Cassidy*Others

*Note ~ even plastic roses have thorns.*

With the frantic pace of Cass' driving, they arrived at the hospital in record time, squealing to a stop in the parking lot. Miraculously enough, Raine had slept soundly all the way, despite the fact that the young woman had scooted through a couple of red lights and got a round of honking from the offended drivers. The engine hadn't even fully died before the young mother had the door swung open and was swinging her legs up into the truck bed in a small show of agility, taking up the bags she'd tossed back there in her haste to get to the hospital. With only a brief glance back to ensure that Lanny had Raine well in hand, she hopped out of the back and made her way with decisive steps toward the emergency room entrance. Ferocity was the main feature of her mood right now, but right under the surface was tension that Lanny would be able to detect, after so much close contact with her, and as she marched up to the attendant's desk - the same one that the young man himself had stood at nine months ago, with equally as much anger and concern on his plate - it was apparent that not only Lanny could tell she was tense; the young lady sitting behind the desk looked up, and nearly flinched. But her voice sounded very calmly. "Yes... you must be Miss Jones? Charlotte mentioned that you'd be here quite soon. She's asked me to see you into the waiting area for surgery patient families. If you'll follow me?"

Laurence Zelkovii

Laurance was a few seconds behind Cassidy in getting out, if only because he had to first unbuckle Raine and toil with getting a stubborn seatbelt buckle out from the carseat. Once that was done and the seat was firmly in one hand, his long legs went to good use catching up to Cassidy. There was no time for any words of wisdom or comfort, or even a hand to place on her arm as they bustled towards the building. All that he could do was to keep up with her and provide a sense of security and stability when so much else in her world was threatened and in danger. "Do you have any updates on him?" He took the lead in questioning the receptionist, my making more of a demand for details rather than an inquiry, if one went by his tones and briskness. "He's going to need a private room." Another demand, and this one for obvious reasons. As he'd done for Cassidy, Johann too would have guards, and they couldn't be bothered with relatives from some other patient if they were forced to share a room.

Cassidy*Others

"Come along - this way," the young attendant prompted, leading the way through the swinging double doors. They passed an older gentleman as they headed for the prescribed room, and she spouted, "Leland - let Charlotte know that Miss Jones and Mister Zelkovii have arrived; I'm taking them to the family op room." The man, a slightly balding fellow with a thin crop of sandy hair that he wore in a pitiful-looking comb over, nodded obediently, and as he disappeared, their guide finally began to answer questions. "From what I understood the radiologist to say, Mr. Jones is a very lucky man; the force and trajectory of the oncoming vehicle threw him sideways in his seat, which caused the projectile in question to miss any vital organs. However, the greater part of that shoulder took the impact - the rotator cuff is definitely torn, and the humerus is cracked in several places. The main concern the doctors have, however, is the nerve and muscle damage done - structural damage, they can repair, but at the moment, it's anyone's guess how much use he'll have of that arm, from now on." Cass grimaced in a controlled manner, and asked, "Right or left arm?" "Left," was the prompt answer, and Cass cursed again - her uncle was left handed, and she could just imagine the complaints she'd hear from him if he ended up with limited mobility in his primary hand. Their escort took the momentary silence as an opportunity to assure Lanny that arrangements for a private room for Johann had already been made - courtesy of faithful Nurse Charlotte, who had treated Cass for so long that she knew how touchy both the young woman and her almost-but-not-yet boyfriend could be, and had been diplomatic enough to go ahead and make arrangements. "Here we are," the attendant announced brightly, letting them into a small, sterile-looking white waiting room with hard, square couches and a dirt-grey carpet that didn't really do anything for the lack of attractiveness of the room in general. "I'm sure either the physician or the op crew will be out in a few moments to speak with you." And with only that, she left them to the silent, empty room. With adrenaline coursing through her, being forced into the prospect of waiting was not a pleasant one for Cass; she plopped both bags on the floor and turned to face the wall, pretending to study a neutral-colored, iconically boring painting that had apparently been hung in an attempt to liven the bland room a bit - but the balling of muscles in her arms and shoulders could be seen through her shirt, indicating that she was far from relaxed.

Laurence Zelkovii

During their trek from the front desk and on into the waiting room, Lanny was making note of the various people they were passing, particularly anyone who wasn't in hospital garb. His suspicion was aroused with the possibility that this was a deliberate attack, and as so, he knew that enemies could potentially be around, if they were foolish enough to show their faces. With eyes averted, he was still listening to what the young lady had to say, and was immediately relieved to hear that Johann wasn't in any immediate danger of dying. On the downside... the injury couldn't have been in worse place for a man who so heavily relied on computer work for his job. Two hands were needed at the keyboard to work efficiently, and even past that, any deterioration of his main arm would make him that much less able to defend himself in an attack. Keeping his thoughts to himself, yet feeling his stomach sink a little in reaction, Lanny set himself down and place Raine's carseat on the ground between both of them. "Mitch and Lance will be here in about fifteen minutes or so to take the first shift. Tyler's on his way to the police station now to get what information he can." Unable to come up with anything that was hopeful, such as 'Johann's tough, I'm sure he'll be fine', Lanny instead filled her in on the gang's activity, and tried to reassure her on the issue of safety. His gaze passed flashingly over the bland room before focusing on the young woman, and he took that moment to place a hand to her knee, chosing that over her shoulder, just in case she was too preoccupied to notice his movements and reacted badly. "You know they're not going to get away with this. If this was a direct attack, you can bet the whole gang is going to be involved."

