It had been one of those beautiful, slightly drizzly Spring days that Oahu was somewhat famous for. Lots of warmth with a little wet and people seemed to be in a perfectly good mood. The Botanical Garden had enjoyed a wonderful little party that didn't quite hit luau status but was a welcome place for all to attend, and it served as a fund raiser to increase the money for the Garden's next fiscal year. As day had crept into night, people had slowly left, though there were still a number of people around enjoying the free food and the pretty darn cheap drinks that had been offered after the silent auction that afternoon.
Now, despite it being a good bit past sunset and almost 10 PM, people were still hanging around and talking even as the food supply had slowly dwindled down to a single table full of canapes and the bar had run down on most of the higher quality booze. As the saying goes, though, if the booze are free, people will stick around til the bar is empty.
Kirk quietly walks through the gardens. His hat drawn down slightly, his duffle bag firmly secure over his shoulder. There is a relaxed air to his expression and how he carries himself. His expression placid. His steps slow and deliberate. His wandering ends up with him spotting the remnants of the past party. His wandering paused, he looks towards the lingering people, not quick to invade a gathering he wasn't invited to.
Considering that the last time he was here, things didn't turn out all that well for most people involved, Rick hasn't been back since. But what do you do when you fall off the horse, right? Assuming the kick to the head didn't kill you, that is. So far, things have been a lot smoother this time than last. He's not drunk, but he's feeling good, and he's currently got a drink in one hand and a plate in the other, sitting on a chair near-ish the table of food. Just in case he needs more.
Angela has been getting more comfortable with parties like this and mingling a bit more than she did on her last visit back around Christmas. She got into the spirit of the auction and has stayed to see who the late nighters turned out to be. She's dressed in her usual leather jacket, t-shirt, and jeans with a fairly tame drink in hand and a plate piled up with various local examples of cooked meat ... with a little veg just for balance.
Despite being somewhat leary of the botanical gardens since the last time he had visited, Joachim had returned for the party, and for the chance to give it another go. He was dressed casually, but more dressed up than he normally was. Which is to say he was wearing pants for once. They were dark blue and hung comfortably on him, terminating at a pair of decent looking loafers. His shirt was button down but short sleeved, with four pockets and a slightly flowery style in a light green. He was sitting by the bar, having made himself comfortable with a Dark and Stormy, looking as people went by. Spotting what looked like a familiar face, he pushed off the wall and merged into the remaining crowd, looking about to catch a glimpse of that familiar hat and coat. As he moved in search of Kirk he spotted Rick, smiling and giving the man a wave. "Aloha! You decided to come back too huh?" Grinning, he caught Kirk in the crowd and called out in greeting. Angela walking by with a savory plate of snacks in one hand had his nostrils twitching, and he grinned. "Aloha Angela. Smells like you picked a good plate." He chuckled.
The party was a pretty well-known event amongst locals, to say the least, and where you find free food and better yet free booze, you are likely to find freeloaders as well. One local hawaiian girl happened to be here enjoying herself and being a social butterfly, acting as if hanging out in a bikini to this event was perfectly normal. Having her fill of food for the time being, she still joked and seemed to speak rather loudly to a complete stranger with a plastic cup of beer in her hand.
Wren had attended the benefit fundraiser, after all, you didn't run a business on Oahu without being friendly to all public properties. He'd dressed in what were likely his best pair of jeans, these ones not quite worn into the all-too familiar set of his legs or rear, but still hale and hearty with their dark blue dye. His cowboy boots were likewise almost brand new, a dark, fine calf-skin brown with brighter beige stitching that helped them look all the more supple. For a shirt, he'd worn a classy-looking button front, light blue number and throughout the night had at some point rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. His hair had been recently trimmed and was short, matching well with his trimmed up mustache and goatee, all of which were a dark blonde, as always.
Currently, Wren is standing near the bar, drinking from a scotch glass that was filled with a dark, amber liquid and a couple of ice cubes, smiling at the bar tender and speaking to her quietly with a somewhat flirtatious quality to his expression.
Ooh, a party? Well of course Muriel would be here! Afterall, she lives for parties! Even if it's really for some dull fundraising thing or whatever. She hadn't really paid attention. Arriving in style as usual, she wears an emerald green cocktail dress, gathered at the waist, with a flouncy skirt, a small harp strained over her shoulder. No doubt she may just be performing later tonight, who knows? She heads directly for the bar of course, pausing briefly as she peers at Wren's glass of scotch, tossing him a flirtatious smile before glancing at the bar man. "Hmm I'll have what the cute blonde's having, scotch on the rocks, by the looks of it?" she grins, peering around, catching sight of Joachim and Kirk somewhere in the crowd, smiling and nodding to them.
Drums. Drums in the Deep. A particular hippie had managed to get her hands on bongos and was drumming a slow rhythm out, drawing her fingers over the head to alternate the sound of the beat. Volya was completely barefoot in a pair of oversized olive cargo shorts and a loose white tanktop, sitting Indian style amongst the flowers and bushes. Her hair and clothes were completely soaked through, to the point, it was evident she had arrived before the silent auction. A Rastafarian theme shoulder bag, in the style of an oversized hacky sack, laid open beside her. Maintaining a lazy one-handed beat, she'd reach over to grab a piece of jerky to pop into her mouth as she swayed to the music.
Notably, there weren't really any children at the event at this point. Any that had come earlier had long since gone home with their parents, which allowed the adults left over to be a little more free with their actions and language. There were spatterings of conversations happening, many in English but some in Hawaiian, Chinese, or Tongan, depending on the small groupings of people one might stand next to.
From the pathway to the nearby village of Mililani, a woman came walking slowly. She wore a simple mumu, bright blue with green and white flowers printed on it, flowing gently around her. When the light, warm breeze shifted to alternate directions the fabric clung to what could only be described as an extremely swollen belly, obviously laden with child.
Kirk looks towards Joachim as he calls out, nodding his head slightly towards the other man. After a moment, he decides to approach. He seems a little sedate. Relaxed. As he nears, he glances around briefly, though only for a moment before he comments to Joachim, "I didn't know there was a function going on here. I don't suppose it's a closed event. I wouldn't want to barge in." The visibly pregnant woman draws his eye then, the man giving her a glance over, his brow furrowing softly.
Rick looks over when he hears the familiar voice, and he grins, lifting a hand to Joachim. "Aloha," he returns, and he sets down his plate and cup on another empty chair beside him. There are plenty of those around at this hour. He stands up then and starts toward his friend, but his eye is caught by the woman, and something makes him turn that way. He squints, and then his eyes widen again, more than is natural. And then, for whatever reason, he starts over that way instead. "Whoa," he says as he starts to get closer. "Think you need an ambulance...?" He reaches to offer her a shoulder to lean on first, though.
