Liam Holloway's Questionnaire

Empty bottles of cheap scotch litter the floor of the small flat. The man in the room stares out the window, watching the iconic Toronto skyline. He is alone - alone with the Ghosts of those he failed to save.

"Toronto...one of the safest big cities in the world, really. Low crime, at least by the numbers. No one crashes airliners into the CN Tower. Murder rate is just above 3 per 100,000 people. Maple Leafs couldn't win a game to if Hell froze over for them, but that isn't so bad, eh? Sure. What they don't tell you is the drugs coming in wreck good folks caught in the middle. Triads have a strong hold on the docks, & we see plenty of overdoses. Lot of them folks down on their luck, some more of them kids who didn't know better."

Liam Holloway pats the head of a young girl who got into her dad's stash of fentanyl. Of course, she isn't there: he left her in the ER, unresponsive.

"Toronto isn't a bad city at all. Nothing to see here, sir - just an accident. Wouldn't want to upset anyone, eh? Let the RCMP handle it, that's why they make the big bucks. If a flat burns down with everyone inside, well - they were just Asians right? Quite enough of them around here don't you think, Liam?"

Liam lunges forward, throwing an empty bottle to explode in glass shards against his wall - the cockroaches are more disturbed than the neighbors.

"What can one person do, eh? Just doing my job..."

He falls to his knees, surrounded by the accusing eyes of the dead.

"Was just doing my job."

"Don't need to tell you what I do, right? We were there together, eh?"

Liam raises a glass to the dead. They are not amused.

"Paramedic. Also volunteer firefighter, & trying out for a full time Firefighter position. That's the job, take it or leave it. I've been after that Firefighter post for years. Anywhere. I'd even take Quebec. Won't take the jobs in Alberta though: that isn't saving people, that's saving property. Oil fields. Pays well, but not what I got in to do. We'll see if I'm that high & mighty when the next rent comes due."

The glass is swiftly drained. The dead do not drink with him.

"What do I spend it on? Hah, what does it look like? I spend my check keeping myself shitfaced enough to not think about all of you!"

"Come on. I want to save people. Why else do you do this? Work crazy hours, watch dead bodies get stacked like cord wood - when it all goes right you are walking on air, feel like you touched God...until the alarm goes off for another 12 hour shift. Or a double. Then your luck turns, & your just an undertaker in a white uniform. Gets in your head. Nothing goes right, family is screaming, crying, & they blame you - Christ, who else can they blame?"

Liam knocks back a shot, steadying himself. His eyes are incredibly tired.

"Then...then you see the Ghosts. The people you were not fast enough for, or missed an airway, or were too far gone...the Ghosts follow you everywhere. Everyone says "Take a vacation, it's just a job" - but it's to late by then: the Ghosts have got you, driving off the fiance, keeping you awake, making you regret it when you can sleep. When you hit rock bottom they remind you that hey: you are still alive & they are fucking dead! You beg them to leave you alone, tell them there was nothing else you could do, drink yourself unconscious to try & get away, but you can't ever get away - not while your alive anyway."

Tired. Tired & haunted.

"Then...then when you think that's the answer: Heh, can't beat 'em, join 'em eh? That's when someone comes along & says: "The Dead need someone to look out for them. to bear witness to their story, to make sure that what happened them doesn't happen to others."

He wipes snot from his nose before continuing his confession to the ghosts.

"Then, when you think he's going to give you a crucifix & tell you to pray, he hands you a gun - & you realize: these ghosts who died before their time - some human being did that to them! Probably still out there too. Then you think, "Shit ("yeah, you literally think Shit!)! Taking these bastards out is basically preventative medicine!"

Liam's eyes have a feverish intensity

"The rest is easy after that - how close to death? I'm a Medic! Close to death is where I live. Would I die? Hah...that would be doing me a favor, eh?"

"Heh. HAHAHAHAH! You think it's gonna be one of you, don't you? I'm going to cry over one of you who I wasn't able to save? Not a chance - don't get me wrong, I remember each & every one of you - what you smelled like, choking on vomit, or the color of your blood as it poured into the gutter. But that wasn't what did me in."

Liam chuckles to himself. The ghosts do not laugh with him. Pouring another drink, he continues:

"No - takes more than ghosts to wreck a life. It takes a woman. Or more accurately, it takes a fiance, & a miscarriage. I know, right? Medical Professional. Both of us, even. Should have just shrugged it off, talked about the odds & what we saved on diapers.

The drink lies forgotten in his hand as he stares off into the past. The past, & a future that might have been.

"Why? You going to go haunt them too? No, of course you won't; Dad wouldn't even notice & Mom & Nancy have their own problems without needing to wipe my ass again. You want them? Here we go."

1) Ryan Holloway AKA "Dad"

As much English as is he is Irish just don't tell him that: Dad is still around, hard ass as ever, Police Sergeant in Chicago of all places, retired Army reserves, American as they get. I owe Dad my temper & my dual citizenship. Maybe my drinking problem, but to be fair I'm pretty sure I managed that all on my own. We talk on birthdays & it's always awkward - Dad would like to be proud, but he isn't & I find that fair. For my side I already have the bottle of hooch I intend to pour on his grave ironically when he kicks off - here's hoping he won't follow me home.

2) Jeanine Martin AKA "Mom"

I'm closest with Mom. She's French, English, maybe a few First Nations like Inuit or something if she's to be believed after a few drinks. Mom is a Nurse Practitioner in Hamiliton. Does alright, remarried, doesn't taker her work home like I do...what's to say? When dad wanted me to join the Army Mom was against it. When dad wanted me to be a Cop Mom wanted me to be a Medic. I always went with what Mom wanted, & Dad never got over that: Mamma's Boy to the end.

3) Nancy Chen AKA "Ex-Fiance"

Yeah. Less said there the better. Nancy works in Medical Records at St. Michaels. I don't know what I was thinking when I asked her out...it almost worked out though. Some of the best days of my life. Long gone now though.

"You want to know more about my parents? I just went on about them already. Why do you care about them anyway? Your beef is with ME, not them."

Liam stares at the ghosts, fists clenched. They merely stare, as always.

