Chapter Six (Aidan)
"You really should let someone take a look at you, Aidan." Dr. Wilkins tells me for what had to have been the hundredth time by now, and it was starting to get on my nerves. It also started to make suspicious of the doctor himself, especially since he had switched from calling me Hero, to calling me by my real name, about half an hour ago.
I know that doesn't sound like much, but Dr. Wilkins was pretty much the head of the whole Facility and if Lily was hinting at what I thought she was hinting. Then I was starting to get a little nervous around him, especially since he seemed to be very eager to get me out of the room and get Riley alone. Something that wasn't going to happen.
"Anyone would think that you were trying to get rid of me, Doc." I decide to say in response, while also studying his reaction. I didn't want him to get suspicious of me and decided that the best thing I could do, was just to be myself. So when I saw him stare at me for a few moments, before smiling, I knew that he had brought it and would at least let it drop for a little bit.
"I don't blame you for wanting to stay with him. By all rights, he should be dead. He was dead when you brought him in, but well…" He then begins to say, before trailing off and stroking his beard. It was one of his tells, that he had when he was genuinely stomped and trying to figure something out, and I couldn't blame him. I had no idea how it was possible, and even though I was happy to be proven right, it just opened up a crapload of questions, which needed to be answered.
For a few moments, I decide to stay quiet. I doubted that he was going to carry on talking, he never did when he was thinking this hard. But I also needed time to think, so much had happened since I brought Riley into the Facility, it had been almost four hours now, and Lily still wasn't here, that alone had me both worried and suspicious. The other thing though, was that I was genuinely hurt and while they had patched me up as best they could, unless I allowed them to look at me properly, I needed to take it easy.
I know, Hero, one of the most powerful Empowered, and he is complaining about how talking hurts. But even with my powers and abilities, I had broken ribs and the bruising that covered my upper body, was a color I had never seen before, and I knew I should get myself at least scanned. That, however, would require me to leave Riley and I wasn't okay with that, and until Lily arrived, I was just going to have to put up with the pain and deal with it.
"Any ideas for what is happening yet?" I then ask, after resting as much as I could. I could tell that he had no idea what was happening, or was at least acting like it, but I had to ask at least, and maybe I could catch him off guard, and he would let something slip if he was holding something back. I know how paranoid that makes me sound, believe me, I know. But with so many lies and deception suddenly entering my life, I had to stop being as naive as I had apparently been all these years.
"I have some theories, but until the tests start coming back, then that would be all they were, Aidan." Dr. Wilkins responds with what I thought was a calculating expression. Which along with his surprisingly honest response, threw me completely off guard. I wasn't actually expecting that response from him, sure I was hoping he would let something slip, but that wasn't a slip, that was him testing me, and I was pretty sure, I failed whatever that test was.
"Relax, Aidan." He then says, and if I wasn't shocked and confused a few moments ago, I was now. This wasn't the same Dr. Wilkins that I knew, and it wasn't the same Dr. Wilkins I had started to believe he might have been. I was completely lost, and it was becoming increasingly apparent to me, that I was entering a world, that I was not equipped to deal with.
"Aidan, all I can say for certain right now, is that Riley is not an Empowered." He then says in a quiet tone. Which catches my attention, and I couldn't help but look around and listen carefully to anyone, who might be eavesdropping. Before turning back to the doctor, after failing to detect anyone close enough to be able to hear us, even an Empowered, there were certain protections in place to hamper those types of abilities, and the Facility took that side of things, extremely seriously.
"How can you know that? He has to be, normal people, don't take the hit that he did, and they don't come back from the dead like that." I then find myself saying, in the same quiet tone that the doctor had used. It seemed ridiculous and from his expression, he thought so too, but this was serious, and I had been in this room since bringing Riley in and no test results had been brought back in.
He then looks at me for a few moments, before smiling at me. "Empowered can't do..." He then begins to say, but the sound of the door opening quickly cuts him off. Although when I turn around, my slight annoyance at our conversation being interrupted, quickly changes to surprise and relief, as I see Lily standing in the doorway, slowly looking around the room and assessing the situation. At least that is what I assumed she was doing.
"That's enough, Ian." She then says in an authoritative tone, one that both surprises me and intimidates me at the same time. She just had that presence and way of speaking, that made you pay attention and respect her. "Unless there is anything I need to know?" She then asks, and although her tone was less intense this time, I could tell that she was dismissing the doctor and although he was pretty much in charge. He had people he answered to, and Lily was one of them.
