Volver a Comenzar [open]

[notlewis]

When Luis was 9, he'd collected a small terrarium of insects in a jam jar and successfully kept his miniature ecosystem alive for several months. One day, he found the bugs lying dead at the bottom of the jar and it was nearly impossible to console him.

"Lucho, no puedes controlar la vida," his grandfather had told him. "Sólo Dios puede hacer eso

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[governorkang]

"...I must be seeing things. You're not holed up in your lab for once," Kang said, shock evident in his voice. "Usually, someone has to drag you out of there to make sure you don't kill yourself."

[notlewis]

"Oh, the killing myself was starting to sound like a good plan, so I figured it was time to get out," Luis chuckled. "Come on over, amigo. I am spending an evening with Señor Daniels."

[governorkang]

Grinning, Kang sat down next to Luis, "Smart man. Don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting this Daniels fellow."

[notlewis]

"I had the foresight to grab two shot glasses, so maybe it's time for you to get acquainted." He poured Kang a shot and handed it over.

[governorkang]

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I like the way you think," Kang spared barely a glance at the shot glass before downing it, shaking his head at the burn. "You should have introduced us sooner."

[notlewis]

"I have never been to America, but I know that they know their liquor. That one is for certain."

Luis leaned back in his seat and set the bottle down between them. "So what brings you up this way, amigo? Perhaps we are all having one of those introspective kind of nights, sí?"

[governorkang]

Kang looked out at the Bleed, "Taking a walk. It helps me clear my mind. And, it looks like you've got a lot on yours, too."

[notlewis]

Luis chuckled and poured himself another shot. His fifth... or sixth, maybe. Either way, he had enough of a glow going on to speak freely. "You can say that again. There are some days when a guy just doesn't want to have the job he's got, you know?"

He knocked back the shot and set his glass down. "I'm just so sick of everything being a matter of life and death."

[governorkang]

"I know the feeling, believe me," Kang said dryly, pouring himself another shot as well. "I'm pretty sure everyone has days like that, no matter what their job is."

[notlewis]

"I'm just so tired." Luis shook his head, staring out into the Bleed again. He was hoping that familiar insignificant feeling would kick in any time now, so he could quit worrying about this.

"But you know what? I don't even have the right to bitch about it. I act like it's all my problem here, when the problem is so much personal for so many other people. Like it's such a BURDEN for me. If I wasn't myself, I would slap myself in the face for being such a drama queen."

[governorkang]

"As far as I knew, the rage virus was taken care of. What's so important that you have to dedicate so much time to it?" Kang asked, curious. He'd picked up quite some time ago that Luis was the type of man that would not rest when he had a goal to achieve.

[notlewis]

"Oh, you know." Luis suddenly seemed quite a bit more mum on the subject. "Just something with lives hanging in the balance that for some reason, I'm trusted to handle."

He hurriedly went for another shot. "Here I go again."

[governorkang]

Kang sighed, "I won't press for details if you don't want to give them. But, if you need to get anything off your chest, you can trust me not to breathe a word to anyone else."

[notlewis]

Luis was quiet for a moment and finally leaned his head back to look at the ceiling. "If I'm wrong, with this project I'm working on... somebody will die. And possibly many more people as well. I don't think I'm wrong, but..."

He smirked and shook his head. "I don't trust my judgment anymore. I don't deserve this kind of responsibility."

[governorkang]

"Maybe you don't deserve it, but it's yours now, and you have to trust that your judgment is correct. The more you second-guess yourself, the more you lessen your chances at success. I take it this person is someone close to you?" Kang asked, downing another shot.

[notlewis]

Kang actually made a lot of sense there. Luis supposed that was a good way to look at it... there was nobody else who could take the responsibility, so it fell on him.

"Not really," he replied. "A friend of a friend at best. But it doesn't matter who it is. I have enough blood on my hands, and the idea of adding any more is starting to get to me."