Hospitalized (Open)

[ethan]

Ethan's closed eyes twitched a little...very slightly flickered open...then fully came to.

He didn't know where he was, or how he'd come to be there. All he could see was that he was in what looked to be a hospital bed (explaining the where), and that his black jacket, gloves and shirt were removed. There were bandages all over his bare chest, and one on the back of his head. There were two people standing over him. A man in a lab coat, obviously a doctor, and a woman in a nurse's outfit writing on a clipboard.

"Hello there," said the doctor after a moment of silence. Ethan's eyes came to rest on him. "Can you speak?"

Ethan nodded his head once.

"I'm Dr. Kellan. I've been attending to your recovery since last night. We found that you had several burns all over your body, and some major bruising. It looked like someone had worked you over pretty badly." The doctor pulled out a chair and sat next to the bed. "These were some pretty nasty injuries, yet you seemed to recover pretty quickly enough." The doctor scrutinized Ethan heavily. "Can you tell me what happened to you last night?"

Ethan remembered now. After the incident in the library late at night with Gabriel, Ethan had been trying to make it back to his home when his numerous injuries began to wear him down. He'd been lucky enough to manage to even stagger all the way to the local hospital. He'd collapsed in the doorway, then could only remember brief glimpses of what had happened after that. People hovering over him....medicine being applied to his body... a large feeling of drowsiness...

"No. I don't remember anything," Ethan replied after thinking a long while, his face blank and revealing nothing as he stared ahead into space and said nothing else.

"Do you think someone attacked you? Do you have any bullying problems of any sort in your school or neighborhood?"

He gave no verbal answer, only shaking his head slightly.

"Okay... can you at least tell me how old you are, and your name so perhaps we can contact your fam-"

"I'm sorry, but I just don't remember anything," Ethan abruptly interrupted, aiming to avoid further questioning. "I'd tell you if I could, really...but I just....can't. My head feels foggy right now, I can't think."

All lies. The good doctor bought them all, of course. "Alright, then... why don't we just have you stay here in the hospital for now, and we'll try and see about where you're from, okay? We'll work this out." Smiling kindly, Dr. Kellan rose from his seat. "If you need anything, just press this and the nurse will be there to attend to you." Then he and the nurse left after Ethan gave them a light smile of encouragment.

Good, they're gone. Ethan needed to leave this place as soon as he could. There would be more questions if he stayed, and the more he was asked things, the more complicated everything would become. But, his body still felt rather...lethargic. He could barely even raise his arm up when he tried. Leaving would be difficult in more ways than one.

Concentrating, Ethan pushed himself up with an effort until he was at least propped upright in his bed. Thankfully, they hadn't stripped his pants or shoes, or this would be a nightmare. On the table to the right of his bed were the rest of his clothes. He needed to make sure the device in his jacket hadn't been confiscated.

Ethan strained again to get to the table, reaching as far as he could. When he finally had the jacket sleeve, Ethan finally lost his balance and fell out of the bed and on his back, the table and everything on it landing loudly on his chest. He bit back a gasp of pain as something landed hard on a bandaged burn scar on his chest. This was perfect, he couldn't even stand. What the hell had they put in his body to make him feel like this?

Clutching his shirt and jacket, Ethan pulled himself up until he was kneeling next to the bed, pulling on his clothes when someone came in.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel walked in by sheer coincidence. Though it wasn't everyday you found students in the hospital with fragment shrapnel wounds days after certain questionable events at a certain school which always has had troubles. Especially since the recent transfers found their way about. Gabriel knew the boy, Ethan, the one who was begging for a bit of trouble and Gabriel knew what made him tick this would be just another fun game. To Gabriel everything was a game.

"So I see you've awakened troublemaker Ethan." Gabriel chuckled from the chair with a hand over his eye.

His emerald gaze grew heavy on the boy searching out the weakness within him, the strength, the determination. There was something that sought loyalty and at the same moment acted in defiance. It vexed Gabriel that the man wasn't under his power. Then again he was reassured that there'd be little problem attaining such a man.

"I will not ask upon your trespasses, because in truth they are mine as well." Gabriel paused and enunciated louder this time with more dramatics to it, "But I will ask again that you work for me under a greater cause." A dark smile appeared once again

"Unless of course you care to spend the next few years in and out of this very hospital that is..."

[ethan]

Ethan was standing, throwing on his jacket when he heard footsteps walking in. When he saw who it was that stood in the doorway, he froze. Not in panic, but definite hesitation. It was the one who had ultimately put him in here. Gabriel. Had he come to finish what he'd started?

"So I see you've awakened, troublemaker Ethan."

They locked eyes, each probing the other for what they could see, weakness, strength. Ethan wasn't feeling so up for combat right after last night, especially against Gabriel, but he would do what was necessary to defend himself. But it didn't look like confrontation was forthcoming from him. Not yet at least.

