The employee lounge buzzed with activity, full of doctors, nurses, and other hospital personnel who were enjoying their break by mingling or resting between shifts or before going home.
Angela Ziegler tilted her head back and closed her eyes, the chair beneath her just comfortable enough to give her some respite after long hours spent on her feet in the surgery room. The scrubs she'd been wearing had already been changed out for her normal clothes and white coat, but stress sweat from the difficulty of the procedure still clung to her skin. Taking a shower would be one of the first things she would do once she got back to her assigned apartment.
She had been called to an Overwatch-affiliated hospital in Tokyo to see to a special case, and had only recently started to learn Japanese herself. There were a few easy phrases she could recognize among the many conversations going on around her, but the rest was completely unknown to her. Fortunately the doctors here were able to speak English quite well, which saved her needing to use an interpreter while her skills in their own language were still so low.
There was a sudden drop in the conversation, followed by chuckles and someone giggling about a cowboy. Angela opened her eyes and straightened in her seat in time to spot Jesse McCree, who was looking a little sheepish as he stood by the door. He was wearing the usual bright red cowboy hat, an article of clothing he'd taken to wearing whenever he came to visit her at work. It was handy for the fact that it was easily visible at a distance, a useful trait in a setting where shouting to get someone's attention was frowned upon, and today he'd paired it with a rusty red longsleeve shirt, black jeans, and brown leather boots.
"Hey, Angie," Jesse said when he noticed her, smiling and giving her a wave of greeting. "I'm here to pick you up."
Angela gave him a tired smile and stood, lifting her bag and draping the strap over one shoulder. "Coming," she said. Most of those who stood between her and Jesse let her pass, the few that didn't being so distracted with taking pictures of the "real live cowboy" and telling their friends that they didn't notice her approach.
"How y'doin'?" Jesse asked as they fell into step in the hall beyond. His gaze flitted to her eyes, lingering on the slight shadows beneath and the wrinkles at their corners, then to the stress lines that still framed her mouth. "Tough day?"
"Later," Angela said simply, one hand tightening on the strap of her bag.
"Right." Jesse looked ahead, now focused on navigating their way out of the hospital and to the visitors' parking lot. "D'you mind keeping an eye out for where we're headed, too? This is my first time in here."
"Of course," Angela replied, though in truth this hospital was mostly unfamiliar to her as well.
In the end they got lost only once, and soon enough they were bound for Jesse's rental car. Humid air washed over them in a wave of relief after the cool dry air of the hospital's interior; Angela's throat was dry despite her doing what she could to keep hydrated, and the moisture in the air was a blessing for that. Night had fallen over the city by the time Jesse pulled into traffic, the sky above dark yet washed out thanks to the light of the surrounding skyscrapers. The going was slow because of traffic, which left Angela time to dwell on the events of the day and to eventually doze off. Jesse stayed silent all the way, his eyes periodically flitting to the surrounding windows and alleyways out of pure habit as he drove them to Angela's apartment.
At last the car came to a final halt and the engine was turned off, the sudden absence of noise and movement pulling Angela from the transient consciousness of her light nap. After taking a few moments to get her bearings she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, making use of the handle above it to pull herself up as she left the car. Jesse had parked in a slot designated for one of the apartments, but not the one assigned to her own. It took her a second to realize he'd probably been placed in this complex too so he could keep an eye on things.
Angela stood on the sidewalk, blinking owlishly at her surroundings as she recalled her apartment number and how to get there. Once she'd pulled the number and route to the front of her mind she led the way, Jesse locking the car and following her without a word. Even in her tired state she noticed his subtle vigilance, mostly because she was used to and expected it now. Life as a member of the notorious Deadlock Gang had instilled those habits in him early, and no doubt Blackwatch had done everything possible to sharpen them once he joined their ranks.
Jesse was being patient with her, and for that she was grateful. For a man who looked so rough at first glance he possessed a keen social intelligence when it came to his friends, and he knew when they needed space or lengths of silence to get themselves in order.
"Gettin' pretty late," Jesse said as they stopped in front of Angela's apartment. "Have you had anything to eat lately? I can go get us some dinner if you'd like."
"Actually that would be wonderful," Angela said. She'd be able to get a quick shower in while Jesse was away. "Is there anything you recommend?"
"Well pretty much all the food's good in my opinion, but I heard there was this great ramen place pretty close by."
"I don't think I've ever tried real ramen before." Angela opened the door, pausing on the threshold to look back at Jesse with a wide grin. "I'll have what you're having, so pick something good."
"You got it," Jesse said with a casual salute.
Angela locked the door again and latched the deadbolt, knowing that Jesse would be reluctant to leave unless he knew she'd locked up completely. Attacks on non-combatant members of Overwatch were fairly rare, but still a possibility. It was all for the sake of safety in the end.