Joachim smiled at Kirk, nodding. "I think it's a public function, so we should be fine. Grab something to eat. I certainly intend to." He smiled, his eyes shifting through the crowd as he spotted the heavily pregnant woman. He frowned at her condition, noting the stained marks on her dress and shoes. He looked back to Kirk. "Excuse me for a moment." And went over to help the woman out. As he did so he paused, frowning at a somewhat familiar face, giving Anuhea a somewhat confused nod as he went by to speak with the woman and Rick. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" He looked to Rick. "Ambulance looks about right. I can have them try and page a doctor too. There might be somebody here." He shrugged.
Angela smiles to Joachim, "Sweet, sweet protien. At this rate I think I really will invest in a smoker ... which means I'll have to figure out that 'no pigs on the leeward side' rule." As Kirk comes up she waves a hand with a drink in it, looking like she could use a third to shake with. "Well, it started out as a charity auction, now it's just kind of an all comers social. I don't think it's possible to crash one of those." About that time she spies the woman entering the area, super pregnant and spaced out looking. "Uhm, will you gentlemen excuse me for a second? I'm Angela by the way." Finding a place to sit her stuff down, she starts towards the woman in question.
Anuhea hardly pays the pregnant woman any mind. She'd seen a lot of pregnant people, actually. Maybe she'd say something if she went for the alcohol, but it was too early to say what she was here for. In any case, Anuhea's attention was instead directed toward a familiar face she thought she had remembered from months ago.
The conversation she was having with that other person was conveniently wrapping up, so she wandered on over to Angela, unknowingly interposing herself between her and the pregnant woman. "Aloha! I think I remember you from somewhere! We met at a beach once." She laughed, saying, "Well I probably meet just about everyone there, honestly. You're Angelique, right?"
Wren gave Joachim a nod as the fellow bar goer took off toward other people. As Muriel approached, he flashed her a wide, warm smile and a nod. "Mahalo, miss, and while I'm pretty sure all of their better stuff got cleaned out long before I came in and started ordering, this isn't bad. Good guess." He lifted his glass of scotch to her. "And a good choice." Taking a sip of his drink, Wren gave a wink of one of his blue eyes to the harpist, then glanced over at the trail where the pregnant woman was walking. As Rick and Joachim walked up to offer her support, Wren's brows furrowed a bit and he took back the last of his scotch with a steady set of swallows, draining the glass. Setting down the glass, he pulled a couple of bills from his pocket and set them onto the bar, winking at the bartender. "Free doesn't mean your talent should be, sweetheart." Then the very tall man started walking over in his long, easy gait to get closer to the pathway and the now trio.
Muriel smirks at Wren, "Aye, Tis one of me favorites." she pauses at the bar a few moments, peering around as she takes a sip of her drink. The pregnant woman is noticed but she makes no effort to help her. "So, what be the theme of this party again? Some manner of fundraiser?"
"It's like I was saying... This is only rainy day, so it'll be cool. Just be patient and the bees will find you." Volya nodded deeply as she shared this particular pearl of wisdom as she cracked a bloodshot eye to glance at people moving about, a slow smile pulling at the edge of her mouth. "It's not boss... Landlord? Landowner? Lawnmower?" A giggle slipped out of her as she continued her lazy patting on the bongos. "In the realm of sweet nectars, there are some things that acreage make..." She paused, her expression going puzzled as she stared at the bush next to her, "What? No, it's not going to work."
As Joachim and Rick came closer, the pregnant woman didn't seem to notice them. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge them until Rick's shoulder was placed under her arm. At that point, she looked up at Rick and blinked, eyes unable to come into focus. "Hmmm, what now?" Her question was delivered with a slur to her voice that suggested a thickened tongue. Under the warm, caramel color of her skin tone she was washed out, looking like there was no pink or red undertones to her skin at all. The overall effect was to make her look rather sallow. Not long after the support was there, the woman let out a hollow sounding moan and crouched herself forward, suddenly breaking into a sweat along her brow and her upper lip.
The bartender grinned at Wren and took the tip, pocketing it as she turned her head to Muriel, keeping that same smile on her face. "Yes ma'am, it was a fundraiser for the Gardens. We had a silent auction this afternoon and now it's just the stragglers left on. The bar's still open, though, until the alcohol's gone enough that I can carry it out of here in one box." She chuckled and went about making Muriel's drink, setting it onto the bar in front of the red-headed harpist. "There you are."
Kirk nods to Joachim and Angela, but as people migrate towards the woman, he turns to join that migration. His brow furrowed with some concern. Which spikes as he gets closer to take in the details of the woman. "I think she should lay down. She looks like she might fall over." He circles, moving a bit close to assist Rick. "And.. water." He turns his head towards the bar. "Water! Can someone bring us some water!?" He unshoulders his bag to better be able to help, leaving it down beside him. Though a moment later he gets distracted by.. something. Glancing to his left, head cocked slightly. He scans the bushes a slow, lingering moment.
"Whoa!" When the woman bends down and moans, Rick crouches next to her, should she need to hold on again. Not that she would necessarily even notice that he was there, but if she does, he is. As he does, he reaches into his pocket for his phone, dialing a quick 911 and holding it to his ear. Of course, that's right about when something //else// catches his attention, and his head jerks around toward the bushes as well. So when someone comes on the other end of the line he may be distracted. Whoops.
Angela smiles to Anuhea, "Just Angela. Anu-hea, right?" She's clearly still getting used to Hawaiian names. Craning her neck for a moment, Angela motions to Rick and Joachim, "Bring her over this way, got a nice spot for her over here." She tries to catch Joachim's eye in the process, nodding towards a set of bushes off to the left of the entrance.
Joachim nodded to Kirk. "Water. Good idea. Thanks Kirk." He frowned, noting the man looking off to the side, but too distracted with the pregnant woman to worry about it. He smiled at Anuhea, remembering her now. "Anuhea. Hey. Scuse us a sec." With Rick at the woman's other side he started to help the expectant mother to where Angela had pointed out. When Rick's eyes, and then Angela's went to the left again, he frowned and looked fully in that direction, eyes narrowing. In doing so, he spotted Wren and Muriel talking, giving them both a nod as the two headed over.
Noticing all the attention the pregnant woman was getting, Anuhea finally decides to pay her more than a glance. "Wow, bad time to take a walk and go into labor..." she mutters. And at around that time was when she thought she heard something from a nearby bush. Anuhea turned to look in that direction, squinting a bit and blinking, noticing a hippy gal playing some drums sitting nearby instead. She took another sip of her beer.
