Forget The Rain–– Day 4, February 5, 2317

[Cytherea]

Hazel followed Perseus to her new post.

Me, Hazel Kale, being a medic. Whoever thought. I suppose it is what my parents wanted, so they'll be pleased, leastwise. If I do well, I'll prove to them that I can do things right.

She pushed away her thoughts and put a smile on.

"Is being a medic hard?" she said as they reached the post.

[Lithium]

"Not really," Perseus said. "It'll be a blast. I'm sure you'll do great."

He opened the door to another warehouse and the smell of antiseptics and medicine wafted over to them.

Matthew wrinkled his nose as his newly found sense of smell took over. "Ew. I didn't realize medicine smelled so bad."

"Here's your stop. Let me get you checked in." Perseus went out to the middle of the bustle and said, "Excuse me! Hello?"

Everyone stopped and looked over to him, then instantly stood up straighter.

"Hello everybody. I hate to interrupt your work, but I have a new trainee for you. Her name is Hazel. Please treat her well."

They all nodded and smiled warmly.

"Welcome, Hazel," said an old woman wearing a white apron over her long skirts. "I'll take her under my wing, Perseus."

"Thanks, Mrs. Adams. I'm counting on you."

[Cytherea]

"Welcome, Hazel," said an old woman wearing a white apron over her long skirts. "I'll take her under my wing, Perseus."

"Thanks, Mrs. Adams. I'm counting on you." Perseus said.

Hazel was swept away by Mrs. Adams into the world of medicine.

"Now, this is chloroform. Careful around this. This knocks people out."

"For operations?"

"Yes."

"Awesome." Hazel said, studying the bottle, though she had a disgusted frown on her face. "Ive always wanted to cut people open."

"Oh, you won't be there first."

"I was told by a reliable source that I would be the one in whose arms guys would die. That doesn't sound any better." Hazel replied.

"Well... it is a bit true..." Mrs. Adams said thoughtfully. "But normally boys don't die around here, so you won't have to worry about anything."

One of the guys behind Hazel gave a groan and fell onto her. She fell down with yelp, the other guy unconscious on top of her.

"Please tell me he didn't just die!!!!" she wailed.

[Zinna]

Kyle and Jack

Hazel smiled at Kyle and Jack and waved good-bye.

"Hope to see you guys around!"

"There, now we can leave," Jack pulled on Kyle's arm.

Kyle's eyes followed Hazel as she walked away, "Well, Jack she's gone."

"Hello, I'm still here and I can here you!" Siren glared at Kyle.

"Oh sorry. So...my name's Kyle..."

"Yes, we established that." Siren said annoyed.

"Um...hello." Kyle looked nervous. So much power in someone so young. It's frightening.

"Are we going to stand here annoyed, nervous, and impatient!" Jack stated loudly.

[Lithium]

Siren

"Anyways," Siren said. "I should go check the border again, just in case they chucked out a group of them. I'll be back."

"Wait–– Siren?" asked one of the patrolling posse members. "Perseus mentioned something to us about slave traders in the area."

"Yeah. So?"

"You're not going out there then. We'll do it."

"I'll be fine."

"Not if you get captured. You know how they can be."

Siren shivered, remembering the feel of steel manacles against hands and feet that just want to be free.

"I was 14 then. I couldn't take care of myself."

"You're still young and a woman. You'll stay here in the camp if we have to chain you up in the Medic House ourselves."

"Fine," Siren snapped. "I see who's side you're on."

"You may have power when Perseus is around," said the patroller's partner (a middle aged man with graying hair), "But you can't order his men about when he's not here to enforce the order. Be good, now."

Siren crossed her arms and stalked into the saloon and sat down at the bar.

"Hello, Miss Siren," said the female tender, a curvy older woman named Alice. "What can I get you? The usual?"

"Nah. I'll take a black tea. Hold the cream and sugar."

"That's much stronger than your usual. Bad day?"

"It's only, like, 10 in the morning, Alice and Perseus is already awake. Slave traders are in the area. We found another OneNation exile, who's also an I.S. And now I'm not allowed to leave the town escorted. But it could get better."