Cassidy*Others

As might have been expected, Cass tensed dramatically to the sudden touch upon her knee, which attested not only to her worry over her uncle, but her general tension on the occasions when she had to endure this hated place. There was actually a brief movement of her arm to the side in what might have been the first part of an effort to land a blow and dislodge his hand, but she stopped her hand halfway through the motion, seeming to come to her senses enough to realize that it was only Lanny, and he was trying to comfort her. She looked startled for a moment, and then smiled gently, turning her eyes down to his hand on her knee. "We had an old boat, when I was a kid," she murmured finally, taking up a seemingly random topic in order to break the awkward silence. "Sometimes on weekends, we'd take it out to Pike's and go fishing." The smile warmed a little now, getting fond in memory, and she swiped a lock of dark crimson hair behind her ear. "I remember the first time we went; I was six years old, and I had a brand new fishing pole - the reel was shaped like a turtle, and little fish swam up the rod. It matched my life jacket. I caught a little white perch, no bigger than my hand, even then. And I cried... because he hadn't thought to explain to me that the fish was going to die." She shook her head slowly, in a combination of wistfulness and amusement. "I still won't eat fish... to this day. And he laughs about it, sometimes." Out came a small passage of air through her nose, which was something like a laugh, and yet wasn't one. "I miss fishing." And the innocence that goes with it. He's not going to be fishing anymore. That was the silent monologue that went on afterward, that she didn't say but nevertheless could be heard. She shook her head again, and ran a hand tiredly over her eyes. "Dunno... think maybe we can teach Raine to fish?"

Laurence Zelkovii

Time and again he'd risked getting a bad reaction from Cassidy for these physical touches, and so far he'd prevailed - mostly because he knew not to touch her shoulder unless she was aware of what he was doing. It was almost a subconscious effort to work past that instinctively defensive reaction in her so that he could better provide the sort of protection and comfort he knew she needed. Thankfully, he prevailed this time as well. "Well sure, every little kid likes to fish, and I can't imagine Raine wouldn't like to try it too. ..And we can always let them go, after we've caught them." Lanny grinned in a lightly teasing manner, not to make fun of her unhappy experience with the perch, but to try to brighten the conversation for a moment or two. A beat or two later, it clicked in his mind that the story wasn't just a tale shared to distract herself, or to talk about the sort of activities they could do with their daughter when she got a little older; it was more about Johann than anything. "To tell you the truth, I haven't had much experience with fishing. Johann surely knows all the good spots and what kind of gear you need." He made an attempt to include the man back into it somehow, though he knew as well as Cassidy did that there was a good chance that he wouldn't be fishing any more after this. Whether he had one good arm or not, it took two to hold and reel in a fishing line.

Cassidy*Others

Now that she knew the hand on her knee was Lanny's, she relaxed some, and was able to distractedly enjoy the comfort. Raine whined a little, and shifted, and that got her mother's eyes to turn to her, drawing her a little out of the silent worry she'd sunk into. "Shhhh... it's okay, sweet," she whispered, and bent over at the waist to drag the car seat toward her, so that she could resettle the blanket around the baby. At long last, the infant frowned, and smacked her mother as she tended to do whenever she was dreaming intently, finally settling down. At that point, Cass smiled a little, and sat back, using a deft toe to rock the seat. "Get Johann talking about fishing, and he'll talk your ear right off," she murmured, going back to their topic in a more positive manner. "It's one of a few select topics I've ever heard him say more than a sentence on when work isn't involved." She shook her head, and might have said something else - but right about that time, a tall, broad-shouldered man came through the double doors, and Cass was on her feet quickly. She was head and shoulders shorter than the fellow, but she didn't look the least bit intimidated - no, she was taking charge of the situation. "Well?"

He looked down from his gargantuan height at her, looking like he could dump her over on her rear - but when he spoke, his voice was low and gentle, in the way that he might have spoken to a personality that was much more delicate than Cass'. "We're moving your uncle to a room now, Miss Jones. He's a bit roughed up - but he looks worse than he is. He's a lucky guy." She snorted, and shook her head. "Of all the things he is, Johann's not 'lucky'. You're going to take us to him. Now." His face wrinkled a little in surprise, and he looked like he wasn't going to agree - but the way Cass' expression hardened made him hesitate. "You're taking us to him," she repeated, more intently.

Laurence Zelkovii

The slight relaxing was all he could hope to achieve with Cassidy under such circumstances, yet he was glad he was able to do even that little bit to improve her attitude for the time being. After all, there were still so many things to keep their thoughts busy with dread, the least of which for Lanny was in knowing that there was someone out there willing to do them harm. What if Raine had been in the car that was struck? What about Cassidy? He tried not to let this dire musings get at him too deeply for now, and reminded himself that the rest of the gang was now rallying to their protection. "As soon as he gets out of here, there's no reason why we can't take a fishing trip, even if Raine can't quite hold a fishing pole yet." What more they might have gotten from that conversation was ended by the large man that interrupted their discussion with some important news. Lanny was alright with sitting back and letting Cass handle it at first, up until she made the demand to see Johann immediately. To back her up, the young man picked up Raine's seat and stood tall beside Cass, giving the other man a similar look as her.

Cassidy*Others

Working at a hospital, it was a given that their tall, broad-shouldered opponent was accustomed to dealing with overwrought women, who may or may not be persuaded to frantic and semi-violent action if their requests were denied; certainly, it was something that one had to be prepared for, in this kind of setting - but Cass' eerie calm was something very different. Quieter, and less dramatic than what he was used to... and yet definitely more intimidating that this person who could have stood on her toes and still not been able to look him in the eye was so determined - and collected - about getting her own way. He was quiet for several long, awkward moments, debating in his head what to do, and then...

