Sector B

21

"Take a week off." Theodore Chen paced around Decha as two nurses catered to his medical help. One of the nurses wrapped his wrist in a bandage, and the other was tending to the wound on his face. The blood had been stopped, and now she was applying a disinfectant mist on top of the cut.

"What?" Decha's bold response caused the nurses to flinch away in fear.

"You heard me. Take a week off." Director Chen repeated, more sternly than the first time.

"You know I can't do that. This case is very detrimental. I need to solve it and find the culprits before anyone else gets hurt!"

"I understand that," Chen folded his arms and stepped forward. He dismissed the two nurses and looked back at his son. The scar made Chen uneasy. It reminded him of when he fought against a mob of Bracketers. One of the criminals had a knife that caused his scar. "But your life is very important too, N96. When was the last time you took a break?"

"If I slack, the city will be torn to ruins." Decha spat. "You can't send me on vacation."

"This isn't an order from only me, Decha. This is an order put in place by the council. 7 days of your absence have been required. You are not to pick up a weapon or do anything work-related until you've healed. The Medical team at the hospital in midtown has told me about your sprain and refusal to rest."

"I'm fine! Now is not the time to rest! There's a death machine on the loose, planting bombs near Grandell! You saw the damage that truck did!"

"You work too hard, Decha. Sector A appreciates your dedication, but you're a bit of a workaholic. The council reviewed the tapes. You almost didn't make it out of that fight alive. I know it's partly because of your injury. But Sector A can't lose one of our most prized warriors. That's why Strout offered the petition, and everyone agreed."

"You only agreed because of our relationship. My work has nothing to do with our ties."

"Even if that's the case, everything has already been signed. You're taking a week off, whether you want it or not. When you leave the Agency, you're to report back home. The staff will keep a close eye on you to make sure you're resting."

"But I'm fine!" Decha groaned. "This is a little scratch! I've gotten worse!" He pointed to the scar on his eye.

"I'll see you when I get there, N96." Chen shook his head and left the room with nothing else to say.

"Shite," Decha growled. "What am I supposed to do in seven days? Lounge? How does that even work?"

Decha changed his clothes and was ushered out of the Agency soon after being treated. With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, he took a train home. It didn't take long for his mother to greet him.

"Decha!" She grabbed his face and turned his cut side to get a better look. "Who did this to my handsome boy!?"

"Mom, it's fine." He pulled away, extremely annoyed. "It's just a scratch."

"A scratch!? Decha, this is a scar!"

"A scar that will heal in time." Decha sighed and nudged her away.

"What happened to your hands?"

"What about my hands?"

"They're bandaged. Did you—"

"It's just a sprain. It's not much." Decha walked into the grand living room and sat down. He leaned forward and began sorting through the documents on the coffee table, a form of work to keep his mind busy.

"I seriously worry about you, my son." Jessica leaned over the back of the couch and gave him a quick embrace. "Your shoulders are too stiff. Not soft like they used to be."