[dcs_p]To his left set an array of various monitors and machines. On his right, Alec
could just make out the figure of a woman. She appeared to be adjusting the
controls of his bed. She moved closer to him and her face became clearer,
finally blocking out some of the terrible light that was irritating Alec’s pupils. She
smiled and spoke.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Sir de Payens, its good to see you’re back with us. Sir, you have a visitor.”
The nurse moved away from Alec and exited the room. A few seconds after the
hinged door shut, it opened again. Alec couldn’t make out the person’s sex at
first, but guessed it a man by the stride and sheer height. Within a few seconds, the figure was
towering over him at his bedside. It was definitely a man, but Alec couldn’t tell
who.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Who are you?” Alec said, his voice cracking under strained vocal chords.
Apparently his attackers had hit him with a blow to the trachea. He coughed and
wheezed in pain as he waited for the man to identify himself.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Alec, its Rick. I heard about your beating in the newsvids. What the hell were
you doing out there? You know how the locals treat mercs.”
Sir Rick Ridges was one of Alec’s closest friends. He’d fought with Alec during
his first days in the Knights of the Inner Sphere. The two had become close after
they’d saved each other during a training simulation. It had, of course, been
simple training, but both warriors acknowledged that had anything been real they’
d have owed one another their lives. They hoped to prove themselves worthy of
such maneuvers in real combat one day.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Alec tried to focus his eyes on Rick’s face, but it just wasn’t happening. Whoever
had hit him had done a hell of a job. He could remember one of the bastards’
faces, but he had no clue on any names. As he tried repeatedly to make out Rick’
s clean-shaven face and crew cut, he came to imagine his other friends’ faces
instead. Where the hell were they last night? Alfred? Bob? A wave of anger
and disappointment jolted his senses as it tracked its way through his blood.
“Oh you know, huh? And where the hell were you when I needed you? We’re
supposed to be a team.” Though he lacked control over his body, Alec sat up
quickly, his right arm searing in pain from the violent movement.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Rick immediately reached out to Alec, gently nudging him to lie back down. It
was obvious the painkillers were affecting his judgement, and he hoped Alec
wouldn’t hurt himself any further.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“For starters, it was you who ran off Alec.” Rick shook his head slowly. “Come
on, you have got to lie back down before you affect that splint and wrap on your
left arm.” Rick laid his palm on Alec’s shoulder and gave him a light push.
“I ran off? What the hell do you know?!…”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Alec surrendered to the overwhelming pain and leaned back in bed. He realized
that his arm must have been broken sometime in the fight, but couldn’t quite
mentally lay out the events yet. His right arm too was covered in some sort of
wrap. He noticed his own speech sounded slurred, and that he had to have been
administered some sort of strong painkiller.
“Probably painkillers…” he said aloud.[/dcs_p]