Partners, to the end.

[whrrenah]

It was going on a month and Wren was done.  Done with waiting, done with worrying, just done.  And they knew she was done when she came to the compound with the two children in tow, her eyes sharp silver as she glared at every security guard who bowed before her, unable to meet her scrutiny.  They all failed her.  Again.  And now she was going to take things into her own hands and show them all how a Starfyr handled it.


She didn't bother waiting to be announced and simply walked into the office, ignoring the way Porsche and Kinn flew away from each other and quickly adjusted attire.  "Mama, they were kissing!" Anu announced loudly in that typical, oblivious manner young children had.

"I know, Anu.  People who like each other kiss."  She didn't care if they were fucking on the couch.  More than likely, they had at one point, but never been caught.

"Wren," Kinn greeted, clearing his throat a bit.  "I didn't realize I should be expecting you."

"I like Ken but I don't wanna kiss him," Anu continued, speaking about his classmate and scrunching his face.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, love,"  her tone was soft and kind for Anu as she balanced Achara on her hip.  Said tone went hard as she addressed Kinn.  "And if you had found my husband by now, you wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted, wouldn't you?"

Porsche knew a fight was coming on and he got to his feet, looking at the children.  "Hey, do you two want to see a new card trick I just learned?"  Kids properly distracted, Wren let Achara slip from her arms as she listened to Kinn's response.

"These things take time, Wren.  We just found out where he was being held and we're buying time with pretend negotiations--"

"Beautiful.  You're buying time.  Tell me where he is and I'll go fetch him."

That shocked the two men.  As far as they knew, she had little to no experience with the underworld save for that one time.  "I can't have you risk your life to--"

"Oh, I'm not asking for your permission, Kinn.  I didn't think you were that dense."  Barely controlled fury was in her voice and Porsche turned to look at Kinn, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck lift.  It was a weird sensation, like the moment before lightning was going to strike.  "My husband.  He's mine.  I agreed to follow the protocol and trust the process.  I'm done with trusting the process.  You're now going to trust my process.  So tell me where he is and I can go get him."

"I'm not going to let yourself put you at risk."

"Oh?  Now you're not going to put me at risk?  I married into the risk.  I'm done waiting and I want my husband back.  End of story.  He sacrificed too much to be made into fertilizer--"

"Fertilizer's poop!"  Anu announced proudly.  

To which Achara chorused, "Poop!"

"You don't seem to understand.  Kimhan is going to live a very long and fulfilling life and pass on in his sleep a very old man.  Anyone who thinks they're going to take him out to undermine you is sorely mistaken.  They don't fear the name Theerapanyakul enough to leave him alone.  Khun isn't even a threat to them because he made certain it would be like that.  But they don't know Starfyr.  And they will fear that name more than yours when I'm done with them, should I let them live long enough to comprehend that."

"Which are all admirable qualities."  Kinn could feel how quickly the situation was getting out of hand.  "But Kim will kill me if I let you get into a fight like this."

"Kim won't care if he dies now.  But I will.  So you tell me where he is." 

"I'm not going to have my niece and nephew lose their mother, too!"

That declaration stalled Wren's anger and she looked at Kinn and the grief and worry on his face.   It cooled her temper and she stepped up to him, her expression quiet and contemplative as she reached up to cup his cheek.  "I will bring both of us back.  Safe.  And I will have my brother with me."  Him and Roo were waiting back at the estate for information.  "We're not dying on your watch."

Helpless, Kinn looked to Porsche who glanced back, looked at Wren, set his jaw, then nodded slowly.  Sighing through his nose, Kinn looked back to Wren.  "You've taken the Theerapanyakul name well, you know."

Wren smiled in a way that seemed comforting but it chilled Kinn's blood.  She patted his cheek gently.  "Oh, Anakinn.  I'm not doing this for the name.  I'm doing this for my husband.  My loyalty is with him and only him."  She missed Porsche grinning behind her.

"Fine.  Give me your phone.  I'll put the current known location in and try and buy you some time."

Feeling victorious, Wren did just that.  "And I'll need a gun."

Kinn's brows went up but he didn't look away from the phone's screen.  "You know how to shoot?"

"Daddy taught me. I keep up with the practice from time to time.  I didn't bring one from the house.  And a car.  I don't want to use the family vehicle."

"You're leaving now?"

"Once I pick up my brother, yes."  And Roo.  They would go stake out the location and wait for nightfall.  Wren took her phone back and looked at the location.  It was a part of Thailand she wasn't familiar with.  Thank gods for GPS.   And tucking her phone back in her pocket, she turned to look at her children, playing with Porsche and running toy cars all over his arms, making vroom vroom noises.  "Okay, you two, come give me a hug and a kiss.  Mama has to go get your Pa."

Anu immediately perked up.  "I wanna help too!  Pew pew bad guys!"

With that, Wren knelt down, smoothing her son's hair.  "We talked about this, Anu.  If we both go, who's going to protect your sister?"

"All the uncles," Anu answered smartly, nodding his head.

"And who is going to protect your uncles from your sister?"

Anu brightened even more.  "Me!"  

"Good boy.  And what else did we talk about?"

"You said if Hawke comes to get us, we go with him and Roo."

"Good job.  I love you, my little monsters.  Ooh'ah ha."  She gave them both big hugs, saying things in the language neither of the other men knew, but the children understood completely.  When Wren stood up, she didn't hide the tears in her eyes.  

