Lorcán awoke to the smell of smoke and burning. All around him, the forest was enveloped in flame, the leafy canopy above replaced by dancing flames. The sound of the ocean was lost to the crackling of timber and explosions of wood too green to be burned shattering apart from rapidly evaporating liquid.
Rothschild was nowhere to be seen, nor Luce or Alyssa. Darkness hung over every edge of the clearing as Lorcán began to feel the heat of the flames, wondering if he was the cause of this.
Beyond the curtain of trees, a chorus of that horrific sound reverberated in the distance sending chills down Lorcán’s spine, he had barely survived one with a last-minute rescue. Alone, there was no way he could fight more of them.
He looked to his arm, bracing for the wound only to find it missing. The creature made lacerations gone, not even a scar left behind to tell the tale. In fact all of his injuries felt better, his chest and back no longer stung and as Lorcán raised a hand to his face, he felt the absence of the scar given to him by Raze.
Beyond the smoke and flame, a pale light cut through the darkness and once again, Lorcán’s eyes were drawn to the majestic form of the white stag.
He ran forward, nearly tripping on the uneven ground before navigating through row upon row of trees. The stag kept ahead of him, trotting along at a pace Lorcán couldn't match but yet not fast enough to lose him entirely.
The beast exited the forest, but Lorcán couldn't follow, his path blocked by flames that continued to rise higher and higher. He was pushed back, trapped within the fire.
He watched, resigned to futility as the stag disappeared over the bright horizon.
Rothschild was nowhere to be seen, nor Luce or Alyssa. Darkness hung over every edge of the clearing as Lorcán began to feel the heat of the flames, wondering if he was the cause of this.
Beyond the curtain of trees, a chorus of that horrific sound reverberated in the distance sending chills down Lorcán’s spine, he had barely survived one with a last-minute rescue. Alone, there was no way he could fight more of them.
He looked to his arm, bracing for the wound only to find it missing. The creature made lacerations gone, not even a scar left behind to tell the tale. In fact all of his injuries felt better, his chest and back no longer stung and as Lorcán raised a hand to his face, he felt the absence of the scar given to him by Raze.
Beyond the smoke and flame, a pale light cut through the darkness and once again, Lorcán’s eyes were drawn to the majestic form of the white stag.
He ran forward, nearly tripping on the uneven ground before navigating through row upon row of trees. The stag kept ahead of him, trotting along at a pace Lorcán couldn't match but yet not fast enough to lose him entirely.
The beast exited the forest, but Lorcán couldn't follow, his path blocked by flames that continued to rise higher and higher. He was pushed back, trapped within the fire.
He watched, resigned to futility as the stag disappeared over the bright horizon.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Location: The Infirmary - Pacific Royal Collegiate & University
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Take On Me #3.013: Sweet Child O'Mine
Interaction(s): None
Previously: Welcome to the Jungle
The doors of the infirmary flew open as a pair of medics wheeled a stretcher through the doors while Aiden Roth kept pace beside them. Stopping just outside the door, Alyssa and Luce looked at each other before opting to stay outside the building.
“I don’t think we should go in there, Lucille Calder.”
"Obviously, Aly," Luce replied sarcastically. "But someone needs to tell his team." She said, half-scolding, half-suggesting, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, eyes dodging Alyssa's earnest gaze.
"Lucille Calder! I was the one who told the family," Alyssa answered, "I think you should tell Blackjack - were they not your own team at one time?"
"Were indeed, Lyssa." Luce remained defiant, old avoidant patterns resurfacing. "I have to get back to my greenhouse. Last time I left it this long some freshman planted chrysanthemums in with my hydrangeas."
“Really? The garden?” Alyssa indignantly responded, “Sure, she fights a wendigo, but yeah the garden is the highlight of the day. Maybe if it had been a leshy.”
While the pair continued to bicker, they barely noticed Victoria Roth enter the infirmary before a medic came outside to gesture for both of them to follow. Ahead of them, Tori moved on a mission. Her features were pale, worry on every inch of her face as she pushed her way through the lobby before heading down the hallway towards where her husband, Aiden, stood.
Watching from behind the glass, Aiden’s jaw was clenched, his teeth practically grinding against each other as he watched the medics examine the unconscious form of his son. There were times where he felt powerless in life, and the last time was nearly in this exact spot just over twenty-one years ago.
Watching Lorcán’s chest struggle to rise up and down, Aiden turned his eyes away as Tori came up beside him and slid under his arm, placing her head against his chest. Her eyes were pulled to her son, squeezing her husband tightly while fighting back tears.
“He’s a fighter,” Aiden whispered, kissing his wife’s forehead softly before turning his gaze back to their son. “He’s got a lion inside of those lungs, our fierce little man is going to pull through whatever this is.”
“When can we see him?” Tori asked, looking up at Aiden’s blue eyes.
“They’re still trying to determine if he’s contagious. Whatever that wound is, it’s highly infected. They told me if it weren’t for his abilities, the heat in his body actively fighting it, the infection would have already spread through his entire body. It’s rapidly attacking the cells.”