"School was fine, alright? I had a rough time of it, parents moving a lot - spent some time in the States with Dad after the divorce, mostly was with Mom in Hamilton. Never was all that social I guess. They said I was smart for my age, which never goes well when your always the new kid. i don't know what to say: being a kid was shit but at least no one came in & shot up my school? In that, i had it better than others. Went to Medical School & was a volunteer firefighter - Christ, was that a mistake! College had so much going on, I ended up drunk, stoned, & chasing girls more than anything - guess i was repressed, eh? Anyway, after I fucked that up, Dad never would get over "pissing away his hard earned money" so I went in for paramedic instead, with an eye for Firefighter still...that i could do it turns out, & so there I was - making wages slightly better than working tables at a Chez Ashton with almost as much student debt - go me."

"You....God Damn it, I said I don't want to talk about her!"

The ghosts are impassive

"...Nancy was great. Yeah, I chased girls in college, but Nancy made me feel like a Man, you know? Like maybe I could be somebody beyond a pale uniform telling people someone they loved had passed. I knew Nancy's parents were not keen on me, but that's part of what made it good, eh? Opposites attract or something. She was organized, had a plan for life, but saw something in me that was worth her time...yeah, I know she expected to change me; maybe that wasn't so bad - I've always been a Mamma's boy after all, what's another woman telling me how to live my life?"

"Everything was good. It made sense."

"Right until the pregnancy. Not intended but...yeah, ok. We were going to do it, right? Get married, maybe move into a bigger place...I was going to be Dad - not a good thought in my mind, but I could be better. That was the plan...was, but that was the same year that van ran over a bunch of people, shooting like the States: I was running all the time...if I'd been there..."

Liam looks at his hands

"Miscarriages happen. SIDS. All kinds of things. Lives are fragile...I wasn't there, & it wrecked us. The ghost of what could have been. After it finally dawned on me that it was really over I threw myself behind the wheel & into the bottle. That's where this started. That's when you all started following me home. Why not? No one else here."

"Fears? You want to try & scare me then? Rattle some chains? WooOoWoOOooowoooo..."

The ghosts have no sense of humor.

"I know what you want me to say - "Please don't haunt me or kill me scary ghosts" - boohoo, poor me."

"No, it's not that. I have "Do Not Resuscitate" baked into my will, on my wristband, & tattooed across my chest - death doesn't scare me. Being a vegetable does. Full life support, people you don't know turning you, washing you, cleaning your shit, keeping you alive...THAT scares me. No dignity. When it's my time, make it clean, doesn't even need to be quick - I'd rather die in pain or anger than with a look of stupid surprise on my face."

"What else...I fear responsibility I'm told. Why I flunked out of Med School, also why relationships have been rough. As a Medic, it's my job to save people sure, but after that I can turn them over to someone else, eh? Not my problem anymore. Well, wasn't, before you all started following me home. So I am afraid of failing at my job & I'm afraid about having to take responsibility long term. Not as sexy as "I'm afraid of spiders" but it's true & a lot worse. Spiders you can avoid. can't get yourself out of the way."

"After that? I don't know...mostly afraid of my own temper I guess. What I could & would do if I felt like I was right. Haven't just gone & shot anyone yet, but if I do, even for the right reasons, where does it stop?"

"Yeah...well, I never really owned anything nice that was actually mine, you know? Medics barely make a living wage with the cost of living in Toronto, & Mom always said you should live simply (even though she  doesn't, big money RNP that she is). So...there are really only two things."

1) My trusty, never leave home without it Liquor Flask - stainless steel, even has my name on it. Dose of peaty scotch always puts me back in the right.

2) Well, this thing.

Liam holds up a rectangular locket on a silver chain. Dark jewels depict an eye on the cover. For the first time, the attention of the ghosts leaves him, drawn to the locket like moths to a flame.

"Whoever is behind these jobs gave me this when I stopped that kid from blowing up a concert. It's...well, it's magic whatever that means. Can do things, see things. Told me it was the key to my problems, an answer to my questions."

Liam opens the locket & looks at the picture within for a time. Closing the clasp, it shimmers, becoming a silver gun in his hand.

"I bet he meant me to take myself out with it. I have other ideas first."

"Seriously?"

Liam staggers away from the small kitchen table to search the cupboards for more booze.

"You all are! I didn't ask to watch you die! Don't you have some Pearly Gates to go through?!?"

As always, the ghosts are impassive. Silently staring. Silently judging.

"You would think the lot of you would haunt the person who killed you, eh? Yeah, not counting you, buddy - but hey: you pointed a flamethrower at me & I did shoot the tank, not you specifically. The rest of you should move on - nothing to see here! Christ, I started smoking again over this, drinking all the time...give a guy a break, ok??? Go to the Light or something, Jesus!"

The small flat has once again run out of booze. Liam opens a window & lights up a smoke.

"Between seeing dead people & busted coping mechanisms, I have plenty of problems even without my full time job & these "Contracts" popping up. Not looking for more right now if I can help it."

"I work nights, so I'm getting up when everyone is going to bed - usually with a hangover unless I'm sleeping at the station (then only slightly hungover), I live on black coffee & smokes for the first hour - if that doesn't do it an IV only takes a second, eh? Get some peptides flowing, adrenaline spike...whatever it takes."

"After that, I get the cleanest uniform I have on & start my shift - usually a 12 (at least), so I might suck down a raw egg or a granola bar, not gonna lie, the work usually ruins my appetite; don't eat a lot anyway. Check my kit, then the Ambulance - how the day is going to run depends who I'm partnered with: usually a trainee EMT-B who hasn't yet figured out what a dead end job this is. They drive, carry the bag, help schlep the bodies, puke on their shoes the first time they see a bad wreck...yeah, those types."

"Honestly, I face the world like a dead man walking. Because I am one. We all are. The thrill is what keeps me coming back, that & the ghosts."

Heh, that just happened you know, in New York.

The only special event I get invited to is funerals, bud, & I don't even own a suit - it's a cheap rental tux for me.

Prepare? By "prepare" do you mean get hammered? Because if you do, you got the right idea, eh? Yeah, not a whole lot of prep time here - other than substance addiction & divorce rates, one thing all EMS types have in common - we can move in a hurry.

So yeah: rental tux, hip flask, & I'm ready for the Wake. Or party, or a date - don't hold your breath on that last one though.

Honestly, people want a Medic to look like shit. Really, they do. It means that he worked hard & it lets you kinda hate him when he shows up at the funeral after letting you down.

