Chapter 123: Wrong Foot
"Are you coming?" Fort hurried onto the platform with their luggage. "We have two minutes. We are going to miss our ride!"
"I…I…"
No matter how much Noble tried to convince herself, her body would not move forward. She had made it to the depot without any problem, but the moment she saw the doors of the train, she froze.
The professor clutched her handbag tightly.
'Stop being childish. You can do this. You get on trains daily. This one isn't any different.'
Except it was. The light rails used inside the city were sleek and streamlined. This one was a bulky, armored monstrosity with car after car attached for hundreds of meters. It was outfitted to withstand almost anything they would encounter in the wilderness as they traveled across the continent.
And it looked eerily similar to the one she had taken to flee her home years before.
The last time Noble had seen one of these intercontinental trains up close was when it was being consumed by a Nightmare Creature.
Her body refused to get on board.
"We don't have to go," Fort whispered in her ear. "I will find someone else to go in our place tomorrow. I should have thought about how this might upset you."
"I'm not upset," Noble whispered, "I'm terrified."
While it was illogical to assume this long-range ride would end as her last had, the feeling remained. She was locked in place.
"You go without me," she told Fort.
Her husband felt a wave of relief and then shame.
"I am not leaving you here. At this point, either we both go or neither of us does."
"What if the same thing happens to you that happened to BB?" The professor blinked back tears. "What if I am dooming the whole train--the whole port--by going!"
Fort wrapped his arm around Noble's shoulder. "What happened to your cousin was terrible, but I am not him. This train is better outfitted to meet threats. The military outpost is well-equipped to face off against both land and water creatures. And...this is the most important part... we aren't fleeing from a Gate."
That last part was the biggest distinction. They weren't running away from danger. If anything, the couple was running toward it.
Inhaling deeply through her nose, Noble steadied her nerves. "You are right, as usual."
"I want that stitched on a pillow when we get home," the handsome man teased.
"All Aboard!" The call came over a loudspeaker, sending a new wave of panic through Noble.
"I can't!" The professor stepped backward.
Her foot accidentally smashed Fort's. Although her flaw didn't react to the contact, his foot certainly did. Her heel dug into the toe of his foot.
"Ouch!" He cried, dropping the bags.
Moving away quickly, Noble's eyes widened. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," Fort said through clenched teeth. He tried to take a step. "A little," he admitted.
Noble lifted the suitcases and her husband off of the ground and hurried down the length of the train.
"You can put me down." Fort floated like a balloon behind the Awakened. "I'm fine!"
But the professor was not listening.
'Passenger car, dining car, back there are the freight cars,' she cataloged the different parts of the train in search of the one she desired.
"There!" Noble quickened her pace.
"Where?" Fort felt the sudden pull forward as the invisible string tugged him.
Pushing open the door, which had already been closed, Noble addressed the shocked occupant as she hurried inside.
"My husband has been hurt! I need you to look at his foot."
"Do you have tickets for this train, if not…" the young man stopped his speech when Noble flashed her communicator with their tickets and credentials.
"Forgive me," he dipped his head. "I had no idea who you were. Please come in."
Noble moved further into the car. The infirmary was empty except for the healer and the newcomers. Why wouldn't it be? They hadn't even left the station!
Noble laid her husband down on the indicated bed.
"I"m Mel. What seems to be the problem?" The physician looked between the couple.
"My wife likes to overreact," Fort teased before wincing.
"I stepped on his foot. It was an accident!" Noble did not help her cause by looking sick to her stomach.
Fortunately, the doctor did not laugh at them. "An Awakened stepping on a mundane person's foot? And in those heels. Did you use extra force?"
"Possibly," Noble wasn't sure. She hadn't walked on the ground in so long. The woman did not remember how much force was normal.
The doctor took the information in stride. With permission, he began removing Fort's shoe and sock.
By the husband's careful breathing, the healer knew he was in significant pain.
"Just another moment," Mel assured him.
Noble gasped. "Oh! I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
The deputy director sat up enough to look down at his foot. The smallest of his toes was bent at the wrong angle and deep purple.
Mel frowned. "This is going to sting a little."
"How little? Can I get a second opinion before you…OH!!!" Fort screamed as the toe was set and tied off in one fluid movement.
Noble grabbed his hand and held it. "I'm so sorry!"
"There. I have buddy-wrapped it to the one next to it." The doctor leaned back to check his handiwork.
"Could you have at least given me something to dull the pain beforehand?" Fort eyed the physician critically.
"I would have preferred to send you back to the train station for an Awakened to tend to you. But that is no longer an option." The man sighed.
Noble looked to a window and realized what he meant. The train was moving!
The station had been replaced by the outskirts, which would soon be left behind as well.
When had the train taken off and how had her body not told her?
Oblivious to her thoughts, the doctor continued, "There is usually not much need for field medicine on the transport. I mostly handle motion sickness or the occasional cold. When we get to the outpost, you can have a healer patch you up the rest of the way. Until then…"
Digging through his supplies, the physician pulled out a crutch and some pain medication.
"I wish I could do more," Mel lamented.
"You've done more than enough," Fort smiled before swallowing the medicine. "I'll be fine soon. And it got my wife on the train, so overall I think it was a toe well-spent."
"Fort!" Noble's mouth hung open. "If I didn't know better, I would think you broke a bone on purpose!"
The man's eyes darted to one side. "I had intended to stop you from running when I put my foot down, but I never thought this would be the end result. All's well that ends well, don't you think?"
The Awakened professor prepared a biting retort only to look down at Fort's injured foot. "I'm not sure that your end is well…" she answered at last.
"Well, either way, we are both here and get to enjoy some quality time together. If you will help me get to our car, I might get my first real look at the countryside too. I've never been out of the NQSC."
Noble nodded. Since they were already on the move, it was best to make themselves comfortable.
She helped Fort to his feet. He wore a stupid grin.
"What is it now?"
The man shrugged. "I suppose it is too soon to say that our trip has gotten off on the wrong foot?"
Pursing her lips, Noble gave her husband a sidelong glance. "Way too soon."
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