A Scripta

Masonry peeked around the corner of the doorframe and looked into the dimly lit room. Most of the light came from machines surrounding the still form in the bed.

He looked around, saw that Fyre had stepped out. He nodded to himself, went inside. He took a position next to the bed, on the opposite side of the chair that Fyre usually occupied.

"Hey, E, how's it going? I talked to Fyre a couple of days ago. She said it's not better or worse."

Masonry absently traced some of the glowing green scars on E's arm as he spoke. "Sorry I haven't been around. I've been with Frosty. He's out of the woods now. He found his father - something about his father lost his memories and was working for some villain over in the Isles. Him and his wife. His wife's still there and he wants to save her, but his best friend George - that's Frosty's old man, his guardian - he's over there too, and his dad thinks George is going to try and save his wife. Whoever this villain is who used them, his dad talks about him like you used to with Styrm, with reverence and awe. I guess if someone can make you into a puppet, that's how you sort of feel about him.

"Styrm's still not talking. I know they won't let me back into the Zig unless I was a prisoner again, and then I wouldn't last long. I'm sure they're not using the same kind of methods that I would - he'd still be able to talk, but he wouldn't be able to walk. Or eat."

He sighed, caught himself tracing the scars and stopped. "Frosty and I..." He looked up at E's face. "I love him like no other," he whispered. He chuckled a little and looked down at E's chest. "It's not what you think, it's not sex, believe me. I'd do anything for him, anything. I'd give up my life for him, without a second thought. But thing is, I know he he'd never ask me to do that, and that makes it all the more poignant. I don't know how to explain it. I comfort him and he brings me joy." He smiled up at E again. "He brings me peace."

Masonry coughed, looked around. "Yeah, well, enough roses and chocolate crap. I don't think you need to hear it, nor do you really care. He should be getting out of the hospital in a couple of weeks. I don't know where he's going - probably back home. Then I'll be free to rampage through the city again all by my lonesome, I suppose. Futura might keep me busy - we got a whole slue of new recruits and a couple of them are pretty interesting. Jack knows them, so it's kinda funny."

He caught himself tracing E's scars again. "Yeah, well, anyway..." He leaned forward, his face close to E's. "Jason, I know you're in there, somewhere. Please come back."

Masonry closed his eyes and gently kissed E's forehead. He whispered, "I miss you."