Discharged... In More Ways Than One

[sil]

The bumps and bruises are healing, yet still present. They are nothing but temporary inconveniences... unlike the pain inside her chest. A muscle that has the very thing the others lack, the emotional string attached, is truly the hardest to mend. Her entire world came into shambles in just one day, one God-forsaken day. She just wants to wake up, the hope that this is all a dream is fleeting. Why? She is living the reality of it, and denying it would just make it harder to get over. But so much to get over... as she pulls up her sheets, trying her best to cover her vulnerability at this very moment. Such a strong woman she presented herself to be. However, how would she remain strong, when just a few hours ago, she lost a dear friend... a little brother if you will.

She closes her eyes, seeing his face... and reminiscing all the good times they shared, from the moment they met years ago and onward. The memories culmunate with the very scene that occured several hours ago. The last time she saw his face, when all three of them sat on that couch back in Toronto. He was elated that the woman he had a crush on was actually "into him." He was always cute when he went through these school-boy crushes... but something about this one was different. Perhaps this was "the one..."

And his brother. HOW would she tell him, when he awakens from his current state? In her endless research to fully understand the concept of identical twins, she found how twins are "linked" on an emotional level. They call it a "vibe"... so Silvia could only imagine that he knew already... that Chri$ is...

...

A tear streams down from her eye to the pillow Silvia held close to her. Her only comfort now that the person she needed the most at this time, has left to do his "thing." She knows he was never the emotional type, so despite her being angry with him, she hopes that he could handle this. Silvia couldn't imagine what he would do, since Damian is capable of anything. Yet, his reasons for leaving her here? Apparently, he left for her own good... but she always cares for his before hers...

A knock at the door interrupts her the rollercoaster of emotions she's experiencing. She quickly wipes away the tears, and tries her best to remove any residue left on her face from their trails. A doctor with clipboard in hand makes his way into her room. It's the doctor overseeing her time here.

Miss Banks?

She removes the covers from over her head, and tries her best to feign a smile.

How are you feeling, Miss Banks?

Silvia nods. No words, but surely the doctor understands.

He walks toward the chair stationed near her bed and helps himself to a seat.

I have the results of your blood work and X-rays with me. Thankfully, your blood work is fine. Everything seems to be stable when it pertains to that. Your X-rays, however, indicate that you sustained a mild concussion from the incident... and your lungs require heavy intakes of antibiotics, from the smoke inhalation.

She twiddles her thumbs as she hears the "verdict." Her sniffles cause her to lightly cough, but it's self-evident from that very cough how her lungs were.

You are truly lucky to be alive, Miss Banks.

Silvia couldn't remember how she managed to survive that. If she only knew...

...

That didn't matter to her now... just...

How is Joey doing?

Mr. Libertine? I'm sorry to say that he is still comatose. We're not sure when he'll wake up... even if he ever will. It's not up to us to decide, unfortunately.

She wanted to see him so badly, but visits have been restricted, especially under the circumstances.

We'd like to keep you overnight, to continue the treatment with the antibiotics... and be fully assured that you don't go into any complications due to that mild concussion. Simple protocal, Miss Banks.

Silvia had no other choice but to oblige with another nod of her head.

And the investigation?

I've been told very little over it to be honest... Miss Banks.

They are sure about Chri$ then?

I'm afraid so, Miss Banks. I heard something about DNA being collected at the scene. I believe it was his...

A dagger through her heart as the doctor's pager beeps three times. A code three in the emergency room.

I'm sorry Miss Banks but I must be on my way. I will have one of the nurses bring in that treatment. Please do get some rest. I'll return whenever I have the chance to discuss things further.

A warm smile later, the doctor hurries his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.

She falls back into the "comfort" of her pillow, wondering when the investigators were to come, and shed some light on how things were progressing with the investigation. Suddenly, she feels more tired than usual, the medication possibly settling in... and Silvia slowly succumbs to it, falling asleep...

