Cassidy*Others

Though it had been middle-morning when Johann had summoned Lanny, it was early the next morning before the old man stirred again - there was no window in the room for the light to shine into and wake him, so he'd slept until his internal clock told him it was time to get up. Promptly at seven, his eyes were flickering open, showing confusion - that sterile white ceiling was not the ceiling that was above his bed. With that in his mind, it came to him attention that the surface he was resting on was not nearly so comfortable as his bed - indeed, he had a sharp crick in his neck. Like a sleeper who wakes up to find that it was all a bad dream, Johann had completely forgotten all that had passed the day before - until he turned his head to the side to stretch out his sore neck, and spotted the still, pale form of Cass on the bed. Apparently, at some point during the night, someone had come in and shut off the ventilator, removing the tube from the girl's throat and replacing it with a full-face oxygen mask. This meant, of course, that her lungs had again taken up the mechanical function of breathing, but that she still wasn't getting enough oxygen - still, it was a small improvement. The tape that had been holding the tube in place was gone from her face, leaving her looking more like herself, but her throat was bruised in several interesting shades of blue and green, due to the tube, and she was still deathly pale and unresponsive. Feeling dread drop into his stomach, Johann forced himself to turn his eyes away from her and look across at the cot to see if Lanny was still asleep - and as he did so, he became aware of a quiet murmuring at the door, which he decided had to be what had awoken him.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny had eventually retired to the bed, but didn't sleep more than a few hours during the night, between his tossing and turning, and frequent trips out to the hallway to speak with whichever guards happened to be posted. Humorously enough, they too were decked in sanitary garments, but unlike Lanny, they were packing heat. How they got the weapons into hospital was a secret, but James absolutely was not going to have his guards posted without weapons, seeing as they'd be little more than armless vigils then. "...time is it...?" Sounding half-asleep, Lanny didn't lift his head from the uncomfortably dense, flat pillow it was resting on, but despite all appearances that he was asleep, the young man had apparently been awake enough to hear Johann move about. And indeed, as few seconds later he was sitting up and stifling a yawn - then snapping to attention as he looked to Cassidy. "When did they take the ventilator off?"

Cassidy*Others

While he was sitting up and trying not to groan for the stiffness that had set into him for laying in one position on the couch all night, Johann was cursing himself thoroughly - he didn't remember seeing Lanny coming back into the room yesterday, which meant that he'd fallen asleep before that... and left the girl unguarded, even if only for the few moments the young man was out in the hall. Roundly cursing himself in his mind, he still had the attention to spare to listen to Lanny, and he moved his arm into the dim light to look at his watch. "Seven on the nose," he answered, shifting his weight again and stretching his arms above his head as he turned his attention to the latter question. "Search me on that one, Lan. I don't think I rolled over all night... my best guess is sometime between noon yesterday and now."

Laurence Zelkovii

A muffled growling reminded the young man that he'd never had time to catch lunch yesterday, or dinner for that matter, though the thought of food was easily put aside by more important things. After getting his stiff legs beneath him, he returned to the chair beside Cassidy's bed and sat down in it, "Either way, at least it's out." Still a little groggy, Lanny mumbled this and rubbed his eyes briefly before he scanned over the monitors and equipment, then to the paled girl herself. "She getting stronger." That was his impression anyway, whether he believed it or merely wished to believe it. And because he was uneasy and uncertain about her condition, and still reeling somewhat from the list of complications that he'd been informed of yesterday, Lanny added on a minute later, "Maybe I ought to call the nurse in, and get an update on things."

Cassidy*Others

Seeming to have completely put aside the near-fight they'd had last night, and not about to apologize for what he'd done when he knew it would only infuriate the young man more, Johann instead turned his eyes back to Cassidy. He didn't like seeing the bruises on her throat - of course, he knew they were there because the tube had been breathing for her and keeping her alive, but seeing those marks on her skin was very disturbing to him. Still, he also tried for the positive today, saying, "If they've put her on regular oxygen, it's got to be an improvement. The oxygen masks don't have a forced flow like the ventilator does - so that means that her lungs are moving by themselves again." He wasn't a medical professional by any means, but he was old enough, and had spent enough time in hospitals with the gang members who were laid up, that he'd picked up a few things. To the latter comment though, he answered, "Unless my ears are deceiving me, that's Dr. Marachek at the door, having a discussion with the boys. Likely giving them a good lecture about keeping quiet and not coming in and disturbing Cass."

And indeed, a moment later, the doctor opened the door and moved into the room - pushing a tiny cart that both of them would recognize. Johann's eyes got wide - she'd brought Raine, incubator and all, to visit. Again without any form of introduction, she told them quietly, "Her immune system results came back this morning, and I thought you could both use some cheering up. She has to stay in the incubator - you can't hold her. But you can slide up this panels on the side and stick your hand in, and touch her. Just remember to be very gentle - she's strong, for being two and a half months premature, but she's still very fragile. Next order of business-" she paused, opening the manila folder in her hand and pulling out a very official-looking document with a seal at the bottom and paragraphs and paragraphs of long words. "I always keep my word, Mr. Zelkovii - this is a paper you will sign that will give you co-custody of your daugther, and make you her permanent, legal father. It must also be signed by Miss Jones, however." At that moment, Johann spoke up. "I can sign for her - I have her power of attorney." The doctor nodded, and returned the paper to her folder, and her eyes to the weakened, unconscious girl in the bed between them. "She is improving - I am glad to note that they removed the ventilator this morning at 3 a.m. - that means that her body has recovered enough to begin to restart her vital systems. And she is on her last round of sedatives now - with the ventilator out and her lungs strong enough, in a few hours I expect that I will be able to provide her with enough medication to keep her reasonably comfortable without sedating her altogether. However - you must remember that she still must be kept very quiet and relaxed. That is why both of you are here. I know that she is afraid of hospitals... I want the both of you to focus on soothing her and keeping her calm enough that she can recover."

Laurence Zelkovii

After he'd gotten down frightening himself all over again by remembering just how weak she looked, from the multi-colored neck, to the paled skin, and all the machines around to keep her alive - the talks of yesterday were starting to push to the front of his mind. He face hardened some, but he didn't let this renewed anger stay for too long, since getting into blows over Johann being the shooter wasn't going to solve anything right now. He failed to put the notion out of his mind, yet he could at least put it aside and focus his mind on more immediate things.

Lanny spoke in a mumbly way still, offering Johann nothing in the way of a friendly or interested tone, "They know as much already, though it'll do them so good hearing it again from her." He might have went on to make a joke about it, but he just wasn't into it this morning, at least not this early, and not when Cassidy still looked like death. What he saw coming through the door marked a very quite change in this rueful demeanor, and got his bleary eyes to light up tenfold, "Her name's Raine." The young man promptly stood up, though this time around there was nothing domineering or threatening in his stance - he took the paper that was handed to him and scrawled his name on the designated line, before handing it Johann's way. As he was letting the older man sign the papers, Lanny spoke to the doctor, "Are you saying she'll wake up in a few hours?"

Cassidy*Others

One brow lifted on the doctor's face at the name that Lanny offered out - clearly, Marachek knew just where that moniker had come from. And why not? She'd delivered more than half the babies in the valley, and treated everyone at least once. But she merely commented, "Appropriate... she rather resembles her maternal grandmother some. Though she favors Miss Jones more... Miss Jones resembles her mother a great deal, but with softer lines in the face." Pulling a thick black marker from her pocket, she bent beside the incubator and printed RAINE in large letters above the joint surname.

As Johann was signing the paper and handing it back to her, she answered Lanny quietly. "It is entirely possible, yes. But remember - she is still quite weak. Even if she wakes, she may not be entirely coherent, and she will likely not remain awake for very long. She still needs a great deal of rest." So saying, she scribbled a little on Cass' chart, beginning to explain to the men, "I've ordered her another pint of blood to counteract what she's lost from the incision. And I'll be back in a couple of hours to make a prescription for pain killers. I'd suggest that you gentlemen use this time to get breakfast - you can't bring the food in here, so you'll have to go out to get it. I've left a couple of trays at the nurses' station - you can eat there." She shifted her weight some, and turned her eyes briefly to Johann. "Will you be comfortable in this room?" It might have been a casual inquiry, rather like a hotel clerk asking this of a guest, but Johann's reaction from last night put more significance to it. He kept his face neutral as he nodded - and then she murmured, "I'll send a nurse for Raine when it's time for her next bottle. Good day, gentlemen." And, as ever, she was quickly gone from the room.

