EA Big owns it all, not me, so stop looking at me like that

Chapter 12: Trying to go back to the way things were
Psymon opened his eyes to a familiar room at a nearby hospital. His eyes focused and he realized he was laying in the same room he was in when he woke up after the accident that brought him back as Morgan. He sat up and felt a sting in his arm. He saw the long gauss pads that wrapped his forearm and bicep and he gently slid them off. He ran his finger along the stitches that led from his elbow to his bicep, where they removed the bullet.
"That's going to be one hell of a scar." he thought to himself. He sat up and quickly removed the hospital gown from his body and put his jeans on. He saw Zoe sitting in an armchair by the window, sound asleep. He laughed lightly to himself and walked over to her. He leaned forward and put his healthy arm around her and placed his nose into her hair. "Wakey wakey." he said gently. She grumbled and woke up. As soon as her eyes focused on him she pulled him in and hugged him tightly.
"Scare me like that again and I'll kick your ass." Psymon chuckled as Zoe let out a relieved sigh.

Several hours later, after the doctors allowed it, they left the hospital and returned to their lodge at the base of peak one. Psymon slowly got out of the passenger side of the car and fidgeted with the sling they put his arm in.
"Honestly, I don't need this." he said to his little sister, who was just happy that her brother was alright. They only traveled a few steps when the other lodges opened up and the residents came to welcome Psymon home. Griff ran through the SSX superstars and stopped at Psymon.
"I did it! I told you I wouldn't let you down!" Psymon knelt down on one knee and held out his arm for a high five. Atomika approached Psymon, looking down at the ground.
"Psymon, I heard everything that happened." Psymon prepared himself to get reamed out. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened to you and the others. I should have made the effort to contact you sooner before the storm."
"Atomika, man you didn't know. You have nothing to apologize for." Atomika sighed and nodded.
"The others tell me that you were a real hero up there." Psymon smirked and shook his head.
"We all did what we had to do, that's all. I'm no more heroic than anyone else here. If anyone was a hero it was J.P., Nate and Brodi. They got the power back on, they kept cool heads when no one else could... J.P. sacrificed himself to try and save us... they're really the ones who stepped up. Griff's a hero, he faced the mountain when no one else would. Zoe is a hero, Atomika, she was the cool head when one was needed, not to mention her and Kaori kept me from bleeding to death. I'm no hero, Atomika." Atomika's eye motioned towards Kaori, who stood a few feet away.
"There are some who would argue that. Go inside, get some rest." Atomika faced the other boarders. "That goes for all of you, I want everyone inside and staying there by nine this evening, you all need your rest."

It was a quiet day, also very cloudy. The sky was grey with heavy rain clouds that began to cry on Big mountain late that afternoon. The boarders had just returned to the mountain after the funerals for Luther, Seeiah and J.P. They were not notified of when Hiro's family would have a funeral for him, but most of them were fine with that. Psymon held the umbrella up to keep Zoe from getting wet. He opened the door to the pub for her and motioned her in. He noticed Moby slowly walking towards the pub also. He told Zoe he would be right with her. Psymon removed the black tie that accompanied his solid black suit as he walked towards Moby. The rain grew heavier and soon both men stood soaking wet in their suits. Both men stood head to toe in black, the grey skies and wet, grey snow made the scene one that was absent of colour.
"Moby... look." Psymon began, Moby stared through dark black sunglasses. "About that night, when we were out in the blizzard... water under the bridge man. I just... I just wanted to say thank you for helping me with Hiro." Moby still stared at Psymon with a stone face.
"Water under the bridge nothing." Moby scowled back. "This ain't over between us, and won't be for a very, very long time. I'm not giving up until I either put you on a stretcher and out of SSX for good, or you do the same to me." Psymon looked confused.
"But, the other morning with Hiro-" Moby stepped into Psymon's face.
"Don't read too much into it, mate... that second bullet wasn't meant for 'iro." Psymon removed the sling and dropped it to the wet ground, letting his arm fall to his side, ready for a fight.
"Psymon?" They both turned to see Zoe standing in the door of the pub. Psymon looked back at Moby and put his nose millimeters from Moby's.
"Another day, Moby. We'll finish this on the mountain, but another day." Psymon said, then walked towards the pub. Moby nodded and walked the opposite direction.

