Chapter 56: Mr Kelly’s Fear

Victor walked through the hospital’s sliding doors. He had a leather bag in each hand, the smell of roasted fish still warm through the wrapping.

“I’m looking for a patient. Mr. Kelly,” he told the nurse at the front desk.

“Are you on the visitor list?”

“Yeah, should be.”

She checked, nodded, and pointed him down a corridor. “Room 214, second floor.”

He found the room easily enough. His father was already standing outside it, and his face lit up the second he spotted Victor coming down the hall.

“Oh, you made it.” He pulled Victor into a one-armed side hug. “Good, good.”

“I brought lunch.” Victor lifted the bags slightly. “Roasted fish and milk.”

“Perfect.” His father clapped him on the shoulder. “You get enough for…”

“VICTOR! He’s here!”

The voice came from inside the room before his father could finish.

Victor stepped through the doorway, and Mrs. Kelly was already crossing the room toward him.

Her face was much brighter than he’d seen it tge last time. Her son stood quietly near the hospital bed where Mr. Kelly lay, reading a comic book: Heroes Of Dungeon Conquest.

Victor recognized it at first glance. A comic book about a group of heroes in the Dungeon Conquest universe that pushed against the encroaching darkness a thousand years ago and created the territorial Boundaries.

The boy, Tanny, waved at Victor and he waved back.

Mrs Kelly cupped Victor’s face in both hands before he could say anything. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I know how expensive something like that must have been.”

“It’s really no problem. I’m just glad it worked.”

“It did more than work.” Her eyes glistened. “But,” her expression soured, “the second we used the armament on him, the whole thing just… turned to dust. Crumbled right in my hand.”

Victor nodded. He was not surprised. There were only two charges left when he got it from Hook.

Mira used one. It only had one more use, and that was it.

“The doctor said he might even come home in a couple days,” Mrs. Kelly continued. “He’s healing so fast. Even that wound on his chest, has already closed up.”

Victor smiled, genuinely relieved. He believed the entire thing with Mr Kelly was his fault to begin with, and it was only right for him to take responsibility.

He held up the bags. “I brought food, if anyone’s hungry.”

That got a round of laughter and gratitude, as everyone settled in around the small room, passing out fish and cups of milk, conversation drifting easy and warm.

“Oh, by the way,” Victor’s father said between bites, “did you two hear? Victor’s a Ranker now.”

“A Ranker?” Mrs. Kelly’s eyebrows rose. “What rank?”

“E-Rank,” Victor said.

Mr. Kelly, propped up against his pillows, let out a weak chuckle. “Not the best out there, but still. Even E-Rank comes with real benefits.” He glanced toward his wife, and something passed between them. A kind of quiet understanding.

That explained it. The armament.

How a kid from their side of the slums had suddenly been able to afford something that expensive. Nobody around here ever became a Ranker. Nobody around here had the money for the test. And no body was willing to risk their lives for the artificial awakening that had very very poor results.

The little boy in the room, Tanny, hearing Victor was now a Ranker rushed to his side. “Big brother, that’s so cool. Is that why you are no longer looking like an air balloon?”

“Tanny!” Mrs Kelly called, “That was rude.” She said trying to hold herself back from smacking his head.

“Sorry.” Tanny replied, but did not stop. “Those that also mean you get to fight terrifying monsters and stuff in the gate, and save people and stuff?”

Victor paused. E–Rankers did not exactly fight unless absolutely necessary, and at best excavate gates. But he would be heartless to just quench the fires in the boy’s eyes.

Besides, he’d fought goblins and even giant flesh devouring insects.

“Yes, I do. In fact, in the last gate I entered, I fought some goblins.”

“Oh my god! Goblins… is that true? That’s so cool. Mum,” he turned, “why didn’t you tell me the big brother in our apartment building was a hero.”

Everyone broke into laughter, and for a moment the whole room felt lighter than it had in days.

And Victor felt good about it. Such a peaceful happy environment was something he could not remember when last he enjoyed.

Maybe with his mother, before her death, before his father worked long hours to feed the family.

So peaceful.

Suddenly, Victor’s instincts flared. Danger.

It was half-second too late.

Knock knock knock.

“Well, well. Looks like you’re all doing just fine in here.” A voice from the doorway, pleasant and mocking in equal measure. “Guess we came at the right time, then.”

Every head in the room turned at once.

Standing in the doorway, flanked by two men in dark coats, Boss Jack.

The loan sharks were back.

The room froze solid.

Mrs. Kelly’s face drained of every bit of color it had carried a moment ago, as her hands flew instinctively toward her son.

Tanny didn’t need the push, already darting behind Victor on his own.

His small fingers gripped the back of Victor’s shirt, peeping from the point of safety.

Victor’s father rose from his chair slowly, stepping back half a pace, putting himself slightly between the door and the rest of the family without quite seeming to realize he’d done it.

On the bed, Mr. Kelly’s hands fisted into the sheets, knuckles going white.

Boss Jack sauntered in like he owned the room, unhurried, his two men posting up on either side of the doorway.

He pulled a chair out from the corner, flipped it around, and dropped into it backward, forearms resting along the top.

His eyes drifted to the spread of roasted fish still sitting half-unwrapped on the bedside table.

“Mind if I?” He didn’t wait for an answer, reaching over and tearing off a generous chunk, popping it into his mouth without a trace of hesitation.

He chewed slowly and deliberately, savoring it.

“Mm. Good food.” His eyes swept the room, lingering a beat too long on each face. “Living real good in here, huh. Fancy armaments to heal your wound, a good hospital room, roasted fish for lunch.” His head tilted up slightly, gaze settling directly on Mr. Kelly, voice dropping into something colder.

“All while you still owe me money.”