Victor arrived at the hospital and was unpleasantly surprised to see Mort there waiting for him. Mort nodded at Victors arrival and didn’t look particularly upset, at least not any more so than his usual resting scowl. Which is a good sign for Victor, meaning Mort wasn’t going to place any blame on Victor for this incident.

“So what brings you around Mort, thought you would be busy with the rounds.”

“An incident might have occurred if I wasn’t present, so one of my employees notified me.”

Victor looked at Mort with a quizzical expression. Mort ignored him and walked towards the inner part of the hospital passing reception. Victor sighed and followed.

“Where is your brother.” Mort asked with a slight irritation as they walked.

Victor gulped at the chilling atmosphere Mort was emitting. ‘Mar’s is in big trouble now’ Victor thought.

As Victor and Mort entered the room Ms. Holly held Victor’s hand with tears in her eyes being extremely apologetic.

“I am really really sorry that I couldn’t keep a better watch of James.” Ms. Holly said as she sniffled.

“No worries, it’s just kids doing kids things. James will be fine.” Victor said while assuring Ms. Holly. Victor was visibly uncomfortable at her genuine apologetic behaviour.

It was a back and forth of apology and forgiveness between the two until suddenly loud pants could be heard and Mars appeared out of no where from around a corner.

*pant* *pant* *gasp* *pant* *pant* *gasp*

Mort closed his eyes and took a deep breath at seeing Mars.

“Just” *pant* “let me” *pant* “catch” *pant* “me”

Mort stared at Mars hard until he shut up and just gasped quietly. Ms. Holly, Mort, and Victor stared at Mars’ sweating as if he was a water fountain.

“I told you not to go too far.” Mort rebuked.

“You must have ‘sprinted’ a very long distance to get here.” Victor said bemused.

Then Victor looked at Ms. Holly. “Do forgive my — “ Victor had to pause and mentally fortify himself before continuing “husband here for being crass and late.”

“No need, it is I who should apologize.” Ms. Holly then held Mars’ hand to apologize but quickly realized how gross Mars’ sweat filled hands were. There was a distinct copper stench that stun the noise.

Victor quietly offered Ms. Holly his handkerchief to which she gladly used to wipe her hands and apologized repeated again to both Victor and Mars.

It wasn’t until a dozen or so minutes later that they were finally able to enter the hospital room and saw James lying on the hospital bed lethargic and passed out.

They held casual conversation until a doctor came. The doctor nodded to Mort as he entered.

“Mister and mister Allen” the doctor said while going through a clipboard. “The foreign item wasn’t lodged too far down your son’s throat and was safely removed. He is most likely to make a full recovery. If you have any concerns you can talk to a nurse to fill you in on other details.”

The doctor then looked at Mort to which Mort gestured at him to continue.

“Right. Although the removal of the item wasn’t intrusive, it might be better to not let him eat any hard foods for a week or two. Comeback for an X-Ray in two weeks and we can make sure he is alright. Also best to keep him in for the night just in case something happens, but you are all free to go in the morning.”

Mort nodded at the doctor to indicate he was free to leave. The doctor excused himself as he wiped off his cold sweat.

Ms. Holly followed the doctor’s line of sight while he was talking and found him looking at nothing. She wasn’t too sure why the doctor kept looking at empty space but she had an feeling of unease.

After a bit longer exchange of conversation Ms. Holly finally left, but only under Victor’s repeated insistence that she wasn’t at fault.

Victor breathed out in exhaustion at Ms. Holly’s departing figure and muttered “I hate the good ones.”

Mars meanwhile was backed into a corner by Mort.

“I said not to go too far.”

Mars gulped. “Only a lil’far.” Mars said with a slight tremble and made a tiny hand gesture.

Mort stared at Mars and Mars’ heart thumped audibly in his throat.

There was an chilling silence for a while. And Mars could see the silent contemplation in Mort’s eyes. He felt as if the cold blade of death’s scythe was upon his neck.

Mort then smiled and it sent shivers down both Victor and Mars.

“I believe you will watch James more closely from now on.”

“Yes sir!” Mars said with assurance.

“Uninterrupted supervision.” Mort coldly.

Mars wanted to protest but he was too afraid of the consequences of Mort’s already growing ire.

