The Collector

“What’s the problem, Party?” Ghoul growled, emphasising his name. “Surely once all the drugs are out of your system, you’ll be fine again.”
“I’m fine now,” Android Party replied, turning back to face him adopting a slight air of irritation.
“Yeah, you’re fine,” Ghoul scowled.
“All the same,” Jet reasoned. “It’s best to check.”

Android Party nodded; there was very little he could do. Opening the car door, he stepped out into the bright sunshine closely followed by Ghoul, emerging only seconds after and taking a deep breath. After the stifling air in the car, he almost felt like he was stepping out into a spring day. Compared with Zone 6, the temperature in Zone 1 could be considered moderate, but the harsh glaring brightness of the sun was just as unforgiving. Reaching for his sunglasses, as Jet, Kobra and Red stepped out of the car, Ghoul stared again at Android Party and frowned deeply. He wasn’t squinting. Party always squinted in the sun. He had surprisingly sensitive eyes and usually opted to wear visors that reminded Ghoul of swimming goggles, which was particularly amusing to him, because he knew full well that Party couldn’t swim. What was the point of learning to swim? Party would argue, we live in the desert! Even the excuse that he was protecting his eyes seemed ludicrous as Ghoul would often wake in the night and find Party hunched over a table, screwing his eyes up, trying to draw by moonlight. Party often complained that he didn’t like wearing his mask because he couldn’t wear his visors underneath it but Ghoul would tease him about the real reason - his eyelashes were so long, they would touch the molded leather and make him blink constantly. Ghoul loved Party’s eyelashes. Ghoul loved Party’s everything.

Now, as he thought about all this, his eyes fixed on the imposter, wide-eyed in the mid-day sun, Ghoul’s short and fiery temper flared. Moving quickly past Kobra around to the opposite side of the car, Ghoul grabbed Android Party’s jacket and shoved him up against the Trans Am.

“Who are you?” He demanded.
“Ghoul?” Android Party gasped, infuriating the shorter man even more. “You know me!”
“I know Party,” he growled, his eyes lined with fury. “But you? No, I have no idea who you are!”
“Ghoul!” Kobra shouted, slamming his hand down on the hood of the car to get his attention.

Jet rolled his eyes; the pair were way too volatile. This whole thing could probably be settled very easily with a simple visit to one of the doctors. They had visited this particular hospital many times before, the doctors knew Party and if this was someone else, a very quick test would tell them. But, Jet thought, he seemed to be the only one with enough patience to wait that long.

“Jet, what’s going on?” Red pulled at his sleeve, willing him to answer with inquisitive eyes. From the look of her, she had been trying to get his attention for a few seconds.
“We need Party to see a doctor,” he replied quickly, starting toward the small gathering as Kobra headed briskly in Ghoul’s direction.

Red felt that she could see it coming - another fight. What was it with these guys and their testosterone levels? Fast cars, guns and fights! But this was a new one. She had seen Ghoul in many different moods - and he had many moods - happy, mischievous, thoughtful, playful, scared and sad, but she had never even suspected him of being capable of getting this angry. He looked ready to kill and kill Party at that. She didn’t know what they were keeping from her but she would find out but above all, she would stop this inevitable fight.
Running forward, she pulled on Ghoul’s arm.

“Ghoul, what’s going on?” She demanded, trying hard to pull him away, but finding him surprisingly hard to move. “It’s Party! He’s just...”
“He’s not Party!” Ghoul insisted, looking back into the android’s eyes, his own eyes narrowed into a harsh glare.
“Well, who am I then?” Android Party returned aggressively, shoving Ghoul backwards.
“You’re not helping, Party!” Red snapped. “Do I have to kick...”

Red stopped suddenly, her mouth hanging open and eyes widening.

“You’re not Party!” She gasped.

Jet, standing nearby turned a surprised glance toward Red who now appeared to have everyone’s attention. What had she seen?

Android Party looked from Red to the others and back. One person insisting that he was not who he said he was, was one thing and he suspected that Jet was uncertain, but now there was another of them claiming the same thing. It seemed unlikely that they would continue to brush this off as paranoia. Perhaps something could be salvaged of the original plan to discredit the Killjoys? Party Poison had to seem as if he had been turned by BLI and an opportunity had presented itself to give that very impression. It was not the grand scale take down of their collective reputations that had been planned, but it was better than nothing.
Jet’s head snapped up as Android Party grabbed Red around the neck, pulling her close to his body and squeezing tightly. Taking a couple of urgent steps back to put some distance between himself and the others, Android Party eyed Jet, his eyes offering a cold warning that he should not step any closer. Ghoul was furious. If any of them had taken seriously this would not be happening, but it didn’t seem a good moment for ‘I told you so’s’. Kobra was terrified for both Red and his brother. If this was Party, what had happened to him? If he wasn’t, where was the real Party? Either way, Red was being strangled in front of him.

