A/N: I’ve set up some more background information and the plot is a little more developed. On a side note, Holly and Claire are fun to write. I like how Claire balances Holly out, adding a little ying to her yang.
“Alright,” David said as he stopped the car and pulled the keys out of the ignition, “this is it.” Holly wiped the dirty car window with her sleeve and gazed out. They had pulled up in front of an old gothic building. Stone gargoyles clung to the edges of the roofs, and they almost seemed to glare down at her passing judgment.
“It’s pretty creepy, isn’t it?” Claire voiced aloud. Holly shook her head.
“They’re just stone. Stone can’t hurt you.” As David fumbled through his pockets for change to pay the parking meter, Claire carefully helped Holly out of the car.
“You know,” Claire said as she glanced over at Holly, “You really should have changed out of your clothes before leaving. They’re really torn up.” Holly looked down and couldn’t help but agree. David and Claire had removed all the glass shards and cleaned up the blood, but her clothes were still in tatters in some places. Holly sighed. She was too conspicuous like this. She was going to change clothes, but then she had tripped and somehow wound up on top of Claire… After that it really just slipped her mind.
“I’ll change after I get my leg taken care of.”
“What is it you’re wearing anyway?” Claire asked curiously. “Is it some kind of jumpsuit?”
“Something like that,” Holly replied nonchalantly, as David finished the exchange with the parking meter. Claire reached into the car and handed the crutches to Holly, who took them without a word. David came to a stop beside them.
“Aright, let’s go.” Holly took a step forward and grimaced as pain shot up her leg. She had never used crutches before she broke her leg, and now it seemed like the painkillers were wearing off. She managed to take a few more painful shuffles before coming to a stop, gasping in pain. David noticed that Holly was falling behind.
“Are you alright?” he asked concerned. “Are the painkillers wearing off? Need some help?” David took a few steps toward her, but Holly shook her head and looked down.
“I don’t need any help,” she grunted painfully. David looked like he was going to argue, but thought better of it.
“That girl is just too stubborn sometimes,” he muttered before continuing to walk toward the entrance. Claire remained where she was, and Holly came to a stop next to her.
“You don’t need to wait for me,” she informed the other girl.
“I know,” Claire said as she tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “But I wanted to.” Holly sighed and looked down at the ground.
“Fine, you can walk next to me, but I still don’t want any help.” Claire gave a little frown and shrugged.
“Alright, do whatever you want.” Holly once more resumed shuffling forward, doing her best to ignore the pain. Claire walked beside her, ready to help Holly whether she wanted it or not. The came to the entrance and entered the building. The building was at least a hundred years old, but there had been some major renovations. Lights shone down from the tall stone ceiling and off to the side were several elevators. David walked over to one of the elevators and pushed the button.
“The professor should be on the third floor.” The three of them got into the elevator and the door slid shut. A thin whisper of music came in through the vent of the elevator. Holly glanced up at the ceiling of the elevator. It was firmly in place.
“What are you looking at?” Claire asked her. Holly quickly looked down and stared and stared straight ahead at the steel elevator door.
“Nothing.” The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. Several hallways spanned to the left and right. Sounds of classes in sessions could be heard faintly. David looked over at Holly.
“Some classes are going on right now, but the professor we’re seeing doesn’t have class today. His office is right down this hall.” David took a right, and Holly and Claire went to follow him. Holly was slowing down once more so, Claire took her arm and placed it around her neck. Holly reluctantly complied.
“Seriously,” Claire whispered to her. “What’s with the tough act?” Holly gave a small smile.
“Who says it’s an act?” Claire groaned.
“Putting yourself through pain doesn’t prove that you’re tough. It only proves that you’re stupid.”
“Hey!” Holly retorted. “Life is filled with pain and sometimes you have to endure it.” Holly paused for a moment. An uncertain look fell over her face and she closed her eyes. “Sometimes it’s best to test your limits while you have some control in the matter. It’s better than having someone else break them for you. Trust me.” Claire looked over at her with concern her eyes.
“Holly… I…” she said softly. Holly shrugged the words off.
“Forget that I said anything.” They came to a stop in front of an old oaken door. David stepped forward and knocked on it.
“It’s open!” came the muffled response through the room. David opened the door and they stepped into the room. The first thing that Claire did was sneeze. The room was incredibly dusty. It lined the shelves of books and the various medical instruments on the table. The sunlight coming through the heavy drapes illuminated the dust, making it almost seem like golden sand suspended in the air. Holly took in the surroundings carefully.
“This place is a dump,” she concluded after scrutinizing the room.
“Sorry about that. I get caught up in my work and sprucing up the place becomes the last thing on my mind,” said the man sitting behind his desk. He looked to be in his late fifties. Streaks of gray lined his hair. He wore a buttoned shirt, and he was carefully examining something in a jar while taking records in a small notebook. The man seemed to have forgotten that they were there. Claire coughed loudly. The man looked up startled.
“Ah. How rude of me. How can I help you three?” David cleared his throat.
“Well actually Professor Humphrey, my little sister’s friend broke her leg and I was wondering if you might be able to help us.” Professor Humphrey reached for his spectacles and put them on and turned to look at Holly.
