Recovery Room

Samantha was nervous. They all spent time recovering in a hospital together in Idaho, and before that was on a mission with them. But warming up to people, even if she could commiserate with them, was difficult. Not to mention, meeting with Sir Nigel was going to bring more questions than answers, she felt.
 
They had transferred to New York (with some help from their employer) after most of their injuries had recovered, but a 24-hour watch period was in effect before they would be released. Reece wasn’t going to show up any time soon, so now was a good time as any to finally follow up with Nigel. She knocked on his door, waiting for him (or rather, Corbett) to respond.
 
Nigel wheeled to the door, and opened it. He looked up and “Ms. Miller, I was hoping you would come by. Please come in. Corbett has done his very best to make the Contingent hospital library, more hospitable. Mind you, it takes a while to get the clown smell out. I fear we will be back home, before this place it finished being civilized. May I fix you a drink, or send for some of the delicious jello that passes for food here?” Nigel hoped Samantha would bring up the kaleidoscope. Not just for the mystery of why it exists, but how it come to be in John’s keeping and if they can determine who might be using the Millers.
 
Samantha smiled, holding a hand up as she declined the offer. “Appreciated, but I’m fine. I was looking to follow up with you. You said you knew John, so I was hoping to ask you some questions about him. As I understand it, you also arranged to meet with him recently?” Sam sought out a chair, and settled across from Nigel.
 
“I did, like yourself I have only recently come to the Contingent recently, but I had the good fortune to have an adventure with John. He was a remarkable man, with a strong heart that is a rarity in this line of work. Most of those who choose this line of work are noble but fueled by tragedy or distracted by the pursuit of knowledge. Being around John, he radiated tranquility and focus, with the exception of that curious spyglass. I chose not to ask about it, at the time, my focus was on finding the missing kids, and thought the man deserved his secrets, I hope you can understand? After the adventure rumors began circulating that folks trying to study the piece were losing their faculties. I had my hands full resolving an outdated adversary who had incorrectly identified the kaleidoscope. I reached out to Mr. Miller but in my truancy I was to late. My inaction may have caused his distraction to worsen, expediting his death. If there is anyway to reduce my regret by serving the Miller family, please let me know.
 
Sam remained placid as Nigel recounted his interaction with John, taking in the information. She began shaking her head as he neared the end. “It’s not your fault,” she replied, unsure of her own guilt-laden words. “You know, John was… is my baby brother. I didn’t stop him from going back to the contingent because I wasn’t sure if I could help him at all. Not after whatever happened in California. Something awful happened to him last year, and he came back changed. Seriously changed. I know they say stress can age a person, but he seemed to be almost as old as our father. He’s only 26. He was living on and off again with either Reece or myself because he couldn’t get a place of his own, or employment. Hell, he was flagged for fraud at one point, because no one believed he was ’John Miller, born July 7th, 1992’.”
 
She eyed Nigel with a discriminating glance before she produced the kaleidoscope from a pocket. “I guess, you could help by telling me what this is?” She held the object gingerly and seemed terribly reluctant to pass it to Nigel. “Dr. Buss had relayed to me that John had intended to meet with you about it, at your request. All I know about it is that he showed up on my doorstep with it. Dressed like he was in some sort of fucked up World War Two reenactment. And that bow. I’ve never seen John use a bow before.” Samantha shook her head, her description sounding as mad as she felt. “I just- I don’t even know where to begin?” She looked at Nigel hopefully.
 
Nigel held out a velvet case for the kaleidoscope. “We begin with resolve. John came back to the Contingent because he felt like he could make a difference with a company that could understand what he had been through. We resolve to the best of our ability to be the kind of people that your baby brother could depend on. You must resolve to yourself to be that person you must keep an open mind to how terrifying, strange, and beautiful this world can be. I resolve that I will do what I can to solve this mystery for you. My process will be three fold, we must identify both the mundane and magical components that make up the kaleidoscope. This will teach us how to destroy it, or repair it should the need arise. We will begin searching for it, to see if it is unique and obfuscate our possession of it, and we then we will attempt to decipher its message to prepare an appropriate response. I am happy to share my methods with you, should you wish learn. You must prepare yourself to walk an astonishing road, just as much as I must prepare to leave it. Now I insist, let me get you that drink, we should toast your brother.”. Nigel locks the kaleidoscope in the box, and hands Samantha a key for it.
 
Samantha took the key cautiously. The weight of its burden felt no different in her hands. “There… Might be other pieces to it?” She hesitate, speaking as Nigel called for a round of drinks for Corbett. “Reece had looked through it previously. As I understood it, he snatched it from John one evening. He’s been a bit listless since, but he spoke of keys and gates, and mentioned that there was a map and a telescope, but the compass was missing?” She thought briefly to the moment a few of them considered opening up a gate to hell to send the Lethe Worms back through. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure if this journey Nigel spoke of was one she wanted to go on. Sam pointed a finger at the locked box, keeping her eyes locked on Nigel. “I appreciate your help with this, but… be careful with that thing, please? If someone else ends up getting hurt by it, I won’t think twice about casting it into the Hudson.” She noticed her hands were shaking, and quickly stuffed them into pockets, tucking the key away in the process. She hid her nervousness behind a thin smile, as she glanced from Nigel to Corbett, who was now holding a glass out for her. “Drinks it is, I suppose. Why stop now? To John.”