"Who's Roo?"  Kinn asked, a contemplative look on his face.

"Family friend."

"Wren."  This time it was Porsche.  "You'll be back.  Both of you."

Wren's smile was brief.  "Of course, Porsche.  One way or another.  Take care of my babies until we return."  With that she left, on a mission to save her husband and praying she wasn't too late.  If she was, Kinn was going to pay.

Comments

[meanmugging]

Sure, they had Kim and they were working Kim over good. However, they were not having an easy time. Kim was like a feral cat, it didn't matter what they did to him he was still hissing, spitting, and clawing. His hosts had finally taken to drugging Kim in order to better handle him.

Kim was chained to a wall in a dingy basement of a warehouse seated deep in the industrial district of one of the smaller states, no one could hear the screams or the noise made in the ways they had been torturing Kim. Their latest stunt involved bleeding Kim into a five gallon bucket, filling it with water to make the blood go further and taping a picture of Kim hanging bloodied and nearly lifeless along with Kim's necklace to the inside of the lid. They wanted Kinn to see just how bad they were ripping Kim apart. This 'gift' was delivered to the front gates, which no doubt were heavily guarded but the guy they picked to deliver knew nothing, was just a random guy they paid to do the drop.

" Red looks good on you." a male voice said from behind Kim, his head was swimming and even if he knew the person his voice was not registering in his mind. Just noise that was there. Kim himself could barely speak, not that it would matter if he could. There was the sound of chains rattling behind him, the feel of cold metal being slid up his back, the chains moved a hand showing Kim a crude meat hook. " Let's see if we can add a little more shall we?" and then there was white pain and the sickening sound of the hook being shoved through Kim's shoulder.

[whrrenah]

Getting the boys had been no issue.  Roo was seated in the back where the windows were blacked out and Hawke was in the front, riding shot gun.  They were both ready for battle with Hawke's knife clear in view on his belt.  There was little talking as Wren navigated the streets, racing to get to Kim and praying that it wasn't too late.  When they were approaching the warehouse, Wren muttered quiet and low what the plan was.  Take no prisoners.  Anyone who saw Roo was dead.  Anyone near Kim was hers.  Word had been sent to her parents but they were visiting another mountain and Wren didn't know if the message had even gotten to them or not.  And even by unicorn, it was going to take time because while the unicorns had been in Thailand before- she and the others were going to be in a place they had never been before, as far as she knew.

Reaching the location, Wren barely had the mindset to turn the car off and keep the keys.  The place was huge but it didn't seem to matter to her.  She was hunting for her husband and she felt like she knew exactly where to go.  Any guard in their path were either mauled by Roo's claws, eviscerated by Hawke's knife, or shot and killed by one single bullet.  While the enemy made noise and created havoc, the rescue party was deadly quiet save for the snarl here and there.  Any words spoken between the three were in faunlyn, bringing more mysterious air about them and inciting a quiet panic with the guards.  What kind of assassins were these people?!  And one of them looked inhuman!

Any singing metal bypassed them as if some other magnetic force pulled the metal away or bounced off the trio like a forcefield.  Blood painted the walls and the people until they reached the main room where Kim was being held.  Roo had taken to climbing up the walls to ambush the enemy from above while Hawke watched Wren's back.  She saw what had been done to Kim, how he was hanging there like a piece of meat but she had to wall up her heart so she could save him.  The man behind Kim was in the process of adding another hook to Kim's back and the way Kim barely twitched had her heart twisting despite her will power.  Taking aim, she shot at that man, taking out one kneecap.  Then as he staggered back, she took out the other kneecap.  Ignoring the howling, she looked up into the dark ceiling.  "Arowahn," she called out as she headed towards the man trying to reach for his gun.  Kim needed to be pulled off the chains and attended to by someone who knew a little more about medicine in this fashion.  Hawke was... somewhere; she lost track of him.

The enemy reminded her of Korn, in a fashion.  Was this the direct rival that had been whispered about around her?  Wren had no idea but she stepped up to him, kicking the weapon out of his hand and then crunching down on his fingers with her boot.  She crouched, seemingly unfeeling of the way he struggled to remove himself from her grip and scrambling to get up-which he couldn't.  "You didn't get the memo," she started softly, "my Kimhan was off the market, did you?  And you know what? Anakinn is going to be off the market, too, in your case. I'm going to make your last hours on this earth a living hell and whatever you have done to my husband will be a cake walk."  She dared a glance back to where Kim was with Roo managing to get Kim down on the floor and was in the process of dealing with the hooks, hissing softly in the process.  Hawke leaped up to the floor they were on, wiping his knife and already going for his wrist to make a slice and finding an open wound of Kim.  Wren smiled.

The man tried to struggle more.  

She turned back to him, that smile still in place.  "You never met a Starfyr, have you?  Well, you have now and you're not escaping this alive."  She tenderly brushed the man's hair off his forehead and it seemed that his body locked up, eyes wide with terror as his mouth opened, but no sound came out.  There was no other outward sign that something was wrong, That his nerves were being seared like the red lines slowly showing up on a charcoal cake, and it was such a slow burn that it would take hours for his soul to be completely ripped out of his body.

