exciting times, part 2

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Pencil entry, smeared with blood dated 4-5-08
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I heard tha call come in. Healing required at tha Pit. Neri's call. She's been actin awful twitchy recently and I can only imagine that tha mystery threat to tha Nephilim aint helpin none. Especially considerin tha close webs we weave, if ya catch my scent? I'd been doin some PR work, funny I know, but when I got tha call fer "medic" well, tha trainin and instincts kicked in. Folks will tell ya all about how hard they are, shrug off gashes and gouges and gunshots, callin them fleshwounds or tellin ya it's just a scratch. Some (not namin anyone in paticular, Krazzy ya plonker) will stand and take rounds and just pluck em out. Well bollocks ta that. Ya never know when ya might get hit in just tha right way, with just tha right mix of silver, holy water, ashes of tha One True Cross, cold metioric iron or PlayDoh. Whatever. Some folks tell me "oh woah is me, I’m cursed ta never die by tha Devil/God/crazy uncle Sue". Fuck that right off. Ya never know when either ya finally get yer reprieve, someone cracks tha Seventh Seal or just bloody flukes on ya and ya take tha Golden BB. Get inta Real Estate. Buy Tha Farm.

And when tha metal finally meets tha meat? You fucking better call fer tha medics. Cause when ya start ta dip yer toes in tha Wide River Styx, you better hope you got someone strappin yer leakin holes with field dressins or layin on paws or doin somethin more productive than gawkin and preachin. Ya might as well start goin through their pockets fer loose change. Either ta settle up what they owe ya fer beer or ta call yerself a taxi in case they pull through and are pissed ya didn't help. Maybe I’m soft, maybe I don't give enough credit ta my fellow beings and their indifference ta tha harm comin to their one and only bodies.
Maybe. Maybe not. But when I get a call of "medic!" yer getting fuckin seen to. If I catch ya limpin off an untended wound trailin tha scent of blood in yer wake, leadin THEM ta me, yer getting seen to.

Where was I? Were-was I? Ha. Boom Boom. Literally. Nerissa called fer healin. Location: Tha Pit. Do tha maths. We got intel of threats ta our Nephilim. Nerissa's got personal stakes. I know what I expected. I been in three firefights in Tha Pit. I humped tail over there, pounded up that fuckin long ramp where i've dragged my dyin and shredded Packmates down and out, leavin little red rivers. Twice i've done that, and one time we walked out. Was luck that time. This time was not gunna be any different. I could already smell fresh blood and cordite over tha reek of tha lava tang and old meat. I come scootin in, full tactical breach, or as close as I can when on my lonesome. When I get there I see Neri, fucked up and perforated on tha floor. To my supprise there were some others I didn't expect, and none of those I did. Tha Princess was there, and His Ghostlyness. Some others, but no Shadow I recognized. Fuckin odd. I didn't have time fer anythin other than TTA- tactical threat assessment. No one looked ta do me, nor my patient any harm. So I got down ta work. Denny came up behind me, not sure when. Her Ladyship too.

I had given Neri a fast physical, she'd been holed a pawfull of times, through and throughs. I made ta cut through her outers as she was comin to. Not bein a good patient. Kneelin in her blood I kept at it till I got as far as knowin how hard she'd been hit. Hard. Had she'd been a Fleshie, well, i'd have checked fer change. So I get set ta treat and she's startin ta mumble about havin deserved it, how she got what was comin, and tha like, so I keep her talkin, ask her who wacked her. This is when Denny jumps in, all but shoves me off her and tells me he'll do all she needs. Not happy, but, hell, he's got seniority and prior history. I ain't gunna buck that, damned if I will over a bleedin Family member.

So I stalk off ta one side, lookin ta see if I can find some clue. Nothin. Casin's musta fallen through that fuckin grill inta tha fires. Some Shadow comes in an gives Her Ladyship lip. Serious lip. Not good. That’s how blood-baths start. So how could it get worse? Neri gets up and staggers of, drippin blood and coughin froth. Fuckn fantastic. Great patient care. I make a dash out as tha yellin continues. Still plenty of Institute faces ta back Her Ladyship up. What tha fuck happened ta Neri in tha first place, where did Denethorn get to, and why did he let Neri walk out, as fucked up as she was? Maybe they know more than me, but fuck!

I bolt out, tryin ta catch sight or scent of Neri, but I musta zigged as she zagged, and I loose tha track. Down by tha Coven I cross Denethorn and try ta get an answer outa him. No joy. Worse, he fuckin winds me up with a "she gave you the slip? How typical of you." not fuckin helpful, nor inspirin, let me tell ya. So I bite my tongue and keep trackin. Cover tha whole damn city in five, ten minutes. Finally catch both their scents down by tha church, in tha graveyard. She looks stable, not good but stable. I ask if they need or even want any assistance. Denny just looks up and tells me that "She" might need my assistance. I was a bit puzzled by that, and he reminded me which one. Her Ladyship. In Tha Pit. I have a horrible moment where all kinds of visions, memories of what i've seen there. Then i bolt, run as fast as my paws will take me, back across town, straight and hard. I barrel through some pedestrians, pound up tha ramp, and slam my shoulder into the big doors.

They swung with a thud i didn't feel, i stalk in, this time with a purpose i've not felt fer a good long time. My Lady is at risk. My Alpha. I can smell tha anger and impendin violence in tha room, all mixed in with blood, old and new. Neri's new blood. I don't smell her Ladyship. Nor do i intend to. I stride from tha gloom inta tha main room. and glower. I know it may not be much, i put up my firearms when i took on Her service. I wear my short sword, but its more of a tool ta me than a weapon, and really, i don't know what help it would be. Depends on tha situation. I got my claws, and fangs, and i'll put them ta test any time. But most important, i'm big. big, scary, and can soak a lot of what gets thrown my way. Thats what i offer. So there i stood. lookin big and scary, huffin and puffin, ready ta blow their House down. I guess it works, tha feel of tha room shifts, and Her Ladyship waves me back, supported and standin proud again. I waited though, ready ta stand to, if called, or needed. But i ain't, She's on it. Once She passes me, i wait a moment longer, keepin tha pressure on. She calls be back, and i fell back. This is what i want to be able to do, this is what i CAN do.