LogFAQs > #911965642

Brother's Epilogue

Leone awoke, somewhere, laying in the dark. For a moment he thought he might have fallen into a hole or some bottomless pit. Maybe it was hell. Maybe he had died. He couldn't remember it so clearly. He couldn't remember. And then... maybe he did.

Or maybe he didn't.

His eyes were good but he couldn't quite see anything right now. Ah, it was so dark. He raised his arm in front of him and it was almost like he could feel his hand and his fingers. They weren't there and yet somehow he could sense them.

Or maybe he couldn't.

tink

The metal railing made a soft sound as his stump knocked against it. Of course, laying in the dark, imagining that his hand would come back... that wouldn't actually bring it back. Nor would Jen come back no matter how much he wished for it.

thump

His foot pounded against a wooden board at the bottom edge of the bed he was laying in. The blankets were thin and fell away easily, but also remained wrapped around him in an awkward fashion. He was using his elbow against that railing to push himself up to a sitting position.

The blanket was all twisted up beneath him now. It was so silent. It was so quiet he thought that maybe he could hear the deep god whispering to him. What was it telling him? Ah, who knows. It would probably say something like, 'They gave you far too much moss' extract, and washed it down with mineral tea.'

Yet it seemed like they'd been neglecting to give him food or drink beyond the bare minimum.

"Urgh..."

Just as he let out a groan there was a sound that cut the silence in half. Abruptly and absolutely, so startling that Leone flinched and froze in place. A beam of light cut through the open crack in the door that had just been pushed on. He heard a voice, someone talking in the hallway outside.

It sounded like a nurse. The person she was talking to needed her, and so she turned around and let the door softly close as she departed. Maybe she had been coming to check on him. If so, it was lucky that she had turned back around.

Leone didn't have the fortitude to feign death right now.

Somehow he managed to pull himself over the railing, ignoring the wooden slab at his feet, and push himself over to a crouching position beside the bed. With his arm awkwardly wrapped around the railing he could sort of hold himself up. His stomach hurt and he felt very hungry.

The room seemed to be on the first floor, and even with his weak arms he was able to push it open. The trip through the window was a bit disorienting but the cool night air outside made him feel like he had regained his balance. Oh, no, that was wrong. He stumbled and nearly fell over, catching himself on a bike rack.

There were two Fisher Knights there and they regarded him strangely, but neither seemed interested in speaking to him. They seemed to be breaking the lock on a bike that was illegally parked. It was all in the interested of confiscating said bike. It was a well known fact that apprehending the bikes of known ruffians and brigands cut down on their ability to travel back and forth across town quickly and easily.

Now, could it be said that stealing a person's bike was justified just because you were wearing a uniform and you knew that it would reduce crime? Leone wasn't so sure he agreed. But he was certainly in no position to do anything about it.

In his hospital smock he quietly watched them lift the bike between the two officers and carry it away.

He thought he might really feel sick.

He wasn't wrong about that one. Something exited his mouth and formed a mess on the street that someone else would have to clean up. If he could apologize to that person, he would. But he couldn't. Instead he made due with improving his immediate situation.
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~* and now I only see your dull imposter ~*
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