A/N: This chapter was a little harder to write but here it is. As always let me know what you think, the reviews you write are what drive me to continue.
Maine awoke the next morning with a start, his eyes shot open, things were far too quiet and calm but then he relaxed when he recalled where he was. His eyes roved over to his side and true to her word there was Carolina, passed out and disheveled but there. He noticed with slight amusement the drool that ran from the corner of her mouth, before reaching and giving her a soft shake causing her to jump.
"Wha!? What… oh Maine, what's wrong?" the concern in her voice was evident as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
In response he gave soft growl; that sounded more like a purr, gesturing with his head to the empty bed next to his then pointing at her. Clearly indicating that she needed to get some proper sleep. Before she could protest Washington was walking in holding a tray.
"Okay Carolina you've kept an eye on him long enough, now go get some real rest your no good to us if your dead on your feet, I can keep him company" he set the tray down on the side table next to Maine's bed as he help the still weary Carolina up.
"Okay…Maine…I'll see you later" she relented as she left she chanced a glance back the man in bed a small smile on her face.
"Okay big guy I brought you breakfast, and I made your to bring you favorite" he said removing the covering on the tray to relieve an assortment of pancakes, bacon, sausage, ham, and just about everything else the kitchen could fit on the platter "Food" he said with a mild amusement in voice.
Maine stared at the meal placed before him almost stunned as his stomach audibly growled, how long had it been since he had a proper meal? From what he recalled at the facility they kept him alive with injection the supplied him with all the vitamins and nutrients he needed to survive. He could almost feel himself drool as he got ready to tuck in, but not before Washington gave him a warning.
"The doctor said to make sure you eat slow, she said your digestive track would not be ready to process real food yet and you might get sick. She didn't even want you to have any solid food yet but I told her "You don't know Maine" so she told to make sure you at least took it slow" he said with a goofy smirk plastered on his face.
He sat in the seat Carolina had previously occupied and let his friend eat in silence for a moment before speaking again.
"Look Maine…I don't know if Carolina talked to you about this but…we need to talk about what happened." This caused Maine to stop immediately before he trained his eyes on the former freelancer who he had called his best friend in the past. "Now I know that what happened wasn't your choice but we need to address it with the Reds and the Blues, they are still afraid of you, they don't know that the META and Maine are not the same person. I've done a lot to convince them but; and I know you won't like this, but you should meet with them, we need them on your side, they're heroes to these people".
Maine practically snorted, those bumbling fools were heroes? How could anyone see them as heroic? From what little he had heard from them they were argumentative and none too bright.
"I know it seems a little…stupid, but it's true, the people of this planet look up to those sim-soldiers and if they want they could have you sent away. Trust me buddy you need to this, Carolina has bought you a lot of good will but that can only go so far. Besides they're not so bad…a little aggravating but they're good men, besides they managed to find a way to beat you when even Agent Texas couldn't" he joked at the last part with smirk.
With a huff Maine relented and growl a response and nodded, Washington was always able to understand what he meant whenever he growl. He wondered for a moment how different things would have been if he had never been shot in the throat. Sigma would never have taken him over, he never would have become the META, maybe more of them would be alive but he dismissed the thought if he let himself think like that he would surely sink into a depression, and he had work that need to be done. But his train of thought was interrupted by Washington.
"Good…well I'll let you finish breakfast, then I'm going to start bringing some the Blues in, they should be a little easier to convince I think so we'll start there" his voice seemed apprehensive at the thought but was still determined.
As Maine finished his meal he set the tray off to his side and Wash stood up to go and fetch the Blues.
"Now Maine try and take it easy, these guys…they aren't like us, they can be frustrating but just give them a chance" it was a fair request but he couldn't make any promises as he recalled how annoying the purple one called "Doc" was.
Outside his room Maine could hear Washington coaching the Blues so they would not piss him off. He appreciated it on some level but it also aggravated him, he may be injured but he was not some porcelain doll that would shatter when dropped, but he did not have time to dwell on it for long as two soldiers entered flanking Washington on either side.
