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"Good morning New York, I hope you all are having a wonderful morning, and I hope you all are getting your kids all ready for their first day of school and all that. We have someone from the CDC here with us to talk about a bug that is going around, but more on that after break and stay tuned." The local news radio had said just as some ads started to play to those who were listening to the radio on their commute to work.

It was around seven in the morning, in the city that never really sleeps, some people were heading back home after their graveyard shifts and people were going on about their morning like normal. Some people were out on their normal morning routines people going out for jogs or were doing some yoga out in Central Park, or just grabbing some food from the many food trucks around the area as well to. The new restaurant the Twin Seasons had become fairly popular in the area as well to.

There has been news spreading around lately that some new outbreak was happening, however from the news reports it has only occurred in some countries overseas and the CDC and other agencies were looking into it. So far there hasn't been any records that they know of in the States just yet. Some people were slightly on edge whether or not it was going to be another outbreak like COVID 19 was, while others weren't super worried about it and just completely ignored the news.

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Kaitlyn slowly started to wake up letting out a slight yawn as she looked at her clock seeing that it was seven in the morning, she started to stretch and would let out a loud yawn. She was actually looking forward to doing her new job she managed to get a small teachers assistant gig. She started to get changed into some clothes and started to brew herself a cup of coffee. She grabbed a small granola bar for the road and started to head out just as she grabbed her apartment keys and subway pass as well to. Outside of her apartment she could hear some of her neighbors yelling which was a common thing really.

One of her neighbors quickly waved her down as she approached him, he was some kind of computer guy she didn't really know that much about him other than a small conversation his name was Kurtis from what she knew. "Good morning Kurt how are you?" Kaitlyn asked as she stopped as he looked a little bit worried but he smiled slightly. "I'm alright." He said as Kaitlyn took a moment and noticed that he was packing up. "Are you leaving on vacation or something?" She asked him as he nodded. "I'm getting out of the city, you really should think about it to." He said as he handed her an envelope. "If you could give it to the landlord that would be great." She looked at it and opened it seeing that it was a bunch of cash. "Uh sure thing anyway I gotta get going." Kaitlyn said as she took the envelop from him and quickly left and headed for the elevator.

The landlord's office was in the lobby as she handed the envelop over towards the person at the front desk and headed out luckily for her the entrance to the subway was just one block away. The morning was pretty warm as she headed down the street and into the subway to wait for her train luckily the commute wasn't that bad.

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It had been a very long couple of days from driving all the way from Savannah Georgia all the way to New York, he didn't make to many stops unless he really needed to. He was starting to get pretty tired as he drove his motorcycle across the city, and was on the Brooklyn Bridge now. He did have a friend living in the city where he could crash for a few days until he could find something. They had gone a ways back anyway to and his friend did owe him a few favors as well to.

He was starting to get pretty tired after being on the road for so long he wasn't really paying attention really and ended up crashing his bike right into the rear of someone's vehicle (your trick or treat @PatientBean :P). Luckily he wasn't going super fast and he wasn't really injured, a few really bad scrapes but nothing deadly.

However his bike wasn't very lucky and the bike was completely totaled, Flynn laid there on the ground letting out a groan as he slowly started to get back up to his feet. He noticed that there was some damage to the woman's car and he groaned to himself really not looking forward to dealing with this right now. "Well shit.." Flynn said to himself.

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It was 7 AM in the city that never sleeps, and Becker had just wrapped up a particularly hectic night shift. Dark circles adorned her eyes, a testament to the chaos she'd navigated in the ER. Dave, her ever-present co-worker with a penchant for asking questions she seldom felt like answering, looked up from his duffel bag which he was busily organizing.

"Morning, Dave," Becker deadpanned, tossing her worn-out EMT cap onto the table. Dave, sporting an optimistic smile, asked the predictable question, "Any exciting plans for our day off?" Becker shot the young rookie a glance that could rival her usual sarcasm, "Oh, you know, the usual: saving the world and catching up on sleep."

Dave chuckled, his attempt at playing along with Becker's sarcastic remark. "Really? Must be a demanding superhero gig you got there, Becker. Any capes involved or just the EMT uniform?" he teased, a playful glint in his eyes. Becker, unfazed, shot back with a smirk, "Just the uniform, Dave. Capes are so last year." Their banter, a mix of humor and camaraderie, continued as they settled into their routine coffee shop visits after work.

