Meanwhile inside...
as written by Tiko and Knosis
Jesse had nodded off in one of the chairs just inside the door to Carlisle's room. Having finally been relieved of his watch over Baron, he had taken the opportunity to shut his eyes, if only for a time. He hadn't wanted to go far though. Carlisle himself was resting as well, but his condition was on a decline, and Jesse had opted to remain nearby and within rousing distance should his condition deteriorate further.
Re'Altarm moved silently into the room, the dark haired girl noting that it seemed that the place had emptied out for the night. It was curious as to where everyone had gone, but whatever the reason, it was not her place to know why.
She crossed over to Carlisle, checking his general condition and placing a hand lightly on his cheek to feel his temperature.
Carlisle stirred at Re'Altarm's touch and he cracked his eyes open. His skin was pale and clammy, but he seemed coherent enough when he looked at her. Before today he hadn't seen her since her first shift, but he had been among the few who had spent many an hour watching over her while she had been sick with fever in the cellar of the Den. It seemed she was returning the gesture with checking up on him.
He gave a light chuckle.
"I hope you're worth all this trouble," he told her.
He meant it as a light jest, but it came out harsher than intended. He was too exhausted to try and explain himself though. He wasn't sure which was worse. The poison, or the drugs that Reinhard had pumped him full of that were keeping him groggy.
The woman smiled a small apologetic grin. "I'll make it up to you, somehow." She said quietly, brushing his hair gently. His words had stung, though she showed no sign of it.
"I'm just checking up on you for now.. Sorry for waking you.. You need anything? Water perhaps..?"
"Just some water," Carlisle answered. "What do you think of pack life so far?" he inquired.
She walked away and found a small plastic cup and started to fill it with the tap water. "It.. It reminds me of how things were before I came to the city.. Sorta anyway." She said. "I don't know where I stand with everything.. And I feel.." She seemed as though she was struggling for the words to say as she walked back to the man, cup in hand. "Lost..?" She shook her head. "It is probably due to the situation we're in right now though. Let me help you sit up.."
"I'm not an invalid just yet," Carlisle told her with a grunt as he sat himself up. "And that's how it always is. For the ones not born into the pack. It takes time to find your place in it."
Re nodded softly and handed the cup to him. "Still should take it easy." She said. "Don't want to push yourself." She sat down beside him, keeping an eye on him closely.
"It was the same before I came to the city. I had lost my way after I left the.. The group I was with before. Then I came to the city and I realized I looked just as ragged and tired as it did, so perhaps I could find my place here. So being.. 'lost'.. isn't new. Just a different type. I feel as though I belong here, I just don't know where yet." She looked up at him with tired eyes. "Does that make sense in your words?"
Carlisle seemed to be having some manner of trouble forming his response when Ragenard's deafening roar reached them from outside the med center.
"What in the-" Carlisle broke off mid sentence.
Jesse too all but jolted awake as he threw his eyes around trying to regain his bearings.
"What's going on?" he asked before he realized Carlisle had shifted so his legs hung over the side of the cot, seemingly intent on getting up.
"Hey whoa there," Jesse interjected. "You are in no shape for a fight."
"Like hell I'm not," Carlisle growled.
Re'Altarm was already on her feet and on guard. Her eyes were glowing brightly, her mind already going to the worse situation. She started for the door, looking ready to engage anyone she thought was a Scion if they opened that door. "Jesse, Carlisle, if it is Rowan's gang, I need you to stay here and stick close to Baron."
Jesse meanwhile made for the window, oposite the door. It was boarded up to keep up the appearance of an abandoned building, and he tried to get a peek through the cracks. His field of vision was greatly limited though, and he was hearing more than he was seeing.
"Wait," Jesse called to Re'Altarm.
"What is it?" Carlisle asked.
"It looks like... Ragenard and... Desmond?" Jesse answered.
Carlisle joined Jesse at the window to get a look out for himself before he grunted.
"Baron's not even been out a day, and the pack is already scrapping among itself," he said with a shake of his head.
He rested one hand against the planks of wood to steady himself.
"For fucks sake, get back in the cot would you," Jesse muttered.
Re headed for the window, in time to watch the huge wolf being crunched into the roof of the sedan. She winced in sympathy.
There was a draw there, and her pulse quickened. The thrill and excitement of all the wars she had been in in her short life had never once gotten to her, but this was different. She wanted to join in, wanted to be with the pack. Her honey colored eyes glowed slightly, feeling as to go rush outside just like everyone else had. That is, until she looked over to Jesse. Instantly, she regretted even thinking of leaving him alone.
"I don't feel so well.." She muttered, pulling away from the window.
Jesse lay a hand on Re'Altarm's shoulder, but one look at her eyes told him all he needed to know.
"Go on," he told her. "You'll want to be with them when it's done. I'd join them myself, but I'm going to be needed here yet, and well you know how it is when I shift," he answered with a quirky half grin to lighten the mood and the conflict he saw in her eyes. "I'll be stuck until tomorrow if I do."
