Not One of Us, Not One of Them

Participants:

sonny_icon.gif elvis_icon.gif

Scene Title Not One of Us, Not One of Them
Synopsis Sonny is called to take care of Elvis' road rash by way of the Ferrymen. They get along fine until Elvis discovers that Sonny is in a more privileged position than other Evolved.
Date December 6, 2008

Boot Strap's Outlaw Motorcycle Shop


Boot Strap's was the city's most exclusive outlaw motorcycle shop, mainly because it was rare you could get your bike worked on unless you'd earned your one percent patch. Now that Elvis was here there was a stream of far more affluent clients, but that didn't change the fact that this was a rough and tumble place. It had been a liquor shop, then a porno shop and then a liquor store with alot of porno before it evolved into its present state. There was a mix of thuggish outlaw types out front of course, with choppers well represented as well.

Inside, there was at least some riding gear but mainly it was displays stacked with motors, frames and wheels. Behind the counter, was a man who was easily 6'5" or larger and composed principally of muscle and scar tissue. There were a few other rough types milling around, but it was our lovely cashier that permitted access to the Mechanic's workshops. That's what Elvis had indicated in her message anyway.

This is not Sonny Bianco's part of town. He drives a Mercedes and has suits specially tailored. But, doing this kind of work is the thing that lets him live with himself. He has to even out the guilt of making ridiculous sums of money by making people beautiful somehow.
He's taken a taxi and has tried to dress down. He's got a black toque pulled down over his bushy, curly hair. He's also wearing his rattiest jeans and an untucked blye dress shirt. Over that all is a wool jacket, but he pulled a button off it for effect. He pays the driver, then pushes open the door and moves up to the shop, duffel bag/medkit slung over one shoulder.

It's an admirable disguise, but Bootstrap wasnt born yesterday. "Where the fuck do you think you are."says the guy flanked by a Nazi party flag. The rest of the shop falls quiet, as all eyes divert from prospective purchases to the fellow in the wool coat.

The Italian guy arches his eyebrows and digs his hands into his pockets. He swallows. "Uh…I'm…I'm looking for Elvis?" His eyes go wide. So this is how it ends, is it? After everything he's been through, the mayor's son is going to be found gutted in an alley in a bad part of town.

There's a long glare at that, before he reaches across the counter to jerk up a hinged section of counter top and open a large steel door directly behind it. "She's at the very end, the green door."and beyond, was a long dark hallway bathed in the sounds of various power tools and heavy metal. Just six shops though, and indeed the very last one -did- have a big green door built like a bank vault.

It seems like a bad, bad idea to go behind a large steel door. But Sonny moves forward in spite of his reservations, and quickly, before this big scary man decides to tear his head off for fun. He moves down the aisle quickly, careful not to make eye contact with anyone. When he gets to the green door, he knocks.

The security door slams behind you, which sort've shuts off the majority of the available lighting. The shop door at the end however, is quick to open. "Hey.."Comes Elvis's voice, from behind the door as it swings inward. "C'mon in Doc, sorry to drag ya'll out here and all."

Elvis's shop space was painted entirely in white, and the walls and work benches were without so much as a smudge. There was a scooter set on one heavy workbench, and part of the Super X she was working on on another. She'd cleared her central work table, a big squat affair with a bar stool set aside it. On the far wall stood a fridge, and a Sofa. Aside from a few suspended shop lights, the place was entirely dark. Once she closed the door, it was also dead silent. "I dont believe we've met."

"Very…uh, charming place here." Sonny looks around and sets his kit down. He pulls the hat off his head. "Why is everything so secure?" He offers his hand to her. "Sonny Bianco. The message said something about gravel?"

Elvisseats herself on the central work bench. "Because we're bikers, and cops like to fuck with us for no reason almost as much as fucktards like tryna kill us."she sits back, watching Sonny carefully. "Yeah I got some rash awhile back, and it healed up but I keep finding gravel under my skin. I was popping them out with a knife, but I cant get to half of them by myself anymore. I just need you to clean me up. That ok?"

"Yeah, I can do that. But you should have had this looked at earlier. You could end up with a nasty infection." Sonny lifts his kit up onto a nearby surface and zips it open. "Lie down on your stomach and let me take a look."

Elvis nods pausing to pull off her T-shirt before she complies. She was apparently, about halfway done with getting a proper set of full sleeves done in properly classical Japanese style. The gravel, well wasn't as bad as you might expect. You could just make out the bumps in her almost alarmingly pale skin with the naked eye, fifteen or twenty such bumps ran from below her shoulder blade to just above her belt line. "Yeah I know, thats not how things went down though. They sting like a bitch."

Sonny snaps on a pair of gloves and reaches out to gently touch the area around the gravel. He squints. "Mmm. This…isn't going to tickle. I have some painkillers here." He reaches into his bag and pulls out a container. He shakes a pair of pulls out into his hand and offers them out to Elvis. "I'll numb the area as well."