“You know my boy, this isn’t a free clinic. I just can’t help anyone that walks in here. This establishment is a school, not a treatment center. Take her to an actual hospital.” His answer given, Humphrey returned to his work. Claire glared at her brother and punched him the arm.
“Ow! What was that for?” Claire rolled her eyes.
“You said that this guy would be able to help her!” she whispered fiercely. David rubbed the back of his head nervously.
“I thought he would. He’s not like any of the other professors. He’s always up to a challenge if you can persuade him.”
“How are we going to do that Mr.MD?” While the two siblings continued to bicker, Holly decided to take action into her own hands. She crossed the room slowly and came to a stop in front of Humphrey’s desk. She took a moment to consider how to best enlist his help. Holly had left her gun at David’s apartment, and her leg severely limited her forceful persuasive techniques, so duress wasn’t an option. Perhaps triggering a sympathetic emotional response would do the trick.
“Professor?” Humphrey put down his jar and looked up at her.
“Oh, you’re still here, are you?” Holly took a deep breath. She didn’t want to overplay her hand.
“Listen professor, I hate to ask for your help but I don’t have anywhere else to turn to. I can’t go to a hospital.” Humphrey frowned.
“Why is that child?” Holly sniffed and let a few crocodile tears well up in the corner of her eyes.
“You see my mother died when I was only three, and my father’s a drunk. My brother’s been taking care of me, but he had bad deal with the mob and…” Holly let some of the tears flow down her cheeks and gave a small sob. “Some mobsters took him, and I haven’t seen him for days. I tried looking for him, but they attacked me and broke my leg.” The professor was at rapt attention for once. His face contorted with empathy for this poor young girl who had gone through so much. Holly pointed over at Claire. “Claire, she’s a really good person, one of the best I’ve ever met,” she said tearfully. “She and her brother took me in and have been taking care of me. If I were to go to a hospital, the mob would find me and I don’t know what would happen to me.”
Professor Humphrey felt a great sense of outrage flowing through his veins. To think someone would harm such a poor young girl. He had to do something. No! He must do something. Humphrey stood up abruptly and slammed his notebook loudly on his desk.
“Mr. Reed!” David looked up from his argument with Claire.
“Yes sir?” Humphrey grinned, showing off a gold tooth in the corner of his mouth.
“Fetch me bag by the door over there. We have a patient to care for!” David’s eyes widened at the professor’s sudden change of heart.
“Um… Right away sir!” he stammered. Humphrey walked over to the phone and looked at Holly.
“I should be able to book the use of an x-ray machine on the fifth floor. Just give me a few minutes.” Holly smiled widely.
“Thank you sir!” she said sweetly. Humphrey began to dial the number.
“Think nothing of it. After all, I took an oath.” Claire took a step forward and came to stand beside Holly.
“How the hell did you change his mind?” she whispered into her ear. Holly shrugged nonchalantly.
“Easy. I lied.”
“What? But that’s dishonest!” Claire exclaimed. Holly leaned against the wall.
“Maybe it is, but it might have had a grain of truth hidden somewhere.” Claire sighed and rubbed her forehead. She could feel a head ache coming on.
“I don’t want to make of you sometimes,” she informed Holly. Holly gave a small smile.
“That’s a good thing,” she said cryptically. “Let’s try and keep it like that.” Humphrey hung up his phone and turned to the two girls.
“Alright let’s go.”
Humphrey held up the x-rays against the screen and scrutinized them carefully. David stood beside him.
“Hmmm. Good job at placing the leg in the splint Reed.”
“Thank you sir.” Holly and Claire sat in chairs by the wall of the room. Humphrey frowned and glanced over at Holly over his shoulder.
“How did you say you became injured again?” Holly gave a small gulp and kept a straight face.
“I was attacked.” Humphrey’s frown deepened.
“Well this x-ray would beg to differ.” He turned it around so that she could see.
“You see it appears that you have a comminuted fracture. That is where the bone breaks into more than two pieces.” He pointed out the bones on the x-ray. “It looks like your leg has fractured into three distinct fragments. This is common to elderly people with osteoporosis, not teenagers. Usually you only see this kind of fracture in cases with extreme trauma like a car accident or high fall.” Holly thought quickly.
“I was hit on the head,” she said quickly, lowering her eyes. “I don’t know what happened next.” David rubbed his chin.
“That would explain the minor concussion you received.” Humphrey turned to David.
“She has a minor concussion?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve been going through the standard procedure, right? Making sure she’s gotten plenty of rest?
“Of course.” Holly let out a sigh of relief, glad that the conversation had deviated in a different direction. Claire regarded Holly skeptically.
“Hit on the head huh?” Holly leaned close to her.
“Well my head did get hit. Let’s just leave it at that for right now,” she whispered. Humphrey continued to discuss the injury with David. Ever a teacher, he never let a learning moment pass him by. Humphrey pulled out a chair by the girls and sat down. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“I have good news and I have bad news,” he told them.
“What’s the bad news?” Holly asked.
