBeau reaches up and places a hand on Sha's shoulder "Yu alrigh Sha? Perhaps I should walk yu back to da Widow, yu look like yu could use someone to lean on fo a bid anyway"

The nurse gives Mordecai yet another rather wary look, then slips back into the room. "Doctor, the guards would like you to verify the ... Eye. And that you take full responsibility for him." She's looking a little confused at this point.

Melissa sighs, giving marcus another look before venturing to the door.

Marcus looks to Jest'liana and nods a bit without saying a word. He walks towards the door and opens it. "Hey guys?" He asks the two standing near the door. "How you doing. Can he come in a moment?" Indicating Mordecai. "I take his blame, if anything happens, I"ll sling the doctor's ass for it." He smiles sweetly and nods. "Thanks guys. Good jobs, by the way."

Mordecai smiles enigmatically at the soldiers, awaiting their leave before entering.

The two Marines nods a bit to Marcus, not at all amused by the man's uncharacteristically good nature towards them. "Aye sir. You may enter." They tell Mordecai.

Volzann walks up to a nurse, "Who needs aid, nurse?"

N'Sha-El gives LeBeau a bit of a blank stare, her eyes slowly focusing back from their distance. "I don't live on the Widow any more," she says with a bit of a forced laugh. "Member? I let Teel n' Yams live there till they get a place."

Mordecai nods meaninglessly, then strides into the room, fingers steepled as his eyes take in the surroundings. They light upon the slumbering Falkenberg and his smile grows fainter. He brings his eyes up to Melissa. "You are the doctor, yes? What is his status?"

LeBeau chuckles "Well dat es news to me, can I take yu back to da Pride den? No madder where yu live yu still look like yu could use someone to talk to"

Melissa looks up towards Mordacei, "Barely stable...he's in a good deal of pain."

Melissa looks towards jest, "Give him the information?" she asks.

Mordecai turns his attention toward Jest, his expression neutral.

Marcus looks to the new arrival before parting his eyes from him and resting them upon Jest'liana once more.

Jest'liana tracks Mordecai as he enters, "I don't know everything, Melissa." Jest says in a careful tone. "Just that he was shot in the head, in a coma, and programed to kill people. He seems to have some of his memories, but every time he seems like he is going to remember everything, something interferes. You said it was a device in his head causing pain, right, Melissa? Is it responsible for the assasination impulse too?"

The Castori nurse looks up at the towering Dr. Volzann. He indicates that there are three patients currently waiting for aid. Volzann goes over and begins to examine a Timonae doubled over with abdominal cramps.

N'Sha-El looks at the tube in her hand, then back at LeBeau. "...Sure," she says finally with a little lift of one shoulder.

Mordecai lifts a brow slightly. "The impulse appears to be hardwired through the use of implanted electronics?"

Melissa nods slighlty "Yes, if i had to take a wager...from the systems that its tied into i'd say its role is to feed him information..and then punish him if he doesn't carry out on that information."

Melissa looks towards Mordecai and nods, "Yes."

LeBeau nods as he slides his hand to Sha's back "Dare someting else yu had to do here o can we go now?

Mordecai lowers the brow back to neutral. "I see. The solution I have in mind is tricky - and only temporary. But it may allow for the successful surgical removal of the module."

N'Sha-El shakes her head rather woodenly. "Let's go." She trudges towards the door.

"You go in and run interference so that the device doesn't kill him while Melissa gets it out?" Jest asks, arm crossing over her chest.

Melissa raises an eyebrow ever so slightly but listens.

Mordecai smiles faintly. "Just so."

Marcus shifts in his stance to listen more closely now, his interest perked away from his thoughts.

N'Sha-El has left.

Jest'liana closes her eyes.

Melissa frowns a bit, leaning back against the wall, "Explain."

LeBeau has left.

Falkenberg mumbles softly, his eyes still closed. "The mission..."

Mordecai parts his hands, raising one, palm out. "There is, however, a risk. In order to accomplish this, I will need to share his mind - to blend with his consciousness - and travel the river of his thoughts and synapses. I will attempt to block off the signals from the implant while the doctor works. But the longer it takes, the more possible it becomes for a mishap that might leave our consciousness permanently blended. It is not a pleasant thing when it occurs."

Jest'liana laughs a soft breath.

Melissa steps forward from the wall, "Any other way to do this?" she asks. "From your standpoint."

Mordecai shakes his head. "No. None." His fingers return to steepled position. "None that gives him any positive chance for survival."

Volzann gives the Timonae an injection of medicine. "This should still your stomach. If the pain returns before morning, please return for further treatment."

Melissa asks, "And if we find no other alternatives..are you willing ot take the risk?"

Mordecai spreads his hands out. "My presence should be evidence enough of that answer." He brings his fingers together again.

Falkenberg's eyes flutter open. He tugs faintly at the restraints, but the pain medication has left him groggy and weak. "Must...not interfere with..."

"Melissa, you said he couldn't take it much longer." Jest says flatly. "And you can't keep him out longer."

Melissa looks towards Jest and frowns slighlty but nods, acquiescing.

"Time's running short." Marcus says simply, eyes now on Falkenberg. "Make a choice and roll with it.

Mordecai moves closer to the bed. "There is one other danger...very, very likely. But it is the cost of his survival."

Melissa looks up towards Mordecai.

Falkenberg mumbles, "Primary targets.....seek and...."

"What danger?" Jest vocalizes the obvious question.

Mordecai glances from Falkenberg to Melissa, then to Jest. "Amnesia. He will remember nothing of his recent past. He will likely forget who you are."

Marcus frowns a bit, head dropping again very slowly. It's a moment or two before he looks up towards Jest'liana for a reaction of any sorts.

Melissa shifts her eyes very slowly twoards Jest, awaiting her reaction.

"Gee. Let me think. He dies in pain or he lives and doesn't remember me." Jest's eyes are dark, face utterly composed, though her voice has quieted again. "No contest, Eye."

Volzann occupies himself now with a human female with a sprained ankle. "The staff of the athletics center should take more care to educate the users of their equipment," he comments.

Mordecai nods, his face neutral. "Then so shall it be done." He looks toward Marcus. "We will need privacy. Keep the door closed. Allow no intrusions."

"You're doing it now?" Marcus blinks.

Falkenberg mumbles, "...destroy..."

Jest'liana's jaw is tight, arms wrapped around her and creating a rather distracting effect for the top she is wearing. She turns away from Mordecai, Melissa.. the room in general and walks a few paces.

Mordecai turns toward Marcus. "I was led to understand we were not enjoying a surplus of time."

Eyes drifting in Melissa's direction, the Mystic asks, "Are you prepared, Doctor? Do you require an assistant, perhaps?"

Marcus walks back towards the door and stands infront of it, slowly turning to look back into the room and towards Jest'liana, studying the woman for a long quiet moment.

Melissa frowns, obviouslly not ready to do this so suddenly, "I'll need to get a team together, should only take me a couple of minutes."

Mordecai smiles faintly, then nods. "I will collect my thoughts."

Falkenberg struggles weakly at his restraints.

Melissa turns and walks out of the room, past the guards without a second look. She stops and looks aroudn, as she spots Volzann she walks directly towards him.

Melissa whispers to Volzann.

Mordecai places a hand on Falkenberg's arm, smiling vaguely. "Rest easy, young man. All will be well soon enough."

Jest'liana's eyes are focused downward.

Falkenberg seems, oddly, to relax, and stops struggling.

Volzann turns from his patient. He nods to Melissa. To a nurse, he says, "Please wrap this woman's ankle, then she can be dismissed."

Volzann follows Melissa, "What is the procedure today?"

Marcus looks up towards Jest'liana from where he stands next to the door. "Jest." He calls out for her.

Melissa smiles slightly and ndos to him, she motions towards the back operating room, as she walsk in that direction she stops to give a nurse instruction, "have Mr. falkenberg prepped for surgery and moved to the operating room. Allow the mystic to come wtih him."

Jest'liana looks to Marcus.

Mordecai smiles faintly. "His head will be shaved again. He seems a fellow fond of his hair..."

Jest'liana's lips quirk at Mordecai's words, and she bites them to keep from commenting.

Marcus waves a hand towards him. "Come here. I wanna talk to you." A brief smile at this as Marcus looks to Jest'liana.

Melissa looks over twoards Volzann and nods, "There's a chip implant under his cerebral cortex." she steps into the prep room followed by Volzann, "We're going to have to remove it."

Volzann's aura pulses quickly of pink. "I was not aware that you were trained in neurosurgery. What is the function of the mystic in this procedure?"

MacDonald wanders in and walks past the receptionist. He sets the small white bag he carries on one of the med beds and heads for the medical database..

Jest'liana slowly walks over to Marcus. "Yes?"

Marcus continues to motion Jest'liana closer until she is within whispering range. He leans over and whispers to her, eyes watching hers, occassionally flickering towards Falkenberg's prone form and the mystic alongside him.

From afar, Marcus whispers, "It'll be alright Jest..Promise." A pause and he looks back to her. "Just gotta hope sometimes." The briefest flicker of a smile.

"You don't know that." Jest responds to Marcus, voice raw and quiet. "But...yeah. Thanks."

Marcus nods. "You're right. But right now, we'll let them do their jobs.."

Marcus says something quietly after his last words, then looks towards Falkenberg.

From afar, Marcus mumbles quietly. "Truth.. You okay?"

Melissa nods a bit as she moves to the disenfectant sprayer, "Neurosurgery was my speciality, but i ended up practicing mostly general medicine." she places her hadns under the sprayer, the liquid disenfecting them.

Jest'liana laughs a breath, "Of course. Always. Ever." She leans against the wall, eyes on Falkenberg again.

You paged Marcus with 'the sarcasm /is/ evident :)'.

Melissa continues speaking to Volzann as she steps away and into the scrubs that a nurse holds out for her, "The Eye will be merging with his conciousness...keeping him away from the chips interference long enough for us to extract it."

Volzann goes to a sterilization station and prepares for surgery.

Volzann flashes pink again. "Merging with his consciousness. Hrm. Very well, you're the presiding physician and the specialist in this field."

Mordecai lifts his hand from Falkenberg's arm and steeples his fingers, closing his eyes and focusing his thoughts. He speaks quietly, under his breath. Those closest to him might hear the muttered name of "Balthazar" in the gibberish."

Marcus smiles wryly, looking over towards Jest'liana and putting an arm on her shoulder, squeezing briefly before looking back towards Falkenberg.

Melissa begins putting on her gloves, "its his only oiption at this time."

Jest'liana leans into Marcus a little bit. "Hmm. Wonder how much persuasion it would take for them to let me go in as well..." She murmurs absently.

