The Conductor {Black Lightning}{Wattys2018}

Ch. 21: Innocent Little Truthteller

A/N: So...this story was supposed to be no romance and there's no explicit romance, but there are a few jokes here and there in this chapter. So this note is here just so you're not surprised.

***

Eugene didn't walk on her own by the end of the night. But she didn't stay in the hospital either. She refused. If her legs wouldn't get her out of there, something else would.

"Yoojin, your stubbornness is gonna get you killed one day."

Eugene glanced at the wheelchair she had pestered Dr. Jones into giving her and then at Lupé. "Technically I'm walking. The wheels are just my legs for now."

"You reachin'," said Lupé, rolling their eyes. "I mean, I know why you're doing this, but wouldn't it be easier to tell Anissa the truth instead of putting yourself through this?"

"It isn't just for Anissa," she retorted. "You know how much that hospital bill is?"

"Well, the wheelchair made it more expensive."

"The wheelchair made it less than an overnight stay, the surgery, and the ambulance bill. I don't have that type of money!" Eugene said as Lupé helped her into their white van.

"All of which goes to my salary." Lupé gave Eugene one of their lopsided grins. "And since you love me so much, I think you should rest and stay another night."

"Yeah, yeah." Now it was Eugene's turn to roll her eyes. "Tell that to my shitty teacher salary and lack of health insurance because no one covers Amazonian hospitals."

***

As Lupé and Eugene approached the apartment, Eugene took off her glasses to get check behind her door. With them on, she knew that someone in there, but they blocked her electric vision. And without a clear image, she could go in thinking the person was Anissa when actually it was a burglar.

A moment's glance confirmed that it definitely wasn't Anissa. They were too broad-shouldered to be Anissa. But she doubted they were a burglar either. No burglar would be lying on her couch - at least not a normal one.

"I think...Mr. Pierce is in my apartment," she told Lupé as she put her glasses back on.

"Why would Mr. Pierce be in your apartment?"

"Um..." Eugene inhaled sharply. "Anissa almost got shot, so I guess he's just keeping an eye on her."

"Anissa almost got shot?!"

"Shhh, she's fine, she's fine." Eugene honestly had no idea whether or not Anissa was fine and she definitely wouldn't be fine if she knew who shot her. But Lupé was being loud and Eugene didn't need Mr. Pierce waking up at eleven o' clock at night. "Anyway, I can take it from here."

"Oh, no, honey. I'm helping you for sure," said Lupé. "How you gonna get the wheelchair over the bump on your door when you only have one arm to move it with?"

"I can just float it over the threshold!"

Lupé pursed their lips. "Girl, you couldn't float a feather right now."

They had a point. If the ride home hadn't been so short, Eugene honestly would've slept through it. And as much as she wished her apartment was completely disabled-friendly, there were just some things she couldn't avoid.

"Fine. But please try to be quiet."

Lupé cautiously opened the door and wheeled Eugene over the threshold. "Um...you should get up and walk," they whispered."Wheeling a wheelchair through dark probably isn't a good idea."