Aftermath
While she remembered flashes of time, the previous two days were blank for Alana. When she finally woke up, Hitomi was right there, though sleeping lightly. When Alana groaned, Hitomi’s eyes snapped open and she moved closer to the bed.
“Stupid question time. How’re you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot. How long have I been out?”
“Little less than two days. You’re going to be fine. The shot was a through-and-through, missed the bones.”
“Lucky me,” she grimaced.
Hitomi gave a sympathetic chuckle, “Yeah. Still, just intensive physical therapy, instead of a cast then intensive physical therapy.” She paused, looked down. “I’m sorry, Alana.”
“Sorry? What for?”
“I should’ve made sure the guy was down and without his weapon. It was stupid and a rookie mistake.”
Alana fished around and grabbed the bed’s controls and raised the back so she was sitting up. She looked sternly at her friend and laid her good hand on Hitomi’s shoulder. “Look, you couldn’t know he would shake off the stun so quickly. I’ve been on enough runs with you to know you’ve never had any trouble before.”
“We do things a certain way for a reason. I should have went over and grabbed the jerk’s gun as soon as he was down.”
“Hitomi…”
“I just,” she paused, and Alana stopped her.
“Look, I knew something like this would happen eventually. In the kind of work we do, it’s inevitable that we’ll get hurt at least once. Like you said, I’m lucky, it could have been worse.”
“I guess.”
“Guess, nothing. Promise me you won’t dwell on it?”
“Oh come on,” Alana cut her off again.
“Promise.”
“Okay, okay! I give, I promise. Anyway, I talked to the doctor. They’re letting us borrow a small nursing staff for the flight back home tomorrow.”
“How’d you manage that?” Alana let the change in subject go.
“Amazing how far a grant to the hospital will get you. Look, you should get some more sleep. I need to get our stuff from the hotel and talk with the doctor again.”
“Alright. I am tired. Be careful.”
“Yeah. I won’t be long. Just get some sleep, okay?”
“Okay.” She closed her eyes and drifted off again.
Hitomi waited until she heard Alana’s breathing become regular before she stood to leave. As she headed out the door she cast a guilty look back at her friend.
“Stupid question time. How’re you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot. How long have I been out?”
“Little less than two days. You’re going to be fine. The shot was a through-and-through, missed the bones.”
“Lucky me,” she grimaced.
Hitomi gave a sympathetic chuckle, “Yeah. Still, just intensive physical therapy, instead of a cast then intensive physical therapy.” She paused, looked down. “I’m sorry, Alana.”
“Sorry? What for?”
“I should’ve made sure the guy was down and without his weapon. It was stupid and a rookie mistake.”
Alana fished around and grabbed the bed’s controls and raised the back so she was sitting up. She looked sternly at her friend and laid her good hand on Hitomi’s shoulder. “Look, you couldn’t know he would shake off the stun so quickly. I’ve been on enough runs with you to know you’ve never had any trouble before.”
“We do things a certain way for a reason. I should have went over and grabbed the jerk’s gun as soon as he was down.”
“Hitomi…”
“I just,” she paused, and Alana stopped her.
“Look, I knew something like this would happen eventually. In the kind of work we do, it’s inevitable that we’ll get hurt at least once. Like you said, I’m lucky, it could have been worse.”
“I guess.”
“Guess, nothing. Promise me you won’t dwell on it?”
“Oh come on,” Alana cut her off again.
“Promise.”
“Okay, okay! I give, I promise. Anyway, I talked to the doctor. They’re letting us borrow a small nursing staff for the flight back home tomorrow.”
“How’d you manage that?” Alana let the change in subject go.
“Amazing how far a grant to the hospital will get you. Look, you should get some more sleep. I need to get our stuff from the hotel and talk with the doctor again.”
“Alright. I am tired. Be careful.”
“Yeah. I won’t be long. Just get some sleep, okay?”
“Okay.” She closed her eyes and drifted off again.
Hitomi waited until she heard Alana’s breathing become regular before she stood to leave. As she headed out the door she cast a guilty look back at her friend.
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