Melissa continues, "We have to go in, do our job and get out quickly, the longer we're in the more risk there is for the Eye and Mr. Falkenberg."

Mordecai doesn't even open his eyes. "No. No distractions."

Volzann nods in understanding. "Lead on, Dr. Ferandez."

"I wouldn't interfere. Granted, you're saving his life, but you're also taking aw..." Jest says matter of factly.

Mordecai goes back to muttering softly, apparently oblivious to the woman.

Looking to Jest'liana, Marcus says to Melissa. "Let her stand in the back of the room. She deserves that much."

Mordecai does open his eyes this time, then looks toward Marcus. "Unacceptable. I said *no* distractions."

Jest'liana says nothing.

A nurse steps towards the room, she looks twoards the guards, it appears to be the same nurse as earlier. She steps inside and spotting the eye says quietly, "We need to prep him and move him to surgery now."

Mordecai ponders for a moment, the faint noncommittal smile on his face, and then steeples his fingers and approaches Jest'liana. "I feel I should explain, perhaps, so that you understand why this is necessary..."

Jest'liana meets Mordecai's eyes. "You pick up on emotions? Obviously mine might interfere?" She offers blandly.

Seeing no objections and taking Mordecai's stepping away as an OK she moves towards Falkenberg, a cart pulled behind her.

Mordecai gestures vaguely toward Falkenberg with his head. "He will be aware of what is happening around him - despite any application of anesthetic. He will sense your presence in the room. He already knows the dangers inherent in this procedure. He is aware, I am certain, that he might lose memories of you, as you are dear to him. He has sacrificed much for you - and you for him. I need his cooperation for this to work. It isn't my emotional stability that is the problem. It is his. If he fights me - the danger is multiplied."

Sharpeye and Snowmist walk through the door, headed toward the receptionist desk.

Snowmist loses her momentum as she enters, and looks about at the unusually quiet and empty med bay--at least, relative to recent times. Glancing at the receptionist, she murmurs to Sharpeye before they approach within hearing range, "Maybe they're all busy...prolly should wait till later."

Jest'liana blinks, "He knows?" Her gaze goes to Falkenberg sharply and then, as she notices the Nurse she tenses up, fierceness breaking through her mask as it seems the woman might be taking Falk away /now/.

The nurse takes what could only be a razor from the tray and proceeds to begin shaving Falkenbergs head. First with an electric one, and then with a more conventional one.

Mordecai places a hand on Jest'liana's arm. "He knows."

Sharpeye frowns, twitching a whisker. "You're not backing out now. Come on," he glances at the receptionist. "Excuse me, Miss...."

Snowmist scowls at Sharpeye. "I'm *not* backing out," she mutters, but the softness of the retort implies that she doesn't really expect him to respond. "I'm just being unusually sensitive."

With a practiced hadn the nurse finishes in a matter of moments. she then moves aroudn the bed to kick away the locks on the wheels.

Jest'liana shudders and closes her eyes again, hiding her face breifly with her free hand. "..well. There is that, at least.." She says, tone shaky.

Mordecai removes his hand from Jest's arm and nods. Then he turns, moving to follow the patient.

Jest'liana's gaze rivets on Falk as he is taken away, arms wrapping around her torso again as if to hold herself back from following.

The nurse currently manning the reception desk holds up a hand, asking for a moment as she finishes entering some records before looking up at Sharpeye with a pleasant smile, designed to calm and comfort possibly distressed patients. "Yes, how may I help you?"

Sharpeye nods. "Well, Snowmist here needs to see her doctor for a checkup."

Falkenberg is wheeled into the operating room, the nurses prevent Jest from entering, "I'm sorry, doctors and patients only."

Mordecai takes up a position in the operating room beside the bed, near the sedated Falkenberg's shoulder level.

Jest'liana doesn't even look at the Nurses. "...we'll make new memories if we have to." She says quietly, gray eyes still on Falk. She pauses, turns on her heel, and heads to the waiting room.

Falkenberg is now, face down on the bed, his cranium shaved and a restraint placed that will immobolize his head and shoulders.

Mordecai places a hand on Falkenberg's arm and speaks softly: "I would see into your mind." He closes his eyes and goes silent, motionless.

Melissa stands at his shoulder, "Alright..." she speaks, muffled through her mask, "We need to mark the points of incsicion.." she says to no one in particular, "Hand me the medical marker." she tells volzann.

Falkenberg's breathing becomes a little easier.

Jest'liana enters the waiting room and sits, crossing her legs demurely.

Volzann hands Melissa the medical marker.

Marcus walks slowly out after Jest'liana, his eyes on her before going towards the cart one last time. He sighs and shakes his head, walking behind the seat she's taken and whispers in her ear, a hand on her shoulder to comfort.

Marcus pages: I tried Jest.. Now we wait..

Melissa takes the marker and with prcision begins to mark lines of Falkenberg's scalp. One could assume they are incision lines.

Volzann's aura fades to a dark blue as he focuses on the procedure at hand.

Melissa places the marker down on the tray, "Alright.." she says calmly, her voice quiet. She looks up towards the eye, "Are we ready?" seh asks.

The receptionist nods and taps at a monitor embedded into her desk. "Did you have an appointment?"

Mordecai keeps his eyes closed, and then, as if from far away, he speaks quietly: "All is in readiness."

Sharpeye nods. "Well, she's supposed to come back for regular checkups...."

Melissa nods slighlty and looks over towards Volzann, "Alright...first step is to retract the skin and cranium."

You paged Marcus with '...did you hear what mordecai said?'.

Jest'liana has her eyes closed again. She murmurs back to Marcus.

Melissa extends her hand, "Surgical laser."

From afar, Marcus nods a bit and squeezes his hand. "..I did.. I'll stay with you.. If you want."

Snowmist watches the receptionist edgily, holding her breath, almost *willing* her to say everybody's busy.

Marcus nods to Jest'liana, his hand squeezing her shoulder as he whispers something back to her.

Volzann is positioned on the opposite side of the patient's head, sterilized tools by his side, ready for use.

You paged Marcus with '*she continues, as if she didn't hear him* ...he doesn't want to lose memories of me... Gods, its been so long I didn't know if I was... if what we had was r-real o-or..'.

The receptionist smiles sunnily as she brings up Snowmist's records and stands, waving to the seats in the waiting room. "We're a bit short staffed at the moment, but Dr. Zellofagos is currently open. I've just paged him, and he'll be right with you."

Jest'liana's eyes close, and a tear streaks its escape down her cheek. She bows her head, speaking quietly to Marcus.

Those close to Mordecai - if they aren't busy sawing open the patient's head - might notice him moving his lips without making a sound, and his eyes seem to move back and forth behind the lids.

Marcus dips is head and gingerly walks around to the seat beside Jest'liana. Once there he's seen speaking to her quietly in her ear, an arm around her shoulders.

Melissa takes the laser and uses it to cut the skin along the inscision marks, the laser is self cauterizng and there is a minimum of blood. She retracts the skin layer and proceeds to do the same with the muscle, now giving way to bone.

Mordecai clenches his jaw involuntarily against the pain.

Sweat glistens on the forehead of the Mystic, and trickles down his cheeks, as the procedure continues.

Falkenberg lies very still, as people are operating on his brain presently.

Marcus pages: It was real Jest.. It was.. You can't love someone that much and have it not returned or.. *His own jaw is seen clenching and he falls silent for his friend, listening.*

Melissa laces the laser down, "Level 5 laser.."

Melissa looks up at Volzann then over at the Mystic, she frowns a bit, "Keep your eye on the Mystic..don't want to save a patient just to lose another."

Volzann ties back each layer with surgical ties as Dr. Fernandez opens it.

The attending surgical nurse hands Melissa the requested laser cutter.

Sharpeye nods to the receptionist. "Thank you."

Jest'liana exhales a long breath and turns her head, leaning against Marcus and falling silent.

Snowmist sighs resignedly and begins to head toward an empty chair dejectedly.

Melissa takes the laser cutter and begins to slowly chip away at and cut through a section of bone.

Volzann uses a small vaccuum to clean the area as Dr. Fernandez cuts.

Mordecai opens his mouth slightly, revealing clenched teeth as sweat continues to spill down his face. One hand remains on Falkenberg's arm, while the other is clenched into a fist.

Small beads of sweat begin to form on her forehead as she works, her tone of voice is quiet, "Alright...volzann, i need you to use the suction device to grab a hold of the piece of bone we are removing...when i finish the incision lift it up and out."

Marcus continues to hold his arm around Jest'liana, leaning slightly into her lean and staring through the floor just over her head.

Volzann is quite calm and compsed still, evidencing none of the strain of the other doctor nor of the mystic. He prepares a second tool to provide extra grip against the bone as Dr. Fernandez completes the cut.

MacDonald returns, yet again. He heads towards the reception desk and writes down something on the small clipboard there. He turns around and heads towards the row of seats..

Snowmist plunks down into a chair and fidgets, squirming about for a moment before finally looking about--and spotting Jest and Marcus, raises an arm to call out a greeting before noting their expressions and closing her mouth again without a word. Sobering as she infers the reason for their somberness, she straightens slightly in her seat and manages to look reasonably composed this time.

Melissa completes the cut, the piece of bone is now being held up only bey the suction, "Alright...remove it." she says as she turns off the laser. "And keep your eyes on that mystic.." she repeats once again eyes moving upwards for a second, "Ay any sing of serious distress or indications that he may be going into serious distress notify me."

LeBeau has arrived.

"...how long do you think it will be?" Jest asks after a long time.

A surgical nurse wipes Melissa's brow and that of the Mystic.

"Awhile.. Jest. Awhile.." Is Marcus' response to her quietly. "Things like this.. They always take awhile.."

MacDonald glances towards Snowmist, "Mind if I join you, Miss?" he asks, indicating the chair next to her.

Volzann lifts the bone directly upward and then away. The attending nurse holds out a sterilized cup to hold the bone until it is replaced.

Jest'liana nods, a bare trace of motion.

Melissa puts out her hand, "Ok...turn on the video displays..and hand me the MC and ML."

Sharpeye sits down next to Snowmist, turning to her. "See? You don't even have to see Meli at all...."

The surgical team nods, one turns on the technical equipment while the surgical nurse hands Melissa a micro-camera and laser.

Snowmist snorts, but she seems to look a bit more relaxed than before. Turning to MacDonald as he speaks, she waves to the empty seat with a shrug. "Sure. Be my guest."

Melissa inserts both through the previously constructed hole. The camera's suddenly come alive with images of Falkenberg's brain.

