When I woke again (with a splitting headache), it was much darker outside. I'd had that dream again. The dream where I'd been riding the motorbike with Nick for the first time through the woods. Slowly, I managed to get myself into a sitting position on the cot.Looking around me, I guessed the two Killjoys had moved me from my original space into some sort of garage. Then again, it was more like some kind of make-shift radio station slash hospital. A desk cluttered with junk, such as stacks of CD cases, loose bits of paper here and there and the odd pen or pencil, stood against the right wall. Small posters with bands such as Misfits, Black Flag, Iron Maiden and Anthrax dotted the walls, along with what seemed like lyrics painted on. On the left side was another bed, although not looking quite as comfortable, and covered with a thin white sheet stood. Around one side of it, were boxes full of medical equipment, some I didn't recognise. But then again, I rarely ever needed to go to hospital.

By the corner on a black stand and hooked up to an amplifier was a red bass guitar and two electric guitars, one pristine white and the other in jet black. Looking up, I rolled my eyes to see more posters but hanging from the ceiling. They were mainly posters of The Smashing Pumpkins (whoever they were!). On the bedside cabinet to my left, a small book caught my eye. Picking it up, I saw it was a scrapbook of many people I didn't recognise, however I did notice the familiar faces of Kobra Kid and Jet Star, big smiles on their faces with their arms around people's shoulders.

"What are you doing?" a sudden voice cut through the silence. I jumped, my head snapping upwards while my hand immediately went to the holster, which was usually by my side, and worryingly missing.

"Where's my ray gun?" I asked suspiciously, trying to avoid the subject, yet I closed the book all the same. Kobra Kid cocked his head before pulling a dark blue ray gun from the holster on his right hip. He chucked it at me and I managed to catch it, dropping the book on my lap, which he scooped up.

"Damn you Poison," he muttered quietly before inquiring about my shoulder. He sat on the edge of the bed, and I noticed he held a small bowl with a fork sticking out of it in his hands.

"Numb." I frowned. I'd been shot before and it'd never gone numb before. Maybe being shot in the shoulder was different to being shot in the foot. "How long was I asleep for?"

"About four hours or so. We moved you here so Dr. D could keep an eye on you." He looked around. "Although the old man seems to be missing right now," he added, a little louder, as if expecting someone to jump out from the shadows. When no one came, he gave me the bowl.

"What's this?" I asked as I took the bowl, picking up the fork and gingerly prodding the substance.

"Rice."

I took a forkful and after catching Kobra's eye, resisted the urge to spit it back out. I did after the third chew though. It tasted watery and it left a weird aftertaste in my mouth. I rested the bowl on my lap.

"Eat. You'll need your strength to survive," he said, cracking his knuckles. I took another five mouthfuls of rice before refusing to eat anymore, although Kobra made me promise I'd eat something later.

"How did you find me?"

A shrug. "Pure luck I suppose. Party and I were driving back from Zone 5 when we spotted you and those gang of Draculoids." He paused. "You were alone. Where's your family?"

"Don't have any," I answered quietly, not meeting his eyes. "Why did you go to Zone 5?"

"It doesn't matter now." He stood up and asked about my shoulder.

"Better but still slightly numb. What did you do?"

"Gave you another injection, but its okay!" he added quickly, hands out with his palms facing me as my temper rose. "It was for the pain, I swear!"

I grunted, still not sure of what to make of him. I wanted to trust him badly but I'd learnt the hard way how trusting someone easily was a dangerous thing. Kobra asked me something but I didn't hear him.

"I asked if I could have a look at your shoulder. I'd like to see if it's healing alright."

I sighed. "Fine, but don't you dare inject me again!"

Promising he wouldn't, he pushed me slightly forwards and lifted the back of my shirt. He exhaled loudly through his nose. "It's… alright, I suppose. The process is going slower than we'd hoped but it shouldn't be too long now until its fully healed."

"How long will that be?" I asked as he dropped my shirt back down. He shrugged.

"I'll ask Dr Death later."

"Dr Death, the radio DJ?"

"The very same."

"Holy shit, I've heard of him!" I exclaimed. Now I understood why this room looked part hospital and part radio station! Everyone had heard rumours that before BLI took over, Dr Death was a very skilful surgeon and when he refused to join BLI, they ran him out of Battery City, forcing him to endure countless days under the sun whilst suffering from a fever. It was only by some miracle he managed to survive. "Isn't he, like, one of the most wanted people in the Zones?"

"Alongside us, yeah," Kobra chuckled. "I bet he'll finally accept that people do actually listen to him, bar from us guys."

I gaped. "Dude, every Killjoy out there knows of Dr D!"

"Dr D, huh? That what you guys call him?"

I nodded.

"I'm sure you'll meet him at some point. Just make sure you don't faint," he winked before pushing me back gently. "Go back to sleep. You look like you could use it."

I took his advice and was out like a light.

-x-

"… Come, doused in mud, soaked in bleach, as I want you to be. As a trend, as a friend, as an old memoria, memoria, memoria, memoria…"

A rough and rather raspy voice roused me from my sleep. By the time the unfamiliar song finished, I was sitting up by myself and tempted to swing my legs out from the thin blanket. I was glad my clothes had been left on, except for my boots, which I'd have to get back as soon as possible. That and my ray gun of course. As I tried to stand, my head instantly began to swim and I would've collapsed if a pair of arms hadn't grabbed me around my waist.

"Whoa, steady there kiddo," a male voice – Jet Star's, I recognised – said softly.

"Uhh…" I groaned, my head pounding like someone was thwacking a drumstick against it over and over. My vision swam again as Jet Star picked me up bridal style and carried me away, mumbling something about playing music. "Wh… where we goin'?" I managed to force the words out of my mouth, which was slightly difficult as my tongue suddenly felt like lead.

"It'll be okay," was the only thing Jet said as he tried to soothe me back to sleep but my head just kept pounding harder and harder. Jet's footsteps slammed against the floor, making me wince. Couldn't he walk a little quieter? Suddenly, there was another pair of footsteps bashing the ground and a shout. My arms were suddenly too heavy for me to move in order to cover my ears against the noise. What was going on?

"Wha… pened?" a voice yelled. Someone groaned in pain and all of a suddenly, I could feel Jet's arms leaving me as something soft replaced his limbs.

There was a jumble of voices, always yelling whilst stomping around. I wanted to turn away but my body refused to move. I tried to call out for someone, anyone, but it was as if my body had gone into a coma, refusing to obey me. A cold hand wrapped itself around my own.

"… me… Kid, remem…" the voice said, the words broken up. "… hold… get through… okay?" I could only breathe in response but even that was becoming more difficult to do. There was tingling sensation in my arm, which grew until my arm felt completely numb. By now, my eyes were closed, the effort of trying to keep them open completely draining my energy. "… get through… okay?" Those torn apart words again. What was he trying to say?

Something wet feel onto my cheek before I fell into the abyss