Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 5

Chapter 8: The Trainfell Special, Part 2

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

It was hell at the clinic as I was standing outside of the emergency room where the Medical Corps were tending to Gethig, who was caught in the blast of the suicide bombing earlier. The emergency surgery was more than enough to veer me off my track into putting myself first after what I saw in the wake of what happened here in Trainfell. When I noticed Yasuchika spotting Gething being operated on by the Medical Corps, he never expected to see such danger come here to this city as it was hell that came without warning. It should've been a special time as I wanted to just go back to my hotel pod and sulk, but I couldn't let this incident slide after what happened here earlier.

"That Orc must've gotten caught in the blast," said Yasuchika as he sat down in one of the chairs next to the restrooms. "It sucks that a suicide bomber just had to ruin the moment in the Gathering Festival after my absence for two years or so."

"That Orc was the one who blew the whistle on my location, but if he hadn't done that, then Darbus would've been still alive causing more terror than normal," I said.

"Are you saying that he snitched on you during your exile?"

"He had his reasons in which we noticed the same trouble from Darbus' soulless dolls approaching just to cause havoc in the sanctuary we had in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina. Still, my own absence did more harm than good here on Alecrast in which the problems caused by Darbus' Master Race was more than enough to send Dean after me in order to come home."

"I heard of Darbus coming and going in Shilla's capital of Muyeol, but he was known to have a dozen women with blond hair and blue eyes surrounding him at every turn. They even act like robots into agreeing to his demands or do what he says."

"They did a lot more than that..."

The incidents of what happened in the cities here on Alecrast and beyond began to haunt me as I felt the gnawing guilt that refused to leave me alone. Even with the latest suicide bombing here causing an uproar, it was also something that I couldn't shake off as I was most likely to be put under the watchful eye of those who were on the clock to protect me. By the time I saw Kazuo emerging out of the emergency room, he was ready to deliver the news about Gethig's condition as he had a complex look on his face. I also had a feeling that the news was grim as I wanted to know what was going on so far.

"So, is he going to be okay?" I asked.

"Gethig will live, but he lost a lot of blood in which he had to get a transfusion with his blood type," answered Kazuo. "The shrapnel from his leg was more than enough to cause bleeding within an artery in which we were quick to act into fixing it or else we would've lost him."

"That's a relief..."

"That's not all, Sam… The x-ray scan picked up something inside of him in which it is similar to what was inside of you." Kazuo brings out a metal tray as it showed a familiar fragment that belonged to the Word of God tablets. "This fragment belongs to the Demon Tablet and it was also found in Gethig's stomach of all places."

"So, we have enough fragments to put the Word of God tablets together so far."

"The Word of God?" asked Yasuchika out of curiosity. "Is it the set of tablets that were unearthed from the Elder Days? Besides, aren't there supposed to be two?"

"Actually, there are three instead of two. The Leviathan Tablet was first discovered during the incident that bears the same name of monsters. The Demon Tablet was found by Crowley of all people while the Angel Tablet was found in one of Lucifer's crypts. All the same, those tablets were written by the infernal scribe who orchestrated the Angel Expulsion and wanted the power he created all to himself, even if it meant by starting a war between other angels."

"I guess that those things are off limits to normal humans and other beings."

"The tablets that were put on the Terran Earth were both a blessing and a curse to those who either uses them wisely or abuse their powers."

"That's a total bummer..."

It wasn't long until we noticed a wheeled stretcher being carted out of the emergency room as we saw Gethig still under sedation and being wheeled into a hospital room. By the time I was following them to where he was wheeled into, I was stopped by Kazuo as he wasn't about to let me in to see what was going on so far. As usual, he was stern, but concerned as he wasn't about to let me off the hook just yet. Even with what has happened earlier, I couldn't shake the sense of the suicide bombing out of my head anytime soon as I wanted to make sure that Gethig was alright and functioning so far. I wanted to make sure that the Orc who wanted me to return home was fine and alive as I was desperate to see him in the flesh in his hospital room. I was very worried for his safety and health after what has happened earlier as this was a very dire time indeed.

