(OOC: This thread occurs after the Order dinner, Recompense, and the FF plot. It continues where Anonymity's Treasure left off.)


Buckets of rain. No, oceans of it. Water poured down on Garrett with a thunderous roar, its weight pushing him toward the sidewalk. Fortunately, the cane and his constant pressure on it served as a meager means of resistance against the forces of nature. Slow, steady steps moved him down the sidewalk, his eyes checking between the rough cracks of the concrete and his general path ahead. A fall would be a catastrophe at the moment, but the sudden downpour sent most moving obstacles toward shelter.

Garrett needed shelter himself. Desperately. However, his shelter was from everything and he knew that should he stop for rest now, he may very well not get up to move again. His nerves were raw and broken from all of the earlier demands of movement. His control over his own pain was rapidly receding, the throb of his leg and hip coming at him like boxer's gloves. The building where the clinic would be was near though, growing nearer with every grueling inch.

The final corner came and Garrett could make out a blur of a sign across the building's frontage. The blur came either from water in his eyes, fever, or perhaps it was light from the street lamps. It was a welcome sight, whatever the case. 'Coming Soon: The Iris Clinic'. He was bolstered by the progress. Somewhere real and stable where he could call home. Of course, he had no idea what had happened since he was gone, so there was no telling who might be inside now.

Whatever the case, come Hell, high water, or the Order brigade, he was going to get in there and get some much needed rest. Of course, there would be no sneaking in through the fire escape as he had done the last time he was there. Swimming up a waterfall would be as easy with his gimpy and gamy leg in tow. Dragging it up the steps, the rain was finally put at bay by the stoop awning. He leaned his head against the frame of the outer door and put his cane against the buzzer. His weight and his lack of energy left the buzzer going wide open. Hopefully someone would answer it before the little black dots in his vision grew larger and eclipsed the light.

Physically the clinic was coming along quite nicely. Most of the work on the walls downstairs was finished. The walls were smoothed, primed, and painted, and he had repaired any damaged woodwork he could find. The windows that Ghost had broken had been replaced, and with the voucher she had given him he'd been able to upgrade the downstairs windows to unbreakable glass. The salesman from the window replacement company had assured him that not even bullets would be able to crack them. He hadn't done the plumbing or electrical upgrades yet, thinking that it might be wise to hire a specialist for those tasks. There still wasn't much in the way of furniture. He'd acquired a perfectly good chair from the dump, cleaned it off, and was now sitting on it at the front desk as he pondered a form in front of him. It was asking for his social security number. He didn't think he had one of those.

Legally, Sebastian was at something of a loss when it came to starting a business. His prior experience with them was that if someone had services or goods to offer, they needed only a location from which to offer them. Now, it was necessary to have all manner of licenses, insurances, and proofs of this and that. Who he really needed was Garrett, to help him muddle through this paper mess. He was familiar with United States laws and modern procedures and such, while Sebastian's past experience with starting businesses was somewhat out of date.

Garrett, though, was still missing, and from the sound of it not doing well. During the dinner at the Order, Mars had revealed that Abyss had found Garrett and taught him a lesson. Having been on the receiving end of one of Abyss' lessons himself, he knew perfectly well that it couldn't have been a pleasant experience for the neural manipulator. He was worried, of course, and had tried to track down his friend, but to no avail. He had been able to extract a location from Saturn, but it hadn't been a very specific one. There were a lot of hospitals in the state of Kansas (and a lot of morgues too). On an off chance, he had even called the ones in the city of Kansas. None of them that Sebastian had telephoned had any patients (or corpses) named Garrett Wills. All he could do now was wait and hope for the best for his friend.

The harsh sound of the buzzer made him jump. The unicorn man had no idea who would be calling at this late hour, especially when it was pouring rain. He set his papers and his reading glasses down on the desk and hurried to let the poor soul in. To his surprise, the man on the stoop was none other than his intended roommate!

“Garrett!” His voice, while obviously surprised, carried with it also a sound of pleasure. “Come in, please. You're hurt.” It wasn't a question. The pained look on the man's face, the cane he carried, and the cool tingle of his own healing powers automatically activating when he grasped his friend's hand told the healer that Garrett was not well.

