The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 124

I slowly blinked as Nicky backed in through the doorway.

Nina inhaled, "Oh my..."

The others were simply watching in disbelief. She had backed in because she was pulling a steel dolly hand truck meant for moving small pieces of furniture. Only she had tied Bill onto it.... Nicky will be Nicky...

She wheeled her load over to the wall and stood it up, "I will park you right here for now. Now behave and quit being a pain in the ass or I will let Trinity also get her revenge and you really do not want to piss her off."

Bill very prudently remained silent. I wasn't entirely sure that he was capable of speaking simply due to shock. I was quite certain that he had never ever been that dirty either. Nicky held up a large bottle of dish soap with a sad expression, "I ran out of soap..."

The entire contents of that bottle were somewhere on Bill. His skin and clothing were caked in soap, dirt, straw, and other unidentified bits of stuff. Judging from the whiff of his breath that I was getting from here, he had a bunch of it end up in his mouth and had likely swallowed some as well. I didn't see the can of tomato juice either.

Considering that Nicky didn't even come up to his shoulders, she had done quite a number on this youth. I suspected that he also had a few bruises hidden under his clothing. I could see one on his forehead already forming as well as some on his arms and legs. I wasn't quite sure how she had managed to keep him still long enough to tie him to that dolly though...

Nicky tilted her head at the leader with big eyes, "Can I get a refill before I leave?"

He was still in a bit of shock himself at the state of his nephew, but nodded, "I am sure we can arrange that, but please refrain from using it on anyone else here."

Nicky grinned as she slid onto the bench beside me, "Unless they act like him, I think I can promise that."

Bill finally spoke and his voice was a bit raspy, "Uncle, don't do it. Please!"

Nicky turned toward him with a faint frown, "Behave yourself. You are about to exceed the limits of my medication."

I raised an eyebrow in correction, "You aren't taking any medication and you haven't since I met you."

Nicky turned to me as a grin appeared on her face, "Oh, well, that explains what just happened then!"

I am sure that she did that on purpose... John leaned over to Logan and whispered, "What exactly did just happen?"

Logan shrugged, but John hadn't whispered quietly enough. Nicky turned toward him, "Some people like to ride the crazy train, but I am the one who built that thing. Oh, and I drive it too."

I eyed up Nicky, "I thought that captains sailed ships and that conductors ran the trains?"

She chuckled, "Both are on board and we are having one hell of a party together!"

That was not what I wanted to hear... "I think we had better bring the party to an end and let everyone go home."

"Why? It was such a fun party."

She had better not get worse overnight or we will be tying her to the top of the truck cab. I am not sure if the Strongholds will let us in like that though. I gave a big sigh, "Nicky, please eat your supper before it gets cold."

I left my other thoughts unspoken, but I hoped that food would settle her down. Otherwise Daniel was in for a rough night. I sure wasn't about to skip my free time at night to babysit her when Daniel could just tie her up and gag her.