Dead On Arrival [ota]

[a_tricky_one]

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[lemon_jiffy]

O'Leary spotted the man and quickly made a few decisions.

This was not something he could help with. He would walk by. And if he saw someone coming the other way he'd let them know so they could help him.

But the sight was both disturbing and bizarre to him and so he craned his neck as he walked, so he could keep an eye on the figure on the ground.

He popped behind a tree.

....He shouldn't be nosy. He could almost hear the detectives now.

Curiosity killed the cat, he always said, so why wasn't he listening to his own advice now?

Good question, detectives, he agreed, not bothering to be upset that they had returned because it was very sound advice, indeed.

"Are you dead?" he asked, then popped back behind the tree again.

It wasn't as if he didn't care about the man, it was more that he cared about himself and who knew what happened to him or if it was contagious or if the killer was around here somewhere.

[a_tricky_one]

Gabriel groaned craning his neck toward the voice, not moving from his spot on the ground, "Dead?"

He pressed a hand to his stomach, to find the wound only a scar now. His blade lay at his side.

"I should be."

[lemon_jiffy]

"Are you alright?"

Should that mean he could approach? Yes. With caution. So he did.

You never knew with a fella like that what was up his sleeve. There could be a killer on the loose. He had to be alert.

That was true, too.

[a_tricky_one]

"No. I'm not alright." Gabriel grumbled, aching everywhere he struggled but eventually sat up and looked at the scorched wings in the grass, "Does that look alright to you?"

He was powerless. And somewhere he did know. He hated feeling so helpless.

"Who're you? Where am I?"

[lemon_jiffy]

"No."

He guessed. He didn't know what he was looking at.

"...I'm O'Leary," he said lamely. "This is Haurvatat."

[a_tricky_one]

"Balls." Gabriel scowled, "Of course I'm in fucking Haurvatat..."

He pulled himself to his feet and put away his blade.

[lemon_jiffy]

"You've been here before?"

[a_tricky_one]

"No. I've sent people here before. Big difference." he sniffed and looked around, while rubbing his neck.

[lemon_jiffy]

"Sent...people? You can do that?"

He paused.

"...who are you?"

[a_tricky_one]

"Yeah, I can do that. Doesn't much help me with the getting out though."

His identity was pretty much entirely out of the bag now. Plus the wings imprinted in the ground was a big clue.

"Gabriel."

[lemon_jiffy]

"So you know about this place," he said. "Do you...need any help? to the hotel, or...."

[a_tricky_one]

"If you could... direct me that would be great." he stumbled closer to the man, not entirely sure if he could walk there on his own, if he tried.

[lemon_jiffy]

O'Leary simultaneously lifted his hands to catch him and shifted back because, well, touching strangers made him nervous.

"Are you okay - ?"

[a_tricky_one]

What was wrong with this guy? Gabriel frowned at him.

"Not really, no. I think I just need to lay down. Sleep." he sighed. He'd never had to sleep before.

[lemon_jiffy]

"Yes. Maybe. Maybe you should go to hospital."

[a_tricky_one]

"No, I'll be fine. If I'm supposed to be dead. Now I'm not. I doubt whoever sent me here brought me back with fatal wounds. That would be stupid." he shrugged.