Chapter 98: The New Order
"…" Shinji said awakening and sitting up quickly. Staring stoically in front of him, there was a person standing at the foot of the bed.
"…!?" Yui said startled from his sudden movement.
'…he…was resting soundly just a moment ago,' she thought feeling her heartbeat pick up from his spontaneous awaking. The atmosphere when he was sleeping was neutral and changed to murkiness instantly when he awake.
"Greetings Dr. Ikari," he said with a slow blinked.
"Hi Shinji…are…you okay?"
"I believe so."
"Did you have bad dream?"
"It was neither good nor bad."
"…oh…"
"How are you Dr. Ikari?"
"I'm…doing okay for the most part."
"I see. What is making you feel mostly adequate?"
"…you could say…that it is trying to adjust and accept things while wanting to understand and retain things back to what they once were."
"Sounds a bit of a confliction Dr. Ikari."
"Yes, it is," she agreed feeling a little better to be able to have a conversation. However, he never smiled nor expressed any emotion than the stoic one. Pushing the emotion aside, she continued.
"You know Shinji," Yui said with a small smile. "You do act like your father in some ways."
"…" the Third Child said and only blinked once.
"…" she said seeing that his expression never changed nor did he emit any bodily language or movement.
'I thought that would have surely caused something…even a little tension…but…there is nothing…he doesn't emit anything…why?,' Dr. Ikari thought feeling the atmosphere become a little tense.
"Is there something I can do for you Dr. Ikari?" he asked neutrally.
"…" she said then slowly moved. Sitting down on the end of the bed, she saw that he didn't move; only his eyes did.
"I was going to let you know that there are more tests and screenings to do for possible dormant Angel cells."
"I understand."
"…do…do you resent how you are being treated?"
"I do not Dr. Ikari."
"How come?"
"Precaution is valid. Coming out of an Angel's core would most likely result in contamination and probable dormant cells."
"I see. It is good that you are aware of that."
"Was there anything else Dr. Ikari?" he asked with a blink.
"…do you…" Yui stated looking down a little then looking back up and looked at his face. "Do you resent Gendo…and me?"
"…" he said tiling his head to the side. "What makes you say that?"
"…" she replied finding it hard to answer him. His statement without a hint of emotion felt painful inside her. Deciding to push forward, she reasoned with herself to keep continuing and get to the bottom of things.
"After I was absorbed into Eva-01…you were…abandoned."
"The Commander had his reasons."
"…" she said putting a hand gently on his right ankle. "No parent should ever do that to their child. I'm sorry that happened to you."
'Please,' Yui thought looking at him harder. 'Give me something…an emotional outburst...physical shakes…an expression.'
"…" he said only slowly moving his eyes down a little. Looking at where she put her hand, he then moved back to stare at her face. No expression or movement was seen from him.
'Please…give me anything...please!' she thought yelling in her mind. Knowing that he does not favor being touched, she hoped that his eyes would alter to the black-red color from causing possible triggers. Oddly, his eye color was still the dark magenta color.
"Could you let go of my leg Dr. Ikari?"
"…" she said with a downcast head and removed her hand from touching his leg.
"Thank you. Is there anything else you wish to know or command Dr. Ikari?"
"Y-you know," she continued shaking her head and looking back at him with a small smile. "If a week passes by and you come out negative, you'll be released. You'll be able to go back to school and see your classmates again."
"…" he commented blinking and nodding his head.
"…" Yui said as an uncomfortable silence passed between them. He stared at her without blinking and with an emotionless stare. Unable to look at him without feeling the pings of guilt, she looked at the floor. Trying one more time, she swallowed and placed her hands together.
"Hey Shinji?"
"Yes Dr. Ikari?"
"…have…you thought about my proposal…by any chance?"
"…" he said with a slow blink hearing a chaotic and demented giggle fill his ears. "I have."
"R-Really?" she asked turning to him. "What is your opinion of it?"
"If I am ordered to Dr. Ikari, I will accept."
