Just Another Job

by Casey Peterson

  Erik jumped for the door out of the control room and Chris followed before Erik turned back to him. “Grab your notepad.”

  Chris swiveled on his feet, gripped the paper, and ran out to catch up. Johnykin and Erik were standing over Klaus. They didn’t try to help him up. Instead Johnykin laughed and when Chris finally caught up to them Klaus was standing.

  “You cheated,” said Klaus.

  “No way. You bumped into me,” said Johnykin.

  “Fine, fine. But I’m getting Chinese food and I’m not taking special orders. You get what I get,” said Klaus.

  Chris studied Klaus for signs of broken bones, mutilated skin, or any damage during the small conversation. Nothing looked out of place, especially when Klaus merely brushed off the debris from the cracked wall. He wasn’t even out of breath.

  “Did you get all that down?” said Erik to Chris.

  “Another great work out, Erik. Thank you,” said Klaus, and started to walk away.

  “That was the warm up. Remember: fox and lion. If you don’t have the cunning at least we can work on the image. So hit those weights before those arms flab up any more,” said Erik, pointing to Klaus’s chiseled biceps.

  Klaus sat on a bench and slowly leaned back to put his head under the bar. The bar bowed upwards from the massive amounts of weights on each end.

  “Why don’t you come spot me then, Erik,” said Klaus.

  “Scientific ethics. Can’t interfere with the data,” said Erik.

  Johnykin walked around the bench to be Klaus’s spotter as he positioned himself for the workout.

  “You look fit, Chris, want to join us for a few reps?” asked Johnykin.

  Chris’s goofy grin appeared. “Sorry. Those weights look … um… a little out of my league and I’ve gotta take notes and stuff.”

  Erik led Chris back to the control room. It ended up being a short stay. Immediately Erik’s phone rang. He didn’t say anything, but uh-huh and yes. The call ended and he stepped back out to the Fun Room. Chris didn’t know if he should follow, so he stayed behind and watched as Erik told Johnykin and Klaus something that got them very excited. Then Johnykin pointed to the control room at Chris. Chris couldn’t make out the words, but she said it with a smile and Erik nodded his head in approval. Erik came back in the control room.

  “If you thought training was a spectacle, you’re really going to enjoy this,” said Erik.

  Chapter Seven

  A black SUV with a bored driver tapping at his phone idled just outside the front doors of the main complex. Chris stood next to Erik with questions bouncing around his mind as to where and what they might be headed into, but Erik’s dark sunglasses and impatient toe tapping kept Chris mute. Klaus and Johnykin took separate paths from them once they left the Fun Room. To change or something similar, Chris guessed.

  Erik checked his phone for the time and barked out in a surprisingly deep voice, “Fucking come on.”

  The timing was perfect or staged perfectly, because Klaus and Johnykin stepped into the afternoon sun after Erik’s order rang out. It was hitting the low nineties and Chris wished he could have been in shorts. He felt bad for Klaus and Johnykin, because even though they were undeniably cool looking in full-body black leather suits with patches of protective padding, they had to be sweating gallons.

  “I’m glad they got rid of those stupid costume capes,” said Erik.

  “Are those comfortable?” asked Chris, and then immediately regretted it. Erik glared at him and Johnykin took advantage. She moved in close to Chris, grasped his right hand, and brought it to rest on her shoulder. Erik brought out his deep voice again, but Chris couldn’t make out what he said. Johnykin was whispering and Chris’s ears focused entirely on her words.

  “Feel the tiny holes?” She moved his hand slowly from her shoulder down the length of her arm. “Air passes through. Even in the padded parts.” His hand was now on her hip. He didn’t know if he put it there or if she did. It was cushioned. Her hand was on top of his again and began raising it up where there was no padding. Chris pulled away, with red cheeks.

  Erik’s voice finally cut through. “You can touch each other later. It’s time to go.” Chris lunged for the safety of the SUV, but it was fleeting because Johnykin was right behind him and squished Chris between herself and Klaus in the back seat.

