Conan*Raimi

Even after running nearly a half hour at full speed, with his side screaming and his breath panting, Conan never slowed as he made his way almost instinctively back to the only home he'd ever had, forgetting for the moment that the Lady was dead, and the house had been bought by a group of young people. It was only when he finally reached the familiar clearing that Conan finally slowed, and leaned against a tree, panting in near exhaustion and still clutching Raimi with a will.

And the gleeful boy was ecstatic to be with his brother again, and back home. The only thing that slightly dampened the situation was when he stopped reciting Conan's name long enough to call out, "Sissy! Sissy shupa! Ssssiiissssssyyyyyy!"

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

You took all our hearts
With your smile,
And left a legacy untold
You conquered life and fear,
So you see there was no room for you to grow old

Completely winded, Nadeem at least didn't have the burden of lugging Raimi with him, so he managed a little better than the teen. And in their desperate bid to get away from the guns and the gangs, he didn't even think about which direction they were heading, until Conan traveled down a familiar road.

"Dude, there's some strange people running down the lane..." Matt was the first one to see the three jogging down the gravel drive as he peered at the window. "Um, Greg? Please tell me you didn't do something to piss of the CS again." The shaggy-haired guy was saying, with one thick brow hunched upward in anxious suspicion.

Greg soon ventured towards the window, just about the time that Conan was resting against the tree. "No, at least I don't think I've done anything..." He added with a touch of uncertaintly that didn't help Matt's fear one bit. Despite this, Greg ventured to the door and stepped outside, conjuring up a hesitantly friendly demeanor as he called out to the three, "Can I... help you?"

Having traveled from one house to the next, Starlit Eyes had eventually been drawn back to her old stomping grounds, and this time with two adolescents in tow. Starcrossed and Ditaren, son and daughter, followed after the ebony wolfdog as she watched the three from the edge of the woods. She knew each of them, but not very personally.

Now you are free
Free to roam in the skies
Now and then visit me
With your Starlit Eyes

*Conan*Raimi

For just the briefest of moments, listening to Raimi call for 'Sissy', another voice rang in his mind, this one low and soft, and so close to his heart, singing, '<She walks to school with a lunch she packed. Nobody knows what she's holding back. Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday, she hides the bruises with the linen and lace, ohhhh. The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask. Its hard to see the pain behind her mask. Bearing the burden of a secret storm, sometimes she wishes she was never born.'

It wasn't until Greg came out and questioned him that he came back from the sound of that voice, and moved to speak. However, despite the restored sound, what came out of Conan was an unintelligible babble of nothing, and he closed his mouth, swallowing to suppress the horror. Carefully calming himself, he thought, Okay... time for detached assessment again... And, piece by piece, he began to take stock of his body, noticing for the first time that his fingers were tingling in the arm that Cassidy had shot, but it did not hurt, nor did the various places that should have ached from the beating and the run he'd taken, with even his side fading into coolness now. Shock, said his well-trained mind, but it didn't make words come out of his mouth.

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

Nadeem was currently leening over, one hand placed on the tree, while one was rested bracing on his leg as he tried to gather deep drafts of breath into his sore lungs. In the frenzy of their capture and hasty escape, he had forgotten that Conan had been shot, and didn't take account for the brutal kicks that he had endured from James before the feral dogs jumped into the fray. Only when Greg's voice called out did the young man look up and suddenly realize that the red-head needed help. "Ah, yes! My friend here, he's been shot!"

The guard dropped from Greg in a heartbeat and he gave a hasty shout, "Matt, get Kate! One kid's been shot! Hurry!" He was not quite as skilled in treating injuries, but Kate had been trying to teach him. "Here, come inside, we'll get you help." He beckoned, opened the door and motioning for them to enter.

Nadeem moved to guide Conan in, knowing the signs of shock when he saw them, "Breath easy, Conan. Come on, lets get in inside."

*Conan*Raimi

The chaos around him went almost completely unnoticed, but he followed Nadeem without a struggle, still holding tightly to his little brother as if he thought the youngster might disappear. Vaguely, he heard people hollering about some person being shot, but he never connected it with being him as he followed Nadeem inside. He simply gave a small sound like frustration when he couldn't express himself and plopped down in the nearest chair, still taking deep breaths. His eyes were traveling around the room now, and he was wondering stupidly why the place looked different, and who all these people were. Aralyn was in the hospital... he was aware of that, and he remembered all of the recent things, like the various battles and intrigues to get Raimi back, but for some reason he couldn't get it into his head as to why the farmhouse looked different.

