Let's Play!

Cael scrunched his eyes tight, obviously 'waking up' - whatever that was worth. He spoke in a half wheeze.



"Too... tight..." Mason sat down.



"Well, can we go there?"

Alyson looked at him, and moved from him slowly, looking over him.



" I'm sorry. are you alright?"



Looking to mason, she sighed.



" just order room service or something."

Cael mumbled something as though trying to speak, but not quite getting around to it. Then, after a minute or so, he opened his dark eyes and peered at her in a distant way. It looked like he was intently focused on something else besides the woman, which he kind of was.



"GARRRGGG! SPRECHEN THE ENGLISHY!" Mason listened to the German voice on the other end, and grew more frustrated.

looking up at Cael, she moved to kiss his cheek lightly, speaking gently.



" Cael?"



Yep, mason was being ignored.

Cael's eyes drifted to Mason for a minute, distracted more by the vibrations than the words. Wait, the vibrations? Mentally he couldn't even tell if he was solid or not. Maybe he was somewhere in between. Then, as though listening to a delay tape, he heard Alyson. Her vibrations were familiar to him... it was his name.



"Mmm?"



BANG! Mason slammed down the receiver into the base, giving up. He used one of the few German words he knew.



"VERDAMMT!"

" What is wrong with you? do we need to get you home or something?"



She asked softly, in the back of her mind she heard mason and spared him a half frown before turning back to Cael.

Cael blinked a few times, processing her words. This was good. He was doing better than yesterday, more presence of mind. He even gave a logical, coherent response - even if it was breezily spoken.



"I don't... know. It's hard to... think. I haven't been like this... in a long time." Mason growled.



"How are we supposed to get him home like that anyhow? They won't let him on the plane if they think he's inebriated."

Alyson glanced over.



" Just pass him off as disabled, now hush."



She chided a bit harder, looking back to cael.



" would someone back home know how to help?"

This one took Cael a while to get back to.



"Yes."



Mason exclaimed in a moment of brilliance, "Wait! I know! We can wait until he does the thing and then we can shove him in a box and stick him in the luggage! We'll save on airfare!"



The loudness startled Cael and he shimmered.

" I think not, now shut your pie hole."



she replied, looking over Cael.



" Let's get him home, come on."



She purred, setting up.

Mason frowned.



"Why not? We could steal the ice bucket and put him in it. Cael, would you jump into the bucket?"



Cael just stared at both of them, not really responding to either.

Alyson sighed, now ignoring mason once moer, moving to help cael into more suitable attire and was soon having the man wheeled out and planning on leaving Mason behind if he didn't get over himself and locating the next plan home.

Mason was crutching after them as fast as he could.



"Hey, wait up. When's the flight?"



Cael was staring at the wheelchair, and slowly spoke in a featherlight voice.



"sorry..."

Alyson shook her head, moving to kiss the man lightly.



" don't be. I just want you back to handling cuddling."



Looking back to mason, she smiled slightly.



" Twenty minutes, adn it'll take ten to get to the airport."

"Cael just ruins everything. I hate redeye flights."



Cael didn't say anything. He was having to try too hard not to fall apart. Hopefully he would make it through the flight.

alyson sighed, and they were soon upon the plane and she was tending Cael, making sure to keep his focus on this about him, afraid to let him focus too inwardly.

Mason was soon hobbling off of the plane.



"I want to eat breakfast... but now I should be sleeping... Gah! Why does the world have to be so big?!"



Cael didn't talk the entire trip. The longer he was awake, the harder it became to cognate.

Alyson was merely keeping the man awake as she now turned to look at mason as they landed.



" Who does he need to see?"

"Why do you think that I would know?" Mason was currently leaning on a crutch, fiddling with a phone. Wait... that was Cael's phone.



"There are like three different 'Doctor's in here..."

" then I suppose we call all of them. If they are the wrong one, we'll get blown off like we're crazy. Easy problem fixed."



She replied looking at the phone before snatching it from the thief.



" Now which one first...."

Mason watched the girl with the phone. Too bad he couldn't hear the voice that answered the first one.



"Salem Novelty Store, Witchdoctor Cayla speaking, how may I help you?"



Cael stood up, suddenly. He walked over to the wall, resting his head against it. His thoughts, as few as they were, turned inward. What... Someone tapped him on the shoulder, concerned. This startled him and he dissolved.



"Holy hell!"

Cursing under her breath slightly, she knocked said person out and instantly bottled Cael and was making her way off they plane now. Cr@p.



