James awoke to the rhythmic beeping of an electrocardiogram machine. The smells and sounds gave no room for uncertainty, he was in the hospital. An IV line dangled from his wrist up to the bag of saline hanging by a hook above him. Nurses and doctors shouted out to one another as patient after patient was rushed up and down the halls. The pale white walls and decorations gave the deceiving impression of hope and light in a place that rarely contained either.
James tried sitting up in his bed but didn't have the strength to move.
"Kazav," he groaned, " what happened?"
"We overdid it, kid."
James winced as he tried to move his arms. "What do you mean?"
"You took more damage than I thought. That lizard thing did a number on you."
"But I thought you could heal me from stuff like that."
"I did what I could but our bond is still new. I don't have the best reading on your limits yet."
James looked under his gown and saw the bruises and claw marks peppering his body. It looked worse than it felt thanks to Kazav blocking the pain.
"Look on the bright side," Kazav remarked, "you survived your first fight and our bond is stronger for it!"
James started poking at a bump on his head, "Really?"
"It's like I said kid, the more you use your new abilities the stronger our bond becomes, and the stronger you become."
The door to the room swung open and in walked a doctor. He placed a chart down on the table next to the bed and introduced himself.
"Hello James, my name is Doctor Ankari. You are in the hospital after what looks to be a monster attack."
The doctor sat down and pulled the glasses hanging from his neck up to his face and over his eyes. As he looked over a clipboard he asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"
Kazav chimed in before James could say anything, "Don't tell him everything. Just tell him enough."
James gathered his thoughts for a moment and then offered up an explanation, "I was walking through the park last night and I," He paused for a moment, trying to flesh out the details, "I must have been attacked or something. It all happened so fast I'm not sure I remember anything else."
The doctor nodded, "That's very common in violent cases like this."
He looked over the chart again and said, "There was an eyewitness who says you managed to fight off the attacker. Do you remember anything regarding that?"
James nodded his head and apologized, "No sorry, It's all just a blur to me. I don't remember much."
The doctor nodded again and sat up, "Well we would typically keep a patient with your injuries for at least a few days but your recovery is going incredibly fast."
Looked on the other page on the chart he asked, "You're, not a hero are you?"
James' eyes narrowed, "No, why do you ask?"
"It's just that your last name sounds so familiar," then the doctor snapped his finger in the air and asked, "you're not related to the Hero 'Dauntless' are you?"
James' face scrunched up anytime he heard that name. "He's my," he paused as a lump in his throat formed. Once he swallowed the lump he mumbled out, "brother."
"Amazing!" The doctor cried out, "you don't think I could get his autograph do you?"
James sneered at the doctor with a look that could kill and coldly said, "No."
There was an awkward pause as they both stared at one another in silence.
"Anyway, you seem to be on the mend but we still want to keep you here until you make a full recovery. A nurse will be in soon to check in with you."
He hung the clipboard on the door and left the room giving James the freedom to let out an exacerbated sigh.
"What's wrong, sport?" Kazav inquired.
"I don't like when people bring up my brother."
"Why, are you jealous?"
James snorted as he laughed, "Of course I am. But you know, it's so much more than that. I grew up with him and knew him as my brother before he became 'The Amazing Dauntless' and I know for a fact that he's nothing like the kind and charming hero he plays to the public."
Kazavs interest was piqued, "What's he really like?"
James thought back to his childhood. Memories came flooding back to him, all the good, all the bad, mostly the bad.
He didn't feel like talking about it at the moment, "He was just, different, that's all."
"Don't want to talk about it huh?" Kazav asked with a tinge of empathy, "I know how you feel ya know. Back where I'm from all I ever did was let people down. I failed in some big ways and I'm still learning to live it down."
James took a small bit of comfort in the fact that even a being like Kazav had things he regretted. Maybe he wasn't such a big failure after all.
The next 12 hours went by slow and James took the time to absorb everything that happened recently. He realized hadn't had a moment to see just how bizarre his new situation was. He also chatted with Kazav a bit and tried to pry him for more information but he was stingy on the details. Kazav told James there would be time to talk more later and that he should focus on healing up.
They watched cartoons for the next few hours and ate a disgusting hospital meal that made his reheated dinners seem fit for a king.
At the end of the day, the doctor came back in and examined James' wounds.
"Huh," He remarked, "you must have some of your brother's blood in you or something because you heal unusually quick for someone who isn't a superhero."
James again stared at the doctor with a cold unflinching gaze until he got the message and traded subjects.
"With progress like this, I don't see a reason to keep you overnight. I'll have the nurse begin the discharge papers."
Hours later he was out of the hospital and on his way back home for some peace and quiet, at least, that was his plan. Once he rounded the corner to the street his apartment was on, shadows began dashing in and out of sight and seemed to be following him along as he walked.
Whatever it was it was fast, even with his senses heightened he couldn't track them. He wasn't in the mood for another fight at the moment and launched out into a sprint, bolting down the street as fast as he could. The entire time he was running it felt like something was right behind him, following closely while reaching out to grab him.
He made it to the apartment entrance and burst through the doors. Panic coursed through him as he ran up the stairs and out into the hallway his unit was in. He ran over to his door, opened it, and slammed it shut, bolting all 3 of the locks he had installed.
Then, turning around, he let out a startled and somewhat embarrassing screech as he saw a group of shadowy figures emerge from the darkness of his living room.
"Hello James," a mysterious voice called out, "we have been waiting for you."
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