12-25-2008, 08:19 AM
Chapter Nine
The Final Frick
The Final Frick
âWHAT?â the General shouted.
âHeâs still alive, but I had to bandage him everywhere,â said Roberts. âHis face was lucky in comparison, but it still caught residual burns. He is 100% bandaged, with the obvious exception of his straw-hole and urinary exit. I want him taken off active duty immediately.
âWell, I guess weâll have to, considering. He ainât gonna be much use like that!â
âAlso, he has to leave the hovercraft. His injuries are far too advanced. I canât help him here. Weâll drop him off in Omaha, and the VSO burn-unit specialists can take better care of him. If he can just hang on six more hours, weâll be there.â
âI thought Iâd killed him. It was horrible,â Becky breathed. She was still upset.
The General turned on her. âYou! What did I tell you about flicking! I SAID NO FLICKING! YOU DISOBEYED ORDERS! I CAN HAVE YOU TERMINATED IN TEN SECONDS! You READ ME, LADY?â He shook his cigar in her face.
âNO!!â Roberts shouted. âDonât...â
âI can have you crispy-fired in three!â Beckyâs voice teetered on hysteria. âYou GUYS ABDUCTED ME AT GUNPOINT! PUT ME IN THIS FLOATING PRISON! YOUâRE TRYING TO TURN ME INTO A KILLER! YOU NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE! THE ONE TIME I ALMOST GET A GOOD NIGHTâS SLEEP, THAT PERVERT ALMOST -- â
âFox, thatâs enough!â Hunt told her. âCool down!â
âHE SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME! DO YOU THINK I WANTED THIS?â Becky shrieked at the General. âYOU WANTED FIRE, YOUâVE GOT IT! IâLL FIRE UP RIGHT IN YOUR FAT BLASTED FACE, YOU VSO PIG!!!â
âFox, I said stop it! Be quiet!â Hunt ordered.
âSHUT UP, KEVIN! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND HIM!!â Becky said furiously.
âGeneral, please listen to me!â Roberts said desperately, fearing a showdown.
But the VSO boss was equally apoplectic. The stress of the moment kept building between Becky and the General. Their faces were mere inches apart. âIâM TOP DOG HERE, FLAMEBITCH! YOUâRE GONNA DO WHAT I SAY, WHEN I SAY IT!!â He shoved his cigar into her chin, with no results. She glared back, immune to his flame.
âSir! Fricker did try to jump her,â Hunt said, trying to defuse the conflict.
âIn her own room!â Roberts added. âAt 2 AM.â
Becky calmed down a bit. She seized the cigar and stomped it with her boot. âI hate smoke. Now get out of my face, or I swear to God Iâll kill you.â She looked positively feral.
The Generalâs hand shot into his pocket. âGENERAL!â Roberts begged.
âWHAT, Damien? Canât you see Iâm in a situation here?â
âPlease! Please... Iâm trying to say that... weâve invested so much in her, and in her training. We canât just stop now. We need her. What she did to Fricker, accidentally or not, is precisely what weâre training her to do. And she did it superbly. Letâs just... consider this... an unscheduled test. An important step.â
The General rolled his eyes under his glasses. âAaaaaah, get her out of my sight!â Then he added âJust one more thing, kiddie! You too, Doctor! If [i]anybody[i] else on this ship gets burned by her-- to any degree-- THATâS IT! No debates! I pull her plug!â
Roberts ushered Becky out before she could argue. âDonât say a word. Get back to bed. Go back to sleep.â She slammed her door and let out a primal scream.
? ? ?
Fricker was stretchered out in the infirmary, completely covered in gauze. Roberts was surprised to see Becky standing nearby.
âI wonât apologize for what I did,â Becky told Fricker, âbut I didnât mean it to happen like this.â
Fricker said something very faintly.
âWhat?â Becky asked, reluctantly leaning over his bandaged body.
âSâallright...â he spoke very slowly, with extreme difficulty. âDonât... worry... your... pretty... little... head... about it... Foxy...â There was no malice whatsoever in his voice.
âGood luck, Fricker.â They took him off the ship shortly afterward.