His body is burning.
He could feel the heat rise around him, burning him on the inside. He couldn’t feel anything else except that heat. His head is scrambled, his vision going in and out. He could hear screaming, sirens blazing in the distance, he could barely make out a woman’s voice calling out for help. He open his eyes a fraction to see a girl holding him, her face covered in blood and her red hair drench with sweat, but her touch feel so cold.
She look down at him.
‘Isaac please stay with me!’
His vision is going black again as another person, a bloke this time look down at her.
‘Elizabeth I got the paramedics coming. Isaac don’t you die on us!’
‘He feels really hot Derek! I think he got a fever’
He closed his eyes, only for a second but when he open them he is looking up at the bright lights of the emergency ward. He doesn’t know which hospital they took him to; only hope he has insurance at this one cause they might kick him down the road to the next hospital. Making jokes in your head while you are probably dying is not a good sign and damn this heat! Why does his body feel so hot?!
People walk past him in a blur, he could feel something sticking in his hand. But at least the cool air conditioned room he’s in might cool him down. But nope the burning feeling came back twice as hot this time. How long has he been here? Hopefully a couple of hours so he should get up now. But his body wouldn’t budge, he doesn’t even know if he is even alive. Visitors came in of course but they are moving so fast they are a blur to him, why can’t they slow down for five minutes so he can see their faces. The worst part is he can’t watch the tv properly, all he sees on the screen is black flip black flip it is driving him insane and could somebody please turn down the heat?! He tried to move his fingers, even his toes, but still nothing. The only thing he can feel is this massive heat that wouldn’t go away. He just wants to move so he can hit the damn tv so it could work. He tried to focus his eyes, getting them into focus as somebody was looking over him.
It was Elizabeth, the room was dark so it’s in the middle of the night. She look like she’s been through hell.
‘I don’t know if you can hear me’ she said, putting her hand on his forehead, her skin feel ice cold. ‘A lot of crazy things have been happening the past three months since you’ve been here. I came to say goodbye because I have to leave’ she was crying. ‘I don’t know why they are keeping you here if you could be one of us, I’m afraid of what will happen to you once you wake up. But we can’t stay here anymore’
‘Elizabeth hurry up!’ Derek walked into his sight. ‘Someone is coming. We gotta go now’
‘Ok just give me a minute’ she said.
‘We don’t have a minute…’
‘Derek please!’ she said. Derek said nothing after that and then he walked out of sight. ‘Isaac, when you wake up you are going to be so confused as to what is happening. I hope you are not like us; I wish I could help you but I can’t’ she started crying now. He wanted to reach up and hold her cheek but the best he can do is slowly put his hand on hers. She look down at their hands but shook her head. ‘I will always love you’ she said facing him. ‘Come find me’ she lean down and kissed his forehead, her lips sending a cold chill through him. Then the cold went away as she stood up, then walked out of sight. He still lay there in the dark. Screw this he is getting up. Ignoring the heat running through his body he force himself to stand, willing himself to do more then look around at the blurry people that returned. The light in the room gone bright then back to dark multiple times, but he still didn’t dare to give up. He did not care how long he stayed there in a bed, waiting for the nurses to keep him healthy. He kept ignoring the heat until somehow he willed it away, the heat leaving his body but still left some embers of it inside. He could move his fingers.
He blinked.
He stare up at the ceiling. Morning shine through the windows. He look to his right at the open window, showing the skyline of Bay City with the clear blue sky. On the side table holds flowers and get well soon cards. A sofa chair beside him for visitors to sit in while they talk. He is so glad he doesn’t have to listen. He looks down at his hand, sure enough there is a needle sticking in his backhand, providing him nutrients from the bag hanging over him. Isaac sat up in bed, his clothes sticking to him like he was sweating through the night. He notice a bottle of water on the table. He grabbed it and drank the entire thing, feeling so thirsty all of a sudden. He threw the bottle across the room then move his legs off the bed.
He wondered if he could still talk. ‘There once was a man who went to sea…’ he sang. ‘Yep, I can talk’
The door opened up to his room. Isaac turn his head to see a cute nurse with a clipboard walking in. She has blonde hair and look to be at least three years younger than him. Once his eyes were on her, the massive heat he was feeling returned, washing over him. ‘Woah’ he said keeping his balance.
The nurse look up and squealed, ‘You’re awake!’ she said.
‘Yes I am’ beamed Isaac, wiping the sweat off his brow, ‘Did you suddenly turn the heat up by any chance?’
The Nurse ignore him and ran out. Isaac felt a little bit insulted. But once she was gone the heat went away quickly. Isaac figured it must be a side effect of whatever he was in this hospital for. He got off the bed, pulled the needle out from his hand and look around, going to the closet they have and opened it up. His mother must have left some clothes here just in case he wakes up. Isaac pulled out a hoodie, black and red stripes. He is feeling better now so there is no reason for him to stay.
