Chapter 13

In the Hospital.. Again.

Monitors beeped, screens flashed, and Rylan lay completely motionless on a hospital cot. My hand was wrapped around his. Oxygen was being pumped into his nose through different tubes. His eyes rolled around in his head slowly searching through his dreams. My eyes stayed completely focused on him, despite the people in the room. I sat in between two beds. Justin sat on the bed next to me with Rylan in the other. David sat in the corner with his legs folded. Phoenix stood at the end of Rylan’s bed. His hands were on his hips and he was trying to breathe calmly in and out. Megan leaned against the window where light was beaming in. Madeline sat in a chair next to David.

No one spoke a word. We all just sat in this horrible situation we had now found ourselves in. Life itself seemed to be falling apart at the only threads it still had. My heart beat loudly in my chest and I felt as if maybe my heart would stop in that exact moment, or maybe I was hoping.

“We should go,” Megan stood up and looked at Madeline. She followed her mother’s movements. Suddenly the doctor walked into the room. He held Rylan’s chart in his hand. Everyone stood and gave him their attention. I stayed perfectly planted in the chair. My fingers now held the front of my forehead, trying to keep it afloat. The doctor spoke in the best English he could, “It was a heart attack that caused this.” Every head nodded, “The cause of the heart attack seemed to be a large combination of anti depressants and anxiety pills, from America.”

My heart actually did stop. Rylan never believed in medicine, especially for himself. Everything could be taken care of by talking or exercising. Suddenly anger flared up inside of me. The only thing I wanted to do was strangle Rylan until he woke up. Inside my mind was screaming, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!” The doctor continued to talk but I didn’t listen. It was taking all of my strength not to get up and leave. Everything was exploding with frustration. My brain was literally frying inside my head. My body tried to take deep breaths but my lungs really weren’t having it. My breathing became shallow and staccato. I felt my hand tighten around Rylan’s.

The doctor left the room and Megan looked at me then to Madeline. Without a word they left. Justin was close behind them. Phoenix walked around the chair to face me. His knees bent and he knelt in front of me. Slowly he took my one hand into his. His lips slowly grazed the top of my knuckles. His cheek rested on the top of my hand. “I am so sorry Shiloh.” Again his lips connected with my skin. He stood and dropped my hand back into my lap. That hand returned to the side of my face. His lips now went to my forehead. When they left so did he. He walked out of the room with a slight exhausted look about him.

David pulled the chair into my view on the other side of Rylan, “Do you mind if I stay?”

I forced my eyes to be pulled of Rylan and looked at David. They became softer as they did and I felt a load almost lift off knowing David was staying, “Of course.”

David nodded and planted the seat underneath the window. Instead of sitting on the chair he sat in the windowsill with his feet resting on the chair. He leaned forward with his elbow planted firmly on his knees. His hands were clasped together like clam shells. He opened his mouth and spoke, “How long have you known Phoenix Oreson.”

“Long before you were born,” my eyes returned to Rylan.

“You seem close,” David’s gaze stayed firmly fixed on me.

My head nodded, “we have our days.”

David sat silently for a few moments. The heart monitor beeped loudly in my ear drums. “How long have you been a hero?”

“Long before you were born,” my emotion didn’t change from the first time that sentence was said. After the death of Larsen my hero life became nonexistent. It wasn’t easy for me to just open up and talk about it once again. “David, do you remember that battle that happened in Lincoln City?”

His eyes lit up, “Are you kidding, of course I do. It happened before I was born but I’ve been to the library and read every article ever written about it. I’ve been down there over a million times and just stood in the same spot where all those heroes stood and fought for their lives. It’s really amazing.”

I nodded, “do you remember what caused that fight?”