"…" the scientist said feeling an immediate mix of emotions from his answer. Overall though, she did not feel good about it. There was no change in tone, expression, or feeling in his response. It was cold and dry.
"…why…why only if you were ordered to?" she asked looking a little hurt.
"Rana would object to it."
"…?" she reacted feeling herself become frustrated. The aspect that the improbable existence of his female twin was mentioned and influenced his decision.
"W-What if it was just you, what would you do?"
"I can't answer that Dr. Ikari," he said after a small pause.
"…!?" the scientists said blinking in surprise. "Why?"
'!# $ #$hahaha# $%%$^&*AHAHAHAHAHAHA #$%^& #' the evil voice burst out laughing with loud screams in the background.
"I can't answer that question Dr. Ikari," he repeated. Blinking slowly, he ignored the blaring and distorted cackles in his ears.
"…" Yui said grimacing a little and looking back at the floor.
"Is there anything else you wish to know Dr. Ikari?"
"…no…" she answered standing up. "I am going to escort you to tests and screenings."
"Very well."
After the first session, both Ritsuko and Yui viewed and reviewed the results. Only Dr. Akagi had a reaction in looking at the blood analysis.
"…no…that can't be right," she said looking at the document.
"What is it Dr. Akagi?" Yui asked watching her go straight to the sample disc that had a blood sample. Taking it to a machine that had multiple settings for a microscope, she loaded it in. Hearing the other scientist walk over to her, she viewed the sample closely. Again, she exclaimed surprise.
"…!?" Ritsuko said blinking in surprise and pulling away from the viewing window.
"Are you alright Dr. Akagi?"
"What is going on?" the faux blonde stated a little out loud. Her facial expression was a combination of perplexed and disbelief. Before Dr. Ikari could say anything, Ritsuko typed on a monitor to bring up a previous visual record of the Third Child's blood samples. Lining them up next to the current blood sample, she looked again.
"Where are they?" Ritsuko stated out loud looking back and forth between the sample images.
"What are you looking for?" Yui asked curious.
"There is supposed to be black spots on every single blood cell. One on the center of each side. This is a sample of taken after the Twelfth Angel battle. The one to the right is his current blood sample."
"…" she said looking at closely. "I see them on the old one and not on the one just taken. Is it significant? It isn't cancer or anything, is it?"
"…no…" Ritsuko stated shaking her head a little and still keeping her disbelief face. "…I don't know what it is now…he is showing that they were probably removed, flushed out, died, or replaced with something else."
"Does that mean more testing and screening for the staff?"
"Yes…I don't know what is going on in him."
"…"
As the week went on, the tests and screenings continued. Both Ritsuko and Yui viewed and reviewed the results over and over. All of them were negative. Halfway through the week, both Rei and Rana were released being cleared from their tests and screenings. Sent back home and then back into school, both would visit the Third Child every day after school and spend time before they would head back home. Asuka and Toji visited once to see how he was doing and progressing. Seeing his eyes back to normal, the saw the elongated scar on his neck. Remembering the images of his body was underneath the hospital gown, fear gripped both of them making their visit short.
Throughout the rest of the week, Dr. Ikari tried to talk to Shinji, Rana, and Rei when they were all together in his hospital room. The attempt was to at least establish a ground where all of them could speak with each other. The first try didn't have much success. Though they responded to her, she felt all three were looking at her with emotionless stares. It was neither friendly nor hostile. On the second try, she convinced Gendo to come visit once. Upon entering the hospital room with both Dr. Ikari and Dr. Akagi, more tension rose inside. Rei's face held a frown and stared hard at them. Rana didn't express anything but her eyes were hostile. Shinji emitted nothing.
"…" the Commander said pushing up his shades. "I will speak to the Third Child…alone."
"…" Yui said with a deadpan face and jabbed him in the ribs. She whispered a little sternly into his ear.
"Say his name," she said elbowing him again and again. Ritsuko didn't say anything and controlled her expression.