As they made their way inside, the low hum of conversation and the distant clinking of coffee cups filled the cozy coffee shop. Becker and Dave snagged a corner booth, the flickering glow of the muted TV screen casting a subtle glow on their faces. The news anchor's voice cut through the ambient noise, announcing the latest developments about the spreading virus beyond the borders.

Becker, nonchalantly stirring her coffee, glanced up at the screen. "Well, isn't this just the cherry on top of a delightful day?" she remarked. Dave, ever the optimist, tried to sound concerned, "They say it's getting serious out there. What if it reaches us?" Becker rolled her eyes, "Please, Dave. We've survived the chaos of the ER; a little virus won't ruffle our feathers. Pass me the sugar will you?"

The banter continued as they exchanged thoughts on the unfolding situation. "I bet it's just a ploy for a new zombie-themed reality show. You know, 'Apocalypse Island' or something," Becker joked, still a bit skeptical about the seriousness of this so called virus, whilst taking a sip of her coffee. Dave, attempting to mask his genuine concern with a chuckle, replied, "If it is, we better start practicing our zombie-fighting skills."

As the seasoned EMT and the younger rookie under her watchful eye, she sees in Dave a combination of earnestness and enthusiasm that occasionally borders on endearing. While Becker is known for her sarcastic and no-nonsense demeanor, she doesn't mind Dave's company, finding a peculiar comfort in the routine banter they share during their shifts and their post-work coffee outings.

Their conversation, weaving between dry humor and the underlying seriousness of the news. Becker, with her casual yet cutting remarks, and Dave, dancing between concern and failed attempts at wit, found a peculiar comfort in navigating the uncertainties of the post-shift coffee chat and the brewing storm on the TV screen.

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Rise and shine, sleepyhead.

The incessant beeping of a bedside alarm awoke Kali, who proceeded to let forth a lengthy yawn as she stretched her arms. Certainly, it was too early to be up, she felt, but alas the human necessity to work required her to do so. Reaching over to shut off the alarm, Kali stood up and began to mosey about the shared apartment to get ready for the day. Thankfully, she had prepared her work clothes the day before, so all that mattered was a quick shower (alongside other general hygiene issues), and before long she was ready to head out the door.

Walking down the stairs to the main floor of their apartment, Kali made her way to the kitchen for a quick bite to snack on for breakfast before she left. As she snatched an apple from a fruit basket, Kali noticed a note on the counter from her roommate, and proceeded to read it.


"What? You couldn't just text me?" Kali scoffed to herself, taking a bite of her apple. Nonetheless, she didn't think much more of it, and grabbed her purse and coat to head outside to the city's subway.

Locking the door behind her, Kali descended the patio steps and began walking down the street. The city seemed bustling as always, with lots of people out and about as expected for the largest city within the United States of America. It made Kali glad she didn't drive or even owned a car; being stuck in traffic hell certainly sounded awful. Not that she could even afford a vehicle on a waitress' salary in the first place. It was already a struggle helping Liana with bills, so owning a car was completely out of the question.

As she rounded the corner to the subway entrance, an older man rushed past Kali, accidentally bumping into her in the process. Thankfully, neither of them were hurt, with the only "injury" being feelings of soured annoyance from Kali.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

There was no reply. The man simply just kept running past nor even glanced back in her direction.

"People these days..." Kali grumbled before continuing her way towards the train platform. She didn't want to be late for the train, but even more so late for work. Mr. Kamaal probably wouldn't like that, Kali could only figure.

Mandy's bags were packed. She was ready to head back to Cornell. She should have gone back earlier but she had been delayed. The lights of her room flicked off and on twice, she looked up from the bag she had been double-checking. Her dad was standing there. He smiled at her, dropping his hand away from the light switch.

In a modified 5, with her middle finger at a slight angle, she swiped up at her chest, Mandy's brows were slightly furrowed in a questioning expression. "What's up?"

Her father's eyebrows went up and he held up both hands in 5's palms up and then quickly flicked inward till the palms were facing down. "Finished?" Mandy nodded. He continued to sign, "My school has sent out an email about a new sickness. I want you to read it." Mandy nodded again and followed him down the hall to the office.

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The guitar notes to God in Jeans played through Hermes over ear headphones as he plucked the strings of his guitar. He sat at the edge of his bed, one leg outstretched while the other was propped up on top of an empty milk crate, helping to stabilize the guitar against his leg and body. His Nonna hadn't been feeling well recently, his mother was tired from work and helping to take care of her, so he tried to be quiet in the mornings. Especially now that school is starting up again. He wouldn't be able to help out as much as he had been during summer. It ate at him, being unable to be there for them for hours on end, between school and work, he felt as if too much weight was being put on his mother with the new shift in dynamic. He lingered on the last note, plucking it in repetition as his mind drifted off in thought for a moment.

