House Call

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


So it looked at if Makai should probably practice his blaster skills more often with [member="Elpsis Elaris"] or [member="Danger Arceneau"] .He did hit the strill but not in the intended chest area. Blaster shot hit the creature in the upper leg and hindquarters, only managing to piss off the beast completely. It was a bit of a blur but he did remember shooting again a few times, along with the hot raking of claws against his skin.


With some of the action died down on his end, Makai found himself stuck under a dead strill, the creature reeking like a piece of bloated roadkill. Blaster had scattered back towards the tent. In a bit of a daze he could easily tell he was bleeding but was unsure of the severity.


Survival mode and kicked in and his brain told him to stay put under the dead strill for now. Perhaps it would mask the sent of his blood for a few moments. Just in case others were roving about.

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"Makai!" He was at the teen's side in a blur. The force and adrenaline pumped through his body - even with a cold! This situation was turning into a real damp squib. "Oy, that's ripe," eyes watered as he got a nice big whiff." Raising his palms, he pushed the clearly dead strill off the kid using a little force embedded strength.

Or maybe those extra push-ups he did once a month after pizza night were really starting to pay off.

"You ok," a skittering and icy warning down his spine jerked his attention away. The second strill had only been stunned with the earlier force push. It was about to sink its claws into his shoulder. A blue, shimmering sphere of nearly invisible energy encircled around the boys. Dark-brows furrowed in concentration as the beastie's claws bumped and banged against the barrier an inch away from his face.

Pushing his hands out, he expanded the force bubble of protection, forcing the beastie back and back some more. Seeing the blaster he gave one last push with his hands and dove for the weapon. With a gurgling scream, the strill hit the damp grass.

Matt's attention quickly shifted back to Makai and he wobbled next to the lad on one knee. Hazel-eyes scanned Makai's body. "Hang on, mate. Don't die on me 'cause your gaffer of a dad wouldn't be too chuffed." Matt's bedside manner was always humor even if it was lost on the patient.

"How you feeling?"

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


"I feel like I got attacked by a giant mutant-looking creature." Pained grin turned into concerned. "Don't die on you? Is it that bad?"


That made him a little worried. It hurt of course. Hand felt up his chest, eventually coming to the warm,slick blood that was coating his left side. Seemed the strill had had got him fairly good, the slashes seemed fairly long. Makai didn't feel his guts hanging out, so perhaps that was the bright spot in all this.


"I think I can get it....its not that bad."


He brought his good shoulder and elbow around to try to sit himself up.

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

A gentle, but strong hand weighed down on Makai's good shoulder, keeping him from getting up. "Whoa, mate. Just do me a favor." Reaching back, he snagged the blaster on the ground. "Take this. Lie still. Watch my back for any more beasties. I think you'll be fine as long as we take care of this now."

Reaching into his herb belt, he offered a purple-looking leaf to the teen. "Chew on this. Tastes like licorice. It's coated in Ghhhk skin oil. Natural stuff. Should keep down chances of internal infection. I'm going to cut away your shirt and clean this up a bit. See anything out there?"

Hands were steady and moved quickly, as if he'd done this a thousand times. Which he had. In war zones.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


Makai shakily took the blaster. 'Watch is back' didn't see too promising. Laying on his back in tall, thick grass prevented one from seeing too far. There was the sky with the sun finally breaking above the horizon, giving them a flourish of light. If his studies were reliable, most predators hunted at dawn or dusk....they were safe. Maybe. Probably.


"Ghhk skin oil? Boy, its my lucky day." Sarcasm dripped through, truly his mothers child. The taste of the leaf was one thing, the texture was another. Face was made as the leaf rolled about in his mouth. It was nothing like kelp, which he half-expected at this point.


"Can't really see much laying down....so nope. Didn't know you were a Forcie. Seems odd...Feel bad for you in a way."


A long pause.


"Don't bother doing anything fancy. You can fix it when we get to the village. I mean....shouldn't be more than several hours away now.."

