05-31-2014, 03:33 PM
"Come on, little buddy,"
Jay scratched the top of the kitten's head. Unfortunately, the little guy was more interested in being pet than drinking milk. "You got a tongue, just lap up that cold, delicious white stuff."
The kitten snubbed the bowl and looked up at him. "Damn my soothing voice, don't listen to me."
He frowned. Of course that kind of order was a little contradictory. He continued speaking to the fuzzball. "What I mean is, don't pay attention to me. Drink your milk."
It didn't work. Jay sighed and curled a finger behind its ear, scratching gently. Which of course made the kitten plop over and roll around.
When the kitten - he really needed to give the little sunspot a name - jerked its head around, whiskers twitching, Jay knew something was up.
Natalie was suddenly in front of him, holding on to the table like she intended to keep it from floating away. Why hadn't he heard her come up? Man, he was feeling weird.
God she was gorgeous.
"I told him not to trust the men with guns. At the time there didn't seem a need to differentiate. Ekene's afraid he's going to be punished for what he did. I've told him no-one's going to hurt him."
She rubbed the kitten's head. Its hopped to all fours and little twig of a tail stood straight up.
Ekene? Jay blinked. Though of course she couldn't see the confusion cross his eyes. He'd forgotten he was still wearing his LW sunglasses.
He pulled them from his face, dropping them on the table when she asked her final question. "Is there a reason you're lying here unattended? That's hardly a scrape on your leg, and the medkits in those SUVs had no pain relief, because I looked."
Without the sunglasses, his world brightened considerably. Though that may have had something to do with those ice-clear eyes looking concernedly upon him. They took his breath away. then again, he'd been having trouble keeping breaths in his lungs the past hour or so. His leg throbbed.
Just don't move it. He told himself, and refocused on something else. Like the most beautiful thing he'd seen .. actually .. since he watched the sun set over the fields from his parents front porch.
Once he regained the ability to..you know..form words, he cleared his throat, but not to answer right away. First off, he glanced across the room as the medic stood over Ekene. Whom he guessed was the kid's name since Natalie mentioned Ekene being afraid of punishment. The little shit.
Satisfied that he was being tended to, he looked back, and thought frantically for a suitable answer. He felt like he was standing in the middle of a dirty room while his mom asked why he hadn't cleaned it yet.
"Why have I not been seen yet? Uhh-"
His face contorted into a sort of completely innocent, you shouldn't worry about me kind of look. Jay was a terrible liar.
"You know its all good so long as I don't move around too much, and there's guys needing the good stuff more than me."
He hoped she'd buy that. Women had funny reactions to those kinds of stunts.
Of course, his perfect plan was completely underminded by the approaching medic. He had a syringe in one hand and a bottle of morphine in the other.
He nodded at Natalie, "He's patched up as best we can until we get him to x-ray. There's a portable one on its way. Assuming the convoy makes it on time. I gave him something to put him out."
He turned to Jay. "Deal's done. Let's get you something for the pain."
If the guy wasn't holding drugs, Jay would have frowned at him for giving away the game.
He made Jay show him his dog tags to prove who he was, standard medical procedure in any organized army. Jay started to roll up one sleeve when the medic stopped him and right then and there yanked down one side of his pants. Jay felt his eyes go wide. He wasn't particularly modest, but Natalie was standing right there.
A pinch in the buttocks and a second later, he couldn't care less.
He breathed a mountainous sigh of relief.
The medic made sure Natalie was also checked out, since it was clear to his trained eyes that she wasn't looking in the best of health when that ambassador lady returned. What was her name again?
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
He jerked his head up, shaking off the warmth in his brain. When did he close his eyes?
"An eyedropper for the kitten."
She said as Jay took it from her. She had a grim smile on her face. "What's your name?"
She asked him. Jay blinked and carefully sucked up a few mL's of milk and pulled the kitten close.
"Uh...Hollywood, ma'am."
He responded without thinking. "I mean, Jay, ma'am. Carpenter."
She said a few more words, but Jay was focused on getting the dropper into the corner of the kitten's mouth. "I used to do this on the farm all the time. You have to get it in the corner of their mouth and they'll swallow whatever without choking. Works like a charm,"
was he slurring his words? The ambassador was looking at him all confused. Or maybe concerned? Jay's eyes darted from her to Natalie. "Uhh, yeah."
Finally. The little fuzz ball started drinking, pink scratchy tongue lapping up the drops that no longer drooled out of the corner of its mouth. Jay grinned victoriously. "Good stuff, isn't it?"