"He is stable, but still unresponsive, other than that, Lily, there isn't much to report, until the tests results start to come in." The doctor eventually responds, after seemingly debating whether to do as he was told or to stay and I could tell that he wasn't happy to be basically ordered to leave. But that is how it worked here, the same as anywhere else. You have to pick your battles carefully and do as you're told unless you really want to kick the hornet's nest.
"Thank you, Ian. We will talk later though. We have a lot to figure out." Lily then says, and I couldn't help but feel confused by the exchange that I had just witnessed. I had always thought that they were good friends, but I had actually started to question that assumption after Lily had pretty much told Ian to leave. But now she was talking to him normally again, and it made it even more apparent, than earlier, that I was out of my depth with the inner workings of the Facility and who I could trust or not trust.
They then spoke a little bit more, but in less than a minute, Dr. Wilkins had left the room and Lily had walked over to Riley and was gently stroking his hair. "Lily, I know a lot is going on, but I need to know what Dr. Wilkins was going to say. I know you heard him and you cut him off for a reason, I thought you were going to start being honest with me?" I decided to ask in a serious tone. I knew it probably came across as insensitive and maybe I should just let her be with her little brother, but I wanted answers and I didn't want to leave it too long, to get them.
"Riley is not an Empowered, Aidan. Believe me. I have been testing his blood and DNA, for a long time." She then says with a reluctant sigh, and I wasn't quite sure how to react. This is the kind of thing I wanted to know, but at the same time, it just opened up a bunch more questions. "He's my brother, Aidan. If I'm an Empowered, then it would make sense, which he could be too and you know Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Denver. Have been working on different theories, one being that it might be genetic." She then says and gives me, even more, to think about. At this rate, I was wondering if I would ever get the answers I wanted, without opening up even more questions in the process.
"Then what is going on, because you obviously know something, Lily. At the very least, you at least have more than one theory, and I am betting, Dr. Wilkins is aware of those as well." I then say in a more than frustrated tone. Sure she had given me a pretty honest and decent answer just now, but it still didn't really answer my question enough, to make anything less confusing.
"Theories? Maybe I do, Aidan, but nothing that I haven't dismissed already and as for Dr. Wilkins, you would do well to not let your guard down around him. He's a good person, Aidan, but good people still follow orders, and he follows them well." Lily responds in a calm and clear tone, and even though it again, left me a little frustrating. I did start to wonder if I wasn't giving her situation enough though, she was from what I had always understood, to be quite far up the chain of command and that was before I knew she was also an Empowered.
So maybe she couldn't just tell me everything, maybe she wasn't purposely keeping me in the dark, all this time. It still didn't make me forgive her or want to let her off, but if I wanted to learn the truth, then I had to start thinking of the bigger picture and the different things that were obviously going on, most I am sure that I am not even aware of yet.
"Can you at least tell me anything, that would explain how he is still alive?" I then ask with a pleading expression. I had no idea if I was right about her hands being tied, but I was hoping she could tell me something and not just avoid answering my question. Riley was my best friend, and she knew how close we were, so I hoped she would tell me something, even if it meant bending whatever orders she was under.
"Honestly, no, Aidan. All we know is that he isn't an Empowered, It's a pretty easy test, and they would have already done that as soon as you brought him here. What that means though, honestly? I don't really know. I thoughthe was dead, Aidan. Really dead, so do you really think I know something? If I did, I wouldn't have given up on him back there, not if I thought he would be fine." She then says and not for the first time. I am reminded that despite everything, Riley was her little brother and she loved him.
She was also being honest with me. I saw it in her eyes when we were back in town. She thought he was dead, and she certainly didn't believe what I was saying without me pushing her. "You didn't give up on him, Lily. He was dead, and I only noticed, because I was looking at him closely enough, and even then, I had no idea if it meant anything or if anything could be done. So don't ever say you gave up on him, I know you love him, and he loves you too." I find myself saying, without even realizing I had even started talking.
It wasn't like I was lying either, I meant every word, and I could tell that she appreciated them immensely. "I promise to tell you what I can, Aidan, but you will have to be patient. Riley comes first, and I need to make sure he is safe." She then says with a smile. She might not have actually said thank you, but I could see it in her eyes, and that was enough for me. I also understood the meaning of her words and I knew right then, that at least one of us, was going to be with Riley at all times, even after he woke up.