Wren heard the call for water and nodded his head to Kirk. "Got the water!" And putting his long legs to good use, he make a quick rush over to the bar and reached in behind it, grabbing up two bottles of water with one hand. "Just going to steal these, sugar." He gave another wink to the bartender and then started over to the woman and those gathering around her. "DOC!" He called out loudly toward the gathered people. "Get over here!" As he got closer he held the water out. "I've got Doc Keawe with me here, he can help out at least til we get an ambulance." It was obvious that Wren's attention was entirely on the woman and the knot of people nearby, as he didn't seem to catch anything that the others were looking at in the foliage.
An asian man, looking quite calm and oddly collected, came out of a gathering of several local Hawaiians. He was dressed smartly in slacks and a soft looking blazer in pale blue. Nodding to Wren as he approached, the man called out with a mellow voice "I'm a doctor, I can help." And then immediately took the bottles of water out of Wren's outstretched and and moved to crouch in front of the woman who had doubled over her belly. "Let's get her to a chair. Right now." And then he stood, motioning for Rick and Joachim to help her as he led the way and started walking them toward the closest chair. Contrary to his calm vibe, he was giving people that might be sitting in the closest chairs enough of a hairy eyeball that they cleared the way immediately so the woman would have a place to sit.
Muriel blinks at Kirk, arching a brow at the request. She's really not sure how these delivery things work, and seems more inclined to enjoy the party instead. But she's bored already and this may prove exciting. "Water, eh? Just a moment. Ye need towels too I suppose?" she leans over to whisper to the barman, fluttering her eyes flirtatiously at him before he hands her two bottles of water and a clean towel, and lazily taking another sip of her scotch, she follows after Wren, peering at the small crowd gathered around the pregnant woman but keeping a distance. "Kirk, ye asked for water? An' here are some towels too." she peers at the doctor and smirks. "What should I do with these? She need a pillow or something?" she shrugs, hanging around awkwardly.
Volya's hand came to a stop on the drum when people started raising their voice. Her eyes cracked open and she scanned the area for potential police. "Shhh... No sirens. You're just being paranoid." Clearing her thought, she picked up her bongos and slipped them into her bag. Her brow wrinkled as she stared and concentrated on what was happening, slowly climbing to her bare feet. Sniffing the area, she blinked a couple of times, rubbing her own abdomen as she stared up at the trees. "Is it really that paranoid?"
The bartender just shook her head and winked as Muriel took the towels. Wren got a laugh as she motioned to the water that he had also taken "No problem, go help." Then she continued about her job, serving alcohol to those that stuck it out at the bar.
The woman seemed to relax, taking a deep breath as she was held up by both Joachim and Rick, her unfocused eyes looked at those people that had gathered around. Offering everyone a dreamy smile, she murmured a slurred "Aloha ahiahi. I don't remember how much dinner I put in the oven, but I'm sure we have enough, right Hanale?" She squeezed Joachim slightly, addressing him as Hanale, apparently. The pain she'd been in was obviously forgotten for the moment, and she moved easily where the men might coerce her.
Doc Keawe reached out to take the towels and additional water from Muriel, offering her a curt nod. "Mahalo, Miss. These will come in handy for keeping her cool. And for anything we need to clean up." His tone was somewhat terse, but he was doing a damn fine impression of someone that was chilled out if you looked at his facial expression. He did glance over at the woods for a moment, lips pressing together firmly, before he refocused himself on the task at hand and positioned a chair for the woman to sit in easily once Joachim and Rick got her to it. Ostensibly, he covered the seat of the chair in a towel.
Water being brought is given some attention by Kirk. A glance over and nod of appreciation to Wren and Muriel. He does seem sincere, but he's distracted. And the doctor coming.. that seems to let him distract himself all the more. Someone who knows what they're doing. And he's fine with letting a doctor do what doctors do best. Freed of distraction, he listens carefully as he continues to watch the bushes.
Rick shakes his head, ignoring whatever it was that he'd heard in the bushes in favor of bringing the woman over to where the doctor tells him to. He just stands there then, doing whatever it is that he is requested to do, but otherwise just making himself available. And looking not at what is happening unless he absolutely has to. He's not that heroic.
Angela digs in her pocket for a moment, producing her cell phone. "I'll put in a call for an ambulance. Hey, Doc, you want the phone after to keep them posted?" That sallow look and the lady's general incoherence has Angela a bit concerned. "I really should have taken that extension course ... "
Joachim blinked, looking awfully confused at being referred to as Hanale. Clearly stupified, he looked up to the others and merely shrugged. He looked down to the delirious woman, patting her on the arm as they sat her down and nodding. "You'll be alright miss. Just let the doctor take care of you." He looked to Keawe, giving the man room to work as he stepped back. He smiled at Wren and Muriel. "Great party huh? You guys see something in the bushes? People seem to be freaking out." He took a few steps in that direction, making a clucking sound. "Be cat. Be cat. I'll adopt you if you're a cat."
It seemed the pregnant woman was getting all the attention at the party now, unsurprisingly. There wasn't any way Anuhea could offer help, and no one would probably be interested in any other kind of conversation in the mean time. Anuhea couldn't really think of anything appropriate to say in the mean time either. So she did what just about everyone else did who wasn't helping and gawked
Wren knew well where his talents managed to find themselves in use, but now wasn't really the moment for any of them. Instead of making himself a barrier to anything occurring, he stepped back to the side a touch and glanced at Rick, curiosity blatant on his face. "Did you get through to emergency services?" He noticed the movement of Volya packing up, and of course glanced her way to make sure all was OK now that the bongo music in the background had stopped, leaving an odd silence in the world around them. "Everything alright over there, Vee?" He looked over at Joachim curiously, shaking his head. "I only saw Vee moving around. Was there someone else? Might be people have snuck off from the party for a little privacy?"
Muriel glances at Volya and smirks, "Heh, don't stop the music, I love bongo drums. Wonder if it'd go with harp music?" she smirks, "Calm the woman perhaps. An' Tis still a party, aye?"
Doc is offered a flirtatious smile as he takes the offered towel and water. "Aye, glad to be of service, 'Doc." she grins and winks at him, although as Kirk continues to glance at something in the bushes, her smile fades, resting a light hand on his shoulder if allowed.
"Kirk, What is it? Something wrong?" she too, peers at the bushes but doesn't move towards them. "Aye, just a cat, Joa.."
