Chapter 36
Ruby looked so young when she slept. It did not occur to Blake just how young Ruby was, but now more than ever it dawned upon her. Ruby was tiny, weak and bent to her will easily. Blake's instincts screamed to protect her, cried to hold her close, and begged to never let go. No doubt Ruby would not have protested were Blake to indulge, but she never wanted Ruby to grow attached to her. She never wanted to grow attached herself. After fearing humans for so long, hating them, it felt so very wrong to feel so strongly for one, but Ruby fit comfortably in her mind - kin, sister, family.
Blake had almost lost her. All while she slept in her bed, Ruby had fallen victim to the evil she had fled, the evil in which she had once participated, believing she was justified. Blake felt sickened, enraged, anguished, as she watched the small human sleep, sickly pale. Her heartbeat seemed such a weak and fragile thing as Blake clenched her hand, sitting impatiently at her bedside. Sun mirrored her, but he had fallen asleep some time ago, holding Ruby's other hand as he snoozed. The heart monitor's rhythmic beats did nothing to improve Blake's mood, simply acting as a constant, synthetic reminder of Ruby's condition. Weiss had assured her that Ruby would be physically fine, but physical health was but a fraction of the matter.
How would Ruby be when she awoke? What scars had the Fang inflicted upon yet another innocent? Would she resemble the Ruby for whom Blake had come to care? Would she be the human she had come to love? That Ruby may be lost, even as she survived. The possibility terrified Blake. Trauma took more souls than lives, and Ruby's was gentle. To see it harden, to see it crumble, leaving something broken and scarred, would be a tragedy. Blake prayed it would not come to pass. She had failed Ruby, in a way far from her control, and yet guilt ruled her conscience.
Blake had tried to do something, anything to make Ruby feel safer, only for the danger to come from the one place that should have been a fortress. She should have taught Ruby more, should have forced Weiss to examine her security. She should have been more. She should always have been more, but she hid, cowardly, shamefully, hoping the world would forget Blake Belladonna, her mistakes, her crimes.
The heartbeat stuttered. Blake's eyes shot open. Ruby's lips were parted, her eyelids fluttering, head shifting. A small groan came from the effort, her eyes opening slightly before crinkling shut. "Sun." Blake hissed, reaching over to hit him.
The monkey Faunus was startled awake with a groan. "Huh?"
"Turn off the lights!" Blake pointed to the panel by the door, her voice a strange combination of shout and whisper. Sun looked from the panel to Blake, then finally to Ruby. His eyes bulged and he scrambled to obey, shutting off the harsh fluorescents.
"...aykey-" Ruby croaked before her voice caught, a dry cough bursting forth.
Letting go of her hand, Blake reached for the jug of water on the table at her bedside, filling a cup halfway. "I'm here Ruby, drink some water." She instructed, gently cupping Ruby's cheek before sliding beneath her head, supporting her as she held the cup to her lips, tilting it upward. Ruby slowly swallowed the entire contents, finishing with a sigh. Blake let her head softly fall onto the pillow, replacing the cup and taking her hand once more, this time in both her own.
Ruby took several deep breaths, eyes barely open as she gained her bearings. She tilted slightly in Sun's direction. "Sun?" She whispered.
"Hey Ruby." Sun answered, plastering on a smile. It was odd to see, painful even. Sun was always smiling, always genuine, to see something so strained was alien to Blake. She stiffened as Ruby turned back to her, eyes open wider now.
"Where am I?" Ruby inquired.
"You're in the SDC medical facility Ruby." Blake answered.
"Why, what happened?" Ruby asked.
"You don't remember?" Blake's heart sank, a horrifying pit forming in her stomach.
"Did I get hit by a car?" Ruby guessed.
Blake looked up at Sun, only to be met with an equally frightened expression. She swallowed. "No Ruby, what do you remember?"
"I was...going to the subway...I think." Ruby replied. "It's all fuzzy...it's on the tip of my tongue, ya'know?" Her lips quirked upward.
