Project Prometheus Ch. 38 - Teaser (Patreon)

Willem sat up in the bed he was laying in, in a clean gown, and wincing as he moved. He was glad to see his mom and dad there, but he was especially happy to see Aesha. While what they had shared was recent, it was enough to affect them both when he was hurt. His mother caught the glance, but said nothing as she fussed over her son.

“Mom, I’m all right! You don’t need to be checking every inch of me! Dr. Walczak already did that,” Willem told her.

“It’s a mother’s right to worry! Now hush!” she rebuked him as she did her own checks. Seeing that there was nothing else wrong with him, aside from the few shots he’d taken, his mother left off after a few words from her husband. He walked to his son and spoke to him, happy that he was still breathing.

“Thanks dad! It would have been a lot worse if I wasn’t wearing a vest,” he told them.

“If you still got hurt wearing a vest, then what is the point of wearing one?” his mother griped.

“As he said, it could have been much worse. The shooter probably got lucky and hit a weak point in the vest. Or he was using exotic rounds to do some damage. We don’t know just yet,” Zuzanna soothed, quelling their ruffled feathers.

“At least he is still alive! As he said, it could have been far worse, had he not been wearing his vest,” Aesha said out loud.

The mother turned to her and looked about to say something to her, but held her tongue, realizing the Artucian woman was right. She then turned back to her son and spoke to him some more. After a few more minutes, they left, but Aesha stayed behind at Willem’s request. His parents looked suspicious until their son told them it related to a case he was working.

“Sorry about that. My parents tend to be… overprotective. Especially my mom,” Willem apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. My parents were much the same, when I was selected to be an honor guard for my chieftaness,” Aesha giggled.

“I’ll bet! Any idea who it is that shot me?” the boy asked.

“I learned that it was Sargol, when Inari came back from chasing him down. The slippery bastard got away,” she groused. “But, the others are likely making it their priority to track down the man and bring him in.”

“If what I remember about Auntie Nari is accurate, I would almost feel sorry for the son of a bitch! But I won’t. The fuckhead has a lot to answer for and with everything he’s done and gotten away with, he deserves every moment of pain he’s got coming to him,” Willem chuckled.

“After what happened, I couldn’t agree more,” Aesha sighed as she took Willem’s hand and held it tightly. Willem returned the gesture, squeezing her hand and smiling at the woman.

“I’ll be OK, Aesha,” he told her.

“I know. Just focus on getting better, for both your parent’s sake… and for mine,” she told him as she smiled shyly at him.

“I will,” Willem said as he pulled her to him and drew the woman in for a kiss. “Now go and get him.”

Smiling to herself, she nodded and walked on out, passing a grinning Dr. Walczak. Aesha couldn’t help but smile herself, as she moved to the front of the clinic. While they’d only had the one encounter, there was something… different about it. Somehow, Aesha felt all flighty and nervous around the boy, as though it was her first time ever having been with anyone. She chalked it up to nerves and focused back on seeking out the bastard who shot him.

“Just what are you doing sniffing around my son?” the mother questioned angrily, getting in Aesha’s face.

“What?!?”

“Doryn, don’t,” her husband warned, his tone darkening.

“I won’t have some xeno bitch trying to spirit him away!” she accused.

Aesha rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with this right now, having more pressing concerns on her plate. She watched the couple briefly as they began to argue, with the Artucian woman looking to sidestep her way out of this. As she moved, she noted something odd at the clinic window.

She saw a young man, maybe all of twenty years old, walk up and put something near the corner of the window, before he scurried away. Aesha took a beat to wonder what he was doing, before her eyes widened in comprehension.

“Get down!” she shouted as she tackled Willem’s parents to the ground.