There was a soft knock on his door, not that he could hear. His headphones blocked out sound, though his mother knew that well enough. She cracked the door open as she spoke.
“I'm openin’ tha door. Best be decent.”
Warning him in the event he was getting changed. No protest told her he was either asleep or listening through his headphones. Her hand slipped through the crack and flipped his lights off and on to grab his attention. Hermes slipped the headphones off and placed them around his neck. ”Sorry ma, just practicing for my band.” He placed his guitar against his bed, standing up and stretching, already fully dressed in a light caramel colored knit sweater with graphic designs printed on, white dress shirt, and black tie. His black ripped jeans helped the sweater pop against his pale skin as a gold chain with a small golden horn dangled from his neck. ”Got up a bit earlier, so I'm all ready to go.”
“Oh no you're not. I bet you haven't even eaten yet. Come on downstairs I've got breakfast ready for you. Can't let you go hungry on your first day as a senior.”
Hermes rubbed the back of his neck, a smile cracking at the corner of his lips as he rolled his eyes but followed along without protest.

A small cream colored FM radio adorned the wooden countertop of their kitchen. The black dial turned so that it was just audible within the room without disturbing the others. The news rang out around the room, the CDC was there for a bug? That wasn't exactly comforting. The last “bug” the CDC got involved in nearly halted the world. Fear gripped his chest, his Nonna was strong but she couldn't handle taking something that bad again. They were happy enough to hear she didn't have COVID when she fell ill recently. His family was extremely lucky that none of them had ever caught it, taking extra precautions even well after the outbreak to help ensure his grandmother's health stayed well. If she got this new strain…
There was a harsh click as his mother turned off the station and placed a plate in front of him at the table. Her arms crossed as she looked at the radio.
“Can you believe this spazzatura? You think they'd be more on top of it after the last one.”
She must've seen the worry in his eyes as Hermes poked his eggs with his fork, moving them around listlessly. ”Yeah…”
His mother moved over to his side, giving him a tight squeeze before she gripped his face with one hand and squished his cheeks together.
“Oh my poor baby. Don't you go worrying about any of this nonsense. We beat the last one and we can do it again. We're all tougher than we look. You know, your great great granpappy came over here when times were tough. And they managed as did his children and his children's children. You're bred of tough stuff, we all are, so don't you go thinking it's the end of the world ok? Just focus on your academics.”

Hermes smiled, the pressure of her hands digging into his cheeks as he did. ”You're right. I'm just thinking too much about this. Besides, it's a little hard to eat when you're like this.”
“Oh! Look at me starvin my poor boy. Go go mangiare.”
He poured himself a glass of orange juice, finished his meal, and then headed out. His bag was slung over his shoulder, helmet in one hand as he headed downstairs to where he kept his Vespa parked. Before long he was off on the road heading towards his first day of school.

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"Ms. Holmes, we can't..."

Verity clenched her fist before speaking. "First off, it's Verity. Not Ms. Holmes when speaking to me. Ms. Holmes is my mother and that bitch probably gets off on it. Second, you damn well can. We had this meeting on the books for months. I worked around your boss' schedule. I made time in mine. Hell, I even ordered gluten-free muffins for them. So they will show up to this meeting. They will be on time. And they will do so with bells on. Do I make myself clear?"

She could feel the assistant start to weep and Verity rolled her eyes. "First rule in the business world. Suck in your tears. It's a sign of weakness. Get your boss in that room or so help me you will never get another job in the city. You'll be lucky if you get to suck out sewage from portable toilets when I am through. Do it now!"

She turned off the call. She had been driving while speaking (hands free, get off her back!). She quickly dialed her own assistant. "Trudy, hold my calls for the rest of the day. I feel a migraine coming on."

"Already done, V. Your father called also. I did as you asked."

"Told him to take him and the demon spawn he married to the molten crevice they crawled out of?"

"Not in those words per se, but the message got through."

"What would I do without you?"

"Kill it as usual, but in a little less pinache."

Before Verity could reply, she felt herself lurch forward. She looked around. She had stopped, but her car had been moved. Was she hit? She looked in the rearview mirror and saw some dude on a bike. He had apparently ran into her. "Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me."

"What happened?"

"Some dirtbag on a bike just rear-ended me!"