Volya took a few steps, her fingertips running gingerly over the leaves of the bushes as she passed, her gaze moving over the perimeter to the trees and back. Offering a nervous smile to Wren, "What? Uhhh... Hopefully? So like this... Flying torso woman that eats..." She didn't finish the statement, just gesturing with a large curve over her abdomen, a giggle slipping out a moment later and she shook her head. "That's cool. I'm being paranoid." Volya's smile warmed and she shrugged her shoulders, "Not that many harps around the bonfire to know, but it may sound pretty sweet."
Kirk shakes his head and looks back towards Muriel. "It was nothing. I thought I heard voices, but.. maybe I've been out too long I'm going to go rest." She looks towards the pregnant woman. "She seems in good hands. So I'll leave it to you all. Have a good evening." He lifts a hand to the gathered and starts to head away after picking up his bag.
It might be possible for others to hear the other end of the conversation on Rick's phone consisting of "Aloha? Is anyone there?" and then a similar repetition of the same statement in Hawaiian.
Doc Keawe, now that he had the woman sitting int he chair had knelt down and begun by taking the woman's pulse, first from the wrist and then from her neck, speaking quietly to the woman as he did so, letting her know what he was doing. Once that was done, he opened up the bottle of water and spoke calmly, clearly. "Whoever has 911 on the phone, she's got a thready pulse and is dehydrated, and in labor. Looks to be at least 8 months along. We need an aid car here now." He glanced up and looked the people gathered, then went about drenching one of the towels with chilled water to drape it over the back of the pregnant woman's neck. Just a few moments after that happened, the woman buckled forward again and made a horrid, pained sound. The doctor reached over and placed his hand on her abdomen and spoke softly in Hawaiian, making soothing sounds.
People had begun paying more attention to the woman going into labor, whispered coversations moving through the entirety of those gathered, until she was being seen to by a doctor. Then, they seemed to just give curious glances as they went back to their own conversations.
Muriel arches a brow at Volya, "Flying..Torso..What?" she scratches her head and smirks, "Aye, ye be a wee bit paranoid, I think." she grins, "I'd love to do a harp bongo duet.." she sighs, " But I just realized I that's a performance early tomorrow morning. Better call it a night. Next time perhaps?" she grins and winks at Volya and waves at Joa before rushing off to join Kirk, "Hey, need a ride?"
Somehow whatever the person on the other says manages to penetrate, and Rick blinks, shaking his head quickly like he's trying to clear it. "Yeah," he says, "sorry. We're at the Wahiawa Botanical Garden, right where they just had that fundraiser. A lady's having a baby." Then he repeats everything that the doctor has just said to him, into the phone. That's about when the woman's scream can be heard, and likely pretty well, too. "Hurry, yeah?" he says, though stays on the line for anything else that the dispatcher might need. And then, well...he hears it again, and his head turns quickly to the bushes, his eyes narrowing as he scans for whatever it is. Nothing nice, probably.
Angela nods to Anuhea, "Nothing like an eventful night, huh?" She starts edging towards those bushes that continue attract her attention. "Hopefully the ambulance will be here soon, yeah?" She keeps an eye on those bushes, really hoping that it isn't another baby-eating monster and steeling herself to turn it into a statistic if there is one.
Joachim looked to Volya, about to open his mouth to respond and shutting it, nodding. "You know... I hate to say it but I was thinking the exact same thing. That says some weird things about our shared experiences." He chuckled. Sighing, he went over to pick up his drink again, looking at it with a frown before shaking his head and dumping it out. "Never pick up a drink again at a party. And whoever's skulking in there! Heads up!" He tossed the glass into the bushes on the left, though the throw was pretty terrible and god only knows where it sailed off to. He looked to Angela and shrugged. "I'm impatient."
Anuhea chuckles. "Yeah.. the party was pretty fun, now we have this to liven things up just when everyone starts getting sleepy..." Then Joachim throws a glass. He seems to remember Anuhea, but she was having trouble remembering herself. Instead she asks, "Dude, what are you doing? Chill out man, no one wants to step on broken glass.. or clean it up."
Wren looked at Volya and blinked. "I have to agree with her, Volya, a flying torso?" He looked at Muriel and then lifted a hand to her and Kirk. "Be safe, Aloha ahiahi." Then he shifted a bit over a touch and peered down to Volya, examining her face for a moment. "You sure you're alright, Vee?" Then, with the speed of near stop-motion camera work, Wren turned his eyes to stare at the bushes to the left of the pathway. "Well... I think there's definitely something over there, but..." He glanced at Joachim and smiled winsomely. "I don't know if it got your message with the lobbed glass, sir." Wren looked back to make sure that the doctor had the pregnant woman handled, then started to saunter over toward the bushes, calling out softly. "Hey there in the bushes, why don't you come on out in case his aim gets better next time?"
Volya gave Muriel a nod as the woman disappeared. Blinking slowly, her lips tightened as she stared at Wren, gesturing to Joachim. "See... I'm not the only one that saw, so that's good even when it's bad. Seriously, chasing a pig through the woods and..." She paused for a long moment, humming a note. "So... Flying in the trees? I mean not that the trees are saying much about it." She gestured to the tree tops and called up to them, "You're not helping!"
Feeling like she may have had one too many drinks, Anuhea says, "Nice seeing you Angela. Think I'll go before this party gets too crazy," she said, unaware of boogeymen in the bush, but rather talking about people getting too crazy on the remaining booze. "Aloha!" she calls rather loudly, as if people cared, sauntering off in the direction of an exit.
The voice over the phone with Rick asked to speak to the doctor working with the pregnant woman just about at the same time Doc Keawe reached his hand back expectantly for the phone and offered Rick a slight smile. "I can tell them directly what's going on. I promise I'll give the phone back before the night's over."
The woman in the chair continued to work her way through the contraction she was experiencing, and when it was over she slumped in the chair and took deep, exhausted breaths.
The bushes next to the path actually moved enough that anyone there could notice them this time, possibly in response to the glass being thrown or to whatever was in there being called out specifically. The sound of a singly, hissed "SHIT" could be heard, through clenched teeth.
Rick hands over the phone without hesitation -- it looks about as old as the hills, if the hills had cell phones, so maybe he isn't too worried about it. It's a good thing he doesn't need to talk to the emergency dispatcher anymore, because now his attention is fully on the bushes. "What the hell?" he murmurs, and he looks like he's going to take a step toward them after Wren, but ultimately he decides not to.
Joachim laughed, nodding to Volya. "She's right. Flying torso woman trying to eat pig babies." He shook his head. "The last time I was around a pregnant something this happened, and the last time I was here something else crazy happened. So why don't you come out of the bushes there and talk normally. Hopefully you're just a crazy stalker. Please just be a crazy stalker. Seriously. I'll pay you to just be a perfectly normal creep."
