Polaris Garden

Chapter Fourteen: Wish You Were Here

A small ship passed through the portal gates of Ophiuchi 7H-42's hangar, hovering to a halt over an empty space. Slowly, the ship lowered itself to the floor before the cockpit opened for Bain to climb out, making sure to lift his companion out of the ship before closing the hatch.

Nols won't like this,

Bain's thoughts ripped away at him as he carried Banco's unconscious body into the hospital lobby,

This is a distraction from the mission, helping a traitor by having our enemies mend him...!

As Bain passed through the doors, Banco's eyes slowly opened to find himself laying across the other's arms. Confused, he glanced at Bain, keeping the lights of his visor off as he tried to wrap his mind around the apparent change of heart.

He could have killed me,

Banco's thoughts scrambled about in confusion,

Where is he taking me? Where are we? Why do I like this...?

Banco laid his head back with hopes that Bain was unaware that he'd awoken. Bain held Banco close, stepping up to the counter.

"This man needs medical attention at once," he told a rosy hued protogen at the counter, urgency in his voice as he almost glared at the worker. The hospital worker tapped away at the terminal before gesturing to a row of seats.

"I'll have a doctor see you shortly," They said.

Hera-Hes stepped out of her room, her body leaning most of its weight on a cane as she was escorted down a hallway by a power blue protogen. Her eyes scanned the walls to her right, away from the nurse, as they sought out anything to distract her. The mere outfit of the hospital employees reminded her of Jay - and, in turn, Jay's investigation of the wreckage of her ship.

The mere thought of the tragedy made Hera-Hes' heart sink.

"Lady Hera-Hes, are you well?" Her escorting nurse asked, "If there is anything worrying you, please, let me know."

"I'm alright," the unmar lied through her teeth, "Please, let's just walk in silence. I... enjoy the peace."

The protogen nodded, skeptical of their patient's claims, yet not wishing to upset them. Hera-Hes sighed, her view sliding to the floor before her feet as she walked, her mind miles away from where she stood. Tiles would pass by from below with every footstep, progress made yet not felt as her cane moved along with her, carrying her weight like an additional leg. As they reached the end of the hallway, the pair turned around, beginning the walk back to her room. The unmar dreaded resting in her pod once more, but had no choice but to accept it as merely another part of life for the time being.

What else was she supposed to do, suffer? Move about with a weak body, struggling to walk or even stand?

Hera-Hes' nose and ears twitched as she was escorted back to the room, noticing a pair of footsteps following them and a particularly familiar scent. A violet colored protogen in a lab coat entered the room, holding a notepad coated in scribbled text attempting to make sense of something beyond the doctor's own comprehension.

"Lady Hera-Hes, do you have a moment?" Jay asked, "I've been going over my notes, and there's something important I need to ask you."

The unmar looked over, the blue doctor she was with stepping aside to watch the interaction.

"... Yes?" Hera-Hes wasn't sure if the thought of the upcoming conversation was reason to relax or stress - she simply wanted it to happen already. "Doctor Jay, was it? Is there something wrong?"