"Let me go, Kazuo," I said as I saw him seizing me by the long hair I had on my head.

"There's no need to worry about Gethig right now," he said. "All that is necessary is to worry about you of all people."

"How can I worry about myself when someone I care about could end up dead?!"

"What did I tell you earlier? Gethig is out of harm's way right now, but the security all over his hospital room is tight after what was pulled out of him not too long ago. Yes, I also know that Gethig Barzuk is openly gay, but having him put under tight detail may help him recover and be protected from those who see him as an abomination."

"Let me pass… I have every right to see the Orc, regardless if he is openly gay or not. As for caring about myself, it's been put on hold after what went on earlier. The suicide bombing here has changed tactics and the people's needs come before our own."

"Then that makes you a carbon copy of that blowhard who snacks on crackers on a daily basis..."

I was ready to attack Kazuo directly as I yanked the rest of my hair out of his firm grip. I was not too happy with him deterring me as I was ready to give him a blow to his smugness on display. Just as I was about to do so, I was stopped by Castiel as he appeared out of nowhere while grabbing my wrist in order to stay my hand from causing an attack. He was on hand to prevent an altercation as he wasn't about to let either one of us fight in the hospital like that, for this crisis about the suicide bomber wasn't over yet.

"That's enough, Sam," he said as he was concerned about my behavior. "You shouldn't be trying to attack Kazuo like that."

"He was egging it on," I said.

"I didn't want you go go towards the hospital room where Gethig is resting because you need to focus on your own self-needs and discovery first," he said.

"I don't need to focus on my self-needs right now after what happened here earlier. The people come first and that's something that has to be at the front!"

"Yes you do," said Castiel. "I heard about how General Arbogast berates you for not focusing on the 'little guy,' but what about your own self-needs in mind? Must you abandon yourself even further just to put those in need first forever?"

I sprinted away as I went towards Gethig's hospital room. The appearance of him caused internal alarms to rise within me as I saw his head in a bandage while he had several more all over his body along with an oxygen mask over his mouth. He was even hooked up to medical devices and a catheter between his legs as I noticed an i.v. drip on his arm. He was in bad shape as I felt worried about his safety so far. Even though he had a thing for those for the same gender as him, I couldn't let him die as I sat down in a chair that was at the end of his bed. After his efforts to get me back to where I was needed, I couldn't let him die as I watched him sleeping soundly until I noticed Kazuo entering into the hospital room.

"He'll live, but it'll be a while before we get answers about the suicide bomber who caused havoc here in Trainfell," he said. "As for the whereabouts on the one who brought the assailant into a crowded group of bystanders, it's been said that he recently left Trainfell before the authorities could catch him."

"So, the bastard runs free, I take it?" I said.

"It's not all, but his family are taking action to protect him and Darbus' leftovers that remained unused after the invasion in Kanto Village a month ago."

"It never ends, does it? I come home, only for a member of the Toller Family's second branch to use Darbus' leftovers to cause more terror everywhere."

I continued to stare at Gethig as he was sleeping soundly. It was a godsend that he was spared from the jaws of death at the last minute as the suicide bombing that caused so much misery was most likely to be on the front pages anytime soon. This moment of terror was most likely to be bringing trouble as I would soon expect other members of the Garrison Corps to pop up to oversee things in the long run…

General Arbogast was out of his hospital room as he was dressed in his clothes after dealing with a stomachache during the cake incident. As usual, he was on the case as he got word of the suicide bombing in Trainfell. The news about it set off red flags as he went downstairs towards the main hall where he noticed Reuben standing in the doorway. The blowhard general wasn't about to lose to the Iron Healer as he went towards the kitchen and left through the back door. It was hell for him as he noticed the news on the billboard screen that was installed near the gate. The images of the suicide bombing and the aftermath of it all made him very concerned as he was ready to tackle the situation head-on. Just as he was about to do so, he saw Reuben walking towards hAim as he was standing in front of the gateway before leaving the castle grounds.

