Renegades: A New Dawn
Chapter XXXIX: Life in Perspective
That night, Astrid spent the entire night soul-searching under the moonlight. 'Jeg har aldri følt det slik før... så svak, så maktesløs at jeg bare ikke klarte å kjempe tilbake. Jeg mangler... noe. Men hva?' (I've never felt that way before... so weak, so powerless, I just couldn't fight back. I'm missing... something. But what?) She then looked up at the starry sky. 'Hva er det Maddy sier - det vakre med nattehimmelen er at den er så enkel, men likevel så pålitelig." (What is it Maddy says - the beauty of the night sky is it's so simple, yet so reliable.")
A minute or two passed, and then a thought slowly dawned on her. She picked up a piece of paper, and started sketching the moonlit sky. When the sketch was completed, she held it up to the stars. 'Du kan tegne stjernene så nøyaktig at du kan få det til å se identisk ut. Men det kan ikke gjøre himmelens jobb. Kunst kan ikke holde verden oppe. Jeg må fokusere på det jeg kan best, og bare gjøre det perfekt, som nattehimmelen.' (You can draw the stars so accurately, you can make it look identical. But it can't do the sky's job. Art can't hold the world up. I need to focus on what I do best, and just do that perfectly, like the night sky.)
The next morning
As everyone packed up ready for their flight, Rio approached Astrid, using a crutch for balance. 'Not that it's my business, but I couldn't help but notice you didn't come with us to the hotel.' 'Had some things to deal with. I wouldn't have slept anyway. But I think I found the answers I wanted anyway. You should be more concerned about yourself.' 'I'll be fine, just a little beaten up.'
Rio then looked over at her. 'Rematch at sometime?' 'When I become champion.' 'Mark the date. Because I'll be coming for you.' 'Let's not end it the same way though. Have a proper winner.' 'As we should have done.' Rio then realised she had her deck in her pocket still. 'Might as well see who would have won.' Astrid stopped her though. 'It's better not knowing. Because you'd feel worse either way.'
'I suppose so.' As she tucked it back, Astrid smiled. 'The fight of my life, you know?' 'Who - me?' 'Yep. I thought you had me. A few times.' 'Sorry to disappoint you then' Rio remarked. 'Bet you could have done with the rest.' The Viking then turned around quick, whipping Rio in the eyes with her hair. 'Do I really look that bad?' 'You've got bags the size of planets under your eyes. Also could you be careful - got your locks in my eye.' 'Sorry, not used to having it loose.'
Jade then came over to them. 'When you're done chatting, everyone else has put their luggage on the plane. You seem awfully chatty anyway.' Rio just shrugged and walked off. 'What's up with her?' 'Think she's still stinging after yesterday.' 'Aren't you?' Astrid just smiled. 'I am. But I know what I need to do. I did some soul-searching under the stars.' 'I'm surprised I didn't see you then.'
Jade then flashed her eyes gold. 'That was you? I saw a pair of eyes, I thought Maddy was spying on me.' 'No, it was a full moon. The one time that Wolfbloods always transform.' 'Maddy told me that. I didn't even know you were. Does Blair?' 'Oh yeah, she's known since before we were dating. You know much about the race?' 'A bit. Maddy knows loads, and Jana knows literally everything about it.'
'So I should talk to her about it?' 'Try Maddy first - Jana can be a bit… hostile.' 'Are we talking aggressive hostile or just regular hostile.' 'Depends on her mood. Maddy's at least approachable. I just wouldn't catch her when she's been drinking.' With this frank conversation, Astrid loaded her luggage onto the plane (however little there actually was), and they flew out for home. Little did they know that their worlds would have completely changed the next time they were on that plane.
Two mornings later
Having taken the rest of the previous day to acclimatise again following a long plane journey, the club was working like normal. And with only a day before Blair and Jade's date, Rio had a surprise for them, as they were having breakfast on the go. 'Guess what guys.' Not in the mood for guessing games, Blair cut it short. 'Give up, what is it?' 'You're no fun.' 'Ri, I have 15 minutes before I need to get going for a soccer match. And if I'm late, I WILL be dropped.'
Rio then produced three passes. 'Mind filling me in?' 'In order to celebrate your adorable young love' 'If this is you producing some sort of romantic poetry I am liable to throw up. You know how I feel about soppiness.' Both Rio and Jade then burst out laughing. 'No, it's not that. I have booked all three of us tomorrow on… a spa day!' Needless to say, the lovers were delighted. 'That's awesome - I've never been to a spa!'
Jade looked shocked at this. 'You've seriously never been to a spa before?' 'Guys, I'm from a small town in Michigan, and worked as a dogsbody at a jewellery wholesalers. In my spare time I fix cars for fun. What bit of me suggests a regular spa user?' Jade meanwhile had a question. 'Rio, have you actually been to this place?' 'Yeah, went down there last week.' 'Do you know if they have Turkish Baths?'
'Totally. Proper luxury spa - I wasn't gonna book us in some shonky joint down an alley. Come on - I had to treat you before tomorrow.' Blair then grabbed her in a massive hug, and started rubbing her head. 'Come here my little bean!' 'B, you're crushing my chest.' Jade then joined in, just as Kris walked in with his morning coffee. 'I mean I've heard of threesomes, but I never expected to see one of them.'
The three of them stopped hearing this, allowing Rio to slide out. 'Thanks Kris, I didn't think I'd be able to breathe again!' 'Don't mind me, I'm just having a coffee. Listen Rio, if you fancy some company for your doctor's appointment later, the cancer clinic is just across the road.' 'Didn't know you had a today?' 'Don't you mean you didn't know I had an appointment today?' Confused, Rio struck back. 'Yeah, that's what I said, isn't it?'
