"Whoa, whoa aunty I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break your arm," Monke apologized as he narrowed in on the old lady.
"YOU BROKE MY ARM?" She threw magazines, cups, forks and everything she could find until Kaine grabbed her held her in place. "Let go of me you muscle brute, I am old enough to be your mom." She struggled to escape.
She had on a cast on her injured hand held up by a sling, her hair was black, curly, and short. She didn't have any makeup on like yesterday so her wrinkles were even more visible, it was only a few folds here and there but otherwise, this 45-year-old lady looked like she was in her early thirties.
She decided to calm herself down, Kaine's grip on her was painful, to say the least. The room was quiet for a few more seconds, Monke wanted to say something but Joao had slipped his hand up inside his jacket and twisted a lump of his skin.
"We just need you to answer a few questions for us. But first, we need to make something clear, we are not here to hurt in fact even though this ape here broke your shoulder he was trying to save you." Joao bowed and Monke went down with him. "I hope you can forgive us."
Joao slowly raised his head when the old lady wasn't saying anything her face was unimpressed and she didn't even look convinced by the apology. Joao having already given up the kindness approach let of Monke and stood up straight.
"So you kids just barge into my hospital room and start bossing me around without even greeting me and expect me to cooperate? Who raised you, I'll need to have a word with them."
"Good morning ma'am," Monke said as he shrugged his shoulders. Monty just bowed and sank his head in between his laptop and his chest. Kaine let go of the old lady and also said his greeting along with a reluctant Joao at the end.
The old lady smiled and signalled for Kaine to come in for a hug, Monke also went in to get one. Joao and Monty looked at each other in the eyes before declining the offer.
Monke began explaining to her how they got here and also how it was Joao who ordered her rescue. They strayed from that topic as Monke talked about street food and even more magic. The old lady said she was one of the smart children taken from villages to come to the city.
She told him that as kids they would always gather at a village centre or at the wards for nobility in order to learn about the past before and right after fortification. She also told him that the local shaman or witch doctor would then perform some magic for the kids before sending them off to bed.
She looked up at the ceiling and a tear fell off the side of her face as she told Monke that she missed her friends.
While all this was happening Joao kept on checking his watch and everytime time felt slower but went faster as this talk void of any logic pained him. He sighed and when the old lady noticed his boredom she asked for their names. Monke and Joao both didn't have last names and she felt sorry for them. Kaine couldn't give his real name because of occupation and Monty reluctantly told.
"Oh how cute, you know I have a son just about your age." She pouted as she pinched Monke's ear and pulled him down.
"Speaking of which, why were those guys robbing you yesterday?" Joao asked solemnly. Everyone turned to give him surprised looks but he didn't flinch. "What? Isn't this what we came here to find out?"
"Oh, okay." She said as she adjusted herself to face Joao. "Sweetie, just as I said, I have a son your age. Until recently he was a very good and impressionable boy, he had a future, a dream, and I believed in him. But, everything changed when he suddenly wanted to go to that dreaded school of yours.
"It is a place crawling with low lives and good for nothing druggies who just want to see the world burn. Nonetheless, my boy went through a whole year without getting spoiled, I started to worry less about what he did and that was a mistake. About a month ago, you people introduced my son to drugs."
"DRUGS?" Monke, Joao, and Monty all exclaimed in unison. Monke himself stood up and walked away from the old lady. He took a position at the end of the bed for a second forgot how scary he was as he clenched the metal bar and exposed only a tip of his eyes.
"Miss Sara, our people don' deal with drugs. I don't know who your son is but we will find him and help you help him." He let go of the bed and barged out of the room.
"Aren't all gangs selling drugs?"
"No, our leader does not like them at all. He will never take any money made from ruining innocent lives." Joao answered.
"The existence of the gangs itself preys on the lives of the innocent, isn't that called being a hypocrite?"
"Not everything can be perfect, just be happy that as long as he exists the community will have one less problem to worry about."
The old lady looked down and thought back to Monke violently calm reaction, she rubbed her cast and sighed. "They can't all be winners," she whispered as she slid back under her sheets. "Thank you for your kindness, but I think I can do more for myself than a few kids."
"I highly doubt that. Your life has currently been endangered by talking to us, the only way you and your son are going to get out of this situation is if you let us help you." Joao stood up and walked over to the old lady.
"And how do you expect me to do that?" She rolled her eyes and flicked her body over to the other side.
"First of all, you will have to tell us who and where your son is right now. Just in case the guys involved with him try and threaten his life to get to you."
She turned around hesitantly and squinted her eyes at Joao, "what gang are you from?" She pouted.
Joao looked up to Kiane and Kaine answered the question, "we are from the Divinity family."
The old lady rose from her bed with her eyes stuck on Kaine, he moved back a little and then shot her a confused look. She brought her good hand closer to her mouth which was already opening up wide.
Joao and Monty gave each other nervous peeks before backing away.
"CASPERRRR! WHERE IS MY CASSSPER?" She swung her arm around wildly as she screamed. She didn't look mad though, she was starstruck and kept on screaming for Casper.
Casper was Monke's mentor who gave up his position for Monke. He was currently nowhere to be seen but he was also the man who was supposed to be in charge when the boss went into town.