This city's ripped right to the core...

[torchwoodsheart]

The Doctor is just about through with people hurting his friends. True, it's not targeted attacks this time, just random wanderers, whoever they can find, but... he's actually not sure if that's better or worse. So he's made his way to a hospital where there are, in theory, three men who aren't entirely in touch with the world or, in fact, their

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[changingtheodds]

There is a massive, woolly dog patrolling the streets between the Conrad and the Kashtta, wearing a leather collar and tags that say 'Adelaide'. She's got a constant, low rumble of a growl going and looks distinctly unfriendly--and now she's standing squarely in Sam's path, glaring up at him with a challenge in her eyes.

[definitivestep]

Sam slows to a stop as the dog paces out in front of him, and gives her a look that's almost pained. Did he really need this today? Really? Thank you very much, universe, Sam hates you too.

"Easy," he says slowly, hands held up in front of him. "I'm not going to hurt you or... whatever. Are you a person?" Always polite to ask, in this city.

[changingtheodds]

She tenses and the growl ratchets up a notch at the question, because... well. Ruvin is a bit beyond the point of trusting anyone she doesn't know, and he is familiar with the idea of shapeshifters. That could mean he's one of them, of course, a wanderer too, but after the park and Raziel she's in a less than agreeable state of mind. She snuffles at the air and smells--the rather familiar scent of angel. She can't really describe it better, but after being around so many in the Conrad while doggish, there's something--a trace, a whiff--that makes them smell just fractionally different.

Thank you guardian angel for smelling funny, Sam.

[riversodeep]

Andy hasn't been trailing right at Sam's elbow, under the assumption that he's not a child and doesn't need a constant reminder that he has an armed escort. She's got her wings out under her coat and her Guardian senses are working just fine, so if there's a threat, she'll know about it and be able to get to him before anything unpleasant happens.

And right now? She's picking up on a threat.

She ducks through the sidewalk crowd and appears by Sam's side, homing in on Ruvin as the source of the threat. Big dog, okay. Wanderer. Not attacking just yet.

"Easy now," she says, unconsciously echoing Sam. "We're all having enough trouble in this city without picking on each other."

She's not going to come out and say that they're both Wanderers. Not on a street packed with people, any one of which might be CLF or driven to desperation by them.

[anjelsword]

Healing houses are good places to learn what's going on in the city, especially at times like these. So there is Aniki, lingering and yet looking busy, in scrubs she 'borrowed' from a locker some fool left unlocked.

She's making a point to blend in. She's good at it. The man that comes sweeping down the hall toward her--well. Not so much. And what's that little blank card he keeps shoving in peoples' faces?

Aniki falls in next to him as he passes, glancing over rather than up. She's tall enough that she doesn't need to. "You're not precisely subtle, my lad."

It's a whisper, barely more than a breath, pitched to carry to the Doctor's ears alone.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor glances over at her, blinking and putting on his very best innocent face. It's not particularly convincing, but terribly charming, and his smile disarming enough to make most people forget what they were asking about in the first place. "I haven't the faintest idea what you mean," he says as he tucks his psychic paper into the inside pocket of his jacket.

[anjelsword]

Oh, don't you try to Rosto her, Doctor. She makes a face at him. "Naturally. Sweeping in and shoving that bitty scrap at people, whatever magic you put on it--folk will remember that."

Quiet for a moment as a doctor and a gaggle of students pass on rounds, then, "Why are you here?"

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor blinks at her for a second, then frowns. "Not many people can see through that. Huh. And it's not magic, it's psychic - well, slightly psychic, and-" Right, he does not need to ramble about his psychic paper to the girl he doesn't know, although he is rather impressed that she can see through that. Takes a special kind of mind to not be affected by it, and the last person he met with that ability was... well... Shakespeare.

"That depends. Who're you?"

[theshameofcain]

In that infamous little bookshop in Wicker Park, Bambi Dalton is sitting on her desk, smoking a cigarette down to the filter and looking tense and twitchy, because she has no fucking clue what's going on anymore and it's driving her batshit. The bosses were keeping her out of the loop before this all went to hell and now it's like they've just completely decided to shut her out.

It's enough to make a girl consider alternate means of employment if seeking alternate means of employment didn't mean forfeiting her life.

[torchwoodsheart]

Gwen pushes open the door slowly, and steps inside, trying to look official and as non-threatening as possible at the same time. She manages fairly well, actually - Gwen's good at putting people at ease while retaining at least some air of authority.

No one in the store but her and the woman at the desk. That makes this easy. "Hello, I'm Gwen Cooper. Is your name Bambi Dalton?"

[theshameofcain]

Bambi looks up in surprise and puts the cigarette out in the ashtray on the desk in one quick move. Not that she really cares if customers don't want her smoking around them- it was just a kneejerk response of some kind. Twitchy Bambi is twitchy.

"That'd be me. If you're lookin' for the usual stuff, I can't help you there. Last thing I want are these CLF fuckers finding out what I'm doing here and blowing me up."

Besides a fake ID is not really going to stop these guys from attacking wanderers.

[torchwoodsheart]

"I'm not," she says, stepping forward to meet the woman at the desk. If Torchwood needs false ID, they go to Tosh and Marshall. It may take them a while, but together they can usually manage whatever's necessary. "I just wanted to ask a few questions. I work for Torchwood - have you heard of us?"

[liberatechicago]

In his wanderings the Doctor may come across a pair of policemen stationed outside an ICU door, watching all comers.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor is not going to be frightened away by something as simple as a pair of police officers. He walks up to them and pulls out the psychic paper, flashing it in their faces. "Doctor John Smith, I was called in to have a look at those three young men found by the Chicago River? The nurse just down the hall said they ought to be here..."

[liberatechicago]

The police officer on the right holds out his hand to see the psychic paper. "You're not their regular doctor," he says. "Thought I knew everyone who'd be stopping by."

The other policeman watches them warily, attentive to any sudden moves.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor pauses a second, then reluctantly hands over the psychic paper, trusting that it will shift to something that will convince them to let him pass. "Yeah, I'm a... specialist. They call me in for the difficult cases - you might not've heard, lines of communication and all..."

[teenaged_twin]

"...Yeah, I'll call wherever they decide to tell me anything." The boy hangs up the courtesy phone, mumbling to himself.

"Like they ever will... Damn it Jake, what the fuck were you up to?"

It's quite possible he's not really watching where he's going. Which begs the question, does he wind up running into the scrawny guy in the coat who's moving through the halls like he owns the place?

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor runs smack into him, stumbling back a few steps and automatically tensing to run before he registers that no, that wasn't an attack, just... some kid who hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Which the Doctor can't blame him for, because sometimes there are more important things to worry about...

"Oh! Hello... didn't see you there. Still, no harm done, right?"

[teenaged_twin]

The boy stumbles back a bit himself, but stays on his feet.

"Yeah. Sorry, just..." Vague gesture, as well as biting his lower lip for a second. "Probably ought to get out of the way of traffic."

He's taking in details, trying to memorize the man and hoping he's not being obvious about it. Because if you're in fight or flight mode in a hospital? There's something very wrong.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor straightens a little, brushes himself off, and tries to give the impression that he's not as on edge as he is. "Probably for the best, yeah. Could've been worse. You could've been run down by a trolley."

Because there are people racing around the halls with gurneys like they're at a race. Oh yes. ...Or maybe the Doctor's just prone to exaggeration.