He changed out of his hospital garb, putting on his jeans and combat boots. He was about to look for a shirt when the door open up, Isaac stood shirtless, feeling quite embarrassed when the Doctor walked in, the nurse from before following behind. Like before, once Isaac look at her the heat came back, but once he takes his eyes off her to the doctor the heat went away. ‘Good morning Mr Clarke’ said the Doctor. ‘I am Dr Lee; do you know where you are right now?’
Isaac shrugged, ‘I thought I was in some gentlemen’s club, but after seeing there are no chicks in bikinis I figured I’m in the hospital’ he joked.
‘You are in King’s Hospital’ said Dr Lee. He came up and took out a small torch, shining it in his eyes one at a time. ‘Tell me do you feel any side effects that might concern you?’
‘Like what?’ asked Isaac, blinking away the glare in his eyes once he moved back.
‘Anything in particular?’ said the Doctor.
Isaac shrugged, ‘I feel fine actually, why is there something on my face’ he turn to the mirror on the wall.
He examine his face and chest. The dragon claw scar is still on his chest like always, and his hair is always the way he likes it, neat in the back and spiky in the front. There is something wrong with his face. He look closer at the mirror. His eyes are supposed to be blue, just like his father’s but right now they are red. He kept looking at them wondering when did his eyes change colour? ‘Something wrong?’ the doctor asked.
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Isaac turn his head to him. Something is telling him that he does not want to mention anything, the look the Doctor is giving is concern, not for him but for himself. ‘Fine’ said Isaac, ‘My eyes still have their natural redness’ Isaac went and sat in the sofa chair. ‘If you don’t mind me asking but the details are a little hazy, how did I get here?’
Dr Lee cleared his throat, he nodded to the nurse to leave the room. Once she gone, taking the heat away like before, The Doctor started ‘I think it would be best to tell you, you have been asleep for a long time’
‘How long, a week?’ asked Isaac.
‘A year’
Isaac felt something drop inside him. ‘A year?’ he repeated. ‘I guess that is longer than a week. What happened?’
The Doctor took a seat on the bed, keeping his distance away from Isaac. ‘A year ago you were one of the casualties of the Thunderstorm that happened. The result put you in a coma and you have been under observation ever since. I had nurses keep an eye on your levels and made sure you got your nutrients’
Isaac wanted to process this; he has been here for a year. ‘Give me a minute to get my head around this’ he said, he suddenly wants more water.
‘I understand that this is a big process for you’ said Dr Lee.
‘A huge one mate’ said Isaac.
The Doctor stood up, ‘I will give you some time to process this, all I ask is please remain in the room until we properly discharge you’ he moved quickly to the door. ‘I’ll send someone to come see you’ Isaac watch him go out the door then closing it behind.
Isaac has a feeling he doesn’t want him to leave. With the knowledge of being out for a year still on his mind he got up from the chair and moved to the door, putting his hand on the handle and turn. Locked.
‘Somebody doesn’t want me to go’ he said, looking out the small window on the door into the lobby area.
As usual the place is filled with doctors and nurses walking by, some at the desk making calls or receiving them. Families walk by to different rooms, some in the waiting room for their loved ones in here. Isaac look over to the desk to see the same blonde nurse looking over paperwork. As usual his heat washed over him the second he put his eyes on her. ‘What the hell?’ he groaned looking away, the heat going away as well.
He look back out the window to see two guy in white armour, along with helmets walking towards him. Dr Lee went up to speak with them. Isaac hope they are here for something else, but Dr Lee pointed at his direction.
‘Ok, time to go’ said Isaac. Two dudes in full decked out armour looking for him is seriously not a good sign for anything. Isaac moved to the bed and pushed it against the door. He grabbed his hoodie from the chair and put it on, zipping it halfway up and rolling up his sleeves, then he made his way to the window. The white dudes started banging on the door, trying to break it down. Isaac look back to the door, the white dudes can see him now. Isaac smiled awkwardly at them.
He opened up the window higher then climb out, holding onto the ledge as he look down at the street below him, that is a big drop. A normal person would freak out being on the side of the building, one wrong move and you will drop to your death in a second. But Isaac has the advantage, on his spare time whenever he wants to be alone he comes to the city and do some free running, which involves climbing up the side of the buildings and jumping from rooftops to the next, think of it as like in Assassin’s Creed. Isaac turned and held onto the window, lifting himself up to the next. He kept on climbing, looking down to see the white armour guy poke his head out, looked around then look upwards at him. ‘Nice day isn’t it?’ Isaac called out to him.
‘He’s climbing up the side of the building’ he called back to his mates.
Isaac kept on climbing, reaching the top and pulling himself up. He is surprised he has such energy after sleeping for a year. He looked at his arms, feeling the new muscles underneath his sleeve. ‘What the hell did they give me?’ he looked under his hoodie and finally noticed the abs. ‘Woah, that wasn’t there before’
He can worry about his sudden muscle growth later, right now he could hear a helicopter right behind him.
