Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[MzHyde]

"slow doesn't bother me.. it's not like we're all gonna be leaving in the next few minutes" Kay replied to Cliff. It was true after all, they did still need to plan properly how to get Elliott out of jail for good and then get him off Attil, to go home to earth. Having a reaction to something on Attil as a possibility did seem to make sense to her, but something in her heart was telling her that this wasn't just a reaction to something on Attil.

"I'm guessing you're gonna want to do it asap?" She asked Cliff, knowing if it was the case, she'd need to get her boots and jacket back on. She had no clue the reaction she was going to walk out to and it did make her nervous just thinking about it. "Either way, I guess I should leave your bathroom floor, I know those men in my life will only continue to worry if I don't" she told Cliff, with a half smile, hoping she was right in that little assumption, otherwise she'd look like a right idiot.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"The sooner the better" Cliff replied, it wouldn't be hard to get Kay into the lab, there were always patients going in and out, and unless there was something really unusual looking about them, most simply payed little notice, prefering to get on with the actual job. So in reality all she needed was Kay's blood. So the only reason Kay would actually need to go into the lab was if the tests showed up something else. "Technically only your blood needs to actually go to the lab, but since you guys are hanging around anyway, either way works for me."

Cliff had to smile at that, out of everybody, she'd spent the least time with the gang, but it was blatantly obvious to her how tight they were. "Probably a good idea, they all care about you in some shape or form, even though Callie only met you yesterday." The ring on Cliff's finger was the opposite of Cal's ring. Cal's was based of icy colours, while Cliff's was clearly based off fire colours. Another subtle nod. " And I'd recommend eating something too, since I doubt any of you ate properly yesterday." Her clinical side was showing through in the last remark.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay listened to Cliff for what she had to say. She really didn't mind how she wanted to do it, after all, Cliff knew more about this and what she had to hand than she did. "However you think best Cliff. If we can do it here then that's fine with me." She smiled, she noticed how the ring on her finger was different but still matching to Cal's. A little thing she found really sweet.

When Cliff told her they all cared about her and how obvious it was, she nodded, liking how it was confirmed to her. Even if she did know it, she felt it was nice to hear it from someone else sometimes. Then came the eating comment and she nodded with a chuckle. "Nope, we didn't. We haven't eaten come to think about it since we were on the ship" she replied. "And even then it was just toast in my case." She added, definitely noting her clinical side coming out. As she stopped talking, she stood up, using the wall to push herself up.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I should have stuff to draw blood somewhere, but I'll wait til you've eaten not that the tests get skewed by not eating for ages." That had happened to her with tests before, and she hated having to waste time redoing tests when it could so easily have been avoided. She wasn't at all surprised that they hadn't eaten, people tended to do that during space flight. It was actually a part of pilot training to be instructed on how and when to eat. It was also the bane of Cliff's existance as a doctor, having to perpetually tell pilots to eat more.

Cliff got up too. Today was supposed to be her day off, but it looked like that wasn't happening, between Elliott being around, John and co, and now Kay. She wasn't that annoyed to be missing out, after all it went with the territory, but she had had plans to rewatch a pile of old movies, and sleep for a while. Not in that order. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal anyway.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded, "sure.. and, I'm sorry for making you work after not long getting in. Not a great first impression" she smiled sheepishly. She did genuinely feel bad, as she remembered Cal saying how Cliff wouldn't get back home until the early hours of the morning, and now thanks to her vomiting, she was making a woman who barely knew her to work more.

Kay walked to the bathroom door and opened it, walking out and down the hallway to the group in the living room. She was pretty sure Cliff would be following her, as she was under orders to eat. Cliff seemed the person to her, to give the same orders to all of them and to play the doctor role of making sure they made Kay eat. She mentally prepared herself for any barrage of questions that could be thrown her way or any other forms of fuss she'd may get. Not that she ever put either Chas or John as the type to do that, but she still prepared for anything anyway.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"At least you're conscious and coherant, unlike some patients, and you're not asking me to pull two 20 hours in a row, like my bosses" cue the eye roll and suppressed annoyance at her bosses that no doubt was something she frequently ranted about "do, so it's really not that bad in the grand scheme of things. And besides, I've been back a few hours anyway. Also, considering everything, I guess we are or will be family of some sort." It was clear to Cliff that some time they were all going to have to sit down and sort our who was where in relation to each other.

