© Becca, Dana Simmons and Starbright 2001 The Young Riders is an Ogiens/Kane Production, created by Ed Spielman.
We only borrow his characters for fun. No infringement of copyright intended. There is absolutely no financial gain for the authors. We survive on the feedback, and we need plenty of it.
2313
Chapter 3
Still giggling they burst through the door. Carrying and dragging their luggage as best they could. Lou got tangled into Ike's valise and they both struggled to free her foot from the shoulder leash, giggling hysterically as she wouldn't come loose. Buck decided to help them out and managed to get stuck on the Velcro of Lou's bag himself.
"Jeez," Lou giggled, and yanked the flap hard, freeing Buck and sending her diary, the photo of her and Sean, all her loose memo-slots and the spare EA all over the floor.
Cody walked up to them, gathering the loose items spread on the floor as he walked. "Children, play nice!" Looking down at the photo he was holding a wide grin swept over his face. Peering at Lou he hid the small frame behind his back. "Throwing your boyfriend already Lou? That's working fast!"
"Cody," Lou groaned and finally got free with Ike's help. Leaping in Cody's direction she tried to get a hold of his arm. "Gimme that!"
"Lucky fella'," Cody continued, "what's his name?"
"Cody, give it back, it's none of your business!" Lou was getting mad, what the hell did he have to do with her belongings. Surely she didn't go prying into his!
Kid walked past Cody and snatched the item from him. Cody turned when he realized he had been duped. Lou cursed inwardly.
With a brief glance at the pic in his hand Kid held both Cody and the incuriosed Jimmy back and gave Lou the item they were fighting over. "Lucky fella'," Kid concurred and smiled at her.
"Killjoy," Jimmy sighed and turned to gather the fallen bags.
"Sorry," Kid said, "sometimes the boys play rough."
"It's ok," Lou nodded. All of a sudden she felt the urge to throw the damned pic out the window. It didn't feel right to have Kid know about Sean. Why the hell had she brought it along? Wasn't necessary at all. Wasn't even important. She fought for some words to dismiss the stupid pic but found none. She didn't even know if Kid was interested in the fact that Sean was... well Sean was...somebody. Not knowing exactly what he was to her right now. A friend, yes. A lover? Occasionally. But other than that, she didn't know. The whole incident bothered her. Most of all, it bothered her that she cared that Kid found out about him. And it shouldn't, it absolutely shouldn't.
Kid smiled at her. "Come on, better get ourselves upstairs before the best rooms are taken."
He stood back to let her pass and walk before him.
Lou still had no words to explain the situation. And she wondered why she felt such a need to do so? To the monk no less? Thoughtful she wandered up the curved stairways, why was she so keen on seeming free and unattached? Was the new surroundings playing havoc with her hormones, was the hell was happening to the cool scientist? Reaching the landing she stopped and looked to the far end of the hallway where the rest had gathered in the atria in the middle of the second store Cody and Jimmy fighting over a room, obviously. Kid nudged her elbow.
"Take the first room, the view is outstanding, you can see straight to the mountains."
"Oh!" Damn it Louise, is all you can say around him 'oh, ah, and huh'? He must be so impressed by your verbal skills!
He put his bags down and opened the door for her. The sun was setting and it threw a light through the window. "Oh," she repeated and wanted to kick herself, she was acting like an illiterate idiot.
"I know, I've always liked that room, stayed there last time too."
"You did?"
He just nodded and she could have sworn he was amused by her. Well no wonder, she was not really herself today, her wit and fast, piercing tongue had obviously taken a leave of absence. He gathered his bags back into his hands and turned to walk away.
"Where will you stay?" She asked. Like he was going on a trip around the world or something. Like he was saying good-bye and leaving her high and dry. Damn it Louise, you're doing it again!
He turned and eased himself backwards through the next door. "The view is almost as good as the one you've got," he smiled. "The bathroom is straight ahead, the bluish door in front of you."
