Jack quickly shut the sleek door of the car and took a deep breath of the briny air. He was whacked in the face by the cold air, some things never change. Instead of taking some steps towards the towering building he instead walked through the park towards the sea. He had a little spring in his step that was highlighted by the dark gray backdrop as winter grew closer and closer. The familiar smirk grew on Jack's face as he grew closer to the edge of the pier, the great wrecks waving at him from the sea.

" Thought I'd find you here." Jack smugly said as approached the flannel covered boy at the end of the pier. Colin craned his neck the best he could before just giving up and turning the whole chair to face him.

" You're late." Colin said tapping the hospital bracelet on his wrist like an imaginary watch.

" At least I'm in the right place this time. It's not even worth going up to your room, hell they should give that thing to someone else." said Jack held his hand up as he took a few more steps towards Colin, " Now c'mon give your GBbro some love." Colin reached up, pushing himself out of the chair with his opposite arm. Jack's right eyebrow raised.

" You been working out?" He asked.

" They just bumped me up to the two pounders." Colin said with a smug look, " They said I'm already stronger than you." Jack smiled.

" Laurie hasn't changed a bit, huh? They used to run me ragged but we always had a good time, still pissed she never cried when I managed to take that one step for the first time, like c'mon. I heard she cried for one of her other patients."

" Pretty sure that's because her other patient was walking down the aisle Jack." Jack waved his arm in the air ." It's all walking , it's all the same." Jack gazed back towards the hospital and instinctively lowered his arm to rest on the back handle of the wheelchair. He snatched his hand up before it touched. He had always hated it when people had done the same to him. The smile faded away.

" How's the feeling?" Jack asked.

Colin looked down at his shoes," Still feels like my feet are asleep, but trust me I'm out here every day until these damn feet feel the cold and wake up." Colin looked up at the threatening gray sky.

" Just keep doing you Colin, but it just takes time." The words echoed in Jack's throat. They reverberated just like when had heard the same. Over and over.

" Thinking they should just renamed GBS to the time disease, that's all they ever talk about. Wait for this to come back wait for that. Just be patient, I know it's tough. Well I've already been a " patient" for a couple months and can't say i've got much to show from it."

Jack stayed silent for a second. It all came back, trapped in a bed unable to move. A night terror without being able to wake up. That shitty Lindsay Lohan movie without a happy ending.

" All you gotta do is cling to that little mantra, I'm the unluckiest lucky person in the world. That's how I did it. Just by knowing there was a good chance I was gonna get better. A lot of people here don't even have that chance. So it's your secret weapon. "

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Colin took a deep breath. " You're not wrong." Colin held up his finger. " At least it's nice to talk to someone who's seen it all before." Jack smiled.

" That's why I'm here Colin, I wished the same thing. And even though it didn't all come back for me." Jack gestured to his stoic left side," Doesn't mean the same for me. We're all different." Jack pulled out the pack of gum. " Two years later I still chew this stuff religious hoping it will wake up the left side. I'll probably chew this stuff till the day I die."

Colin laughed. " As a wise man once said, just keep doing you."

Jack slid the pack of gum back in his jacket.

" Wintergreen's my favorite if you're thinking of giving me a gift FYI." Jack slyly added.

" The only one getting a gift is you old man," spat back Colin. " with my presence, I'm a multimillion dollar man you know." It was true, those medical bills pile up. It had probably cost the average taxpayer a fair share of their salary to keep Colin afloat.

" Old man? I'm only two years older than you. How's 20 btw, wanna me to run out and get you anything at the liquor store."

Colin crossed his arms. " Giving booze to a kid in a wheelchair at a hospital, some saint you are. Also, hate to burst your bubble but volunteering here doesn't punch you a ticket straight to heaven."

" My new job might though." countered Jack, as he proudly puffed out his chest.

" Tell me about this mysterious job, with the cranky boss and her goofy partner you're always talking about."

Jack lowered his voice, " Careful she might hear you," Jack pondered telling the truth. Well he was going to find out anyways.

" You're looking at the newest Spectral Investigator." Colin laughed," Yeah right where's your badass suit of armor, you forget it at the dry cleaners."

Jack gestured at the dark gray winter suit coat and his tie, " I've got a suit on right here." he paused and leaned in closer. "Actually I'm the first unarmored Investigator, well not in the traditional sense. " He added. " You could say I'm their crown jewel for their new experimental program. The new face of humanity even. "

"So you're serious." Colin did not seem to take the news as Jack expected.

"Lighten up I'll still come to visit all the time." Jack reassured him.

" So... you're job is to keep the city safe from anything magical that's found its way in after the war."

" Well yeah, and and other crime we see, the core of an investigator is to protect the people from Monsters, Magic, and if need be Man." Jack lowered his voice for the final part of the sentence like he was some kind of superhero as he threw his fist in the air. Colin sat very still in front of Jack before muttering out, " So what happens when you find these monsters, magic or men?"

Jack opened his jacket to reveal the Equalizer tucked under in its holster tucked under his shoulder. " Well that's what my little friend is here, you can never be too sure when you're dealing with any kind of creature man or wizard or whatever." Colin seemed to be growing ever more quiet. He was under a lot of stress. Jack took it out of its holster

" Wanna take a look?" Jack held it close to Colin. " Bet this thing could blow a hole through a couple of wizards, even if they have a strong connection to the Current."

Colin gulped as he looked at it. " Probably a seagull too." He muttered.

Jack laughed. " Probably a whole flock of them." He put the Equalizer back in its holster.

" I've got to meet back at the HQ now but you stay out of trouble now. Keep it up kid, you're so close." Jack began to walk away making it almost all the way down the pier. He was almost back at his car when he realized there had never had been a reply to his kid remark. That was weird, usually he couldn't get a word in without some kind of counter. He looked over his shoulder and zoomed in down the pier. Colin was still sitting there facing the pier, but now there was someone else there. He could make out a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and what looked like a black skirt. Jack smiled to himself. Looks like Colin finally had someone else to visit him besides this old man.