“So it’s killing him.” Her voice almost broke as Tori replied, “And he’s suffering through every moment.”
“They’ve given him something for the pain and a sedative to help his body focus on healing.”
“There are times that life can be cruel, Aiden,” Tori replied, her hand reaching out to the glass as the medics worked on Lorcán. “We lost our daughter the same day that she and Lorcán were born. Now our son is just becoming a man and we stand on the cusp of losing him too.”
“We are not losing him.” Aiden’s tone was firm, but soft. “We are not losing him.”
Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days, the day itself was comparable to a week as the couple took turns rotating through a chair, watching students come and go looking for treatment for minor wounds while anxiously waiting for any news on Lorcán.
In the interim, Aiden had let both Ripley and Cassander know about Lorcán’s current state, while Cassander had informed Rory and subsequently the rest of Blackjack that Lorcán would be missing. Ripley had originally left to find Aurora but she instead found that Aurora was already with Jim who had pulled her from class after hearing about Lorcán. Returning to the infirmary with Aurora in tow, Ripley firmly planted herself down with her Aunt and Uncle while Tori made room for Aurora, welcoming her with an understanding smile.
“How did Leo get attacked again?” Ripley asked, reaching across Tori to give Aurora’s hand a squeeze.
“All we know is that he was in the North Forest, two students from Firebird brought him in, said they found him in a clearing with Rothschild and his arm was already scratched.” Aiden answered.
“Wait,” Tori interjected before raising her face from between her hands. “Why would Lorcán venture into the North Forest?“ She asked, her eyes darting from her husband to her niece. “He doesn’t surf on that side of the island.”
“Dog only knows,” Aiden replied.
“Maybe Rothschild can tell us?” Ripley suggested as her Uncle shook his head sadly.
“That dog is many things, but he can’t talk.” He answered, before suddenly looking at his wife. “We are sure he can’t talk, right?”
“At this moment, hun,” Tori’s voice was distant as she watched a medic begin to exit the room while Lorcán was left to rest on the bed. “I’m not sure of anything.”
“It was the weirdest thing, Uncle Aiden,” Ripley quickly piped back up, “I was talking to Leo on the phone and there was just this terrible noise as the call was cut. I could hear Rothschild in the background growling,” Ripley persisted, “I just feel like those girls aren’t telling you something-”
“Mr. and Mrs. Roth?” The medic interrupted, calling from the doorway as they entered the hallway.
“Can we see our son, doctor?” Tori asked, rising from her seat.
“Yes, you can go in and wait with him, we’re getting him transferred to a private room now that we’re sure he’s not contagious.” The medic answered, “Once he’s there, he’ll be allowed family and relatives during regular hours, immediate family and caretakers overnight. There will be a couple forms for you to fill out.”
“Is he going to be alright?” Aiden asked. The medic looked up at the athletic older man, a heavy exhale preceding the reply.
“It’s still too soon to answer that. This infection, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and as far as our resources go, it’s unlike any one on this Earth has ever seen.” The medic let out another sigh, “I know it’s going to sound unprofessional, Sir, but given my experience, it’s very possible it’s not from this world.”
“While I respect that might be exciting for you, we are talking about my son’s life,” Tori snapped as the medic took a step back.
“I am so sorry, Ma’am it wasn’t my intention to sound like your son’s life wasn’t a priority.”
“Then can you cure him?” Aiden asked, “You called it an infection so can you treat it with antibiotics?”
“Not without trial and error,” The medic responded, “Without knowing what we’re trying to treat, it’s impossible to run a course of antibiotics. At this time, the infection has proven Hype-resistant, save for Lorcán’s own abilities. Right now, they are his best defense against whatever’s attacking his cells. We’re putting him on an IV drip with a healthy dose of HZEs to keep his strength up, but in the meantime, we took some samples to run tests against. But if you have any idea what he came in contact with,”
“We’re just as lost as you,”
“Then we’ll just have to hope the tests turn something up.” The medic offered a sympathetic smile.
“If you’ll all follow me, we’ll take him to his new room.”
“I don’t think we should go in there, Lucille Calder.”
"Obviously, Aly," Luce replied sarcastically. "But someone needs to tell his team." She said, half-scolding, half-suggesting, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, eyes dodging Alyssa's earnest gaze.
"Lucille Calder! I was the one who told the family," Alyssa answered, "I think you should tell Blackjack - were they not your own team at one time?"
"Were indeed, Lyssa." Luce remained defiant, old avoidant patterns resurfacing. "I have to get back to my greenhouse. Last time I left it this long some freshman planted chrysanthemums in with my hydrangeas."
“Really? The garden?” Alyssa indignantly responded, “Sure, she fights a wendigo, but yeah the garden is the highlight of the day. Maybe if it had been a leshy.”
While the pair continued to bicker, they barely noticed Victoria Roth enter the infirmary before a medic came outside to gesture for both of them to follow. Ahead of them, Tori moved on a mission. Her features were pale, worry on every inch of her face as she pushed her way through the lobby before heading down the hallway towards where her husband, Aiden, stood.
