In shorts and a long hoodie, Jayla Rin and Orrin, her ghost, were headed to the gym.
Jayla had found it very helpful on days when she was feeling her lowest, and Orrin agreed that weights were probably healthier than drinking.
She peeked into the window and saw a familiar floral kimono stuffed into the personal lockers.
L.J. She rolled her eyes. Can't I even work out in peace?!
It had been almost 4 months since Reno-13 died and L.J had been a part of their fireteam for the last 6 weeks. Jayla had still never carried on a conversation with him, but it wasn't for his lack of trying.
Orrin peeked around the doorframe to the cardio room.
"Coast is clear." He told her, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
She ran and stretched for 30 minutes and then headed for the weight room. By then, her adrenaline was coursing thru her body and she didn't care if L.J was in there or not.
He was, on the floor behind the bench, doing push-ups, with his ghost, Asa, counting reps for him.
Jayla rolled her eyes at Orrin, grabbed her weights and started counting aloud as well.
L.J looked over at her and stood up from behind the bench press. " 'Afternoon." He said casually, stretching his shoulders. He was in shirtless and in comfortable-looking shorts.
Jayla finally looked up at him, intending just to nod in acknowledgement, but something startled her.
An incredibly long, thick scar ran from under L.J's chin, down his chest and wrapped around his back.
He turned around quickly to grab his kimono and Jayla almost choked.
There was more scarring; chunks of missing flesh and discolored skin, down and around his upper body, and traveling down his legs.
L.J realized she was staring. He glared at her, flipped the kimono over his shoulders and pulled it tight around himself.
His tan face was flushed and he finally said "I was...ah...in an accident."
Jayla thought she was going to be sick. She swallowed hard and nodded once, trying not to audibly choke.
"C-Can't your ghost-"
"Maybe you should stop asking questions." Asa snapped angrily.
L.J snatched the ghost out of the air and stuffed him under his kimono.
"Cardio. Right. See ya later." He said flatly, and walked out of the room.
The door slammed and Jayla lay back against the bench press. Her skin felt numb as she tried to make sense of everything she had just experienced.
"Well, that was unexpected." Orrin said.
She took a deep breath and nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "Yep. I've never seen anything like that on a guardian. Not a living one anyway. What kind of accident could cause that, and a ghost couldn't heal it, without the scarring and the...missing stuff?"
Orrin bobbed a bit. "Nothing that i know of."
Jayla shrugged. "Weird."