Cliff followed Kay out into the main living room. Jay and Rinaa were there too sitting side by side on the couch Jay had spent the night on. Jay looked much better the dark circles gone completly. Before anyone could get a word in, Cal stood and spoke up. "Okay everyone, shut up for a minute. As she spoke she signed, her hands moving rapidly. Cliff responded just as fluently back. This continued back and forth for a moment as everybody but Rinaa looked on with surprise. Cal picked up a small box from the table and threw it to her fiancé who caught it nimbly, opened it, pulled out the hearing aids and fitted them on. "Better?" "Better?"

 

[MzHyde]

Kay suddenly didn't feel as bad for being just another patient in the great scheme of things to Cliff. The idea of working those kinds of shifts was horrible to Kay, and didn't envy her one bit. As they got back to the living room, seeing Cal and Cliff sign to each other, she realised she had no idea that Cliff was partially deaf, at least, deaf to the point of needing hearing aids. She never would have guessed from their conversation in the bathroom. She always admired sign language and found it so beautiful, even though she couldn't understand it.

She walked over to John as Cliff fitted her aids and stood next to him and Chas. "Before either of you ask.. I'm okay. Been told to eat then she's gonna take some blood tests just to make sure, there's a couple of theories but the tests will give proper answers" she explained. She didn't want them worrying about her but she knew that's not something one person can control.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John and Chas nodded at Kay's words. "I trust you on that, and they both seem to know what they are doing." "Good to hear it" he would have added, you scared the living shite out of me, but it was already implied. Cal and Cliff continued to sign despite Cliff now being able to hear. It was evident on Rinaa's face that she understood sign, presumably as she knew future Cliff and Cal. "Eating applies for everybody, not just Kay. Doctor's orders and all that" Cal informed them all, making it clear that Kay wasn't being singled out for this. There was a very my house, my rules vibe to it.

Cliff spoke next, answering the questions on everybody's mind. Neither her nor Cal were ones for bullshit. "Yes, I'm deaf, eight percent to be exact. In other words I hear jack shit without these. One or two people is fine, so long as they are facing me I can lip read. But bigger groups are just too complex for lip reading. And no, I wasn't born this way, I was caught in a bomb blast, the shrapnel ruptured my ears drums. The damage is permanent. It can't be healed or surgically reconstructed. Any questions?"

Rinaa was the only one, and the question she asked, she signed. Cliff's eyebrows raised in surprise, then lowered. Rinaa was fluent in sign or at least close to it. Cliff responded in sign and the two seemed to reach an agreement.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded, she got the implication of John's words. Just from the way he ran after her implied she scared him, something she never wanted to do. It's the main reason she answered his questions about how she was before he could even answer it. As Cal declared that everyone had to eat, and not just her, she briefly grabbed John's hand and gave it a small squeeze to say 'im sorry for scaring you' before she let go. She wanted the action to be discreet but still wanted to apologise for making him worried. She just hoped she wouldn't feel sick again when she started eating.

She was still nervous about what the results could show, but she refused to let it show outwardly. The private talk with Cliff was enough for her for the time being. The nausea had subsided quite a bit, but it still left the uneasy feeling in her stomach as an after feeling. Kay then looked over at Cliff when she explained about the whole being partially deaf scenario and questions that were all running through their minds. The very idea of losing your hearing that way was horrifying to Kay. She was surprised that Rinaa knew sign language but told herself nothing should surprise her by this point with the girl.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Despite Kay's action, John wasn't done worrying, he knew something was up with Kay, just not what. Chas and John both accepted Cliff's story, it really seemed that everybody they met had some kind of interesting or traumatising past. But clearly Cliff had been deaf for a long time now, and was very much used to it. It was clear in her self confidence that she had accepted her deafness along time ago and made peace with it. And cAl knew that this gave her valuable empathy when dealing with patients.

With no more questions from anybody, Cliff followed her own advice and raided the fridge. Unlike in John's apartment Cliff and Cal's apartment actually had food in it. And a wide variety of it too, healthy and unhealthy. Jay and Rinaa had already helped themselves and were chatting quietly in some other language. They were tentative, but a proper bond was beginning to form between them. Various pots and mugs of coffee stood on the coffee table. Where as most would use a mug, Cliff simply drank from the pot, not seeing the point in needing a mug since she was just going to drink the entire thing of coffee anyway.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay had a feeling that John wouldn't stop worrying about her until Cliff took her blood tests and got results for answers. The reasons for that hunch? She wouldn't stop worrying herself so she couldn't expect others to stop worrying. If she did, she'd just be a hypocrite. Kay too, could see that Cliff accepted her disability and lived with it fine. It was an admirable trait really. When Cliff went to the kitchen and went into the fridge, Kay followed shortly after. She personally always felt awkward raiding through someone's fridge, but they had been given permission the night before to do so.