[rr]

7:45 PM

Outside on a breezy autumn night, the scene pans from the busy and illuminated avenue in front of the Toronto Memorial Hospital to the contact of steel-toed boots with pavement. Wearing an attire befitting his nature, the man raises an electrical device in his right hand closer to eye level... displaying directions on its small LCD screen. He nods in satisfaction, while his facial features remain unmatched with this certain feeling. They remain narrowingly focused. His attention slowly shifts as he pockets the device, his eyes now surveying the area despite his head actually covered by a small black towel. Those walking by, are absolutely oblivious... possibly thinking he was just a mere night jogger, stopping after quite the workout. Understandable, since height and muscle are his most noticeable features. He wasn't walking about aimlessly though. He has bigger things to take care of... at all costs. His orders were succinct and thorough. Locate the package and follow through with what was expected of him. Failure would be out of the question. A snort later, his trek continues to the main entrance of the hospital. The package is somewhere inside. The numbers, floor and room, are now resonating within his mind with every step.

7:50 PM

Location, location, location. This is what he seeks, especially the whereabouts of the elevators, which would aid him in the completion of his orders. His eyes wander about behind the black unraveling strands from his towel, looking signs indicating the direction of these elevators. Coming to an intersection between hallways, he stops... and shoots his neck to the left, relieving a kink in the process. And there they were. He stomps in that very direction.

7:52 PM

A pair of medical students are exiting the car that had arrived on this floor. He barges right through them, nearly knocking their caffeinated beverages out of their hands, and enters the car. The students turn, awaiting some sort of apology... only to be met with a stern look behind those shrouded eyes. Crossing his arms in the middle of the car, the door slide close while the students can't believe the nerve of some people nowadays.

7:53 PM

He presses the indicated floor, the button marked "4" while the elevator is in its ascent. The man snorts at the poor taste of elevator music, not at all soothing or pleasant to the ear. Perhaps it wasn't for him, but none other seems to matter, hmm?

2...

3...

4...

7:54 PM

The doors slide open and he makes his way out. The number "489" catch his ear, just as they did when they were first mentioned by his commanding officer. The directory of the floor's rooms hangs before him at this moment in time. A quick glance tells him to take a right down this hallway.

7:57 PM

Passing several orderlies who are minutes away of ending their shifts for the day, the man reaches into his other pocket... grabbing hold of another device, yet he keeps it hidden from any wandering eyes. It was especially bright in this hospital... something he was never much a fan of. Distractions and incoveniences were out of the question, in no way allowed to interfere in the completion of his objective. Doors would be passed, the numbers on every door increasing by one.

473...

474...

475...

476...

477...

478...

479...

480...

481...

482...

483...

484...

485...

486...

7:59 PM

Rounding off to the last two doors before reaching his destination. He overhears a conversation between two nurses at the nurses station just at the end of this particular hallway. Something about who would announce what. Some senseless bickering between women. Bah! Such a waste of breath. With this opportune time of distraction, his stomps ease as he passes 487 and 488. And then finally... 489. The lights are off, and the door was strangely left slightly opened, not fully positioned in its true resting place. He slips inside, unnoticed... and closes the door, with his hand still inconspicuously inside that pocket. And there she was... resting. He admires the scene until the clock strikes...

8:00 PM

*Ding* Attention. Visiting hours are now over. I repeat... Visiting hours are now over. Please vacate the premises in a timely manner. Have a good evening. *Ding*

Leave? He wasn't sent here to visit...

[sil]

8:05 PM

Silvia is tossing and turning in her sleep, completely oblivious to the guest that had helped himself into her room. Her brow begins to frown, and her lips tremble as she tries to utter something. The trauma to her head forces her to relive the distastrous event that took place just several hours ago. All the signs were there... the ticking, that call, and their seclusion. She tries to warn the boys, who merely ignore her warnings. She feels so helpless.

She sees herself talking on the phone, the worry in her eyes. That voice... she would never forget. Silvia tries to reach for the phone, but her hand phases right through it. "Don't listen and run!", she screams. Nothing. Not even the slightest hint that she was trying to warn herself of what's to come. She then realizes that Joey has stood up from the couch and is making his way to the room where Chri$ is frantically looking for some damned jacket. She hurries toward him, to block him from taking another step. Joey simply walks right through her...

Seconds later, she turns to see Silvia... umm herself drop the cell phone, hears a final tick... amplified in sheer volume, and witnesses the room being wiped clean by the immense explosion. Screaming to the top of her lungs, she's consumed by the fire... and the stress of it all thrusts her out of this nightmare. Her eyes shoot open, and she's passed hyperventilation... only to find her mouth being covered by a stranger's hand. A man, at her bedside, restraining her in hopes of calming her down. Her heart is about to burst out of her chest, as she catches sight of the intruder... hidden behind a familiar towel...

