Close Call

[Inu]

Inu blinks, eyes opening to find himself in a slate-grey room, standing in the middle of the cube alone. No door exists to show him the exit. It's just him and the color. He looks around himself momentarily before shutting his eyes; the color is hurting them. When he opens them again, his wife is sitting before him in a little cushioned chair, legs folded, hands settled on one knee.

"You tried hard, didn't you, dearest?" she asks softly. "You did good. We're all safe."

"Yes, you did well, specimen!" This spitting voice belongs to his tormentor, Kryatir. the man appears suddenly from behind, arm draped over Inu's shoulders, leaning on him like he were his best friend. "My alterations are wondrous, aren't they? Admit it; without them you would have lost."

"No, it's not you that's the source of my strength," Inu protests, shaking him off and back away a few paces.

"That's right," Sorr agrees, her voice much calmer than Inu's. "It was the Force."

"The Force which I have amplified within you! The darkside tore the droid asunder!"

"I don't need it," Inu answers. "I don't need it at all."

"But what will you use?" Sorr asks curiously. "You can't use the lightside at all. He saw to that." The last sentence is spoken with a slight nod at Kryatir. "How will you fight without the Force?"

As Inu's wondering how to answer, and if he can answer, the sensation of weight comes into his body along with a slight tingling sensation on his arms.

"Wake up," say his greatest ally and greatest enemy as one. "You can't sleep on it forever."
******************************

Inu gasps as he wakes from his dream, coughing hard as he draws the breath. His eyes flutter open to behold a mass of tanned people, his Tano clansmen, all gathered into the room. Fussing among them are two humans in white doctor's coats, checking the machines hooked up to him and scribbling on their notepads.

His first thought is that the pain in his chest is unbearable. and that he'll probably die of it. On his skin is a constant sensation of gentle cold; bacta patches have been applied to his chest so liberally that they're a centimeter thick. His wife is sitting by the bed, head rested on his body by his waist, looking up at him with worried eyes. The cubs are settled in two chairs on the wall, sleeping fitfully.

The movement of his head draws everyone's attention as he tries to look around. The doctors immediately rush forward to settle him, and Sorr sits up, squeezing his uninjured hand. Inu blinks stupidly at the lot of them, trying to put names to faces, and figure out where in the world he is. At last he manages to blurt something before being shushed by the whole crowd: "Did I win?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr smiles happily, glad he's finally conscious again, tail swishing about beside her.

"Morrre ljike a tjie dearrr...."

She says quietly before flashing the room a shoo look, she wants to be alone with her husband and besides the large group was making her nervous.

But it was nothing compared to what she had been feeling hours before. She knew her husband was strong but the droid has wounded him quite severly, it had taken a few hours of surgery to patch things all up inside and out. After that, she had refused to leave his side while he slept, resting her head on his hip and watching him for as long as she could stay awake. Inu had been out all that night so the tribe had been there to check on things and not been there the night hours. Those hours had been long ones for Sorr, the cubs were asleep then leaving her only to worry the night away. It reminded her all too well of the last time they had been in the hospital though the roles had been reversed then but still the bonds made then were still the same though stronger now with time.

For now, with Inu finally awake though, Sorr was feeling a lot better about things, glad to see her husband should be okay.

[Inu]

Inu sputters and coughs some more, watching bewilderedly as his clansmen file out silently, shooting mistrusting glares at the doctors as they leave. He tries to twich his arms but finds they're not moving properly. There are a number of tubes running into his arms; apparently they're IVs of some sort.

"Ours is a small hospital," says one of the doctors, noting his patient's confused looks at the room's equipment. "We're having to be a little old-fashioned until we can get better stuff." His voice has the tone of an impatient man speaking to an energetic child.

Inu turns his head back to look at Sorr, trying to say something, to ask how it went, and if everyone's fine, but the pain in his chest is too severe. He coughs again, sinking back into the pillows arranged behind him. He feels like his head's going to split open.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr reaches up and rubs one of his ears.

"Rrrrest dearrrr, don't trrry moving a whole lot rrriight now, you'll rrreopen yourrr wounds ljike that..."

Her tone is soft and soothing for the moment as her tail has stopped moving except at the tip.

"Everrrythjing jis fjine now, jit's gone and we'rrre all safe, you djid well dearrr."

[Inu]

"Did it...did it hurt anyone?"

His voice strains to speak the words, the sentence broken with a loud, staccato cough that shakes his whole body. Damn but it hurts to breathe.

He tilts his head over to look at his cubs, sitting in the chairs and leaning on one another, covered with a blanket to keep out the natural chill hospitals seem to have. Their bodies are still and quiet, though each of them wears an expression almost like worry. Even in their dreams they're afraid for their daddy.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"No, jit took off afterrr jit let go of you, jit mjissed me and the cubs forrrtunately...."

She turns her head to look with him.

"Took them awhjile to fall asleep, worrrjied ljike jI was but they gave jin arrround mjidnjight....."

[Inu]

"Guh-huh...guh-hummnnn..."

