Jasper watched as Pearl paced around the room, completely ignoring the other three occupants. The quartz gem found it extremely amusing that the pearl was so appalled by her inability to read what they had scribbled onto the board. The three could hear Pearl mutter to herself, some actual coherent words and phrases coming out of the Crystal Gem every now and again. Jasper could make out, "stupid jaspers," and "can't read, even Steven can read," among others.
Pearl finally stopped pacing and turned to face Jasper. She sighed deeply and squeezed the bridge of her nose while her free hand gestured to the board. "How can you possibly not know how to read?" Jasper could tell the Crystal Gem was losing her patience as she raised both hands up in the air in a flare of dramatic exasperation. "You've been around for thousands of years! What have you been doing with all that time!?"
"Simple," Jasper said, scratching at an itch under her left horn. "I'm a jasper. We were created to fight, not to waste our time on something as pathetic as reading."
"Pathetic!?" Pearl yelled, her voice cracking. Even Lion winced at the sound. "How did you write your reports for your missions or even know what they were if you didn't read them?" She would have sounded genuinely interested if not for the condescending tone.
Jasper was starting to get irritated by Pearl's attitude. It had nothing to do with the Crystal Gem whether Jasper could read or not. So why did the pearl seem so personally offended? "I had someone else to do all that. Hell, I even got that peridot to write my reports on that fuck up of a mission." A low chuckle rumbled Jasper's chest as she relived the memory. "All I had to say was that peridots were too stupid to write a simple report."
Pearl's left eye started to twitch and she raised a finger into the air. Jasper was somewhat surprised that it wasn't the middle one. "That is a low trick and you should be-" Jasper tuned out the rest, figuring the pearl would try to make her feel guilty that she used Peridot's pride to her advantage. She glanced down at Lion who had curled up into a ball to take a nap. Sleeping sounded really good right now, Jasper realized.
Dr. Maheswaranh saw that the entire situation was starting to get out of hand. She cleared her throat to get both gems' attention. She looked at Pearl pointedly, "Perhaps it is best we don't try to aggravate the patient."
Pearl's eyes widened as she gestured wildly to Jasper who was doing her best not to growl at the Crystal Gem or yawn. "She can't read! How can she possibly not know how to read?"
The doctor glanced at Jasper. "It doesn't matter now. Even though I am shocked like you, as her doctor my first priority is her health, not her literacy." She turned her body towards Jasper and cocked her head in the direction of the board. "Would you like me to explain what we have written down?"
The quartz gem yawned, baring her fangs, trying to hide the budding excitement inside of her. "Sure, whatever. At least it would stop the bird from squawking."
Pearl sucked in a breath but Dr. Maheswaranh spoke up before the Crystal Gem could say anything. "We believe that you are indeed a hybrid between a gem and a human like Steven. However, you have the difficulties of becoming one after birth, or creation," the doctor corrected herself, "unlike Steven." She tapped at one of the points that Pearl had written down. "We, being the crystal gems and the doctors that know that you are here, believe that because of the reverse corruption, you are more animalistic in nature, hence your claws, fangs, horns, and your abnormal behavior."
"Not that you weren't beast-like before," Pearl muttered, loud enough for both of them to hear.
"Because the hybridization was not natural," Dr. Maheswaranh continued as if Pearl had never spoke, "your body is burning so much energy that your gem can no longer keep up with the demand. You need food and sleep like a human would in order to stay in your current form." She waited for the information to sink in before concluding, "If you don't acquire enough energy or rest, there might be a risk that you'll revert back to your corrupted state."
Jasper looked down at the new markings on her arms and claws. She could revert back to her corruption. She could go back to that hell hole. Her hand slowly rested over her gem, feeling her heart pound.
"We still don't know why your gem moved," Dr. Maheswaranh said, misinterpreting Jasper's actions. She glanced at Pearl who nodded solemnly. "Although we do have a possible explanation. As you still retain some of the, er, aspects of your corrupted form, it is apparent that Steven could not truly revert you to your form before the corruption. As such, it is possible that your old gem was shattered during the healing process and a new gem was created to take its place."
"I don't understand," Jasper said, looking down at her new gem. "If my gem was shattered, I should cease to exist."
Pearl cleared her throat so she could get Jasper's attention. "Yes, well, if a new gem was created simultaneously as your old gem was shattered, it is possible that uh," Pearl faltered to explain, her eyes roaming the board, trying to find an answer that wasn't there. "Perhaps your memories transferred, along with some of the corruption which resulted in you." When Jasper didn't respond, Pearl sighed, rubbing her temples. "We don't actually know why your gem moved and changed shape. When Steven had healed Amethyst, her gem stayed the way it was but you are an entirely different story." A weak chuckled bubbled out of Pearl before she could stop it. "You would think that beings thousands of years old could figure this out."
