SHIELD Agent Rhapsodos: A Part That Remains

:: Remain ::

Even after the old man was declared stable, Genesis chose to remain in his room and waited until he woke up.

He didn't mind to sleep over since the next day was the weekends and there wasn't much to do but stay in his foster home. Most of all the homework he had been with him anyway, and he'd get them done while he waited. Nevertheless, in the time he spent waiting for the elder man to wake up... he wasn't sure why he remained by the old man's side. Actually, the only reason why he stuck around was because the Lifestream flow in him told him to stick around. Genesis wasn't sure why it was telling him this, but the Lifestream hadn't been wrong until now in guiding him finding his current foster home and formal education. It was a gift the Goddess gave him before he was sent away to Earth.

Hours later, Genesis had woken up that morning feeling stiff no thanks to the ridged chair he slept on. His eyes blinked with surprise as he was faced with the old man observing him from the bed.

"You called the nurses, didn't you?" the old man asked. He looked a little worse for wear but, at least, he was awake.

Genesis inwardly winced if the man was going to blame him for letting him live. "Are you mad?"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. But the old man then gathered his courage and asked, "Why?"

"Impulse," the former commander answered lamely. He then sighed, "And... I didn't want you to die alone."

The old man now had an unreadable expression. He seemed to be at a loss for words at the thought of a stranger who cared. His eyes shifted to the floor where numerous stacks of papers were laid out; clearly the kid was doing his homework and studies while he waited.

"Am I bothering you, Sir?" Genesis asked politely, feeling awkward at the stillness of the room.

The patient ignored the question, although he was pleasantly surprised by the polite question. He instead inquired, "Got a name kid?"

The redhead teen sighed visibly because he didn't like being called a kid.

"It's Genesis Rhapsodos. Just call me Genesis and not 'kid'," the former SOLDIER replied. He then looked at the patient's family name that was on a clipboard with interest. "I know your family name, but should I call you that or your first name?"

"Call me Robert," the old man replied with a light tone. Robert thought over the kid's name, it was a weird and unique one. He paused before he asked, "You're staying?"

"If you need a friend, I suppose," Genesis said rather hesitantly. He wasn't sure the man even wanted him there.

Robert smiled tiredly, "Then you're welcomed to stay."

It was the least Robert can do for the teen that saved his life last night. While he could have gotten mad at the kid he didn't die and end all his suffering in that one night, Robert inwardly admitted he was glad enough someone cared. He'd long given up people would want to spend their time on him. Sighing with relief, he laid himself back and rested. The teen only gave him a thankful nod silently back at him and remained there.

In the morning, Robert woke up to Genesis bringing in two trays of food with him. "Breakfast, Robert?" he asked with a light tone.

Another surprise, the teen really did wait for him. "Sure," Robert responded briefly.

Being a former agent, he couldn't help think what the kid's motive was. He complied with the teen's presence but didn't hope for too much. However, in the days that followed... the teen came back to his room at the same times he usually did, even if those boys that chased him had stopped their acts. Rest assured, Robert then had started to like Genesis' silent company at first, but soon they eventually were on speaking terms. He shortly found out that Genesis a person who took upon numerous masks to hide his real self. Oddly enough, he had a paranoia that many would expect an agent to have and hid it subtlety to the point Robert was sure only a professional would have noticed it.

"Is there a reason why you're hiding under many masks?" he had asked one day.

Genesis' face seemed to be alarmed at first like his secret had gone down the drain. Yet he swiftly composed himself, but, all the same, took on an evasive stance. "I've been running all my life Robert. The least I could do now is blend in."

Robert detected that wasn't a lie at all. It went along with his story of being in a nursing home, but he couldn't help but on instinct feel, there was a lot more to the teen. While he didn't have all the time in the world left, perhaps Robert made it his goal to find about just who Rhapsodos was. During his worst, Genesis had remained with him. With or with no reason, the old man decided that he could use the company and a friend that remained with him until the end.

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❝Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.❞

~ Carl Sandburg

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