Lou followed his indication and nodded as her gaze fell on the pale blue door. "Thanks," she said. "See you downstairs in an hour?"
"Sure," he nodded and threw that mesmerizing smile at her again. "But I bet you it'll take more than an hour for Cody and Jimmy to settle, probably a fistfight."
Lou glanced over in their direction, they were obviously still fighting over the room, the room adjoining Rachel's in fact. She chuckled, Kid was probably right. Maybe the boys wished one of them would become a permanent guest in the strawberry-blonde woman's room.
While she was watching Rachel opened the door to her room and stood before the bickering couple. They were so engrossed in their discussion they didn't even notice her. She glared coldly at the two before she demonstratively cleared her throat.
"Gentlemen, did you ever bother to read the sign on that door?"
"What?" Jimmy turned to her and made a questioning face, his irritation obvious.
"Says 'sickbay', right there!" Pointing to the sign over the doorframe Rachel's eyes glittered with repressed laughter. "That room is if somebody needs to be put in quarantine. Not that I'm not sure that right at this moment it probably applies to both of you. So if you're keen on sleeping in a hospital bed, monitored constantly, go right ahead!"
"Ewww," Cody exclaimed and took a step back.
"Thought so," Rachel stated calmly and shut the door behind her.
Cody and Jimmy measured each other up for one last time and turned on their heels to walk to the last rooms available.
Kid threw Lou a last glance before he shut his own door, his face plastered with a broad grin. Lou hurried to close her own door so Jimmy wouldn't see her laughing as he walked to the room next to Kid's.
Lou remain leaning onto the closed door. The bags fell from her hands and she brought her hands up to her cheeks. They were hot. Lou covered the eyes with her palms, rubbing until stars dansed under her closed eyelids. The thoughts whirling in her head, a thousand things popping up. Why was she acting like this? How come she had ended up in a tingling shivering body that was accompanied by a mind that had nothing else to say than 'oh, ah, huh'. Why did she feel like smiling all the time? Get a grip! You're here to do a job, if you keep acting like this nothing will come of it. Call Sean and talk to him, get back to reality - now!
Decisively she kicked the bags away from her feet and adjusted the EA, flicking it on. He must have been waiting for a contact for hours now. His face appeared on the wall the moment she gave the command. He was smiling at her, and Lou smiled back. Sean was safe, she knew him and knew he did not have the effect the monk had on her. With him she was cool and rational. She locked the image on face-frame, what would he say if she saw her slumped up against a door?
"Hey ya dude? What's up?"
"Sweetheart, I've been waiting for your call, they keepin' you busy?"
"If you only knew, I'll have to be down in one hour and I haven't started unpacking yet. We gotta keep this short." Nice Lou, you're lying to your boyfriend already, unpacking will take you fifteen minutes tops!
"I miss you so much, are things all right there?"
"Everything is fine, it's beautiful, so much more than I ever imagined."
"You keepin' me on the nightstand, sweetheart?"
"You'll be there, don't you worry."
"I love you Louise, you know that. Don't forget about it."
God how she hated when love came up, she always had to squirm around the issue. She smiled and looked at him anew. He was handsome, oh yes. Many would have given a lot just to go out with him. To be seen with him. So why did she feel like something was missing. Why didn't his smile affect her like Kid's did? Louise!
"Love you too, but I really gotta go. Talk to you later!"
"Take care honey, leave a message anytime. I'm thinking of you always."
"Sleep tight Sean, bye. Don't let 'em bedbugs bite." She closed the EA before the discussion was dragged out. Thankfully Sean didn't read her too well. With a sigh she crept over to the bed and sank down in the coolness of white fresh linen, placing the EA on the nightstand. Tiredly she watched the bags still lying in front of the door. She'd get to them later. She was so tired she had no energy whatsoever to start putting her stuff where it ought to be. Lying in bed she looked out the window, her eyes following the lines of the meadow until it got blurred and the horizon took over. She tried picturing her and Sean together, having fun. Being in love. The damned monk kept intruding into her thoughts. The eyes and the sweet smile haunting her. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with the vision of Kid as he let the ladybug take off into the wind.