"Well, that's money in your pocket then."

"Going to be hard to collect from a corpse when I'm through with him."

Verity hung up and got out of her car, much to the chagrin of those around her, honking their own horns. She looked at her car first, noting the damage, then to the man's bike, noting the significantly more damage done. Then to the man. He looked ragged and worn out, but heavily frustrated. Good.

"Well isn't this lovely? Decided to not pay attention to the road in front of you? Well you stepped in it now. Name, number, and insurance and we'll get this going. That's going to take days to get sorted and I just don't have time for that. Couldn't have hit anyone else? Had to be me?"

Verity was straight-up fuming. She did not need this added to her day.

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"I think I love this city." A bold statement he made to himself as he took a break from jogging and was sitting down at a bench. Breathing hard but calmly as he rested. He was at the Bethesda Terrace, deep in Central Park, which was normally his break point.

While he has adjusted to living in the city that never sleeps, one thing he can say about it is that it has treated him well since coming here and opening his restaurant. Accomplishing his dream, and he has realized that he loves New York City for it. Isaac smiled as he watched people walk by and take pictures of the area. He is happy, and so far, nothing has happened to take him off this happy high he has had since the success of his restaurant.

"What else can this city give me, I wonder," said softly to himself as he smirked. This is New York City, after all, and the possibilities are endless. He made his dream a reality here, and maybe he can find more.

Then he checked his watch, and it was time to finish his jog. So, with a deep breath, he got up from the bench and, after some light stretching. Isaac went back to jogging and headed in the direction of his apartment. Today is going to be a good day, he can feel it.

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@ArticBeaver A barista approached the two EMT's and smiled at the two of them she was a young girl around her twenties or so she had blonde hair and blue eyes looked at the two regulars sitting before her. "Can I get you two anything else?" She asked giving them a friendly smile as she whipped down the counter. There were a few new people coming in and taking their seats while they waited to be served while the other baristas went to take their orders as well.

"So how was your guys evening?" She asked trying to make some small talk, when the door suddenly rushed opening the door rather loudly and a guy covering his arm it was bleeding pretty badly. "Some crazed motherfucker just fucking bit me!" Becker's barista quickly got up and headed over towards him and grabbed several napkins to try and help him.

@Kirah There was a knock on the door and a few seconds later the door opened it was one of Mandy's neighbors carrying a container of cookies. She was an elderly woman, they had been neighbors for years her name was Millie and had always been very friendly to the Masons and occasionally watched Mandy when she was really young. They were close enough to give her a spare set of keys just incase they needed her to housesit or something. She saw the two of you and smiled as she handed Mandy the container of cookies, she did know a little bit of ASL. "I'm glad that I caught the two of you, I thought you'd like some cookies to take back with you to your school." She signed.

@Theyra The park was still really peaceful as there were a few people walking their dogs one of them a young golden retriever puppy quickly made it's way towards Isaac and quickly jumped onto his legs barking happily and wanting some pets. "Down boy!" A man said as he quickly caught up to his dog. "I'm so sorry about that, he's still being trained on the leash." He told Isaac as the puppy quickly got off and trotted happily back to his owner. "Anyway I hope you have a good day." He said as he waved to Isaac and they continued along with their walk.

As Isaac continued along his way to his apartment he would see a homeless man curled up on a bench and started to cough pretty loudly, it looked like he had seen better days. There were a few teens nearby and started to make fun of the poor guy before they started to walk off and went about their business.

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Kaitlyn looked over her shoulder towards the girl and the man that had bumped into her. "People just don't know what personal space is, am I right?" Kaitlyn said to Kali, trying to make some friendly conversation a few seconds later and right on time like always the subway came to a stop at their station and people started to quickly board. Kaitlyn started to make her way inside and found an empty seat she looked at Kali and motioned for her to take a seat. "Take a seat." Kaitlyn offered it was pretty rare to find an empty seat on the subway unless it was really late at night.

"I'm Kaitlyn by the way." She said as the last passengers on the station were fully boarded and started to head off towards the next station, there were several people going on about their business some were reading or watching something on their phones while others were reading some newspapers, the subway was somewhat empty still at least for now anyway.

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"Yeah yeah i'm on it." Flynn said as he muttered to himself as he headed over towards his bike and managed to get it right side up in order to access one of the saddle bags that he had on his bike and pulled out the paperwork that he had on him. There were now several cars on the bridge, people were honking their horns as they rudely drove past the two of them. "It's not my best day either." Flynn said to Verity as he came up to her and handed her his insurance info. "Hurry the fuck up!" A Karen yelled sticking her head out of her car glaring at the two of them as Flynn turned to stare at the woman and gave her the finger the woman fed up with it all just drove past them.