"…" Gendo said looking at her as she looked at him with slight irritation.
"…" Rei said frowning more from seeing their closeness. Deciding that she needed to leave to clear her head, she left the hospital room. Eventually, the others left the room as well. When the door closed, it seemed to slam louder than normal when it hit the frame.
"…" Shinji said.
"…" Gendo said.
Both stood staring at each other in silence. The evil voice began stabbing someone as it responded by snarling and stabbing back. It made the atmosphere in the hospital room murkier.
"…" the Commander said putting one hand in his pocket. "How is your progress?"
"…" the Third Child said with a blink. "If all is well, I will be released tomorrow Commander."
"I see," Gendo said not moving and staring back at the male pilot. An awkward silence passed by as neither of them moved from their standing positions. Feeling mild goosebumps on his arms, the Commander moved his free hand up and pushed up his shades on his nose.
"How is school?"
"Other than missing the past two weeks of school, it has been without too much problems."
"Will you recover the weeks missed?"
"Yes Commander."
"…" both said as another awkward silence passed by painfully in the room. The stabbing session and monstrous shouts in the male pilot's head were getting louder and more brutal. The adult male felt the boy's aura slowly change to be more of the eerie presence. Deciding that he will do his own interrogation of the Third Child, he stared him down.
"How did Unit-01 act the way it did during the previous Angel attack pilot?" he said in a cold tone.
"…" Shinji said moving only his eyes up a little. His facial expression remained the same.
"I believe I heard the dummy system took over Commander," the pilot stated. The dark clone started laughing manically as it ripped the Eva captor's arm off. At the same time, the creature chomped off the voice's hand with a morbid grunt. The act caused the dark clone to clench its teeth in a malicious grin and grind them.
"How can the dummy system display that much ability and power?"
"I do not know Commander. I am not familiar with how the dummy system operates. Am I supposed to know?"
"No," Gendo stated removing his hand from his pocket and crossing his arms over his chest. "How did Unit-03 achieve its abilities?"
"…" Shinji said tilting his head a little causing a sickening crack to emit from his neck. The hairs on the back of the Commander's neck rose seeing that the pilot still hasn't blinked yet.
"Given that the Angel took control of that Eva, my only guess is that the Unit went berserk. Other than that, I do not know Commander."
"Are you hiding information pilot?"
"…" he said slowly blinking.
'#$%$ #$^$%&*($%&AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR $%^&HEEEEEEEEEE!' the evil voice began joyously shouting vile words and screeches until its face was biten off. The sickening crunch of bone and flesh gave a chill down Shinji's spine as he remained motionless and stoic.
"No Commander."
"…" Gendo said as another round of painfully awkward silence passed between the two. The atmosphere had changed to feeling like the evil version of the Third Child was in the room. Thinking quickly of another subject to get answers from, Yui came to mind. Moving his arms and putting both hands in his pockets, he continued to look down at the male pilot.
"What is your answer to Yui's proposal?"
"…" the male pilot stated by straightening out his neck. A loud muffled pop was heard followed by a quickly blink.
"I have told Dr. Ikari that if ordered to, I will comply."
"…" the Commander said blinking and thinking about his answer. "…Yui…would be happy if you did."
"Commander," the Third Child said stoically. "If I am ordered to accept, I will comply."
"Do you hold any resentment?"
"To what Commander?" the boy replied causing Gendo's eyebrows to rise up a little.
"You do not hold any resentment?"
"Again, to what Commander?"
"Toward Yui."
"No Commander."
"…" Gendo said feeling a little of déjà vu. How the male pilot was acting and responding seemed similar to how the First Child acted many years ago. However, that was how far the comparison went as Ayanami did not have the eerie atmosphere enveloping the room he was in with the Third Child.
"Is there anything else Commander?"
"No," Gendo stated getting on hand out of his pocket. Pushing his shades up a little, apprehension was slowly eating at him the longer he stood in the room. Turning to the room door, he headed toward it.
