Chapter 19

“So walk me through it again.”

Mace was pissed, really pissed.

“He used an item on you, this one,” I pulled the ‘Contact Cement’ from Mace’s inventory and held it up. “Just as he kissed your face and thought it was an attack. I stole the item so I could look at what he’d done to you.” I explained ... for the third time in as many minutes.

He and the other guy looked at me without expression. “You were told to stay out of it, expressly told.”

This was the interview at home, the one in France had been completely different. There I’d played completely dumb. There I’d just fallen behind my coworker, ‘the Major’ and as I stepped behind a pillar to catch up to him, a sound like a crashing bell went off, then screaming and blood ... etc.

Here on the plane I was to tell it like it was. Mace and I had traversed the airport separately and this was the ‘Official Debriefing’.

Little did they know, I wasn’t wearing briefs.

We went back and forth on this for a while, basically they were pissed that I hadn’t followed orders. I pointed out that I was a civilian and just wearing a lieutenant uniform as cover, and that I was right. That little tube had been a ‘stickie’ that allowed you to track someone if you stamped them. We couldn’t even find it on Mace and the item had 9 of 25 charges left. Maybe it wasn’t an attack, but the resulting response after I stole it sure as hell was.

Mace winced as the other guy took over the interview (interrogation is more like it) and I was asked the same questions again, just louder, and less politely.

Hours later we landed, and I was given ‘orders’ to report back to Mace in 48 hours. My cellphone and another cellphone were handed to me (it may actually have been the same one as before) and I had to call myself a cab from the airport. The first ‘mission’ was barely over and I was already sick of the job.

Glancing at my old phone, I had the driver take me directly to the bar. I was five hours behind the time zone and pretty tired but a union meeting was planned for all Stewards and the Chief of the unit. I’d arrive about 30 minutes late but I needed some normalcy after the whirlwind of the last 48 hours.

If you ever need something to bring you back to earth after an international political incident, and attempted murder, I would recommend beer.

Specifically having a beer with a bunch of rowdy guys from work.

Trash talking, shit talking, laughing and joking at their own and others expense ... I just drank it all in. I was familiar with this but just forgot how much I’d missed it. Asparagus with Hollandase sauce and politics is all well and good, but chicken wings with fries and hockey are more my speed. At the end of the first round, I was presented with a nice polo shirt, the UNIFOR emblem on the front.

“Good luck on your next job, I’ve heard it’s awesome. Just remember us back here and all your brothers and sisters in the union” Joe slapped me on the back, literally and figuratively. I was surprised at how much I felt for it all, these guys had worked with and for me for a few years.

“I feel like I’m leaving a winning team, we’ve had a couple of good seasons behind us and even though I’m leaving I hope you have more winning years ahead of you”. I said, loud enough to carry. Again surprising myself and getting a chorus of “Argh!” back in response.

These Yahoos.

Putting my new shirt over my head, I noticed the stone was suddenly not in my pocket. It had been there all through the French adventure and it disappears now.

She’s awake then.

I said my goodbyes and hopped in another taxi, dozing during the half hour drive to the hospital where Leslie was recovering.

I miraculously still had my badge and parking pass, and on the way up to her room I remembered that I’d stolen her silver lockbox. Stepping into her ward, I ducked behind the curtain of the same sleeping patient I had when I was last here, to sort out what I was going to say. The same dude was still out cold, and I helped myself to a glass of his water and a small carton of juice.

While I was working it all out, she got another visitor.

“Hey Boss! “ I heard her voice for the first time in quite a while.

“Right now I’m Margeret, Leslie. Your Boss will be coming in later.” Came another voice. “Drink your coffee, I get to talk first.” I finally recognized the voice of Floor Manager, Margaret.

“Your actions at work: they were purely self defence, and defence of the patients. You were NOT trying to show-off, or ‘engage in horseplay’ or brandish a weapon to intimidate or threaten other employees of the hospital. You were also not fighting the monsters purely for financial gain. You were only trying to defend yourself and the patients from the Spider ... Um ... infestation. Got it?” ... the manager lectured. I wondered what was up? Margaret had been a floor nurse for years before recently making the jump to management and was known for being blunt but fair to most everyone under her.

“Uh ... ok. “ Leslie sounded dazed “That story has the advantage of being completely true...”

“Good. See you in 5 minutes “ Margaret replied brusquely and I heard her shoes as she walked out of the room. Nurses wear running shoes or court shoes, never anything that had a heel and click-clacked like hers did. Just another difference that happens when you get promoted into management.

“You one of them Weapon Heroes? Them that faught the monsters from last week?” I threw out from behind the curtain. I threw it out as a joke.

“Nope, not me...” came her voice.

I chuckled. “Ya know, ... that’s exactly what a hero would say...”. I couldn’t tell you why I waited, it was partially because I didn’t know what to say and partially because I wondered what was gong on with the Boss.

Margaret’s shoes clicked as she returned a few minutes later, along with some crazy expensive patent leather shoes that probably cost as much as my first car.

“Evening Leslie, this is Fred Andrews, he is working for Human Resources.” Margaret’s voice came out, followed by some shuffling and a long pause.