Laurence Zelkovii

Far more attentive and obedient today, Lanny remained seated after he'd signed the paper, and nodded here and there to Dr. Maracheck's explanations. He wasn't looking forward to an incoherent Cassidy, but would rather have her awake for a little bit rather then unresponsive like she was now. Any sign that she was alive was better than what he was seeing now - the removal of the ventilator certainly helped, but she was still very far from looking healthy. "Thanks." He murmured it with a little more sincerity, albeit a little tired sounding at the same time. As soon as Maracheck was out of the room, Lanny got back to his feet and approached the incubator, where he spent a few moments simply looking down at the tiny girl inside - his daughter.

"You can eat first." Even with guards outside, he knew that neither of them would be leaving at the same time, in the chance that Cassidy woke up and found herself alone. So he said this, still offering a rather blunt cold shoulder to Johann while he reached into the incubator and very gingerly wiggled the end of one gloved finger against one of Raine's little hands.

Cassidy*Others Little Raine's eyes were closed, but she wasn't asleep, as her movement indicated. She drew her hand briefly back away from the giant finger that was suddenly touching her, apparently surprised to feel something soft and warm reaching for her - but a moment later, the tiny hand reached to close over the finger, the grip firm, considering that her hand didn't come anywhere near to closing all the way around the digit. Raine made a little noise, almost like a squeak, and gave a hearty yawn that scrunched up her face in the most adorable way, and finally the tiny eyes flicked open - they were a light, soft blue, just like her mother's, and though in her prematurity, she had no hair, it took little to imagine - with her pale complexion and the knowledge of the chief hair color in both of her biological families - that her hair would likely be red, and complement the eyes well. She was staring at Lanny - she couldn't quite focus her eyes yet, so he was little more than a blur, but she was looking steadily at him, as if trying to make sense of him.

Laurence Zelkovii

He felt a certain tension leech out of him when Johann left the room, affording him a little more concentration when his mind was otherwise crammed full of too many thoughts and emotions to make sense of. It was exceedingly rare for the young man to display the sort of reserve and passive hostility that he was right now, but part of that was to blame on the fact that he could raise his voice and have out with his feelings, while another part of him knew that whatever happened, his relation with Cassidy would be awkward if there was a continued strain between he and her uncle. Eventually it would have to be resolved, but until they were in a more suitable environment, Lanny was likely to continue his mood.

"She's right, you do look like your mom - well, good morning to you!" He was one of those guys that was not afraid to talk to babies, though his pride probably wouldn't let him adopt the usual 'goofy' voice with them - but he had no problem talking to his daughter, even when she couldn't understand a word that he was saying. A grin broke through a day's worth of tension with little trouble when she squeezed back at his finger and opened her eyes, "They say you're a strong one. Just like your mom, eh?"

Raine*Others

From staring up at Lanny, the baby turned her gaze down to the finger in her hand, studying it as though it were the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen... and since she'd never gotten to look at the outside world before, that was probably the truth. His voice got her attention though, resulting in a little jerk of the head as she turned her gaze back to him, listening to the words as though he was telling her the secrets of the universe, instead of going on about how much she was like Cass. Her movements weren't very coordinated - but then she was an infant, and two and a half months early, at that. Her free hand brushed awkwardly at the nose line providing her with oxygen, and she made a face - the staff had been wise enough to tape the line in place so that she couldn't jostle it free, but it was clearly irritating her. She gave a whisper-soft whine and wriggled a little, clearly upset that the stupid thing was still on her face.

Laurence Zelkovii

The grin was stuck on his face, bringing out dimple on one side of his face, and completely erasing all the negativity that had been there less than a minute before. There were so many things that he could be angry about, and so many things to fret over and lament for, but right here and right now, he was given a strong reminder that not all was bad. Raine might have come about in very dire circumstances, but now that she was here, all he could do was marvel at his tiny daughter. "It's annoying, isn't it? Believe you me, I'd take it out for you if I could, but then we'd both be in trouble." It was like he was seeing a baby for the first time, with as much attention and fascination he was devoting to Raine. He couldn't quite get over just how small she was still, but her frailty didn't stop him from wiggling a finger briefly over one tiny foot.

Raine*Others

The little whine had started to escalate, threatening to become tiny cries - but fortunately, the combination of his renewed voice and the strange sensation on the bottom of her foot caught her attention. She squirmed a little and jerked her foot upwards away from the funny feeling, but just as quickly relaxed and turned her eyes back to Lanny, once again devoted to listening to his voice. "Enjoying your baby girl, Mr. Zelkovii?" That was a very familiar voice - and if he turned to see who had entered the room, he'd find a familiar face to go with it. New IV bag and a fresh pint of blood in hand, Charlotte had made her way into the room. She was gowned and masked, as was everyone on this floor, but there was no disguising her hefty frame and the determination on her fleshy face. As she moved to change out the bags on the stand next to Cass' bed, she went on, "Dr. Marachek pulled me out of my usual department just to take care of Miss Jones until she recovers. She said it would make things much simpler." Her quiet rumble of a voice was neutral - it was impossible to tell whether she resented being moved or not.

Laurence Zelkovii

The whine got him to worrying a little, and the new-father panic might have set in - but thankfully, Raine's aggravation with the oxygen tube was forgotten about when he briefly tickled her foot and spoke to her. Lanny moved his finger back to one of her hands, still awed by the miniature size, and how just one of his fingers was too big for her to even wrap all her digits around. He was admiring these things when Charlotte stepped in, and he gave her a short nod of acknowledgment, with a slightly more subdued smile in place. "We appreciate it." Learning that she had been specially moved just to assist with Cassidy, Lanny offered a formal but honest appreciation. "How long do you think she'll be here? In the intensive care, that is?"

Raine*Others

"It's the easiest way," Charlotte noted, not turning her gaze back to him as she began removing the old bags and plugging all the correct tubes in so that the young woman would get the blood and fluids that she needed. "Your staff is already familiar with me, from the last time Miss Jones stayed with us - it saves having to break in someone new." Raine had fallen silent, but she was stretching her neck now to try to locate the source of the other voice - even though she didn't currently know Lanny from any other random person, or Charlotte for that matter, she knew that the voices were different. "Regulations state that as long as she's on oxygen, she has to stay in the ICU. That goes for your daughter there, too - until she's off oxygen and has gained enough weight to satisfy Dr. Marachek, she'll stay in Neo-Natal. A friend of mine's the nurse up there in the NICU ward, though - she'll take good care of her."

Laurence Zelkovii

His hand remained in the incubator, but now his attention had been redirected to what Charlotte was doing, and from there, to Cassidy. Lanny was glad to hear that Charlotte had a friend in the Neo-Natal unit, because although they could usual use their influence to select particular doctors and the like, it was more difficult to do that in the specialized departments, particularly ones like the NICU which the gang generally didn't visit. With that bit of assurance to temper his unstable feelings, and add that feeling of control that he was lacking in situations like these, Lanny went after information again, "How long will it be before they're off oxygen? She looks like she's doing better, with the ventilator removed." He stated his opinion of her health, as if it would persuade Charlotte to agree with him and magically announce that she would be off oxygen soon as well.

Raine*Others

Shifting her weight some, the nurse answered, "That is entirely dependent upon Miss Jones. She has a tendency for weak lungs in the same way that her mother did - that is why they failed yesterday and we had to put her on the ventilator. In fact, if memory serves, that is what caused Mrs. Jones' death... I was her nurse, too - she never came off of the ventilator. However, Miss Jones seems to be more strong willed than her mother was - her oxygen saturation should theoretically begin to rise over the next few days, and when it is at a safe level, they'll remove the mask." Her work done with replacing the bags, she turned around to face him again, and went on, "As for your little girl... she is premature - the lungs usually do not develop fully until the beginning of the eighth month of the pregnancy, and she's only seven and a half months... a week, possibly two, at my estimate. Good morning, Mr. Jones." Speaking seamlessly, she greeted the man, who had apparently finished his breakfast and was now moving back into the room. "Good morning, Charlotte," he answered politely, but his mind was clearly not on the niceties.