For the moment Elvis is content to lie there like a slab. "I have bad reactions to pain killers, I have a very high tolerance for pain regardless. Just do what you need to do, and don't worry about it. It ain't like your gonna hurt my feelings, alright?" It couldn't be worse than her picking the rocks out with a switch blade. Honestly, how could it be worse.

Sonny chuckles softly. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that." He pulls out a bottle of alcohol and starts to gently swab down her back. He does so carefully and inspects the gravel as he does. "So…" he takes a pair of tweezers and works at the pieces not under the skin first. His motions are skilled and confident. "…any particular reason you couldn't go to a hospital?"

Huffs, see not so bad. "I don't like authority, they see my medical file and they flip. I don't need that kind of attention, especially not over fucking Suzuki."she shifts a touch, resting her head atop her folded arms. "My own damn fault for riding the wrong steel, I got exactly what I had coming."

Sonny has steady hands. He's a good doctor. Not that he actually gets to practice medicine lately. It's usually all power use. "Now, this is going to sting a bit." He has a sharp scalpel which he uses to gently cut the skin so he can access the bits of gravel and tug them out. Bit by bit. It's going to take awhile, but when he's done, her back won't look like a pincushion.

And for all Elvis's bravado, she takes it as well as anyone can really. There's a slight tensing at each cut, but she stays cool as a cucumber. "I'm gonna owe you when we're done, but I didn't get the impression you were much of a biker. There anyone I can beat the tar out've or something for you, I'm sort've of a limited skillset sadly."

"This isn't the kind of thing I do for reciprocation, Elvis." Sonny's focused on the gravel, so he sounds distracted. "I do this because I want to be useful to someone other than socialites and spoiled housewives." He dabs some topical anaesthesia on an area towards the middle of her back. "This…isn't going to tickle. I've got a cluster of gravel and I think a bit of glass." He makes a careful incision, longer and deeper than the others and starts to work at removing the foreign matter. He dabs often with the anaesthesia to keep the area as numb as possible.

Yeah, ok this is getting a little worse than a switch blade. "I am aware doc, Your doing a kind thing for me and I'm trying to do a kind thing for you. Everyone in this whole damn organization is so damned bent on charity for charity's sake, christ I get it. Don't mean the rest of us need to feel guilty and indebted forever."

"Please don't feel indebted. To be perfectly honest, I have a great deal of money and political connections. I'm not sure there's anything you could give me in return." He struggles to get the shard of glass with the tweezers, but when he does, she gets a sharp pain followed by a sort of relief. "That must have been uncomfortable. Like a rock in your shoe times twenty." There's a tinkling sound as he drops the shard into a dish. He takes a moment to swab the area and put pressure on it so it stops bleeding, then it's back to fishing out the gravel.

Grits her teeth, and then just relaxes. Its a typical response to pain, well at first anyway. The moment the glass comes free, she goes instantly flush before her skin grows almost feverishly warm. "Fuck yes, fucking murder."she mumbles, wishing instantly that she had taken up Sonny on his offer of pain killers.

"Are you sure that you don't want some pills?" This happens sometimes. Sonny did part of his residency at a maternity ward. "I've still got a lot to get out. Normally I'd do this in more than one sitting, but I don't know when I'll have time to come back again."

"I'm fine"she lies, breathing deeply to try and wash the adrenaline back out of her system. "I'm evolved, that stuff doesnt have a good reaction with my system. "which was partially true anyway. "Just unexpected, my body dumps adrenaline."offered finally almost as an excuse. "and anyway, how many people do you know in low places?"

"I'm starting to meet more and more," says Sonny with a little smile. He continues to pull out the bits of gravel a few at a time. "I've had no problem with painkillers. What do you mean it dumps adrenaline?" Tink. Tink. Little bits rattle into the dish. "Almost done."

"I got worked on by a doctor in Daytona, off the books. Sort've like you, he could touch people and know whats going on. "she inhales sharply for a moment, before relaxing again. "When I get riled up, my body dumps adrenaline into my system. Doc told me it would kill a horse at half the dose. Same triggers as everyone else right, pain, excitement and whatever but its alot more powerful. So don't read too much into how tense I seem, your not hurting me."ok no, it hurt like a motherfucker but in the mean time she wasn't gonna wuss out now.

"I know the body's reaction to pain, Elvis. You can't fool me. But, if you want to suffer through it, then, that's your decision," Sonny chuckles softly and digs out a particularly pointy hunk of gravel. "I can't read what's wrong, but if there's any scarring after this heals up, I can take care of that." He swabs down the area, then frowns at the spot that had the glass. It won't stop bleeding. "Mm. I'm going to give you a couple of stitches on this deep incision I had to make." He goes to his kit and threads a needle. "This shouldn't hurt any worse than what I've been doing." The stitches go in quick. There's several sharp pricks of pain, then it's over. "I'm going to bandage you up, then I'm all done."

\"St-IT-ches, huh."she shudders, working her jaw as the needle dives in and dose its thing. "I never said, it didnt hurt."she cringes, nearly panting as she's tied up. "and you dodged the issue, doc."glancing over her shoulder with a strained smile. "I still owe you, save your charity for someone who needs it." He was worse than Abby, at least she accepted waffles.