Noah Dixon wearily stepped down the stairs to the awaiting crowd he expected to find downstairs. Most of them with drowsing eyelids. This was a common sign for newcomers, himself included. The massive impact of the novelty always triggered all kinds of hormonal and psychological responses in the human body, his included. But he had to stay sharp and document the impacts. He held on to his Invitae, checking once again that he had all the programmed data correctly inserted. He expected to find a lot of melantonin running in the veins. It would take a week or so for things to get normalized. He was so intently looking at the data he almost tripped over Kid's legs on his way to the desk. The vet grinned apologetically at him and moved his legs to the side. He looked irritably alert. Noah threw a glance at him again, wondering. Then it dawned on him that the vet had been out there many times before, he just wasn't affected like the rest of them. Teaspoon and the Kid, maybe even Jimmy, had some advantages at this stage. Namely being able to keep awake.
"For that you'll be the first," Noah remarked and beckoned the man to the desk. Kid sighed and walked over.
"I can take care of my own analysis Noah, can handle the equipment you know. You just concentrate on the others and I'll..."
"Haven't I heard this before," Noah interrupted him, "now you know the drill. No doc doctors himself, says so loud and clear. Heck if I get ill you'll probably be doctoring me." Placing the Invitae on the man's pulse he waited for the results. "Just remember I'm no horse," he muttered and shook the Invitae slightly, it seemed to be acting up. Glancing at the Kid he wondered."You got one," he asked as the device persisted in showing the results, showing a slight elevation of the tyrosine level. Rachel leaned in over his shoulder and read the results. Glancing at Noah she shook her head, no it hadn't been elevated in the last checkup this morning.
"Hand me yours, please, gotta check if it's calibrated."
Kid picked his up from the front pocket and switched it onto HUREC41, recalling all their codes. Handing it calmly to Noah while the former watched him intently.
"Something wrong?" Kid asked.
"Nope," Noah mumbled and watched the read-out. It was still the same, PEA and oxytocin levels raised. Not to have Kid read his own test results he deleted them and handed the Invitae back. They weren't supposed to know their mental status was being monitored too. "Just checking."
Kid looked skeptically at him.
"It's ok, Kid, just wanted to check out if the atmosphere had some affect on the apparatus. Lou ain't here yet, would you please go get her?"
"Sure," Kid said and turned to walk back up the stairs. Casting one last inquiring look at Noah and Rachel at the desk.
Without a word Noah flipped the morning results for Emma and Sam onto the read-out, to then flip back to Kid's and comparing them with the others' morning results. There was a change in Kid's results as in Sam's and Emma's. That change had appeared earlier thou. Kid's change had happened after this morning's analysis. Noah glanced at Rachel. She smiled back at him.
"I think I know why," she admitted.
"An epidemic?" Noah asked bemused.
"Depends on the rest of the results no?" Rachel shot back with a grin. "But I'm fearing the worst."
Noah couldn't help but laugh, there was no hiding from modern medicine. Kid must have known that. Noah understood his unwillingness to be checked out, even if Kid knew Noah was sworn to secrecy there was no hiding the secretional fact. He must have gathered they checked everything out.
"I was just wondering who," Noah said silently.
"You mean you didn't notice?" Rachel asked surprised. "Really? Noah, are you slackin' off?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind," Rachel chuckled, "Jimmy, get over here, now!"
Noah squinted his eyes and wondered what she meant. Then he decided to forget all about is as Jimmy walked up to him, groaning demonstratively.
