[Poindexter]

As the massive ganger backs off, Xem is left standing hunched over, weaving back and forth on his feet, blood dripping down the side of his face from the knot that is rapidly growing and turning purple. His chest heaves with labored breath and his knuckles holding the knife are white. He doesn't even glance at Oakley or the ork before him as Oakley counts out his warning. He stares straight at Sarafin with a burning hatred in his eyes. Before he turns to leave, he lets one thought drift through his head as he glares at the dwarf.

From here on out, I steal from no one else but you.

He spits a small mouthful of blood at the street, near mohawk's feet before turning and bringing up the rear of the group, carrying that badly beaten and unresponsive Chaim. Turning his head to look at the dwarf one last time before they go, he sees Sarafin slapping hands with Oakley, a smile on his face. Once the group is a block or so away, he grumbles to the rest of the kids with him, "Sarafin is going to pay. Dearly."

[gradivus]

Werner backs away while facing the gangers for about ten paces. He then turns and hurries after his friends.

He thinks to himself, Wiz, I hope Chaim makes it.

[HydroRaven]

Rat ran as fast as he could, carrying Chaim's body. The ork hoped his friend could hang on long enough for them to make it to his street doc. The busy streets didn't help, but most of the time people got out of the way or were unintentionally shoved to the ground like rag dolls. The ork didn't even bother looking behind to make sure his other companions were following him; he was focused on getting the limp elf he had in his arms to some medical attention and nothing else mattered or even existed at the moment.

Turning the corner, Chaim almost slipped out of Rat's hands. Something warm and slippery was now covering the young ork's hands, making his grip less and less reliable on his friend's body, a small trail of blood left behind indicating where they had been.

[gradivus]

Even carry the elf didn't seem to slow down Rat. As Werner ran after them, he only slowly made up the distance between them. He didn't bother yelling at Rat as he figured he knew where he was going.

[Poindexter]

Noticing the determined pace Rat was keeping, despite carrying Chaim's broken, twisted, and bleeding body, Xem figures the Ork probably has a destination. No one with that look of purpose is just running aimlessly. Xem picks up his pace a bit to catch up with him. Huffing and puffing a bit from the physical exertion, he pants to Rat, "Where are we going? Do you know a Doc?" Then, after a second or two, he adds, "If you tell me where we're headed, I might know a shortcut."

[HydroRaven]

Rat was running as fast as he could and didn't even hear Xem's first question. Once he mentioned a shortcut, the ork simply shouted a "What?" After Xem repeated his question, Rat said between rapid breaths "Yes, a doc... close to the noodle shop... on Boulder street... behind the bunraku place..."

[inca1980]

Doc Robinson is a human low-level street doc that occasionally relies on Rat to procure a few different "harder to get" medications but over time he has taken a liking to the young ork.  His typical work day consists mostly of diagnosing STD's and giving out anti-biotics being next to a bunraku parlor and all.  Sure he'll patch up the occasional ganger but he's not equipped for serious trauma surgery.  That much is apparent when the three of you enter his basement level clinic and place Chaim's broken body on a couch in the waiting room. 

"What the fuck Rat?  He's bleeding all over the place. "   He quickly motions for you to move him over to a slab on the other side of the badly lit room.  He turns on an intense over-head lamp that makes Chaim's head injury look far worse than it did outside.  You think you even see a bit of grey flesh underneath all the blood. 

"Listen, I'll do what I can, but first of all, do you kids even have any cred??"

[Poindexter]

"Listen, I'll do what I can, but first of all, do you kids even have any cred??"

Mercenary as I hoped he'd be.

"Between the four of us, I doubt if we have a hundred." Xem stares, unblinking and crazy eyed at the doctor.

[inca1980]

Doc Robinson scratches his head.  "Ok Rat, I'll do what I can, but you owe me one."

He tells everyone to back up and sit in the waiting room while he opens an overhead cupboard and feels around until he pulls out a dusty medkit.

OOC: Doc Robinson's stabilization roll.  9d6t5: 4 [9d6t5=3, 6, 5, 6, 1, 5, 4, 3, 2].  Succeeds.  Now a medicine roll: 7d6t5: 3 [7d6t5=5, 6, 2, 3, 5, 1, 2].  He heals 1 point which leaves him with still a full physical track.  Because of the severity of the head wound, I'll rule Chaim can't quite start healing yet until he sees more professional care.

.....After about a nerve wracking hour Doc Robinson comes through the door wiping sweat from his forehead with a bloody glove. 

"I got some good news and I got some bad news kids.  Good news is you're elven buddy is stable, the bad news is that aside from that I can't really do anything more for him.  His anatomy, it's just different from what I'm used to.....I have no idea what the extent of the damage to his brain is.  It could take him hours to wake up, days, or who knows, maybe never if he doesn't receive the proper care.  There's only one person in the Jungle who I think can help someone like him......

He clears his throat for a moment and the expression on his face softens...
"...Kubiak."

