You're a drug dealer?!

[holbydelboy]

Characters: Fletch (holbydelboy), Jackie Ma (jinzhong), and Milyn (cherrywood)
Date: 15th March, following this thread
Location: Apothecary
Situation: Fletch found out Milyn made dangerous hallucinogens and wants answers. Knock, knock. It's Jackie, and he brings *~*~feelings~*~*
Warnings/Rating: Angry British guys, angry triad guys, and possibly more.


So. Dust and Lucid, two of the biggest drugs on Tu Vishan, and they were made by someone Adrian Fletcher liked. He doesn't like the thought of that... So he's going to get confirmation.

It's early morning when he walks up to the clinic in the water sector, finding it open, as usual. Kind of odd for someone who's just been outed as the primary reason many people got drugged and won over to some cosmic evil's side. But, then again, Milyn wasn't exactly normal. Even by kedan standards.

So, he's going to push his way into the room. "Milyn?" He calls out, finding the front of the shop empty. "It's Fletch."

Comments

SURPRISE. | Tag order: Meisheng, Jackie, Fletch, Milyn?

[ironrule]

The back door of Milyn's clinic had been left unlocked. That was probably why, a moment after Fletch asked his question and Milyn laughed, Meisheng stepped out of the shadows behind them, shedding any attempt to go unnoticed or unrecognised.

"You two," she said, speaking to both the Foreigners, though her gaze was on Jackie. She jerked her head towards the door. "Out. Now."

Her facial features had shifted to resemble a canine's, her favourite form to take - but anyone who'd met her before would recognise her. And there was no mistaking the mark of the Snakes she wore on the band around her upper arm.

[jinzhong]

Jackie stumbled to his feet in shock, overturning the chair and spilling his tea. "M-Meisheng?"

Oh, shit. What had Valdis started?

[holbydelboy]

And Fletch rises to his feet, too. He's noticed the symbol, sure, but he's never seen Meisheng... So this attitude is completely blind.

"I don't think so, love." He replies, dryly. "Last I heard, this wasn't your gaff, alright? Don't think you can give the orders 'round here."

[cherrywood]

This wasn't exactly the type of excitement Milyn has been referring to, though it did fit with the 'never a dull moment' idea. Meisheng's sudden appearance wasn't expected... but after a moment's consideration, perhaps it wasn't unexpected, either. She had always been loyal to her brother, after all... and who else would Yunxu trust with this but his own blood?

"Hello Meisheng," the Healer greeted, belatedly rising and moving to stand between Jackie and Fletch, so much shorter than both of them. "It's been a while since you used the back door... since your brother found out you were coming here in secret, I believe! So this is a little nod of nostalgia..."

But then, to both men, she added softly. "But perhaps she's right, you two should go..."

[ironrule]

Meisheng glanced at Milyn, then at Fletch. Milyn's words gave her obvious pause, but it wasn't the faltering sort of hesitation one could take advantage of. If the dagger in her hand and the glint in her eye was any indication, any pause would be just that. A pause. Not an end.

"You heard her," Meisheng said softly, head bowed. "Orders from the woman in charge. You," she added, her gaze back on Jackie, "would make yourself scarce if you had an ounce of loyalty left."

[jinzhong]

Jackie glanced at Milyn. "You're kidding, right?" No way was he going to leave her alone with this dog-headed psycho.

This was what Jackie had struggled with wanting to do when he'd been in the Sun On Yee, before he'd been betrayed and killed, and now he had what felt like a moment of clarity - the opportunity to go legit, properly, and tell Meisheng the meaning of loyalty.

"I'm showing my loyalty," he said, his voice barely shaking, his chin thrust out stubbornly. "Milyn's always done right by me, since before I was ever a part of your diulan gang! I'm not gonna just leave her alone with you."

[holbydelboy]

"And you really need to learn semantics, love. The lady said should." Fletch states, shifting his stance to position himself between himself and Milyn. He glances back at the healer.

"I'm sure whatever you've got to say or do can be done with us here."

[cherrywood]

Milyn wanted to laugh sadly and chide both of them, but does neither. "Please," she says to both of them. "Meisheng and I have been... friends. Physician and patient. There's always a chance we can talk this out, but I don't want either of you to be caught in the middle of things if that turns out not to be true. How about I bring you both a nice sachet of tea when we're all done here, hm? That sounds good, doesn't it?"

