Leo!

Leo!!

Leo!!!

"He's not here Gunther", Tarry said with an anxious voice, running his hands through his hair, as he stood looking around the site of the explosion, as the day broke, with streaks of the morning sun stroking his face.

"He's not HERE!!", he screamed, grabbing Gunther by the jacket.

"He's not here..", he said softly, sobbing as he placed his head on his friend's chest, showing the little difference in height between them.

....

Bleurgh!

khoff! khak!! cough!!!

"You hear that?", Tarry said, raising his head from his friend's chest.

"Yeah, it came from around that corner", Gunther said, pushing his friend away softly.

Khoff!!

Help!

A weak voice cried out.

Tarry and Gunther immediately rushed towards the source of the voice.

"It came from around here", Tarry said, looking lost at sight of the debris caused by the explosion.

Help!

A voice rang out, as a hand tried to wiggle out of the debris on the left.

"There Tarry!", Gunther said, as they both hurried towards the debris.

Thud!!

Crash!!

Tarry and Gunther scrambled through the debris, underneath was a young blonde male laying on something, in a position of protection.

"Ugh..", he groaned in pain, relief and exhaustion, as he rolled on his back, revealing a fair teen with silver frizzled hair.

"Leo!!", Tarry exclaimed, as he cooped Leo in his arms ,with tears flowing from his eyes.

He drew the knocked out teen into a tight hug.

"Help..", the weak voice calls out again, drawing Tarry back into reality.

"They need help Gunther, call the emergenc—

"I don't think there'd be need for that, they're already here", Gunther said, as siren blares could be heard in the distance.

"This is the police!!"

"Step away from the crime scene"

The law enforcer said through a megaphone, as health workers hurried down from the ambulance to carry Leo and other casualties into the ambulance.

"We would like to get a statement from you", a police officer said, coming towards Tarry and Gunther, while holding a pen and paper.

"I'm sorry we just arrived, and as you can see, my friend is in shock, his son was part of the casualties", Gunther said, while stopping any further advances of the officer.

"So if you'll excuse us, we have to hit the road to the hospital", he added.

"Let's go..", he said to Tarry, as they move towards his vehicle.

Vrroom..

He ignited the engine of the vehicle, as he engaged it into drive.

"He'll be fine, he's now in safe hands", Gunther said, casting one last look at his worried friend, before focusing on the road.

"He's not safe until I make sure he has gotten the best medical attention", Tarry replied in a frustrated and annoyed tone.

The vehicle zoomed along the express towards the hospital, under the full fledged morning.

.....

"This route leads to Olive Hospital, I guess that's where they'll be taken", Gunther pointed, while tailing an ambulance.

"Well, it's rather one of the best", he added, as he refocused his gaze on the road, as the sun began to rise, while his watch beeped at 8:00am.

...

OLIVE HOSPITAL

They arrived at a very large tall building of eight storeys, ornamented with trees and with the name Olive Hospital written on a slab at the entrance, as Gunther hurriedly parked the vehicle at the lot.

Thud!

They hastily jumped down from the car, slamming the door of the vehicle, as they both ran into the hospital.

..

"We have casualties coming in"

"Take them to the ER!"

"Those belong to the ICU!!"

"We need to see the next of kin.."

"He'll be needing an immediate surgery"

"Just painkillers would be fine"

The hospital was already choked up with activities, as health workers could be seen bustling down the storeys, through the stairs and elevators.

"Hey! Hey—

"I'm busy man"

Tarry made efforts to speak with one of the health workers, to no avail.

"Calm down Tarry"

 "Look, why don't we start from the reception?", Gunther suggested.

"You're right , but I can't calm down Gunther, I haven't seen him", he said walking briskly to the counter of a very wide reception.

"I'm looking for a light skin caucasian male, with  silver frizzled hair", he said as soon as he got to the receptionist.

"Frizzled..silver..hai—

The cyborg receptionist spoke, going through her holographic records, before being interrupted.

"ICU!! We have two new casualties, a blonde male and a teen with silver hair", a health worker said, as he wheeled two bodies into the hospital from the ambulance.

"Leo! Leo!!", Tarry called, moving towards the body.

"Please, sir , kindly move away", a nurse said.

"That's my SON", he reacted.

"Yes, and he's in safe hands now", a doctor with a bionic left eye and right arm said, taking over from the nurses.