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Matt chuckled, though his hazel eyes held their own weight as he cleaned Makai's wounds with some clean bandages and anti-bacterial stuff. He tried to suppress a chill. Now that the adrenaline had finished pumping through his body, he was starting to feel the cold he'd developed last night ten times more.

Bollocks.

"I'm with you, mate. The force," he shook his head, "never something I would've asked for. And fancy?"

He chuffed and lofted a dark brow at the teen. "It's not like we're sitting down to high tea. Don't get your knickers in a twist. The wounds look shallow enough. You'll feel a slight tugging sensation in your skin. Give me a sec."

Hand hovered over one particularly bad gash. Brows crinkled. The force began to knit cells and flesh together. Just enough so that it wouldn't reopen and just in that one spot. It's all the energy he could afford to spare. And it would keep the wound from getting deeper or festering on their walk.

Leaning back on his heals, he finished wrapping the wounds.

"Ok. Take it slow and easy. If you need something for pain, let me know." Getting to his own feet, he stumbled once, bending down to pack up some of their gear.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


"Thanks....Appreciate it. Don't need my innards spilling out....or an infection...." Makai had to grab Dr.Robinson's hand and use the man for a bit of leverage getting up. The half-Galan lifted up his shirt to check the wound, not seeing much due to the bandage. "Looks like I lost some scales..."


Blood that had soaked into his pants was starting to cool and give him a chill. Best to get a move on, especially with the good Doctor looking like he may croak at any second. The teenage boy gingerly collected things around camp, loading his pack back up. Makai was determined to carry the same weight he had when they first came in. His back didn't get scratched, there wasn't a reason not to.


It didn't take them long to get underway. Granted both a little slower than they would like.


"Don't die on me. I'd hate to bury you out here without a shovel." Makai carefully readjusted his pack, wincing slightly. "Besides, what would your girlfriend think?"

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Matt grinned and chuffed out a laugh that ended in a wet cough. "Just make sure you put something witty and about my good lucks on my tombstone, mate." Fingers fumbled with the herb pack around his belt. He popped a small piece of root in his mouth that was known for opening sinuses and soothing the throat.

Bitter but good.

"And girlfriend?" Dark-brows lofted as he gave Makai a sidelong look. Thought drifted momentarily to that sassy blonde, Kreelan. A wild nexu, that one. "Do I look like I have time for a girlfriend?" They were cresting a natural rise in the mostly flat-land. Up ahead, trails of smoke from the village wafted into the morning lit skies.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


"Something witty about your good looks?" Makai thought for a long moment, not coming up with too much. "Well, don't die off too quickly, I'm struggling to come up with a clever insult that may rhyme with your name. "


Considering the cough, the Doc may be kicking the bucket sooner than expected. It didn't sound all too healthy to Makai. The type of cough one made on their death bed in the hospital, surrounded by friends and family. Pack gingerly shifted as they crested the last hill and moved into flatter lands. Tilled farm greeted them at the edge of the road as they drew closer to the village. Livestock rustled in fields. It was nice to see civilization again.


"I don't know. How much time would a girlfriend actually require? Seems like if you really wanted her, you'd make it happen."

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"I'm sure the insult will come soon enough." Their marching path shifted them back on the gravel of the road. He sneezed loudly and tossed the teen a sideways glance, sounding more and more congested with an octaves deeper voice. But the amusement was still there.

"Well, well. Maybe I should be the one to start calling you Doctor Dashiell. Did your mum give you those kind of reasoning skills?"

Silently, his eyes checked the freshly wrapped bandages to make sure no fresh blood was oozing from the beastie's marks on the teen. Down the rode he saw some villagers begin their approach on several eopies. Matt raised a tired arm to flag them down.

Using the force had cost him. Each footfall felt like he was dragging a boulder. And with the looks Makai was giving him, he wasn't doing a very good job at masking it. He just had to make it a wee bit further.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


"I don't know. I was young when she....when she disappeared." Died. Disappeared. Left. He had
been very young at the time. It was possible he had her reasoning skills, maybe he didn't. Much
of his knowledge came from Grandma and Grandpa Kai and his Dad. He was quietly pondering some
personality traits as they crunched along on the gravel. Both were close now. Hopefully the
villagers would be welcoming and allow them to rest before getting to work.


