The X Quadrant

08. Blood and Roses

08. Blood and Roses

.xXx. Recap. .xXx.

I was pulled out of my reverie when the door to my hospital room opened.

I looked up at Reed who was glaring at the door. I turned to see Stallion in the doorway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Reed half growled.

.xXx.

"What are you upset at me about? It wasn't my fault you weren't there to help her," Stallion said, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "As a matter of fact you were home cooking like a damn pansy while I was calling an ambulance."

I frowned at that, that was mean, the only thing I ever found pansy-ish about Reed was his strange obsession with my underwear, though that mystery was solved recently. He didn't want to wear it, thankfully, he just liked me in it.

Then, Stallion's eyes travelled down my body and considering I was in this stupid-ass paper dress, my semi-naked back was facing him.

I felt Reed tense then get up. He all but shoved me onto the bed and attacked Stallion.

They both fell to the floor, Reed's fist said hello to Stallion's left eye as he yelled obscenities at him. Stallion's fist greeted Reed's left cheek with a similar accompaniment of equally colourful language.

I only snapped out of my surprise - and, embarrassingly, mild amusement - when I saw blood. I pushed off the bed and pulled Reed and Stallion apart.

They'd made enough noise to attract several doctors and nurses. The doctor made it his duty to teach them manners and proper conduct as she took them away. That strangely reminded me of Doctor Bailey from Grey's Anatomy, a show I sometimes get really pissed with because people keep dying in it.

I was pretty sure Reed hated me at that point. If he liked me half as much as he pretended to, he wouldn't have told my parents I was in the hospital.

As soon as mom entered she started fussing over me with clear chicken soup. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't like clear chicken soup itself; I just didn't like the look of it.

Plus, I was really craving some chocolate milkshake. I really love milkshake.

"Honey, what're you thinking about?" mom asked me, holding up a spoon full of clear chicken soup.

"Milkshake, ma..." I muttered, turning up my nose at the soup.

"Milkshake? Milkshakes make you fat! Do you want to look fat in your graduation pictures?" my mother scolded.

I groaned, being around my mom brought me back to child mode. "But ma, graduation is years away...!"

"What about prom?" she challenged.

"Prom is for people who don't already have enough parties in their lives, ma."

"Oh, yes, that reminds me, since your Uncle Dennis and Aunt Marge couldn't make it to the engagement we'll be having a small get-together...."

I tuned out when she started going into details. A small get-together meant, a massive banquet where the leftovers could feed a family of four for days! But my parents never let anything go to waste. My father was a giver when it came to such things. When we got something his first words would be to give it to so-and-so or do such-and-such with it.

But all I wanted right then was milkshake.

Mom put the soup on the trolley of food the nurse had rolled in, and flitted out of the room, arranging for caterers on her cell phone.

Reed walked in and sat down beside me, I looked away. No way am I talking to this little traitor.

When Stallion entered with the beginnings of a black eye, I looked at Reed in surprise, who took a seat to my left, his busted lip poking out in the cutest pout I'd ever seen on him. Stallion sat to my right, holding an ice pack to his bruising eye.

And awkward silence pursued. I could almost hear the crickets in the background.

"So, uh, what brings you here?" I asked Stallion when I wasn't able to bare the silent any longer.

Reed pouted further.

"Uhm..." Came the intelligent reply. Stallion looked down at the bouquet of flowers he was still holding in his hand that had been pretty much crushed in his brawl with Reed. A couple of roses hand lost many their petals and lay half balding the other seemed as if they were doubled over in pain.

I blinked at them then snorted derisively which, was so unladylike that Stallion startled and looked at me.

"I don't even know you, and you won't even tell me what 'The X Quadrant' is, what makes you think you're even allowed in this hospital room?" I shot at him, I was going to get my answers one way or another. Even if I have to pick a fight with him right now. I can take him with one arm tied behind my back. Or in front of my stomach as it hangs from my neck.

Okay, maybe that wouldn't work. My arm will take minimum two months to heal and hand to hand combat would probably escalate the damage. And if he took only a minute to knock out Grater Voice and Snorlax I wouldn't last long, not with this arm anyway. Plus, his eyes are too distracting.

Reed cleared his throat and I looked away from those eyes. "Wait, what is this X Quadrant?" he asked.

"I'd tell you if I knew..." I muttered giving him a 'duh' expression.

Stallion stood up, he went and stood by the window. "That's exactly why I can't tell you," he mumbled mysteriously.

Reed leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear. "Why is he acting like some movie character that's about to disclose some very annoyingly long and painful history?"

I looked at Reed, paused then raspberried.

Stallion turned around and looked at us, eyebrows raised then he sighed, shaking his head. "You both are a pair of children."

"Yeah, okay, thank you, grandpa." I said.

"I'm trying to be serious here." Stallion informed me.

"And failing miserably," Reed cut in.

Stallion sneered at him. "No one asked you, you little brat."

"I never said anyone asked me, you low-life." Reed snapped back.

I wondered whether they'd ever met before, they sure seemed pretty familiar and didn't really like that fact, I might add.

"Okay, alright, calm your boxers, please..." I said a little absently.

They both shot a scowl at me.

"Alright, if that's how it is, you two grab what's left of your your testosterone and get out of my room."

"I can't," Stallion said before Reed got a word out. "I have to talk to you."

"I'm not leaving you," Reed insisted. "Especially not with him."

"What's that supposed to mean? What do you think I'm gonna do to her? All I want to do is talk." his British accent almost convinced me.

"Yeah?! Well I don't trust you!" Reed shot back.

"Nobody asked you to!" came the reply.

Stallion was using the same taunting tone as Reed and for a second as they levelled up their gaze and tensed to start their dance of fists, I realized they kinda looked like they were talking to themselves in the mirror.

"Possessive, much?"

The boys looked at me but I was grinning at the doorway.

Humans are social creatures and we all need a friend, a confidant or a comrade. Madison Booth was all three to me.

She was shoulder to cry on, a soldier in arms, a partner in crime and as I looked at her out next plan hit me like a brick in the face.

A brick that was attached to a whole wall.

We were going to break into the X Quadrant.