Click Boom Bang (Day 3 - Afternoon, Just before Takeoff)

Amos really just kept to himself. The captain had kindly helped the boy pack his things, a mix of bitter, angry, elated and terrified. New planet, new life where no one knew him.

Vas could relate to a degree but he was honest to busy to really sit and have tea with anyone. The punk, unfortunately, was going to be pulling extra today. With the full house and two crew still in recovery, he was covering the night shift and part of the day today.

The crew was still sleeping in the cargo bay.

Vas made his way to the cockpit. “Full house, everyone accounted for and ready to fly.”

“Thankfully Beaumonde is only a short hop.” Riley replied. If we push it, we can be there in the next day and a half.”

“Can’t wait … we could use the breathing room. Cargo bay is tight with all of us there AND cargo.” He admitted. Everyone was looking forward to having their crew quarters back. “I’m going to give the cargo bay another sweep make sure there ain’t no rogue baggage laying about. You want me to get the captain for his takeoff announcement?” Everyone knew how much he loved his take off announcements.

“Nah, he can --” Riley was cut short. The El Vee rattled, shaken by a large explosion somewhere outside of the ship. “The hell?” She asked, “I hope it ain’t one of ours --” she wished out loud.

“I’ll go poke my head out see if the Doc’s services are going to be needed.” Vas shot back..

“Wo cao,” (holy shit) Riley swore under her breath, taking a look at her cortex as a wave alert sounded.

Vas tapped Riley’s shoulder and ticked his head to looking behind them.

The kid, Vas forgot his name, was behind them on the ramp to the cockpit, both hands holding up an old worn pistol shaking in his hand. “Y-you … have to take off. Now.” The boy said swallowing hard.

“Whoa, easy, Amos, wasn’t it?” Riley said, turning around to face the kid, showing her palms to prove there was no threat. “Take a breath, calm down. You have something to do with that out there?”

“Does it MATTER? They just will blame me!” He said waving the gun toward the town. “So just … take off!” He said thrusting the gun toward Riley. “Take off before get in their head to storm the ship.” The shaking more noticeable.

“Relax, relax, we’ll take off, just as soon as you put that down. This here is a pretty old firefly class, you fire that and the ship will lose cabin pressure, it’ll tear a hole right in the hull twice the size of you, understand?”

“I wern’t back birth!” He yelled. “She’s a class four anyone who knows even a little about ships can see that. Means at most she’s what? Five? And if your engineer has even a quarter of a brain she’s more than in working order! So Take! OFF!” He insisted.

“Well … he has you there.” Vas snarked.

“SHUT UP! YOU … whatever your name is …”

“Crew Chief Vas.”

“SHUT UP VAS!”

“Easy, Jat, no need to ruffle feathers. Why don’t you go on and start ‘er up, while Amos and I chat calmly. All right, Amos? Let’s just leave him to get us airborne.”

“Ain’t nothing to chat about get the ship in the air ‘for they come my gorram head!”

Vas, hands up so the twitchy kid didn’t get ideas went to the co-pilots seat. “Starting her up.” He announced flicking a few switches as he went through preflight checks.

“All right, he’s gettin’ her set. Let’s me and you take a walk to Cargo, we have to secure the ship before take off, okay, Amos? We’ll secure the doors and he’ll get us airborne.”

“Can’t you get … the … you know ... pretty girl with pigtails to do it?” Amos asked. He clearly didn’t trust them as far as he could throw them. Which to be clear, no, he probably couldn’t throw them at all.

Vas gave the boy a scathing look from the corner of his eyes as he started to warm up the engines.

“I wouldn’t trust her to close a jar of peanut butter let alone lock the ship up air tight. Won’t take but a minute.”

The door to the cockpit was yanked open, speaking of the teenaged devil, a flustered Serena used her best outside voice. “You should see -- “

Amos nearly jump out of his skin when he whipped around with the gun seemingly of its own accord pointed at Serena. The teens made the briefest eye contact, Serena’s looking to the gun then back up at Amos. Guns! Doc had guns! Get Doc! “Mistah Doctah—!!” As the pigtailed deckhand turned to dash off, the gun fired much to Amos’s horror.

Amos though didn’t have much time to contemplate as Vas seized the opportunity. He cat leapt over the arm of the co-pilots seat and struck. At first Vas had planned to disable him but that had changed. Drastically. Now, Vas was out for blood. Every ounce of it.

Amos had no clue what hit him but the blows rained down feeling like a steel rod was hitting him at full force. He couldn’t think or even breath and all he could see was stars. The pain got so intense he just went numb!