Kid knocked on the door, hesitantly at first. When he received no reply from inside he knocked again, a little harder. Still nothing. Then he called her name and opened the door. He smiled when he found her sound asleep on the bed, the bags still packed at the door. Her hair contrasting against the white pillow. A slight snore as she breathed, in deep sleep. She was adorable and he found himself smiling. The minute he laid his eyes on Louise McCloud something had happened, but she was occupied and they were on a mission. He'd step back as usual, the girl was not for him. She was somebody else's and he just had to face that fact and fight the attraction he felt. Crouching by her bed he watched for a while before calling out her name again. Her eyelids flickered rapidly before she opened the browns to a crack. Totally disorientated she looked at him and obviously tried to figure out where she was at.
"Lou, I'm sorry but Noah needs you downstairs. It'll only take a minute and then you can go back to sleep. You okay?"
She was up in a sitting position before he had the time to blink. "Didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."
"Ummm-mm, " Lou replied and rubbed her eyes.
Kid couldn't help but chuckle softly. He hated being watched when he slept, wondering if she felt the same. Feeling sorry if she felt like he was intruding.
"Oh God, I feel so stupid," she moaned in a reply to his thoughts. "I'm sorry didn't mean to fall asleep like that."
"It's okay, your first time out an' all, happens to everybody. Except the ones that stay in the room adjoining Jimmy's. His snores wake the dead."
Lou had to giggle, she felt better already. Felt safe when Kid joked the embarrassment away like that. Felt like he understood.
Still chuckling she threw the legs over the edge of the bed and rose. Looking down at the Kid still crouching at her bedside she shook her head. "You must think I'm such a goon."
"What?" Kid said as he rose.
"I've not been myself today, I can assure you that. I don't know what's come over me. Mother! I'm acting like I don't know what!" She turned and walked briskly out the door and down the stairs, she had to get away from him before something happened to make her look even more like a complete idiot. God knows she had made a fool of herself this day, starting from this morning right uptil now. And always in front of the monk, he was a bad influence all right. Real bad influence. She had to get away before she was transformed into a smiling fool, a joke, a travesty of her cool scientific self. She ran down the stairs without waiting for him, if she did stick around, he'd spot her blushing cheeks.
She almost ran into Ike at the landing. She threw him an insecure smile as she diligently stepped around him, avoiding a collision. "Sorry, fell asleep," she informed him and Buck coming up the stairs. The room was empty except for the pair at the desk. "Okey dokey," she grinned at Noah and rolled her sleeve up. "This is probably the part I'm gonna hate the most of all," she told Rachel all while extending her hand for Noah to make the analysis. She met with Rachel's smile and sadly shook her head. "I have no idea what's coming over me falling asleep like that."
"You're ok, it's normal to be tired under the circumstances, it'll blow over once you've acclimatized."
"I sure hope so," Lou remarked with a grin, "had no intention to sleep away my time here. Something wrong?"
Noah had the Invitae in hand and shook it. "No, seems to be acting up, have to redo it. Hold on a sec longer."
Lou turned to look at him, "you sure?"
"Yep, you're sleepy that's all. Go get a NuD or something and get yourself to bed. Kid's gonna tell you all tomorrow morning what to do. He's the only one alert enough to make sense."
"Well, huh, thanks, I'll do that," Lou almost stammered. Had she seen a twinkle in Noah's eyes when he mentioned the name? Was her attraction that obvious? She backed away from the pair at the desk, looking with attention at them for clues on how much they had read. She had signed a contract and she knew it implicitly stated that there was no romancing allowed. Would they report her and have her taken off the mission? Would they really do it, shatter her dream? They busied themselves with transferring the results into an autonomic memo-slot, for referral to HuRec headquarters. Lou sighed and turned to walk to the kitchen and fetch the NuD, she'd ask Emma, or someone, what all these tests were all about. And why Rachel and Noah had such a hard time keeping a straight face performing them? What were they looking for?
Noah glanced at Rachel as Lou disappeared into the kitchen. "Sleepy alright..."
