Archive of Our Own ^beta

Alyx was spending the night at Kleiner’s when it happened. One minute she was dozing peacefully in the loft, and the next she was wakened by a crash. Eyes still blurred, she rolled to the edge of the mattress and peered down.

“Hello?” Kleiner asked, coming out from where he slept under the loft. “Barney? Is that you?” He shined a flashlight over toward the Breen’s Reserve machine. Sure enough, stumbling around the scattered former contents of the nearby table, was Barney. “What’s wrong?”

Barney, one hand pressed to his neck, snarled, “Freaking headhumpers.”

“Oh, dear. A run-in with a headcrab, then.”

Barney nodded. He looked paler and paler even as Alyx watched.

“Come sit down.” Kleiner led him below the left and Alyx, now invested, climbed down to see. Barney sat down hard on Kleiner’s bed.

“One of the poisonous ones,” he said wearily.

Alyx hurried to the sink on the far wall and brought back a pail of water. Without a word Kleiner fetched a cloth and, handing the flashlight to Alyx, began to wash the swollen bite in Barney’s flesh. Barney closed his eyes and hesitated, trembling slightly.

“Hell,” he said, hopelessness plain in his voice.

“It’s alright,” Kleiner said calmly, dipping the cloth again and wringing it out over the pail. “It isn’t as if you haven’t been bitten before.”

Barney just grumbled at that, which made Alyx smile.

“Barney,” she said. “You’re not an animal person.”

“No, I am not.” His voice, still snappish, was a little wobbly. With a sigh he slouched down, at least until Kleiner gently tipped his head to get at the bite better. “I hate those things.”

“Alright.” Kleiner dropped the rag into the bucket. “I think that’s as clean as we can make it. Why don’t you lie down and I’ll get a blanket…”

Still muttering curses under his breath, Barney complied. As Kleiner set off for the blanket he glanced over at Alyx and winced.

“Sorry,” he said. “Hate to be a bother.”

She gave him her best smile. “This kind of thing happens to everybody.”

“Have you ever been bit by one? THe poisonous ones?”

“Venomous,” she corrected, then had to admit, “No. But I’ve got a whole future ahead of me, probably filled with headcrabs.”

“I hope not. Those suckers hurt.” He rubbed at the bite.

“Stop that,” Kleiner said, stepping back into the light of the flashlight beam. In his arms was a heavy wool blanket, which he wrapped around Barney’s shoulders. “No itching.”

“Geez, doc.” Barney’s voice sounded weak. “It hurts.”

“It’ll hurt worse if you keep digging.” Kleiner helped him lay back against the mattress. “How are you feeling?”

“Cold,” Barney admitted. “Tired. Ticked off.”

Kleiner nodded sagely. “The chills have started, then.”

Barney stared at him, misery sparkling in his eyes. He pulled the blanket a little closer around him.

“You should try to sleep. That’s the easiest way to get through this.”

“Yeah, no kidding, doc,” he snapped. “This ain’t exactly my first rodeo. You don’t have to talk down at me.”

Kleiner held up his hands and walked away.

“He’s just trying to help,” Alyx said.

“And you don’t have to butt in.”

For a moment, no one spoke.

“I’m sorry,” Barney said at last. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I hate doing this. Everything’s sore, and I’m tired, and…”

“I get it.” She reached out to give him a playful shove but quickly thought better of it. “Don’t worry about it.”

He sighed and let his head droop down against the mattress. I’m gonna… try to sleep.”

“Okay, Barney.”

She waited quietly until his breathing eased, then headed off to find Kleiner. She found him over at the supply cupboard, shuffling boxes and cans around.

“I could have sworn I had a bottle of Breen’s Reserve,” he said, tapping a can of corned beef hash against his chin.

“He’s asleep. I don’t think he’ll mind waiting.”

“Oh. Well, he’ll need the fluids. I’d better keep looking.”

Alyx just shrugged. “He was sorry about snapping at you.”

“Snapping at me?” Kleiner looked confused. “When?”

“What do you mean, when? Just now. He told you not to talk down to him.”

Kleiner waved a hand dismissively. “Hardly the worst thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“Hm.” She took a seat on the floor beside him, toying with the flashlight. “He’ll feel better tomorrow and apologize.”

“I expect so.” Kleiner inclined his head in a nod. “And he’ll swear an oath against headcrabs.”

At that, Alyx had to laugh. “I’ll bet he will, doc. I bet he will.”