Laurence Zelkovii

He didn't like the sound of two weeks, or the reference to how Cassidy's mother had died. They were things that he could not control, no matter how much influence he had or money there was to throw around - they were simply beyond his control. The only thing that Lanny could do was acknowledge the brighter points, such as Raine was strong and healthy despite her premature respiratory system, and Cassiy's own lungs were proving more resilient than her mother's had. If he had to wait two weeks, then so be it - he'd wait. "Raine's lungs will continue to develop, won't they?" A little confused about this, not sure whether his daughter would be permanently affected by the early birth or not, Lanny braced himself for getting the news, whether it be good or bad. He turned to look in Johann's direction when the man entered, but he made no move yet to withdraw his hand from the incubator, or get a bite to eat; even if his stomach was growling again.

Raine*Others

Now at the sink washing her hands and reaching up for a new pair of gloves from the dispenser, Charlotte spoke without turning around. "Mr. Zelkovii, the good Lord ships us into this world not a whole heck of a lot better than the US mails - dirty, naked, blind, and screaming like hell on wheels. Babies - even as small as your daughter there - are surprisingly endurant and adaptable creatures. If they survive the birth and need only oxygen the day after they're born, they bounce back rapidly." With a new pair of gloves in place, she turned around, stopped to look at Cass' monitor, and then paused beside the new father to check the readings on the built-in monitor of Raine's incubator. "You watch, Mr. Zelkovii - the doctor's got her on a high-protein, high calorie formula, and she'll gain a pound or two within a week. As soon as she weighs about five pounds and has been weaned off of the oxygen, she'll be discharged - she'll be in good shape and ready to go home even sooner than Miss Jones will." It was a gruff, strange way of offering comfort to the young man, but one still had to remember that she was being admirably decent to him, considering that her life had been basically ruined by the gang when her son had been killed. - it was a wonder she was trying to make him feel better at all. "Oh - and by the way... very poor idea to tell Miss Jones that the baby's been born, just yet. Not until she's stronger and more with it. If she asks, the baby's fine and so is she, and so is anyone and everyone she thinks to ask about - don't even mention that her parents are dead, if she asks - everyone's fine. The only thing she needs to be concentrating on right now is resting and recovering her strength - so the best thing you can do is put her mind at ease, even if you have to fudge the truth a bit."

Laurence Zelkovii

Observing his daughter, the young co-lead couldn't fathom how such a tiny, frail-looking thing could ever be described as endurant or strong. Not that he was questioning Charlotte - he believed every word she said, especially considering that baby delivery wasn't exactly something he knew much about; or really, anything about, let alone what to expect from a newborn. Since he had no experience himself to go on, he had to rely on her words entirely, and was secretly relieved to hear how quickly Raine was suppose to strengthen and grow. There was just one thing that was picking at his mind concerning Raine's health, which he inquired about after he'd had a moment to look at his daughter's tiny legs, "And what about the leg torsion deal? She looks too small to have anything done to her." Again, that was just his opinion talking, and a strong voice of concern even if his tones sounded neutral; he suddenly didn't like the idea of his daughter having her leg braced up, though he wasn't going to argue with anything that Charlotte dictated. Sitting right behind that issue was that of Cassidy's mindset when she woke up - and he was prepared to keep her calm, and say whatever it was that he had to say to pacify.

Raine*Others

The tiny girl gave another hearty yawn, still holding tightly onto Lanny's finger as though she expected him to take it away, and made another little squeaking noise. She was a little too young to burble, so this noise served the purpose of revealing that she was content for now. "They won't be fitting her for orthopedic shoes until she's full term, when she's had opportunity to gain her size and weight a little bit," Charlotte answered, pushing up the panel on the opposite side of the incubator and running one of her large fingers over the crooked leg in a curiously gentle, deft motion. As it stood now, with her limbs so little and spindly-looking in their thinness, it was difficult to tell her leg was marred, unless one looked very carefully. The toes of her left foot pointed directly toward the arch of her right, indicating that the leg wasn't properly aligned, and the knee was also subtly twisted, pointed a little inward, though this was a very slight thing. All in all, she looked as though she were merely pigeon-toed... and indeed, it wouldn't show very many effects until Raine began walking. However, briefly petting at Raine's leg - and attracting the baby's attention and shifting eyes - Charlotte withdrew her hand from the incubator and pulled the panel down again, telling him, "This is going to sound ridiculous... but she looks like you. A little through the nose and eyes - mostly like her Ma, but a little like you. I don't see a stitch of Carlyle in her - and I helped Dr. Marachek deliver all four of those boys. Doesn't surprise me really, though - I've seen it before were children start to look remarkably like their adoptive parents." For just a brief moment, the corners of Charlotte's eyes creased up - it was impossible to tell for sure with the mask on, but it looked like... it looked like she'd smiled, something she'd never before done where any of them could see her. "Enjoy your time with her Mr. Zelkovii," she told him, straightening up and drawing the professional barrier up between them again. "I've instructions to see her back to Neo-Natal in a half hour for her next bottle. She eats well, I understand... and she gets quite insistent if she doesn't get her milk. I'll see you then."

Laurence Zelkovii

The young man never failed to be reminded of Charlotte's son whenever he saw her, and perhaps that's one reason that he tended not to use his typical gang-authority persona around her. He'd stand up and stare down anyone else, demand answers, and expect some rule-bending for himself from anyone else here, but when she was around... he almost felt as if that power was stripped away by his own regret for her son's death. When he spoke with her, his words were a little easier and more neutral than with the rest of the staff, "You think she does?" He didn't say it out loud, but he was beyond glad to see that Raine didn't take after her Carlyle genes in appearance - that would have been a little awkward later on, if the community was to believe that he was the father. A soft half-grin pulled the side of his mouth up again, and he wiggled his finger a little, trying to get Raine's eyes looking back at him. "Yeah, I think I see it now. Zelkovii eyes, how about that?" He was distracted from his adoptive daughter enough to look back to Charlotte before she left, and to give her a formal, but appreciative nod, and to acknowledge her words.

Raine*Others

Johann hadn't yet made a move to get near or touch Raine - he'd settled himself down on the couch again, saying nothing as he listened to the conversation between Charlotte and the new father. Clearly, he knew that Lanny was still angry with him, and had decided not to press his luck. It was a curious thing - despite the fact that James and Lanny were heads of the gang, Johann had always been an authority-figure as well, and the brothers usually listened to and respected his opinion and his position as one of the oldest active members of the gang. And he'd enjoyed a subtle form of immunity up til now - he could get away with a lot of things that other folks would have been punished for. Yet he sensed that the position had changed now, and he wasn't going to push the younger Zelkovii - he was counting on his prominent relationship with Cassidy to save his skin and keep him out of too much trouble, but he knew he couldn't afford to irritate the young man any more. So he was keeping his distance, until the co-lead gave some sign that he was willing to move past the issue.

So that left Lanny alone beside the incubator, and Raine's eyes turning exclusively back to him when the finger in her hand began to wiggle. Her feet kicked a little bit in uncoordinated but strong movements - apparently, her early delivery hadn't resulted in any weakness on her part. It was a long time before Johann ventured quietly, "She looks a great deal like her namesake."

Laurence Zelkovii

The idea that he'd gotten shot by one of their most prominent members, and someone that he'd held in such high respect - even if it was strained at times, around the issue of him being close to Cassidy - Lanny couldn't get it off his mind. The tactical side of him was pointing out that he'd done it as a desperate bid to keep Lanny from doing something that would have caused them all a heap more trouble, but he just couldn't get past the 'he shot me!' aspect of it all. It had shaken his trust and instilled a subtle sense of betrayal, but he was at least cool headed enough in a sober state that he knew better than to inform the rest of the gang what had happened; not yet, anyway. It all came down to the one failsafe that Johann was banking on, and that was Cassidy. He knew that things would bad for Johann if he told his brother, and he feared what would happen to his relationship with Cassidy if James reacted like he figured he would.

The quasi smile departed some, but didn't fully leave his face. Watching 'his' daughter was enough to even his mood and allow him to buffer the sharping thoughts and emotions, "I'm sure Cass will like that." Speaking her name, Lanny turned his head towards the bed, feeling a strange confliction going from joy over Raine, to anxiety over the girl's mother.

Raine*Others

This conversation was awkward at best, and even sort of embarrassing, for all the tension between them. Indeed, after his initial comment and Lanny's fairly neutral answer, Johann fell silent again, and several more minutes passed where the only sound was Raine's occasional yawns and random noises, and the shhhing sound of her movement against the sheets in the incubator. And when his voice came back, it was softer, but heavier. "Cassidy's mother died in this room. You were maybe a year old or so at the time - you were too young to come up here. Never even got to hold her. I took Cass home about a week later." Johann had always been as private about Cassidy's early days as he was about his own early life, and it was no wonder, considering. Why he mentioned it to the younger man now, of all times, was anybody's guess.

