𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 .•* 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

a/n I just reread this and omfg I forgot how much I foreshadowed

———

They Did it Good, I'd Do it Better

•••

"I know him better than you do!"

I followed as closely behind the hospital employees as they would let me as they wheeled Mark into the hospital. Noises from all over echoed down the hall as all forces came together to perform emergency procedures on the fallen heroes but all I could hear was static, my own jumbled thoughts drowning everything out.

My heart felt heavy in my chest as I watched the doctors take him further and further away from me, not unlike what I'd felt when facing my own death. Helplessness.

"There's a hole straight through him!" one of the doctors stated, as if I couldn't see it, and brought Mark into a private room. "Your powers are null here."

I realized that feeling of helplessness came from fear.

The time I waited for Mark's recovery felt impossibly long, despite being under a week.  There were never conclusive answers, and despite my own powers being the most useful possible thing, it seemed I was kept further away from him than anyone, not even allowed inside the room. If Cecil had his way, I wouldn't have been permitted to even see him.

I was lucky to have such a good support system.  Eve and William kept my empty time filled, and despite my 'extracurricular' activities feeling a little hollow without my usual partner, Affinity faired just fine.  School was the same as it usually was, especially compared to pre-Mark.

Still, the whole situation made me realize how big of a space Mark took up in my life.  Not a minute went by where I wasn't terrified for his life, even as the days progressed and he visibly began to heal.  I was perfectly capable of functioning as my own person, but that didn't mean he wasn't the first name I looked for when I picked up my phone or the first face I checked for in class.  It always felt just a little bit like I was missing something. 

Unsurprisingly, it seemed like I wasn't the only one feeling his absence. Beyond just his close friends, quite a few people reached out to me for him.

"Do you know where Mark's been?" a familiar voice asked as I sat down for class on a seemingly normal Tuesday afternoon.  The question seemed to be on everyone's mind.

"He's in the hospital," I remarked, spewing out the same rehearsed bullshit Eve and I came up with.  As I turned around to face the source of the question, Amber's eyes widened.  "He got hit by a bus."

"Is he going to be okay?" she exclaimed, leaning forward into her desk and twirling a strand of hair around a slender finger.  "I've had a few things I've been meaning to ask him..."

I'm wondering the same question, pal.  Hearing it over and over again was exhausting, especially considering he remained unresponsive in a coma.

"He should be, it seems like he's making a full recovery," I replied. I tried to plaster on the most pleasant facial expression I could, a soft smile that barely met my eyes.

"He's really strong," Amber mused, her eyes lighting up. "To come back from something like that."

"Yeah, you should see him in action," I began to explain, almost letting my cover slip as the hint of a genuine smile flashed across my lips. I scolded myself for it internally, getting a little too excited to gush about Mark's achievements. Quickly, I added, "He took me on a date to the pool once, he's a natural athlete."