Off Planet (Asterism Chronicles Volume One)

Cap

The doctor kept the tubes in Jacks chest for three days, he said it would eliminate the possibility of his lungs collapsing. It turned out that he was so cold to us last time because his grandson died that day. He was in an accident and the doctor couldn't save him in time.

While Jack healed we stayed with the doctor. He warmed up to us as he took care of Jack. As we stayed in the same room for the next two weeks Jack's face went from black to purple to yellow, until it finally dissolved to his usual skin colour. His breathing went from pained laboured breathes to his usual calm one. My side finally healed up, it started to leave a large scar mostly from me ripping them.

"Jack, thats cheating!" I yelled as Jack looked at my cards.

He laughed as he put his down. The past few days he was becoming more like himself. It pained him to laugh, but that wouldn't stop his happy heart.

The doctor, who we learned was named Cap, smiled at us. His cold demeanor was gone, we saw the true him. He had a great sense of  homour, and he always had a smile on his face when not working. He became a doctor to help anyone, even those running from the law. He believed that even if you did something wrong, you should still have a chance to make things right.

As Jack carefully stood up to stretch I placed my cards down too. "I fold." I had been handed a bad hand.

"I win again." Cap said as he picked up the mess of cards. "You guys are terrible at this."

"I've never played before you taught me." I defended myself as Cap laughed, lifting up Jack's deck.

"What?" He said smirking at Jack. "You would have won, why'd you fold?"

"I didn't, so I won." Jack's poker face had worked. It's true, he never said he folds.

"No, you still lost, you little cheater." I said poking his side softly as he smiled.

After all the games, Cap told Jack to sit on the hospital bed again. He took his shirt off slowly so he could check his ribs. Cap felt around the rough scared skin and smiled. Jack didn't flinch at his touch anymore, and as the swelling and bruises went away he seemed better.

"Your healing perfectly. I think by next week you'll be able to leave." Cap said, slightly disappointed.

"Thanks," Jack said, slight sadness in his voice. Since we were with him, Cap had given us three meals a day. Jack's ribs were no longer showing and was at a healthy weight. So was I, my face no longer looked like a starved kid, and I was at my usual weight. Cap said its still below the usual weight for someone my age, but it's better than it had been.

While we waited for Jack to heal, I became Cap's nurse. Whenever a patient came in I got to help, so that I could help Jack or myself if we got hurt again. I gained a lot of useful information, but at the cost of some lives.

Jack put his shirt back on as I sat beside him on the bed. Cap sighed as the scars were covered up again. Jack told him everything about them. He even mentioned Erin. Cap hated hearing about what had happened to him. He said no child should have to go through that. As I laid my head on Jack's shoulder Cap was called from the room by a buzz from the front door.

"You know, I've never asked you what you did before I met you." Jack said looking down to my eyes. "You know what I did, but what about you? Your dad was always gone, so what did you do for fun?"

"Mostly video games. I listened to music, cooked, cleaned, went for walks."

"Hung out with friends? School?"
I shook my head as Jack turned to me. "You know how the schools are. I was labeled anti-social and overly agressive, so everyone stayed away. The friends I did have when I was younger moved away."

"You? Aggressive? I'd of never known. I mean you pushed me off a bridge."  Jack joked as he refereed to our previous encounter.

"Sorry, but you stole my hair, and I could've been stuck in their longer!" I defended myself as he laughed, holding his ribs slightly.

Our jokes were interrupted by a yell. "Rae!" Cap yelled to me. "I need you!"

Running out of the room and into the next I looked to Cap, hands covered in blood and the body of a man in a mask laying before him on the table. 

"Quickly, I need gauze." He said as I ran to grab some for him.

"What happened?" I said as I looked the unmoving body of man.

"I don't know." Cap said as he removed the mask. My eyes widened as he did so and I ran from the room back to Jack.