Then you just fade into the scenery, just another ghost.

Get shitfaced?

Talk to my Mom? Get needled about not having kids or getting back into medical school? See if Dad calls (he won't)?

Probably pull a shift just to avoid thinking about it, to be honest. The friends I got come in two types - happy to have a drink with you & forget where they even know you from or the kind that walk through walls & don't have a pulse.

Not sure which I like better, but they can both be fun at parties I guess.

All of that gets around to just feeling sorry for myself & drinking myself into oblivion. I really don't know if there is more to life (or even death unfortunately - frightening lack of booze in the afterlife though). Wake up the next day hungover with a shift coming & tell myself I'm gonna do better next year, eh?

Just between us dead & dying: I wouldn't count on that last bit.

Yeah...regrets.

I mean, you would think it would be taking a shift when Nancy has the miscarriage. Apparently that's what the Crypt thinks too, eh?

Like I said to them though; that's not it. Just proved to her what I'd been saying all along - I'm not good enough for her, & not cut out to be "Dad."

No, my biggest regret is a call we made on the south side, me & Tommy - Police were on scene, multiple overdoses, all minors.

We got there to find five kids dead as stones from Fentanyl overdose. Their dealer brought them over for a "good time" & gave them a bad batch. Girls were DOA, was nothing we could do for them...but that's not it either.

It's the fact that I didn't double tap that bastard right there on the spot. Yes, he got busted, yes he was convicted, but he wasn't punished.

That's my biggest regret, what got me seeing ghosts, what no doubt put me on this one way ticket to Hell.

Eh?

"Gifts" in this case is pretty damn literal.

Liam holds up the Witness, a silver locket on a steel chain, an eye cast in sapphire on the cover. The attention of the Ghosts is drawn to it, like Moths to a flame.

They gave me this, & that "Talent" guy did something to my flask when we shared a drink after a run. That's it though - I am nobody special, just some dumb Canuck who can't give up even after a patient flat lines. I'm decent at my job, but anything else other than those things isn't me - it's you guys. The ghosts help out from time to time, help me carry a patient or find that nicked artery.

No powers here, bud. Just some weird magic locket, hardcore alcoholism, & the ghosts left behind.

I met a Genie once, but didn't buy it - just wished everything back to normal.

Might've been a mistake, that. Either way, this burden? No, I didn't wish for it - it was either make a difference or paint the walls with my brains.

Are you asking me if there's an afterlife?

Liam looks around the empty room to the Ghosts watching...always watching.

I mean, I'm not an expert, but shouldn't you ask these people? If there was a heaven, why would they stick around? I was raised in a God Fearing house (Dad again), but few things will tell you there isn't a God than running an Ambulance for years. Or if there is one, he's a dick - either way. Probably worse the second way.

I mean, the Ghosts don't talk about pearly gates or fires below, so who am I to say? Is it worse that we just kind of hang around after we die? Watching, like someone looking through the window, unable to change anything?

Shit, that is worse, isn't it?

Look, if I meet God I'll put in a good word for you guys. I'm not holding my breathe for it though, eh?

Mostly, I get shitfaced so I forget about it.

Now, I'm pretty tough you know, so that doesn't happen a whole lot.

Crypts? Flesh Pits?

Yeah, pretty fucked up, but no more than being a die hard fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Every now & again you see something that does a job on you, & that's when it's time for the booze to flow - Scotch, preferably, with beer as a chaser. Plus a pack of smokes. Maybe a couple of packs.

After that, you can see the Devil, slap his face & then ask him to dance. A drunk enough Irish/Canadian is up for whatever mind shattering horror you have, eh?

Well, usually. Sometimes. Maybe.

I know it's a band-aid, covering a problem with another problem, but how else to you handle this shit?

If I have to choose between making sense of this crazy world or getting so black out drunk that I forget my own name much less what I did yesterday?

Choosing the bottle every time, mate.

The others? Why do you want to know about them?

The dead offer no answers, only questions.

"Huh...let me think: well, let's pour one out for the dead first."

Dr. Rhea Allister: I only met her once - full on body mods, like some kinda cyborg spider - I remembered thinking at the the time, "How do you run an IV on porcelain skin?" She was like most doctors I've met - fairly uptight on the job but plays hard after hours. Still don't know how she died, but since she's not here it probably wasn't my fault, eh? She made a big difference for a lot of people, I wish I was more like her.

Valentine: Ran with this kid a few times. Excitable, into his sports, had some kinda thing growing out of him? We never really talked, but he seemed nice enough - too nice I guess. Nice guys seem to finish last in this business, & the kid never finished the last inning.

Isabella Murphy: I met this girl only one time out in Southeast Asia - carried her out of a firefight with a busted leg, honestly never thought about it again - just another day as a spook medic. Later I saw that she got killed in some sort of werewolf attack. Guess she didn't take the hint after nearly getting killed on that first run - to be fair, neither did I.

Liam takes another shot & wipes his mouth, "Alright, that's the dead I know about. Let's talk about the soon to be dead."

Charlie Blackstone: As you would imagine, I had a pretty dim view of the whole "werewolf" thing after I heard about what happened to Ms. Murphy. I get that they are sick people, but so is a rabid dog - there's only one cure if they are going to hurt innocent people - triage, basically. So, Charlie is some kinda werewolf, & to be honest, I did almost gun them down - glad I didn't though, because it showed me that "Not All Werewolves" are killers. Never really talkewd with her beyond that, but it was a welcome point.

Emily Miller: While I'm on about the werewolves, I ought to talk about Emily - I had heard about her before in a training course about anatomical body mods & their impact on Emergency Care - would she have dog allergies? Does she sweat? Things like that - heh, I also saw the fungicide video. When she turned up in Scotland it kinda blew my mind: one thing to read about it, another to see it. She carried the day that time, & is in general a great asset (heh) to the team. Lotsa fun on the after party. Impulsive, hope she stays out of trouble - I'd hate to see her as a ghost, full of life like she is.

Albert: I've run into this guy a few times. Very competent with his gear, very alert, maybe a bit...under medicated. Little too intense sometimes, should probably find a therapist. He gave me some kind of neat spy pen, so that was awful nice of him, eh? Maybe those rough edges will smooth out over time.

