⚝──⭒─What We Make For Ourselves─⭒──⚝

Chapter 9: Electro Emporium

Reyna parks the police car in a parking lot behind an abandoned shopping mall. It appeared to had been left untouched since 1990. Colorful, yet sun-washed lightning bolt patterns graced its outer walls. Empty rows of parking lots were sprinkled with sand. 'Electro Emporium' was painted on top of the front and back entrances in pale magenta

She turns off the ignition. "Do you want me to help you in?"

John waves her off nonchalantly, like his wound was nothing but a paper cut. "I'm fine, Reynahhhhhh f-"

The Homo nova hurries to the other side of the car and catches John before he could endure another injury. She remembers the rifle on her back and gives it to John. Without difficulty, Reyna slings John across her back like a wounded soldier. John almost yelps, but swallows his pride and surprise.

Reyna smirks, ignoring John's blood trickling down her back and arm as she walks to the back entrance of the mall. "What? Someone like me can't carry someone twice their size?"

If only she could see John blush. "I-I'm not twice your size."

"Oh? Triple then?"

Before the future military general could craft a clever response, Reyna kicks down the door of the mall's back entrance. They inhale clouds of dust and cough at the same time.

"Is that..." John wheezes, "do I smell..."

Reyna sneezes. "Hairspray?"

The inside of the mall was just as colorful and geometrically-patterned as its exterior. Neon signs from retail stores and the food court were still flickering with just enough light for one more year.

Reyna pauses in front of an Auntie Anne's. For a moment, she could still smell the sugary aroma of their world famous pretzels. For a moment, she could still see the remnants of her old life. For a moment, she could still picture Vic's smile-

Moving on to Exhibit B. Arcade machines were unplugged, waiting to be played again. To her left was an unused motorcycle with a sign beside it: Enter a drawing, win a free motorcycle! Reyna walks past tiny tumbleweeds of dust and almost trips over an overturned chair from the food court. In the center of it all, the sun's rays showered a bubbling stone fountain robbed of wishes and coins. She lays John on the fountain's ledge.

"Stay right here. I'm going to go find a medical kit."

John points behind her. "Like that one over there?"

Reyna snatches the kit off the wall and opens it. Inside, neatly packed, were rolls of gauze, two bottles of isopropyl alcohol, a metal probe, a suturing set complete with needles and thread, tweezers, and a pair of scissors. She rinses her hands thoroughly and begins to work.

She cuts through the seam of John's jeans, ripping the denim apart when she becomes impatient. Studying John's wound was like looking into the Great Red Spot of Jupiter, only the spot was overflowing with blood. So much blood.

Reyna unscrews the bottle of alcohol. "Stay with me, John. You're going to be just fine."

John only nods. She pours the bottle of alcohol over the wound. John screams, gripping the edges of the stone fountain. Reyna's heart clenches. It was the worst sound she had ever heard, except for the screams of soldiers on the battlefield.

What about the other scream? The one you heard right before Judgment Day?

Reyna shoves the thought down, focusing on the task at hand. Now was not the time to recount her sins.

She wipes away the last of the blood with a piece of cloth and produces the metal probe from the kit.

"What is that?" John asks weakly, staring at the probe with dread. His face pales to a few shades lighter.

"I'm going to make sure that the bullet isn't lodged inside of you." She answers, cleaning the tip of the probe. "If it is, this will take a lot longer than both of us planned."

Reyna slowly inserts the probe into John's wound and searches for the bullet. The thin probe slides against something smooth and solid. John inhales sharply.

"Sorry." Reyna mumbles as she reaches for the tweezers.

"S'okay. You're saving my life. There's nothing to apologize for."

Reyna discards the probe and begins with the tweezers, extracting the bullet from John's thigh.

John inhales sharply again, contorting his face into one of agony. He takes shallow breaths and tries to focus the pain somewhere else. It was almost like being shot in reverse. His hand moves from the stone ledge to Reyna's free hand.

The Homo nova swallows and bows her head, letting her raven hair conceal her burning cheeks. Why was he holding her hand? Was the fountain's ledge not comfortable enough? How was she supposed to work with her hand in his? 

What she felt with Vic were sparks, sparks that would tingle her skin. So why did she burn with John?

A gentle squeeze from John reminds her to keep working. He needed her, now. His hand was there for her support, not for romance.

M-Make it stop." John moans, relaxing his grip on her hand. "Please."

Reyna awkwardly squeezes his hand and musters her best encouragement skills. "It's almost done."

She releases John's hand and threads the string through the needle after thoroughly cleaning his wound once more. Reyna makes careful, but quick work. She finishes the last stitch and bandages his wound with gauze. Reyna studies her work. Her father, Jae-Deok Dahyun, would be proud.

"Thank you. For saving my life." John gives her a gentle, crooked smile. "Did you add 'surgeon' underneath 'supersoldier' in your list of occupations?"

"My father was a surgeon. He let me shadow his work sometimes." Reyna smiles at the fond memories of standing at her father's side, saving the lives of patients with his attentiveness to detail and remarkable skills with a needle. "But I'd rather not talk about my past right now. Right now, we need food and you need a new pair of jeans."

"I'm not hungry."

"Well if you want the energy to walk again, you'll need to eat. Stay here and rest. I'll be scouting the mall and looking for food, water, and a new pair of jeans for you. If you need help or there's danger, call me any way you can."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

John hesitates, chewing his lip while searching for the right words. "What if you're in danger?"

Reyna returns John's crooked smile. "I'm a supersoldier, John. I am danger."