“Fuck ”
This was supposed to be a simple night out. Just three friends. drinks, beautiful women, and the vibes were supposed to be immaculate.
“So why the fuck are we carrying a dude with a gunshot wound down a fucking alleyway?” Case hissed at Jon.
“Keep your fucking voice down.”
Nat looked down the alleyway, keeping watch.
“Look, I need to know what you were thinking back there. You put our lives in danger, our career, my family's legacy - and Nat! What about Nat, you think he wanted to do this?” Case asked. He lunged at Jon, pinning him to the wall by his shoulders.
“The fuck do we do now, huh?!” Nat put his hands between the men and separated them, like Moses parting the Red Sea.
“Everybody just needs to calm down. Look, we just need to think a little. But for us to do that Jon, you’ve got to tell us what's going on.”
Jon leaned against the wall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. He flipped it and the coin hit the ground - twirling dramatically before deciding to land on heads.
“I hate this society. Everything about it. How it runs, how it functions, how the nobility can look down on us from above.”
Jon stretched his hands out towards the neon lights of the night air.
“I want to bring this system to its knees, so that it’s made by the people for the people. Even if the people are stupid - at least they’ll have a say.”
Case cut in with a vengeance.
“What the fuck does that have to do with almost dying in a shoot out for some random hired killer?”
“Everything”, Jon shot back, “Everything. Before today, I thought of my dreams as just that - dreams. Not something that could be accomplished. But that man is something you don't see anymore.”
“What?” Case asked. His eyes felt heavy - it had been a long night, and what little booze he’d been able to get into his system had begun to metabolize, stripping him of alcohol’s warm opiate comforts in exchange for the early stages of a hangover.
“Someone willing to die for a pay day. Not many folks willing to earn their way. Not anymore,” Nat interjected.
“No, someone willing to see their mission through. No matter the cost. A wild dog, a rabid beast, a machine that will stop at nothing to achieve the end goal.”
Jon took a deep breath and approached Shakk, who was breathing raggedly. He ripped his shirt and tied a tourniquet around both bullet wounds. Nat approached, laying a hand gently on his friend’s shoulder.
“Jon, what are you seeing that we don’t?”
Jon turned.
“The object of fear to nobility. We just need to turn him into such. Lucky for us, it seems he is now in need of an employer, don’t you think?”
Case cut in again.
“Hold up with this we shit. I didn't sign up for this. What am I supposed to do, I’m nobility for fuck’s sake!”
Nat sighed.
“Well, nothing will happen here - we have to make sure he doesn't die. If he does, everything we did will be for nothing. But where can we take a man with bullet holes in him?”
“Call Clarissa.”
Nat and Jon turned to face Case.
“Call who? Are you crazy? She works with animals, not people,” Jon said.
“Do you have a better idea?''
Nat and Jon both froze.
“Ah fuck it,” Jon dialed the holo. It rang twice and a voice patched through.
“DO YOU KNOW WHAT FUCKING TIME IT IS?!”
“I know, I know -“ said Jon.
“Listen, we ran into a bit of trouble and we need help.”
“What kind of help?”
Jon made eye contact with Nat trying to hold in a moment of laughter as a look of mischief crossed his face.
“It’s an animal emergency - but it’s a pretty large animal.”
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Clarissa paused and let out a sigh.
“Did one of you idiots eat horse drugs?”
Nat, Jon, and Case looked at each other. They were equal parts confused and indignant at the accusation. The line paused.
“Meet me at my clinic in 30 minutes. Fuck!”
The line clicked. Nat and Jon began to pick up Shakks body. Case took point and walked as he talked.
“Whatever we do Jon, whatever comes from this - we aren't done talking. And, you better unfuck this cluster fuck. Or we’ll keep getting fucked.” Jon laughed.
“Eloquent. Don’t worry - bullshitting my way through has been one of my special skills since I learned to talk. I’ll make it all work out. Just follow my lead. HaveI ever let you down?”
“Yes,” said Case.
“Twice for me, would have been three but I lost that bet, so I can’t bring up Trinidad anymore,” Nat added.
Jon shook his head.
“Haters!”
The sun peeks through the skyscrapers, a vivid orange it feels warm, like the sun was welcoming a new day a new encounter a new energy, it smelled like rain as the sun continued to crawl along the building's the neon fades as natural light replaces it, it was a welcome change as nights on Centrallica were 4 hours longer, the morning air is full of humidity the streets begin to hum with hoverbikes the tram system is droning on, under the bridge of the sixth street tower that's where you’ll find Tiallice vet care, Clarrisa pulls out her keys to unlock the door of the office sighing loudly, the door pushes open as she grabs for the knob, she begins to panic someone is here or someone has been here she reaches for the bat behind the counter she proceeds down the hallway slowly turning into the first exam room, the lights are off no one is inside she moves to the next room, the lights are off no one on is inside, at the end of the hall her office light is on she would have called for the police but this sixth street on the lower side cops dont come here the come here to by hookers and slack off on their assignments they come to get sucked and fucked for fifty bucks. She grabbed the door handle and braced herself, Her breathing ragged, she pushed forward, slamming the door open. Her wrist felt the pressure; it hurt, and it felt like having her wrist smashed into a car door. She's yanked forward and thrown to the floor.