Melissa speaks to herself, "Alright..first step, locate the implant.."

Marcus begins to slowly chew on his lip, the situation conflicting with the thoughtful expression on his face as his eyes trace down to the back of Jest'liana's head for a long quiet moment.

Volzann comments, "The Eye is doing fine at the moment."

The receptionist tucks away a folder into a tray as she absently reaches up to take down the clipboard MacDonald had written on. Pursing her lips, she rolls her chair to another corner to enter some information, crosses off his prescription, and then returns the clipboard to the top of the counter. Glancing up as she notices LeBeau, she smiles pleasantly and asks in a mellow voice, "May I help you, sir?"

MacDonald smiles slightly and settles into the seat. "Seems awful tense in here," he finally murmers, glancing over at Jest and Marcus.

Snowmist quirks an eyebrow at Sharpeye. "I still gotta see *someone* though." She frowns slightly as she glances up in thought. "Zellofa--Zelo--whatever that name was. It sounds familiar..."

Melissa nods slowly, "Good...ok...there it is." as she finishes speaking, her eyes flash up towards the video screens and sure enough, a chip is clearly visible under the cerebral cortex. To one who knwos what they are watching there are some signs that it is tied in to the pain centers of the brain and those that control concious thought.

LeBeau looks to the receptionist and shakes his head "No 'm fine

Sharpeye shrugs. "It shouldn't take long. He'll look you over, declare you fine, and off we go."

The receptionist nods and asks with a quizzical tilt of her head, "Are you here to visit a patient?"

"Alright.." she says takinga breath, "Time to get started...Volzann...we're going to first try and disconnect this ting from the pain centers of the brain..."

LeBeau glances past the receptionist and catches a glance of Jest and Marcus "No 'm no here to see a patien. An 'm sur dare ar oder people yu could be helping den playing 20 questions wit me"

Mordecai sweats profusely, and crimson-purple fluid trickles between the knuckles of his fist.

Melissa moves her eyes up to the monitor, trying to keep focused on that, rather then the distractions that surround her, "While i do this..i need you to secure the MC so it holds this position...any movement could cause damage to the tissue..in this case the brain."

Volzann says softly, "Yes."

The receptionist's manner cools considerably as she straightens in her chair and folds her hands neatly on her desk. "My job is to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that doctors and patients are not bothered *needlessly*," she emphasizes the last slightly as she looks archly at LeBeau. "Now, if you cannot give me a reason for letting you in, I will have to ask you to leave."

Melissa waits for Volzann to take th MC from her hand before requesting a MT, an instrument that appears much like a miniature pair of tweezers, used for moving small bits of matter out of the way and holding other bits.

Volzann positions the MC, locking it in place over the open skull. Just as he does so, a vessel inside the brain begins to bleed profusely. He quickly grabs a clamp and cinches the vessel.

LeBeau nods to the reptionist "Fine den 'll leave"

Mordecai opens his mouth and gasps in pain, but his eyes remain pinched shut against the pain.

LeBeau has left.

Jest'liana's eyes remains closed, breathing even and smooth. Almost as if in the calmness of prayer. But, that seems unlikely given her nature. More than likely she is running through memories, and talking to someone who can't possibly hear her now..

Melissa shoots upwards with her eyes, her gaze on Mordecai, "Someone bring a chair..if he looks like he needs it help him into it, but don't break contact."

The muscles in Volzann's neck tense suddenly. His aura grows much darker as he takes the vaccuum and sucks the blood away from the cavity so that Dr. Fernandez has a clear view of what she is doing.

There is a sudden clanking thump against one of the doors leading into the waiting room, and a muffled *oomf*. A few seconds and noises later, the knob is turned and the door pulled open as a young man with slightly mussed red hair steps gingerly around it. Straightening his glasses and straightening his ubiquitous lab coat--on which is pinned a nametag declaring him 'Dr. Adrian Zellofagos', he clears his throat sheepishly and mutters as he fiddles with the papers on a metal clipboard, "Never remember which way the doors open around here..."

Mordecai clenches his mouth shut, unconsciously gnashing down on his bottom lip, which begins bleeding enthusiastically. He doesn't seem to react to his own pain.

The beads of sweat have formed once more, a bead sliding carelessly down the side of her face, "Ok..we need to spead tis up." she says talking to herself as she looks back down, "

Snowmist frowns slightly at the noise and looks toward their origin.

Melissa takes the MT and positions it so that it is just barely grasping the implant. The MC gets positioned so that it between the biodegradable fibers now connecting the implant to the brain's pain centers.

Marcus continues to watch Jest'liana silently, head dipping a bit more now, chin now close to his chest.

Zellofagos takes a deep breath as he tucks the clipboard under an arm and digs around in a pocket, coming up with a pill bottle, squinting at the label. "Uhm, is there a Mr. MacDonald present?"

Melissa speaks softly, "i'm going to make the first disconnection now.." and with that uses the cutters miniture laser to cut the fibers conneting the chip to the brain's pain centers.

Falkenberg continues to breathe shallowly. His eyes move rapidly under his eyelids, as though dreaming.

Volzann says, "A great deal of alpha wave activity in his brain, blood pressure is low, rest are normal."

Mordecai continues to have his teeth planted into his lower lip, bleeding badly. Blood continues to flow from his punctured fist.

Zellofagos waits a moment before repeating, "Mr. MacDonald?" as he rolls his eyes up without raising his head, looking around the waiting room.

MacDonald glances up as his name is called, "Hum, what?"

Melissa nods slightly, "Ok..ust two more cuts to go..." she says and lifts the chip ever so slightly with the MT, fibers are now clearly visible connecting it to the area of the brain that governs concious thought.

Firemane has arrived.

A nurse, wipes Melissa's forehead and looks concerned towards Mordecai, "Doctor's, he's bleeding pretty badly..."

Drip. Drip. Drip. The Mystic's purplish blood dribbles onto the sterilized floor of the surgical theater, spilling from his wounded hand and his injured lip.

Melissa looks up quickly towards the Mysti and seems suddenly surprised by the sight but forces her eyes downward once again< "Volzann he's your priority, i can't deal with him right now."

Melissa takes the laser, "Cutting control of concious brain activity...." she makes the sligt cut, "Now."

Volzann glances over at Mordecai and his aura goes much darker. "The strain is getting worse."

Zellofagos smiles, the expression lending his boyish face an unexpectedly pleasant cast as he holds out the bottle and shakes it, making the pills inside rattle. "Got something here for you. And I also need to see a..." He fiddles with the clipboard one-handed, trying to flip up some pages while bracing it against his hip. "To see a...whoops..." There's a familiar clatter as the clipboard slips from his grasp and falls to the floor, papers flying. Sighing resignedly, he declares, "A Snowmist Shadowstalker."

Melissa growls slighlty, you notice she seesm to do this often, "We only have one cut left then we close..he just has to hold out a little longer."

Melissa doesn't lift her eyes now, or even bother explaining what she's doing. Instead she simply lifts the chip with the tweezers, making sure that it is firmly held. Those watching the monitors may be able to make out what she is doing.

MacDonald can't help but chuckle softly as he stands, "Do I need to sing anything?"

Snowmist blinks as she sees the doctor, and then blinks again as her name's called. Suddenly, she stabs a finger toward him and declares, "You!"

Jest'liana and Marcus are sitting in the waiting room. Her eyes are closed as she leans against him, his arm is over her shoulders.

Sharpeye lifts a brow. "You've met him before?"

Firemane steps in to medbay, frowns suddenly and then turns around and walks out again.

Firemane heads into Medical Quarter .

Marcus' eyes slowly close as he continues to hold his arm around Jest's shoulder, giving another soft squeeze before chewing his lip again. It's a struggle, but somehow he manages to keep his right foot from twitching nervously at the wait.

Melissa takes the laser and uses it to cut the microfilaments that keep the chip stationary. With this cut she has cut all connections between the chip and the brain, it is now simply an act f extraction.

Zellofagos smiles wryly at MacDonald before suddenly jumping at Snowmist's exclamation, looking wild-eyed at her before abruptly flushing and pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Ah, er, Snowmist. Uh, that would be your name then? Hmph, didn't quite catch it last time...nice to know you're here--er, on Sanctuary, that is, not the med bay itself, well..." he trails off helplessly.

Falkenberg's body shudders slightly.

Volzann says softly, "Please proceed with haste, Dr. Fernandez, the strain on the mystic is incredible."

Snowmist twitches her whiskers as her eyes narrow at the flustered doctor. "Yeah," she doesn't quite growl. "He tried t'shave me once."

You whisper, "...You know how we met?" to Marcus.

"Shave you?" Sharpeye asks, somewhat puzzled as he turns his gaze back to the doctor, this time his expression slightly less pleasant.

Melissa takes a breath, "Chips removed..just have to extract..." she says as she removes the MC and sticks her hand out, "MH" a small instrument is placed in her hand that looks almost like a scooper. She inserts it into the site and uses it as a safety, to ensure that if the chip is dropped it will land there, rather then the brain matter.

Marcus shakes his head a bit to Jest'liana, leaning a bit closer to her ear so he can reply to her whisper quietly. His expression is soft and attentive.

Finally, after a few careful seconds the chip is removed from the cranial cavity.

Mordecai releases Falkenberg's arm and then collapses into a shuddering heap on the floor.

Melissa's eyes flash over to the Mystic, "Volzann, take care of him i can handle closing.."

You paged Marcus with '...Galactix lost control of his engines once. He'd invited all sorts of people on board to show off, and ended up hurling us all across the galaxy. We had to go scouting on this planet.. to find fuel for him and we were ambushed. I got shot a couple times. B-but... I was bantering with Falkenberg while we were all looking. And he jokingly offered me a job..'.

Volzann straightens out the mystic's body. He leans over him, checking his vitals.

Falkenberg's body shudders again, and then is still. A look of peace is on his face, which seems rather odd with the top of his skull off.

MacDonald takes his bottle from the man and heads back towards his seat. He seems reluctant to leave..

Melissa sees Falkenberg's body shudder and asks the nurses, "Vitals."

Zellofagos frowns and starts sternly, "Now see here..." before abruptly deflating at the other Demarian's look. Shrugging and pushing his glasses up again, he stammers, "Well, yes, ah, I was going to shave her but only a small *portion*, you understand. The fooli--er, *brave* young lady had tangled with a Zangali and received some micro-lacerations from the scales that could have become infected without the proper attention." He stoops suddenly, lab coat flaring around him like a drunken bird's wings, scraping scattered papers into a pile.

Marcus smiles a bit to Jest'liana's words that she's whispering back to him, leaning closer still in an attempt to hear her words should she falter.