Jade then put her hand on Rio's shoulder. 'You sure you're feeling ok? Your memory's been awful recently, and now you can't even remember what you just said.' 'I'm fine. What were you saying Kris?' 'I was just asking if you wanted some company for your check-up. My booking isn't for a couple of hours after yours, but I can always keep myself busy.' She smiled. 'Thanks Kris, I might take you up on that.'
As Rio left, Kris started talking in hushed tones. 'Are you sure she's ok?' 'Yeah, she's just… I mean she's been scatty as long as I've known her, but this is something else. She's just been all over the place recently.' Jade then thought of something she had noticed. 'She nearly forgot to take a wet cloth off of the cooker at mine the other day. If I hadn't have come in at the right time she could have set my flat on fire.'
Kris then also made an identification. 'Has anybody else noticed how she's been walking with her right arm hanging down?' This didn't seem to concern Blair as much though. 'Yeah, I think it was because of that duel with Astrid. She hasn't let Sakura properly check her out yet. I know she was concussed and she's got a split lip for sure, but other than that she hasn't been able to check on her fully.' Kris then put his hand on the table. 'Well I'll keep an eye on her today, see how she is. Probably nowt to worry about but you never know.' 'Thanks Kris.' 'No problem. Not like I had anything on.'
Meanwhile, outside
Rio was just walking towards the bus stop when she noticed Maddy. 'Hey, aren't you supposed to be resting?' 'I'm bored of resting already. Besides, I've got this race today.' 'Oh, Sak cleared you then?' Maddy briefly looked around shiftily, before stating 'Yeah, totally. Said I'm A-Ok.' Surprised, the Idahoan just smiled. 'Good luck', and went to leave, only for the president to stop her. 'Come on, let me drop you off there.'
This conversation had given Kris time to catch up, the man from Salem running his fingers through his shoulder-length, jet-black hair, which he had chosen to grow exclusively at the back of his head for reasons known only to himself. 'You could have waited instead of running off.' This situation was leaving Maddy increasingly confused. 'Right, is anyone going to explain this to me at all?'
'There's nothing shady going on Maddy, I'm just keeping Rio company at the hospital because the cancer place is across the road.' 'Yeah, but like, your appointment was last week, wasn't it?' 'It was supposed to be but they postponed it because both the radiologists are off sick and the locum wasn't arriving until the start of this week. Where are you off to anyway?' 'National trials today. Woulda liked a bit more training, but we'll just have to see how it goes.'
Unfortunately for Maddy, Sakura then walked out. 'Before you say anything, I heard every word.' 'Yeah? Well you can't stop me going.' The medic seemed to be somewhat confused by this. 'Who said anything about stopping you? I was going to say that if you're going to the trials I'm coming with you.' Rio then dropped the president in it. 'Stop her? I thought you'd cleared her?' 'Maddy, you know I can't do that. You had a kidney transplant not four weeks ago. I can't even think of clearing you for full physicality until 10 weeks. Now give me your wrist.'
Weirded out, Maddy did this, and had a small watch attached to her wrist. 'What's that?' 'Smart watch. Connects through bluetooth so I can monitor your vital signs. After what happened with Rio in India, I'm taking no chances with any of you anymore.' Blair and Jade then passed, on their way to the soccer field, showing off their smart watches. 'Thanks Sak.' 'Pay you back later.' The doctor then looked back at Maddy. 'Fine, whatever you need to do.'
At this point she got her phone out. 'Hi Dad, it's Maddy.' 'Maddy, you do know that' 'Yes, I know that you're in the middle of an argument about baby names, you have been for about a day now. I just wanted to ask if I could borrow your car so I can drop Kris and Rio off at the hospital.' The reply was simple and stern. 'If you damage it you're paying for the repairs.' There was then some rustling from the other end of the phone. 'What he means is of course you can borrow it if you're careful.' 'Thanks Mum.' 'You're welcome. Just one thing though - could you try and persuade him later that Brucette is not a real baby name.' All Hannah got in return was a lot of giggling. 'Of course. Love you, bye.'
As Maddy came off of the phone, Kris seemed suspicious. 'Hang on, don't you need a key for his car?' Maddy then produced said key. 'I borrowed it months ago and they never asked for it back. It was spare anyway.' 'Is that code for you stole them?' Maddy didn't say anything, but instead just winked at them, as she located Phil's beloved Subaru. Sakura then thought of an important question.
'Hang on, are you even insured to drive this?' Maddy didn't speak, but passed back an insurance document. 'I mean, you could have just said yes.' 'Looks good doesn't it?' 'Erm… it looks like any other insurance document.' 'Can you tell it's fake?' Sakura seemed alarmed by this. 'You've got fake insurance documents?' 'Yeah.' 'Do Phil and Hannah' 'Yeah. The phone number goes to one of Sean's mates. Besides, I'm not going to crash. Even if this is only the second time I've ever driven this.' She then drove off, with several nervous passengers.
In the arena
As Denzil walked in to do some training, he noticed that the arena was shut, with a sign on the door in a clearly foreign language. As he tried to decipher it, Jana walked past, and he pulled her over. 'Hey, do you know who's in there?' 'Judging by the sign, it's Astrid.' 'You know what that sh*t says?' She laughed. 'Not a clue. I just know that nobody else here has such nice handwriting. Especially not Blair, you can barely make that out as words, it's more random shapes that vaguely look like letters.' Amused, Denzil made his excuses, and walked into the arena.