The buzzer became annoying even to Garrett, who let his failing reflexes slip free of the pressure pushing the button. His labored breathing was a loud sound in his head, louder even than the great muscle in his chest, spreading white blood cells everywhere it could. The lack of rain left his body wet and subject to the chill in the night air. If Sebastian was not home, he would have to go to the hospital. If he didn't, he would likely be dead before long. Movement in the room behind the door brought a renewed glimmer of hope to his heart.

The door opened and there were the sparkling blue eyes of his good friend. Never had he felt such joy and love for a person as this man who had opened the door and helped him. Relief shuddered through his body, racking it with adrenaline and endorphins as he hobbled into the foyer. "Garrett! The loud sound of recognition and happy surprise snapped the manipulator's pale face up to him, the remnants of what would be a smile working themselves under the mask of plague. "Come in, please. You're hurt." That sounded like an excellent idea.

His foot swung freely into the room and he pressed down on the cane out of habit. His other hand was being held by Sebastian, and the most amazing sensation was going through Garrett's body. The first and most impressive change was that the ceaseless shivering caused by a mortal blood infection was replaced by the simple shiver of wearing wet clothes. The smile was reignited into a fierce thing, tears of joy streaming down the younger man's face. His grip tightened in Sebastian's, if only to somehow bring on the accelerated healing.

His leg came next. Strength was returning to it. It no longer felt like a mish mash of pins and needles, but a leg. His leg. Garrett allowed sensation to return to his body, his nerves rising and falling like a great tide. Pain was absent and it had nothing to do with his abilities. It had everything to do with Sebastian and his most amazing gift. He let the cane drop, even as the bruise which had laid in his palm from its constant use vanished along with any other ills he might have been feeling. He said little until the process was complete. A lighthearted chuckle came from his throat.

" Five minutes ago I was at Death's door. I passed through the threshold and now I am healed. Made whole. The religious irony is not lost on me, my friend." He released his otherwise tense grip on the unicorn's hand, kneeling down on one knee to see the astonishing result. The remnants of infection were now just patches of yellow goo, which wiped off of his leg with the rainwater. It was nothing short of a miracle. The clinic could perform these miracles for people every day. His destiny was sealed with this great, shaggy friend of his.

Rising, he turned with ease and faced the man. " Almost as if it had never happened. You saved my life, Sebastian. Thank you. I still have the steel rods and screws in my leg bones, but I am sure we can figure that out. I feel as if anything is possible." His moment of clarity was soured by his own odor. " I am also in serious need of a shower. Do we have one here?" He leaned back on the desk, looking at the metal cane on the floor as if he had never seen it before. It was as if it was someone else's and he just spotted it, not as if it were his lifelong companion had he never seen his friend again.

The cool energy of Sebastian's healing spread through Garrett's body, and with it followed his sense of body. He could feel Garrett's limbs as if they were an extension of his own body. He could feel the bones locking back into place, the muscles knitting back together around the foreign pieces of metal, the flesh lacing itself back up where threads had been sewn through it, swelling subsided, and the fevered infection cooled and faded into nothingness. Even the scars on his flesh would disappear where someone had cut into him to place the small bits of metal, the pins and the screws that were now embedded into his bones. He couldn't see Abyss in a rage taking the time to carefully insert metal into someone and then sew them back up again. The fact that the inserted bits were to aid in the healing process did not occur to him.

“This metal, what is the purpose of it,” he asked as he pulled his friend's handshake into a one brief armed hug and pat of the back before releasing him.

The newly healed man's wonder and thanks caused a gnawing feeling in his own stomach as he was reminded of his own role in the events that brought about Garrett's trials.

“Don't thank me, I should have been able to protect you from having experienced it in the first place; I'm afraid it was my fault that Abyss found out about your involvement. Then I failed to find you again after hearing what he had done. Please, accept my apologies. Five minutes of healing is not enough to make amends for all the suffering you have been through.”