She also wanted the blood tests done as soon as, as she didn't do great with needles, which their group minus Cal and Cliff knew about her. Finding some food that she sort of recognised as similar to earth food, so she took out the various things and managed to simply make herself a sandwich. Finding the plates, she placed it on one and walked back, beginning to eat it. She took her time with it, not wanting to risk bringing it up again. When Cliff just grabbed the hug of coffee, the smell did make her feel slightly nauseous yet again, but she managed to continue eating. The very idea of her favourite beverage making her want to gag did not make her happy one bit.

She did eventually finish most of the sandwich, but not all of it, before she placed the plate on the table, gently rubbing her stomach from the nauseous feeling that was building up again.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Cal and Cliff had reached some sort of agreement. After everybody had eaten some sort of meal and fuelled up with copious amounts of coffee, juice, water and whatever else just happened to be drinkable in the fridge, Cal turned to the assembled group. "Okay, so here's the plan. I have work this morning, so I'll be spending the morning in the forge, after that I'm busting Elliott out cos the evening shifts work in my favour. Anybody whose idea of fun isn't staying in a forge for hours goes with Cliff. And I'm guessing that's all of you"

There were various nods from the others. Normally Rinaa and Jay would have chosen the forge. But Rinaa needed Cliff to do something in the hospital lab. And where Rinaa went, Jay was sure as hell going to follow. "We're going to the med lab. Nobody there will genuinely bat an eyelid to your presence, except Deke, but he's with us. No idea how long that'll take, but if anybody else wants me to run any tests on them, now is a good time to speak up."

 

[MzHyde]

Like everyone in the room, Kay listened intently to the plan that Cal discussed with them. Or more to the point, told them. She also nodded bat the whole sticking with Cliff plan. She definitely had no plans on going anywhere other than where Cliff needed her to be, and if that was the med lab, then that's where she'll be. She actually was super glad everyone was happy to go there as deep down she didn't want to do it alone.

Hearing that no one would bat an eyelid again was a reassurance to her. This was also the second time she had heard this Deke's name, but was also happy he was with them and wouldn't be a problem or hindrance to them. All she now cared about was when she'd need to put her jacket and boots back on, that were still in the bedroom they slept in, the night prior.

 

[_gallifrog_]

With that agreed all that needed to be done was assemble what ever they thought would be necessary for the day, as chances were they wouldn't be back til late. Chas, Cliff, Rinaa, Cal, Jay and John all headed their separate ways, most to change or grab bags. Rinaa and Jay had left their bags in the main room,as they had claimed the couch and beanbag to sleep on. The only things Rinaa took were a laptop and a thick notebook full of loose pages and dense handwritten text. It was kept shut with leather cords. Jay just re-armed herself with weapons, and checked she had the camera.

Chas took his general bag, and changed from one dark t-shirt to another. Cliff ditched the scrubs for something more comfortable. Cal was the only one who didn't bother to change or grab anything, everything she needed was in the forge. John made hid way back to the room he shared with Kay. He didn't want to be that person who couldn't take no for answer, but he clearly wanted to ask if she really was alright.

(Happy Christmas)

 

[MzHyde]

Kay followed John back to the room they shared as everyone went their separate ways to get ready for going out. Kay had a feeling she might be get drilled about her welfare the moment they make it to the room and away from everyone, but she accepted that'd be the case. She knew John well enough at this stage, and he never accepted her first answer, so she knew this time wouldn't be any different. What she found stupid though, as annoying as it could be when people did that, she didn't mind it with him. She took it as his way of showing he cared and was genuinely concerned.

She walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed to pull on her boots. Before she leaned down to grab her boots she took a few seconds to just fully take in how her morning had turned. Then she grabbed her boots and pulled them on, sitting upright but feeling a smidge dizzy as she did so, which made her just stop again before she thought about grabbing her jacket and bag to get a new vest, as she sighed. She wanted to know what was wrong with her, even if Cliff said there's no doubt nothing is wrong. She was still worried.

