Discontinuity, and other processing errors in an organic mind

Caitlin's still dead. I hadn't missed my annual memorial to her last month, but it had been more private this year than in years past. Not that my ritual was ever public. But this year I'd recovered the candles set out to her memory. With the Raidsish and the Mercenaries episode still consuming much of our attention, I'd had to keep it brief. It wasn't the first time. It probably wouldn't be the last. But even on a battlefield, I'd found time to honor her memory. This was no exception.

It just, kind of, was.

Frozen memories

Forged in undieing passion

Loss, unforgotten

Though, now, other issues were on my plate.

Like, for example, x0x0 being bitten by some kind of snake and having a fairly substantial discontinuity incident. Gallagher seemed to find it funny, but to me it was hardly amusing. Though he said he'd suffered a bite too, and had also been treated with the anti-venom. Thing was, if what Gallagher said was true, the snakes were some kind of leftover from one of Mindo's experiements. So even in death that hiretsukan was causing us grief.

I couldn't kill him again, unfortunately, at least not that I was aware of. But I could put some resources into keeping x0x0 out of harm's way. She had enough enemies that one of them was bound to try and take advantage of the situation, and, at this point, our paths were too intertwined for me to let something happen to her.

Though, keeping her from doing things to herself? That was more difficult. As demonstrated when she brought Catherine into the office and asked me to draw up adoption papers for her like I had for Lily. Only, I wasn't a lawyer and she wasn't in the right head space to be adopting some orphan because she saved her when she'd been snakebit. Only thing was, Catherine said she had a brother somewhere. Reminded me a bit of Cody's missing sister, actually.

Problem was, x0x0 was too agitated to let me run it through Legal at KHI headquarters on Ariel, so I was left to write the papers up myself, with the agreement we would work it out with Legal if it ever came down to it. Only thing I could think of, knowing she wasn't quite in her right state of mind, was to make one notable mistake. It'd be easy enough to correct, or be a way for her to leverage herself out if it came down to it. I omitted a few specific words: "being of sound mind and body."

Might not be enough, but it'd have to do. If she still wanted to make the girl her heir after she got her head sorted out, I'd point out the flaw and get it rectified. If she didn't? We'd find an amicable way to make good by Catherine but still let x0x0 get her life sorted out. Truth be known, when I talked about my girls, there were times x0x0 was one of them. A bit like Lily, x0x0 was at heart a little girl trapped in a woman's body. Couldn't prove it. But there were times it was clear as crystal.

I did what I could for my girls. 'Brina, Lily, AuroraBlue. Even Haley. And, at times like this, x0x0.