[Aftermath Interlude]

Chapter 16 / 02

The Old Ideals

When Richard opened his eyes, he was in a white room. The regular beeps of machines came from somewhere to his left. His body was covered by a thin white sheet. The door was closed, but the patter of busy feet still came through.

He took stock of what he knew. He must be in a hospital room. More importantly, there was no sign of Warbinger’s laughter. He looked at the window, but couldn’t see through the drawn curtains. All he could tell was that it was daytime. Had they won? If they had, he must have missed quite a bit.

The door opened and Richard smiled as Geoff walked through. He was wearing slacks and a green button-up shirt.

“Rick!” He stepped over to the bed and squeezed Richard’s hand. “Glad you’re finally up.”

“You’re looking good, Geoff. Is that my shirt?”

“Yeah. We brought Lamet to rest at your place so I showered and borrowed some clothes so Beatrice won’t panic.”

Richard pushed himself up to sit. His right arm protested more than anything else. “Have I been here that long? What did she say when you called her?”

Geoff looked away. “It’s been a few hours. I passed out in the shower I was so beat.”

“Why didn’t you call her?” He already knew what he would say.

“I was on duty,” he said defensively. “What was I supposed to do, stop saving the world to go find a payphone? Besides, she’s been at a shelter most of the day, there’s no way to just call in.”

“Did we save it then? Did we save everyone?” He didn’t mean everyone. He had long since learned that was impossible.

“That… depends on what you mean by ‘everyone’.” Geoff replied, a dark mood coming over his face. “I think from the train, the current death toll is something like a hundred and seven.” Richard’s heart sank, but Geoff wasn’t done. “From the city… over nine hundred.”

Richard sank back into the bed. Nine hundred.

“It’s… not great.” Geoff agreed. “It’s just better than it could have been.”

“What about everyone we know? Where is Sparlyset?” He couldn’t wait to see her. She did something, he was sure of it. She saved everyone.

“Lamet is at your house resting. She’s alright. You’ll want to wash your sheets though.”

“Ah, you put her in my bed? You couldn’t have cleaned her first?” He supposed Geoff had little choice. He would have to let him use his washing machine though.

“Are you kidding? She was out like a match in a swimming pool. If I touched her she’d team up with Bea to pull my arms off.” He shook his head. “Sparlyset is okay. She’s not talking though. Everyone else… alive, but not so good. Deilitus and Barker are around here somewhere in much worse condition than us. Julielle had to be pried out of what was left of her workshop, but she’ll probably live. Everyone else is fine, or I told you already.”

‘That’s good. Wait,” Richard was thinking about his laundry when something occurred to him. “Your house was in Central.”

Geoff sat on the bed. He had a look of concern about him. “Yeah it’s long gone. Like I said, Beatrice and Marinda took refuge in South, but lucky us, you saved a bastard who owns a pretty fine hotel. Should have seen his face when I told him his car batteries fried up that monster. Really embellished it, you know. Made him feel like a badass.”

Richard laughed “So you’re saying he gave you a room? And here I was going to mooch off your machine.”

“Gave us a room,” he clarified. “There’s plenty of space for you and Sparlyset, apparently. He hooked up those puren guardsmen too. That Rite of Tongues is coming in handy for him. Oh, I should mention. You don’t get a separate room because there are too many people in need of a place to go. He’s waived all fees for refugees with children. More space for them, eh? Lamet can come too, we’ll pick her up on the way.”

“I have my own place.” Richard said dryly.

Geoff shook his head. “Better you stay with us until you’re feeling better.” His demeanour turned serious. “Which reminds me, I’ve got bad news.”

“Just rip the bandage off.”

“We have to go. Doctors want you out right away, since you’re not badly hurt. Especially since the President insisted one of the Earth’s heroes…” he waved his hands around, “…get a hospital room to themselves. As soon as you’re out they can cram like four people in here.”

Richard sighed. “Fine, I’d rather not be stuck here anyway.” He swung one leg out of the bed, and was floored by how much pain throbbed in his body. He ached like he’d been hit by a car. A train car, even.

“Take it easy man. Everyone we know is gonna kick my ass if I let you hurt yourself.”

He shifted his other leg. It… wasn’t so bad. It was sore as all hell, but he could move. He tried to think of it as a good post-workout burn. When he stood up he was surprised to see his clothes had been removed, as had the extra layer of dirt he’d been wearing. But beside the bed was a change of clothes on a side table. It was his own sweat pants and black tank top.