We then sit in silence for almost an hour, as we just sit with Riley and watch as various doctors and nurses come in and check on him, while occasionally taking blood samples and other things from him. A part of me was glad that he was in a coma because I knew that he hated needles. He wasn't afraid of them or the pain, he just hated seeing them go into the skin, and whenever he had to have blood tests, he would always have to look away. It was always amusing to tease him about it though, so it wasn't all bad, at least from my point of view.
"Can we speak alone, Lily?" A voice then asks, breaking the silence and I can't help but look up in surprise, as Dr. Denver standing in the doorway. But as I look back towards Lily, she was already standing up but hadn't moved away from the bed, and I could see that she was trying to decide on how to respond. Her earlier promise to me was definitely making it harder for her, but I wasn't sure if she would want to include me in this conversation or not, and I had no idea what I could say or do, to make her mind up in my favor.
"Anything you have to say about Riley, you can say to me, Kevin." Lily then says, without breaking eye contact with the doctor, and as much as I wanted to thank her or say something. The sudden appearance of a couple of security guards behind the doctor quickly stops me in my tracks and instead, I quickly stand up and put myself between, them and Riley.
"There is no need for that, Aidan. Step aside please." Dr. Denver then says, but if his words were supposed to disarm me and convince me to stand aside, he was mistaken. There was no way I was going to step aside and while the security team was well trained and the best at what they did, even in my condition, they were no match for me. In fact, I was a little surprised that the doctor had only brought them and not another Empowered.
"What's going on, Kevin?" I then hear Lily ask and while I kept my guard up, I could feel myself relax a little bit. If the security guards somehow got lucky and past me, they would still have to go through her, and that was never going to happen. Although with that realization, it made me even more curious over the doctor's decision to not bring another Empowered with him, there were plenty at the facility and some that would be more than happy for a chance to put me in their place.
"We need you to step away from the bed, both of you, please." Dr. Denver quickly responds as he looks at each of us, before looking towards the bed. His response wasn't what I had expected, and I could tell by Lily's expression, that she had no idea what was going on and was equally as confused as I was.
"I already told both you and Ian, that we won't leave Riley's side, Kevin." I then hear Lily say and despite how confused and surprised we both were, her voice was calm and steady. It also helped me calm down a little as well, because with Lily by my side, even if they called in some of the Empowered, they wouldn't be able to get past both of us.
But surprisingly, instead of signaling for the security guards to step into the room, he just raises a hand and steps inside himself. "I am not sure how to explain this, but that is not Riley, not completely." He then says, and if the whole situation wasn't confusing already, then I had no idea how I was supposed to react to that, and I didn't even have to look at Lily, to know that she had no idea either. Her silence said it all, and I could tell that Dr. Denver wasn't joking around, he was serious, and that sent a chill down my spine.
"Of course it's Riley, he's Lily's brother, he's my best friend. He hasn't left at least one of our sights." I then find myself saying, although even as I say them, I can't help but doubt myself, none of this made any sense. But if I was expecting him to plead with me or for Lily to say something, I was mistaken, as silence fills the room for a few moments.
"As I said, Aidan. I can't explain this, but what I can say, is that whoever or whatever is laying in that bed, it's not Riley, or at least, not completely." Dr. Denver then says in a steady tone. Leaving me completely stunned again, although I couldn't help but pick up on his choice of words, he had said not completely, twice now and I didn't know where to even begin, to make sense of what he was implying.
"What do you mean, not completely? And don't give me any of that scientific bullshit, Dr. Denver. Just tell me what the hell is going on because that is Riley. How could it not be him?" I decide to ask, and while there were probably better ways to ask what he meant, I just wanted the truth. So at least this way, I would hopefully just get an honest answer, even if it might just confuse me even more.
"You heard him, Kevin. I know who my own brother is and you better explain yourself." Lily then says in a firm and straightforward tone. Hearing her voice, again helped me calm down and reminded me that I wasn't alone here and also guaranteeing an actual answer. The doctor might have lied to me, but even though he was effectively Lily's boss, he wouldn't lie to her. At least I hope that he wouldn't.
"We've carried out a series of tests and whoever is laying that bed, it's not Riley, the DNA doesn't match. Now, I know that's confusing, and it's confusing for us as well. It's Riley's body, his DNA is also present, but there is also foreign DNA there as well, and not just a little bit, Lily. It's the DNA of someone or something else." Dr. Denver then says as clearly as he could. He had obviously dumbed it down as much as he could, but I also had the feeling that he wasn't exaggerating when he said that they were confused as well.