"..and in lo-o-o-o-ve," Rachel hummed, causing Noah to laugh. "Must'a happened to 'em like a lightning hitting 'em. Poor sods. You couldn't help yourself but toss the name in, could you?"
"Don't mock it woman, it might happen to you too!"
"God forbid," Rachel replied and rolled her eyes.
Lou stumbled into the kitchen hoping to find somebody she could ask about Rachel's and Noah's tests and what they were good for, if she had to worry about getting thrown off the mission because her hormonal status was a mess? The only person left in the room was Teaspoon Hunter, sipping a cafs leisurely.
"Uh Louise, you ok? Look a bit flushed?"
"I'm fine sir, fell asleep that's all."
"Louise, Louise....sir?" The man looked at her with a side looped smile, "heck nobody calls me sir, it's Teaspoon Louise!"
"Ok," she nodded, "I'm really Lou, feels funny being called Louise. Only my mother calls me that, and that only when she's mad at me."
Teaspoon chuckled heartily, "I'll remember that and use it against you."
Lou was half inside the fridge looking for her favorite NuD, the 'use it against you' made her cast a glance in the man's direction. But his amused smile calmed her, he just was like that, frank and direct in an odd manner. "Oh I'm sure you will ...sir," she replied, emphasizing the sir.
Teaspoon laughed, "Louise, I'm gonna have my hands full with all you youngen's, cut an old-timer like me some slack will ya? Truce, huh, Lou?"
"Sure Teaspoon, if you tell me where the cookies you're munching are hidden."
With a guilty face Teaspoon pointed to the top drawer, "nobody can blame a man for trying, right? Just please keep them away from Cody."
"Can't promise," Lou grinned and emptied the glass, "but I can be bribed." She walked out grinning, accompanied by Teaspoon's amused grunts. He was all right, fatherly-like in an odd way. It was going to work out all right, maybe she didn't have to worry. She'd get back to herself after a long shower and a good night's sleep. She even managed to nod coolly in Kid's direction as he walked past her to the kitchen, looking shyly to the floor.
Oh yeah, a good night's sleep would have to cure her.
In a sparely light room the officers of HuRec collected the data from the new Team 41. Going over the biological data they scanned four of the team-members output more closely than the other's. There was a change in them, a very definite change. The older woman looked at the results and wondered why a bell started ringing in her head? All while the others were worrying about the outcome. Instinctively she traced the logs back to a very distant year. The year it had all been brought forth. Coupling the memo-slot into her own EA she sat back and revisited the meeting. She had a sensation they were missing something crucial. The long gone TRC started talking and the second the old voice rang in her ears the woman remembered. She tapped her neighbor's arm gently and nodded to the screen. "I think we have some answers right here."
Flicking on her EA to public mode she let them all see.
Most of them sat back and smiled. Nodding occasionally as the information was replayed. That was it, of course. During the years that little bit of information had been lost. Even if they had struggled to get the exact group together that little thing had been forgotten.
The man at her side chuckled; "well well well, guess it was meant to be."
"I'd say," she replied, "no need to start rearranging groups as of yet. I guess we have one answer out of the hundredbillions we are looking for."
"Well, the start is right, but we still haven't seen the end have we?"
"No, these young ones are very different from the ones they were back then, but still, I have this feeling it'll work out."
"You always was the hopeless romantic."
"Wanna bet?"
The rest of them laughed, but she would have put a considerable amount on the couple involved. Their personality profiles suggested some problems and looking scientifically at them she wouldn't have paired them. But it had been proved before, science had far from all the answers and she was almost certain that these two defied science. They had their own kind of science, something called love. Something nobody had ever been capable of explaining. Attraction might be neurochemically explained, love no. Never had so far, and maybe it never would be.
TBC
Feedback?
To
the Sweetwater Epic page
[The
Reading Room] [Ponnyexpressen]
[Completed stories,
index] [Continuos
stories, index]
Visit Becca's Hitching Post! Great fanfic among other things!