His blue eyes searched Garrett's face for his reaction to his apology. If the man wanted nothing more to do with him, he would understand completely. He had betrayed his friendship in that brief ten seconds when his own head was on the chopping block, and it was a much worse crime than betraying one's organization or company. He sincerely hoped he would be forgiven

“There is a working shower upstairs if you want to use it. The temperature control is a bit touchy, I warn you. I have a dry towel and clothes too, though I'm not sure how they will fit and they are all modified to accommodate a tail,” he bit his lip thoughtfully, “Is there anything else I can get for you?” He owed him much more than clothing, food, and shelter, but he wasn't sure if he could ever fully make it up to him.

The enthusiasm and joy for living that Garrett embodied at the moment seemed completely lost on Sebastian. He seemed disappointed."This metal, what is the purpose of it?" Garrett received the brief hug, giving the man a simple slap on the back to punctuate the brotherly feeling. He chuckled for a moment." The metal. My leg was broken multiple times by Abyss. Normal surgical techniques when instant mutant healing isn't available includes attaching metal rods and screws to ensure the bone mends in place. Like an internal splint. I've been laid up in a hospital for some time. But that doesn't matter now. How are you?" His eyes scanned the mostly cosmetic work that the unicorn man had done.

“Don't thank me, I should have been able to protect you from having experienced it in the first place; I'm afraid it was my fault that Abyss found out about your involvement. Then I failed to find you again after hearing what he had done. Please, accept my apologies. Five minutes of healing is not enough to make amends for all the suffering you have been through.” Garrett looked at the floor for a moment, absorbing what Sebastian had said. It made sense. Why would anyone try to face the beast when he was full of rage. Even he hadn't attempted it. To do so would have meant that Sebastian would be looking over his grave now, instead of at his friend. His head rose to meet Sebastian's gaze. " Your apologies are not necessary, but if it makes you feel better, you were forgiven the moment you opened the door. It wasn't your place to protect me. I destroyed Haywire on purpose. I also shot Syn on purpose. I am a man and I fully accepted the responsibility of my actions. There was nothing you could have done, so don't beat yourself up." He flashed his friend a genuine smile, hoping to get him back in a better place.

The mention of hot showers was a welcome distraction. Garrett flexed his leg at the knee once more, amazed at its strength. His eyes lit up at the idea of soap and a nice soak under the stream of hot water. " I hope it's hot. I can't recall ever being so filthy. Come on up with me, we can talk more while I burn this dirt off." He gingerly trotted up the stairs, his eyes greedily searching for the shower. He found it and slipped in, disrobing behind the curtain and tossing the muck of his former clothes aside. The shower came on and , indeed, the control was touchy. He turned it just to below scalding and began to lather. His own stench was going down the drain in a grayish stream. He hoped his friend's guilt would follow it down.

Sebastian received a slap on the back during their hug. He could feel the brotherliness of it, which probably meant he had executed it properly. Most excellent. His observation of this countries social customs were starting to sink in, and he was able to fit in better all the time. Exhibit A, the man-hug. He had first noticed this new way men who were friends greeted each other at a park where a group of teen boys met to play basketball. In ages past they might have tipped their hats to each other or shaken hands, in a different culture they might have bowed or kissed each others' cheeks. Not so in the New World. Here, the man-hug prevailed. Sebastian was proud to finally have earned the opportunity to greet someone that way.

His curiosity was nearly as potent as his pride. To think, doctors actually put metal in people to hold their bones together from the inside. It certainly seemed a better practice than amputation, but also like it caused a lot of other complications along the way, like the fact that they would have to be surgically removed later.

>>>" Your apologies are not necessary, but if it makes you feel better, you were forgiven the moment you opened the door. It wasn't your place to protect me. I destroyed Haywire on purpose. I also shot Syn on purpose. I am a man and I fully accepted the responsibility of my actions. There was nothing you could have done, so don't beat yourself up."

Garrett was a man that wasn't afraid to take responsibility for his actions. Sebastian respected that wholeheartedly. The man's forgiveness felt like it lifted a burden from his shoulders, one that had been hanging there ever since the ill fated words had slipped out of his mouth in front of Abyss. He could walk with a lighter step now, and smile without something in his mind tugging back at an invisible bit.

“Thank you,” he followed Garrett up the stairs toward the still unfinished apartments. He was glad that Garrett was not limping up those stairs. “You might want to be careful. Last I heard, the Order was still carrying a bit of a grudge against you. They seem to have forgiven me so long as I am still at their beck and call to patch them up after they get themselves into little scuffles all around the town.”