"You are to accept Yui's proposal. Is that understood pilot?"
"Very well Commander," Shinji said with a blink and slight bow. Standing up straight again, the Commander was at the door and placed a hand on the handle.
"I will inform her of the decision. You are not to inform anyone of this conversation," Gendo stated then opened the door. About to step out, he did not hear him reply. Glancing to his left at the male pilot, his eyes widened from the sight and exited the room without looking back.
'…d…A…#$!#%$&^#%^DDDDDDDDDD-DDDDDDDDDD…yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy,' the Commander heard a vile hissing whisper just before closing the door behind him. Goosebumps littered his body from the sight and the image of what he saw.
"…" the women outside said turning to the door that opened and closed. They saw that the Commander looked a little weathered coming out. Oddly, he didn't address any of them and walked away from them without a word.
"Gendo?" Yui asked watching as he continued walking away and did not stop or turn around. Wondering if something happened, the four went into the room. Upon opening the door and entering, Shinji was not present anywhere. To their left, they heard movement from the lavatory. Opening the door, he saw them looking at him.
"Is there something wrong madams?" he asked with a stoic expression.
"How was the talk with the Commander?" Yui asked.
"It was informative," he said blinking.
"What did you talk with him about?" Rei asked quietly with a neutral face.
"Just small talk Miss Ayanami," the male pilot stated and started heading toward his bunk.
"Just small talk?" Rana asked following him along with the others.
"Yes Miss Rana."
"What kind of topics did you two talk about? Did you come eye to eye with things?" Dr. Ikari asked holding onto some hope inside.
"Topics discussed were regarding the previous Angel attack and school. I informed him as best as I could in recalling what happened during that battle. I also assured him that I will catch up with the weeks missed of school and studies," he said stoically.
"…" she said watching him turn around and sit on his bunk. About to ask another question, she saw that both Rei and Rana engaged in small talk with him. Not feeling too discouraged, the scientist saw that the small talk between father and son meant that there was something still there. Feeling a small smile grow on her face, she turned to the other scientist. Seeing her give a small smile back, both left the room thinking about what would happen tomorrow.
In the morning of the following day, both Ritsuko and Yui were walking down a hallway in the medical facility. With a clipboard in hand, they went straight toward a specific room. Reaching it, they knocked then entered. The Third Child was sitting on his bed and appeared to be staring at nothing. Only his eyes moved up slowly to see who was at the door. Blinking, he turned his head toward the two. Making eye contact, both scientists walked to the foot of his bed.
"Morning Shinji," Yui said with a smile.
"Greetings Dr. Ikari and Dr. Akagi. How are you today?" he said with a small bow.
"I am doing fine," Ritsuko stated.
"Same here. Actually, it is starting on a positive side. Your discharge papers are ready and you should be released today."
"I take it that I am negative in having Angel cells Dr. Akagi?"
"Yes. That is correct Ikari."
"Was there anything else that you found that I should know of?"
"…" Ritsuko said thinking about the unanswered questions from her findings. "No. You have a good bill of health."
"…" he said bowing a little and started getting out of bed. Once standing on the floor, he turned to both and blinked.
"I am ready if you madams are."
Nodding to him, the three left the hospital room and headed toward administration. Ritsuko lead the group while Yui walked beside him. Reaching the counter, the discharge papers were signed and filed.
"As of now Ikari, you are discharged," Dr. Akagi said turning to both of them.
"Very well," he said stoically and blinking.
"Good to hear and know that you do not have any Angel dormant cells Shinji," the brunette scientist stated with a relieved smile.
"Indeed."
"…" Yui said seeing that there still was no emotion emitting from him since she started overseeing the decontamination process of him, Rei, and Rana. Deciding to play the same behavior as she did with Gendo, she was determined to break his hard shell.
"Do you feel better being out of the hospital?"
"Yes Dr. Ikari," he stated slowly turning toward her as she continued to ask small talk questions.