It was, perhaps, implicit permission to excuse themselves without needing to feel obligated on her behalf... even if the offer seemed oddly timed, even for Milyn's peculiar sense of humour.

[ironrule]

"A nice sachet of tea," Meisheng repeated flatly. With every word Milyn said, particularly friends and talk this out, the expression on Meisheng's face grew ever more sour. By the time she interrupted, even her canine features had receded in the wake of it. "Are you sure it isn't poisoned? They wouldn't be the first Foreigners to fall victim to your tea, would they?"

Even before Milyn had a chance to respond, Meisheng's right foot was sliding back, the aforementioned dagger held loosely out from her side. "Last chance," she said. "This woman has been lying to everyone for years. Get out."

[jinzhong]

The accusation of poisoning was one that didn't seem to hold any water to Jackie. "If she wanted to, she could'a killed us all when we were stuck in the Dreaming. I'm not following your orders anymore!" he said, reaching in his jacket for a knife of his own.

[holbydelboy]

There's a glance back at Milyn at the accusation of poisoning using tea, but that can be dealt with later... Now, however, things were getting a little too hot.

"I think everyone needs to calm down for a bit. Milyn's right, we need to talk this through, and knives can't talk." His hand strays towards the pocket with his handset, ready to grab it and call for help if it was needed... but he doesn't. Yet.

"I didn't say we shouldn't talk. Just that, given the atmosphere, people should be around. To prevent any accidents."

[cherrywood]

The Cherrywood Healer uttered an exasperated sigh at the accusation. "This is an entirely different situation, Meisheng."

But the knife being brought to bear by the Snake's second in command, and Jackie reaching for his own, and her tone became distressed. "Jackie, don't!"

[ironrule]

They weren't going to leave. Yunxu wouldn't be happy if either of the Foreigners were hurt, but Meisheng was fairly sure he'd be less happy if she let them stop her.

Jackie had a knife. She went for him first, striking without warning, feinting a slash at his arm then twisting down to aim for his leg instead.

I never get to use this icon

[jinzhong]

Jackie had grown up around knives; Meisheng wouldn't be able to trick him quite so easily. Quick jabs and feints were par for the course in the Sun On Yee. Guns were illegal in Hong Kong; most fights were settled with knives.

So he had a few tricks of his own.

When he'd taken the knife out of his pocket, he'd slipped his arm out of the sleeve of his jacket, too, and whipped it around to try and catch Meisheng's arm with it to at least knock her aim off, if he can; the best-case scenario would be to get the knife out of her hand entirely. He followed that with a swipe at her, not meant to kill, just to wound, get her to stumble back.

"Fletch, get her outta here!"

[holbydelboy]

"Bloody...!" Fletch exclaims. "You do realise this is the exact opposite of what I just said, right?!"

But, yes, well made point, Jackie. He turns, reaching to put an arm on Milyn's shoulder.

"I think we'd better follow his advice and scarper, eh?"

[cherrywood]

But Milyn doesn't look like she has any intention of leaving Jackie behind, any more than he and Fletch had a mind to leave her behind with Meisheng. She pulls away from Fletch's grip on her shoulder, trying to grab at Jackie's arm.

"Meisheng, enough, you have your child to think about! And they haven't done anything, they were only here to talk to me."

[ironrule]

The empty sleeve worked; Snakes weren't trained to think outside the box, and Meisheng reacted as though the sleeve had an arm in it. She dodged, fell back, and grunted as Jackie's knife nicked her side, drawing blood that stained her shirt.

If she heard what Milyn said, it didn't show. Instead, Meisheng went for Jackie again, leaning slightly sideways to compensate for the pain. A feint, a jab, a slash - none of them lethal, all intended to distract and strengthen the chance the next attempt would break skin. Even if none did, however, the moment she was finished Meisheng spun away and stabbed at Fletch instead, purposefully going wide so when he tried to defend - and assuming he didn't know how to block a knife properly - she could move in past his guard and knock him backwards across the table.

[jinzhong]

Jackie grunted, jumping back - not quickly enough. Meisheng's knife nicked him twice, slashing him; he tried to block some of her slashes and lash out with some of his own. Especially when he noticed her focus had changed.

"Leave him alone!"

[holbydelboy]

He'd taken the Conflict Resolution training. All NHS staff had to. That had a rudimentary self-defence component. That, and working in the ED for about two years, then AAU, meant he was pretty used to defending himself...