“The bad news,” Humphrey said, “is that you’re looking at quite a long recovery time. Three months. You will also have to undergo physical therapy, and I highly recommend that you see an orthopedist.” Holly took in the news silently with a nod. Three months was a long time, but at least she was alive. She would have to contact Sid sometime before that at the very least. The information needed to get to him while it was still useful
“And the good news…?” Claire asked hopefully. Humphrey seemed to brighten up a little.
“Well the good news is that young Holly here was very lucky with the fracture. I’ve seen some cases of comminuted fractures where the bone had been smashed into fragments. A case like that would require enormous amounts of surgery, pins, and time. Your breaks are clean and should be able to heal relatively well on their own. The bones are still in place. I will have to perform a minor surgery to realign them. I can either use general anesthesia or regional-”
“Regional is fine,” Holly spoke up. “I’ve already spent enough time unconscious.” The professor looked at her with surprise for a moment before slowly nodding.
“Very well, I should be able to procure a room in the demonstration area on the main floor. I’ll make the call right now,” and with that Humphrey stood up and went to the telephone. Claire looked at Holly with concern.
“You’re only taking regional?” Holly shrugged.
“You heard the man. It’s only a minor realignment. I’ve slept enough lately as it is.” David came over and sat down next to Claire. He straightened his glasses and smile.
“You’re worrying too much Claire,” he said cheerfully as he stretched his arms with a yawn. “Professor Humphrey was one of the best surgeons in the state. He’s been retired for a few years, but it’s like riding a bike. You never forget.”
“Yeah,” Holly said dryly, glancing over at David. “Leg surgery is just like riding a bike.”
“Well, it is if you’re an expert at it,” David retorted. Claire laughed.
“You two argue like a married couple.”
“What?!” They exclaimed in unison before glaring at each other. Holly scoffed.
“That’s crazy. The idea of it…” David nodded with enthusiasm.
“I gave up dating high school girls years ago. They’re too clingy.” Claire bristled.
“I’m going to let that one slide,” she informed him pointedly. Humphrey hung up the phone and came over to them.
“We’ll be able to use room 3-B for the procedure. Follow me.” Holly grabbed her crutches and Claire helped her up as they followed the professor. They came to a room. Humphrey opened the door and turned on the lights. The lights flickered on and illuminated the room. Claire’s nose wrinkled at the sharp smell of antiseptics. She never had really liked hospitals; they were too clean. There was something almost unnatural about it. There was a large padded chair in the center of the room. It almost looked like the kind you would sit in at the dentist. Holly shuffled over to it and laid down on it. Claire pulled up a chair and sat beside her.
“Mr. Reed,” the professor called over his shoulder, “Come help me gather my equipment.” David went over to help him. After a few minutes they were ready to begin.
“It’s a relatively simple procedure,” Humphrey explained as he prepared the IV. “It’s called intravenous regional anesthesia. I’ll inject a local anesthesia into your leg via a vein and tie off a tourniquet to prevent it from spreading to the rest of your body. Once the procedure is done, you should regain feeling after I remove the tourniquet.” Holly nodded.
“Let’s get started.” Humphrey knelt beside her and carefully removed the splint and tied a tourniquet at the top of her leg. He then cut away at the material covering her leg and began to look for a suitable vein. “Alright, this should only sting for a moment,” he said after finding one. The needle pierced her flesh and began to inject the anesthesia. After a few minutes, Holly’s leg had gone completely numb. It was a welcome relief. The dull throbbing pain had finally vanished. Humphrey paused a moment before continuing.
“You might want to look away for this part. It may make you feel uncomfortable.” Holly shrugged.
“I’ve seen worse,” she said, but none of the less, she turned away. As Humphrey began to set her leg back in place, Holly felt something squeezing her shoulder tightly. She glanced over. It was Claire. Claire smiled weakly.
“Sorry, I’m just a little nervous,” she explained. Holly laughed lightly.
“You’re not the one having the procedure done on.” Claire blushed and looked down, her hair hid her face.
“I know. You’re handling this is so well, and I’m the nervous wreck.” Holly paused for a moment before placing her hand on top of the hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. Claire looked up at her in surprise.
“Don’t be so hard on your self. You seemed to handle yourself pretty well when you found me unconscious in that alley.” Claire looked away.
“That was different. I didn’t have time to think or be afraid. I just reacted.
“Well,” Holly said, “I’m glad you did otherwise we wouldn’t be here having this conversation.” Claire looked over at her. The look in Holly’s eyes was different. They were relaxed, gentle almost. Most of the time there was hard edge to them, especially when David was involved. Claire shook her head gently.
“David did most of the work.” Holly shrugged and lifted Claire’s hand and slipped it into her own.
“Maybe… But don’t sell yourself short. Got that?” Holly said with a serious look on her face. Claire smiled widely. She felt incredibly warm at the moment. It was strange, but pleasant. Claire gave Holly’s hand a squeeze.
“Yeah.”
While they had been busy talking, Professor Humphrey had finished the procedure.
“Alright, I’m finished,” he said surprising the girls.
“Already?” Holly asked incredulously. The professor smiled.