As he did, he saw Astrid defeating a drone with Stellar Wind Wolfrayet. 'Too easy.' She then looked around at Denzil, who held his hands up. She glared for a moment, before smiling. 'You don't need to hide there. I don't own the place.' 'There was that notice on the door?' 'Yeah, that's just a message for Maddy saying that I'm in here, and to clean the kitchen when she's making breakfast. Fancy a quick duel?' 'Sure, it's what I'm here to do.'
10 minutes later
Denzil just stood there, having suffered a 6000 Life point defeat. 'Man that hurts.' 'You did well to even deal damage. You were chewing through a Wolfrayet + Thor board.' 'I'll give you one thing - you're as good as she says.' 'Who - Blair?' He then put his duel disk down while talking. 'Who else? She says she's never met anybody as dedicated to the craft as you' 'And that's coming from her? Literally all she thinks about is combos. I swear some mornings when I'm going out for my morning run I hear her going through a full Orcust combo. She's never even used the deck.'
Denzil couldn't help but laugh at the candid stories. 'She also told me that you're the toughest opponent she's ever faced because it's different every time.' 'Yeah, she's probably using a different deck every time, that's why.' 'She was totally glowing about you.' Astrid then started blushing slightly. 'You're not good at compliments are you?' 'It's not that, it's just hearing these things from her. We've always had so much respect for each other, but we sort of just never say it.'
'I mean what matters is you both know. Oh yeah, she wanted to know if you could remember your record against each other?' This caused Astrid to ponder. 'It's big, I know that much. I think I'm still ahead. One moment.' She then grabbed the whiteboard pen, and started scribbling in Norwegian on the board, using every inch of her 5ft 103/4 frame. Once she ran out of room, she would note down updated numbers in the corner, before rubbing the rest off again.
This laborious process continued for a couple of minutes, before she finally wrote down "tretseks/tjueni". 'There you go' she chirped, proudly admiring her handiwork. 'Yo, not to be rude, but' 'Oh, you can't speak the language can you? The head to head is thirty-six to me, and twenty-nine to Blair. That's only counting actual competition. Otherwise it would be into the thousands I bet.'
'You really faced each other that much?' 'Oh yeah, I mean we were supposed to today but I'm not technically allowed, so she went off to play with some balls.' 'But Jade' She then burst out laughing. 'Not like that! She went off to play football, or "soccer" as she calls it because she's weird.' The other half of what Astrid was saying then suddenly clicked with him. 'Oh yeah, about not being allowed? Is that because of the duel with Rio?'
She just nodded, and pointed at her swollen shoulder. 'For maybe ¾ of that duel, not in it's socket.' 'You spent that long with a dislocated shoulder?' 'Yeah. Apparently I have to wait until it's settled a bit. Whatever that means.' 'Beats me man, all I know is it looks massive. How's she doing?' 'Not a clue, barely spoken to her. All I know is, she looked in bad shape afterwards. She's not the only one in bad shape though.'
King George VI Sports Fields, Durham
As Maddy arrived at the fields for the national 400m trials, Hannah was already there, waiting for them. 'Erm, how did you' 'Maddy, I knew you were going to come here even if you had a leg hanging off.' 'Let me guess - you decided to come to tell me not to?' Hannah then burst into laughter. 'No, I've just come to watch. Phil's away all day anyway - he's talking with a major meat supplier in Sunderland. If it goes well we'll be doubling our meat sales by the end of the month.'
'So… you really don't mind.' Hannah just shrugged, and casually tipped her sunglasses onto her diamond-studded hat. 'If I do, does it really make a difference? You're 18, it's your call.' Maddy then noticed that she too was wearing one of Sakura's watches. 'She got you as well?' 'I have no idea what you're talking about. This was a Christmas present from Megan - she's been pestering me about keeping healthy ever since I told her I was pregnant.'
As Maddy jogged lightly off to sign up, Sakura and Hannah chatted about her. 'You haven't cleared her, I take it.' 'What do you think? I advised her not to, but quite honestly, if she thinks she can manage it, I'm not going to stand in her way.' 'The problem with Maddy is that she doesn't think. She wants to do something, she just does it. The only good news is that she's so quick that it shouldn't even matter.'
The athletes then lined up on their starting blocks, with Maddy wearing a dark blue vest and starting in the fifth lane of nine. As she got on the blocks, there was a look of sheer determination in her eyes. Breathing slowly, she positioned her body for the quickest possible launch, and then, after nearly 10 minutes of various announcements and introducing the athletes, the starting pistol went off, and the race began.
Within the first 50 metres, it was clear that Maddy was very much at home in the environment, edging ahead of a rival in Lane 8. As the two of them surged ahead, she was only focused on the track ahead, and slowly but surely, with sheer perseverance, she started to pull ahead of her rival, and was clearly ahead by the halfway point. Soon, the finish line hoved into view. But Maddy didn't notice it, as slowly, she was feeling worse and worse, her heart was pounding, her chest was tightening, and her nose erupted with blood.
She kept going, but started to slow, and 75 metres from the end, she crashed to the ground. Despite this, she still clawed her way across the rest of the track, and ended up just touching the finish line in 7th place, well outside of the two qualifiers for the British Championships. The trackside doctor ran over immediately, and helped her to her feet, carrying her away to the medical tent nearby.
Sakura and Hannah also rushed over, and found Maddy lay in the tent having cool water being poured down her throat. She was conscious, but seemed clueless as to what had happened. 'I was so close. I don't know what happened, I just fell, I don't know if I tripped or something.' Sakura then looked at the data from the watch. 'You didn't just fall, your blood pressure was through the roof. 178/120.' 'Yeah, I don't know what that means.' 'It means you could have had a stroke. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if you did have one.' 'Still talking ain't I?'
