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Changeling-Earth 2: Freehold Earth - Manifest's Rescue Zone: The Orphanage


Dawn OOC

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The sound of wailing children greeted those who approached the orphanage; yet another hastily assembled building housed those children found alive and healthy enough to escape Medbay. They weren't happy; the few toys provided were mostly ignored, and the few adults were keeping control of the terrified children only because the older kids were helping.

A list scrawled on the plastic wall next to the door stated who was inside; a handful of scared parents were scanning the list. It was a decent length; because their occupants were smaller, the children's berths had a bit of extra padding, and more had survived the fall. Some were all that were left of their families.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Khalid's upbeat day had lasted long enough for him to find out that his sister had had no visitors during the night. Were was Evan? Were was Lila? Nervously, he had checked on his sister to make sure she was recovering normally. Thankfully she wasn't concious yet, or she would be asking questions.

Next he had checked himself off the duty roster when he had explained his situation. Suddenly someone 'disappearing' was a cause for some real sympathy, something Khalid didn't find all that reassuring.

He had stopped by the morgue first. He couldn't see himself dragging Lila with him to the morgue after he found her ... because he was going to find her. He was. Thankfull DNA indentification made sure that even the badly mangled bodies were identitied. It was with fading relief that Evan wasn't there. That could only mean ... the Others had taken him. Khalid's hands trembled and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Even the cool light of the sun touching him when he stepped back out into the light couldn't dispel the chill.

The Orphanage was a miserable place. It was made a little less so when Khalid saw Lila Bishop's name on it, for Khalid anyway. He stepped into the room and was immediately greeted with a "Khalid!" from a familiar female voice. Lila nearly bowled him over in her rushing hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," she kept muttering into his chest. Khalid hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. How many times had she had her eye rip to the entrance only to be dissappointed as some other child found his parents? Khalid didn't ask. It wasn't important now.

Khalid signed her out as if she was so much gear, but he knew the whole process was jury-rigged anway. Only when they were outside did Lila dare ask,

"Were's Mom and Dad?"

Khalid gave her a warm smile.

"Your Mother is okay. She was hurt badly in the crash, but I operated on her last night and now she's recovering. We can see her if you like, but she's not awake yet."

Khalid was searching for the words.

"What about Dad?"

This time the question was more tentative.

For him, there was no good answer, so he was evasive as the truth allowed.

"He's missing, Lila. We know he survived the crash pretty much okay, but he's not with the main group now."

Lila paled.

"We've been ... hearing stuff, but none of it makes sense. Is Dad going to be okay?"

"I don't know, Luv. I'll do whatever I can to see the two of you together again."

Lila didn't act like she was very convinced. Instead she clung tighter to her uncle and kept a furitive eye on the wilderness beyond the encampment.

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After a long moment, Lila said, "I want to see Mom. Please." She was still staring into the dark foliage, her eyes wide and fearful. "I wanna see Mom." She was still clinging to him, as if he might disappear if she didn't hold tight.

As he agreeably turned and walked toward the Medbay, Lila said, "I dreamed about dogs. Big black ones. Are they here? Are they real?"

The wounds on his back itched in unison with her words.

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Khalid thought about his reply as they walked. Lila could tell he was trying to water down the truth for her. It must be pretty bad, she decided.

"The dogs are real. They attacked me. What we don't know is why we are being attacked on this planet. There are intelligent things on T-998, but no one seems interested in talking to them. We need to convince them to stop the attacks."

"If not," he squeezed her as he fought for the words, "its going to be a very difficult stay here."

Khalid looked into her eyes,

"If we can't find a way to accomidate them, we won't be able to stay here."

He left out the and we won't be able to leave.

Khalid shuffled the two of them through the medbay to her mother's bed. Lila broke her grasp for the first time and ran to her Mother's side. He put her head on her Mother's chest and began to sob. Perhpas the only thing than coming to believe you are alone in the world is realizing the ones you care for most are beyond your ability to help.

Khalid stood back and watched Lila's heart-breaking scene. Inside him, the resolve to do something/anything grew. Lila needed her father back. She deserved to look at the woods and the night and not know that numbing fear he had seen in her. If he could spare Akilah that fear as well ... and get her husband back ... he would.

Just then Nurse McGill walked in on him.

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"Doctor," she said after getting over her moment of surprise. "I didn't think you'd be in here..." Her voice trailed off as she saw the crying Lila. "Where's her father?"

"Missing," Khalid replied, his voice heavy with the emotional impact of those words.

McGill's hazel eyes softened as she nodded. "Ok," she said softly. "How long will her daughter be visiting?" Unspoken was the quiet statement that Lila could stay as much as was possible, that the staff would keep an eye on her.

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Khalid nodded. He watched Lila for a few moments, making up his mind and screwing up his courage. When he was ready, he stepped back to McGill.

"I need to get her a room in the Dorms." That was the easy part.

"Then she'll probably spend most of her time with her Mom. I'm," now for the hard part, " ... I'm going to go find her Father. They need him here. No one else is going to do it," Khalid added with an air of fatality.

He smiled down at the Nurse,

"Since we've got along so famously, I'm going to ask you to look after them both until I return."

"I've got a meeting to attend to after my shift, but I should be back by Dark."

The word Dark sounded like a tomb, and alive - a living tomb and it was terrifying.

Khalid reached out and patted her on the shoulder. He walked back to Lila and told her,

"Honey, I need to make my rounds with the other patients. If you need anything, just ask a nurse and they can come get me. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He hugged his niece and patted the hand of his sister before walking out of the room.

[Moved to the Medbay]

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