Serena saw the look in the crew chief’s eye and instinctively backed away. Her entire left side felt heavy as if suddenly anchored to a large weight which didn’t quite reach the ground, until it did. Or maybe it was just that she sank to the floor. Something was off, very off, but she couldn’t focus enough to pinpoint exactly what it was.

“Jat! Enough!” Riley ordered. She’d been trying to shut down the cortex warning, but now she was trying to pull the tenacious punk off the punk he was pummeling.

Riley nearly took an elbow to the face as she tried to grab on to pull the punk off but trying to pull him away was tantamount to trying to pull back and attacking rottweiler. But something did finally get through when Vas finally stopped and Riley was able to pull him back. By then though he had done one hell of a number on the poor kid, so much so it might stir some sympathy. Might.

Vas though was still raging a spew of creative Chinese curses.

“Crew chief?” Serena asked quietly, her voice shaking as she stared in astonishment at the blood on her hand. The shock of what happened was starting to set in.

“I said enough!” Riley repeated, giving the pit bull a final shove. “Get Adler.”

“I’ll spare him the trip … I’ll take Serena to med bay.” Vas snorted. He stepped over to Serena to check on her first. He had been around plenty of bullet wounds to know if she could be moved or not. “Arrite kid you with us I see. Lets take a look at ya ...” He said helping prop the girl up for a quick inspection.

“It hurts,” she whispered so the lieutenant wouldn’t hear. “Like something hot.”

“Well, it ain’t no mosquito bite … but you live plenty fine.” He said calmly. It was the shock of getting shot that was often the killer. So keeping calm … keeping her calm … helped prevent it. “Let’s get you to the safest place on the ship and have Doc take care of you.” He said scooping her up like she was nothing. “Get you fixed up before you can even blink.” He added hustling to the med bay. *Gunna need me some rope anyway.* Vas though darkly.

“I’m sorry, Crew Chief.” Serena mumbled. “I’ll live plenty fine, on account of…” The teen swallowed hard, gripping him tight. “Someone has to watch out for you.” She felt warm, or maybe the liquid running down her side was warm, At the same time, her stomach felt funny, like the first time she ate on the ship. Maybe she’d dreamed the ship up entirely, it was hard to think straight.

“I can watch myself just fine thank you. You go on a rest. When you wake up you’ll right and rain. Sorta.”

“I keep you from yourself.” Serena muttered. “Sure as the snow is white.”

There wasn’t much left to do at this point. Lyen and Yeva had performed the lion’s share of the preflight prep, judiciously setting all the supplies for the upcoming surgery on Roose as they did. Adler checked the pharmacy cabinet, the spare surgical tools, and the refrigerator with its’ stock of plasma, ringers’ and saline solution.

“Decent,” he muttered as with a slow turn, he studied the infirmary one last time before upthrust. “Decent…”

The El Vee rattle and shook accompanied by something that sounded like a clap of thunder could be heard.

He felt the blow, resonating through his chest as the explosive roar struck with a hard edged burst. Adler had not felt the boat rise; they were still on the soil of Verbena.

“What tha hell?” he asked himself as he grabbed the intercom mic. “Medical here,” he reported to the flight deck. “Status?”

There was a long stretch of silence.

“Chavez, Status report, make it quick, Keller prep for take off, Adler - medbay. Now.” Riley called back through the com.

For a moment, he stared at the mic, uncomprehending. “Adler here. Ah’m in medbay. What’s our status, Lieutenant?”

There was a heavy pound of boots approaching as Vas ran in with Serena in his arms.

“Gunshot wound.” Vas said laying Serena down on the table. “Single-shot just above her right hip.”

“It hurts!” Serena said, scrunching her eyes closed, trying to roll to her left side.

Dorian placed a hand to her shoulder. “Lie still, Mei-mei,” he encouraged the child.

“Vas,” he said without looking up. “Get Kate...Yeva…..and’ Lyen. Ah need ‘em both.” Hastily, he opened the girl’s blouse. The bullet wound was releasing blood at a steady pace. Adler hastily unfastened her trousers, pulling them down enough to expose the hip. He probed the small of her back, fings growing slick with blood until he found the hole. “Through and through,” the medic said aloud.

“On it.” Vas said running out of the med bay like his feet were on fire.

Serena bawled in protest of the wound being disturbed. “You can make it bettah right? On account of you can fix anything and this is the safest place on the boat?” Serena asked, sobbing between words.

“Ah’ll have yah back washin’ dishes tahnight,” Adler said as he grabbed pads to staunch the bloodflow. “This’ll hurt a bit,” he said as he pressed the pad to her hip.