Raimi, on the other hand, was thrilled to be among people who seemed to care, happy to hear the word "help," which was one he knew, and associated with healing. His t-shirt was stained with the blood that was leaking slowly from Conan's shoulder, and this was a cause for some distress, but more important was that Conan was awake, and Raimi had his brother again.

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

"We need to lay him down." Nadeem was saying, beginning to take command of the situation and putting his own knowledge to use. "No, Conan, we've got to get you on the couch. Easy now." It was clear to him that the teen's senses were beginning to fade, and he feared the red head would soon faint.

With Greg's help, he bodily picked up the seated Conan and transfered him to the couch, "Let me take Raimi for just a minute. We've got to check out that shoulder." The dark-skinned man was saying, trying to entice Conan to let go.

Meanwhile, Greg began to search through the house, trying to locate the medical kits that, like Charlene always had handy, Kate did too. "Matt, call 911, he needs to be treat-"

"No! We can't do that." Nadeem was quick to cut in, a flash of fear showing in his stern eyes. "He ...was shot by the CS. We have to lay low." Of course, the fact that they had Raimi was the major reason Nadeem was reluctant to be seen anywhere in public right now.

*Conan

The teen was looking around blearily at everyone, only half understanding everything that was said, but there was one thing he read loud and clear, and he wasn't about to let anybody take Raimi from him, not even the man that had helped him save the boy. He held onto Raimi fiercely, and the tightening of his hold made the toddler look around to see what was threatening them. He squeaked merrily at Nadeem, but then turned back to Conan, confused as to why he was upset. These people were friendly! What was wrong?

After a second or two, Conan managed to put a single word to what already was a blatant refusal. "Nnnnnn-no."

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

"Matt! Get Kate!" Greg's voice barked out in exasperation, when he noted that the shaggy-haired Matthew hadn't budged an inch since Nadeem and guided Conan in. The voice seemed to get to the gawking college boy, who came to his senses, "Yeah, yeah, right. I'm going." While Matt ran out of the living room, Greg finally came across the kit tucked in a cabinet under a large fishstand.

"Conan, it's going to be harder to treat your wounds with Raimi sitting there." Nadeem was trying to explain the situation, but he figured that Conan was beyond understanding much of what he was saying. Finally, he gave up, and resorted to just trying to get the teen to lie down.

*Conan*Raimi

Lying down was a more agreeable thing to the teen, who slowly did lay back against the couch, again closing his eyes briefly before something seemed to occur to him. With an effort, he pushed himself up halfway once more, and shifted Raimi over to the other arm, freeing up the wounded one as much as possible without putting the toddler down. It was unclear, at this point, whether he'd understood Nadeem's words, or whether he'd thought of it independently, but the more important thing was that now he could be treated more effectively.

That done, he lay down once more, and Raimi gladly curled up in his brother's one armed embrace, using the teen's shoulder as a pillow as the small, sleepy eyes went half-mast. It had been a long day for a not-quite two-year-old, and now that he was secure and had his brother once more, it was okay to sleep. The nightmares that had plagued him in the Zelkovi household would stay away.

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

Returning to the couch, Greg was spreading open the kit and trying to recall which medicines did what, and what he should do first. He had treated gunshot wounds in animals before, but the idea of working on a human made him decidedly nervous.

"I've got it." Reading the uncertaintly on the other like a book, Nadeem took up the inititive to sort through the kit himself, before coming up with the nerve-blocking drugs and a small syringe. "Cut the cloth away from the wound, then get some water and some towels." The young man went on as if filled the needle, and Greg wordlessly obliged.

When the section of sleeve had been clipped away, Nadeem began to swiftly inject the drug around the perimeter of the wound, and waited for the numbness to kick in before he'd try to locate and dislodge the bullet.

*Conan*Raimi

The roar of a thousand drums
in an army of the nations
can't begin to drown out
a lone child's desperation,
crouching in the creeping dark
of a million nights or more,
flinching at the clatter as
a silver knife falls to the floor.
He tells himself that things will change
if only he can do this right,
and so he takes each curse and blow,
never putting up a fight.

