Kings College Medical School, London...
"This is highly unusual, Jason..." the professor frowned, running his fingers through his bushy white beard. "You're an excellent student, well on your way to a first class degree with only a year to go. This time next year you could have a job in one of the finest hospitals in the country. Why exactly do you want to defer your final year?"
"I want to see the world, sir." Jason replied, looking at the ground and blowing his floppy black hair out of his face.
"Hm. Most students take a gap year before university, or after... Not partway through... Are you sure about this? Coming back to us after a year, it might be difficult to maintain the high standard you've built throughout your studies," as he peered over the top of his glasses, the lecturer eyed his favourite student with a look of genuine concern. "This could jeopardise your career, young man."
"I'm aware of that, sir," the twenty two year old finally looked up with a calm smile on his face, "But this is just something I have to do. I really feel like I'm starting to discover myself right now, like I'm finally figuring out who I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to do... I need to take some time off to figure everything out."
His tutor sighed for a moment and looked from the paper on his desk to Jason's face, then back again. "I expect to see you back here next September, Mr. Oakley," he said finally, as he leaned forward to sign his name on the form. "You have a lot of potential. Don't waste it."
"Oh, I'm fully aware of my potential." Jason answered with a smirk as he retrieved his form and made his way out of the office.
One Day Later...
"You gonna kill yourself, Jay?"
Jason looked back from his perch on the edge of the university rooftop to see his gum chewing best friend approaching with his hands in his pockets.
"Cause all the grovelling you had to do to defer your last year would seem like a waste of time if you were just gonna jump anyway."
"Oh, I intend to jump, Abdu," was the cocky reply of the man on the edge. "But no, I'm not gonna kill myself."
"Right, so you're just trying to break your legs?" Abdullah shot back, sitting down on the edge next to his friend and leaning over the side to observe how far the fall would be. "Some kind of experiment, is it? Got bored of stitching up other people so you wanna try and stitch up yourself?"
"Something like that." Jason said quietly, which caused Abdullah's smile to disappear fairly quickly.
"Look, man, you know I'm always game for a laugh, but this is getting a little too real for me."
"You believe in destiny, Abdu?"
"Uh, yes. Well, I believe in the 'all-powerful-will-of-Allah' kind of destiny, not your brand of 'me-and-that-girl-over-there-are-destined-to-produce-spawn' destiny." The young doctor-to-be spat his gum over the side of the building and watched it plummet to the ground below. "Don't ask obvious questions Jay, we both know that we're in this job cause we felt called to do it, to help people."
"That's the thing. I feel like I'm being called to something else. Like there's another way to help people."
"What, you mean like--" Abdullah began, before something shot into his mouth and he entered a coughing fit. Rolling away from the edge of the roof, he spat out his gum... The same piece he had just ejected mere moments before. "What the..." He stared at Jason, who was laughing.
"I've discovered something, Abdu, something incredible." He pulled Abdullah to his feet and grasped him by the shoulders. "I need answers, and I can't find them here. That's why I'm going to America. And you're going to join me."
"You what?"
"Defer your final year too. If they were willing to let me go they'll definitely do it for you. Meet me in New York, that's where I'm going. I know you have the money for it, I've never seen you spend a penny." Jason stepped away from his flabbergasted friend and moved back towards the roof. "Trust me, you're gonna want answers after you see what I can do."
"Which is?" Abdullah finally exclaimed in exasperation, apparently oblivious to the fact that his discarded gum had started to levitate.
"This." Jason waved his hand with a huge smile over his face, as he ran towards the edge of the building. With a leap, he began to fall, but in the wrong direction. He soared into the skies and left a cloud of dust behind him, along with a very confused companion.
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To be continued...
(Figured it was time to give Eclipse the proper CVnU treatment... Reboot time!)
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