[rr]

He's uncharacteristically gentle as he holds her at bay. He is well aware of what she had gone through... his commander briefing him when he was summoned. Leaving the undisclosed location of the training facility known as The Compound, Radimir Romanov was relieved of his enforcing duties there for more pressing matters: the protection of one Miss Silvia Banks. Her struggling causes his towel to fall, his eyes instantly locking on hers. Normally, if such a thing were to happen he'd strike without the slightest ounce of relent, but this time... the person in question had a more personal connection to him...

...

His eyes are focused and comforting, as he nods an "Everything is okay" to her. The fear in her eyes is alleviated by his presence, causing her to wrap her arms around one of his broad arms... holding on tight. He says nothing as she does so, for he was never partial of portraying any of the weaker emotions known to man. He was trained not to do so, but he doesn't lack their understanding. Radimir stands there as her rock at this very moment, while he reminisces of a special someone. Bankova had always reminded him of his own little sister, whom he always protected ever since he could remember. Not only that... Bankova was the very first American he had ever met, who actually brought him here for the opportunities this land advocates to be true.

[sil]

If she could hold onto him forever, she would. She actually did, well for an hour at least. Silvia needed a familiar shoulder to cry on, because it was tearing her up inside. What hurts the most? She knows she cannot do a darn thing to change the past, and whatever mistakes she made...

Radimir... how... did you get... here?

She looks over to the door with the utter of every word. Visiting patients during off hours is highly frowned upon, especially under her circumstances, and she knows that she had to be as quiet as possible. She looked into his eyes, one of few who actually can without being mauled to death by his mean streak. Something about them told her that should she even ask such a question?

...

Yes, this would be Damian's doing. Silvia had no idea but he had his reasons why he couldn't be around her: confronting a most MINDful demented stalker who saught Damian out, realizing his orders were ignored by a now rogue agent who came to his rescue along with Radimir, and finally succumbing to the sheer fact that his closest "family" are being picked off one by one...

[rr]

It had been a monumental day, yet more bad than good for Damian. Luck was truly his, that Radimir and ***** **** were dispatched as soon as they traced Damian's location. Radimir had seen many things, more things while under the Compound's tutilege even, but the masked psycho that was minutes away from ending Damian's life was something he'd never seen before. It was almost dream-like... the floating and power. Not even the Ground Zero project could stop him, despite it being a prototype... the test flights proved favorable with each run. Run... how ironic. That would be its primary and most effective use during that moment, to take Damian as far away from that maniac as humanly possible. ***** **** would stay, to fight, and keep him busy while Radimir engaged Ground Zero's withdrawl mechanism.

It would be miles upon miles away that Radimir would bring it to a complete stop, lowering Damian onto his own two feet, just overwhelmed by all that had transpired. He would recognize the machine that stood before him, asking it to disengage and reveal the entity within it. Radimir would oblige. The first thing that came out of Damian's mouth was an order... for Radimir to locate Silvia in the heart of Toronto and take her away, as far as it assured her safety. Damian would then take Ground Zero as its "host" to locate ***** **** with the machine's internal satellite feeds, disappearing in a flash.

Left alone, Radimir would not hesitate, not even considering the walk required to return back to Toronto. He had walked in Siberian snow storms... so this was child's play. And here he was...

We must flee first thing tomorrow... from this city. Not safe... here...

Down the hall, a nurse is overlooking her night orders, especially the one marked for a Silvia Banks. With tray in hand, she walks toward said patient's room...

[sil]

Leave?

There was a concern in his tone that was strangely unsettling, as if something BIG had transpired... and she was not in the known, which always worries her. Not only that, how could she just leave without the doctor's orders, especially with the circumstances? Chri$... gone... Joey... in the ICU, people she befriended to the point of calling them family... scattered and left disheveled by chaos.

Silvia looks into his eyes, to search deeper and possibly see if something is terribly wrong. Something about him being here all of a sudden, worries her. How could he just leave the Compound, under the direction of a new "head" without justifiable cause? Did something happen? Could it involve Damian in some way? Was he... No... she couldn't think that way. She refused to...

What happened, Radimir? Tell me...

Meanwhile, the nurse has just walked past room 487... then 488...

[rr]

...