“Like I said, it was a clean break. Besides, I’ve been doing this for years. All we have to do is set it in a cast.” Humphrey wrapped several layers of cotton around Holly’s right leg as David soaked the fiberglass in a container of water. Humphrey took the fiberglass and showed David how he wrapped it around the leg slowly. He then took a scalpel and cut some slits on the side. “With a fracture like this, there is bound to be some swelling,” he explained. “This should allow some room for it.” At last the professor had finished. “Alright, let the cast dry for half an hour and you should be good to go. Now let me write you a prescription for some pain medication.” Humphrey went over to the counter and pulled out a slip of paper and a pen.
“Thank you,” Holly told him sincerely. The older man brushed off the gratitude with a wave of his hand.
“Think nothing of it.” Half an hour later the cast had hardened completely and Holly got on her crutches once more.
“Make sure you keep that leg elevated!” Humphrey called after them as they left the room. They waved and bid him farewell. As they were exiting the building Claire grabbed Holly’s arm.
“Wait!” Holly instantly tensed and scanned the area for any signs of danger. She had already had several escape routes plotted out when she noticed that Claire had gotten down on her knees. Holly gazed down at her confused for a moment.
“What are you doing?” Claire looked up at her, and smiled as she smoothed her hair away from her face. She held a sharpie in her hand.
“I wanted to be the first one to sign your cast.” Holly closed her eyes and tried to calm her heart rate. Claire didn’t know that she was an agent after all. After a few moments she opened her eyes.
“Who else do you think is going to sign it? I’m not letting David anywhere near my leg.”
“I resent that!” David called over his shoulder as he walked over to his car. Claire giggled.
“Well maybe… But when I broke my arm all my friends signed it. It made me feel better so I want to do the same for you.” A few seconds later Claire finished writing on the cast and put the cap back on her sharpie. Holly peered down at the cast. Claire had drawn a smiley face and signed, “Holly, I hope your leg feels better.” Claire signed it with a little heart. Holly gave a small smile. It was already working.
On the drive back to David’s apartment, Claire fell asleep. Her head lolled and came to rest on Holly’s shoulder. She seemed to be really tired so Holly didn’t disturb her. David looked back at them through his rear view mirror.
“Yeah, Claire mustn’t have gotten much sleep last night. She’s completely wiped out.”
“Then why aren’t you tired?” David laughed and focused his attention on the road once more.
“I’m a med student. I’ve built up some immunity to fatigue. Besides I have my secret booster: a red bull-coffee cocktail. It’s enough to wake up the dead.” Claire murmured something softly in her sleep and repositioned her head on Holly’s shoulder. Holly groaned, but her heart wasn’t in it. This girl had saved her life after all. Anyone else she would shove off. Besides, Claire looked rather peaceful when she was asleep. She breathed softly through her nose rather than snoring. They arrived at David’s apartment building and he parked the car. Claire was still asleep. David sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Fine, I’ll just carry you,” and with that he picked Claire up gently and placed her over his shoulder without waking her up. Holly got off of the car and with her crutches followed them.
“Dad?” asked Claire drowsily as David carried her to the elevator. He pushed the button and waited for the elevator to come down.
“No, it’s just me Claire,” David told her quietly. Claire nodded sleepily before burying her head in David’s shoulder once more.
“Mmmm alright.” The elevator door slid open and they got in. David glanced over to Holly and gave a small smile.
“Claire’s always been like this since we were kids. Once she’s tired she is like a slug. I always end up carrying her around.” Holly nodded thoughtfully. She had never had anyone to carry when she was a kid and tired. She always kept going on by herself. It must be nice to have someone to rely on. The elevator came to a stop and they went to David’s apartment. He opened the door and immediately went over to lay his sister down on his bed. “You were a lot lighter when you were a kid,” he muttered under his breath as he wiped sweat from his brow. Med students mustn’t get much exercise, Holly observed. David turned to Holly.
“Look, I have to go pick up your prescription will you be okay staying here with Claire.” Holly nodded.
“Not a problem.” David opened the door once more and disappeared down the hall. Holly looked at Claire spread out on the bed. How tired she felt finally hit her. She would love to get some more sleep, but that would have to wait a while. Holly went into the bathroom with her change of clothes and locked the door behind her. She unzipped her suit and pulled it off and looked in the mirror. She was covered in bruises. It looked like she had been beaten. Holly gently touched one of the bruises on her chest and hissed at how tender it was. It looked like there would also be some scarring as well. David and Claire had done the best for her but she noticed one particularly long cut that ran from down her side to her hip. Oh well, it would be an interesting story to tell everyone once she got back to headquarters.
Holly paused for a moment as a thought suddenly struck her. She had only one bra. She examined it. Her suit had taken the worse of the scratches and cuts but her bra was also pretty torn up as well. Holly tossed it aside. Maybe Claire could help get a new one. Holly pulled the t-shirt over head and put it on. The one with the puppy she noted unhappily. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers. Now for the tricky part: the pants. Holly took the pair of jeans and slid her left leg in without a problem. The right leg proved to be more cumbersome. No matter how much she tugged and struggled, it refused to go in. She spent five minutes forcing and pulling at it.
