Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Unveiled Emotions ❯ Doctor's Orders ( Chapter 12 )

Three days had passed and the banquet hall still stayed empty. Numerous banquets were cancelled due to this and, needless to say, the patrons were not happy. But, they could do nothing, for if they took any kind of action against Vicious, he would strike back bearing his fangs. Sanders had already learned not to glance in his direction and the patio that they stood on had an unsettling air about it. It was if they were standing on top of a mass detonator where with one false move, they would all perish in a fiery inferno.

Rei awoke and glanced around. Vicious stood leaning against the glass doors that lead into the exquisite ballroom, apparently asleep. She tried to sit up, but found she couldn't. Her eyes grew wide in shock as her mind thought the worst. Paralysis. Would she have to lie motionless on a bed forever? Then she couldn't be near Vicious. She couldn't feel him when he...made love to her.

"You won't be able to move yet. Not for a couple more hours at least," Sanders commented and Rei glanced up at him.

"How long was I...?" she asked and Sanders coughed

"A few...hours. Nothing to be worried about. I had no desire to hurt you. Even if I did, I did not have the means to do it."

"You had the means. You just chose not to do it, for the sake of your own life," Vicious said as he walked up to where Rei lay.

"True. I know where the balance lies. And in whose favor," Sanders said and Vicious paid no heed to that veiled remark of sarcasm.

"So when exactly can I move her? I've stayed on the patio of this damned banquet hall much longer than I would have liked to. How long exactly is your couple of hours?"

"She should be able to move soon."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I can't really give you an estimate. I haven't completely gotten rid of the infection that you inadvertently caused."

"I take it you don't want to be a physician much longer."

"I never said that. I'm just stating the facts."

"Very well then. Approximately how long will it take for you to disinfect her wound?"

"Possibly another couple of hours."

"There's no way for you to do this any faster?"

"I can do nothing more here. I am severely limited because of my lack of proper facilitation. If I could move her to the lab, it wouldn't take as long."

"Do what you can then. Both of your lives hang in the balance of your performance."

"I'm fully aware of that."

"Good. I admire those who know where their lives lie."

"I've always known that, as I've told you before, Vicious. Why don't you go out and get something to eat? There's a bar close by. You have my word that I will not do anything to her. Anything aside from healing her, that is."

"You know how much stock I take in a person's word."

"Yes, I know, but I'm giving you a physician's point of view. You haven't eaten ever since I gave her that sedative. Your defenses are going to fail if you don't get something to eat. And, do you want to leave yourself subjective to disease? Even you're not above becoming infected by a virus or bacteria."

"You're forgetting that I spent some time fighting on Titan. I learned how to fast during that time. Our supplies were limited because of the war, you know."

"Wars can do that. I was around during that time, working in the medical division. I treated quite a few of wounded soldiers back then."

"Makes me wish that the truce wasn't signed when it was. I enjoyed that time of war. It showed you who had courage and who didn't."

Sanders said nothing as Vicious turned and walked out of the banquet hall. Vicious laid a hand on his sword as he walked to the restaurant that Sanders had spoken of. If Sanders tried anything, he would be as good as dead. He was fully aware of that and Sanders was fully aware of it. He reluctantly put faith in that mutual understanding and stepped inside for a quick bite to eat and perhaps some alcohol. He would not stray too far from her side, for he trusted the shadows even less than he trusted Sanders. There were things in the shadows that would just love to either kill her or take advantage of her and he wasn't going to allow them to commit such actions against the one he…cared for.

He used that word rather reluctantly as he sat in a booth and glanced at the other patrons of the restaurant. They seemed to be of high class, Vicious noted, as he half listened to their conversations about nothing in particular. His amber eyes glanced up as a waiter approached him and handed him a wine list. Vicious pointed to a selection then lit a cigarette.

"And what would you like to eat tonight?" the waiter inquired and Vicious took a quick glance at the menu.

"Steak and make it very rare," he said and the waiter nodded his head.

"Very good sir. Would you like a roll with it?"

"No. Just the steak. Nothing else. I don't have the time for anything else."

"I will tell the cook to hurry then, sir."