It was a coincidence, really. Nearly every other alley in the neighborhood had one of Dr. Vahziloks insane surgeons dissecting a corpse, but this was the one they ran into. This was the one that bore the brunt of their disgust for the rampant lawlessness they saw everyday. It was over quickly, leaving the pair of heroes to take care of the situation the villain had left for them.
Youre the medic. Whats the procedure for
this? Broken Memory asked his companion, indicating the lifeless victim they had rescued. Her response was another one of those glares that Memory tended to ignore.
Im not a medic, Jade Rune explained yet again. And there is no
. I think hes still alive! Broken Memory arched an eyebrow at Jades word choice as she dropped down to work her magic. In the time that he had known her, she had never once admitted that she could be wrong, or even unsure. For her to do so now, and in her field of expertise, told him much. It told him that whatever spark of life she may have seen was so faint she could afford no distractions, and Memory watched silently, ready to intercept any that might arrive.
---
Ive done all I can. Hell live to reach the hospital as long as you dont dawdle, Jade stood up and stepped away, ignoring the hair that had come loose while she was occupied. Memory wordlessly scooped up the patient and began walking, fading away after the second step. His voice trailed behind, Catch up when you can. Jade waited for the voice to fade away also before collapsing against a nearby wall to catch her breath.
---
Roger Gile watched himself in the mirror as he finished buttoning the loose, blue shirt. Five years shouldnt have made him so unrecognizable to himself, but the prematurely gray hair always drew his attention now. He forced himself to look away, and then to stop fiddling with the buttons on his sleeve.
The shirt was covering up the bandages over the discoloration in his arms, which was even more disconcerting than his hair. The doctors and Jade Rune both assured him that it wasnt spreading, but were forced to admit that they didnt know what it was. Jade required more than a little prompting before revealing that much. So far no treatment had had any affect, and Jade said it actively resisted anything she attempted. That thought made Roger shudder. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and then made his way downstairs. There was a Meet and Greet going on. The staff had said it wasnt mandatory, but Roger didnt want to skip out.
Jade Rune and Broken Memory had both promised to keep in touch, feeling somewhat responsible for his well being since rescuing him. Jade had said she might consider volunteering, as well, if she had time, in a tone of voice that said she expected to be very, very busy.
Roger had no intention of relying on their sympathy, so he was very grateful that an official get together had been scheduled so close to his arrival. Jade and Memory were nice enough people, but they werent very personable. And they were busy.
The event was in a fairly large room, but it was still just starting to fill up. Grabbing a paper plate and a handful each of crackers, cheese, and salami, Roger wandered over to where a small handful of people had already started gathering.