Dinner

Harold smiles figuring that Jonas was sick, maybe due to him, but he didn't know for sure. "Alright man", he says pointing and making a clicking sound with his teeth, "Did he seem ok?", Harold asked just to be certain it was a sickness and not something else. He inspected his truck, the motorcycle, and the bike on the bed.

The man at the counter scratches his head.

"Ugh I don't know, I think one of his relatives got hurt or something, and he had to like, visit the hospital."

The truck had a large dent in it on the front side, but looked like it would run. The other vehicles appeared undamaged.

Harold thought the worst, could something have happened to Beth, he hoped not but he was used to the uncertainties of life at this point. He thanked the new attendant, hoping that he had the general idea of where the hospital was seeing how much he asked about it. Harold thought to ask the kid Jonas and Beth's last name but with a town this size what were the chances he wouldn't find them easily. He headed to the hospital in his bruised up truck thinking happy thoughts

Spoiler:

After a short 20 minute drive, Harold arrives at the county hospital...

In the waiting room, Harold immediately sees Jonas arguing with one of the nurses.

Nurse: "I'm sorry, the only visitors allowed are direct relatives. Husband's cousin doesn't count."

Jonas starts coughing vigorously before answering. Sounding loud and angry. "I don't care what the rules are. Damn it, she's got no one left but me . You've got to let me in there!"

Harold inspects the hospital vigorously, it didnt matter where he went in life hospitals always felt like home to him. He stopped himself from randomly attempting to diagnose patients and focused on Jonas. Regardless of how this turned out he knew he couldn't see Jonas anymore his symptoms looked to be real now and he was causing him pain, best to save everyone the trouble.

He approached Jonas fearlessly. "I heard you were at the hospital because a relative was there. Call me paranoid I thought it might be Beth. Figured I should thank you both before I leave, then see if their is anything I can do"

Jonas looks over at Harold, he looks terrible, with most of his sentences interrupted by periodic bouts of coughing.

He also sounds somewhat hysterical.

"You got to do something Doc! That good for nothing cousin of mine hit her in the head with a baseball bat. They don't even know if she's going to make it, and I... I can't even get inside there to see her."

Jonas' rant is cut abruptly short by an extensive bout of coughing that causes him to buckle over and fall on the ground, losing consciousness in the process.

When the nurse behind the counter sees this, she panics, rushing to the front of the counter to inspect the stricken man. Moments later, she is joined by a score of other nurses and other personnel, wheeling a moving bed to mount Jonas on.

As all of this unfolds, Harold notices that the locked doors leading deeper into the hospital had been flung open, leaving him an opening to go further inside...

The medical dummy stepped out of the way when the staff came to collect Jonas. He did feel a bit guilty that he was more then likely the cause, but if he broke down for every human he made ill he wouldn't be able to live his life. He knew now that this might be the last time he'd ever see Jonas again for his own good, and it was a shame on a few levels, because he wanted to ask Jonas how deep he was willing to go to protect his cousin, but he was carted off too abruptly to say. He'd have to diagnose this Jack problem on his own, then operate.

Harold moved farther into the hospital to see if he could locate Beth.

Harold wades through the bland sterile hallways of the hospital's emergency ward, catching a glimpse of all manner of injuries and disease along the way. The place reeked of human suffering and sacrifice.

One might have expected Harold to find Beth on the operating table, but that wasn't the case. She was laying unconscious on a bed, in a quiet room, half of her head covered with bandages.

A man that looks like a doctor is sitting in a chair across from her, reading a magazine. He has a forlorn look on his face.

When Harold sees the Doctor the man just shakes his head, sullenly.

"We did everything we could, but there was too much damage She could go any time now."

The sight of Beth lying here unconscious and dying was too much for the promethean. This was more then just a woman, somehow, he knew that she represented something important to his pilgrimage...and now that seemed to be slipping away. He wondered...did he fail in reaching his milestone?

[Torment roll please!]

Harold shook his head and frowned, a very rare show of displeasure for him. He had lived his life in a state of constant misery and learned that their was no reason to get upset about anything, but it would seem that not every part of him felt that way no matter how hard he tried to deny his emotions. He resisted the urge to kick this so called doctor out of the room and begin proper treatment, if he was working on her she'd be better, he put that thought away because before long he'd go mad attempting to 'save' the entire hospital.

After inspecting Beth to see if these country doctors were in fact using the best method of treatment possible Harold then asked in as calm a voice as he could muster, "who did this?", as if he didn't already know

Spoiler:

"The husband I think. It was severe blunt force trauma to the head.Probably a baseball bat or something like that, I'm really sorry, we did everything we could."

The doctor shakes his head grimly, quickly checks his watch, and then heads out. Since this part of the hospital was locked off, he probably assumed that Harold was a relative or was otherwise allowed to be here.

And so the promethean was left alone with the dying, unconscious woman.

It was then that the woman opened her eyes.

"Harold, is that you?" She asks quietly.

Harold smiles when Beth began speaking of her own accord, he nearly cried though he didn't know if he physically could. "I'm here", he said holding Beth's hand gently. He hoped that Beth had more to say, he had a few questions to ask, but these could be her last words he didn't want to assault her with a barrage of questions until he knew she was strong enough to answer them. He let her collect her thoughts if she could, the medical dummy would gauge where her mind was at by her words.

"I think...we did ok." The woman gasps, each word a terrible labor. "Thank you."

She starts to say something else but then everything locks up. The woman's eyes go wide and with one last painful gasp, Beth passes on.

The hand goes limp...

But it was in that moment of horror that Harold realized something profound. The milestone wasn't about preventing a harm, or saving a life, or even seeking vengeance for a wrong, it was realizing that nothing could be done, except to just be there for someone in their final moments of life.

If he had succumbed to the torment moments before, he would have undoubtedly missed it completely.

With that realization, Harold realizes that he was free to leave the town and continue his pilgrimage.

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