I may only be fifteen-years-old, but I wasn't just a stupid little kid. I was a pretty decent student, nowhere near a gifted or genius student, but I knew enough to know that having someone else's DNA inside you, was not possible. Well, not completely impossible, if you consider transplants and things like that, but the way he just explained it, he wasn't just talking about a little DNA, he was talking about another person's full DNA, and I had no idea how to process that kind of information.
Even thinking about it as hard as I could, the best I could think of was something like pregnancy. I know, it's ridiculous, for one, Riley is a guy. But that's the only thing that I could come up with, to explain someone else's DNA being inside Riley, nothing else seemed to make any more sense than that, which just made me feel completely useless.
"A parasite of some kind?" I then hear Lily ask in a concerned tone. All I could think about though was how in the hell did I come up with pregnancy as the only thing that might make sense, over a parasite, how in the hell didn't I think about a parasite. Seriously I don't even know how, to begin with, how tired I must be, the only saving grace, is that no one will ever know what I had come up with, that's at least something.
"Honestly, Lily, we aren't sure. If it is a parasite, it is one that we have never seen before, and we're going to need to run tests and find out what it is. It could be dangerous." Dr. Denver answers surprisingly honestly. I was still suspicious of him, and I could see that Lily was as well, but he was doing a decent job of calming the situation down, and while I wasn't going to let my guard down completely, I relaxed and took a couple of steps back.
“With all due respect, Kevin, both Aidan and I are more than capable of defending ourselves. So we aren’t leaving him alone, and you can leave the guards outside the door, I don’t want them in here.” Lily then says, and I can’t help but feel relieved that she was here. I may still not trust her completely, but I knew she would never put Riley in danger and I felt safer with her here with me.
I know that sounds weird, but even though I am apparently one of the strongest Empowered, I am not invincible. Something I am not afraid to admit, we can die just like anyone else, and we can get knocked out like anyone else, it may be harder to do, but it’s possible. So being at the Facility, makes both of those things even more possible, and I was grateful to not be alone.
“Understood, Lily. Two guards will remain outside the door, and the cameras will be switched back on, at least until we can figure out what is going on and the safety of the Facility is secured.” Dr. Denver quickly responds, his tone making it perfectly clear, that he was not asking permission and I could see straight away, that Lily wasn’t going to argue. We all wanted the same thing, well, maybe not the same thing, but we were all worried about Riley, and this seemed like a good compromise.
Although saying that and understanding the security risk, I have to be honest. I had no idea that the cameras in the room were turned off. Seriously, I didn’t even think about those and the way Lily has spoken to me since coming into the room earlier, made a lot more sense now and I again, found myself looking at Lily differently and less suspiciously. I wasn’t forgiving her, and I wasn’t going to let my guard down completely, but it was becoming clearer and clearer, that there was a lot more going on than I could even begin to understand. So with that in mind, I made a mental note to give her a bit of slack and not jump to conclusions. Too much was at stake to become paranoid and second guess everything, that wouldn’t end well for anyone.
“Agreed, Kevin, but I want the guards to understand that they’re to use non-lethal tactics unless the situation requires lethal force. Riley is my brother and unless it really isn’t him, then anyone who tries to hurt him, will regret that decision.” Lily then says sternly. Her words and tone quickly pulled me out of my thoughts, and I didn’t have to look at her, to know how serious she was, and judging by the expression on Dr. Denver’s face. He understood exactly how serious she was and to both my surprise and relief, he just nodded and walked out of the room.
I could see him talking to the two guards, he looked into the room nervously for a few seconds, before closing the door and taking up their positions. As I turned towards Lily, intending to say something about what had just happened, she was already back sitting beside Riley and holding his hand, so instead of saying anything, I decided to sit on the other side and hold his other hand. After almost three hours of watching various doctors and nurses, carrying out tests and monitoring Riley, I just had to take a break. I needed fresh air and time alone. Which led me to end up sitting on the edge of the roof and just looking out at the horizon, just taking in the view and trying to process everything that had happened and what might happen, in the coming days.
“You know, Mason. When a person sits in a place like this, it usually means he wants to be alone.” I say with a slight grin. I did want to be alone, but I knew who was hovering behind me and I didn’t have to turn around, to know that he had thought he’d managed to creep up behind me and was likely frowning right now.
“I’m going to have to change my aftershave.” I hear him then say, and I can’t help but laugh. He always made me laugh, and as he sat down next to me, I could see him grinning out of the corner of my eye, and despite wanting to be alone a few moments ago, I was glad he was here. He was a good person, just as shame he wasn’t gay.
