Soul Path

Chapter 8

You open your eyes to the sound of machines beeping all around, and with an annoyed groan, you sit up on the bed, pulling out the tubes in your left arm.

Or what's left of it? Evidently, they couldn't attach it back.

At that moment, you hear the door open, and a nurse with a bunny skull mask walks in, and she looks over at you, her eyebrows raising in surprise.

"Oh? Are you awake already? Jessica was about to come here personally to wake you up."

"Haha, of course she was; even in death, I can't get any peace."

The nurse laughs as she turns away, opening a cabinet and grabbing some medicine from it.

"Well, I'm sure she isn't that bad," the nurse tried to say, but an almost banshee-like screen erupted from the hallway, making her cover her ears.

"457!!"

Like a nam vet with PTSD, you almost instinctively roll off the bed, flip that bitch to the side, and take cover behind it.

A few seconds later, the door slams open, and from under the metal legs of the hospital bed, you see Jessica's feet tapping the ceramic tiles impatiently.

"I know you're here, dammit!! "

With a sigh, you slowly raise your hand up above the frame, wave, and chuckle nervously, "Haha, hi Jessica."

The glare you get in return could kill you if you weren't dead already.

"What. The hell. Did you do?" she says slowly through gritted teeth.

I look at her with an appalled face and give a faux gasp. "Why are you blaming me? I was doing my job! "

Jessica stares at you for a second before taking a deep breath and calmly (relatively) asking, "Then explain what happened?"

After a second of thought, you wave your hand in a dismissive manner. "Now you see what happened..."

Jessica stares at you silently while her hands are balled into fists at her sides as she watches your movements

Eventually, she takes a breath and loosens them, and while rubbing the bridge of her nose, she says, "Whatever, but there is something we need to discuss."

You look at her in a questioning manner, as she seems almost nervous.

"We, uh, couldn't attach your arm back," she says while rubbing the back of her head and trying desperately to avoid eye contact.

You blink a couple of times, look at your left arm stub, and back at her, back at the arm, back to the stub, and a couple more times before meeting her eyes, and with a smirk and saying.

"You don't say?"

She groans and rubs her face, Taking a deep breath, she looks into my eyes and says, "Yes, and for that, I would like to apolo." She stops herself, like the words to follow are putrid enough to make her gag, but she eventually gathers herself and continues, "I would like to apologize for that."

And of course, the biggest shit-eating grin plays at the corners of your lips, something that makes her shiver.

"Can you say that again, please? I want to record it and fall asleep to it."

Jessica groans in annoyance at your comment and turns around, beckoning you to follow her.

"What do you want from me now?!" You say this in an exasperated voice, your remaining arm flopping to the side.

"Well, you need to get back to the field, of course."

"I just got my arm cut off, and you expect me to go back out?!" I say in an almost insulted tone of voice, Does she really think you'll go back out?