The Night Knights – Part 4

Yup.  Stuff has happened.  All of it good, the sum of which will be discussed when I’ve more time.  Today I have a ton of errands to run.

The Night Knights – Part 4

“Black hole sun, won’t you come…”

Jed marched down the hallway, every fiber of her being ready for a fight.  As she walked, the tall hallway sided with mirrors began to darken.  Not as though a cloud was passing over the building, but as if night had come ten hours early.  It was a swift sunset, the darkness coming far more rapidly than it should’ve, even given the unusual timing.  Jed slowed, mouth opening in horror as she espied the sky where the sun used to be.

Centered directly above the city, blocking her view of the sky, was a gleaming silver ship.  Something that might have come straight out of the pages of a comic book or cheesy sci-fi movie.  Blocky, with a host of protrusions, the ship was the source of the darkness.  A thick, black smoke was spewing forth from vents along the bottom of the craft, and it showed no signs of stopping.  Even as she watched, night swept across the whole of New York, until a starless, moonless blackness covered everything she could see.

She forgot her anger, forgot her rage at Zack and the Board.  Forgot the gnawing sadness which had become her unwanted traveling companion.  Cars honked their horns, sirens blared, and screeches and crashes sounded six stories below her as Jed stared at what couldn’t be there.

The blast which came next was even worse than the sudden confirmation that humanity was not alone.  There was no sound, no shockwave, no mushroom cloud.  Instead, silent waves of energy licked forth from the ship, and Jed was thrown backwards in both mind and body.

She was waking up in the hospital.  Doctor McIntyre was smiling, his mouth exposed above the pulled down mask.  The bright surgical lights hurt her eyes, but she was smiling too.  Crying as well, she noted, but she didn’t care.  Doc had seen her cry a lot over the last year.  If she wasn’t too mistaken, he had a twinkle which showed he was pretty happy himself.

“It’s done Jed.  You’re all done.”

Done.  Twelve months of medications, doctors visits, psychiatrist visits, the list was nearly endless.  Done.  Success.  No more would she be trapped in a body which did not reflect her mind.  No more would she have to say ‘she’ and ‘her’ only in the silent gardens of her mind.  Now she would tell everyone.  They would know.  Jedidiah was a woman, through and through.  The body now reflected the mind it had always carried.  Jed smiled for all she was worth.

There were adjustments of course.  She’d been informed how long the recovery would be, how long it would take for everything to make sense and feel natural.  She loved every second of it.  April was over constantly, delivering reports while she recovered, asking for signatures.  The scumbags still had jobs to do, and she didn’t want to lose her own just because her body needed a tune-up.  April laughed that thick laugh of hers at some of the questions which arose, but she answered them.  April never judged anyone.  Jed was piously grateful to have her as second in command.

Five months later, Doctor McIntyre was pleased to report that Jed was cleared to return to work.  So, armed with the fruits of her and April’s shopping spree, Jed returned to her building.  Everyone who wasn’t busy cheering were giving her wolf-whistles.  She brandished her fist at these last, who quickly fell back into cheers and applause.  On the inside though, she loved every second of all of it.  She was whole, and everyone knew it was what she had wanted for so long.

“SCUMBAGS!”

“JERK!”

A few weeks had gone by, and others in the building adjusted to the level Jed had brought herself to.  Zack, the head of the division two floors above her and a rising star in the company, was very interested.  He was a handsome man too, and Jed had caught herself staring more than once both before and after the surgery.  Gathering herself, she made the plunge, and to her delight Zack accepted.  The date was set, the dinner was fantastic, and the conversation electric.

Jed had no idea just how much Zack was lying to her.

To be continued…

Jedfully,
Justin