Title: Messing With The Scenario

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All of Neon Genesis Evangelion (just covering my basses)

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Do not own Eva. I would buy it but I am broke.

Summary: AU. One interpretation of the series where Shinji has a backbone. Set in 2017, because the Angel attacks are delayed for two years.

AN: Major deviation from Eva Cannon. Timeline elements ignored. Characters are OOC for the series. If you don't like this then stop reading now. You have been warned.

AN2: In this Rei is not a Clone and she is not related to Shinji in any way.

" " denotes speech

' ' denotes thought

Asuka walked nervously along the corridor in the secure NERV Hospital, carrying a bunch of flowers. She slowly approached her destination only to find four Academy Troopers standing outside the room, including Private Wright.

"Private Wright. How are your wounds?" Asuka asked.

"Recovering well, Lieutenant." Wright replied. "Are you here to see Jennifer? Watson."

Wright added the last when she realised that Asuka did not know Watson's fist name.

"Yes. I brought her some flowers and wanted to see if she is ok." Asuka replied.

"She's awake. The Doctors said it was ok to spend some time with her, but she's going to need to rest." Wright said.

The four Troopers made their way off down the corridor and Asuka knocked on the door, getting a muffled 'Come in' in response. She opened the door and entered to see Watson laying on the bed in one of those god awful poker dot robes that open at the back. Honestly, what kind of medical emergency requires immediate and unrestricted access to the rectum?

"Private Watson?" Asuka said softly, but loud enough for the Trooper to hear.

"Lieutenant." Jennifer said, her face twisting into a grimace as she tried to sit up to attention in bed.

"No need for that." Asuka said, rushing over and putting a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "You need to relax."

Asuka puttered around for a minute, putting the flowers in a small vase that was on one of the bedside tables, before pulling one of the chairs up next to the bed.

"I have to thank you." Asuka said. "I know it was your job, but still I need to thank you."

Asuka was looking down at her hands as she spoken but then she took a deep breath and looked the injured woman directly in the eye.

"No one has ever risked their life to save my own before." Asuka said, her voice firm. "During the attack in German, I saw a lot people die, some brutally, but that was just combat. You did it for me, and that means something. It means something to me, anyway. If you ever need anything from me, all you have to do is ask."

"That won't be necessary." Jennifer Watson replied, her voice quiet.

"My honour says it is." Asuka affirmed.

After a moment Jennifer simply nodded. Watson looked tied, and something else she could not define, so Asuka left her to rest. With determination, Asuka set about finding one of Watson's doctors and getting the full story out of them. It was part her status as both a UN Lieutenant and an EVA Pilot and part her no-nonsense attitude and command voice that got the Doctor to talk to her. The prognosis was not good, at least as far as Watson's career as a Trooper was concerned. The lung had been repaired fairly well and the aorta that had been nicked had been patched, but the aorta had been weakened. While Watson would be able to live a normal life, the physicality of being a combat solider would put too much stress on the aorta and could potentially rupture, and if that happened she would bleed to death in a matter of minutes without even realising it.

"What about artificially advanced cellular division to reinforce the lining of the aorta?" Asuka asked.

"Well, I don't…" The doctor began.

"It is perfectly safe. Based on EVA technology. Doctor Akagi or Doctor Steinberg of Third Brach can provide the details or perform the procedure." Asuka said, her Command Voice.

"I suppose, but I don't know if there is fine enough control in the procedure…" The doctor again objected.

"Doctor, it can regrow two thirds of a kidney without issue, so reinforcing an aorta will be simple." Asuka growled, referring to her own treatment with the procedure.

The doctor looked stunned, so she simply turned and walked off, pulling out her mobile phone and quickly dialled a number.

"Lieutenant Ibuki, I need to speak to Doctor Akagi." She said as she walked, when the phone was answered by Doctor Akagi's assistant. "It is in regards to a patient in the NERV Hospital's Secure Unit."

"The Second Child has contacted Doctor Akagi in regards to assisting one of the Academy Troopers that was wounded in the attacks during her transfer from Germany." Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki reported, looking up from the clipboard of reports.

"What is the issue that requires Doctor Akagi?" Gendo asked from behind his massive desk.

"Weakened Aorta that was nicked by an assassin's blade." The Sub-Commander replied. "The trooper will be fine without an advanced procedure the Doctor created for use with the Eva's, but she would be combat ineffective. For an Academy Trooper it would be better to kill them than revoke their combat status."

"Approve it." Gendo said. "The Second Child will feel indebted to us and it should garner some good will from the Third Child, getting one of his Troopers back. That could be useful if the fools at SEELE decide to try and interfere."

"I'll inform Doctor Akagi to go ahead with the procedure." Fuyutsuki replied, before turning to the next report. "Second Branch is asking if we want Unit 03 or Unit 04 for the Fourth Child, when they are selected."

Asuka woke with pain in her neck and back from the uncomfortable hard plastic chair in the waiting room of the hospital. Cricking her neck and sighing as it cracked and released the pressure; Asuka looked around and saw Colonel Ikari sitting a few seats away looking at her.

"Colonel." Asuka said with respect. "How is Watson?"

"She is out of surgery, Lieutenant." Shinji replied. "With the advanced procedure, she should make a full recovery to combat status in a month or so."

"That's good." Asuka said, standing and stretching her sore back.

Shinji stood, came over to Asuka and extended his hand, which after a second Asuka took and they shook.

"You have both my gratitude and that of the entire Snow Leopard Regiment. Watson is a valued member." Shinji said formally.

"I did not do it for your gratitude." Asuka said frankly, without malice. "I owed her more than I can ever repay."

"I know the feeling." Shinji said sadly. "Knowing Jennifer though, she felt that she had failed you and she was facing a desk job. I had her on suicide watch until she was told about the procedure. She was relieved when Doctor Akagi told her that she would either die on the table or make a complete recovery back to combat status."

Asuka nodded at this revelation. She would rather die herself than being unable to pilot the Eva, so she knew where both the Colonel and Watson were coming from.

"The Doctors said you can visit for five minutes." Shinji said. "But try to let her rest. In one hour you have the reactivation test for Unit 02. Tomorrow morning there is a multi-Eva operations tactical briefing and training session. You can check in on Watson again after that."

"Yes, Colonel." Asuka said, snapping off a salute.

"Carry on, Lieutenant." Shinji said, returning the salute then gesturing to Jennifer Watson's room.

Asuka turned and entered the private room to simply sit by the bed of an almost total stranger who had become such an important person in her life in such a short time. She could not even tell herself how Watson was important to her or why this was so important to her, but somehow it just was.

TBC…