Jay scratched the top of the kitten's head. Unfortunately, the little guy was more interested in being pet than drinking milk. "You got a tongue, just lap up that cold, delicious white stuff."
The kitten snubbed the bowl and looked up at him. "Damn my soothing voice, don't listen to me."
He frowned. Of course that kind of order was a little contradictory. He continued speaking to the fuzzball. "What I mean is, don't pay attention to me. Drink your milk."
It didn't work. Jay sighed and curled a finger behind its ear, scratching gently. Which of course made the kitten plop over and roll around.
When the kitten - he really needed to give the little sunspot a name - jerked its head around, whiskers twitching, Jay knew something was up.
Natalie was suddenly in front of him, holding on to the table like she intended to keep it from floating away. Why hadn't he heard her come up? Man, he was feeling weird.
God she was gorgeous.
"I told him not to trust the men with guns. At the time there didn't seem a need to differentiate. Ekene's afraid he's going to be punished for what he did. I've told him no-one's going to hurt him."
She rubbed the kitten's head. Its hopped to all fours and little twig of a tail stood straight up.
Ekene? Jay blinked. Though of course she couldn't see the confusion cross his eyes. He'd forgotten he was still wearing his LW sunglasses.
He pulled them from his face, dropping them on the table when she asked her final question. "Is there a reason you're lying here unattended? That's hardly a scrape on your leg, and the medkits in those SUVs had no pain relief, because I looked."
Without the sunglasses, his world brightened considerably. Though that may have had something to do with those ice-clear eyes looking concernedly upon him. They took his breath away. then again, he'd been having trouble keeping breaths in his lungs the past hour or so. His leg throbbed.
Just don't move it. He told himself, and refocused on something else. Like the most beautiful thing he'd seen .. actually .. since he watched the sun set over the fields from his parents front porch.
Once he regained the ability to..you know..form words, he cleared his throat, but not to answer right away. First off, he glanced across the room as the medic stood over Ekene. Whom he guessed was the kid's name since Natalie mentioned Ekene being afraid of punishment. The little shit.
Satisfied that he was being tended to, he looked back, and thought frantically for a suitable answer. He felt like he was standing in the middle of a dirty room while his mom asked why he hadn't cleaned it yet.
"Why have I not been seen yet? Uhh-"
His face contorted into a sort of completely innocent, you shouldn't worry about me kind of look. Jay was a terrible liar.
"You know its all good so long as I don't move around too much, and there's guys needing the good stuff more than me."
He hoped she'd buy that. Women had funny reactions to those kinds of stunts.
Of course, his perfect plan was completely underminded by the approaching medic. He had a syringe in one hand and a bottle of morphine in the other.
He nodded at Natalie, "He's patched up as best we can until we get him to x-ray. There's a portable one on its way. Assuming the convoy makes it on time. I gave him something to put him out."
He turned to Jay. "Deal's done. Let's get you something for the pain."
If the guy wasn't holding drugs, Jay would have frowned at him for giving away the game.
He made Jay show him his dog tags to prove who he was, standard medical procedure in any organized army. Jay started to roll up one sleeve when the medic stopped him and right then and there yanked down one side of his pants. Jay felt his eyes go wide. He wasn't particularly modest, but Natalie was standing right there.
A pinch in the buttocks and a second later, he couldn't care less.
He breathed a mountainous sigh of relief.
The medic made sure Natalie was also checked out, since it was clear to his trained eyes that she wasn't looking in the best of health when that ambassador lady returned. What was her name again?
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
He jerked his head up, shaking off the warmth in his brain. When did he close his eyes?
"An eyedropper for the kitten."
She said as Jay took it from her. She had a grim smile on her face. "What's your name?"
She asked him. Jay blinked and carefully sucked up a few mL's of milk and pulled the kitten close.
"Uh...Hollywood, ma'am."
He responded without thinking. "I mean, Jay, ma'am. Carpenter."
She said a few more words, but Jay was focused on getting the dropper into the corner of the kitten's mouth. "I used to do this on the farm all the time. You have to get it in the corner of their mouth and they'll swallow whatever without choking. Works like a charm,"
was he slurring his words? The ambassador was looking at him all confused. Or maybe concerned? Jay's eyes darted from her to Natalie. "Uhh, yeah."
Finally. The little fuzz ball started drinking, pink scratchy tongue lapping up the drops that no longer drooled out of the corner of its mouth. Jay grinned victoriously. "Good stuff, isn't it?"
Only darkness shows you the light.