[HydroRaven]

Rat's heart sank when Doc mentioned Kubiak. Having his friend on a fine line between life and death was already a lot to shoulder, but to have to turn to Kubiak the "prophet" was the salt on the wound. "Can we keep him here while we work something out with Kubiak?" asked the ork, looking at his friends for moral support if nothing else.

[inca1980]

Doc Robinson looks down at the floor rather flustered.  "Listen Rat, I want to keep helping you out and all, but I have no idea who did this to him and ...... well.....he's just not normal.  I've seen elves like this and maybe you don't know, but someone's got to tell you.  .....He's got all the physical signs I've seen once or twice before of someone who's paranormal."  He looks up again trying to be as nice as he can about it. 

"That's just too much heat for me to sit on and since you don't have the amount of cred that would make me feel more secure, I'm gonna have to ask you to get him out of here.....sorry man.  Let's just call it even, you don't owe me nothin.....but I need you out soon before the wrong people come looking for him." 

He motions to the door and speaks as if he's reciting a mantra:

"Take the elf to the foot of the Ibleaf tree and if healing is what he deserves, Ea'van will notice."

[Poindexter]

Xem listens as Rat converses with the doctor. He takes note of the mention that Chaim is awakened and he's not happy about it.  A doctor who cares nothing for the privacy of his patients... Noteworthy. I'll have to remember this man.

"That's just too much heat for me to sit on and since you don't have the amount of cred that would make me feel more secure, I'm gonna have to ask you to get him out of here.....sorry man.  Let's just call it even, you don't owe me nothin.....but I need you out soon before the wrong people come looking for him." 

Butting into the conversation, with a tone of voice reminiscent of the teacher's pet, answering a question before anyone else, he announces happily, "One of Oakley's boys hit him with a bat! From behind, too; sucker punching coward-ass cutters. Not before he laid that motherfragger OUT with some kinda amazing kung fu move though!" He turns to Rat and Werner, "Did you guys know that Chaim knew kung-fu?!" Then, turning his attention back to the doctor, "I didn't know Chaim knew kung-fu." With no bridge between the old and the new whatsoever, Xem's entire manner changes in the blink of an eye. Now, stroking one of his strange, near dred lock bits of hair and speaking slowly like some high educated, pretentious European art-dealer, he says, "You must forgive me, but I don't so much trust in the generosity of others at the moment. You have been kind and noteworthy, but...

If there were some way you could be persuaded to keep him here for just an hour or two while we seek more a permanent place for him to convalesce... "

He can see the doctor inhaling to speak, and he fears the answer will be negative despite his best attempts to sway the man with words. Quickly, before Doc can form the words, Xem offers a second solution. "... Or, if you could be persuaded to use some sort of drug on him, so that he's at least conscious and stands out less in the jungle out there... I'm certain that this awakened and martially trained elf here on your table would be extremely grateful to you for all you've done. He might even feel like he owes you something; alot of these 'kung-fu' types do, you know..."

Whaddayasay? (Cha 4 + Negotiate 2): 6d6t5 4

Holy crap, THAT'S a freakin' ROLL.

[inca1980]

"You had a run-in with Oakley!?  I won't tell anyone about your friend's little secret, but you know the Cutters are looking far and wide for wizkids and others with even an ounce of the talent.  I keep my eye on the Jungle's matrix chatter and from the sound of things, they feel quite out-mojo'ed against the power of Ea'van that Kubiak and his followers wield and they won't make a move until they feel confident enough that they can hold their own against it.  The peace Kubiak has worked hard to build isn't as stable as most in the Jungle think.  I can't afford to get involved."

author=Poindexter link=topic=20003.msg370134#msg370134 date=1430862834]
 "... Or, if you could be persuaded to use some sort of drug on him, so that he's at least conscious and stands out less in the jungle out there... I'm certain that this awakened and martially trained elf here on your table would be extremely grateful to you for all you've done. He might even feel like he owes you something; alot of these 'kung-fu' types do, you know..."

OOC: Doc's negotiation roll: 7d6t5: 2 [7d6t5=4, 5, 3, 1, 5, 1, 3].  Chaim is at a full physical meter still so he'll give you a rating 4 stimpatch to use on him to help once he is healed.

"I'm telling you, if he was a normal elf, maybe I could do more, but I mostly give out antibiotics to gangers who've got the clap."  He reaches in his coat and pulls out a flat little square that looks to have some circuitry on one side and adhesive on the other. 
"Here take this, it's called a stimpatch.  Even if Kubiak can heal him with the power of Ea'van, he's gonna feel like shit for a while and it might help.  You might also need it if the Clean-up crew finds you and gives you some more licks.  Oh, and don't be giving it away, it's expensive."

[gradivus]

Great! At least Chaim's not gonna die in the next minute. But man- Kubiak? Geez. Mother is not going to like this if she hears about it.

"I guess we better get going guys... we have a 'prophet' to go see. You want me to take a turn carrying him, Rat or are you ok?"

[HydroRaven]

"We need to find Junior right away then" said Rat, as he took Doc's gift, thanking him. "Null sweat, I got him" answered the ork to Werner as he cautiously took Chaim's body in his arms once more and headed back out the makeshift clinic.