The Sharing: Rebellion From Within

[Myitt]

"Well, lucky for you two you've landed in vegetarian nirvana," Myitt said.  "I hope you like cabbage and tomato sauce."  She shrugged.  "We grow our own vegetables and fruits and things like that, but we bank on that a lot, otherwise food can be hard to come by.  That's never fun.  Luckily because of the whole lack of meat issue we do have some soy...what the heck are they called?"

<Edamame,> said Tara.

"Edamame," Shizuo drolled at almost the same time. 

"Yeah, pea pods.  Whatever.  Hope you like them, too.  And leave the Invasion of the Body Snatchers jokes at the door, we've heard 'em all."  She smiled.

[Terenia]

Aurora looked at the container of soup nervously, as if terrified it would explode in her hand or something equally dramatic. Tentatively she took a sip. The soup hit her empty stomach like lead and she quickly lost her appetite. She grimaced apologetically at Myitt before giving Gerlan an apprehensive look.

"Aurora." She whispered, trying to shake the dryness from her throat. She tried again to sip from the soup, but the taste of sodium and catsup made her stomach churn uncomfortably. Instead she stiffly backed herself up against a wall, holding the container so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

[traycon3]

<Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Isn't that some dumb sixties movie?> Tia asked.
<I don't know. Never saw it.>
"You ok?" Norpo asked Aurora, noticing her actions, before pausing as Tia tipped back some of the soup. As soon as the soup hit her stomach, she seemed to realize just how hungry she was and eagerly drank most of it down. He rolled her eyes. "Sounds fine. She's just going to need some protein soon, since she hasn't exactly eaten any in a few days. Move 'n' a--" He was cut short by some of the soup backing up into her throat.
He felt her tip her head back and plug her nose, reswallowing the soup. <You ok?>
<Yeah. Sorry, just...Forgot about the move. 'N' all.>
"Sorry. As I was saying, we've been a bit busy moving."

[Myitt]

Myitt eyed Aurora stolidly.  "Well, kid, if you're gonna be sick, this is the right place to do it.  Doc, she might need help."

"Please don't be nervous, Aurora," said Shizuo.  "Maybe you should give your stomach a rest, you've been through an awful lot today.  Would you feel better if you lie down?"

"Moving?  I'll say you've been moving," Myitt snickered.  "Bit of a long commute, though."

[Terenia]

"I...I think..." Aurora's stomach growled again, but she set the canister on nearby tray, certain that drinking any more of it would cause her to vomit again. Now that she wasn't running for her life or being faced with a new alien every other second she was finally able to process a bit of what was going on. Where she was. What was happening on Earth. To her friends, her family. What happened to Michael, the poor kid. Sweat broke out on Aurora's neck as she remembered the heat of the Dracon Beams backwash, how she was temporarily blinded and then, when she could see again....there was no trace of the boy who had stood there moments ago. It easily could have been her.

"Oh...." Aurora stumbled forward, feeling dizziness rushing in. Michael was dead. She was surrounded by aliens and she could be next. She was light years away from help.

"I don't think I'm okay." She whispered before her knees gave out from under her. Her head hit the edge of the tray with a loud CRACK and she slid to the floor, unconscious.

[traycon3]

"Wasn't talking about that, exactly, but now that you mention it..." Tia sort of smiled, sighing. "I finally get up the courage to move back from the North and look where it's got me." She set down the soup and pushed her hand through her hair.
Then Aurora fell. Tia was off her bed in a flash, sort of hovering over the girl, but making sure to stay out of Gerlan's way since he was, in fact, the doctor. But she was determined not to lose another person on this trip.

[Myitt]

Gerlan calmly knelt by Aurora and checked her pulse, then gently felt around her head.  "Can someone get me a stretcher from the far wall?  Set it down next to her," he said tersely.  "She may have a concussion.  Aurora?  Can you hear me?"

Mike, still sleeping uneasily, mumbled something about keeping the noise down.

Myitt returned with a black plastic and cloth stretcher, setting it down next to Aurora's prostrate form.  "Is she gonna be okay?  Jeez, poor kid..."

"She'll be alright, just help me move her onto the stretcher, carefully!  Move her head as little as possible," said the doctor, helping Aurora onto the stretcher.  The two of them lifted her onto the bed that Tia had occupied and Gerlan went to grab a neck brace that would stabilize her.

When he returned, he placed the brace around her neck cautiously, then spoke to her again.  "Aurora?" he said quietly, gently lifting her eyelids and shining a penlight into them. 

[Terenia]

It was almost a full minute before Aurora let out a whimper of pain, her eyelids fluttering erratically. She seemed to be fighting the line between consciousness and unconsciousness. After a moment she seems to give up, a heavy sigh passing through her as she sinks back into silence and stillness.

