Subject V.2.3A | "OMEGA" (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cerhadivision) wrote2017-05-14 09:57 pm
cerhadivision) wrote2017-05-14 09:57 pm
Isla Sorna
2
Forbluebetabitch
When you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.
They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.
And then there's Blue and Omega.
The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.
Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.
If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.
For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.
Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.
For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.
Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.
Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.
"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"
Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.
"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.
Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.
"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."
The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.
Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."
The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"
"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."
The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.
For
bluebetabitchWhen you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.
They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.
And then there's Blue and Omega.
The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.
Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.
If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.
For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.
Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.
For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.
Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.
Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.
"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"
Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.
"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.
Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.
"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."
The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.
Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."
The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"
"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."
The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.
no subject
Only when Gwen touches him does he look up, and finally draw away, letting Blue carefully out of his embrace to settle back against the pillows and her mate. Omega immediately curls around her again.
"We're gonna be right outside. Okay?" He exchanges a glance with Omega; Blue might not be able to call if she needs something, but her mate can and should. Then Owen follows Gwen from the hospital room and closes the door carefully behind him.
"How are we looking?"
no subject
Gwen ran a hand through her lopsided ponytail, but forged on. "Her vitals are very good. Her heartbeat's regular, her pulse sounds good, and she's oxygenated back to normal. I doubt she'll be able to eat much yet, so I'll keep her on the protein IV; her system's going to need all the nourishment it can get, to keep healing itself."
She glanced back at the door, then leaned against the wall beside it, crossing her arms tiredly. "Time, that's the crucial thing here. They've been engineered with accelerated healing, but the metabolic cost is necessarily exponential. So if we're going to remove the fetus, we're going to have to move fast. As in, tomorrow morning, at the latest. Because Owen, as long as it's still growing inside her, it's hampering her ability to heal herself."
Gwen stared at him seriously. "The question is, do you believe her rational to make such a decision right now? And it'll have to be now, the medications she'll have to receive in order for surgery will take at least eight hours to be effective."
no subject
This has got to be as contained a situation as they can possibly make it.
"Listen," he says eventually, lifting a frown back to Gwen. "You know what my choice would be. Blue deserves the chance to make one herself, even if this is the only one we get. But if she starts getting worked up or doesn't know what to do, you tell her what I said, okay?"
Owen pauses to take an unsteady breath, and run a hand over his face. He can't get Blue's tears out of his mind. "And, please... make sure she knows that I'll support her no matter what she decides."
no subject
Omega was, again, curled up in the bed with his mate, Gwen smiled to see. She hated having to separate them, for any reason, but this was Blue's choice and only Blue's. So she went around to the other side and took the beta hybrid's thin hand.
"Hey, honey, it's me, it's Gwen." Checking her vitals, smoothing dark hair away from her forehead, Gwen smiled down at her patient. "I'm so glad you're back with us, sweetheart." She saw Blue's eyelashes flutter and those still-fuzzy eyes trying to focus on her, a good sign.
"I know, baby, I know it hurts, but we're going to have you up and around again very soon, okay?" A bare glance at Omega, and then Gwen said, "But right now, I need to talk about some things with you, just me and you, if that's all right?" Gwen felt more than saw Omega tense; she knew he'd bristle at the idea of being away from his mate for any reason.
"Blue," Gwen said to her clearly, urging her to focus again. "It's important, honey. Owen's right outside, no one's going to leave you alone again, all right? The boys will be right outside of that door, and after you and I talk, everyone can come right back in, okay?"
Gwen watched her struggle with it, trying to understand. She sent up a silent prayer that Blue would, because the time was now. They couldn't afford to wait any longer. She felt the hand in hers tighten, gripping her fingers firmly, and Gwen hid a sigh of relief--she was definitely getting stronger.
Then, finally, Blue emitted a low purring trill, turning her head toward Omega and nudging her head against his. Gwen watched as Blue deliberately released her fingers from his, but gave another, more significant purring vocalization, her eyes meeting his then shifting towards the door.
no subject
But then his mate turns to him, and in no words at all encourages him to go. Omega frowns at her, wanting to argue, but if this is what she wants, then... she's going to get her way. Even if he does not like it. Briefly closing his eyes for one more firm nuzzle against the side of her head, Omega finally slides off the bed, glaring at Gwen just once before he leaves them alone in the room.