"You can't detain me forever," he said as he was getting ready to leave.

"General Thorndike is on his way to Trainfell, so there's no need to worry," said Reuben.

"General Thorndike is an incompetent idiot! He doesn't know anything about the suffering of others after Darbus caused his shit in the towns that didn't have the gall to fight back!"

"Let me remind you that you're still not doing too well after your stomachache, but the side effects coming from the cracker diet that you put yourself on is not good for you."

"Do you know what isn't good? Having the good food taken away from the needy who suffered far worse than what you know about. In the end, it's my job to make damn sure that the people come first more than anything."

"And what about labeling General Thorndike an incompetent idiot?" asked Abiasaph as he appeared out of nowhere. "He's no stranger just like you when he's not the type who can take Darbus' crap so readily."

"Chief Tamanori on the sly. I had a feeling that you would butt in sooner or later."

"For starters, General Arbogast, you can't just put the people first. It's not healthy, so I suggest that you go back to your hospital room before something bad happens."

"And what would occur, pray tell?"

Without warning, General Arbogast felt his stomach rumbling as he let out a hint of flatulence from the bottom. He was on the verge of getting a bad case of diarrhea as he sprinted back inside and went towards the bathroom. With the door closed, he went to the toilet as he lifted the seat lid up after he pulled down his pants and boxers while he sat down on the porcelain throne. He was emptying out as he was caught in the moment of getting a taste of his own medicine. By the time he was finished, he wiped himself as he flushed the toilet and washed his hands. When he got out of the bathroom, he saw Abiasaph smiling at him as he was holding a laxative bottle in his hands. Anger fumed within the blowhard general as he was ready to lose it until he was stopped by Reuben directly. It was the worst form of humiliation imaginable as General Arbogast was no match for what was going on so far, for this wasn't the last of his outbursts yet.

"You did this, didn't you?!" he yelled.

"You were planning to snack on crackers again, aren't you?" said Reuben.

"The people prefer the good food instead of me! It wouldn't be right if they get deprived of such nutrition in mind!"

"You should be thanking me for intervening because like you, I felt the same thing when I had my coffee spiked with a laxative."

"You're all in violation, so I'm ready to file a complaint to your superiors!"

"Do that and I will have Dean come here to kick your ass..." Reuben was standing firm as he was letting General Arbogast have it. "All the live long, we keep hearing you talking about having the people come first before our own needs, but you missed the mark on why we should pay more attention to ourselves the same way as those in need."

"This isn't over. The little guy will get his comeuppance when Sam gets his ass back home after going to Trainfell. He's not about to let himself go first in front of the very many who have suffered from Darbus and his antics. The people's needs will always come before our own, remember that!"

General Arbogast made his point clear as he was moseying away from sight. The image of him having his hands touching his posterior after emptying himself in the bathroom earlier was the icing on the cake of the humiliation he suffered from as this wasn't the last that anyone can hear of him yet…

Kevin was out of the men's room after doing his business as he was looking for me throughout the hospital we were in. Even though he noticed the local staff and members of the Medical Corps were on hand into tending to the wounded, he noticed a woman approaching as she was dressed in a teal cocktail dress while wearing a surgical mask over her face. When he saw her go towards one of the local hospital workers finishing up his rounds, he saw the hapless worker stare at the woman as she was standing still for the longest time in her attractive form to entice him so far.

"Everything is busy, ma'am," he heard the worker say from a distance. "Besides, Director Mitani's calling the shots in this crisis since the real mastermind hightailed it back to his family's skirts."

"You're a humble worker for a male nurse," said the woman in the surgical mask.

"I bet that you wear that mask just to hide unsightly acne for a hottie like you."

"Tell me something…, do I look pretty to you?"

"I think that you're very pretty, but the hospital mask is a turn-off."

"If the mask is a turn-off…," The woman unveils what is underneath the surgical mask as she shows the scars on her face. "Then why don't I let you become pretty like me?"