Garrett got into the shower, and the unicorn shifter occupied himself with washing the grime and dirt off of his clothing in the bathroom sink. He couldn't get them dry again in time for the neural manipulator to wear once he got out of the shower, he wasn't made of rainbows and magic, after all. He did have towels, though, and he was fairly certain that his trunk held a silk dressing gown. The sleeves would be too short, but it would better than ill fitting pants with an unnecessary hole in the back side.

“Why did you go to Kansas? I'm curious.”

Chuckling and shaking of head ensued at Sebastian's warnings of the Order. It was perfectly reasonable and appropriate for the unicorn to do so, but really, if Garrett was afraid of the big bad bullies, he would have stayed anonymous. No more hiding, no more ostrich behavior. It was pointless. The hot water was magnificent, burning the filth away from his body as he worked the soap into a vicious lather. His giggling had to be explained, so the curtain of the shower did not make it seem as if a madman were behind it.

" I appreciate you telling me that, about the Order. I figured as much, but once you have looked into the maddening depths of the Abyss, there really isn't much to worry about." He covered his head and face in luxurious suds, scrubbing the caked on filth away. Cupped hands washed the grains away, awakening Garrett and refreshing him immediately. " I wonder though, how did you escape the ax yourself? I mean, was it complete luck that no one saw you with me when I shot Syn? They must have only seen the aftermath. I can't say in the same situation that I wouldn't say the same thing and point the finger. Of course, that was a different me. Seems like there have been so many me's."

More hard scrubbing, now in the armpits, eradicating the baked on, caked on smell that had repulsed him so much. he felt as if the last vestiges of the weak and narrow minded man he had been before his little vacation were going down the drain with the dirt. Anger, fear, hate, all filth that had piled up on him over time. Bye bye. Sebastian was mentioning Kansas now. Garrett supposed that it would seem like a mystery. It still was to him as well." Kansas? I really couldn't tell you. That's where I woke up. I had been in a coma for a while due to my injuries. I really can't recall. I have fleeting dreams about it, and my only guess is that I was taken in hand by Abyss and maybe he threw me there? No, I would be dead." He swished a mouthful of the water and spit it out." Nope, no idea, really."

The mud had caked onto Garrett's pants, too. Sebastian was finished washing the shirt relatively quickly and had hung it on a towel bar to dry. The pants, however, seemed to have received the brunt of the grime. Various substances both organic and inorganic had soiled them from the inside and out. The unicorn man scrubbed with the bar of soap, but wasn't sure if he would be able to get the stains out. It was possible that a professional cleaner could do a better job with their various specialized soaps, the unicorn man just did the best he could.

“I didn't escape so neatly as you make it out. Isabel found me leaning over Syn's body trying to heal her not a moment after you had run out of the room. I think she blamed me at first for shooting her, though I didn't even have a gun. Abyss must have spoken to Isabel, because he cornered me on the roof as I was trying to exit the building. I tried to explain that we were trying to save lives and not end them, but he didn't give me the chance to elaborate on all the details. I'm sure I looked about as bad as you did directly after your encounter with his version of justice. I just healed quicker.”

The water that was running off the pants was getting clearer. They were almost clean.

“Why Abyss would deposit you somewhere so far away from anything doesn't make sense to me. Of course, neither does his version of justice.”

There was still something nagging him. Some piece of the puzzle that didn't make sense.

“There is something else I don't understand. After you shot Syn, I tried to heal her but it didn't work, not because she was dead, but because she wasn't injured at all just unconscious. Isabel announced to the Order that she was dead and they've already started trying to figure out who will be the head of the herd now that she's out of the picture. What happened to Syn, though? How did she die? Did she even die? If so, what did they do with her body; they haven't buried her.”

Garrett had finished scrubbing himself and yet, the incessant sound continued. He looked around himself, as if he would be able to see the sound. A brief glimpse through the space between shower curtain and wall identified the source as Sebastian. The unicorn was dutifully and industriously scrubbing Garrett's clothes for him. With soap blinky eye, he peered through the crack." Don't bother with those. I got them from the Goodwill box at the hospital. They cut my originals off. The robe is more than enough. I'll get more clothes tomorrow."