Wren moved in closer to the bushes, stepping around the edge of a particularly leafy one to peer behind it. He stopped still completely, and staring. "Well then. Remind me to start paying people to be normal creeps in the future." He hopped back and motioned for people to get away. "Uh. You might all want to leave." His long arms made motions toward the exit path, and when he looked back at the people gathered his bright blue eyes were wide. "Seriously." Wren motioned to people, a little more urgently as he stepped away from the bushes.
Volya's head tilted as she stared at the cursing bush. "So less flying bush... Oh!" She waved at the Doc and smiled. She stared for a long moment and her feet were moving to the bushes before she understood the Doc was busy. Shushing Joachim, Volya gestured at the pregnant woman, she kept on the move, coming along side Wren to lean on the man. Nodding at the bush, she gestured as well. "The bush isn't loving it by the way."
People under the influence of drink tend to be a bit on the easy side to move around. Or not. It all depends on what they're being urged to do, really. The bartender announced that the bar was closed, her eyes going to the bushes nervously as she crammed the last few bottles of alcohol into a box and started picking it up. Once the bar was closed, other people seemed to take things a little more seriously, and there were suddenly several groups of people flooding out of the area, moving between the area where the pregnant woman sat having contractions and the bushes. Most of them rushed past the area in the bushes that seemed to be moving even more so now.
The Doctor eyed people slightly, moving himself between the pregnant woman and the rush of people exiting the area, talking quietly on the phone and updating the dispatcher in calm tones while he continued to monitor the pregnant woman's condition as best he could.
The bushes began shaking more, and then a bit up higher, there was movement in the trees overhead. And then... a face appeared, it's mouth spread into a terrible grimace that revealed multiple sharp teeth, black hair hanging over it in damp lanks that looked held together by more than just water. "You should be lesssss nosey..." The whispered voice was cruel and heartless, obviously similar in tone to one of the voices heard earlier as that face hung out of the tree branches, using the leaves to cover the rest of itself.
Well, shit. Now Rick is certainly glad that he hasn't gotten any closer, but at the same time, he doesn't get any further away, either. He's in it now, apparently. He just stays in his place by the woman, though he does glance around for something to use as a weapon. Something. Anything. He settles on a a couple of metal poles that are close by, perhaps used in the construction of the stage earlier. Thank god for shoddy workmanship. He goes quickly to grab one, then moves back to resume his post, this time, at least, not unarmed.
Angela lets out a long breath, "Again with you guys? Neither one of you are going to get this woman or her child so if you've got any sense you should just leave. Right now. Otherwise it's gonna get messy for you. Take it or leave it." Angela's right hand dips under her jacket, towards the small of her back.
A faint sheen touches the clouds in the sapphire night sky to the east.
Joachim gaped as the face appeared, listening to it's sibilant voice and catching sight of those plentiful teeth. He looked to Wren then and pointed at it. "HA! Told you! Ugly ass baby eating monsters. If we're LUCKY this one is just a flying torso." He shuddered and looked to Rick, nodding at the man and patting him on the shoulder. "I've got your back man." He let out a breath, reaching out a hand and falling into a different language entirely. As he did so the tree in which the Aswang hid shuddered and shook violently, the limbs growing massive spines, then clenching and closing around the horror to gouge, pierce and tear at her. As she was assaulted by her own hiding spot, Joachim looked to Angela and Wren. "Sooo... that thing is a wide awake horror show. In case you were wondering." He looked to Angela, his eyebrows going up at her words. "Sounds like you already know."
The creature up in the tree let out a horrid hissing sound of frustration as it was struck by magical means. "REGRET! You WILL regret!" It made its statement as a harrowing promise before a sudden jerking motion had the once visible face covered again by leaves. A moment later, the branch that had been holding the creature up broke and it fell down into the bushes with a crash, carrying with it a large, mishapen lump that looked disturbingly malformed. The bushes wavered, but hid whatever had fallen.
Wren looked up at the tree with a snapped turn of his head when the voice started mentioning people being less nosey. He shook his head and tsked softly under his breath as he walked somewhat against traffic, looking for something... anything. When he spotted Rick picking up his metal pipes, Wren walked over to the pile left behind for those picking up the next day and hefted 3 of them into his left hand, then a fourth one into his right. Testing the weight of it, he switched up his grip on it and held the 2 foot long metal pole like a javelin, staring up into the tree as the 'civilians' began clearing out of the area in earnest. "I think you ought to listen to the young lady and just leave, this isn't a good place for you. Especially if you're planning something that won't go over well." When the creature fell down, his eyes narrowed on the bush, and he took a stance with one foot out ahead of himself, readying a pivot if needed.
Volya stared blankly at Aswangs, still trying to process way was going on when her body did a full body flinch when the branch was snapped. "AND... The buzz just got harshed..." Emerald light flared in Volya's eyes and a warm Summer breeze carried the scent of rain and tropical flowers. Sweeping her hand in a wide arc, every flower, bush and tree seemed to move, very literally moving really. Bush, plant leaned back, drawing back from the Aswang to expose there positions. More unsettling, not a branch snapped or trunk groaned in protest, it was as if the Botanical Gardens themselves took objection to the creatures there and refused to be party to them anymore. Letting out a heavy breath, Volya just stared at the Aswang. "And that... Would be them upside about the branch..."
When the bushes and branches of every nearby piece of leafy life spread away from anything and everything they could be hiding, it revealed more than one surprise. There was bits of litter suddenly shown to the world that likely never expected to be found again. A retainer that someone had likely lost to the bushes some time ago as its metal was now rusted. Cigarette and cigar butts were pushed up from their depths within trampled grass and rested atop the soft layer carpeting the world within the Gardens. Coins that had been dropped from hands or pockets were popped up from where they'd gone long forgotten.
Of course, among the rather normal things that were suddenly discoverable were two forms that wouldn't have likely been missed if someone had gone looking for them. They both had female torsos, like normal human women, and heads much like females as well. Both of them had long, black hair that clung to them wetly in hanks that seemed slicked with more than just water. Their eyes were hateful, filled with nothing but black orbs that seemed to focus on everyone looking at them at the same time.
While their torsos might have looked human, the arms jutting from them were bent wrong and ended in what could have been considered 'hands' but had fingers about a full foot long, tipped in nasty, filthy black claws. Both bodies ended just below the belly button, and instead of normal legs, each of the creatures sported 8 legs, hairy and bumpy like spider's legs, but made with human flesh protruding with thick, spiky hairs. The ends of each leg held a flattened piece that acted like a foot and was tipped in another long, vicious spike of a claw.
Both of them opened mouths filled with dagger like teeth, and let out hissing shrieks as their hiding place was completely ruined by Volya's magical intervention.
