The Hero of Time was sitting on a train; he was finishing a book that Bruce had recommended him before meeting his charge.
-------------------REMEMBRANCE-------------------------
Agent Widow was grinning widely once he noticed Link's arrival "Dude… THANK YOU. If I had stayed with him any longer, I would have killed him. He has gotten to the point where he is refusing to take his medication; he no longer believes in medicine, since it only makes him feel worse. If he fucking wants to die so much, I will gladly assist him."
Link sighs "And you are expecting ME to convince him to take his pills? I am not an adult here; he won't listen to me"
"And that is where you are wrong, he will… well, he may. Don't concern yourself about age, he requested someone like you" agent Widow says smiling "turns out he saw one of your clones, I don't remember who but the boy was following agent Shards. The ill guy refused agent Shards claiming that he didn't trust the men I had been suggesting, he didn't feel safe with them around. But if I managed to get a healthy strong teenager to be his caregiver, like the boy he saw taking notes, then he will get back on his medication"
"And you believe him?" Link asks.
Jasper rolls his brown eyes "Of course not, he obviously wants a kid to manipulate into buying drugs and booze… but I am not sending him a common teenager, am I?"
The Hero smiled "You are definitely not; what story did you sell him? Who are you? And who am I?"
"I am a detective; hired to find and arrest the guys he is currently covering for. You are a high schooler who skipped a year because of your intelligence, and just finished a Red Cross Volunteer program"
"I am supposed to try to heal him, right?" Link casually asks.
"Yes, I still think that he will snitch if we help him beat this sickness first. Then, he will trust that I only want to help him, so he will surrender that list it to me believing I will keep him safe and alive" Jasper sighs "For the time being, if you manage to keep him from deteriorating any further is good enough"
Kid smiles sadly "Which means I must fucking try to heal him, if I don't, this could take forever, or he could die before spilling the names on that list"
Agent Widow nods "If you manage to find something I have not already tried, do it. If it kills him, I won't blame you… in fact, I think we should just end him now but... You have until you turn 18. Zalatoris will personally shot him dead instead of wasting you any longer"
Makes sense, once I reach adulthood I can participate freely on ANY mission. He has been avoiding fully using me due to possible legal repercussions.
"I need to start on something else; you head to New Orleans, Louisiana. And send me a weekly report"
Link nods "I thought the US government had Epstein's list already"
Jasper laughs briefly "This is not Epstein's list, but he was not the only degenerate with a list; Jeffrey just had the wealthiest costumers. Hence why the FBI is never going to move a finger against the people on that particular list"
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LINK POV
Link finally closes the book after 7 hours; he uses his thumb and index finger to rub on both of his lacrimal glands.
Well, that was an interesting book, and a good introduction to what I would have learned, if I had participated on a Red Cross program. But I got no ideas of something new to try that Jasper hasn't done already. Well, I did notice one thing. Apparently, the body works as a perfect self-repairing machine, what one part of the body produces, another part uses. So… if its no longer self-repairing, it must mean that the machine's gears are stuck somewhere, I must repair that. But where do I start? He is partially blind, bedridden due to muscle weakness, suffering pain all over, having troubles with speech, his liver and kidneys are falling, and God knows what other organs may also be failing. What part of his body should I start with?
Beep! Link checks the new message he got. It was for him to join a WhatsApp group chat.
Blast and Zygote want a group chat… WAIT. Blastocyte and Zygote are early stages of an embryo. The embryo forms the germ layers to start forming and working the primitive gut. That means the gut is the first structure… and there must be a reason for that.
*Well, the gut is used to digest and absorb everything since the beginning of life apparently. If it's not working properly, whatever this criminal is eating will not work. Slowly and painfully starving the rest of the organ, causing him to loose body functioning*
All right then, WE START HEALING HIS DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
Once the train arrived, the Hero got on a cab and headed to his destination. On route he texted Widow that he was about stablish contact.
Upon arrival a young lady opened the door to receive him, she was a blonde blue-eyed nurse around her 20s, yet she had big dark circles on her eyes, surely caused by exhaustion, yet she smiled and extended her hand. Link just handed her his identification papers. The lady quicky read through them and picked up her suitcase from the floor.
"Hello, I was told you would be arriving today. That is excellent because I never got along with the patient, he just never liked me. Do you know how to play chess, cards or any other board game? That is all he can currently do to pass the time… Well, I will be leaving now; I left instruction on the dosage of his medications on the table. Don't believe him if he tells you he has not eaten today. Nice meeting you and good luck"
*She was not in a hurry, she was practically running away*
Well… if things go south, I can at least feel good about saving her from this pit hole.
Link entered the house, walked toward the patient's door and knocked. There was no answer so he just barged in.
"WHO THE FUCK ALLOWED YOU TO ENTER?" an angry man's yelled.
"I am here to provide care for a sick person. I was not aware that I needed authorization to check if he still breathes." Link answers as he enters the room where the screams came from.
Inside the room, was the criminal laying on the bed. He was a Caucasian man in his forties, but his sickness and lifestyle choices made him look like an extremely weak and bald 60 year old with a protruding belly. He laid inclined on several pillows with a scornful face.
"Well, I still do… so, GO AWAY"
Link grins widely and stands at the foot of the bed.
"I was made aware before coming here that you lacked social manners, let me be your instructor" Ziel clears his throat "My name is Raziel Saller, nice to meet you. I was a Red Cross volunteer. How should I refer to you?"
"I NEVER fucking gave the detective my name, why would I give it to someone who is still wet behind the ears?"
Shit, I really wanted this bastard's name. Knowing and using the name is a form of control… that is why I gave myself the task of learning the names of all of the agents.