I can't begin to count the times
I too have told myself that lie.
What's the point in living
if each second makes you want to die?

His muscles tensed in reflex at the slight burn of the medication, but he was still with it enough to understand what this was. His memories and thoughts at this point were sporadic, with little bits and pieces clear while other were obscured by a mental fog, but this was one thing that he remembered, and so he sat perfectly still with what was now the ease of old practice. With as much as he seemed to get himself wounded recently, he now had lots of experience being a good, cooperative patient.

And the little tyke was already asleep, thumb in mouth and the innocence of an angel on his face.

A glistening fall of hope rains down
on a tiny, battered face
only to be snatched away,
vanishing without a trace.
Still he hopes for each pure dawn,
every day a clean, fresh slate
to chalk up merits and rewards,
and wipe away the smoky hate
smiting all the dreams and wishes
as it falls like icy hail
ending all the faded promise
as the stronger will prevails.

When finally the truth sets in,
in a chilling, icy flood,
he bathes the pain in victory
and the warmth of his own blood;
listening, as the world fades out,
to the sound of trumpet shout
and the thousand drums of the army of nations,
trapped forever in the world's hesitation,
as they tell themselves, "It's not my fault.
What else could I do?"
And all agree amongst themselves that
Sadly, this is true.

I can't begin to count the times
I've told myself that useless lie.
What's the point in living
if each second makes you want to die?

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

Nadeem waiting, counting slowly in his mind until he knew enough time had passed for the tissues to be numb. Then he worked with skill and speed, fishing into the wound with a narrow pair of surgical plyers, careful not to further damage the muscle or puncture any nearby veins as he felt for the embedded bit of metal. As he found and removed the object, he saw Greg shiver from the corner of his sights, but otherwise remained helplfully crouched by the sofa and ready to help if he was still needed.

"Hey, I can't find her. I think she's at the Center." Matt called out, stepping into the room and instantly adopted a grimace when he saw the bullet extracted. "But.... maybe I'll just keep looking..." He vacated the room again.

Nadeem thoroughly cleaned the wound and stitched it up, before applying a large bandage over the area. "I'm sorry for intruding like this - I guess we were just familiar with this place..."

The other young man shook his head, "It's fine, stay as long as you need. I can understand gang problems." Greg replied with a touch of sourness at the end. And the two, while keeping a close eye on Conan's condition, began to discuss related matters.

While Starcrossed and Ditaren remained outside, Starlit nosed open the front door, which had always been left unlocked for her sake. The ebony and silver-speckled hybrid padded silently across the livingroom before lifting a muzzle and sniffing briefly over Nadeem and Conan - she knew these two, though had never interacted a great deal with them. But this time, despite Nadeem's exasperated attempts at stopping her, she climbed gingerly onto the couch and curled herself up against the teen's legs and rested her muzzle resolutely on her black paws.

*Conan*Raimi

Things were a confused jumble of thoughts right now, but when he felt something warm climb up onto the couch with him, the boy lifted his head and turned his eyes that way, where they landed on the Lady's hybrid. Strangely, though he hadn't known Starlit Eyes very well during his stay here, her presence somehow made it easier to recall that the Lady had died, and these strange young men were now the owners of this house. He'd figured that out when he'd come back from the hospital, but it was Starlit who made him recall it.

Since Nadeem was, by this time, done binding up the shoulder wound, he reached that hand down and scrubbed briefly at the top of the lonely dog's head, feeling somehow better to know that part of what had been his family, even if such a small part, was here where she belonged. That made things more comfortable, and a half a smile broke over his shocked stare.

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

The jet-black tail thumped against the couch and she stretched her silken head forward under the caress, welcoming the touch that she had stubbornly rejected from everyone else for so long. Starlit lifted herself up, paws carefully stepping around the limited space of the cusions as she moved forward to caress the boy's face with a soft tongue.

Giving up his attempts at removing the hybrid, especially when he saw that she brought a smile to the teen's face, Nadeem returned to his conversation with Greg. The two quickly dug up eachother's connections with the house and the lady who lived her, and Greg soon realized just why Starlit was seeking to comfort the kid, when for months, she had shied away from everyone. Conan and Nadeem use to frequent this place.