Rather than focusing on the situation happening in the bushes, Doc Keawe kept his focus on the woman in labor, speaking to her softly and completely blocking her view behind him to the revealed creatures with his body. He didn't look over his shoulder to see what was going on. He just kept on the phone and urged the aid car to hurry.
Any 'civilians' that were left now ran like they were on fire, screaming. All of them headed for the exit of the park in a drunken, maddened rush. It left the aswangs there with the small number of people that seemed to be willing to stand up to them, one pregnant woman in labor, and the doctor.
Rick would be lying if he said he didn't contemplate running when that other one pops up, as well. Luckily, no one is asking him. He keeps the pole hefted over his shoulder, watching the two of them but staying close to the woman and the doctor. Not so close that he'd inadvertently hit them with the pole should it come to that, though. Probably.
Angela blinks as the green cover moves away from the aswangs, "Nice one." She sloughs off her jacket and loosens her jeans, "Last call, ladies. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here." At that her form blurs and flows into the shape of a large, North American mountain lion. Said lioness snarls and makes a hacking noise towards the aswangs.
The sun ascends in a bright blue sky filled with fluffy fair weather clouds and a few wisps of cirrus.
The Aswang that had been on a branch, well, was on the branch until the thing literally jerked away from her and prevented her from hiding behind its leaves, looked at Joachim with a hiss of rage. "MORTAL... You strike me?!" And then she was in the air, launching herself with a push off of the ground with all 8 of her legs. Claws raked down the front of Joachim, doing less damage than they might have if he hadn't put up the blockade of force between the Aswang and himself. His clothes shredded a bit, and she left red welts down the front of his body.
Joachim jumped back and scrambled as the Aswang came at him all of a sudden, his eyes going wide as he brought the force shield up in front of him, using it to deflect the worst of the blows from the creature. Stumbling, he almost fell and let the thing come in close, reaching out as if trying to stop it. And then he grabbed it by the shoulders and brought it in close. "Surprise sweetheart." As he opened his mouth, a bright stream of plasma exploded outwards into the night sky, straight into the Aswang as Joachim levered himself up off the floor. He continued to pour on the roiling beam of superheated matter, charring the woman horrible as the stink of burning flesh filled the air. Getting to his feet again, Joachim brushed himself off, spreading out a pair of wings. "Neither one of you are getting out of here you realize that right? Can't let you just go and pray on some other poor woman." As he watched Angela change his face spread into a small smile. "Well shit... now that's something cool." He called out to Wren and Rick. "Get a broom if you can! They really hate the bristles! Something about their tongues."
Wren eyed the Aswang as it launched itself at Joachim, eyebrows furrowing as he readied the metal rod in his hand, hefting it over his shoulder in classic javelin technique. "None of that now! LEAVE like the lady... cat lady said!" Wren glanced at the mountain lion and blinked, then looked back at the Aswang as she attempted to gut Joachim. He let loose the metal rod then, using it as a powerfully driven missile to hit into the aswang's hide, causing it to make a red, angry line up along the side of the creatures torso and along her back before the metal pole clattered away onto the grass.
The second Aswang seemed like it might go after Joachim as well, but when Wren tosses the metal pole at her... sister?... the creature leapt from the rather obvious location she'd been 'hiding' within when the bushes were being friendly and went straight for the tall farmer. That lovely shirt of his was ruined as she slashed at it, scratching into his skin, but not quite managing to gain more solid purchase on the man.
Volya watched the Aswang rush one person than the next, hugging herself as she watched. Some imagined line was crossed as the Aswang moved any closer to the pregnant woman. Volya just started into a spin cycle, she was Russian after all. The Summer breeze swirled and offered its warmth. Roots broke out from under the earth, spiraling on these to form ropes that twisted and snaked towards the Aswang, coiling around the creature. And with Volya doing several more pique turns, the roots followed suit to force the Aswang to stop its forward movement and begin drawing the creature into the earth.
The sound of the aid car could be heard as it had its siren on. It was still a little bit away.
When Doc Keawe heard the impending sirens, he lifted his head and looked around, eyes widening slightly as he caught sight of the Aswangs. "Aswang?!" He looked back to the pregnant woman then and shook his head. Kneeling down, he gently checked her and let out a frustrated breath. "Ok now, I am going to move you up onto the table. Don't worry, you'll be just fine." He helped her off of the chair, then slowly lowered her down to the table, putting a folded towel under her head and then checking between her legs. "I don't think it's going to wait for the ambulance." Doc then proceeded to strip out of his jacket and then his overshirt, leaving himself in just an A-style undershirt. He folded up his dress shirt and set it nearby on the table, presumably to use to catch the baby... soon.
Rick watches the scene unfold, keeping eyes on the Aswangs should they come close enough to strike, but until then he does not move, though he does reply, "The faster the better!" to the doctor. That isn't how that works, is it? If only. "Where the hell //is// the ambulance?!"
Angelawatches the exchange between the first Aswang and Joachim, surprised that a) dude's got wings and plasma breath, and b) that the darned thing is still moving after being Godzilla'd at. The big cat turn and leaps at said Aswang, to rake at it's back while it's occupied with Joachim.
While originally its plan had been to obviously destroy the source of her primary attack, the Aswang found itself being slashed at by a mountain lion. That in and of itself was a shock here on Oahu, and the creature turned to handle the large cat, stabbing at it with its long limbs and attempting to turn Angelacat into a pin cushion. It didn't quite get enough purchase to do so, but it did tousel her fur a little.
Joachim watched as Angela the Mountain Lion mauled the hell out of the Aswang, taking the moment to gather his breath. Even as he did so his exhalations burned, the smell of ozone thick in the air. His wings flapped and carried him back a bit as he waited until the lion had disengaged. Another beam of brilliant crimson fire burst forth from his mouth as he spoke in Coptic, splashing over the Aswang and burning her further.
Wren looked at the creature that Volya had been kind enough to tie down a bit, then hefted his second of 4 javelin-esque metal rods. He took aim and threw it, but with her scrambling limbs, the aswang seemed to dodge it far too easily. It was almost as if the creature wasn't held down at all.
The creature that had come second to the fray continued her assault on Wren, especially as he'd chosen to keep hitting her. She lashed out, this time with one of her long, spindly and rather creepy spider's legs. It caught him in the torso, and spiked through the soft tissue along the side of his abdomen, leaving a vicious, thorough hole that went through and through and began bleeding all over his nice clothes.
Since the others have the Aswangs well in hand, Rick turns to the doctor and says, "I'm gonna go find the EMTs." The sentence is barely out before he's already on the way to the front of the gardens.