Blake wanted to cry. She did not want to prompt her memory. She did not want to tell her what had happened. This might be the last time Ruby ever tried to smile again. "Ruby...you made it to work." She began softly, forcing her voice to remain even. "But...there was a package, you were supposed to bring it to Weiss." Blake hesitated. Ruby's brow crinkled in concern, but she had to continue. There was no avoiding this. "It was a bomb Ruby, sent by the Fang. You dropped the box, it went off...you're lucky to be alive."
"A bomb?" Ruby rasped, eyes wide. Her head snapped to her side, her hands wrenched from their captors as she held them aloft, all ten fingers present and shaking before she finally looked down, spotting the end of her bed. Only a single leg remained beneath the covers, abruptly truncated part way up her thigh. "Oh." She croaked, her hands dropping to her sides as she stared up at the ceiling. "Okay."
Sun and Blake exchanged another perplexed look. "Okay?" He spluttered.
"Yeah...I mean...I uh...it's just...I got blown up?" Ruby's voice was recovering strength, but Blake was still unsure what tone it held. Shock? Confusion?
"Yes, you...is there...anything you want to know?" Blake offered.
"Did anyone else get hurt?" Ruby asked.
"Jaune was nearby, but he's okay, just some scratches and...can you hear us okay?" Sun inquired.
"Everything's a but muffled...but...isn't that normal?" Ruby shrugged.
"Yes Ruby, it's normal." Blake sighed, slipping her scroll out to unlock. "Sun, can you get the nurse?"
"Yep." Sun gave Ruby's hand a squeeze before standing.
"Who're you textin'?" Ruby asked.
"Weiss wanted to know when you woke up." Blake replied.
"Oh...is she...okay?" Ruby hesitated.
Blake had no answer for that. All she could do was shrug. "She called your family. They'll be here overnight. Would you like to call them?"
"One step at a time...I just…" Ruby let out a deep sigh, fatigue evident in her eyes. "Weiss first, and when I wake up a bit more, I'll be ready."
Blake could accept that, for now. It was odd for Ruby to not want immediate contact, but Blake could not exactly criticize the decision. She had not spoken to her own family in six years. Trauma changed all, Ruby was likely still processing the situation. Her family would be there for her no matter what. For now at least, Ruby could rest. Though Blake was happy for her recovery, Ruby had awoken far too early for her comfort. She was just not ready.
The nurse was kind of pretty, Ruby thought as she walked in. "Hello everyone, my name is Nebula." She introduced, a kind, reassuring smile on her face.
"I love your hair." Ruby admired, the wavy locks a vibrant purple.
Nebula chuckled, brushing her hand through them as she approached the end of the bed, a datapad clutched in her left hand. "Thank you...Ruby Rose." She scanned the pad briefly, tapping something down before looking up. "May I call you Ruby?"
"Sure." Ruby allowed.
"Okay Ruby, I need to take down some information." Nebula continued. "Have you been in a hospital before?"
"Yeah, I know the drill." Ruby nodded.
"Awesome, it's always a big help when patients know what to expect." Nebula cheered. Sun moved his chair out of the way as she moved to the monitoring equipment. She tapped a few more things, both on the equipment and her pad. "So the info says you work for the SDC, what do you do?"
"I'm supposed to be an engineer, but I've been working as Weiss' assistant until my job starts." Ruby replied.
"Ooh, on first name terms huh?" Nebula observed.
"She's really nice, I like working for her." Ruby added.
"Ms. Schnee has done a lot for the company." Nebula noted. "I don't think I'd be able to work here if she wasn't in charge. The internships were super exclusive before that."
"Same." Ruby agreed.
"Alright, time to take your temperature, you remember this?" Nebula held up a small remote-like device, with an antenna poking out of it.
"Is it goin' in the butt this time?" Ruby asked.
Nebula chuckled, shaking her head. "Oral, sorry to say. Just gotta' pop it under your tongue." She withdrew the antenna to reveal a wand, which she inserted into a cartridge on the back of the remote before holding it up. "Say aah." She instructed.
"Aaah…" Ruby obeyed, flinching as the cold probe made contact with her tongue.