“This is what you picked?” he asked, dressing carefully. I look like I just came from a jog.”

“Yeah, I figured this way no one would ask why you smell so bad.” Geoff laughed. Richard swiped at him but his tired arm was easily dodged. “Hey, they cleaned you. Hosed you down, at least.”

“I’m very grateful for that,” he said, picking up his things. He was relieved to see the Grasping Glove armlet, not that anyone else would know it was special. He slipped it on and fastened his belt with his pouch and Painkiller to his waist. As they walked to the door, it was obvious by Geoff’s careful steps that he was aching too.

The door opened to a bright corridor where doctors, nurses, and HDF were rushing by. Down the hall they came to a waiting room lined with benches. Every seat was filled with unhappy people with minor injuries, left waiting while more severe cases were seen first. Except one bench, where the two seats next to Sparlyset remained empty.

She raised her arms towards him, a bright smile across her face that couldn’t hide the exhaustion in her eyes. He thought about how to hug her while she was sitting, and realising it would only be awkward, he picked her up on his back. He could hug her later. There was no need for them to loiter in the hospital, taking up space for people who needed it.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Sparly.” he said gently over his shoulder. Her arms tightened around him.

And with her arms over his shoulders, she would be holding him the whole way. With her warmth, he felt better already. Except his legs, which both still ached with each step.

“I have more bad news.” Geoff said, looking back and forth for eavesdroppers.

“How bad?” he asked. Bad for Geoff included the death toll, but it could range all the way to something like, ‘I have to cook tonight.’

“Well, President Jasmine obviously has been briefed on recent events.” Geoff chuckled. “It was a little funny actually. I had to meet her on a construction site around the block from here. She’s got her overalls on, hauling 90 kilogram loads of wood for these temporary shelters they’re putting up.”

Richard laughed, “So you go to see her and she’s standing there holding this load that weighs more than you?”

“Yeah, and she says, ‘Damn Friction, I thought I looked like shit, but you look like you just crawled out of my ass.’”

They both laughed.

“She’s still crude when not in the office, eh?” Richard said.

The elevator to the ground was so crowded they could barely see it, so with a pair of disappointed groans, they decided to take the stairs. It was a quieter place to speak anyway, even with the occasional nurse jogging past.

“Anyway,” Geoff continued. “I thought that was funny.” He frowned, “Still hurts to laugh … but, well you know Jasmine. She loves heroism, and she’s impressed with our work.”

“I don’t like where this is going.” Richard said.

“Yeah we’ve been promoted.” he said in a defeated tone.

“Do we still get to be partners? Wait, promoted to what? Are we getting desked?”

“Come on Rick, you know what I mean.” Geoff gave him a sideways glance before stumbling down the last two steps.

“Pillars?”

“Pillars.”

Now Richard was frowning too. They had been excited when Jasmine established the Presidential Pillars after the Battle for the Final Cross. A group of heroes from both sides, to represent the bond of respect that could be forged even between people with different ideals. To represent the unity and peace that both sides had ultimately fought for, and come to agree upon. At the time even the controversial inclusion of Julielle the Terror hadn’t dimished the President’s message.

Although Julielle still lived in prison unless called upon, that had been the case since well before the Battle.

But they hadn’t been included. “You’re too young, go live your lives well in our new peace.” they were told.

They’d grown out of wanting to be Pillars, finding as they matured that their peaceful lives were ideal. But that same idealisation of their lives is what made them fight so hard to keep the peace. Was that why Jasmine had done it? She knew that having faced the dangers of live combat, of real rebellion, terrorism, and corrupt government, the two of them would never be satisfied leaving the safety of their city solely in the hands of others, Pillars or not. She gave them something to fight for, so they would never stop fighting.

“What the hell!” Richard said. “Have we been Pillars this entire time?”

Geoff looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think she’s definitely gotten exactly what she wanted out of us.”

They laughed again, and Sparlyset whispered into his ear. “What are Pillars?”

“Strongest people in the city,” he answered, “They answer to the President. I’m sure you’ll meet some of them soon.”

Geoff nodded. “Not today though. We’ll meet with the President tomorrow. Today, we have to go get Lamet and meet my wife and kid at Bonnair Hotel. I think they’ll be there before us.”

“You know I was thinking, Geoff, it’s a shame you lost your couch in the Final Cross. Where are you going to sleep now?”

His friend smacked his shoulder. Richard was glad that after all that happened, there was still room for a little laughter.