Re'Altarm frowned. "But.. What if you need me?" She still seemed reluctant, but the pull to join the others was growing stronger. She looked to Carlisle. "And you? I need to stay here and make sure you two are okay.."
"I think we can hold down the fort for a while," Jesse reassured her.
"And you're not going to do anyone any good wound up like that all night," Carlisle told her.
Outside the sounds of the fighting were momentarily interupted by a bone chilling howl that left Re'Altarm's skin tingling with almost euphoric rush, only for the howl to be punctuated by the audible sound of screeching metal.
"... that is not going to end well," Jesse said as he took another look through the cracks in the wooden planks.
"Does it ever, with Ragenard?" Carlisle grunted.
The howl sent shivers down Re'Altarm's spine, and it was enough to give in. She had half the sense to pull off her shirt before her body began to change. The transformation was still painfully slow. She grasped and groaned in pain as the flesh and bones stretched and contorted.
____
as written by Faithy and Sokka
Aimee paused in her walking when Renard appeared out of a nearby room. Blinking at his appearance, she wondered just how many were injured that she didn’t even know about. Sighing, she simply nodded at him, glad that she wasn’t the only one that felt the pull to shift. Her eyes shifted back towards the door and she seriously thought about going outside to see what was going on, but Ragenard said she wasn’t to go anywhere beyond the walls and she sure wasn’t about to go against his rules.
“Yes… I feel it. I want to shift…” Amiee frowned before hissing, the stitches pulling a little in the process.
Renard nodded to her, "I feel it too." He said.
He knew if he shifted though his condition may worsen. He had too keep control he knew if he went outside he might be tempted to shift."I-I can't let myself shift." He said hoarsely.
"Have you been inside this whole time? Any idea what's going on out there? Seems like a brawl, but who could possibly be fighting with everything that's been happening?" Aimee frowned a second time and slid her fingers through her hair, dodging the bandages that wrapped around her head to ensure that the stitches remained covered.
Renard shook his head. "I'm not sure what's going on but sounds like it mgiht be a fight. I wonder who it is but I don't dare got outthere." Renard said. "A shift is not something I need right now." He added.
"I guess going out there wouldn't be wise, but I'm incredibly curious. Plus, it's not like I can go back to sleep with what's going on out there. I bet I could take a peak and it'd be fine." Aimee was only half serious, because something told her that going out there would only end up with her shifting due to just what little she was feeling by being inside.
"You don't look so go anyways, Renard." She added with a faint smile.
Renard nodded, "The curiosty is there for me too but I don't want to aggrivate my condition, I don't think a shift would be in my favor right now." He said. "So where were you off to before I ambushed you here?" Renard said chuckling slightly.
"What's wrong with you? I mean, you don't look like there's anything with you, but of course, can't see every inch of you. I was uhh... I was looking for Jesse. I need more drugs or something, I'm not really sure what I really want or need right now." Aimee just shrugged a little, reaching out to once again slide her fingers through her hair, a nervous trait she picked up on at some point in time.
"A scion whore sliced me up with a poisoned blade." He said, lifting at the hem of his shirt to show his bandaged side.
"Drugs, I could use some good pain killers for this head ache right now. " He said "I wonder where he is and I wonder how Carlisle is doing." He added as he glanced around, he wasn't entirely sure where to look for any of them.
Glancing at the bandaged side, Aimee hissed in empathy for Renard and the pain he was probably currently in. Her face wasn't feeling to wonderful either nor was her wrist, but she figured it could have been worse. Poisoned? Was he going to be okay? Her concern about herself was set aside for the moment and she stepped closer, looking at the area and sighed softly,
"Has that been looked at? I know it's bandaged, so someone looked at it, but has it been truly looked at? I mean, does Jesse know you've been poisoned? Was Carlisle poisoned too?" Aimee shook her head a little in deep thought.
"Yeah Racquette's taken a look at it this morning and Jesse has been taking a look at it also." Renard said.
"I think I'll be okay, I'm not going to die before I put a bullet in a few scion skulls first." He said chuckling weakly. "How are you holding up?" He asked.
"Oh, good. I mean, I figured you had gotten it examined, but then again, things have been incredibly crazy around here the last however many hours we've been here. I'd love to put some bullets in some Scion skulls too. I did manage to shoot at a couple of them earlier at the Den, but no idea what lasting damage I managed to do to them." She kept her bandaged wrist down by her side, trying to mentally keep herself from moving.
"I'm in a lot of pain, but I'll be fine. Well, until I get questioned about my appearance at the Den and my ehh... ...issue. But, other than that, I'm alright." She smiled faintly, deciding to keep her issues under lock and key until questioned about her activities.
Renard nodded. "I wonder where Jesse went off to Shall we go find him?" Renard asked.
"Yeah... either that or I'm going to defy Ragenard and step outside the door to see what's going on outside right now. I've always been a curious individual after all." She started to grin before the tugging on her stitches were enough to make her stop immediately.