"Maine these are Captains Lavernius Tucker and Michel J. Caboose, gentlemen this is Agent Maine" Washington introduced they three to one another formally. After a moment of awkward silence Tucker broke it in possibly the most inappropriate way he could.
"How the fuck are we gonna communicate with this guy? All he does is growl like a God damned predator, plus he's a freaking psycho, he's tried to kill us before…twice" this earned him a savage growl from Maine as Washington made his way towards Tucker his features conveying his thoughts of 'What the hell did I just get done telling you' but before either could speak again Caboose interrupted them.
"He did not like that Tucker…I think you should apologize" he whispered the last part very loudly, had he really thought that was quite? Maine just growled again in annoyance.
"He can be a big jerk sometimes" Caboose answered Maine's response with utter surety, his tone never losing its upbeat cadence. This earned him looks of astonishment from the other three in the room. Another series of low pitch growls and clicks escaped Maine's throat thinking 'Can the simpleton understand me' he received his answer quickly.
"Yes I can understand you, and to answer your next question yes I will be your new best friend" the other just stared at him for a moment as though he had grown another head, it had taken Washington and Carolina weeks to learn to understand Maine's particular form of communication and Caboose had just picked it up in no time, when Maine growled again Caboose was quick to give his own translation.
"He said you should say you are sorry, and bring him a snack pack…and then give it to me…because we're best friends now" after a moment of stunned silence Washington spoke.
"Seriously Caboose?" it wasn't a real question but that didn't stop Caboose from answering.
"Yes…we are best friends now and we are going to having pudding parties and movie nights" he stated flatly before continuing "Don't tell Tucker, I don't want him to get jealous"
"Caboose, I'm standing right here"
"Oh right…Tucker make sure you don't tell yourself, I don't want you to get jealous"
Maine stared at him with almost a wonderment, at how someone that dumb still could be alive. What was worse was that Washington didn't seem to be disturbed by this utter lack of thought. He wondered if Carolina was the same way, had their standards really slipped so far?
As Tucker and Caboose had a back and forth on some moronic topic Maine grew frustrated and grabbed a napkin from his bead side and scribble a quick message on it before giving a load grunt gaining Tucker's attention and tossing the scribbled note to him.
"If Carolina and Wash can trust me, why can't you?"
As he read the note Tucker could not come up with an adequate reason, sure the META had tried to kill them all…twice, but from what little the other freelancers had shared what had happened to them at their friends hands had been much worse. His tense posture relaxed a little as he muttered a response.
"Fine" not much but it was something, and with his response he turned to leave Caboose following his friend.
"Well…that went better than I thought" Wash deadpanned. He knew it would be an uphill battle to get Maine on the good sides of the Reds and Blues. There was still a lot of progress that needed to be made with Tucker, but he had expected that. "Hey…at least you've got Caboose on your side" his joke did not sit well with Maine, who just stared at him coldly.
"Okay, okay I get that it didn't go amazing, but it went smoother than I thought Tucker has been…stressed out a lot lately, he's been taking a very active role and he's not quite used to the pressure, but he'll lighten up" Washington assured him but Maine was not quite so sure. Letting out a sigh Washington spoke once more.
"Okay, I'm going to get the Reds…I'll warn you now they can be …intense"
Intense was an understatement, seconds after being introduced their leader; who went simply by Sarge, started to grill Maine either forgetting the Maine was mute or choosing to ignore it. It would have angered Maine immensely if he didn't find the display so entertaining. The men under Sarge's command were either constantly kissing his ass or trying to undermine his authority. Before long their focused shifted from Maine to each other squabbling over something no importance. Maine almost laughed at Washington's exasperated look.
Caboose may have been strait up stupid, but at least Tucker seemed to have some level of competence to him, it appeared that if these three made it through breakfast without serious injury it was a miracle. As Maine focused on their squabbled he realized jsu how far off topic the Reds had gotten.