Victor laughed quietly at Mars flying a little too close to the sun.

“Oh, you as well.” Mort said with the same cold tone as he looked at Victor.

Victor deflated like a balloon and looked at Mars with anger and then at Mort with tears in his eyes.

***

Mort thankfully left and the room after checking his schedule. Both Victor and Mars began to feel warmer as the two men sat opposite of each other in regards to James’ bedside. James was still ‘sedated’, likely put unconscious by Mort.

“Man, crazy that demons are working as docs topside nowadays eh?” Mars tried to make conversation.

Victor simply starred at him in anger, thinking of a million ways he could sabotage Mars future plans as retribution.

“Come on Vicky, ya know I hada do it. Too big of a project. Now that I’m held up who knows how the war will go down.” Mars sighed. “Besides I’m sure you paid some locals a visit. I know you love billionaire.”

Victor kept his unrelenting stare and spoke in a heated tone. “No. Quite frankly I stayed within driving distance. So if an emergency did happen, which it did, I wouldn’t have to shift.”

Mars looked around to make sure Mort is properly gone, then whispered. “Look I know screwing you with me ain’t fair, how bout you be on your way and I lend half my strength so you can shift a little bit to get back before Mort’s noggin turns full circle.”

Victor quirked an eyebrow and thought about it. Then he remembered earlier today, earlier last week, a few incidents last month and so forth. He then looked at Mars blankly and thought ‘better to stay low with Mars, he’s helping catch some heat. It may just cause some of my things to slip Mort’s mind.’

Victor smiled at Mars. “No, no. Can’t let my brother go through it all alone. I’ll be right here with you. Tell you what. How about I lend you almost all my power so you can finish up the war and you can be back before ‘Mort’s noggin turns full circle’.”

Mars looked at Victor with extreme skepticism. He carefully weighed the pros and cons of such a deal in his mind. He decided to wave Victor off telling him it was fine. Mars knew that if he got caught by Mort again he would be stuck in purgatory for at least a good decade even if Mort was feeling particularly merciful.

Mars shivered at the thought of being stuck in purgatory again.

While Victor and Mars were having conversation to kill time James stirred and awoke. It wasn’t until he made a moan that indicated pain that Victor and Mars noticed his wakefulness.

“Mort’s spells does cause the noggin to ache.” Mars look at James sympathetically.

“Do you think the surgeon actually managed to remove whatever James swallowed?”

“No a chance, Mort most likely struck some sort of agreement with that demon earlier.”

“Do you think he’ll…Well digest it?” Victor asked while narrowing his eyes at James.

Mars simply shrugged.

James got up out of bed ripping off the medical instruments. Beeps started to go off and Mars waved his hand to quiet them.

“Where is he going?”

Mars shrugged again and simply indicated Victor to follow.

It was already pretty late into the night The hospital has settled into an eerie quietness and the attending nurse at the front desk was nodding off.

James walked soundlessly thorough the hallway as the lights started to flicker.

“What do you think he’s doing?” Victor asked.

“My lil’boy is all grown up and using his powers.” Mars said while wiping a tear from his eye.

Victor rolled his eyes at Mars.

They followed James along the hospital until James stopped in front of a room. Victor and Mars could see a comatose burned victim inside.

James repeatedly walked into the door.

Mars and Victor shared a look and then Victor opened the door to the room and watched James enter quietly.

To both Mars’ and Victor’s surprise James started to unbind Mort’s magic and reverted to his adult form while drool started to drip out of his mouth.

“I don’t like where this is going.” Victor said.

Mars watched curiously while stroking his beard.

James walked toward the bandage man. The room and medical instruments went dark.

In the darkness sounds of flesh being chewed and bones being crushed could be heard in the dark room.

“My god, he’s almost as barbaric as you Mars.” Victor said jokingly at James cannibalizing the patient.

Mars ignored Victor’s insult and had a face of concern as he observed James eat everything of the patient, bandage and all. Leaving only a very bloody bed behind.

Victor looked around the room and quietly waited for someone to show up. He waited and waited growing more nervous as the time passed. Thirty minutes passed and no one showed up. Victor’s face now had an expression of horror.

“Did he eat the —“

“Yes he did.” Mars said in a grave tone.