To say uncertainty reigned supreme for Tybor would be no understatement; he was almost sure it was Judge Echo Johnson but she didn’t seem to recognise him, so may it wasn’t her. Or she was choosing to not acknowledge his return, something which almost angered him. She’d never come in to check on him when he’d been recovering; six months he’d lay in a hospital bed fighting off death’s cold embrace yet she’d not come once. Maybe she couldn’t as some sort of testament to her own mortality; after all Tybor had been like a mentor to the younger Judge. Maybe the thought of seeing the man who’d taught her a lot about being a Judge dying in bed would be too much. He couldn’t know nor did he really wish to know.

Sure enough she hadn’t seemed to have changed much from when he’d last seen her; at least so his memory served. It was sketchier than it’d ever been; the physical trauma he’d been through had cost him mentally too. Memories were fainter, his history more vague. It was the cost of a desperate fight against the death of his mortal body. Yet it also gave him a new perspective on life, whether that was a good or bad one was to be seen but he did feel more comfortable, more assured with himself. 

He had more fight in him then he’d ever known about, no meagre thing for a Judge to admit, and he’d proven himself capable of coming back. Now it was all about staying there, he’d done the hard work coming back now he just had to maintain. It’d be different this time for now he was naturally more wary, more ready for someone to jump at any moment. He’d been couped up in a hospital once and there was no way it was going to happen again. The one thing that he’d found out about his new perception was that his hand never left the handle of his gun unless he willed it away. It was his one protection in this harsh world he existed within; the armour which he’d long trusted had been swept away like leaves in the wind when he’d needed it most. All he had trust in now was his gun and himself, maybe that was all he really needed in life too.

Johnson had taken a long time to respond, he had to double check the badge name to make sure it was actually her before he willed himself to not repeat the question. Eventually she responded, informing her that Dredd was not present, at least as far as she’d seen and that the other judges were on the way. He was about to reply when a rather jovial, informal and somewhat laughable greeting came from an arriving judge. He turned his steely gaze to the newcomer, watching her with the eyes of a hawk as she pulled up next to the two assembled judges.

His steely gaze never left the arrival, attempting to read and perceive what he could from the judge. When Johnson introduced herself and him to the new arrival the words hit him like a hammer blow. He’d never mentioned his first name to her in this period here so it was her. Yet she made no attempt to show her recognition and he couldn’t help but wonder why. Attempting to banish such thoughts he simply acknowledged her with a nod and a gruff “Judge Stone”. He chose to attempt to ignore the chillingly casual and immature greeting, there’d be a better person for dealing with such matters than himself.