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I raised my gun, shooting off a volley at the roaring Wanderer, nearly losing my footing as the thing smashed a giant fist into the ground.
“My bullets don’t seem to be doing anything!” I shouted at Sylus.
“It has a modified Protocore,” he said cracking his knuckles with a grim look. “They’re not so easily stopped. Look out!”
He snatched me to one side with his Evol as a lump of concrete crashed against the side the building I’d been standing in front of.
“Let’s lead it to a more open area,” Sylus suggested, urging me forward as we ran down the street.
I’d been visiting the N109 Zone when news of a modified Wanderer rampaging through the city had reached us. I’d insisted on going with Sylus to see to it, but as soon as I realized my normal weapons wouldn’t do much good, I began to feel frustrated. Even Sylus was having difficulty with it.
“I called Luke and Kieran to bring better weapons, but this thing has already caused enough damage,” Sylus growled. We could hear it smashing things behind us. At least we had managed to lead it away from the more populated areas.
We ended up in a shipping yard that seemed to be mostly abandoned. I glanced around, looking for the best place to make a stand.
There was a caw overhead, and I glanced up to see Mephisto.
“Come on,” Sylus called to me.
We skirted the Wanderer’s reach and ran toward the Twins who were already unloading several long boxes from the back of the car.
“We got what you asked for, Boss!” Kieran called.
“Good,” Sylus said, throwing one of the boxes on the hood of the car and flipping it open, expertly assembling the rifle inside. “You two watch the perimeter and make sure this thing doesn’t escape.”
Luke and Kieran saluted and grabbed their own weapons, running off.
To my surprise, Sylus tossed the gun to me. “Take this and find yourself a good vantage point. I’ll go distract it.”
“Tell me you’re not going to try to fight this thing with your fists,” I demanded, staring at him incredulously.
Sylus only grinned. “Aim well, sweetie.”
I stared at him as he teleported away with a burst of black and red smoke. Swearing silently to myself, I ran over to a place where I could see the Wanderer, placing the gun across some crates and crouching to look through the sight.
Sylus flicked in behind the thing, using his Evol to corral the Wanderer. It roared in fury and I gritted my teeth. I didn’t have a good aim on the glowing Protocore in its chest and I knew that was the easiest way to stop it in one go and keep it from going into a rampage.
Sylus wrapped his Evol around it, pulling the Wanderer in the right direction, but it did not seem to be happy about it. It swiped at Sylus, causing him to dodge out of the way in a roll, coming back up to throw a blast at it.
The Protocore in the thing’s chest was in sight and I aimed, finger on the trigger, the butt of the rifle braced against my shoulder.
That was when it moved, lashing out quicker than I thought it capable. It went directly for Sylus’s throat, giant hand clenching around Sylus’s neck as it slammed him into the ground.
“Sylus!” I shouted, hearing the strangled sound from him, stomach flipping as he hit the ground with bone-shattering force.
The Wanderer then picked him back up, holding him aloft as it throttled him. Sylus’s hands were around the thing’s wrist, his Evol digging into it, before it squeezed even harder and his hands slid to his sides, limp.
I took my shot. The modified bullet hit the Protocore dead center, and it shattered, instantly shutting down and exploding into mist.
Sylus dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap, still.
“Sylus!” I screamed as I pushed my legs into action, rushing over to him.
I dropped to my knees, rolling him onto his back, cupping his cheek.
Sylus’s face was pale, his lips tinted blue, specked with flecks of crimson. But what was worse were the red and purple marks around his throat in the shape of the Wanderer’s hand.
“Oh god, Sylus, can you hear me?” I pleaded, cradling his head in my lap.
His chest hitched, breath whistling. His hand came up, shakily wandering until it latched onto my jacket.
Luke and Kieran ran over with Mephisto circling above.
“What happened?” Luke demanded, both of them looked shocked and terrified.
“We need to get him to a hospital now; are they any reputable ones in the N109 Zone? He’s barely breathing!”
Fifteen minutes later we screeched to a stop outside the emergency room entrance of the nearest hospital. I hoped it would be safe enough, but frankly we didn’t have a choice right now. I couldn’t even tell if Sylus was breathing. As long as we could get him stable, I could ask for him to be transferred to Akso but until then, we had to make do.
Luckily Luke and Kieran were intimidating enough for the staff to jump to it, loading Sylus onto a gurney and wheeling him away.
“I’m going with him,” I told the twins.
They nodded, looking lost as I left them in the waiting room and hurried back.
When the nurses tried to stop me, I folded my arms and prominently displayed the gun on my hip. “I’m staying.”
They didn’t argue. I knew enough about the N109 at this point to know intimidation and steel were the only way to get respect.
My steel admittedly faltered as I watched them work on Sylus though. I’d never seen him this vulnerable before. It made a sick pit in my stomach.
When they finally finished, they moved him to a bed in the ICU area, elevated at the head to ease his breathing. I instantly pulled a seat over to sit with him. His breathing was too mechanical, thanks to the tube shoved down his throat that was currently breathing for him—until the swelling went down and he regained consciousness, the doctor told me.
The twins came back to see him, bringing me some food and coffee, and saying that they would go back to the base and make sure things were handled while Sylus was laid up. They left Mephisto with me to fetch things if needed and the mechanical crow cooed forlornly as he looked at Sylus, settling on the bed at his hip.
I petted Mephisto then held Sylus’s hand, rubbing my thumb over his bruised knuckles. The bruising around his throat only looked worse now and it made my own throat ache.