The woman in the cocktail dress got out a knife as she stabbed the male nurse to death until he crumpled to the floor. The sight of her appalled Kevin as he saw her put back on the surgical mask and flee the scene without a trace. When he sprinted to where Gethig's hospital room, he noticed Deok-Su arriving on the scene as she had Yasuchika in tow. Both of them were concerned about what was going on as they were making the case of seeing what was wrong so far, for the sight of the woman in the surgical mask was something that couldn't be ignored so far.

"You can't go back there after I saw one of the male nurses stabbed to death," said Kevin.

"I have every right to see what is going on so far," said Deok-Su as she had her weapons in tow.

"And what about the woman who was there in a slinky cocktail dress and surgical mask? She's not someone that can be trusted so far."

"I know what that woman is."

"Are you sure?"

"You saw a Kuchisake-onna arriving here not too long ago and one of them is bad news indeed."

"Dean's gonna love the report I file when I get back home..."

"A Kuchisake-onna is known as a vengeful spirit with scars on her face while concealing them with the mask on her face," said Yasuchika. "From what I heard from that Orc who hunts things and saves people from such threats, a Kuchisake-onna asks the victim if she's pretty. If her victim says that she's ugly, she kills them on sight. If her victim says that she's pretty, she reveals her mask to show him or her, but ends up dead both ways. The last Kuchisake-onna I saw was killed with a combination of salt and wrought iron to pour down her throat and stick her to death. Those spirits are dangerous, so I suggest that you stay firm just to get ahead of it."

Kevin was worried about everything and my own safety as he ran towards Gethig's hospital room in which he found me and Kazuo out of there just to go towards the cafeteria for some coffee. He wasn't about to shirk his duties into protecting me as he followed us inside. By the time we ordered our coffee, we were sitting at a table as we were taking a breather for the time being. It was hectic as we were most likely to be having a lot more on our plate, but we had to deal with it nonetheless.

"You're early, Kevin," said Kazuo as he was sipping his coffee. "From the look on your face, you seem tense."

"I saw a woman kill a male nurse before she disappeared," he said.

"A woman?" I asked out of curiosity.

"She looked curvy with a cocktail dress, but she had a surgical mask over her face."

"Oh, no…" The mentioning of what I heard made my heart stop in midbeat. "Kevin…, did you see a Kuchisake-onna walk in here?"

"That's what Yasuchika and Deok-Su told me."

The notion of a woman in the surgical mask worried me to the extreme as I remembered one from my childhood. The image of her was very unnerving as I once saw Dad kill one with salt and wrought iron even after her remains were cremated long ago. Still, I had to be on alert as I was dealing with the same threat that came towards the hospital with a vengeance. The mentioning of a Kuchisake-onna had set off red flags as I had to find the spirit before it caused more panic in this hospital. Still, I had to deal with what was going on so far as I couldn't put off protecting the innocent from such terror in the form of vengeful spirits…

Gottfried was in Tanzaku as he was laying on the bed in his hotel room. The success of the suicide bombing in Trainfell was something that was used to bog me down as he smiled with such glory in mind. With the news on t.v. blaring with the bombing making public news, he was raising his glass of water as he drank it dry to the last drop. He was seeing the success of my humiliation being played out as he couldn't get enough of my misery on the sly.

"This humiliation is for my father and for my cousin's death," he said to himself.

"The death toll in today's suicide bombing in Trainfell has risen up to fifty-seven," said the newscaster on t.v. "The local authorities have condemned the actions of the man who was last seen in Trainfell before leaving in which he is identified as Gottfried Toller, son of the imprisoned criminal, Reinhardt Toller. There will be further investigations pending the moment we verify the response to the public-"

Gottfried turned off the t.v. as he walked towards the window where he saw the sun going down for the night. When he was about to go towards the bathroom to take a shower, he saw Cain appearing out of nowhere as he was on the warpath to go against Ailnoth in the upcoming battle between two demons. He wasn't moved by the sight of the Father of Murder as he stood his ground without running away from anything, for he was most likely to be going up against the Destiny of Worlds soon enough.