Jasper was quiet for a long time, mulling over what Pearl said. They don't know why her gem moved or even how. Did that mean it could go back? And if it did, would she be fully corrupted again? "Has Rose ever done something like this before?" Jasper asked. She was terrified of the answer but she needed to know. She looked up at Pearl and she saw the walls going up but she could still easily read the pain in those blue eyes.
"No, Steven," Pearl said the name with such emphasis that it might have been comedic if not for the current situation, "has tried to reverse the corruption on one other gem and it worked, but not to this extent. The gem was more corrupted than whole and it didn't even last for a day."
Jasper gripped at the gem above her heart. Lion lifted his head and mewed at Jasper and for some reason, it made her feel a little bit better. "What you're saying is you have no idea what's going to happen to me?" Her eyes flashed between the Crystal Gem and doctor that were supposed to have all the answers before settling on the hand clenching her gem. "I could be fine but nobody has any fucking idea if this is going to last."
"We don't," Pearl confessed. "But don't forget that you're different from the other corrupted gems. They've been corrupted for thousands of years and you've only been in your corrupted state for less than a minute before Peridot poofed you. And you were corrupted after fusing with a corrupted gem. The others," the Crystal Gem hesitated and Jasper could see that the pearl was lost in the past, in that war, "they were corrupted by the diamonds." Pearl shook her head to clear it. "Both factors would make your corruption less severe." She turned her head to look at the board like she was making sure she had covered everything they written down but both Jasper and Dr. Maheswaranh knew that the movement was so she wouldn't have to look at Jasper anymore.
"I'm bored of this," Jasper said suddenly. "I wish to leave this place and sleep."
Pearl hid her relief poorly and she was the first to the door with Lion following closely behind. Jasper got off the table to follow the Crystal Gem but Dr. Maheswaranh stopped them. "Wait, take this." She gave Pearl a sheet of paper and looked at Jasper. "I'm giving her what I would recommend to a famine victim. You need to start eating only liquids and slowly build up to solids so your body can get used to digesting food and expelling waste. You also need a regular sleep schedule of about nine hours a night."
"Great," Jasper grumbled, "I get to waste the day away like the brat." She reached past Pearl and shoved the door open, smirking at the satisfying smack of it slamming into the wall. She marched pass the two and out into the hallway. Not knowing where to go, she waited impatiently with Lion as Pearl exchanged a few last words with the doctor before coming out.
"You'll have to come back in a month for a checkup." Without saying another word, Pearl started to walk down the hallway. Jasper and Lion followed her through the various hallways. Eventually, they went past one door and were in the waiting room. There were various people scattered throughout the place, people who were worried for the patients that may or may not come back. They all looked up expectantly, assuming the trio were the loved ones that they missed so much. Each one looked away, apparently too disappointed that their families or friends were still somewhere in the hospital to be freaked out by Jasper's more than inhuman appearance. Except for a group of three at the far back of the room, sitting in the chairs closest to the exit.
"Jasper!" Steven yelled out, jumping out of his seat and running over to the trio. He wrapped his arms around Jasper, or at the very least her left leg. He looked up at her with a wide smile, stars in his eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay! We were really worried about you and we came to visit you every day!"
Jasper narrowed her eyes in confusion. "We?" Did that mean the Crystal Gems weren't watching her every moment while she was in the coma? Did they really trust her that much to not to try and escape? Or did they just think that's she was too weak to escape?
Steven nodded with a grin. "Yep! Lapis and I came every day and sat here waiting for you to wake up. Peridot sometimes comes over too. They're here now." He pointed to the other side of the room where Lapis and Peridot were still sitting down, staring at Jasper. Steven looked up at Jasper and gave her leg a squeeze before going over to Pearl.
Jasper could hear the two start to talk about Jasper's treatment and the brat getting excited over what he could get Jasper to eat. However, she couldn't understand what the two were saying, she was too busy staring at Lapis and Peridot. Peridot got out of her chair and seemed to be debating whether to go towards the group or lead Lapis out of the hospital. Jasper made the decision for the green gem. She walked over to the two and could practically feel the tension rise with each step. When she was right in front of the two, Jasper opened her mouth to say something, anything really, but her mind became blank.
Peridot stood between Lapis and Jasper and looked up at her. "You're awake," she said to break the silence.