"I'd suggest you escort them to Mr. Jones, Dave," came a low voice, accompanied by the slight creaking of a door as Charlotte hefted her large frame into the room, surgical mask covering her face but her voice dry and clear as ever. "Miss Jones is not accustomed to being denied what she asks for, particularly where her uncle is concerned." Cass had partially whirled at the creaking of the door, standing half-turned now between Dave and Charlotte in order to put her in a position to deal with either of them, if they'd been a threat, but the nurse didn't seem too surprised, and certainly wasn't alarmed by the sudden action, the way that Dave's flinch said he was. "He's just coming out of the anesthetic - they're seeing him to 212. You'd better take them - I've a few other tasks to accomplish before I'll be up." With that, and a brief nod to Cass, the woman unhooked the mask from behind her ears and stalked away on some unnamed mission, leaving them alone with Dave again, who looked a little miffed, but finally muttered, "Come on, then - if Charlotte says I'm to take you, we'd best get going." Cass bent and picked up the bags. "Lead the way."

Laurence Zelkovii

I the silence that followed Cassidy's command, Lanny was on the verge of letting his voice be heard in case the young woman's attempts weren't quite enough to compel the guy. The carseat shifted from one hand into the air, and just as he was building up a lung-full of air to pointedly restate Cass's request, another figure showed up that took care of all that for him. Given the circumstances in the last few hours, even Lanny tensed and turned his head a little sharply at the creak of the door before his ears recognized the voice as Charlotte's. Considering the circumstances they'd been under today, he wasn't going to let his guard down any time soon, even in the relative safety of the hospital. He started after the Dave when the man moved, trailing to the side of Cassidy, "Where's the driver that hit him? Are they here?"

Cassidy*Others

With the long legs of their escort and Cass' anxiousness to be taken to her uncle, Lanny would be hard pressed to keep up with the others, with the child he was hauling along. Nevertheless, her keen hearing kept her aware of the young man, and when he spoke up, it brought her attention to an important matter that hadn't yet occurred to her - the person responsible for putting her uncle in this position. Unfortunately, Dave didn't have much information to offer. "The driver of the second vehicle was killed on impact; we felt it best, considering the circumstances, to place priority upon getting Mr. Jones the medical attention he required." Cass nodded, not able to argue against that in the least. One short elevator ride later, they stepped out onto the second floor, and quickly approached the room. "He's probably still a little out of it from the anesthesia - it'll wear off altogether in about an hour. Keep as quiet as possible til he comes around altogether." Cass barely paused to listen - she was already in the door, and pulling the chair up close to the bed. For his part, Johann was looking a little red-eyed, likely from the drugs, but his voice was low and calm, and sensible sounding. It was hard to see most of his injuries, due to the fact that someone had already pulled the sheet up around his chest, but his face was an unholy mess - his lip was split, and most of his face was a blue-black color, but his words were rational. "Should've expected you'd be here," he was muttering, his words a little slurred but not too badly. "Thought you'dve been sensible enough to bring clothes with you though." Cass shook her head, and answered, "That's what's in the bags. Brought you a visitor, too."

Laurence Zelkovii

No matter the fact that Raine was small, the carseat alone wasn't all that light, and lugging both meant that he was frequently switching the carrier from one hand to the other when it got too heavy. It didn't seem to slow him down though, as he matched the other man's strides by taking quicker steps. "They died?" Lanny almost stopped, caught completely by surprise over that. It certainly blew a hole or two in his idea that the attack had been deliberate. He wasn't ready to completely let go of the idea that this was more than an accident, but his mind did ease just a little, so that he could focus more on Johann as they were just coming up to his room. Lanny crossed into the room and seated himself on a second chair, placing Raine at his feet only long enough to get her out of the carseat and settled into his arms. "How you feeling, Johann?" Judging by his appearance... probably not very well. Yet as much as he wanted to start in questioning the man, he did heed Dave's suggestion, and didn't start badgering the man about what had happened just yet.

Cassidy*Others

"That was what the EMT's reported, when they arrived here direct from the crash," Dave answered, giving a curt nod, and then dismissing them to enter the room alone, since Cass had already gone in and didn't seem like she had anymore questions to ask. In the room itself, Cass was allowing her uncle's consciousness and lack of significant confusion to soothe her as to his well being, where all of the assurances of the medical personnel hadn't done much; if he was awake, and aware enough to have his game face on, then he couldn't be too badly hurt. "For the moment," he answered Lanny, as the young man settled down with Raine, "I don't feel much of anything - got me numbed up enough that I can't move my arm; course, I think they don't want me to anyhow, if this riggin' is any hint." Using his other arm, he shuffled down the sheet, revealing that his entire left arm was casted and slung against his chest to keep it immobile - clearly, they didn't want him using it for some time to come, and if they'd put any stitches in his shoulder and chest as seemed sensible, it was no wonder. He scowled faintly, which was an expression taken up mostly in the pale blue eyes and the wrinkles at the corners, rather than through the lips and chin in the more typical way; he wasn't quite entirely in control of his expression, likely due to the muddling of his mind due to the medication, but he wasn't loopy the way Cass had been after her brush with death. "Ahhhh... you brought both my girls," he murmured next, his eyes landing on the slumbering child in her father's arms, and his creased face lighting very faintly with a corner of a smile. "Of course we did," Cass answered, finally managing a small smile of her own in reply. "She'd have missed you, if we hadn't."

