Marriage is Murder

"She's not as alert as she thinks she is," Robert said with a slight smile. "Think of it as a bit of a high."

"Leave it alone," Khaat told her father.

"See?" Robert laughed. "Wherever she's at, she's not hurting, and she's not real excited about coming back to it."

"Would you be?" she asked him pointedly.

"Nope," he laughed.

"Then don't bring me back," she said.

"Oh, I won't," he said. "That will happen soon enough on its own when the potion wears off.

Angus looked at Brant and laughed. "Does that mean that Brant has his eyes on a girl?"

"Oh, lord," Michael rolled his eyes. "One of us needs to go supervise the schoolboys in the kitchen, I think."

"Oh, let them be," Edward said. "We don't have to worry until they decide to put flame to something. And then we better hope its Angus at the stove and not Brant or we'll all be Robert's patients."

"See?" Angus teased Brant. "He has at least some confidence in you. If he didn't, he'd be far worse."

Both Jess and Steven chuckled at Khaat's answers to Robert. Brant chuckled at Angus and his question. " No , no girl here...not yet, not ready to do that whole commitment thing." he said and looked at Edward " ow ha ha, I only did that once, I think that was the first and last time any one tried to teach me how to cook " he said chuckling as he made the scampi tail dance on the table in front of him. He made it drop into the bowl with the rest of the tails and he sat back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. " so whats cooking?" he asked " obviously something to do with shrimp i'm guessing." he said looking over to where Angus stood.

"You all need to know," Khaat said, "I am completely aware that I might not be the same. I might not ever move my arm again." She yawned. Robert saw that she was working hard to get her thoughts across. He felt his own emotional pain as only a father could who had only one child that he loved more than anything else in the world but he let her try to continue. "And...I might not every have a face worth looking at again," she said. "But I want the beast dead. And I deserve to take him down myself...."

Brian felt himself bristling at her words. He went over to her. He brushed her hair softly. "Now, listen," he said quietly. "I didn't marry your arm or your face. I married you. I want that thing dead as much as you do. And we'll get him. If I can give you the kill shot, I will. But I refuse to lose you...."

"Stop," she said to him. She knew his thoughts, but she felt that she had already lost so much that she was very expendable now. Moreso than the others. She was perfect bait. The beast would come to the smell of blood--to finish his wounded prey. The time to get him was now. Before she recovered.

"Stop it," Kate said firmly to her daughter. "You are not going to offer yourself up to that thing right now."

"Out of the question!" Robert said with iron firmness.

"You want him or don't you?" Khaat asked bitterly.

"Not at that cost, I do not," Robert replied, making the decision that if it came between catching the beast or saving his daughter, he would never choose the beast over her. Never. "If thats the only way we get him, we let him go. And thats final. Understand?"

"No! Its not your arm. Its not your shoulder. Its not your face. Its not final," she argued.

"And its not your call," her father replied quietly, holding his ground, his right to command. "I said my decision was final. I don't believe I asked you if I could make the final call. It wasn't a question. I will bind your magic if I have to."

Meanwhile, Angus had one ear on the discussion in the living room and one ear on the discussion in the kitchen.

"There was good reason that was the first and last time," Angus grinned. "We only risk food poisoning once in awhile, and then we prefer not to risk it. And, yes, Steven. We are having shrimp, I presume. I don't know hhow we're fixing it. Michael just requested we clean all these. He's not sharing whatever recipe's on his mind."

Brant had been listening as well and shook his head to Angus " let it be Angus, Roberts got it in hand." he said softly " and yeah that didn't go down well with the family." he said and chuckled softly as he glanced at Steven. " yeah could be anything" he added as he looked at Angus " what, your not cooking it?" he frowned " that's different " he stood up and washed his hands at the sink then sat back down " I think its safer to stay in here for the moment" he added and saw Steven nod his head as he spoke.

" Yep, sounds like Khaat is awake and affirming her Independence, even as hurt as she is" Steven said and sat at the table as he pored some water for himself and drank it feeling a little dehydrated.

"Its not that different," Angus said. "Michael is a superb cook. Certification or not, I personally think he has me beat. His tastes are exceptially refined, and that makes him a good judge with seasonings. That, and I think he has something in particular in mind because he's hoping to tempt Khaat into eating something. She's not been up to eating since she waas hurt yesterday morning,and Robert isn't going to want that to get out of hand. She's typically a bit underweight as it is. Robert has learned to keep a rather rigid watch on that, and frankly, I support him in that. But I have to tell you, I am glad to hear her fighting for what she believes in again. Good for her."