“Get in there you piece of shit!” Holly exclaimed becoming more and more frustrated. This frustration was augmented when she tripped and fell over, bumping against the bathtub. Fortunately she didn’t land on her broken leg. There was knocking on the bathroom door.
“Holly, are you alright in there?” Crap. It was Claire.
“Um!” Holly said as she used to the crutches to get to her feet. “Yeah I’m fine. D-don’t come in!” Claire lifted her hand from the door.
“Okay. What are you doing in there?” Holly once more resumed her struggle to fit her leg through the pants leg.
“Changing!” she yelled through the door. Claire frowned.
“You could just do that out here. I mean, we’re both girls” Holly thought quickly. The truth was that she didn’t want Claire to see her like this. She hated to appear weak or to depend on anyone. In this world, the only one you count on one hundred percent of the time was yourself. Besides, for some reason Holly didn’t want Claire to see her unclothed. Her mind drifted back to how they ended up on the floor. It had been strange and disconcerting; she didn’t know what to make of what she had felt.
“Um, I- I’m afraid that David will come back.”
“Oh. When’s he coming back?”
“Oh, very soon,” Holly said distractedly as she was finally able to get her leg through the pants leg. She hitched it up over her leg so it didn’t completely cover her cast. She unlocked the door and opened it to face Claire. Claire looked at her for a moment before breaking out in a smile.
“You look so cute Holly!” Holly frowned and looked at herself. She was wearing a t-shirt with a puppy on the front and sweatpants that were hitched up over her cast. Her hair was a mess, she hadn’t bathed for a couple days, her face was bruised, and bandages covered various cuts on her arms. This wasn’t exactly Holly’s idea of “cute”.
“If you say so,” Holly said as she swung her crutches forward and shuffled out of the bathroom. Claire crossed her arms.
“I do say so,” she said. “You’re just a little frazzled at the moment. I’m sure when you’re cleaned up you look fine.” Holly came to a stop by the couch and slowly sat down.
“I thought you just said I was cute.” Claire blushed.
“I did say that. I mean… Later when… Never mind!” Claire said as she sat down next to Holly. They sat there in silence for a little while. All that could be heard was the sound of the clock ticking in the kitchen. Claire fidgeted in her seat. She honestly had no idea what to say at this point. Claire glanced at Holly out of the corner of her eye. What she had said had been true. Holly was cute. Her hair came down to just cover her ears. Several hairs were out of place and the late afternoon sun coming through the window and seemed to make them even darker. The cuts along her cheeks would heal, David had told her. They seemed to give her a fierce look, like a lioness. Holly slightly turned her head and the next thing Claire knew she was looking into a pair of earthy brown eyes. Her face flushed and she immediately looked down at her hands.
Holly raised an eyebrow. That was weird. Holly was never one for talking but she felt that she would have to say something to the break the silence that had risen up between them. What were you suppose to say to new people you met? Back at headquarters you stated your name, rank, and current status. Holly leaned forward so that her elbows rested on her knees and turned to Claire.
“So…” she began as she attempted to strike up a conversation, “Do you still go to school?” she asked. Claire turned towards her.
“Yeah, I’m graduating high school this June. How about you?” Holly coughed into her hand and tried to come up with something.
“I’m in a different kind of program, an alternate learning program. It’s very advanced,” she assured Claire. This seemed to pique Claire’s curiosity much to Holly’s dismay.
“Cool. What’s the program called? Where’s it at?”
“Titan,” Holly said. Well it was only a half lie. Titan wasn’t a school, it was an anti terrorist organization. “It’s more of an international type of organization. There are campuses all over the world.” Claire’s brow narrowed.
“Won’t they be missing you?” Holly shook her head.
“No it’s fine. They’re a lot less strict than most schools. I’d better wait for things to blow over before I go back.” There had been something that been in the back of Claire’s mind now. Well for starters there was the gun that had been pointed at her. To be honest Claire had been quite shocked. She wasn’t some heroine from a movie. When a gun was pulled on her she froze up in fear and her heart began to race. Holly had put it down and Claire got the impression that Holly wouldn’t do it again, but still; what was she doing with a gun? Then there was how she had gotten injured and why those men were after her. Holly seemed to like a nice person but appearances could be deceiving. She was mixed up in some trouble and now Claire was second guessing her decision to invite Holly to her brother’s apartment. What if David got hurt? Claire would have to talk to her about that.
“Yeah… about that…” Claire reluctantly began. Claire paused as she heard the door knob turn and the door opened. David stood in the doorway with a small plastic bag in his hand. He kicked off his shoes and set the bag down on the table.
“Hey you two, I got the prescription. Holly,” Holly turned her head and regarded him.
“If you’re in pain, take two of these pills every six hours. Don’t over do it, they’re pretty strong.” Holly nodded.
“Alright, can I take some of them now?” David nodded and went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. Holly took the glass and swallowed both pills at once and proceeded to drain the glass. She handed the empty glass to David without a word. David placed it down carefully on the table. As soon as he did that his stomach rumbled loudly. Claire giggled and Holly couldn’t help but smirk.
