The Death of Hope: Shattered Past Book 6 (Destiny 2)

4: Infirmary

James soon woke up in an infirmary bed, naked from the waist up under a blanket. His eyelids aching, and his back slightly in pain. He looked around the room, noticing the generic alarm clock on his right and the time. "Four o'clock AM," He thought clutching his right side. He looked over to his right to see the white frame working in the corner. 

"Thank god, you're awake." The British sounding frame said monotonously. 

James tried to lean up further before feeling a sharp pain in his lower abdomen again making him lean back with a deep groan.  "You know, for one of the most headstrong guardians I've ever met...you've been here a shockingly low amount of times." He said walking over to the Exo's bedside. "How are you feeling?" 

"Broken..." He groaned looking up at the plain white ceiling watching the fan rotate slowly. 

"You looked that way....where were you?" Monty asked him. James looked up again. Thinking about where he'd been, what he'd seen....what he had to do. The frame's blue line across his head looked into James' eyes as he looked downward at his feet. After everything he'd been through, he had to tell someone, but not him. He couldn't tell Monty, he didn't know what he could say. There was only one option he had left. 

"I don't know, I think I was asleep for most of it," He replied. 

"Asleep? In a junkyard?" The Frame asked. "You looked like you literally walked out of a nuclear detonation." 

"I was in one remember," 

"Right, I couldn't forget that day even if I deleted it from my memory banks," Monty said solemnly. 

"How long has it been?" James asked rather quickly. 

"It's been two years, give or take," 

"Anything...significant happen?" 

"Well...yes, regarding your circle...things had been much, much better before you passed away," Monty said twidling a stylus in his right hand. "You left holes in many people's hearts, especially Cameron's...I've never seen her more depressed, even after Saint died." He said setting down the datapad on the table that was next to James. Monty noticed after he said that James' gaze started to dip, taking in a breath before shutting his eyes for a moment. James himself, felt his chest tighten up and a pain began to develop in the back of his neck. 

"David, has been doing his best to keep her sane, Nova had been upset for some time, but Kathrine got her sorted out. Charon has slept quite literally only a day for a week of staying awake, waiting for you. Aaron and Sidriks though...they had it the worst," Monty said with a sigh. "Aaron...lost everything when you died. Eris was so consumed by guilt that she left him, fearing that he would blame her for your death. She went into isolation again. But Sidriks...his reaction was the most changing of all of them." Monty said looking up at the Moon above them. 

"Monty...what did he do?" James inquired. 

"What did he do?" Monty asked looking back down to his patient. "Well...he purged the Hive from the Earth and the Moon. His first act of war as Kell was a call for the extermination of the Hive. You were his best friend, and he didn't want to see those monsters anymore. He and his armies stormed the Hellmouth, more zealous and bloodthirsty than ever, and slaughtered as many Hive as they could find." Monty said to him. "He believes now, that the Hive are the greatest danger to the universe as we know it, and will do anything in his power to ensure they are destroyed forever." 

James didn't stop looking at his chest, still aching on the inside, this was all his fault. "Monty...I'm sorry..."

"For what?"