[Myitt]

"Well, you did tell her to lie down," Myitt said with a shrug. 

"This isn't what I had in mind," said Shizuo tersely. 

[Terenia]

((fyi, I'm adding a new character in. Her bio is added to the chara list on the first page ))

A middle-aged human woman who appeared to be of middle-eastern decent bounded into the room with an enthusiasm that belied her age and appearance.

"I'm ready for my meds, Doc." She said in Yeerkish with a sardonic grin. She glanced at the fairly full medical room, "Wow, full house today, eh? What happened to you lot? You look terrible. I'm Proliss by the way. And my lovely long-term partner who has offerred me the services of her body is Afari."

[Myitt]

"Proliss," Myitt said, feigning politeness with a little nod.  She smiled sharply.  "I think we met during an induction.  Myitt 195, my host is Tara.  You're new here, aren't you?"  She giggled.  "Then again, I'm not here that often.  These are the latest recruits to our little suicide squad.  Corliss is down for the count.  Dracon fire.  This is Tia and Norpo 697, also Dracon fire.  And this is Aurora, she's human and...unconscious.  Shock, I think."

"Hello, Proliss.  Afari," Gerlan replied in Yeerkish, getting up from Aurora's side.  "How are you?"

"Better than us, I hope," Myitt sighed, picking at her blistered, peeling hands, wincing.

[Terenia]

"I'm great, thanks." Proliss said with a wide grin. She shot a mildly curious look at the still Aurora and Corliss. "Yeah, I'm fairly new here. Still trying to get used to the fact that I don't have to run around looking over my shoulder. Afari thinks I'm paranoid, but who wouldn't be, eh?"

"So, doc, are they overworking you too much? Is there anything I can do to help?" Proliss leaned against the doorframe casually, sweeping a long salt-and-pepper lock from her face and tucking it back into her messy braid, her wide, dark eyes still on the two unconscious figures.

[Myitt]

"Yeah, a little healthy paranoia never hurt anyone," Myitt said with a grin, crossing her arms. 

"Fernak was here earlier," Gerlan said lightly.  "I think I can manage.  But thank you." He bowed his head slightly.

Myitt followed Proliss' gaze toward their unconscious comrades.  "Is there anything we can help you with?" she offered after an awkward moment of silence. 

<Strange.>

<What?> said Tara.  <I can barely understand you guys.>

<She keeps watching them.  It's just...strange.>

<Now who's paranoid?> Tara said smugly.  <Yeah, I know the word for paranoid, at least...>


((OOC: Does Proliss speak English? x3))

[Terenia]

((Yep, its just a bit broken. She only spent about three years in the US))

"Oh, no, of course not." Proliss says, diverting her gaze and allowing her lined face to smooth into a gentle smile. "I was just here for my meds. Can you believe, even with all of our technology I still have to deal with something as trivial as arthritis?"

She sighed wistfully, "I suppose I will be getting a new host soon enough. Afari and I have been through quite a bit together, but I don't think she's up to the excitement too much more. She's such a gentle person, it pains her." Proliss winced, feeling her hosts pain. "Besides, an arthritic host loses her use quickly." Her curiousity piqued again as she stole a glance at the unconscious cohorts, "You said one of them was human? Free? Was she an involuntary?"

<You never had the tact of other Yeerks.> Afari said non judgmentally. <You seek to retire me like a worn out pair of shoes?>

<Of course not, Afari.> Proliss responded, <I am only doing what is practical. You can't tell me that you want to see more of this war.>

<No.> Afari agreed softly, <But I do not trust your ambitions with another host. You tend to get carried away, my friend. I like to keep watch over you.>

<You are not my mother, Afari. Yeerks are not typically subject to such watchfulness.>

<Perhaps they need to be.> Afari commented, <Maybe they would not have created such evil if they had a mother to scold them.>

During this internal commentary Proliss kept her features calm. She was curious about the potential of a new host, but nothing more. She would not push her luck, unless there was a risk of being downgraded. She wasn't sure that she could stand being forced to endure a Taxxon or a Gedd host, even as a comrade instead of a conquerer.

[Myitt]

Myitt nodded.  "Well, Afari, you know quite well that this is your home as well as Proliss', if he wants to move on.  And the human girl wasn't involuntary, she wasn't a host at all, thankfully.  We got to her and her friend before The Sharing could.  Lost one of them along the way."  She watched the woman's blank features and itched her palm idly.

<You know, it's really kind of rude that you guys have these conversations while someone else is talking to you,> Tara said.  <Just an observation.>

<Whose fault do you think that is?> Myitt said wryly.  <'You guys'.  Heh.  Don't be such a hypocrite.>

<You started it.>

<Did not.>