Flipping a switch, she let the man stew in his own excrement and piss to rush over to Kim, her eyes worried as she moved to touch her husband's face.  "Kim?"  The warrior in her had slipped away and now she was his wife, worried sick that they hadn't gotten here in time.

[meanmugging]

If he was aware of anything going on he wasn't showing signs that he was. Once Roo had him down off the chains he crumpled almost as if he was boneless. His mouth bone dry, having the feeling like one did when they slept with their mouth open all night, only it was the whole way down. He couldn't speak, he couldn't even swallow. The blood just rolling around in his mouth before trickling out from the corner.

He'd lost a lot of weight while on the rudest vacation one could have. They had messed with his food constantly, to the point where he didn't even try to eat anymore. Now and again if he looked too out of it they would spray him with a hose which the few swallows of water he got from that was about the extent of his liquid in take.

His face was ice cold to the touch, but not like just chilled, cold. There was very little of his skin not covered in dirt, blood or both but what was exposed was a whiteish gray color. He didn't blink his eyes remaining partly opened his eyes cast down. He had taken hits to the face as told by the split skin on his cheek bone, the swelling around his eyes and the caked blood that was coming from his nose.

He didn't want to die here. He wasn't ready to die at all. His life was going ....dare he say...well. He had a beautiful wife, two lovers, two beautiful children. They had figured out a pattern that worked. He had time to teach Anu how to throw a ball, play with dolls with little Achara. Watch them grow and teach them even more as they got older. But..Now he didn't even feel the pain of his injuries, even the worst ones didn't even register, nor were they bleeding very much as Kim had bled a lot of blood.

All of this and it wasn't even about him, no, he was a pawn to be used to try and get a shot at Kinn. Other things as well, things Kim didn't know about since as he had promised Wren, he was staying just barely involved in things at the compound. The only fortunate thing in his eyes, was that it was him here on the floor and not Wren, the kids or Hawke or Roo. Everything else? A steaming pile of shit.

[whrrenah]

"He still lives," Roo muttered, not knowing what to do with the wounds on the man's back. Instead he sat on the dirty floor, almost cradling Kim so he could use his magic to keep Kim's heart beating. "But it is very, very fragile."

On touching Kim's cheek, Wren's face crumpled briefly, but then she shook out of it, thrusting her wrist to Hawke. "Me first. I can't give too much, I have to drive but I'm giving." Hawke eyed her profile, her eyes never leaving Kim's face. He took her wrist and made a shallow cut over a vein, the blood heeding his call not to flow freely yet. And he made another shallow cut to Kim's wrist, needing a clean laceration in order to complete the transference. He frowned when nothing bubbled to the surface.

"He is so low," Hawke murmured, pressing the open wounds together.

"He's cranky and stubborn." Wren said softly, almost jumping when she felt a buzz in her pocket. Right. Phone. Fishing it out with her free hand, she placed it on speaker phone, still not realizing she was in faunlyn mode. "Speak."

"Did you find him?" Kinn's voice. "How is he? Do you want us to come extract you?"

"Clean up crew. There's one here still alive you can take back for questioning...sort of. Have blood ready, as many as you can scrounge up. We'll be on our way soon."

"...Wren. You're not speaking in Thai. I can't understand you."

It took her a minute to switch gears, try not to cry, to not even scream. Wren finally found the words to squeeze out of her tightening voice. "Come clean up this place. One is still alive for questioning. Have blood in the infirmary." Her eyes flicked up to Roo, who nodded.

"You need to go to the--"

"I am not taking him to a fucking hospital!" She had to stop, her body shaking. Hawke was already there, wrapping her wrist with a clean cloth before slicing his own wrist open to add his own blood to Kim. "No. Hospital. Lucky I'm saying the infirmary. Roo is coming and I swear to all you hold dear, Anakinn, if one person looks at him funny, much less draws a spitball at him, I'm ending their lives. I don't care if it's security, you, Porsche, or Khun. You harm him, you're dead. Understand?"

"Wren, you're not making--"

"Shut. Up. Shut up and promise me. Anyone who touches him, and I'll shoot you dead. Don't press your luck because your fucking mafia reputation is not going to deter me from protecting who I love. Understand?"

Kinn was quiet on the other line but finally he grunted his ascent. "Get him and you all back safe. We'll take care of everything else."

She ended the call without another word, suddenly registering that her wrist was bandaged. Roo and Hawke watched her but they knew full well not to touch her. The static in the air warned them that it wasn't a wise choice.

It felt like ages, but it was only ten minutes before they were on their way out with Kim. Roo carried him while Hawke flanked Wren's side, still careful not to touch her. She was too volatile to receive any sort of comfort. The drive back to the hotel was quiet until Roo started to hum. It was a song meant for the Ancestors to hear and heed their prayers for Kim. Soon, the others joined in, harmonizing so perfectly it was almost as if they were in a recording studio. The three of them knew the words to this particular song and it made tears run down Wren's face as she drove, knowing that the next song after this was a funeral dirge. She didn't want to sing that. Not for a very very long time.

[meanmugging]

A few minutes, or a few hours it was all the same to Kim. He didn't change much from the transfusions, Roo's magic the only rope he had to hang on to the mortal coil. He had the three that he was in love with near, and it was probably just the pounding in his own head but he could swear he could hear each of their heart beats. He couldn't form a thought or the motions of his mouth to tell them all to stop worrying. He was Kimhan Theerapanyakul for fucks sake. easily the toughest bastard to carry that name.