Returning to the liquid healing, he stood quietly and let the hot water cover his head and body. It was so calming. Perhaps the healing effects were still there as well, his billion nerves singing in the rain after so much undue stress. Sebastian was giving his statement, recalling the events that had occurred after garrett vamoosed. He doubted that Sebastian had looked as bad as he did, but it wasn't worth mentioning. Being an accomplice as opposed to the triggerman were different planets of revenge for the clone boys." Of course he didn't allow you to elaborate. Abyss is such a fractured mess that his rage had to be a separate entity. I would have accepted death with no grudges, had all of them come. The idea that only a part of him could be bothered with finding me is a slight. But considering my slight to his family, it is a paltry one. That guy needs some help." The water continued to be a soothing elixir of truth telling.

Next was a long string of questions concerning the former leader of the Order. Sebastian's stream of consciousness speak was both amusing and concerning. Garrett turned the water off and let the shower head and his body drip dry for a moment, allowing silence to enhance calm. She wasn't injured at all. That answered a question for him. " Well, she's out of the picture. Whether I was the means or she excused herself and allowed me patsy duty is irrelevant. What is relevant is that with her gone, the Order may actually organize themselves and become a dangerous force. Can I have a towel?" Receiving the towel, he blotted his face dry, blinking into the tiles of the stall." Who did they come up with to lead things? That might tell the tale of their success in their new endeavors."

If the clothes had come from a good will donation, then that's where they would go back to again. There was always someone in need of clothing somewhere and it was no use wasting a perfectly good pair. He turned the water off and hung the pants up next to the shirt. He handed the towel that had been there moments before to Garrett through the gap between the wall and the curtain when it was requested.

He didn't doubt that Abyss could use a more constructive way to deal with his anger than bashing people who had been his allies and maybe even friends once. Was his uncontrollable rage a symptom that something else was wrong, though? Before now he had seemed like a relatively normal guy, or maybe seven relatively normal guys. He didn't know them well enough to tell if they were seven fractured parts of a whole or seven wholes that worked as one.

As for the rest of the Order, “With Syn out of the picture, it seems that they are struggling a bit to figure out which direction they should go. Everyone seems to have their own idea about what to do next, but it is difficult to see most of them having the capability to keep the group together and lead them under one cohesive cause. I thought that Abyss would take charge, but he sent only two of his brothers to act as his mouth and ears and neither of them seemed interested in controlling things. Isabel is very young and very devoted to the group, but seems uncomfortable with the idea of leading it herself, nor does she easily see the bigger picture. She's too spontaneous to focus too far from the present. Hang on a second,” he dashed into the bedroom where his trunk had stood ever since he had retrieved it from his former room at the Sanctuary. He fished around until his hands found the silk of the robe and he brought it back to the bathroom for Garrett to use. The red would look good on him even if the sleeves were short, and the embroidered 'S' on the pocket could just as easily stand for his code name 'Seizure' as it did for 'Sebastian'.

He sat on the closed lid of the toilet now that he was done washing the clothes and continued his tale, “I think that Lori is the most likely candidate for leadership there. She has the skills to take charge of things, to make people listen to her, and to plan for the future. Her goals may not be all that original, but she keeps them a manageable size for her group to actually accomplish. She was talking about extending the influence of the Sanctuary to the surrounding neighborhoods and charging humans who live there money in exchange for a promise not to destroy do damage to their property or injure their bodies. It's kind of barbaric, but I think she could make it work.”

Garrett patted himself dry as he listened to the lowdown according to Sebastian. It was stock info, really, but that was because Garrett had more time around these people as of late. It was no surprise that the ant colony was running amok without their queen. The fact that Abyss had sent a mouthpiece to whatever meeting Sebastian had attended was more of the usual. The angry monkey parts were most likely smashing something and yelling alot. Isabel was no leader either. While she had good intentions, Garrett had only included her as a gesture, since she was mostly a soldier. Her ties with the sinister siblings was too close not to include her.

