Setting: Teufort, years ago. Outdoors and away from the usual contested points. Because nobody wants a fight during their breaks.
Summary: O'hannigan and Lloyd manage to overcome their shortlived team differences for the sake of a little science and their shared leg related shortcomings. An idea is hatched... (continued inSprings Pt. 2 )
"Hey, Scout, c..could you come over here? I'm not armed I just wanted to ask you a few things."
O`hannigan slows down and turns his attention to the newcomer. "...don't see why you would be armed at this hour, sir."
Lloyd laughs, "Exactly, right? Uh...I'm just adjusting to things again...been gone for a while, eh? Things are different from what I remember."
O`hannigan shrugs, making it plain he's equally unarmed. He extends a hand, "O'hannigan, Harvey. So what's on your mind?"
"uh, Lloyd, Lloyd Albertson. I uh...you really don't have any idea where those springs came from?"
O`hannigan mouths a little 'oh', "The heelsprings, right..."
"Sorry, it's just, I wanted to build something like that...so I could be a Scout again...but I can't get it right." Lloyd looks a bit embarrassed.
O`hannigan inspects them, vaguely perplexed. "No, I..." this seems to be turning into an embarassment contest. "I don't remember much of anything before the train I took here..."
"Oh...I see. Well, I'm sorry to bring it up. I know how tedious it gets answering the same questions over and over again." Lloyd continues to eye the springs curiously. "Do...you mind if I get a closer look at them?"
"Heh, don't worry about it, here..." O'hannigan reaches into his back pocket and pulls out what looks like a set of Allen keys. He loosens a cover on the side of one of his springs and then twists away with the largest key until the whole back piece comes free. He hands the compression spring to Lloyd, realizing he could very well have just made a stupid move in rendering himself immobile in front of a BLU.
Lloyd looks it over carefully, testing the tension and springiness of the alloy, not even realizing the advantage he has. "I can't even tell what this is made of...it's like...science fiction heh..." he hands it back, sighing sadly and muttering "I don't think we have the material here to duplicate it..."
"No, probably not. I've asked a couple engineers at RED and they're just as stumped. Though you /might/ be able to make a lower-powered model..." O'hannigan seems a little more eager to theorize than the typical scout. "I'm not sure how you would mount them to your legs though...."
Lloyd ponders his options. "I'd have to build something around what I've got left...damn...I just got so excited when I saw them. I miss Scouting like crazy, eh? I just can't do it anymore." He laughs to himself, though he looks disappointed.
O`hannigan diligently works on reattaching his heelspring. "I know what you mean, I've had this leg in a cast for the past week and a half. Just got it off yesterday..." he gets up again, testing it.
Lloyd feels rather comfortable around the Scout, in the back of his head he almost regrets not going back to RED. "Looking good at least. Even with the Medics around, it just never heals fast enough, eh?"
O`hannigan chuckles in agreement, though he turns serious again as he tugs down a sock and points at the back of his leg. A long surgical scar runs down most the back of it."You lost yours in an accident, right? ...Pardon my intrusion."
Lloyd blushes a deep, shameful red. He wasn't sure whether this was something he should share, "Uh...s.something like that. It was a while ago."
O`hannigan nods and lets that one lie. "I don't think my legs had any problems before I had these installed..." he trails off. He's surprised he didn't come to this conclusion sooner, and is now incredibly distressed by the fact.
"Yeah? They bother you sometimes?" Lloyd pulls a cigarette out and holds it in his mouth, though not actually lighting it yet.
O`hannigan sighs. At least this guy's a lot more understanding that most. "Not much, no. I'm probably rather lucky for that. My head's another story though." He instinctively turns his head so his 'headset' isn't in plain view. Subject change, "But hey, where did you get your prosthetics? They're pretty sophisticated looking."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't say I've experienced that." Lloyd lights his cigarette and takes a particularly long drag. "Heh, I made these." He smiles proudly. "Y'see the ones the hospitals issue ya are useless. Just a stick connecting you to the ground. I was hoping I'd be able to get back onto the field, but I just couldn't run like I used to."
O`hannigan frowned sympathetically, intently curious now. "Could I see? How do they handle the forces..."
"Well, it's only fair, hold on." Lloyd seats himself, rather ungracefully on the ground and pulls one off handing it to him. "These ones have cushioning, and a bit of a spring, really good for impact but they're still a bit too heavy for my liking."
O`hannigan is clearly fascinated. "Hah! How about that, it just fits right on. Much easier to switch out than mine of you broke one." He hefts the leg in one hand, feeling the weight of it. "Hmm, see what you mean about the weight."
Lloyd seems very pleased. "Heh, yeah, it's too much for trying to run in. Chafes like crazy, but I'm told that happens no matter what."
O`hannigan snaps his fingers, "you know, I could probably get a hold of the x-rays they took when my leg was broken, the whole spring's in it. Maybe you could use that for proportions and angle if you wanted to try making a similar model."
Lloyd barks out "REALLY?" He claps his hands over his mouth, not meaning to be that loud about it. "I mean...uh, if it's not too much trouble, I mean...I don't want t' get you in serious trouble or anything."
O`hannigan waves a hand dismissively. "Nahh. I should have access to my own medical files. Wouldn't be the first time I've borrowed things around here. I'd just need to get it back fairly quickly, a couple days should be fine."
Lloyd seems way too pleased with this development. "I can have 'em back to you sooner if you need it. I just need to draw it out. If I can see how it goes in, I can figure out the rest."
O`hannigan was scheming now. "well, I'm not sure how heavily it relies on being anchored to the actual bonestructure, but you know. Science never gets anywhere without experimenting, right? I'll get the x-ray sheets to you tomorrow evening. Can you get out here for eleven?"
Lloyd "I can try. I don't think it'll be that hard sneaking out of the base. Even if my own experiments don't work, at least I'll know I've tried, eh?" he's positively giddy.
O`hannigan feels this is the first good he's accomplished since arriving out here. Certainly much better than killing each other. "I have my suspicion even a failed replica of these would perform admirably enough. Let me know how it goes Lloyd."
Lloyd smiles, extending a hand out to O'Hannigan. "Thanks Harvey. You have no idea what you've done for me. I wish there were REDs like you back when I was a Scout."
O`hannigan shakes hands warmly. "Glad to help! Hopefully your BLU teammates will prove good companions as well."
"Well, so far so good...I'll see you tomorrow then?"
O`hannigan nods. "Eleven PM. Here by the water tower."
Lloyd glanced over his shoulder. "Wicked. I'll see you then. I'd better get back before they wonder where I am."
O`hannigan gives something like a haphazard salute and a grin before sprinting back to his own base.