  Knees tucked together and shoulders slouching forward, Chris tried to make himself small to avoid any contact with the Supers on either side of him. This was only half necessary as Klaus kept his eyes out the window in a meditative fashion, ignoring everyone. Johnykin kept her hands to herself, but caught Chris’s attention several times with a devilish glance and smile in his periphery.

  Chris needed to be distracted. “Cozy back here. Uh, I forgot to ask where we’re going,” he said.

  “You’ll see when we get there,” said Erik.

  “My dad you used to say that,” said Chris.

  Johnykin leaned into Chris to whisper in his ear, “Top secret. Children’s hospital. ” She patted his knee and pulled away to look out the window like her counterpart.

  The Children’s Hospital Oakland popped into view after forty minutes of silent staring out of windows. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary or rather in Chris’s mind, needed the attention of superheroes. They stepped out of the SUV with a small stretch. Erik led the way to the entrance and Chris followed, but Klaus and Johnykin stayed behind to discuss something. Inside the lobby, there were still no indications of why they were here. Did Erik have a sick son or daughter he wanted to see? Maybe show off the Supers to?

  The nurse at the desk pointed to a hallway and Erik nodded. He then looked behind himself expecting more than just Chris waiting patiently.

  Before Erik could start, Chris interrupted. “They’re talking in the parking lot.”

  “Where’s your notepad?”

  “In the car. Safe and sound. But that’s not where it should be.”

  “Get your ass out there, and pick up Tweedledee and Tweedledum while you’re at it.”

  “On it.”

  Chris pushed through the door and ran chest to face into Johnykin.

  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” said Chris.

  “No problem, Chris. I just have to look out for that chest of steel you have,” said Johnykin as she wiped away at her eyes and hair. “You didn’t mess up my makeup did you?”

  “No. I mean I don’t think so. You look great, I mean you don’t look...”

  She placed her hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes to reassure him. “Save that compliment for later.”

  “Sorry, again.”

  Johnykin gave a quick smile, looked down and away from Chris, and turned with Klaus into the lobby. Chris sprinted to the SUV. He knocked on the window and startled their driver, who took a moment to register what he wanted. Inside the lobby again, Chris sweated slightly as he looked for the direction his group had went After a couple back and forth glances, the nurse at the desk took pity and informed Chris he should head to the Family Resource and Information Center down the North hall.

  The Center was packed with parents and patients along with at least half the available nurses. Erik had already begun speaking to the audience while Klaus and Johnykin stood behind him beaming at the children’s faces. Chris crept to the side and pulled out the notepad. He jotted down quick descriptions of the patients and the obvious illnesses he could determine. Erik’s speech seemed to be made up on the spot and forgettable, so Chris skipped it to begin describing the Supers.

  The Supers’ black, form fitted costumes oozed sex and power when Chris first saw them, but in front of an awe struck crowd of cancer, sickle cell disease, AIDS, and cystic fibrosis warriors the Supers looked more like generals of hope. Erik finally gave the spotlight over to them. Klaus took turns with Johnykin in talking about their powers and when they first noticed them. They moved smoothly back and forth with animation in their voices and gestures. Chris thought this must have been what was hashe
d out beforehand in the parking lot.

  Few questions sprang up and the excitement from the audience began to wane. Klaus grabbed onto the loss of momentum and waved his arm for the audience to follow him and Johnykin through the double doors outside the center to an open grass area. The tell part was over and it was time now for the Supers to show. The children's faces grew ecstatic with anticipation and the parents and staff were just behind them with their own excited whisperings. Klaus and Johnykin directed the audience to spread out in a half circle to leave enough room for everyone to see, but also enough space for them to perform.

  Chris couldn't help smiling at the preparation and was reminded of a comic book he read when he was young. Erik saddled up next to Chris.

  “This is great. Isn't it?” said Erik.