Alice set the tea pot down in front of her. "Doesn't sound too bad. At least nobody died, right?"

"Don't say stuff like that. You'll jinx us."

"Want a shot glass for this?"

Siren shrugged. "Sure."

[Cytherea]

Mrs. Adams quickly ran over to the guy who had fallen down, and checked what was wrong. Hazel lay smashed into the floor.

"Mrs. Adams?" she said. "What's wrong with him?!"

"Don't worry, he's alive. He just..." she gasped. "Jonas!"

"What??!!!" Hazel cried out.

"Jonas...??!! How- why would you ever- you are-" Mrs. Adams interrupted herself over and over again, flustered.

Suddenly, Hazel heard the guy starting to laugh.

"What is his PROBLEM??!!" she shouted. She pushed the guy away, and jumped to her feet.

"Sorry, girl." the guy said, still laughing. He pushed himself to his feet. "I couldn't help myself."

"Oh yeah? Well me neither!"

Hazel pushed Jonas, and he landed on his behind suddenly.

"I don't like you!" she said to him. "Get back to work!!"

Jonas looked dazed for a moment, and then started laughing again.

"Whatever, girl. What was your name again?"

"I'm not telling you." she said, turning her back to him. "Mrs. Adams, please continue."

"Aww, come on!" Jonas said, jumping to his feet and grabbing her arm. "I'm sorry I made you upset, okay?"

"Hahaha, likely." Hazel said. She wrenched her arm away. "And I told you already! Get back to work!"

"Aren't you a trainee? How do you own that type of power?"

"Because I'm mad at you, and for your own life, you'd better listen to me!"

Jonas laughed again but walked back to where he was working. Hazel turned to Mrs. Adams.

"Is he here everyday?" she said distastefully.

[Anwen]

Gillean waited till it was nearly too late before opening his parachute. There was suddenly a lot less wind blowing through his hair when he did, and he looked around a bit. He started controlling his fall a bit more when he saw that, with his current course, He was going to land on a building. He narrowly escaped that, and landed outside the building, which he could now see was a bar. He started to wrap up his parachute.

[Brock]

Jack was leaning up against the salon wall when he heard a whistling sound overhead. He looked up and saw a young man parachuting and he nearly hit the roof. Once the man landed Jack watched as the man wrapped up his parachute. Finally he built up the courage to talk. "Hi, my name is Jack. What's yours?"

[Anwen]

Gil had just finished neatly folding his parachute when a green-eyed young man came over and introduced himself. "Hi, my name is Jack. What's yours?"

"I'm Gil, short for Gillean. Do you have any idea where I am exactly? I've never been to the Badlands before." He hoisted up his pack. "Oh, and do you know someone who would like to buy a parachute? I'm not likely to need one in the near future." He smiled wryly. "Of course, I'm not sure if anyone here would feel the need for one either."

[Brock]

Jack wasn't used to conversations and was searching frantically for something to reply with. "I don't know which town this is. There's a pawn shop in the next town which is a couple miles from here. If you need a ride I can give you a horse." Jack glanced at his parachute. "It looks to be in exceptional condition which will get you a good price."

[Anwen]

"It looks to be in exceptional condition which will get you a good price."

"You think so? Great! Maybe after lunch you could point me in the right direction?" Gil smiled Jack's way. "Am I talking too much?"

[Brock]

Jack thought a moment then said, "That sounds good,and no, your not talking too much at all. I actually like someone else to the talking instead of me."

[Anwen]

"Great! Hey, you know what? I know it's only mid-morning, but I'm starving! What say we go to that Saloon and have something to eat?" Gil grinned as he looked at Jack expectantly.

[Brock]

"That sound great!" Jack exclaimed, "Tell you what, I'll buy."
Just as he said this he suddenly remembered how hungry he was. "You know what, this will be my first square meal since yesterday. I didn't eat breakfast or second breakfast."

[Cytherea]

Hazel

"Is he here everyday?" Hazel said distastefully.