Owen is outside waiting for him, pleased to see that there wasn't any fuss about it even though Omega clearly dragged a thundercloud out with him. Immediately the male hybrid sets to prowling outside the door, restless even though Owen can't imagine he's not running on the barest fumes by now. Protective dozing alongside his mate only counts for so much.
"Omega," he says. The raptor ignores him. This is familiar, and not in a good way; all of Omega's admirable progress won't count for shit if he's under too much stress for long. "Omega, she's not doing anything to her. When was the last time you ate something?"
"It doesn't matter," the raptor growls at him, still pacing.
"Yes it does. We already have one hybrid in the hospital, we don't need another one landing himself there for being stubborn. Come on, the cafe is right down the hall, let's find you something to eat."
"No."
Owen sighs and tries not to rub his head. He would just go himself and bring something back and try to work from there, but honestly he's reluctant to leave Omega here alone, just in case the male hybrid snaps and just barges his way back in. Damn it. Well, if he can flag down a nurse or something and ask her very politely to bring them something that used to moo, that's what he'll have to work with for now.
no subject
"Gwen said you guys were probably hungry," she told him, handing over the bag with a tentative smile. "Don't worry, it's on the house. If you need anything else, just let me know." She appeared as if she wanted to say more, but Omega paced close by just then and Debra hurriedly excused herself, telling Owen that Gwen should be back out in a few minutes.
In fact, it was more than hour, with the sun well over the eastern horizon but not yet above the mountains, when Dr. Carruthers emerged from Blue's room, pulling it behind her and looking haggard. She wasn't surprised in the least when Omega zeroed right to attention and she moved aside before he bowled her right over, but she closed the door behind him, coming over to Owen and dropping right down across his lap, tiredly resting her head on his shoulder.
She just...needed a minute, to collect her emotions and get her frazzled thoughts in order. And Owen's arms were always the best place to do that, she'd discovered. Her sniffles she hid in his neck, endeavoring to keep her professional demeanor regardless of the circumstance. Gwen could have remained there for the rest of the week or so, but it actually wasn't too long before she lifted her head and gazed at the raptor's alpha with tired, sad eyes.
"We're going to do surgery," was all she said, unable to help biting at her lip, trying to still its trembling.
no subject
He puts his arms around her as she leans into him, and says nothing while she composes herself; he just rubs her arm and keeps her tucked against his shoulder. And when she finally lifts her head again, the answer she gives him is the one he was expecting. Yet somehow that doesn't stop him from sinking into his stomach like a stone, leaden and cold, no relief at all. Owen nods, and pulls her back again, leaving a kiss in her hair.
"Okay."
no subject
All of Gwen's expertise with genetic hybrids had been called into play, and Debra had been unable to assist very much in keeping Blue's vitals under strict control. But, professionals as both women were, the beta raptor had done just fine on the operating table, her heartbeat solid and her breathing remained regular.
After stabilizing their patient in her recovery ward, Gwen urged Debra to change out of her scrubs and take a two or three hour break, get some food and a nap, since Blue would undoubtedly sleep through the night. She herself had spent the day in her office, sketching out the procedure one step at the time. A short nap and a pre-op exam later had seen Gwen taking Blue into surgery right about sunset, and now the clock in the hallway read just after one am.
Still in her greens, she came around the corner where Owen and Omega were still waiting, the latter pacing just as forcefully as he had been five hours ago. Owen simply looked...tired. To both of them, Gwen reported, "All's well. She'll probably sleep through the night, but she's out of the woods now, thank God." Looking at Omega, she cautioned, "Be sure not to jostle her. Not even by accident."
Not that she believed he would, but the surgical incision was...tender. She'd only given the male hybrid the barest description of the surgery, informing that InGen's tranquilizers had damaged some things inside Blue and the procedure was necessary to repair them. Which wasn't entirely a fabrication, in a certain light.
no subject
Relatively speaking.
He stood up when Gwen came in and approaches her now, brow furrowing over how tired she looks. He'd been fretting in the waiting room the entire time, but... Owen has a hell of a lot of faith in Gwen. She's never failed to come through for him before, so why would this be any different? At this point, he's ready to trust that Blue is going to be fine. The doctor has taken care of everything. Now it's time for her to take care of herself, and if she can't, then Owen will.