“Party!” Kobra raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. “Calm the fuck down, man! Let her go!”

Ghoul shot Kobra a furious glance, angry that, despite everything, he was still insistent that this was his brother but was somehow confused. Pulling and scratching at the android’s arm, Red tried desperately to pull it away so that she could draw a precious breath. He seemed unnaturally strong and nothing she was doing seemed to hurt him. That didn’t surprise her as much as it would have only moments earlier. She had recalled that when he had kissed her earlier after removing his chains, she had driven her knee into his crotch in an attempt to make him stop but he hadn’t even flinched. Knowing this didn’t help her now and she knew that she was close to passing out or worse. Red’s eyes rolled back as the air to her lungs was cut off quickly and completely and she began to sag in his grip, only now did he soften his hold on her. The difference was slight but enough to allow her to breathe, leading her to conclude that he needed her conscious to make good his escape.

“Let her go!” Jet yelled, inclining now towards believing Ghoul, but unwilling to let the android know that he suspected he wasn’t who he said he was. Preferring to suggest that Party was paranoid about having to go into the hospital or something similar, Jet continued to suggest that he didn’t doubt his identity. “We just want to make sure you’re clean, that’s all. If you don’t want to go in, we can...”
“Fuck that!” Ghoul shouted drawing his gun and aiming directly at Party’s head.

Kobra spun as the flash of green in his peripheral vision alerted him to what was happening. Knocking Ghoul’s arm upward, both Kobra and Jet were astonished to see the flash of light emanating from Ghoul’s gun. Had he intentionally fired, or was it the jolt from Kobra?

Realising that Ghoul now seemed sufficiently certain to actually kill him, the android considered his options: he had very few. He would take the car and strand them at the hospital ready to be picked off when he advised Korse that the plan had changed and where he could find them.

“I’m taking the car,” Android Party announced, “and her. You three go...”

Android Party didn’t get any further before he was suddenly on his back, slamming into the ground in a cloud of dust and sand with Red falling to her knees beside him, gasping for breath but grateful she had had enough energy left to throw him. Within moments he had leaped back up to his feet without registering any pain; this was the absolute proof that Red needed. Ghoul, already certain, could no longer imagine even Kobra denying what he had seen all along.

“See!” He yelled at Kobra, striking his arm to emphasise his words. “You still think that’s Party?”

Jet pulled Red to safety and his eyes fell, concerned and angry, to the bruises forming around her neck. Glancing at Ghoul, who was once more aiming his gun, Kobra was shaken by the fact that somehow this man was not his brother and that the real Party’s whereabouts were unknown to them. Was it possible that this imposter knew? He couldn’t let Ghoul kill him.
The distraction was just enough - with unnatural speed, Android Party bolted for the hospital entrance, grabbing one of the jammed open doors and using it as leverage to swing himself into the lobby before Ghoul managed to fire off a single shot.

“Come on!” Ghoul yelled, slapping Kobra’s arm again before racing after the android.

Kobra turned concerned eyes towards Red and Jet. He felt torn, upset and bewildered. He wanted very much to go to Red’s side and comfort her, but perhaps even more so, he wanted to stop Ghoul from killing either his brother or the only link to his whereabouts he had.

“Go,” Red gasped hoarsely, waving a hand in Kobra’s direction. She was still getting her breath back and trying to stop Jet fussing over her. But above all, whoever this man was, Party or not, he was dangerous and very strong - she did not want Ghoul chasing after him on his own.
“We’ll follow,” Jet nodded, equally concerned about Ghoul but wanting to attend to his sister before rushing after them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jet saw Kobra take off, heading into the hospital at pace. Looking at Red with deep concern etched into his face, he reached to examine the bruises on her neck.

“Are you okay?” He asked gently as he helped her stand.
“Yeah,” She croaked. “He made the mistake of thinking that I needed protecting.”

Jet raised an eyebrow; she certainly hadn’t lost her sense of humour, but he still wasn’t convinced.