“Are you two hungry?” They both nodded. Half an hour later the pizza man had delivered the pizza and they were eagerly digging in. Holly was about to take a bite out of her piece of pizza when she saw what Claire was eating. Pizza topped with onions, peppers, and pineapple. Holly continued to observe incredulously when Claire bit into it with a smile.
“You actually eat that?” Holly asked astounded. Claire nodded.
“You’re one to talk. What do you call the monstrosity that you’re eating?” Holly looked down at her pizza. Fortunately the pizza place David had called had a meat lover special: pepperoni, ham, sausage, and chicken. Holly shook her head earnestly.
“This is different. Protein is an essential amino acid and is used for building up muscles. A deficiency in it and can cause all kinds of health problems”
“Looks like you don’t need to worry,” Claire noted as she returned her attention to her pizza. David reached out with a napkin and began to wipe Claire’s face for her despite her protests.
“What?” the med student said with a mouth full of pizza. “You had sauce on your face.”
“I can get it myself!” Claire said as she playfully hit him on the shoulder. Once more Holly felt a pang in her chest. She didn’t have any siblings. Well, not any siblings that she knew of that is. Soon nearly all the pizza had been eaten. David had packed away an impressive amount: three quarters of a pizza. Holly hadn’t eaten nearly as much but soon the combined exertions of the day and full stomach began to make her feel drowsy. Glancing over at Claire, Holly could she was also experiencing something similar. David stood up and gathered up the remains of the pizza. He put them on a plate, covered it with plastic wrap, and then carefully placed it in the refrigerator before plopping down in his chair and closing his eyes with a satisfied smile.
“Thank god for pizza,” he muttered. Holly was inclined to agree with him at the moment. Suddenly a phone rang. Claire reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone and flipped it open. She glanced at the screen before looking at David.
“It’s Mom,” she informed him. David nodded.
“Answer it then.” Claire pressed a button and held the phone to her ear.
“Hi Mom. Yes, I’m still at David’s…. No, he hasn’t burnt it down yet but the place is a mess,” Claire told her as she glanced around the room. David leaned forward and snatched the phone from her grasp.
“Hey Mom, don’t listen to her.” David listened for a few moments before answering. “Alright, no problem. She’s already eaten. Bye. I love you to.” David closed the phone and handed it back to Claire. “Mom wants you home soon. I’ll give you a ride.” Holly grabbed her crutches and struggled to her feet. She shuffled over to Claire and glanced down unsure of herself.
“I guess I’ll see you later then.” Claire looked at her inquisitively. Was Holly… blushing? Claire shook her head to rid herself of that train of thought. She was probably just tired and imagining things.
“I can come back tomorrow,” Claire told her. Holly looked up at her confused.
“Why? I’ll be fine now. You don’t have to take care of me anymore. I’m sure you have a busy life. You don’t have to feel obligated toward me.” Claire sighed and placed a hand on Holly’s shoulder. Holly glanced down at it. Her hand felt so warm. She quickly glanced back up at Claire. She was frowning.
“I’m not coming back because I feel obligated to do so. Although I do,” she added. Holly scowled. Claire shook her head. “I’m coming back because I want to spend more time with you. You’re my friend.”
“Friend?” Holly asked curiously. Claire nodded.
“Or at least I’d like to be.”
“You don’t even know me,” Holly informed her. Claire shrugged and removed her hand from Holly’s shoulder.
“I guess I’ll have to change that.” She looked over at David who stood by the door. He was impatiently tapping his foot.
“Are you two done saying goodbye yet? Some people have essays to write.” Claire smiled.
“Whatever,” she said as she walked over to David and opened the door. She glanced back at Holly and waved. “Bye Holly. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Holly hesitantly raised her hand in reply.
“Bye,” she said softly as Claire walked out the door. Holly lowered her hand. David hung back a moment and stuck his head through the doorway.
“Oh by the way Holly, make sure nobody knows you’re here. If my landlord knew I had a roommate he would charge me more rent, so try and keep it low-key.” Holly grinned.
“Low-key is my specialty.” David frowned
“Yeah, that smile isn’t making me feel particularly reassured. Just don’t mess up my place while I’m gone.” Holly looked around her. Clothes littered the floor, books were stacked precariously, and the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes.
“I don’t think that’s physically possible,” she told him bluntly. David snorted.
“Whatever. I’ll be back in a little bit,” and with that he shut the door and Holly was by herself once more. She chose this time to reconnaissance her temporary quarters. The going was slow with her broken leg but the apartment was small. Within five minutes Holly had plotted out all possible exits including the windows, objects that could be used as weapons, medical supplies, and rations. It wasn’t as secure as she could have wished but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Holly grabbed her bag that lay against the wall beside the TV. She took the case containing the CD with the stolen information out and chose a random album from David’s CD collection: Running with Scissors, Weird Al Yankovitch. Ignoring David’s taste in music, Holly swapped the disks and placed the album back in its place and the Weird Al CD back in her bag.
If they discovered her location before Titan did, they wouldn’t be able to retrieve it quite as easily. This brought another matter to attention. She needed to get away as soon as possible. Her leg was in a cast and would heal. What she didn’t like was placing David and especially Claire in danger. They were civilians. If Sid was right and Iverson was behind this, then anyone she associated with could be targeted. Holly rubbed her forehead tiredly. This would all have to wait for another day.