"What do we need to do now?"
no subject
Coming over to Owen, Gwen let herself lean on his shoulder for only a moment, then straightened and gave him a tired little smile. "We wait," she told him. "The surgery went fine, given the circumstances." Gwen had to chuckle, although there was just a bit of manic edge to her voice. "I just--hope I never have to go through that again, not ever. I was terrified the entire time." She shuddered, pushing the nerves aside and trying to unscramble her tired brain.
"But it's done. The fetus...died shortly after extraction, so I doubt very seriously it would have made it all the way to term." Her brow furrowed. "Granted, I can't say that would have happened if InGen hadn't dosed her with all of that crap, because apparently it didn't occur to any of their medtechs to check if MORO crosses the placental barrier. Which, for the record, it does."
Gwen shook her head. "But I don't believe there will be any lasting physical damage. Just the surgery scar, which will fade with time. She'll still be able to conceive, as far as I can tell, but her heats might be...odd, after this. I'll just have to keep a close eye on her for a while.
"As for the rest..." Gwen pressed fingers to her eyes, blinking them tiredly open again. "She's suffering from a lot of mental trauma too, Owen. When I told her, she broke down into tears again, even though I kept insisting that it wasn't her fault, she'd done nothing wrong. I couldn't even finish talking to her about it, all I could do was hold her while she cried." Tears shimmered again in Gwen's own dark eyes, remembering that difficult moment.
"I think her emotional recovery is going to be the hardest part," she continued, sniffling softly. "Nothing like this has ever happened to any hybrid ever, and even in humans, this sort of therapy is basically hit-and-miss. It's probably best to let Omega stay close to her--he doesn't have to worry about being objective. He just loves her, and that's really all she needs to know right now."
no subject
In any case, although he is listening, he's also watching Gwen for all those telltale signs of how much the exhaustion is getting to her. It's a lot of information to process, and since she's the one who has spent all day and night compiling it, he's about to insist that she drop everything she's doing and curl up wherever is most comfortable just to get some sleep. Unfortunately, real sleep is a luxury that might not be coming to either one of them very soon, and the reasons why are exactly what she's talking about right now.
God damn InGen for this. He wonders if Omega could figure out a way to burn the whole corporation down.
"We'll figure out what she needs," he says quietly, "and get it for her, whatever it is. Omega will stick by her, but he's already pushing himself way over the line and the last thing we need is him taking it out on the rest of the house because Blue isn't there to calm him down." He rubs his face. What a weird priority of concern is in his head right now... it's like his brain only sometimes remembers that there are other factors at work here.
"Look... right now, what I really want to know is when we'll be able to get her home."
no subject
Another thought ran across her haphazard brain, and Gwen's eyebrows went up as it computed. "If you want to move her out of here--and not before tomorrow--I mean, later on today, whatever day it is--we can always take her to my mother's place out in Claremont. It has an upstairs, which will suffice for a recovery ward, and we can get off our feet for a while and not have to worry about nosy interns peeking around every corner."
And Gwen knew it was a miracle they hadn't seen many of those, over the past two days.
no subject
That is Owen's professional opinion, in fact. There were very few issues back while Blue was growing up that didn't eventually sort themselves out after she'd been able to get home and have some peace and quiet. And something to eat. Things were so much simpler back then.
He arches an eyebrow at her in return, and... hesitates. "Your mother's place?" He frowns, looking toward Blue's room again and then back at her. "Is that a good idea?"
no subject
She ran hands through her disheveled hair and swirled it back into a messy ponytail. "Unless we want to keep her here, that's the only other option I have, Owen. I'm...hesitant to take her back up to our house, simply because I don't have the equipment if she relapses. If she starts hemorrhaging again, we need to be able to get her to a hospital--or here, preferably--within the hour."
Gwen looked up at him, serious. "If you absolutely want to go back up north, then we will. But I can't guarantee much, just now."
no subject
Owen sighs heavily. "No, you're right, and I get it. But... look, I just want to make sure that your mother can handle what we're bringing her way. That's not any kind of criticism against your mother, by the way -- but these are our least sociable raptors. She can't go near Blue or Omega might attack her."