After drinking a glass of water for her dry throat, Angela grabbed the set of clothes closest to the top of her suitcase and stepped into the bathroom. The shower helped wake her up and clear her head, for all that she would need a full night's sleep after this. Still, it would help when she tried to articulate her worries to Jesse when he got back. She slipped into a loose yellow shirt and grey leggings once she was dry, her hair still damp and secured in a loose bun at the back of her head.
There was a knock at the door just after Angela dropped onto the couch. Every time, without fail. She sighed and stood again, checking the doorside camera and then opening the door to let Jesse in.
"Got the special for us both," Jesse said, lifting the bag that contained their dinner as he stepped inside. "And a little somethin' for dessert. Nothin' like a little sweet after a long day."
Angela chuckled. "I have drinks in the fridge, what would you like?"
"Eh, just a soda's fine," Jesse replied. "Don't feel like a beer tonight."
They set up in the small living room, Jesse taking one of the chairs so Angela could sit on the couch as she pleased. Jesse removed his hat and set it on the corner of the table closest to him, then took the portable bowls from the bag and placed one in front of Angela and the other in front of himself. Angela settled on the end of the couch closest to Jesse's chair and started to eat—using a fork, since she was too tired to fiddle with chopsticks at the moment—with Jesse following suit. The broth was rich and savory and the noodles cooked to perfection, the yolk of the soft boiled egg just runny enough to dissolve in the broth when left to sit.
After a few generous bites Angela set her bowl on the table. "You asked earlier how I was," she said, sitting up a bit straighter.
"Yeah, figured you had a rough day when you asked me to wait. Was there trouble with the operation?" Jesse set his own bowl on the table and clasped his hands before him. "He was in a real bad way when we got him out, wasn't sure he'd make it myself."
"It was a difficult operation to stabilize him yes, but that's not the whole of what's bothering me," Angela replied with a single shake of her head. She drew one leg up to her chest, heel pressed into the couch cushion and her hands clasped at her ankle. "He's still too weak to be moved to the main facility, but once he is we will begin the process of making him a cyborg if he agrees to the terms."
Jesse ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. "Yeah, I heard that might be what they were planning," he said quietly. "That sorta thing can put a strain on your sanity."
"And they want him to be a field agent on top of that," Angela added. The fact that this was all sensitive information briefly occurred to her, but she was feeling a little rebellious in her tired state and Jesse was part of Blackwatch anyway—if he didn't know now he would certainly know later. That, and the fact that Jesse was a trusted friend. She knew he would keep his mouth shut. "These wouldn't be mere civilian-level replacements. He will essentially become a living weapon once all is said and done."
"Damn," Jesse said. "Didn't realize our tech was that far along already." He paused, aware that Angela had not come to her full point yet. "I know you got a strong stance against having your work used in direct combat..."
"I'm sure you can imagine how much damage that kind of power could do in the wrong hands," Angela said, meeting Jesse's eyes. "Who's to say he won't lie about joining us, then go back to being a criminal the moment he sees the opportunity?"
"You've got a point there, but I'm happy to say I already got an example to the contrary for you," Jesse said, giving her a lopsided smile.
Angela gave a breathy, humorless laugh and an attempt at a smile as she looked down at the floor. "No, I remember, Jesse. But not everyone will make the right decision like you did."
"True, but there's also the fact that he wasn't all that involved in family affairs to begin with," Jesse added. "And after what his own brother did to him, not so sure he'd be eager to run back to that way of life."
"Now that I wasn't aware of," Angela said, looking up at him again. "Though come to think of it, I was in such a hurry to start operating that I may have overlooked that part in the file they gave me."
"Y'think he'll do alright with becoming a cyborg, though?" Jesse asked. "It ain't easy, livin' like that."
"Unfortunately that's something I cannot fix. He'll have to come to terms with it in his own way when the time comes."
They finished their ramen, pausing to share a little light conversation on the weather in Tokyo and when the next social get together would be among their group of friends. There were small rice flour cakes filled with sweet bean paste for dessert, not fare Angela had tried before but with a uniquely pleasant taste and texture all the same.
"Thanks for dinner, Jesse," Angela said as she walked to the door with him. "And for lending an ear."
"I'm just glad you're feelin' better." Jesse gave her a smile as he stepped outside, putting his hat back on as he did. "And maybe keep me up to date on our friend, I'd like to keep an eye on him myself."
"I'll see what I can do." Angela gave Jesse a final wave of farewell, then closed the door and locked up.
A few moments later the sound of the front door to the apartment directly on her right being opened and closed echoed through her wall. Angela smiled; they'd put Jesse right next to her. It was nice to have a friend so close in a place so far from home, and who knew, maybe this proposed new member would become a friend some day, too.