Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 File 1: Dominant Species
Part 4: Hunger
Chapter 38: Coming Back
by P. Kristen Enos (bgcpost2040@aol.com)
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A Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 English Dub Version Fanfic. All rights belong to AIC, ADV Films and the other creative powers that be. I just want credit for writing the story. Contains spoilers! Rated PG13. Yuri warning! Nothing in here should be a shock if you've watched the episodes and paid attention. All I'm doing is filling in the gaps with my own interpretation of events! Special thanks to Greenegret for betaing!
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At first all she knew was the feeling of being... aware.
Then she started hearing the voices. They were very faint, some familiar and some not. Just hearing them reaffirmed her growing hope that she was indeed alive.
The voices came and went, with long periods of silence in between.
Then she heard the sounds of a piano. A radio? Or a CD? They were gentle and delicate melodies which came to her in bits and pieces.
Then there was more silence followed by more voices, though stronger now even if the words were still indecipherable.
More silence and more melodies from a piano. That's nice. Please don't stop.
Then Linna finally opened her eyes to blackness. It had to be night - she hoped, fighting down the fear of blindness. However, she felt safe and protected.
She was awake long enough to confirm that she was indeed alive, that she breathed and could feel, even if she was numb in certain places and unusually restricted in others. And that music was still there, faint but soothing. It was enough to cause her to smile as she drifted back to sleep.
She opened her eyes again to see a sunlit and unfamiliar ceiling before her, at which she breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't blind after all. Then it dawned on her that this certainly didn't look like the harsh lights and stark ceiling of the hospital room she last remembered being in.
"Ah, you are awake!" a cheerful female but completely unfamiliar voice declared from off to the side. "The monitors did record some notable readings last night."
From her restricted position on her back, Linna remained quiet as she looked at the elegantly furnished room that didn't match the hospital bed she found herself lying in. Then she became aware of the fact that she wasn't able to move because of the casts on her right limbs, braces on her left ones and around her neck, and the bandages wrapped around various places. And parts of her just felt numb and unresponsive in general, at least during this initial moment of awaking.
Finally the friendly and kind face of an elderly woman came into view. "Hello, Linna. I'm Mrs. Takeuchi," she introduced herself. "Can you speak?"
Linna opened her mouth to respond, but then only a very hoarse whisper came out of her.
Realizing that she was parched more than anything else, the elderly woman held up a glass of water with a straw to allow the patient to take a sip before trying again.
Clearing her throat, Linna answered softly, "Yes. Am I still in the hospital?"
Mrs. Takeuchi let out a tinkling laugh that reminded the younger woman of her late grandmother. "No, not at all, my dear. You are in a very safe and private home. In fact, why don't you work on refocusing yourself while I go fetch Mistress Reika to tell her the good news."
Even in her disoriented state, Linna's eye widened but all she said was "Oh. All right."
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"-- I am glad I had a chance to say good-bye before we left!" Irene declared as she sat in the chair by Linna's bedside. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake for some time."
"Are you ever coming back?" Linna asked, glad that they had propped up the head of the bed so she could easily look around the room even though her movements were restricted because of the neck brace. She felt much stronger and more coherent than before.
"Eventually, although I can't say when. Definitely for the wedding, whenever we can finally plan another date for it," her friend answered. Then she looked at the open doorway and a frown crossed her face for some strange reason. "Speaking of weddings, Linna, you should know -"
"--Yes, Mrs. Takeuchi gave her the big seal of approval!" a smiling Reika declared into the cell phone as she walked in. "It's just a matter of time for her to heal enough so Kou can get his hands on her!"
Irene shut her mouth and let her sister command the center of attention, since it was now just the three of them in the room.
Reika walked over to the bed and said to Linna, "It's Sylia. Do you feel up to talking to her?"
"Of course!" Linna said eagerly and then realized that she didn't have a free hand that could hold a phone even though it was one with a display screen.
Prepared for this, Reika pulled out an earplug from her skirt pocket, connected it to the phone and gently slipped the bud into Linna's ear, causing the other woman to blush despite herself. Then Reika held the phone up before her and proceeded to have a low conversation with Irene so that the patient and her caller could have some amount of privacy.
