BLOODBURG

by Nyssa Renay

  Allie laughed. “Definitely.”

  “Was anyone else hurt?”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid so,” she replied somberly. “Some didn’t make it out. We were lucky.”

  “Oh, man. That’s awful.” Kevin sighed. “What about the owner? It was so nice that he gave us the dinner and everything for free. I remember him coming to the table and introducing himself, but then everything goes black and…” Kevin trailed off, rubbing the side of his temple as if his head hurt.

  “He’s dead!” Allie blurted awkwardly.

  At Allie’s outburst, one of the officers peered through the small window in the door.

  “Oh, man. That sucks,” Kevin replied somberly as he noticed the officer’s face in the window. “Allie? Why are the cops here? They don’t think we had anything to do with it, do they?” His voice shook.

  “Nah, it’s just standard procedure,” she lied, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. “A detective came in last night while you were sleeping and asked me a few questions. That’s all.”

  “About what?”

  “Just if I saw anything weird or suspicious before the explosion,” she lied again. “I’m sure he’ll stop by and ask you the same. It’s no big deal. Sometimes businesses get into arson to collect the insurance money. I’m sure they’re just ruling it out.”

  “Oh, okay.” Kevin’s face relaxed.

  “You know…we could probably sue the place since we were nearly killed,” she said firmly, changing the subject. “Don’t you think?”

  “It wouldn’t be right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We’re lucky to be alive. Think about the owner’s family. What if that guy had kids? I think they’ve lost enough already, don’t you?”

  Allie was speechless. In all her life, she’d never been involved with a wonderful, humble man who honestly cared more about other people than himself. Allie had never believed much in fate, but, in that moment, she found herself thanking whatever force had brought the two of them together.

  “Yeah, you’re exactly right.” Allie smiled, blushing. “You’re a good man. I might have to keep you around for a while,” she said playfully.

  Kevin grinned. “Well, I wouldn’t mind that at all. But then again, it could just be the medication talking,” he replied playfully.

  “Oh!” Allie laughed. “I see how it is,” she teased.

  “No. It’s not like that at all,” he said, looking down and shaking his head before glancing back up at Allie. “It’s just that, despite lying here all busted up right now, I still think I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world.”

  “And why’s that?” Allie asked with a huge smile on her face.

  “My brothers and I only came to the city to try to get a loan to help save my father. After several banks denied us, we ended up being at the right place at the right time to stop that robbery. I don’t think I told you this yet, but the owner of the bank was so thankful for what we did that he set up an account to cover all our father’s medical bills. And in the middle of all that, I met this really amazing girl, too.” A mischievous smile spread slowly across his bruised face.

  “Smooth…really smooth!” Allie laughed. “I’ll give you that one.”

  “Honestly, I’m really glad I met you.”

  Allie blushed. “Me, too.”

  A nurse bustled into the room. “And how are we feeling today, Kevin?” she asked as she scurried to his bedside to check his vital signs.

  “A little bit of a headache, but other than that, the medication is keeping things nice and calm,” Kevin smiled.

  “That’s great to hear!” the nurse said, unlocking the bed’s wheels and rolling him toward the door.

  “Where are you taking him?” Allie asked, worried.

  “I need to take him down to radiology for another set of x-rays and an ultrasound to see how that punctured lung is doing,” the nurse explained. “It’ll only take an hour or so, and then I’ll bring him right back.”

  Allie nodded, settling back in her bed.

  “Oh, and Dr. Brown should be in to see you sometime in the next few hours. If he discharges you, you can always stay and wait,” she said, pointing to the chair on Kevin’s side of the room. “Visiting hours are until seven o’clock.”

  “Thank you,” Allie replied, giving Kevin a quick smile as the nurse wheeled him out of the room.

  “You know,” Joseph said nonchalantly as he uncloaked himself in the chair beside her bed. “I really do think he might be the right guy for you, after all.”

  “Dammit!” Allie gasped. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!” She looked over at the window in the door, expecting to see the officer’s face again.

  “Oh, they can’t hear us,” Joseph explained. “To them, you just fell back asleep.” A wide grin spread across his face. “I’m glad to see that you’re okay, Allison.”

  “How long have you been sitting there?” she said, embarrassed that Joseph had witnessed the flirtatious conversation.

  “Long enough to admit I was wrong about that man,” Joseph admitted. “He really does care about you.”

  “Are you trying to get me riled up, or are you actually being honest for a change?”

  Joseph smiled, fiddling with the fedora on his lap for a few moments before answering. “Honesty has never been my strong suit. But yes, I’m being serious.”

  Allie was shocked by his sincerity. This was a whole new side of Joseph that she hadn’t seen before. “Good, because I really like him.”

  “I’m happy for you,” he said, forcing a smile. “Since we’re being completely honest with each other…we need to talk.”

  Allie’s heart dropped. In her experience, the phrase We need to talk was never a good sign. Instantly, her mind flashed back to each time her heart had been broken by those same words. “Oh, yeah? About what?”

  “First, let me thank you.” Joseph smiled. “Thank you for saving my life in the restaurant. It was a humbling experience. Without your ingenuity, I would have certainly died.”

