Terrible Friend

32

Albert opens his eyes, slowly. There is a light above him and it's blinding. He shields his eyes and looks around. He is in a hospital bed. His ribs are taped, his left arm is in a cast, and there is a a tube in his nose. He pats himself down and shrugs.

He's alive. He takes a deep breath and leans his head back. He tries to recall what happened.  He exhales a sigh of sadness. The last he remembered, Beverly was going to die, and Jax was going to go away forever. Water filled his eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek.

Suddenly, the door to his hospital room burst open and Jax stepped into the room. He looked up at Albert and smiled a huge smile. He rushed to Albert's side without saying a word. He looked him over before he spoke.

"Good to see you moving again man. That was close." Jax said.

Albert stared at Jax in disbelief. "What? How?  How are you still...you?" He asked Jax.  If Beverly had died, he shouldn't be. The door opened again. Slowly, Beverly appeared in the door way. "I'm not your pack mule Jax.  What makes you think he is going to recover enough to need all of this..." 

Albert started to clap his hands but was stopped by the cast on his arm. He winced and held them up to reach for her. She ran to him and gave him a big hug. She really was fine. He held her for a long time. Tears streamed down his face. He was just so glad that she was alive. "You're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Ribs and all." she laughed.  "You are awake. This is good news."  She wiped at the tears on his cheek.

He looked up at Jax. Amazed at all that he had done. He guessed it was Jax that saved him. He had seen how powerful Jax was and it was impressive. He figured it was just a glimpse of what he was capable of, but that was enough. 

He knew it was Jax that somehow managed to get both of them out of there. He opened his mouth to thank him. Jax cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Don't even. It's what you do for friends."

A few days later, Albert had healed enough to go home. Beverly drove him home. They pulled up in front of the house and Albert's truck was parked in the driveway. They all got out and walked inside. Albert settled into his recliner and Jax and Beverly stood in front of him. There was another recliner and a couch but they both chose to stand.

Albert looked them both over.  "Have a seat? I'm settled in but would still like the company."

They just stood there.

Jax spoke. "Look man, I know you just got home from a really trying event and all, but..." his voice trailed off.  "There is still a slight problem and we need your help again."

Albert looked at Beverly and she nodded. Albert leaned his head back against the plush cushion of his chair. It had been a terrible ordeal. He didn't want to think about it anymore. He just wanted it to blow over and for things to get back to normal. He said as much.

"Really guys?" He held up his cast. "I haven't even healed from this one."

Beverly knelt down in front of him and placed her hand on his knee. "I completely understand. This is a pressing matter though. Hear him out."

Albert sat up again and sucked in a breath. He didn't really want to deal with it. All he could do was hope that there wasn't anymore talk about demons and witches. Something told him he wasn't going to get that luxury. "Okay, why the hell not, shoot! I'm all ears. What is going to destroy the world now?"

She gave him a confused look. There was no more impending danger. He had seen to that, and done it brilliantly. She was proud of him and would do her very best to make sure that nothing like that happened ever again. She realized that it was her mistake for not securing the statue better than she had. She had remedied that and would make sure she secured any others that were that dangerous going forward.

"No, that's over with. The issued that we need to discuss is Jax."

Albert shot upright. He was confused. "What's wrong with Jax?  You said he's immortal and he looks fine to me?" He eyed Jax as he spoke.

Jax patted Albert on the shoulder. "I am fine man. We need to know what you want to do with me now though."

Albert was still confused. "Jax has a body now. Can't he just go on being the way he is?"

Beverly explained the situation to him. "Jax has his current form because I  cast a spell. A very powerful one."

Albert nodded.  "I was there. I remember." He saw the energy it took first hand. He still didn't understand the problem though.

Beverly continued. "The energy it is taking to keep the spell cast is draining me. I can't maintain it much longer." 

"I'm an old woman Albert. Centuries old, and my power isn't a bottomless well. If I don't cancel the spell soon, I could lose my ability to heal myself or cast anything other than a simple fireball spell. The drain will eventually lead to my death. That would just prolong the actual problem. We need to come up with an alternative for him."

Albert looked back and forth between Beverly and Jax. He understood what that meant for her, but what did he have to do with it. "What does that have to do with me?

Beverly explained some more. "When and if I die, and Jax is still bound to the necklace like he is, the spell would cancel itself and Jax would be forced back into you, or..." She paused.

Albert encouraged her to go on. "Or what?"

She continued. "I can manipulate the spell and he would be sent back to oblivion to live out eternity.

Albert had no idea what that meant.  "Okay?"

Jax chimed in. "It means I become a sitting duck for all the other demon hunters that might be after me."

"A long list? " Albert asked, half kidding.

"An entire race for starters. Mine." Beverly interjected.

"S , how is him getting back into me a better alternative?

Beverly explained. "He wouldn't be hunted as long as he was there. He would be imprisoned by the original spell. There would be no reason to hunt him.

Albert thought for a moment and recalled the conversation that he had with Jax before the grand finale with Dongorul and asked. "What happens to him when I die?"

Beverly sighed at the thought. When all this first started, she would have relished the though of Jax being stuck inside a rotting corpse. She's since had change of heart. Albert and Jax both being stuck in Oblivion for eternity was not what she thought either of them deserved. She turned away, unable to think of it. She knew, and wished like hell she didn't.

Albert had finally conceded that this shit was real. He believed it was all possible. Demons and witches and magic and all had completely turned his life on it's head. He had no choice to believe now. He knew there was no going back. The thought that now, after everything that has happened, she was still cryptic and refusing to answer the questions like she had promised made him angry. 

"Oh. Now you don't want to talk about it!" He yelled. "You ask me to believe you, and now that I do, you are just going to avoid answering my questions? What kind of shit is that?"

The room started to shake.