Laurence Zelkovii

Whether or not it was a good thing to do, Lanny let his thoughts ease on whether or not this was an attack, and left it up to Tyler to find out the rest of the story if he could. On a more subtle note of surprise, Lanny found that he had invested an amount of underlying concern for Cassidy's uncle, and was similarly relieved to see and hear that he appeared to be with it. It wasn't that he disliked the man at all, but after the shooting incident... well, there always remained a rift after that event, even if it had more or less been patched over and remained unspoken about for some time. The truth of the matter was, he saw Johann as a good man, and someone as interested in Cassidy and Raine's best interests as he was. "By what I've heard, I just sit tight and listen to them. Don't be messing with that arm if they don't want you to." Lanny took a look at a clock on the wall as he got himself settled into the chair, making a mental note of how much time had elapsed, and when he could expect the guards to arrive. "I wouldn't leave home without them. We also brought enough gear to last us a few days here, and then some."

Cassidy*Others

"Lanny's subtly suggesting that I went a bit far in stuff to bring with us," Cass explained, giving a soft laugh that was a little reserved, but infinitely preferable over the palpable tension that had been haunting her over the last several minutes. And Johann chuckled quietly too, commenting, "That's 'cause he hasn't been living with us long enough to know how much you usually pack when you have to go someplace," he answered teasingly, and she gave him a completely unserious scowl. "There's only two bags, and one of them's all Raine's stuff!" she protested in good nature, and he shook his head in fond exasperation. "Only woman I know who needs two bags to take a one week trip," he told Lanny, and flinched instinctively. This was usually the point where Cass would fake a slap at him, but she was still more frightened by his injury than she cared to admit - she didn't so much as eye him up like she might flap a hand at him, apparently feeling that he was kind of delicate right now, even if none of his injuries were serious. "Seriously though, Johann," she murmured, sobering after a couple of moments, "You really ought to listen to what they've said - you don't want to take any risks with an injury in that area. I understand you were quite lucky."

Laurence Zelkovii

He was happy to see that his go at a light-natured remark was taken by the other two, and provided a much needed break from the oppressive dread and worry they'd been plagued with up till this point. "To be fair, if packing had been left up to me, I don't think I'd have given a second thought to clothes and the like. And we'd be running back to get diapers and food for Raine." Sadly enough, it was a mostly true statement, and one area where he was quite the opposite from Cassidy. The words left a nice moment or two to take stock of the situation and let lose of some of the anxiety, to where Lanny carefully transitioned back into a more serious mode when he felt it appropriate to do so. "Do you remember anything specific before the crash? Cass's right about that, they said you were lucky; whatever happened, it sounds like quite the bang-up." Possible attack or not, Lanny still felt the need to get the details about the incident.

Cassidy*Others

As much as he and Lanny didn't see eye to eye on several different topics - the shooting matter certainly not the least - Johann chuckled at the mutual tease they were enjoying with Cass, and gave the younger man a mischievous wink. "Somewhere between the two of ya, there's a happy medium. You balance each other out pretty well." It was a teasing comment, but an approving one all the same - it was a subtle way of saying that he saw what was going on between the two of them, and no longer disapproved of it, as he had originally. When first Lanny had expressed interest in Cass, the old man had been determinedly against it, even making a comment as to his belief that Lanny would lead her on and betray her later, but he was clearly over that attitude now. Hanging around with them during Cass' pregnancy, the traumatic delivery, and these nine months of Raine's life had proved to Johann what no amount of words could - Lanny really cared about her. If Cass picked up on this though, she didn't indicate it, and instead fell silent as the younger of the two men led the discussion onto more serious terms. "Didn' see a whole lot," the old man admitted, running his good hand over his bald crown and briefly scrubbing at it. "Was on the phone with one of the fellas, and my eyes weren't turned that way... but I swear the vehicle was burgundy." And while that didn't tell the young woman anything, Lanny should connect it back to a private conversation the two of them had indulged in only hours ago - the car that had run down the apartment complex's postal box had been burgundy.

Laurence Zelkovii

A wry smirk was worked up on his face, characteristically lopsided, and adorned with dimples. There was still space for some casual talk and good feelings amid all the turmoil of today, particularly when it was playful teasing against Cass or himself. "It's like they always tell you, opposites attract." Lanny remarked with a shrug, and for the first time, come close to openly admitting that they were a couple, despite how obvious is was to virtually everyone else in town. He didn't make any remarks to Johann, or acknowledge it much himself, but it did feel good to know he had the uncle's acceptance of it, where he'd at first boldly threatened the co-lead and almost caused a dangerous stir over it. "Tyler will confirm it for us." As quickly as the more pleasant conversation had sprung up, it was time to get back to the less cheerful event, and get back to it in earnest. His memory connected back to the vehicle in the video, and suddenly... he didn't feel so sure that this was a simple accident as he'd been willing to believe when he heard the driver had died in the crash. "It all sounds a little fishy to me... but I don't know. It's hard to think this was a deliberate assault if the other guy ended up dying himself, unless that wasn't intended."

Cassidy*Others

Picking up on the very-subtle statement of Lanny, Cass smiled ever-so-slightly, not speaking to confirm it, but more relaxed and comfortable with it being spoken about than she had been before. Slowly, slowly, as the months went by, she was growing accustomed to the idea that both of them had been trying to deny for so long - that they were more than just childhood friends now. It was an exhilarating and frightening thing all at once, but she was finding that she was enjoying it more than she was fearful of what was to come. And fortunately, before those thoughts could set too heavily into her mind, the old man had turned his attention to the wreck. "It wasn't intended," Johann told them darkly, with a sense of grim satisfaction. "You don't live as long as me an' not learn a few things; the reason that thing went through my shoulder's cause I jerked the wheel to the side just as they hit - smashed into the other car at an angle they weren't accounting for. They weren't planning for the driver to die, but I saw to it well enough. Show 'em just who they're messin' with." He shook his head, donning a scowl - which immediately faded as Raine began to stir with quiet, adorable coos in Lanny's hold. At first, she wasn't sure what to think of this place; smell, sight, and sound all told her that this wasn't home, and she took a moment to look around herself. "Daaaaaaaaa?" she burbled, her expression one that conveyed utter confusion, even in a child of her size, and even Johann couldn't help smiling. "Good morning, Sunshine."

