The Plague Logs

[The Banger Grim]

Caul made his way to a small isolated loch nestled in one of the mountian ranges on the surface of Gaia.

As he begins to reach the top of the fairly steep hill, he can see Dengue Connor & Yersinia Pestis placing containers of food in strategic spots on a large blanket just a stone's toss away from the small lake, as they were talking & laughing about something he was still too far away from to hear.

'Why does it always have to be such a hassle to get here?' he thought to himself as he made his way closer to them.

He paused for breath as the ground under his boots levelled off, & instantly realized that Hannah Lassa must have seen him first, because he almost lost his balance as she wrapped her arms around his neck & gave him a peck on the cheek.

"COLIN!! YOU MADE IT!!" she sqealed happily. "I thought you were going to be another no-show!"

Caulobacter Phage turned & shot her a look that was supposed to make her feel admonishment.

"Oh, give me a break, Sir!...We're all off the clock tonight. ...Besides, I like it when I get to call us all by our real names." she said, with her arms now crossed, giving him the kind of psuedo-hurt smirk that turned his intended admonishment back onto himself.

"Ok, Ok, ::sigh:: you win...Ms. 'Hannah Montgomery'...Happy now?"

"Very!" she crowed before she kissed him on the cheek again & headed back towards the blanket where dinner was now ready & waiting.

Colin took a seat on the blanket between Dengue & Yersinia with a groan that perfectly healthy old men tend give when they attempt to milk their age for sympathy.

"I'm sure we have some creamed vegetables around here somewhere for 'ya old man." Declan said as he handed Phage a plate.

On the opposite side of the Elder man, Ashleigh Harris quietly shook her head & laughed to herself as Colin Murphy lightly punched Declan in the shoulder...With a result that will likely show up on the younger man's arm tomorrow as a large, nasty-looking bruise.

"I know that I told you that I think bringing Damien back too soon would be a mistake," Ashleigh said to their leader, as she loaded up everyone's plates, "but honestly, I DO wish he were here today...Moira too"

"...I miss them both too" Colin sighed, "but, for now, it's just as well...that cowboy thing he's got going on right now really creeps me out...& Moira, ...has other 'issues' to take care of right now anyway."

"Since you two brought it up, can I tail him next?" Hannah tried to ask through a mouthful of broccoli. "Moira's hogging him!"

"huh?"
"what?"
"pardon?" they all asked in unison, sharing the same puzzeled expressions.

Hannah gimaces as she swallows, with an upward tilt of her head.

"...I SAID," she finally continued, "It's supposed to be MY turn on the rotation now...I really want to see Dimi too, & Moira's being a bogart about the whole thing!"

Colin simply said: "No"

"BUT!..." Ms Montgomery begain to whine,

..."I said no."

"FINE!!" she said spoiledly, & angrily shoved another large forkfull of food into her cheeks.

"Oh, lighten up Chipmunk!" Declan laughed. "I don't think Dimi's prepaired to bet against the kind of money you bring to the table anyway."

She just glared, & flipped him off, causing all the others to burst into the kind of laughter that waters the eyes.

Later, when they were all finished, Colin stood & stretched, walked a few paces away, then turned & made eye contact with Declan; giving the signal to follow him, as the two ladies paid no mind, & cleared the blanket while continuing on with their own conversation.

The two men sat facing each other on a small cluster of boulders just on the loch's edge.

"....I know you feel guilty Kid, it's been all over your face since I got here." Colin said after a few moments, "but, I'M the one that ordered Damien's Dystemperment."

"Yes Sir," replied the younger, "but, I can't help it...Burg & I are ALWAYS fighting about something, & I don't like the thought of having sicked that G*ddamned Antigen on him."

"That's simply the nature of the beast...if you can't roll with the punches the Universe gives you, it'll start kicking you when your down....you know this already kid."

Colin placed a hand on the despondant man's shoulder, "You should practice what you preach, & lighten up abit yourself."

Ashleigh & Hannah both yelled to the boys to hurry up & return to join them on the blanket.

"Hey, Dec," Colin said as they began making their way back, "When all is said & done, you know that I would take a bullet for each and every one of you, right?"

"Yeah, just so long as we tossed it to you!" Declan joked, allowing the sage advice sink in.

The four Plague Dogs ended their seasonal decompression dinner, quietly watching yet another spectacular Gaian suns-set together as a content, albeit temporarally incomplete Family.

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