"So, you guys relatives or…" Nebula started.
"Adopted." Blake lied. "Ruby is my sister, Sun is my partner."
"Aw, you guys are a cute trio, any kids?" Nebula asked.
"No." Blake stated.
Nebula withdrew the probe, turning to a nearby receptacle and flicking off its cover before replacing the device in its holder. A few more taps on her tablet and she looked back at Ruby. "Okay, now are you in any discomfort? Any pain?"
"Not really." Ruby answered.
"No pain or discomfort?" Nebula insisted.
"I'm comfortable, I'm not really in pain." Ruby declared.
"Ruby has been dealing with pain for some time now." Blake spoke up. "She will have a tolerance."
"On a scale of one to ten Ruby." Nebula continued.
"Four." Ruby claimed.
"Nine." Blake suggested.
Ruby sighed, grimacing down at her missing leg. "Seven."
"There's no shame in pain Ruby." Nebula soothed. "You've been through a lot. We just want to help you."
"I know." Ruby deflated.
"I'm going to give you a dose of painkillers." Nebula informed, pausing to look at her pad. "Looks like you'll need non-opioids...I can do that." She turned to the door as the harsh clicking of heels approached, coming to a halt. "Oh, Ms. Schnee?"
"Ms. Violette, an I interrupting?" Weiss asked with a practiced smile.
"I'm just finishing up." Nebula replied. "I need to have the doctor put in an order, and get it from the lock box. I'll be right back." She nodded to Ruby before turning on her heel and leaving the room.
All was silent for a moment. Weiss took several steps into the room and stood beside Ruby's bed. Her expression was cautious. "Ruby?"
"Hey Weiss, I uh...heard I dropped somethin'?" Ruby forced a laugh.
"Yes, Ruby, you did." Weiss was unsure of how to respond really.
"Well...oops." Ruby responded.
"Ruby, may I...speak to you alone?" Weiss requested. "Please."
Ruby felt the grip on her right hand tighten. She smiled at Weiss before looking to Blake, meeting her golden gaze with tired silver. "I'll be okay Blakey." She assured, rubbing the back of Blake's hand. "What's the worst that can happen, a promotion?" Sun scoffed. Blake did not look so amused as Ruby chuckled, turning to grimace up at Weiss.
"It won't take long." Weiss assured.
"I'll be right outside." Blake murmured, squeezing Ruby's hand again.
"I know." Ruby squeezed back. Blake reluctantly stood, her fingers slipping away as she left the room.
"See you soon Rubes." Sun smiled.
"Hey, have you guys had anything to eat?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, Weiss took care of us." Sun replied.
Ruby grinned, squeezing his hand again before letting go. "Go give Blakey a hug."
"Way ahead of ya'." Sun winked, following his partner to the door. Weiss smiled at Sun as he passed, the latter closing the door behind him. Weiss let her shoulders slump with a sigh.
"Are you okay Weiss?" Ruby asked, receiving a chuckle in response.
"I should be asking you that Ruby." Weiss turned around, lips pressed into a thin line. "How are you...handling this?"
"I think I'm okay so far." Ruby shrugged. "I mean...it's kind of a shock, but...I dunno', I don't really feel that...bad, really."
"That's...good...I hope, I mean…" Weiss closed her eyes, fumbling for Sun's former chair and slumping into it. "How much do you know?"
"Blake told me I dropped a package, but it was a bomb, sent by the Fang." Ruby replied. "I don't actually remember anything, just crossing the street to the subway then...it's like trying to remember something, but it's on the tip of your tongue."
Weiss nodded, frowning. She looked up, eyes shimmering. "I asked you to pick it up. It was supposed to be for me, laptops of my own branding, it...it was meant for me, but they got you instead." He breath hitched. "I'm so sorry Ruby, I never thought something like this could happen. I thought we were safe but…" Weiss ran her hands through her hair, sliding them down her neck and beyond until they clasped in her lap. "I'm sorry Ruby, I'm sorry this happened. I take full responsibility, and I'll do anything within my power to make this right, anything. I promise you."
