Zed was sitting at his desk looking at his computer. On the
screen were still and moving images of days gone past. Photos and
video of the MIB family in various events as well as routine life
came and went. Then an image came up that Zed froze.
It was Kay the way he was before, with that already famous
grin; full of life and innocence. Involuntarily, Zed's mind went
back.
Zed had noticed there was a crowd forming in immigration. He
went his way through them til he saw Dee standing nearby.
"What's going on?" he had asked Kay's pardner.
"It's Kay. The Stanbaerins finally got him stabilized. He's
been brought home."
Zed watched with the crowd as a dark capsule, large enough to
hold a human body was carefully moved by in the direction of the
Medical lab.
"It - looks like a coffin," said Zed in a stricken tone. "It's
even being moved like a coffin."
Dee gave Zed a distainful look. "Appropriate, wouldn't you
say? I'm pretty sure some part of him IS dead..." He tapped Zed on
the chin with his fist. "...Zed."
It had been done in much the same way Zed liked to tap Kay's
chin, but there was force behind it. Zed barely noticed. What had
he done?!
That evening after MIB had shut down for what it had for a
night, Zed sneaked into the medical lab. He just had to see Kay. The
capsule containing Kay had been replaced by another that was
connected to various medical devices. Tubing came in and out of it
and there were the sounds of a respirator as well as a heart monitor.
The capsule itself was also covered by a sheet. Zed's hands
hesitated over it, dreading the prospect of looking underneath.
Gripping the sheet with both fists, Zed gathered his courage and
pulled it off.
Kay was completely submerged in a healing fluid. The ravages to
his body could be easily seen.
"No.... Aw, nooo..."
He rested his palms on the capsule and fought back tears.
"I'm sorry Kay...so very sorry. Should've listened to you...."
A hand gently came down on Zed's shoulder and he turned to see
the new visitor.
"Alpha..."
"It's all right Zed, it's only me. Let it out."
Zed slowly put his head and arms down on Kay's capsule.
"Let it out."
The tears were flowing now.
"I know." said Alpha, placing both his hands on Zed's back.
Zed sobbed.
"I know."
Time passed, and eventually Kay was removed from the fluid and
covered with an all-encasing suit much the same that burn victims
used. Zed watched from the doorway of Kay's room turned sickbed and
listened as Alpha read aloud from a book at Kay's bedside. Beside
Zed was Dee.
"They were finally able to get through to him enough to use a
neuralizer," Dee was whispering.
"What was he told?" whispered Zed back.
"That he fell into a vat of acid during a bust gone wrong. It
remains to be seen whether the procedure will hold."
Kay's features were completely hidden, he neither moved nor
spoke while Alpha read to him from "A Christmas Carol".
Time passed.
Kay was out of his body cast, and bandages he had received after
additional surgery had replaced the burn suit. He had been wheeled
out of his room for a game of chess with Alpha. Again Zed and Dee
were observing them.
"Alpha's been good for him," said Dee, as they watched the game
from above through an observatory window. "And it looks like he'll
have normal skin, thanks to Stanbaerian medicine; But I don't think
he'll ever be the same, you can see it in his eyes. Something's
definitely missing."
Time continued to pass. Kay had made good use of his recovery
period to learn various secret mind technics, courtesy of an
apologetic Stanbaerian government, as well as familiarize himself
with every bit of available MIB knowledge in addition to his
rehabilitation. When it was determined that he would soon be fit for
duty, he moved about freely, spending much of his time excerising.
Zed had cautiously approached Kay during his first day back in
the gym. Silently he watched as Kay pumped iron and observed the
changes in his friend's appearance. The mouth that once always
looked like it was about to smile now rarely expressed anything and
the light of innocence had gone from his eyes. His spirit as well as
his body had been wounded. As for his body, the muscles had
continued to grow with barely a pause during his bedrest. His hair
was growing back in thick as ever but he was keeping it shorter now,
having just gotten it cut for the first time since it grew back.
Zed walked over and reached out to ruffle Kay's hair. To Zed's
dismay Kay ducked his head out of reach and got up from the bench
press to walk over to some other equipment, choosing a punching bag.
"Say," said Zed awkwardly, "You up to a little sparring?"
"Later," said Kay simply, as he punched the bag. "Maybe."
* * * * *
In the present Zed had now switched to an image of Alpha, the
way he was then, before he had been changed by an alien device that
had altered his mind.
