Wow, I can't believe I haven't written anything for so long. Well, I finished my master's degree and moved across the country. I am working 3 jobs (soon to be 4) to pay bills (student loans), but 2 of them are university adjunct professor positions so that's exciting! Classes start Monday! :D
Anyway, here's another chapter. Hopefully there will be more soon, but who knows? Look what happened last time. I joined PIR and saw that Tro rec'ed this. It made me feel guilty enough to write a chapter. lol. Thanks, Tro!
Chapter Five
"Jane."
He looked up, wavering slightly. He wasn't dead. Was he?
His lips moved, the voice escaping sound rough even to his own ears. "Cho?"
He blinked, half expecting the solid man in front of him to disappear into the air. Instead, his companion remained a physical presence, staring back at him with an unmoving gaze.
Cho looked almost as if he hadn't expected Jane to respond. Jane moved a little, looking at the agent in curiosity. "Are you dead?"
"No."
No surprise at the query. No questions. No drama. Just no.
Jane relaxed, which surprised him. He hadn't realized he was tense. Yes, this was Cho. Straightforward as ever. A dark suited figure against the bright white of the walls.
For the first time in a long time, Jane looked down at his clothing. Rumpled white met his gaze, reminiscent of hospital scrubs. It was as if a switch had been flipped. He was suddenly absorbing details, paying attention to his surroundings in a way that he hadn't for days…weeks…months? Jane shrugged lightheartedly, uncaring. "So sorry, my friend. I'm not quite dressed to entertain."
Cho didn't move, arms still crossed over his. "You done here?"
Jane looked around at the white walls. The minimalist decor. A memory stirred. Years ago. This wasn't the first time he had been in a place like this. Why now? His mind skittered close to the image of a still woman on the pavement and he flinched.
His flippancy faded, his body seeming to deflate with it. He looked around more carefully, half expecting to see her there. But it was just Cho standing in front of him. He knew he shouldn't feel disappointed. Sane people didn't conjure visions of dead people. He should be relieved that he was no longer hallucinating. He should be happy to leave this place- this institution.
His eyes ached and for some reason his throat felt thick.
He hadn't seen her for at least a few days.
She was gone. Leeched out of his life like blood from a wound until his only views of her came like movie stills against the back of his eyelids.
She was gone.
Giving a sad lift of the corner of his lips, he answered Cho.
"Yes. I guess I am."