" Yes, hello, I have a shadow walker that's erm, having issues, and all I have is his phone, so I'm not certain which of his dr.s will be a help for that issue."

The other end of phone was silent for a long moment.



"Miss, I have no idea who you are, but you need to run away as fast as you can. If Cael is in trouble, leave him there. Only heartache follows my brother."

" I'm not just leaving him. He needs actually help.... brother? Certainly you care more then that and would like to help him."





Alyson replied, taken aback.

"Not a chance in hell. Why would I help the person that caused me to lose my family, to lose the ability to walk? Miss, I warned you. That's all I can do for you." And then Cayla hung up.



Cael was thrashing about in the bottle, trying to push the cork out.



Mason glanced at her.



"What was that about? Whose brother?" He had only heard her half of the conversation

" Nothing."



alyson replied, bristling slightly, trying dr 2 of three in his phone, letting it ring as she awaited an answer.

"Sorry, Dr. Gershwin is out of the office right now, but I'm his assistant. Is there any way I could help?"



Mason just sighed.



Cael didn't have essence. That was a problem. But this place was so small that he couldn't come together... and...

Alyson quickly ran through her problem with this person, awaiting a response, looking to the small jar in her hands, holding the cork on. not right now, it would look odd.

"Um... Yeah... I'll just... Write that down... and leave it... for the doctor..." Suddenly there was a great rustling and a voice in the background.



"Barry, what have I told you about answering my phone?"



"I'm sorry, I just thought..."



"Can't take you anywhere I swear." And then the new voice grew closer, as though she had picked up the phone. "Hello, this is Andi Gershwin. I apologize for any trouble my nephew caused - it's um... bring a distant relative to work day. Anyhow, how may I help you?" She listened.



"...A shadow what?"

Alyson didn't even explain, merely hung up. That wasn't it. Perhaps Dr 3 would be some help, as she climbed intp the cab she dialed on through, looking to Mason as she once more repeated the problem at hand.

"Thank goodness you called! I was concerned when Cael missed his last two appointments! What's your name? Where are you?"



Mason reached over and took the bottle, looking through it. It was kind of funny. If you glanced at it just so, it seemed to be filled with inky darkness, but then it was fleeting. Just shadows across glass.

" we just got back into town.. do you make house calls, or do I need to come to you?"



alyson asked rather relieved she'd found someone, looking at the bottle, sighing inwardly. Hopefully she'd get cael back before long.

"I can come to you. Is it the normal address?"



Mason shook the bottle.

: Yes, we'll be there in less then- MASON! STOP THAT! .... er, sorry, yes, we'll be there in less tehn five minutes."



she purred, snatching the bottle back.

Cael was still flailing about, but he was slowly losing gusto.



"I'll be there in ten." Click. Mason looked at her innocently.



"What?"

" You know better."



She chided as she settled into the living room as they got home, holding the bottle very carefully, looking at it with care as she let mason answer the door, looking up as the doctor came in.

It was at that very same moment that Cael found that he couldn't anymore. He couldn't fight the jar. And then the thing exploded as all of his particles came crashing into solidity, expanding into his full form. He thunked to the floor, obviously unconscious.



The doctor jumped, throwing up an arm to shield himself from the flying glass.



"Good lord! What happened!?" Mason looked up.



"I don't know... he was in the bottle, but then..."



"A BOTTLE?!"



"Well... a jar..." The doctor rushed over, feeling for a pulse. Then suddenly Cael gasped and was sucking in air like mad - eyes wide and bloodshot.



"I'm guessing it didn't occur to you to poke holes in the lid?" He looked disapprovingly at the glass as Cael gasped some more.

Alyson sighed, looking to Mason, shaking her head.



" he's fine, minor oxygen issues at most. There were several, breathable, holes in the cork. I just kept a rather close watch after he started shaking the thing."



Alyson growled, glaring at Mason.



" Nevermind that... He's been acting odd for a few days now..."



she said softly, looking sincerely concerned as she kept her distance, barely.

The doctor didn't look up, pulling out his blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. He didn't say anything until he put the stethoscope back around his neck.



"How so?" Cael's breathing was evening out as the doctor took a vial of blood.

Alyson now looked a bit confused, trying to explain his seemingly lack of control of changing, not to mention the inability to speak, and the fact minor pressure was bothering him... not to mention the fact he just wasn't acting like himself in general, looking a bit more worried as she actually heard the list of things allowed, unable to help herself now as she reached over to lightly touch him to assure herself he was there right now. talk about loads of trauma on her mental state... nearly dying, overly traumatized, parents gone, and now him ..... she didn't know what he was at this moment... but still.