[FIN] Life is Like a Hurricane [Open/Private]

[Lucca]

Graeme sighed, able to see her agreement for what it really was: acceptance not of his argument, but of the fact that she felt him unconvincable. Normally, Graeme didn't worry too much about what people thought of him. If they had negative opinions, it would really only bite them in the end when he came out on top again. Even the influential ones didn't normally bother him. Money, which he had in abundance, and a shining reputation with untouchable scruples, spoke quite loudly, and was enough to drown out the moaning of a few disgruntled souls who didn't get their way. But this was something different, and even though it didn't have a thing to do with any business, present or future, he felt something inside him twist unhappily at the thought that Aima might be questioning his...judgement? Sanity? Was her opinion of his maid so low as that?

He nodded, and stood up, stretching cramped legs, more for something to do than because he needed to. He glanced toward the door, the same thought coming to him: shouldn't Mrs. White be back by now? It was at that moment that the door opened, and the unmistakable form of the Cat they had been discussing stood there. McDuck smiled in relief. "What kept you? Here, let's see that...give a little to her, and then I can get to work." He moved back towards the Pine Martin, anxious to start.

[Lucca]

Mrs. White nodded to both the other Cards as she entered the room, setting the bottle of pills down carefully by Aima before giving an apologetic look to her. "Oh, I am ever so sorry. They weren't very willing to part with these, even though I explained the situation, I had to practically beg them to give them to me," she said sadly, oddly enough meaning every word. "Luckily they're the good ones. Take two and you shouldn't feel a thing!" She smiled then, deftly screwing off the top and placing two small pills in her paw, which she held out to Aima.

Inside, she was sulking. To think they made her do these things for them, and did they look at all grateful? Did Scrooge thank her? Was Aima even going to acknowledge her help at all? Hah! Probably not, since the Corvie seemed to have taken a disliking to her from the start! Sure, she'd been a bit...mean towards her, but nothing too bad! She brought the worst of this on herself. Hmph. And yet, as the servant, she was expected to lap at their feet like a dog! I hate my life.

[Esfiel]

Aima took the pills and popped them into her mouth with hardly a glance at what was handed to her. Either they'd kill her or the pain would. Although before she'd tossed them into her mouth it was beginning to numb. It was probably from a mix of excessive pain, shock, and trying to convince Mr. McDuck of her evil. Oh how she'd utterly failed! It was rather upsetting, really.

She muttered a thanks to Mrs. White. Might as well make peace with the two of them if she wasn't going to convince one or get rid of the other. Enemies were supposed to be a bad thing, especially one from Tugley Woods. The last thing she wanted was for this experience to come back and haunt her, because really.. she already had a broken leg.

"The tube is right here," she told Mr. McDuck, running her paw lightly over the tube, which caused her to wince. Even touching it that much sent a wave of pain through her. "Press as hard as you need to to bend it back." Besides, the worst that could happen was that she experienced more pain than she already was, and if that happened maybe she'd just black out!

[Lucca]

Graeme nodded to Mrs. White, and without realizing that she'd been privately griping about it, offered his thanks to her as well. "Ah, thanks for that. Sounds like it was a bit of trouble." The Duck nodded, then crouched down to look at the leg in question. Yes...he could see the tube, just barely: an odd, hard-looking bump in the leg that he knew didn't resemble any bone he was familiar with. He felt vaguely queasy at how much pain it would cause her to set it, as well as the bone, but waiting too much longer would only make it worse. With a deep breath, he looked over to the Pine Martin.

"Ready?" he muttered, and as soon as she would nod or give any other sort of indication, he moved forward. With deft, strong fingers he found the tube, which was luckily only slightly out of place, and wrenched it back in with one smooth motion. Then he quickly found the bone, and this, too, he set, holding his hand out to his maid as soon as he was done, who placed bandages from the med kit in his waiting hand. Using these, he bound the leg tightly, making sure it was elevated above the ground, and testing the splint to make sure it would keep the leg from really moving too much.

"You'll be all right, now," he told her, wiping his forehead beneath his hat. Hills, how tiring. "I think it's set fairly well, but feel free to check it later when you get home. Once again, I am sorry about all this." Sighing, Graeme leaned back, suddenly feeling very tired. Oddly drained. Like his energy had just been...sapped...

