That's Just The Way The World Works

Train Ride

     Olivia and I sat and waited... We didn't talk as we were both nervous and tense about the situation at hand. We didn't feel like small talk... We needed an answer... I feel myself start to get restless and impatient... What felt like hours later when it was only thirty minutes, a nurse comes out and goes to Yuri, "I have good news and bad news."

   "Yes?" yuri asks, standing up to be professional.

   "Your orders as requested were followed, no DNA tested, the mask was not removed, and no records are being kept for this visit... But..."

    I see Yuri tense.

   "He's left the hospital."

   "What?" Yuri says, a tone so serious it could cut through the air.

   "I'm sorry miss, but there's not much the hospital can do about... that..."

   Yuri rubs the temple of her nose with two fingers, "I know... Thank you, nevertheless." She says.

    I look at Olivia who pretended to be reading a magazine, she then places it back on the table and stands up, I do as well and the two of us exit as swiftly as we could. We start trucking our way back to the subway station, "Of course he wouldn't stay." I say, frustrated.

   "He might have been worried about the hospital's actions."

    I huff, "I know but who knows what kind of state he's in, and Peter just doesn't know when to quit."

   "Maybe he does know and this is not the time."

   "Olivia, please, you haven't even seen the half of it."

    Olivia laughs lightly, "I guess you two aren't so different after all."

    I shook my head slightly as we stopped and waited for Olivia's ubur. She had to get back to Dani and make sure she was alright. I understood and although she insisted the ubur take me home too I wanted to take the subway. I had a taser if need be but New York was deserted at this point... It was one AM and all I wanted was some peace. Once Olivia left I started on my walk once more and descended the stairs to the subway. Down in the station felt humid, it was wet and the air was muggy with the water. A subway came not too long after I arrived; I walked on as the doors closed and grabbed onto the cold pole, looking down at my feet who were tired... But I couldn't sit...

    When the cart starts rolling it's course I look up, observing the ads that strung above the seats. I let the bumping of the track soothe me, easing myself into that numb feeling from earlier. I didn't want to think about anything. The Subway had a few stops before getting close to the apartment... I just hoped that's where he was headed.

    I feel the train come to a stop and the doors slide open, I look over to see if anyone would get on--only seeing a man in a black trench coat in the station. He wasn't near my cart but walked on to the one just a few carts down from mine. I squinted my eyes for a closer look and my realization was too slow. I step towards the open door and peek my head out as he walks onto the cart: "Peter?"

    "Stay clear of the closing doors please." startles me and a jump back from the door, desperately going to the back door of the cart and looking across to see him.

     There he is, startled at hearing his name but regretting missing it. He searches until he meets my eyes from what seemed like a million doors away. I quickly pull the emergency to open the doors between the carts and recklessly push through and open into the other cart's doors. Peter does the same, on the other side. I feel my heart pounding in my chest and my face get warmer. I run to the end of the cart I had just entered and pull the door open just the same as the last, seeing Peter just on the other side. He opens the othe door first but I'm a close second as I then book to him and meet him haldway, wrapping my arms around him, "You fucking idiot."

     He squeezes me close to him, "nice to see you too."

    "Why didn't you stay at the hospital?"

    "You were there?"

    "Of course. God, what happened--are you ok?"

     My head is still over his shoulder as he says, "Um, it's-"

     His voice breaks off, and that's when I pull apart from him--something I could tell he didn't want me to do. His eyes went to the ground and a hand came to his face, "I don't know."

     He didn't want me to look at him... He didn't want to talk about what had happened either... "Peter..." I grab his free hand and grip it in mine, "Is there any serious pain anywhere?"

    "No-MJ, I'm fine I-"

    "You're not, you were just in a hospital."

    He laughs but it was not amusing, "I was..." He runs his hand through his hair before needing to sit down. I followed him and kneel down in front as he sat on the seat.

     I see water form in his eyes, and that's when I can tell where his head is at... I give his hand a squeeze. "What happened?"

    "Um... heh—" he runs a hand through his hair, holding back tears, "They got me--all of them... Sandman, Rhino, electro, scorpion, vulture, and--" he takes a sharp inhale, "... Otto." Frustration underlined his voice.

    "Oh..."

    "I just don't understand." Peter exhales. "How-"he broke off and a hand quickly wiped away the tears that escaped his eyes.

    He seemed to be overwhelmed, I didn't know how to make him feel better... "It's ok, Peter... They just caught you off guard."

  "But they escaped and who knows what they're trying to do. I should have stopped them I just-"

  "You will stop them. You always do, Peter... You just can't win every battle."

  "Not winning is not an option." His frustration grows.

  "Peter, you're not invincible."

  "I know that!"

  "Then stop expecting yourself to be!"

  He huffs and looks down, his eyes swelled but no more tears fell. The train stopped but it was the next we had to get off. Peter put a hand to his eyes but I reached up and gently pushed his hand away, my hands touching his cheeks and holding them as I wiped tear residue with my thumb. As strong as Peter was, he was still one of the most emotional guys I knew. That's what I loved about him... He just cared so much...

   His eyes meet mine and I stand up, sitting beside him, worried if I sat on his lap it'd hurt him. He turns towards me looking at my lips before meeting my eyes again. He leans in and kisses me, I kiss back, my hand moving to the back of his neck. We don't talk about much else the rest of the ride. Just him attempting to lighten the mood. When we get home, he crashes.

   His room was messy and felt homey, light from the city shining through the window that was decorated with drops of rain. I was pretending to be asleep as I lay next to him. I was on my back as I looked up at the ceiling... Once I felt he was truly asleep I looked over at him... His back faced me—lined with scars. He had taken off his shirt, revealing the blood stained bandages around his torso...  I can't help but think how he is still alive.