Laurence Zelkovii

The silence became almost too distracting for Lanny, who had to focus more on keeping his thoughts on Raine or Cassidy, and not puzzle over his emotions with Johann. After a minute or two, he debated whether or not he should continue standing by the incubator, or whether he should go and sit down next to Cassidy; in the end, he decided to stay where he was, only because Raine was awake and Cass was not, and he half wondered whether the little girl might cry if she suddenly found herself with no one around. Of course, he was jarred away from this ponderings when the elder man spoke up again, with a subject that actually got Lanny to turn around and look at him directly. Almost as quickly, he recalled the way the man had hesitated so blatantly at the doorway, just now realizing that it had more to do than a trepidation of seeing Cassidy as weak as she was; the room itself was a source of anguish. "Does Cass know it?" An unsettling feeling entered his gut, stirred by the story and vaguely wondering why the man was telling him this at all, "I'll have her moved to a new room."

Raine*Others

Despite the fact that she was less than twenty-four hours old, Raine clearly felt the tension in the room - she wriggled a little uncomfortably and whined, her face screwing up a little and threatening to break into wails. "Rub her belly," Johann suggested quietly, still not moving toward the incubator but offering that out as a man who'd had experience with the infant's mother when she'd been that size. It also gave him a reason to say something positive, and give himself a moment to form a reply to Lanny's question. "I don't know... I never told her. But she's been using my computer recently - I'll come back to it and the cursor will be in a slightly different place than it was before, and there's only the two of us in the apartment. But I don't know what she's been looking up." He shrugged his shoulders a bit, and got to his feet pacing toward the sink and looking into the mirror hanging over it. "We never really talked about her mother much. She used to ask about her when she was little, but as she grew older, that stopped."

Laurence Zelkovii

Faced with an upset kid, Lanny was usually pretty good at dealing with them and resolving whatever it was that brought on the tears or tantrums. With such a young kid, however... it was a little different. He couldn't exactly pick Raine up, or expect her to understand what he said. The young man's solution to her crying had been to wiggling his finger again and distract her, and if that didn't work, he'd tickle her foot again - then Johann stepped up to help him. "Like a dog? If you say so." Somehow, he managed a very mild reply of humor, because he appreciated the advice, but wasn't able to admit as much quite yet. But at the least, it was a step in the right direction. While he was very gingerly moving a finger across Raine's belly, Lanny jumped back on track about the girl's grandmother, "We both know that even if she doesn't talk about something, doesn't mean she isn't thinking about it. She's clever enough to have gone over your files to learn everything she can about her mother, without having to ask you about it, and I bet that's what she'd done." It was only a speculation of course, but it fit in his mind, "To play it safe, I want her moved from this room by the end of the day. Before she's back to her senses and knows where she is; it's bad enough she's in a hospital as much as she hates them, she shouldn't have to be in this room of all places."

Raine*Others

"Exactly like it," Johann confirmed, nodding and turning away from the mirror, finally beginning to step toward the incubator and look down at Raine. His face remained neutral, and his eyes looked tired, but he opened the second panel and prompted, "Here - move your hand a minute." And, waiting until the younger man had obeyed, he began gently but firmly tucking the blanket in around her. It had been down at the bottom of the incubator, where she'd likely kicked it off before coming in the room - now he raised it to mid-chest level and moved with slow, gentle movements to tuck it more securely around her. When she was all swaddled up, he gave a soft, "There you go," and between this and the single finger the younger man was running over her stomach, Raine quickly began to quiet. And the old man smiled quietly, using a feather-lite touch to run a gloved finger over the tiny girl's cheek. "Just like your Ma," he whispered, and then reluctantly returned his attention to the more solemn side of the conversation. "That's what I'm afraid of," he admitted, nodding his head slowly and reaching one hand up to scrub a bit at the sanitary-cap that covered his bald head. "Particularly with her due-date getting closer, I figured she'd get a little curious about her mother, but she never did ask, and I didn't offer. It makes sense really, the way she is... she wouldn't have asked me about that, unless she couldn't find the information herself."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny moved his hand without a second's hesitation, allowing Johann the space to tuck the blanket up around the girl, and make her feel more snug and secure. Once more, he could almost put aside the incident brought up last night in favor of enjoying the time with his daughter; and to a degree, that's what he did. His rubbed deftly at her stomach again once the blanket had been settled, using such a light and delicate touch that it was hard to imagine that this was the finger that had pulled so many triggers and changed or ended so many lives. For right now, the young co-lead looked like any proud new father, and the gentlest man in the world. But while his posture and movements might go along with that, his tones were a little fiercer, strictly in defense of protecting Cassidy from any stress when she did wake up enough to know where she was, "Next time they come in to feed Raine, I'll tell them she's going to be moved. If it's too early to do today, then by tomorrow morning at the latest." Really, he had no idea when their Cassidy would wake up and be free of the incoherency, but if Maracheck and Charlotte could be believed, he figured Cass wouldn't be herself before the day was over.

Raine*Others

"I think it would be for the best," Johann answered, nodding his head some in agreement - and that was as close as he'd ever get to admitting that he wasn't comfortable in this room, particularly with Cass suffering from the same thing that her mother had died of. With his task complete in having tucked the blanket in more securely around the baby, he pulled down the panel again, not really spending all that much time cooing over Raine - but then, considering the situation and the memories that were likely flowing through his head, particularly as much as Cass resembled her mother and Raine resembled Cass, it was likely almost more than he could do to remain in the room. "I doubt they'll want to move her immediately, not only because of her condition, but because she's supposed to wake up here soon, and they likely don't want her waking before she's all comfortably settled in the new room. Less stress, and all that." As he was saying that, he was moving back to sit down beside Cass again - but like his semi-detachment from Raine, he couldn't seem to touch the new mother at all, either. Aside from this he seemed absolutely calm... but he just couldn't feel much joy over Raine's birth yet.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny was still a little too absorbed in his own mess to appreciate the true weight of the strain that Johann was being put under at this moment. Strangely enough, he'd sought the elder man's thoughts about moving Cassidy without ever realizing he'd done it - hearing Johann agree with him only doubled Lanny's resolve to have her moved. Silently brooding or not, Johann was still a source of wisdom and common sense that the young man was use to relying on. "They'll do it tonight then, while she's sleeping, and after they've given her what meds they're planning on." Of course he might say that now... but if Dr. Marachek didn't approve it, no amount of throwing his authority around was going to change it. As much as he hated to admit it, he simply didn't have any say over that end of the decision. While Johann retired to the side of Cassidy's bed, Lanny's eyes only followed in that direction; he stayed near Raine's incubator, still lightly running a finger over her belly, but now the faint smile that had shined through his expression was gone.

Raine*Others

Johann no more noticed how Lanny had sought out his input than the young man himself had - it had been such a long-standing, ongoing thing between them that neither one put much thought to it, even when they weren't exactly getting along. And he went on just as quietly and evenly, telling Lanny, "A lot of it will depend upon how much her oxygen level rises today, I'd expect. You remember last year when one of the guineas got hit by a car, and got that head injury? A lot of folks were out of town at the time, and I think your brother was occupied with something - I stayed up here as in-room guard for three days. The kid was doing fine most of the time, but every time they moved him - like to turn him over or give him a bath or summat - his oxygen would drop. It's got something to do with the strain of movement... muscles using up the oxygen, or something like that. So if she's going to have that problem, they might not be able to move her." Of course, the obvious answer to that was for the two of them to put aside their differences enough to devote themselves completely to keeping the girl calm and relaxed so that she could recover sufficiently to prevent that problem - and Johann might have mentioned that too, except for Charlotte moved back into the room, her tones quiet. "Sorry dearies - time to take her back. She's due for breakfast here any minute. She'll be kept in her ward until after Miss Jones goes back to sleep, to avoid having any shock or stress over seeing the baby and not remembering her being born. After she's fallen asleep, though, you can have the nurse at the desk page me, and I'll see about bringing your daughter down for another visit."

