Department of Investigative Services

No longer having the strength or the will to stand, Ezra straightened out as the sun bathed them both in its dying light, then fell backward, barely managing to keep Ryliee from hitting the ground hard enough to hurt her, though it would have been painful if she were conscious. He kept his eyes open for a minute longer, long enough to hear Ryliee's tiny call for him before he slipped away into silence and darkness.

It wasn't until the sirens came that Ezra slowly started to return to the waking world. Everything blurred together. Colors became blobs, lines were wavy and unsubstantial. Sounds were echoing from far away. As everything started to refocus, Ezra felt hands on him and could feel Ryliee's body shifting on and next to his. Protectively he tried to shield her, to keep her next to him so he could keep her safe. Even knowing they were emergency personnel, he still persisted.

"Ezra, it's okay," he heard, then turned his head to see the General standing nearby. He was barking orders and directing traffic, and most importantly he was checking on his two Meta investments.

The second Ryliee felt hands on her, her eyes snapped open, pain slamming full force into her. She swatted angrily at the paramedics, calling them idiotic lumps of meat, and other colorful words. The unfortunate one who reset her leg, got thrown away from her, by an accidental blast of power. Only after she was heavily medicated did she calm down enough to let them temporarily wrap her leg until she got to the hospital.

As she was being loaded into an ambulance, her leg now numb, she sat up and tried to walk. "Ezra? Ezra! Where's my partner, you uneducated twat?" She snapped, struggling against the restraints they were now putting her in. "Ezra!"

Ryliee's cries sounded clear as a bell, piercing the fog that lay over his brain. Ezra's eyes opened wide, his pupils small and sharp as they searched for the source. Finally his found her, on a stretcher fighting paramedics and EMTs as they tried to strap her to a board. "Ryliee!" He called her name, locking his gaze on her. He pushed himself up, his body feeling like a lead weight. He shrugged away the emergency worker. "I'm fine, just bruised. Go away!"

Before they could finish loading her up and strapping her down, Ezra was at her side. He took her hand and climbed into the truck with her without waiting for any approval for denial from the paramedics. One inhaled to speak, but the look Ezra shot him would have stopped the heart of a horse. "We're both going, so shut up and drive." Refusing to let go of her hand, Ezra began to unstrap her from the board, feeling that they were only restraining her because she looked for him.

"I don't care," he said, staring into Ryliee's eyes. "I don't care about any of it, you hear me? I know you. I know you, I know who you are now and that's all that matters." Ezra sat down in the chair after his confession, with eyes still on hers. There wasn't much time to say the things he wanted to say; it may not have been the best place, but there was always time for the truth.

Feeling Ezra's hand in her own instantly calmed the girl down. She no longer fought against the restraints, or the paramedics, she just gripped his hand as tightly as her medicated brain would allow. "They wouldn't tell me where you were." She slurred, letting her body relax against the stretcher. "I thought I'd killed you with my fat ass." Ezra was the only being alive, aside from the General, who knew her whole story. The people she'd killed, her drug addiction, her abandonment. He knew it all. Even when she thought they were going to die, she would not have told him if she did not trust him with that information.

Ezra had been in her home, had seen a side of her no one alive had seen. He was the closest thing she had to a friend, and the last time she went to a hospital she almost didn't make it out alive. It didn't show, but she was scared; she wanted him near her. He was all she had.

"You said something in there.. I've been thinking about it. I was never afraid to die, but I thought it would be alone." She offered a crooked half-smile. "I'm glad I wasn't. Even if we didn't actually die."

Ezra smiled, knowing that the drugs they'd pumped into her through the IV were probably messing with her head, turning her into a sentimental sweet girl. "Oh man... it's official. You must have hit your head harder than I though. You've gone completely mad." Ezra smiled wearily at the girl, then pulled her hand close and kissed her dirty knuckles. Regardless of her state of sanitation, he would likely never get another chance to be so sweet to her so it only made sense to take advantage while he could.

Before the ambulance began to roll away, Ezra caught a familiar voice getting into the cab of the vehicle. In the passenger seat was the General, his face grave and serious. "Ezra, I know this isn't the best time, but I need to know what happened in there. There are dead agents all over the place and I need to know why."