'Doesn't mean anything. We won't know unless you go to hospital.' 'Fat chance of that happening. All I know is I think I fractured my right wrist when I fell.' Sakura took a quick look, and came to a conclusion. 'It's fractured alright, but I don't think it's anything significant. A few weeks of light duties and you'll be ok. When are the next trials?' Maddy just shook her head. 'These are the last ones. I missed the previous one because I was in a coma. So I got no trials, no dueling career for the foreseeable, basically I have nowt.'
Taking sympathy, Sakura tried to boost her spirits. 'Well you've got this scan on your ribs next week at your check-up. Get a report from them, and pass it on to me. I'm sure we'll have you dueling again soon.' 'Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it.' Maddy just lay there, devastated at her chance having gone for another year.
Northern Cancer Centre, Newcastle
As Kris walked into the small office, Dr. Anderson looked up. 'Mr. Travis, thanks for coming.' 'You're welcome. You have the results of my tests?' 'I do.' 'And?' He just smiled. 'There's no need to look so concerned, I only bring good news. Firstly, I can confirm that your recent issues with fatigue are not your cancer returning. Most likely, your body is still readjusting after your treatment. I assure you that within a couple of weeks, you will be feeling all fine again.'
'Thanks.' 'In addition, all the scans and tests we have done are suggesting that the bone marrow transplant has been a 100% success. Your blood pressure is perfectly normal, your blood is clotting just fine, there is no sign of any significant bone weakening, and there is no indication of infertility.' 'So that's it then?' 'I would still like you to come once a month, just so we can keep an eye on the long-term impacts if any. But there shouldn't be an issue with that, it is simply a precaution. All being well you can be completely discharged after a couple more appointments.' 'Thanks very much.' 'You're very welcome. I'm glad I was able to bring some positive news for you.
With this news, Kris and Rio left for home. 'That was great wasn't it?' 'Oh totally. I'll admit I was nervous, just making sure that everything is ok. But I'll pass this onto Sak and see what happens. Just got to wait on your news now.' 'Hope it's ok.' 'It will be. You're a tough little cookie. Let's face it - if you can survive what you've been through, you can survive anything.'
When they returned to the base an hour later, Kris went straight to the medical bay, finding Maddy there. 'Sakura around?' 'Yeah, she's just gone to reload on bandages for me.' 'So, what's up with you?' She just took a deep breath. 'High blood pressure and a fractured wrist. You?' 'Just giving her my doctor's report.' 'Oh yeah, how did it go?' 'All good, there's no sign of any side effects, the recovery's going well, and the fatigue is probably because I'm just off my anti-rejection medication.'
'Lucky you, I still got another 3 weeks yet. They actually just make me wanna throw up in my mouth like, I don't do taking meds. I could barely even take fuckin Calpol when I was younger, I just don't do meds man.' Kris just sniggered. 'I understood about the first five words of that.' 'Serious man, this shit is rank. Then again, I guess it's working, considering that I ain't in hospital again.'
Sakura then arrived back in the medical bay. 'Kris, I'll be with you in just a couple of minutes.' 'It's fine, take however long you need. Maddy's just been explaining what happened earlier. Tough break eh?' Maddy then looked at him, and gave the slightest hint of a smile. 'More of a fracture than a break innit?' 'That's the most normal you've been in weeks. Well I say normal… for you at least.'
'Thanks.' 'Not a bad thing. I think you're funny personally.' 'That makes one person I guess.' 'Don't bet on it. Astrid' 'Thinks I'm funny because she can't understand what the hell I'm on about.' 'No, she knows full well what you're saying, she just plays dumb because it's funny. She knows that I can't keep a straight face when you do that.' 'You can't keep a straight face anyway. You laughed when Blair burned herself the other week.' 'Well you'd think she'd know that the cooker was hot.' 'She fell over! She tripped over a bag of shopping.'
By this time, Maddy's wrist had been bandaged up. 'So keep the strain on it to a minimum, ok?' 'Sure. Good job I can use my left hand.' 'Some people would say you're better writing with your left hand.' 'Oi cheeky.' Sakura then looked over to Kris. 'You had something for me?' 'Yep.' He then passed a report over to her. 'Let's see… blood pressure normal, SATs normal range, heart rate 77bpm is perfectly reasonable, your weight hasn't changed, and you look as healthy as I've ever seen you.'
Sakura then scribbled down some notes, before passing a piece of paper to Kris. 'I'm pleased to tell you that you're officially cleared to return to full duties immediately.' 'Includes dueling?' 'Absolutely. I would recommend that you're sensible though.' 'Yeah, I wanted to ask you something.' 'Go on.' 'This fatigue I've been talking to you about.' 'How is it?' 'Improving a bit. Just wanted to ask if it could be something to do with my medication.'
'Oh yeah, you recently came off of it completely didn't you?' 'Yeah, last week.' 'That would probably explain it. Just keep an eye on it, and keep me updated. If you're still feeling like this in a week, we'll have a little chat to see what it might be, k?' 'Sounds good to me. Thanks again.' She smiled while adjusting her headband. 'You're so welcome.'
The next morning
As the clock struck 10am, Blair came down the stairs wearing a dark blue shirt and denim jacket, finding Rio who was dressed in all pink. 'You really don't know how to dress down do you?' 'This is me dressing down.' 'Seriously, we're going to have to get you a proper wardrobe.' 'There's nothing wrong with my clothes.' 'Apart from the fact they all look the same. Seriously, just get a little bit of variety. Which reminds me… you've not shown me what you're wearing tonight.' 'You'll see it when I put it on. I don't even know if it fits yet.'