  “Yeah. They're so excited. It's like reading an old Superman comic book. The superhero comes for his weekly charity work of entertaining sick children or a foster home full of kids,” said Chris.

  Erik looked affronted. “Yeah. I guess it’s kind of like that. But this is real. We're doing something real and good for these children. Not giving them some stupid comic books to read. Write that down.”

  Chris wrote it down and surprised himself by walking away from Erik's peevishness. Chris made his way to the end of the audience's outstretched line to get a view of them and an unobstructed angle of the Supers. Klaus turned his back to the audience to consult Johnykin and then he grabbed her by the waist and threw her twenty feet up into the air. Johnykin did a flip and then plummeted to the grass landing on her feet like a gymnast. She raised her hands in triumph then quickly turned to Klaus and threw him into the air even higher. Klaus one upped her by returning with his right fist and knee hitting the ground in a pose familiar to any Iron Man fan. The friendly show continued with a race around the crowd that startled some but ended in cheers. Klaus then raced to the parking lot and brought back a red sedan above his head. A woman from the crowd shouted it was hers. Johnykin reassured her no harm would befall it or Klaus would buy her a new one. The Supers juggled the car back and forth with a few spins and twirls to add to the entertainment until Johnykin set it down. The children had even more questions for them after seeing the action, including requests for even more spectacular tricks.

  Things wound down considerably with the break for more questions and Chris caught Erik checking his phone impatiently. Chris looked at his own phone and noticed they had been going for almost two hours. Johnykin and Klaus shook hands with everyone and gave out a handful of hugs to the younger children. Chris pocketed the notepad and headed over to Erik again. The trip seemed over.

  Then a steady drone of whump, whump, whump, came from above. Chris saw a medi-flight helicopter approach for landing. Everyone instinctively paused to look up. The long body of the copter cast a shadow across the faces of the onlookers on its way to the uppermost roof of the hospital. Even with the Supers around, the arrival of a fly-in grabbed the crowd’s attention. They would watch like most did until there was a landing, but when the tail rotor rose up above the main rotor and then dropped suddenly a safe landing wasn’t in the program.

  Klaus and Johnykin appropriately acted first by ushering everyone inside. It was a calm but quick movement filled with glances back into the chaotic sky. The copter gained its balance and took a broad turn around the landing pad, but another unexpected dip of the tail rotor threw it off course. Half the patients were inside. The nurses and parents took the herding roles from Johnykin and Klaus so they could step back into the grass area for a better look at the situation above. Chris grabbed the hand of a young girl. Her eyes were nervous but accepted his lead. Chris looked down at her and his mind jumped to his daughter. Even without the hair, they looked remarkably similar to Chris, but after a few steps the girl tightened her hand in his. She began coughing and her eyes closed. She didn’t faint so much as collapse into Chris’s side. He gathered her in his arms as they fell behind the rest. The girl’s eyes opened again wide while she was in his arms. She saw past him and Chris followed her gaze to the copter that had again made a full circle around to gather some stability.

  That stability was the shortest lived, for the copter turned unnaturally to its side and dramatically plunged into the roof. The skids crumpled from the impact and brought the body to the edge of the roof. The blades of both rotors spun furiously and moved the copter into a second fall off the edge. Metal screeched against concrete. The girl covered her ears. Chris looked for the Supers, but only found himself alone with the girl in the grass. Klaus and Johnykin had made it to the second floor roof looking up at the collapse. Rubble tumbled down first and Johnykin swatted it away. Klaus positioned underneath, lifted his arms above his head and waited for the copter to fall in to his hands. The descent was slower than Chris thought, but it was a magnificent sight when Klaus’s fingers sunk into the metal body of the copter upon impact. He squeezed into it like it was made from foam. The weight was another matter. His knees bent under the strain and continued to lose the battle until Johnykin ran underneath to add her strength to the colossal feat. Together they eased the copter onto its crippled skids while the blades continued to turn furiously above their heads. Klaus pulled the relatively undamaged pilots free from the cockpit and Johnykin lifted a stretcher from the back. The engine was cut off after the three were safe; the main rotor began to slow down.

