[i]Huang retrieves his other Beretta from Ming and holsters them both.
An apologetic glance is cast Nic's way. He truly didn't mean to shoot him, and he hopes the rookie can realize this.[/i]
Huang: We need to get Nic to the hospital. The doctors are going to have to report those two gunshot wounds to the police anyway, and once they see what those goddamn bugs did to us, Richardson is going to get called. I doubt that he's going to be happy that you took two of my bullets, even if they were meant for that goddamn chimney monster. In fact, I fully expect to get yelled at for this. I am very sorry, Nic.
He opens the back door for Nic and then takes his own seat at shotgun. He collapses into his seat and sighs.
Nic, after groaning his way into the back seat of the car, begins laughing, startling his companions. It starts as a light chuckle, but as Ming accelerates out of the area and down the street, Nic begins to laugh loud and heartily for several moments, before the pain causes him to trail off again in a muted "Oooooowch!"
Nic: Guys, that was fantastic! Obviously a big step towards finding Mingxia! I don't know what freakiness was going on there, but whoever took her knows we're coming for them, and they know we're serious!
Nic uses his good hand to unwrap another stick of ginseng gum, and pop it into his mouth.
Nic: Hey, Huang, don't sweat the bullet holes. I was almost possessed by the spirit of an angry shadow demon in Nairobi once, and that hurt a lot worse. Being shot just makes me cranky, that's all.
At the mention of Mingxia's name, Huang goes straight into business mode again.
Huang: We've got pictures of the mattress and the chain used to hold...something, and we managed to get some DNA samples from the scene before those goddamn bugs showed up. Once we get the results back from the lab, we should be able to find out some more of what the hell's going on. After you get healed up, Nic, Sarah is the next on our list of people to talk to.
By the way, Ming, that was good work on that brick monster. Think I'll have to see about getting you a sidearm.
Nic: Ming Shi, you seemed justa a little freaked out back there after the shooting. Guns have that effect on me sometimes, too. Um, current situation not considered, of course. Anyway, if you'd like, I can whip up a little beverage for you that will calm those types of jitters. Next time you suspect something nasty's about to go down, a few sips and you'll have nerves of steel. It's a little recipe I picked up in Haiti. Normally it tastes kinda' bad, but I add mint.
Nic sits back in the seat again.
Nic: And Huang, it would save time if you could round up Sarah and bring her into the hospital while I'm getting stitched up. If Sarah's not part of this, but whoever's behind it thinks we'll go to her next, they may try to grab her as well. We should get there first. I'd feel better knowing you two were picking her up.
Huang: That beverage idea's a hell of a lot better than my current method. Doc always told me these'd kill me someday.
He takes his first drag and rolls his window down a touch to save the non-smokers of the crew the hassle of having to deal with his secondhand smoke.
Huang: I'm not in the habit of shooting my own guys. As much as Richardson gets on me for acting like Chow Yun-Fat, I like to keep those I work with the hell clear of my line of fire. I didn't see you behind the monster, and when he got out of the way, I was already in the middle of pulling the trigger.
As he listens to Nic express his concern about Sarah, Huang's fists tighten. Just what we goddamn need, he muses.
Huang: Great. This just keeps getting better and better. So now we have to worry about another kidnapping? We're already wounded because of those goddamn bugs and that brick monster, on top of what you have to deal with, Nic, and I am not looking forward to another gun fight today.
Huang mutters a string of curses under his breath in both Cantonese and his native Mandarin.