Chapter 36: Recovery
Victor sat by Kaylee's bed and waited for her to wake up. She had been sleeping for several hours and Victor couldn't handle not knowing how she was doing. He stood up and walked around to get the feeling back in his legs. The hospital was basically a house that had been formatted into a hospital. The second floor held 10 beds with curtains around them to make a room.
The first floor was reserved for those who weren't in critical condition, like a doctor's checkup. Victor walked to the bed that Ruby laid in to find her awake. "How are you feeling?" Victor questioned as he sat next to her bed. Victor could feel a ping in his gut as the girl looked at him with a bandage wrapped around her eyes. "I can't see." Ruby replied as she laid back. "How exactly do you think I'm feeling?"
"Well… what did the doctors say?"
"It'll take a miracle to restore my eyesight."
"So you're basically…"
"Blind, Victor. The word you are looking for is blind."
Victor dropped his head and sighed "Yeah… that was the word I was looking for." The two were silent for a while until Ruby proclaimed "You're going to leave me here… aren't you?" Victor didn't respond, he just slid his mask off and set it onto the table next to Ruby's bed. "I'm sorry Ruby." Victor simply apologized. He heard a patting sound and looked up to see Ruby trying to find his hand.
He smiled and placed his hand on hers in an attempt to comfort her. She smiled and replied "It's okay Victor. I knew what would happen. I accepted the fact when I signed up for this." Victor replied "I know, but I'm still sorry for having to leave you here. I'm going to check on Kaylee to see how she's holding up. If she isn't awake then I'm going to call Professor Ozpin and have him send some people to come get you both."
"Alright Victor. I'll trust your judgment as leader."
He patted her hand and walked out of curtain room, nearly running into Blake. "You're leaving her here?" Blake nearly hissed. "Yes, I told her that anyone who was critically injured would be left behind." Victor replied. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the stairway. She stopped and nearly shouted "How can you just leave her here? She's been seriously hurt!"
"I know, and that's why she's staying here with Kay. Neither of them are going to be able to fight. I don't want them to get hurt anymore or die. It is better if they are taken back to Beacon."
Blake didn't seem like she like that answer and gave him a dissatisfactory look as she crossed her arms. "I know you don't like it." Victor sighed. "But it is what I decided. Ruby knows this, Jaune knows it… and now you know it." Blake dropped her arms and wrapped Victor in a hug. "How is Ruby doing?" Blake questioned.
"She's blind, and the doctors say that she probably won't be able to see ever again."
Blake looked up at him with a worried look and nearly sprinted to Ruby's bed. Victor walked over to Ruby's bed to find Ruby with her face in Blake's hands. "I can't believe it." Blake gasped as she sat in the chair. "I just can't believe it." Ruby motioned for Blake to come closer and she did, letting Ruby place her hand on Blake's shoulder. "It's okay Blake." Ruby comforted. "I'll be fine."
"Fine? Ruby, you're blind! How are you going to be a huntress when you're blind?"
Ruby's hand slipped from Blake's shoulder and she laid back. "You're right." Ruby sighed, obviously fighting back tears. "How can I be a huntress when I can't even see?" Blake realized what she just did and tried to comfort "I'm sure you can still be a huntress! You'll find a way." Blake looked to Victor for help, who simply shrugged and exclaimed "I'm going to check on Kaylee." He walked to the end where Kaylee's bed was.
He opened the curtains to see that Kaylee was sitting up and staring out the window. "Kaylee!" Victor cheered. She looked at him and questioned "I hurt Ruby, didn't I?" Victor lowered his arms and replied "Yes. You used Ruby's scythe and slashed her eyes. She's blind." She threw her blankets off and got out of bed. "You should really stay in bed." Victor advised as she walked past him.
She ignored him and started looking through the beds. Victor walked to Ruby's and exclaimed "She's in here." Kaylee walked in and Blake shouted "Kaylee! You're awake!" Ruby started questioning "Kaylee's here? Where?" Kaylee walked to Ruby's bed and put her hands on the sides of her head. She held her there for a moment and then cried "I'm sorry Ruby. I'm so sorry."
Kaylee pulled Ruby into her shoulder while repeating "I'm sorry Ruby! I'm sorry!" Ruby wrapped her arms around Kaylee as she continued crying. "I couldn't stop!" Kaylee continued. "I saw everything! I was just hoping that it was a bad dream! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean to hurt you or anyone!" Ruby rubbed Kaylee's back and replied "It's okay Kaylee. I'm alive and that's the important thing. You weren't in control of yourself, it was the corruption that did this, not you." Kaylee let Ruby go and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'm still sorry about this." Kaylee apologized. Blake put her hand on Kaylee's shoulder and replied "It's okay. Everyone is still alive and healthy." Victor exclaimed "That is true. Kaylee, when the hospital releases you and Ruby, I want you to take Ruby back to Beacon." Kaylee turned towards Victor and was going to protest but Victor interrupted "We don't know what that Corruptor did to you and how it has effected you. You need to figure that out and make sure that you are okay. Ruby is in no condition to fight." Kaylee was going to say something, but she closed her mouth and sighed "Okay. I'll take Ruby back to Beacon and see what happened to me."
