help, i'm alive

four: revelations and resolutions

"Hiro, your friends are here to see you," Cass announced as she let Honey, GoGo, Wasabi, and Fred into the room.

Friends? Hiro hadn't thought of them that way for a long time. They were Tadashi's friends, not his. They felt sorry for him, assuming he was all alone. They didn't know about Josie.

"Hey, Hiro. Feeling any better?" Honey's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Sort of... I can sit up now without too much pain. Still can't stand, though. I'm getting some feeling back in my leg." Another lie. He couldn't feel it at all.

"Can you move it yet?" Wasabi asked.

"No. The doctor said it could be weeks. Even after that, I'll need crutches."

"How's the cut?" GoGo inquired.

"I assume it's okay. I still can't feel that part of it."

"Well, that's good," Fred stated, "You can't feel pain if you can't feel."

"Yeah..." Hiro forced a yawn, hoping they'd take the hint.

"Guys, we should go. He seems tired," Honey whispered.

"You go. I'll stay and help Cass," GoGo said.

"I'm right here. I can hear you."

"Sorry..." Fred muttered as he, Wasabi, and Honey left.

"Do you need anything? Water? Anything?" GoGo asked.

"No, I'm fine."

"Good, because you have some explaining to do," she said, leaning in. "What really happened that night?"

"Umm, what do you mean?" Hiro feigned confusion.

"You know exactly what I mean. I know you remember, and I know you're lying about it. So, what. Happened. That. Night?" she demanded.

"Fine. But it started way before that night. Get my phone from the dresser. There's something you need to hear."

GoGo hesitated but retrieved his phone, eyeing him suspiciously as she handed it over.

Hiro opened the voicemail from the blocked number. Tadashi's voice filled the room.

"H-Hiro! Don't believe anything they say! Especially Callaghan! He's alive too! They captured me and they'll come after you! Don't listen!" The voice cut out, replaced by sobs. "Hiro, please. Help, I'm alive..."

"W-was that...?" GoGo asked, stunned.

"Tadashi. He left that voicemail a month and a half ago. Since then, I've been trying to find him, but being stuck in this bed makes it impossible."

"So, that's what you were doing that night when those men attacked you?"

"Yes. They work for Callaghan. He's the one who took Tadashi. He probably didn't want Tadashi telling everyone he stole my microbots, so he made him seem dead too."

"But why did they attack you?"

"I think I was close to finding Tadashi, and they were sent to stop me."

GoGo sat down, absorbing the information.

"I'm going to look for him too," she said with determination. "He was my best friend. I have to help!"

Hiro smiled. "Good, because I can't do it alone."