He heard his friend skitter off to another room. He was mostly dry, so he leaned out and hung his towel up on a rack. he stood in the confines of the makeshift room, waiting. The shock of things would have a human babbling with teary gestures. Seizure didn't have nervous problems. He was one. A luxurious robe of red came through the partition. The color sparked a multitude of feelings in him, from the demon to the Order." Oooh, silk. Lovely. Thanks." He slid the robe over his body and tied it neatly in the front, admiring the S embroidered on its front panel.

Stepping through the threshold, he surveyed his friend once more. He was speaking about the most likely candidate for the newest Order leader. Lori Faust. What a hoot. A look of incredulity flashed over Garrett's features. Everything that he had to say about her was mostly news to him, as she had kept a healthy distance away from Garrett since their meeting in the Infirmary. " That's really a surprise to me. When I was there, she did everything she could to stay off the radar and she certainly didn't seem proud of the Order. It seemed like three hots and a cot for her more than something she would want to be a part of. I suppose I'll have to look into that."

Garrett stepped out into the hall outside of the bathroom, surveying the upper floor of the building. " So much work to be done. Let's let sleeping Orderlings lie and focus on our project here. I see you have done much of the physical work, which I appreciate. I am not afraid of hard work, but I am also glad I didn't have to do alot of it. What do you think we should focus on first?" He turned and walked back in, his hands sliding into the roomy side pockets of the robe. " I assume you are muddled with paperwork. Consider that my problem. I think we should both furnish our residence here and try to get settled in a bit as well. that is, if you are still keen on my living with you?" He suspected the unicorn was, but it was always nice to ask.

Sebastian had been a bit surprised by Lori, too, but only because he hadn't known her very well. From the way she had spoken at the meeting it seemed that she did have leadership potential to him. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Charging humans money to live in their own homes was not what he would call ethical, however, it was a far cry from murdering every human within a mile radius of the Sanctuary or murdering all humans on the planet like others at that meeting had been calling for.

It amazed him how short sighted some of the Order members were. Killing all humans, for example, would be a ridiculous error. There weren't enough mutants to maintain a stable population without the whole lot of them becoming inbred and stupid. It had happened to royal families in the past, and it had happened to purist mutant groups too. Humans carried the seeds of mutants within them. If they wanted a mutant population to thrive it was better by far to let humans continue as they were, unknowing potential parents of mutant children. A better plan would be to get both strings of their species to work together. Mutant children with human parents had a better chance for a decent home life, humans and mutants could learn to work together without prejudice. Right, and how often in the history of the world had something like that happened?

Small steps at a time were key, he reminded himself. Their clinic was to be a neutral ground, a place where a partnership between mutants and humans could perhaps begin. First, they had to finish everything and get it open to the public.

“Aside from and electrical and plumbing updates, the downstairs is lacking only furnishings and medical equipment. Upstairs we have a bit of finishing to do. The carpets are somewhat threadbare and smelly, but there is quality hard wood flooring beneath it if we simply remove the carpeting altogether. The walls need painting and a bit of repair. I believe the appliances in the kitchen need to be updated. I tested the iceboxes and ovens in each apartment and they don't work especially well. They seem to either be gasping for their last breath or have already died.” Also, there were no dishwashers, washing, or drying machines. Not that Sebastian would be able to tell any of the three apart in a police lineup.

Garrett offered to work on the paperwork and Sebastian could have kissed him. Before Ghost had delivered the stack of papers necessary to make their clinic a legal venture, Sebastian had never seen as many forms in one place in his life. The sheer number was overwhelming.

“Of course you are still welcome to live here. It has been rather lonely after the constant hustle and bustle of living at the Sanctuary. It would be nice to have a friend to share a home with once again.”

It was notably strange to Garrett that it took the destruction of Haywire and the ..removal of Syn to make things happen over at the Sanctuary. Why were people so stubborn, regardless of their genetic status? His toes tapped the cool tile beneath them as his mind chattered away. Sebastian was giving a laundry list of what was to be done both with the office downstairs and the apartments upstairs.Garrett nodded and interjected as needed. All in all, it didn't sound too bad. I don't think that the upstairs is so necessary, short of our own living arrangements. I'm afraid I am nearly tapped out on money, so I will have to get a job or something on the side. I probably have twenty thousand in the bank from KP, but I won't use that. It's blood money."