(Happy Christmas to you too!)

 

[_gallifrog_]

John was beginning to turn into Jay. When Chas had packed the bag for John back on Earth, he'd made sure to place two weapons on it (along with the other useful and useless stuff his best mate would need). He was highly considering taking the weapon with him, considering the planet they were on and the kind of people that inhabited it. He was beginning to see that it was mainly just the leaders with extreme racist views, and that maybe everyone wasn't so bad. But he was still on his guard anyway.

John sat down beside Kay and put an arm around her. He had no idea what to say or what was a good idea to say, so for once he kept his trap shut, hoping that the gesture would convey everything he couldn't say.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay didn't pay too much attention to what John was doing in the room for getting ready. With a sigh, she started to overcome to the slight dizzy spell. It was similar to one of those moments where if you got up too quickly you'd go light headed for the briefest of moments. She snapped out of her own mind when she felt John's arm wrap around her. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "I'll be okay....I promise. I know you're worried John. Cliff doesn't think it's anything serious. She just wants to make sure though." She started explaining, but her head rested for the short moment they had together on his shoulder.

"And yes..I'm worried myself. I'm never one for randomly feeling nauseous and being sick. Cliff says it might just be a reaction to something on Attil, but my gut says it's different...even the bloody smell of that coffee made me feel queezy...John I'm scared" she finally admitted it. Not pretending anymore that it's nothing and she's a big tough girl who lets nothing phase her. For once she lets herself show she's vulnerable feeling.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Her words both reassured him and made things worse at the same time. He trusted Cliff's judgement, but he also knew that she was excellent at concealing things. Nobody had any idea she was deaf until a few minutes ago. Yesterday she'd had her aids in and nobody noticed. Then in the bathroom she'd examined Kay while deaf. So she had an excellent poker face and the ability to keep things back. And being a doctor, of she thought there was something hideously wrong, she wouldn't say so without backing and facts.

"I'm hardly a world expert either, but I trust my gut on pretty much everything. Synchronity and all that. I knowthis is different, but I don't know why" He admitted. He didnt outright say or show he was scared, but he was.

 

[MzHyde]

Like John, she trusted Cliff but the obvious facts of how good she can keep a secret or information from people was hard to ignore. It was actually impossible to ignore. Especially as she always prided herself on being a good at observing people and her surroundings. Yet she had no clue about Cliff being deaf whatsoever. So what was to say that she wasn't keeping something serious from her now? She definitely got the feeling Cliff had more than one theory in mind

Kay listened to what John had to say in reply and she slowly lifted her head off his shoulder. At least she wasn't being insane by thinking it's not something that's effecting her in Attil. "John, when we get to the med lab, don't leave me alone okay? I know it's supposedly only blood tests but I really don't wanna do it on my own" she told him. She hated needles at the best of times, but now it was down to finding out why the hell she was randomly being sick in random waves. She was also aware they were taking probably longer than everyone else getting ready and they very well could be waiting on them.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John nodded at her request, it made perfect sense, whatever was going on was not normal. As a general rule he sometimes over thought stuff, but he just knew that this time it wasn't nonsense, there really was something different going on. He had no intention whatsoever of letting Kay do this alone, and literally nobody could stop him from doing this. He gently kissed her forehead before speaking, looking her dead in the eyes so she could just how serious he was.

"Believe me, I have no fucking intention of leaving you alone. There is nothing any of them can do to stop me being with you during whatever this is. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not" His words conveyed more than he could ever say, the determination, the ferocity, the stubbornness and the passion that drove him onwards through his life were evident in his words. If the universe was going to slam him with something crazy, he was damn well going to slam it right back.

 

[MzHyde]

There was a part of her that was trying to convince herself that she was over worrying about the whole thing, but no amount of mental reassurance was working on her. She was terrified and the moment she admitted it to him, she couldn't convince herself to be anything but terrified. She wanted a break from shit, but the universe had other plans. Her eyes closed out of natural habit when he kissed her forehead, before they reopened again and she stared him right back in the eyes.