Laurence Zelkovii

Johann had picked out the one thing that Lanny couldn't argue against, and quite frankly wouldn't argue against. It all boiled down to her health and safety, and something as critical as her oxygen levels was far past his ability to fix. "Troy? Yeah." His expression clouded a little in recalling the particular recruit, and it worked as a prime example for Lanny to go by. Already knowing that Cassidy's lungs were not as strong and resilient as the average person's, it was even more room for concern for Lanny, and the end point of his determination to move her - he'd suggest it to the nurses, but now he wasn't so sure about enforcing it.

Pretty soon, Lanny lost the one thing that was sort of helping the awkward silences that were springing up between he and the elder man. After he'd withdrawn his hand from the incubator and nodded to Charlotte, he trudged towards the opposite side of Cass's bed and sat himself in the chair, once again trying to keep his mind from devolving into sour thoughts. To help with that, he shifted his arm up on the bed, to lie against Cass's, who's hand he also grabbed; that way, when she did wake up, she would feel a familiar touch.

Cassidy*Others

Seeing that his point had made it home, Johann chose to fall silent again, but he didn't seem as bothered by it as Lanny did... he was still a little too numb to encompass much of anything. He didn't even get up to say goodbye to Raine - and about an hour later, he was asleep again, proving that he was either still exhausted from all the drama yesterday - or more likely - that he was seeking sleep as a way to get away both from the awkwardness, but from his worry over Cass. It was a strange coping mechanism, but at the least, it relieved some of the tension, if only for a little while.

He'd been asleep for about an hour and a half when Cass made a muffled noise at the back of her throat, and her eyes moved under her closed lids, which was more activity she'd displayed since Raine had been born. "Catch the... gotta catch the bus. Goin'..." It wasn't really clear whether she was talking in her sleep, or actually sort of awake and just babbling on with her eyes closed, but though she didn't move just yet, or indicate that she could feel the grip that Lanny had on her hand, this was the first animation that had been seen from her since yesterday.

Laurence Zelkovii

In all that time, Lanny was silent and still, and about as far from sleep as one could be. He never once moved his arm away from Cass's, and frequently took to look at her face, studying it in the hopes of catching any bit of movement that would suggest she was even alive - with all the machines around her, the bruises, and the ghastly paleness, the overall look didn't do much to encourage him. However, his vigilance paid off after some two and half hours, when the girl final showed some animation. Lanny sat up more in his chair and leaned a little towards her, squeezing her hand softly, "Cass, it sounds like you're going to school." It was a quiet whisper, sounding more relieved and happy to hear any words from her than it was jesting.

Cassidy*Others

Rather as Raine had reacted earlier, Cass responded to Lanny's voice by turning her head slowly toward the sound. She didn't open her eyes just yet, but it was clear at least that she'd heard him. "No... I'm... sky-train. Goin'... bus to work." Her voice was a hoarse whisper, which was likely unsurprising, what with the bruises on her throat. Offering out that patched-together and somewhat confusing answer, she finally seemed to become interested enough to merit opening her eyes - and even so, it took a few seconds for her to spot him, after gazing randomly about herself for a few minutes. "'eeeey - does... Un'le know yer 'ere while... he's gone?" She didn't acknowledge that Lanny was holding her hand, apparently not having noticed it yet. There was a long second or two of silence where she seemed to study him, and then asked slowly, "What'sa... matter with you, eh? You outta... meet my frien' Lanny - he's a... real joker. d'make ya smile."

Laurence Zelkovii

Ordinarily, it might have been somewhat amusing to hear Cassidy mumble nonsense, being half asleep as she was; but there was nothing funny about in these circumstances. He could manage at smile purely at the joy of being able to listen to her, yet even the smile was a little empty and not as bright as it could be. "Going to work is it? You don't have to worry about work today, Cass." He moved his thumb across the top of her hand, while continuing to speak softly, "I'm right here Cass, it's me - Lanny. Just open your eyes." To keep in line with what the nurses warned, he played along with some of what she said, and was very mindful about not letting any of his worry leak through into his voice. Above all else, keeping her calm was his and Johann's main job here.

Cassidy*Others

Her eyes had drifted away from Lanny, scooting around the room, and spending several moments examining Johann, who was leaned half-sideways on the couch in what couldn't be a very comfortable position. Lanny's voice alerted her to him again, and she slowly turned her eyes back to him. "Tha' old guy... looks kinda like Uncle. Little bit." And, aside from the amusing reference of 'old guy' for a man in his early forties, that response really showed that, despite the fact that she was responding half-sensibly to Lanny's words, she wasn't quite all with it, if she didn't know her own uncle when she saw him. She turned her gaze back to Lanny then, and her eyes were creased a bit - she was clearly suspicious at his claims to be Lanny. She wiggled for a second, and looked as though she might be trying to sit up and examine him more closely, but after a second she froze abruptly, and the eyes closed quickly. True to form, she didn't make a noise, but it was clear that some part of her had experienced a sharp pain for the movement. A few moments later, the eyes were open again, and she again turned her attention to the young man beside her, seeming to think very carefully about something. "No... Lanny you're not... Lanny's got... eyes." It was unclear, from that reply, whether she was very out of it, or whether the medicine she was on had just blurred her vision until she couldn't see that he had eyes - either way, she clearly didn't believe him.

Laurence Zelkovii

Over again in his mind, he was reminding himself that the nonsensical phrases and confusion were suppose to be a normal occurrence from the drugs and surgery, yet it still a hard thing to stomach, and even harder to convince himself that calling in one of the nurses was not necessary. "He kinda does, doesn't he?" The marginal grin that showed up bore no more humor than his words had in his first reply to Cassidy - but it did do a marvelous job at covering up his concern. He waited and watched her, and just about reached for the call button when she tried to sit up, and clearly hurt something; but rather than reach for the button, his other hand moved towards her shoulder, not to push her down, but merely to rest on it and emphasize that he wanted her to stay down, "You can't be doing that quite yet, okay?" He had to take a slow breath to calm his own heart that had suddenly spiked, alarmed that she might have caused herself some sort of damage; but when she started to speak again, and none of the machines went off, he relaxed - a little. "They really dosed you up, huh? It's really me, Cass, but..." Lanny let the intent drain from his voice, understanding that he might be fighting a battle he could win right now, "...don't worry yourself over it."

Cassidy*Others

Fortunately for both of them, it didn't take much convincing to keep the girl down - she gave it up right away, either because she didn't want the pain to come back, or because she'd forgotten why she wanted to sit up. Either way, his actions saved both of them some trouble, and served the dual purpose of getting her eyes to turn back to him. And it was because she was studying him again that she didn't see Johann beginning to stir, apparently awakened even by the soft sound of their talking. His face didn't smile - but if Lanny looked up, he'd see something like the very edge of relief settled into the backs of the pale blue eyes. "Hey, kiddo," he whispered, getting slowly to his feet and scooting closer to her. Her eyes turned that way, and her face creased into a tiny scowl. "Even Uncle doesn't call me 'kiddo' any more. I cut that stuff out-

"-when you were nine. Yes, I know." His reply silenced her for a moment, which she took advantage of by turning her gaze back and forth between the two men, a little sluggishly because of the medicine. At long last, she ventured, "Hey, old guy - who's your friend?" Her eyes darted to Lanny to indicate him, and though Johann must have felt terribly that Cass clearly didn't recognize him, he didn't indicate it in any way. He just turned his eyes to the co-lead, and answered, "His name's Lanny." The scowl disappeared, to be replaced by surprise and concentration again. Then she turned her gaze back to the younger Zelkovii, and whispered conspiritorially, "He thinks you're Lanny, too."

Laurence Zelkovii

What was bothering him more than the strange way that Cassidy was talking and her randomness, it was her being unable to recognize either he or Johann. He chalked it up to the medicine, but it irked him enough that he resolved to ask the next nurse that came in about it, just to set his own mind at ease. Much like Johann though, he continued to display little of his inner feelings right now, and kept himself positive for the girl's sake; and so far, it seemed to be working. "That's because I am Lanny." So much for putting that aside as he'd attempted to, though he didn't try to push this fact on her with an intent or forceful tone; he merely stated it in a light way. At this point, he lifted a brow and glanced to Johann, expressing his own mild alarm over the situation, because he'd seen the same way that the man's features had shifted when he became aware of her confusion.