'Well that means it's something a bit different at least.' Trying desperately to get off of the subject, Blair turned her attention to the spa day. 'So what time are we booked in at this spa place?' '11am. It should only take about 20 minutes to get there though. I've got a taxi booked to take us there, I paid for it in advance.' 'I thought you refused to give your card details out over the phone.' 'Normally. Thought it was the time to try it. Anyway, I've arranged the taxi to arrive at Jade's flat in… 25 minutes.' 'Better get going then.'
Just as they were leaving though, Rio received a phone call. 'Hello? Yeah, that's me. Right… that doesn't sound good. Right, obviously, I'll be over as soon as I can. Thanks, bye.' Blair, having heard Rio's reaction, was immediately concerned. 'What's up?' 'I… I'm gonna have to bail on the spa day. My doctor wants to talk to me about some of my results, and apparently it's real urgent.'
'Ok, well I'll come with you then.' 'No, you go for your day out. Need to be fully relaxed for later don't you?' 'Are you sure' Rio started pushing Blair down the road towards Jade's flat. 'Go on, just go. I'll fill you in when you get back. Just explain to Jade that something came up, I'm sure you'll think of something.' As Rio walked back towards the base, Blair realised an issue. 'Wait, I don't even know where we're going!' 'It's fine, the taxi driver knows and I texted Jade the address.'
As Blair left, Rio got her phone out. 'Hi Maddy, it's Rio. Just wanted to ask if I could be cheeky and get a lift down to the hospital again? It's just they texted me and it's apparently urgent.' 'Rio, I'd love to, but I'm not allowed to drive - fractured wrist and all that. Sak said I can't drive for three weeks. Tried asking Dad?' 'I was rather hoping to avoid that - if there's something serious going on, I don't want him to be there. I know how he'd react.'
'Mam?' 'Is she ok to drive?' 'Yeah, she was driving just yesterday. It's one of the few major things she isn't being advised to stop right now.' 'I'll call her then. Thanks.' 'No problem. Hey, let me know how it goes.' 'Of course, and thanks again. You're a star.' 'I'm not, but it's appreciated.' With that, she put the phone down and phoned Hannah. 'Hi Hannah' 'Maddy contacted me already. I'll be round in about half an hour, I was on the road anyway.' 'Ok, thanks so much.'
45 minutes later
Hannah pulled up in her and Phil's Aston Martin just as Rio came back out to keep an eye out. 'Sorry about the delay, I forgot what traffic's like around here, it's mad. I swear some of them have never even driven.' 'Probably not to be fair. Thank you so much for this, I did ask Maddy' 'I know, she filled me in on all of it. Hop in.' She smiled, and did so. 'I think this is the first time I've been in such an expensive car.' 'Nice isn't it? I'm exclusively driving this at the moment because of my back being how it is.'
'Pregnancy?' 'Eh, partly. I've always had issues with it, ever since the accident when I was younger. I think it's just a bit of sciatica at the moment probably. Anyway, you got the address for the sat-nav?' Rio keyed in the address, and then, as the V12 engine roared into life, it cruised away from the HQ.
At Jade's flat
As Blair arrived, she found Jade waiting, 'Hey beautiful, you… appear to be missing someone. About so high, blue hair, bangs you could poke your eye out on?' 'Yeah, Rio isn't coming, she's had a call from the hospital to come in.' Immediately the American-Iranian looked concerned. 'Is… is she ok? I mean do we need to cancel, does she have anyone' 'Hannah's giving her a lift down, she texted a few minutes ago. All I know is she said they wanted to talk to her urgently, but she insisted we were fine to go today.'
'It sort of doesn't feel right without her.' 'I know, but we're just wasting her money otherwise.' 'I guess it seems kind of ungrateful now you put it that way. I just don't know what to do.' 'Me neither.' Several more minutes of tense discussion then followed, before Blair made a decision. 'Well how about we reschedule for when RIo's able to come? Only that this time she isn't paying.'
'You are just far too sweet and I do not deserve you.' Jade then learned in for the kiss, but Blair playfully batted her away, before leaning into her. 'No trying before you buy. You'll get plenty of me later.' 'Still 7:30?' '7:30, Gringott's Steakhouse.' 'I'll see you there then. Love you.' 'Love you more.' Blair walked off back towards the base, while Jade went to do some shopping, some of her plans apparently now cancelled.
MacAllister Medical Centre, Alnwick
Rio and Hannah walked into the GPs, and zeroed in on the main desk. 'Hi, we have an appointment with Dr. Lucinder?' 'Certainly. What's the name on the booking?' 'Rio Kastle. Or it might be Riana Kastle. I'm not sure which name I signed up under.' A quick search of the records found the appointment. 'Riana Kastle of Flat 4, Grand Oak Tower?' 'That's me.' 'Certainly, I'll just let Dr. Lucinder know you're here.'
As the receptionist sent a staffer to find the doctor, Rio looked at Hannah pensively. 'I'm really nervous about this.' 'I'm sure you'll be fine.' 'I dunno… the call seemed pretty urgent considering they wanted me to come in "at my next convenience".' 'Well just stay calm, whatever's going on we can deal with it, ok? You've always got all of us.' The call then came. 'Rio Kastle?' 'Yep.' 'Right this way please.'