Hermes would notice that there was quiet a bit of traffic now on the bridge maybe he should have taken the bus or subway to his school, however he had enough room to get by. It had rained the night before and the road was still slightly wet as Hermes drove past he would drive into a puddle of water just as he past Flynn and Verity in the middle of exchanging information, the two of them would suddenly be hit with water. "Really fucking asshole?" Flynn yelled out loud enough that Hermes would be able to hear.

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Becker glanced up from her coffee as the friendly barista approached, her blonde hair catching the soft light of the coffee shop. Becker noted the genuine warmth in the girl's blue eyes and offered a small, appreciative smile. "Just the usual, thanks," Becker replied, indicating her nearly empty cup. Dave, slightly more talkative in this moment, chimed in, "Yeah, I'll take a refill, please."

As the barista bustled about, wiping down the counter, she initiated some casual small talk, maybe attempting to foster a sense of camaraderie, she thought. Becker, never one to divulge too much, responded with a half-smile, "Busy night. You know how it is."

Despite being a regular at the coffee shop, she had never bothered to learn the barista's name. It wasn't a deliberate choice, but Becker does have a tendency to keep a certain distance, even in familiar settings.

The peaceful ambiance of the coffee shop, however, was abruptly shattered by the forceful entry of a distressed individual. A man burst through the door, clutching his bleeding arm, panic etched across his face.

Becker's demeanor shifted instantaneously the moment she saw blood. Without a word, her training kicked in, and her instincts took over. She shot a quick, authoritative look at Dave, her eyes conveying the urgency of the moment.

"Dave, the first aid," Becker directed, her tone no-nonsense and focused. Dave, recognizing the gravity of the situation, nodded briskly and hurried towards the designated area where the first aid kit was kept.

As Dave retrieved the kit, Becker was already by the injured man's side, her movements swift and efficient. The barista, still holding a bundle of napkins, looked on with concern.

"Jesus," the experienced EMT breathed out under her breath, the sight of the deep, ragged bite wound spoke volumes about the potential danger they were dealing with. It resembles the mark of a wild animal than a typical human confrontation. "Who the hell goes around randomly biting people?" she says, as she attempted to stop the bleeding.

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Walking over to the train platform, Kali approached the woman who had spoken to her and stood beside her.

"The least they could've done was apologized." She responded with a sigh. A small hint of annoyance was still apparent. "But I suppose that's New York for you—people always seem to be in a rush here."

As they began to make idle chit-chat, the subway finally rolled into the station and came to a stop to allow the two of them and the rest of the passengers to board. Following the woman onto the subway, Kali was pleasantly surprised to find a seat still available. It wasn't often she could sit down on the subway, typically having to stand the whole way to work. Sometimes there was a seat available on her way home, but that was often a hit or miss as well. With thanks, Kali graciously accepted the offered seat and proceeded to sit down beside the woman.

"Kali." She replied, placing her purse on her lap. Talking to strangers on the subway was never much in her interest to do so, even more so with the weirdos on the NYC subway, but Kali figured that it probably wouldn't hurt to pass some time given that they had already been talking prior to boarding. "So, where are you off to? Work, I'm guessing?" She asked Kaitlyn as the train lurched forward and began to barrel down the track to its next listed stop.

Mandy had followed her dad into his office and sat at his computer. The email was open and ready for her. It was an announcement to all the teachers and parents of any students. She was a little surprised about that last part. However, in Deaf culture information was so vital. Deaf people couldn't get their information in a lot of the standard ways people did. Hearing people were never aware of how much of their world information they got from a T.V. or radio playing the background, or just from snippets of conversation caught while on the bus or walking through town. Deaf people didn't have access to that vicarious learning. So it had become ingrained in the culture to ask semi-invasive questions or give what a hearing person would have considered TMI.

She read the email quickly, frowned, and read it again slower. There was a new sickness, she couldn't help but worry about COVID. That had caused so many issues. Would the school cancel and go back online? She hated online learning. Symptoms included a cough and high fever, bloodshot and or redness of the eyes and yellowing of the skin. The last few stood out. The sickness also seemed to have come from South America rather than China. She was about to start discussing the email with her dad when a light flashed. That light indicated that someone was at the front door.