Cassidy*Others

"Oh yeah?" That was Cassidy's challenge to him, even though his words had been calm and not at all forceful. "And why are you scared of arrows, huh?" The entirely with-it Cassidy would know not to bring this up, but a faint memory had just rammed into the front of her mind - of a time when she'd come limping onto the beach with one end of an arrow lodged in her thigh, and Lanny had acted very... awkwardly, refusing to look at it. She'd found it odd at the time, and questioned James about it, because she'd found it unusual in a guy like Lanny who'd killed so many people and seen all different kinds of wounds. She wouldn't have brought it up, though - the medicine was compromising her reason. Johann shared the glance with Lanny, not quite as overwhelmed by her lack of sensibility as the younger man was, but still disturbed that she didn't know at least one or the other of them. Fully conscious and herself, she counted these two men as the most important people in her life - why didn't she know them? The logical part of his mind was working overtime, reminding him that the medicine was likely making her loopy and even if she recognized them, she likely wouldn't know their names. And he was using that logical reasoning to keep calm - barely.

Laurence Zelkovii

Her question, of all the things she could have asked, won a quick, brief show of surprise - and maybe a touch of embarrassment - that touched his cheeks with color. Being the co-lead of a gang, he tried his best not to advertise his weaknesses, so although it was only she and Johann in the room with him, both of which knew about his squeamishness of such things, he couldn't help but look away from both faces, "Where'd you hear something as crazy as that?" His forced, half-hearted chuckle further emphasized his surprise, and an awkwardness at trying to play off the question. If there was one thing to take from this however, it was that her memory was in tact enough to recall such things, even if her common sense was still out of grasp, since a normal Cassidy wouldn't have dared to say such things. Attempting to derail the subject before she could say anything more about it, he came up with a new topic to propose, "How are you feeling this morning?"

Cassidy*Others

"Hear what?" She hadn't seen the touch of pink that had risen along his cheekbones, and his question met only with her confusion - she'd forgotten what she'd said. On the positive side, though, she had remained calm throughout the discussion, and never seemed too bothered when both Lanny and Johann had declared him to be the real Lanny. And the older man was wise enough not to say anything, either about her continued confusion, or about Lanny's fear. Instead, he stood quietly while Cass returned her attention to the younger man, and asked quietly, "Am I supposed to feel something?" She sounded a little surprised - of course, she was on a lot of meds, so unless she moved, she likely didn't feel much of anything. At the same time, though, she didn't seem inclined to argue with Lanny anymore about who he was - she just accepted it, and moved on to answering his question. Even with his attention distracted, however, Johann noticed the way that her hand moved under the covers to rest over her stomach, in the way that had become habit for her - even if she wasn't altogether conscious of it, her brain was still in protect-the-unborn-baby mode - even subconsciously, she didn't realize that Raine had already been born.

Laurence Zelkovii

If there was one good side to her spotty memory, even it could even be considered 'good', was that she didn't need him to distract her from the current topic - she did that all by herself. "Nothing, nothing." He whispered with a mental sigh of relief, right before he realized he'd just about made a blunder; Cassidy didn't know that she had had surgery, much less had her baby, and informing her of that was definitely not the route he needed to go if he wanted to keep her calm. "No, just making sure you felt alright, is all." He was counting on her short attention at the moment to keep her from digging at that question now, and her medicine-induced state of mind to obscure the fact that she was in a hospital right now. But considering she couldn't recognize either he or Johann for who they really were, he didn't worry about that yet. But he was prepared.

Cassidy*Others

"My, but you are good and drunk," Johann murmured, trying to bring a little humor and lightness to a situation that was otherwise very grim and depressing. And it had the desired effect - it got the young woman's eyes to turn back to him again, and scowl briefly. "Never touched a drop in my life," she told him, and now he smiled just a little, shaking his head. It wasn't the content smile he'd use if she were altogether herself, but it held fondness, and one had to remember that he'd raised her from a babe in arms. "Never lie to the man who taught you to drink," he advised, and raised out to brush some of her hair back from her forehead - that had apparently broken the ice for him, allowing him to touch her again without feeling any remembered fear or anguish. And though in anyone else, the reference to the fib might have caused anger, the soft touch, in combination with the soft words, made Cass smile a little and turn her face a little more into his fingers. "Mean ol' man..." she whispered, while at the same time giving Lanny's hand a very faint, soft squeeze. And past that, silence fell again, as her breathing softened and deepened, indicating that she'd slipped from the middle of their conversation back into sleep.

Laurence Zelkovii

As he watched Johann's thoughtful action to brush aside a few strands of hair from his niece's forehead, he was suddenly made aware that this was the first contact he'd had with her since yesterday, and that in turn filled him on how much this was effecting the man, even when he showed it so little on the outside. It also strongly enforced the idea that, if his new anger against Johann wasn't resolved in a responsible, peaceful way... things would not be good with Cassidy. Lanny didn't have the opportunity to say anything more to the girl before she'd fallen asleep again, and though he was disappointed that their conversation had come to a temporary end, he was also a bit relieved that he didn't have to hear some of the delusional things she was saying, because it bothered him so much, coming from someone like her. The young man reclined back into the chair, leaning just a little to the side that he could still keep his arm up by her's, and their hands together, "They weren't kidding... I really wasn't prepared for that."

Cassidy*Others

After brushing the little hairs aside, the older man ran his fingers gently down her cheek, a last caress as she sank into dreams, proving that in his own way, he was just as devoted to her safety and comfort as Lanny was, in his own, quieter way. "I've seen it more times than I'd like to count, Laurence," he answered, using the young man's full name to instill importance behind the words he was saying. "And believe me... no one is ever ready for that kind of thing. I'm still not." Taking his hand back when it became claer that the girl was asleep again, he paced back to the couch and sat down heavily, shaking his head a little. "You have to remember, kid... I've been at this thirty four years. Technology's advanced a lot since then. They've made killing a lot less messy - nice and neat, no real gross-factor involved, comparatively. I was just a little younger than you when I got pulled out of a group of guineas for assassin's training, to take out prominent targets in certain factions. That was way before your time, back when I was blades instead of guns. In that game, you feel and see all the gore that your actions cause. I've seen it... and believe me, that don't prepare you for summat like this. Don't come near."

Laurence Zelkovii

Gang warfare and violence was a part of life for Lanny, and something that he'd gotten callous to in a way that the average citizen wasn't. He could keep a steady head in the middle of a gun fight, or work past the frenzy of adrenaline during the most intense of confrontations; but as much as he liked to think he had seen it all and could take anything, this situation and the story from Johann reminded him that he was far from seeing it all. If someone like Johann admitted to being unprepared, Lanny couldn't hope to convince himself that he could deal with it any better. "That's partly why I prefer firepower." Still very unwilling to get into any particularly deep talk with Johann, he did admit this. "Only Cass didn't encounter either - there was nothing to prevent this, gang life or no. And it's just as hard to stomach."

Cassidy*Others

Not meeting Lanny's eyes, the old man sighed, "I wish to all seven hells that Cass had taken to guns - she just can't hit the broadside of a barn." He shook his head again, but he clearly wasn't disagreeing with the younger man's preference - after all, guns were his preferred weapon, these days. His eyes turned briefly back to Cassidy, and went a little foggy - he was reliving something. "She was seven when she killed her first man - an older fellow got her pinned in a corner and gave her no other choice. Fool child didn't remember to pull back enough with her blade to break his neck - he spurted blood everywhere. Soaked her blade, soaked her hair, soaked her to the skin - we had to burn the outfit she had on. And for weeks after that, I'd wake up at two and three a.m. to her crawling into bed with me, crying over it." He shook his head - the fog faded away, and he came back to reality. "She didn't have any part in this - did nothing to get into this situation. Only thing she did was be a pretty girl on our side of a blood feud with a family with very few scruples. And her mother's genetics did the rest." He shook his head again, and got up, unable to sit still, pacing over to the sink again and looking into its depths, since there wasn't a window. "Just once, I wish for the power to raise the dead, so I can kill that bastard myself."

Laurence Zelkovii

There were a lot of dark things he knew about Cassidy, and a lot he didn't. She was very clever at hiding things that she didn't want others to know, and one of the best liars there were; no doubt thanks to being raised by someone like Johann, who was one of the hardest to read. This new tale was one that he didn't wish to add to his knowledge of the girl, but it did serve to bolster that sense of protection he felt over her. "You and me both." His words might be spoken quietly, but they were dripping with anger. "What I would've given to be the one that took out Michael..." The young man's face had set hard, to match the tone in his voice; and yet to contrast all of his abbrasiveness, his hand was still holding ever so lightly to Cass's, and every once in a while, stroking the top of her hand with his thumb.