Ezra took a deep breath, never releasing Ryliee's hand. "Bloom developed a serum that neutralizes Meta abilities, and another to cause them to explode. Ryliee discovered his plot and tried to turn him in, but he took her. When I found her, he was choking her." Looking to Ryliee again, he spoke firmly his last sentence.

"I strangled Bloom. I felt like his acts were heinous enough that he should die by human means. I take full responsibility." Ezra knew that if the general found out she killed the agent, she would likely be brought up on charges because if her past. She deserved better.

Hearing the Generals question, Ryliee looked to Ezra, her eyes wide. If he knew what she had done, he would send her back to prison. There was no saving her if he knew the truth. But Ezra lied. He took the fall for Blooms death. Why? Moisture brimmed her eyes, blurring her vision. Using her free hand, she draped her arm over her eyes as tears rolled down her cheek; she knew why. When they were trapped, Ryliee had wished that Ezra could have saved her back then. Saved her from all of the hateful humans, the torture. But he hadn't saved her then. He was saving her now.

No one in her life had ever stood up for her, or helped her, the way that Ezra had. She knew he would defend her when others said shit behind her back, he trusted her even when she sounded crazy, and now he was saving her. Knowing her past, and what she had done, he was lying for her. Ryliee blamed the meds for her tears, not remembering the last time she had cried.

Ezra gave the hand he held a small squeeze. He did not want Ryliee accidentally giving away the truth of the situation, but was also glad that she was clear-headed enough to realize what was happening. Intoxicated individuals often shared more than they would sober; it was good to see that her tolerance remained high enough to avoid becoming a silly blathering fool.

The General paused for a moment to consider what he'd heard. "This sounds pretty far fetched. I hope you have some proof."

"We do, sir. I have surveillance video showing that he had been stalking Ryliee for days, we have a sample of the serums his group developed, and we have data that links Bloom to the crime scene we investigated earlier."

The General nodded slowly. "That's good to know, but I still have to do something. Protocol must be followed. You'll be suspended with pay and placed on house arrest, pending a thorough investigation. If we find out you killed him in cold blood, you will be prosecuted."

"I understand," Ezra said, his eyes still focused on Ryliee. His free hand went to her cheek, where he caught a tear that had escape and was running toward the stretcher on which she laid. "Can I get my stuff from the office?"

"Of course. You'll understand if we send an armed escort. Again, protocol."

Ryliee bit her lip, sniffling softly, blinking tears from her eyes. He couldn't leave her side, not yet. A distraction to keep them from taking him. Ryliee needed to cause a scene. Using her arm to wipe away evidence of her tears, she pushed herself into a sitting position. "No. He's coming to the hospital with me. He has to run tests. My blood, it's still in my-touch me again you filthy bitch and I'll end you-it's still in my blood. He's got to take a sample and have it tested!" Ryliee was not high, but she was very good at acting the part. She gave Ezra a look, telling him she wasn't crazy without telling him

"We can test your blood." An EMT said from beside her.

"Trust you over my partner? Are you fucking mad?" Ryliee grabbed for him. "Trust a human? You need to get away from me before the sudden urge to explode hearts comes over me. Trust a fucking human? Can you believe it? No. No one but Ezra is allowed to touch that sample. It's either him or I'll do it myself."

"But your leg-"

"Damn my leg!"

As EMTs scrambled to keep her under control, Ezra stood, holding her hand and leaning forward slightly over her. A cold glare held them enthralled for a moment, then both backed off and sat back down. He had caught on to the play and was proud of her performance. "Sir," he said, turning his gaze back to the General, who sat in the front seat waiting for things to quiet down before speaking.

"That's fine. We should probably have you looked at anyway." It was settled. The pair would stay together at least through the hospital stay. Who knew what would happen after that. How long would he be suspended? What would Ryliee be doing in the mean time?"

"What about Ryliee," he asked firmly, clearly concerned for her well-being.

Ryliee turned her head and stuck out her tongue at the EMTs, before she settled back down as if nothing had happened. How easy it was to manipulate humans, even higher ups. Knowing her reputation and her history of violence, all she had to do was throw a threat or two around to get her way. She winked at Ezra, then closed her eyes, her hand still clutching his. As long as she could help it, she would manipulate everyone around her until she was satisfied; right now the objective was to keep Ezra by her side. At least until she had no other choice but to let him be taken in by protocol.