Serena’s whimper turned to a howl, “Stop, stop, stop…” she pleaded. “Can’t you just use tape? Use tape! Gil got tape.”

With one hand pressing upon the wound, he fumbled with the other for his sensor heads. Dorian’s hand trembled slightly as he pulled the little objects from their case. Quickly, he applied them to the girl’s chest and abdomen as the overhead screen glowed to life with her vitals and an internal image.

Vas skid back into the room. “Who the hell is Kate?” He asked perplexed.

“Leave!’ Adler barked. “Close tha door behind yah!”

Something wasn’t quite right. A bullet typically created a debris field as it tore its’ way through the tissues of a body. By rights there should be a greater concentration of tissue and bone fragments nearest the entry wound...but this field appeared closer to the girl’s back...unless.

“This is tha exit wound,” he finally understood. “Yah were shot from behind?”

“I dunno…” Serena said with uncertainty, pawing at his hand weakly. “I dunno!.”

Yeva burst into the room. “Here!” she called out.

“Close that door!” Adler ordered. “Glove up.”

Despite the child’s hysteria and racing heart, her vitals were stable. The bullet’s path had carved a tunnel through her tiny body, miraculously causing no more damage than a graze to her small intestine. Surgery was in order, but fortunately, there were no complications beyond the scope of the medical team. “Mei-mei,” Dorian said calmly, “we’re gonna need tah roll yah ovah. “Yeva an’ Sistah Lyen are here. They’re gonna help.”

Serena looked back at Mistah Doctah Adluh, shivering as the room felt cold as the cargo bay at night, “It’s gonna hurt,” she whimpered.

“On three,” Dorian said as he took the girl’s shoulders. “One….two….three.” The three medics rolled Serena onto her stomach. Serena decidedly did not like being rolled as evidenced by her cries. “Hold her still,” he ordered. ‘“Good. Yeva, set up an IV drip...Lactated Ringers with fifty cc’s of detromezzin. Sistah, prep tha anesthetic delivery. Now, Serena, listen tah me,” Dorian said as he turned toward the sink to scrub in. “Tha bullet just went through yah….didn’t do much harm at all. We’re gonna put yah tah sleep. When yah wake up, yah’ll be bettah...and yah won’t have tah wash dishes tahnight, *dohn mah?*”

“It went through me? I’m gonna wake up, right?” She asked, her eyes darting from the doc to Yeva to Lyen and back, settling on Adler.. The motion made her dizzy and sick to her stomach. “You’re gonna make it okay?”

Now in his gloves, Dorian bent over in order for her to see his face. “Yes,” he smiled. “Where are yah right now?”

“The safest place on the boat?” she replied, her voice still trembling.

“That’s right,” he smiled as Lyen fitted the respirator mask. “See yah in awhile, Mei-mei.”

“You’re my oven mitt.” She said earnestly as the mask was placed over her face. Her eyes rolled back and started to close. “I want tape.”

“Lyen,” Dorian said as the girl slipped into a deep sleep, “get her clothes off. Covah sheets. Yeva, prep tha site.” He turned away as the women set to their tasks, finishing his own prep by adding the cap, mask, and surgical gown. “Alright,” he said as he faced the table, “we have tah clean out the wound and rebond that intestinal nick. Let me know when yah ready.”

Vas was back in the cockpit like a storm cloud, armed with some rope. The boy Amos was beaten to a pulp and hadn’t moved. Just curled into a ball crying softly. He gave zero resistance as Vas tied him up and he cried out in pain when Vas lifted him over his shoulder. “Just taking out some trash Lieutenant.”

“Please noooo …” Amos sobed in a small voice.

Vas wasn’t moved. At all. He found little resistance given by now everyone was hovering around the med bay. No one would notice him or what he was about to do. Though to be fair he would give the kid a fighting chance. It all depended on how well Serena came out of it.

Dorian stepped through the medbay door, turning to carefully pull it shut behind him. He turned to find Riley standing right there, immediately behind him. Spread about the patient lounge were Haddie, Marisol, and a concerned Esteban. “Tha surgery went fine,” he reassured the little knot. “Tha bullet didn’t strike anything vital. We’re gonna let Serena lay around fah a few days and heal up,” he smiled.

Riley let out the breath she pretended she wasn’t holding. “Stupid kid…” She muttered under her breath. Her eyes darted around the room. “Adler…. “ she said, her glance softening when it fell upon the ship doctor. “Good work.”

“Ah have good help,” he nodded understanding to the Lieutenant. “Can yah tell me what happened? How did she get shot? What was that loud boom Ah heard?”