"Weiss…" Ruby called softly, reaching out to her. Weiss shakily took Ruby's hand in both her own, neglecting to wipe the tears running down her cheeks. Ruby offered the most reassuring smile she could. "I don't blame you for this."
"It was meant for me Ruby, it's because of me you handled it." Weiss insisted.
"Well, did you know it was a bomb?" Ruby countered.
"Of course not, and I know what you're saying, but that doesn't change the fact that it was meant for me, and you...you saved my life Ruby." Weiss wept.
"I dropped a package Weiss." Ruby scoffed. "I got unlucky and lucky at the same time."
"Ruby, your legs…" Weiss trailed off.
"I never liked them anyway." Ruby joked. "I'd uh...actually been meaning to talk to you about my medical benefits, because I think something was wrong with my old injury. It was probably why I dropped the box in the first place. I'll get a prosthetic for my left, and while they're working on me the doctors can fix whatever was wrong with my right."
"There's...a lot more wrong with your right leg…" Weiss started shakily.
Ruby glanced at the lump beneath the sheets. Her right leg was there was it not? Weiss stood circling the bed. "The bomb was designed to detonate upward, but it fell on its side, directing the blast toward your legs. Your left leg was severed instantly...your right…" She untucked the blanket covering the right leg and pulled it away. The leg was covered in bandages, but even so Ruby could see it looked...wrong. It was thinner in places, misshapen, as if someone had modeled a leg in a computer program, then deleted random chunks. The ache Ruby could not pinpoint seemed to flare at the sight. It was all too familiar, the smell of the room, the beeping of the monitor, the texture of the blanket clenched in her hands. She hated it here.
"It...could be saved Ruby." Weiss continued. "I wanted the choice to be yours, but it would take time, first to heal, then more surgeries to reconstruct it, artificial tissue...but...there is another option to consider." Ruby's gaze snapped to Weiss', who stood wringing her hands, tense and fearful. "We can remove it, and have you fitted for two prosthetics. I'm talking good, high quality ones, the best we can provide. I will spare no expense for you Ruby, you have my word. No matter the choice you make, I will make this right."
Weiss continued to stand, bracing herself for whatever reaction Ruby might have to offer. All Ruby could think was how tired she was, tired of the pain, tired of the effort, the frustration. There had been the trauma of breaking her leg, the anguish of her dream, her love, her career ending before it ever began. Then came the agony of recovery, the humiliation of being so reliant on Yang to function, of watching the body she had so carefully maintained lose its definition, the muscles she had taken such pride in withering away, until she felt a shell of her former self.
The thought of going through it all again, to save a leg that was for all intents and purposes a lost cause in the making, repulsed Ruby. What choice was there but to move forward? She had seen the SDC's prosthetics, on celebrities, athletes, and veterans. They were strong, high quality, and would allow her to walk again, that was certain. They would allow her to run. It was a second chance to be the person she so mourned losing to human frailty. She smiled, as the pain in her remaining leg gave way to hope within.
"We can make this right." Ruby finally spoke, watching as Weiss' eyes lit up. "I just might need a leg up, or two."
Weiss' jaw dropped. "Wha...you...how...are you sure? This is...you don't have to decide straight away Ruby. Your family will be here overnight, we can call them now if you want to discuss it. There's no pressure here."
"Weiss, I know I look comfy but I really, really don't like it here." Ruby shrugged. "The sooner I can get out and back on my feet the better. I don't wanna' live life with a bad leg anymore, it sucks. Every step is just a reminder of how unlucky I was...sure it's gonna' be a while before I can walk again, but at least I know I'll be able to walk. I'll be able to run one day...so yeah, I wanna' do it. Just...the sooner the better. I get really anxious sitting here. I keep expecting someone to come through the door and deliver bad news...again." Ruby and Weiss both glanced at the door, only to see Nebula's face peeking through the glass. "Oh, my painkillers!" Ruby cheered. "Good news!"
Weiss rubbed her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips. "Yes, good news indeed."