inspector_kcm's Journal

Kate was in a foul and bitter mood, which is to be expected, given the situation. A small assignment had gone horribly awry, leaving her to recover from a month-long coma and to deal with a psychic guardian who haunted her every thought. Bizzare and disturbing did not begin to cover it. She finally settled on "damn inconvenient". The sooner she got back to San Francisco and back to her life, the better.

She had finally been able to escape the insufferable Doctor Watson, with her cognition and brain function tests, and after much arguing, was given back her luggage and other belongings. It had started with unsteady stumblings around the recovery room, but she'd regained the use of her muscles - it was nothing a few good workouts at the gym couldn't cure, but she was bitter about it all the same. Dr. Watson had to be convinced, but finally discharged her. Plane tickets were provided, as well as a cab to take her to the airport. Some false medical records had also been slipped into her travelbag - something about an allergic reaction to Chinese food she'd eaten while in New York. A bunch of bull, she knew, but was unable to explain the real reason she'd been absent for so long. Z had taken care of that.

Z hadn't had the time or energies to re-arrange her memories. Instead, some basic patches would have to do. Z blocked her ability to say anything about her time spent in New York, or in his web. A hospital, she'd say, was all she could remember. Physical therapy. Appologies from the guilty resturant and yes, she'd really prefer to go out for Italian tonight. She was likewise forbidden to disclose that anyone besides herself had taken up residency in her head, quiet as he might be.

She walked down the front steps of the Shop building to the street, and looked back up at it. Just a normal skyscraper, that's all it was. No different from the one next to it, or the one down the block. She almost laughed to herself at the ubsurdity of it. The entire city of New York went bustling past, under, and even through the building without even knowing what business they were so close to, what madness and predation lurked within. Urban jungle indeed.

The taxi was waiting at the curb for her, but she decided not to accept the ride, opting for a little walk down the streets. After all, she'd never been to New York before, and could afford to pay for a taxi herself. She paid the driver for his troubles at least, and set off in a likely direction, not daring to look back.

She eventually came to what looked like an older part of town - there were less pedestrians about and although the atmosphere continued to remain loud and cluttered, a different feel set this area apart. The stores were mostly boutiques, she decided: a florist selling foliage she had never seen before, another for odd cookware, a third for chocolates, and another selling exotic pets. One shop appeared to sell magic tricks and other trinkets. Always amused by slight-of-hand, she decided to peek in for a look. But once on the steps to the doorway, she stopped. The view inside was different than she had expected, it was more like a pub. At that moment, a bicycle hurdled down the sidewalk very close to her and Kate, still unsteady on her feet, stumbled forward through the doorway. The narrow space between indoors and outdoors felt very odd to her, and suddenly, she was standing in a place that was quite obviously not New York.

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