He holds up his hands. "But I trust your judgment, Gwen, as long as you're sure about this."
no subject
"I'll call her here in a minute, once the sun's up, at least." A small snort. "I know she won't mind, but you're still right--it's going to be touch and go here, at least while Blue's still hovering on the edge of the woods. I'll--talk with Omega, too, and let him know what's going on. They can stay in my brother's old room; it has a queen-sized bed and is upstairs at the back of the house. Which is as private as it's going to get, at least while we're here in the city."
Gwen swayed slightly, blinking and catching herself before she toppled over on her nose. "Just...let me take a few minutes, get some coffee or something, then we'll figure something out. I have to clean up our mess back in the O.R., too, destroy all the evidence and clear the monitoring devices, delete the test results from the computers and everything.."
no subject
Even a hot second after she tilts the slightest bit, Owen catches her by the arm with that concern clear on his face.
"Gwen. Hey." He makes sure that her eyes are focused on him, "What part of that can I do? Let me handle Omega, let me get you that coffee, and if I need to start aggressively hitting the delete button or something, I can do that too. You need to take a break now. Better than coffee, you need to get some sleep."
no subject
Leaning back to look up at him, a touch less bleary than before, she plotted out a brief plan of action. "Let me go check on Blue and Omega, then you and I will take another nap in my office--I have a couch--and I'll text Debra and ask her to start covering our tracks."
Then she frowned a little. "But before all of that, we need to destroy the fetus and all of its remaining tissue. If you will do that while I check on the kids, that'd be wonderful. There's an incinerator unit not far from the Operating Room--just follow the arrows that lead to the morgue. It's an automated assembly, my pass key will get you in." She plucked it off her blouse, under her surgical smock.
"The chamber is right inside the door, you can't miss it. Open the hatch, put the entire tube inside, pressurize it closed, and press the red button. You'll hear a loud whoosh and see a flash of fire through the glass, and that's it." Gwen squinted up at him. "Think ya can handle that?"
She knew he could, of course, but a little teasing sometimes helped to stave off absolute exhaustion.
no subject
"Yeah, I can handle it." He grins fondly, and leans in to kiss her, slow and careful not to take too much of the breath she needs to stay on her feet.
Mitch, Debra, and now Gwen's mother... Owen didn't need to give up these kinds of details when he was calling in his favors to get them off the island, but that wasn't the same kind of situation. Doesn't stop him from being extremely anxious about the difference here. The more factors involved, the more potential there is for something to go wrong, and not just with Blue anymore.
"I'll be back. And then we're taking that nap. No excuses." He kisses her one more time, on the side of her head, and then leaves with the pass key in his hand.
no subject
"If she wakes up before I get back," Gwen told Omega with a gentle smile, "make sure to give her as much water as she'll want to drink. That'll help flush the rest of the toxins out and keep her hydrated." She gently lifted Blue's medical gown, not missing the male raptor's low, purring growl--almost a warning--but she cut her own eyes to him in return: there was no need for that here.
Gwen examined the surgical incision, made a note on her memo pad, then straightened the gown and the covers. "Everything looks good," she assured him, gently stroking Blue's hair back. "But try to make sure you don't wear yourself out, watching over her." One of Gwen's eyebrows lifted. "You're no good to hear if you fall over from hunger or exhaustion. Tell me when you need to eat, Omega. For Blue's sake, all right?"
She pocketed her memo book and stethoscope, moving over to the door. "Owen and I will be in my office, catching some sleep; it's right down the hall. Dr. Whittington will be back in a few hours, just so you're aware. If you need us, come get us." She gave the raptor another small nod, then slipped out again.
no subject
Owen takes a little longer to return. He meets Gwen in her office, saying nothing about the task of destroying what was left of his Beta's first (and perhaps only) offspring. They all made the right call here, but... well, it was a shame.
So much of this is just a god damn, horrible, hideous shame.
No coffee for Gwen. He meant it about the nap, and once he said it out loud, he immediately felt the weariness weighing in on him as well. He'll make sure she's comfortable, absolutely, but after that Owen will be lucky if he wakes up when he's supposed to.
no subject
Her internal clock pinged about an hour before sunrise, waking her automatically. If reluctantly. Gwen yawned without opening her eyes, still snuggled into the broad chest and strong arms which had enveloped her before collapsing into sleep. Owen's breathing was still deep and regular, and Gwen had no desire to wake him; he was just as tired as she.
