Chapter 21
"Reno, what's up?"
Reno stared at Carrie, not quite sure what to say. He hated getting in these thoughtful states, because people always assumed there was something wrong with him.
"Nothing…" he said, biting his fingernail. "Just thinking."
He wasn't lying. He had been thinking all morning about one thing. Elena. Why had she not been bothered about Gun? She had smiled and thanked him, but she didn't look sad at all. Something had happened between the two of them, and Reno wanted to know what it was. What could happen between two sisters that would make them hate each other so? Maybe he didn't really want to know.
"We s'posed to be doin' anythin'?" Reno asked, attempting to return to his frame of mind.
"No, I don't think so…" Carrie said, sitting on the edge of Reno's desk. "We were supposed to be doing a follow-up for the drugs manufacturer's mission, but because of what happened…"
"Right…"
Reno had been sitting in his newly appointed office for several hours, the memories of his conversation with Elena the night before running through his head over and over. He knew he was probably supposed to go and ask for some work to do, but he really didn't feel like it. After all, if they were that desperate for him to work, they should have come and found him. He had thought Carrie had come to give him some work, but it turned out she was almost as clueless as he was.
He didn't like to admit it, even to himself, but Reno was a little insecure. He was still getting over Gun's death, and it had only just occurred to him that Gun was a highly trained professional, much better than Reno was. Did this mean that Reno could come down much easier than Gun? How long before he was shot down dead?
"What are you thinking about?" Carrie asked. She was obviously starting to know Reno enough to tell that there was something to worry about when he was quiet.
"Nothin'…" Reno shook his head. "I was just hopin' we'd get somethin' to do."
"Bored?" Carrie asked. "Yeah, it get's like this."
"Hmm."
"You've earned a break though." She carried on, pushing her long hair behind her ear. "You're doing so well. I'm proud of you."
"Really?"
"Yeah… you've come so far. To be honest, when they brought you into the infirmary…"
… She watched as they lay the boy down on the bed. Boy… well man really. His red hair didn't hide the amount of blood matted in the matted mess. Carrie had thought she had it bad, being stuck in the infirmary for days with a fractured ankle, when this poor man was obviously on the verge of death.
As they left him alone, Carrie stood up carefully and limped her way over to the unfortunate man. His red hair was still matted, falling delicately over his pure white face. He looked fragile, like if he stood in the lightest wind he would be blown away. As Carrie registered the tubes coming from his throat, nose and hands, she became less and less sure of whether this man was going to make it through the night…
"You were that worried about me and you didn't even know me?" Reno said, smirking. "Must be the charm."
"Trust me…" Carrie said, raising an eyebrow, "You were anything but charming on that night."
"Well, there's nothin' stopping that happenin' again…" Reno muttered.
"You're worried? Is it because of Gun?"
"Nah, I'm fine…" Reno said.
"Hmph, well whatever you say." Carrie said, rolling her eyes. "But listen… with the progress you've been making, you'll be twice the Turk Gun ever was."