  “You’re welcome,” Allie said feeling uncomfortable. It wasn’t every day that you got a thank you for saving someone’s life, and she wasn’t exactly sure how to react. “But, hey! You saved my life first, and now I’ve saved yours. I guess we’re even.”

  “Exactly,” Joseph said looking down at the fedora in his lap. “Which only makes this harder to say.”

  “Wait! You’re not firing me, are you?” Allie groaned.

  Joseph laughed as he continued to avoid her eyes. “No, you aren’t fired. You just no longer work for me.”

  “That’s literally the definition of being fired,” Allie insisted.

  Joseph looked up. “I don’t want anyone to work for me…not anymore. I’m too dangerous to be around, and it’s time to leave Bloodburg, just me and Marcus.”

  Allie felt a slight pang of rejection at hearing she was being left behind. “But, why?” she asked, trying to mask the hurt in her voice. “I thought we worked great together.”

  “We do.” He smiled, tilting his head slightly. “That’s why this is so hard. Your place is here with your sister and Kevin. You know that.”

  Although Allie knew Joseph was right, it still was incredibly hard to accept. “Where are you going?”

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Why not?” she argued.

  “Do you remember why I wipe memories of me from those I meet?” he asked with a cold tone of voice.

  “Because you like to remain a secret.”

  “And why do I do that?”

  “So no one can track you down, but you know I’d never say—”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about,” Joseph disputed. “I’m worried about other bounty hunters using you to get to me,” Joseph said, slowly reaching for Allie.

  Allie quickly slid back to avoid his touch. “Whoa!” she snapped. “You are not going to erase my me
mory again.”

  “Think of it as a gift,” Joseph insisted. “That whole story you made up for Patience…about winning the lottery. It’ll still work. Only this time, you’ll remember you’ve won even more.”

  “But I already told her that it was only for twenty thousand dollars, not ten million.”

  “Then I’ll just hire someone to show up at your door with a bunch of balloons and a big ten- million-dollar check, just like they do on those television commercials,” Joseph insisted. “I always thought those things were rigged, anyway…and that way, you can be happy in your new life, and so can Patience and Kevin. Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

  “What about Sanders?” Allie asked. “He knows I’ve worked for you. If he starts asking me about you, those headaches will start again!”

  “They won’t. I promise.” Joseph chuckled. “Detective Sanders will be my last stop before I leave the city. I’ve already made an appointment with him for tomorrow afternoon. He’ll never remember what really happened with you, or the warehouse, or Kevin…none of it.”

  “Don’t I get a say in all of this?” Allie begged. “It’s my mind you’re screwing around with.”

  “Remembering me in any way could get you killed,” he said sternly. “Don’t you understand that? Those hunters don’t care about anyone or anything outside of their own agenda.”

  “Neither do you, it seems,” she grumbled. “I thought you might have changed, but no…you’re back to being that same selfish prick you were when I first met you. All you want to do is hide from the world and free yourself from any guilt or responsibility for what happens, instead of actually trying to make a difference.”

  Joseph stared at Allie for several moments before speaking. “You know, when I first arrived on this planet, all I saw was a bunch of primitives completely oblivious to everything around them. I tried to learn more about your species…the strange customs, the weird little quirks…but the greatest lesson I learned about mankind is the unending, unchanging need to keep the status quo. Those with power fight to stay in power, crushing any humanitarian cause that would produce real change for the majority of the people. I’ve watched this planet slowly evolve into nothing more than a playground for those with selfish interests and immoral behavior. Nothing ever changes here.”

  “I know, but your abilities and resources could make life a little better for some of us,” Allie offered. “We’re not all bad. I mean, look what you’ve done for me.”

  “That’s exactly my point, Allison.” Joseph frowned. “I’m not saying that everyone I’ve ever interacted with was a detriment to society. Sure, I’ve befriended many wonderful people in my time here. But in the end, they all shared the same risks…just like you did…from the moment they met me. It’s gotten most of them killed.” He sighed. “And for those that did manage to survive, the hardest part for me was having to erase their memories and watch them slowly grow old and die. You have no idea how painful that is,” Joseph explained somberly.

  “I’m sure it’s hard,” she said sincerely. “But to be honest, after getting to know you, I don’t think you have to worry about that with me,” she mocked, trying to break the tension.

  “Why not?”

  “Because, without me, you’ll probably be killed before I have a chance to grow old,” she taunted playfully.

  Joseph chuckled. “I’ll say it again, Allison. You never cease to amaze me.”

  “Then, please, don’t erase my memory,” she begged. “I just might end up amazing you again in the future. You never know, right?”

  Joseph smiled, tilting his head slightly. “That’s probably true. But I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you because of me. I’ve already done enough damage to your life as it is, and it needs to stop.”

  “Well, shit happens to everyone,” Allie snapped. “You need to stop feeling guilty about me all the time. I can handle it. And if something happens to me in the future, it’ll be on me, not you, okay?”

  “Fine,” Joseph muttered, giving up. “Then, what about Kevin?”

