Home Again [Open to visitors but try not to all flood in]

[staturity]

It had been so long since Cassie had so much as seen an actual bed that it was hard not to close her eyes and fall asleep the moment she lay down in the Medbay. But there was still a lot to do first. For the long-term she was going to need several surgeries to fix the scars down her left side but for now the priority was to get her stabilized. So she was hooked up to an IV drip- oh, she remembered how those felt. And poked and prodded a little bit more before being left on her own.

She could rest now, but there was a lot to catch up on.

And probably a lot to explain.

Comments

[staturity]

Sam Winchester? O.K., she hadn't expected he would drop by.

"Hey."

Easy Cass, this wasn't the Sam who accidentally got you shot... right?

"Uh, you're not the Sam Winchester who tried to kill that yeerk, are you?"

[chosenfamily]

Sam snorted, shaking his head. "No. No, I'm not. But whatever he did to you, I'm sorry. I don't know a lot about the guy, but...well, I'm not him."

He was still pretty convinced that the other version of him that had been on the ship had gone a bit crazy. But, brain damage could do that to a guy.

"Near as I can tell, that one went back into the pods around the zombie invasion." He shrugged.

[staturity]

"Yeah, I know. But I was gone for a while. I didn't know if he was back or not. Sorry, I bet you get that question a lot." She still wasn't sure why he was here.

[chosenfamily]

"Not as often as I used to." Sam reached up, running his hand through his hair. "Look, this is...going to sound pretty weird. But how much have they told you about what happened with Shiva?"

[staturity]

Well, I know my boyfriend killed someone.

"I know that he died. I know that my bomb was the only one to go off... Why? Is there something else?"

[chosenfamily]

"A couple of things." Sam stepped forward, though he maintained a fair distance. "Shiva was a...parasite. Like the Yeerks, only apparently more snake-like than slug-like. He was hiding in a man named Kawalsky and thought that any Yeerks should be grateful for his help. So he stole the one you mentioned out of stasis to use as an ally."

< I agreed. >

< Shut up. I have your memories as much as you have mine. I know it wasn't something you did because you wanted to. >

[staturity]

"Huh. So- wait." She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "Don't tell me you tried to kill him again."

[chosenfamily]

Sam snorted, shaking his head. "No. As much as Dean might prefer it if I did." He leaned back against the wall. "Shiva forced the Yeerk to take the first host he found that trusted Kawalsky." He made a motion to himself. "Knocked me out first, of course."

[staturity]

"So he put a yeerk in you? Wow that's- really bad luck." Like, really. "I'm sorry."

[chosenfamily]

"Or the height of irony, given which Yeerk." Even Sam could admit that one. "Anyway, Shiva wasn't the type to be above killing his own allies to get what he wanted. Used it as leverage to get Schmuz to do what he wanted. Build him things."

< I should be the one to tell her this part. >

< I'd rather not let it be known yet that you're still here. Not until we know how she's going to react. >

< She can't react well. I was responsible for her injuries! >

< Oh, whine more. Really. >

He shook himself slightly, as though shaking himself out of memories instead of conversation. "Shiva was pretty convinced of his own importance. Didn't realize that every ally he pulled together was intent on betraying him."

[staturity]

"That is ironic." Cass agreed. "So Schmuz turned on him? How?"

[chosenfamily]

This was the tricky part. "The only way he could see and stay alive at the time. Shiva needed Schmuz because he didn't know much in the way of technical shi...stuff." Sam grimaced at his near slip. "So the things he built for Shiva were meant to fail. Or be easy enough to disable that they wouldn't be a problem." The grimace deepened. "I'm not good at small stuff, though."

< That, at least, is an understatement. >

< Bite me. >

[staturity]

That's why he was here.

"Hey, I'll tell you the same thing I told Cowabunga. It's not your fault. The only one to blame here is Shiva. I knew what could happen." Although she hadn't ever expected this to be the result.

[chosenfamily]

Sam shook his head once. "I know it's not my fault." He paused a moment, trying to figure out the best way to word it. "I'm not here for myself, I mean."

A lot of people freaked out about the Yeerk thing, after all.

[staturity]

Oooookay.

"Then who are you here for?"

[chosenfamily]

Sam sighed, rubbing his nose. "Schmuz needed to see that you were okay."

Irony of ironies. Not only had he gotten the Yeerk his previous self wanted dead, it was still in his head.

[staturity]

...

"You mean he's in you? Now?"

[chosenfamily]

Sam nodded, once. "It's not a secret. The rest of the crew knows. Schmuz is just...usually pretty happy to leave me in control. It's safer for him." After all, he could remember a time when the crew wanted him dead. It was a lot safer to leave Sam in control.

[staturity]

"Oh. Well." She took a moment to consider this. "What I just told you? The same goes for Schmuz. You took a stand against him and that's what matters."

[chosenfamily]

Sam cracked a smile. "Thank you. Maybe he'll believe it from you."

< There were still two others who died and her injuries are great. >

And then he rolled his eyes. "Or maybe not."