Victor wrapped Kaylee in a hug and apologized "I'm sorry this happened to you. I didn't want you to get hurt or end up like this." Kaylee hugged him and replied "It's okay Teddy Bear. None of this is your fault. Just do me a favor and kick the Draco's ass for me."
"Deal. You should get back to bed."
"Fiiiiiine."
Kaylee skulked back to her bed and Victor added "You too Ruby. We'll leave you to get some rest." Ruby nodded and laid back as Victor and Blake walked out of her curtain room. They were nearly knocked down by Weiss, who seemed like she was in a panic. "Move!" She ordered. "I need to see Ruby!" Victor and Blake stepped aside and let Weiss run to Ruby's side.
She immediately wrapped her arms around Ruby, planting a kiss on Ruby's lips and nearly shouted "I'm so glad that you're okay!" Ruby exclaimed to Weiss "Um, Weiss? I don't think this is something that friends do."
"I don't care if anyone knows that we're together! I just want to know if you're okay!"
Ruby turned red and replied "I'm fine Weiss, you can relax." Weiss released her hug on Ruby and put their foreheads together. "Tell me the truth Ruby." Weiss whispered to her. "What did the doctors say?" Ruby didn't answer for a while, then finally answered "They say that I won't be able to see ever again." Weiss pressed her eyes together, apparent that she was fighting tears.
Ruby pulled Weiss into her shoulder and comforted "It'll be okay Weiss. We'll figure everything out." Weiss pulled herself from Ruby's shoulder and Ruby wiped the tears from her face. Weiss smiled and then pulled Ruby in for a kiss. Victor smiled at the unlikely couple. The first time he saw he two, they had been fighting, but now they were together. Arms wrapped around each other and lips locked.
The two separated and Weiss looked to Victor and Blake. "Could you give us a minute alone?" Weiss asked in probably the most polite tone. Victor took Blake's hand and they gave Ruby and Weiss some time alone. They were walking towards the door when Yang walked through. "Is Ruby awake yet?" She questioned.
Victor was going to say something but Blake answered "She's still sleeping. I suggest that she get her rest." Yang scratched the back of her head and sighed "I guess you're right." She was about to walk out when Weiss very audibly moaned "Oh Ruby!" Yang shoved past them as Victor tried to grab her. "Yang!" Victor barked just before she got to Ruby's bed.
Victor caught Yang just before the curtain was thrown open to reveal Weiss climbing out of Ruby's bed and putting her jacket back on. Yang stood there with her jaw practically on the floor. "Why didn't you stop her!?" Weiss snapped. "I tried," Victor replied "but she got past me." Ruby groaned "How much did Yang see?"
"I saw enough." Yang replied. "Are you two seriously?" Weiss stood up straight and took Ruby's hand. "Yes, Yang." Weiss confirmed. "Ruby and I are together. If you have any issues then you will get over them." Yang put her hands on her hips and asked "Ruby, when were you into girls?" Ruby turned a little red and replied "We'll, it's been a while and I thought Weiss was really sweet and pretty."
Yang redirected her look to Weiss, who was still holding Ruby's hand, and asked "Do you make her happy?" Weiss replied "I do."
"Good, because the second you don't or if you hurt my sister…"
Yang walked up to Weiss and practically growled "I'll punch you so damn hard I'll knock your fucking head off." Weiss didn't even flinch and replied "Noted." Yang took a happier tone and exclaimed "Welcome to the family!" She wrapped a surprised Weiss in a hug as Ruby cheered from her bed. "I hate to end this moment, but we have a plan to discuss." Victor proclaimed.
Yang and Weiss nodded and followed him and Blake out of the hospital. They met up with everyone at the front of the town. "Grab your things!" Victor ordered. "We move in ten." He picked up his bag and Pyrrha questioned "What about Ruby and Kaylee?" Blake replied as she shouldered hers "They are going back to Beacon."
Nora barked "What! We can't just leave them here!" Victor was about to say something when Jaune answered "We are. They can't fight and Victor isn't going to bring them with us to die. They will only hinder us in a fight and slow us down when it comes to travel." Ren added "You seriously can't be okay with this."
"Of course I'm not okay with this! Do you think I want to leave our friends behind? Do you think Victor wants to leave his friends behind? We do this because we have to."
Victor raise an eyebrow and thought "Damn, never thought I'd hear Jaune talk like that." Everyone had sullen looks on their faces as they shouldered their bags. They were about to head out when Victor heard Ruby shout "Do you really believe that you could just leave us behind?" Everyone turned to see Ruby and Kaylee walking towards them with their bags over their shoulders. Ruby now had a black blindfold tied over her eyes and using Crescent Rose in its scythe form as a guide stick.
"I thought I told you to take Ruby back to Beacon?" Victor questioned as Kaylee walked over to him. "And I am… after the job is done." Kay replied. Victor groaned "Not what I meant, Kay." He looked at her to see her handing him his mask. "You almost forgot this." She proclaimed as he took the mask.
He slipped the mask over his face and sighed "You are going to follow us no matter what, aren't you." Ruby and Kay replied at the same time "Yep." Victor dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose through his mask. "Fine." He declared. "Let's get moving!" Everyone started to walk out of the town and headed for their next destination: Vandavill.