"Grif! This is serious could stop talking about your unfinished breakfast and focus" the one that went by Simmons shouted at his dismissive teammate.
"Hey, this is a problem for afternoon Grif, Morning Grif still has a half a plate of waffles that needs attention" the chubby solider in orange shot back; how had their conversation devolved so quickly, frankly their ability to get distracted boggled Maine's mind.
"MEN! We need to focus, who knows what nefarious plots are rolling around in the META's mind. We must obtain any information we can before it's too late and find ourselves on the wrong end of his fist again" Sarge shouted with his normal gung-ho attitude seemingly forgetting Maine was not ten feet away from him.
"I told you before Sarge, this is not an interrogation and Maine will not hurt anyone" Washington said in an exasperated tone rubbing his eyes.
"You tell that to my big glug" Grif shot back earning him a glare from Washington.
Before Washington could respond they were interrupted by Dr. Grey.
"Okay that's enough for visitors, I need to run some tests and the patience needs his rest" her chipper tone was grating to Maine, but he was glad for the reprieve from the constant migraine that was the Reds.
"Agent Washington would you kindly leave as well" she asked happily earning her a confused look from Washington "Doctor Patient confidentiality you know"
"Okay…Maine I'll be outside"
"Thank you Agent Washington" she said her voice never losing its upbeat tone.
As Washington left she began to run standard tests checking his heartrate, body temperature, and reflexes. This struck Maine as odd, he could understand sending the Reds away to clear out the crowded room but there was no reason to send Washington out for such rudimentary tests.
"How have you been feeling Agent Maine? Any trouble at all?" she asked making small talk earning her a growl from Maine "Oh of course your voice, I completely forgot haha" she laughed to herself before handing Maine a pen and pad of paper.
"All your vitals seem to be normal…well normal for one such as yourself. Now I'm going to ask you some difficult questions I need you to be honest with me" her voice had suddenly turn very serious, Maine nodded to show he understood.
"Do you recall anything out of the ordinary from when you were a prisoner of Charon?" this earned an astonished look from Maine, what the hell did she think qualified as ordinary? "I mean as far as your usual routines while they held you, any experiments that seemed…different" she clarified. In response Maine scribbled a one word response.
"Why?"
"I don't wish to alarm you or your friends, but when I was running tests on your blood I found traces of an inorganic microbe. At first I thought it was simply a nanite injection, that was until I found that they were being produced from somewhere in your body. I have been unable to ascertain as to where and I need to know where they are coming from so I can determine their purpose" she finished matter in a of fact tone.
"Dangerous?" he almost didn't want to know and her delay before responding did nothing to quell that concern.
"…Perhaps, each nanite contains large amounts of stored energy, a cursory glance at the few I have obtained point to a failsafe…an incendiary contingency incase their subject escapes, total organic disintegration." She finished grimly.
The weight of the situation suddenly hit him as he racked his brain to trying to recall anything he could from his time at the lab. Most of his memories were fuzzy and fractured but he did recall one procedure that seemed exceptionally important to those involved. Writing quickly he showed the doctor the only answer he could think of.
"My Kidneys"
Moving quickly Dr. Grey was at his bed side gently leaning him forward and examining his back for any scars. There were a slew of scars on his back from combat as well as surgery but none lined up with what he had told her. Then she saw them, two extremely small scars above both of his kidneys no bigger than pin pricks, no wonder she had missed them.
Moving to the medical cabinet she flung the door open and removed a large syringe. Without missing a beat she was next to Maine and held the needle above the scar tissue.
"I warn you, this will hurt Agent Maine" he simply nodded giving her permission to proceed. With deft skill and a steady hand the needle sunk into Maine's flesh.
As the metal pierced his flesh Maine did not so much as blink, not even when he felt Dr. Grey moving the needle inside him trying to find her target. This was nothing compared to what he had endured at the hands of that madman.
"Ah ha your adrenal glands" she spoke almost inaudibly as she felt as peculiar resistance, something not quite organic. Drawing the plunger back she took the sample she needed and withdrew the needle from his flesh.