Richter Cassenger: A "new hire" that I got to train on a Job - that was interesting, I thought it went well - I've been training Basics for years, only sometimes scare them off. Richter & I met up in Chicago not long ago because he was having some PTSD - has a tail now: is everyone in this work a Furry?

Harold Polk: The best lawyer there is. No, really! I know Shakespeare said "Hang all the Lawyers" but this guy is alright, eh? I wouldn't hire anyone else to take my case, guy knows his business.

"What, are we going to do charades next?"

Liam surveys the silent wraiths. They merely wait. They will wait forever.

"Ok...Perfect Room...I don't think I believe in perfection at all. There was a time when the perfect room was any quiet place I could crash in after a long shift. Since you guys are around, I don't need to sleep really, & don't especially want to for the Nightmares. So that's not it...I'd say the perfect room is a good pub. Fully stocked, friendly bartender, a really good poutine on the menu & some hockey on the TV."

"Oh...& no ghosts. Sorry guys; I know it's not your fault but you do bring down the party sometimes, eh? Just lively folks doing being drunk & stupid, favorite team losing the game, a few beers to wash it down: that's all I want from the Perfect Room. A place where I can...forget, you know? If only for a minute."

Everyone always ask that you know.

"If the Job is so awful, why do you do it?"

Because it's not a job, it's a calling - also because Canadian Paramedics don't get paid absolute shit like our buds down south, eh?

Seriously though, my philosophy on being a Medic really comes down to: Someone has to do it. May as well be me.

That sounds bad, I know. Fatalist. It isn't though - I really am a damn good medic, drinking problem aside. When I am on that cutting edge, I feel alive. More than that.

They say "The life you save may be your own."

It's like that sometimes. What I found out though, is the life you fail to save, that life may as well be your own too. For a long time, it felt like a part of me went with them every time.

Now, I know better - in life or in death, it's my job to save people.

No matter what.

You guys want to get in my head? Ok, suit yourself.

Atrocities: Despite seeing people die all the time, Liam is not yet so jaded that major incidents don't effect him. His sensitivity in this area is part of what sent him on the road to becoming haunted, & ultimately a Contractor. Liam will "break" this one almost daily - he will not shy away from going into the heart of darkness, he'll just be traumatized once he does.

Injustice: Liam believes in Law & Order, mainly because he has seen firsthand the evil in people when not constrained. He believes rather firmly that those who would willfully harm others should be punished, & is certainly not above dealing out such judgements himself - a kind of "preventative medicine" if you will. It the event he was unable to see Justice done, the event would gnaw at him well after any Limit roll, & he would eventually seek to settle the score at all costs.

Failure: In line with those above, this is a tough Limit for a Medic - some people can't be saved, & Liam never really accepted that. Liam on point is all or nothing, giving fully of himself & neither asking or giving quarter. It is this trait that causes him to self-medicate constantly when not "on the job" - he doesn't know how to relax unless intoxicated, an excuse to not perform. Liam would never willingly break this limit, & would need to be dragged away from any situation where it might come up.

Note: Liam does not have Murder or Lifesaver - this is intentional. While having Failure as a Medic is almost the same as having Lifesaver, Liam does not feel life is sacred, per se - the dead are as present as the living, & some people are walking diseases that the world would be better off without. Pushed to extremes, he will cut out that "sickness."

OOC

Soundgarden - Fell on Black Days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySzrJ4GRF7s&list=PLVpKMF__1SPt56PA1HulW8Hwxm5jqgZQ0&index=141

The Contract finds our hero in a rough patch - he split with his fiance after a miscarriage, he wasn't there for her when she needed him most, he hasn't saved anyone in weeks, & now he's seeing the ghosts - if the Contract hadn't arrived he'd have shot himself or drank himself to death - as it is, he gained the Witness, which is almost as bad.

Poor Mans Poison - Hell's Coming With Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL0aRLy3X4o

While Liam only wanted to save people, when the Harbinger put a gun in his hand he took a different path - eliminating the people who would harm innocents is just "preventative medicine" after all...right? It's easy to miss the fanatic glare under his easygoing exterior, but the killers had best beware - Liam means to cut them out like a cancer.

Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5Lccbax1C4

In addition to the means to right wrongs, the Witness brought the Ghosts. Currently beyond his control, the dead haunt Liam, & he has taken it upon himself to champion the dead as much as the living.

Chumbawamba - Tubthumpa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc&list=PLKM_IMyCLovvnaDB61Dp4phnN2ZJcgYdB&index=5

No discussion of Liam Holloway would be complete without mentioning his utterly broken coping mechanisms. Able to outdrink men, ghosts, werewolves, & everything in between: Liam is a first class alcoholic.

Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out for a Hero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPK2HwYzjkA

Despite his undeniably murderous intentions, Liam's Contracting career has included saving people on every single run. What's more, he's gained a reputation as a ladykiller of sorts: something the rather bashful Medic is altogether unprepared to deal with.

Dropkick Murphys - Going Out in Style

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7g3RuoreRc

Frankly, Liam is unlikely to go the distance as a Contractor. He is not willing to compromise, & has seen so many go to the great beyond that he's jaded to his owm mortality. Not fearing death, the true end game for Holloway is to go out in style!

Broken Bells - Good Luck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkv2zF2Bgq0

The song that ties it all together - presented without commentary.You can figure it out, eh?

I mean, I want to save people, eh? I'd say I've already come along ways realizing that dead people need saving too - maybe even more than the live ones do.

Saving people is tough though. I can stop the bleeding, clear an airway, sure - but is that "saving" them? Some day you have to face the root causes, conducive conditions, underlying signs & symptoms. You need to cut out the cancer before it's a problem, not after.

I guess that's where this all leads. To "taking arm against a sea of troubles, & by opposing, end them."

(Is that how that goes? Close enough, eh?)

So I mean to be proactive in saving people. Maybe Super Hero style like that Collins guy. Or maybe more like the Punisher. Not sure yet but I'll know when it's time (I hope).

Quit? No, not really. Staying busy is the only thing that keeps me going. If I retired I'd hang myself in a some gas station bathroom within a year - which would really suck, 'cause then I'd be stuck there!

Heh, "Inevitable End" - that's a good one. It's true, there is only one way off this ride, but you guys calling it an "End" is a little dishonest, don't you think? The dead outnumber the living - just sleeping.