*Conan

His face hadn't been washed by tongue since... lord, not since Ra had disappeared? That seemed to be one of the chocolate lab's favorite hobbies. It aroused a low sound out of him that might have been a half-formed laugh, and he reached up to ruffle the soft ears. He understood, in this moment, what no amount of explanation could have taught him, as he used the dexterous fingers of his hand to scratch in the hollow behind each ear, which had been Ra's favorite place: poor old Starlit Eyes was just as without their family as he was, and that forged a bond between them, if only one of shared loneliness.

So there sat the two of them, comforting each other, as it were, Conan now with a good smile as one hand stroked the hybrid, and the other his brother's back.

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

She continued to lick at the face, her tail waving a little more at the sound he produced. And then she eased back down, wedging her lithe frame between the boy and the couch, and giving a soundly sigh before resting her head on his chest. She may not have her Charlene or Spark any longer, but she had found another aching soul that she could do her best to bring comfort to.

"...they'd been good friends ever since." Greg was saying, "I think Shimmer was the other one's name. But yeah, that's how we came here. She'd known Kate too." The young man gave a short laugh, "And he figured we'd be the only people crazy enough to handle all these animals."

"Small world." Nadeem commented thoughtfully, before turning his attention back on Conan, after hearing the noise from the teen, "Conan, are you feeling any better?"

*Conan

It was probably a good thing that he was slightly out of it at the moment, because normally the confines of the room, much less the nearness of the other two people, would have awakened his claustrophobia. But he didn't seem to have the energy to encompass that fluttering panic at the moment. Instead, he was taking comfort from both the weight of the toddler curled up asleep on his chest and the dog laying along his side, this all serving to make him more peaceful and slowly draw him out of the shock.

So when Nadeem questioned him, the boy understood and moved to answer, but when again nonsense garbled out of his mouth, he made another frustrated noise and instead lifted his free hand, holding it parallel to the ground and tilting it slowly right, then left, in the universal sign of, 'I'll make it, I guess.'

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

This much, at least, Nadeem understood from Conan. With his health more or less taken care of, the young man now began to worry about just what to do about continuing to keep him safe. One dilemna had been solved - they had Raimi back. But that in itself opened up a whole new can of worms. As hard as it was to rescue the toddler, Nadeem could only imagine how hard it was going to be trying to keep him safe.

"They said it was ok if we stayed here for the night. That'll give you time to recuperate." Nadeem went on, trying to sound assured and calm, even if he was far from it, "We can figure out further arrangements tomorrow."

*Conan*Raimi

Conan slowly nodded his understanding of Nadeem's words, still stroking Starlit's head, aware of the vaguely square shape of the skull bones under his hand as he had never been before, but now he was lost in thought again. Well, memories, really... so many memories, this building held for him. His strokes grew slower and slower over the hybrid's ears and neck as he traveled further back into the bits and pieces of what he remembered... little, erratic things mostly... the sound of a teapot boiling when he came in from the barn; the nonsensical chattering of the large-lunged, sometimes irritating parrot that had always roosted in the front room; a soft, ringing laughter...

But with these came others, as well...a barrage of gunshots; the smell of iodine and saline, mixed in with tears and salty sweat; and the sickening shicking sound of a knife burying itself into human flesh. These were the ones that made him close his eyes tightly, his hand stopping in its stroking and balling the ebony fur in his hand, perhaps a little harder than he ought to.

*Nadeem Tarak & Others

Starlit gave a quieted whine and nuzzled her muzzle against his arm before resting it against his chest again. It wasn't to express the discomforted of his tightened grip on her, but to assure him that all was well. She could feel the tenseness in the boy, and her old habits of guarding and helping were being reawakened. She would protect this boy and his brother.

Nadeem and Greg noted the same unease in the teen, but neither of the guys were sure of how to help him aside from making sure his physical injuries were taken care of.

*Conan*Raimi

Her reassurance reached him through the fog, and finally he managed to force his grip to relax, releasing the fistful of fur and gently brushing his fingers over it to make it lay flat on her back, murmuring an indistinct apology under his breath. But the eyes didn't open again... no this time, he was tired enough to keep them closed, slowly relaxing against the couch as he faded toward sleep.