I feel the pain and cringe. I don't want to open my eyes. How many are dead? Wounded? Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands maybe. I felt my soul die. Was there anything to even go back to?
The door to the hospital room opens and closes. I hold my breath, hoping.
Someone says my name and I cautiously open my eyes. The tears sting my face, the deep cut that isn't bandaged. When I see the visitor, I shut my eyes tightly again and let hope escape with my breath.
"It's ok." the visitor says. "You're alright. Do you need a doctor?"
I shake my head as much as I can stand it. That's the last thing I need.
The door opens again, and this time a flood of smells races in. Smoke. Seawater. Gasoline. Fresh cut grass. Trees. I shut them out.
It starts hurting to breathe and I find myself staring at the needle. I almost laugh at how ironic it really is, that tiny peice of metal, the cause of so much trouble is now keeping me alive.
The second visitor rests their head on the first visitor's shoulder and starts sobbing.
I slip unconcious and only catch bits of the next few hours. Apparently, I'm not in any pain. I have no memory of what happened. I was conscious and conversational when I arrived.
Eventually, someone comes in and sits by my bed. They stay there for I don't know how long. I hear them move around the room impatiently every once in a while, but I don't care. I still don't want to think about anything.
Not the visitors.
Not the doctors.
Not the smells.
Not the needles.
Not the dead and wounded.
Not the pain.
And especially not...
_3 Days Earlier_
"Skippa! Hurry up! You'll miss Grace!" Private yells from in front of the television.
Skipper rolls his eyes, 'Yeah, miss Grace.' he laughs but joins the young penguin anyways.
Grace's press conference is scheduled for 3 pm Bejing time. Which means 3 am Central Park time.
Taralyn yawns and rubs the back of her head. "This time difference is going to be the death of me." she mumbles.
"Well, Grace seems to be adjusting well." Kowalski yawns next.
"Shhh. We'll miss her!" Private demands, before yawning himself.
Rico yawns which causes the hiccups.
The screen flashes once and the ACIS International symbol appears.
The symbol disolves and a large room with a stage replaces it.
"We are a few minutes away from Commissioner Rivera's big announcement." says a male voice.
The camara moves around and shows Hawk and Deliah.
"You have to know that former Commander Hawk Lamardi is thrilled to see her making this much of a come back." responds a female voice.
"You have to know that Grace is thrilled that Hawk is retiring." Taralyn mocks.
Rico laughs then hiccups again.
"Yes," the male is compeating to be in charge of the segment, "Just over a year ago, Agent Rivera was in some troubled waters of her own."
The television screen suddenly flashes static then back to life. The lights in the conference room shut off completly.
Grace's voice is heard, "Shut down the broadcast!"
A red light flicks on and a shadow races across the stage. "Grace!" It's a slight Russian accent.
"Court? Shellie? What is going on!" Erato's Jersey accent yells.
Maniacal laughter fills the air and again, Grace demands "Shut it down, Shell!"
"I am Bashvault. Here to enact my revenge." a loud voice says.
In the glow of the red light, Grace, Hawk, and Erato are standing on the stage, searching for the source of the voice.
"Shellie! Shut it down!"
The lights flicker and a tall cloaked figure appears on the stage. Then, the screen goes black.
The penguins stand frozen, staring at the screen.
"Like I said. You'll miss Grace." Private responds
"Who was that?" Taralyn gasps.
"He said his name was Bashvault." Koawlski starts for the lab, "Let's run a background check."
"Wait, I remember that name. Isn't he the villian that broke the chandelier?" Private asks.
"Yes, Private. It is."
"Well, whatever happened to him?" Taralyn chimes in.
"After he disrupted the banquet, he made a bee-line for the evidence locker, where he thought the Ward of Souls was. He ran into Manfredi and Johnson. It wasn't much of a fight. Bashvault had just thrown a 60 pound dog 50 yards through the air, two penguins were hardly a challenge. He made it into the evidence locker. Court and I shut the door. Thinking we had him trapped, when Shellie brought Hawk and Sarge though, he was gone. Just poof, gone." Skipper crosses the room to the coffee pot. "I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."
"Why wait this long before attacking again?" Kowalski asks, "It just doesn't add up."
"Some psychological disorders actually cause one to think they need to allow their ira to compile until it becomes intolerable." Taralyn shrugs.
"Remind me why we needed TWO Kowalskis?" Skipper raises an eyebrow.
"Cause she pretty." Rico smiles, and hiccups again.
"Aw, thank-you Rico. Sorry, Skipper. I was just answering the question on the table." Taralyn shrugs again.
A soft beeping sound begins, drawing the attention of everyone.
Rico waddled over and picked the pager up off the floor by the TV. "Iz for you."
The blinking words read 'Blue 18-32'
There it is: The first chapter of the last in the Grace arc. I really can't wait for this!