"Fine then. If I ever need any dirty deals, I know who to call," Sonny tugs out the last bits of gravel, swabs down the area well, then starts to apply dressings and additional anesthetics. It should feel a lot better, if stingy. "There. You'll have to sleep on your stomach for awhile, and you'll need to change the dressings once a day. Don't -not- do that, because you'll end up with an infection for sure. The stitches are the kind that dissolve, so you don't have to worry about having them removed." He snaps off the gloves and tosses them in a nearby waste basket. Then he goes to his bag for the bottle of pills which he sets beside her. "Just in case."

"You want me to walk you out?"she sniffles as she sits up, there's a momentary study of her bandages before she slips her shirt back on. She was craving a smoke regardless, but didn't care to stalk Sonny down the hallway. This sort've place scared some people good, and she was hardly eager to make her Doc feel any more uncomfortable than he already might be.

"I…wouldn't mind, actually. Just to confirm to your buddies that I was supposed to be here in the first place. Otherwise they might…not let me out." Sonny's not afraid to admit he's a fish out of water here. He starts to pack up his kit.

"Coworkers or clients, I ain't gonna call nobody in this place my buddy."she rolls her shoulder some, before slipping on her jacket and fishing out her pack of cigarettes. She -could- smoke here, but then it'd be easy to stay in here. She couldn't get anything done in here if it was too easy, if it was too comfortable.

Sonny zips up his pack and jams the hat back onto his head. "Well, to be honest, they don't really look like they're anyone's friend." He slings the bag over his shoulder and heads out in step beside her.

Elvis leads on happily. "Now your starting to get it."she offers, offering just an errant wave of her camels at Bootstrap to defer the question she knew was coming. She'd give a wave to a leather clad punk or two on the way who offered their hellos, but for the moment anyway Elvis seemed a little more interested in seeing Sonny. Going so far so as to hold the door open, and everything. "Wheres your car?"she asks immediately, before drawing up a fresh cigarette and giving it a flame.

"I drive a car that would draw too much attention in this neighborhood, so I took a cab." Once they're outside, Sonny relaxes visibly. He pulls a cell phone from his jacket and calls the cab company. He wrinkles his nose. "Ten minutes."

She offers over the pack, and a familiar beat to shit honda lighter."Your so fucking wound up, chill out dude. Your at a biker hangout, not a charity ball. Aint like we stand around in our little outfits lookin for excuses to fuck each other over, and aint nobody gonna start shit in front of this joint."and not just because the street here was entirely empty.

Sonny eyes the cigarettes. He doesn't normally smoke, but. He does need to relax. He takes a cigarette and lights it. It's easy to tell by the way he takes a drag that it's been a long time since he last smoked. "I'm more than a little out of my element here. A charity ball I can handle." He passes the lighter and pack back to her.

"Shit, we aint near as bad as lawyers'n shit."she accepts the pack and lighter back, tucking them into her jacket before turning to lean against her Triumph."sides, its ok sweetheart. Elvis is here to protect you, I wont let no rough men pop your cherry."she says it with as much sarcasm as she can muster, before chasing the statement with a wink and a sly little grin.

Sonny takes a few pleasureful drags from the cigarette. He tilts his head back and savours. Mmm. He forgets why he quit. Oh right. Cancer. He corners a look to Elvis. "Gee. Thanks," he drawls.

Elvis cant help but laugh, endlessly amused by her own humor. "You should feel at home here hun, your just as much of an outsider to society as we are."interesting, she put her status as a biker above her being evolved.

Sonny huffs a bit of laughter. "I don't think it's quite the same for me. Not with my family. I'm an outsider among Evolved." Not only is he registered, he makes a living from his ability.

She shrugs, looking away. She was content to let the topic drop there, cute doctor had gone elitist on her. She'd stay of course, no they'd have her ass if Sonny got hurt on her watch. She'll play her part and be a good little watch dog, until the man departs anyway.

Sonny waits for the cab and goes thoughtful. "That's why I do this. I know I have it good compared to most of us. I have to give back somehow." He looks down at the cigarette and suddenly feels guilty for smoking it. He drops it and crushes it out under his foot.

"Yeah sure, give back to the little people."downright venomous in no time flat, as her mood moves quickly beyond sour and into curdled. She tightens her jaw, as she flicks away one smoked cigarette for another which immediately finds her lighter.

Sonny barks a bit of laughter. "Little people. Hardly. It would be nice to have a little freedom. It's…complicated. I only have limited choices with my father's position." And then, fortunately for both, the cab pulls up. "Take care of those wounds properly, or you'll have to deal with me again." He tugs open the cab door and tosses his bag in.

"Night, Doc."and immediately she turns away, taking a few more pulls of her cigarette before flicking it aside and heading back inside and out of the cold. She still had work to do tonight after all, and that poor super-X wasn't going to build itself a new frame.


l-arrow.png
December 6th: Coffee and Changeling
r-arrow.png
December 6th: In Somnis Veritas
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License