Garrett walked to the entryway and looked around. So much potential. There was still something chewing away at his mind, something that he was sure the old man hadn't thought of. Sebastian had seemed elated at the idea of Garrett doing paperwork and he surely needed help with the technological aspect. All he had to do was touch people and heal them. He turned on his heel, his eyebrows furrowing a bit as he attempted an explanation for the look of serious business. " I don't foresee much of a problem with the paperwork, but we may have some problems as far as the health Department and the Medical Board. What equipment are you planning on having here and where is it coming from? I hope you will overlook me, but I want to be sure we aren't getting kickbacks from organizations which work in opposition of our goals."

He squatted on his haunches and tried to edge away from that part of the conversation. " Now, the carpeting and most of the other business I can handle. We will probably need licensed contractors to do the plumbing and electrical, so we can pass inspections and be able to rent out. Or we don't rent out and just let people live here. That is up to you, since I assume you are providing most of the funds for it. I can get to work on most of it tomorrow, after I've had some sleep. The furnishing business I'll leave up to you, since you probably have better taste than I do."

Sebastian followed his companion out into the hallway and stood, leaning casually against the door frame as Garrett surveyed the work that had been done and all that was left to do.

“You needn't worry about kickbacks from anyone. I've made arrangements to sell enough of my old antiques to cover all the start-up costs.” It was amazing; hang on to something long enough and even the most worthless piece of junk could someday be a very valuable collectible.

“After that, with rent and the clinic business I would hope that we could earn enough to get by.” It felt wrong to charge for healing if someone couldn't afford it, though. Sebastian knew he couldn't turn someone away who needed his help. Perhaps they could ask for donations, so everyone could pay what they could to help the next person in need.

“If you are worried about using money that has been earned in less than desirable circumstances, there are plenty of ways to use it for good. You could donate to a worthy cause of some sort or another.”

Garrett furrowed his eyebrows and gave him a concerned look. Then he spoke of Health Departments and Medical Boards. Those capital letters he was using sounded like branches of the government, and that meant more paperwork and red tape. Oh joy.

“Equipment will be for anything my healing powers can't handle, or to provide first aid treatment if I am not immediately available to heal someone. For emergencies, we may need a vehicle to transport patients who can't get here on their own or so I can get to them quickly.” Without having to shift into a unicorn, run across the city, and show up at their door either as a quadruped or a naked man. Hi, I'm your friendly neighborhood unihealer. How can I be of service?

Furniture, he could do that. And should soon. They only had one mattress up here right now; that, a large chest full of his clothes, and an old Singer sewing machine. Truly, this was a bachelor flat with only the essentials.

“You can sleep on the mattress tonight. I'll be fine on the floor until I can get some real furniture up here.” His tail swished behind him. If he got uncomfortable laying down he could always shift to sleeping on four feet.

Antiques. It seemed as if Sebastian was a nearly endless resource, rarely having any sort of money problem. Or any problem for that matter. Whatever the case, it put Garrett's mind at ease. It also made him feel better to hear Sebastian use the pronoun we. Garrett was glad that he had honorable intentions, as it seemed the pre-cataclysm version of himself might have taken this nice old man for a ride. The man apparently had ak een eye for antiques and market trends. Some people were just born lucky like that.

"If you are worried about using money that has been earned in less than desirable circumstances, there are plenty of ways to use it for good. You could donate to a worthy cause of some sort or another.” That was a good way of looking at it. the man seemed to wax wisdom every time he opened his mouth. Just hte sort of mentor that Garrett needed. Besides, with his taste for luxury not quite sated, charity usually began at home. He smirked at the thought. At least half could go to a charitable organization. He could think of one right away.

Sebastian's summary of needs for the Clinic was pretty reasonable. It made Garrett stop and collect his thoughts. He was no longer in charge, so there was no reason to be overthinking things. A vehicle and some basic triage equipment. He placed his hand on Sebastian's shoulder. " I'm sorry. I am getting way ahead of myself. I suppose after my job at the Sanctuary and all that's happened, I am just ready to get things going. What I really need to do is chill out and just get some rest. Everything will work out. Maybe some of the physical labor will get my mind right. Thanks for letting me use the mattress." Garrett pulled the mattress into the corner of the room and took a seat on it, his back against the wall.