Cassidy*Others

"If you understand that, then you understand the motivation of the man who did kill Michael," Johann answered, without turning away from the sink. Of course, Cassidy hadn't told her uncle just whom she'd gotten to take care of Michael, but he'd figured it out on his own - for purposes of not riling their earlier argument again, he didn't mention the fellow by name. "The man has a daughter, whom Mr. Carlyle attacked brutally some months before he took to Cass - I don't know whether anything explicit went on, but at the least, he injured the girl badly. She nearly died. I guarantee you... he made Mr. Carlyle's last few moments as painful and uncomfortable as humanly possible, for that mistake." He wouldn't say Ben's name, wouldn't bring up the controversy in his own mind - he hated Linus, not only for toying with and threatening Cassidy, but just generally in his natural suspicion of manipulative persons. And yet, on a certain level, he could understand some of the other man's motivations, a concept which both intrigued and frightened Johann - but as with everything he didn't care to reveal, the old man kept his confusion on the matter carefully concealed.

Laurence Zelkovii

For the first time in this new conversation, Laurence turned his bright blue eyes to Johann, narrowing them in concentration and brooding thought. He still didn't know who had killed Conan's father, and that was a good thing at this moment, considering how he'd love nothing more than to take out Benjamin for even daring to stir up Cassidy; oh, if he only knew that it went much deeper than that... he would turn the gang against him, for better or worse. "I guarantee he would have gotten it ten times worse if I had been the one to kill him." Lanny murmured defiantly in chilled undertones. Little did he know just how gruesome of a fate that Michael got, to be thrown into a pit of decaying remains where he was left to succumb to his wounds just like all the others who had dared to cross Ben's path before.

Cassidy*Others

Not about to argue with Lanny on the topic, since it was rather pointless because he couldn't tell the younger man just who had murdered Michael, Johann only nodded, shifting his weight again and beginning to come away from the sink. He froze a little halfway across, and made a sign to Lanny to be quiet for a second so he could hear - finally, he whispered quickly, "Save it - Marachek's coming down the hall." Because of course, even though she was very familiar with the gang and knew that they'd killed people intentionally, there was no reason to give her any more information than she already had. And indeed, a moment later, the woman was passing quietly into the room, and fixing both Johann and Lanny with her eyes. "Has she awakened yet?"

Laurence Zelkovii

Had not Marachek chosen this time to make a visit and check on Cassidy, Lanny would have inevitably broached the topic of who'd killed Michael, and used the 'you shot me' card to gain any leverage he could over Johann to get him to answer up. Luckily, before he could say anything that wasn't intended for the doctor's ears, Johann warned him of her approach and he instantly went quiet and fashioned his gaze on the door. Decided to stay seated for the time being, Lanny nodded his affirmation to Marachek's question upon her arrival, "Yeah, just a few minutes ago." He adjusted himself in the seat, and didn't bother to move his arm away from Cass's, no longer so uncertain or nervous about such things as he had been in the past. The whole relationship issue wasn't at all concrete in his mind, but he was determined to stick by her, "She didn't recognize either of us; that's normal, isn't it?"

Dr. Marachek*Others

Looking over the girl's chart as she double-tasked to listen to Lanny's answer, Dr. Marachek peered over the edge of the folder when he mentioned that she hadn't known either one of them. "Did she answer in a way that made sense in view of your questions?" Her eyes turned between the two men as she said this, and Johann took the opportunity to answer. "It was clear to me that she didn't quite know what was going on, but when Lanny asked her how she felt, she didn't say 'pickles' or anything. Her answer indicated that she understood what he'd asked her." With that information provided to her, the physician lowered her eyes to the chart again, speaking quietly as she scribbled something on the chart. "Then it's normal, considering the amount of medication she's on. The pain medicine, in particular, can affect her vision and perception of the world around her - likely your faces are slightly altered in her eyes, which would explain why she does not recognize you. That should clear up, as her body becomes accustomed to the drugs." That comment finished, she closed the chart, and turned her eyes to Lanny. "You'll be glad to know I filed your paperwork this morning - Raine became your legal daughter about twenty minutes ago. And I understand you got to socialize with her some before she had to go up for her bottle. That's good - touch is good for her, particularly as small as she is. It will give her something to stimulate her senses, which in turn will help her to grow."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny broke out of his quiet brooding so that he could look between Dr. Marachek and Johann as they traded answers, looking more attentive now than he had been in the past day. He wanted to be hopeful about Cassidy's recovery, especially after he was able to see her awake and talking for a short while, but he didn't dare let his hopes stretch too far without first hearing what the doctor had to say about it. And when Marachek concluded that Cass's behavior was perfectly normal considering, a knot of tension in his gut subtle unfolded and allowed him to breath a little easier. The icing on the cake, even to such a small victory as it was, was to have Raine officially be made his daughter. "She looks pretty healthy, and all that." He commented, as if he knew what he was talking about, "When can she be brought back in here?" The young man didn't care to hide the small touch of interest and enthusiasm that lit up his question, which was only tempered by the hesitancy of knowing that he could only visit with her while Cassidy was asleep, or they'd risk upsetting her.

Dr. Marachek*Others

"She is," the doctor answered, and her eyes crinkled up a little behind her mask, indicating that she was smiling a bit. "She is strong for her size, and is already showing improvements in her respiratory system, enough that I am fairly confident that she will be off of the oxygen within a week, and ready to go home with you very soon after that." She offered that good news, trying to give both men a little hope in the situation, and then shifted onto the subject of the visits. "Until Miss Jones is stronger and able to deal with the knowledge that her baby was born while she was not conscious, we will have to limit her visits with you to times when Miss Jones is asleep," she answered, repeating over what they already knew to reemphasize it. "And in any case, I just left Raine - she is napping at this exact moment. However, I have given the nurse instructions to bring her down after her next bottle, provided that Miss Jones is still asleep - and since she will have had a meal, she will be able to stay with you longer." Finishing out that topic, she then shifted her weight, and began to report on the young woman who had slept through all of this. "It is difficult for you to see, I know, but that she has regained consciousness and was fairly lucid at the time - even for such a brief period - is a large step for her in the right direction. And her oxygen saturation is slowly rising, which is also a positive sign. If it continues to rise at this rate over the next two days, then I will be able to remove the supplementary oxygen. And when that happens, she will be out of the woods, so to speak. She will still have a long way to go before she recovers fully, but she will no longer be at immediate risk."

Laurence Zelkovii

'Ready to go home with you' The phrase startled him for some reason, and took a few quick seconds of thought to get his mind back in focus. He had no problem taking care of Randy, and even being the young guy that he was, and steeped in gang life, he did make for a surprisingly good father-figured, particularly since Sheryl's patience and maturity weren't at the best of levels to properly care for the kid most of the time. But an infant was a slightly different deal; if something was wrong with Raine, all she was going to do was cry, and he would have to do the problem solving and figure out what was up, unlike how Randy could sorta communicate with him. Just to clarify it, Lanny questioned at length, while trying to sound nonchalant this time around, "She'll be ready to go home before Cass, right?" Pretending as if none of this had caught him off guard, Lanny was listening with an air of attentive intelligence to the rest of the information, and found his concentration returning when Marachek described what was going on with Cassidy. "When Cass is released, is there any special things we've got to look out for? Precautions and the like?"

Dr. Marachek*Others

The question got her eyes to return to Lanny, and when she answered, her reply had been edited some. "Either with you, or with Mr. Jones, here - that will be a decision for you both to make. I would recommend that one of you take the baby home, while the other remains here - and it would be best, perhaps, if you take shifts of it, until Miss Jones has recovered. If she does not see both of you occasionally, she may become overstressed, whereas if you trade off, the remaining one can explain that the absent one has gone to fetch some supper, or some other such thing. And by the time she has recovered enough to understand that these reasons are not precisely true, she will be strong enough to take the news that Raine has been born, and that the absent one is taking care of Raine in her place." She took a moment to look between the men again, seeking some confirmation that they understood what they needed to do, before she went on, "Miss Jones will be released once the bleeding has stopped, and her oxygen and hemoglobin have stabilized, along with her consciousness. However, she will not be in her usual physical condition at that time - I want her to continue the iron supplements and vitamins until further notice, and she will likely still be taking medications for pain. It would be best if one of you dosed out her medications instead of letting her take care of it - that way, if the drugs compromise her judgment, she will not forget a dose, or take too many and make herself ill. And she will still need to regain her strength - she should not do any lifting or bending, or any strenuous activity, and I want her completely excluded from the gang's activities until I tell the two of you otherwise."

