Gabe, I Need Help

Chapter 10

I slowly opened my eyes to take in my new environment. I knew that I wasn't on the street anymore but I didn't recognize my current surroundings. I fully opened them and quickly raised myself to a sitting position. The immense pain in my back brought me fully back to reality.

I looked at the clock on the wall and read 3:00pm. I had been out cold for at least a day, depending on what today's date is. I looked around what I now assumed to be an apartment of some sorts. I got up but was brought back down by my back and lack of energy. I hit the couch with a loud thump as my head recoiled back against the wall.

"Ow."

I suddenly heard a sizzling sound that had been sounding the whole time and chose this moment to acknowledge. The sizzling increased and the smell of bacon filled the room. Again, I tried to get up and managed to keep myself on my feet. I stumbled towards the smell, using the wall to keep my balance. I wandered into the kitchen to see a man working by the stove. He turned around and revealed himself to be officer Parkman, the man from the park.

"So, you're awake."

"uhh, yeah, where am I?"

"you're at my apartment. I found you outside the Reaper's hideout. I brought you here to heal up. You've been out for 4 days."

"4 days? What about my grandma?"

"Don't worry about her. That friend of yours, Walker I think his name was, took care of that, she thinks that you're at his place."

"Walker? He survived?"

"He was never there. You really let out there. There were only a few survivors."

I looked down. "Does that mean that you're going to need to arrest me?"

"I can't. as far as anyone knows, they all died in an accident. The sprinkler system went off and one of their electronics electrocuted them all. The few survivors were arrested for being reapers so I had to get you out of there so I brought you here."

"Wow. They're all dead?"

"Most. Their boss survived but we got him. Forget about that for now. You must be hungry, right?"

I hadn't thought about it until now but my stomach was empty. It growled loudly. I looked up with a slight smile on my face.

"A little." I laughed. Officer Parkman laughed with me.

"Well, I'm making lunch right now. Care to join me?"

I looked over his shoulder to see sandwich fixings.

"BLT" he told me. He could tell what I was thinking.

I looked at him surprised.

"I can read minds, remember?"

"Oh, fuck. Yeah, I forgot."

"Well, lunch is almost ready. Why don't you go and sit at the table and I'll be right there."

"uhhh, yeah, thanks."

I sat down at the table and looked around the nice sized kitchen. Officer Parkman brought over two plates with a sandwich on each. He put mine down in front of me. I let my hunger get the better of me as I grabbed the sandwich and quickly bit into it. I quickly finished the BLT and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Thank you so much."

I looked across the table and saw that officer parkman hadn't even gotten half way through his lunch.

"Sorry" I said with a sense of guilt.

"Don't worry about it. You haven't eaten for 4 days. You must have been hungry."

"Yeah, I guess I…" I was interrupted by a knock at the door.

We both got up and went to the front door. Officer Parkman opened it to reveal a panic stricken Walker.

"Where's claw!?!? His grandma is asking for him and I don't know what to tell her. Is he awake yet?"

I poke my head out from behind Officer Parkman, a look of annoyance on my face. "Yes, but if I wasn't I would have been waken by your screaming.

"Oh snap, claw, you're up. How's your back?"

"It still hurts but it's not as bad as it was when it was first slashed. Have I really been out for 4 days though?"

"Yeah. I've been covering for you though. Come on though, your grandma is getting frantic."

"uhhh, sure. Thanks for everything officer parkman. I really appreciate all that you've done for me."

"No problem. I'm still a bit wary about your condition but we don't want to worry your grandma."

"Don't worry, my back is fine."

"I wasn't talking about your back. I meant your powers. You need to learn to control them. In the 4 days that you've been out, you've been absorbing static electricity from the air, you need to go somewhere and let it out. It's not safe to keep it stored up. Remember that."

"I will. Thanks a lot Officer."

"Not a problem. Go, go."

Walker led me out of the building and down the blocks until I recognized the area and could lead us back to my place. I headed upstairs to my grandma's room and found her their. I told her a fake story of how I had been sleeping over at Walker's house and apologized many times for not calling. I then went to the bathroom, closed the door, and removed my shirt. Either Officer Parkman or Walker had wrapped my torso in bandages but I wasn't going to question which one.

I removed the bandages and looked at my back through the mirror. The tattoo that branded me as one of the last Reapers remained on my back, but across it was a giant X starting from my shoulders going across to my thighs. I knew that it would leave a scar, signaling me as a rouge reaper forever.

I put back on my shirt. I walked over to my computer and started it up again. I checked my buddy list and saw that Sylar was on. I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk, I was about to shut down my computer when a message box opened. It was from Sylar.

It read simply; 'What's up?'

AN: I know, anticlimactic, but oh well. I'm leaving it for the next chapter. But I'm happy that I'm finally at chapter 10. I've gotten plenty of reviews, lots of hits, and many people putting it on alert and favorite. I want to thank a lot of people, but right now I just want to thank my good friend, and basic neighbor, i-am-nobody-who-are-you. She has now become my new beta-reader. I will thank others as the time comes but she's the only one I need to thank for now. Keep reading and sending characters and reviews.