As she sat down in the office, she smiled politely at the doctor, who had a stern, cold gaze. 'Thank you for coming Ms. Kastle. Would you prefer to be called Ms. Kastle or Riana, or something else?' 'Just call me Rio, everyone else does. Listen, if there's something wrong, I want to know.' 'I am aware. I just need to get something out of here.' He then opened the drawer, and picked up what looked to be a handful of x-ray sheets.
'You were saying at your last appointment that you were having some symptoms?' 'Yeah, just forgetting things, getting really tired and fatigued, my headaches have been awful, and I've been having a bit of an issue with the sight in my left eye, it's been going a bit blurry at times.' What the doctor would reveal next would change her life forever.
'Rio, when they did the x-rays the other day, your doctors found some serious abnormalities in your brain, and immediately requested that I look at them. I've studied neurology for nearly 10 years, and this is the first time I've ever had to diagnose this kind of condition specifically.' 'Please, if there's something going on, just tell me.'
He nodded. 'You have a condition which is called Corticobasal Degeneration. It is a degenerative brain disease caused by an abnormality with a certain protein in the brain. We believe that this may be a long-term consequence of your traumatic brain injury from your gunshot wound. It's a disease which causes issues with motor functions, such as speech, movement, and swallowing, and makes your brain cells gradually die off.'
Rio was upset by this, but she held it together. 'So what do I need to do to treat it? Money isn't an issue.' There was then an awkward silence. 'You… can treat it… right?' He just shook his head. 'This is the day that all medical professionals dread more than any other. Ms. Kastle, I'm sorry, but instead of talking about how this is treated, we need to discuss how long you have to live. This is a terminal condition. I'm extremely sorry.'
She sat in stunned silence, unable to process what she had just learned. Immediately Hannah's maternal instincts took over, and she clutched Rio as hard as she could, while the doctor wiped away a single tear from his eye. 'You genuinely have no idea how much I didn't want to do this to you. There are occasions in which this job brings me much pleasure, however there are days where it brings no pleasure at all, and this is one of those times. But we are trained to deliver the news in the most digestible way possible.'
The tears then came, as the news truly hit home. 'So what happens next?' 'That depends on your symptoms. In the short-term, we can provide medication for your headaches, and we would recommend regular optician appointments if the issue with your eye persists. In the long-term, we would recommend putting a plan in place as regards palliative care. The way this disease works, the chances are that eventually you will find yourself needing some sort of carer.'
Eventually she pulled herself together, and wiped the tears from her face, putting on a strong front. 'So… how long do I have? Like, will I be able to have kids?' 'We don't know how long you have, as degenerative diseases are variable. The average life expectancy for this is between six and eight years. I would love to provide you with more, however I have only ever had two other patients with this particular condition.' 'So… what happened to them?' 'One was far more advanced than yours and they lived for around 18 weeks, because they ignored their symptoms. The other was in a similar condition to yours, but died in an unrelated plane crash 3 years later. If you need to talk, I can arrange a specialist counselor for you.'
She just shook her head. 'I know who I need to talk to thank you.' 'That's all that I need to discuss with you. Again, I am incredibly sorry that I had to give you this news, I hope you understand that I am simply doing my job.' She nodded, and whimpered in hushed tones 'Thank you', before leaving. The next few minutes were a blur for her, before her phone fell out of her pocket. 'I… I need to' She then grabbed it, and dialled madly.
In the base
Blair was just drying herself off after a hot shower when she noticed her phone buzzing. She quickly dried off her hands, before picking it up. 'Hey Rio, how did it go?' 'I… I… I…' 'Remember, breathe. Slowly.' 'I… need… to… talk… to… you… when… I… get… back. Something… has… gone… I… need… I….' This seriously concerned her friend. 'Just get yourself back here, ok? We can talk it through then.'
25 minutes later
As Rio returned to the base, Blair saw her, and one look at her face indicated that this was a far more serious situation than before. 'Rio, up here.' She quickly came, almost stumbling up the stairs. Reaching Blair's room, she virtually collapsed, having to sit on the bed briefly. Blair sat down next to her, and put her arm around her. 'Come on, whatever it is, we can deal with it.'
It was now that Rio completely broke down in floods of tears, wails so loud that they could be heard halfway across the base. 'Rio, you're starting to really scare me now' 'I'm dying, ok! I've got a terminal brain illness and I'm dying! They said six to eight years.' A stunned silence then filled the room. 'Is… is that what your symptoms were?' She shrugged. 'Don't know. He couldn't say, but… I think so.'
Blair didn't say another word, rather clutching her best friend tight. 'We'll get through this. You just take a deep breath, and then tell me what you were told.' As she did this, Rio's hand wouldn't stop shaking, until her closest friend put her own hand over it. 'It's fine, just tell me. Then we can work this out.' Eventually she managed to steady her nerves to speak properly.
'I… was told that I have a de…' 'degenerative?' 'Yeah, that. I have one of those brain conditions, and that it will probably kill me in the end. He said six to eight years, but that in the longer term, I should work out a palliative care arrangement, whatever that is.' 'It's when someone who's terminally ill has a live-in carer because they can't look after themselves. But you've got loads of time yet.'
'How do I know that?' 'Look at yourself. If anything you've been getting better. Right now, you're going nowhere, ok? And you know you'll always have me by your side. If the worst happens, I'll be there for you every single day like I have been since we met.' 'I… don't want to be a burden.' Blair smiled, trying to hold back tears. 'I chose this. I promised when you were in a coma that if you needed round the clock care, I'd be there. Because I want to.'
Rio then stood up. 'Thank you.' 'For what?' 'Making me feel so much better. I… think I need to… talk to someone.' She slowly walked out of the room, and Blair watched on. It was only around a minute after she left the room that the Michigan native broke down herself, having achieved her aim and having been the stable influence that her friend needed.