"It seems that you come here unannounced and uninvited," he said.

"Gottfried Toller…," said Cain as he stood his ground. "You have some nerve to send some of Darbus' leftovers to cause terror in Trainfell."

"Someone has to put Sam Winchester in his place after what my father went through at the hands of him."

"Reinhardt Toller was a puppetmaster who wanted Sam Winchester out of the picture from the beginning because he posed a threat to what is yet to come."

"It's the Destiny of Worlds and I will see it eradicated before it comes to fruition."

"I'm warning you right now that if you did that, you will cause widespread outcry all over the cosmos and it won't be pretty."

"Do you know who you're truly talking to? You're talking to the son of Reinhardt Toller, so I suggest that you show me respect."

"And you're putting down the man who slew his own brother who was on the verge of becoming Lucifer's pet. In the long run, Ailnoth will be mine to kill and no one else will stand in my way…, not even you. In the end, I suggest that refrain from bringing out more of Darbus' leftovers just to cause havoc in the streets like that suicide bomber you put in the crowd. As for the smear campaign against Sam Winchester, it will cease or else I'll have no other choice but to slay you like I did my brother."

"You don't scare me, whoever you are. As for my tactics to undermine the Destiny of Worlds, I'll make damn sure that it will never happen after my father's defeat in Kanto Village."

"You listen to me firmly, Gottfried Toller." Cain walks closer towards him as he was staring at him in the face. "I am what is known as the Father of Murder and the first Knight of Hell in which I bring fear to my enemies the moment I go in for the kill. You see this?" He shows Gottfried his prosthetic metal hand. "This is what was lost from me before I lost my life in the Elder Days. By the time I was resurrected two hudred years later, I noticed most of the human population departing Earth due to the depleting resources that were used up. Luckily, I came here to this set of planets, but I was under the radar until your father and cousin pulled that elaborate dog-and-pony show ten months ago. As for my battle against Ailnoth, I will have his head severed off the moment I go and retrieve the First Blade from Abaddon and her Elven lover, Hideyono Kuronaga, who now has the Mark that I had before it was transferred in the Elder Days and later removed. As for the Destiny of Worlds, it is happening as it will lead towards a golden age, but if I catch you trying to mess things up on the horizon, you will end up in far worse shape than your father, so back off before I gut you to death."

Cain disappeared without a trace as Gottfried remained firm and not showing any fear at all after the encounter with the Father of Murder earlier. Still, he wasn't ready to waiver as he was still itching to put an end to my reputation and get his vengeance against me. The trial of his incarcerated father kept him on edge, but he wasn't the type to show emotion on the outside as he was seeing the pieces of the puzzle being put in place that would start with the battle between Cain and Ailnoth on the sly. He was on the path of stopping me as it was working to his advantage, for he would see it justified until he would soon be brought down in the end…

I was in the hospital's medical registry as I was looking into the lore of the Kuchisake-onna that kept appearing over and over again. The description that Kevin told me raised red flags as I looked into a file of the woman he saw without the surgical mask covering her face. She looked beautiful in the picture until I saw the cause of death below. She had been savaged to death as the description of her injuries led to multiple scarring on her face by her attacker who was serving a life sentence for the crime. I even noticed that the victim was cremated after her death, but her spirit remains to be a vengeful one as she is a lost soul that is in dire need to be put to rest. Still, I wasn't ready to let my guard down as the presence of the Kuchisake-onna was more than enough to set one on all cylinders in this ghost hunt.

By the time I put away the file, I heard the sound of the door opening as I turned around and noticed the Kuchisake-onna coming towards me. I stood firm as I saw the spirit with the surgical mask inching towards me with such seductiveness in mind. Still, I didn't want to show any fear as the Kuchisake-onna was ready to aske me the question of her true beauty beneath the mask she wore. It was somethint that set off red flags within my psyche, but I had to trap her before she caused more harm all over the hospital on the sly.

