Adventures in Parodyverse: A Random Shooting, Part 3


    Phantomhawk Memorial Hospital is where Lara was taken, by helicopter.  None of the hospitals in Gothametropolis would accept her - they all felt they didn’t have the necessary knowledge and equipment to deal with a super-type, and we afraid of running afoul of Mayor Velma Klein’s anti-superhero laws.

    Lara had been placed in a room temporarily to wait for her to wake up.  They needed more room in the Intensive Care Unit for incoming patients, so she couldn’t stay there.  That was fortunate for Chiaki Bushido, and also for Jay Boaz, neither of which were allowed to visit Lara until she had been moved.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I should have known better than to take her into a tunnel-like hallway with nowhere to hide.”  Chiaki scolded herself.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Don’t blame yourself.”  Jay said, noting the look in Chiaki’s eyes as she worried and stared out the room’s window.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I didn’t see.”  Chiaki continued softly.  “I didn’t see, because there were too many dangers.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Too many dangers...?”  Jay asked, feeling a little alarmed at the way she phrased that.

    Chiaki turned around suddenly.  “What’s going on?  Why do so many people want to kill her?”

    Lara stirred a little in her sleep.  Both of them looked at her momentarily.

    A female doctor walked in and checked the monitor hooked up to Lara’s finger via a plastic clip.  She then checked the chart, and felt the wound locations under Lara’s faint pink hospital gown.  

    Finally, the doctor looked at the two guests.  “We got the bullet fragments out,”  she said.  “Fortunately they weren’t too deep, and the CT shows no organ damage.  She’s almost entirely healed...we can release her as soon as she wakes up.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s good to hear.”  Jay said.

    The doctor nodded.  “Just try to keep her away from bullets from now on,”  she joked, just before she left to check her next patient.

    Almost as if on cue, Lara opened her eyes and looked around slowly.  She could tell right away she was in a hospital room, albeit a nice one with warm, friendly colors.  A television mounted on the wall across from her was showing some nature documentary.  

    Next to her in an uncomfortable looking chair was Jay Boaz, watching her intently.  On the other side of the bed, Chiaki Bushido hovered over her, looking uncharacteristically depressed.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It’s not your fault.”  Lara reassured the Samurai.  “It’s not your job to protect me.  It’s supposed to be the other way around.”

    Chiaki cracked a smile, for just a fleeting moment.  “I’m happy you’re okay.”  she said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Me too.”  Lara replied with a smile.  “I guess this kind of derails our investigation a bit, eh?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m going to continue it as soon as you’re released.”  Chiaki said.  “But I want you to settle in somewhere and stay hidden.  You may heal quickly, but you can’t recover from the shock that fast.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know.”  Lara agreed reluctantly, paired with a sigh.  “It really sucks.  I so wanted to help you.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“And Jay,”  she turned on the former Hatman.  “You don’t have to stay, you have a whole Foundation to look after.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Can it, Lara,”  he said with a smirk, “You know I’m not leaving until you’re released.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah, I know.”  She rolled her eyes.  “I hope they release me soon.  I feel like as long as I’m here I’m keeping you both from more important stuff.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“The doctor said you can be released as soon as you wake up.”  the Samurai pointed out.  “I suppose you can change, meanwhile.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Into what?”  Lara asked.  “My clothes are all bloody and--”

    In the middle of that sentence Chiaki picked up neatly stacked clothing from the windowsill in front of her and tossed them onto the bed.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You brought my clothes?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  Chiaki smirked.  “I figured either I went to get those for you, or you would be wearing my clothing home.”  She looked directly at Jay when she said that.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What?  It was an idea.”  Jay defended himself.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I have another for you.”  the Asian said.  She tossed Jay a set of keys.  “Take my Jaguar, drive Lara home.  I have an investigation to continue.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Alone?”  Jay asked.

    Chiaki was already walking toward the door.  “Lara needs rest, and she was right about you - you have a Foundation to take care of.  Me, I have time on my hands and lots of resources.”

    She then looked at Lara as she stood in the doorway.  “Lara, don’t worry.  I will keep you updated, and I won’t do anything too dangerous until you’re ready.”

    Lara was sitting up in the bed now.  She looked at Jay, and shrugged.  “Was she like this when you two were dating?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  Jay laughed.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“She reminds me of you,”  Lara noted with a smirk.  She slid out of bed and picked up the clothing.

    Jay turned his head around quickly, and pretended to be examining the ceiling tiles.  “We are a lot alike.  We butted heads sometimes because of that.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m changing in the bathroom,”  she said after she noticed his reaction.  As promised, she walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

    A minute or so later, she emerged in a track suit that Jay recognized - it was one she wore when she went on walks with him outside the Lair Mansion.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I wonder why Chiaki picked this?”  Lara asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“She was in a hurry.”  Jay pointed out.  “I called her while she was there and asked her to hurry up.  The doctor came in and talked to me while she was gone.”

    She slipped her canvas sneakers on and hopped back onto the bed.  “I am kinda tired.  I hope the doctor hurries up with the release paperwork so I can shower and sleep.  Maybe when this is all over I’ll come visit you at the Foundation.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Sounds nice.”  Jay replied.  “But there’s a catch for anyone I know personally.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Oh?”  she asked.

    He nodded and smirked.  “You have to work.”

    Lara smiled brightly and laughed.  “Yeah, okay.  I can do that.”

    The same female doctor knocked on the door gingerly and then entered with a form.  “I have your release papers,”  she said.  “Time for you to go home.”


TO BE CONTINUED


-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2010 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin

Good to see her back on her feet so soon... Here's hoping Chiaki can begin to unravel the mystery!

She hasn't failed so far.