Volzann stands back up, announcing, "He is fine." He returns to assisting Dr. Fernandez with the procedure.

You paged Marcus with '...Then of course, he left me bleeding in the dust but, well, as he said, there were lots of ambitious Vanguard types around who were headed in to help.. *her tone is wry* And Lebeau...'.

Jest'liana continues murmuring to Marcus and then takes another long breath. She falls silent again.

Melissa extens her hand, "Bone weave.."

The attending nurse sets the bone weave in Dr. Fernandez's extended hand.

Melissa takes the weave and places it on the hold formed by the now, mising piece of bone. "Suturing laser." she asks for.

The attending nurse sets the suturing laser in Dr. Fernandez's extended hand.

Melissa takes the laser and begins to slowly close up the layers of muscle and finally skin.

Marcus tilts his head just a bit to look at Jest'liana then he, too, falls silent.

As they finish, melissa sighs, her body relaxing, "Now we wait.." she says to no one in particular before turning towards a nurse, "Move him to recovery..have the two guards flank him, no medicaiton is to be given outside of whtas prescribed, let the guards know that.

Melissa looks over twoards Volzann and begnis to remove her gloves, "Come on...join me in letting the friends know."

Melissa tosses the gloves, followed by the scrubs into a disposal bin.

Volzann motions toward a nurse, "Please help me in getting the Eye to a chair."

Melissa looks over toards the eye and shakes her head, "Have him put in the next bed in recovery Volzann, next to Mr. Falkenberg."

Volzann nods, "I see your point. He cannot sit up very well without being conscious."

Melissa nods slighlty turning for the door, "Will you jion me?" she asks, "We need to let Jest know what happened."

A nurse brings in a stretcher to put the mystic upon. Then they wheel him out while the other members of the surgical team clean up Falkenberg. Volzann nods to Melissa, "I will."

Melissa nods and turns, walking through the double doors out into the hall and then, into the waiting area.

Jest'liana has moved very little, if at all, as the time has passed with waiting.

Volzann strides gracefully just in rear of Melissa.

Melissa enters, she is dressed in green surgical scrub pants and a short sleeved surgical scrub shirt, though the long sleeve shrt that covers this during surgery is gone. Her surgical mask hangs loosely around her neck. She looks exhausted from surgery, but as she enters and sees jest smiles slighlty.

Marcus looks up to Melissa, giving Jest's arm a squeeze. "Hey.." he whispers to her to get her attention.

Jest'liana's eyes are still closed, but they open as Marcus squeezes her arm. She looks at Melissa and stands up slowly, just waiting.

Melissa's smile breaks into a larger one, "He hasn't woken up yet Jest..but we where able to remove it...doesn't seeml ike he's in pain anymore either."

Volzann's aura is a pale orange now, shimmering against his green scrubs. He eyes Jest'liana and gives her a comforting nod.

"What does the Eye say?" Jest asks.

Melissa reaches out and squeezes her upper arm, "He's in recovery now....in about an hour he'll be moved to ICU and you'll be allowed to see him." she shifts her gaze to Marcus, "I've had your guards ordered moved to his new location..you may want to speak with them about interfering with teatment however."

As jest asks her questions she shifts her eyes slowly back to Jest and shakes her head ever so slighlty, "We don't know yet...neither has regained conciouseness. It got awful close there at the end."

Volzann says, "The Eye was put under a terrible strain, but he is doing well both physically and mentally. The other patient is still somewhat traumatized."

Melissa shifts her attention towards Volzann.

Marcus stands up slowly and nods to Melissa, though he doesn't comment to her. He looks to Jest and flashes a brief look of hope before looking towards Volzann.

"You won't let me sit by him in recovery." It is a statement, not a question. Jest seems to relax a fraction and tosses her head just a little to place errant strands back where they belong on her shoulders.

Melissa shakes her head ever so slowly, "We can't allow any visitors there, there's alot of patients that need rest, just not Mr. Falkenberg."

Volzann bows his head, "If you will excuse me, I will make sure that Mr. Falkenberg is secure in his new location."

"Then can I sit in the ICU to wait for him there?" Jest asks evenly.

Melissa looks over towards Volzann and nods.

Volzann leaves that last question for Melissa as he turns and departs.

Melissa says, "Thankyou for the assist, Doctor."

Melissa then turns back to Jest and sighs considering it for a moment before ndoding, "Alright, but i need you on your best behavior.."

Melissa says, "Space in there is limited."

Jest'liana's lips slowly curve. "Why Doctor, I have no idea what you mean. I am /always/ on my best behavior. And you'd be amazed what I can do with limited space..."

Marcus shakes his head a bit, looking over towards Jest'liana and grinning. "Uh huh."

Melissa smirks a bit, "I'm sure..." she looks up at the timepeiece, "Probably about 45 minutes before he's moved i

"I swear it. You really would be amazed, Slyden." Jest repeats, eyes widened in a decent, if not her best, approximation of innocence. She nods to Melissa. "Lead the way, then."

Marcus seems hesitant, looking towards Jest and asking. "You need company or you wanna ditch the baggage?" This said in a partially teasing tone.

Melissa turns around, she takes one step towards ICU then stops, looking back at Marcus and Jest.

"Such nice baggage." Jest says easily. "You forget, I like your company. But, all night vigils aren't for everyone. I'll be fine. Go eat or check your mail or relax." She meets Marcus' eyes.

Marcus nods a bit to Jest, smiling quietly. "Alright. Take care. I'll be back as soon as I can, and if I can't.. I'll see you tommorrow. Okay?" A chuckle and he reaches out for her arm again and squeezes it.

Jest'liana steps close to Marcus, touches his face lightly and kisses him gently. "Thank you, Slyden." She says softly and then winks before she turns and goes to follow Melissa.

Melissa turns once again and begins walking towards ICU, reachign a door she enters a pass code and opens the door, allowing Jest entrance, "Feel free to sit in here..until he arrives."

"Am I going to be able to come and go as I please, or does the door have to be opened by a pass code each time?" Jest asks.

"You're welcome, Jest." Is Marcus' reply with a chuckle towards her wink.

Rackman walks into the medical bay just a touch happy and relaxed.

Melissa says, "You need a pass code, but nayo f the nurses will be able to open it for you."

Jest'liana and Melissa are in the hallway, outside of the ICU. Jest frowns a bit, obviously not liking the propect of being locked in.

Melissa forces a slight smile, "See it as a way of making sure he's no abducted."

Rackman walks in and looks around and wonders what is going on.

Jest'liana nods and shifts her weight. "Alright. Then I am not going in now. If it is locked in, well, I can wait a little bit."

Marcus turns slowly and begins to walk for the exit, his head drooping again in thought.

Marcus has left.

Melissa nods slightly, "Alright."

Rackman looks around and hopes he isn't in the way of things. He nods to a few people as he wonders quietly to himself.

Melissa rubs her eyes, "Don't worry..he'll be alright." she looks her up and down, "What abotu you? You alright? need anything?"

Jest'liana looks less tired than the night before, but then again, the stress sort of doubled in the last few hours. She smiles faintly. "I'm fine. Have an almost uncontrollable urge to do my nails. Too bad I left the nail polish in my other shirt."

Melissa smiles slightly, "Good.."

Melissa looks aroudnthe sickbay, "Things have calmed down around here...i think i'm going to go get a bite to eat or something.."

MacDonald reads quietly through one of the magazines laid around..

"You've been putting in quite a few hours," Jest agrees. "Go eat. Shoo. Shoo.."

Melissa smiles slightly, "Got quite a few more to put in." she frowns, "newt's parents came in today. He hasn't gone ot see them."

"Newt has been avoiding his parents for years now, Doctor. Let him." Jest says.

Rackman hears some faint voices as he heads towards the hal and around the corner. He sees Jest and Melissa. He isn't oo concerned with Melissa, his main focus is Jest. He has some questions for her. He walks over towards them walking down the hall, "Hello"

Jest'liana turns to look at Rackman, "Hello." She says, demenor shifting even more. Her eyes half lid and she rests a hand on her hip.

Rackman nods as he lets the two talk as he stands there quietly watching them both.

Melissa looks at the two and ndos a slight goodbye to Jest before turning around.

Jest'liana leans against the wall, also nodding to Melissa as she walks away.

Rackman waves to Melissa as she turns and heads out. He shifts his postion and looks to Jest, "I need to talk to you if you are not busy"

"Oh, I have about.. twenty minutes for you, Tom." Jest drawls.

Melissa walks through the room, stopping as she spots MacDonald.

Rackman nods as he studies her and steps a bit away from her, safety measures. He begins, "First off, I do not understand you at all, may I ask, why you seem so.....two faced at times?"

Jest'liana looks at Rackman, blinks and then bursts into laughter.

Rackman begins to tap his foot and shake his head, "point made"

Jest'liana is still laughing. So hard that tears streak from beneath her eye lids. She gasps, takes a breath and gathers her composure. "Ahhh...hehe...sorry...heheh."

MacDonald continues to read..

Rackman is not laughing but slightly annoyed as he was trying to figure her out, "One day you are completely, sweet, likeable, the nest, biting my head off apon walking in the room" His tone harsh.

"Tom." Jest says, lips faintly curved in a smirk. "I'm a woman." She says this as if it should be explaination in of itself.

Melissa smiles slighlty and kicks his foot, "hey."

Rackman throws his hands in the air and begins to just be really annoyed as he walks down the hall away from her, "I give up, I really give up." He turns to her, "Just...just don't do what you did, ok, on that ship." He turns and walks away again.

Grainer has arrived.

MacDonald startles, and then glances up. "What was that for?"

"And what did I do on the ship?" Jest asks for clarification, still amused.

Grainer enters the medbay with a few other people who seem to know where they are going. Grainer himself just looks like he's wandering around, doing his job.

Melissa shakes her head slighlty an grins, "Nothing.." she looks back, "Wating for someone?" she asks.

Rackman shakes his head as he walks away, walking into the room with McDonald and Melissa, "nothing, forget it"

MacDonald shrugs, "Not really. I was reading, and lost track of the time."

Melissa nods slighlty, "Care to join me for dinner?" she asks.

"Awww, that isn't fair. Bring something up like that and drop it." Jest says in a mock hurt tone, "And how I am I supposed to know what not to do if you don't tell?"

MacDonald grins, "You..are asking me to dinner?" He stands, replacing the magazine on the table. "I'd always assumed it would be the other way around."

After a quick look around the medbay, Grainer sees that everything seems to be fine, and he turns around and leaves.

MacDonald motions towards the doors leading back to the main area, "What exactly was going on in there. The guards were being awful pushy."

