Asuka was afraid.
She lay flat on the floor; her back was surely broken she just knew it. There was no feeling in her legs and from the way they looked it was probably a good thing.
After all the danger she had faced, all the angels she had defeated something she couldn't fight had done this to her.
Asuka thought back over the preceding few hours, another series of sync tests she had been number 1 as usual, in the changing room afterwards Wonder-girl had ignored her as usual, in spite of some shameless boasting and questioning of Shinji's sexuality.
After getting dressed; Rei in her school uniform and Asuka in a new green tank-top and red mini-skirt, the two girls set out to meet Shinji and Misato for lunch.
They where walking down one of NERV's endless corridors when wonder-girl suddenly stopped and stood frozen on the spot.
"What is it now need someone to wind your key?" Asuka asked, then she saw the look in Rei's red eyes they where wide with surprise.
Asuka would never forget Rei's whispered answer.
"Something is wrong I sense it".
At that moment the floor began to heave like a ship in a heavy sea, Asuka was thrown off her feet, it was like being inside a washing machine then something hit her and every thing went black.
When Asuka came to herself she was lying face down buried in rubble from collapsed sections of the walls and ceiling.
'Oh great!' she thought 'What am I going to do now?' Only one answer presented itself.
"Hellllp! Can anyone hear me?"
"Yes I hear you, but it is better that you stay quiet and still while I dig you out".
Asuka never thought she would be so glad to hear Rei's voice.
For the next half-hour all Asuka could do was wait, she couldn't see anything and the only sound was Rei working and straining to set her free.
After what seemed an eternity Rei finally spoke.
"Pilot Sohryu I can't dig any more, I can try to pull you out, do you agree?"
"Yes of coarse I do" Asuka snapped "Why wouldn't I? Just get me out of here will you!"
"It might be dangerous, I think you are badly injured".
Asuka was surprised to hear genuine concern in Rei's voice 'Oh boy If the Ice-maiden sounds worried it must be really bad' but she couldn't stand being trapped any longer.
"Well if I am it won't get any better under here so I'll risk it, just GET ME OUT!"
Asuka stretched out her arms in the direction of Rei's voice and felt two rough wet hands clasp her own and begin to pull with too much force for comfort.
"Hey first child you don't have to pull my arms off you know"
"I am sorry, I do not wish to hurt you but it is necessary"
"Hurt me! Ha! It takes more than the likes of you to hurt me, just get on with it"
Asuka clenched her teeth and stayed silent even though it felt like she was being torn in half, at last with a final heave Rei dragged her into the light.
The first thing Asuka saw was Rei's face and it wasn't a pretty sight; her left eye was swollen shut and there was a nasty cut on her cheek; the bone beneath clearly broken.
It took a second for Asuka to realise Rei was looking at her intently (with her one good eye).
Asuka followed Rei's gaze. What she saw made her want to scream and vomit at the same time but all that came out was a low moan. Both her shins where broken and jagged bone protruded obscenely through the once perfect skin.
She tried to sit up; it took her a moment to realise that she couldn't, her back wouldn't move but as if in response to the effort her legs began to bleed profusely.
Asuka was washed by a wave of dizziness and horror all she could do was watch as her life drained on to the dusty debris strewn floor.........
The spell was broken by a ripping sound, when Asuka looked up she saw that Rei was tearing her already battered uniform into strips, for the first time Asuka noticed Rei's hands, even though they were wrapped in strips of cloth torn from her uniform all the digging had cut them to pieces.
"Rei what are you doing?" Asuka asked in a weak voice
"I am going to stop the bleeding, you should prepare your self it will not be pleasant"
"Don't worry about it I can't feel anything from the waist down"
Both girls knew what that meant.
Rei looked her strait in the eye "I understand".
Without another word Rei set to work, Asuka could do little to help other than hold things here and there but a few minuets later the bleeding was stopped; Rei was wearing only bra and panties while Asuka's legs where wrapped up like Pharaoh's mummy.
Now that the immediate crisis was over Asuka began to look around, they where trapped in a collapsed section of corridor only 10 meters long, she also began to realise the full horror of her condition.
