Rebirth: Rise of the Slave Master

Chapter Forty: Relief

“Thank you for your time Mr. Nelson, and please, try not to worry too much,” Officer McGuire said as he finished their conversation.

The phone clicked off as Rick’s mind quickly returned to the game and he became aware of his surroundings once again. The bandits couldn’t hear the conversation he was having with the police officer, so they were standing around awkwardly waiting for him to pull his weapon away from their leader’s neck. The tension was needlessly high as Theo sighed and took a step back.

“It’s about time,” the man on the ground visibly relaxed and rubbed his neck as if to make sure it was still intact.

“Now get out of here,” Theo said with a harsh glare, feeling in no mood to play around with these guys, “I don’t need to tell you what kind of state you’ll be in if the Oasis army catches you.”

Hearing this, the bandits quickly stowed any ideas they might have had about turning on the adventurer, saving them for later. They were on a time limit, and it would be best if they could disappear as soon as possible, preferably without leaving any needless tracks back to their base.

The Beastmaster stood up and began instructing his men with a series of sharp orders, before turning to Theo, “Alright adventurer, you’re free to go. I’d hurry if I was you, it looks like the trouble has already started.”

“If only it was that easy,” Theo muttered, stowing [Skullsplitter] in his inventory.

More than enough time had passed to put the player in a non-combat state, and he took a long look at Aleside. The walls were illuminated by his [Night Vision] and the faint sounds of combat could be heard in the distance. Theo’s expression was complicated as the potential ramifications of his actions cluttered his mind, but there were certain problems that even the War God couldn’t solve. Right now, Rick was needed.

“That damn nerd better have lost a limb… or two…” he cursed with a reaffirmed resolve.

Ignoring the shocked expressions of the Black Mountain Clan members, Theo vanished before their eyes.

Rick nearly tore the Lucid Lock from his head, bolting upright in the futon as he scanned his surroundings. There was nothing out of place in his apartment, but in his scattered state of mind, it was difficult to remember where all of his things were. With the most agile movements he could manage in his tired state, Rick pulled a bag from the hook on the back of his front door and shoved the VR game device inside it. Although he normally kept it plugged into the outlet, the Lucid Lock did come standard issue with an onboard battery for portability.

Rick grabbed his wallet from the counter and checked the location of the hospital as he took a step out into the chilly night air. The streetlights flickered overhead as he tightened the collar on his jacket and found his way to the nearest public transport kiosk. If it weren’t so late, he might have tried to figure out some other method to get across town, but for the moment he didn’t have any other options. He put some of his hard won funds on a travel card, and the station’s pleasant jingle echoed around the empty streets.

The inside of the car was neat and clean, with enough room for two average-sized adults. A convenient touch screen was embedded into the empty dashboard in place of a steering wheel. Rick keyed in his location and tapped the card against the scanner in order to pay. After running through a short security check, the car started up with a dull thrum and turned out onto the road. The drive to the hospital would take some time, and since Rick didn’t feel too keen on paying for a return trip, he pulled out his phone.

Rick: [3:43AM] Mary Ann, are you still on shift?

Mary Ann: [3:45AM] Yeah, what's up?

Rick: [3:45AM] Can you pick me up from the hospital after you get off?

Mary Ann: [3:46AM] Hospital? What happened? Are you okay?

Rick: [3:46AM] Not me. A friend. I had to take a PT car.

Mary Ann: [3:48AM] Oh. Let me check.

Mary Ann: [3:54AM] Yeah. It's fine. You alright?

Rick: [3:55AM] I'll be okay. It's a long story.

Mary Ann: [3:57AM] Gotta start closing up. I'll let you know when I'm leaving. Good luck.

Rick: [3:57AM] Yeah. Thanks.

A few minutes later the public transport car pulled up to the Emergency Waiting entrance and let Rick out. Since he didn't pay for a round trip, the car would automatically drive itself back to the nearest stand. There was actually a rather large one right there in the Hospital. The advent of self driving cars had been a huge aid to the people who couldn't otherwise manage their transportation needs. Patients who couldn’t operate a vehicle for whatever reason were especially common.

The hospital was cold and sterile, as usual, decorated in white tile and linoleum with only the occasional spattering of color. Glowing signs which hung from the high ceilings pointed the way through the narrow, labyrinthine corridors. For whatever reason, the ER wasn’t very busy tonight, which was a welcome site at any time. At the front counter, a woman was seated, and she gave Rick a once over as he approached. After deciding he didn’t seem suspicious, her features eventually settling on a professional smile.

“Hi, I'm looking for a… Bai? Last name Bai, I mean,” Rick clarified.

After a fairly standard greeting, the staff member ran her fingers over a nearby screen. It didn't take any time at all to pull up the room information, but every second that passed only mounted on Rick’s concerns over the current state of affairs in Aleside. Gobthnora and Meatshield were probably in the most danger, but he had no choice to bury his disparate feelings and have confidence in the two. Rick would kill them himself if they dared to die on him.