There was quite a bit of hustle as they arrived with Kim, once it was seen how bad it really was he was whisked to an area to be worked on. The sounds of machines running and the beeping of the heart monitors filled the air as they began laying IVs and other such medical things. Then all hell broke loose as the machines started beeping steadily and people were coming out of the wood work rushing into the area where Kim was.

One of the staff from the room where Kim was came out still in a gown which had blood on it as well as his gloved hands. He didn't bother dressing down just picking up a phone on the wall and dialing directly to Kinn. It wasn't looking good, not in the least and Kim had a seizure. He needed advised on next steps because Wren and the other two guys were there and he was pretty sure Wren was going to murder someone.

[whrrenah]

Kinn had warned everyone about Roo even though he had no idea who or what Roo was. Only one guard lifted his weapon part way out of reflex and Wren didn't hesitate lifting her own firearm as she stepped between Roo and the possible threat, her eyes so cold that the guard nearly dropped his weapon. Or maybe it was that cold wave that seemed to suck every bit of warm out of the room as she walked by. Who knew. Once the weapon was holstered, she lowered hers, never pausing in that brisk walk through the halls. She knew that if Kim survived, she was going to have to reveal everything to the other brothers and she didn't mind that. And if he didn't survive...well, she would reveal everything anyway, take her children, and make her exit plan a reality.

It had been mandated that they wait outside. At first, it was going to be the waiting room but she was having none of that and went right to the infirmary's doors. Hawke and Roo both watched her, trying to exude as much calm as possible as they watched her rant, yell how one of the men needed to be in there with Kim and the fucking doctor wasn't listening! And when he came out to call Kinn, she was still ranting, her eyes carrying a lethal glare as she caught what the doctor was saying.

"I told this asshole that Hawke needed to be in there!"

The doctor barely glanced at her. "He'll be contaminating a sterile field!"

"Oh, like you haven't already?!"

Kinn, on the other end, decided he needed to be down there and then froze when he heard a tale-tell 'click' of the hammer cocking on a handgun. And then Wren's deadly tone carried through. "He needs a BloodSpeaker. You let my brother in, or I will contaminate more than a sterile field."

"Khun Kinn--"

"Let him in," Kinn ordered tersely. "Stop arguing with a distraught wife and let him in. It sounds like there isn't much hope, anyway. He's not going to make things worse. And you get back in there yourself and do your job."

Hawke didn't hear what was being said even though Roo did and even the shadowkin mewed a bit at that tone of defeat. But he urged Hawke on just as Wren lowered the weapon again, this time to call on her cell. "Mom?" It was barely a squeak into the receiver and that was all Ari needed to hear. They would be there in less than an hour.

In the meantime, Roo urged Hawke into that very strange room of blood, bad smells, and chaotic sounds. "Go. We will sing out here." All in faunlyn. The healer who didn't seem competent didn't need to know what they were saying and Roo didn't care.

[meanmugging]

Everyone was at their limit trying to keep Kim going. There was a surgeon bed side to Kim who they had no choice but to go hard core and crack his chest open, he held Kim's heart in his hand manually massaging the muscle from with in it's home in Kim's chest. There were bags of blood hanging from the IV stand still pushing blood into Kim's system.

The doctor looked up at Hawke as he came into the room. It didn't look good, between the clamps and the wires and hoses suctioning fluid out of Kim's lungs. This surgeon knew better than to stop what he was doing, not until Kim recovered or Kinn gave the words to stop. He liked his brains in his skull thanks.

Kim was very still, bite guard still in his mouth from where they were trying to keep him from biting his own tongue off during his fits. He would have supposed that it would be easy to disassociate from what was happening were it someone else laying in his place. He also would have told Wren to not worry, it was going to be okay. No matter what happened here. He had worked damned hard to make sure that she and the kids would be okay if he bit the big one. He also set aside things for Roo and Hawke. He wanted them taken care of too. Letters to each of the men written in Faunlyn telling them that he loves them, the same type of letter for Wren and each of the kids. Kim was a practical person when it came to making sure ends were tied. Though he hoped it would never need to be launched, it was in place.

[golden_hawke]

If Hawke had seen this and not known how dire it was, he would have been sick everywhere. This lead to memories of the stories of those who couldn't handle the magic of BloodSpeaking-the people who turned themselves inside out and were trapped in the mass of muscle, bone and sinew. He was glad Roo wasn't here. He didn't bother looking at the surgeon and kept his eyes on the heart that was in the doctor's hand, feeling his own chest tighten. Moving to Kim's head, he reached out, buried his fingers into Kim's hair, felt his own magic surge with a power he knew was backed up by others, and started to sing again, this time letting his magic bathe Kim's broken body and support it in ways the doctors never could.

Meanwhile, Kinn was speed walking down to where the chaos was, loaded with guilt. He had no idea what the fuck was going on other than Kim was dying. No matter how hard he tried to protect his nong, it wasn't enough, it seemed. And then there was the weird chaos of two people walking up the pomade, foreigners, it seemed. Security didn't know them but Kinn did and he gaped briefly at the sight of Wren's parents there, looking like they were ready for battle. "Where is he?" Was all Ari asked and while in English, the meaning was clear and Kinn couldn't mess that one up.

"This way."