"…" Ritsuko said watching both go back and forth.
As the partial one side conversation continued, she remembered how at the beginning of the week Yui was very hurt and emotionally drained from dealing with the twins and Ayanami. As the week went on, the scientist's emotional stronghold grew. Instead of crumbling and withdrawing, Dr. Ikari continued to meddle until she became satisfied. Despite her becoming more willed to deal with the severe dysfunctional relationship between her, the Third Child, and the Commander, there were two female teens that did not favor her.
"…" Dr. Akagi said feeling herself smirk internally.
She remembered the look that both Rei and Rana gave Dr. Ikari. Distaste and irritation emitted from Ayanami's eyes with the mild sour expression on her face. The female twin of the male pilot would look at Yui with hostility and anger. During the time when both saw the Commander and immediate gave a bitter reaction, it felt like sweet vengeance to Ritsuko.
'I wonder what he would think of him knowing what the First Child is...also, what he will think of her,' she pondered glancing at him as he was listening and blinking to Yui's continued attempt at having a conversation with him. Waiting for an opening, a pause came.
"Ikari, I forgot to mention to you. When you are free after adjusting and get back into society and school, I will need to debrief you on certain aspects of Eva pilots.
"…" Shinji said blinking and slowly turning toward her.
"Very well Dr. Akagi. Will you or someone else inform me when that will occur?" he asked impassively.
"Most likely me," Ritsuko said with a small smile.
"Very well. Is there anything else?" he asked.
"Are you going home Shinji?" Yui asked.
"Yes."
"Do you need a ride home?"
"I think Misato was planning on taking you home," Ritsuko stated.
"…" the male pilot said blinking slowly and giving the faux blonde a deadpan face. Both scientists saw the small expression change in which only Dr. Akagi snickered loudly.
"Is the Major's driving that bad?" Yui asked looking back and forth.
"It depends on her mood," he said with a blank face that made Ritsuko laugh out loud.
"I'll let her know what you think about her driving," Ritsuko said picking up the phone on the administration desk.
"I believe that would not improve the Major's driving Dr. Akagi," Shinji said stoically. It made both women giggle a little.
"Well, I will tell her that you have been discharged. You can deal with trying to not get in a car accident with her driving you home," the faux blonde stated dialing.
"Very well," he said with a blink. The phone call ended shortly and the phone was placed back in its cradle.
"Is there anything else that is needed before I depart madams?" he asked as both women looked at each other and shook their heads no.
"I do not believe so Ikari."
"Very well. Good day madams," he said bowing to them then started walking down a hallway connection to the main base building. Watching him leave, Yui turned to the other woman.
"I am still amazed he didn't have any Angel cells or material in him at all from the amount of testing done and data collected."
"Yes. I am just as amazed as well," Ritsuko stated.
'Not to mention that his blood has altered…somehow,' the faux blonde thought immediately.
"Have you found out anything about Eva-01 and how it was able to behave the way it did when the dummy plug system was activated?"
"For the dummy plug system, I haven't explored and researched it yet. I was able to obtain wave frequencies during the week that Ikari was in Eva-03."
"Wave frequencies?" Yui asked interested. "You mean brain waves?"
"Yes. I had one of our bridge monitor technicians record the frequencies. Afterwards, he inputted them into MAGI and was able to produce an audio file."
"Wow. What was in the audio file?"
"Apparently, both Eva-01 and Eva-03 were communicating with each other. They did so by opening a comm-link with one another and the other two Units."
"…communicating?" Yui asked intrigued seeing her nod. "Was it short bursts of communication?"
"…no…" Ritsuko said feeling goosebumps flaring all over her. "The first audio file is five days long."
"…what? That long?!" Yui asked surprised and shocked. "How can they operate when they are shut down and no input of power?"
"There was an input of power…it was the emergency battery supply."
"…!?" Dr. Ikari said blinking. "That makes sense having to keep those charge…but that would mean that the two Units acted on their own."