"You seem tense despite the fact that you remain calm," she said to me.

"You're the Kuchisake-onna who died at the hands of your attacker," I said.

"I was the most elegant model that had standards until the man who killed me destroyed my face and body."

"It's a sad shame to see you suffer like this, but you must allow yourself to be put to rest and leave us alone. In the end, you will also be put at ease after what you went through."

"Tell me something…," The Kuchisake-onna was inching closer towards me as she was staring with the surgical mask over her face. "Do I look pretty to you?"

"You can't tell that to me… I'm a married man with a family."

"Oh, you will tell me your answer…," The Kuchisake-onna unveils her face after taking off the surgical mask that covered it up. "Or else I'll cut you up into pieces!"

It wasn't long until I saw Deok-Su burst into the medical registry as she fired salt rounds into the Kuchisake-onna's back with a shotgun the moment it disappeared. I was safe for the time being as I also had to watch my own back after what nearly happened to me earlier. Still, I had to find a solution to stopping the vengeful spirit before it did further damage as I was dreading the notion of being killed at the hands of such a terrorizing foe.

"I thought that she would leave after you told her you were married with a family," said Deok-Su as she was reloading her shotgun with extra salt rounds. "Normally, when one tells a Kuchisake-onna that he or she is in a prior engagement, the spirit flees, but this one is different."

"The woman who hides behind the surgical mask won't be satisfied until she sees the truth of her own scarred beauty," I said. "We can't let our guard down, no matter what we do."

"Sam, behind you!"

Without warning, the Kuchisake-onna appeared with a pair of scissors as she was ready to attack me until I turned around with a salt packet in my hand. Tearing the tiny packet open, I emptied it out and sprinkled it into the spirit's face as it was screaming in agony. With Deok-Su firing several more salt rounds into the Kuchisake-onna to slow it down, I had the advantage of putting it in its place as I saw a mirror that was tilted against the wall. Running towards it, I picked it up as I noticed the Kuchisake-onna coming towards me with her scissors and was ready to carve me up. Just as she was about to do so, she saw her own reflection in the mirror as she stared for the longest time. She was looking the scars on her face as she was vulnerable for the first time in a while. She was looking at her own weakness as it would soon become her downfall after all that time, for her reign of terror in this hospital was coming to an end.

"Let me tell you something," I said as I was holding the mirror in front of the Kuchisake-onna. "Do you feel pretty now?"

The Kuchisake-onna screamed in agony as she felt the facial scars getting bigger the moment they covered her face. Even her own body was melting as her spirit was nothing but a pile of goop and pus that appeared on the floor. Deok-Su never expected me to stop a vengeful spirit before as the mirror tactic worked to my advantage, for this hospital was safe for the time being.

"You stopped the spirit with the mirror," she said.

"It worked, didn't it?" I said.

"It's like in the Supernatural book, Bloody Mary, when the Winchesters of old used a mirror to their advantage in front of the spirit that came out of one, only to become glass shards."

"Even though the Kuchisake-onna is gone, there are other forms of vengeful spirits that refuse to go away quietly, for the only way is to reveal their vulnerability as soon as possible."

"Looks like you have the skills of stopping the Kuchisake-onna, but the rest of it is just carrots compared to what is happening in plain sight."

"As long as we are on hand into stopping evil, we have an advantage to surpass our personal struggles in mind."

My advice was a boon for Deok-Su as she wasn't afraid to stop many spirits that caused harm to the innocent. As for me, however, I was standing tall as I put down the mirror and was ready to go out of the medical registry in order to stop the Kuchisake-onna from causing more havoc. Still, I may have stopped a spirit from causing misery, but my personal struggles would soon come to light as this wasn't the end of what I had endured since my return to Alecrast…

Gethig woke up from as he was trying to get out of his hospital bed. When he noticed Yasuchika coming into his hospital room, he was concerned about what was going on as the news about the suicide bomber was all over the place. He wanted to get free so badly, but when he unveiled himself in a hospital gown with a catheter between his legs, he was stunned as he placed the blanket back over him. It was hell for him as he wanted to walk around so badly, but the hospital bed and trimmings incapacitated him as he was staying put for the time being.