Grainer has left.

Melissa rolls her eyes slighlty and then follows his gaze back, "Falkenberg." she says simply.

Rackman walks out of the medbay.

MacDonald frowns, "Wasn't he that smuggler guy? There was a big ruckus back when I was in OCS about him."

Jest'liana begins laughing again. She slides down the wall and buries her face in her knees.

Melissa turns for the door and nods, "Yes, he was.." she can be heard saying as she steps outside.

Mordecai slumbers on a recovery bed, his left hand bandaged, his lower lip swollen purple and stitched.

In the ICU unit, the unconscious forms of Falkenberg and Mordecai have been laid to recover. Jest occupies a seat against the wall.

Jest'liana stretches her hand out in front of her, staring at her fingers for a few moments.

Mordecai coughs, then slowly opens his eyes, glancing around, trying to get his bearings.

Jest'liana's eyes snap up instantly. "Are you alright?" She asks in a subdued tone, standing.

Mordecai smiles enigmatically, his eyes weary, his face drawn. He nods. "I am...as well as one can be after such a trial."

Jest'liana walks towards his bed. "Do you need.. I don't know. A doctor? Another mystic or something?" She asks, tone belaying a degree of caution.

Mordecai chuckles, shaking his head. "No, no, that's quite all right. I haven't done anything like this in many, many years...but all I require is rest."

Jest'liana nods a little, probably not understanding everything but nodding anyway.

Mordecai studies his bandaged hand absently for a moment, and then opens his eyes a bit wider. "Ah, yes...I...have a message for you."

Jest'liana's eyes widen and her weight redistrubutes, right foot falling behind in a half step away. Her expression closes up, as wary as if Mordecai had just offered to sell her land on Luna. "...really?" She swallows.

Mordecai seems to search his thoughts for a moment, glancing toward the unconscious Falkenberg, and then turns his attention back to Jest'liana. "He told me to tell you that it meant a lot to him when you stayed by his beside on Ungstir. He...knew...you were there, but could not reach you. He said..." He frowns, looking back at his bandaged hand. "I am sorry, because this will simply add to the injury, but it was what he wanted said, so I shall not relent: He professed his love for you."

Jest'liana just looks at Mordecai for a moment, and blinks, eyes slipping from his face to about his collar level. "...and he won't remember." Her voice is gentle, matter of fact.

Mordecai shakes his head. "No," he says, matter of factly. "He won't remember anything from the past several years."

"...thank you." Jest whispers, and then turns away before the fragments of a calm expression fall away completely.

Mordecai smiles vaguely and nods. His hands seem to want to steeple, but the one is obviously useless for now. He sighs in resignation, and looks around for a nurse.

Jaxx has arrived.

N'Sha-El has arrived.

Jaxx steps into the bay, moving rather directly towards the receptionists desk. "Good day," he says with a slight smile. "I am here to see Eye Mordecai."

N'Sha-El follows behind Jaxx, her eyes dark.

"...the door is pass coded. There is a call button for the Nurse though.." Jest says after a few seconds. She remains 3/4 to Mordecai, arms wrapped around her torso in what has become a habitual gesture for the night.'

Mordecai is in a recovery area in a bed next to the slumbering Falkenberg, his lower lip swollen and stitched, his left hand bandaged.

Mordecai nods absently, looking around for the button. Finding it, he presses the button, pinging the nurse's station.

The receptionist smiles faintly at Jaxx. "May I ask who's calling?"

The door to the recovery room clicks unlocked and swings open as a nurse enters. "Can I help someone in here?"

N'Sha-El glances around the bay, eyes fierce. Several nurses sort of give her wary looks as they pass by. "Orandius Jaxx," she interposes firmly.

Jaxx says, "Indeed. I am Orandius Jaxx. Will I be admitted?"

Mordecai looks up at the sound of Sha's voice. He calls out, rather raspily, "Brother Orandius? Come, come!" He waves the nurse away. "Bring in the young ones."

The receptionist splutters: "This is highly irregular."

Mordecai coughs. "And bring a pitcher of water, Orandius. I thirst."

Jaxx says, simply, "Nevertheless-- it will be." He offers the receptionist a lopsided grin. "Now...Where might I procure a pitcher of water?"

The receptionist, clearly defeated and out of her depth, points feebly at a tray with a pitcher and two glasses. "It's full and ready to go."

N'Sha-El pops her neck with a dull crack. "Here go in, I'll get the water," she interjects, shoving Jaxx towards the door and picking up the pitcher.

Jest'liana's shoulders stiffen minutely. A sharply drawn breath and her shoulders straighten, hands going to her face a moment. She turns to face the room again, expression mild.

Jaxx steps through the door, eyes brushing to Jest'liana momentarily, then back to Mordecai. He steeples his fingers before him, bowing slightly at the waist. "I feared for your health, my Eye."

Mordecai glances toward Jest with an inimicably neutral expression on his face. "You must not allow yourself to be so governed by your passions. It has cost you much in the past - and has endangered others. Remember the consequences that come - the ripples created from the cast stone." He turns his attention to Jaxx, expression unchanged. "You and me both, I assure you. I will live. The job is not yet yours again."

N'Sha-El comes in behind Jaxx, with pitcher and tray. Her eyes go to Mordecai, then to Jaxx, then to Jest. Her gaze remains on Jest for a while. "Sis. You doin' ok?"

"My dear Eye. Passion is what makes life worth living." Jest says lightly. Or close to lightly. "And who wants to live forever at any rate." Her gaze goes to meet Sha's.

Mordecai turns his attention back to Jest. "It might make your life worth living, but I read much misery caused to those around you. And I see much misery in your heart. How is that worth the pain?"

N'Sha-El looks for a place to set the tray down on. "Waitress order of water, cooomin' up," she sing-songs as she finally finds a chair upon which to set her wares and picks up the glass, filling it. She flicks a glance back up at Jest again. "Livin' forever...I don't. Not if it means livin' without the people I care about," she says abruptly.

Jaxx says, "Passion is water-- one can drown in it."

Mordecai raises his bandaged hand, encouraging N'Sha-El to remain silent, his eyes fixed on Jest'liana. "Consider what has occurred - and your role in the events that have transpired. Let us consider where John Christian Falkenberg is now - and why and how it came to pass."

Mordecai narrows his eyes with uncharacteristic intensity. "And consider how it has come to harm him, you, and those who care about you."

"...Now I remember. Its racial." Jest drawls, lips quirking in a convulsive smile as she looks at Mordecai and then Jaxx. Sha's words give a wonderful repreive, that is instantly gone. Jest falls silent, jaw tightening.

Mern rolls out of a partitioned-off area, studying the group from a few yards away.

Jaxx's brows quirk mildly, gaze shifting from the pitcher, where they had fallen, to Jest'liana.

Mordecai is focused on Jest'liana like some pudgy bird of prey. "How did it come to pass?"

N'Sha-El goes over to Mordecai and silently hands him the glass of water.

Mordecai accepts the water without taking his eyes off Jest. He does not drink.

"You tell me." Jest says, tone slightly strangled from being spoken behind clenched teeth.

Mordecai nods, his gaze unwavering. "It begins and ends with you."

Jaxx's lips purse slightly, gaze not shifting from Jest'liana.

N'Sha-El meanwhile wanders several paces away, deliberately turning her attention away from the sudden electric intensity in the room. Perhaps to give privacy where there's none. Her fingers pluck at each other.

"Everything ends and begins with me. That is one of the benefits of being a spoiled self centered little rich girl." Jest says softly, eyes meeting Mordecai's. "Wishing to help or not, dragging out all my faults, myriad as they are, right now really isn't very nice of you... You could have waited just a little bit before accusing me of causing all the pain that has ever come on those I loved."

Jaxx stands near the foot of Mordecai's bed, attention firmly on Jest'liana.

Mordecai shakes his head, frowning. "This is not a time for being nice. It is a time for honesty and clarity. The man in the bed over there is there because you entered his life in a foolish attempt at vengeance against someone else on behalf of *another* man. You are an endless pump of sorrow and self-destruction, and it has had terrible repercussions. I simply plead with you to seek to end the cycle before it brings someone to death."

Melissa steps into the room dressed in surgical scrubs, she is obviosuelly tired but is wearing a grin on her face.

Mern is sitting off somewhere, apparently mistaken about seeing someone in the hallway.

N'Sha-El has, quite literally, distanced herself from the conversation. She stares at one of the walls, at its surgical sterility, with quiet, unseeing eyes.

Mordecai is sitting in a recovery bed, his left hand bandaged, his right hand holding a glass of water, his lower lip purple, swollen and stitched, his eyes fixed on Jest'liana.

Jaxx, for once, doesn't say anything. Still, his gaze remains upon Jest, brows slightly quirked. His expression is neutral. He's standing near the foot of Mordecai's recovery bed.

"You are misinformed. I entered his life for three reasons. First and foremost to try and keep my sanity. Secondly, to try and be in a position to save the people I cared about. And thirdly, because I wanted to. Because it was a life I had loved and I wanted it back." Jest's voice breaks. Her lips curve, "Vengence wasn't on my mind... and you better fucking learn the facts before you start swinging a broad sword to people's emotions."

Melissa steps forward towards ICU, unlocking the door before stepping inside.

Mordecai doesn't flinch from the acrimonious flow of Jest's words. "How does it serve to protect your sanity by endangering your life? How can you save the lives of your friends when you can barely protect your own against the menace of Lord Fagin? Tell me again of how the death of your friend VanMahr and all the other crimes committed against you by the Pirate King and his minions had nothing to do with your decisions."

Jaxx's brows arch further at Jest'liana's words. Still, he remains silent.

Melissa opens the door and steps inside, as she catches an earful of the conversation she frowns slighlty.

Mern is sitting off somewhere, not with the other group, not even knowing where they are.

Firemane has a word with the receptionist as she walks in, they seem to be getting to know one another by now, and then she begins to walk over to wherever Mern is.

Melissa steps back, giving those within privacy as she closes the door once again.

Mern looks up as the Demarian approaches, "Evening Miss Firemane."

"I never said nothing." Jest says, her voice almost at a whisper, though her eyes never leave Mordecai's. "I never said nothing. That all falls under the second reason I gave..." She straightens. "And I don't know that you could understand anything of what I am talking about. I went back to something that was familiar to me, because I was surrounded by strangers." Her eyes flickers to Sha, and her expression softens the barest hint in apology. "...I'm sorry, Sha..but at the time...it was true.."

Melissa turns aroudn and walks to the reception desk, she gives back a file and takes another, she reads it over and nods, quesitonoing the receptionist once again who motions in Mern's direction."

