Hi folks! Welcome back to Storytime!
Last installment left Vuuk, Dylan, and Wyn in some serious danger. Time to see how that went!
Dylan lay by Wyn, both in their own hospital beds, one eye on hir, and the other on her phone, showing a live feed from the cell where Vuuk still slept.
The hi-def feed showed the knife and bullet wounds Vuuk had sustained before the stronger gas had knocked it out for good. The creature was now being fed light doses of it mixed with oxygen via a mask over its snout. It was healing quickly, the wounds already closed and shrinking. The only remaining question was which version of it would eventually wake.
Wyn, meanwhile, had taken the worst of Vuuk's renewed attack.
Dylan, firing at Vuuk's centre mass, had been picked up and thrown against the wall, knocking her out. She had some broken ribs, a concussion, and a lot of bruising.
But Wyn had stepped in front of Vuuk, grappling it hand to hand.
Hir knife had gouged deeply, but Vuuk's claws had gouged more so.
Somehow Wyn had remained upright until the second dispersal of gas had done its work, before collapsing.
Dylan had woken up in an infirmary bed, next to Wyn, who hadn't yet shown any signs of waking.
Hir had lost too much blood. On hir arms and torso, and even on hir face, muscle had been torn, even bone had been chipped and broken. Right now, hir was merely unconscious, but whether hir would slip into a coma or death, or move towards waking…that was something not even the Skilled doctors could tell Dylan.
Exhausted as she was, Dylan had begged the nurses to rearrange the room and put their beds right next to each other. Close enough that Dylan could hold Wyn's hand, whilst also following her strict orders to rest.
She knew she wouldn't be there when Vuuk awoke, but she had demanded a video conversation, and been promised she could have one if Vuuk woke up calmly, no longer under the influence of that Control trigger.
So she dozed, as she waited for something to happen.
Dylan was roused by speech coming from the video feed. Vuuk was awake, and asking to see her.
She watched a guard enter with a tablet and, a moment later, a video call rang out in her phone.
Vuuk was anxious, but visibly relieved to see Dylan alive. It grew angry upon hearing about the injuries it had inflicted on Wyn, and seemingly had no care about the ones they had both given it.
"It is broken now. Control. Pushed too hard. Can feel where it is dead. Am sorry."
"It's alright, Vuuk. It wasn't you. And I was running out of original nightmare fuel anyway—this should keep me busy for a few years," Dylan smiled to show she joked. "How are you feeling?"
Vuuk looked down, "Bad. Guilty. Glad to be free of them. But unworthy of you."
"Nah, Vuuk, look, what you did wasn't you. We know that, alright? I can't promise some folk won't be a bit apprehensive, but that'll pass. As far as I'm concerned, you're fine, and I'd be happy to work with you in the field."
Vuuk loomed up, its eyes fixing sharply on the image of Dylan on its screen, "You would work with me outside of a cell?"
"I would. And I plan to, just as soon as I get the all clear. And if—when—Wyn wakes up, I know hir'll feel the same. We both saw the difference between the Vuuk we were getting to know, and the Vuuk with its Control triggered. I'm glad you're the first one again. And I'm very glad you get to stay that way.*
"I am glad also. And it would be an honour to work with you. I will help save your people."
Dylan smiled tiredly, "Good. Then we have a much better chance of succeeding. I'm gonna go back to sleep, you should too. We're both healing. You're pretty good at it but it takes us humans longer—even with some Skilled help. It won't be long though. And Wyn will wake up soon too."
Vuuk nodded, ears drooping, "I am also tired again. May I speak with you again soon?"
"I'd like that. Maybe when I get moving around I can come visit, and start persuading people to let you outside with me."
Vuuk nodded and Dylan ended the call
"Hear that?" she said softly to Wynz rolling in her aide and taking one of those still habds in hers. "I told Vuuk you'd be awake and out with us. You wouldn't dare make me a liar, now would you?"
Dylan smiled as Wyn's hand twitched slightly, before drifting back to sleep.
Phew. Vuuk is gonna be alright, and that means Cuddles forgave me! 😆
It seems like we're gonna be starting the endgame. Got a few threads to pull together still, of course, but we're getting there!
In other news:
For my paid folk, episode 2 of Supernatural Shenanigans will be with you on Tuesday. That's your previews all done, and I'll get to recording the rest for release, then you can start getting some other, more regular, bts stuff 😁
The announcements got a bit delayed thanks to covid, but they'll arrive asap. Got some fun stuff upcoming!
Til next time, please share & subscribe!