The hall way just outside of the makeshift OR was chaotic, but not in the way of typical mafia chaos. The echoes of a song was filtering and echoing through which had the hairs on the back of Kinn's neck standing up straight. The singing was haunting and felt electric in a strange way. And he nearly had his side piece out when Kohl joined in with Ari adding her own voice, moving towards Wren who was next to the strangest thing that seemed to have come to life from a fairytale. No wonder the security was spooked. Hell, Kinn himself wasn't certain of all this, either. He caught the gun still in Wren's hand and froze, watching as Kohl himself gently took the weapon away, all the fight seeming to have left Wren. Without missing a beat to the strange words he sang with the others, he secured the weapon, popped out the magazine, checked the chamber and then tucked it into the small of his back.

Surreal. All of this was surreal. "What--?" Was all Kinn managed to say even though he himself didn't know what that question meant.

Ari answered and Roo-the mass of scale and ears and hair so black it could have been blue, answered in Thai--in Thai!. "Pray. We all join and pray, even if you do not know the words to the song, your soul will."

It was that or break out into hysterical laughter because this was truly the most ...it had to have been a dream, right? So, Kinn, not a religious man what so ever, did just that. Hands clasped together, finger tips to his slightly bowed forehead, and so he prayed, feeling ridiculous at first but after a few moments with the wash of song flowing over him, he felt-whatever it was-sweep him into place with whatever strange power was going on.

Hawke, in the room with the surgeon, felt all of that, his voice still steady and pausing only to tell the other man, "Let his heart be. It will beat." He hoped. He hoped that Kim had the will Wren said he did.

[whrrenah]

She felt like she was being gutted. Wren should be the one in there to watch over Kim! But she was not BloodSpeaker. She didn't think she had much of anything to help in this situation, considering her magical abilities was more ripping soul threads off a physical body than anything else. She couldn't bind them to keep Kim here...

Then, a thought hit her. standing up suddenly, her voice gone from the singing, she dug out her phone and logged into Kim's Instagram. The newest feature for it was the Live streaming and she turned it on then, making certain Roo was out of sight. Her face was raw, full of dirt, hair unkempt, a bloodied scratch on her cheek.

"Hello, everyone. I have some very important news." Her voice wasn't steady. She didn't want to seem that she was calm and composed in this situation. "It's not good news. WiK has been involved in an accident. A very bad one." Her face crumpled briefly, lip quivering as she took in a breath. "It's not good. I am begging you, in hope and honor, to help. What is the one song WiK has sung that has spoken to your soul? Which one did he sing that gave you such a visceral emotion that you had to play it over and over and over again? Sing. Sing that song for him, with the same emotion and feeling you felt the first time. Which one made you feel alive in that moment, so that you were indestructable against the forces that were crushing you. I'm hoping he can hear it. For all he has given you, this is the one thing I will ever ask for on his account. And I'm going first."

The song she sang wasn't one Kim had sung but it was the one that embodied them in this moment.

Where once there were two standing stones
Facing proudly in a field
One last broken on its side
Since the meeting of the spheres
Beneath that stone, a warrior
Whose bravery knew no bounds
Who gave his life so you'd be free
And a tyrant be overthrown
They said he had a heart of stone
No love or tender touch, no
'Til a singing lark sang a song
And cracked his heart in two
They battled through a land so cruel
Where lowborns starved and toiled
Fighting to avenge their clans
And free the common born
They soaked their land in empire blood
Cut an empress from her throne
For that they rose to standing stones
So the story be forever known
I am the lark, that standing stone
Standing by my lover's side
My voice is dying in the wind
As our story starts to fade
I'll feel your warmth no more, my love
I'll feel your warmth no more
But from our love, a seed has grown
A seed to save our world.

In the background, the original prayer song was still being sung and acted as decent counter to her own solo. Without another word, she closed the connection, turning to look at everyone in the hall. She couldn't heal this, but maybe bringing a call for others to send their energy out into the ether, maybe that would help.

"Wrennah," Ari started softly, walking up to her daughter. "Oh, Wrennah, when did you find out?"

She knew her mother would find out. One couldn't keep secrets from a necromancer. "Two days after he disappeared."

"Find out what?" Kinn was up, the spell of ...fuck, whatever that was, had been lifted. "What are you going on about?"

"Kim has a third on the way," Wren said, closing her eyes and letting tears fall again.

[meanmugging]

What more could be said? What could be done? The surgeon had no real idea of what should happen next, just that the methods being used here were more than a little unorthodox to say the least. Maybe this guy had a better understanding of something that defied pretty much all the medical science this doctor had ever studied. Slowly and carefully he moved his hands away from the organ to leave it in it's home in Kim's chest. Much to the doctors surprise the heart was beating on it's own, not at all as strongly as it should but it was beating. The doctor looked up to Hawke as the heart was trying to do it's thing. Surprise. Shock. Awe. It was all there.

Kim over all seemed to improve, just a little here, a little there. Like a tiny pin point of light in an other wise dark and bleak prognosis on this. It wasn't much rope to hang on to but the doctor grabbed on and got to work stopping bleeding on the inside doing what he could. There was something bigger than him that seemed to be holding Kim tightly to this world.