“Get yourself cleaned up.” Riley told him. “I’ll tell you over a well earned drink.”

Vas had hung back and couldn’t help but give a sigh of relief, he back away and slipped to the cargo bay.

Through the infirmary window, Yeva noticed the punk as he hung back. She saw the relief wash over his face...before it hardened with unvoiced resolve. “I must go,” she told Sister Lyen. “I am back soon.”

Still dressed in her surgical scrubs, the woman entered the cargo bay. At sight of Vas, she broke into a run. “Meester Vas!” she exclaimed, eventually catching up to deliver a tug to the man’s elbow. “Meester Vas! Why are you go?”

“Still plenty of work to get done.” Vas said in a cool tone. “Some trash I need to get rid of before take-off.”

“But….wait...wait!” the assist medic interjected. “Is Serena in there! You should stay! You are love Serena...be with her! I can throw out trash,” she offered.

“Serena is fine. Doc said so.” Vas reminded. “She is got plenty down crowding her room … I ‘ll go when it settles a bit.” He assured her. “But I still got a job that needs attending to and I ain’t keen on passing it off to a passenger.” Not this job at least.

Yeva placed her hands upon his shoulders, looking Vas squarely in the eye. “Serena has lots friends,” she agreed, “But you she loves. You should…..what is job?” she asked. “What is important about job?”

“Crew Chief.” Vas said without missing a beat. “That’s my job. That what I’m doing right now. What I am doing is important and not just for my deckhand but for my crew too.” Vas said cold as ice. “I got me some Crew Chief work needing my attention right now … so if you don’t mind? I’ll get to Serena soon after.”

The woman kept a firm grip on his shoulders. “I see...in your eyes...that look. I know it,” she said as a fierce light burned in her eyes. “Vengeance….you have in your eyes. You know who did this?” she asked. “Tell me…..Tell ME!”

“No. You really don’t.” He said flatly. “If you have even a clue might no be so quick to order me about.” He stated. “Like I said. Something needs my attending as does my deckhand. So I kindly ask if you could attend my deckhand while I go about my work.” Vas asked feeling his patience thinning.

She nodded her understanding. “Then I go with you,” Yeva replied. “I help you. For Serena.”

“Sorry but … only crew is allowed in the cockpit.” Vas reminded trying really hard to stay polite. This wasn’t exactly a team exercise. He looked down at Yeva’s hand still gripping his shoulder. Seriously what was it with people think he was so easily pushed over? Or just plain not respecting the position? Felt like a fight every time!

Her hands remained fixed upon his shoulders. “You kill this man,” Yeva whispered as she eyed the punk.. “You kill him...I would...without doubt. I will go now.” Quietly, she turned away, never looking back as she exited the cargo bay.

Vas shook his head. He was just kicking the kid out was all! Besides he wasn’t like that. Not anymore. Not if he had to. At least … that was something he liked to think. Vas huffed and made his way to the cockpit. *I’m trying to be better than that anyway.*

Vas squatted looking down on Amos who at the moment was trussed up like a pig. “You're very very lucky.” Vas said quietly. “I had a mind to do you in myself.”

Amos looked up with one unswelled eye at it widened huge.

“My deckhand will live in spite of your stupidity. Givin she might be upset if I do anything permanent to you, she’s sweet like that, I’m going to let you live. Just not on my ship.” Vas said in a cold tone

“No …. “He moaned.

“Yes.” Vas stated moving in close. “Also if you can’t tell I am unmoved by your pleas.”

“...please ...they'll kill me.” Amos said, eyes welling.

“Not my problem.” Vas said, grabbing the kid and unceremoniously started to drag him to the cargo hatch.

Riley downed the first two shots waiting for Dorian in the galley, pouring a third as well as one for him, smiling as the man who continued to impress her pulled someone else’s bacon out of the fire again. *Gorram kids,* she silently swore. “It’s not your private reserve, but it was nearby,” she offered.

Dorian, now freshly scrubbed and dressed, entered the galley. The smile which greeted him was a refreshment to a challenging day. The whiskey offered by her hand was also most welcome. “Ah’ll take it,” he replied as he joined Riley at the table. “Tah interestin’ days,” the medic offered a toast.

“Looking forward to a nice boring trip, if that’s the case.” She replied, finishing hers

“Ah remembah nice, borin’ trips,” Adler laughed as he downed his drink. “Just not on Lunah Veil.”

“She’s going to be fine?” She asked,now that they were in private.

