Sam's Reality: Cape Canaveral, Florida - Kennedy Space Center

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

Leeroy wasn't too sure how the night guard at the Kennedy Space Center had acquired Sam's name. He assumed it was the Internet - everything's the Internet's fault these days - but he couldn't be too sure, as the guy looked to be about sixty and the type who wouldn't touch a computer to save his life.

"They're freakin' out the dogs," he said in a Southern accent. "And we ain't been able to photograph 'em, either." He pointed to the large behemoth of metal that could be seen a few miles in the distance. "They're always there."

It was, Leeroy recognized, launch pad 39-B. Jeimu had launched from there not even a year ago.

Why freaks were hanging out around launchpads, Leeroy wasn't certain. He turned to Sam and asked quietly, "What d'you make of all this, eh?"

Comments

[i_salted_dean]

-Make less for my gut to deal with.- She bit her lip and tried not to cry, feeling as though the world were dipping and spinning sickeningly. Then she started and grabbed at his arm convulsively as her awareness blinked out and she tripped. "Portal's closed. But the scavengers will still be around... probably come out tonight. Rob... where the @#$%&$# did he go?"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"He called for medical help," Leeroy spoke softly, running his fingers through her hair. "I think he's gone to the gate to lead them here."

An ambulance didn't come, but rather, two people in red jackets carrying a backboard, oxygen tank, and first aid kit. Leeroy noticed with a general sense of gladness that one of the people was a woman. She knelt down on the other side of Sam and held out her hand.

"My name is Marijke," she said, then indicated her partner. "This's Brad. We're gonna help you get out of here, and to the hospital, okay?"

[i_salted_dean]

Sam nodded, but her hand closed on Leeroy's sleeve hard enough to pinch him. Her mind was wide open to him, but there wasn't a lot going on in it at the moment, other than the occasional groan as things dipped again.

Rob hunkered to one side, near but out of the way as he watched.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

Marijke was efficient and discreet about things: she asked Sam a few questions and wrote the answers on a sheet of paper while Brad called for a car.

"All the ambulances are busy," he said, "so we'll get you there ourselves, okay?"

[i_salted_dean]

"You can do that?" She looked up, but the movement set her stomach off again, which set off the cramps, which she accidentally shared with Leeroy. -Arrghh.-

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"'Course. We're not the only team on the premises. Now take it easy. Moving is going to hurt, but you do need to go."

[i_salted_dean]

"Go...." Her eyes lost focus.

"Grandma?" Rob's face went fearful.

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

Marijke's face was soft. "In addition to what's happening now, you're also pretty banged up in the stomach. We'd like to make sure you don't have any further internal injuries."

Leeroy bit his lip and held Sam's hand even tighter.

[i_salted_dean]

Sam looked up at her, mind filling with darkness and the pain of a vision.

"Alright... alright...."

Her shoulders stiffened and her eyes went wide with alarm then as images of teeth and claws ripped through her mind; otherworldly laughter, and pain.

"The @#$%&$#@ are laughing at me!" She started to her feet with blood in her eye, only to collapse, unconscious before she hit the ground.

Later

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

The doctor looked at Leeroy. Sam was on the other side of a heavy hospital door. Leeroy had convinced Rob to go check out the hospital's gift shop and cafeteria. "Internally? She's fine. It will probably be another couple of hours before her cramps subside, though. We're going to keep her overnight, just to make sure she doesn't lose too much blood. You can go in there anytime."

He then handed the shocked clone a card. "We have numbers for counselling services, if you need them." A sigh. "Sorry for your loss."

Leeroy looked up at the doctor. "Not much of a loss," he said. "I never knew."

The doctor clapped him on the shoulder and left. And Leeroy walked into the room.

"Hi."