Page 82 of Ranger's Rise

Cort: “Ranger, Raid and the two gunners. Be ready to run when we set down. We don’t have the MPs.”

I nod glad he reminded us, but I feel it missing when my mind switched from trainer to Enforcer.

Akai: “Car stopped, Boss. Kids in front.”

Fuck. Cort’s telling Jinx to move people and get us on with him while we jump out and run. I hear the click and relax.

“Enforcers two out. Fire is three, Boss,” Jinx tells us.

“Roger, Jinx. Get Patcher on notice.”

We make the corner and I move to the road. Kids are being ushered down the sidewalk. VP gets caught in the mob of little bodies, but Cort moves from the edge to the middle following me. My gun is out, but I’m having trouble believing what I see. The asshole has a flame thrower.

“Freeze!” I yell as I’m still running.

“No, Freedom!” Cort yells as she’s coming out the front door and I know I’m wrong.

“Fuck!” I hear the shot and my feet are still moving, but I’m burning up.

I fall, feeling like I was dipped in lava. The air is sucked right out of me leaving my brain with no orders to carry out.

Everything feels like it’s burning. When I open my eye Cort is over me with his flight suit half on. “It’s out, Brother. Patcher is on his way.”

Sirens and lights flash before I close my eye again.

~*

Freedom

I pace the hospital room waiting for him to wake up. Doc comes in and I’m relieved. “He’s going to be fine, Freedom. Anton had them send me the ReCell information. Luckily, a doctor here was familiar with it and did the small graft getting the sample ready. Brinks had someone go get the ReCell from the city and we’ll spray it on the burns in about ten minutes. This is a thirty-minute process. The skin will be completely regrown within two to three weeks.”

“Weeks?”

He nods smiling. “It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do. Cort is getting us some for the medic room. Without cuts or scrapes like with road rash, the new skin will have no other scarring. It may be lighter and his hair will take a little longer for the follicles to grow back, but it really is weeks for his skin to grow back. He’ll need to stay for a few days, but he’s less than three percent burned so they’ll let him out sooner if they see it’s taken.”

“His eye and ear?” Half his face is covered in wet gauze, but I haven’t seen his skin since he was in front of the shop. It was bubbled and blackened.

“No damage to his eye other than the burn, but part of his ear was removed. They used the cells that were deep for the ReCell treatment. That’s why he had such a small graft taken.”

Cort comes in with Seren and she puts her arm around me. I was wishing for one of Victory’s hugs earlier. I’ll take what I can get.

“This is proven?” It sounds like weird futuristic shit to me.

Cort nods at the same time Doc does. “I talked to the doctor in the city. He put a patient on and I saw it for myself. He’s already growing skin and was burnt in a house fire two days ago. They’re letting him out in a few days, but we have Doc and Patcher so Ranger won’t have to stay.”

I breathe and nod. “Why isn’t he awake?”

Cort looks pissed. “I had Patcher sedate him as soon as he got there. We need him calm and still. I wasn’t taking any chances. I didn’t know about the ReCell being so close.” Doc moved away from Cort before he opened his mouth.

I smile.“Thanks, Doc. I’d rather him be out than fighting to go home.”

Seren nods making me smile. Cort walks out. Doc smiles at me. “He really will be fine. I’m here while we apply the spray of cells. They’ll ask you to leave the room until it’s on him and covered again.”

I nod. “Come on, let’s get dinner.” Seren pulls me out. “Hey, leave him alone!” Seren yells at a woman reaching toward Anton.

What the fuck? I take Anton’s hand as an Enforcer steps over. “He shouldn’t be left in the hall. I was bringing him to the nurse’s station. Did you see all the men roaming around?” She doesn’t stop for an answer. “He shouldn’t even be here, but leaving him unattended is dangerous.” She’s not in a uniform so she isn’t a nurse. It is dangerous if she’s any indication of the people around here.

“He has Security watching out for him. Another three seconds and Security would have had a gun aimed on you. Move away and don’t come near him again.”