The War In His Mind

Chapter 31

The light from the window seal gently faded in and out as a lacy white curtain moved in front of it. Abraham had been going back and forth between sleep and consciousness, and found him stuck in that hazy midmorning feeling where it was impossible to tell what state he was in at any given time. All he knew was that he was in a hospital bed, and that there was someone standing next to him. He couldn't tell who it was with his eyes half open. It was a female with long brown hair and a shapely body. It took him longer to realize Natasha in his hazy state. "Hey..." he tried to speak but his drowsy voice seemed to not work properly.

"Natasha..." He managed to move his fingers to point at her. She responded by bending down to meet him and eye level and put her hand in his. He did his best to grip, but the effort was weak at best. "...what..."

"...What happened?" She finished his sentence. "You passed out at the execution...the doctors think it was heatstroke."

"How long was I out?"

"Two days."

"My God..." Abraham shook his head. "What's been happening in the city?"

"Rebuilding. Developing destroyed property. The community is really coming together."

Abraham didn't respond right away. He stayed silent. It was good that they can self heal the city. Even after the courthouse drama there was good left in them. It made him happy to fight for them. To lead them to victory.

"You know...I didn't pass out from heatstroke..."

Natasha's eyes stared into his soul. "What do you mean?"

"I..." Abraham sighed. "...I couldn't stand what I saw. Those were good men at one time. My men. I'm the reason they died..."

"That's not the case. O'Neil did it. Not you."

"O'Neil. Myself. Israel. What's the God damn difference?"

Natasha paused to think.

Abraham took her silence as an answer. "Huh? Can you tell me?"

"O'Neil may have a body...but you have a heart."

He couldn't help but laugh. All of the destruction. All of the chaos. All the pain. And it was a heart that made the difference? "Oh...what good is a heart if it's always bleeding?"

"What?"

"Did I stutter?" Abraham looked out the window and could see most of Uptown. "They tore my heart from me. They trampled upon it. They labeled me as a villain...and some how my heart makes a difference?"

"You love me, don't you?"

Abraham squeezed her hand as hard as he could. It was true. If there was such a thing as love, it was between himself and Natasha. She was a solid rock in an emotional sea of death and despair. "I love you...and I love these people. I just don't know that care."

"Why don't you show them how?"

He never thought of it that way before. Much like Abraham, they were emotionally young. They may be cast in the image of older individuals, but mentally and emotionally they were children. Abraham had never connected the dots before. They were quick to judge, eager to blame, and seemingly took little responsibility. He thought of the citizens who were like Isiah. Selfish. Greedy. Eager to further their own power.

"...Yeah..." he said in a hushed tone "...maybe I should."

"They can be a great people, Abraham. I see it in them. I know you do too. These aren't men and women like O'Neil. No. They're like you and I."

"People who are unique. Of all creeds and colors. Men and women not labeled by where they came from, or who they want to become."

Abraham remembered what it was that Israel was working on in the days before the invasion. It was a collaboration between his Government and Isaiah. A project to boost morale. While it was noble and worthwhile, Abraham began to imagine it as something more. What if it could be an educational tool? Something not only to boost morale and the economy, but could show the people of Wonder City what it truly meant to be human. All of the good and the bad would be exposed before them. Maybe, he thought, it would be a way to show them how great of a people they could be.