The Dark Blooded Duchess. Ep1

Not long after that, I got a full medical boot workshop along with a massive list of do this and don't do that. I wondered briefly if Peggy realized that Hellions don’t do too well with rules. And that some innate part of me was dying to push the buttons that I’m not supposed to.

After getting dressed in earth clothes that consisted of an officer’s trousers, a plain black shirt, and an oversized jacket, I slipped on my shoe, which proves to be a lot more complicated when you have one robot foot.

‘Hmm,’ I frown once I regain my balance.

‘What is it, lass?’ Asks Peggy, whom I recently decided to rename Nurse Joy.

’Something seems off about the room’

‘How do you mean?’ Nurse Joy is dusting the room for the umpteenth time. I don’t know if she truly has other work and she’s just ditching it to hang out with me or if she’s here working, by spying on me.

‘The windows’ I look at the pristine, near invisible windows ‘did I not break them?’

‘Ay’ she says ‘but a near hour after we finished wit ya, Captain Ardon had them replaced.’

Ardon? That’s his full name? Why would he use a simpleton name like Donny if he has such an impressive name?

‘Well isn’t he an efficient little boy?’ I say, folding up a heap of extra, donated clothing to pack in my bag.

‘He sure is’ says Joy with a satisfied smile ‘you know I don’t know what we’d do without him. A divine blessing that man.’

’Ok what do you mean by that?’

‘Well he’s always taking care of us’ she says.

There’s a scurrying at the entryway and strange officers appear at the door with plastic bins marked for medical use.

‘The store room is full, ma’am’ says the shortest one in front ‘Healer Hanna instructed us to bring these here’

‘Eh, sure’ says Joy and shows them to the closet.

Several other officers carrying boxes came in in an orderly fashion, they mostly looked the same to me since I couldn’t see past the bins and military hats.

The only one that stood out was a woman with a dark ponytail sticking out from under her cap and greyish eyes (I know this because she looked at me and tried to hide a smile by looking away). Her skin tone was a unique blend of gold and olive and I’d seen it before.

After her, the bins seemed to be done and the officers left.

Outside, the woman walked several dozen feet before she stopped. As the other officers made way I could see she’d broken off to talk to Ardon.

‘What’s this?’ I say pointing a thumb over my shoulder.

‘Vaccines.’

I frown. ‘What in Lilith’s name for?’

Joy’s face takes on an uncomfortable frown ‘Well, we minoracles seem to have developed the tendencies to contract certain diseases. So our Justice council has decided that we should find ways to er, mitigate these.’

‘So the people in charge just force this vaccine on you?’ I demand.

‘They’re only trying to help.’ Says Joy with a hollow voice.

‘You don’t believe that’ I say and her eyes meet mine. A silent warning.

‘Joy-’

‘Peggy’ she complains

‘Same thing’ I say ‘what is really going on here?’

She stops dusting, and sighs heavily ‘I don’t know’

I nod, ‘well then don’t take it.’

She doesn’t say anything, but her energy shifts.

Perhaps she needed someone to tell her that, that it is in fact ok for her to refuse something that she feels is off.

‘Promise me you won’t do this if it feels wrong to you’

‘I can’t’ she says, pained ‘but I will try to avoid it.’

‘If it feels wrong it is wrong, Peggy. And you really want to ignore your instinct when it comes to your body?’

She doesn’t say anything but I can see the cogs working in her head.

I don’t say anything else about it. I leave her to make up her mind.

Outside, the female officer is now wrapped in Ardon’s arms and an ugly sort of heat gathers in my stomach. It may be nausea from the boot’s injections but it could also be something darker.

‘Who’s that?’ I ask before I can stop myself.

‘Ay, she’s the captain’s opposite counterpart.’

‘His …what?’

Aggy looks at me, annoyed ‘His twin, woman!’

‘Ohhhhhh’ I chuckle. I would not have gotten that.

I look at them again, packing the last of my belongings ‘His sister hmm?’

I’m not sure why that matters to me but I feel lighter regardless.

‘Ay’ says Peggy ‘Aria. She and her team are here to help with vaccination week’

At that moment Ardon looks up at me and suddenly the air between us seems to be buzzing with some energy.

I break the connection to zip up my bag and decide it’s time. I make a point of not looking at him after that.

Talo is laying exactly like she did when I first got her.

I stroke her hair and distract Joy with some sappy sentence or other, while I snip off a long piece of her hair and stuff it in one of my many pockets as I feign dropping my bag.

Peggy’s eyes well up with tears when I look at her.

‘No, don’t do that. The weird leaking thing,’ I plead ‘it makes my tits itch’

‘I - it makes your what?’ Peggy starts cackling.

’I don’t know. Just wanted to make you laugh, Joy’ I say, smiling.

‘Peggy’ she rolls her eyes.

‘That’s what I said,’ I grin.

’Be careful’ says Joy

‘Do I need to remind you that I’m from hell?’

‘Still’ she says, frowning ‘there are evils here that hell will spit out’

I roll my eyes and wobble ever so slightly over to Peggy, plant a kiss on her head, turn around and grab my bag.

‘I mean it!’ she yells after me when I reach the entryway ‘you watch yourself out there lass’

What a weird expression. I think. Of course, I know what it means but how in the seven hells am I supposed to watch myself? Do I have detachable eyeballs? Or some sort of outer-body vision?

‘Alright, alright’ I sigh ‘See you, Joy.’

There’s a bunch of feelings fighting for dominance in me.

There’s a sense of loss to be sure. Fear, which is expected given the situation. Worry, about my shadows and about Peggy, I realize (and even a little bit about the people here) In contrast, there’s excitement for exploring this new world of mine. And determination, because, well I’m me.

On their own, each of those feelings could easily make me feel uneasy, but the lot of them together, riling around like snakes in the pit of my stomach just makes me want to spontaneously combust. Or puke. Or both. Not specifically in that order.

That would be terrific, wouldn’t it? To puke in front of Ardon and his opposite counterpart.

I am a bit warm, actually. My skin feels sweaty but it could be a side effect from the drugs Hannah gave me post-boot drill. Now there’s someone I would aim my puke at.

Not because of disdain but because I’d genuinely love to see her face when she realizes it’s me. And my puke.

She would probably kill me herself.

I pointedly look at the road up ahead as I pass Ardon. I feel eyes on me. And I wonder if it’s his, but it could just as well be Peggy’s - leaking at me.

If I make it past the bend, I figure I’m home free. Both literally and figuratively, although I’m pretty sure the preferred literal term is domestically challenged.

I can practically smell the bend when I hear Ardon calling ‘Morgen! Wait up.’

Damn it. I sigh. So fucking close.