Laurence Zelkovii

As quickly as that, his mind was back on full alert and high suspicion. The attack was planned and deliberate, and based on what Johann said of the vehicle, Lanny was heavily leaning towards the idea that this was the same person who had sought out their mail... the same people who were out to attack Cassidy, and take Raine. And if they were willing to stage an 'accident' by crashing into Johann, he was suddenly very worried about what could happen with Cassidy. Might they try the same against her? "How much you want to bet that this setback isn't going to stop them from trying again?" There was no smirk or smile left on the young man's face, "I'm going to double the guards we have here, for starters." Defense first, then offense, in his mind. And while his brain was ticking through this quick thought and that, Raine's innocent coos distracted him and drew a quasi-smile from the man without him even thinking about it, "Woke you up from your nap, didn't I?"

Johann*Others

"The thought had crossed my mind," Johann admitted, scratching distractedly at his chest with his good hand. "The details are too convenient to be dismissed as a freak accident, I'm afraid." He didn't say it, but the look he shared with Lanny next detailed what was in his mind all too clearly - he was thinking about how it was Cass' car that he'd been in when the smash-up had occurred, and how easily she or Raine could have been badly injured - or worse - in the same situation. And once the party in question found out their intents for the young woman hadn't succeeded... well, it didn't take too much imagination to come up with the idea that they'd come after her more determinedly, next time. It had been with that in mind that Johann had deliberately taken his niece's car in the first place - he wanted to take the injury, so that neither of his girls would get hurt. "Da da da?" Raine was asking now, thrashing one of her hands side to side and making those curious kicking movements with her legs that infants are known for - in perfect unison, and probably less than comfortably for her father, who would be treated to the impact of not only her feet, but the bar between them. "Bllllllb, Dadada. Maaaaaaa? Jjjjjjjjjj." The running 'jjj' was the closest she could come to pronouncing 'Johann' just yet, but it made the old made grin quietly - he was just as unable to resist the child's charm as Lanny was. "Good thing they brought you, kiddo," he muttered, "Or I'd probably die of boredom up here - they're not going to let me use this arm for months." There was a lack of content in his voice there; he was not at all pleased with the thought that he wouldn't be permitted to do his job for the next long while, which was something he used to cover the potent fear that he might never regain use of it.

Laurence Zelkovii

If Cassidy had not mentioned it in the parking lot, Lanny wouldn't have realized quite so quickly what Johann had done, and how his foresight had almost certainly saved not only Cassidy, but Raine as well. Instead of focusing on the relief that those two had remained safe, and that Johann had been lucky enough and quick enough in reaction to save himself, Lanny side-stepped in a slightly different direction. "There's no point in making this an argument, but you could have done things differently. You should have talked with me or James before you left." That was the leader-talk in him coming out, almost like a slight chastisement against the older man. "You're part of the gang, we fight our fights together." The stern expression he held out for Johann was broken by minor flinch, the only indication that the kick from Raine's braced leg smarted a little. "You've about got us all down, don't you?" Raine not only provided a nice distraction for Johann in the otherwise mundane hospital room, but also succeeded in ending what Lanny had intended as a short lecture against the uncle. "By the sounds of it, you should be thankful that you're here to wait through those months of resting." The co-lead commented, then softened the remark with a following sentence, "I'm sure they'll have you in physical therapy as soon as things are healed enough though, and Great Springs is no push-over in that department."

Johann*Others

"And what could the gang have done, Lanny?" He asked quietly, not in a way that was trying to further the argument, but in a patient tone as he made the point. "There's too much going on for me to be staying home; I needed - still need - to be out on the road, contacting my various people. And short of one of you riding with me and potentially getting all smashed-up too, there's nothing anyone could have done. You should see the passenger side of her car." Cass shook her head some, and made an exasperated noise. "His point, Uncle, is that we can replace a vehicle - you've been with the gang long enough that we'll probably have another one as soon as they clear you to drive. But I've only got one uncle." He smiled a little there, and stopped protesting after that - for so long, it had been just she and him, so she did, perhaps, have the right to be a little more distressed by all these occurrences than most people would have been. That topic covered, he turned his attention to Raine, and how she'd reached one of her hands up toward Lanny's shoulder, which on her long-haired mother would have given her a fistful of crimson locks, but thankfully left her father's untouched by her strong grip. And as he was watching this, Johann gave a derisive snort. "Therapy... that's another word for stretches and delays til I can use it right."

Laurence Zelkovii

A pointed look was redirected at Johann, almost warning in its meaning, yet he couldn't muster up anything too strict against the man after all he'd been through in the last few hours. And after experiencing that fear from Cassidy about her uncle's wellbeing, he was even more inclined to go easier on him. When he didn't say any more about it, Cassidy backed the message up for him, and Lanny figured that he'd listen more soundly to her than him anyway. "You'll have to stick with using the phone to contact your people. Let me handle being on the road from this point out." Lanny might have said 'us', but instinctively knew that Johann would not go for Cassidy being out their with such potential danger; and now that this had happened, Lanny himself wasn't so sure Cass should be actively seeking out information either. It was Raine again that distracted the young man, who flicked a smile down at his daughter, and wiggled a finger for her grasping hand to catch.