The rest of the ride to the emergency room was relatively quiet. Ezra never once let go of Ryliee's hand, not even for a moment. A new mixture of thoughts and emotions were pouring through him, which made him somewhat uneasy. But no matter how uneasy he felt, the feeling got much worse when he thought about letting go. He wanted to comfort her, to stroke her hair and tell her it was going to be okay, but he refrained, feeling that she might think him odd for doing so.

When they pulled under the awning for the ER entrance, Ezra stayed right by Ryliee's side, never once missing a step. It was painful enough to bring a tear to his eyes, but he fought the urge to slow down as they wheeled her through to a trauma room. Nurses flocked around her, setting up IVs, EKGs, and other monitoring equipment. Ezra lifted the needle off the bed sheet and removed the cover. A nurse began to protest but Ezra cut him off.

"Unless you want her to beat you to death with that IV stand, you'll let me do this." The nurse glanced nervously at Ryliee then, seeing the look of death in her eyes, backed down as well. Being a Meta wasn't always socially acceptable, but the fear that surrounded the subspecies certainly gave them a large measure of intimidation.

"Now don't scream, you big baby," Ezra said with a chuckle as he pulled some blue gloves on his hands. Locating a vein was easy; Ryliee's arm bore several scars from years of drug abuse. He cleaned the site carefully, using a spiraling pattern starting in the middle and working out. He then applied the iodine, felt the vein one last time, and slipped the needle in. "My father told me to always be prepared for everything."

Ryliee frowned, barely feeling the needle pierce her skin. "I would say that he sounds like a smart man, but I don't grant humans compliments." She eyed the nurse with a raised eyebrow, fighting the urge to make a nasty face. Instead, she turned her gaze to her partner, than at the nurse. "You!" The prior thing nearly jumped out of his skin. "My partner is in extreme pain, but will not be leaving my side. Get him an IV immediately. Ignore him if he protests, he's an idiot. I'm almost 100% certain he's got broken ribs. Now, if he tells you to ignore me because I'm already on drugs, and you listen to him and not me, I will make it my life's mission to make yours a living hell. Do you understand?" She smiled cruelly.

"Yes," he said, and scurried away to do as she'd asked.

"They're so... Squishy, and fragile." Ryliee sighed, leaning back. "I know it must be painful for you. I'd apologize, but I'm selfish and needy, and I never apologize."

"He wasn't human. I'll have to tell you about my father some day." Some day... the key phrase in that statement. Talking about his past was difficult enough, but his slave-driver/drill sergeant of a father was a completely different beast. He wasn't a cruel man, but he was extremely strict, with expectations higher than anyone would consider reasonable, or even lofty. He required perfection, and settled for nothing less.

Ryliee's tirade snapped him out of his brief trip down memory lane. He just smiled as he finished clearing the line and watched to make sure the drip was operating normally. Without looking at the nurse, he spoke five very simple words that he'd used many times before. "You'd better listen to her." Having given up on arguing with the girl, Ezra found it easier to just doing as she asked half the time, and to do what he wanted the other half. It wasn't always the most cooperative process, but it seemed to be working up to that point.

"I don't expect an apology from you. I abandoned all hope on those a long time ago. You may not say the words, but what you do is your own form. So... it's okay." Satisfied with his work, he took Ryliee's hand again without even thinking about it, then sat down in a chair and handed her the remote that would work the TV.

Lacing her fingers with his, Ryliee didn't give it a thought. Her hand had felt empty without his, she did not like it. Turning the tv on, she flipped through the channels, her gaze bored, but relaxed. The meds were beginning to lull her into a mellow state of mind.

"Um, excuse me.." A nurse walked in and looked from Ryliee to Ezra and back again. "You're going to need surgery. Your break is severe."

The Metas grip on her partners hand tightened slightly, though her expression did not change. "What are you waiting for, then? Suit us both up." She sat up some, the glare on her face darkening. "You try to take him away from me and I will gut you and wear your skin as my next Halloween costume."