"Jesus, Ris, it's me, it's us," she says, noticing Nat reaching out his hand to help her up.
"Where is the animal that you dragged me out of bed at a terrible fucking hour for?" Clarissa said.
"Before we get into that, you have to promise not to judge," said Jon.
"I don't like where this is going," said Clarissa.
Jon and Case moved to expose the man on the couch, and Clarrisa's heart sank.
"What the fuck is this?" "What have you three done?" screamed Clarrisa.
"Why is it always you three?" "Oh god, you didn’t kill him, did you?" Clarissa said, whimpering.
"Would you calm down? We didn't kill him; we will explain later; but can you help him?" Jon said in a low voice.
"What do you mean, can I help him? "I am a vet not a fucking doctor Jon", Clarissa said meekly.
"I know but we didn't know where to turn and you are the closest thing to a medical professional we got so can you help us, Ris, please" Jon pleaded.
"Fuck ok go in the back room the code is 4235 get the stitching kit and some gauze," Clarissa said angrily, she started meticulously barking orders at the three, she bent over the top of the man removing the bandages, inspecting the degree the of damage done to the flesh, it was fresh. The wounds started to give off a pus-like smell.
They had sat unattended for too long, the wounds were oozing and too much scar tissue had accumulated. She wanted to rage at the recklessness of these three but she couldn't because a patient was dying and she was still a professional, "all of you except Nat get out" Clarissa said sternly.
Case and Jon opened the door to the hallway the sun was still coming out the hallway was dimly lit with the dusk sun, they stepped out into the waiting room area of the clinic Jon sat down taking the electronic cigarette from his pocket, he took a long inhale, long enough to feel his chest burning his throat begging to release it, he blew it out slowly.
Case propped himself on top of the check-in counter staring at Jon intently, "What?" Jon asked,
"Why are you so gung-ho about this overthrowing the government thing?" " "We are at peace, there are no wars, and people aren't fighting here," Case asked, his brow furrowed, as Jon drew another cigarette.
"You think everyone is living great because you've always lived great, but people aren't living great; people are suffering; people are starving, just not in the way you see it because you yourself are nobility." "My mother and I lived in a sector like this, making do with what we had, Yet I don't think you've ever known that and I don't want your pity," Jon said. The rain started to come down slowly.
The sky never had the full sun in Centrallica, and the skyscrapers blocked out any chance of that happening. Industrialization killed the beautiful sun rays long ago and the corporations the nobility used as shell companies to launder money were enormous and big enough to hide the sky. You were wealthy enough to live in a part of the city where you could get actual sun exposure, but down on the sixth street a glimmer of light was all you could hope for almost as if it was the nobility's way to say climb higher maybe you can reach the sun or maybe you'll burn like Icarus for our amusement, the rain continued on Jon glanced out the window at the street now filled with puddles
``Sun showers huh" said Jon.
Case sat silently after listening to his friend's monologue, "Why have you never told me before I could’ve helped you, we are friends remember?"Said Case.
"Because I don't want to be your pet project; I want to be your equal, as every man should want from his friend, I didn't want to be another one of your charity cases," Jon said angrily "I didn't want to be another thing to add to your resume of good deeds Case has done," Jon said proudly.
Case hung his head, and looked out the window. Raindrops slid down the windows as if they were racing to touch the pavement below, "What will you do now that you know what I intend to do?" Jon said, drawing back on the cigarette.
"Will you stop me?" Will you turn me in? "Will you inform your parents of the kind of terrorism I intend to cause?" "What's your truth now, Case Appa?" Jon questioned.
They were standing face to face, the sun gleaming in the reflection of the puddles on the pavement. The door creaked open, and out walked Nat, sighing and cleaning his hands with a towel. He paused to see the two standing face to face and asked, "Are we okay here?".
"Yeah, we're good," Jon said as he pushed past Case, heading towards the back.
"He's stable, by the way," said Nat as he followed Jon out.
"I guess there's much I thought I knew that I didn't," Case thought as he flung open the door and stepped into the sun, watching the mothers lug groceries to the hover platforms for their families, most of whom were struggling to carry their items.
"I wish I could say I understand those burdens of yours, my friend. "I really do." He pulled a vial from his pocket, dumped the coke on his hand, and sniffed it. Maybe he will have another life, I think. Maybe if the circumstances were not how they were, he threw the vial into the sewer stepping back inside.
The rain continued.