Chapter 4: A Rude Awakening

                                    

                                          
I could've anticipated nearly any words to come from Vaughn's mouth; man sarcastic remarks, witty comebacks, any possible indication that wouldn't confirm my worst fears. That he was gone.
                          
Pandora had been in an endless state of celebration since Handsome Jack was ridden from their world for eternity, but me? 
                          
/That/ was something I don't think I could ever come to terms with.
                          
More nagging than the crushing sensation in my windpipe when I spoke, more harsh than the burns still marked into my skin— was a void deep embedded into my heart that I could not shake.
                          
Clutching onto my IV stand with every ounce of power I could muster in my mangled, bandaged lump of a body I put into willing myself to stand; to run as fast as I could.
                                     To get as far away as possible.
                          
It wasn't long before alarms rang throughout the ill mint-tinted hospital walls. It wasn't long until nurses were racing down the same corridors I was shuffling my way down, calling my name as I were a lost pet. Perhaps it were a fitting title in this very moment, a lost pet.
                          
Yet, wasn't until then that I had came across my reflection; the very first mirror I had seen in months.
                          
There was something that made me pause nearly instantaneously, apart from the scarred burns singed into the flesh of my abdomen and face were four large surgical staples. They each ran vertically on the one portion of my robotic body I had become all too accustomed too. The port that once controlled my left temple. /They/ had truly taken Jack. 
They had taken both the port and robotic implant from my skull.
                          
The adrenaline finally failed my shaking bones as I collapsed to my weak knees once more. I heard only echos of voices calling my name once more, the paging of doctors and the screaming alarm system.
                          
"Patient is going into shock... Must stabilize his heart rate... How could he have gotten... Taken implant into lab... Rhys can you hear us~?"
                          
It all went black all over again as I fell into one of many restless slumbers.
—————
The caravan rocked relentlessly as an ecstatic Fiona singlehandedly took down psychos with each shot of a bullet— If they had a prize for most birds shot with one stone, she'd take the bucket every time.
                          
I couldn't help but grasp onto the wall for dear life as I sat witness in the passenger seat, nearly tearing the flesh from my lip as I bit down harshly in sheer nervousness.
                          
"Rhys, don't you dare puke on me or these psychos won't be the only dimwits getting a bullet to the brain." 
                          
Fiona's sarcastic remark followed routinely with a dead-serious glance, causing my expression of worry to grow tenfold.
                          
"Couldn't you focus more on driving than shooting?" I timidly questioned, half-forcing the bile not to protrude from my mouth as I spoke.
                          
A scoff answered me as a loaded gun was suddenly tossed in my direction, causing me to go into a complete panic.
                          
Jolting, I frantically try to catch the thrown object as it lands on the floor, firing a round that leaves a new gaping hole in the tattered metal of the caravan— forcing me to practically yelp.
         "Jesus Fiona are you trying to get us all killed?!"
                          
Shakily grasping the metal object in my right hand, I quickly notice another group of psychos gaining on us.
                          
Hastily, the vehicle jerks to the right, ramming directly into the caravan in a clatter that almost sends us swerving off the road.
                          
I can see Vaughn's head peering up in a state of sheer silent panic, his eyes nearly as worrisome as mine. 
                          
"Now come on, kiddo. Aren't you gonna shoot the loaded gun already~?" 
                          
Jack's voice appearing once more caught me off guard in my already fragile state of mind, only causing my body to jolt once more. My head jerks backward as I stare face-to-face with the blue hologram of the man once again. 
                          
His blue eyebrows knitted together as he leaned toward me, snapping his fingers in an urgent manner directly in front of my face. 
                          
"Earth to Rhys, come in, dickface. Are you going to let them fuck us or are ya gonna be a man and shoot back?" 
                          
I could hardly summon any words to form as my mind raced with thousands of thoughts, gulping as my eyes gazed toward the loaded gun once more. Would now be a good time to tell him? 
                          
"I've...never shot a gun like this before," I blurted out.
                          
Jack's mouth opened, as if he were about to fire off another petty insult, but instead he further approached the passenger seat. Kneeling down next to me, I could feel a part of him taking control.
                          
He placed his hand on mine, and though he had no physical body, I could practically still feel the calloused, rough pads of his fingers; the sheer strength of his hands. Jack's hand guided both of mine, placing one near the trigger and releasing the safety with the other.
                          
"You see Rhys, the trick with this one here is to grip it real tight, turn off the safeties, hold these two release triggers down and shoot."
                          
As if on queue, I steadied both hands, channeling both Jack and my own energies as I aimed toward the approaching vehicle of psychos, firing directly at the engine as the vehicle went up in flames. 
                          
Cocking the gun once more, I aimed toward the other vehicle, watching prideful as the barrel released a powerful spray of bullets straight into the tires— sending them spiralling into an uncontrollable spin.
                          
"Rhys~ You did it!" Fiona said in disbelief.
                          
I could hardly believe it, I'd taken down all opposing bands of psychos each with a single round of bullets, of course I hadn't done it alone. A smile pulled across my face. I heard that deep voice once more. 
                          
                      "I knew you had it in you, cupcake."
                          
Those words sent a burning heat across my grinning face, feeling as his distinctively blue arm draped around my shoulder. Handsome Jack's hologram of a body pulling me toward the closest of a side embrace possible. 
                          
It was one moment I'd forever cherish, a prideful first embrace of the man i'd been so smitten over.
                          
I turned to face him once more, my smile unable to fade as I met an equally grinning expression. It was then I thought I had saw something in his eyes— love.
 It was that unmistakable twinkle you'd hear of time and time again. The fabled look primarily told about in movies, it was something I had longed for my entire life; or was I just seeing things?
                          
"It was all thanks to you, Jack."