He sat bolt upright, eyes widened in surprise. He'd almost completely forgotten about the experiment in all this! He nearly laughed. "They've worn off," he marveled to himself, and then tried to remember when he'd first felt the burst of energy that would have meant they took effect.

[Lucca]

Mrs. White's carefully controlled expression actually registered surprise when Aima thanked her. She...had not expected that, somehow. Quickly, she replaced this with a beaming smile, for once without as many darker undertones, the ugly side of her being shocked into momentary silence. "Oh, you're quite welcome, dear. I can only hope that your pain is eased a bit by them!" She backed up, and turned her beaming smile on McDuck as well when he acknowledged her efforts. Though her inner voice did have something to say about that one. About time. A -bit- of trouble? A bit? Next time -you- can go bandy tiresome words with fools! At least you'd fit in.

She watched with an expression of sympathy, but with inner glee, as the leg was set quite painfully. Any cries of pain that the creature made bringing her a strange, sick kind of pleasure, even as her face registered sorrow. She helped McDuck where she could, grabbing the bandages and anything else he may need from the first aid kit. Always helpful. Though of course inwardly she was griping again. How he just expected her to be nice. What if she didn't want to be nice? Did anyone ever think of -that-?

One eyebrow rose at the out-of-the-blue comment McDuck made. Then the other as she clued into what he was referring to. What an odd thing to be concerned about at a time like this. Then again, Aima would probably care too, even if she was in horrible pain.

[Esfiel]

Here it comes. The moment was there. It was time to set her tube and bone. I can do this! she thought optimistically. Of course she could! She had gone through more pain than what she was about to feel. When he asked if she were ready she gave him a confident nod. He moved forward.. here it was...

Aima could literally feel the tube moving in her leg, and all the pain the thing sent through her leg and body. Her blue eyes shot open as wide as they were likely to get and she screamed. It was worse than the watch! Well, she would think it was as the whole limp-moving-against-her-will thing all happened in a sort of astonished blur.

Then without any relief he went to the bone of the same already pounding leg and set the bone back! Pain she had experienced, yes, pain this large? No doubt. Had she been conscious? Well, no. When the bone was set she didn't scream like she did with the tube. She couldn't because the little pine marten had passed out cold, completely missing that he said the effects had worn off and to what would have been her woe Mrs. White's momentary surprise at her thanks.

[Lucca]

"Let's see..." Graeme muttered to himself, eyebrows down in an expression of concentration. His watch, as he remembered with a jolt of unhappiness, had fallen to the floor earlier, still in the other room, and someone had undoubtedly touched it by now, making it vanish. And he couldn't pull it out again until another week had passed and the ability was refreshed. Maybe he should start carrying a second, more normal pocket watch... Still, he thought he could focus on about when it had kicked it, his mind going over the events since he'd downed that tea...ignoring the sound of his name being called...

"Mr. McDuck?" Mrs. White said, at first quietly, and then repeated a little louder when he seemed to be ignoring her. "Mr. McDuck?" Her red eyes narrowed a bit in exasperation and she sighed, for she had finally noticed (from the lack of moans or groans or other cries) that the patient had passed out from the pain of having her leg worked on. (Weakling.) "Earth to Scrooge McDuck?" she said irratably, something of her hidden personality coming out.

Graeme was still rather oblivious, studying what appeared to be a section of the floor but not actually look at it. Finally, he brighted. "I got it!" he cried, and then gave his famous cackle, rubbing his hands together. He turned to Aima to tell her the news, and that was when he noticed something was wrong...

"Oh no. Oh dear." He hurriedly went over to check her pulse. It seemed normal, though her even breathing would lead him to believe she was unconscious...out cold. His face twisted in an expression of dismay. "I can't believe I didn't notice..." He looked helplessly at Mrs. White, who gave him a drawn smile.

She tried not to let her voice show any of her annoyance as she spoke. "Mr. McDuck, sir, I was trying to tell you--I believe she passed out while you were still setting the leg. It was a lot of pain, after all."

Grame sighed. Of course it had been. "Well, let's move her somewhere safe..." Carefully, the Duck went to pick Aima up, moving out of the room, his faithful maid dogging his steps. After paying for the meal himself (there was no question of that now after everything he'd put her through) McDuck and White took Aima back to somewhere safe...the 'small' townhouse that McDuck owned just in case he ever needed to stay overnight in the Capital.

