Agent Atlantis

Chapter 9-The Deal

It just wasn't fair.

When the woman spoke, Luke pushed his feelings out of sight and flashed her a friendly smile. "I'm looking for Captain Collins' room."

The woman looked confused. Then her expression cleared. "Ah! Joseph Collins." She looked down at her computer screen.

Joseph. Luke hadn't expected Collins to have such a . . . normal name. But at the same time, he didn't know what he'd been expecting. Joseph didn't sound like a soldier.

It sounded like . . . his dad's name. It was his dad's name.

No. He couldn't go back there. Back to the gunshots, fire, and the start of his tortuous journey to what he became now.

"May . . . I ask your reason for visiting Mr. Collins?" The receptionist's voice brought Luke out of his thoughts. She'd read through the captain's file—and he was pretty important. A dirty guy like the boy in front of her had no business with him.

Her left hand crawled toward the underside of the table—toward the panic button. But she kept her friendly expression up.

"He's . . ." Luke paused, unaware of the woman's actions. What was their relationship?

I did save his life. But then again, if Luke hadn't met Collins, he wouldn't have been in such a situation in the first place. "He's my friend."

There. It was the safest thing he could say.

Looking at his genuine expression, the receptionist felt pity. Her hand froze. Then she told him the directions. "I hope he gets better soon," she said.

"I hope so too." Then Luke rushed further into the hospital.

~~~

Room 402. This was it.

Luke took a deep breath, grimacing as something nasty filled his nose from the open door of 401. Then he swung the door open.

Inside, thankfully, smelled much better than the hallway. The seats for visiting family as well as the white walls had been soaked with bleach. The only reason Luke knew he was in the right room was a touch of blood on the sink handles—as well as that familiar ripped bifold wallet on the counter.

As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, a window lay fixed upright on the furthest wall, showcasing the eastern part of Bear Alpha. The skyline was blocked by numerous skyscrapers—but Luke didn't mind. With the number of missile sirens that had gone off since he'd landed here, he wouldn't be surprised if there was a fighter jet in the sky at this moment. Yet another sad fact of reality for this country.

Just like the rays of sunlight, his eyes were immediately drawn to the center of the room, where Collins lay on a hospital bed. He looked peaceful as he slept, and if Luke didn't know any better, he'd think that the captain was A-okay.

But the boy knew that if he ripped the blanket off his lap, the gruesome wound would still be there, reminding Luke of the things he'd done wrong.

"This isn't where you should be," Luke muttered as he closed the remaining distance, hands in his pockets. "This is—"

"'All my fault'?" Collins cranked open an eyelid, giving away that he wasn't sleeping. "C'mon, Luke. You're always so predictable."

The boy was so relieved that he didn't mind the slight dig. "Are you okay?" But he wasn't. He was in the hospital, and had been for a few days—Luke'd just not visited because of his guilt.

"The doctors said I could be released tomorrow afternoon—but I think that's to deal with the side effects of the stimulatory prototype. Other than that, I'm about ready to go home to my family."