Firemane chuckles at Mern. "Mern, Mern, is that any way to greet your soon to be crewmate?" She asks. "Call me Fire, or Rider, whichever you prefer."

N'Sha-El turns her head, just enough to look at Jest upon hearing her name. She doesn't say anything, but her dark eyes hold a world of unsaid things - memories, emotions, pain, fear, all bundled up and tangled together.

Mordecai squints his eyes slightly, taking a drink from his glass of water. He swallows, then sighs. "You will refuse to see so long as such personal deception insulates you from the pain. But I tell you, here and now, that it will come to a bad and bitter end if you do not face the truth and reverse the course you have embarked upon."

"A course of being subservient to my passions." Jest says evenly.

Mordecai shakes his head. "A course of being subservient to a virtual death wish."

Jaxx breaks his silence abruptly, "You've created a new following, Jest'liana, and acquired for yourself new friends. Do they bring you comfort? Your passions now cause you pain, the same passions that made you the light of the Courser crew.

Melissa steps into the sectioned off area that now serves as mern's space.

Mern smiles slightly, inclining his head but not quite agreeing to the request. He looks up again, "Have you seen Captain Jest'liana?" He then turns as the doctor enters and nods, "Evening, doctor."

Firemane shakes her head. "Only in passing earlier."

Falkenberg mumbles softly in his sleep.

"Ahhh. My death wish." Jest grins brightly and leans forward, though she turns her head to the side to give Jaxx a flirtatious wink before directing her gaze back to Mordecai. "Let me tell you something Snookums. Wasn't thinking about that tonight. I was thinking about the fact that someone I loved pretty much died tonight. That's a bit melodramatic, and not really true... but I was dwelling on it. My desire to go and slit my wrists didn' begin til ya'll circled and pounced. Note to self. Never /ever/ show a Mystic a hint of vulerability. Cause they'll tear what little is left of you to shreds." Her eyes flare hard and she straightens.

Melissa smiles as she enters, "How you feeling today?" she asks.

Mordecai knits his brow faintly. "Self-pity is terribly unbecoming for such a self-professed survivor. No one has pounced on you. These words I speak are words you've heard within your own mind more than once. I have merely commited the sin of speaking them aloud." He hears the sound of the man in the next bed over, and glances toward him.

Mern grins a bit, saying lightly, "Fine.....but that's not necessarily a good thing..."

Mordecai continues watching Falkenberg, but speaks to Jest'liana. "He did tell you why he accepted you into the Smuggler's Guild, didn't he?"

Melissa smiles slighlty stepping towards him, "Getting used to that?" she asks nodding toward the chair.

Jest'liana nods, "Yep. Big sin." She gestures. "Big big one." She strides from her position to go to the opposite side of Falkenberg's bed. "And he told me a reason yes."

Melissa takes a seat, now at the same level as Mern.

N'Sha-El turns her eyes to first Mordecai, then to Jaxx. Back to Jest again. She still doesn't say anything, as if the weight of the turbulence in her face might just collapse her if put into words. All she does is look at Jest.

Mern nods, "Well enough."

Jaxx says, "That is why you hate us so, of course. We show you your own mind, the parts that you seek to avoid." A pause, then. "Mordecai acts out of his compassion. I act because I love a woman you have called your sister, but badly used. Neither of us seeks to cause you misery. We wish to release you from your suffering before it destroys anyone else, including yourself."

Melissa nods slightly, "Nurses treating you well?"

Firemane frowns slightly as Melissa starts talking to Mern. "If this is going to be private I can leave if you want." She offers.

Mordecai lifts his chins, eyes going back to Jest. "He is not a bad man, all in all. He championed you in the end. That nearly cost him his life."

Melissa looks up and blinks, she was obviousely distracted when she walked in, "Oh.." she stands, "i'm sorry..i didnt' even realize you where here."

Mordecai frowns as his thoughts drift off to something. "It may yet cost many lives."

"I know. And I know that if I hadn't left him on Ungstir, he wouldn't be here right now." Jest says evenly.

Mern grimaces a bit but nods, "Of course." He then looks up at Firemane with a shake of his head.

Firemane chuckles at Melissa. "It's alright." She turns to Mern as she catches his nod. "Fair enough." She says.

Mordecai is sitting in a recovery bed, his left hand bandaged, his right hand holding a glass of water, his lower lip purple, swollen and stitched, his eyes fixed on Jest'liana.

N'Sha-El is with Jaxx and Mordecai and Jest in the room Falkenberg's in.

Mordecai lets his gaze drift back toward the sleeping Falkenberg, then takes a sip of his water and looks toward Jaxx, his eyebrows raising faintly in the Mystic equivalent of a shrug.

Melissa grins a little, "I'll step out, let you two chat for a while."

Firemane shakes her head. "No, it's alright, I just came to see how he was." She glances at Mel. "Although if you plan to use that time to sleep, I'm all in favour."

Jaxx sighs softly, shifting his gaze to Mordecai. "I gather that you were successful, my Eye, if with dark consequences."

Melissa smirks a bit to Firemane, "Thanks doc."

Melissa looks over towards Mern, "You see Newt?" she asks.

Mordecai nods. "It was a close thing, but yes. John Christian Falkenberg will recover. He will probably remember nothing of the past few years. That, I think, is a mercy." He glances toward Jest'liana.

Mern chuckles a bit, "I haven't seen him since the night he slept in here."

N'Sha-El watches Jest at Falk's bed. When she finally breaks her long silence, her voice is a soft husk of her normal speaking tone, so tired it's barely heard. "I only want her to be happy. She's my sister."

Jaxx shrugs his shoulders. "I would wish such a loss on no man." He then turns his gaze to Sha, "Come here, my love." He extends an arm in her direction.

Firemane doesn't smile or smirk back. "I don't want you operating on me in the state your in, if I could give you orders, I would order you to have the night off... No, the next 24 hours off."

Mordecai studies Jest'liana a moment longer, then turns his eyes toward N'Sha-El. "Happiness seems to be out of reach for her. It is as nitrogen to an oxygen-breather."

Mordecai frowns, studying his bandaged hand. "She has become too acclimated to the atmosphere of sorrow."

Jest'liana ignores Mordecai. With all her waning strength and all her intensity she ignores him. Her fingers tremble before she stills it, hides it, stops it, but clenching her hands into fists.

Jaxx shakes his head to Mordecai. "It is not so simple as that, my Eye. She has quested for a new life without moving beyond the old one, failing to reach the first while the second becomes only a source of painful memory.

N'Sha-El doesn't move. At Jest's action she flinches as if the physical intensity has transferred itself. "What went wrong?" she whispers in a voice barely above a breath. "What went so wrong, what did we do wrong, me n' Teel? Sis...I only want you t'be happy, you know that's all I've ever wanted fer you. I ain't broken m'word...I don't intend to."

Mordecai smiles faintly. "Brother Orandius, it is ever so simple as that. Your explanation is merely another colorful way of describing it. She is lost in a world of her own creation - an atmosphere of causes and effects and swirling misery - and she is unwilling to be removed from it."

Falkenberg's breathing becomes deeper, a sign that he has begun the shift from drug-induced unconsciousness to genuine sleep.

Jaxx says, "Perhaps. To my eye, she is a being in transition, unable to move, not a being wallowing in despair. It is a distinction I would maintain."

Mordecai lifts his brow. "Perhaps she will prove me wrong."

Jest'liana says something, so soft that it is barely a movement of her mouth. Her eyes fix on Falkenberg. Apparently, fists just won't be enough, cause her hands are trembling now...

Jaxx shakes his head slightly to Mordecai, turning to move towards Sha. "My love...Look at me."

Mordecai grunts rather indignantly as he hefts his bulk upright and swings his legs over the side of his bed. He moves to stand, saying, "It is not my wish to remain. I can as easily sleep in my compartment in New Shohob."

Jaxx reaches out, placing a hand on Sha's shoulder.

N'Sha-El presses a hand to her cheek. Her gaze flickers between Jest and Jaxx, then to Mordecai. She lifts a hand as if to say something, detain him, but evidently doesn't have the strength as the gesture fails. The hand drops back to her side limply and she jerks back reflexively before realising it's Jaxx. Even then her haunted expression doesn't go away.

Mordecai sets his glass of water down on the bedside table, then walks wearily toward the door of the room. "Brother Orandius, my thanks for coming to see me. I will persevere."

Jaxx glances to Mordecai distractedly, "Of course, my Eye. Thank you for your help."

Mordecai nods, his eyes drifting back toward Jest for a moment, then he opens the door and steps outside, closing it again.

Rackman stops to the side of the doorway as he looks apon everyone slowly. He seems a bit distracted as he turns and begins to walk out.

Melissa looks over towards Mern, "Well..i don't polan to perofrom surgery on anyone now. Just inquire as to how my patient is doing. "

Mordecai walks down the corridor toward the reception area.

Firemane shrugs slightly. "Never no when someone is gonna get hurt Mel." But even so she backs down and moves back a little.

Falkenberg continues to breathe deeply and easily. He mumbles again in his sleep.

Jest'liana hasn't moved, blood seeps out from the palms of her hands in a rather ironic imitation...

Mern nods, then, after a measuring glance, replies in agreement with Firemane, "Not to change the subject, but you do look like you could use some rest..."

Mordecai strokes the gauze wrapped around his bandaged hand, his mouth crinkling into a frown as he emerges in the reception area.

N'Sha-El glances at Jaxx with wide, unseeing eyes, her face a study in turbulent emotions at the moment.

Melissa looks back to Firemane then over at Firemane and grins a little, "Guys..i appreciate the concern. And i *did* get some rest yesterday..i just got out of surgery, cut me some slack ok."

Falkenberg blinks and opens his eyes.

Melissa says, "Now...as i was saying. Have you seen newt"

Firemane shrugs slightly, but stays silent.

Mern grins a bit at the reply then shakes his head again, "Not since the other night."

The receptionist waves at Mordecai. "Sir, you'll need to fill out the appropriate release forms!"

Jaxx reaches a hand to lightly touch at Sha's cheek.

Falkenberg raises one hand to his head, and mumbles in a hoarse voice, "Ooooh...that's the last time I drink out of THAT bottle..."

Melissa frowns a bit and sighs, "I gotta find him."

Mern frowns as well, "Why? He's ok, isn't he?"

Melissa looks at Mern once more, "you mind if i tell him you want to see him?" she asks.

Jest'liana jumps, and instantly pulls back a little, closing her eyes to cut off the intensity of her stare at the man. They open, calm restored, and even a faint smile on her lips. "J...Falkenberg?"