"Would seem that way…despite how improbable that is. The only outside factor would be the dormant Angel that was in Unit-03. Maybe it was causing the channels to open and close."
"Yes…that would give an answer to how the Units were capable of communicating. Anything else would be speculative."
"Yes."
"By the way, did you listen to the audio file?"
"Not fully…just parts of it," Ritsuko said remembering the parts that stuck in her mind.
"What were the Evas communicating…?" Yui asked then saw the faux blonde paling. "Are you alright?"
"It was…not normal conversations," Ritsuko stated crossing her arms to hold herself.
"What…what kind?"
"Just…not normal."
"…okay…"
"I asked Ikari if he recalls the communication while assimilated in Eva-03," Dr. Akagi said turning to Dr. Ikari. "He said yes."
"Really?!" she asked excited a little seeing the other woman nod but still looked uncomfortable. "What did he say about it?"
"He said nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yes."
"No elaboration?"
"He said it was hard to explain when he was assimilated with both Eva-03 and the Angel."
"…" Yui said blinking as flashbacks occurred in her mind. It made her understand why he stated it was difficult to explain.
"I see," she said and changed the subject to something else.
Heading towards the Major's office, Shinji contemplated about how people viewed him now. So far, all of NERV staff members that he passed by looked at him apprehensively. Recollecting the nightmare dream with the dark clone, he concluded that what it and what Rana was saying about no one trusting seemed sound. Despite all the procedures and screenings in the medical facility, a small amount of distrust and fear seemed apparent to whom he associated with. Reaching the Major's office, he knocked on the door.
"Come in," Misato said. Looking up to see the door open, it was who she was expecting.
"Hi Shinji."
"Good afternoon Miss Misato," he said bowing from the door. "I came to tell you that I have been discharged."
"I heard. Rits gave me a call. Well, come in," she said watching him nod and enter. As he walked closer to her, she felt her hands slight increase their grip on her chair's armrests. Stopping a few feet from her desk, she felt herself relax a little. An uncomfortable silence went between them as he kept his stoic gaze. Misato had a hard time keeping a stare at him.
"Something wrong Miss Misato?" he asked seeing her eyes look down on her desk more than once.
"Wha? No…not really," she replied with a nervous smile and forced herself to meet his gaze. "How are you feeling?"
"I am fine. How are you?"
"Doing okay," she answered. Grabbing some papers that were in front of her on the desk, she mildly shuffled them. Stopping and looking back at him, the elongated scar on his neck grabbed her attention. Recalling how his body looked a week ago from the D-econt room, she shivered visibly.
"Are you cold Miss Misato?"
"Just…a little bit…how…how is your body doing?" she asked trying to steel herself more.
"…" Shinji responded with a slow blink. "It is fine."
"You don't look like you have as many scars. Did Ritsuko help heal the bad ones?"
"No, she did not."
"…oh…I see," the Major said. Another awkward silence went by as she felt more uneasy being alone with him. Feeling goosebumps on her arms, she flinched from him speaking suddenly.
"Is there anything else Miss Misato?"
"Other than taking you home, no," she answered.
"If you rather not, I do not mind."
"It's a long way on foot Shinji."
"There are other forms of transportation that I can use."
"That's true…but, I can still take you home," she stated putting the papers in her hand down on the desk.
"I will be fine Miss Misato. Thank you," he said without changing an expression. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"…" Misato said putting her hands together. She stared at them as she started clicking her thumbnails together. Flashbacks of what she did outside of the locker room came making her stop clicking her nails.
"…no…" the Major said feeling it harder to look up to see his face.
"Very well. Good day Miss Misato," he said and bowed. Turning around, she heard him walk away. Looking up, she saw him exit the office.
"…" Misato said sighing in relief when the doors closed.