The surgeon was able to finish sealing up injuries, causing internal bleeds, he was able to close Kim's chest. It looked like things might be on the upswing for the youngest brother of the family. Then there was another seizure followed by a wave that would be able to be felt by anyone who Kim had bonded with. A wave of absence. Like a wind icy cold cutting Kim's presence away from them. Even though the doctor kept trying compressions, nothing from Kim.

[whrrenah]

She felt it. They all did. It was like a punch in the face and Wren gasped, feeling the icy chill all around her. "No." It was barely a whisper. The awful 'what if' happened. The phone dropped from her hand and she didn't care as she looked at all the eyes on her. Shock, pity, sadness. She couldn't breathe. She heard the mew come from Roo but she herself couldn't--

"You're a bastard!" Lunging for Kinn, she pounded her fists on Kinn's chest, barely making him move. "You're a fucking bastard!." He, in turn, wrapped his arms tight around her, holding her close as she sobbed, blinking rapidly himself.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, dropping his face to her hair. "So, so sorry."

Roo moved to Ari and Kohl, looking utterly lost as he tried to comprehend what happened. He clung to them as well, his keening being the voice to the sudden grief everyone felt. And Hawke could only stare at Kim's body, in shock, in pain, feeling the loss as keenly as everyone else. Tears fell as he rested his forehead on Kim's and he began to cry, unable to do anything else.

[meanmugging]

After a while the surgeon came from the room, his head bowed. "I am sorry to ask this at such a time, Khun Kinn, but I need you to sign off on moving him to the hospital. We can't call the official time of death here. For obvious reasons." he said lifting his head back up.

" If you would like to see him.." he waved his hand toward the room. " You are free to do so at this time."

[whrrenah]

Roo looked up. "Why does he have to be moved? Family is here, not at this hospital."

Wren was barely aware that she was moving. She had to go in. She knew it would be a mess, but she had to see for herself. By the gods, what was she going to say to her children? They absolutely adored their father and now he was gone? And not because of some heroic thing-but by some stupid, stupid...whatever it was. "We're cleaning out your house, Kinn. One by one, the people responsible are done." She had it planned, bring all the heads of family to the meeting room. Have them think it was a simple meeting. She could tell who was lying and who was truthful. And Wren would point out whomever had a hand in Kimhan's capture and Kinn could dispatch them. She wouldn't even be sad, then.

But seeing Hawke, head bowed, shoulders shaking broke her again. What did he have to see during all this time? He looked up at her and his face fell. "I-I couldn't.. I don't know but I couldn't!" He was babbling in Faunlyn, distraught, his sliced wrist already presented to her. "Please, please forgive me. I can't forgive myself. He--he was right here."

She took his wrist and kissed the wound, tasting the remnants of blood. She couldn't say it, but she thought it. They all did everything they could. What else could they do anyway? Arms wrapped around her, Hawke's and Roo's and she broke down again, one hand gently petting Kim's hair.

Ari and Kohl remained in the doorway, letting Kinn pass to enter. The heaviness in the room was crushing. She leaned her head against Kohl's shoulder, trying to think about everything. If they could get a unicorn in here, there would be a chance but...that was probably too much to ask for any of them, even the Black. "It shouldn't have happened like this," she murmured to Kohl who continued to rub her shoulder. "All of this just feels wrong."

[meanmugging]

God damn it! What the hell is going on? Why can't I... It was the thoughts toiling around. He could sense the presence of everyone around him, he could also feel the way that something had cut straight through the family. Was it him? Was he some where? Not there but not gone. In between? That was his body laying there, that was Wren and Hawke broken in each others arms and Roo looking like he didn't understand fully why this happened.

First he tried to reach Wren, but he just couldn't get a connection with her. Why? It was really frustrating. His own blood was in hers and hers inside him why couldn't he? Next was Hawke...then Roo...Kinn...all the same.

Then at a last ditch effort he tried Ari. Ma! I can't get back in! I am here! I am here! God damn it please work. Someone... it was fuzzy much like what one might hear from an old radio but it was strong as he was putting everything into trying to reach anyone there.

[whrrenah]

She froze, straightening up from Kohl's side. "Kim." Her voice was a whisper, looking about the room. She zeroed in on the body, and then looked to the surgeon. "Finish your work." It was in English, slow and clear, making the surgeon stare at her. "Close and stitch, you're not done."

Hold on, baby. We got you.

"I need charcoal, water, a blade, a bowl." None of it was traditional but fuck that when you needed to work quickly. No one moved yet, they were still watching her. "Now!"

Wren moved first, searching anything that may be coal. "Carbon? Activated carbon? Would that work?"

Kinn watched on as there was sudden chaos again, not knowing why they were rushing about. "What--"

Hawke turned to look at Kinn. "Get the healer to finish. We have work to do."

"Finish what?"

"Sew the wounds. Quickly. Threaten with your gun."

There was a mad rush to find the necessary things. The metal kidney pan. An unused scalpel-no, Hawke's knife. Activated charcoal would have to do. A saline bag was ripped off a pole and sliced to pour into the bowl. Kinn actually did lock his weapon on the surgeon, not understanding why these people were carrying on but the sense of urgency was in his bones, too.

"Wren, at his head. Roo at his feet. Do you remember that one chant Poe does? I don't have the throat for it." Languages were shifting rapidly around them all and no one was bothering with Thai. Roo's jaw set and he nodded.

"What if I don't have it right?"