"You look horrible. Worse than horrible. At least the villagers may help me bury your body."


Makai moved over and took much of the belongings Matt was carrying. His wounds hurt but it
wasn't as if he would die by carrying them. Hand came to wave up at some of the locals as
a pack of kids came out to great them, giggling.


"Whoa. Guess we're local celebrities for a day?"

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"Sorry, mate," Matt wheezed. "Not having a parent around...it's not an easy lot. It was the opposite for me. Grew up with my mum. I don't remember my dad for the short time he was with us."

He chuckled at the teen's next comment, shoulders shaking with another cough. "Yeah. Wouldn't want you to open those wounds - oy!" He sputtered a protest as Makai literally took more weight off his back. "Remember who the doctor is? Don't strain...', voice faded as the kids swamped them.

In spite of his exhaustion, he smiled. There was one main question repeated and Matt held up a hand as two adults rode up to greet them and offered to put their packs on the eopies. "Yes, yes, I remembered the sweets. Don't get your knickers twisted. This is my friend Makai."

Thumb hooked to the half Galan as he handed up his pack.

"We'll need a bit of rest, first. Had a run in with some beasties." He coughed and turned to Makai. "If I faint, just promise me you wont tell any girls about it."

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


"Yeah...its been rough. Sorry about your Dad, sucks not to have any memories."


Makai at least remembered his mother and certain events regarding the two of them. Seems like the good Doctor didn't even have a chance to meet his father. Shoulders shrugged at the mention of not carrying too much. It did hurt a little but he wasn't going to complain. Nor was he going to let his friend fall over and die due to the weight of luggage.


Kids swarmed them and some adults thankfully took his pack along with Matt's. He chuckled a little with the kids swarming the both of them, most of them swarming the Doctor asking for things. Despite the kids and their eagerness, it seemed his friend was going to have to relax for a spell.


"Sure, I'll let your natural charm drive them away...."


--------


Nearly an hour later they were in their own small stone hut. After spending a night in grasslands covered with animals out to kill them, Makai was thankful for his shared digs with the Doctor. The half-Galan took off his shirt and was sitting on the cot on the floor, fixing up his wounds. He wasn't totally idiotic, Makai did know about keeping wounds clean. Infections weren't fun.


Iced azure eyes looked up briefly.


"Why don't you sleep? You look like roadkill."

 

[Matthew Robinson]

Somehow Matt made it with Makai to their temporary dwelling place without falling flat on his face. Packs were against one wall. There was a small fire-place on the opposite side of the door that provided a warming and healthy glow. His lanky form sat on the opposite cot, shaky-fingers rummaging through a smaller bag. "Aye, I might be sleeping for a week."

There was a small pot of water already boiling over a grate across the fire. Pulling out some herbs, he leaned over and filled a mug with some of the hot water and started mixing some in. This home brew would help sooth his throat, cough, and hopefully assist with some solid sleep that his body needed. "There's plenty more water here if you need it. I've got some tea and biscuits in the bag against the wall. Help yourself. And one more thing," rummaging in the small bag for a second time, he tossed a small glass jar with some goop in it at Makai's feet.

"That creme should help with any pain you might be feeling and the potential scarring."

It wouldn't take the scar away completely but it'd help with the healing process. "You'll definitely have a story to tell that girl of yours." He cracked a tired grin and shed his shoes, collapsing back on the cot. He pulled a blanket up as far as it would go without leaving his feet open. Suppressing a shiver, tired eyes gave Makai one last look-over.

"You doing okay, though? Think your dad will be so miffed he'll send an assassin droid after me?"

He was joking. Mostly. Eyes drooped more and more closed as the tea started to work. Once Maka finished talking he'd be gone in a very heavy sleep for the next 12 hours.

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


"Not too worried about the scar....just worried some of my scales won't grow back."


Makai found the cream and put some on before starting to rebandage. He found it mildly amusing that he was worried about his scales. When he was a kid Makai wasn't too sure about his scales. Now he was sitting he worried about a few growing back.