------

When Aima woke up, the first thing she'd see would probably be Mrs. White standing over her, expression narrowed in a scowl for just a moment, though the minute that she noticed the Pine Martin's eyes open, it would shift seamlessly into a bright, relieved smile, as if the other expression had never been there in the first place. "Oh, you're awake! How do you feel?" her voice was breathless and fluttery. The pain meds should definitely have kicked in by now...

[Esfiel]

Everything felt numb and confusing. At first Aima wasn't even aware she was waking up. She couldn't remember any dreams, so the switch between being out cold and awareness was foggy. Time seemed to have passed her by, making her vaguely wonder how long she'd been out.

Slowly everything that happened came back to her. How far-fetched it all seemed! Maybe she did remember one of her dreams. Evil white cats and ducks with magic watches? Ha! But then why couldn't she move her leg all that well? Hmm... Maybe she'd gotten it tangled in the sheets again. She was never a restful sleeper, even before the tubes.

What was that feeling, though? It felt like a presence accompanied by a certain sense of dread, such a strange thing to feel right when waking up! She must be going mad at last.

It was a terrifying shock when her eyes finally flicked open and there was a white face starring down at her. "What in---" she started, but then it asked how she felt. "...uh." This time it wasn't from trying to come up with an acceptable answer. Aima was just highly confused. The Cat looked familiar in a horrible way. Did they know each other? "Mrs...." It was Mrs. Something. "Mrs... White?"

Everything came flooding back, including the memory of what had happened to her leg. "It.. doesn't hurt too much, I don't think. Is that the pain medicine?" She paused, a more important question coming to mind. Where was she, and why was Mrs. White there? But she appeared alone with the creature, and she was starting to become more alert. Better ask something more tactful. "How long have I been out...?" And why, why after everything she'd talk to Mr. McDuck about, would he put them in a room together alone?

[Lucca]

Mrs. White peered at her anxiously, becuse oh dear, the girl seemed horribly confused and disoriented upon first waking! And a deep, dark part of her felt the odd urge to take advantage of the situation...to grab a knife, to plunge it into that exposed neck, to make those wondering, searching eyes go dull...they'd never trace it back to her, it would be like before...

"Yes, dear. Mrs. White," she said, smiling indulgently, tail swishing with agitation. "Oh, yes, it should be. It was the strong stuff, good stuff, for all that it took so very long to get it. But don't try to move your leg at all, we wouldn't want you to get hurt." Maybe you wouldn't, but I would! "You've been out for several hours at least. Can I get you anything? Water or tea, perhaps?" She began to pace toward the door of the small but well-furnished bed room that Aima was resting in, looking back expectantly. She's sure to need something, they always do...

As in anticipating the question, she added, "Oh, and Mr. McDuck is in the other room doing paper work, but if you like I shall inform him that you are awake?"

**

Graeme had, in fact, long since stopped being able to concentrate on said paper work he was doing for his trading company, no matter how important it was. With a sigh, he rubbed his temples, looking mournfully down at the stack of forms he'd been staring at for the past ten minutes with no results. "I know it's bad when I can't even concentrate on things that involve money," he said to himself with a sigh. He couldn't help being worried about the Corvie that was, as far as he knew, still unconscious on the floor above him. After all, it was his fault she was in this unfortunate situation.

[Esfiel]

Aima was ready to jump out of the bed and dash out of the room as quickly as she could, broken leg or no! The image of her tumbling out of the bed tangled in sheets, however, and the embarrassment of her all people witnessing it, made her decide that course of action to be a firm negative.

So she smiled slightly instead as though grateful, which she really was not. Then Mrs. White asked if she needed anything. Water? Tea? Tea sounded good.. but.. but then she'd make it. "Oh, no thank you. I'm quite fine," she blurted, a thought followed right after. Wait a minute, she wasn't likely to kill her. How in the world would she explain that? Or if she did, at least Mr. McDuck would know she hadn't been lying!

Okay, those were just bad priorities. Moving on...

It was too late, she felt, to suddenly change her mind. She'd lost the chance of sending her away. How awful.. Wait, what was this? Offering to get Mr. McDuck? Brilliant! Now this was a chance she could jump on without fear!

"Ah, yes, I think you should perhaps get Mr. McDuck, though. As long as he's not busy or anything.." And hopefully she would think to take her sweet time as a means of being cruel. That would give her some time to think alone, or at least be prepared to deal with Mrs. White and having no idea where she was currently located.