"Most days, yes." Mrs. Adams said, shaking her head. "He's always been a trouble-maker, from the start."

"I need to go outside and cool down." Hazel said, pushing her hair from her sweaty face. The medicine room had quickly gotten hot, and stunk of warm medicine. "To cool me and my temper off."

Hazel stepped outside and let her breath out sharply. She saw... what was it? Joe? No, Jack; Kyle's friend, talking with somebody she hadn't met yet. She rolled her eyes.

My goodness, Hazel. What a shock! You've barely been here for an hour!

She walked over to the two guys who were having a conversation.

"Hey, Jack!" she said with a smile. "Where's Kyle? Oh, and my name's Hazel." she said with a smile to the other guy. "What's your name? I haven't seen you around before."

[Brock]

Jack

"I don't know where Kyle is. This is Gillian by the way. I just met him a few minutes ago and we are headed over to the saloon. Do you want to come, I'm buying."

[Cytherea]

Hazel

Hazel smiled.

"I'd love to come, especially if you're buying." she said. "And nice to meet you, Gillean."

[Anwen]

"Nice to meet you, Gillean."

"Nice to meet you to Hazel!" Gillean said brightly. I didn't expect people in the badlands to be so friendly... He started walking towards the saloon. "Hey! You guys coming?" He said, looking over his shoulder.

[Cytherea]

Hazel

"Yep. Come on, Jack."

[Brock]

Jack

"I'm coming, I don't really need to hurry since I'm buying." Jack replied as he started to walk over to where Hazel and Gillian were impatiently standing in front of the door of the saloon.

[Cytherea]

Hazel

Hazel smiled cheerfully.

"That is true." she sighed. "I just got out of one of the worst places I've ever seen before. And with one of rudest people I've met before, too." she bit her tongue to stop a withering remark from escaping her lips. "With... a strange sense of humor as well."

[Anwen]

An Hour Later...

Jack and Gillean were riding on the range. Gillean hadn't really gone out riding before, so it was a novelty experience for about five minutes. Jack's horse was a beautiful black. Gil couldn't help but admire the sleek lines of that beauty. "What're the horses' names?"

[Brock]

Jack

"The one that you're riding is called Beauty and this is Alice." Jack said as he stroked his horse's main.

[Cytherea]

Hazel

Hazel was feeling so happy after having lunch with two nice people, that she more than forgot about her new job. She walked into the medicine room with a smile on face. She saw Mrs. Adams and walked over to her.

"Hey, Mrs. Adams!" she said, smiling. "I'm ready to be taught!"

Before Mrs. Adams could say anything, somebody grabbed Hazel's arm and spun her away.

"Hi again!"

Hazel ripped Jonas's arm off of hers and rolled her eyes.

"Please stop that." she said, trying to keep her temper. "I'd prefer it if you would, very much."

"At least tell me your name." Jonas said. He looked so crestfallen that Hazel almost wished she hadn't spoke so harshly to him.

"All right. My name is Hazel."

"Now leave her be, Jonas."

"Okay, Mrs. Adams." Jonas flashed Hazel a smile. "See you around, Hazy."

Hazel would've punched him, had he not suddenly disappeared into the groups of people.

"Come on, Hazel. Don't worry about him. He's always been a little..." Mrs. Adams tried to come up with a fitting word, but she couldn't think of any. "Never mind him. Let's continue, shall we?"

As Mrs. Adams began to teach her about the different types of medicines and treatments, Hazel began to yearn for a chance to punch Jonas and release her frustration.

"This is so not my thing." she groaned.

"Dear, you soon shall find that the honor of saving someone's life is very rewarding, even if you would have preferred to be somewhere else." Mrs. Adam's said kindly. "When you are able to save someone's life, you feel good about yourself."

Hazel nodded.

"You know, I think I actually understand that." she said softly to no one in particular.

[Lithium]

"That's good," Siren said as she looked up from her work. She was organizing and taking inventory of the medical supplies. No one had in a while and it was getting very low on stock, especially in anti-bacterial cream and pain killers. "We need medics who feel rewarded by saving other people's lives.