“Or at least wait until you actually need to shave, before using it.” I then quickly say with a grin. I loved teasing him, and he enjoyed the banter as well, and while we hadn’t known each other for that long, I enjoyed being around him, and he seemed to like being around me as well. It also reminded me that I had friends here and that felt nice.
“Like you could grow a beard.” he then retorts, and although it was a lame comeback, it was actually true, and I couldn’t really argue against it. “Sorry about Riley, I know I never really met him, but he seemed like a decent guy, and I hope he will be okay.” He then says, with a genuine smile. He was right about not knowing him, but it was still nice of him to say it, and I could tell that he was being genuine, he was just a great all-round guy.
“Thanks, Mason.” I decide to say in response, as I give him an appreciative smile, before looking back out towards the horizon. “I take it that rumors and stuff, are already going around the place?” I then ask in a slightly subdued tone. It was bound to happen, and if it weren’t Riley, I would probably be part of the gossip bandwagon, so I wasn’t mad or angry about it.
“Not really, there aren’t really that many people here at the moment.” He responds with an understanding expression. His words, however, surprised me and I couldn’t help but give him a questioning look. “Honestly, Aidan, there just aren’t enough people to really get the gossip rolling. Although I have to admit, I have a pretty good source, and it’s a bit freaky if it’s true.” He then says with a slight hesitation, and I could tell that he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to bring it up.
“They have no idea what it is, Mason. They’ve done so many tests, and I’ve seen some of the results, and while a parasite of some kind, makes the most sense, they say that the DNA, doesn’t match anything on record of known parasites.” I say in response, and while there was more, I wasn’t quite sure whether to bring it up. I can barely wrap my own head around their latest theory, and I could tell that both Dr. Denver and Dr. Wilkins couldn’t understand how it was possible either.
“From what I know, they don’t think it’s a parasite.” I then hear him say and I quickly turn to him in surprise. I wasn’t expecting him to know anything and I wasn’t expecting him to be this open about knowing something like this. “I’m fast, Aidan. Probably the fastest in the world and you know me, I’m curious about things, and I wanted to see if I could find anything out for you. I know how it works around here, with all the secrets and that bullshit, so I figured they might try and keep you in the dark.” He then adds, and despite the surprise, I couldn’t help but be almost overwhelmed by his actions.
We might have been friends, but as I said before, we weren’t that close, we hadn’t known each other long enough to be that close, but this was definitely something only a true friend would do. So I wasn’t sure how to react, and it wasn’t until I felt his arms pulling me into his chest, that I realized that I had actually hugged him.
“Sorry.” I then quickly say, after slowly pulling away from him and blushing deeply. I couldn’t believe I had hugged him and from the look on his face, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it either. “At least no one saw it.” I then nervously say, with an equally nervous chuckle. I definitely didn’t want others to see that and make jokes about either of us being gay. Sure, we would play it off, but I was emotional right now and I wasn’t sure if I would let my actual sexuality slip and I wasn’t ready to deal with that, even if people were more accepting of it these days.
The whole Empowered emergence, had pretty much-given people a new thing to discriminate against. So sexism and homophobia had taken a back seat in the last few years, and I guess racism too, but I think the hatred and judgment towards the Empowered, kind of falls into that, or at least I think it does. But still, even if it was still more accepted, I wasn’t ready to be open and out to everyone, especially to Riley and Lily.
“If you’re worried about people figuring out that you’re gay, you shouldn’t, Aidan. People have bigger things to worry about and hate these days.” I then hear Mason say, and I quickly look at him stunned. There was no way he could know, and there was no way that hug could have told him, even with my obvious embarrassment, there was just no way, and he was definitely being serious, and I wasn’t sure what to say in response.
“Seriously, Aidan, it’s okay, and I won’t tell anyone.” He then says, and my head was just really now. Could I trust him? Probably, could he be messing around? Possibly. Fuck, I really have no idea how to deal with this. “Aidan, just relax. I’m sorry I brought it up, I guess I just wanted you to know that it doesn’t bother me at all, it’s your life, and it’s none of my business.” He then adds with a reassuring smile. I guess I must have looked shit scared or nervous, which is exactly how I felt and I could only hope that he was sincere.
“I’m not ashamed or anything, I just don’t want all the hassle and stuff that comes with everyone knowing.” I then decide to say, and I can instantly see the surprise on his face. I can only imagine that he wasn’t expecting me to respond like that and I was equally as surprised, I wasn’t planning to, it just came out, and now I had no idea what to do, and he was just looking at me curiously, which made me even more nervous.