Although Ethan gave no sign of it, he was uncomfortable in not being able to easily read this Gabriel like he could other people. Other people were so two-dimensional, so simple to bypass and give what they wanted so their guards were dropped. He didn't see any of that in this adversary. In a way, Gabriel really reminded Ethan of himself, only stronger. And that only served to make Ethan more wary of him. It also made him resentful. More than a little, he despised weakness in others, and most especially in himself when put in his place by a superior other than He. Ethan hadn't forgotten his promise to himself to get his revenge on this man. But, he had to admit he was intrigued.

"What do you want, then?" he asked neutrally.

"I will not ask upon your trespasses, because in truth they are mine as well." Then Gabriel smiled.

"But I will ask again that you work for me under a greater cause...Unless of course you care to spend the next few years in and out of this very hospital that is..."

Ethan gave no response at first, only staring without any hint of a reaction.

"You attack me and then ask me to join you... I'll admit you have a...unique way of doing things."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"But why should I serve you? What cause do you follow?"

[Gabriel Seran]

"You attack me and then ask me to join you... I'll admit you have a...unique way of doing things."

Gabriel smirked a bit, "Yes I do agree it's rather unorthodox though you can tell a lot about a man by the way he fights."

"But why should I serve you? What cause do you follow?"

A laugh popped out quickly, "Would you believe me if I said it was for the greater good?"

It was probably apparent that Gabriel wasn't out for everyone's best interest though in the larger scheme of things that was his goal all along. He was tired of convincing others that he was a good guy who would give them immediate results. All great things come in time. He would see his goal through till the very end.

"Well, I do believe you yearn for power? Would I be right in my assumption?" Gabriel chuckled again, "A majority of my compatriots feel the very same way."

[ethan]

A laugh popped out quickly, "Would you believe me if I said it was for the greater good?"

Ethan scrutinized Gabriel again for a brief moment. The greater good? Ethan doubted that. An answer like that meant meant he was either severly deluded or a liar, a compulsive one at that. People who fought for the "greater good" usually restricted themselves needlessly out of childish notions like morality or honor. Judging from their last encounter, Ethan couldn't see Gabriel having any such tendencies. But, it was all the more reason for him to be intrigued.

"No, I wouldn't."

"Well, I do believe you yearn for power? Would I be right in my assumption?" Gabriel chuckled again, "A majority of my compatriots feel the very same way."

Ethan held his cards closely to himself, especially when encountered by people like the individual he was speaking with right now. Perhaps, if this Gabriel turned out to be someone with potential, Ethan might reveal His Glory to him...but not now...

"My objectives are my own affair... but you seem like someone who could help me bring them about sooner than I would on my own. In return, I have certain skills to offer. I may not be able to fight as well as you, but I can hold my own. I can also get into places others can't, gather information on people...

"In fact, I found out some things about you back in the library files before you accosted me...Gabriel Seran," said Ethan, revealing that he'd discovered more than he'd let in on.

"I admit I might just decide to follow you... but you didn't elaborate on your answer. What exactly are you after, and how would I factor into this?"

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel found himself chuckling lightly, what was it with these kids and wanting to be in the steam of information? They all seemed like they "needed" to know, like they deserved it. That was the very fact that made him laugh. What had they earned? Certainly not his trust this boy had an attitude the size of Gabriel's bloated paycheck. He stopped laughing to give Ethan the dark stare and a thin lined grin.

"Thats for me to know and you to find out.... You see it is the kings who lead the soldiers into battle not the other way around.."

Gabriel turned away quickly towards the door.

"So you have a choice, do my will and succeed or like I said, end up here every other day the choice is yours." Gabriel smiled dropping a black phone by the bed stand.

[ethan]

"So you have a choice, do my will and succeed or like I said, end up here every other day the choice is yours." Gabriel smiled dropping a black phone by the bed stand.

Ethan didn't much like this schemer and his snide arrogance. Did he truly see himself as some sort of king? The only true master and lord of all things was Jonathan Himself. If Gabriel became a dangerous effect upon His plans, Ethan would have to kill him, no mistake, maybe not directly but through stealth and treachery.

But he saw... vision in the way Gabriel carried himself. Power followed him around, or influence. Some sort of hidden strength that was invisible but could be felt palpably emanating from him. If he turned out to be successful, Ethan could ride his coattails and manipulate Gabriel's successes for his Master's own gain. If not, he could always abandon him and leave him to the wolves.

As much as Ethan hated to be merely a pawn to whatever Gabriel's machinations were, his strength would be his eminently low stature in comparison. Due to his inferiority in combat, Ethan wouldn't be considered a factor in his plans. He could wait... and when it was time to depose the king, the pawn would rise up and behead his oppressor.

Gabriel would be nothing against His Holy Wrath.

He already knew he'd accept, so there was no further need for calculations.

"Fine...I submit to your leadership. Give me instruction and I will follow," Ethan replied, finally standing and taking the black phone off the table.

"If you have nothing else for me, I'll take my leave then."

Ethan slipped out through the door quietly.