I try not to get mad. Irish temper though, so it doesn't always work out that way.

I would say the Maple Leafs losing a game makes me mad, but that way lies madness. Nah, mostly what I get riled about is people being unkind - you know, being a problem for other honest, hard working types for no reason. Or, you know - not a good reason: just mean or selfish.

That also applies to you dead people of course. Some people have no respect, you know? Tipping gravestones, talking about ghosts like they aren't there...yeah, that gets me worked up...mainly though, it's the killers. Murderers. We only have so much life, only one shot at it - no ghost I've met has seen Heaven or Hell - that tells me that it doesn't get better & those that make it worse for everyone don't get punished.

If that's the case, it's on us to be as kind as we can & root out the bad seeds at the earliest opportunity.

You see - people need to look out for one another. I just killed a guy the other day who was going to open up on a whole crowd with a machine gun. Lucky for me, he was far enough away when he got domed, else he'd be following me around. Who does that? Who throws their own life away just to kill a bunch of people you don't even know?

I'll tell you since you asked: people who are brainwashed by evil men. That doesn't excuse them - these are unforgivable crimes. However, it's not lost on me that the people pulling the strings never face the fire. If you ask me (& you are, so that works great) it's way past time they did.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present & Future have nothing on us, after all: past time we shook some chains.

Gosh...I mean, you guys mainly.

What? I can't have people knowing I've got ghosts all over the place. Can you imagine?

"Mr. Holloway - seating for one tonight?"

"Uh...no. More like...one, two, three...uh, how many seats have you got?"

Having ghosts all over the place means all other secrets are kinda out the window though. I need to find someone for Nina soon before I have a repeat of the scene from Ghostbusters on my hands.

Beyond that, I try & keep a low profile just on general principles. Some I've met are loud & proud about what they are: Emily, Rhea, Iryna...me, I'm just a damn fine medic with some ghost friends who probably drinks to much. That's how I like it too, so I'm down to keep it that way.

If word got out...what would Mom say?

I'd really rather not find out, to be honest.

Wait, what? Like, all the way to the top?

I have it on good authority that i don't have what it takes to make it to the Top. The Crone said as much, & I knew right then she was right: I'm just to nice.

My whole reason started with saving others to save myself. Now I'm trying to save the living & the dead, & the stakes keep getting higher. Soon enough I'm going to be joining you guys for good - which is just fine, by the way. I even look forward to being a Ghost honestly. Get up to all kinds of trouble, you bet.

Still, if I was running the jobs it would be all about saving people. Same as my last few jobs have been (even though I get it; they didn't have to be that way).

As for the name - The Medic? The Firefighter? The Spook? The Drunken Monkey?

Nah.

It'd be The Witness.

I know what I'm here to do.

What do you mean "try?"

Come on bud - look at yourself (or, you know, through your self). If someone doesn't make it, which in itself isn't too likely with Liam Holloway on the team, but let's say they didn't: brains splattered all over the place, Dead On Arrival.

Well, they are becoming a Ghost of course.

Don't judge me! Back in the day it was automatic, sure - just because I can force it now doesn't mean it's the wrong call. Why not a Ghost? We're all just Ghosts in meat suits anyway. So, yeah: I'd make them a Ghost & ask them what they want, memorial, who should get their stuff, all that kinda thing. Certainly not going to steal from them just because they happen to be dead. That'd be like kicking a puppy. Newly dead have enough problems without people making it worse.

No lost causes.

Everyone is coming home - one way, or another.

That's a good question, one that I should put some thought into before it's a problem.

Honestly, it hasn't been an issue yet. Medics, Cops, Firefighters...all part of the Emergency Medical Services family. We understand the job in a way civilians never really can, so we get along pretty well.

Now, of those three, Cops & Firefighters can get awful arrogant - of those two, only Firefighters legitimately deserve to be a bit arrogant, because they are the best of the best. Even so, I have a lot of friends that are Police, & they are (mostly) good people. Those like my Dad who always kept an untraceable gun in the car "just in case" are not as common as the "All Cops Are Bastards" crowd would have you believe.

Still, even knowing that, I know it's their job to chase you if you are where you shouldn't be. The Contracts often require that.

So far I've been lucky just playing along & staying under the radar. That won't last forever though - I need a Rep like that Collins guy, so that Cops know that I am one of the good guys. Maybe an Alias, just in case.

Huh.

Yeah, I probably do.

Thanks to Albert, I record most missions these days from start to finish. While I'm not going to get all up in arms over trespassing or something, I'm not going to look the other way when someone does something terrible.

In fact, if it was really gruesome, I might not report it as much as handle it myself.

Surprised? Yeah, I get it. Everyone always says I'm such a nice guy. But that's just it: I'm not going to let someone get away with making the world a little bit worse because they were lazy or greedy & killed someone who didn't deserve it.

Like the Crone said: Contractors are powerful, & only get more so. If they would do it once, they will do it more later.

So yeah: Cops have better things to do than killed. If it was serious I would take them down hard myself. Well, me & you guys, of course.

Yeah, I do.

Hopefully right up front. Hate to let anyone down that was depending on me for that run, but honestly: if they planned on going along anyway I'd rather not associate with them anyway.

I'm not going to take hits out on people, unless they are flat out Monsters. Even then, I'd be hesitant: the last one we nearly got tricked, whose to say the target is actually a bad person?

So I draw the line on harming normal people, or in some other way making the world worse than better. If I take a loss or get killed for it, so what?

I know what happens after you die, & it doesn't scare me, eh?

Just means I'd end up haunting the bastards that did me in, which I'm pretty ok with. Means I could warn those that came after with, "Hey! This guy is a Hoser! Don't listen to him, eh?"

Not really. I mean, the last guy seemed alright, dressed like a pimp but besides that was ok - or so I thought till the people he sent us to talk to lied to us.

Makes you think though, if the Powers behind all this can be hoodwinked like that. Almost makes me feel better about it, because at least they don't know everything? Maybe?

The others seem pretty shady, eh? I haven't been asked to anything terrible though. Not yet, maybe because they know I won't do it, they don't bother. I hope that's it, because I don't like letting my team down. The challenge is appealing, & my Mom always says I get caught up in things when I don't want to lose.