Laurence Zelkovii

Suspicions confirmed, Lanny took it well enough and prepared himself for the task ahead. He'd have to enlist Sheryl's help in gathering up the needed supplies, because even though Johann already had experience in baby-rearing, Lanny simply wasn't going to go shopping with him. It had little to do that he was unable to get past the shooting - he just found it entirely unmanly to go baby-clothes shopping with another guy, and figured his awkwardness in the foreign subject would suffer less if he at least had Sheryl to help him. Of course, his apartment probably wasn't the best environment for a baby, considering Sheryl's unhealthy habits, and the fact that he let Gecky run around out of his cage most of the time to help keep down the cockroach problem. But that wasn't going to stop him from taking care of his daughter, "I can take her the first day." He turned a look to Johann as he said this, making this bold statement, but added the 'first day' to signify that he had no problem with sharing her with the other man, since he would be something of a grandpa to her. "She won't be involved in any of that." Attention snapped back to Marachek, who was one of the rare few people who could get away with saying what she had just said. Although Lanny was already prepared to keep her away from the gang issues for some time to come, he willingly heard Dr. Marachek out, and didn't get defensive over the fact that she dared to imply her orders on their affairs.

Dr. Marachek*Others

Johann wasn't about to challenge Lanny's claim on taking Raine home for the first night - as the child's father, it was his right, and even if the two hadn't been quarreling, he still would not have spoken against it. In fact, he nodded in agreement, and reached over the arm of the couch to grab his bag, beginning to rummage through it. "Cass bought a few clothes for the baby a couple of months back when she found out it was a girl, but she was counting on carrying to term, so she didn't by any preemie clothes..." As he was explaining, he came up with the item he wanted, and handed it across to Lanny; it was a onesie, light purple in color and tiny as could be - it almost fit in the palm of his hand... the perfect size for Raine. And it was hand-embroidered in white and darker purple with tiny flowers and ribbons. "Cass' mother made that for her, when she was about six months along. I kept it when I got rid of her other baby clothes, thinking that Cass might want it some day, to remember her mother by. I think it might just fit Raine." That, at least, would give the infant an outfit to travel home in, and something to wear until Lanny got time to shop for more.

Dr. Marachek remained silent through all of this, and nodded her approval when Lanny confirmed that she'd be kept away from the action for a while. And with that established, she was prepared to conclude her visit. But before she left, she said softly, "I've arranged for lunch to be brought up to you, the same way as with breakfast. Was there anything else the two of you wanted?"

Laurence Zelkovii

Proving that he was unwilling to let this rift interfere with Cassidy or Raine, and subtly suggesting that he wasn't going to turn it into the big deal that he otherwise could have, Lanny got up from his seat in order to meet Johann halfway and receive the onesie. "It's tiny..." He might have already seen his daughter, but the incredibility of her tiny size continued to amaze him whenever he was reminded of it. "When Cass is well enough to see Raine, I want her to be wearing this." Showing a more sentimental side, Lanny announced this with finality, as he carried it back over to his spot in the chair and sat down once more. He had a bag himself now, brought over by one of the guards who'd arrived last night, since he had been in too much of a rush to grab it yesterday afternoon. Just as he was tucking the purple outfit away, being rather gentle with it, considering it was older, and hand-made, Lanny glanced up to Marachek, "Actually... can you have them send up a coke?" If he couldn't be permitted to have that in the room, as he suspected he wouldn't, he'd settle for drinking it with his lunch.

Dr. Marachek*Others

Johann didn't comment on Lanny's request that Raine be dressed in the handmade garment when her mother finally got to meet her - he had been privately wanting to request the same thing, thinking that it would make Cass very happy to see her own daughter wearing the cherished onesie. And the doctor was accordingly very careful with her answer. "That can be arranged, I'm sure." After the young man had carefully packed away the garment, Marachek was again shaking her head. "I can arrange for one to be brought to the nurse's station, but until there is less risk of contamination, I'm afraid you can't bring it into this room. Anything else?" She turned her eyes between them again, and after briefly debating with himself, Johann finally spoke up. "There is one more thing - we'd like Cass moved to a different room, if that's possible."

Laurence Zelkovii

With that settled, Lanny felt a little better about it all. It would be a shock enough as it was for Cassidy to learn that her baby had already been born, and he was hoping that the sentimental garment would help a little in lessening that shock; though it could just as easily make her more sentimental about it all. Following this, he had to admit he was just a little disappointed that he couldn't have his drink in here, but he made no fuss about it - after all, Cassidy's health ranked far about his favorite soda. The young man was ready to dismiss Marachek at this point, unable to think of anything else they could need right now; that is, until Johann brought up something that had, for some reason, completely escaped Lanny's mind. He could have slapped himself for it, and as if to make up for his forgetfulness, he voiced up as well, "And as soon as possible."

Dr. Marachek*Others

When inevitably the conversation shifted to the need to have Cassidy moved to different quarters, Dr. Marachek put the girl's chart down on the room's small table, and gave a hearty sigh. "I was wondering when one of you was going to mention that... I'm afraid it's not so simple as that." She shook her head some, and went on, "I would not have placed her in this room, had I had any other choice - I attended on her mother when she died, so I know all the history involved here. But it was the only intensive care room available at the time of her admission. There is another room open now, but I do not believe her to be strong enough yet to be moved. That was the main reason I asked the two of you to stay with her - in an attempt to keep her busy enough that she wouldn't notice the room number, if she knows where her mother died." She rolled her head to once side, and a small crackling sounded as the bones in her neck popped. However, not satisfied with this solution herself, and not expecting either of the men to be, she finally offered, "I'll have a look at her tomorrow morning. If she's improved enough by then, I'll have her transferred to 409."

Laurence Zelkovii

He was prepared for this answer, and had already set the limits that he was willing to push for the room transfer. Any argument he had would be nullified by the mention of potentially harming Cassidy's health, so right away he avoided vying for the move happening anytime today. "When do you think she might start acting more herself? She was pretty out of it today..." Since he had nothing to go off to determine how long she might be unaware of her surroundings, Lanny sought Marachek's advice again; and even then, he knew that Cassidy's return to coherency was likely not an easy thing to predict, with all the factors that influenced it. "I'll leave it to you to judge her condition, but when she's strong enough, I want her moved without question. I don't care if we have to move someone into this room in the process, I want her moved."

Dr. Marachek*Others

After putting thought to Lanny's newest question, Marachek finally spoke up again. "She's so slight that it's difficult to estimate how soon her body will learn to accommodate the medication. She still doesn't weigh enough for having had a baby - when she gets home, be sure not to let her lose any weight... she needs what she has now. But on that note... I have her on alternating rounds of meds every two hours... perhaps by this evening she will be more coherent. As long as she's on the medicine, you may notice a slight difference in her behavior,but it should become less and less prominent as she becomes more accustomed to it." Concluding that, she shrugged one shoulder in a stretch, and pulled one gloved hand up to cover her masked face, giving a small yawn - one had to remember that she'd been up since the morning before taking care of patients and seeing to Cassidy every two hours. "As long as it does not effect the health of either patient, I will concede to that," she told him finally, after considering it very carefully. "And now, gentlemen, you'll excuse me - I was up at five yesterday, and I haven't seen my bed since. I'll be in the building, in the doctor's overnight quarters if there's an emergency. But Charlotte will be checking in with you frequently, and she can take care of most things."

Laurence Zelkovii

Given an approximate time when he might expect Cassidy to be awake, Lanny checked his watch to get an idea of when he ought to be prepared for her. On one hand, he was anxious to hear her voice and see her moving around a little, to contrast the way she otherwise looked so ill and frail while she was asleep - the colorful bruises on her throat were still bothering him quite a bit, even if he'd similar things after this person or that got a beat-down from the gang. On the opposite side of it, he dreaded having to listen to her flitter between incoherent bablings, and to look at him like he were some random stranger. "We'll see to it that she gets enough to eat and keeps quiet at home." On that note, he was going to speak up and ask what they ought to look out for with Raine as far as complications, but the yawn from Marachek dissuaded him. He would wait until Charlotte next checked in on them to ask her about it. With that, he actually nodded to the doctor and gave her a brief work of appreciation for considering the room-move, "Thanks."