Chapter Twenty-Three

Learning

At the Mobotropolis Hospital Herod still lay in his hospital bed staring at his feet that were still in anthrop after being in a coma for so long, he really wanted to get his therapy started so he could begin training for combat again.

As he sat there the door opened and Anita came in, he looked up at her and saw that she had been crying. "Are you ok Anita?" he asked, Anita looked at him and covered her face with the clipboard she was holding yet she looked over it at Herod. "I…I'm…I'm ok" she whispered sitting down and taking the Dictaphone out and setting it to record.

"What is that that upsets you?" asked Herod, Anita looked at her patient and wrung her hands, "well…" she said "it's just that…the day I first spoke to you….my boyfriend Johnny…walked out on me…I've never spoken about it to anyone…not even my fellow friends…"

Herod turned to Anita, "someone left you?" he asked, Anita nodded, "I had a boyfriend, Johnny, but…he walked out on me the other day…and I still don't know why…" Herod looked sad for the young nurse. "I've been holding in my emotions because I didn't want to fall behind with my work" continued Anita, "I do love my job here"

"How long have you been working here?" asked Herod "About two years" said Anita, "My father was a doctor here, but then he got cancer, he was treated here but the chemo didn't work, and he died here…I was fourteen" Anita twisted her fingers, "My mother was also a nurse, she worked here too, that's how her and father met, but she retired a year ago, basically I've been following the family into nursing"

Herod looked at the nurse who picked up some tissues to wipe her eyes, "and how did you meet Johnny?" he asked, Anita looked at Herod, tears continued to fall, she felt comforted as Herod was asking her questions, he seemed to want to know more about her and care for her.

"I met Johnny about two years ago, we met in a club in Mobotropolis, we seemed to have a lot in common, he was tall, handsome, dreamy eyes….we seemed to have a lot in common, he was a waiter, but then he became a manager in an office, we dated then we moved in together, I thought we had a good relationship, we did everything together…"

Anita then felt her throat hurting as she tried not to cry again, "But just the other day, I came home after my shift, and I saw him packing his things, told me he was leaving…then he was gone…he didn't even say goodbye, didn't take the time to explain…why…"

Herod frowned, "Why would a man leave someone like you?" he said "someone who is as thoughtful and caring?" Anita looked up "you think I'm caring?" she asked, "you've cared for me" said Herod, "You've been here watching me, since I awoke from my coma, you've listened to me"

Anita managed a weak smile at Herod, "I do care about you Herod" she said "I felt sorry for you, you've had a terrible time" Herod nodded at Anita then looked out of the window again, "Have…Have you ever been in love Herod?" asked Anita. Herod looked sad as he stared out the window, "…yes…" he whispered, "I was in love….I loved her….but…she was taken…"

Anita looked confused then she realized "Tilly?" she asked, Herod turned to Anita, his eyes were filling up, "yes…" he said "Tilly! I always had a thing for her! When she first came to the care home, I thought she was such a sweet girl" Anita pulled her chair closer to Herod's bed.

"Do…do you want to talk about her?" she asked, holding a Dictaphone up a little higher, Herod looked towards the window again, he frowned as he thought about Tilly and about how she was killed by Angel. "I remember it like yesterday when she told me when she first arrived at the home" he whispered "After listening to her tell me about her families murder and how they suffered their fate at the hands of Razor, it made me feel that I wasn't alone…I remember how she told me that she got Melon not long after she arrived at the home"

"Melon" whispered Anita, "That cute little Chao" Herod nodded, "He was a little character" he said, "always squealing and nuzzling me when I was upset, Tilly…she had these bright eyes that always made me feel there was a light in this world, she also had a sweet little laugh"

Anita sighed with sadness as she realized that Herod was feeling the same pain as her at losing a loved one, except his had died and her's had walked out on her. "I always used to watch her play with Melon and her looking so happy made me happy, it was always her gentle nature and sweetness that drew me to her"

"Did you ever ask her out or even tell her how you felt?" asked Anita, Herod frowned again, "No" he said "I never did…I never had the balls to even tell her how I felt, I was always scared I would lose her friendship…there were times I wanted to tell Kimas….but I was afraid he wouldn't understand, he never really fancied girls and he was more of a guy who liked being free"

Anita felt tears in her eyes as she listened, "My poor Herod" she thought "He loved a girl but she was taken from him before he had a chance to tell her" she looked again at Herod who kept staring out the window at the sun shining down on the city of Mobotropolis.

Anita looked at Herod hoping he would speak some more, but he did not seem to want to talk anymore, "Herod?" she asked, Herod said nothing but continued to stare out of the window. She waited a little longer, when she thought he wouldn't say another word, Herod began to speak again.

"All this time…I had many opportunities to tell her how I felt but…from the days when he was young teenagers in the Care Home…to when she…Kimas and I were sharing a house together not far from her Uncle Neilsons…I never had the balls to tell her how much I loved her and Cared…Until Angel took her away!" he finished his sentence with a snarl.

Anita looked worried, but then she heard a knock on the door, she turned and saw her boss walk in with a couple of other nurses. "Hi Anita" he said, "how is Herod today" "Still traumatized" said Anita standing up and placing the Dictaphone into her pocket. "Ok" said the Doctor "thanks Anita, I've arranged for Herod to have sessions to get his limbs out of anthropy" "Ok" said Anita looking back at Herod.

Herod looked up at the Doctor and the nurses unemotional "How you feeling today Herod?" asked the doctor looking at his notes then at Herod again. Herod looked down "Fine" he said softly. "Good" said the Doctor "We've arranged for you to have some physio to get your limbs out of anthropy, so you'll be able to use your legs again, you'll be having your sessions every day at 10.30 am"

"Ok" said Herod, the Doctor then looked at Anita "Anita" he said "As Herod seems to want to talk to you more than the rest of us, can you accompany him in his sessions?" Anita felt her spirits rise a little "Of course" she said "I'll make sure he's ok" the Doctor nodded "ok, thanks Anita"

Hi people! I know I haven't updated this in a while, I have been working on other things, as well as trying to Finish War of the Mobians, but I finally managed to write another chapter with this fic! Thank Cthulhu!

Anyway, Anita is trying to find out more about Herod and she's gonna accompany him with his sessions! Hope you like the chapter!