Chasing Ghosts

                           Between Project C Outbreak #1 and Outbreak #2
                                           Chasing Ghosts

For some time Thomas had sat alone at a small bar in downtown San Francisco. How long he had honestly no clue, it was the anniversary of the night he and Gordon had lost Ellen. He had no idea where Gordon had gone off to, to be honest at the moment he didn't care what he did. He had his way of dealing with the grief and Thomas had his, more than likely he was at the local library or he was out with that new friend of his he'd talked about. At the moment he was too drunk to recall her name. Either way, Gordon was keeping busy and so was he.

Thomas began to swish the alchohol in the glass around a little as he stared down into it, the memories just slowly flowing through his mind, the trap set in the testing arena that had claimed the life of one Detective Ellen Christine Bates. How Pariah had thrown him to the side like a rag doll after his recklessness and anger had gotten the better of him in the fight, how he'd braced, ready to take the blow. How he'd closed his eyes and looked away only to look up to see Ellen had thrown herself in front of him, skewered by one of Pariah's claws then tossed to the side as if she was a piece of filthy garbage. How the creature looked down at him, smiled, he could almost hear a weird noise in its throat as if it was laughing at him, at the pain and anguish that had filled him.

His phone had been vibrating for a good ten minutes now, someone had been texting him, he didn't feel like checking right now. If it wasn't Gordon, there were only two other people it could've been. One being the foreman from the construction site, his boss. There was no way in hell he was in the mood to even deal with that man, not without at least another few drinks and a free pass to punch him in the throat. The only other person it could've been was Rose. He'd met her about the day after he'd gotten out of the hospital, he'd gone to get some Mcdonalds and ended up spilling his drink on her after a dizzy spell hit him from his pain medication. After some conversation and a free meal on him, they'd hit it off as friends. That was over a year and a half ago.

After about a half an hour, Thomas heard the bell to the bar door jingle, he looked back to see a familiar lilac eyed woman with natural black hair with pink highlights stepped inside. She spotted him immediately, but then again, hard not to. He was the only one in there tonight besides the bar tender. She looked a little annoyed but concerned as she made her way over to him and took a seat next to him.

"I figured I'd find you here..." Rosalie stated as she ordered a glass of water from the bartender who nodded and got straight to work.

"Am I that obvious?" Thomas replied, his eyes staring down into his drink.

"Well usually when you don't answer you're either at the bar or you've passed out after getting home from work." She replied, taking a sip of her water as the bartender had brought it around. "You also don't usually come here unless something's wrong."

"Guess I'm getting to predictable now a days. Damn shame." Thomas replied once again.
"Are you going to tell me whats wrong?" Rose asked, hoping to get him to open up a little, she knew all the details. Every last little detail about Kent City, but this wasn't to get information, this wasn't her doing her job, this was her being his close friend. This was the day Thomas had left everything behind. The day he'd lost all he held dear.

"... Do I have a choice in this?" Thomas replied once more, looking her in the eyes, the pain he was trying so hard to dull with Vodka still showed clear as day.

"Not really, no." Rose replied, taking another sip of her water.

Thomas looked hesitant for a moment, he let out a small sigh before beginning to speak.
"You remember when you met me right? When I'd just left the hospital, I told you I'd been in a car accident..." Thomas began, finally taking a large gulp of his drink then setting down the almost empty glass.

"I wasn't the only one in the car that day, today marks the anniversary of the people I lost in that crash. To this day I still blame myself, I should've done more, more to save them. But instead I was too weak. Too slow. Too scared. And more and more... I find myself asking how I can live with myself after that." Thomas explained, finishing off his drink.

"Lately I've had troubles finding the answer." Thomas finished, waiting for Rosalie's response. The look in her eyes showed concern, worry, it honestly amazed him that someone as rotten as him could ever come to know someone who cared for him like that. But then again, she didn't know what he'd done, at least thats what he'd thought. He'd murdered two men in cold blood, killed even more on the battlefield that Kent City had become. He'd enjoyed it at the time, not because killing was fun, it was because he had been given the chance for vengeance. To make those who tore apart his home suffer.

Rose was silent as she stood up from her stool, but instead of walking away like Thomas thought she was going to do, she brought her arms around him and pulled him close. Hugging him tight. She'd felt him twitch a little as she brought him close. He'd always had those reactions to anyone hugging him.

"Why do you always blame yourself for things that are far beyond your control?" Rosalie replied, breaking the silence. "How could you have done anything with how badly you'd been injured?"

Thomas opened his mouth to try and argue Rosalie's point but no matter what he tried to think of to say, there was nothing he could say without telling her the whole truth. Soon enough tears began to flow slowly from his eyes, one after another. He listened quietly as Rose let out a small sigh.

"Come on... lets get you home, I'm sure Gordon's probably looking for you." At that Rosalie helped Thomas gently out of his stool, catching him as he nearly fell to the floor.

"Thank you Rose..." Thomas replied, tears still coming down his cheeks.

"Don't mention it. What are friends for?"