Dragon

[DerVVulfman]

Chapter Nine
The Final Frick

“WHAT?” the General shouted.

“He’s still alive, but I had to bandage him everywhere,” said Roberts. “His 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.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to, considering. He ain’t gonna be much use like that!”

“Also, he has to leave the hovercraft. His injuries are far too advanced. I can’t help him here. We’ll 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, we’ll be there.”

“I thought I’d killed him. It was horrible,” Becky breathed. She was still upset.

The General turned on her. “You! 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?” He shook his cigar in her face.

“NO!!” Roberts shouted. “Don’t...”

“I can have you crispy-fired in three!” Becky’s voice teetered on hysteria. “You GUYS ABDUCTED ME AT GUNPOINT! PUT ME IN THIS FLOATING PRISON! YOU’RE TRYING TO TURN ME INTO A KILLER! YOU NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE! THE ONE TIME I ALMOST GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP, THAT PERVERT ALMOST -- ”

“Fox, that’s enough!” Hunt told her. “Cool down!”

“HE SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME! DO YOU THINK I WANTED THIS?” Becky shrieked at the General. “YOU WANTED FIRE, YOU’VE GOT IT! I’LL FIRE UP RIGHT IN YOUR FAT BLASTED FACE, YOU VSO PIG!!!”

“Fox, I said stop it! Be quiet!” Hunt ordered.

“SHUT UP, KEVIN! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND HIM!!” Becky said furiously.

“General, please listen to me!” 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. “I’M TOP DOG HERE, FLAMEBITCH! YOU’RE GONNA DO WHAT I SAY, WHEN I SAY IT!!” He shoved his cigar into her chin, with no results. She glared back, immune to his flame.

“Sir! Fricker did try to jump her,” Hunt said, trying to defuse the conflict.

“In her own room!” Roberts added. “At 2 AM.”

Becky calmed down a bit. She seized the cigar and stomped it with her boot. “I hate smoke. Now get out of my face, or I swear to God I’ll kill you.” She looked positively feral.

The General’s hand shot into his pocket. “GENERAL!” Roberts begged.

“WHAT, Damien? Can’t you see I’m in a situation here?”

“Please! Please... I’m trying to say that... we’ve invested so much in her, and in her training. We can’t just stop now. We need her. What she did to Fricker, accidentally or not, is precisely what we’re training her to do. And she did it superbly. Let’s just... consider this... an unscheduled test. An important step.”

The General rolled his eyes under his glasses. “Aaaaaah, get her out of my sight!” Then he added “Just one more thing, kiddie! You too, Doctor! If [i]anybody[i] else on this ship gets burned by her-- to any degree-- THAT’S IT! No debates! I pull her plug!”

Roberts ushered Becky out before she could argue. “Don’t say a word. Get back to bed. Go back to sleep.” 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.

“I won’t apologize for what I did,” Becky told Fricker, “but I didn’t mean it to happen like this.”

Fricker said something very faintly.

“What?” Becky asked, reluctantly leaning over his bandaged body.

“S’allright...” he spoke very slowly, with extreme difficulty. “Don’t... worry... your... pretty... little... head... about it... Foxy...” There was no malice whatsoever in his voice.

“Good luck, Fricker.” They took him off the ship shortly afterward.