[open]

[weeabhoo]

Jinto did not wake up, staring at the off white ceiling of the hospital, much as he wished he could have. That would have spared him hours of waiting (being in the 'low priority' cases after Sharef, with everyone who wasn't in imminent danger of dying), then a whole lot of probing and scanning to determine that several of his ribs had indeed been broken and a chip taken off his sternum, then more waiting while alien cries of pain came from behind the holocurtain next door and finally being injected with something that hardened around the break.

He sat up with a groan. This was the second time rough and tumble types had kidnapped him, thinking he was worth more than he actually was. Something would have to be done about those rank tiaras.

Comments

[ungrounded]

Lafiel had eventually found out Jinto had been hospitalized and had been waiting for him to wake up before the staff would allow her to visit. With about as much patience as one would expect: while those who had harmed Jinto had been dealt with, she still had energy to work off.

"What happened?" she asked, once she was permitted in.

[weeabhoo]

If there was anyone he was glad to see, it was Lafiel, both because her presence was reassuring (and boy did he feel a little silly for it) and because he knew she wasn't tearing into some poor orderly trying to find out what happened to him. He offered her a weak smile.

"They mistook my rank tiara for the kind worn traditionally by princesses."

Not said: that she actually was a princess and he actually was a noble. The tiaras, however, were a military rank.

[ungrounded]

"Those look completely different," Lafiel said. Never mind that non-Abh don't make tiaras a necessary (and functional, for genetic-Abh) parts of military uniform, and Lafiel knows it. "I'd say they should know better than to kidnap royalty, but I was not impressed with their good judgement."

[weeabhoo]

"They didn't strike me as the brightest." Which just went to show how useful smarts were in the wrong place, at the wrong time. When he was healed up, he vowed he'd invest in some CQC training. "Sorry to make you worry." Which she'd been silently telling him since she walked in the door.

[ungrounded]

"next time, steer farther clear of idiots," Lafiel said.

[weeabhoo]

"That's a pretty tall order. Would you believe that I was rescued by a guy in a bright red envirosuit who did some kind of loud and bombastic martial arts?" A pause. Gotta consider that Abriel pride. "Not that you wouldn't have done just as well if you were there..."

[ungrounded]

"There were enough of them that we needed a small army," Lafiel answered. "... why was such a person on the station?"

[weeabhoo]

"He's some kind of...freelance vigilante. Apparently that's an occupation." He hopped down from the exam table and winced, catching himself with his hand.

[ungrounded]

"Did he ask you for payment?" Lafiel assumed someone had to support freelancers, and she wasn't sure who would pay for them.

[weeabhoo]

"Not at all. I'm grateful but I have to wonder how he supports himself." He took an experimental step, winced as weight fell onto the cracked tibia.

[ungrounded]

Lafiel moved to offer a hand. "Perhaps he has some other employment as well."

[weeabhoo]

Jinto took it, grateful, leaning on her a bit to avoid doing that again. "Maybe it's a hobby of young bored nobles." He could easily see a younger Spaurh getting into it for the chance to crack some skulls. "Anyway I guess this means I'll have to pick up some CQC skills..."

[ungrounded]

"After you finish healing," Lafiel said. "Stick to your physical therapy and don't over do it."

Of course, if their roles were reversed, there would be no way in hell Lafiel would take that advise without reminding. Or possibly sedatives.

[weeabhoo]

Jinto was keenly aware and didn't hesitate to point it out. "Aye aye, I'll control my temper and ambition." Which was to say that he had pretty much none of either, unlike her.

He would at least start carrying his laser pistol everywhere though. The memory of what happened on Lobnas was still fresh in their minds and he had no wish to make Lafiel worry.

"I guess when you're in the middle of a war you sometimes forget that there are dangers that aren't trying to blow you up."

[ungrounded]

"merely take you prisoner for some ransom," Lafiel said.