“I get that.” He then says with the same curious look. A look that was actually confusing me a little bit, because he wasn’t judging me, I could tell that much from his expression, but at the same time, he was definitely thinking about something. “Do you ever think about how life would be easier if we didn’t have these powers?” He then says with a thoughtful smile, before turning and looking out towards the horizon.
His question taking me completely by surprise, as I stare at him for a few moments, as I attempt to work out how to respond and why he had changed the subject. “I love my powers, but I’ve been thinking about how this life sucks a lot lately, Mason. I’m only fifteen, and it seems like ever since I appeared at that dam, it hasn’t been my life anymore if that makes sense.” I then say with a sad look, as I look towards the horizon as well. I’m not sure why I decided to open up, but I pretty much just came out to him, and I guess if he was feeling the same way that I was about being an Empowered, it might help to talk to him.
“I remember watching that and thinking that you were some old guy, a cool old guy, but still old.” He then says, as he continues just to stare forward and without making it obvious, I take a quick glance at him, just to see him smiling at me. “I’m quick, remember.” He then says with a grin. I guess like before, he just read my expression and knew exactly what I was thinking, because he was looking straight ahead one moment, and then staring straight at me.
“I bet the girls will love that.” I then decide to say, with a quick chuckle. I wanted to carry on the conversation, but at the same time, I kind of wanted to keep it casual, enough drama and seriousness were going on right now, and I needed a break. Well, unless he wanted to keep it serious, he must have come out here for a reason, and it wasn’t just to get some fresh air.
“Very funny, Aidan. Seriously though, are you alright, because, despite the bravado and the shit talking, I’m a good listener.” He then says with a slightly shy grin. It was the kind of grin that let you know that a person used when they were opening up and being serious and despite just wanting to keep the conversation light a few moments ago, I couldn’t help myself and decided just to be honest.
“I’m a mess, Mason. It’s just everything together, being in the spotlight, being gay, the responsibilities of being an Empowered and now Riley. Fuck, I really just don’t know anymore, Mason. It’s just too much.” I then say, completely laying it out on the table and hoping that I hadn’t just made a mistake. Although I did decide to keep the recent realizations about Lily and the Facility to myself, I may have wanted to open up, but I wasn’t crazy, and I didn’t want anyone knowing about any of that.
“I can sympathize with most of that, but you have me beat with the gay thing and what’s going on with Riley. I mean I can’t really give you any advice about being gay, well I could, but nothing you wouldn’t already know.” He then says with a shrug of the shoulders, but before I can even think of a response, he starts talking again. “But there is something I overheard about Riley. It’s why I came out here.” Which quickly gets my full attention, I had started to think about how the other things were making me feel, but hearing him say that, well, fuck. “What about Riley?” I then say, after giving him a few moments to carry on. I didn’t want to sound round or harsh, but you don’t just say something like that and stop talking, that’s just not right.
“While I was snooping around, I saw that Dr. Erickson and Dr. Denver were talking together and hid to listen. I don’t normally do that, but I saw that they were discussing something about Riley on one of the computers, and wanted to see if they had figured anything out...” He then starts to say, but before he can finish, the sound of a door opening and then footsteps approaching us cuts him off. And despite wanting Mason to finish what he was about to tell me, the sight of two of the Facilities Special Agents, was enough for me to put that on hold, as I stood up to face them. It was obvious they were up here for me, and that was weird, and I couldn’t help but be both nervous and worried, it had to be about Riley.
“Your sister sent us to come get you, Hero.” One of the Agents then says. I think his name was Neil, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, they kept to themselves mostly, and no one walked around with name badges, not even the medical personnel.
“It’s okay, Aidan. Lily wants you to come back, Dr. Erickson has some news about Riley, and your sister wanted you to be there.” The other Agent then says, and as I look towards him, I recognize him, and while we tended not to interact with them often, everyone knew who Robert Higson was, and I knew he and Lily were good friends.
So despite wanting to still hear Mason out, I knew this could wait, and with a sideways look at my friend, I start walking towards the Agents and followed them back into the Facility, with Mason walking just behind me in silence. After almost ten minutes, we finally came to a stop outside of Riley’s room, and with an appreciative nod towards them, both Agent Higson and Agents Rogers turned to walk back the way we had to come, leaving just myself and Mason, outside the room.
To be continued...