Caught Red Handed

Chapter Twenty-Eight, The True Reality

"What happened?" I asked and sat up, still getting used to my new senses. I felt disabled, but my senses also seemed much better than before. Sure I could already hear better than a human, but now I could probably hear a pin drop from a hundred yards away. I could hear everything. "Well, once we sort of.. Neutralized you, we had to quickly evacuate due to you setting off our store of grenades. That's why your deaf by the way, not my fault." He said and I sighed. "Fuck- well what about my eyes? What the fuck happened? I know eye cancer isn't that sudden-." "You were conscious a little longer than you think Thomas, conscious long enough to get twenty flash-bangs in the face. You were very stunned after that though, which was good news for my soldier death rate." He remarked before sitting down in the chair next to my medical bed.

"Why haven't you killed me yet? Seriously? Giving me all this technology and shit must have costed you a fuck-ton of money- why are you doing this?" I asked with much pent up anger. I was pissed, very pissed. He should just let me die already so I don't have to deal with him any longer. "Why does it matter to you? I saved you, what else do you want? Want me to take away your other senses?" He shot back with just as much ferocity. I growled and narrowed my virtual eyes at him. "Where are Edd and Matt?" I asked sternly and sat up, quickly reminded that I shouldn't be using my right arm to sit up. I put my weight off of it and hissed at the pain from the IV. "They are perfectly safe, they're in my private property in Norway." He informed me and carefully removed the IV that had gotten loose due to my movements. "By the way, seeming as you've had two surgeries in the last three days while you were unconscious, I suggest not moving a lot." He said and I stared at him. "The fuck did you do to me- neuter me-?" I hissed and crossed my arms.

Tord laughed at the thought and shook his head. "No, we had to safely remove that spear I shot at you and reconstruct your damaged organs. Congratulations, you're a cyborg." He told me and held out his robotic arm for me to view. "Just like me, except your parts aren't visible. You also got the benefit of having those organs specifically designed to help you, while mine was just a spare robot arm. Lucky you." He said with a bit of spite before setting his hand on mine, like he had it the first moment I woke up. I laid back down and gave a heavy sigh, feeling the effects of that pain medication still. I was drowsy, but at least I'm alive I suppose. "Hey Tord, I had a really weird dream." I told the Norsk man and pulled my hand away from his. It felt weird and cold like my headset. Lifeless.

"Oh yeah? What was it about?" He asked curiously and leaned forward, propping his head up on his hands on my bed. "Well, I don't really remember it all. I just remember being back in Edd's old house like when I was younger. And you cooked by the way, which I doubt you can do in real life." I recalled in a short summary. Tord chuckled when I weakly ruffled his hair, messing it up. "Maybe it wasn't exactly a dream, y'know? Maybe your brain just receded back to your older memories or something, and you just dreamt after that." He theorized and sat up once he heard footsteps coming in. I turned to see a soldier I didn't recognize, but Tord seemed to. "Flyet ditt er klart sir." The soldier spoke in rough Norwegian and stood at attention.

"Say that in English, for the poor soul over here." Tord ordered and the soldier glanced over at me before speaking once more. "Your flight is ready sir." He repeated and I blinked in confusion. Since when did Tord care if I was included in whatever he knew? "Then take Thomas to get safely boarded after getting the doctor's okay." He ordered the soldier and walked out of the room without turning back. Oh great, a plane flight right after being on anesthesia. What could possibly go wrong or make me uncomfortable. "Sir, please wait here until the doctor arrives." The soldier ordered sternly and stood at guard in front of the door. It's not as though I'll go anywhere, my legs work worth shit seeming as I haven't used them for seemingly a week.

"Can you at least get me a glass of water? My throat hurts like hell." I requested and the soldier blinked at me with conflicting orders in his head. "... Yes sir. Do not leave, I will return shortly." He informed me before leaving the room. God, I had so many thoughts in my head. What were those memories? Where are we going? Where am I? Did he really tell the truth about how I lost my hearing and sight? Are Edd and Matt okay? What was with that fever dream I had while I was unconscious? I can't answer any of them right now, but at least I'll get a glass of water to soothe my dry throat. The soldier came back shortly with a glass mostly full of water, insisting that I let him help me drink it. My hands were weak, but I hate being helped.

Once it was empty, the soldier set it down on my nightstand and helped me get comfortable in the strange bed I was confined to. "Where are we?" I asked as I was slowly covered up in a thin but warm blanket. "We are in the Northernmost section of the base sir, you destroyed the Southern section quite effectively." He informed me and turned down the lights a bit for me. I liked it, even if it didn't make a difference to my visor vision. It still calmed me. "I used to work as a nursing assistant until my wife died, so please tell me if you feel anything strange." He told me in an attempt to be helpful. "Well, it's not really a big deal, but I think this visor is giving me a headache." I told him and sat up enough that my head was propped against the fluffed pillows. "Well, I'm not really sure if I can fix that, but I can get you some Ibuprofen." He offered and I slowly nodded.

"I'd like to check your vitals as well if it's alright sir, to save the doctor some time once she gets here." He requested and I sighed. "Okay- just get me that Advil stuff-." I tiredly said and attempted to close my digital eyes. It didn't give the same satisfying feeling as closing my eyelids, but it helped me feel at rest. I reached up and turned down my new specially made hearing aids so that I wouldn't be bothered by hearing all the noises. Honestly, I was hoping that by the time that soldier came back, I would be fast asleep. I started to drift peacefully in silence for a few minutes, and I could feel sleep enticing me more and more. I felt a hand gently return my hearing aids to their original volume. Well, look who's back. I sighed tiredly and opened my eyes to see the soldier looking at me like a disappointed mother. Oh boy.