"There we go, I'll analyze this...hopefully it's not what I think" she placed the acquired sample in a discreet container before taking out a syringe filled with a semi translucent liquid and injecting the contents into his I.V bag
"To help you sleep". As she made to leave the room she felt a large hand on her elbow halting her progress before handing her one final note.
"Don't tell the others"
"Don't worry… Doctor Patient confidentiality remember?" she smile softly before leaving the room.
Outside his room he heard a brief exchange between Washington and Dr. Grey. She informed him that all his vitals appeared normal and she had given him something to help him sleep True to her word she spoke not a word of the concerning substance that infected his blood. However Washington's interest was still piqued, it was clear he was aware not everything was right.
"Why does he need to sleep he just woke up. Shouldn't he start moving around, you know getting his strength back?"
"The amount of stress that was placed up his body was quite substantial Agent Washington, he needs to stay bedridden for a least another week" there was no room for argument, Washington may not of been entirely convince but he relented knowing he wouldn't be able to get anything from Dr. Grey.
"Alright… well, thank you again doctor for everything you've done"
"It's not trouble at all Agent Washington" the sound of fading footsteps quickly followed her response indicating her departure.
As Maine's eyes grew heavy he was just barley aware of Washington taking at his seat next to him. Just before his world went black he heard his friend speak.
"I don't know exactly what they did you Maine, but I want you to know that no matter what we…Carolina and me, we're not going anywhere"
Carolina had practically stumbled out of Maine's room early that morning after Washington had woken her. Although she had gotten a few hours of sleep they were restless, so she spent most of the night watching over the sleeping giant.
Instead of returning to her quarters she opted to find an open hospital bed and just crash. She found her what she was looking for just a few doors down from Maine's room. Walking into the empty room she fell down onto the bead without any ceremony kicking her boots off as she went. She was so tired the uncomfortable hospital bed felt as though it was stuffed with goose down and not fiber fill. Just she began to drift off the silence of the room was cut through by a familiar A.I.
"Yo Carolina can I ask you something?"
"What do you want Epsilon? I'm exhausted and just want to sleep."
"Well I was just wondering…what's the deal with you and Maine?"
"What do you mean?" she asked sitting up slightly to look at the A.I's projection.
"Come on Carolina, your telling me there's not anything between you two? The way you acted when you found him? How you kept him from going berserk yesterday, I've seen you act more like a girl these last twenty four hours than I have in the past two years"
"I don't know what you're talking about, I was just happy to see he was alive… I thought he was dead because of me"
"You expect me to believe that's all there is?" he was almost teasing her about it at this point.
"Yes, that's all there is!" she snapped back not able to hid the slight tint in her cheeks.
"Okay, fine but you have to have noticed how he looks at you" he countered her defense, when she looked at him with a confuse expression and did not answer he realized something he found to be hilarious "Ho-ho-holy shit…you really didn't know did you? I can't have the first person to say something" he was practically laughing at this point.
"Just shut up Epsilon, I'm tired and I'm going to sleep and should too" her exhaustion was evident in her voice as she slumped back down into her.
"You know I don't sleep Carolina"
"Sounds like a personal problem" she deadpanned back at him before closing her eyes to sound of him mumbling under his breath.
As the fog of sleep began to surround her thoughts drifted to what Epsilon has said to her. Did Maine really see her like that? As she recalled all their time at Project Freelancer things certainly did seem to add up. Sure there were all the times York made off color jokes when she and Maine were alone but one incident in particular came to the forefront of her mind.
All those years ago after their first sparring match and the director had chewed them out for taking things too far and he had taken the blame for it. She remembered with some guilt how she had snapped at him and the look of rejection and hurt on his face, she hadn't thought too much about at the time but it suddenly hit her what he had meant by those two words he had spoken to her before leaving.
"I guess I really didn't understand" she whispered quietly to herself before she drifted off to sleep.