Shelter (Solangelo)

Chapter 25

The hospital in New Rome is unlike any hospital Nico has seen – not that he's seen many. It's more like a school or even a community center than a hospital. It has a modern feel about it, despite being constructed to match the rest of the city center.

Uniformed attendants had met them when they arrived, and transferred Rachel onto a gurney. Reyna had gone with them as they wheeled her toward the operating and recovery rooms, but Will had hung back to make sure Nico would be okay waiting.

"You're sure you don't want to come with us?"

"Get over yourself, Solace. The last thing I need is to risk more doctors taking a look at me and insisting I need to stay in the infirmary."

That had brought a smile to Will's face. He'd promised to check back as soon as he could.

Nico sits on the steps of the hospital atrium, drinking an espresso and watching passersby get on with their lives. The atrium is like an outdoor park of flagstone paths, trees, flower gardens, and food stands – only it's indoors, covered by a high domed glass ceiling.

As he'd walked the corridors of the hospital building, he'd passed a large library, several classrooms, and more fitness gyms and Zumba classes than should be allowed. The hospital portion of the building doesn't seem to be its focus.

He's about ready to get up and find something to eat, when Will sits down on the step beside him.

"You hanging in there?" Will asks. Nico can't help noticing the trembling in Will's hands, the slight tremor in his voice.

He turns, meets Will's eyes. "How's Rachel?"

Will exhales hard, blowing his bangs out of his eyes, and gives Nico a relieved smile. "She's going to be fine. Probably won't even have a scar, thank the gods." He seems to notice his own hand shaking, holding it out in front of him. "Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a mess."

Nico stands and offers Will a hand up. "C'mon. Let's get something to eat, then we can head back. I think you owe me some recovery time."

Nico buys a couple of panini sandwiches from one of the vendors, and together they walk down the granite steps of the hospital building to the streets of New Rome. Nico shivers when a gust of wind sweeps past and remembers his promise to himself to buy a new coat.

Will drags him into a clothing shop, leaving him standing by the doorway, feeling about as out of place as Jules-Albert in a Zumba class. His discomfort is relieved a bit when he sees Will searching a clothing rack of winter coats and overwhelming the salesperson by pulling down and rejecting about twenty of them. He hands her the discards until she's piled so high with coats, she looks like a coat mountain.

"Aha!" Will calls out. "Nico, c'mere! I found the perfect one!"

Nico makes his way past a couple of circular clothing racks to find Will has moved to the large mirror displayed on the wall, while another salesperson digs the first free from coat mountain. It's hard to keep from smiling. Will's so overly excited to please Nico he doesn't realize he's being a nuisance.

He approaches Will, who hides his 'perfect find' behind his back when he sees Nico coming.

"Will, I don't really care what it looks like …"

Will shakes his head. "No. Seriously. This one is you."

"Alright, show me."

Will brings the jacket out from behind his back and holds it out to Nico. And Will's right; it is the perfect jacket for him, or was. He takes the soft brown leather and holds it up to his nose, inhaling. It's very similar to the aviator jacket he used to wear; it almost smells the same. His heart flutters in his chest. Nostalgia. He's tempted to push it away – to refuse to wear the jacket – citing memories of the past for why he doesn't want it, but he'd worn his old jacket even before his life fell apart. This new one … It's larger; the sleeves won't ride up on his wrists. A new model of the old skin to start over again?