Raziel smiles shaking his head "Makes sense, but I still need to call you something, I am going to call you Jabez"
"NO, I don't want odd biblical names. And what the fuck even is that?"
"It's your name, unless you change your mind and give me your actual name" the Hero chuckles noticing Jabez scornful gaze "By the way, it means sorrow and pain, sounds familiar?"
The patient looks at Link with clear repugnance "This is a very cruel way of mocking me"
Damn right it is, and I am loving it.
"Why would I mock you? You refuse to give me your name, so I named you based on what I see, and I do see a lot of sorrow and pain… would you care telling me what has gotten you on this state?"
Jabez rolls his eyes "P.P.M.S. Don't you have my medical chart or something?"
"I do, Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. I know since when it was diagnosed, and what meds you are on for it. But what I want to know is how have you been feeling, what symptoms are you struggling with, and why do you refuse to take your meds"
Jabez sighs and stares ahead at nothing in particular, he saw flashes in his mind of the last 3 years he had been sick. How frightening it was when he could not walk anymore, or hold objects without dropping them. When he lost the use of his tongue, he thought he was going to die that time, he could not swallow properly or speak, but steroids actually fixed that one. He had many other instances, but he was not about to share them with this punk.
"I have been taking them religiously for 3 years now, and they don't do shit to fix anything, so why keep taking them. They just make me feel tired all the time… more tired."
Hate to admit it, but this bastard may actually be right. Once I decided to start focusing on his gut, I realized that most of the meds he is on destroy the stomach lining over time.
"Complete lack of faith on the medical system… after 3 years is understandable. All right then, fuck the meds. As off right now, I am not going to force you to take anything anymore, unless it's actually necessary, like a supplement."
Jabez stares at Link in shock "You can't be serious… are you serious? What's the catch?"
"The catch is that tomorrow we are visiting a medic to evaluate your stomach. I need to be aware of any gastric problem you may have, to make and schedule your meals appropriately"
The sick criminal asks "Like acid reflux?"
Link nods "GERD, ulcers, gastritis. Anything that may be wrong, we need to fix it. If you are no longer on meds, food is your only healing power. I want to make sure your stomach can absorb it appropriately, doesn't sound that far-fetched right?"
Jabez didn't answer; he just kept staring at Kid unsure about all this, but also, unwilling to defy him. This approach that Raziel Saller was suggesting was new, the worst thing that could happen was death, and to be honest, after all these years he was no longer afraid. So why not try this?
"Do I really need a medic checking on this? Last month I had medication to cure an ulcer; I did not inform the detective on that one. And currently I have acid reflux. That is why I have so many pillows, I sleep inclined. I can't lay horizontal when I sleep or I will choke on my acids."
Link squints his eyes at Jabez, then starts grinning wickedly "Bad boy" he starts typing on his cellphone then asks "Where you on Prilosec?"
Jabez stares at the Hero puzzled, but slowly nods.
Wow… that medicine works for healing an ulcer only because it lowers the stomach acid. But now that the ulcer is healed, HE NEEDS HIS ACIDS TO DIGEST SHIT.
*And to close the valve in the mouth of the stomach and stop the reflux… you know you want to try it, just go for it*
"You still need a medic's point of view, but since you already healed from an ulcer, there is something we can try. I require you to allow me to stay here all night, in case it goes wrong. But if it works, you will be able to sleep like a baby"
"You want to try something that could kill me?" Jabez ask smirking.
"Of course you would not die, but it could be scary or painful if you are not really healed from the ulcer"
"HEHE, I am Jabez now. I can deal with a little of pain… What is the plan?"
"There is a valve on the mouth of the stomach, that valve is not closing for you any longer, that is why you have reflux. But if your stomach is acid enough, it should close."
"So… the big solution is to give me gastritis?"
"Alcohol, smoking, taking too many aspirins and cortisol give you gastritis, but not what I will suggest. You want to try it or not?"
"I guess… is not like I have much left to lose"
"Let's do this then. The first Betaine HCL pills are on me, since I came up with the idea and it may or may not work"
Jabez laughs at that "Such a proper and fair boy"
"I do what I can mister" Link replies with a smile.
ZELDA POV
The Princess had just finished her dinner at Nana's kitchen. The King and Queen were eating later at their bedroom as usual, but that is ok. Zelda was more than used to dinning alone…
Chacha noticed the Princess heading to the main dining room; she grabbed her arm and pulled her into Nana's kitchen, where the Princess had her dinner in the company of her favorite maid, Ivanna, and latter even José. It was a fun experience.
Right now, she had changed into a white night gown was sitting on her bed, just staring at her phone.
I want to call him, but should I? What if I interrupt something important? I don't want to disrupt his work… I don't want him to hate me more than he already does… But he did say that I could send him a simple dot, and he would know.
Zelda smiles mischievously and writes the word DOT in capital letters and clicks send. A minute later her cellphone rings.
"Hello?"
"What the fuck was that? You know what I meant when I suggested a dot" Link practically barks at her.
"You meant a period, like what you use to mark the end of a sentence" she laughs "I know that, I was just teasing you"
Link sighs "I guess you are doing ok"
"I am. Have you sent my dad a text already?"
"I did, with all that extra information he asked for and more" he chuckles.
"SEE, you are also an ass, so let ME have my fun at your expense… how was your day?"
"First, turn your lamp off and lay on your bed to sleep. Not a lot has happened on my end. Most of the day was spend travelling to my target's location. But I will tell you of what I learned reading a medical book during my travel… hoping it will bore you to sleep"
I don't think YOU can bore me to sleep, not with that voice of yours talking about one of my favorite subjects, but I am hoping the constant sound of it will soothe me to sleep eventually.