"Nah, don't think Dad will be mad at you. He's not the assassin droid type anyways..."


Matt drifted into sleep as Makai finished up. He really had no desire to sleep despite his wounds hurting a bit. Shirt went back on before he gingerly got up. Moving over he placed the extra blanket on Matt before leaving their little hut. There was some time to kill before Matt would actually wake up and do his whole Doctor thing.


It didn't take long for the villagers to find a way to put him to work. Makai would be heading out with a group to a large, wide river for a fishing expedition. Apparently there would be a celebration in the evening due to Matt's arrival, which Makai would have to tease him about later.

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

He woke up feeling like a new man. His cough was mostly gone with just a few residue sniffles. Makai was gone. Matt would have to tell him about his weird dolphin dreams later. The doctor blamed the half Galan and that scale conversation. Shrugging on a jacket and grabbing his medpac, he ventured outside.

The village was bustling with a lot of activity. Something about a feast and a successful fishing trip. The air was already fragrant with the fish fry. A few kids came up to Matt and he handed out a few chocolate mint leaves. The village leader came up to him and clapped him in the back. "Glad you're awake. We didn't want you to miss the feast."

Matt scratched his chin, hazel eyes scanning the faces for that one with scales. "Blimey. How long've I been konked?"

The chief laughed. "Half a day."

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"]


At his age, Makai was excellent at preparing fish. He had been fishing since a small boy and that meant cleaning and descaling his catch. It was easy to lop odd heads and tails, placing them aside in a basket. An elderly woman informed him that was for soup. Guts went into a separate bin to be used for fertilizer. Knife was in his hand as he turned fish into fillets and gently pulled out small pin bones. Of course, the elderly woman directing him also had him keep the bones in another container. Nothing to be wasted.


"I hear your sleepy Doctor friend is awake. So young. Are you sure he's a Doctor? He could be my grandson."


Makai pulled out a fish bone and laughed, putting the new fillet on a clean surface in preparation to head to the battering and frying station. For the most part, he seemed to be one of a few men in the sea of women. Not that he was minding.


"Thats what he keeps telling me. I've just been going with it."

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"You looking for the boy you came with?" The chief chortled a deep, booming sort of laugh.

"Just making sure he isn't getting into trouble." Matt grinned.

"Something tells me you're the pot calling the kettle black. I saw him over there, with the women preparing the fish."

"Thanks," ducking his head, the medic/doctor wandered over. Didn't take him long to find the teen with scales. He nodded a hello at the others, hazel-eyes smiling and full of mischief. "Shoulda known you'd be here. I was worried I'd find you wrestling a river shark. How're those scratches doing, mate?"

And river sharks were really just old spacer's tales. Mostly.

"Oy, and I bet any of these fine women could give you plenty of girlfriend advice." He elbowed Makai lightly in the arm.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Makai wiped his hands off on a rag, trying to get fish blood and guts off of him as best as possible. He had finished up the fish and watched as the 'leftovers' were carted away to be used in their various applications. Iced azure eyes watched as the fish was taken and battered. The fryer sizzled, the large cast-iron cooking pot was extremely hot. An elderly woman adjusted the cooking fuel's temperature and went back to being perilously close to the bubbling oil.


Head turned at the sound of [member="Matthew Robinson"] .


"Its only been about twelve hours. Some of us aren't magical space wizards. The rest of us take a bit of time to recover." Makai purposely ignored the 'girl advice' comment. Probably best to. Besides, Matt had a million girl jokes it seemed lately."Come on. Lets go eat. I'm starving."

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Matt coughed. "Who said I was fully recovered?" He grinned the entire time. "You're just lucky I have enough energy to tease you." Hands went in his pockets and he piped off a quick, happy whistle. He walked with Makai to the food line. They had it set up as a huge assembly line. They had piles of fried fish, chips, homemade crusty bread, and several types of cooked greens.

His mouth watered.

"Fish and chips." Taking a plate, he offered one to the teen. Beat those nutrition travel bars every time. "Where'd you learn to food prep like that?"