Mordecai pauses, lifts his chins and glances casually toward the receptionist. He seems to consider something, then sighs and nods. "I believe I have earned this transgression," he mutters softly. He forces a faint smile, then waves a hand absently before the receptionist. "The paperwork is of no importance."

Mern shrugs, "I could help you look if you want...."

Melissa shrugs slightly, "Honest opinion? No. Physically yes but well..." she shrugs slighlty, "He's a kid and he's been through alot. I'd hoped he'd gone to his house after h left here...but he hasn't. His mom came to see me today."

Firemane frowns slightly and furrows her brow. "I.. Think... I might have seen him up on the upper decks somewhere, but I don't know when.. Or exactly where."

Falkenberg blinks, and tries to shift his head toward the voice at the side of his bed. He winces in pain, and then tries to focus his eyes. "Yeah...."

The receptionist gets a blank look on her face, and then seems a bit puzzled. "The paperwork. Right. Don't...worry about it."

Melissa looks over towards Firemane and nods slightly, "Alright...." she looks over towards Mern and seems unsure, "You up to it?" she asks, "You havent' been out of sickbay in your chair yet...you're gonna have to get used to it."

Mordecai twitches a brief smile, broader than usual, and then nods. "My gratitude." With that, he turns and walks wearily toward the door.

N'Sha-El's eyes flickers to Jest and Falk for a moment. Then, very calmly, she touches Jaxx's hand, smiles rather unfocusedly and slips past him to drift towards the door.

"Don't try and move, you'll hurt yourself. You're in a medical facility." Jest says, voice soft and calm.

Mordecai has left.

Jaxx's brows knit. He turns to follow Sha.

Mern nods, "I just have to figure out how to use the lifts with my nose...that's all.." He grins somewhat as he says this.

Melissa smiles a little, "You know..." she says with some admiration, "Your a hell of a ki...guy Mern."

Firemane chuckles slightly as Mern says this. "Well, I can give you a hand looking if you want." She offers.

Melissa looks over towards Firemane and nods, serious once again, "Alright...lets do it. I say we start from the top down.."

N'Sha-El emerges from the room she was in in a rather unfocused sort of drift. While she manages to wend her way past obstacles pretty well, she looks more than a little out of it.

Jaxx moves from the room behind Sha, brow knit.

Mern chuckles a bit, not insulted at all with the originally intended phrase. He nods, beginning to move forward.....apparently he is using the verbal controls for when sharp turns need to be made quickly.

Falkenberg keeps blinking his eyes, as though the light hurts his eyes. "Medical...facility

Melissa has left.

Mern has left.

Firemane has left.

Jest'liana looks to the lights, vaguely trying to discern if there is some way to dim them or.. "Yes." She says to him simply. She stands up and moves to the wall and a promising looking dial there. "What is... what is the last thing you remember?"

N'Sha-El floats out, past the rather blank-looking receptionist and through the med bay exit.

N'Sha-El has left.

Jaxx has left.

Falkenberg moves a hand gingerly up to his head, and feels the bandaging there with some surprise. He is still very groggy. "Not...sure...I remember...taking a job for..." He pauses, and focuses on Jest. "Do...do I know you?"

Jest'liana dims the lights, just a little, and walks back towards the bed. "Yes." A cautious flare of hope lights her gray eyes, but she stifles it quickly. She pauses. "Do you?"

Falkenberg blinks as he looks at her. A half-smile touches his lips. "Well, if this is a medical facility, you could be a nurse....but I doubt I'd be that lucky." He closes his eyes. "You do seem...."

"That is something then. And no, I am not a Nurse." Jest smiles faintly and she shudders. "I despise hospitals. To the point of where, under normal circumstances, you damn well better have me unconscious to get me in one." Her fingers uncurl on her right hand, long fingernails dripping blood. She frowns and sighs, and as she takes a seat next to Falkenberg, she presses the palm of her hand into her loose pants.

Falkenberg keeps his eyes closed. "It's funny....your voice...." He sighs. "When I heard your voice, I thought it was.....well, it was like I expected to hear it. But I can't say that I know who you are." He opens his eyes again, and looks around the room. "This is some med facility. What planet is it on? Too rich for Tomin Kora. Am I on a Consortium world?"

"It's a long story J..Falkenberg." Jest says quietly, "Are you sure you are up to hearing it all tonight? There isn't any rush..." Her expression is soft, gray eyes never leaving his face.

Falkenberg looks at her again. "It's funny, there's something...." He pauses and stares at her. "What is your name? You obviously know me...let's start with that."

"My name is Jest." She says, "Well, full name is Jest'liana, but for various reasons I only allow people I already hate call me that. I don't like it."

"Jest." He pauses. "That seems...I don't know. Its like there was something I wanted..." He hesitates.

"You ever....tell yourself something is important, and you have to remember it later, but then you forget what it was, and only remember that you forgot something you wanted to...." He sighs. "That probably doesn't make any sense....maybe its the drugs, and my head will clear up later..."

Jest'liana looks down, faltering. "I..." Tears well up that are quickly forced back. She takes a breath, "I know what you mean, actually. Sort of." She smiles quirkily. "Don't worry about it now, at any rate."

Falkenberg nods, and then winces in pain at the movement. "Ok...Jest." He sighs, and closes his eyes. "How do I know you, and do you know why I don't remember? Last thing I remember, I just finished up a bounty-hunting job, tracked a guy named Villanova to Demaria...then to Mars. Nearly got shot by a bunch of Vannies..."

Falkenberg says, "I had to go to Val Shohob for a while...but got tired of hiding out behind the robes of the mystics, so I went off to find somewhere where Volstov's boys wouldn't bother me..."

"You can't remember because you got shot in the head. About six months ago." Jest says. "And you've forgotten... a lot of time. I met you about...nine months ago. You were the Guildsmaster of the Smugglers, and you were Captain of a ship called the Zephyr." Jest's tone returns to calm and quiet.

Falkenberg opens his eyes and looks at her in some surprise. "Guildmaster?" His eyes widen as the implications of what she's saying hit him. "Wh-...what year is this?"

"2652..." Jest says.

Falkenberg sighs and closes his eyes. "I've lost almost two years...."

"Two years...." he repeats. "Two years...."

Jest'liana reaches out a hand to him, but doesn't touch. "Yes. John I'm sorry. I'm sorry...I.."

Falkenberg sighs. "Well, I'll just have to see about getting those years back." He opens his eyes again. "I had a ship....a crew?"

Jest'liana nods, composure regained in a heartbeat. "Unfortunately, had is the right term. Fagin took the ship and scattered us pretty good after you were shot."

"Fagin." He sighs. "I should have known better. That bounty hunting job was for one of his people, and it brought me nothing but trouble." He sighs. "There's something.....I have that feeling again. Like I wanted to remember something. About Fagin."

"He is part of the reason you are here." Jest says. "You were in a coma. He stole you from the med facility and.. well, had a good time messing with your head. Programmed you to kill some of his enemies for him. You're here because we found you. He had a chip in your head. A mystic blocked its infulence, so it wouldn't kill you while the Doctor's got it out. And in that process.. your memories were lost."

Falkenberg closes his eyes tight this time. "This must be a dream. A bad dream. I hit the ol' scotch too much last night, and I'm suffering for it now."

"I can leave... if you want." Jest says softly.

Falkenberg opens his eyes again. "No...no." He takes a deep breath. "I...well, you're the only person I know here now. I've lost the last 2 years of my life." He hesitates. "And there's something.....well, I'd like you to stay."

Jest'liana nods, "Then, Falkenberg Dear, I am at your disposal." She says, tone deliberately light, "Though please, I've been disposed of enough lately, so..." Her lips curve in a smile.

Falkenberg smiles faintly. "Heh. At another time, I would try to make some kind of comment about that, but I am feeling a bit under the weather right now." He looks at her. "You and I...we were close?"

"You saved my life a few times. I threw a few snowballs at you." Jest says tilting her head to the side and shrugging. "You let me get away with using spare parts of the engine to make a hair dryer.. Yeah." Her eyes leave his ever so breifly. "We were... close you could say."

Falkenberg looks at her carefully. "Mmm." He closes his eyes. "Well, you called me John a little while ago. I don't let just anybody do that. And..." he looks around at the room. "Well, you're here. And somehow I expected you to be here. Even if I could swear I've never seen you before." He glances downward at her outfit. "I'd like to think I'd remember seeing you." He smirks.

Jest'liana laughs, "Hmmm. I am /so/ glad your vision remains as acute as ever. It's a nice top. Hell to get into and out of." She drawls, settling back in her chair a bit. "Are you thirsty at all?"

Falkenberg nods slowly. "Yeah, I could use a drink of water..."

"Lucky for you, the Eye was too busy fuc..too busy to take the pitcher of water with him when he left." Jest stands up and saunters over to the pitcher. A plastic cup, still turned downward, remains on the tray. She upends it and pours.

Falkenberg humphs. "The Eye. Balthazar?"

"No. Mordecai. Balthazar died a while ago." She returns with the water, "Here, let me help you sit up a little...hmmm." She leans back, examining the bed and wondering.

Falkenberg chuckles softly. "Perhaps a straw would be better."

"Perhaps. Don't want to turn you into a pretzel." Jest agrees. A straw is retrieved from the tray as well. She returns and hands him the glass. Nope. Not a nurse for certain.

Falkenberg takes the glass, and sips from the straw, moving his head as little as possible.

Jest'liana takes a seat, watching him again. Nuetrality slips, since he isn't looking back, and intensity of many emotions threads its way in to her expression.

Falkenberg finishes the water, and sets the glass down on a tray within his reach. He closes his eyes. "Well, I'll tell you something, this is strange."

"I can only imagine." Jest says quietly. "But, just think of it this way. This is the worst. Right now, when you know the least. In a couple of days, you'll be out of here. You got a free record now, no one is chasing you. The universe has changed, but you are strong enough to handle it."

Falkenberg chuckles, but still doesn't open his eyes. "No, that's not what I mean."

"What do you mean, then?" Jest tilts her head as she asks.

Falkenberg opens his eyes and looks at her. "Well, all my life..." He catches himself. "All my life that I REMEMBER...I've, well, I've been a loner. I don't....well, I'm here in a hospital, and you're here, and well...." He pauses. "It's just a new experience for me."

Jest'liana meets his gaze silently for a moment. "Yes, well. You're a good Captain, what can I say? Watching out for your back is sort of one of those obscure duty/bonding things." Her eyes glitter mischief. "'S a nice back too.."

Falkenberg chuckles. He seems to accept that. "Ok...." He closes his eyes again. "So, I was a Guildmaster, eh?" He sighs. "Was I rich?"

