Just a side note, the quotes from the game I’m using are from the Favourite Line thread, and they were so damn funny I
had to use ‘em, even if it’s out of context. They had me in stitches and hopefully you’ll like ‘em too.
And ¥ means Moolah remember.
And can anyone tell me how to attach pictures…I got some of Bailey and I can’t get them to show up…
Shaken And At The End Of The Tether
Part 1
Three hours later, in the town of Buzzarton, Stranger burst into the home of ‘The Doc’, the only medical expert in these parts and a Vykker by species.
Stranger found the Doc hunched over his desk, muttering to himself and scribbling on some sheets of paper with an ink pen.
“Go h’away.” He wheezed, “I’m busy.”
“Doc, it’s Stranger.” The Vykker looked up and peered at Stranger through his spectacles. His whole demeanour altered.
“H’Ah! Young Stranger! Just who I vanted to see!” he waved the papers, “I’ve just finished your-” The Doc stopped talking when he registered Stranger’s expression. “Vhat brings you here?” it was then that the Vykker’s gaze was drawn to the tight, sweating bundle in Stranger’s arms. Curiously the consultant got up from his chair and hobbled over to Stranger. He examined the creature the bounty hunter was holding in interest. “Vhat is this?”
“She’s a human, her name is Bailey. I think she’s been bitten by a female Bolamite.”
“Vell then ve had better have an examination!” Stranger was slightly unnerved by the Vykker’s enthusiasm. “And h’about the price…” the Doc began to say but faded off when Stranger fixed him with a disturbing, bright green gaze. “Ah…this one’s on the house, you being such h’a good customer.” The Vykker wheedled. “Come, come, this vay.” He beckoned and led an impatient Stranger into the back room of the surgery. “Put her on the table, how are the stitches holding up by the vay?”
“Fine.” Stranger said and did as he was told.
“Go and vait in my office m’boy, I’ll come and see you when I’ve treated your small friend here.” Stranger hesitated, then nodded and left.
The Vykker Doc picked up a silver instrument that looked rather worrying and began his examination.
“Pity, pity.” He muttered, “I vould have liked to know more h’about this
‘uman.” The Doc looked quickly back towards the surgery door, hoping Stranger hadn’t heard.
If Bailey had been anyone else other then a friend of Stranger, she wouldn’t have made it alive off the operating table, and her organs would probably have been floating in green pickling jars a week later…
The Doc considered just leaving the creature Bailey to her fate and tell Stranger it was too late for her. He quashed the thought, Stranger would kill him, he could smell a lie a mile away.
The Doc doubted that even the fact that he was the one that would perform the specialist operation on Stranger would save him.
The Doc put aside his disappointment and began Bailey’s treatment.
In the Vykker’s office Stranger sat in a chair, unable to keep still he rose and began pacing the room, he wouldn’t admit it but it had been a very long time since he had been
this worried.
His mind went back a couple of hours, reluctantly remembering the events leading to this moment;
For a while Bailey had slept peacefully, using his fur as a pillow. And then she had begun to dream, at first Stranger wasn’t worried by this. But when the sounds coming from Bailey became more distressed Stranger had become edgy.
And then Bailey had started to scream.
Stranger sat in the chair again, head in hands, the unwanted memories swirling.
“NO! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE! GET OFF ME! STOP IT!” Bailey was shaking, feebly fighting off some unseen foe. Stranger stopped dead and swung Bailey spasm ridden body from his shoulders into his arms.
“Bailey! Bailey wake up!” He shook her shoulder, trying to wake her. She wouldn’t. It was then Stranger understood that Bailey was no longer asleep but delirious. She was hallucinating, and by the sound of it, reliving her most terrified and traumatising memories. Bailey thrashed, fighting against him but Stranger kept a firm grip. “Bailey, listen ter me kid. It’s not real, yer safe, none of it’s real!”
Bailey seemed to react to Stranger’s voice and stopped screaming, her voice choked down to pained, petrified whimpers. Instead of fighting him, she had a death grip on his shirt now. And pressed her face into his fur. Shaking. Always shaking.
“Hold on kid, we’re nearly there.” Stranger muttered and broke into a run…
“She is stable, for the moment.” Stranger looked up, the Vykker Doc had entered the office.
“She’ll be alright then?”
“Yes, I have neutralised the poison, she is unharmed but it vill take h’a few hours for her too recover.” Stranger let out a breath. Bailey was going to be alright.
The Doc sat down on the chair behind his desk and looked at Stranger intently through his spectacles.
“She is h’a fascinating creature, your small friend. Her biorhythms, her biochemistry, everything h’about her – is completely unique. Any other creature of Oddworld would have been dead from the poison already.”
“She ain’t from Oddworld.” As soon as he said it Stranger mentally cursed, he really shouldn’t have said that. Doc leaned forward,
“Really? Then vhere is she from pray tell?” Stranger shrugged,
“I ain’t asked her.” The Vykker deflated,
“Pity, h’a great pity.” Stranger decided it was due time he changed the subject, he wasn’t comfortable with talking about Bailey to this person. He felt like he was betraying Bailey somehow.
“Yer said yer wanted ter speak ta me about somat?”
“H’Ah yes,” the Vykker seemed somewhat disappointed of the subject change. “I have just this minute finished those designs you vanted. I’ve done h’a lot of research and I think I may just have a solution for you.” Stranger leaned forward, interested,
“Oh really?” The Doc nodded,
“But it von’t be cheap I can tell you.” The Doc could barely contain his glee…he knew what would happen if Stranger didn’t agree to his terms…
“That could be h’a problem now couldn't it?…For yooouuuu.”
“How much would yer be chargin’?”
“H’about ¥10,000.” Stranger considered this, he didn’t have that kind of cash right now, but if he went after some bigger paying bounties…and he needed what the Doc was offering…
“Fine, I’ll be back fer the op as soon as I get yer cash.”
“Excellent, you vill be pleased vith the results, oh, and for future reference-” The Vykker pushed a small pile of papers towards Stranger. Stranger looked over them for a moment before nodding and slipping the papers into his shirt.
“I’m off ter check out the bounties in this place.” He finally said, standing up. “Look after Bailey.” He added as he headed for the door, there was clearly an ‘or else’ tagged to that statement and not even if the Doc was desperate to see what Bailey was literally made of, would he dare to touch her.
“Yes yes, she vill be cared for.” The Vykker assured quickly. Stranger tugged on the brim of his hat in thanks and left. The Doc slumped in his chair.
A few minutes later he got up again, a malicious grin on his face.
There was no reason he couldn’t…
examine Bailey while she was asleep, just as long as he left no marks and was finished by the time Stranger returned…
The Vykker hobbled excitedly towards the back room, where Bailey lay prone on the recovery/operation table.
“Now…vhere to begin?” The Vykker thought…
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Sorry it was a bit shorter then the others, but the suspense, you know…
