Team Fortress: Soaked Through

Epilogue

"Medic?"

Medic turned around to see Ms. Pauling standing in the doorway of the balcony. She was holding a few papers in her hand.

"Weren't you put on strict bedrest?" she said, stepping out into the cool night air.

Medic sniffed. "I've never known a patient zhat vas qvite zhe same after bedrest. It's just as good as a death sentence."

"You have a cold, not some flesh-eating disease. Speaking of which, I was thinking of ways to get rid of the zombies in the base..."

"I'm sorry, Miss Pauling."

Miss Pauling blinked a few times, furrowing her eyebrows.

"What?"

"I used a psychosomatic, highly unstable substance visout even testing it. I zhought I could reach some sort of enlightenment, some sort of peace. Now I know I vas stupid to zhink so."

"Medic, this operation was above you. If you hadn't run off, we could have been in some serious trouble. We wouldn't have even known what Red was doing."

"I felt so bad at zhe time. Now I can't even tell you vhat vas wrong. If I make a risky decision, I know exactly vhat zhe risks are. I could have killed zhe entire team, and it would have been my fault."

Miss Pauling didn't answer at first, but just rifled through the papers she was holding.

"But you didn't," she said after a silence. "And the things you did do is the only thing that's going to change the future. The choice was made, and everything turned out okay. What's next?"

Medic sighed. "Vhat if I make zhe same mistake again? And zhings don't turn out so vell?"

"I had a music teacher that gave me some advice I still use: 'Think about tomorrow and today, and that's it.' I don't need to think about yesterday, and I don't need to think about a week from now; I just need to think about what I can do now to prepare for tomorrow and today. Your mind is so used to being in some far off place that it forgets what 'the present' really means. Sometimes, you get so lost in what could of happened, or won't happen, or what may happen, that you forget what's happening now."

Medic chuckled. "Zhe mind is odd zhat vay. If you zhink about tomorrow and today, zhough, how are you supposed to learn from your mistakes?"

"Just take what you need," Miss Pauling replied, "and leave the rest behind, I guess. You wouldn't take a bathing suit to the Himalayas, so why bring it with you?"

Medic started to laugh, hacking a bit before composing himself.

"What's so funny?" Miss Pauling said.

"In medical school, zhey told us about a shoe in a refrigerator. Most people don't find a shoe in zheir refrigerator and say, 'I suppose I'm having a shoe for lunch.' No, zhey say, 'Zhat doesn't belong here! Let me take it out before it spoils any of the good food!' Anxiety is zhe same vay; it may need to be in some places, but not in ozers, and it's your job to realize vhen it doesn't belong."

Miss Pauling patted Medic on the back. "Well, I know one thing - you don't belong out here right now. It's freezing. I know you brood when you're thinking, but you can brood just as well in bed."

"Zhat is not true, but I am tired..."

Medic yawned, turning to go back in the R.E.D base.

"Beating Heavy in checkers in more draining zhan I remember."

"Before you go, I need to tell you something."

Miss Pauling held the papers up to Medic.

"Both Mann Co. buildings were burned to the ground. The first one probably about three months ago, and the second less than a week ago."