"Arowahn, nothing about this is right. Nothing but will and intent. Hawke, on his left when the doctor's done." Ari couldn't do anything but make the preparations, fishing around in a small pouch and finding a piece of Bismuth. "Ah, there you are, you sneaky little thing." That was added to the bowl as well. Murmuring whatever incantations were needed as she ground and mixed, Ari kept an ear out for Kim as well, ignoring the other two people. Kohl watched on as a silent sentinel, ensuring no one else came through the door. In fact, he pushed two security out of the doorway and snarled at a third, his dragonfear in full force.

Roo's alien like throat singing started. It was almost familiar to other forms of throat singing on earth but the otherworldly quality had earth native people's hair stand on end. Kinn snapped at the surgeon. "Work faster!"

Wren's eyes lifted from Kim's face to Hawke's, her lips set in a thin line. Whatever mother was planning, it was going to be big. And she willingly offered whatever she could to what her mother was doing, praying it would work.

[meanmugging]

What do I do? Even with where ever he was stuck he was very thankful that Ari could hear him. The Surgeon was a bit confused at the request but none the less continued where he had left off with stitching stapling and closing Kim's wounds. It wasn't the strangest request he had heard of for a families wishes for the departed.

Kim in the mean time was extending his finger to touch or try to touch his own face, it was strange. He wasn't really sure what was happening, just that something wasn't right about all of this. How could he be... Wait. Am I dead?!?!?!

[whrrenah]

"Keep talking," Ari urged, finally happy with the paste she had made. "Death is but a transition. It takes time and you still have a few threads in connection here. At least three," she continued. "Hold onto your love."

Wren knew immediately what was going on and she gently touched Kim's face, caressing it as if he were merely sleeping. "Don't lose hope, Kimhan. And don't panic. We love you."

Kinn was utterly lost in all of this. "Who is she talking to?" Because it sounded like they were talking to nong. But he was dead!

Kohl growled, looking at the man. "Be a part of the solution or become a part of the problem. Let them work. You should keep praying."

Over the stitches and staples, Ari started painting the sigils down Kim's chest, all the way to just above his groin. Then she continued with each leg, each arm, and then to his face, taking the greatest care. Her own chanting started, hands hovering over certain sigils, waiting for the charcoal paste to seemingly light up with it's own capillary network of red before moving to the next section. And all the while, the room was starting to heat up as if the AC broke.

[meanmugging]

Kim wasn't sure how to take that news. These stupid arrogant punks trying to mess with Kinn had actually killed him? I can't let them go...can you tell them I am here and I love them? And Kinn...tell him it's okay I am not mad at him... He was doing some thinking about his kids, if this went side ways any further, he'd never see them again.

He brought his hand up to his face where Wren was touching him. He wanted so badly to touch her to hold her and tell her everything is fine. and Hawke..he still looked so wracked. Poor sweet Roo too. He wasn't done yet. He wanted to just gather the three of them up and hold them.

I am still here, I was thinking a little...it's a bit strange.

[whrrenah]

"Strange?" Ari asked, her brows furrowing at the one sigil over Kim's heart. She continued to speak aloud. "And you'll tell them yourself that you love them, and that you're not mad at your brother." She heard the wet gasp from behind her, but didn't turn around.

Roo didn't stop, didn't dare to take more than quick sips of breath. He knew from home this worked better with several others singing so one could breathe and the others continue, but that wasn't possible. Wren continued to touch Kim's face, sniffling here and there, but otherwise calm. Hawke reached out for Wren's hand, then for Roo's. Ari soon closed the circle on her end, satisfied with everything. This part was going to hurt and she was certain to let them all know. Nothing worth having and keeping was painless, after all.

[meanmugging]

Being...in between Kim answered, still quite puzzled as to why it was he was stuck. His life was demanding and he had seen Hawke's magic working and felt it working. His body never rejected it before. He had never rejected Hawke's anything. So this was a puzzle.

The process had gone on for what felt like days, it wasn't but Kim just wanted this to work so he could get back to things. By this time Ari was privy to stories about his time on tours, how he thought Achara looked a lot like Ari and wondered if she would keep that as she got older. Anu was a spitting image of Kim and anyone who wasn't blind could see that the boy was for sure his child. He told her about plans to expand on the estate so that they could have more room for Wren's larger family members to come. How he'd like to be able to visit the Mountain more as the kids grew. Even how he had wished that the doctor hadn't cut his pants off and he was sorry she and Pa had to see him laying there dick out.

Even Kim was growing concerned about Wren, Roo and Ari after this time. Ma...she can't keep on like this. She looks so weak and strained...you all do...

[whrrenah]

Ari listened to everything, quipping back when she could and smirking when the mention of pants came up. A blue drape solved the modesty point. But as Kim continued to babble, she kept thinking about what he said about never having an issue before. Hawke was strong and capable even if he was considered a novice BloodSpeaker by Faunlyn standards even though he had been in training since he was six.

She is stronger than she looks, Ari assured him, closing her eyes for a moment. This was taking longer than she anticipated. It was as if something was fighting them. And as much as she wanted to investigate that little trickle of 'offness,' she couldn't deviate from her current task. Wren is the battery of this operation--she has the whole of your fanbase lending their energy to help you. Such a clever girl. No way was she going to tell him that she was with child. Not at this crucial moment, anyway.