It's only a simple word, he thinks to himself. "Good.". Not a long word, not terribly difficult to say. No doubt his eldest will add that to his vocabulary soon and scream it at the top of his lungs. Inu finds he can barely say it though, past the cough that threatens him when his lungs try to breathe in, and the pain that spikes up every time his chest expands and contracts.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr watches him worriedly, ears going back in fear before reaching up to rub one of his again.

"Perhaps you should sleep some morrre dearrr and let thjings heal...."

[Inu]

"W...waggumup."

The sentence--well, not a sentence, more like a lump of syllables--is punctuated with a weak gesture towards his children. He wants them to see him awake, lest he go to sleep and have them wake up to an unimproved daddy. They should see that he's okay. Children so young shouldn't have to fear for their parents' lives.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr cants her head, ears flipping back and forth between up and backward.


"What? jI don't understand, dear..."

Would be easier for him to use the force and tell her through a mind link of sorts but it was doubtful he was in the condition to do so.

[Inu]

"Cuh...cubs!" he wheezes. He tries to say more, but falls back on his pillow, sweating and breathing hard from the effort. No more talking, he decides. It's too much trouble.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Ah....well only jif you don't move a lot and hurrrt yourrrself..."

She says quietly before sauntering over to pick up the cubs, which isn't easy anymore the older they get. The cubs whine and bury their little faces against her chest and shoulder, the light of the day is too bright right now. Sorr walks back over to his bedside and sits again, nibbling lightly at the cubs ears to wake them a bit more.

"Wake up dearrrs, daddy wants to see you..."

At the mention of the word daddy, they all perk up and look, trilling happily.

[Inu]

Inu's head lolls to the side, luckily enough to the one his children are sitting on. He grins weakly at them, lifting his uninjured hand weakly and reaching out for them. It's so good to hear them happy. Little smiles were never so beautiful as they are now.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr's ears continue to flip from backward to forward, she quite worried with Inu's condition being as it is. Even so she leans forward so the cubs can be nearer to their father, chiding them softly when they try to touch him.

"No dearrrs, daddy has an owjie therrre, can't touch orrr you'll make jit hurrrt..."

The cubs look up at her, ears fluttering as they ponder that. It isn't long before they're babbling at Inu again, they had been quite worried since their front row seats of sorts to daddy's fight.

[Inu]

He smiles softly at them, letting his hand fall to the bed. They're safe. And by the looks and sounds of things, they're happy, too. He just lies there for a while, looking at his family, nodding once in a while at what the cubs were babbling. He's busy thinking on other things, however. How long will it take him to recover? Will that droid try again? How will he defend everyone from it?

"DADA!"

Inu jumps. Anu and Kalia shout it again. He laughs a little, ignoring the pain shooting up through his neck. It's good to hear them say that, and watch little Nef and Hiro try their hardest to say it, too.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr nips the babies' ears lightly as a don't yell like that gesture. The cubs giggle and reach back to bat at her face but not turning away from looking at their father and babbling to him. Sorr lets them down to see him better after whispering to them about where to not touch daddy. The cubs being old enough to listen well and keep away from his middle and injured arm. Kalia hugs his shoulder and babbles into his ear while the other cubs babble away too.

[Inu]

Inu manages to kiss Kalia's forehead. The other cubs look a bit jealous for a moment, at least until their father manages to gather their little hands in the palm of his uninjured one.

"Love you guys," he whispers, shutting his eyes to block the ever-present spike of pain in his chest as he speaks. "Be good...for mommy...while daddy gets...better."

Oh that hurt, but it makes him feel better to have said it.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Being the mini force users that they are, the cubs can tell daddy is hurting so they whimper softly and hug him carefully while Sorr watches quietly before reaching up to rub one of his ears again.

[Inu]

Inu shuts his eyes and lets his babies go, breathing deeply and steadily. He's not asleep, not yet anyway. He is tired from his exertions, but he wants to try and cope with the pain for now. If he can manage to deal with it, he can get around it...start talking more, plan for the next attack, maybe even practice his rusted skills, if he's lucky.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr relaxes at the sound of his steady breathing, ears flipping to lie back against her head in a calm gesture before she rests her head on his hip again, watching him while purring ever so softly. The cubs are canting their heads, was daddy asleep or faking it, they babble softly to one another, talking it over it seems.

[Inu]

He opens one eye at them, doing his best to give them a warning glare. It seems to work, despite the way his eye winces at every breath, and soon the room is quiet. The doctors come back to check on him, depositing the cubs in Sorr's lap as they run their checks.

"He'll be fine," says one after a long while. "He just needs lots of bedrest until his ribs heal up. After a while we'll let him go, and he can go back to your tribe, but you mustn't let him exert himself in any way until he's fully healed. No lifting, no long-distance walking or running, no pushing or pulling on anything." Then, with a pointed look at Inu, "Is that clear?"

Inu nods, cursing in his mind. Bed rest? No physical exertion? He's cannon fodder for that droid, he's sure of it now...

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"The settljing pojint wasn't much furrrtherrr so no worrjies therrre...."

