captain. So that's what we're going to do. Both men are my responsibility. The whooole rest of the playground--" Amarta made wide circles off to the side with both hands-- "is yours. That's gonna have to be big enough for you boys, 'kay?" Amarta motioned Regent in.
John fought back a smile. He liked the doc. She didn't fuck around. He didn't wait for the lieutenant to object. He rolled past the guards and down the white-floored hall. The whine from his chair's electric motor was the only sound. The door to Exam Room 3 was open.
John stopped in the doorway. He wasn't afraid of his friend, but neither did he want to escalate the situation. He had a time limit. If Ayn's colleagues showed up and dragged John out, it might send Gabe over.
"How's the leg?"
Gabriel Gonzales was a stout man of average height, dark complexion, and thinning hair despite his youth. His right leg was artificial from mid-thigh to the floor. He had opted for a more functional prosthesis over a more realistic one. He wore a pair of baggy, camo-print shorts and a loose, white button-down shirt with flower-shaped stitching. His eyes were bloodshot. He sat on a small chair next to a clean counter speckled in taupes and blues: hospital standard colors.
Gabe held a polished .45-caliber automatic. He didn't look up. "You know, when I joined, I had so much trouble with the long runs. I've always been a little heavy, and I had a hard time keeping up. Now, after I get discharged," he tapped the dark metal prosthesis, "I'm faster than I ever was. Ain't that just like the army? Doing everything backwards."
"Pretty much." John nodded at the weapon. "What's that for?"
"You shouldn't have come, Cap."
Regent was pretty sure he knew what was on Gabe's mind, but he had no idea how to stop it. He rolled into the room anyway. "You don't get to give me orders, Corporal," he joked.
Gabe snorted. "No, sir. I know." He rested his elbows on his knees and held the weapon between his legs with both hands. His artificial leg curved backward from the knee-pivot to the floor and ended in a long ball of a rubber "foot."
John moved his joystick and whirled to a stop directly in front of the troubled man, face to face. No sense in holding back.
Gabe exhaled slow. "Esme stopped by to see if I was lying about checking into the hospital."
"I know."
"She said she can't be with me no more, that we're separated or whatever." Gabe still didn't look up.
"I saw her. Downstairs."
Gabriel nodded.
John waited as Gabe moved one hand from his gun and pulled a folded paper from his shirt pocket. "She gave me this. It's a sonogram. Of the baby."
Gabe looked up and smiled weakly. His lips shook. Tears were close.
John could see them coming. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't one for marital advice.
Gabe held the paper in one hand and the gun in the other. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He cleared his throat and tilted his head to the side. His voice was a whisper. He forced as much curiosity as he could. "How do you keep going, Cap?"
John took a deep breath. "Some days, I really don't know." It was the truth, and he said it without thinking.
"So why keep fighting?"
Regent thought for a moment. It seemed like he should have a ready answer to that. But he didn't. "I could say 'because we're soldiers' or something like that, but you'd know that ain't it."
Gabe shook his head and looked at the floor. "Don't play me, Cap. All right? I'm asking about you. Why do you keep going, even after everything?"
It wasn't something Regent liked to face head on. He preferred helping others. It was easier than helping himself. He felt his own tears coming and choked them back. He took a deep breath and let it out slow. He liked to think he wasn't afraid of anything, but it wasn't always true.
Gabe looked up, waiting.
"When I was over there, in that pit, I learned something about the world, kind of like what you read about when some scientist makes a discovery. They always talk
John fought back a smile. He liked the doc. She didn't fuck around. He didn't wait for the lieutenant to object. He rolled past the guards and down the white-floored hall. The whine from his chair's electric motor was the only sound. The door to Exam Room 3 was open.
John stopped in the doorway. He wasn't afraid of his friend, but neither did he want to escalate the situation. He had a time limit. If Ayn's colleagues showed up and dragged John out, it might send Gabe over.
"How's the leg?"
Gabriel Gonzales was a stout man of average height, dark complexion, and thinning hair despite his youth. His right leg was artificial from mid-thigh to the floor. He had opted for a more functional prosthesis over a more realistic one. He wore a pair of baggy, camo-print shorts and a loose, white button-down shirt with flower-shaped stitching. His eyes were bloodshot. He sat on a small chair next to a clean counter speckled in taupes and blues: hospital standard colors.
Gabe held a polished .45-caliber automatic. He didn't look up. "You know, when I joined, I had so much trouble with the long runs. I've always been a little heavy, and I had a hard time keeping up. Now, after I get discharged," he tapped the dark metal prosthesis, "I'm faster than I ever was. Ain't that just like the army? Doing everything backwards."
"Pretty much." John nodded at the weapon. "What's that for?"
"You shouldn't have come, Cap."
Regent was pretty sure he knew what was on Gabe's mind, but he had no idea how to stop it. He rolled into the room anyway. "You don't get to give me orders, Corporal," he joked.
Gabe snorted. "No, sir. I know." He rested his elbows on his knees and held the weapon between his legs with both hands. His artificial leg curved backward from the knee-pivot to the floor and ended in a long ball of a rubber "foot."
John moved his joystick and whirled to a stop directly in front of the troubled man, face to face. No sense in holding back.
Gabe exhaled slow. "Esme stopped by to see if I was lying about checking into the hospital."
"I know."
"She said she can't be with me no more, that we're separated or whatever." Gabe still didn't look up.
"I saw her. Downstairs."
Gabriel nodded.
John waited as Gabe moved one hand from his gun and pulled a folded paper from his shirt pocket. "She gave me this. It's a sonogram. Of the baby."
Gabe looked up and smiled weakly. His lips shook. Tears were close.
John could see them coming. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't one for marital advice.
Gabe held the paper in one hand and the gun in the other. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He cleared his throat and tilted his head to the side. His voice was a whisper. He forced as much curiosity as he could. "How do you keep going, Cap?"
John took a deep breath. "Some days, I really don't know." It was the truth, and he said it without thinking.
"So why keep fighting?"
Regent thought for a moment. It seemed like he should have a ready answer to that. But he didn't. "I could say 'because we're soldiers' or something like that, but you'd know that ain't it."
Gabe shook his head and looked at the floor. "Don't play me, Cap. All right? I'm asking about you. Why do you keep going, even after everything?"
It wasn't something Regent liked to face head on. He preferred helping others. It was easier than helping himself. He felt his own tears coming and choked them back. He took a deep breath and let it out slow. He liked to think he wasn't afraid of anything, but it wasn't always true.
Gabe looked up, waiting.
"When I was over there, in that pit, I learned something about the world, kind of like what you read about when some scientist makes a discovery. They always talk
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