"Yup. Rather. Paid nicely too." Jest says.

Falkenberg smiles faintly. "Good." He opens his eyes again. "But then again, it seems I got myself into quite a mess, huh? I mean, I got shot, I lost my ship...and the Pirate king put something in my brain." He laughs. "I don't know that I could have been such a good captain."

"You danced the line against Fagin for a couple months. He wanted something, you kept it from him and saved lives doing it." Jest's lips curve. "I'd say that was good. You would have played the middle for a lot longer if you hadn't have gotten shot. Once that happened, everything after is other people's faults. Not yours."

Falkenberg turns a little to look at her. "Sounds like an interesting life. Wish I could remember it." He sighs. "But going against the pirate king is never a wise career move. Especially if I was a guildmaster." He stares up at the ceiling. "Saved lives, you say? Well, aren't I noble." His tone is bitter.

Jest'liana's eyes flicker. "Like I said, you were playing the middle. Watching your own back, and watching the backs of a couple others for as long as you could. Don't worry, Falkenberg... You didn't change into an angel." Jest looks down at her hand and absently studies the puncture wounds.

Falkenberg hmmphs. "Well, it still looks like I managed to make a mess of things." He pauses, and notices her looking at her hand. "Hey, what happened to you?"

"...Nothing." Jest says. Then looks up at him, "I was just... I went to throw a punch, and drove my nails in by accident. Silly thing." She rolls her eyes. "Teaches me to pay more attention."

"I suppose so. It should also teach you to learn from your own mistakes, because both your hands are bleeding." A faint grin crosses his face, as he closes his eyes tiredly. "I'd think after the first punch you would have learned." His tone is mildly amused, now, then becomes more serious. "Look....Jest," he says, opening his eyes. "Its obvious to me there is a lot you are not telling me. Which is probably just as good, because apparently my head has been cut open recently, and not for the first time...and there's an awful lot for me to absorb. But let me tell you something..."

Jest'liana glances back down to her hands, slightly embarrassed and guilty expression on her face. "Damn." She mutters, then meets his eyes again, listening.

He takes a deep breath. "I've always tried to live my life by one simple rule. Look after my own ass, and to hell with anyone else. Whatever I do, I do for one of three reasons. To survive, to make money, and for the adventure or the challenge of it all. Now, it sounds to me like I managed quite a bit of adventure and challenge, and did pretty well with the money, but got lost on the survival part. I don't know how, or why, that happened, and I can't imagine anything that would make me take those kinds of risks. I like risks, but I'm not stupid."

Falkenberg sighs and closes his eyes again. "At least, I didn't think I was, in 2650."

Jest'liana says absolutely nothing, letting him finish.

Falkenberg turns to meet her eyes, even though its hard for him to move without pain. "Its also clear to me that, well...that your being here is no random act of kindness on your part. You know the kind of man I am, or was, maybe better than I do now. So someday, when I am out of here, you and I are going to have a talk, and you're going to help me understand how I could have..." he sighs and leans back again. "How I could have made such a mess of my life. It may be..." he hesitates. "It may be that I've gone down the wrong path somewhere...." He suddenly goes rigid.

"Are you alright?" Jest asks, tone sharp, tensing.

"You've been given a....a second chance on life," he says in a strange voice, "try not to repeat your old mistakes." He looks strangely at her. "Someone...I remember that. I remember someone telling me that."

"...sounds like a Mystic thing to say. Did he.. do you remember anything else?" Jest remains still, a sort of cloak of defensive nuetrality about her.

Falkenberg tries to shake his head, and quickly regrets it. "No..." He sighs, "No. But maybe he was right." He breathes hard. "I need to find out what kind of life I've led the past two years. I need to know....well, its obvious I made some mistakes. Last thing I remember...well, its not like my life was particularly happy. For all my vaunted self-reliance and adventurism. No home, no friends, on the run from the authorities. A real tough guy."

Jest'liana's hands curl faintly. "There are.. some people around who can tell you what you need to know." She says.

"Balthazar....he hid me on Val Shohob for a while. And he warned me....something about getting burned in the fire that was coming. I had no one and nothing then. You tell me I got a ship, a career, money, power, even," he looks at her, "Friends. But now look at me. What have I got?"

Falkenberg says, "Maybe he was right. Maybe I deserve what I got. I was warned."

Falkenberg glances at her. "You can tell me."

Falkenberg says, "Just...not tonight."

Jest'liana smiles convulsively, before she manages to make it stick, "I'll tell you. And there are others too. But, be careful about making spot decisions. You.. you'll know all you need to and then you can chose." She stands up. "I'll be right back alright?"

Falkenberg nods.

Jest'liana moves to walk out the door, stride quick. She disappears from sight.

Jest'liana walks back in, hair faintly wet and pulled back in a tight braid. She continues to look pale, but smiles easily as she makes her way further into the room.

Falkenberg's eyes open as he hears her draw near. He had fallen asleep again, and is a little groggy.

Falkenberg smiles faintly as she enters. "Hi."

"Hey there." Jest greets back, taking a seat and demurely crossing her legs. She takes a deep breath and watches him for a moment. "You should get some rest." She says quietly.

Falkenberg sighs. "You're right." He closes his eyes a moment, and seems to be going back to sleep. But then he says, "I'm sorry about before. I....well, this is a lot to deal with. See...the last thing I remember is something that happened two years ago, and well, I managed to get myself in a lot of trouble then." He sighs. "And well...things weren't supposed to end up like this, with me in a medbed, something pulled out of my brain. Its..." He opens his eyes. "It's scary. Scary not to remember. Scary even to be talking to someone who knows me, who I don't know."

"...You don't need to apologize. It's going to be alright, I promise you." Jest says quietly.

Falkenberg closes his eyes again. "Thanks, I guess. You've given me a lot to digest, but there is one more thing I need to know tonight."

You say, "And that is?"

Falkenberg opens his eyes again, this time with some difficulty. "Where ARE we? I mean, I know this could be a place I've hung out a lot in the past two years, but I have no idea where it is."

"We are on a ship. Called the Sanctuary." Jest tells him.

"A ship? Sanctuary?" He pauses, and his eyes force themselves closed again. "Maybe you better not tell me any more just yet."

Jest'liana doesn't say anything.

"Will you...." he seems to be getting sleepy, probably the result of the med drip going into his arm. "Will you come to see me again tomorrow?"

Jest'liana smiles faintly, "I'll be here." She says.

Falkenberg smiles, as he begins to drift off. "Good..." he says dreamily. "That's....important. Not sure why..." he drifts off to sleep.

Jest'liana covers her mouth with her hand and closes her eyes. She shows no signs of leaving, though her head bows.

Falkenberg begins breathing slowly as he settles into a deep sleep, perhaps hoping to wake up and find this all a dream tomorrow.

Firemane arrives from Medical Quarter .

Firemane hurries into the medbay, stopping only to wave to the receptionist, who notes her name down on a list.

Jest'liana is in the ICU unit, sitting by a sleeping Falkenberg. Her hand covers her face, shoulders slumped.

Firemane arrives at the door to the ICU unit and knocks lightly. "Jest?" She calls out, her voice tentative and soft.

Mern skids to a stop in the reception hall after rolling rather quickly through the door. He impatiently wheels over to the receptionist and questions her quickly.

Jest'liana looks up, and wipes her face. She stands and walks to the door, opening it. "Firemane. Hey." She says, damp lashes betraying her. She smiles uncertainly.

Mern nods as the receptionist points to the direction just taken by Firemane and he heads off to follow, dodging stretchers, nurses, and orderlies as he rolls quickly down the hall.

Firemane smiles at Jest, and quickly removes her sunglasses. "The nurse phone he sai.." He voice trails off as her eyes focus in on Jest's. "He said Falk had come out of surgery.."

"He's.. he's going to be alright. There was a chip controlling him, and he'll be alright now. He just.. doesn't remember. The past three years have been erased, he doesn't remember.." Jest raises her hand to her face again, to brush back hair. A faint trail of blood follows the gesture.

Mern has by now turned down the hallway that the two stand at the side of and begins to roll towards them, more slowly now, with a concerned frown on his face.

Firemane's eyes follow Jest's motions, and then fall to the ground as she snarls off an impressive litany of Demarian curses that eventually end in the word 'Fagin'. She takes a *deep* breath and looks up, her face mostly impassive as she meet's Jest's gaze again. "I won't ask you if you're alright, beacuse your not." She says, her voice straight and level.

Jest'liana laughs, sharply, "According to the Mordecai I am a cesspool of despair... a b-black hole that will drag down everyone I love...to whom happiness is an anathama. It's my fault and..." There is slight hysteria to her tone, and she reigns it back in sharply, snapping her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Firemane. I'm just tired."

Mern comes to a halt before the two of them, glancing back and forth between them before asking, "So what's going on...?"

Firemane snorts slightly. "I hate to think what he has to say about me." She quips, trying hard to be light hearted. "Listen, you need to relax, you *cannot* go on like this a moment longer, I won't allow it." She states. "I don't know enough about you to make the value judgements Mordecai makes so off-handedly."

Jest'liana laughs, and looks to Mern, "Falkenberg is going to be okay. He just won't remember anything from the past three years. And I am babbling and running on." She says, tone calming. She looks at Firemane, "Ya know, today is the first day I met Mordecai. You know more than he." Her lips quirk. "So what do you recommend I do then, if you won't allow this for longer?" She glances to Mern, including him in this conversation.

Firemane smirks slightly. "Well, you can come and yell at us for a while, or cry, or do whatever you need to.." She frowns. "Actually, I could do with a good yell too.." She grins. "Or we can go and get blind drunk somewhere, which helps.. Or you can go home and go to sleep." She shrugs and turns to Mern. "Any other choices?"

Mern blinks a bit at the list....then more when it seems he's expected to _add_ to it....after a moment he replies, "We _could_ put alarm clocks in strategic places and watch the Vannies scramble to 'diffuse' them..." His face is completely serious but he couldn't possibly be....could he?

Firemane snorts loudly. "No, they would probably shoot innocent people." She says, just a *little* bitterly.

Jest'liana grins slowly, "I have the best crew." She says simply. She laughs.

Mern grins a bit, "You know, that's the first time I've heard a genuine laugh since the abduction..."

Firemane steps back and takes a mock bow. "I do try." She grins at Mern. "Well Jest was the first person who made me laugh since *my* uh.. Abduction." She says.

Jest'liana curtsies to both of them. "Shall we go see what we can do? I promised that I would be back when he woke up, but they got him so pumped with Meds, we got the time..." Her eyes glitter in mischief.