Devils and Angels

Chapter 3

"Okay, Matt.  We're out of bagels from Landman and Zack.  And this coffee?  Terrible.  And this place is ugly.  We need to remodel...get a sign!  Paint the walls and make it look fancy!"

"Looks pretty fancy to me," Matt said.

"You can't see anything, so your vote doesn't count."

Matt threw his hands in the air.  "Fine.  But that means that it's your job to remodel."

"Whatever.  But first, we need clients, so we can make money!  Maybe then we can afford to remodel." 

Matt shrugged.  "We will get one eventually."

"An innocent soul to come falling into our open arms...yeah.  Not likely.  You know what?  I'm gonna go bribe a cop."

"Foggy..."

"Come on, Bess is out of cigars, and Brett can help us with an arrest."  Matt shook his head, amused.  Foggy left through the door.  "I'll call you when it's done!" he shouted down the hall.

-

Matt opened his fridge and grabbed a beer.  He took a gulp and listened to it ride down his esophagus.  Delicious.

He removed his mask and ran his fingers through his ruffled hair.  He took another drink and gave a sigh, reflecting on the night. 

It was something he did every night.  He would recap every time he'd saved someone and wondered if they connected in some way, or he'd try to imagine how the ones he'd saved were spending that moment, either in a hospital bed recovering or fighting for their life, or sleeping in their own soft bed, comforted that they had been saved.  Matt also thought about the ones that weren't so lucky, which most of the time ended up being the criminals.  Whether they were locked up in a jail cell or cowering in their basement, Matt could promise one thing about each and every criminal.

They weren't going to hurt this city ever again.

-

"Brett says that he'll look into clientele for us," Foggy said over the phone the next day.

"That's good, I guess," Matt replied.

"You guess?  It's great!  Now maybe we will finally be able to get off our asses and defend the innocent!"

"Did Brett take the cigars?"

"Yes, he did.  He didn't act very happy, but I know, deep down inside, he appreciates them.  I don't even need your super senses to know that."

"Unless you're wrong."

"I'm not.  Look, Bess is going to be overjoyed when she gets her gift, despite what Brett thinks."

"All right, Foggy."

"Yep.  Well, I gotta go.  I have a date."

"A date?"

"That's what I said."

"With who?"

"Marci."

"Marci?  Your ex?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm interested to see how that goes."

"You can't see, Matt.  And I don't want you spying on me with your crazy ears, either."

"Okay, I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay, well talk to you later."  Foggy hung up.

A date.  With Marci Stahl.  Isn't that interesting?

With girls on his mind, Matt suddenly had a coffee craving.  Although it wasn't really a coffee craving.  He just wanted to hear her voice.

-

"Matt," Claire called.  Matt walked up to the counter to accept his coffee.  When he reached for it, his shirt sleeve slid down to reveal a cut down his forearm, one that he'd tried to stitch up himself.  He was good at stitching, just not as much on himself.

"Oh.  Ouch," Claire said, noticing it. 

"Ah, it's nothing," Matt said. 

"Are you kidding?  That's pretty bad.  And where did you get it stitched up?  Looks like you did it yourself.  Um, no offense."

"Please, none taken.  I, uh, know somebody who used to stitch people up," Matt fibbed.

"You didn't go to the hospital?"  Matt shook his head.  "You should have.  It may need an x-ray."

"I'm fine," Matt said with a smile. 

"Well, if you change your mind, I work night shifts at Metro-General.  I work the ER, but I can still help you out if you'd like.  I get there around seven but don't start my shift until seven thirty."

Matt's smile widened.  "Thank you."

-

"Matt!"  Matt could hear the delight in her voice as she noticed him sitting in the atrium. 

"Thought I might take you up on that medical help," he said.  Claire smiled and took his arm, leading him through the hospital.

"Okay, you can sit here," Claire said, helping him into a chair.  Matt pulled his sleeve up to reveal the cut.  He felt Claire's gloved hands touch his arm softly.  "Not as bad as I thought, but I still think I'm going to go ahead with the x-rays."  Matt nodded.  "How did you get this?"

"I fell."

"On what?  This is a deep cut, not a bruise."  Claire began setting up the equipment.

"Someone left a present beside the trash dumpster."

"You talk to them?"

"Nah.  I don't know who did it."

"What a bastard."

"Yeah," Matt said with a smirk.

They were both quiet during the x-ray.  Once it was complete, Claire analyzed them and confirmed that he was okay.

"All I can do is send you out with stitches.  It'll probably be a pain in the ass as it heals, but you'll be fine after awhile."

"Thank you, Claire."

"No problem."

"I'll make sure I come to the hospital next time."

"How about you make sure there isn't a next time?  But, yeah, I'll always be here for you."

"Thank you, Claire," Matt said again.  Claire smiled.  And then he left.