Her dad left the room heading for the front door and Mandy followed behind him. The door opened before he got to it but Mandy only smiled because she saw who was entering over her dad's shoulder. She waved and joined the woman, Millie, in the kitchen. "Thank you." Mandy signed and hugged Millie. She then kissed her fist.

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Verity could feel the honking and yelling driving the screw into her already pulsing headache. She just didn't have time for this. Thankfully, the guy who hit her had the sense to have his information ready. "Oh you are having a bad day? Aww. Aww!" She made a show of mock crying. "I don't care! Just hurry it up. I have places to be."

If truth were being told, she didn't hate the man. He was kind of cute in a "I would only do anything with him to piss off my parents" kind of way. Just as they were going to exchange information, some jackass hit a puddle, drenching them. "You have got to be kidding me. Hey asshole! If I see you ever again, you're dead!"

She tried, albeit hopelessly, to shake off the water. "You know, at this point, fate is telling me it's not my day, so forget it. The damage isn't that bad and I know a guy. Hell, been meaning to get a new car anyway." She walked towards her car. "Hope your day gets better, at least. Mine is apparently fucked."

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Traffic was always bad in New York, but today took the cake. He sat in a line of cars honking and screaming at those in front of each other to move. Hermes rolled his eyes, resting his elbow against the handle of his Vespa as he tapped his fingers along his helmet to the music he was playing. He had hoped all of this would clear up relatively quickly. Scanning the face of his watch to see how much longer he had before he was late. His neutrality quickly turned into annoyance as he looked across the area to ensure none of New York's finest were around. The coast seemed clear. Even then they'd never catch him with this heavy traffic blocking the Brooklyn Bridge.

So he did what any sensible teenager would do, he hopped the curb and began speeding past the line of cars waiting in stand still traffic. As he closed in ahead he noticed a pair of people standing outside their cars arguing, ofcourse it was a fender bender delaying everyone. Some grody man in desperate need of a haircut and an uppity looking woman who looked like she could buy the man and everything he owned if he didn't play his cards right. Hermes was so busy scoping out the drama he hadn't noticed the oncoming puddle, splashing it all over the pair as he motored past them. ”Sorry!” was all he could manage to get out as his voice was lost in the distance, screaming drowning him out as the woman yelled something at him he didn't quite catch over the guitar of Beast and the Harlot by Avenged Sevenfold.

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"It is okay, and have a good day too." Isacc friendly said to the owner of the puppy and watched as they walked away. Which raised a question for him, should he get a pet? He had one growing up, a cat, and Isaac loved her. She lived for a long time, and he certainly can afford to have one or two at his apartment. "Maybe," he said to himself for a moment before turning to start to jog back to his apartment.

Only to find a scene of a loudly coughing homeless man being made fun of by some teenagers. Those kids just had to be cruel to that poor man. Isaac thought, stopped jogging, and watched the scene. It is bad enough that he is homeless and with that coughing. Isaac felt bad for the man and after the teenagers left. Isaac wanted to do something but was unsure what to do as the homeless man continued to cough.

So he had a thought and walked up to the homeless man. Isaac opened his wallet and gave the homeless a twenty-dollar bill. "Here is something to get some medicine for that cough and I hope you get better soon. Also, sorry about those kids, they do not know any better.

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@ArticBeaver "The guy didn't look right in the head man, like he was some kinda rabid animal or something.." The man said as his words started to slur a little bit. Maybe it was the adrenaline wearing off, the Barista was checking him out as she touched his forehead and turned to Becker. "He's running a fever." She said to her as Dave quickly started to remove some of the napkins to get a better look, and could see a small bit of bone was showing. "I'm gonna call it in." Dave said to Becker as he quickly pulled out his phone and started to dial 911. People in the cafe were watching some of them were even pulling out their cellphones taking pictures and videos of the entire thing. "They are on their way." He told her, they could treat him there but they had been off duty now as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

@Kirah Millie smiled as she signed back to her. "Your welcome." She said, as she set the container of cookies down onto the counter and opened it up. They were a mix of chocolate chip, double chocolate as well as some sugar cookies. "Have you heard whats been going on?" She signed to Mandy and her father, she was a little bit worried that it was going to be a new thing of COVID or something much worse. Her husband of forty years wasn't in the best of health either and she was worried. "Also is there anything else you'd like me to send you while you are away again?" Millie signed to Mandy.