"Hello, Girl!" Sylia greeted merrily, the relief and joy clearly evident. "How do you feel?"
"Like I tried a jump from a third story window without my hardsuit," Linna answered good-naturedly, trying her best not to be too distracted by Reika's nearness in general.
Ever since the news of her return to consciousness an hour ago, Linna had only seen Reika once before, which was right after Mrs. Takeuchi went to fetch her. They had a pleasant and light conversation, especially since they weren't alone because various members of the staff were milling about the room and medical equipment. If there was anything significant and meaningful in that quick conversation for Linna, it was the extremely pleased look in Reika's eyes as they regarded each other.
"I felt like I used up my fair share of miracles in that fall. I can't believe I've been out for three days," Linna continued, trying to focus on the conversation at hand. Sylia was one person she didn't dare talk to without her full concentration.
"Well, had that happened fifty years ago, you would have been crippled for life. Thankfully, you had some circumstances in your favor," Sylia commented.
"Reika also mentioned you did capture Sylvie. Did you get the information from her?"
"Not yet. We've downloaded most of her files. She's a spider web of encryptions and old algorithms. The biggest problem was that as her creators upgraded her, they never cleaned out the old bits of programming that aren't useful anymore and -"
"Okay, Sylia, I'm still disoriented without the painkillers," Linna confessed rather sheepishly. "Summarization would really help right now."
"Oops, sorry. Let's just say we've got a lot of data to wade through before, or even if, we find something substantial Daley can use as evidence. It's probably just as well that you're going to be there while you recover... if that's all right with you," Sylia said with a sly smile.
Linna glanced up at Reika's profile and then said, "I'm fine with that. It'll be reassuring to have some consistency after all this. This is the second time that I've woken up in a strange bed under strange circumstances."
Sylia giggled and said, "Well, when you're able to be mobile, I suggest you ask for a tour of Reika's home, especially her bedroom. That way you won't be surprised when you wake up there."
Linna felt her face turn completely beet red and her eyes bug out, a reaction that was quite noticeable to Irene, who was facing her.
Reika honestly hadn't been paying attention to the call because she had been watching her sister. So when Irene gave a curious glance at Linna, Reika's own interest was piqued and she turned to look at the woman in question.
Under the two quizzical gazes, Linna would have tried to sink into the bed if only she wasn't bound by braces and bandages. "Th--That's not something I'm, uh, worried about," she managed to squeak into the phone.
Although extremely curious, Reika thought Linna looked cute with her blush. After a pause that showed Linna was listening to Sylia's response, the blush got even redder, and Linna gave her hostess a nervous glance before dropping her gaze completely.
Reika then knew something was up. She snatched the phone and earplug back and demanded, "Just what are you saying to her?!"
Sylia was now laughing unrepentantly on the other end as she said, "My dear Reika, all I did was point out to Linna how much you love having a beautiful woman at your fingertips!"
Both Linna and Irene watched in amazement as Reika's face now turned completely red as an appalled expression dropped her jaw open.
"SYLIA!"
"Look at the time! I've got to go!" the other woman blurted quickly though merrily, her impish smirk never fading. "Tell our Little Linna that she should be expecting a guest very soon. In fact, she's probably already there knowing how she drives. Bye, darling!"
Reika stared at the now quiet phone and decided that she was going to kick Sylia's ass the next time she saw her.
Meanwhile, Irene glanced at both blushing women and mused that she just might get to like Sylia after all.
A soft tapping at the open doorway attracted the three women's attention to the young servant girl.
"Yes, Akiko?" Reika prompted, instantly recapturing her composure.
She bowed and said, "Mistress Reika, I'm sorry but there is a young lady at the front gate who is insisting on being allowed to visit Mistress Linna even though she's not on the approved guest list. She's very, um, adamant about being let in."
Linna felt her heart jump hopefully. "Did she say what her name is?"
"Yes, ma'am. It's Priss Asagiri."
-- End Chapter 38 --
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