Watching from behind the glass, Aiden’s jaw was clenched, his teeth practically grinding against each other as he watched the medics examine the unconscious form of his son. There were times where he felt powerless in life, and the last time was nearly in this exact spot just over twenty-one years ago.
Watching Lorcán’s chest struggle to rise up and down, Aiden turned his eyes away as Tori came up beside him and slid under his arm, placing her head against his chest. Her eyes were pulled to her son, squeezing her husband tightly while fighting back tears.
“He’s a fighter,” Aiden whispered, kissing his wife’s forehead softly before turning his gaze back to their son. “He’s got a lion inside of those lungs, our fierce little man is going to pull through whatever this is.”
“When can we see him?” Tori asked, looking up at Aiden’s blue eyes.
“They’re still trying to determine if he’s contagious. Whatever that wound is, it’s highly infected. They told me if it weren’t for his abilities, the heat in his body actively fighting it, the infection would have already spread through his entire body. It’s rapidly attacking the cells.”
“So it’s killing him.” Her voice almost broke as Tori replied, “And he’s suffering through every moment.”
“They’ve given him something for the pain and a sedative to help his body focus on healing.”
“There are times that life can be cruel, Aiden,” Tori replied, her hand reaching out to the glass as the medics worked on Lorcán. “We lost our daughter the same day that she and Lorcán were born. Now our son is just becoming a man and we stand on the cusp of losing him too.”
“We are not losing him.” Aiden’s tone was firm, but soft. “We are not losing him.”
Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days, the day itself was comparable to a week as the couple took turns rotating through a chair, watching students come and go looking for treatment for minor wounds while anxiously waiting for any news on Lorcán.
In the interim, Aiden had let both Ripley and Cassander know about Lorcán’s current state, while Cassander had informed Rory and subsequently the rest of Blackjack that Lorcán would be missing. Ripley had originally left to find Aurora but she instead found that Aurora was already with Jim who had pulled her from class after hearing about Lorcán. Returning to the infirmary with Aurora in tow, Ripley firmly planted herself down with her Aunt and Uncle while Tori made room for Aurora, welcoming her with an understanding smile.
“How did Leo get attacked again?” Ripley asked, reaching across Tori to give Aurora’s hand a squeeze.
“All we know is that he was in the North Forest, two students from Firebird brought him in, said they found him in a clearing with Rothschild and his arm was already scratched.” Aiden answered.
“Wait,” Tori interjected before raising her face from between her hands. “Why would Lorcán venture into the North Forest?“ She asked, her eyes darting from her husband to her niece. “He doesn’t surf on that side of the island.”
“Dog only knows,” Aiden replied.
“Maybe Rothschild can tell us?” Ripley suggested as her Uncle shook his head sadly.
“That dog is many things, but he can’t talk.” He answered, before suddenly looking at his wife. “We are sure he can’t talk, right?”
“At this moment, hun,” Tori’s voice was distant as she watched a medic begin to exit the room while Lorcán was left to rest on the bed. “I’m not sure of anything.”
“It was the weirdest thing, Uncle Aiden,” Ripley quickly piped back up, “I was talking to Leo on the phone and there was just this terrible noise as the call was cut. I could hear Rothschild in the background growling,” Ripley persisted, “I just feel like those girls aren’t telling you something-”
“Mr. and Mrs. Roth?” The medic interrupted, calling from the doorway as they entered the hallway.
“Can we see our son, doctor?” Tori asked, rising from her seat.
“Yes, you can go in and wait with him, we’re getting him transferred to a private room now that we’re sure he’s not contagious.” The medic answered, “Once he’s there, he’ll be allowed family and relatives during regular hours, immediate family and caretakers overnight. There will be a couple forms for you to fill out.”
“Is he going to be alright?” Aiden asked. The medic looked up at the athletic older man, a heavy exhale preceding the reply.
“It’s still too soon to answer that. This infection, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and as far as our resources go, it’s unlike any one on this Earth has ever seen.” The medic let out another sigh, “I know it’s going to sound unprofessional, Sir, but given my experience, it’s very possible it’s not from this world.”
“While I respect that might be exciting for you, we are talking about my son’s life,” Tori snapped as the medic took a step back.
“I am so sorry, Ma’am it wasn’t my intention to sound like your son’s life wasn’t a priority.”
“Then can you cure him?” Aiden asked, “You called it an infection so can you treat it with antibiotics?”
“Not without trial and error,” The medic responded, “Without knowing what we’re trying to treat, it’s impossible to run a course of antibiotics. At this time, the infection has proven Hype-resistant, save for Lorcán’s own abilities. Right now, they are his best defense against whatever’s attacking his cells. We’re putting him on an IV drip with a healthy dose of HZEs to keep his strength up, but in the meantime, we took some samples to run tests against. But if you have any idea what he came in contact with,”
“We’re just as lost as you,”
“Then we’ll just have to hope the tests turn something up.” The medic offered a sympathetic smile.
“If you’ll all follow me, we’ll take him to his new room.”