I'm sure there will be a lot of them I don't agree with though. What do you do, when someone with those guys kind of powers needs to be taken down?

I don't know yet, but I suspect I'm going to find out.

Huh.

Funny you should ask.

So, after that last run, it all became clear. Well, not really clear, just a bit more real, you know. I had to kill a man to save a bunch of innocent people. People who would have never even seen it coming. I did, of course, & at the end the Fortune Teller told me all I had to do to "do the right thing" was keep doing as I was doing.

Well, ok then.

So the Terrorists that attacked the Bazaar might have an issue - they are welcome to come after me too. Does mean I'll need to stay mobile though: not for me & you guys so much as to keep them from blowing up the building my apartment is in. If they come after my Mom...I'll kill everyone of them, wherever they are.

Pretty ok if they came after Dad though.

Speaking of the Old Man, I tracked down a ring of kidnappers & brutally murdered pretty much all of them. These were the people who killed my buddy Tom after all. I let one go, but I tried to act like my Dad on the phone, that scary, "What I made I can destroy" voice he'd get when he had some drinks & would start bringing out the guns while Mom was at work.

Worked about as well on them as it worked on me when I was 12 - doubt I'll hear from that guy again, but if he wants to try me...well, be my guest.

Other than that guy, any terrorist spotters there might've been & maybe those thieves that ran over all the folks at the Bazaar I don't have many scores of my own to settle. I don't think of myself of that kind of guy really. Blood on my hands notwithstanding, I would probably "live & let live" in most cases. The ghosts though...they want justice.

I mean to see they get it.

Oh, sure. I mean, I'd probably ask for one last drink for the road if I was terminal - provided my airway was clear, no need to sick up Scotch all over myself. Doesn't matter anyway - death is rarely a dignified affair after all - a body just kind of lies there, silently accusing everyone: they should have tried harder, done more.

I'd try to spare anyone that myself really. Ask for a drink, tell them it'll be ok - that I'm relieved really.

We all have to go sometime, & I've made enough mistakes for a lifetime & then some. Speaking of that, I should probably get a Will together.

The real question is: would the Witness let me die?

Or would I become another Ghost, alongside you guys?

Never said I had all the answers. If I did become a Ghost, I'd probably keep on, eh? Go haunt the bad people or something.

Load out my Jump Bag first of course. There is a lot you can do with just your tools, but no one wants to see you make a tourniquet from the Patient's shoelaces or use a pen for a tracheotomy. Doesn't exactly inspire people that you'll bring them back alive, eh?

My usual gear then & 66 X-Ray, download some maps, language packs. Really all I need as far as normal prep goes. As far as abnormal prep is concerned, I pack some ghosts.

Tom is pretty much always along if it's a short run & his kid doesn't have a recital or something. Nina likes to get out even if these jobs can get scary, it's still better than sitting in my dingy apartment & getting stir crazy.

Depending on where it was & what i knew about it, there's a chance I might go looking for a local ghost as a tour guide. Not appropriate every time of course, don't want to say, "Hey! Mind coming up from Eternal Rest to show a Canuck around?" But it makes sense sometimes.

Fortunately the Witness is only a gun when it's time to balance the scales. Most of my other gear is pretty pedestrian other than the drugs in my Jump Bag - often have to leave those behind, wouldn't do to get the death sentence in Singapore because you didn't empty out your bag.

Other than that though, I travel pretty light. The gear I wear, my travel bag, & jump bag all can make it on most carry on compartments, & if not I'll just check the travel bag. Nothing but clothes in there, & I could replace those if I needed to (I do like my t-shirts though - not saying I wouldn't be mad, just saying they can be replaced).

I have plenty of certifications, dual passports, & so on. I should probably see if I can get Irish citizenship so I can get the EU passport. Always try & stay above board though: nothing to hide here. On the off chance someone asks about the Witness I can just show it to them: most folks touching it will recoil like they got bit by a snake.

What can I say? It's an acquired taste.

If this was like, a normal plane or rideshare or something, then not a problem: I have 66 - Xray.

Or "66 - eXterminator" back in the day, heh. More rowdy back then, but yeah - 66 was the rig I started on back in the day, was decommissioned after it went over mileage policy. I bought it on the cheap & had it fixed up, now I got Tom as a co-pilot.

Funny thing about a haunted item - much like a Ghost it's neither here nor there until it needs to be. So if Tom is with me I can just kind of "pop" 66 - Xray out when I need her. Otherwise I just carry the keys, which is also where I keep Tom.

So, in the event there was a problem, I'd just switch over to my own ride. Being a Haunted Ambulance, she can get me just about anywhere easy enough, so I bet that would do it - has so far anyway, eh?

Mugging, eh?

I hate people who feel the need to hurt other people like that. Hate them. Still, sometimes they may be just down on their luck, eh? I try to remember that sometimes, keep the anger in check.

Unlike a lot of the others I've met - I'm just a guy who talks to ghosts: Maybe the Metal Man or the Cartoon Fox would laugh off a gun to the face, but unless I want to join my buddies on the Other Side I don't really have that option.

Fortunately, I am never really on my own these days - Tom & Nina would probably have something to say about someone trying to mug me, & that alone is enough to take the piss out of the average thug on the street.

Would I let them off with just a good scare though? Tough call...if I did that, someone else may end up dead. No, I'd have to hunt them down after, see if they were just in a bad place & needed some help, or if they were just a bad person & needed two in the back of the head.

World won't save itself you know.

I'm sorry.

Did you say a BAR???

Well, the best way to make new friends is share a few pints, am I right? Not that I'm gonna pick up a round for the Pub - that's a good way to get rolled after, but I'd certainly stride up to the Landlord with a twinkle in my eye & a skip in my step. Order myself a pint, exactly what would depend on the mood...if it was in the South, the piss poor beer isn't fit for man or beast - have to go directly to whatever moonshine they keep under the counter. Otherwise, a craft brew in hand is the best way to make new friends!

I'd start at the bar, probably end there as well, after many a manly-man has gone down for the count. That's a good time to be a medic, & it's a rare barkeep that doesn't appreciate a hand putting up stools or carrying off drunks. I've seen enough puke in my life to last two lifetimes, & holding someone's head as they pray to the porcelain God is almost a rite of passage.