“I am, Jet,” she added. “I just don’t sound it. Come on, we’ve got to help Ghoul. Something tells me he’s not thinking straight.”
“When does he ever?” Jet muttered to himself as the pair rounded the car and headed into the hospital, guns drawn and ready to fight.

*

“So, Dr Harrison, what do we have?” A cheerful sounding elderly doctor called.
“Sir,” Harrison began hesitantly. “This is Dr Fielding, a former colleague of mine, she...”

He didn’t get any further as the elderly man walked past him, proffering his hand.

“Dr Fielding, my name is Dr Robert Hawes. I’m the Chief of Medicine in this ramshackle old building. You’ve brought us a new patient, I see?”
“Yes, Dr Hawes, I...”

Fielding paused as she saw Harrison staring wide-eyed at her. She guessed that he didn’t want her to mention BLI but the man’s next words were to shock them both.

“Ah, one of our frequent fliers, I see.” He laughed as he entered the private room and smiled at the flame-haired man now lying atop the bed. “And what scrapes have you been getting into this time, young man?”
“Dr Hawes?” Party narrowed his eyes in uncertainty. “Am I right?”
“You certainly are, Party,” the man tipped his head. “What’s wrong? Memory or eyes?”
“Memory,” Party shrugged. “I’ve spent at least the last day thinking I’m ten years old.”
“And how old are you now?” He asked gently.
“I...” Party sighed and looked down. “I don’t know. I feel the same. Still ten, but I remember you. I don’t suppose I’ve known you since I was ten have I?”
“Well, young man, there are patients I’ve seen fewer times in the last twenty five years than I have you, but no, I’ve only known you for three.”
“You’re telling me I’m thirty five?” Party asked despondently.
“You’re somewhere in your mid-thirties, son. I could get your file if you want me to check?”
“No,” Party shook his head firmly. “I might find out I’m even older!”

Hawes laughed; he had been a long qualified doctor years before Party was even born. It was amusing to think that he thought himself to be old.

“Now, then, when was the last time you ate anything?”
“I don’t know, Doc, but if I had to guess, I was probably nine.”

Hawes chuckled again as he headed for a nearby portable cabinet.

“I’ll see what we can find. There hasn’t been a shipment for a while, so we’re a bit depleted.”
“Nothing from Candi?” Party asked, surprising himself with another partial memory.
“I’m afraid not, but I see familiarity seems to be helping your memory. In the meantime, I want you to drink this.”
“What is it?” Party asked with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s an anti-hypnotic. Dr Harrison has filled me in on some of what’s been happening to you. I’ll rely on Dr Fielding for the full details, of course, but that should get the ball rolling. Now, do you think you could rest while we discuss your treatment?”

Party eyed the empty cup with suspicion.

“Well, that depends,” he looked up. “Will this knock me out?”
“You’re weak enough, I don’t think I need to add to that, do you?”

Party smiled, relieved. He’d had quite enough of strong drugs forcing him to sleep.

“Get some rest, we’ll be back shortly.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Party called, resting back against the old but serviceable pillow.

Outside the room, Harrison breathed a deep sigh of relief. He had wondered what he would or even could say to explain Party Poison’s presence at the hospital. It had come as a great surprise to him that not only did Dr Hawes know him, but welcomed him.

As the three walked along the corridor towards Hawes’s office, he addressed them both without looking at either.

“I know you’re new here, Dr Harrison, and this applies to you too, Dr Fielding, if you’re planning to stick around. Party Poison and the rest of the Killjoys have been very generous to this and many hospitals across the Zones. They will always receive treatment here, the finest we can offer and we will never charge. Each of you must decide how you feel about that. Given your history Dr Harrison, I can assume that you won’t report this to BLI, but I would be interested to hear your position on this, Dr Fielding.”
“I rescued him from BLI, throwing away my career, home and probably my life in the process. I’d think you can safely assume I’m okay with you treating him.”
“I’m sorry for your circumstances, Doctor but trust me, despite appearances, you are much better off out here in the Zones than you could ever be in BLI.” Hawes replied with a thoughtful nod.
“I know,” she nodded. “Despite how That May have sounded, I have no regrets.”

*

Sliding to a soft, almost silent stop, Android Party smirked at the sight before him. Only yards away, lying on the bed with his eyes closed, resting peacefully was Party Poison.

Further down the corridor, he could hear the faint sound of running. It was time to shatter that peace.

Notes