Chapter 8 One Short

Sez and Leon sat outside the operation room. Sez had his head in his hands. He had fallen asleep. Leon was leaning back staring at the ceiling. The light above the door was still on.
It had been on for seven hours. The same amount of time that Cy had been in there.
The docs had told them earlier that he didn't look good. Leon looked over at the door to the operating room. The light went out. He nudged Sez who awoke from his sleep quickly. The door opened and a surgeon with blood down his front walked out. He was of the raccoon species. "Well he's alive." Sez jumped up cheering. "But he's gonna be out of commission for a while. Leon cocked his head at the doc. "He will be out for at least a month. He will have to have bed rest for a long time. So it looks like your squad has been reduced. Oh Corporal Shardeth I do need to look at your leg." Sez looked down at the blood soaked rag attached to his leg. "Nah doc I think im fine. I just want to see my friend." The doc shrugged and led the two to the operating room where Cy laid on the metal table with bandages wrapped around his stomach. The sleeping injection was wearing off. Sez and Leon stepped up to the table where Cy looked over his eyelids half closed. "Hey guys. How did the mission go?" Sez looked down at him. "We completed it." Leon stared at him. "Cy…thanks. If you hadn't taken that shot for me I would be dead. It would have connected with my head." "No problem Leon. I would do that anytime. Well guys im actually tired believe it or not so I think I might just…drift off." His eyes closed slowly and he drifted off to sleep. "Come on Leon I think we better get"
Sez turned and left the room but Leon stood there looking down at Cy. Leon smiled then turned around and followed Sez out. Sez had ducked into a dark hallway to sit and think for a while. When he leaned against the wall he realized that he still had his equipment. He pulled his AIR-7 around to his front and examined it. He fell asleep looking at it.

Alarm claxons blared. Leon rushed down the hallway completely reequipped. The top of his visor flashed WARNING: INTRUDER DETECTED IN MEDICAL BAY in red. Across the left of his visor he had only one squad mate. Shadow Leader. His status was unknown. Leon turned down a hallway to his left. The sign that sad medical bay flashed red. He ran through the opening door and sliding past fleeing doctors. He grabbed one by the sleeve and shouted at him. "WHERE THE HELL IS THE INTRUDER?" The doctor looked up at him. "Last I saw it, it was in the medical bays." Leon became worried. "Its some kind of shadow I don't know we cant hurt it! Just run there's nothing you can do." Leon dropped him. "I'll be damned if im going to let Cyrellus die." Leon continued to run through the hallways searching for the intruder. He passed a dark hallway where something caught his eye. He skidded to a halt and pointed his gun down the hall. A black shadowy figure holding up a soldier. A Vulpine soldier. His visor flashed an alert at him. Shadow Leader status critical. The shadow threw the soldier at Leon who quickly dodged the flying man firing off a shot at the creature. It dodged the shots and finally turned to face Leon. Its eyes glowed white as did its mouth full of shining white sharp teeth. It smiled at him. Leon thought he recognized that smile. The creature dashed up to him slicing at him with its sharp claws. A few hits landed but were deflected by Leon's armor. The shadow grabbed his throat and lifted him up. "Hehe big mistake buddy" Leon shoved his gun into the creatures eye socket and fired on full auto mode until his ammo counter flashed 0 in red at him. The creature dropped him holding its face screaming. Leon's thought the voice was familiar too. The creature dripping white blood from its eye dashed slicing at the fallen soldier. He held up his rifle in an attempt to defend the soldier, but the shadows claws went right through it connecting with Leon. The thing laughed at him then dashed off into the shadows disappearing. Leon's heart rate flashed red at him as a warning scrolled across the top of his screen. WARNING: LETHAL INJURY SUSTAINED. Leon fell back and slid down the wall. His hand came away from his throat covered in blood. He looked over at the unconscious soldier next to him who was also bleeding from several lacerations across his body. Leon recognized his face as Sezidan's before he closed his eyes into an eternal sleep. His heart rate monitor flat-lined and turned black.