ENCOUNTER
In a time like this. In a place like this.
 

 

 

His blood is pouring out of him like a broken faucet. He grabs a towel from the backseat of his car and clamps it over the large, ugly gash. To think that boy, U-Know, is capable of disarming him and driving his own knife into his side. Unbelievable. They have become so quick and nimble these past few years… well, except for maybe Max.

 

JJ fumbles with his car keys, but it proves to be difficult with only one hand in the dark. Despite the pressure he is applying on the wound, the blood flows at an unaffected rate. The towel is now thoroughly drenched. He feels his hands grow weak as he starts the car and pulls out of the shed.

 

During the drive, things randomly pops into his mind. Cyndi and the high stakes. Life. Death. Ultimately, he has to yank his thoughts back. He needs to survive this... so he can still be of help. He has to get to the Doc as quickly as possible. The man is young, qualified and capable. He used to work at a high class hospital as their primary surgeon. That was a while ago when he still had the use of his eyes. The bullet went straight through his head, severing both optical nerves and rendering him blind. All his colleagues tell him it can be fixed, but he has stubbornly refuse their offer to help. Like, what the ... he wants to be blind?

 

Unable to substance consciousness, he lets himself drift off. The next thing he knows, he is in the driveway of the Doc’s house. JJ attempts to take his hands off the steering wheel, but they refuse to budge. He feels dizzy and nauseous at the same time. Then… everything just fades right out.

 

The first thing he hears in his wake is an annoying buzz… and then... “Why don’t you just take that nice car of yours and ram it into my house a few more times so I can buy a new house... somewhere far, far away from here.” A low husky voice greet him as he opens his eyes. Apparently, the speaker is talking to himself. He shifts on the hard table and a sharp pain shoots up his side. His hisses alert the man nearby. “So, you’ve come back, JJ.” He senses a warm hand on his shoulder.

 

“Good thing the girl next door helped drag you in or you would still be out there, a dry corn husk. Eh, what was her name? I can never be bothered to remember.”

 

JJ wants to say her name is Rose, but the word refuses to come out of his mouth.

 

“Hmm… Consider yourself lucky, my man, to be able to wear a blind man’s artwork down your side.”

 

JJ senses the fog coming back to meddle with his train of thought. It is obvious the Doc had giving him something, but it isn't doing much to relieve pain.

 

“Doc… did you run out of the good stuff?” He manages to speak at last.

 

“What? For the pain? No… I have plenty of that ‘stuff’ laying around… it’s just... I’m not going to waste any of it on you. You never listen to me. I told you many times I’m no longer a doctor. Just call me Micky or even ‘hey you’ for 's sake.”

 

JJ groaned.

 

“How about we make a deal, eh? Stop calling me ‘doc this’ and ‘doc that’ and I’ll give you some of my pain-free elixir.”

 

“Doc, I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”

 

“Oh you stubborn, pig.” Instead of being furious, the ex-doctor sounds rather amused.

 

Then... in walks the third party. “Who are you talking to, Guru?” A female voice interrupts their little verbal skirmish.

 

“Oh oh, Cyndi, darling. You came just in time to pick-up this stubborn, pig.”

 

“Okay…” Cyndi obviously takes it as a joke. She walks pass them, not even caring to glance at the man on the operating table. “I’m just here to pick up a few things, that’s all. Just call for a taxi or something.”

 

JJ is confused. Is he hearing Cyndi’s voice? How can that be possible? What is going on?

 

He lifts his head slightly, as far as it will go, to witness her back disappearing into another room.

 

“I thought you didn’t have any other visitors.” JJ croaks.

 

Micky laughed, “You’re the only one gullible enough to believe that…”

 

What the heck? Him? Gullible?

 

A few moments later, she comes back out with a black handbag.

 

“Hey Cyndi…” JJ greets her... making it sound as casual as he can.

 

She stops in mid-stride. “You… What the are you doing here… and what the happened?”

 

Cyndi looks from JJ to Micky. She wants some answers, but no one cares to explain.

 

“Wow… what a tiny little world we live in…” Micky is not surprised at all.. which made him a shady character.

 

“I guess you’ll be taking him home after all, Cyndi, my dear. Good luck with the stubborn, pig. You two can show yourselves out.” Micky leaves the room just like that.

 

“He is acting odd…” Cyndi mutter. She walks over to JJ and grabs one of his arms.

 

“We should leave immediately, something is not right.” Her voice is unaffected.

 

Cyndi manages to throw him in the passenger seat of her car with a few groans.. from him. She tosses the bag in the backseat and finds herself staring at his half conscious face. This man… she shouldn’t trust him.

 

He is like another Micky, Cyndi tells herself. She needs him for a few things. After that, she must leave without a trace. Never is she going to let her guard down… never.

 

JJ falls asleep. Halfway to his laboratory, he wakes and finds himself in a strange car with Cyndi beside him.

 

“Ah… I didn’t even get to say goodbye to the Doc.”

 

“Don’t ever go there again... and I’m saying this for your own protection. He doesn’t seem ‘right’ anymore.”

 

“How much can a blind man do… he’s just—“

 

“He’s not blind.” Cyndi states dryly.

 

“What?”

 

She turns to give him a quick serious look, “It’s only an act… and you fell for it.”

 

So... the Doc had made a complete fool out of him. ...

 

If only he had that kind of skill... to cover up a lie so well. JJ had a secret or two of his own that needed to be buried... forever.

 

 

 

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