He turn his head to see it flying over him, the words ACA written on the side, and one of those white guys hanging out the door with a rifle. Isaac spun and ran across the rooftop, ‘Why are these guys after me?!’ he cried.
The helicopter flew over and blocked his path, Isaac stopping on the ledge of the roof and look up, getting angry at these guys now. ‘Isaac Clarke!’ came the voice from the speaker on the copter. ‘Surrender yourself now or we will be force to fire!’
Isaac really thinks they can’t be serious. But a shot rang out and a bullet shot into his arm. Isaac cried out covering the wound, blood pouring down his arm now. ‘They shot me?’ he gritted, feeling the rage build around him, increasing the heat he is feeling.
‘That was a warning shot’ they said again. ‘Get on your knees and surrender!’
Isaac gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he look up at them, rage over his face. ‘Tell me something’ he said to them. ‘When you decided to fly that helicopter today, did you prepare yourself for a crash?!’
He charged forward, putting one foot on the ledge he launched himself to the air, grabbing onto the landing railing of the helicopter. His sudden weight made it spin out of control in the air. The White Dude tried to shoot him but they are falling down now, the rotor blades cutting into the building, sending cracks along and tearing the copter apart as they fall into the street. Isaac swing his legs back and forth, aiming for the dumpster he threw himself out of the way before the helicopter crashed into the courtyard, smashing into the fountain and the bus stops. He pulled himself out from the garbage and fell out to the pavement. He puked a couple of times before standing.
‘Ok, I may have lost my temper a bit’ he said to himself. He put a hand on the wall and looked out of the alley. The helicopter has crashed into a couple of cars. The dudes inside are fine, they are just climbing out of the wreckage right now. Isaac figured he shouldn’t stay here. He turned and ran down the alley, jumping onto a fence and flipped himself over it. He doesn’t know how many of these weird guys there are. He can’t run on the roofs otherwise they might send more helicopters after him, the street is out of the question since they can quickly corner him. He only has one choice available.
He ran down the side alley, going through the backstreets until he came to the edge of the Trade District.
Looking down under the bridge to see the sewer pipe hidden in the shadows. He jumped down and quickly ran under, looking back to see white tanks driving by on the streets ahead. These guys have their own tanks, just what horrible crime did he commit to deserve this kind of attention.
Isaac entered the sewer, getting his boots soaked in the water as he made it to a ledge with a wide space. Here there is a tent and a fire pit, with a pile of blankets on the walls. Isaac spots the Hobo sitting on a crate, his hair too long on his head and his beard makes him look like Jesus, if Jesus’s hair covered his eyes and wears too many coats. ‘Yo’ said Isaac coming over. ‘I’m Isaac Clarke, you don’t mind me hiding down here until the heat’s off right?’
The Hobo said nothing.
Isaac blinked, waiting for a response. ‘It is a pleasure to meet you Mr…?’ he held out his hand for a handshake.
The Hobo still did not speak, nor did he move. He stood so still Isaac asked himself ‘Is he dead?’
‘Well mind if I take a seat?’ he asked even though he knows the Hobo still won’t talk. He sat down on the cold floor by the fire, warming his hands. When Isaac put his hands to the fire, he could see the heat rising from the flames and wrapped around his hands. Isaac pull them back, still seeing the heat flow around them.
Isaac stood up, he moved the heat through his arms, around his body and out from his feet, his boots drying in a split second, the bullet wound on his shoulder healing up. ‘What was that?’ he said. ‘It felt like I can control the heat’ he put up two fingers over the flames, watching the heat dance as it left the flames into the air where it vanish. ‘Larry’ the name he decided to give to the Hobo, ‘Do you know what this is?’ he looked at him.
The Hobo did not say a word.
‘You are very talkative’ groaned Isaac rolling his eyes. ‘This could be the reason why those weird white guys came after me. But why?’ he sat back down.
Just ten minutes ago he woke up after a year in a coma. In the span of those ten minutes he was shot, fell from a helicopter, and hid in a sewer with a hobo who he is convinced is dead already. He got no phone on him to call any of his friends. He thought of Elizabeth and Derek. Where are they right now? Maybe they know what is going on.
He look back out to the opening of the sewer, hearing sirens blaze in the city. Going out in the day is seriously a bad idea right now, his best bet is to go out at night and find them. Looks like he just have to wait maybe twelve hours or more until it gets dark. He groaned.
He turn back to Larry, ‘Well Larry, looks like you’re stuck with me for a while’ beamed Isaac. ‘Wanna play twenty questions?’
Larry turn his back to him. Isaac dropped his jaw.
‘Dear God, you are alive!’ said Isaac. ‘I thought you died days ago’ Larry did not say a word to him. ‘Fine be that way, I can make my own conversation’ he look around the sewer, ‘Yep, just because I am now a wanted man for some odd reason doesn’t mean I will let it get to me- I am all alone they are going to kill me and I will die in this sewer- wow that escalated quickly’
Bay City continues on as it always does, but Isaac is down here all alone.