“We’d like to get your version of events, or rather the events from your perspective...” a mans voice came. He sounded nice, confident, and competent. I was suddenly on edge.

“Am I in any trouble? Should I have some sort of, uh ... support?” Leslie asked, obviously catching the same vibes I did.

“Not strictly necessary,” he paused, “I’d like to make a recording, it saves me having to write out notes. I’ll make you a copy if you like.” The voice replied with all the ‘friendly command’ that shitty cops and shifty car salesmen use.

There was a small clunk and a light beep and I imagined he’d set down some sort of recorder. Time for someone to jump in here:

“I’m a local steward for the union, and I formally object to you interviewing a union member without proper notifications being given.” I called out as I pulled the curtain that separated us back. “I also object to you not obtaining the permission of this union member to be recorded. I have stood here for a minute or so before announcing my presence and before the recording started and you did not ask for, nor receive permission” my plan was to have the objection and the poor behaviour I heard to be recorded on the assholes tape machine.

“Hello Leslie, would you like union representation for the remainder of the meeting?” I asked pleasantly, smiling down on her as I did.

“Yes ... please... “ she stammered out.

I turned to the asshole and looked him up and down. His suit was worth more than my monthly rent. His watch was worth more than my truck, his shoes were worth one of my paycheques, but he wasn’t worth shit.

Maybe I was judging him harshly but If he’d been a Weapon, I’d have challenged him to a duel.

“Mr. Andrews, do we have the guarantee from yourself and management of Xavier’s hospital that anything said or discovered during this meeting will NOT result in disciplinary action against this or any other union member?” I said to the asshole, staring at him with the confidence that came from knowing I could gut the prick before he could blink.

“You know we could not guarantee something like that ... l...” the asshole whined. He tried to continue at that point but I cut him off.

“Then this meeting is over. If you wish to interview a union member for possible disciplinary action you must give 24 hours notice, in writing, to the union. Until you do, I ask you not to speak to my union Sister here.” I repeated, trying to recall exactly the words and tone that Joe had used, just a few days ago and hoping that they hadn’t given notice, or couldn’t prove it if they had.

There was an awkwardly long pause before The shark/hired thug said “Very well, I will be in touch.” and went to put away his things.

“Mr Andrews, could I still have a copy of that recording please?-” Leslie fired out from the bed, and I swear I saw a small grin from her.

He mumbled something and closed his briefcase, turning to leave he nodded to Margeret who in turn nodded to both of us, then she followed him out.

“Rumour is that they always try some shit like that, but the stakes are so high here so they felt the risk was worth the reward of setting a trap for you” I said as I watched them leave. “They probably paid off a nurse here to tell them when you woke up, but I had a pretty good way of getting the message. I even possibly got it sooner.” I smiled and turned to woman in the bed. She fidgeted and pulled up the bedsheets, seemingly nervous with being alone with me.

“How could you know I was awake? I didn’t call you?” She asked quietly, looking up at me from her pillow.

“Your stone ... I had it in my pocket!” I smiled. It wasn’t completely true, it had been in my inventory for a time but I dropped it in my pocket at one time to make some room. “When it disappeared I knew you were awake. First thing I’d have done is recall my weapon. The nurses had your Staff in the main office for the same reason ... I expect they’ll start filing in here sooner or later.”

“It wasn’t the first thing I did ... I guess the pearl ring is yours?” She clarified.

I looked at her, not minding the bruising and IV’s. She’d been like a berserker back in the hall with the Spiders, deadly and beautiful. The marks on her were just signs of her awesome strength and attractive as far as I was concerned. I shook off that train of thought, getting back to why I’d actually come.

“Umm, can we speak privately” I whispered

“I guess?” She whispered, but made a cupping action to her ear, then pointing towards the curtains to her left where I’d been standing earlier with the sleeping patient. Hoping to put her at ease I pulled out my phone, and put on some music, setting it loud enough to make evesdropping very hard so long as we didn’t speak too loudly.

I then decided to bite the bullet and pulled out her silver box from my inventory.

“I’ve got one of those too!” She said quietly, then got an odd look on her face. I guessed that she’d just discovered her box was missing.

“This one is yours, look, please don’t be mad but you were dying and I kinda ... looked through your inventory to see if you had anything that could help. Thank the gods that you did...” I tried to be placating.

“You ... You ‘looked’ through my stuff!?” She sounded really angry. Just how angry became apparent as she suddenly pulled out her staff.

I just looked at her with a frown. “Put it away, not only is that unreasonable, but you’re in no shape to use it.”

She did not comply, and looked like she’d rather ram the damn thing up my ass. Gods! Half dead, hooked up to IV’s, in a bed for three days in a medically induced coma and her first instinct was to fight me.

What a woman.

I couldn’t have her hurting herself though, she might even hurt me and rip out all her stitches while doing it, and so I took her staff from her, placing it in my inventory.

“Give it back. NOW!” Her voice was near panic.

“When you calm down, I’ll pass it back. In the mean time I’m protecting myself from you. Listen, those management assholes have a huge problem, and they’re trying to make it go away by deflecting some of the deaths onto you.” I tried to get it all out in a rush.