Volya continued her spinning dance, stopping with a gasp when the Aswang ripped into Wren. Her glowing green orbs narrowed at the Aswang. Her voice rang out in a throat tearing screech as her fingers squeezed at the air, the air growing heated around her as the roots began to tighten and dug into the vampiress's flesh. "Leave... Him... Alone!"
The ambulance was definitely getting closer now, the sound of the siren reverberating off the nearby mountain walls.
The woman on the table let out a sharp scream as another, very hard contraction hit her and caused her to writhe around a bit. The doctor looked between her legs and made a soft sound under his breath. "Just keep it calm, we can do this together. Breathe through it. Just breathe." He stroked her leg and breathed for her to follow, slow, deep breathes as he positioned the last of the towels under her legs, on top of the table.
Angela continues to maul the first awang, ripping at it with teeth and claws until the monster falls over dead. At this rate, she thinks, she ought to be putting notches on something.
Joachim watched as Angela turned the Aswang into a bloody mess, giving the huge cat a weary nod. Looking rather tired and sallow, he bent to heft the pole Rick had left behind in both hands. He used it mostly to keep himself upright, but there was still fight left in him. "I'm probably going to need this real soon..." He puffed himself up, letting out yet another blast of plasma, catching the remaining Aswang in the side and burning it's flesh. "God someone kill that damn thing..."
Wren wasn't pleased, and that was easily readable by the sound of pain he made when the Aswang elected to drive its foot through his soft tissues along his non-existent love handles. "Awww, that's just not how it goes." He grunted sharply and used one of his last 2 javelins, hoisting it up and holding it over his right shoulder. He leapt into the air and threw it, giving some heavy 'mustard' onto the end of his metal javelin. It pierced solidly into the Aswang and drive through the heavy meat of her torso, puncturing through the back and coming out through the front of her stomach.
Volya wrenched the air with her whiteknuckling fists, the roots tightening on the Aswang enough that it drew a groan from the creature. Taking in a hissing breath, Volya shook her head. "Just keep back from it... I don't care how long this takes... But it will die..."
The sound of the Ambulance siren cut off while the vehicle parked in the parking lot of the botanical gardens. It was still going to be a good walk in for them, but the path wasn't anywhere near wide enough to get the rig back to the clearing where the auction had taken place that afternoon.
The Doc was busy breathing with the poor woman giving birth on the table. Screams of pain could be heard as she actually started to have the baby crown, with no anesthetics to help her through it. Doc Keawe just helped her along as best he could, rinsing his hands off with water before he reached down to make sure he could support the baby's head when it came free.
Angela seems to acknowledge Joachim's request and turns to charge the remaining aswang with a snarl, taking a long swipe against it's flank with her claws.
Joachim staggered over, clutching the metal pole in both hands. "You... heinous bitches... you know, I bet there's even a way you could do this legally. Like with a pig. Some sicko pervert might even pay to watch." He hefted the makeshift weapon and raised it above his head. "But nooooooooooooo... you have to be like this..." He brought it down, smashing into the Aswang's shoulder. "I mean... fuck." He stepped back to give someone else a shot, spitting blood to the side.
Wren saw the opportunity and took it, hoisting up his last javelin-type object and positioning it. Once AngeLion was out of the way of his shot, and there were no moving Joachim limbs in the way, he let loose with another thrown rod of metal at her flesh. It didn't do as much as he might have liked, bouncing off of her shoulder, but it at least made a solid, hollow thud when it did so.
The Aswang's wings popped out of her back, breaking through a thin seal along her skin's center line and coming out like inky, black protruberances that suddenly pumped to full thickness when she stretched them out. Once they were out and ready, she pushed up into the air, keening angrily as the knotted roots around her ankle kept her to the ground, making it so she was hovering about 2 feet up with long, gnarled roots holding her leg terribly extended.
Volya looked around, the state of everyone's pained, drained out or cat faces. Green veins grew through her skin as she knelt on the ground, running her open hand on the soil. Flicking her hand in a swirl then plunging her fingertips into the dirt, the air around her like a blazing Summer day. The roots on the Aswang respond, growing over the Aswang's cheeks and chin. The tips of the roots reaching, their tips slipping into its mouth and growing into it. The Aswang managed one last scream before the roots grewing down its throat to fill its airway. And a moment later, the roots started dragging the still twitching and struggling Aswang into the ground. Panting, Volya slipped back onto her backside, hugging herself once more.
Any sounds from the Ambulance or Aid workers weren't really heard anymore, but they were coming, so that was a relief.
It would seem that the baby was also coming, as Doc Keawe moved his dress shirt down into position to gather the child and looked up at the mother, instructing her with a soft voice "One more big push, the baby's head is already out. You just need to get past the shoulders." He nodded to her, and then with a grunt of pain and effort, a slippery sound was heard. Doc caught the baby in the shirt and pulled it forward, leaning down to suck the birthing mucous away from it's mouth and nose with his own mouth. He turned his head to quietly spit a moutful of bloody mess to the ground. A moment later, the cry of a new infant was heard, echoing out through the night as he rubbed the little girl down with the dress shirt to get her warm and make sure her circulation was working well.
Doc gave a huge smile, breaking his calm, cool demeanor for a moment as he held a new life in his hands, then shifted his position to be able to hand her to the waiting mother, whose arms were outstretched eagerly. He stayed close, making sure that the exhausted woman couldn't drop her, and looked over to see how everything was going behind him. "You kept her safe, very well done. Can you get the other body to the forest so the EMTs don't see her? I don't want them to panic when they need to be focusing on the baby and her mother." He glanced down at the blood soaked towel underneath her. "And I'd really like them to focus."
Angela pads back over to her clothes before blurring back into her human form with a long, shallow gash visible down one side of her torso. She starts getting dressed but nods to the Doc, "Can do. I think I'm one of the few of us still good to drive, too, so if folks don't mind piling into the battle wagon I can drop you all wherever you need." Said battle wagon being an ancient Land Rover that's too stubborn to die.
Joachim looked visibly drained, looking about as he watched the Doc hand the new mother her child. "Awww. That's nice." Then he turned quickly to throw up, emptying the contents of his stomach into a nearby bush. "Oh god... I think I over did it. I think I really need that ride. I feel six kinds of messed up." He smiled weakly at Angela. "Big ass mountain lion huh?" His attention went to Volya and Wren, and he gave them both a nod. "Heeeey. Thanks. That was... some Cronenbergian fuckery right there." He nodded to the Doc's request, struggling to his feet to help haul off the heavily damaged body of the first Aswang. "I'd pull a trick to deal with this but I'm all out of juice. So it'll be the old fashioned way." He looked to Wren, blinking. "Joachim by the way."