Khaat was angry with her father. Potion or no potion. She opened her eyes to glare at him and saw him glaring right back at her.

"You understand nothing," she hissed at him angrily.

"Oh really?" he asked. "And exactly what part of you not getting your own way do I not understand?"

"You're an ass!" she was angry.

"Yes, I know," he said calmly. "I'm an ass frequently."

Steven chuckled at the conversation and looked at Angus as he spoke, "Yes Michael has a refined pallet, well, she really is her fathers daughter, she just called him and ass" he said Brant looked back and then at Steven stunned.

" she can do that to the minister?" he asked some what surprised and some what not that his daughter could talk the way she was to him. Steven chuckled again and nodded.

" ow yep and you'll get use to that , right now its the pain talking and the potion I know I told a nurse to go fight a dragon she was treating me like a child " he shrugged " of course I was acting like it too thanks to the medication I was on" he said and smiled at the memories.

"As Khaat tells it, thats not the only thing you told them to do," Brian told Steven, coming into the kitchen. He got another glass of firewhiskey and poured have a shot and a few more drops of potion in it.

"Okay, now that looks scary," Angus frowned, watching him.

"Nah. She'll sleep, and they'll stop fighting. There's not enough here to make it dangerous," Brian said. "You forget, she drinks just about everyone she knows under the table with firewhiskey. It'll be fine."

"If you'd get your head out of you..." Khaat began a reply to her father.

"Now now," Robert said, unphased. His voice was remarkably calm. "There are children present. "I'll be happy to pull my head out of any orifice if you first get your head out of yours."

"Oh, lord, here we go," Michael groaned, knowing she would not take that well whatsoever.

"Khaat," Brian deliberately intervened. "Here. I'm going to let you have a bit more of this. Its fine." He gave her the small amount of firewhiskey with the potion and she went back to sleep almost immediately.

"Must you egg her on so, Robert?" Kate was irked with him.

"I'm sorry," Robert said calmly. "I don't believe I was the one who started it. I certainly did not being the swearing."

Steven chuckled and bit his lip " yes well I was trying to keep it clean " he said and chuckled as he saw the look on Brant's face " it makes you do funny things that you don't actually have the guts to do when lucid" he said then looked at Brian funny " so what did I actually do?" he asked Brant chuckled and watched as Brian made the fire whiskey and then added the potion. Jess listened and sighed as she heard Robert and Khaat some what talking to each other.

" that's so true she swore first" she said to Kate " but I think its just the medication talking, Robert you know she'll not remember any of this later on, look at Steven he doesn't remember asking for a smoke while he was on oxygen." Jess smiled as she saw Steven cover his face and look some what embarrassed.

"From what I heard," Brian said, "You weren't civil to anyone but Khaat for quite awhile. Thats probably why you don't remember many of the other healers except her. She was the only one that put up with you."

"Imagine that," Angus teased.

"Hard to picture it, isnt it?" Brian laughed, deciding to simply tease Steven just a wee bit himself.

"So, what's your plan, Brian?" Angus asked, serious now.

"For Khaat?" Brian asked. Angus nodded. "This is going to take time. Robert is right--she might not ever have feeling in her shoulder or her arm or her hand like she had. And it might very well cause her pain for the rest of her life. I don't know. Personally, I think Robert can eventually fix the scarring on her face. He's good at that delicate work. If I were calling the shots on this, I'd have Robert concentrating a lot of his work on fixing her face so she doesnt' feel like she needs to hide from us. She is going to need our unconditional support because the rehabilitation on her shoulder is going to be brutal. Its going to be hard and painful and frustrating. I've done a lot of training and rehabilitation in my time, but this is probably going to be the toughest rehabilitation I've ever designed and tried to do. I'm going to need her to be free to not be self conscious in front of any of us."

"And that means she needs to do that without hiding behind a veil from us."

"Right," Brian said.

"Then we make it happen," Angus said. "Sounds like a no brainer."

Steven listened and chuckled " I guess nobody told me anything, glad she did though" he said and looked over at where she lay sleeping on the couch . Brant looked at Steven with a raised eye brow and chuckled.

" hum why am I not, surprised" he chuckled and look Steven gave him a sideways glance as he sat facing him.

" I don't know , I was a ranger when I was hurt that and the adrenaline we lived off combined with the head trauma , I guess " he looked over at Khaat " well if she can get through all that she is a very strong woman, Hey don't sweat it were all strong and will stand by her , well keep it normal for her."