“I'm sorry sir, that room is currently under a security restriction,” the woman said, carefully trying not to offend him while she judged the situation.

Rick was pulled back into the real world, “Um, the police asked me to come.”

The woman picked up a phone and dialed a number, and after a moment she asked, “Your name?”

“Rick… Nelson,” he said.

A few more words were exchanged between the woman and whoever she was talking to, before she said, “An officer will be down to escort you in a moment sir.”

The news didn't make Rick feel any better, but he stifled the sick feeling in his stomach and waited all the same. Thinking better of trying to bring his bag in with him when the police were still around, he opted to leave it with the woman at the desk. Although he wasn't sure if that was proper or not, she didn't turn him down and stored the bag with a smile. It was pretty lax as far as security went, but considering Rick came here on police orders, there probably wasn't much of a reason to suspect him of harboring ill intent.

A couple of minutes passed, with Rick too nervous to take a seat. He had a long and storied history with hospitals, not including his own major stint in one during the alternate timeline, and kept a habit of avoiding them at all costs. Few people were worth him not making an excuse to get out of visiting one, but he would have chosen to check up on Bai even if he hadn't been asked to come here by the police officer. It might have been that he felt a sense of guilt over this whole series of events, as if he could have prevented it had he accompanied Bai this evening.

Eventually, a tall young man with dark hair, wearing a police uniform, exited the elevator. He looked around for a moment before spotting Rick standing by the reception area and approached him. The smile on the man's face helped to put Rick at ease, if only just.

“You must be Mr. Nelson,” the man spoke in a familiar voice, and extended his hand, “I'm Officer McGuire, we spoke on the phone.”

Rick shook the hand and tried his best to seem composed, “Yeah, I hope I didn't take too long.”

The man laughed, “Don’t worry about it, you got here sooner than we expected, actually. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go over tonight’s events before we go up?”

Rick nodded his head, but couldn’t help but ask, “But, is Bai alright?”

Officer McGuire made a slightly distressed face, “According to the doctors. It’s going to take a little while to recover, but the damage is minor. Tough kid, not everybody can take a knife wound and still subdue a perp. Make no mistake, it was lucky nobody was more heavily armed,” the officer explained.

“Knife wound!?” Rick almost shouted, barely controlling the volume of his voice for the sake of the ill and uneasy.

McGuire waved his hands in an attempt to calm Rick down, “Woah, woah there. It was just a pocket knife! A few stitches and a some rest, that’s all!”

Rick sighed in relief, “Then… why call me?” he was starting to get annoyed for a different reason.

“Look, I understand your concern, just take a seat and I’ll explain everything,” McGuire insisted, and led the distressed young man over to the nearest out of the way place.

Rick felt like arguing further, but common sense held him back and he reluctantly agreed. Over the next few minutes, he was forced to listen to an account of the night’s events, at least as far as the police had managed to conclude. Officer McGuire was very clear on the fact that things could still change in the course of the investigation, which was one of the reasons they wanted to contact him so urgently. Although Rick wasn’t prepared to give an official statement on the matter, this conversation wouldn’t have to count as such.

After the explanation, Rick could only feel the clawing sense of guilt grow larger and larger, before it was swiftly crushed by an exasperated frustration.

Bai had been patrolling as usual, when he was accosted and eventually attacked by a stranger. According to Bai’s own testimony, the man was most likely the stalker they had been keeping an eye out for, though the police weren’t willing to reveal any identities just yet. As for the motive behind the assault, the suspect wasn’t talking. Bai proved to be a bit more trouble than the man had expected, and in a panic, he resorted to using a knife. The wounds Bai received were almost certainly from the weapon found on man’s person, who was eventually restrained by Bai and reported to the police.

It was a really shocking story, and the officers had arrived to apprehend the pair shortly thereafter. It seemed to be an open and shut case at first, but before the police could get a proper report on the matter, they were required to seek appropriate medical attention for Bai. That was when things got difficult, as Bai wasn’t willing to visit the hospital under any circumstance. A fight almost broke out and the police were eventually forced to arrest him!

The issue only grew more complicated when they found out Bai wasn’t a US citizen, but was present in the country on a student visa, making this an potentially international issue. There were plenty of complicated laws and regulations in play that Rick didn’t care to understand, but from the sound of things, the police were really facing a lot of trouble. During all of this, Rick’s name was the only one they could get from the irate Bai, who refused to divulge anything further.

In other words, Rick was currently their only reliable source of information on the primary victim involved in this case. Actual responsibility for providing documents would fall to the university and academic association that were sponsoring Bai’s overseas education, but their office wasn't available for contact at this hour. It was Bai who had given the police Rick’s phone number in an attempt to placate them.

In other words, he had sold him out!

“I’ll tell you now, I don’t really know that much about Bai. I didn’t even know his first name until you told me,” Rick said carefully, much to the officer’s chagrin.