Psymon removed his wet suit jacket and hung it on a peg in the wall. He untucked his shirt as he walked towards his table. He sat at a round table with Zoe, Allegra and Brodi. There was silence hanging over the table, maybe out of respect for the passing of their friends, maybe it was still shock settling in that they were gone, they never discussed it again afterwards. They all sat quietly and stared into their drinks for several minutes. Brodi looked up at them and sighed. He raised his glass to the other boarders. They paused, then lifted their glasses also.
"To Luther, Seeiah and J.P., may they be at peace, wherever their spirits are resting." They gently connected glasses and drank a toast to their departed friends. The pub was quiet that day. The bar staff decided not to play music deafeningly loud like they usually did, and allowed the boarders to pay their respects. Psymon saw Kaori come into the bar. She wore a beautiful black Japanese dress and wore her hair modestly, something she wasn't known for doing. It wasn't styled obscurely or dyed a bright colour, it just hung at her shoulders as its natural dark brown. Mac was not far behind, pleading with her to talk to him. Allegra nodded to the group at her table and got up and left the pub. Kaori finally turned around and told Mac to get away from her and that she was through with him. Mac shook his head angrily and mouthed something at her as he walked away. Psymon looked back at Zoe, who smiled and shook her head.
"Psymon, it's okay." Psymon blushed slightly and looked back up at Kaori with his eyes. Zoe lightly punched her brother in the arm and stood up, Psymon's eyes grew momentarily as the quick sting shot up his arm from the stitches. He shot her a mischievous smile and playfully shook his fist at her.
"I'll be back at the lodge, I'll see you there." Brodi got up to.
"I'll walk you, if that's okay." Brodi looked at Psymon. He looked a little shocked, but then smiled and motioned for them to go. He watched his sister leave with Brodi and stared back down at the table. He looked up with his eyes and saw Elise walking towards his table, a slight stagger in her walk. She sat down across from him and giggled. She had clearly had too much to drink, again.
"Psymon, look, here's the deal." She began, giggling slightly as she spoke. "I really, really like you. I've made it clear to you that you can have me whenever you want, so what do you say? We can go back to my private lodge, where no one else can see or hear us, we can slip into something a little more comfortable and, well, we can think of something." Psymon sighed and looked at Elise.
"Elise, you're drunk." The blonde giggled again like a child.
"So? Now is prime time then!" Psymon tried to think of something to say without sounding too demeaning. Suddenly Kaori showed up at the table and seemed very nervous.
"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything here, but I need to do this before I get too scared, or someone else does this before I can." She looked quickly at Elise, then faced Psymon and placed her hands on his left hand.
"Psymon, would you like to go see a movie sometime? Like maybe tomorrow, or something?" Psymon smirked and looked at Kaori's eyes, he couldn't believe he never realized how beautiful they were before.
"Kaori, I would love to go out to a movie with you tomorrow night." Kaori's eyes lit up as Psymon stood and extended his arm to her, leaving Elise dumbstruck. Elise shook her head and mouthed some insults at Kaori's back as they walked away. Allegra came back to the table and sat down with Elise.
"Men." Allegra started, Elise nodded.
"Tell me about it." There were a few minutes of silence, then Allegra spoke up.
"Look, maybe once you sober up a bit, maybe we can go shopping or something?.. I could always use some fashion advice, I guess." Elise raised her eyebrows at Allegra.
"Are you for real?" Elise didn't seem amused. Allegra paused, then nodded.
"Yeah, I've always been a bit of a tomboy when it comes to clothes, maybe it's time I try something new, who knows I may even enjoy it." Elise smiled and nodded.
"Okay. I know a store that would have the CUTEST outfits for you. Plus we have to do something with that hair of yours, and the boxer shorts with the skirt thing? Please, very unattractive, we'll fix that for you and then we..."

Psymon held out his jacket over Kaori like an umbrella as he walked her to her lodge. She pushed herself tight against him under his arm and took the liberty to put her arm around his waist.
"Well, here we are." Psymon said, trying not to keep things awkward. "So, did you really mean what you said in there, or was that just you saving me from Elise?" Kaori looked nervous and smiled with an embarrassed look.
"Look, I know I just broke up with Mac. And the whole nightmare at the chalet up the mountain and-" Psymon placed his finger on her lips.
"Life will go on. It will be hard to adjust to life without some of our friends here, and how some relationships have been changed, but life will go on. Now that I've given the little pep talk, yes, or no?" Psymon went from serious to friendly immediately. Kaori smiled sheepishly again and nodded. "Alright then, I'll pick you up tomorrow night at seven." Kaori couldn't stop smiling as she nodded.
"Look, if it's all the same to you... I really liked snuggling with you when I slept on the couch that night... Would it be okay if we maybe just hang out here, rent a movie and maybe cuddle up for the night?" Psymon smirked and led a stray lock of hair out of her face.
"On one condition." he said calmly as he rested the lock of hair behind her ear. Kaori looked a little concerned, she remembered what "one condition" meant with Mac. Psymon slowly glided his fingertips along her jawline as he pulled his hand back from her ear. "We can stay in all night, but you have to sing for me at least once." Kaori's eyes were electric and she nodded quickly with an excited smile. Psymon fought all common sense and leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Then I'll see you tomorrow night."

It was strange to Psymon. Only forty-eight hours ago Kaori didn't trust him at all, now she trusted him with her life. Only forty-eight hours ago, three of his fellow boarders were alive, and now he would never see them again. Only forty-eight hours ago he wouldn't allow himself to even think of dating a girl out of fear of abandoning his sister. And, only forty-eight hours ago he was still struggling with the skeleton in his closet, Psymon Stark. He reflected about the events that happened just two days ago and realized how lucky he was. He had friends that cared for him, he had a little sister that loved him dearly, and now for the first time in years he had a woman in his life on a romantic level. As Simon Morgan stood in the rain that night and stared up at the cloudy summit of peak three, he realized something else. He realized that no matter how invincible he thought he and his friends were, that life could end in a second. He realized that he only had so much time on this world, and now knew he had to live every day to the fullest. He knew he had to leave his mark. He thought back to his conversation with Brodi that night while they stood watch, and nodded quietly. He knew life was too short not to make an impact, he was being given another chance to do something with his life and he swore to himself and his departed friends that he would. He stared up at the clouds, knowing that the chalet was somewhere up there. He gave a respectful friendly salute to the peak, remembering his departed friends. Life would go on for the SSX boarders, maybe it would take longer for some than others, maybe some of them would rather never go back to peak three, but life would move on. The boarders all learned something from those hellish two days atop peak three. They learned to cherish the good times, remember the friends they made along the way, and to live life to the fullest.
There it is. Kind of a weird ending, I know. I guess I'm in "motivational speaker" mode today or something I don't know. I hope you all liked it and I apologize if I bumped off anyone's favorite characters. Thanks for reading.