  “What about him?”

  “Well, if you don’t want your memory wiped, then I guess I should at least offer to give him his back, too, right?” he argued.

  “I-I don’t know,” Allie replied, realizing Joseph was forcing her into the same position with Kevin as she had just done to him.

  She immediately felt like a hypocrite for not wanting Kevin to remember how he’d used her in the robbery. She liked Kevin the way he was. He was happy, confident, and felt like a true hero instead of the criminal he’d almost become. Changing his memory might make him rethink everything and could ruin the growing spark between them.

  Joseph smiled sympathetically. “Not an easy thing to do, is it?”

  “No.” Allie sighed. “But it’s different for me. I’m not the same person you met in the alleyway that night. I’ve been through a lot since then; I’ve learned a lot just from helping you. I chose to be involved even when I knew the truth. I just don’t think Kevin is ready; that’s all.”

  Joseph sat back and looked up at the ceiling for a few moments before speaking. “You know, I once knew a man that absolutely epitomized the concept of Do as I say, not as I do. A really stubborn bastard named Theodore Peaks.” Joseph shook his head dismissively. “He was a school teacher and the students absolutely hated this man. But he didn’t care what they thought of him.”

  “Oh yeah, I had a few of those, too.”

  “I think everyone has at one point or another.” Joseph forced a smile. “But like most teachers, Mr. Peaks knew when to follow the rules and when they could be broken. It made him a better teacher. The problem was that the older he got, the older he thought his students needed to be before they should make their own decisions. He became increasingly more controlling and stubborn as he aged, and started treating his students as if they were nothing more than ignorant and impulsive teenagers, unable to grasp the consequences of their own actions. I guess that’s what made him such an insufferable prick in the end.”

  “Sounds like you guys have a lot in common,” Allie scoffed playfully, but the solemn look on Joseph’s face told her this particular story was more self-reflective than his usual ranting to make a point.

  “Change is not an easy thing for anyone…especially when you get older…but at some point, you have to reevaluate whether your methods are still beneficial for those you’re trying to help. If not, then it’s time to stop.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “I guess,” Joseph began, grimacing, “I guess I’m saying that it’s time that I stop trying to control everything, especially you. I need to stop holding you back and trust that you can handle keeping your own memories.”

  “Oh,” Allie gasped. “And Kevin?”

  “That’s totally up to you. You know what it’s like to be around me. Do you really want him pulled into all of this?”

  Allie shook her head. “No, of course not.”

  “Then I think you’ve already made your decision.” He smiled. “But should you ever feel he’s ready to know the truth about everything, just let me know.”

  Allie nodded. “I will.”

  “Good,” Joseph said as he stood.

  “Can you say goodbye to Marcus for me?” Allie asked, feeling the warm sting of tears welling up in her eyes.

  “You can tell him yourself later today when he comes to take you home. He wanted to make sure he got a chance to say goodbye to you, too,” Joseph said calmly, placing his fedora on his head and adjusting his purple-tinted glasses.

  “When?” Allie asked, thinking about needing to be there for Kevin when he came back to the room.

  Joseph turned and walked toward the door. “You have my number in your phone. When you’re ready to go, just call me and I’ll send him.”

  “Okay,” Allie said firmly, trying to put on a brave face.

  Joseph stopped and turned, staring at
Allie for a few moments. “Good bye, Allison.”

  “Good bye, Joseph,” she replied as a single tear ran down her cheek. “I’ll miss you.”

  Joseph nodded, slightly tilting his head to one side while keeping a solemn expression on his face.

  Suddenly, the door opened and Dr. Brown entered the room. Joseph quietly slipped out, disappearing down the hall.

  “So, Ms. McCleary. How are we feeling today?” Dr. Brown asked.

  “I’ve…I’ve been better,” she said quietly, wiping the tear from her face.

  “Well, all of your tests came back negative, so you’re in the clear to head home.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Brown.”

  “After you’re dressed, let the nurse know when you’re all set, okay?”

  Allie nodded.

  “Have a good day, Ms. McCleary,” he said as he quickly left the room.

  And just like that, Allie was back to her old life; the same mundane, day-to-day life as every other ordinary person in the world. Reluctantly, she crossed to the closet and realized she’d have to wear the disheveled cocktail dress home.

  After she was finished getting dressed, she sat in the chair on Kevin’s side of the room to wait for him while a hospital employee came in and stripped her bed, cleaning her half of the room in short measure and making it look like she’d never been there at all.

  -22-

  For the next half hour, Allie stared at the empty hospital bed, wrestling with whether she should tell Kevin the truth. When the nurse rolled him back into the room, she decided to bury the truth deep down for now until she saw where their relationship was going before putting him though any more pain than he’d already suffered.

  “Welcome back!” Allie cheered. “How did it go?”

  “Pretty good,” the nurse said. “Fortunately, the puncture is extremely small, so it shouldn’t take as long as we’d initially expected to heal. As for his ribs, they’re badly bruised, but amazingly, nothing is broken.”

  “That’s great news.” Allie exhaled a sigh of relief. “How are you feeling?” she asked Kevin.