Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 09:01:37 -0700 Reply-To: Hank Wyckoff Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Hank Wyckoff Subject: (18B/30) Reading the Endtrails -- HL Posting -- Keep away from children This chapter has been split in order to follow the maximum line rule. The Cycle of Axer Carrick, Part 4 Reading the Endtrails (18B/30) A continuation of: When the Veil is Lifted The Duplicity Frostmelt WARNING: DON'T LET YOUR KIDS READ THIS STUFF -- ================================================= Axer was staring down into Coleen's eyes, his voice tight with an honest anger, "Can you explain this?" "Explain what?" "It's obvious you don't have enough experience drinking -- do you realize how much Benedictine you gave them? If you want an *interesting* experience, you put *one shot* in a *large* cup of coffee! You spiked enough in there to get *me* drunk! Do you realize Bill isn't just puking his guts out, but he's got alcohol poisoning?! You gave him a *pint*!!!" His voice was powerful enough to make a drill sergeant back off with uncertainty. Coleen was white- skinned with fright. Axer continued, "And what the hell were you trying to do, eh? I *also* noticed that you used my aquavitae... ARE YOU AN IDIOT?? I DON'T ASSOCIATE WITH IDIOTS! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!" "Ease up on her, Axer," whispered LaCroix behind him, laying a rather... *firm* grip on his shoulder. "She did it for a good reason -- you've missed out on a great deal the last few hours, so you might as well listen to what she has to say." He looked at Coleen, not quite as unobservant of her nudity, "You *do* have something to say, don't you?" Coleen started stammering, "Mulder and Scully came in with two Watchers. I didn't trust them, so I offered them regular coffee, but I didn't tell them it was spiked with Benedictine. I thought if I got them drunk enough, they might be easier to control if they tried anything." Axer's eyes narrowed, "O.K. You're clever, I'll grant you that, but where does aquavitae fit into it?" "Bill was a pervert..." she explained about that episode in D.C. "I just wanted to get back at him." "Coleen!" sighed Axer, shaking his head. "You don't get even at someone by killing them with alcohol! I'm going to keep him from dying, but he's going to be hurting for a few days at least -- and you're going to be helping him recover the *whole* time. You hear me? Now I want you to get dressed and get back here in TWO MINUTES! GO!!" Coleen bolted off, and anyone with a good batch of hormones would have a good case of glued-eyes. Nat's eyes sure were glued, but nobody noticed that detail. Axer started to rummage through the food cabinets. "Where the hell do you keep the baking soda?!" "Over there," said LaCroix in a soft tone. He grabbed it, and talked while Axer stirred a few liberal tablespoons of the stuff in a glass of water. There was so much it would never dissolve completely. "What are you doing?" "Simple chemistry. The alcohol has done its work, so now I have to combat the effects until his body can heal. The baking soda will fix his pH, the buttered crackers that I'm going to feed him -- and you'd better have them -- will soak up some of the remaining alcohol out of his blood stream. When he stops puking, I'll make him eat as much greasy sausage and eggs as I can grab." Axer then stopped as if he'd been struck. "Carafate!" "Excuse me?" LaCroix shook his head in confusion. "Look --" he grabbed LaCroix by a lapel, shoving some money into the vampire's hand, "here's fifty dollars! Can you make a run to the pharmacy and get some Carafate?" That struck LaCroix as being utterly absurd and unexpected. He shook his head in confusion. "Come on! What are you waiting for? You can get there fast than any of us, and you can 'persuade' the pharmacist into saying 'to hell with the prescription'. Go on!" Baffled, LaCroix took the money and left. By now, Coleen had returned, hurriedly-dressed and still pale-faced. "O.K. Coleen," snarled Axer, "time to gain a practical education in first aid. Grab a bucket -- there'll be no rags or mops for you. Not even a toothbrush!" "What --" Coleen tried to ask. "You're going to find *every* spot of vomit and clean it up! Go on! What are you waiting for?" When she paused, he yelled, "You have it easy -- you could be *licking* it up!" Coleen bolted, looking for a bucket. "Where the hell's a bucket around here?!" "You'd better find out!" Axer's voice floated down the hall. Bill vomited bile again, and Coleen cursed. Axer walked up to Bill with the soda water, and forced him to drink every drop. Bill vomited it all up a few moments later, looking even worse. "That was uncalled for," said Kate, moving up next to Axer, "telling Coleen that!" "Can you take a look at Bill and repeat that?" he asked softly, pointing at Bill. "He's a mortal, and she almost killed him because she thought he was a pervert. I can agree with her views -- on this subject -- but I can't agree with the results of her prank." Kate frowned, "I get your point, but..." she couldn't finish the sentence. The front door opened loudly, and three people came in: Nick, Tracy, and ... "Adams?" demanded Axer, "What the hell are you doing here?" He stared at Heimdall -- whom he knew only as a laid off craftsman named Doug Adams. Heimdall shrugged helplessly. Axer then noticed the sword hanging from Heimdall's belt, and made a connection, "Wait a minute -- I can't sense you, but if you're carrying a *sword* --" "That's Heimdall, you idiot!" said someone right next to Axer. "Who said that?" he demanded, looking around furiously, only to find that nobody had spoken -- and nobody was anywhere near the source of the voice. "Who said what?" asked Nick. "Said that Adams is Heimdall, and that I was an idiot for not knowing that!" Heimdall snickered. Nick and Tracy looked at one another, and Tracy said, "You just said that yourself." "No I didn't!" "Yes you did!" everyone said at once, except for Bill, who vomited some more, the sounds of his dry heaves enough to make most shudder in concern. However, nobody was paying any attention to it. That sent Bill into even more heart- wrenching dry heaves that everyone ignored. Axer's head sank into his hands, "Why does this have to happen to me?..." Kate put a hand on his forehead, "You aren't running a fever... Maybe you ought to sit down -- without a beer." While Axer and Kate sat down, Nick looked around and saw that Nat was here. He moved up to her, "What happened to you? What are you doing here?" He was about to give her a hello kiss when she backed up. "Nick," she said hesitantly, "I think we need to talk somewhere else." Nick and Nat walked over to the bar, where she said, "I don't think we can be friends -- like this -- anymore. I just can't handle it." "Nat?" That utterly shocked Nick. "What do you mean?" "Nick? I don't know how to tell you this, so I'll go ahead and say it: I'm in love with Coleen, and I don't love you. I can't love you when you treat me like a psychiatrist -- and an unpaid one at that." Just then, as Nick's face went through some contortions, Janette walked into the front door, looking around, "The place looks different, somehow -- I hate it. Is this LaCroix' doing?" Nick looked towards the in shock. "Janette?!" Nat slapped Nick on the face, "I knew it! I hope you're happy!" Nat walked off while Nick looked at her with total confusion, holding his hand on the cheek that Nat slapped. It hurt as much as a faint touch -- it was the emotion that he reacted to. Janette, of course, noticed this little exchange and looked at Nick with questioning eyes. Nick groaned, letting his face fall into his hands. *********************************** --------------------------------------------------------- Henry Wyckoff -- wyckoff@ag.arizona.edu Q: Want to know how to conserve bandwitdth? A: We all stay off the web and watch the servers shut down. =========================================================================