Moving Forward

The Mall Crawl

Silas' POV

"The Fox said not to buy anything fancy, that we want to fit in. No Brand names or designer clothes." Kota informed us as we exited the car. "What we usually wear is fine as long as it is in our family's income range."

"Uncle said to only to get a few new things, that I should hit GoodWill and some thrift stores." North shared with them, "make it look like we have worn the clothes for a while and that we could use them on missions or working around the house afterward."

"Brilliant idea," Kota nodded.

"Let's get this over with," I grumble. Clothes's shopping was not one of my favorite things to do. Those small dressing rooms, the small wall mirrors and the way Gabe made us bend into all those weird positions. I may look like a Greek god; it did not mean I wanted to dress like one all the time. Besides, if Gabe was smart, he would still be hiding, the little shit.

One of the jobs Gabe has been doing is teaching a bunch of women to draw and paint at the local community college. He talked me into modeling for the class. He assured me that it was an easy way to pick up a few favors and some easy cash. It was easy all right; just stand there naked and not move. Those dirty old birds kept touching me, claiming that they needed me in a different position. I had to slap their hands away from my crotch. Poor Zeus, my whale, was so terrorized that he shrunk to the size of a guppy and tried to hide from those fanatical eyes. I had three more nights of posing for those grabby harpies and I was thinking of taking North and Nate with me as bodyguards. Just wait until I got my hands on Gabe, he would be shitting rainbows for a week.

I froze as an idea came to me. A big grin covered my face as I turned to North. "Αδελφός , είστε ακόμη ψάχνει για έναν τρόπο να πάρει πίσω στο Doc για τη σκόνη φαγούρα?" (Brother, are you still looking for a way to get back at Doc for the itching powder?)

 "Μπορείτε να στοιχηματίσετε κώλο σου είμαι." (You bet your ass I am.) He replied, a scowl on his face.

 "Χάρη στο μικρό σκατά καλούμε Γαβριήλ , είμαι σε θέση να βοηθήσει να κάνει τα σχέδιά σας έρχονται στη ζωή . Απλά πρέπει να τον κρατήσει κάτω ενώ του δίνω ένα κλύσμα λαδομπογιά σε αντάλλαγμα." (Thanks to the little shit we call Gabriel; I am in the position to help make your plans come to life. You just have to hold him down while I give him an oil paint enema in return.)

 "Ποιο είναι το σχέδιο?" (What is the plan?) 

Sean's POV

 "Where is Silas?" Gabe asked as I joined him in the center of the art room.

 "He and North got called in on a mission; Kota and Nathan are going over the blue prints of the school to map out the exits and different ways we can reach them in a hurry." I grumbled, "Owen told me to take this job in Silas's place."

 "Well shit, I will need to cover your bruises." Gabe started digging in his bag. "What exactly am I doing?" Owen had been very cagey when I asked him about the mission. He waved me off, claiming it was something easy.

 "This is one of those live art classes, where the students draw from live models. You're the model for the next three nights."

 "That should be simple enough." It did not sound bad at all, I worried for nothing, it seems. "Strip down; I need to cover as many bruises as possible." He ordered while pulling out the makeup he used on me for different missions.

 "Pardon?"

 "Strip, as in remove your clothing, get naked, act the free bird."

 "I can't do that," I protested.

 "Doc, this is an art class, our models are all posing nude. You will not catch a cold and they will stare more at you if you remain dressed. These are older women; you have nothing they have not seen before. Strip!" Gabe snapped the last command, and then mumbled to himself.

 I obeyed, but not happily. My dignity demanded that I protest. I gave in, Gabe needed the favors he was earning with this class and the truth was I needed the favors too. I have not done any missions since I started my roster at the hospital, I did not have time. I thought it would be fine, but now I realized that it looked bad, as if I was using the boys for a free ride. I never meant to do that, they were my brothers and we were a team. I got lazy and I admit it, I had only agreed to do the Ashley Waters job because there had been no way to get out of it. I was putting more hours in at the hospital than was required, trying to earn my doctorate quicker. Wearing myself out and making stupid mistakes. Phil Roberts gave me a tongue-lashing I will never forget and I deserved it. I could have killed that girl; I knew nothing about her and gave her a drug without asking any questions. Yes, North told me to give it to her, but I was the adult and the doctor. I knew better and did it anyway. If she had been allergic to it, if Victor had not stopped me from giving her the full dose, she would have died right there on the floor because of me. The dose in the needle had been for someone twice her size, she would have gone into convulsions and stroked. I would not have been able to save her. I was not at the hospital, I should not have had the drug in my pocket or been wearing my white coat. I was not even supposed to be at the school. Phil was right and I was off the schedule at the hospital until I went in front of the Review Board. It was not something that I could sweep under the rug and ignore, not this time.