  Chris smiled with relief at the scene above and then guiltily realized he was still in the middle of the grass with a cancer patient in his arms. Instead of moving to safety, the two of them gawked at the Supers during the entirety of the helicopter crash. When Chris looked down again at the girl he expected a look of relief and was ready to quip ‘that was dumb of us.’ Instead her eyes bulged with alarm and she raised a bone-thin arm back at the copter. Chris immediately saw what she did and something Johnykin and Klaus did not, a damaged blade on the main rotor. Each slow turn caused more separation from the base.

  “Johnykin, look!” said Chris, but too late. The sudden mechanical stop of the main rotor sent the damaged blade flying straight at Chris and the girl in his arms. Chris analyzed the trajectory, pivoted slightly, and sprang into what he hoped would be a safe patch of grass. Landing on his shoulder to protect the girl he then rolled her underneath him for further protection just in case.

  The plan worked as the blade sliced into the wall protecting those inside, the place Chris should have taken the girl but was nowhere near even before his small leap. An explosion of glass sent the crowd inside into a short lived panic, but the blade was stuck and ended its rampage with no true harm. Klaus made his way down to the patients, nurses, and parents. His presence and soothing voice confirmed their stint with danger was over. Johnykin jumped down to check on Chris. He was still wrapped over the girl and didn’t feel Johnykin’s hand gently touch his shoulder.

  Chris’s eyes were closed and his focus was only on the girl cradled under his protection. Johnykin put her lips next to his ear and whispered, “Open your eyes. You’re amazing.”

  Chris rolled back over and looked up at Johnykin’s tears. She wiped them quickly and turned to the girl, who raised her hands to be lifted up. Johnykin held the girl in her arms now and walked her back to the hospital; leaving Chris seated on the grass with a disheveled mess of thoughts and eyes that couldn’t bring anything into focus just yet.

  Cheers rang out from the hospital as Klaus took in hugs and handshakes from the thankful group. Johnykin grabbed her share of gratitude as well and then pointed back to Chris. A woman led the way to him. Chris stood up and immediately was wrapped in a severe hug. The mother of the girl Chris saved sobbed into his shoulder and spewed out muffled words that Chris assumed were ‘thank you.’

  Johnykin was right behind the mother and so was a small crowd now forming around Chris. Johnykin took pity on Chris’s slight torment, after watching for several moments, and pulled the sobbing mother off him to allow the rest of the crowd to praise him.

  Erik, who had be
en safe and sound inside the hospital, finally took notice of the part of his team that did not comprise of Klaus. Erik moved in to speak to Klaus and directed his attention to their other half. The competition made Klaus scowl, but then he quickly changed directions and put his hands together to clap. Everyone followed his mark.

  Johnykin stood next to Chris again and yelled over the crowd's clapping. “You're one of us.” Chris blushed.

  Sirens announced a squadron of police and firemen to the hospital with nothing to do but light cleanup. Tagging along were a handful of reporters. Erik was the first to be interviewed and covered the story with surprising accuracy. He then brought Klaus and Johnykin to the front to get a more in depth angle on the action. Lastly it was Chris's turn. He didn't know how to answer the excited reporter's questions. This time Klaus saved him from another bout of torment by answering in Chris's stead.

  “What do we call you?” asked the reporter.

  “Our names are fine. We aren't standing behind secret identities,” said Klaus.

  “Well, what's your sidekick's name?”

  “Ha! Sidekick? I guess that works. His name is Chris. I want to say again we do appreciate the gratitude. All three of us.” Klaus grabbed Chris's shoulder to bring him uncomfortably close. “Myself, sidekick Chris, and Johnykin. But we’re just fulfilling our God given duties. No more.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Oh my God, Dad,” said Louise. “You're all over the internet. Why didn't you tell us you were a Super? I didn’t know there were any girl ones. That Johnykin Super looks badass.”