"You're awake, aren't you?" asked Yasuchika.

"I've been awake, but I've been stuck with the catheter and all the trimmings all over me," answered Gethig. "I never expected a suicide bomber to come here, but Darbus' leftovers are slowly making a comeback."

"From what I heard, Gottfried Toller departed this town after the explosion. The guy's a carbon copy of both his father and cousin who caused so much crap in Sam's absence."

"Luckily, I intervened to get him back home, even if it meant by hitting him on the head before he would come back here."

"That's a little brutal here..."

Without warning, Yasuchika heard the sound of screams coming from down the hall. When he burst out of Gethig's hospital room, he noticed Kevin sprinting towards the medical registry as he followed him to where the incident took place. By the time they got there, they noticed me and Deok-Su coming out of the registry as we were calling it a day after what we went through with the Kuchisake-onna who was killed on the spot. It was a godsend that we were alive as the incident of the ghost with the surgical mask was put behind us for the time being, for this wasn't the end of possible spirits who cause harm in the making.

"What happened in there?" asked Yasuchika.

"Sam stopped the Kuchisake-onna with a mirror," said Deok-Su.

"Luckily, I knew of her weakness before she did further damage," I said.

"And you did it without my protection?!" cried Kevin. "You know that you can't go off alone without me anyway!"

In that moment, I heard my vidphone ringing as I fished it out of my pocket and answered it directly. In such a dreadful moment, I was fearing the worst as I saw who was calling on screen. It was the worst so far as I saw General Arbogast's name in bold white letters calling me for no reason. By the time I pressed the phone to my ear, I was dreading the voice on the other end as I had a feeling that the blowhard general wasn't about to give up his vendetta against me for not putting the people first.

"I know who this is because I know that you're gonna be spouting how much I neglect the little guy," I said. "You can't fool me this time, General, so I suggest that you back off."

"I heard you loud and clear, Sam," he said over the phone. "I saw the news about the suicide bombing in Trainfell. In a clear sense, you should be doing your part into putting a little more effort into looking after the little guy instead of yourself."

"I've been doing both so far, so I suggest that you drop it about the little guy."

"No, I'm not finished with your ass 'cause of the fact that you should be focusing on the people instead of yourself. It's the only way that can work and it's also a reason just to thumb it in those who revel in Darbus' status as a martyr."

"Now's not the time to give me a lecture right now, General."

"You're skating on thin ice, Sam!" I heard the general's voice raising up as it unnerved me to the extreme. "You can't back out on this situation right now because of the fact that the people come first more than the lives of our own. And everyone wants you to put a little effort into loving yourself while others are starving in some backwater alley? Everyone demands you to put a little love to yourself, but what about the people who lost their lives at the hands of Darbus Toller? Instead of putting enough love into your well-being, you should put a little more effort into those who have been displaced, starving, and even backed into a corner. Now, you either abandon yourself or else I'll raise hell!"

"You can't do this to me right now. I saw what went on the moment that the suicide bomber killed and maimed many innocent bystanders, but you can't pin this one on me so far."

"You can't put it off this time, Sam! The people come first so I suggest that you get over it! As for that self-love that everyone and those in need want you to absorb, it's nothing but chump change. In the end, only idiots believe in loving themselves. Are you an idiot, Sam?! Are you one of those narcissists that stare at a pool until you drown to your death?! You should be focusing on the lives of others before you because of the fact that they've suffered a lot worse than you! Now, do you get what I said or do I have to use force upon you just to make a point?!"

