Themi didn't remember the first meeting, not completely, she just remembered a boy with beautiful blue eyes too big for his face, she remembered the small boy's hope, and she remembered the feeling after she removed herself from that hope. She straightened herself up and got dressed before leaving the bathroom at last. Christopher woke up remembering everything. He had sent most of his childhood days under the rule of Gods but a small part of him thought that one member of that family wasn't so bad. Later he realised this was only an assumption he had made from one dream he had after being bullied all day. He laughed to himself, he hadn't thought about that night for so long but he realised he carried the same assumption. He always carried that assumption. He always thought Themi was not the same type of monster as her other siblings. That blind childlike belief was thrusted to the forefront of his mind when he saw her golden eyes at the club. The same eyes that had glowed in the night while he cried. The young face that had comforted him while his mother slept. The same God who sat back while the world went to hell in a handbasket. He thought to himself maybe she isn't like the other siblings, but she didn't stop them. Maybe she is just as bad but on a different level. On a secret level. He sighed and got out of bed. Thinking about her and if she had a sinister inner layer wasn't going to help anyone, especially him.
He went to see how Bran was. He was still in the first aid wing but he looked better, he was sitting up at least. Ruth told him about how she basically had to wrestle Diamond out of the room. He laughed.
"Ruth, young love remember?"
"Oh shut up, they aren't all that young and it's more creepy than love."
"I'm sure Bran loved it."
"Does he like her then?"
Christopher shrugged,
"Ah I forgot men don't talk about stuff like that."
"No, it's not that, it's just I never thought to ask and he clearly never thought to tell me."
"No. You'd rather mock him for Diamond's clear affection."
"It keeps me young."
"Yes, I suppose running with barely twenty year olds would."
"Rude."
"I'm just saying they clearly look up to you because you are an older man. Maybe you should remember that. Acting like a child is telling them it's okay to do it."
"Noted. Can I see Bran now?"
"Go ahead."
Bran tried to smile when he saw Christopher and in that moment he understood what Ruth meant. Bran was only just twenty while Christopher was in his thirties. He was a boy compared to him. He sat on the hard plastic chair next to Bran's bed. Bran sat a little straighter. He looked small in the bed now Christopher remembered his youth.
"How are you then?"
"Oh you know."
"No I don't. I've never been hit by a God. So tell me."
He looked unsure, he even looked towards the door as if he was going to bolt out the door.
"Look Bran, you can tell me."
"You want the truth? It hurts. It fucking hurts. I'm going to have scarring all over my face. I am never going to look the same. I am never going to be able to forget this."
Christopher nodded, he didn't want to sugar coat it. He was going to be scarred, no matter how faint those scars become he will always have the reminder.
"I heard Diamond was here again."
There was a faint smile on his lips.
"Ah, so you like Diamond then?"