Johann*Others

"If I'm going to call them on the phone," the old man stipulated, a perpetual scowl creasing his features, "Then I'm going to need an unmarked, subtly-acquired cell that can't be traced back to purchase by anyone in the gang. I'm also going to have to have one of my signal-scrambling kits from the apartment... and soundproofing board, to be sure that no one hears beyond these four walls." Cass shook her head slightly. "I doubt seriously that they're going to let you set up a miniature version of your office in this room, Johann - and even if they did, you are supposed to be resting. Doctor's orders, at least until the drugs wear off." He might have protested, but she'd gotten that neutral expression on her face - the sheer lack of expression on her indicated stonewall-quality determination, and even the old man wasn't going to cross her. As the baby reached up to grapple with her father's finger, the old man scowled, but didn't protest. "Fine - but as soon as it 'wears off', I want a cell phone in here."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny had to admit, the uncle was certainly determined. Like Cassidy however, he couldn't imagine the hospital allowing them to bring in so much equipment, not that he thought Johann was in a condition to continue conducting business as usual. "The cellphone is doable, but Cass is right on your need to rest, and I'll bet Marachek will agree with that." Lanny subconsciously wiggled his entrapped finger for Raine's amusement, to keep the youngster occupied while he was lining Johann with a sturdy stare. His mind was starting to work back to the task that he and Cass had set up for themselves, and how that would be affected now - could they both leave as planned now? He didn't doubt the ability of James and the others to keep Johann safe while they were away, but he felt a little guilty leaving the man behind.

Johann*Others

Uptown got its hustlers
And the bowery got its bums
42nd street got big Jim Walker
He a pool-shootin' son of a gun.
Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come
but he stronger than a country hoss
And when the bad folks all get together at night
You know they all call Big Jim 'Boss', just because
And they say

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim.

Well outta south Alabama came a country boy
He say I'm lookin' for a man named Jim
I'm a pool-shootin' boy
My name Willie McCoy
But down home they call me Slim.
Yeah, I'm lookin' for the king of 42nd street
He drivin' a drop top Cadillac
Last week he took all my money
And it may sound funny,
But I come to get my money back.

Before even Lanny had finished speaking, the old man's face was blanking out - he wasn't happy with the restrictions being placed upon his activities, particularly as they were interfering with his attempt to protect Cass in Raine, in the department that he was best at. But before he could come up with harsh words and start and argument, Cass squared her shoulders and caught his eye with a stern gaze of her own. "You may not be afraid of Lanny or the doctors," she murmured, lowering her voice appropriately to avoid being overheard, "But you are afraid of me. And I say that you are going to do as they say. It's not up for discussion." Well, 'afraid' wasn't quite the word of course; Johann had no physical harm to fear from his niece, and knew she would do nothing to hurt him on an emotional level either... but on the other hand, she knew him closest of anyone, and was quite familiar with the few things that he was afraid of. Not that she ever enjoyed putting them to use, but if it was necessary to get him to rest up like the doctors said he needed to do, she would use them, and he knew it. His eyes met hers in challenge for several long moments, but they finally fell away in subtle submission to her demands, and from there, he turned them to Raine, where she was quietly pulling on her father's fingers. Ordinarily, she would be cooing - but she'd always proved sensitive to tension in the air, and with Johann and Cass facing off, it had definitely been tense. There was a short silence, and then, "You see there, Lan - that's what you'll have to deal with when that girl o' yers gets bigger. Soon's she learns to talk, she be just as good at tha' game as 'er Ma. You'll see." It was a grumpy comment - but one Cass recognized as a statement of grudging intent to obey.

Well, a hush fell over the pool room
Jimmy come boppin' in off the street
And when the cuttin' were done,
The only part wasn't bloody
Was the soles of the big man's feet.
Yeah he were cut in bout a hundred places
An' he were shot in a couple more
An' you better believe they sung a diff'rent kinda story
When Big Jim hit the floor.
Now they say

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask of the ol' Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Slim.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny was fully prepared to stand his ground on this one, fight or no fight. Johann was a formidable man, and as much as he wanted his help in solving their problems and protecting Cassidy, he didn't want to see the man get himself killed or further injured by disobeying the physician's orders. He may not have a terribly close connection to Johann, yet he was concerned with his wellbeing in his own way, and besides that, he understood the man's importance to Cassidy. Just as he was reading Johann's body language and preparing to vocally shoot him down, Cassidy chimed in and ended the fight before it could even get off the ground. The co-lead continued to watch the uncle carefully until it was made clear that Johann had given up the fight - for now at least - and redirected his attention to other things. "She's got a ways to go yet. Don't you, Missy?" As a distraction for himself, and to encourage his daughter back into a more cheerful mood, Lanny lowered his face down closer to hers and gave her one of his big, goofy grins.

Johann*Others

"Don't underestimate that girl o' your'n," the old man demurred, shaking his head at Lanny's suggestion that Raine was too young to be manipulative, just yet. "At no older than that, her Ma could wrap me right around her little finger, mark my words." "Still could," Cass retorted quietly, but with a small smile that indicated she was no longer inclined to be direct and firm with her uncle, since he'd indicated that he was going to behave. Johann smiled a little too, and didn't try to deny that - they all knew it was true. Instead he prompted, "Rummage through my bag there and see if you can't come up with pen and paper, girl. No rule sayin' I can't at least write a letter to the fella I was goin' to visit and tell him that I won't be coming." His gesture indicated a small bureau installed into the wall across from the bed, wherein Cass found the overnight bag he'd packed - minus the firearm he'd had on him when he'd left. She wasn't surprised by that, but spoke up to Lanny anyway. "You might mention to James that the hospital's confiscated one of our guns - they won't return it to us in the hospital itself, but they'd relinquish it to one of them to take home, I think." What did sort of surprise her was the pile of personal affects at the bottom of the bag - including a much-bloodied striped shirt that had been slit up the middle with a sharp instrument - purportedly to remove it from her uncle so that the injury could be treated. He was bare-chested now, if it could be considered that with half of him covered in bandaging, but Cass covered her surprise with an exasperated groan. "Did you have to be wearing one of your good shirts?" Knowing that she was using that comment to distract herself from the fear that the bloodied shirt aroused in her, but not daring to speak upon it, Johann shrugged his good shoulder, and reached to take the pen and paper she finally produced out of the bag. "Lan, shove that over-the-bed table over here. Have to write with the wrong hand, I guess... but it's better than nothing."