Sorr says quietly, mind wandering a bit as Inu is doing, the next few weeks will be interesting ones since Inu hated bedrest.

[Inu]

"How...how long will it...will it take?" he asks, coughing sharply as he tries to speak. He is, of course, shushed by the glaring doctors. But he he has to know! He just has to! He's responsible for the whole tribe's safety. This droid came for him...hell, it may even have come because of him.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

The doctors aren't exactly sure, Inu wasn't what they were used to and was healing faster than they were used to, his surface wounds were already almost gone.

"We'll see dearrr, but rrrest forrr now..."

Sorr whispered soothingly.

[Inu]

Inu scowls and turns his face away from them all, grumpy and angry at everything and nothing all at once. He wants to move around and get ready. He doesn't have time for bed rest! Finally he just shuts his eyes and makes an irritated growl. Bed rest...what a stupid phrase.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

The doctors take their leave again and wander out and the cubs yawn softly, apparently Sorr has given them some bottles which make them feel sleepy. Inu hears her set them back in the chair before a weight moves the bed down a little as his wife settles down beside him to help him feel more comfortable. She's quiet for now other than a soft purr as she curls up besides him but still is careful about not jarring him in any way.

[Inu]

He turns his head to the other side and buries his face against his wife with a irritated sigh.

"I don't need bed rest," he complains, sounding as stubborn and immature as a child. "There's no time for it. It could come back any time."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Well I'd rrratherrr you be well, dearrr, besjides you hurrrt jit about the same amount jit did you, jit shouldn't be up and rrrunnjing forrr awhjile....."

She says quietly while running her fingers through his hair a bit, tail "hugging" him around his waist.

[Inu]

"You can fix machines faster than people can heal," he mutters. "Whoever sent it just has to change the parts I broke and send it out. It'll be back before I'm ready for it, you just watch!"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jIt has to fjind you fjirrrst, jI ljied to the doctorrrs dearrr, the grrrounds arrre anotherrr few days away, not that jI'll be lettjing you walk and all but jit's not ljike you don't heal fast...."

In truth, Sorr was a lot more worried than she seemed at the moment, she didn't like staying here where the droid could find them easily again.

[Inu]

His chest hurts too much from his last outburst to answer. He just lies there fuming, his good hand curling into a fist so tight that his claws pierce his palm and draw blood. This is so damn frustrating! What the hell is he gonna do like this? Let it slaughter him?

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr raises an eyebrow at the scent of fresh blood before reaching down to relax Inu's cletched fist.

"Don't that dear...."

She whispers before hiding her face under her hair as a tear falls, it was hard to be strong when she was scared of what was to come and she was beginning to lose her control.

[Inu]

He huffs, a sound that's part laugh, part sigh, and all irritation.

"Dammit..." he mutters. "Just...dammit all."

Now that the room's fairly quiet his mind is wandering, and it's being very self-centered. He had been so close! He, Inu, the pinnacle of a madman's sadistic achievement, had come so very close to living a normal life. So close to being left in peace, to care for his family, make friends and neighbors, and live as everyone else in the galaxy does. He wonders idly what he did to deserve this. It must've been something unforgiveable.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr's ears prick forward at the sound as she looks up, forgeting that she had been trying to hide her crying, eyes a little red already. Her eyes search his face wondering what that sound had meant, she cursed her lack of force ability at times, the one thing she could do was only in fear.

[Inu]

He gently wipes her ears away, kissing her forehead as he does.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. I'm just a little put-off, that's all. I'm not mad at you or anything, and I'm going to do my best for us, no matter what that droid might come back to do. It's gonna be fine."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She blushes softly and rests her ears back in a calm gesture.

"jI know dearrr, just scarrred jis all..."

She feels better now though, looking into to his amber eyes, they had always had a calming effect on her no matter what.

[Inu]

"Well don't be," he says simply. "Let's just get some rest. Maybe we'll feel better once we've slept."

Inu settles back on the bed and shuts his eyes, trying to clear his mind of all the many thoughts, worries, and predictions running around his head. It's best to sleep now. He has to come up with a plan of action. Getting well is at the top of the list, and as much as he may hate it, he needs to rest, do what these doctors say, and get out of this hospital. So he's gonna rest.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Okay...."

She says quietly before kissing his neck gently then closing her eyes. She purrs ever so softly as she tries to drift, trying not to think of what is to come and only that which was soothing as she hugs him close carefully.

[Inu]

Inu breathes rhythmically, feigning sleep. His eyes are shut, but he's wide awake, even if his body is tired and screaming for rest. This droid problem's tough. Too many bad outcomes fly through his mind. He should relax and not worry. Yeah. Just chill. And in this way he coaxes himself into real sleep.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Her ears twitch soon enough, she can hear his moving and displacing his hair. She yawns softly before reaching up to rub one of them soothingly.

"Sleep my love, you must rrrest to get well, sleep..."

She whispered, feeling herself succombing to sleep's call faster than her husband but she tried to wait for him to doze off first though she would soon fail in that in a few moments. She realized he had already relaxed after a few moments then gave into sleep, dreaming happily of her family and not of the things to come.