...From the drunk, sick and infirm. Granted, they could still throw a decent punch, and Fletch would sometimes go home with bruises, but... nothing really like this. He dodges naturally; by jumping back, and leaving him wide open.

Meisheng's strike hits. He goes over the table, and cracks his head on the wall. He's out before he even hits the ground.

[cherrywood]

This is quickly getting out of control, and Milyn's beginning to doubt the outcome of this clash more and more. A quick kneel to Fletch's side to check him -- pulse strong, breathing unimpeded, a gouge on the head that will require attention later -- and the blood appearing on Jackie from Meisheng's slashes galvanizes her.

"Stop this instant, I'm telling you! You're ruining everything!"

An expression of anger that seems ill-suited on the Healer's face and she slips beneath Jackie's arm, attempting to grapple with Meisheng herself, though it's easy to see that the taller kedan woman is far her physical superior, and Milyn doesn't appear to have much beyond rudimentary skills at defending herself.

cw: stabbing

[ironrule]

It isn't what Meisheng expected, she'll grant Milyn that. And her surprise would have been enough to enable a decent shot, if her attacker was anyone else.

It isn't. It's Milyn. Meisheng barely stumbles back, takes only a second to recover her balance, and -

There's a thing about grappling. It's a bad idea when the person you're grappling with has a knife and you don't, especially when they know how to use it and you don't know how to defend against it. From almost any position, the knife can, without being seen, slide into your ribcage and take all of your strength from you in one fell swoop.

For a moment, Milyn keeps struggling, almost as if she isn't aware she's been stabbed. But the struggles become flounders, then stop altogether, and with a look of surprise on her face Milyn stumbles backwards. Meisheng lets that momentum pull the knife free from Milyn's chest and takes two steps backwards, one eye on Jackie, fully expecting recompense.

cw: me, hating you guys, forever >:(

[jinzhong]

"No!" But he was too slow to stop Milyn, too slow--!

Meisheng, you asshole. If you'd left the knife in...!

Jackie's priorities were clear - he dropped his own knife, catching Milyn as she stumbled backwards, reaching for his radio with one hand and pressing the other to her wound.

"Milyn's been stabbed! Healers to the clinic!"

cw: stabbing injuries, blood

[cherrywood]

Milyn barely registered Jackie catching her, one hand reaching down to touch the deep wound in her chest as if perplexed how it could have gotten there, before her legs lose strength and she buckles into his hold.

Belatedly she thinks, but I'm a Healer, I'm already here? at Jackie's radio call. Blood darkening her lips, she nevertheless smiles and reaches up to pat his cheek, as he fails to find a heartbeat beneath his touch.

"Don't worry," she says, with great effort. "It's not... as bad as it looks, see?"

[ironrule]

No recompense. Just a call for aid to the Foreigners at large. That gives Meisheng two minutes at the most, considering how fast some of them can be. More than enough time to disappear.

But then Milyn speaks, and Meisheng can't help a glance back over her shoulder, surprised. That should have been fatal. It would have been fatal. How did Milyn - ?

Oh.

She could turn back and finish the job, unmindful of who catches her afterward. Yunxu would expect her to. She almost does. But after a moment's indecision, her black eyes on Jackie trying desperately to stop the bleeding, Meisheng turns and vanishes into the darkness of the clinic.

Let the Foreigners handle it. They're always the ones who decide the fate of the city, after all.

[holbydelboy]

Mere seconds after Meisheng disappeared, Fletch groans, being brought back into consciousness too quickly, the pounding in his head making it hard to open his eyes... He almost didn't, almost let the blackness and pain in his chest and head take him back over...

...But something stops him. A smell in the air. Blood. There has to be a lot of it in order to smell it.

Cracking his eyes open, wincing at the light, Nurse Adrian Fletcher pushes himself up. He reaches up, brushing a hand against his wound, it coming back red. Was that the source? Couldn't be... His eyes then lock on the scene Meisheng left.

"Milyn..." He mumbles, eyes going wide, before his body kicks in almost automatically. He's shrugging off the jacket he's wearing, thrusting it at Jackie, letting the adrenaline take over.

"Use that, over the wound, as hard as you can, don't let up." He orders, before shifting over, crouching by Milyn's left side.

"Milyn! Can you hear me? You still with us?" Fletch calls out, voice clear, making sure it goes in both ears.