Wren managed a wan smile, looking over at the baby being handed to its mother. "It's a beautiful thing. Part of me wants to walk over and kiss it, the other part of me wants to curl up and bleed on the grass." Wren managed a wry, slight chuckle, then looked over at Angela, nodding to her. "Mahalo, Miss. I'll take you up on that ride and let the doc take the truck back to the farm. I'm Wren, by the way." He then looked at Joachim and lifted his right hand, in a slight wave. "A pleasure, Joachim. I'm really glad you guys were here." His attention shifted to Volya where she was hugging herself. "You alright, Vee? You can come back to the farm and have the doc look at you when he gets back, if you need it?" He winced, shifting his weight and taking the steps necessary to help Joachim drag the dead Aswang back into the forest, nudging foliage over the body as best he could.
Volya tightened the hold on herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, wincing at the same of crying child. "Okay... So I may just bury myself and see if I spout tomorrow..." A tired giggle slipped out of her. "So..." She frowned a touch, "Wren? The doc going to check you out or you going to ride..." The glow was slowly drying down in her eyes as she thumbed towards the parking lot.
The Doc was busy helping with the afterbirth, though there wasn't much he had to do there, just help the mom push through it. He held onto the baby while she did so, encouraging her softly and offering her smiles as he kept the baby to his chest and used his right hand to help with anything else she needed. As they finished with that, the sound of EMT's boots became evident, coming down the pathway and carrying a reinforced backboard and med bags. Four men in EMT uniforms came into view a little bit later and headed straight for the table where the Doc was seeing to the woman. The conversation there became extremely concise, and they started working with the woman who'd just given birth while firing questions off to Doc Keawe in rapid succession.
Angela flashes a smiles to Joachim, "Yeah, these things take a lot of killing so when in doubt break out the big guns." She looks to the others and nods, "There's room for everybody and a first-aid kit to at least get folks cleaned up and wrapped. It might resemble fresh fish but at least it'll hold until a pro can get to you." Her stomach makes a growling, gurgling sound. "And while we're at it, anybody know were a gal can get a nice thick steak at this time of night?"
Joachim came back out of the forest, looking rather beat, though he perked up at Angela's comments. "Yeah. This is my second time dealing with them. Seems like the best method of dealing with these things is to just lay it on thick, like you said." He looked down at himself, his torn up shirt and the welts on his chest. "I... yes. I could use a first aid kit. And food. Meat. Lots of meat. Where is open? I don't know. But I say we don't rest until we do." He shook a fist at the heavens. "Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeef."
"I'll just have Doc give me some stitches after he gets back to the farm, Vee. I'll be alright." He lifted his shirt, revealing a body that had been sculpted by hard as hell work for the majority of his life, and a nasty, torn hole in his right side, the back of him looking much the same. "I'd say it doesn't hurt any, but I'd be lying. So at the very least I'll take any painkiller at some point soon. Or just drink down a bottle of mead after I shove some guaze into the hole." He winced at the thought then gave Volya a wide, warm grin. "Luckily I know just where to get the mead." He looked to Angela and Joachim then, and his smile broadened slightly. "It just so happens I have the finest beef on the island. Slaughtered one of my cows not even three months ago and the aging is perfect on the thick cuts. If you two really want a good piece of meat, I can see to it that you'll never be satisfied again anywhere else. I'd be happy to do so." Wren glanced back at Vee. "Same goes for you, Vee, I know you can't bear to be without meat for too long." He looked to the three of them, then back to the Doc and the pregnant woman that were being seen to. "I've got Doc's aid kit there too, so anything you don't have in your kit in the truck I'm sure we can find. I think the young lady and her baby are covered here, so... would you three like to come home with me?"
Volya leaned her head back to stay at the treetops, a tense smile forming on her lips. "Yes, I'm sorry about the branch, and... Thank you." Getting back to her feet with a spin, Vee was unsteady on her feet for a moment as she wonder over to one of the larger tree to wrap her arms around it. The garden took its time, but slowly the branches and leaves returned to normal. "Yeah, you really should get checked out, Joachim." She nodded as she turned around to continue and just stopped to stare at Wren. She may have wanted to talk, but her jaw just fell open, her eyes wandering to Joachim for a long moment, then back over to Angela. "I... miff..." Closing her eyes, she turned and went back to hugging the tree, much tighter this time.
The EMTs got to work getting the mother strapped up, and the Doc held the baby while they did so. He glanced over at the group and nodded to them. "I'll meet you guys back at the farm and we can see to anything else that needs to be seen to, but they need to get the new momma, Martha is her name, to the hospital right away." The EMTs then picked up Martha on the backboard and started walking out with her, one of them leading the way and talking into his mobile unit while Doc carried the baby. "I've already got the keys, Wren. I'll see you there." With a nod to them, Doc then started off down the path after the EMTs.
Joachim smiled as the mother and child were carried out by the EMTs. He looked to Volya, nodding. "Yeah I think you're right. Last thing I need is to get some sort of crazy infection off those things." When Wren made his offer, Joachim let out an audible sigh and nodded, reaching up to pat the much taller man's shoulder. "Oh thank god. That sounds like such an amazing idea. Please. Yet. Give me meat. Something like... two inches thick and ten across, with a bone in it like a club. And also a shit load of bactine please."
Angela smiles to Wren, "You had me at cows. ... That worked better in my head." She digs into a pocket and jangles her keys, "This way to the land barge, folks!" She leads the way out to the parking lot with her huge 'Rover ready and waiting.
Wren smiled at Volya and chuckled, until it moved his abdomen too much and he winced. "Volya, you know I have the best meat around, come on now. Let's get you fed." He looked to Angela and smiled broadly. "Well then, I'm more than happy to introduce you to all the cows on the farm, if you like, miss. And then some, we have horses and goats, too. But the beef that's already stopped mooing, that I only have when it's perfect. So I'll be glad to share some of my private reserve with you, the stuff I can't bring myself to sell to the other hungry locals." Wren blinked when Joachim spoke, then wrapped his long arm around the other man's shoulders, squeezing him only a little and keeping him on Wren's uninjured side. "I can give you all that and more if you want it, Joachim. Just as long as you aren't asking for the bactine as a flavoring agent. But I can definitely accommodate your need for a good filling." And with that, Wren started walking to follow Angela, glancing back to make sure Volya was coming as well. "Let's go, Vee."
Volya choose to just oozing down the tree when Joachim spoke up. When she reached the bottom, she managed her limps until she get her legs around it in 'Stop the world, I want to get off' pose. Hearing more sugared devil words from Wren, she shouted, "I'M HERE!" A growl rolled in her throat, "NO!"
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