"Well, now that you mention it, he did look really concerned, almost as much as Dirk did... I don't really know what exactly to think, I've never really met a guy I liked who cared about me for the right reasons." Then she remembered that they all needed to make sure they were secure and safe for the nught ahead. "We should probably start working towards being prepared for the night ahead, looks like some of the other students are already on it."
"I think she does" Dirk said to Gideon, "and I don't have any problems with you two liking eachother, as long as you make sure you treat her right."
(Non-RP-Related:
I have something important and a bit sad that I think you guys deserve to know about. Yesterday morning I went out to our coop and found our older Gold Comet hen Goldie sitting on the wire of the droppings shelf while the rest of the ladies were up and about. She was very inactive and wouldn't eat or drink anything, even when I offered her some fruit and scratch. I brought her inside and she was not doing well at all. She didn't seem to be able to keep her eyes open and we could tell her breathing was very labored and painful. I decided to give her a warm bath to try and help her feel better. I stayed home with her while my mom and siblings left for church. Only about ten minutes after they left, I saw Goldie do what I think was trying to get a drink from the water she was in. She took a few gulps, but each time she made a bit of a wierd gurgleish sound. I picked her up and held her to try and comfort her, and thats when it happened. She very suddenly started freaking out, flapping, kicking, making noise; to me it seemed like she immediately became very scared of something and felt like she needed to get away. She did this for about 20 seconds before, just as quickly as it had started, she stopped and her whole body went completely limp. I panicked, checking if she was breathing, trying to listen for a heartbeat, even begining to attempt CPR at one point, but none of it did any good.
We just buried her about 45 minutes ago, and I'm trying to cope with just how sudden and unexpected this tragic event was. The only kind of indication she gave before Sunday morning was the previous night, when I noticed her acting a bit off her norm, just a bit less active than she normally was, but that was it. I wish I could have done something to help her before it was too late, but I guess we'll have to wait a while longer on that first 18-egg day. I'm going to try to get my mind off of this sad turn of events by being online with other people; RPing here on BYC and blowing stuff up in space in Star Sonata 2, and just trying to have at least a little bit of fun. Goldie was a good egg, I miss her too much for how long she's been gone.)
(RP-Related: What do you guys think we should do? Maybe time-skip to the next morning? Connie would've realized a little more of the extent of her powers and how to control them a bit better, and she and Gideon would've been thinking about each other a lot without the other knowing, and whatnot.)
(Non-RP-Related-Again: just for what its worth, if any of you guys play Star Sonata 2, or if you know someone on BYC or in reality who does, let me know. I'm always up for meeting new people with some of the same interests as me. If you don't know what SS2 is, its a space massively multiplayer online action game. It involves real-time-strategy, inter-galactic and even inter-dimensional exploration, player-created teams, and incredible 3-D graphics to boot. You can also use any of the hundreds of ships, which range from light and heavy fighters to frieghters and capital ships, and you can outfit your ship just how you want to from the ground up with thousands of different weapons, shields, modifications, and more. There's too much awesome to explain quickly, so just trust me on this: if you like space and sci-fi and action, you'll like this game.)
(I am so sorry for your loss. That's a really horrible thing to see. I know. Belle, my Welsummer, died a little while ago. She did the same thing Goldie did before she died. If it's any comfort, when that thrashing comes it's neurons firing off. According to my chicken expert friend, she doesn't think they're in pain.
A tip for the future: If they won't drink, use a dropper to give them water. They usually drink if it gets to the edges of their mouths - it's reflexive. But if it comes down to it, squirt it right into their mouths. If you have Electrolytes, that's even better.)
The morning brought a warm, misty light that spread over the island and crept into Aquila High. The peace was beautiful, unbroken. The sort of thing that couldn't last long, and that was why Gideon was gently shaking Connie awake. "Hey, Connie. Wake up, you need to see this."
Connie stirred, then sat up and rubbed her eyes a bit. She yawned and as she noticed the beautiful peace in the air, she smiled. "Nice thing to wake up to, isn't it?" she asked. "Too bad it won't last, though." She stiffly stood up and began to stretch herself out, briefly exercising her stiff joints and even her hair as she readied herself mentally for the day ahead.
Gideon grinned, "Exactly. Too nice to start the day off with command central. Come on, I wrote a note so they won't worry. You need to see the horizon. It's amazing." He held out a hand to help Connie to her feet.
Connie grabbed Gideon's hand and let him help her up, saying "Thanks, nice to see there's still some gentlemen left in this world." As she stood she stretched herself a bit more and said "Lead the way."
Gideon smiled and quietly opened the door, "Ladies first." Once they were out, he led her onto the crest of a small hill. Sunrise was almost at an end, streaks of yellow spread across a pale blues sky. Arching above them was rainbow, an apologetic gift from last night's storm. Dew covered the grass, making it sparkle in the sunlight. Somewhere a wood thrush was singing. A breeze rustled the trees and grass gently. What they could see of the ocean was like a giant sapphire. Gideon breathed in the morning air, "I always love it when it's early. The world feels more alive somehow."
Gideon is going to die very, very soon, so we need to get in what we can between him and Connie.