Faith Room
As Rio, head hanging as low as it would go, walked into the newly-created Faith Room on the first floor, a familiar voice welcomed her. 'I thought you'd be coming in here. I'm sorry it isn't the nicest place, but at least it's quiet.' Rio lifted her head enough to see Jana sat there, smiling politely. 'What are you doing in here?' 'I heard you and Blair. Oh, and I'd like to point out it wasn't deliberate, I was trying to listen into… you know what, it doesn't matter. Point is, I wanted to share something with you.'
'Sure, not like I can stop you.' 'My grandmother was diagnosed with a brain tumour when my mother was pregnant with me. She was given six to twelve months, she didn't know if she was going to live to see me born.' 'Your point is?' Jana then smiled. 'She's still around today. I'm 17, and she's still there, still going strong. There's no way you're dying in the next few years. I'm saying it now, you're going to see 50.'
'How do you know that?' The girl from the valleys just laughed. 'Because you're a stubborn sod. At the end of the day, these doctors have to give you the minimum, they have to tell you something. And they ain't going to tell you something you might be able to do - that's just irresponsible. So they'll be cautious instead. See what I mean?' Rio just nodded. 'If you want to talk, I'm not exactly busy.'
Ashworthy Brook Farm
Hannah walked into the house like a zombie, silent and arms dangling by her side, which was noticed by her husband, who was winding up the vacuum cleaner's cable when she walked through the door. Immediately he went over to her, sensing that something wasn't quite right. And knowing where she had been, his thoughts immediately turned to Rio.
'A problem shared.' 'I'm… not sure it's my place.' 'You're as good as anybody. At least as far as I'm concerned.' She then decided to share. 'Rio's brain injury is now classed as a terminal illness.' She was expecting a rapture of a response, but was surprised to see him just bow his head instead. 'You're not telling me something. What is it?' A thought then came to her. 'Did you know this was coming?'
'I… had a gut feeling. I didn't say anything because I was hoping I was wrong. I just had this feeling that something wasn't right with her. How long have they given her?' 'Said six to eight years, but it could be anything really.' Staying calm despite the clear sorrow building up within him, Phil came to a logic-based deduction. 'They wouldn't give her that long if they didn't believe it. We just need to keep her as positive as possible.'
'How are you so calm?' He looked at his wife with a stone-cast face. 'I'm a damn good actor. You can't see how I am inside. Trust me, I have never wanted to be wrong so much in my entire life. But I have to be strong, because she's going to need me more than ever. So is Blair. I have to keep a brave face so they can. Because whatever happens, I need to be there for them. When I became their manager, I took responsibility for them professionally, but personally also. If they need me, I'll be there.'
Back at the base
When Rio returned to her room, Blair was on the phone to Jade. 'Yeah, I wanted to apologise, but I'm… I can't do this tonight.' 'Aw, why?' Before she could answer, Rio took the phone. 'She is going tonight, she's just having second thoughts because she's nervous. I told her you won't bite.' 'Oh, well that's ok then. I can't wait to see you later. Byee.' Blair then looked around accusingly.
'What was that?' 'You're going tonight, ok? No questions asked.' 'I can't just up and leave you after the news you got today.' 'You can. It's not like you're moving halfway across the world. I can't keep being a handicap to you, ok? I have to fight my own battles.' 'Ri, you'd never be a handicap to me. This is the path I chose, remember? If I have to devote my life to keeping you safe and healthy, I will do. You come first.'
This earned Blair a very hearty slap from Rio. 'You've… never done that to me before.' 'Yeah, because I've never been this angry with you. It sounds like you're giving up on yourself. What happened to your own ambitions?' 'They can wait. You need me right now and I'm not just going to ignore that, I can't believe you expect me to.'
Rio took a deep breath, and then proceeded to explain her new outlook. 'B, I want you to go tonight. Because you can't just watch your entire life go by. There will come a time, as much as you hate it and I do, there will come a time when I'm not here anymore. But you? You will still be here. Long after I'm gone. But love might not wait for me to leave. This might be your only shot at happiness, and Jade adores everything about you. So go, have a wonderful time, because you were made for each other.'
Rio's words hit hard, and caused a reassessment. 'For so long now I've been trying to wrap you in cotton wool, and I always thought it was for you. But it turns out that it was actually for myself all along, because I thought I could postpone my entire life until things were "back to normal". Except this is our normal now. And I can't just wait to see if things get better. Especially when they might not even get better. I need to make my own mark, because otherwise, you can't make yours. So…' She then looked at her phone. 'I'm 20 minutes behind.' Rio then pushed Blair towards the door. 'Go on! Get going! You've got an outfit that I've not even seen yet!'
As the clock ticked ever closer to 7, Kris walked into Rio's room. 'Hey, I heard about your news.' 'Yeah, not sure I want to talk about it right now.' 'Can't say I blame you. I just wanted to tell you that I'll always listen if you want to talk. I know we don't… we'll, you know, talk much, but we're all family here ain't we?' Rio just smiled to herself. 'Thanks Kris, I appreciate the support. From everyone. I am going to tell people, just not now.' 'I get it… oh wow, I wasn't expecting that.'
Rio looked confused until Kris tapped her in the shoulder. As she spun around, she found Blair stood in a glittering violet dress, held up by two thin straps over her broad shoulders, no longer buckling with the weight of the world. As her dress plunged halfway down her legs, she was also wearing jet black knee-high boots, and her hair was neatly brushed back, so her roots were clearly visible. She also wore a necklace, embedded with three gemstones; one ruby-red, one sapphire-blue, and the central one, an emerald green.
