Mommy Dearest Chapter 9
Title: Mommy Dearest
Author: Solarbaby
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything but the plot.
Words: 1151
Summary: Casey wakes up.
Spoilers: None.
Notes: Sorry it took so long! This chapter was hard to get out. But I already have the next couple of chapters set to be written.
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Chapter 9
“When your children are your world, you would do anything to protect them.”
-Unknown
“What’s that?”
Scorpina looked up from the ring she was contemplating. It was a simple band, silver laced with some sort of green stone. The stone seemed to glow with some sort of internal light for a moment before it faded back. She held it up for her youngest to see. “It’s a… present for Casey.”
“A present? Pretty ring.” Blink. “Casey doesn’t wear jewelry.” Sorani tilted her head, curiously. “What are you planning?”
The innocent look on the assassin’s face didn’t look right. “It’s just something to replace the bracelet.” The scorched remains of the binding bracelet sat on the desk in front of her.
Sorani frowned and shrugged, turning to leave. She paused in the doorway and glanced back at her mother. Scorpina was holding the ring up to the light again, an indecisive look on her face. Opening her mouth to say something, the ring gave off another faint glow.
Mom was such a liar.
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RJ sat in his chair, freshly showered. The shirt he was wearing previously was in his lap, stained dark with blood. He stared at it, shivering, as the image of Casey’s gold eyes flashing through his mind. It was almost as if he could still feel the tiger’s blood on him. No matter how long he had showered, long after the water had gone cold, he just couldn’t seem get rid of it.
“Casey attacked you?” Theo’s voice was incredulous as he looked up from his position on the floor. “Casey?”
“That arrow must have done something.” Lily replied as she stood next to the recliner.
The wolf master nodded and picked the arrow up from the table beside him, careful to avoid the tip. “It was poisoned. That’s for sure. I haven ‘t been able to identify the kind, though.”
Theo got up from the floor. “Then who can?”
“There’s only one person I can think of who might be able to.” RJ held it up thoughtfully. The tip of the arrow was faintly blue, a tell-tale sign that there was still poison on it.
“Who?”
RJ looked up to see the two rangers watching him expectantly. “Master Swoop.”
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There was this strange sense of panic as Casey came back around. He blinked wearily, pulling himself into a sitting position. This was immediately concluded to be a bad idea as nausea rolled over him and he clinched his eyes shut.
“Careful now.”
A hand came to rest on his shoulder and gently forced him back against the pillows. His eyes shot back open as he came to the realization that he wasn’t in his hammock. He was in the middle of a large bed in a stone room. The black comforter was twisted around his waist and a hand that wasn’t his was currently trying to untangle it. He looked to see who the owner of it was and froze in shock. “Lina?”
“Welcome back to the land of the living.” She perched at the edge of the bed and pressed a hand to his forehead. A frown crossed her face as Dallina realized her brother was still too warm. “Let me see your wrist.” She grabbed his arm
Casey jerked back from the touch. He glanced down and froze. There was a dark red mark around his wrist where his binding bracelet used to be. “Where is it?” Panic laced his voice. He tore at his covers, hoping to find it buried there.
“It’s gone, Case.” Her brow furrowed as her little brother shook his head and redoubled his efforts. “Casey? Casey!” She grabbed his arms and pinned them to his side. “It is gone.”
He looked at her, incredulously. “Why?”
Dallina was taken aback for a moment. He sounded so much like he used to when they were little. She could remember him finding something puzzling and he’d coming running to her, demanding answers. He seemed to think that she would have all the answers, even if she was only older by a few minutes.
“’Lina, what is this?”
“Why do I have to wear shoes?”
“’Lina, why is that planet purple?”
“Dallina, why’s that ship so big? What’s the point?”
“What ever happened to our father, ‘Lina?”
“Casey, that bracelet… You were poisoned. We couldn’t stop the poison with the binding still in place.” Dallina shook her head and stood up. “I should go tell mom and Sorani that you’re away?”
“Mom? Sorani?” Casey looked completely befuddled. “Dallina? What happened?”
She frowned. “What do you mean? You were poisoned.”
“Yeah, and I assume it was from that arrow I was hit with. But how did I get here?”
Dallina sat back down on the bed. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
Casey shook his head, straining his mind to bring back some sort of memory. “Umm… I was hit. Then Lily and Theo were yelling. I remember being dragged and… that’s when it gets kinda foggy.”
“You don’t remember anything else?”
He shook his head.
“I found you bleeding in the middle of the forest. I don’t know how you got there or what happened.” Dallina turned away from him, taking a deep breath. “You nearly died. All because of that stupid bracelet.” She whirled around to face him, angry. “What’s the matter with you, anyways? Binding your instincts like that? Are you trying to kill yourself? Do you have this sudden need to be suicidal?”
“What? No, of course not!”
“Then what were you trying to prove?”
“Do I have to separate the two of you?”
Dallina and Casey looked to find Scorpina watching the two with something akin to amusement. She approached the bed. “How are you feeling?” She asked her son.
“I’m fine. Good as new.” He caught a glimpse of his reddened wrist. “More or less.” Casey shifted, attempting to get off the bed. “I should be going.” He was stopped by his mother’s hand on his shoulder.
“As soon as you are well.” Scorpina fingered the ring in her hand, second guessing herself once again. She took a deep breath before placing the ring in Casey’s palm. He sending her a questioning look that his sister echoed. “It’s no binding bracelet, but it’ll help.”
“Uh…”
“We should let you sleep.” The assassin grabbed her daughter by the shoulder and pulled her towards the door.
“Night.” Dallina called over her shoulder, flinching when her mother tightened her grip. “Hey!”
The door closed with a soft click.
Casey sighed and leaned back against the pillows, looking at the ring. It looked harmless enough, but knowing his mother. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. He closed his eyes, before sliding the ring on quickly. When nothing happened he opened his eyes and gazed down at his hand. “Hmm…” He settled back in the bed, attempting to get some sleep.
He never noticed the ring glow a bright green color that faded into his skin.