@Theyra The homeless man slowly sat up and coughed several more times, he had a really old and nasty looking hacker chief that he had been using. "Thank you son.." He said between several more coughs, there was a bit of blood mixed in there this time as well to. He pocketed the money it looked like he was having that bug that was now going around. "I am used to it kids these days are fuckin little ass punk shits." He said as he whipped his nose and looked up at Isaac. "God bless you." He said as he slowly started to get up and stumbled and walked his way towards the nearest pharmacy.

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Kaitlyn looked at Kali and smiled. "It's nice to meet you Kali." She said as she leaned back slightly as she looked around those that were on the subway, they were still all pretty quiet which was good. A lot of people were sometimes pretty loud and rude as her attention quickly turned back towards Kali and nodded. "Yeah I work as a teaching assistant in a high school it's on the next stop actually." She said. "I'm assuming that you are on your way to work as well to?" Kaitlyn asked Kali the school that she worked at was in Brooklyn as well to, and it was going to be her first day working at that school.

A few more minutes passed and it eventually came to a stop at the next station as Kaitlyn got up and looked at Kali. "It was nice meeting you by the way, I hope you have a good day." Kaitlyn said to Kali as she started to get off along with a few other passengers who followed suit. Several more started to get on now as well to a middle aged woman who looked like she was pregnant approached Kali. "Is this seat open?" She asked her, in the corner of Kali's eye she would see a young kid with a hood over his head was quietly eyeing the pregnant woman's purse before quickly grabbing it and quickly got off of the subway. "Hey!" The pregnant woman yelled as she tried to follow after him.

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Flynn just stared at the woman as she mocked him, was really annoyed with her but at least it looked like she was just going to brush everything off after the kid just drenched them in water and she had headed off. At least he wouldn't have to pay for her insurance or whatever it looked like. Flynn went and got back to his bike, he then started to get it back up putting his paperwork back into the bag and moved his bike awkwardly until it was on the curb so he could let the rest of the traffic pass. Flynn then pulled out his phone and dialed up his friend luckily his shop wasn't to far.

For Verity the traffic started to lighten up now and she would be able to move forward a lot quicker now to wherever she was intending on going she would be able to catch a glimpse of the kid that drenched her. Unfortunately for Hermes a police officer was able to see him speeding alongside the curb. Then the sirens started to go off a clearing happened to appear in the traffic and the police car was able to get behind Hermes he was certainly in a lot of trouble now and could be late for school.

Mandy sniffed the air as the smell of the cookies wafted out from the now-open container. She took a sugar cookie with a bright smile and after taking a bite set it down so both her hands were free to talk. The joys of ASL were you could have your mouth full and talk at the same time. She could also sign with one hand but that wasn't as clear and Millie wasn't fluent.

"Dad's school sent him an email about some sickness spreading. It isn't like COVID. The symptoms are a little different. Have you heard anything?" There was an advantage to having a hearing friend that lived close by and would drop by with cookies, well more than the dropping by with cookies. They also could listen to the radio, or watch T.V. Mandy remembered not having T.V. until she was in middle school. Any time she watched it before that was at Millie's house, or her Nana's during holidays.

---

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Verity got in her car and sped off, not bothering to look back at the man who hit her. What were the chances she would ever see him again in a city like New York anyway? She got her assistant back on the phone. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Can you set up an appointment ASAP at that mechanic I like? Also bring out a new outfit for me and have it out and ready in my office. Some twerp hit a puddle and got me. Hold calls until I get there."

Trudy agreed and hung up. As she drove, she looked to see some flashing lights from a police car and saw who they had stopped. It was the little puddle splasher. Verity grinned, seeing karma in action. Today just got a bit better.

---

Verity stormed into her office as everyone who had been standing around not doing anything quickly started moving. Trudy appeared. She was an Asian American woman with long, black hair and red-framed glasses. She handed Verity a coffee as she followed her. "Everything's ready for the board meeting."

"Good, I'm going to get changed and ready."

"So someone hit you?"

"Yeah some motorcycle asshole. He's lucky I didn't press charges. The damage isn't severe enough and I just wanted to get here and forget about it."

"All right, you have a call on line one. They're the only one that stuck around on hold."

Verity sighed as she entered her corner office with an impressive view of New York proper. She saw a garment bag on the side and opened it up, seeing a dark red powersuit with matching heels. Verity shut her blinds and got dressed quickly, putting the sullied clothes in the garment bag to be sent to the cleaners. She sat at her desk and saw that, indeed, line one was still on hold. She picked up the phone and answered, "This is Verity."