'It's… not too much is it? I mean I like the necklace, but I'm not sure if you think it's excessive?' 'Excessive? You look gorgeous!' Kris then piped in. 'I didn't know you even had shoulders.' 'Very funny.' 'I'm kidding, you look awesome. You should be treading the boards in Hollywood instead of going to some… wherever you're going.' 'It's a steakhouse.' Rio then looked at her watch. 'You've got 10 minutes until you need to be there.'
Hannah then walked in, holding some car keys. 'Your carriage awaits.' This surprised Blair greatly. 'But weren't you supposed to be going out with Phil tonight?' 'Yeah, we're not going out until 9, so I've got plenty of time to get back, especially on empty roads. But we need to get going if you're going to be there anywhere close to on time.' She responded by looking over at her friends. 'Wish me luck.' 'You don't need it. Knock 'em dead.'
7:15pm
Jade was sat in the steakhouse alone, having waited for nearly 30 minutes for her girlfriend. 'Guess she isn't coming then. I hope she's ok…' Just then, she looked up, and saw Blair at the doors, talking to the front of house staff, before she casually sashayed over to the table. 'I believe this is what they call "fashionably late"?' 'Yeah, I'm sure that's what they call it.'
'So, what took you so long?' Thinking fast, an excuse was found. 'We were having issues with the shower at the base, but it's sorted now. Kris didn't say what it was, probably a blockage.' Jade couldn't help but laugh at this apparent misfortune, oblivious to its manufactured nature. 'At least you're here now. I was getting worried you wouldn't turn up with what Rio was saying. Was it really that bad?'
'No… not really anyway. I was just panicking over nothing.' 'I understand, you've never really been close to anyone before.' 'I have, just… not like this. I think I just spent so long confused about how I felt, and I spent so long being made to feel worthless that I never wanted to try and get close to anybody. It's only in the last few months that I really started to come to terms with who I was.'
'Discrimination?' 'Not really, no, I suppose I just didn't know. Like, I knew I was attracted to women, and men as well, but I just didn't know what it all meant.' 'I get you. I remember that feeling myself honestly, but obviously you didn't even really have anyone to support you through it. When did you end up realising?' 'I don't really know, it's not like I just accepted it one day, I think it was one of those things where it just happened over time. It was before I emigrated though. So what about you then?'
'What about me?' 'When did you realise?' This made Jade ponder. 'Dunno, probably about 15 or something. I remember my parents found out about a year later, and they were furious. It's not like they could kick me out though, I'd already left. I was just never going to be enough for them.' She then took a sip of her drink. 'And that's just fine by me. Because now I can focus on being myself.'
Blair then pointed at her girlfriend's drink. 'I thought you didn't drink?' 'It's alcohol-free. You having anything?' 'Guess so.' Jade then bent backwards over her chair to the grizzled man behind her. 'Hey, could I have a drinks menu? It's for my girlfriend.' The scary looking man stared for a moment, and then grabbed the menu, before passing it to her. 'You want to be careful you don't hurt your spine doing that ma'am.' 'I'm fine, but thanks.'
As she recoiled back, Blair just watched on, breathless. 'That was amazing.' 'That was nothing, I'll have to show you all my contortion skills sometime. First though, you need to decide what you're having.' 'Yeah, sure… I'll have a bourbon, and are we getting something to eat with it?' Jade smiled. 'Thought you'd never ask.' The confident young Amer-Iranian then summoned a waiter over. 'Can I help you?' 'Yeah, we'll have a bourbon was it?' 'Yeah.' 'A bourbon and coke, but don't skimp on the bourbon, a large cranberry juice, and two 8oz Flatiron steaks.' 'Certainly.'
30 minutes (and two Bourbon and Cokes) later
The alcohol seemed to have loosened Blair's tension up, as she told Jade a story about ruining one of Maddy's driving lessons. 'So when the car started up, the exhaust fired up, and they hit him right in the groin! A pair of plums right in his plums! Maddy's reaction was priceless, I'm not sure she's ever forgiven me though!' 'You can be proper evil you know that? And here I thought Blair Flannigan was just a good little girl, never did a thing wrong. Turns out you're the total opposite!'
'It's ok, I've not told you about that time that I put the toaster in the fridge and pinned it on Rio.' 'You did what!?' 'This is a cracker. So, like, I was fed up of her leaving the toaster too close to the sink, so I unplugged it, wrapped the cable up, put it in the fridge and left it there. And then when they got it out I said Rio was the last one to use it. And they believed me!' 'How did she feel?' 'Dunno, I ran away before I could find out!'
Jade then held Blair's hand tight. 'I want you to know that no matter what, I'll always be here for you. As long as you're still true to yourself, that's all I care about.' 'Where's this come from? Thought I was supposed to be the drunk one.' 'I know, but I just really enjoyed this. Just spending time with you, one to one, getting to know each other.'
Forgetting her worries, Blair smiled. 'Well how about we get the bill, and we go back to yours?' 'We could do that, but first, I heard they do a real good Tiramisu here. Fancy getting one?' 'Ok miss "I don't drink I'm a good Muslim".' 'Does Tiramisu really count as drinking?' Blair just burst into laughter. 'Actually who gives a f*ck? Waiter, Tiramisu, and make it snappy, but no Alligators, we ain't Californian.' They then kissed, and continued to enjoy their date.
Next time: The Arena Finals are upon us. Will it be Belle or Jade who clinches the title, guaranteed professional tour card, and seeding at the World Championships? Find out in Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter XXXX: The Final Lesson