The Binding of Isaac

[gamemakers]

Who| All those who signed up for the plot!
What| Capitol rebels attempt a break in and dismantling of dangerous weaponry.
Where| In a warehouse just beyond the very end of the cityline
When| Some time following Arena 13
WARNINGS| Please specify warnings in tag headers.
NOTES | Remember that if you did not sign up, it will be assumed you are not participating in the plot. Plotting can be found here! IC plotting is here!

Comments

[earthborn]

She turned on the water in the sink, left it running, then sat beside it. The tiles were cold and clean and real under her thighs, and the contrast was something with being grateful for. What a shit-run that had been-- but one day, one day, one day, she'd be off the leash, and on that day there would be no more half measures. No mercy, no life except the life running read down linoleum-plastic, no need to hold back.

The Peacekeepers always saw these things, these little forays, as such an affront. They went home to their families and wrote complaints never thinking, really, that every last one of them should have been dead.

"You have to breathe, kid," she sighed, "Here, feel along the bruise. Feel the lump?"

Carefully, with a pretense of calm, she explained it what Sandy would have to do. They didn't have time for finesse, although it felt private. She would have to work fast to avoid suspicion.

"...and use the whole bottle if you have to. It stings like a bitch, but it's better than an infection. You got this?"

[justoutrunyou]

There was a moment of hesitation as she ran her fingers over the lump and her stomach did another barrel roll coming to terms with what was just below the skin. When she spoke her voice cracked, "Y-yeah..."

Then she felt the tile under her feet and the stillness in the air. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice whispered to her.

You do be having this.

Another deep breath through her mouth and she let it out through her nose. Steady now, pretending she could turn to stone even when she was still delicate flesh and valuable blood.

"I've got this. It's going to be OK."

This time she actually sounded sure of herself. Shepard needed her right now. Shepard had given her so much since they met and asked for so little in return. She couldn't mess this up.

Setting to work she swallowed down her squeamishness even as Shepard's blood got on her fingers. She'd rolled her sleeves up to avoid staining them.

She was not skilled, and a lesser person probably would have lost their patience with her as she worked to get the hunk of metal out. But Sandy trusted that Shepard would endure so long as she did her best.

The entire process took about ten minutes of poking, digging, cutting and wiggling. But to Sandy it felt like an hour at least. Her face was soaked in sweat by the time the heavy projectile hit the sink with a sharp "TINK" sound.

[earthborn]

They were trained to withstand interrogation. There was a trick to it, like guided meditation. Don't even think about the words fibre or cut. You're far away, somewhere beautiful and peaceful and good. The pain lives somewhere else, and you're in this place you've gone away to. A safe, happy place.

She could feel Sandy work, but her breathing didn't hitch. It hurt, yes, but in a distant, detached way. The pain didn't mean anything. This was what had gotten her through those first few weeks after waking up with fissures of magma in her face. This was what had gotten her through the months after Aratoht, when even the Alliance wouldn't pretend to understand her reasoning anymore.

This was a tool; it would see her through. Tink went the bullet, and the red swirled away; the reached for it and felt the body-warm metal cold under the water. She looked at it-- a mostly-whole slug, mushroomed awkwardly, it had once had a hollow tip, the bastards. It must've hit the bone weave, but it wasn't fragmented.

"Good. Good girl. Use the medig-- the spray, seal me up, and we can get out of here."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy was starting to feel like she was watching someone else do this. Rinsing red from her hands, taking out some antibacterial towelettes to clean the area before she started patching up. Only some of the whisky ended up being used and the smell mingled horribly with the antiseptic, blood and sweat. Sandy might have taken a bit longer then was entirely necessary to ensure that the wound was as clean as possible before the took up the spray to seal it. The last thing she wanted was Shepard to get sick after all this.

Was it even capable for Shepard to get sick? Somehow Sandy felt like germs were afraid of her.

Finally, the last step was a series of adorable bandages each featuring pictures of cartoon breakfast items that were crying. "The Crying Breakfast Friends" show was a strangely popular cartoon among Capitol children but Sandy didn't understand it. It took three hole bandages to cover the hole to Sandy's satisfaction. Easy enough to hide for a week or two before the wound was just another scar in the making.

"G-guess all that studying came in handy." She mumbled saying the first words she'd uttered since the affirmation that she could do it. Still not allowing the magnitude of it hit her she packed up the First Aid Kit so it could be hidden again.