Chapter 176

Morbus was welcomed home with a huge party.  The women all cooked for him while the men got him drunk.  The doctor's had put him on pain medication, but he refused to take it.  It did nothing for the pain.  They wanted him to take anti- inflammatory and anti- spasmodic medication as well, but he wouldn't do it.  He rather liked looking crazy.  The most he took was antibiotics for the infection he'd developed in his arm as a result of the burns he sustained going untreated.  The alcohol didn't affect the antibiotics, but he still shouldn't have been drinking without being under a doctor's supervision.  Wasn't a good idea no matter what kind of meds you're on.

Over the following week, the band started rehearsing and putting together a list of music to take on the road with them for the rallies.  Director Richardson informed them that they had the choice of doing one or two hours on stage.  They decided two hours, one just wasn't long enough.  The songs that had gotten rejected for the last one were back on the list with a few other old favorites.  They really didn't want to do any of the newer material until they were able to put it on their old label, Reprise, if Reprise was still standing that was.

The guys were all looking forward to getting out on the road again.  To say that one was more pumped than the others would have been a lie, and unfair.  Hell, their families were all excited as well.  Brie was ready to break out the massage table out before the guys went on stage.  She even placed a call to her old mentor, a woman named Angela.  Angela, of course, was surprised and excited to hear from her old protégé.  Angela, like most of the world, had been led to believe that Irian Cartwright was dead and not the wife of the voice of the Resistance.  Before hanging up the phone, Brie had Angela swear secrecy as to her true identity.  Angela did so gladly.  The last thing she wanted to do was further endanger Brie or her family.  She'd met young Malachai.  Hell, she was his godmother.  The last thing she wanted to do was endanger her godson.

Morbus was ready for the tour.  His arsenal was fully stocked.  Two 9mm Berettas, a .50 caliber sniper rifle, several other rifles and shotguns of several other calibers, and enough ammunition to stock the entirety of the United States Armed Forces, all thanks to Matt.  No one was getting past him.  Well, not and living to tell the tale.  Not if he had anything to say about it, and he did.  He had everything to say about it.