A/N - Of course the hero's going to think he could have done more.
Bim leans against the wall, his arms folded and head bowed in frustration as Tobi presses the ice pack more firmly against his shoulder. There's going to be several colorful bruises when he wakes up tomorrow and the scratch on the hero's cheek is going to need salve for a couple days.
"Stop that." Bim says firmly.
Tobi glances over to him. "Stop what?"
"I can hear you blaming yourself from over here." It's the one thing that infuriates Bim about his friend. Tobi's sometimes acrobatic ability to blame the most inconsequential shit on himself. It probably stems from the same instinct that makes the idiot run towards danger instead of away from it.
"I'm not." Tobi's voice is quiet and Bim frowns harder. That is such a lie and if the damn hero wasn't already black and blue, he'd try and beat some sense into him.
"There is nothing any of us could do, Tobi."
Tobi's eyes drift towards the next bed where Jim is currently dozing. Apparently they had to sedate him to get him to calm down and the poor guy just konked out. It's uncomfortable how silent he is. "Jim doesn't think so."
"He's just terrified. This isnt your fault."
It would be funny if it wasn't frustrating to practically see the words going in one ear and out the other when Tobi refuses to meet his eyes. It's the telltale sign with him. When the hero's thoughts are working against him, he'll think the world can see the truth in his eyes.
"I notice you didn't bring your date." Tobi says, a transparent attempt to change the subject. To prevent them spending the whole night talking in circles, Bim just sighs and looks away.
"I hardly think that's important right now."
"Please?" So simple a question, so slight and meek. And yet, despite his current anger at the moron, Bim can't help the slight smile that plays on his lips as he thinks on his date the other night. He thinks for a few moments before he speaks.
"I figured this was more of a family thing." Sure Marvin and Natemare had been there but other than that, it was just the family, bringing in outsiders just didn't seem appropriate. He looks to the hero and raises an eyebrow. "You didn't invite Roxy?"
Tobias mumbles something mostly incoherent about her being out of town or a scheduling conflict and Bim barely catches it before Tobi's pushing himself to his feet despite the show host's protest.
"My fault or not," he explains, "I'd really rather not be in here when he wakes up." The hero nods towards the slumbering reporter behind him.
They'd given Jim enough sedative to down a man twice his size and it should last at least another twenty minutes by right. But the sedative was devised by people, poor ignorant people, who have never encountered the concept of the Jim Twins, let alone who are prepared for the sheer force of nature that is a Jim who's lost his twin. So maybe leaving sooner rather than later is a good thing.
Bim steps forward, wrapping an arm around Tobi's chest as the hero throws his arm over his friend's shoulders. The two of them slowly shuffle out, neither of them noticing that they hadn't been alone in the room.
From the very shadows steps a stranger. Well-dressed, short dark hair, wielding a staff-cane with a globe on the handle. He watches after the two of them for a moment. He didn't hear everything, but he heard enough to be concerned as his eyes travel to the figure still laid on the bed.
"Well this isn't good."