Treacherous

Riddick spent the day pacing, waiting for Bell to wake. Medicated for the pain of her injuries, he’d been told her unconsciousness was normal, and healthy, but it didn’t lessen his worry, or his anger.

Three people he’d taken off that damn rock. He’d left here to protect them, to keep them away from the danger that trailed him, but it hadn’t worked. Leaving might have postponed their deaths, but it hadn’t changed their fate. Bell was now the last, and she wasn’t lookin’ too good. That Imam and Kyra had waited for his return to practically die in his arms didn’t ease his guilt either.

The two female medics stayed with Bell, never showing themselves below stairs. Lajjun cared for her unexpected guests and kept him informed as much as she could. He hated that it was obvious to everyone that he cared at all, but it wasn’t enough to make him leave.

Bell was probably the closest thing to a friend that he’d ever had. She’d helped him and even saved his life with no gain to herself. He wasn’t sure he could say that about anyone else, even himself. Then there’d been U.V.6. Drops made regularly weren’t what had kept him alive, but it had been like manna from heaven. Her clever thinking had given him things that he’d have never thought to need, but had come in damn handy.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Night fell and Ziza had gone off to bed, leaving Riddick alone finally. The child wore him out with her constant chattering and wasn’t put off by the fact that he barely answered her.

The house was quiet and he assumed everyone slept.

That echo came to him, waking him from what little sleep he was getting. He checked that he was alone, but instinct said he was. This was something else. So he sat and listened, closing his eyes like he did to feel the ship.

There. Not a voice, but a thought, or at least an emotion. No words, but a message was still getting across, the tone, the want.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Bell awoke to pain, throbbing, everywhere-at-once pain.

Systems check: She was in a bed, warm, bandaged and IV’ed. These were all good things, maybe. She was sore. A ran-over sort of sore.

She was missing some time, obviously. Those had been Necromongers she’d come across, or more like had come across her. But what then? No one escaped the ‘Mongers. They were world-enders and she was just one person. So why was she still alive?

The best bet was to find a way to sneak out. She had to find a way to get to her kids. Maybe start on Teos, Militia’s home world. Is that where they would have taken them?

A creaking sound had her pretending sleep. No further sound came and she slowly checked. A woman slept in a chair at the end of her bed. Beautiful girl, good skin, cept for that star of a scar on her neck. She had no hair to hide the mark, her head shaved so close it only showed the dark outline.

She sensed movement behind her and chanced turning to see, gritting her teeth at the pain. Heavily cloaked and larger than life, a figure stood in the room with her. A moment of panic before recognition. Riddick.

He smiled, just a curve of his lips, but it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, and moved to rise. Sitting, feet on the floor, ignoring the pain, but he stopped her and sat on the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, hating the sting of tears that came to her eyes. The emotions were thick. Joy, relief, curiosity, anxiety.

“Rescuin’ you.”

She smiled. His chest was as hard as she remembered as she pressed her face to him and squeezed. Seconds later his hands were against her back, just resting, but it was enough. The tears came and there was no stopping them.

“S’okay, Bell. You’re safe now.”

His soft words made the tears come harder. He couldn’t know how he made her feel just by being here. She wiped her face against the rough cloth of his cloak, making a good wet spot, and finally pulled back. “What happened? What are you doing here? Where is this?” He was off U.V.6 and was here with her after she’d encountered Necromongers. He definitely had some news to fill her in on.

He was shaking his head, “Not yet. Rest for now. You’re safe here.”

“No.” She was jerking her head back and forth. “No, I can’t stay. I have things to get done.” Her hand searched blindly and she ripped the IV free, ignoring the resulting flow of blood. “No, Riddick. I have to go.”

His hands were on her. His fingers tight on her arm to slow the bleeding, his other hand was heavy on her shoulder, keeping her sitting on the bed. “Bell, you need to stay here. We’ll take care of everything in a couple days. But you’re in no condition to leave.”

He nodded, his eyes on something behind her. She glanced back to see the blur of movement. Then a stick of pain in the arm he held.

“No, Riddick,” she whispered, instantly feeling the effects of whatever she’d been given. “No, they have to be helped.” She tried to say more, but her eyes closed on their own, her limbs feeling weighted as her mind shut down. “No,” she tried to say one more time, but she wasn’t sure if it got through.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Bell stayed with Lajjun for another three days, as well as she could tell. Her exhaustion was worse than anticipated. She didn’t wake again till late during the next day, or so she thought. No Riddick. The two nurses were polite but quiet. The one distracted her with a glass of water while the other jabbed another needle into her arm.

Riddick was there when she came to again. Morning. Second day? He was just coming in and the nurses retreated from the room. Bell had gotten the impression from the girls that they didn’t like Riddick. They’d refused to answer her questions when she’d woke before, and as soon as he appeared they assumed a sort of fearful stance, back straight, head down, eyes stealthily following him.

She asked to leave again, demanded it really. Riddick convinced her to finish out the day and the next, with a thinly veiled threat that she could do it unconscious. She was pissed, but reluctantly agreed.

He came several times while she waited to be released. He didn’t speak much, but what had she expected? Always he was dressed the same, a thick black cloak that swept the ground and showed nothing else. Where he went when he left her was a mystery as well. It never occurred to her to question any of it, at first.

The nurses left on the last day. Bell had learned their names, but little else. They wouldn't speak anymore than was required, instructing or informing. She got the impression that they didn’t like Riddick, or were really afraid of him. His visits would make them assume a sort of fearful stance, back straight, eyes following him. It could be his usual intimidation factor, but she felt like there was something else.

Riddick confirmed her suspicions. The two silent nurses had retreated to the hallway when he’d come on the last night. As he left, Bell followed him to the door, peeking out. The two girls stood subdued before him. He spoke to them, too quietly for her to hear. It was just a few words, to which they nodded in unison before immediately leaving.

Riddick looked back at her door, now closed. Bell could feel him watching for several seconds before he left.

That was becoming a huge point of interest to her. She had always used her own judgment on things. Some would say ‘follow your instincts’. But Bell’s life, before Riddick, had been pretty damn boring. The near run-in with Johns had been the most exciting time in her life. She didn’t have to trust her instincts on matters of survival. It was more just an intuition to make good decisions.

With her children she’d felt a connection. But knowing that an infant was lying awake rather than sleeping wasn’t that earth-shattering.

With Riddick she could feel something. Of course she was attracted to him. She was a female between the age of nine and ninety, of course she wanted him. These new feelings were more than that, and not so much a feeling as a perception.

It started vaguely enough. First she just knew when he was nearby, or knew when he was looking at her. The beauty of his eyes had always had an impact on her though, so she didn’t consider that as strange. But then she could predict when he was approaching, minutes or longer before he arrived. She knew if he was nearby, getting closer, or lurking somewhere, as Riddick was wont to do.

A Riddick proximity alert wasn’t such a bad thing. She’d get rich if she could find a way to patent it. It was an interesting tool, and completely non-threatening, so she didn’t spend a whole lot of time wondering about it.