when he finally spotted the rooftop of the Freemont. He had to uncoil himself from David long enough to touch down with his feet. They landed in an ungainly heap as Rodney overbalanced and they crashed to the roof.
Rodney hurriedly rolled off David, afraid that he’d squashed him. David groaned, only to slump again. Not good, not good. The length of time that David had been unconscious was worrisome to Rodney. He thought furiously; he remembered the skylight had been shut when he was watching David earlier, so his previous thought of lowering David down through it was out, unless he wanted to break it. That was an option, he decided, but what other options did he have? He needed to see if the thief had taken David’s cell phone or not.
David opened his eyes as Rodney was going through his pockets.
“You’re an odd sort of mugger,” David said calmly, as though being robbed by a gargoyle was a common everyday occurrence. He squinted up at Rodney as though even the dim light on the roof hurt his eyes.
“I’m not a thief,” Rodney said sharply, his heart thudding in his chest as David continued to look at him in a slightly unfocused fashion. He closed his hands around the items he’d been seeking and withdrew them from David’s pockets. “I’m here to help you. I was looking for your phone to call for help. You need a hospital.”
“Don’t need a hospital.” David made a face and tried to sit up, only to give up with a wince. He brought his hand up toward the back of his neck, winced again, and let it drop onto his chest. “No, not a thief,” David said, as though clarifying something. There was another pause. Rodney was afraid that David had passed out again, but he was frowning at Rodney with terrible confusion on his face.
“Rodney?”
Something twisted painfully in Rodney’s chest. Despite knowing that he’d acted in order to save David, it still hurt him bitterly to know he’d just ruined his only friendship by revealing his true appearance to David.
“Yes. Now shut up,” Rodney growled. “You’re hurt, and you need a hospital.”
David blinked owlishly up at him. “You’re Yoda.”
“I am not Yoda!” Rodney was indignant. His wings snapped up and partially opened. He knew his ears, now flaring out to the sides, could be mistaken for that ridiculous movie creation, and he flattened them against his head. He sat back on his heels. “I’m a gargoyle.”
“You’re Yoda,” David insisted, still squinting. “Yoda on steroids. A kick-ass Yoda.” He paused again, obviously giving this some deep thought. “You’re what Yoda should’ve been.” He turned his head carefully in an attempt to look around, but gave up when it obviously hurt him to do so. “Where am I?”
“On the roof of the Freemont. You’ve been mugged.”
David moved convulsively, reaching out beside him with a hand. “My papers!”
“Don’t worry. They’re all here.” Rodney watched as David relaxed against the rough surface of the rooftop. “Look, you really need to get checked out by a doctor.”
“I remember flying through the city. Did I really fly?” David raised an eyebrow at Rodney, who couldn’t help but grin.
“I flew; you wallowed in my arms. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Fine, fine.” Eyes, closed, David flicked the fingers of the hand resting on his chest up and down, as though indicating his intention to get up any second now.
Rodney cocked his head as he looked down at David. “I don’t know about that. You humans seem awfully fragile to me.”
David opened his eyes again. “Fragile? What makes you say that?”
“Well, your arms come off too easily, for one,” Rodney said thoughtfully.
David’s eyebrows lifted in a startled expression, and he began to laugh, only to stop and clutch at his head. “Oh, ow. That hurts.”
“See? Fragile.” Rodney was prepared to smugly rest his
Rodney hurriedly rolled off David, afraid that he’d squashed him. David groaned, only to slump again. Not good, not good. The length of time that David had been unconscious was worrisome to Rodney. He thought furiously; he remembered the skylight had been shut when he was watching David earlier, so his previous thought of lowering David down through it was out, unless he wanted to break it. That was an option, he decided, but what other options did he have? He needed to see if the thief had taken David’s cell phone or not.
David opened his eyes as Rodney was going through his pockets.
“You’re an odd sort of mugger,” David said calmly, as though being robbed by a gargoyle was a common everyday occurrence. He squinted up at Rodney as though even the dim light on the roof hurt his eyes.
“I’m not a thief,” Rodney said sharply, his heart thudding in his chest as David continued to look at him in a slightly unfocused fashion. He closed his hands around the items he’d been seeking and withdrew them from David’s pockets. “I’m here to help you. I was looking for your phone to call for help. You need a hospital.”
“Don’t need a hospital.” David made a face and tried to sit up, only to give up with a wince. He brought his hand up toward the back of his neck, winced again, and let it drop onto his chest. “No, not a thief,” David said, as though clarifying something. There was another pause. Rodney was afraid that David had passed out again, but he was frowning at Rodney with terrible confusion on his face.
“Rodney?”
Something twisted painfully in Rodney’s chest. Despite knowing that he’d acted in order to save David, it still hurt him bitterly to know he’d just ruined his only friendship by revealing his true appearance to David.
“Yes. Now shut up,” Rodney growled. “You’re hurt, and you need a hospital.”
David blinked owlishly up at him. “You’re Yoda.”
“I am not Yoda!” Rodney was indignant. His wings snapped up and partially opened. He knew his ears, now flaring out to the sides, could be mistaken for that ridiculous movie creation, and he flattened them against his head. He sat back on his heels. “I’m a gargoyle.”
“You’re Yoda,” David insisted, still squinting. “Yoda on steroids. A kick-ass Yoda.” He paused again, obviously giving this some deep thought. “You’re what Yoda should’ve been.” He turned his head carefully in an attempt to look around, but gave up when it obviously hurt him to do so. “Where am I?”
“On the roof of the Freemont. You’ve been mugged.”
David moved convulsively, reaching out beside him with a hand. “My papers!”
“Don’t worry. They’re all here.” Rodney watched as David relaxed against the rough surface of the rooftop. “Look, you really need to get checked out by a doctor.”
“I remember flying through the city. Did I really fly?” David raised an eyebrow at Rodney, who couldn’t help but grin.
“I flew; you wallowed in my arms. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Fine, fine.” Eyes, closed, David flicked the fingers of the hand resting on his chest up and down, as though indicating his intention to get up any second now.
Rodney cocked his head as he looked down at David. “I don’t know about that. You humans seem awfully fragile to me.”
David opened his eyes again. “Fragile? What makes you say that?”
“Well, your arms come off too easily, for one,” Rodney said thoughtfully.
David’s eyebrows lifted in a startled expression, and he began to laugh, only to stop and clutch at his head. “Oh, ow. That hurts.”
“See? Fragile.” Rodney was prepared to smugly rest his
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