Ruiliang Bai… it really was a mouthful.

“Then what can you tell us?” McGuire prompted, producing from his hip a small booklet and pen, presumably to take notes.

Rick patiently, but annoyedly, explain his relationship with the mysterious martial arts nerd. He left out the merciless opinions he had about the young man’s character, and focused on the events of the last few nights. He didn’t leave out anything he felt would be important in the police investigation. After a few minutes, his stock of information was finally exhausted.

Officer McGuire sighed, pocketing the notes, “Well, it’s better than nothing. Thank you for your cooperation Mr. Nelson, I suppose you’ll be wanting to see your friend now?”

“Yeah, to finish him off…” Rick vented internally, though all he said was, “Please.”

The man thankfully didn't waste any more of Rick’s time and brought him to the room where Bai was waiting. With modern medical technology, it only took about fifteen minutes to apply the stitches, though due to a head injury Bai sustained in the scuffle, the hospital wanted to keep him overnight. When Officer McGuire offered to give the two some time alone, Rick agreed, and the kind policeman even offered to fetch his bag. The officer wasn't allowed to leave the hospital either, apparently.

Upon entering the room, Rick's aggravation with his friend was violently repressed. The usually cheerful and exuberant young man was seated in the bed with a grim expression on his face. He didn't seem to be in too much pain, but his mood clearly wasn't good. Rather than frustrated, he looked apologetic when he finally turned towards Rick.

“Geez, the least you could do is crack a smile…” Rick thought.

“Rick…” Bai hung his head, “I am sorry! It was in the wrong to bother you!”

“It's fine,” Rick tried to play it off with a sigh, “You had me worried.”

Bai appeared equal parts relieved and surprised by the reaction, “But, your game…”

“Spare me,” Rick cut him off, “I can't stand to see you looking so pitiful.”

He plopped down into a chair next to the bed and looked over the confused Bai, who had a few scuffs on his face, with messy hair and puffy eyes. Had he been crying? That seemed unlikely, but for some reason Rick couldn't shake the feeling.

“You look kind of like your character from here,” Rick said with a chuckle.

There was a moment of silence before Bai’s expression began to change. Laughing? Crying? it was hard to tell the difference. He didn't hold back with the tears, but the familiar smile had also returned. The scene struck Rick with a powerful, awkward sympathy, and he struggled not to let it show on his face.

“Rick… is… so stupid!” Bai said rouughly in between his struggling for breath, “Game is all you think about!”

It took a minute or two before any sense of composure returned to the room, and Bai was ready to speak again.

“I really was scared, you know?” he said awkwardly, “Not to fight, but siren and police, everything felt like end of the world.”

Rick frowned, “Just be glad you aren't dead,” he scolded.

Bai nodded, wiping his messy face, “Mmn. I was stupid, too.”

“Geez… quit crying, really,” Rick said, “You sound like a little girl.”

Bai choked back a noise, “I am a girl! Can cry if I want to!”

There was another pause, and Rick sighed.

Although he didn't want to believe it at first, the news came straight from the horse's mouth after all. Rick had always just assumed Bai was a guy from the way he acted, but that misconception had finally been cleared up when he spoke with Officer McGuire earlier. He had originally glossed over the news back then, unable to handle the shock along with the stress of the situation. Well, it was partially Bai’s fault for never correcting him during their time together. The embarrassing reveal was thankfully overshadowed by the evening’s more pressing matters.

“Rick is blind, he didn't figure it out,” Bai managed to find the energy to tease him.

He sighed, “Yeah, yeah, I’m a big idiot, I'm sure you had a good laugh with that one…” Rick said, allowing his companion a sense of levity.

The topic was a welcome departure from the gravity of the situation, “I don't care much for it,” Bai explained a bit sourly, “I prefer the Rick who talked to me like a man.”

“I'm not going to think of you any differently because of something like that,” Rick said defensively, adding, “As far as I'm concerned, your gender is just big nerd.”

Bai promptly slung a curse at him in a foreign language, before the pair finally broke down and shared a laugh. The tension in the room evaporated almost instantly, and when it seemed like Bai wasn't going to pursue the matter any further, the two were able to talk normally again.

“Rick, I need you to do a favor,” Bai said.

He raised an eyebrow. What could the usually proud guy… girl… clearly this change would take Rick some time to get used to… What could Bai possibly need help with so badly that he would forgo his sense of superiority to ask for it? Of course, Bai never held back when it came to being totally shameless.

“For the hospital bill, I need money.”

“Rat bastard!” Rick suppressed his internal dialogue.

Before he could respond with a definitive and snappy shutdown, there was a knock at the door, followed by a voice, “I hope I'm not interrupting. I brought your bag.”

It was Officer McGuire.

“You’re interrupting! You’re definitely interrupting!” Rick was barely able to restrain his thoughts this time.

Bai naturally didn't allow Rick the time or platform to protest, “Please come in!” she said.