Prologue Interlude
The air inside the hospital felt as absent as air could feel. Utterly average temperature, not the slightest of breezes. And around these hallways, the burns unit, even scents were scarce, contrary to Robert's expectations. If he didn't need to breathe, he'd forget that air still existed.
He found room 824, where they kept Jane. He looked in through an open door, saw a nurse, then saw Jane on the bed, dressed in a pale-blue smock, with one arm wrapped in white bandages.
"Robert!" She shouted the first half, then finished his name off in a quieter voice, perhaps remembering she was in a hospital.
"How are you holding up?" he asked.
"Hurts like no tomorrow. Robert, end my suffering."
"I'm sure the nurse wouldn't be happy if I did that. Right?"
"Yeah," the nurse said in monotone. "I might have to kick your ass."
Robert gave the nurse a nod. "Glad to see you're in good hands," he then said to Jane. "I thought Becky's here?"
"She's down in the lobby."
"With your phone?"
"You know it. She got hooked on something new. Fire…Fire Heroes, or whatever."
"Fire Heroes. Huh. She's taking after you."
"First off, I'm actually making money. You have no idea how much she's done the opposite on that phone game. Please have mercy. Hey, wanna get me a popsicle? Mini-fridge's right there." Jane pointed with a nod of her chin.
As Robert scanned the fridge, he noticed movement at the door of their room, a shadow in his peripheral vision. Becky had just arrived.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"It's the chief!" Becky said.
"Say hi to Mr. Atlas," Jane bid.
"Hi to Mr. Atlas," Becky repeated.
"It's the kiddo," Robert said. "Your mother told me you're playing a fire game. Thinking of joining our department soon?"
"Fire Emblem," Becky explained. "I thought it actually had something to do with firefighters. It doesn't, but it's still cool. I used up my screen-time for today." She deposited the phone by Jane's nightstand. "You planning on doing anything fun later, Mr. Atlas?"
"I'm afraid we'll have very different notions of fun."
"You probably think filing taxes is fun, huh."
"Taxation violates my core beliefs as a human being."
"But Robert, that's how we're getting paid," Jane pointed out. "Anyways, I hope my little one won’t be too much trouble for you. She's been cooped up in here for quite a bit now."
"You think I'm bringing her with me?" Robert asked.
"Shut up," Jane chuckled. "I thought that's what you came here to do."
"I'm visiting you."
"Yeah. And not also your number one fan?"
"I'm not his fan," Becky said. "It's more like…I look up to him a lot."
"That's the same thing," the nurse pointed out in monotone.
Jane knew Robert, the childless and unmarried chief. Robert's family was his crew at the fire department, and sometimes his crew’s families by extension. And Becky was his favorite niece.
"Alright, Becky," Robert conceded. "You interested in surveying the mountains?"
"For what?"
"Who knows. Birds. Fire hazards. Ligers."
Becky's eyes lit up. "Heck yeah."
Becky bid farewell to her mom, and also the nurse for good measure. She joined Robert in his Ford Mustang, and they drove off toward the mountains. The mist hung especially thick in the air that day. He thought he heard the howl of wolves behind them.
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Robert stood by the edge of the top-lane, observing as the newly arrived battlers roamed about nearby. They seemed to congregate toward where he remembered the cottage to be, far in the distance and behind trees. But one person among the masses jogged right toward him. Saber.
"Mr. Atlas," she called as she neared. "Hey. There you are."
"What in the world happened?" Robert asked, shooting a quick glance at the strangers around them.
"I'll explain on the way back. We need your help."
Robert looked up to the sky. The clouds, so freely they drifted about. Untethered.
"Let me take a look," he said.