________________________________________________________________________
An image of Holly flashed on the screen. It showed her wearing her uniform and saluting with a determined smile on her face. The file was scrolled down, skimming over facts such as age, weight, services, operations, and other statistics. The file came to a stop at her status. The cursor deleted the previous status: reconnaissance in the field, and replaced it with a new one: MIA. Missing in action.
________________________________________________________________________
Sid sighed as his pager went off and he was informed of Holly’s updated status. He rubbed his eyes and reached for his cup of coffee. It had gone cold hours ago, but he still drank it anyway. Sid put the pile of papers that he had been poring over into a folder messily and stood up and stretched tiredly. His eyes were bloodshot. It had been so busy around Titan lately that he had to pull more all-nighters. Sid walked up to the door and slid his card through the slot. The slot glowed green momentarily before the door slid open silently. Sid walked down the hallway to conference room C-6, passing other agents along the way.
You could easily pick out the new recruits. They were a bundle of nerves. They hadn’t quite found their niche yet and desperately wanted to prove themselves. Next came the more seasoned agents. They had a little more experience under their belts and walked with confidence. Holly belonged to this particular group. Sid came to a stop outside a door and slid his card through the slot and walked in. As soon as he entered the room all the chattering stopped. Everyone stopped to look at him as he walked towards the front of the room. His boots seemed unusually loud against the steel floor, creating echoes that reverberated off the walls. Sid came to a stop at the head of the table, took his seat, and turned to look at everyone in front him. He pressed a button on the arm of his chair and Holly’s file appeared on the screen behind him.
“I’m sure that you’ve all been briefed on the situation,” he began “Agent Holly Collinger was sent on a reconnaissance mission twenty four hours ago. She hasn’t checked in. Our systems indicate that her locator beacon has been destroyed.” Sid paused for a moment. “Whether that was intentional or accidental we’re not sure. Our last transmission came from this position,” Sid pressed another button and the screen changed to an infrared image of a building with a glowing dot, “inside the building she was sent to infiltrate. As of now, we don’t know where she is. If she had been captured I’m sure we would have noticed some change in their activity. Agent Collinger was sent to procure some valuable information. The objectives of this mission are to recover both Agent Collinger and the information if she was successful in obtaining it. Any questions?” A woman at the end of the table closest to the door raised her hand.
“Yes, why was Agent Collinger sent to this particular company?” Sid sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly.
“Our intelligence has reason to believe Leonard P. Iverson may be conducting a-”
“Hold up a second!” a man sitting next to Sid interrupted him. His name was Moe and he stood about medium height with light red hair and piercing green eyes. “Wasn’t Iverson killed in action over six years ago?” Sid sighed and began to shuffle through the papers in front of him.
“Yes, but the body was never recovered. We all just assumed that he was dead, but now with the recent activity…”
“Weren’t you the one to kill him?” Sid frowned and closed his eyes before answering. His mind thoughts ran back to the events of that day.
“I thought I did.”
________________________________________________________________________
Sid kicked the door open forcefully. His hair was unruly, his uniform was torn and charred, and his forehead was bleeding heavily. Two men hastily reached for their weapons but Sid quickly and coldly dispatched them with his gun. Sid stepped over their bodies and entered the room. A fan on the ceiling rotated slowly, almost lazily. The sound of explosions and gunfire could be heard off in the distance. An explosion particularly close by went off and Sid felt the floor tremble beneath him. Everything was going according to plan. It would all be over soon enough.
He quickly scanned the room. Drywall covered the walls and patches were missing out of it. The intricate Persian rug that lined the floor before the desk seemed to be particularly out of place. Sitting at the desk was Iverson. He was reading and shuffling through his papers. It was as if Sid wasn’t even there; hard to believe considering that two of his men lay on the floor dead. Iverson looked up from his work and looked at Sid. He paused for a moment and then suddenly broke out in a wolf-like grin. He spread his arms wide and leaned back in his chair.
“Monroe,” he said pleasantly, “What are you doing here?” His condescending tone made Sid growl. He knew very damn well why he was here! Iverson continued on. “There are procedures in place. You’ll have to make an appointment just like everyone else.” Sid growled and pointed his gun at him. He clutched his firearm so tightly that his entire arm shook. The barrel of the gun jerked in small, sporadic movements.
“Enough with the charades Iverson, I’m taking you in. You’re under arrest for supplying weapons to terrorists. Titan has enough evidence to put you away for a long time.” Iverson picked up a paperweight off his desk and held it in his hand, turning it over half-mindedly. He looked down at it contemplatively for a moment before replying.
“I see nothing wrong with what I’m doing Mr. Monroe. I am merely a businessman supplying the need of a group of people.” Sid took a step forward.
“Those weapons are being used to kill people! I know people who have been killed by the weapons you’ve sold!” Iverson smiled coldly.
“Yes. I find that that’s the nature of most weapons.” Sid growled. A drop of blood rolled down his cheek and fell, staining the Persian rug. Iverson held the paperweight out in front of him, as if he could get a better look at it from a distance.