---

Once she answered emails it was quickly time for the board meeting. She had been prepped for this. She made her way out and towards the elevators. The board members would be waiting. She decided to let them sweat a bit. Made them easier to press and pressure them into what she wanted.

Trudy gave her a thumbs up as she pressed the call button.

---

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"Do not mention it. Just get something to help with that cough and get better." Isaac meaningfully said as the homeless left and headed to a pharmacy. It must be something bad if he was coughing up blood, even if it is a small amount, and hopefully, he can find something that will help. Maybe seeing a doctor would be better, and he did some sort of bug spreading around. Maybe that is what the homeless man has, Isaac thought to himself. Maybe he should check in if any of his staff are getting sick.

Now with the homeless man gone, Isaac looked down at his watch and seeing how he was good at getting back home at his normal time. He started jogging back to his apartment. This time, taking note of anyone who seems sick or coughing. The last thing he wants is to get sick with whatever is spreading around or worse. It spreading to his staff and customers, and he has to shut down the Twin Seasons. Going through Covid was bad enough as a chief, but now that he is a restaurant owner. It just makes him a bit concerned now after seeing that homeless man. Still, it may not be as serious as Covid and he may be overthinking it, but still.

Either way, he just focused on getting back to his place and trying to do the day normally.

---

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Just as Hermes was about to hop back onto the street, having passed the blockage caused by two assholes who couldn't drive, he saw cars parting behind him. One by one the cars began to line to the shoulder of the road, he couldn't help but wonder what was coming by, perhaps some celebrity car or something? It wasn't until he saw the cop car coming up the lane that he let out a massive sigh. ”Shit.” Hopefully he wasn't here for him, there was crime at every corner of New York, surely he wasn't a high priority right now. Or so he thought. The closer the car got to him the more it was clear the cop was about to pull him over.

Red and Blue flashed in the mirrors of Hermes’ Vespa. He pulled off to the side of the road in the event the cop needed to get through, but when the car stopped behind him he tilted his head back with a groan. Ofcourse, why wouldn't the first day of school suck? He should've just stayed home today to look after his Nonna. Hermes took off his helmet, hanging it to the side of his vehicle. ”Officer I'm just trying to make it to my first day of school. I don't want to be late, it would ruin my chances at Valedictorian.” He pleaded, hoping to be let off with a quick warning rather than a full speech and ticket.

---

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Of course she had to be talking to a teacher-in-the-making. Although Kali had been out of school for some time, she had never been a favorable student for her own teachers. Perhaps there was irony to be found in the fact that she was now being quite friendly with one.

"Yeah. To that new restaurant in town—the Twin Seasons." Kali replied to Kaitlyn. "I'd rather be doing something else, but I'll just take what I can get at this point. At least the owner isn't a total nutjob like the lot of 'em, though." She continued with brutal honesty.

Eventually, after a few more minutes had passed, the train had rolled into the next station. As mentioned prior by Kaitlyn, it had been her stop, to which she stood up and proceeded to leave the subway. Returning the woman's farewell in kind, Kali watched the woman disembark and awaited for the train to continue onwards. As she waited, however, a woman, evidently pregnant from the looks of it, approached her, asking if Kaitlyn's previously occupied seat was taken. Obviously having no need for it (she wasn't the type to hog a seat with her purse), Kali quickly offered it up to the woman, scooting over so slightly to allow her to sit.

"Nope; feel free to take it." Kali responded as she noticed a suspicious youngster within the corner of her eye. Biting her lip, Kali grimaced at the sight, believing that things were about to turn ugly by the way the kid had silently been eying the pregnant woman's purse.

As Kali expected, as the woman went to sit down, the hooded kid struck. In a flash, the youngster snatched the purse from the pregnant woman and ran off onto the platform. Sighing, Kali watched the woman yell at and begin to chase after the kid. She had half the mind to ignore the issue altogether, to simply let the woman deal with the fact she had just been robbed herself. After all, Kali didn't have a death wish; to be stabbed or shot by a would-be thief on the streets of New York. At the same time, however, the thought that she would be so willing to ignore a pregnant woman being robbed was quick to bother Kali. It ate away at her conscience, and she knew she couldn't just stand by. Not this time.

"God fucking damn it," Kali muttered to herself, standing up from the chair to give chase. Unfortunately for Kali, she found it rather difficult to catch up when the thief had a head start while she was stuck ducking and weaving through a large sea of New Yorkers attempting to board the morning subway train for work or otherwise.

"Get your ass back here!" She called out after the kid, despite that she knew full well that he likely had no intentions of stopping just because she yelled at him to.