“Oh yeah,” David stood up on the chair as if he was telling the story to a bunch of little children. “Larsen Oreson one of the strongest heroes ever, well he went crazy and became a villain. His son Zane also became a Villain. Anyways Larsen wanted his son Phoenix dead because he’s Gay. So Larsen decided to go nuts at his son’s engagement party. He locked the doors and took over all the heroes’ minds so they couldn’t use their powers. He also made the elements combine to take over. The only people who could use their powers was the Oreson family and Phoenix’s ex boyfriend Collin Hanks, also known as Shadow Sniper.” My eyes shut as I heard my old hero name. A slight smile crossed my face as his excitement bubbled out of him. “Anyways Larsen disappeared after killing a few dozen people. The rest of the family disappeared for awhile and the next thing anyone knew they were fighting in Lincoln city. Most of the Oresons were there. Finally Phoenix Oreson had to kill his father.” My gut twisted as he said that last sentence. The image of Phoenix breaking his dad’s neck swallowed my mind. Every emotion from the day was being brought back through David’s story. “The dock was completely destroyed and the heroes had to pay millions to have it fixed. They still have a museum of some of the scrap metal and what not. It’s my favorite place.”

“You know a lot don’t you?”

David nodded enthusiastically, “I’ve always loved heroes they’ve always been there for me when no one else was.”

“Collin Hanks,” My eyes went to the edge of my bed

“Do you want know about him?” He smiled proudly, “I know a lot about him too.”

I laughed slightly, “Entertain me.”

“I think he’s one of my favorites. He was a human until he hooked up with Phoenix then he somehow became a hero. When Phoenix left he went crazy but was saved by some weird hero. They lived together and when they went to the engagement party the hero guy was killed. That’s when Collin disappeared with the Oresons. He was there at the docks and fought Larsen. Many people say that this Collin guy was the cause for the family dispute. After Larsen was killed he disappeared for good.”

My eyes stayed on the edge of the bed silently. It was true. I was the cause for all of everything that has happened.  David took the chance of silence to talk some more, “You said you knew Phoenix before I was born, so that must mean that you knew Collin.”

“I knew him very well. I knew him better than most people.

David sat back down in the chair and stared at me, “What was he like? Do you know where he is?”

I smiled, “He was a very confused boy he didn’t really know who he was or what he wanted. It wasn’t until the hero guy came along that he really understood what he was doing here. Where he is, I do know.” David’s face lit up immediately. He sat on the edge of his seat, “do you remember how his hero friend died?”

David nodded, “Basically cut in half with a discus thrown by Larsen. He was inside the party.”

I nodded. My legs straightened and I stood up. My hand dropped Rylan’s by his side. David stood up also and matched my body looking down to Rylan. I took my hands and covered the bottom half of Rylan’s body with his sheets. I pulled his hospital gown up exposing his bare chest. The scar’s pink flesh stuck out from his tan skin. “I know you saw this earlier.”

His head nodded as he looked down to the scar, “I was curious about it.”

“David his name is Ryszard Khtulu, and he was killed at the engagement party.”

“No…” His hand went to the scar. His tan fingers ran along the pink scar.

I took his hand, and his blue eyes shot straight up to me. “David, My name is Collin Hanks.”

His mouth gaped open and he stepped back. “That can’t be true. You’re messing with me right now?” He sat back down in the chair, “How is that possible?” His head sunk into his hands and he tried to make sense of this. “Wait a minute, if you’re both heroes then that means… Zander is a hero isn’t he?”

My head nodded slightly, “He doesn’t know, so he never lied to you.”

“Well I knew that. If he would’ve known we would’ve been doing cool hero stuff.”

I slowly covered Rylan back up. My lips kissed the top of his forehead before I sat down. “We should’ve told him, but I didn’t want him to have a life like mine.”

“But your name is Shiloh Khorry.”

“Khorry is a fake last name, and I legally changed my name to Shiloh years back. That’s my hero name, although many of the heroes still call me Collin.”

“But Khorry is Rylan’s last name.”

My head shook, “There’s a lot that you don’t know and I can’t tell you much more than this.”

Suddenly the heart monitor beeped loudly sending Rylan’s eyes opened slightly and both David and I stood up. My hand immediately went to the top of Rylan’s head, “I’m right here.”