“Tell me Monroe, is war wrong?” Sid was taken back for a moment.
“What?”
“Is war wrong?” Iverson repeated. Sid shook his head irritably.
“I’m not here to debate philosophy; I’m here to take you in.” Iverson leaned forward.
“Then allow me to answer. War is a fact of life. It is how it’s always been and always will be. It is engrained in our very DNA. You talk of peace negotiations,” Iverson spat distastefully. “The only way to have the semblance of peace is to crush your enemy, to force them to submit and acknowledge you. It’s a law of nature that many people seemed to have forgotten, content to live in their civilization, secure and safe in their homes.” Iverson looked Sid in the eye. “Even now I can see the hate in your eyes, the longing to pull that trigger and splatter me across these walls,” he gestured. Sid gritted his teeth. The urge to do just that was extremely tempting.
“You’re coming with me,” Sid told him resolutely. “Put your hands up and walk forward slowly.” Iverson sighed tiredly and rubbed his beard.
“Why do things have to be so difficult?” he mused thoughtfully. “I suppose it can’t be helped at this point.” Iverson’s thumb passed over the paperweight until it found the small button on the underside. He pressed it. White smoke began to rapidly pour into the room. Sid was caught off guard and took in a whole breath of it. He bent over and coughed heavily. The smoke was thick and burned his throat. It was making it nearly impossible to see. It was like a thick fog. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. Iverson! Sid ran through the door and emerged into the hallway. The smoke was less thick here. Sid glanced down one end of the hallway and just saw Iverson turning the corner. Sid swore heavily under his breath and took off running. Sid turned on the communicator located just above his ear.
“This is Monroe. I’ve located Iverson and I am in pursuit. He’s heading for the west corridor on the sixth floor. Requesting backup.”
“Roger that Monroe. I’ll see if we can divert any of our forces to your location. We’re pretty hard pressed down here. You might be on your own.”
“Understood.” Sid rounded the corner. Iverson was halfway down the hall. He whirled around and fired off a few shots from a pistol. Sid was forced fall back. Sid held his gun carefully and glanced around the corner. Iverson was running once more. According to the schematics of the building, there was a helicopter pad on the top floor. Sid had to get there before Iverson did. Sid bit his lip and forced himself to think. How was he going to get up there? An idea suddenly came to him. Instead of running down the hallway, Sid turned around and ran back to the office he had found Iverson in. Most of the smoke had cleared out. He ran up to the window and took out a blade from his belt.
Sid cut a large square in the glass and carefully took it out and placed it on the floor. He made sure that his harness was secure before leaning out the window. He eyed the distance. Still a few more floors to go. The structural integrity of the building was in jeopardy so taking the elevator was out of the question. Iverson’s men were most likely guarding the stairs and other passages. The only other way was to go up. Sid allowed himself a small grin. “Just like Batman,” he said as he took out his grappling hook gun. He fired it off and the hook soared into the air before coming in contact with the building. Sid tugged on it to make sure it was secure. He then attached the rope to his belt and pressed the button to ascend.
Another explosion struck the building, the biggest one yet. The groaning of steel and the shattering of glass could be heard beneath him. Sid gritted his teeth and continued to ascend the building.
Eventually Sid made it to the top. He just hoped he wasn’t too late. Sid pulled himself over the edge and onto the roof. Iverson was just hopping onto the waiting helicopter. The blades of the helicopter were already spinning, augmenting the turbulent winds already at such a height.
“Iverson!” Sid yelled. Iverson paused and looked at him. A look of annoyance passed over his face, as if a mosquito kept buzzing in his ear. He reached for his gun but Sid was faster. A bang echoed throughout the rooftop and Iverson dropped his gun, yelling out in pain and clutching his bleeding hand. Iverson glared at Sid with a cold and chilling hatred in his eyes. “That’s the only warning shot you’ll get. The next one is going between your eyes,” Sid informed him. Iverson snorted angrily and turned to the pilot.
‘Take off!” he ordered him. The helicopter began to rise from the roof. Iverson looked down at Sid with a smirk. “It looks like we’ll have to continue this discussion at a later time Monroe.” The helicopter began to rise higher and higher. Sid acted quickly. He couldn’t let him get away! Sid aimed at the cockpit and fire off several shots in an attempt to hit the pilot. One of them most have found its mark because the pilot suddenly slumped over the controls and the helicopter began to sway and tilt. Sid jumped back as the blades of the helicopter came in contact with the roof and sent large chunks of concrete flying. One of the chunks hit Sid in the shoulder and sent him flying back to the edge of the roof. Sid reached forward with one hand and gripped the roof while the rest of his body dangled haphazardly above the void.
Out of the corner of his eye Sid could see the helicopter spiraling downward. It hit the ground with tremendous force. Flames soon began to lick around the edges of the downed helicopter. Nobody could have survived that.
“So,” Sid continued on, “Alpha team and Beta team will start at that location and begin their search outward in a grid system. Contact headquarters with any news or updates. That is all. Dismissed.”
A/N: It’s always fun to write flashbacks for laying out the plot or character development. Sid kicks ass! I’ll try to update more frequently. Famous last words… Review and tell me what you think.
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