Ezra watched her fingers as they curled up around his own, making a weave between their hands. Before the nurse could react one way or the other, another figure stepped through the door. He was quite tall, wearing dark blue scrubs and a pair of white tennis shoes. In his hand he held a chart, likely Ryliee's chart. He didn't look at the board, but knew immediately what he wanted to say.

"Ryliee i'm Doctor Nelson, i'm going to be your surgeon today. Listen, this isn't like TV where people just go and watch surgery and eat popcorn. Orthopedic surgery is very delicate and the risk of infection is higher than other procedures. I'm afraid it's impossible for him to be in the room with you while we perform your procedure.

Ezra looked the man up and down. He was a good six inches taller than Ezra, but he didn't seem to be bothered by it. "You don't have a choice here, Dr. Nelson. See she's already decided that we're not going to be separated, and i'm with her on that decision. So get our gowns, go scrub up, or we'll find another doctor."

The doctor looked like he wanted to say something else, but Ryliee cut him off. "I am not above being childish. I will throw a tantrum big enough to turn this hospital to rubble if you so much as think of separating us. You want to get paid, I assume, so shut your fucking mouth, and move your ass." The poor nurse looked like he was going to pass out, looking from the two of them to the doctor. He stared hard at them, before waving his hand at the nurse, and exiting the room.

"They're so predictable they're boring. One threat and they go weak in the knees; do they not have brains enough to know that if I do that, and survive, I'll be put away forever? Idiots. The lot of them." Ryliee sighed, and closed her eyes, leaning back again. Her body trembled slightly at the thought of being put out for surgery, the fear that she'd never wake up lingering in the back of her mind.

Dr. Nelson scurried away with his tail firmly tucked between his legs, leaving them room with just two occupants once again. The nurse did return briefly, to bring their gowns in to wear for surgery, then disappeared again promptly. Ezra stood from his chair and picked up both sets.

"So how are we going to do this," he asked. He wasn't embarrassed to be naked with Ryliee, but there was such a thing as being polite. "Want me to stand outside the door, or would you like me to stay and help?" Again he teased her a little, trying to keep the brevity without losing focus on the task at hand.

Ezra started to remove his own clothes, starting with the dusty shirt, shoes, and socks. All were caked with blood, mud, and concrete dust.

Ryliee rolled her eyes, yanking her shirt up over her head. "Obviously I can't get my fucking pants off. Do you expect me to get up and pull them off myself? Maybe I'll get up and dance, too." She was quite obviously being sarcastic, but she was beginning to feel pain all over again. It started as a dull throbbing, but was quickly developing into a mind numbing stabbing sensation.

"Ezra.." Ryliee paused, her cynical rudeness fading. "The last time I was in a place like this I nearly died. Don't let them kill me or I'll haunt you until you commit suicide." Her voice did not shake, but her body trembled giving away just how afraid she really was.

"You know I could just go get you a nurse, but you've scared all of them shitless by this point. I don't know if any would be willing to risk it. You're such a brat sometimes." Ezra would continue to joke with Ryliee until she made it impossible to do otherwise. "Come here you big baby." With his boxer shorts still on, he moved to Ryliee's bed and looked at her pants.

"All kidding aside, I don't know how we'd get those off without hurting you. I hope you're not too attached to them cause they're getting cut off." Turning away from the bed, the Meta began to search for some sheers with which to cut the garment free. It wasn't his first choice, but it seemed like the best idea at the moment, or they risk furthering her injury and causing severe and unnecessary pain.

When Ryliee changed her tone, however, Ezra put aside his teasing, stopping everything he was doing to respond. "Ryliee I promise that I will keep you safe. I won't let you out of my sight." Taking her hand again, this time placing his other hand on her shoulder, he tried his best to calm the frightened girl before taking one more step. It wasn't often that he saw her actually showing fear; he wanted her to see that he would be there for her no matter what.

Staring at Ezra, the girl turned her head away, hiding her face with her choppy locks. He had seen too much emotion already, she didn't want him to actually see her as terrified as she was. "I know, it's just the meds talking. Now get me out of these pants before I change my mind and run away." She swallowed her fear as best as she could, and smirked. Push it behind a mask of resentment. Never show your true face.

