The Legend of Buddy Hero (The Defenders Saga) by Adam Oster Read Free Book Online

count is still a little high, but your vitals are looking incredibly good for a person who has survived an ordeal such as yours.  I feel comfortable in saying we can get you out of here very soon.”  He left the room.
    “Maggie, sit down. You look like you haven't slept in days.”  She considered debating, but her exhaustion won out and she did as Buddy requested.
    “Buddy. . . what was that thing?”
    “I was going to ask you the same question.  What happened to it?  Is it still out there?  What about the other thing that fell from the sky?  Are there two of those things running around now?”
    “They think whatever else came down from the sky destroyed that thing when it landed.  There were pieces of it everywhere.  It was disgusting.  They still have no clue what the other thing was.  There haven't been any sightings of anything since you. . . well, you know.  You were the only person to really get a good look at it.  I thought you were done for when I saw it sweep you up into the air.  What was it like?  Weren't you scared?”
    “It was. . . horrible.  Like something out of some old, crappy, horror film, except it wasn't made out of rubber and there definitely wasn't a zipper on the back of the costume.”
    “I really thought I was going to lose you, Buddy.”
    “Yeah. . . me too.”
    “Whatever possessed you to go out there in the first place?  Or to go back to save that guy?”
    “I really don't know Maggie.  I kept trying to run, but. . .”
    Buddy and Maggie stared at each other for a few minutes longer, both wondering what to say next.  Finally, without a word, Maggie curled herself up on the armchair she was sitting in and closed her eyes.   Buddy laid his head back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling, playing out the events of the previous night in his head. 
    The nurse entered the room to change Buddy's bandages.  She had a cell phone against her ear while performing her duties.  Buddy overheard a discussion the nurse was having about how she hadn't been getting any sleep lately due to her neighbor's dog's incessant barking throughout the night.  She was so preoccupied with the conversation she didn't notice how Buddy's wounds were already almost completely healed.
     

 
    CHAPTER 5
     
    Even a few days after the events at Maggie's Diner, Buddy struggled to remove the images of the garish beast from his mind. However, while feeling emotionally vulnerable, he felt physically stronger than he remembered feeling even during his days in the ring. 
    The doctor had told him he should take it easy for a couple weeks and Maggie was doing her best forcing Buddy to keep to the doctor's orders.  The pain in his side was barely a memory now. The aches and pains he struggled with on a normal basis were also no longer as much of a nuisance in his life.  His sister, however, was a different story.
    “Now Buddy,” she nagged, “I have to head downtown today to finish some more insurance stuff.  Are you sure you're going to be able to take care of yourself for a few hours?”
    “Don't worry about it, Maggie.  I can handle myself.”
    “The doctor told you that you need to be on bed rest for at least a week to make sure everything heals correctly.  I don't want to come back to find you sprawled out on the floor because you overdid it.”
    “I'm fine.  Quit fussing over me already and go do your thing.”
    “And I know you're concerned about getting back to work, but I really think you need--”
    “Maggie,” Buddy interjected, “I've got everything under control, okay?”
    Buddy had yet to let Maggie know about his lack of a home and somehow she hadn't heard about the closure of Flores Security yet, even though it was all over the news.  Since Maggie was doing such a great job of playing nurse, he decided to keep her in the dark.  He didn't want to complicate his current comfortable status as a person who sleeps on a couch with such negative thoughts as having no earthly