[oom] Flesh and blood

[hell_in_highheels]

She stayed up too late, staring at the autopsy photos, trying to correlate the forensics with the reports that kept trickling in. She's trying to imagine just what purpose someone had for treating the corpse with such careless disregard.

What did it taste like, I wonder? What did it smell like, the broken bones seeping their marrow on the carpet of leaves, the trickles of blood mixing with the dark loam of the forest floor.  Heart and lungs, liver and kidneys. What would it feel like to tear  flesh from such a small body? 

She shakes her head, trying to clear the morbid thought from her mind.  It's nonsense.  It's rubbish, is what it is.  She can't think rationally when she gets this way.  This is what she  gets for going to bed hungry, she thinks.  Ryan has already gone to bed, and doesn't even awake when she joins him, simply slips an arm around her and pulls her close. 

~~~

The scene before her eyes is black and white.  Even with her enhanced night vision, the old growth forest is darkest here.  It's beautiful and serene, and she can smell the blood on the wind.  Something is wounded, something is running from her, and she's chasing it, chasing the intense wash of fear and pain. 

Run, little one.  Run and let me hear the pounding of your heart.  Let me feel the heat of your exertion.  I'm coming for you and there's nothing you can do to stop me.  Run.  Run like the devil is on your heels, because I am.  I'm coming for you.

The figure of a man hurls himself through the undergrowth, and she bats at him with one clawed hand, revelling in the sound that's torn from his throat.  Bone crunches beneath her hand and she's crashing into the back of him, her muzzle clamping down and giving one good hard shake to snap the neck.  Blood washes her mouth and she knows the taste.  She knows what horrific thing she has done before she even rolls the body over to look down into his face.

A heart-rending human scream, rage and sorrow and grief, boils up from within her.  His eyes look up at her from her fresh killed prey.  Richard's green eyes, now gone glassy and cold, stare up at her from his lifeless face. 

She screams again. 

And again. 

And again.

Comments

[hell_in_highheels]

Late night pillow talk probably has shown him that reality is a very -- liquid place for her. For all that she's flesh and blood in this place, just as he is dead, she is a ghost. How can you discount a dream when you half-believe you might be one?

It was that very notion that brought her out here the first time on a full moon, risking her life just to lay eyes on him.

It's partly why she clings to him more than she would like to admit. What if she wakes up to discover, the last six months of her life have been another anomaly in the data core? What if all of it is a dream? She can't live that way either.

When they get to the edge of the meadow, she pauses, listening intently, scanning heaven and earth. Eventually her gaze comes back to him, a soft smile on her lips.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Dream or not, what's reality to them remains. There's no way to prove it one way or the other and no way to snap it and find out.

The best they can do is live their lives according to the rules of the reality they've found. Live and learn, and if it ends some day, it ends.

It's not much of a meadow, but that's all right. It means Damocles doesn't have to run as far to greet them.

Hihihihihihihi!

[hell_in_highheels]

Always questioning, not always expecting answers, our girl.

River sinks down to meet Damocles at his level, opening her arms to catch him.

Hey you.

She keeps one hand on Richard at all times, her scent threaded through with relief, and joy, and love. In a span of heartbeats, her eyes are wet again.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Richard stays close, crouching as well. It's half to greet Dam, half to keep her close. He doesn't believe this is over. Things are never that simple.

Sir! River! You're here! He's jubilant to see them, but he quickly turns all that passion over to ask, What's wrong?

[hell_in_highheels]

Nothing. No, she can smell the lie of that. She tries again. Bad dreams.

He's spent enough nights watching her pace, waiting for Ryan to return, he probably knows better than Ryan the things she puts herself through.

She bumps against him, and then Richard, a sense of solidity returning to this world.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

I hate bad dreams, Dam sighs grumpily. Between her and Captain and his own nightmares (gah, zombies) it's amazing they ever sleep through a night.

Richard tousles the dog's ears, pointing out, I don't think anyone likes them.

[hell_in_highheels]

River smiles, her scent agreeing wholeheartedly with that sentiment.

This was worse than T-Rex, she admits to both of them. For some reason, she can handle the memory of her own death, even as painful and terrifying as it was.

One hand moves over Dam's back, petting his smooth black fur. The other rests on Richard's thigh.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

T-Rex?

A predator the size of the forge.

Ohhh. And the dream was worse? Dam shoves between them, pushing his head under River's arm. That musta been really scary.

Richard doesn't say anything.

[hell_in_highheels]

River holds the dog close, looking at her mate, searching his face.

It was pretty bad yeah. But you're here now, she answers.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

I've been here a while, Dam reminds them with a whine. When you guys go back, can I come?

X has said they don't need to come out here any more, so yes, Dam.

Yay! Ahh, doggy mood swings. Richard is glad he trained jumping out of him.

[hell_in_highheels]

His joy is infectious, and River grins as he wags with his whole body.

Come on then.

She stands and holds her hand out to Richard.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Could carry you again, he offers, taking her hand.

Me?

No.

Why not?

You have four legs. River only has two.

[hell_in_highheels]

I'm okay, she answers, looking at him with all the love in her heart.

And she is. She has her pack. She has her mate.

It was only a dream.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Richard bumps her. Only a dream.

Only a dream, agrees Dam, pushing against her.