Before he could say a word, his trained ear wiggles at the first sound made during his hesitation and Silvia's anticipation. He backpedals from her side, and slips behind the door that was being opened. He stood there still, as the door's opening provides him the perfect hiding place. He nods to Silvia, for her to be as calm as she could and that he was here, nowhere to be but at her side, as ordered...

[sil]

Silvia holds her breath, as the nurse steps in with a warm smile.

Oh! I'm sorry... I hope I didn't startle you? I imagined you were resting up, Miss Banks. I have some medication for you, so I suppose it's good you are awake...

The nurse is into it the whole nine yards... the nursing thing that is. All white... with her little hat securely fastened to that bun of hers. Suddenly, the nurse catches on to Silvia gawking at her...

Umm... is there something wrong, Miss Banks?

...

Silvia releases the hold she had over her breath, and looks away while shaking her head with an affirmative "no".

Umm... okay... You just seemed a tad tense there. This medication should help though. It's a relaxant, for any pains you may be experiencing. It will help you sleep as well.

She goes about getting her things ready... needle especially. She checks the status of her IV before inserting said needle into it...

All the while...

[rr]

...Radimir keeps a watchful eye on the nurse administering the medication. He wonders the best way to leave this hospital and this city for that matter by first thing tomorrow... until...

Oh... and some good news for you, Miss Banks. Your chart indicates that the doctor will be checking up on you first thing tomorrow, with the hopes of discharging you, so that you may rest up at home. Earlier screenings made through CAT-Scan resulted in everything checking out rather well, except for the long exposure to the smoke and minor internal bruising. The medication that will be given to you during the night should help expediate the healing process. We have the best team here.

Well... that turned out for the better... since Radimir knew of the circumstances surrounding this case, and how the authorities would be all over this... especially Bankova's safety. Would they allow him to take her away, to some undisclosed location... that he hasn't even though of yet? Something did spark some interest in Radimir, that small conversation that he had with Damian, and some sort of hint involving Silvia knowing exactly where she should go. He'd have to get to the bottom of that, since information is required to ensure her safety.

Bankova's head droops down, her fingers begin to twiddle... She was showing her anxiety again. The nurse takes notice of this...

Don't be nervous. Everything should be fine, Miss Banks. If I may ask, I overheard something about how you arrived here and under what circumstances... and... umm... I was wondering if you needed someone to talk to?

Radimir's lightly groans under his breath... for he never likes those who are nosy... Nonetheless, some insight over the case... and especially the surviving Libertine's whereabouts would be vital in the fruition of his mission...

[sil]

She would have been surprised if they DIDN'T know... especially the gravity of the situation and all the missing pieces to the puzzle that is this "hit" placed on her and her family.

No... no... I'm fine. I do have a small favor to ask though, if you could?

Her head raises up slightly, until she's at eye range with the nurse.

Once I'm discharged, what's going to happen with Joey? I want to take him away from here, as far away as possible...

The nurse could easily detect, in the tone of Silvia's voice, how difficult this ordeal has been on her. Luckily, this nurse had some information about Joey's condition. Placing her hand on Silvia's to show her concern and support, the nurse finally speaks...

I'd like to say I'm very sorry to hear about your loss, Miss Banks. My condolences are with you and yours...

Of course, she was referring to Chri$... and his untimely demise.

I couldn't imagine what you could be going through... and especially Mr. Libertine. I hear they were twins? That just makes things just ever so more difficult... for him... Going through life together, actually coming into this world together, and to have this happen... it's as if this is but an endless nightmare I bet? All we can hope that he's in a better place... no... that he IS in a better place and those who did this will be brought to justice. But putting all that aside for the time being, the most important thing is that Mr. Libertine... Joseph... will need his friends and family more than ever... to cope with this. They say... that a twin's true best friend is his or her own twin... and he will need the same unrequited love to fill that immense void...

Silvia is almost in tears...

Oh honey... come here...

The nurse tries her best to comfort her, brushing her fingers through her hair... telling her...

It's going to be okay... it's going to be okay....

Radimir is ready and willing to be rid of this nurse... who is just making things harder to deal with. But he couldn't blow his cover. His teeth begin to grind against each other...

I just don't know what to do... I seriously don't... I can't bear to see Joey... and tell him... I just can't...

Silvia does, despite her sorrow, hope that he'd wake up... and be okay...

The scene fades... for the time being...