Chapter 10: Aftermath

Weiss

Four hours later, Weiss woke up feeling faint. It would seem as if the nurses eased up on the pain medication because she could feel every ache in her body, particularly her chest. It felt as if someone had slammed a hammer into her sternum. While the broken bones in her body hurt the most, she was actually most tormented by the lacerations on her back. Although they were her least serious injuries, lying on them for days has made them extremely itchy.

She peeked open her eyes to see Blake's head buried into the side of her bed, the cat Faunus seemingly in a deep state of rest.

Now that her mind is somewhat clearer, Weiss activated her aura, bathing in the tingly warmth and powerful energy. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the angry cuts on her back, feeling her flesh and skin knit together. Those are probably going to scar.

'At least they were on her back and not her face.' She thought.

Blake seemed to have sensed a surge in energy, for she groggily opened up her eyes. Even lethargic, those amber eyes were beautiful, Weiss thought.

"Let me help you," Blake said, tenderly placing a hand on Weiss' sternum. Both of them focused their thoughts on healing, clearing their minds of all else. Black and white aura danced together in harmony, a symphony of lights and energy. Weiss felt calm and balanced, marvelling at the radiance and intensity of Blake's soul.

Slowly, without the need for words or gestures, the two of them ceased their engagement of aura, and the bright lights faded softly.

Weiss took a deep breath and smiled when that action resulted in a faint throb as opposed to sheer agony. She tested the dexterity of her left hand, although the cast prevented her from moving her fingers too much. There's pain, but it's probably a positive sign right now given that Weiss had feared nerve damage. Satisfied with the dramatic improvement to her injuries, Weiss eased back against the pillow.

"Better?"

"Much."

"Weiss, I have something to tell you."

Blake told her everything, omitting nothing. Weiss listened intently, from her own near death to the waves of Grimm attacks on the academies, and from the White Fang riots on the streets to the assassination of key leaders in society. And her family's murder.

"Help me up please," Weiss said when Blake finished, her tone as expressionless as her face.

"You should be resting."

"I'm rested enough." Weiss struggled to prop herself into an upright position with her elbow. Frustrated by her lack of success, Weiss tugged at the intravenous tube clumsily hooking her immobile fingers around the tube. She watched apathetically as the needle slid out of the back of her hand. A small droplet of blood immediately formed at the surface.

Blake sighed and wrapped her arm under the heiress and lifted her to a sitting position. Weiss nodded her appreciation, peeling the rest of the electrodes off. The erratic beeping representation of her beating heart was starting to get to her. The monitor flatlined.

"Weiss?" Blake asked, staring into the heiress' eyes with a look of profound sorrow.

An orderly burst into Weiss' room in response to the readings he detected when monitoring Weiss' condition from his station. "Miss Schnee?" His gaze fell on the discarded electrodes and the upright patient. "You're going to have to lie back down."

"No."

"Four hours ago, you were almost dead! You are in no condition to be up, let alone walk out of here."

"Well, I'm not dead, and I don't plan on walking out of here. I'm going to wheel out of here. Please get me a wheelchair."

"I absolutely will not. I'm going to get the doctor." He walked over and turned the machines off.

Weiss glared at the nurse. "Listen, you cannot hold me here against my will, and since I'm clearly able to think coherently, you have no reason to keep me."

Capitulating, the nurse sighed. "Fine, I'll go and get you a wheelchair, but I'm also going to get a doctor to examine you first."

"Fine."

"You know, he's right. You really…"

"I'm okay, Blake. I need to return home to Atlas. Could you please do me a favour and go back to our dorm to get my clothes for me? I don't want to leave looking like I've, well, slept in a hospital bed for four days."

Blake returned in tow with Ruby and Yang minutes after Weiss finished arguing with the physician.

"I don't want to argue with you guys too," Weiss said, stopping Ruby before the latter could open her mouth to protest. She refocused her attention on the stupid pen that refused to balance between her wrapped thumb and cast. It kept falling onto the clipboard, the clattering irritating her to no end.

"See! How can you leave if you can't even sign your own discharge papers!" Yang asserted, indicating at the pen that has now somehow found its way to the linoleum tiles.

Weiss flung the metal clipboard into the wall, watching the forms flutter chaotically before falling to the floor.

Without skipping a beat, Blake set Weiss' clothes by the heiress' lap and walked towards the wall. She bent down and retrieved the metal clipboard and pressed the clip to release the papers before tidying them and placing them back on the clipboard. Blake walked towards Weiss, picking up the fallen pen. Wordlessly, she signed the papers under Weiss' name and placed it at the foot of the bed.

"Do you need any help with your clothes?" Blake asked.

"My buttons please," Weiss said, struggling to clasp the buttons with one hand.

Blake helped Weiss button up her shirt. Then, she pulled back Weiss' blanket and wrapped one arm under the heiress' back and the other under her knees, being attentive to the brace wrapped around Weiss' still-healing limb. Lifting the heiress up with ease, Blake gently deposited Weiss onto the wheelchair.

"Blake?"

"She's going to get up and leave anyways, Yang. We might as well help her."

"You're right. Weiss, we're all here for you. Anything you need," Ruby said.

Blake

Blake kept glancing over at Weiss, concern etched all over her face. After the heiress had contacted home and spoken to Professor Goodwitch, she had unsuccessfully dissuaded any of them from accompanying her.

Weiss leaned heavily into her wheelchair, her eyes scanning back and forth over the words on her scroll. Since boarding the airship, the heiress has done nothing else but scrutinize over the latest news development and memorize the details of all that has recently taken place.

A few feet away, Ruby rested uneasily on Yang's shoulder. The older sister absentmindedly stroked Ruby's hair as if to ease the burden that weighed on their team leader. It couldn't have been easy for Ruby to comfort a devastated Pyrrha. Jaune's death was one of many tonight. Fox, Cardin, Russel… Blake shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts of the deceased from her mind.

"How are you holding up, partner?" Yang asked.

"I don't know yet."

"Do you think we'll make through this?"

Blake shook her head again. "I don't know."