Zed sighed. How had so much gone so wrong because of a mother's
love for her only child?
screen were still and moving images of days gone past. Photos and
video of the MIB family in various events as well as routine life
came and went. Then an image came up that Zed froze.
It was Kay the way he was before, with that already famous
grin; full of life and innocence. Involuntarily, Zed's mind went
back.
Zed had noticed there was a crowd forming in immigration. He
went his way through them til he saw Dee standing nearby.
"What's going on?" he had asked Kay's pardner.
"It's Kay. The Stanbaerins finally got him stabilized. He's
been brought home."
Zed watched with the crowd as a dark capsule, large enough to
hold a human body was carefully moved by in the direction of the
Medical lab.
"It - looks like a coffin," said Zed in a stricken tone. "It's
even being moved like a coffin."
Dee gave Zed a distainful look. "Appropriate, wouldn't you
say? I'm pretty sure some part of him IS dead..." He tapped Zed on
the chin with his fist. "...Zed."
It had been done in much the same way Zed liked to tap Kay's
chin, but there was force behind it. Zed barely noticed. What had
he done?!
That evening after MIB had shut down for what it had for a
night, Zed sneaked into the medical lab. He just had to see Kay. The
capsule containing Kay had been replaced by another that was
connected to various medical devices. Tubing came in and out of it
and there were the sounds of a respirator as well as a heart monitor.
The capsule itself was also covered by a sheet. Zed's hands
hesitated over it, dreading the prospect of looking underneath.
Gripping the sheet with both fists, Zed gathered his courage and
pulled it off.
Kay was completely submerged in a healing fluid. The ravages to
his body could be easily seen.
"No.... Aw, nooo..."
He rested his palms on the capsule and fought back tears.
"I'm sorry Kay...so very sorry. Should've listened to you...."
A hand gently came down on Zed's shoulder and he turned to see
the new visitor.
"Alpha..."
"It's all right Zed, it's only me. Let it out."
Zed slowly put his head and arms down on Kay's capsule.
"Let it out."
The tears were flowing now.
"I know." said Alpha, placing both his hands on Zed's back.
Zed sobbed.
"I know."
Time passed, and eventually Kay was removed from the fluid and
covered with an all-encasing suit much the same that burn victims
used. Zed watched from the doorway of Kay's room turned sickbed and
listened as Alpha read aloud from a book at Kay's bedside. Beside
Zed was Dee.
"They were finally able to get through to him enough to use a
neuralizer," Dee was whispering.
"What was he told?" whispered Zed back.
"That he fell into a vat of acid during a bust gone wrong. It
remains to be seen whether the procedure will hold."
Kay's features were completely hidden, he neither moved nor
spoke while Alpha read to him from "A Christmas Carol".
Time passed.
Kay was out of his body cast, and bandages he had received after
additional surgery had replaced the burn suit. He had been wheeled
out of his room for a game of chess with Alpha. Again Zed and Dee
were observing them.
"Alpha's been good for him," said Dee, as they watched the game
from above through an observatory window. "And it looks like he'll
have normal skin, thanks to Stanbaerian medicine; But I don't think
he'll ever be the same, you can see it in his eyes. Something's
definitely missing."
Time continued to pass. Kay had made good use of his recovery
period to learn various secret mind technics, courtesy of an
apologetic Stanbaerian government, as well as familiarize himself
with every bit of available MIB knowledge in addition to his
rehabilitation. When it was determined that he would soon be fit for
duty, he moved about freely, spending much of his time excerising.
Zed had cautiously approached Kay during his first day back in
the gym. Silently he watched as Kay pumped iron and observed the
changes in his friend's appearance. The mouth that once always
looked like it was about to smile now rarely expressed anything and
the light of innocence had gone from his eyes. His spirit as well as
his body had been wounded. As for his body, the muscles had
continued to grow with barely a pause during his bedrest. His hair
was growing back in thick as ever but he was keeping it shorter now,
having just gotten it cut for the first time since it grew back.
Zed walked over and reached out to ruffle Kay's hair. To Zed's
dismay Kay ducked his head out of reach and got up from the bench
press to walk over to some other equipment, choosing a punching bag.
"Say," said Zed awkwardly, "You up to a little sparring?"
"Later," said Kay simply, as he punched the bag. "Maybe."
* * * * *
In the present Zed had now switched to an image of Alpha, the
way he was then, before he had been changed by an alien device that
had altered his mind.
Zed sighed. How had so much gone so wrong because of a mother's
love for her only child?