Laurence Zelkovii

Whether he was fully aware of it or not, Cassidy and Raine both had greater influence over him than just about anyone else, and that was saying a lot for someone who was the co-lead of the town's most influential gang. "Never to young to start, are they? Women." Lanny dared his joking comment with an appeasing grin and humorous look flashed to Cassidy, seemlessly moving to share a random jest as was normal for them in less tense situations. After that he hefted Raine into a better hold in his arms and stood up to take account of all that was in the room, and what Cassidy was starting to tell him about the gun. "I'll let him know, soon as I get a call back from him." Since he knew it was pointless to argue about the weapon with any of the staff, Lanny didn't appear all that flustered to know they were down a gun at the moment, and instead focused on grabbing the wheeled table and positioning it over the bed where Johann could write.

Cassidy*Others

"And the men never too young to start falling for it either," Cass quipped, though lightly with the purpose of keeping the conversation more positive than it had been a few moments ago. She offered an impish smile to Lanny as she said that, clearly intended as a trite return for his 'Women' statement, and went on, "Don't think I won't teach her a thing or two, either." Johann shook his head slowly from side to side, giving Lanny a 'good luck with them' expression, and then went about adjusting the table the younger man had provided to a proper height. Once he'd done that, he lay the paper out on the table and began - slowly and laboriously - to print large, rudimentary looking letter on the page with his right hand. He wasn't at all uncoordinated with that hand; as a knife fighter once upon a time, he'd learned to do many things with his non-dominant hand. Writing just didn't happen to be one of them. But while it seemed to be taking him an inordinate amount of time, and certainly his letters were foolish and lopsided in appearance, they were legible enough. "I'll need this posted immediately," he commented, to the open air of the general vicinity rather than focusing the statement upon either of the young people. "And it'll need to be posted overnight - not handled by one of the boys, either. This one's top class; needs top security."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny's dimple-framed half-smile was there to greet Cassidy's look and her followup comment. He might have gone on with the humor in a different setting, yet as much as he was looking for a reprieve from the heavy emotions and drama that had settled in on them today, he couldn't bring his mind away from those heavier topics to indulge in much of the lighter conversation. Before long, his thoughts had traveled back to how close Johann had come to death, and how that could have easily been Cassidy and Raine in that car. "I have to hand it to you Johann, you've got a legible scrawl there for using your other hand. I don't think I could've managed such a feat." The comment was an idle one, because he was more concerned with digging out his phone and checking a text he'd just gotten from his brother. "They're just reaching the hospital now, they should be up here in a minute or so." He looked up to Johann, "I can send it with James, unless you want me to take it?"

Johann*Others

"Yeah... looks like a two year old with a crayon," the old man griped, as a comment to the contrast between his usual, neat writing and the crabby, awkward-looking letters he was forming on the page now. Nevertheless, he at least was able to form recognizable words, shaking his head in exasperation the whole while. It took him several long minutes to manage a small paragraph of words, and at that point, he finally sighed and sat back, flexing his right hand, which was unused to the muscular movements necessary for writing. Cass hadn't commented the entire time he was writing, but her eyes remained focused on his hands as they moved - the tension of the muscles and tendons as he focused intently and forced his less-coordinated hand to a manual, detailed task... the frustrated twitching of the fingers of his dominant hand, where it was braced against his chest and useless to him. The shape of the old knife scar on the back of his right hand, which writhed and wriggled as he wrote, which was left over from a long-healed wound that he'd never explained to her, though she'd often asked him. She'd often watched it as a child, when he was busy typing on his computer, imagining faces out of the lines of it as they bent and changed with the movement of skin and muscle...

"I can take it." Sudden and startling in the silence that had fallen, Cass' voice was quiet, but determined. "There's a postal box at the corner of the parking lot, anyway... for long-term patients or the families of patients to use. It will all end up in the common mail anyway, and once the letter is deposited, it cannot be retrieved by anyone save a licensed postal officer; even if the box is knocked down, it's nigh unto indestructible - it'll be just as safe there as anywhere else." She knew perfectly well that neither man would want her to exit the room alone right now, much less leave the building and go outside to post it, but she was resolute in her decision, and Johann knew by the tone that she wouldn't let anyone persuade her otherwise. The question remained however... why? He chose not to ask it; he'd let Lanny pursue that topic.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny chuckled out loud at Cassidy's quip on Johann's writing, and had to agree that it was a pretty apt description. "The form could use some work." He added in another splash of humor himself, then drifted slowly back into a silent, observant manner. While Cassidy was watching her uncle and noting all the intricacies, from an age-old scar to the struggle he was putting up to form legible characters, Lanny was listening to the footsteps that passed by their door and taking glances out the window to monitor the parking lot below. "You're safer staying here." What snapped him back to attention on Cass and Johann, and certainly stole any trace of humor from his voice, was the idea of young woman going outside by herself. "There's people out there that're after you, and walking outside makes it that much easier for them. I'll take the letter." As stubborn as Cassidy was about it, Lanny was ready and willing to butt heads on this topic.