I'm sure we would all be the best of friends after. Might be a scrap or two, but that's just cause for another round.

I travel pretty light, so my luggage would mean my extra clothes & my Jump Bag. One is upsetting, I rather enjoy my selection of t-shirts, the other is a major problem, if not unexpected. Any junkie who sees that bag is going to try & nick it for the drugs.

What would I do though...set out you lot most likely. Not much can hide from a ghost if it's close. If it's not: so be it I guess. I mean, I'd be mad, sure. But I'm not going to go run all over town over it. With Allister's coat & X-Ray, I have most of what i really need on me all the time.

Probably ask you guys to keep watch next time. Not that I sleep much anymore anyway - only after a real good time, heh. Overall I think it's unlikely to come up on a mission. I'd be more worried about what Emily would do honestly - a woman robbed is not unlike a woman scorned...& she rips arms off for that.

Huh - keycard?

That could be an issue. I don't have the skills to bypass that kind of thing innately. The coat Allister gave me can create stuff from the Aether, but not a specific thing like an encoded card.

Yeah, guess I'd try & talk my way in. Easier than you'd think, really. Medics kind of fade into the background on events - only there when you need them, & even then: it's eyes on the patient, not on you.

All kinds of reasons to have a staff medic - I work mostly gigs these days anyway. If I can convince one of the attendees to hold the door while I lug in my Jump Bag, that would probably do it. That blue badge does the rest, even in a war zone. People want to know someone is there if something goes wrong, so they don't ask a lot of questions.

If that didn't work out...well, I'd need to find another way in. X-Ray can get into places an Ambulance can't, so might need to drop from the roof or something. That would be last resort though: so far, talking has got me in most places.

God Damn it.

What is it with people? Isn't there enough to go around?

I'm torn here guys - on one hand, taking out the Bad Guy who started all this is tempting - but the longer I let his Tac Team do their work we're gonna have casualties.

Looks like I engage then, set you lot to work ghosting it up. More of these guys I can drop before they start shooting, the less mopping up the blood I have to do after. I've had trouble going up against these sort of guys in the past - no idea how the SoS got Super Tactical Spec Op Seal Team 6 training & gear & then some - being a dick pays well in the States I guess. Anywho, I still managed them & I expect I'd manage these people much the same. Laying down the Banshee Wail from the Witness while triaging at the same time.

What can I say? it's not a job, it's a calling.

C'mon...

Liam chuckles at the question. The ghosts remain impassive.

No one really dies. Not in the way you guys are saying. Dead people are people too - if I have to tell you guys that, then there isn't much hope for the world. I mean, there are times you see a patient who you know is DOA. Head is off to the side of the road or something. I have some tricks up my sleeve that most Medics don't, eh? Still - hypothetically speaking, let's say someone on the team ended up DOA.

After I curse myself out for not seeing it coming, not doing something about it, & make it to their side in time to watch the life go out of their eyes? Well I'm bringing them back, obviously. As a Ghost. The Witness can do it faster than it takes to talk about it, so yeah: I'd have them up & haunting that place in no time.

Is it what they wanted? Probably not. But it is what I would do. No one left behind - NO ONE

I do the thing.

C'mon guys, what kind of question is that? I'm not gonna tank the mission because someone has a shiny. I don't steal. I'm not greedy. Sure, whatever it was might be put to some terrible use, but it hasn't happened yet. Why should I worry about that?

If it does happen, we'll deal with it then. Me, the others, you guys. I don't know how it used to be, but most Contractors I meet are alright people. Main thing that pushes them to go bad is paranoia & desperation. See, I don't value my life enough for either of those things to take hold. That sounds bad, i get it, but I don't mean it in a bad way. This was one of the reasons why Nancy & I split really, why I do what I do.

From the moment you pull your first breath, you only have one thing guaranteed in life - someday, you will die. That could be a 100 years from then, or in the next few minutes. Either one, long or short, is a lifetime.

After that, you become a ghost. Ghosts probably also have lifetimes(?) but I don't really understand that to be honest. Point is: you need to make your life count. You may have all of eternity to reflect on the mistakes you made in a few short years.

Do the right thing. Always.

At the moment? I live in Seattle with Em.

Yup, foot cream wolf girl - keep it down though: she gets pretty riled about that still.

Seattle is a pretty happening place. Better night life than Toronto, but all the crime & excess that comes with it. Obviously, even though I'm basically freeloading in Emily's bed, I stay real busy here.

Did you know they had costumed superheroes patrolling the streets for a while? Yeah. Sounds like a blast really - I can see myself brooding on a rooftop in the rain after blowing a keg with my mates. Don't care a lot about property crime really, which seems like most of it. Violent crime though?

Well - I have just the cure for what ails you.

Anywho, I live here because Em does...we are a celebrity couple I guess? Weird. Sure, i like to be in the thick of things, but I just don't see myself as a Mark Collins type. More like Snart maybe - just trying to do what I can.

I quit my job when I left Toronto, mostly work the Medic Gigs around Seattle - shows, business events, things like that. This being the hub of so much of the tech & music industry there's always something. That, & being a minor celebrity gets people calling me more than the other way around.

I also get paid as an Admin for CryptoLink, but that's still a Start Up - I get more equity than cash. It's fine though since I really only kicked that off to help Nina anyway. it's getting big fast though, world is crazy for Cryptids.

Em gives me money if I need it - to "guard her body" she says, heh. I don't know about all that though. feels weird to have your girlfriend cut you a check. Maybe that's just masculine pride talking - doubt it, because your "masculine pride" is pretty much on life support when your girlfriend can toss you around like a chewtoy.

Even with money coming in I still work as a volunteer firefighter though. Can't let it go to my head, all this crazy stuff. Hitting the streets & saving people is where I'll always belong.

How times change...& then: they kinda stay the same, eh?

At this point I have sent about 30 people to the other side. So we can say with some certainty that I would, in fact, kill people to reach my goal. I can't imagine that anything I do will ever be far enough - I want to save people. I want to cut out the wicked heart of humanity so that no one else ever has to see it, feel it.

No one else has to do what I have done.

I'm fooling myself of course. If you cut out the heart, the patient dies. Would I put all of humanity to the Question to end evil? If I did, would the evil of that action not sow evil in to those few that remained?