Ryliee took a deep breath and closed her eyes, leaning her head back preparing for her pants to be cut away. No doubt it was going to hurt like a bitch, but she'd be damned if she let it show.

Starting at the bottom of Ryliee's injured pant leg, Ezra slowly and carefully began to cut the fabric, taking it very slowly so as to reduce as much pain as possible. She was already hurting bad enough; he did not want to add to her discomfort. Cut by cut he moved up her leg, taking extra care not to pull to much on the denim itself so he didn't move her leg. At about the knee, he shifted slightly so he was more pushing than pulling at that point. "If I had a dollar for every time a girl said that to me, I would have no money to my name."

Continuing up the leg, he turned a bit to avoid the pocket. The sheers did a good job until it came to the seams, where the fabric was much more thick and the blades, though sharp, were meant to cut gauze and tape, not heavy duty fabric. It took several turns opening and closing the scissors, but finally he managed to get through it. With one side cut, he moved to the other side of Ryliee, where he would not have to deal with any broken bones except his own, which were already black and blue, easily visible outside his gown.

That side was quick to get through, after which Ezra peeled back the fabric and left it underneath her until she was ready to move. "Alright, tops. Then you're ready for the gown."

Ryliee hissed in pain, but her expression remained mostly stoic, her hands clenching the sheet so tightly her knuckles were white. "I will finish undressing once I'm in my gown. No one sees this," she motioned to herself, "without paying for it." It was meant as a joke, but it was true. No one had seen her naked aside from those she'd been forced to service.

She pulled her gown on then finished undressing. The nurse came in shortly after that, and got prepared to wheel her to the O.R. Her heart rate spiked, but before the nurse could say anything, her eyes narrowed dangerously, and the poor frightened soul remained quiet.

Silently Ezra turned away, giving Ryliee the privacy she desired. He pulled the hospital gown over his head but did not tie it closed; reach behind him to manipulate the strings was simply an impossible task. The elephant that sat on his chest seemed to grow with each passing second, and breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. Of course he did not complain, believing there to be no reason to alarm anyone. It was easy enough to pass off. Ezra was already visibly in pain, all he had to do was not show signs of it getting any worse.

"Looks like they're ready for us," he said softly, eyeing the nurse as she stood motionless in the door, paralyzed by her fear. It wasn't her fault, and Ezra felt some degree of pity for her. She was just coming in to do her job. Gesturing for her to enter, Ezra stepped to the side of the gurney and looked to Ryliee, gauging her level of fear.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said comfortingly. "I will make sure you wake up. Do you need anything else before we go?"

"Yeah," Ryliee smirked. "Stop trying to act like you're not about to pass out. Let the Mundanes help." If the nurse was offended by the term Ryliee did not care. She was in pain and about to undergo a procedure that terrified her to no end, her brain-to-mouth filter had all but disappeared.

"Okay. I'm ready." Ryliee closed her eyes again, her grip on Ezra's hand tightening. Please let me wake up.

"Hush." Ezra's voice shifted slightly into a more serious tone. "I'll get checked out soon enough." Walking next to her as the nurse pushed, hen gently massaged the top of Ryliee's hand with his thumb trying to keep her blood pressure and heart rate at normal levels. "She'll need a top off on the dilauded before we leave holding. She is drug-resistant, and anxious. I assume she'll receive Valium before going in?"

The nurse, seemingly happy to shift her attention off the scowling prostrate woman to a more mild-mannered Meta, nodded knowingly. "Yeah, once we get you into holding, they'll go ahead and administer the rest of the medication."

"Good. Once she's out of outpatient, i'll need a torso x-ray. The 'doctor' here..." Ezra pointed at Ryliee. "...suspects my ribs are broken."

They trio rounded several corners, then through a pair of doors into the OR holding area. In anticipation of the arrival of a pair of powerful Metas, the area had been cleared out of patients. Ryliee's bed was wheeled to the first slot, then a curtain was drawn, sectioning them off from the rest of the room.

After only a few minutes, the anesthesiologist introduced himself, administered the final round of medications, then left. "You're going to be fine," Ezra repeated. "You have permission to explode my heart if I fail."