I had to admit to myself that I was still in a state of shock. I wasn’t used to injuries sticking to Sylus. But considering his usual reluctance to let anything near his throat, I knew it must be a genuinely vulnerable area to him—perhaps the only one.
I eventually dozed off during my vigil, still holding his hand. I didn’t wake up until I felt him jerk beside me right before he started choking.
I jumped up, Mephisto cawing in warning as the alarms on all the machines blared.
Sylus’s eyes fluttered, darting from side to side in panic as the doctors rushed into the room.
I stepped aside to let them help him, but as the doctor approached, Sylus’s Evol wrapped around the man’s throat, choking him.
“Sylus!” I cried, quickly stepping in and grabbing his hand. “It’s okay, he’ll help you. Let him go.”
Sylus’s Evol dissipated and the doctor coughed, staggering back, before I grabbed his arm.
“Help him!” I snapped, dragging him back toward the bed.
The doctor shook slightly but he obeyed. I soothed Sylus, rubbing his arm as the doctor slowly drew the tube out of his throat. Sylus’s chest hitched and his breath wheezed but he was able to breathe on his own.
“Thank you,” I told the doctor.
The doctor nodded, then mumbled something about being back in a minute before retreating, rubbing his throat.
Sylus’s hand tugged on mine and he opened his mouth, only to wince and squeeze my hand tighter.
“Don’t try to talk,” I said quickly, sitting on the side of the bed. “Don’t strain your throat right now.”
He swallowed hard, the action obviously painful and pushed my hand to the bed before tapping a finger on my palm.
“Morse code?” I asked.
Sylus nodded and began tapping out a message.
Where?
“A hospital in the N109 Zone,” I told him. “Not my first choice, but we had to get you help.”
His eyes narrowed. Get me out, he tapped.
“Sylus, I’m not taking you out of here until I know you’re okay,” I said firmly.
He tried to sit up, but I pushed him back. “Please, Sylus. At least let the doctor look at you and give you your prescriptions.”
Sylus glowered, but I glowered back and he rolled his eyes. He set his finger in my hand again. Call him. But tell him if he tries anything I’ll choke him.
“I think he knows that,” I muttered, but got up to go fetch the doctor.
The man came back in reluctantly.
“I need to know if he’s good to leave,” I said.
“It’s not advisable,” the doctor said blandly. “But as long as he’s in no immediate danger, I can give you care instructions.”
He seemed eager enough to be rid of Sylus but I was going to make sure he did his job. “Just do what you would normally do.”
The doctor reluctantly went to gather what he would need, then returned, snapping on gloves as he prepared an endoscopy.
“Open your mouth,” he said.
Sylus glowered, but I took his hand, squeezing gently. “Just do as he says and we can leave sooner.”
Sylus pinned the doctor with his crimson gaze before doing as he asked.
I could feel Sylus’s discomfort in how tight he clutched my hand and, I rubbed his knuckles soothingly. The doctor studied the feed from the camera and finished in record time.
“There’s still quite a bit of swelling, but his airway seems to be clear,” The doctor said. “I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatory medicine as well as an antibiotic. Just give me a second and I’ll bring them to you.”
As soon as he left, I reached out to stroke Sylus’s hair. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
His eyes softened slightly and he reached up to take my wrist, pulling my hand to his lips.
A nurse came in within a few minutes, handing me a prescription bag and a sheet.
“Care instructions and dosage,” she told me, eyeing Sylus warily.
I nodded, and helped Sylus remove the monitors stuck to him. The machines blared and the nurse hurried to turn them off as I helped Sylus out of the bed and let him lean on me.
Mephisto had gone to Luke and Kieran so by the time we got to the front, they already had the car waiting.
“Glad to see you back on your feet, Boss,” the twins said sincerely.
Sylus slumped in the back beside me, tilting his head back at a better angle to breathe.
He was surprisingly docile once we got back to the base. I helped him into his pajamas and tucked him into bed, making sure to prop him up with copious amounts of pillows to ease his breathing as I read the instructions.
“Let me get you some warm water so you can take your medicine.”
Sylus rolled his eyes and I realized quickly that just because he couldn’t talk didn’t mean he was any less annoyed at the situation.
When I came back with the water, he took the pills and swallowed them painfully, with obvious difficulty. His hand came up to touch his throat, brow furrowing.
“It looks pretty bad,” I told him, sitting on the bed next to him.
Sylus took my hand and tapped I’ll heal soon into my palm.
I looked down at the covers I’d placed over his lap, a churching still in my stomach as I remembered seeing Sylus lying there, barely breathing.
Sylus squeezed my fingers tightly. What’s wrong?
“It just scared me,” I admitted, shaking my head. “Seeing you hurt like that.”
Sylus smiled slightly. Not invincible, sweetie.
“I know,” I muttered. “It’s just a rare occurrence.”
He took my chin and tilted my face toward him. He didn’t need to use morse code this time for me to know what he wanted. I leaned in to kiss him, cuddling up against his side.
“Just please be more careful. And maybe don’t use yourself as bait next time.”
Sylus wheezed a soft huff and took my hand again. For you, I will be more careful. But if I am unable to I know that I have you to nurse me back to health.
“I promise to always be there.”
I settled down, hand and cheek pressed to his chest, monitoring his breathing myself. I knew I couldn’t protect him always, but I would always settle for putting him back together in the end.