He leaned forward, hefting the bottle to refresh both their glasses as he spoke. “Serena was very fortunate. Tha bullet nicked her small intestine. We repaired that an’ cleaned tha entire path,” he whispered. ‘She’ll recovah completely, but Ah’m puttin’ her on bed rest fah three days post op.”

“She’ll be heartbroken.” The Lieutenant said, pouring another glass for each. “Got lucky. “She shook her head. “We heard the blast, Jat was going to see if anyone needed help, next thing I know, Cortex is giving an emergency alert, Jat and I are starin’ at the business end of a revolver that new kid Captain dragged back was holding. Edwards… I don’t know that the boy meant for it or not, she turned, he shot.”

This time, Dorian sipped at the drink. “And is Amos still aboard, or did we leave him on tha surface?”

“He’s --”

Someone yelling and crying could be heard from all the way in the cargo bay. Long weary please with sobs in between could be made out.

Riley put her glass down and pushed back from the table. “Still on the ship.” She said, headed for the cargo bay.

The medic took to his feet, following as the Lieutenant lead him from the galley and down the aft staircase toward the cargo bay. As they approached, the sounds of a boy in torment grew louder. ‘What are we doin’, Riley?” Dorian whispered as they cleared the final hatchway.

There it was Vas draggin the poor kid toward the cargo hatch, clearly intending on flinging him out. The kid though looked in a state, he was beaten up and bruised up pretty bad. The boy on eye had all but swollen shut, a split lip and a bloody nose. Of course that was what you could see right off! In either case the kid looked like he survived a meat grinder.

“Geez kid scream louder not sure the whole planet heard ya.” Vas glared down.

"THEY'LL KILL ME! NO, YOU CAN'T, PLEASE!" Amos wailed. He hurt so bad his attempt to thrash about was just downright pathetic.

“Jat - Just --”

Adler followed the Lieutenant into the melee. He took one look at the scene, and the bloodied child under the hands of the crew chief. “Ah need mah bag,” the medic said quietly as he turned for the infirmary.

“I wouldn’t really bother he’ll be leaving our lovely ship … nowish.” He Vas explained continuing to drag the kid in spite of his loud protests. That didn’t seem to change Doc’s mind but Vas was again … unmoved … emotionally. He was still moving to the door.

“You should have thought about that before drawing down on your ticket off this rock.” Riley told the kid. “ Just get him off my ship.”

Serena was still asleep as Dorian entered the infirmary. A quick check of the monitor revealed that all of her vital signs were strong and stable. He’d been lucky….she’d been lightly harmed, a miracle of chance. Clutching his medical bag, the Doc strode back into the cargo bay, where the violence had continued, unchecked by the presence of command. “Lieutenant,” Dorian said as he moved to her side, “what are yah ordahs?”

“I’ve had to hide all sharp objects from one kid on this ship, I can’t have another one wavin’ guns around, shooting deckhands, and I won’t risk the crew over someone who just… do we even know what was blown up?” she asked, either of them.

“I didn’t blow ANYTHING up!” Amos protested. “It wasn’t me!”

“Don’t care.” Vas said, hauling the door open.

“No, wait, wait, listen…” Amos begged.

“Don’t care.” Vas interjected.

“It was an accident, I didn’t mean to shoot!”

“But you did.” And threw the kid out the door.

Lunar Veil’s medic stood, watching as the crew chief dragged the kid toward the hatch. He glanced toward Riley; her stone faced expression repeated in silence what she’d only just said a moment ago. For him, the situation was clear. Amos was being removed from the boat, with the blessing of her actual commander. There was nothing to debate.

Vas strode back after closing the door cutting short the wail and sobs of the fearful kid. “*Now* everything is buttoned up and ready to go.” He informed the Lieutenant.

“Infirmary’s clear fah launch,” Dorian reported, then turned to offer one last check of his patients and staff.

Riley gave the briefest glance towards the bay door. If the kid was telling the truth, that was a pretty big ‘if’ to gamble the entire ship on, the entire crew, including Adler. It was the right call, but making it stung all the same.

Vas though did not suffer the same moral quandary. So what might have appeared to a normal person might see Riley struggling with if she made the right call, Vas saw more as she might be upset over what happened and blaming herself.

“You want me to … take her up?” Vas offered. His misperception gave him a false idea of thinking he understood what she was going through.

“No.” The Lieutenant answered curtly. “You’re on midnights. Get your crew situation squared, make sure the mechanic’s cleared us to launch. Adler, let me know if there are any changes.” She started heading up the ramp. “Keller! Get off my bridge! Go make your stupid announcement. Let’s get the rut off this rock.”