Johann*Others

Lanny had the young woman's best interests in mind - and deep down, Cass knew that, though she probably wouldn't have spoken about it. But she wasn't going to be dissuaded from this, and the way she squared up to the young man's words and the old man's expression said that clearly before she even formed words of her own. "I'm not going to let this little incident trap me here... inside a building that you both know I hate. I'm not going to let it control our lives. There's no sense in taking any unnecessary risks, I grant you; but walking outside in broad daylight in front of a hospital is well within safe range." There was the iron in her voice again - that tone that said she wasn't to be crossed on this topic, and would fight viciously against any one who tried to enforce their opinion against hers. "Besides, it's not me they're after anyway... it's Raine they want. Kessler told us that. Now grant you, I'm an obstacle that has to be removed, but she's the target - but they're trying to have me put away. There's no other purpose for making those accusations. It's a safe bet I'm not good to them dead. They need me alive for whatever it is. And in that aspect, having an escort should be plenty of security, provided Raine isn't with me." As she said these things, she bent forward and took the folded message from her uncle, tucking it into an envelope and squirreling it away on her person under her clothes in such a way as to clearly send a message - she wasn't going to let anyone else post the letter without her.

Laurence Zelkovii

The way her voice embodied that 'don't even try to cross me' feeling in it would have made Lanny second guess his next actions. He'd learned just how stubborn she could be when she had something set in mind, and getting tangled with her about it couldn't end in a good way... yet, he couldn't let her put herself in danger, even if there was actually very little 'danger' in walking a bit of mail out to the box. "They were willing to crash into your car in broad daylight." Lanny countered with a waved hand at Johann. His other hand soon became free, because he was in the process of setting Raine down into her carseat. "If you want to go outside, I'm going with you. But I'm not leaving Raine here by herself with Johann until my brother gets here." That was his ultimatum, very reluctantly agreeing to Cass going outside at all, if only because she'd stuffed the letter into her clothing and there was no way he was going to cause a scene by trying to wrestle it away from her.

Cassidy*Others

"Yeah... and ramming my car can be construed as an accident," the young woman retorted, her tones sharp, even though the tartness wasn't really directed at Lanny - it was her frustration and stress coming out in the only way that she would permit it. "Gunning me down in front of a hospital, not so much - and it's not likely to succeed either, with the emergency room three feet away. No, our perp here is clever... they've gone to the trouble to dig up my private life, tapped into our mail and phone lines, hired lawyers, and went to the trouble to make what happened to Johann look like an accident. My bet is, they're not concerned with quickness and ease so much as they are effectiveness; they're going to bide their time and cover their tracks thoroughly, not run me down in the street." She shook her head and paced a little away from them, though the small room didn't provide much space for that activity. And after a few moments of silence, the old man spoke up. "Hate to admit it, girl... but that really isn't too far a jump of logic. It makes sense."

"Yeah, well... I know a little something about men." That was a bitter mutter, and after another couple of seconds, Cass composed herself, and turned back around to seat herself next to Lanny, leaning forward to tuck the blanket in around Raine. She was silent for several long seconds before she went on, "I'm no good to them dead - otherwise they'd have sent Kessler to the door with a gun and he'd have killed me on the spot, and taken Raine then and there. What remains to be seen is why... what does me being alive gain them that killing me could not?" She spoke in a detached and cold tone, as if her life were no more significant to herself than a piece of lint on her sleeve - something dispensable and worthy of consideration only because it would help solve the puzzle of what risk was posed to her daughter.

Laurence Zelkovii

"They're unpredictable, and they're obviously experienced at what they do." Lanny added on, defending his idea that she could still be a target for attack by walking to the mailbox, unlikely as it was. He was willing to continue the argument, but when Cassidy sat down and wordlessly complied to the deal he'd struck up, his edge wore off and he felt a little better. He hated any argument that was struck up between himself and Cassidy, but when it came to her safety, Lanny would grudgingly carry it out to the end. "If that's so, I'm wondering if they'll lay off a bit after this latest blunder. One of their guys was killed, and that can't have been part of their plan." The young man was with Johann on that one - he didn't like what Cassidy suggested, but it made sense enough. "I don't know... but we'll find out. We've still got some questioning to do."

Cassidy*Others

"Their actions are unpredictable," the young woman corrected quietly, shaking her head some and tapping her fingers idly on one of her arms. "But their motive is clear. They want Raine - and they want me out of the way. But my death would draw too much attention in this city; I may not be the most prominent of our figures here, but I've enough influence that the gang would make their lives significantly difficult if any harm came to me. They'll seek an alternate route. Thus their search for 'neurotic characteristics'." She spat those words as though they tasted foul in her mouth, and seated herself again, reaching to run her fingers softly through her daughter's vermilion ringlets. "But they won't get you without me, love... we're a package deal, the two of us." That was said to the infant, who burbled a bit of nonsense and reached to try to capture her mother's arm. Cass let her have it, and with the other hand reached for the diaper bag to dig out a toy, and give the child something to do. When she spoke up again, it was meant for the men as well. "We'll figure out what to do once your brother gets here. His plans for defense while we're here will determine how far we can go with asking our questions."

Laurence Zelkovii

"And taking you out would likely give them troubles too, with all the investigation and potential coverage there'd be over such a case." Starting to think in more detail about it, Lanny suggested another reason why their enemies would want to shy away from killing Cassidy, and as far as keeping out of the gang's vengeful side, he also figured that he wasn't likely to be killed - but that didn't mean either of them were in any way safe. The edges of the young man's knuckles had turned a pale pallor, going yellow-white as he unconsciously balled his hands into fists, exercising his anger and frustration alike when he had no enemy in front of him that he could exercise it on. "He'll have a say in it, but he's not putting a cap on anything. This is personal." Just as he was finishing up that defiant statement, what sounded like a trio of foot-steps were approaching the door, and shortly after, there came a quick rapping as someone knocked.