Listening to his words, she heard everything she needed to hear and more. She heard so much within his tone and it took all her willpower to not be a crying mess. Nodding reply, she took a deep breath before exhaling, "thank you" she simply said, but that thank you showed and conveyed so much more. Knowing she wasn't going to be left alone during this helped to give her that boost of strength she needed to eventually leave the room. Before she did though, she very hesitantly slid out of his grip, and grabbed her bag to get a clean top which she changed into and then proceeded to put her jacket on. "Guess we shouldn't leave them waiting any longer..." She said, but her tone was quiet, she looked toward the bedroom door like it would reveal Hell on the other side and not Cal's apartment. Her hands shaking.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John could tell his words helped, but how much he wasn't sure. He wasn't at all envious of Kay's situation, but if he was giving the option to switch and be the one puking his guts up, he would. Not that he'd admit it, he might have changed the past few weeks, but he still was nowhere near being that kind of person. He could tell from her tone, her body language that Kay appreciated what he said, but was still struggling with the self doubt that consumed her. He made the decision to take the blade, the sheath fitting neatly over his back, the trenchcoat obscuring it from the back and sides. The handle was positioned so that he could pull it out from under the trenchcoat in one fluid movement without damaging the coat or himself.

He pulled the coat on over, then turned to look at Kay, who was clearly shitting bricks. "We probably shouldn't. But thinking about it will only make things worse, so I guess try and think of something else?" Advice on life was not his forte. He took hold of her hands and squeezed them between his. "Hey, you got this. Whatever it is, you'll pull through, I know you will"

 

[MzHyde]

Kay waited for him to finish getting what he wanted or felt like he needed. She barely took notice of the fact he was deciding to bring the sword and sheathed it down his back. It was the least of her thoughts after all. When he was done and turned to look at her, she looked at him back and nodded at his words. He was right, she knew he was. Deep down she had to think of something else and out on that brave face to the rest of the group.

She refused to let the others see her like this. This vulnerable. She looked down when he took her hands and squeezed them between his own, helping her greatly. They began to stop shaking, and with another nod she looked back at him in the eye. "You're right...I've got through worse..I can do this" she tried to convince herself more than anything. She removed one hand from his to open the bedroom door but she couldn't let go of his other hand...not yet. She needed it, the security his grip gave her. She could do this...with him. With her hand still in his she put on a fake 'im okay' facade to the rest of the group. "Sorry for holding you all up... We're good to go" she spoke up, her tone different to her real tone John heard just seconds ago.

 

[_gallifrog_]

While John and Kay had been gone, nothing had really happened. The most exciting thing was that Cliff had called up the lab and was speaking and signing with a holographic projection of one of the scientists. It was just easier for her to work this way, sure she could use a phone and an ear comm system, but they were notoriously unreliable for her, and there had been that one time with the explosive short circuit. So the more expensive holographic technology was her method of choice. The hologram blinked out of view as Kay arrived.

Nobody made any remarks on Kay, all wearing masks of their own. This really would be one hell of a group to play poker with. All of them with the exception of maybe Chas, had trained themselves or been trained to hide their true thoughts from views. They'd all done exactly what Kay was doing at some point in their lives, pretending to be okay, even whne they really weren't. "Let's go then" Cal agreed.

Down four flights of stairs took them to the outside. Cal chose the outdoor staircase, for no real reason, other than she preferred it to all the others. There was nothing at all wrong with the internal staircases. While everybody else walked down the stairs like normal beings, Rinaa simply vaulted her way down the entire thing, with a speed and agility that brought out Jay's competitive side. "You think that's fast kiddo? Even with a head start I could still beat you" "Prove it!" so Jay being Jay, accepted the challenge, one minute she was beside them, the next vaulting and swinging down the staircase, at a speed that only result in injury for any normal person. "I like this one." Cliff remarked, echoing Cal's words. "She's Isogrii, and I bet her name turns up some really interesting results on the database."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay refused to let go of John's hand. She felt so stupid inside being like this but she also felt like she could show it to John and sometimes Chas and she wouldn't be judged or ridiculed for it. She did notice the hologram blink out of view as they walked back but unsurprisingly wasn't in the mood to remark on it. She simply nodded when Cal told them all to go and like always, followed everyone out the apartment. She watched as Rinaa insisted vaulting herself down the staircase which made her just roll her eyes.

Sure, it was no doubt a typical teenager thing to do, but most kids she knew would slide down the bannisters. Then came Jay's competitive side and her joining in. "As my adoptive mom would always say, they really are cut from the same cloth" she commented, more to John and herself than anyone else, but it wasn't so quiet that others wouldn't have heard it. It was a quirky saying but she always loved it and it seemed 100% accurate for Jay and Rinaa.