Jasper just nodded, staring at Lapis. "You said my name, from before" she finally said. Lapis winced as if Jasper started to yell at her. The quartz gem glanced away and rubbed at the back of her neck. "The brat said that you visited every day."
Lapis was quiet for a few moments and then nodded her head. "The Crystal Gems were busy so I took him." She nodded down at Peridot. "She came too."
"I only came because I was curious about the human technology!" Peridot retorted, trying to diffuse the tension or at least get Jasper's attention away from Lapis. "But as soon as I got here, they wouldn't let me anywhere near it." The green gem's face flushed in frustration as she pointed to the doors that led out of the waiting room and into the actual hospital. "The clods said that I would cause more harm than good! I just wanted to see it, not play with it." Peridot crossed her arms and glared at the door.
Jasper looked down at Peridot and then back at Lapis. She opened her mouth to say something but the others decided that moment to realize that Jasper was no longer with them. Pearl rushed over and stood between the other two gems and Jasper, her spear materialized in her hands. The tip of it pointed straight at Jasper's new gem. A low growl rumbled in Jasper's chest and Peridot's and Lapis's eyes widened in shock.
"Don't," Pearl warned. The growling stopped but Jasper didn't back away from the Crystal Gem or her weapon, still glaring down at the other gem with her pupils slit. Pearl met her eyes steadily.
"Um guys, maybe we should go home so Jasper can rest," Steven called out. Pearl broke eye contact with Jasper and nodded, looking back at the paper that the doctor had given her, her spear still gripped in one hand. Jasper knew the pearl was skilled enough that she would be able to thrust the spear and shatter her even when she was distracted by the list.
"We'll drop you off with Garnet and Amethyst and I'll go get the ingredients for your smoothies," Pearl said.
"Smoothies?" Jasper asked. She recalled something the brat said about smoothies being delicious. Pearl nodded and looked over the list again but Jasper noticed that she didn't move from between her and the other two gems.
"Yay smoothies!" Steven yelled out. He calmed and either being unaware of the tense atmosphere or simply ignoring it, clambered up on Lion's back. "Let's go home." He patted Lion's head but the animal didn't move from his spot. Lion yawned and laid down, resting his head on his forepaws in preparation for a nap. "No Lion," Steven whined, poking a pink ear. "You can't sleep here, it's a hospital. Sleep is for home."
Lion opened one eye and yawned again before getting back on his feet. Steven made an excited sound and Lion started to walk towards the exit. Steven turned his body around so he could still see the other gems. "Come on guys!" he called out.
Pearl sighed and folded the list before looking up at Jasper. Jasper got the hint and started to walk in front of Pearl. She could hear Pearl walk behind her but also two other pairs of footsteps. The quartz gem glanced behind her and saw Peridot and Lapis trailing behind a few feet. Jasper stopped walking when she reached the exit, causing Pearl to groan in irritation.
Lapis and Peridot slowed down but when it became obvious that Jasper wasn't going to start moving again until they exited the hospital, they picked up their pace. They made sure that Lion, Steven, and Pearl were in between them when they left the hospital. Jasper felt her chest begin to rumble with a growl at the distance but she forced herself to take a calming breath. The quartz gem was about to say something but she was interrupted once more, this time by Steven.
"We have to go, Jasper," Steven said, reaching out and pulling at Jasper's shirt, as if he had the strength to drag the gem away. "It isn't the right time."
Jasper's eyes flashed down to the boy. "The right time?" she repeated. She felt a pit in her stomach start to grow as Steven nodded. She glanced up and saw that Lapis and Peridot grabbed the opportunity to start to walk away. The quartz gem began to walk after them but Lion stepped into her way, Steven pushing a hand onto Jasper's chest to make the gem look down at him.
"Garnet told me not to let you talk to Peridot or Lapis outside of the hospital," Steven explained, removing his hand.
This time Jasper did not try to stop the growl bubbling in her throat. "What does that fusion know?"
Steven shrugged from atop of Lion. "She didn't say." His eyes widened and he jumped up and down from his position on Lion in excitement. "But she did tell me to tell you to give her the alien!"
Pearl beat Jasper before she could ask. "Give who what alien?"
Once again Steven shrugged. "No clue but it's going to be so cool!" He patted Lion's head and the animal started to walk in the direction of the beach house. "Maybe if we hurry, we'll be able to ask her."
Pearl looked up at Jasper and then back at Steven. She sighed and nodded towards the sidewalk. Sensing that she had no other option, Jasper turned and marched away from the hospital with Steven leading and Pearl at her back, her weapon still in her hands in case Jasper decided to run.