She felt her cell phone vibrate slightly, tucked away in her shirt pocket; Debra was on her way with coffee and pastries. Gwen thought about rising and going down the hall to check on Blue, but Omega hadn't barged in demanding assistance, so the Beta hybrid was probably all right. At least her mate was good for something, anyway.
Pressing a soft kiss to Owen's lips, Gwen eased out of his grasp, sitting up on the side of the couch and stretching, feeling a thousand kinks and knots protest. A few minutes later, a soft knock on the door signaled Debra outside, and the scent of coffee--heavenly!--wafted to Gwen's nose as she quietly opened it for the other doctor, a telltale finger pressed to her lips.
"Oh, gotcha," Debra whispered with a slight smile. "Didn't mean to wake you guys, if I did." She eased into Gwen's office, door closing behind her with a quiet click.
Gwen suppressed the urge to pounce on the woman for possession of the coffee, but refrained, barely, answering instead with a return whisper and small smile, "You didn't. I'd just woken up myself, but wanted to let Owen sleep--it's been a rough week."
Debra thankfully handed her a steaming cup, Gwen taking a sip despite its temperature, trying to ignore the small blonde woman's speculative glance at the man still prone on the couch behind her desk. "You didn't tell me you guys were a thing, Gwen," she whispered with a suggestive giggle.
Gwen tried not to glower at her. "I don't tell people a lot of things," was the clipped whisper in reply, really not wanting to indulge in any blasted 'girl-talk'.
"Still, he's definitely cute, though." Debra grinned, taking a sip of her own coffee. "If you like that rough and rugged Crocodile Hunter type."
"Yes. Well." Gwen pulled out her stethoscope and draped it around her neck, praying Debra would get the point. "I do. Thank you. For the coffee and breakfast. Give me twenty minutes or so and I'll check in with you." She shooed Debra towards the door. "Make sure the O.R. is sterile again, and I'll come help you get rid of the test files."
Once the door closed behind Dr. Whittington, Gwen locked it--for good measure--and paused to lean back against it, closing her eyes with a still-tired sigh. She needed to get on the phone to her mother, as well as work on the rest of the laundry list necessary before they could decamp the medical center. But for the moment, there was coffee and food, and that came first.
no subject
Still, it says a hell of a lot about how exhausted he is that he doesn't wake up when she rises from the couch.
Eventually the absence wakes him, however, and although he experiences a moment of instinctive alarm -- did something happen, is she with Blue, why didn't she wake him -- he groans and rubs his eyes and snaps himself out of it. God. Okay. Today, maybe, they can get Blue out of the hospital, if only to relocate her into Gwen's mother's house. (And what a hell of a way to meet the girlfriend's parent for the first time.)
Blinking around the room finds Gwen over by the door, with a cup of coffee in her hand and a look on her face that suggests she doesn't feel particularly well-rested, either. Owen pushes himself up and joins her, working a stiff muscle out of his shoulder.
"Did you get any sleep?"
no subject
"I don't think I'll get any real good sleep until we get home." And she didn't mean "home" as in Claremont. Having never shared sleeping space until recently, Gwen hadn't found it too onerous to do so, mostly because Owen made a great pillow. And lying snug in his arms, drowsily watching the sun come up while he still slept--well, there wasn't any better way to greet the day than that.
"But hopefully we can kick out of her soon and work on fixing that." She smiled around a bite of pastry, chasing it with a swallow of black coffee. "I'll call my mother in..." she checked her watch, "...about twenty minutes, just as soon as I check on Blue and get Debra going." She gave Owen a brief once-over, stepping close to straighten his collar a little. "You okay? Wanna sit in there with Blue while I do my chores?"
no subject
He chews while she talks, nodding in absolute appreciation for what she's talking about. They can't get back there fast enough. Owen firmly believes that they'll all be better off in comfortable, familiar surroundings, especially Blue and Omega. At least they're moving in the right direction. And as he finishes off his cinnamon roll and Gwen steps closer to him, he settles a hand not holding coffee on her arm, catching her just for a minute.
"Yeah. I will." He's actually spent very little time with Blue already. Everything he's been doing is important, but suddenly he realizes what an absence he's displayed. Not ideal for an Alpha. "But whatever can be left for someone else, should. I know how tough that is, believe me, but I want her out of here."
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)