'I don't believe this it cant be happening, only other people get paralysed I'm so messed up no one will even want to look at me'.
Silently Asuka started to weep.
'I cant pilot Eva any more, I'm not beautiful any more, I'm buried alive, I'm cold and thirsty and now the lights are going out! I wish I was dead....... What? The lights are going out!'
Asuka turned to Rei who was siting next to her with her knees drawn up under her chin.
"Rei the lights are going out"
"Yes the back-up batteries are almost exhausted, is that why your crying?"
"Who said I was crying you think I'm scared or something? It's just that I'm freezing to death and I don't want to do it in the dark, aren't you cold without your clothes?"
"The temperature is not uncomfortable and it is getting warmer"
"But I'm so cccold" Asuka stuttered in a miserable voice
"I think you are suffering from shock, you must be kept warm" Rei replied
"Hhhow?" Asuka asked
"Body heat" Rei replied as she lay down next to Asuka and put her arms around her
Asuka was simultaneously surprised and grateful Rei did feel wonderfully warm and it did feel good having someone hold her, almost like something she barely remembered, something warm and safe. Asuka felt herself beginning to fall asleep but her inner will to survive slapped her in the face and balled her out 'Wake up you stupid bitch you'll die if you go to sleep WAKE UP'.
"Rei I can't stay awake can I ask you something?"
"Yes"
"Why did you go to so much trouble to help me anyway? We've never exactly been friends"
There was a pause before Rei answered
"Because Ikari would wish it..... And because we are comrades in arms"
'Comrades in arms?' Asuka asked herself 'Where did she pick up a phrase like that, maybe Ayanami has hidden depths after all?'
"Well if you had let me die you could have had Shinji all to your self" Asuka gave her most winning smile hoping Rei would pic-up that it was only a joke.
She didn't
"I will never be one with Ikari I know that quite well" Rei answered in the saddest voice Asuka had ever heard.
"Gee you really like him don't you"
"Yes"
Asuka was taken aback by the content and candour of Rei's answers 'Oh boy I've been wrong about her all this time, she's not stuck up or weird she's just shy I guess, and she wants Shinji but knows she can't have him, I wonder if its because of me?'
"Rei?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think any one will come to get us?"
"Yes"
"Maybe the others are all dead and no-one knows we're here"
"They are alive they will come"
"How do you know?"
"I have faith"
Asuka was more than a little surprised; "I didn't know you believed in God Rei"
"I know nothing of God, I have faith in Commander Ikari he will not abandon me"
"Well I guess not you are his Golden-girl after all, I wish I had someone to believe in like that"
"You have Pilot Ikari he is searching, he will come for you"
"Oh come on Rei what makes you think that? Shinji is just a silly little boy he doesn't know anything about anything"
"I think it because he looks at you with his heart in his eyes"
"Well he wont look at me any more no-one wants to look at a cripple, but y'know Rei since we're talking about this stuff I always thought he looked at you like a lost puppy I keep expecting him to follow you home".
The two girls fell silent there didn't seem to be anything more to say. Time passed, the lights got dimmer, slowly it dawned on Asuka that Rei was crying.
"Umm Rei is something wrong?" Asuka asked, "Is it your face?"
"I am in some pain but it is tolerable"
"Then what is it?"
"When Ikari looks at me I do not know what he sees"
"Don't worry about it he probably doesn't know either hee hee hee haa aaa"
"Pilot Sohryu why are you laughing?" Rei asked
"Tee hee ha ha aaa" chortled Asuka "Oh it's just the thought of you and me getting deep and meaningful like were best friends or something, no-one would believe it if I told them"
"Why?"
"Because you don't come across as the friendly type"
"Why?"
"Hmm lets see, no-one has ever seen you have any kind of normal fun, you don't talk to people you spend all you time in class staring off into space and you never call anyone by their first name. Why is that?"
"Because I don't know how, it doesn't seem right"
"Well you can call me Asuka if you like I guess we'll be good friends after this"
"Thank you, Asuka, I've never had a friend before"
"Well you've got one now and when I'm well again I'll show you how to have some real fun but 'till then we just have to wait".
Lying side by side, hand in hand, as the darkness gathered around them, two children waited..........