Ninety-nine: Reunion

<p>"Jean!" <br/>The door opened and Kiran strode into the room. I got up so fast that I tripped over the chair and nearly went sprawling. Kiran caught me, laughing.<br/>"You're still as clumsy as ever. I'm so glad you're alive. We all thought you might be dead. I thought I'd never see you again. Look at you."<br/>"Can you see?" I stepped away from his embrace, walking, leaping and jumping around the room. "Doc fixed me up real good. I can walk again. He said it was his present for you and sent his apologies for hiding me from you for so long."<br/>Kiran hugged me tight again and I returned the embrace.<br/>"I missed you," he whispered.<br/>"I missed you too," I whispered back. "I'm sorry I disappeared. I didn't have much of a choice. He kidnapped me."<br/>"I know. It's my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone like that. Here, have a seat."<br/>Sitting down, Kiran couldn't keep the beam off his face. I daresay I was much the same. He wouldn't let go of my hand. He took a breath and grew more serious.<br/>"So, Dr Eisor had you all this time?"<br/>"He lied. He told me it had only been about a year."<br/>"It's been nearly two years," Kiran frowned.<br/>"Yes, they told me earlier," I replied. "I was so worried you'd be mad and blame me and never want to see me again."<br/>"Jean, you couldn't walk or even talk at the time. You had only just started getting better. How could I blame you?"<br/>"Doc said you might."<br/>"Doc. How is the Doc?" Kiran leaned forward.<br/>"Sad. Lonely. All his remaining slaves got sold away. He only has his favourite left to keep him company now. He's hoping everyone will leave him alone now. He promised he won't make anymore slaves or disturb the peace or anything. He said he did what he could for Boskyland and now that the war is over, there's no place for him anymore."<br/>"I heard you got dropped off along my street," Kiran said.<br/>"Yes, but I didn't know which your house was and got lost. I even fell off the road. I don't think I'm all here. I'm a bit impulsive."<br/>Kiran placed a piece of my fringe back behind my ear and pecked me on the cheek. It was a nice feeling. Warm. It warmed my insides to find that somebody liked me and cared about me. I'd missed that.<br/>"You haven't been yourself since you got locked in the Compound as a prisoner," he said and took a deep breath, water welling up in his eyes. "A lot of things have happened and I'm just glad I've got you back now. You're alive. You look healthy. You're walking and talking. I'm so glad."<br/>He cupped my face in his hand and I closed my eyes to try and just concentrate on the now. I held his hands to my cheeks.<br/>"Can you tell me where the Doc is hiding, Jean?"<br/>"No," I looked into his eyes, letting go and sitting back. "It was part of the agreement. He never told me or let me find out. In exchange for my legs and my health, he bargained for his freedom. I guess he knew you might not be able to leave it at that, so he never let me find out. I never left the caves. All I can tell you is that the air was thin."<br/>"Up on a mountain somewhere then," Kiran nodded. "We lost your tracks in the snow at a rocky area. No matter how we looked, up and down the mountain, there was no more sight or sound."<br/>"Doc wanted you to know he's loyal to you and Boskyland. He doesn't want anything else but to be left alone."<br/>"The Doc doesn't do 'alone' well. He'll get bored and then start tinkering again. What he starts tinkering with and what he makes may be our problem."<br/>"Well, for the past however long," I said, holding Kiran's hand, "he's been tinkering with me and my legs. If he ever did anything else while I was under, I don't know. He never told me. So if I ever start growing a second head or something, I'll be just as surprised and frightened as you."<br/>"Did he put another bomb in you?"<br/>"I don't know. I don't think so. I know he did something, so that he can keep track of me and control me if he ever thinks I'm a threat, but otherwise I should be fine. He has really good information up there. Somebody must be keeping him informed."<br/>"That means someone knows where he is."<br/>"Yes, I guess so. He does a lot of crying, you know. For the slaves that people keep killing and the soldiers he couldn't save during the war. Sometimes his hands shake and he can't control them. He's worried about the remaining slaves."<br/>"He would," Kiran mumbled. "Did he do anything else to you?"<br/>"Besides work me as hard as a slave to make me strengthen my legs again? No."<br/>"Did he do anything to the slave implants still there?" Kiran pointed a finger downward at me.<br/>"He said he couldn't get them out. It'd kill me," I told him. "He may have upgraded them though. He said that we have to keep all that a secret."<br/>"All right," Kiran frowned, "but why?"<br/>"Because he's worried someone might try to kidnap me and open me up like they've done to so many other slaves to steal the technology and killed them in the process. He hopes you'll find whoever is killing all the slaves and stop them."<br/>"We're aware of the problem and working on it already. I won't be allowing anyone to even have a chance to hurt or kidnap you again," Kiran said. "You'll have security on you around the clock."<br/>"Really?" I asked with a sigh. "Do I have to?"<br/>"Yes," Kiran wagged a finger. "You won't be able to get out of this one."<br/>"All right," I pouted a little and leaned forwards with clasped hands. "Kiran, can I go home?"<br/>"Of course we can go home."<br/>"No," I said. "I mean, can I go home to my parents' house in the city - where I grew up."<br/>"Your parents won't be there," Kiran shifted uncomfortably, gazing at the empty wall. "They're gone."<br/>"Gone? Where?"<br/>"After you got married, your father said he was satisfied that I'd take good care of you. They were planning to leave already. After you disappeared and we gave you up for dead, they said they couldn't stay in the city anymore. Too many bad memories. They didn't tell me where they went. All I know is that they left Boskyland and moved to another country."<br/>"What about Henry?"<br/>"He's married Aylissa and then they left to travel the world. I haven't heard from them since and who knows where they might be now. Henry was pretty lost after you disappeared too. No, Jean. Don't cry. I'm still here, aren't I? I never gave up on you. See? I haven't abandoned you. I'll send word out. Get someone to go looking for them. I'll bring them back for you. Don't you worry."<br/>"I did everything I could so that I could go home, but they've all gone and left."<br/>"I'm here. I'm still here for you. I heard you're planning on getting even with Alfred Barrel. I wouldn't recommend it. He's become far more powerful since the war. If you try anything, he'll take you down hard and probably pull me down with you. He hates you too, so it's best to stay out of his way. All right?"<br/>"Yes, Kiran," I let out a puff of air. The bad old boss was not going to be easy to take down without making waves that could affect Kiran. I'd have to think long and hard before I did anything about him. I'd leave him to the end. A proper big bad boss like at the end of a computer game.<br/>"Now, what was that about you and Whistlor? Hmm? You have something to tell me? Because he's still one of my best men, you know."</p>