one | voice, cell phone

[elfstoned]

My name is Strider. I run a small clinic just south of the Dead District.

It's the brick building with the broken sign that says LSR. You can't miss it.

Not exactly inspiring, I know. But it's clean, and I'm licensed -- which is more than you can say for most doctors you can afford without insurance.

[A pause.]

Many strange things have been happening lately.

If you come to me, I won't ask questions.

Comments

[elfstoned]

...is Mass your only character witness? I know of him, but he's done little to win my trust.

[You'll have to do better than that.]

[twopercent]

Ask around. A lot of people saw Paul get killed. He wasn't in the house with the rest of his family at the time, not even close.

[Jack grates out the words, starting to realize just how bad this looks. That's actually the best he can manage -- what, is he going to ask the General's or his men to vouch for him that night? Even those he talked to on the network after the interrogation... that was in the morning. Well after the time of death for Paul's family.]

[elfstoned]

We'll see.

You don't have a promising military career to protect you this time, Jack. If you try anything like you did in the service -- whether you're guilty of the Bens' murder or not -- God help you.

[Is it a threat? It's unclear. What will Strider do if Jack relapses? Who knows. But Jack knows now that there is a watchful eye on him, one that knows enough to be guarded.]

[twopercent]

I never did anything I didn't have to.

[Jack growls his response and cuts the feed abruptly. He'd been planning to bring up the whole invader thing but these particular unpleasant memories, not ones from some unknown alternate life for a change, ...are not something he's fully prepared to deal with right now.]