At the same time, she felt mad at herself. Slumping in her chair, she still couldn't let go of what she did a week ago. Every night, it was the same dream. A reenactment of when she pointed the gun at the Third Child. In the dream, every step he took a part of his body morphed into something horrid and grotesque. Shooting at its head, the image changed back to the Third Child with a bullet in the center of his head. He lied lifeless on the ground as both Rei and Rana were crying and holding onto him. Both were begging him to come back to life. She always woke up in a cold sweat and feeling miserable.
At school, the class the Eva pilots were in was going on as normal. However, there were a couple of students that were anxious for the day to be over. Today was when the Third Child would be released from the medical facility at the NERV base. Despite them looking like they were paying attention, their minds were somewhere else.
Back in the medical facility at NERV, a phone at the administration desk started ringing. The receptionist picked it up and answered. Complying, the individual put the phone on hold. Standing up and peering down the hallway, the two scientists were still talking with each other.
"Dr. Ikari?" the receptionist called down the hallway catching both of their attention. "Commander Ikari is on the line."
"Okay thanks," Yui said and excused herself which Ritsuko nodded and followed.
"Dr. Ikari here…yes…he was discharged not too long ago," the scientist stated on the phone.
"…he…he…what?!" Yui exclaimed in a state of shock and feeling happy.
"…wait…did you order him to?…Why?…but…"
'It must be that the Commander ordered Ikari to accept her proposal,' Ritsuko thought leaning against an adjacent wall not facing her. Glancing over at her, the scientist didn't look pleased or unpleased. A neutral expression took over her face.
"…no-no…it's fine…yes…thank you. Bye," Yui responded handing back the phone to the receptionist. She looked at the counter with ambivalence.
"Everything okay?" the faux blonde asked looking at her. Like Misato, Yui changed her facial expression and gave a fake smile.
"Yeah…things are good. Shinji should be with Major Katsuragi, correct?"
"He should be. I can call her to see if they are still at her office."
"No, that's okay. Thank you Dr. Akagi," Yui said smiling then departed. After watching the scientist walk away, she pondered about where the other two were. Thinking about how Misato would be with the Third Child, Ritsuko had a feeling he wasn't with her. Getting her cell phone out and looking under contacts, she found the number and dialed. Two rings were heard before the line was picked up.
[Hello Dr. Akagi. How are you?] Shinji answered as he continued walking.
"Hello Ikari. I am okay. Are you with Misato?"
[I am not.]
"Where is she?" the doctor asked hearing sliding doors open and his continuing footsteps.
[She was in her office when I left.]
"I see. Where are you?"
[I am almost at the entrance of the HQ building.]
"Wasn't Misato supposed to give you a ride?"
[She did state that, yes.]
"Did she change her mind?"
[She was rather hesitant about it, yes.]
"I see," Ritsuko said with a sad smile understanding why the Major was reluctant about being with him. She heard a drop door open up slowly on his end.
[Is there anything else I can do for Dr. Akagi?]
"Yes…about the information regarding Eva pilots. There is a synch test tomorrow. Afterwards, I will have that discussion with you," she mentioned feeling the corners of her mouth curl up a little. The drop door stopped and he walked forward.
[Very well. Do I need to bring anything for it?] he asked causing a smirk to appear on her face.
"It won't be a school lecture."
[Understood. Is there anything else I can do for you?]
"Are you sure you don't need a ride?" Ritsuko asked hearing the sounds of outside in the Geo-Front.
[I will be fine. Thank you.]
"Are you still in the hospital gown?"
[Yes. Would you rather I change before going home?]
"..." she said sighing out loud. "Up to you."
[Very well.]
"Alright…see you tomorrow Ikari," she said feeling a little sad to end their conversation.
[Until tomorrow, good day Dr. Akagi] he said and ended the call.
'…' she thought bring the cell phone in front of her. Ritsuko thought about what her plan was and the woman emotion that occurred with it. A sad smile appeared on her face from the mental image.
'I must be getting desperate,' she stated in her mind. Putting the cell phone away, she walked down a hallway putting her hands in her lab coat pockets.