Jockeying

Note: first part of the former "Sleepytime"
Date/Timing: 9 January 2019
Setting: Hornsby Ku-ring-gai hospital, Imaging department
.
The magnet stops rotating.
Caitlin stares vacantly at the monitor.
Ducky sleeps on.
A chime. 
Chuck stirs, sits up, blinks at the monitor. 
A knock at the door. 
Chuck pushes over to the door. 
"Doctor Lightcap?" asks an orderly.
Chuck opens the door wider.
"Session ends in five minutes."
Chuck nods.
"Let the nurses' station know when you're done, please."
Chuck nods again.
The orderly smiles and leaves down the hall.
Chuck closes the door, stares at it for a moment, then pushes back to her station, gets to her feet. 
Why ...? 
A chime. 
Chuck looks at the monitor. 
fMRI, right. 
She okays the data transfer to a tablet. 
And now ...?
fMRI. 
Who's in the fMRI? 
Squints through the window. 
Probably not her. 
Chuck plods by a still vacant Caitlin and a dozing Ducky into Imaging. She goes around the back first and pokes—
Pietr!
—his forehead—
He starts awake, remembers where he is, doesn't sit up.
—and then around the front to call the table.
Pietr's stretching when it clunks to a stop—toes pointed, arms behind his head.
Chuck pats his stomach, steps out of the way.
He sits up, yawns, blinks a couple times, and smiles at Chuck.
Chuck smiles back. 
Pietr queries. 
Chuck smiles back. 
Pietr smiles, looks around. 
Chuck yawns. 
Pietr indicates the window. 
Chuck squints. 
Window ...?
Window! 
She inclines her head. 
Pietr hops off the table and starts toward the control room.
Chuck steps on his heel.
Pietr smiles.
Chuck cringes.
Thumbs up.
They get to the door without further incident.
Pietr nods, 'After you'.
Chuck pats his shoulder. Plods to Caitlin, nudges her shoulder.
Pietr stops before Ducky. Frowns. Pokes his head.
"Whu?"
Chuck says, "Ready?" Propping the door open with her foot.
Ducky blinks. Yawns.
Pietr yawns.
Caitlin yawns. Shuffles into the hall.
Ducky sways to his feet.
Pietr guides him to the door.
Chuck falls into step between them.
Ducky shoves at her.
Chuck stumbles—
Pietr steadies her with a hand on her back.
—tucks herself against his side.
Ducky steps behind, squeezes between them, and pushes Chuck away and into—
Caitlin's legs tangle in Chuck's, doesn't look up, "Nooo tumors ...."
Pietr lunges, pulls Caitlin free and escorts her to the Imaging waiting room.
Ducky pushes Chuck.
""Pretty delta waves.""
Chuck kicks his shin.
Ducky grabs for her braid.
Chuck gets both hands on it, aims for Ducky's throat.
Pietr shoves between them, frowns disapproval at Ducky, frowns disapproval at Chuck.
They blink, exchange glances, resume scuffling.
Pietr rolls his eyes, pulls them apart.
They jockey for his left hip.
Pietr sighs, scruffs Ducky, steers him to his other side.
Ducky huffs.
Chuck clings to Pietr's arm.
Pietr herds them into the waiting room.
Caitlin absently plays with Sergio's hair. "'n lots of /bold ...."
He snorts awake.
"'n nooo see-able brain damage."
"Anythin' interestin' in there, Cait?"
"All the amplitudes are wibbly ...."
Sergio processes this. "Right." Glances at the rest of them. "Can we go back to the 'Dome and get some sleep?"
"Basil and the hares want sugared ganglia ...."
"I think that's as close as we're gonna get, kids. Let's go find our ride home. This way, Cait."
They all drag themselves after him.
Go, Team DriftSci! arc: (Hypothetical) | Pons Made of Garbage | Scene Changes | Ducky | Testing | Highest | Dizzy | Intangible | Eels and Hovercrafts | Grooming | Plushie | Interface | Safe | Sync | Cake | Lighter | Bombproof | History | Exclusion | Jockeying | Sleepytime | Miracle Worker | Go, Team DriftSci! | Go! 
Category:Ficlet
Category:Skeleton Key
Category:Go, Team DriftSci! arc
Category:Chuck D
Category:Chuck D (ficlet)
Category:Caitlin
Category:Caitlin (ficlet)
Category:Chuck H
Category:Chuck H (ficlet)
Category:Pietr
Category:Pietr (ficlet)
Category:Sergio
Category:Sergio (ficlet)
Category:A hospital (setting)
Category:Redwall (reference)
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Category:Ficlets with images