It took longer still, long enough for Kinn to start getting restless again. But finally, there was a small break. Whatever was stagnating the magic was losing and Ari shoved her entire foot into the hypothetical crack in the door, then slinging her shoulder into it as well. Kim, when you go back in, we won't be able to talk like this. And it will hurt but it'll be okay. One of us will be with you around the clock until you wake, even BigDragon. Kohl, she meant.

As soon as the shift was felt, everyone pushed that much harder even though they were exhausted. If they lost hold this time, there would be no do overs.

[meanmugging]

I know...but we can talk normally. And... He was trying to wiggle his way back into his body. He could feel the sparks but not quite able to grab on and turn the engine over Why can't I get in!?!?! WHY! I AM HERE! He said swinging his arm out at the table of tools near his body, strong enough to knock it over which startled Kim out of his rage. Tell them I'm sorry. I am sorry to you too.

Moving over to hover his hand above his brothers. It's not your fault, Phi. It's not your fault this happened.

[whrrenah]

The sudden crash of instruments startled both Kinn and the surgeon, not knowing how that happened. Kohl shifted his stance at the doorway, watching carefully.

"There!" Ari gasped softly, breaking the hand circle to touch a spot on Kim's chest. "Wren, there's a tangle there. It's not Kim's is it?"

Exhausted, she looked to where her mother was pointing. Of course, nothing could be seen with the naked eye, but she could feel it. A knotted web of something that wasn't a part of Kim's soul. And it had been trying to grow. "Yeah, no. That's not Kim."

"Right." As if it were some knotted dust bunny, Ari covered her hand over it--as if she were cupping Kim's chest, right over his heart-- and grabbed onto whatever it was and pulled.

Everyone a part of the magic groaned.

Just over the sound of Roo's voice, Ari hissed something of her own, burning whatever blemish that had been trying to invade Kim's body away. The shriek of whatever demon it was rang clearly out for all to hear and with a psychic 'POP!', was gone.

"Hawke-" Ari urged, resting her hand flat on the broken man's chest. "Now. Get him going now."

With tears streaking down his face, he nodded, now putting his own specialized magic into the mix, aided by the energy Wren was filtering through everyone else. Once the pathway was cleared, it still seemed like everything was going so slowly-but at least now there was progress. And slow progress was still progress.

[meanmugging]

What the fu-- he said as he too just seen the something that wasn't him or any part of him attached to a spot on his chest. He didn't get to finish the what the fuck question before it was gone and it felt like he himself was sucked up by a vacuum, it was the strangest sensation he had ever felt.

Then he could feel each and every mark, cut and spot of swelling in his body. Any meds that had been given were long gone by the way he had been bleeding out. He couldn't open his eyes, his mouth still dry as a desert dust storm there was a strangled cry in pain. It wasn't loud at all and soon melted into moans tears streaming down his face. Everything hurt, all of his nerves were on fire and it was the worst thing he had ever felt in his entire life. The machines were going crazy in ways that were in no way natural.

The surgeon watched all of this wide eyed, he wasn't sure of what he was witnessing. He wasn't sure that he wasn't dreaming it all up. Then the fear...if he wasn't dreaming this up, were they going to let him live after he had seen all this?

[whrrenah]

She swore she felt her heart stop for a moment when there was finally a sign of life from Kim. She couldn't do anything for the pain, unfortunately, but she could continue to whisper feverishly that she was there, they all were, and just to hold on a little bit longer until they could finally do something.

Roo sank to the floor, curling his tail around himself and flattening his ears against his head against the sudden noise. Hawke remained where he was, watching both Kim and Wren, unable to pull away just yet.

Kinn was in shock as Ari moved to a wall to keep herself from collapsing while Kohl stepped in. He nudged Kinn on the shoulder. "Hey. Get the doctor moving." And with that, he looked at the surgeon, pointed at him and then pointed to Kim. "My son-in-law needs you." The surgeon still didn't move. The middle brother finally collected his wits and yelled at the surgeon to start working on his brother, dammit, or there were going to be two funerals.

Kohl hoisted Roo up off the floor, holding him tightly as he murmured something low into the other's ear. For a second, Roo was just a limp rag but he found his hooves under him and stood upright, Clinging tiredly to the other.

"What the hell just happened?" Kinn continued. "I've never seen anything like that. Who are you people?"

Ari closed her eyes, feeling the fatigue keenly. "And I hope you never will."

Wren sat back, watching closely as to how Kim was being stabilized and then turned a sudden shade of green. "Bucket--" She turned to the farthest corner where a metal bucket was and vomited.

Still lost in the sea of chaos that was just starting to wind down, Kinn stared at everyone, then finally down to his nong, and started crying. The type of crying only Porsche had been privy to see, but right now he couldn't take anything that was happening at the moment. Soon the sobs wracked his body and Ari moved towards him, winding an arm around his shoulders. "Peace, Kinn. The hardest part is over."

Wren was nauseous when she went to Hawke's side, but she could hold it back now. One arm wound around her brother's waist while her free hand curled loosely around Kim's fingers. Relieved and still a little worried, she buried her face into his chest and shivered, accepting the strength Hawke offered. "You need to go sit," he whispered. She shook her head in protest. "Yes. Go. Tend to Roo. I have him here and he is not going anywhere." If Hawke needed to sit on Kim's chest to keep his soul in place, he would.