I put away my vidphone as I walked slowly away from the entrance of the medical registry and onward to the lobby where it was quiet except for some cheesy elevator music blaring over the intercom. I felt the full brunt of General Arbogast's words paralyzing my inner being as I couldn't say no to his efforts into veering away from self-love I was deprived from. When I saw several wounded bystanders being carted away to be treated for injuries, I was slowly starting to see the reality of what was going on after the sights of those who suffered the worst. In such a bizarre effort, I had no other choice but to do my part of helping those in need as I was beginning to deprive myself of the self-love that was itching to come out into the open. Everyone needed to be put first as they had felt the worst things unimaginable.

When Kevin and the others saw me sitting on a couch in the lobby staring at the wheeling of patients who were being treated, they noticed a change in me as I was starting to exhibit signs of self-deprivation within my psyche. I was becoming a carbon copy of someone that I wasn't as I became the official punching bag of General Arbogast, who would stop at nothing to get those to focus on what he calls the little guy. In the end, the people's needs truly trumped my own as I got up and was going towards the halls of the hospital. I was seeing several patients resting after having their injuries treated as the sight of them was opening a window into putting those below me first. When I went into one of the rooms, I noticed an elderly woman sitting next to the bed of a hospital patient as she was concerned about what was going on so far, for the sight of what was happening would never leave me as long as I live. The sound of the monitor beeping was the only one going as it reminded me of my mistake into leaving Alecrast in the first place, for it was also my greatest error so far.

"Shouldn't you be concerned about yourself alongside the people in front of you?" asked the elderly woman. "It's bad enough that you try to deprive yourself of the much needed self-love that is out of reach, but you can't just stare at the scenery that causes one to deprive himself all the live long."

"The people come first and that's exactly why I have to be there for them," I said.

"My grandson is in this hospital bed after the suicide bomber caused the mess. He only suffered shrapnel wounds on his legs, but he'll end up spending the rest of his life rehabilitating them until the Medical Corps get him some new ones."

"I'm so sorry about this..."

"Don't be… This wasn't your fault, Sam, and that blowhard over the phone thinks he can jerk you around into believing into the little guy over one's needs."

"How do you know me?"

"I know those who come and go, but I never saw such a troubled soul such as yourself come here in a long time. By the way, my name's Ethel Pembroke and I'm what you call a psychic who's had it worse. If you heard of Sybil Bonnefoy, then you now heard of me when you walked into this hospital room with my grandson. He's stabilized, but the aftermath of the suicide bombing is more than enough to put the Chieftain and his oldes son on edge."

"They've been all over it the moment that the Medical Corps stepped in to help the local staff by taking care of the patients who were brought here. Still, the people come first and I can't allow myself to shirk my duties again."

"You're beginning to sound like Percy and his habits for eating crackers after he was called in to assess the damage in Kabizashi. The Jewish population weren't so lucky after Darbus Toller and his soulless dolls came in and killed most of them. When they tried to do away with the rest of them and the local townsfolk, they were overwhelmed by those Orcs who run Wall Keep, especially when it came to the lady of the keep."

"Are you talking about Moro?"

"Moro is no stranger into handling the crossbow in which she even had the gall to protect the people who were fleeing towards Wall Keep in the first place. She heard about those artificial dolls with blond hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin coming here to slaughter the Jewish residents in Kabizashi, only to flee after taking a bitter defeat."

"That's good enough to hear..."

"As for you, Sam, you shouldn't focus on too much of needs of the people because there are others who can do it for you."

"But I'll suffer retaliation from that blowhard general if I delve into self-love too much."

"Have you looked in the mirror lately? You may think that you're doing fine without loving yourself, but your fear of becoming a narcissist overshadows your health in general. I know that you had it hard when you and your older brother went towards to Gehenna in your youth, but you can't abandon yourself when your health needs it the most."

I saw a mirror over the sink as I was staring at for the longest time. At that moment, I noticed myself becoming more sad than normal as the many times of self-deprivation had taken their toll on me. When I left the hospital room, I saw Kazuo standing in my way as he was most likely to be forcing me to endure the self-love that I lost so far, but it would be a challenge in the making with plenty of obstacles in mind.

"We need to talk, Sam…," he said.

To be continued...