Downtown Browntown

Chapter 15: Promises

Kmzoe woke up choking on the tube down her throat, lungs burning as she struggled to breathe.

The woman who had been checking her vitals ran to the nurse's station, calling for a doctor.

——

Ray woke up with Martika's head on his shoulder. Gh0st was propped against his legs on the floor, head in Tardis's lap.

A nurse opened the door slightly, checking to see if anyone was awake. Ray shifted slightly so he wouldn't wake any of the people surrounding him. He shook Agent awake and motioned for him to follow. The two stepped outside the room to talk with the nurse.

"She's awake. The bullet didn't do any irreparable damage. Her lung will be weak for a little while but she can be moved to a closer hospital tomorrow."

"When can we see her?" Agent asked quickly.

The nurse glanced at her clipboard, "In about an hour, after the doctor checks her out." She paused, looking into their room. "Only a few of you at a time, though."

They thanked the nurse and walked back into the room. Most of the group had started to wake up. Darezzi, realizing he had fallen asleep on his turn to watch, was swiftly punched in the arm. His cry had woken the rest of the drowsy team.

Tardis groggily slurred, "Whas hap'nen?" Her leg kicked out, catching Gh0st's chin on her knee. Misaka snickered and got pinched by Martika. The whole room erupted into people pinching each other, tired smiles circulating the room.

Agent just waited patiently for the commotion to die down before clearing his throat.

"She's awake, guys."

All bickering stopped as they turned to him. Ray just stood awkwardly next to him.

"We can go see her in about an hour or so but only in small groups. Ray, Tardis, Gh0st, and I will go in first. The rest of you can work it out into teams of three or four."

"Why do you get to go first?" Misaka asked, irritated.

"Because I'm her main boi, and I brought the motorcycle," Agent snapped, still sore from sleeping in a chair.

The room stayed a bit silent, save for the few arguments over who would go in when. Notray fell back asleep, muttering that he was "too goddamned tired for this shit."

——

"Miss, you have company," the nurse poked her head around the door as the doctor walked out.

Kmzoe had sat through a half hour of the doctor telling her the injuries she sustained and what treatments they recommended. If she had to hear one more thing about her lungs being weak...she would murder everyone.

Tardis stepped into the room, followed by Gh0st, Agent, and Ray trailing behind.

"Hey-" Kmzoe's voice cracked. That tube made her throat sore and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Ma main boi!" Agent plopped himself into the seat closest to the bed. "How ya feeling?"

"Shit," was all she could really manage, trying to smile at them.

Tardis smacked him on the head. "You dork, she can't breathe well. The doctor just told us that!"

Gh0st occupied the other chair, leaving Tardis to stand by the bed and Ray leaning against the wall near the door.

"'M fine, Tardis," she said.

Tardis just gave her a look that meant she wasn't buying the act for one second.

Kmzoe rolled her eyes and smiled at the first people all day that she didn't want to strangle. It made her happier than she had felt in a long time. Why the rest of the group wasn't barging in on their light conversation, Kmzoe had no idea but it was nice.

As if on cue, Misaka and Notray burst in, almost hitting Ray with the door, yelling about who would visit Kmzoe in the second group. A nurse ran in telling them to be quiet, but they weren't listening, so it turned into a yelling match between the two bickering and the nurse. Tardis and Gh0st joined in, shouting to shut up. Ray backed away from the rest, not wanting to get involved and gave Agent a questioning look. All Agent could do was shrug and mutter something about this being pretty normal.

Kmzoe just watched the chaos, laughing so hard her lungs started to hurt and another nurse came running.