Fascinating Villains

{22} - Blue Raspberry

I stand next to a propped up stretcher, clenching my writing pad with a determined grip. My blood is boiling, and I am watching our surroundings to calm down. Wow, pretty gray cement buildings. Inimitable beige skyscrapers. An oversized glossy placard advertising: "Timothy Edwards The Realtor For YOU", accompanied by the picture of a suspiciously handsome blond man.

Colin is presently asking the janitor the usual round of questions. However, this predicament is anything but usual. It is horrendous and vile. A non-binary child, no older than fourteen years, is lying on the stretcher at my side. They were beaten severely and left in the school yard behind a trolley to store basketballs. The janitor found them, passed out and with beginnings of hypothermia, because their assailants robbed them of their coat and shirt. As though the relentless, cruel beating was not enough. I do not know if they wore expensive clothes or if the idea was to... Reveal their torso.

As well as I contrived to mask my despair, Colin apparently saw through my facade and took over the interrogation, suggesting that I stay with the young victim. The school secretary is pacing about forty feet from us, on the phone with the child's parents. The orange glow at the tip of her cigarette marks her position in the darkness. Streetlights and an obscured slice of the moon consist of the main lighting, apart from the harsh flow of light that escapes the back of our ambulance. Good ol' 7 PM in Gotham City.

At least, another doctor is assigned to our unit, meaning I did not have to face Doctor Russell once we got back to the hospital.

I am unfortunately used to seeing adults after they have been assaulted based only on gender discrimination. But not kids. This only proves how much worse the world is somehow getting. Gotham is not evolving to rid itself of crime any soon, I fear. Hunched in an armchair inside our break room, I am dwelling on today's events, their implications, my role in this...

"Tanza?"

I realize that Maximilian left Colin and I alone, even if he was here only... I read the time on my watch: 25 minutes ago. Our shift is over.

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna..? Walk around? Or get something to eat?"

"Yes, thank you."

Sitting on a wooden bench outside the Gotham General Hospital, we are drinking the sports beverages we bought in a distributor inside the hospital's cafeteria.

"You know, I'm shocked that you chose a blue one," my colleague jokes, before taking a sip of his eerily red fruit punch drink.

"It's just as unnatural as the red one. And I'll have you know that I like blue, so... They're all imaginary flavors. Even the lemon one."

That is my second favorite, not because of its color unlike the blue raspberry thirst quencher.

"Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about. But we can take a breather. I know today was rough."

His gray eyes have an unexpected warmth to them, despite their cool tint. They express how strongly he cares about others around him... Including me, inevitably.

"No, I'm better now. Tell me."

"Uh, yeah, sure. So, you know how I got interviewed by Dorothy for that team leader position in the 76?"

Squad 76 looks over four ambulances, while ours typically uses the same two vehicles, justifying their need for additional leadership.

I nod and, although he seems excited, he is fidgeting with his plastic bottle.

"Well, I got the job! I'm getting transferred." His voice is ever so slightly shaky.

"You're kidding! Colin, that's awesome! I'm happy for you."