"I would ask you to kindly have a seat, and calm down sir", the doctor further added.

"Let's go buddy", Gunther said, dragging Tarry by his shoulder to a seat at the reception.

"Can you kindly please fill in this form", a stunning brunette nurse, without any augmentations said some five minutes later, carrying a holographic document, with a light pen in hand, as she gestured towards Tarry.

"Alright", he said, as he looked up the document, carrying a tag "Next Of Kin".

He filled out the document, but hesitated to pen down his signature, as he looked lost in thought.

.....

Tarry!

Tarry!!

An accident wreck site, with a female calling out his name.

.....

Tarry!

Tarry!!

Tarry!!!

Gunther hollered, bringing his friend back to the present.

"Your signature", he reminded him.

"Oh, sorry..", he said with an apologetical look, as he penned down his signature.

"And for the other male, you related to him?", the nurse asked, as she took up the tab from him.

"No..wer—

Dud..

"Ow..", Gunther yelped in pain, as Tarry interrupted him by jabbing his ribs with his elbow.

"Yeah...this is brother..", Tarry said in an unconvincing tone, while smiling awkwardly.

"Are..you..sure?", the nurses asked, chopping her words in a sweet stern tone, while raising her eyebrows.

"Yes I am his brother", Gunther said in a firm voice, holding onto his jabbed ribs.

"Alright then, I'll send you bills for both of them", she said smiling.

"And..you have a sweet smile", she said, winking at Tarry, as she took her leave.

"You also look stunning", Gunther said, after she left.

"Looks like someone is into you", Gunther jeered with a smirk, while hitting Tarry at the side.

"Hey! That reminds me, you didn't have to hit me that hard", he said frowning.

"I'm sorry bud", Tarry apologized, with hands clasped together.

"Can't take a hit without squealing like a girl", Tarry teased, as Gunther gave an unimpressed expression.

"What! It's just a joke", Tarry defended.

"You saw it....again", Gunther said, his expression not changing.

"Saw what..", Tarry inquired, as he chuckled nervously

"It's in the past Tarry! Leave it there!", Gunther continued.

"I know, it's just—

"You don't Tarry, you've had enough Tarry, so leave it in the past where it belongs." he added.

"We have bigger issues at our hands now mon ami, like the monster we created", he said in a whisper.

"Moreover, if you have time to wander into the past, maybe you could redirect that energy and time into coming up with a solution that fixes the future."

"Cause this future is looking very bleak", he ended with an exhausted sigh.

"Can I get a bottle of water", he asked an auxiliary worker that walked pass.

"The vending machine is by the left, second", he replied.

"Thanks", Gunther appreciated.

"Excuse me..", he said to Tarry, as he took his leave.

"What am I doing? How the fuck did this happen?", he asked himself, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, with head bowed.

"Mondéééyyy!!", he screamed the name his head, as he raised his head with a new resignation.

...

SECOND FLOOR

"The tracks have been set", Gunther said to himself, fiddling with his coin as a dark grin escaped his lips.

Whirrr—ching!

"Stuck again! I hate vending machines", he said in a flustered tone, as he hit the vending machine to get the bottle of water out.

....

CONFERENCE ROOM

"That way, we'll create a utopia for both the capital city and the undercity", a man concluded his speech, as applause could be heard.

Wi—Thud.

The conference doors were swung open and shut, as an assistant came in with a sense of urgency, as she strolled towards the speaker and whispered into his ears.

His eyes widened in realization of the message.

"We would continue this meeting another, I have a matter of urgency to attend to", he said, as he left the conference room with an air of revered dominance.

.....

"Who's Mr Tarry?", a doctor announced, coming out of the ICU, waking Tarry from his slumber.

"I am sir", he said, jerking up from his seat.

"Well, I'm happy to tell you that your son is out of the woods, and his condition has been stabilized, alongside the blonde male", he happily said.

"Christine would get the bills to you", he added, gesturing to the earlier brunette nurse.

"When can I see him!", Tarry requested, as the doctor made his leave.

"In an hour or two", Christine replied with a sweet smile.

"Where are they keeping him?", he further asked.

"The fifth ward on the third floor", she replied, with her smile intact.

"So...do you want the bill now or later, family guy..", she spoke softly, as she broaden her smile, he smiled in return.

"Flirting I see", a voice said from behind.

….