I don't know the answers, & it is clear not knowing has the potential to do a whole lot more damage than good. So i had better figure that shit out, eh?

Soon.

Otherwise, despite the efforts of Em & Rhea I will take myself out before I become the thing I hate the most.

God Damn - I'm still raving about Emily - let's just get this over with.

Officer Tom Murphy: Tom was a Toronto cop who ended up on the wrong side of some very bad people. He was the first ghost I went out of my way to "recruit" for these missions, being an all around good guy with unfinished business. Tom left a wife & daughter behind, & per our deal I make sure he gets to see them at least once a month & managed to "find" a last letter to them that Tom dictated to me. I know: I could let Tom go home...maybe I should. I just don't think Ghosts should be trying to live like the living just yet. That may change someday, but for now I think it's better that those who can move on do. I will also say: I did avenge Tom. With interest.

Dr. Rhea McAllister: Rhea was a Contractor I'd met before, done wrong on a mission & went to an early grave. I raised her, & now she's part of the team. Rhea was an influence to me on what a truly good person looked like. Rhea wants to continue her work, & I intend to help her - full stop really. I can also say that I would not be writing this if not for Rhea, so whatever she needs, she can count on Liam Holloway.

Emily Miller: Oh my God here we go again - So yes, I am dating some genetically engineered werewolf woman. I would call it "serious" at this point. We do live together. She sees other people, I do not really. That does sound a little bit weird writing it down, but so far it doesn't bother me? Personally I just don't feel like I have the capacity to be "serious" with multiple people. Who has that kind of time? I have the ghosts to look out for, after all. Em is literally the person I am closest to at this time, both in proximity & emotionally. In the very unlikely event someone managed to hurt her...

There would be Hell to pay.

That's me by the way. I'm Hell.

Seriously???

Can't you guys just be voyeurs somewhere else?

Nina snickers a bit - "No Liam - you two are the greatest show on earth."

I...ok. Yes, yes I've been in love ok? Like, right here & now in love.

In fact, I can see now how broken my previous relationship was. When Nancy & I hooked up, Mom was behind that - she spied out a good match for her son from the Hospital floor she worked on, a nice girl with a biological clock like a ticking time bomb.

My mother...yeah, I've been told I have a silver tongue some days, but those people never met my Mom. She played matchmaker the way a Beethoven conducts a symphony. I should have known, but I was caught flat footed as usual. To Nancy, I was just another box to tick off in her list of life goals - boyfriend? Check. Children? Marriage? House in the country?

All a set of boxes to check. Nothing against her of course - like most guys I was all about the "make babies" bit...but I don't know. We didn't talk much beyond that. She never cared about what I was doing beyond how it filled her schedule. I guess that's why it took me by surprise so much when she got distraught over the miscarriage.

Emily...well, she's a Contractor for one, so we can talk about anything. More than that though, she's vivacious in a way that you get caught up in. She wants everything life has to offer, & if Life won't give it freely she means to take it. I always found myself reacting, staying in my lane - Emily takes the party with her. Reckless, sure. That's where we balance out a bit I think. She knows I'll have her back no matter what happens. Despite all the sound & fury she's...soft sometimes. Vulnerable in a way I am not, being half dead. So far, that has worked out. I really hope it continues to do so.

Obviously, I'm still worried about my friends & family. Seeing Akira go down not once but twice on my watch did a job on me. Mom calls a lot asking why she is seeing me in Serbia, or flying through a forest fire. Sons of Salem still want to do to Em what they did to Rhea...that raises yet another fear: the Old Man went & fully declared for the Sons when word gout out about me & Emily.

Thanks, Dad.

So, what if I had to choose? What if the Old Man was siting on Emily or Akira, or really just about anyone? Would I pull the trigger? Knowing that, mean bastard that he is, I have killed way more people than him?

You better believe I would. I hope I don't ever have to...but I know I would shoot first.

Wish I could say that makes me the better man - it doesn't though, just means I was faster on the draw. Way he would see it, he would fire to protect Nation, God, & his own Son from the miscegenation of these Godless creatures.

Sad to say, but I wouldn't think about it as much as he would - aim & shoot is the way of the younger Holloway.

Spill one on your grave, sure - after I put two between your eyes.

Don't test me Dad. You'll lose.

As far as I'm concerned, not much has changed there. As for the things in question: that couldn't be farther from the truth.

My trusty flask hardly ever runs out of Scotch - a minor miracle that would kill Irishmen & Canadians everywhere if it was repeated. Warm or cold, day or night, a nip from the flask is all I need to get myself going. I have also introduced others to the healing power of inebriation. A traumatic memory or round of shigella is no match for a watch of peaty, 20 year Islay hooch - set them right as rain, if a bit wobbly.

Then...there's this thing.

The amulet is heavy in his hand. It draws the attention of the ghosts. it always does.

I should really find out the story on it. I was given the flask as a congratulations present when I made full paramedic - the Powers that seeped into it might be mine or might be the ghosts...but this thing was clearly made by someone for a specific purpose. Occult types I talk to won't even touch it. I really don't need more mysteries in my life right now. I do know that it isn't just an amulet & isn't just a gun - the more I wear it I feel like it is slowly letting me see the truth.

Yeah, right before it gets me to clean my own clock I'll bet.

Liam's hand, studded with gunmetal posts & subcutaneous wires flinches painfully at the thought.

Sons of Salem.

Ironic, kind of. I mean - if I wasn't dating a werewolf they'd love me. I am exactly the type - Burnt out EMS who has seen to many victims, to many unsolved "supernatural" murders. Sort that has a thin blue line, thin red line, thin everything line - they could probably get over my maple leaf flag - especially if I spiced it up with a Punisher skull.

"Some people are just a Cancer in a healthy system - it's our job to cut them out."

Yeah, they would eat that shit up. Problem is, while I do actually feel that way, I know that just being different or leftist or Godless doesn't make you a bad person. Certainly doesn't make you a "cancer" like these guys see it. To them anyone who is against them is a threat to their social order - against existence as they know it.

They're not wrong either. Diversity does mean that all the hyper macho God headed bullshit will end. Not sure what place I'd have in that world, but I hope it happens anyway. The Sons & everyone like them needs to go. If that means I need to pick them off one at a time...well, like I said before:

It's not just a job - it's a Calling.