[TheyWouldn'tUnderstand}Wouldn'tKnowTheDifference{WouldYou?}

[ChasingWideIslandsOfSky]



ReleasedImprisonment







Zechs was asleep when she returned. This almost made her happy. . . Not the fact that he wasn't there to keep her company, but that she had time to think things over. She pulled the blanket over his almost-still body, then sat down next to the bed and leaned her head back against the wall. She silently debated whether she should tell Zechs - or rather, Milliardo - about the former captain of the guard and what he had been forced to do to save himself and his soldiers, and about his plan to help them escape.

Escape gave her more to think about. How would they be able to achieve freedom? They were practically in the middle of nowhere, or so it seemed. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, and a small thud sounded. Noin sighed and stared up at the familiar, pattern-less ceiling.

"Noin?" A whisper of a voice asked.

"Hm?" She returned to reality. "What?" She peered over the edge of the bed at Zechs, whose eyes were locked on the ceiling.

"Nothing." He closed his eyes again. "I just wanted to make sure you were there. . ." His voice trailed off, and he was asleep again.

~*~

The next meal was brought by Nikolas Aimon. He set the heavily laden tray down next to the door, and moved over to the sleeping figures in the far corner. He bent next to the bed, and Noin's eyes opened and watched him without worry. He stared gently at Zechs's pale face, his eyes growing increasingly sad. Zechs's breaths were short and shallow, and he'd been drifting in and out of consciousness for days. He was only hanging on by a thread. His blood stained both his skin and the sheets beneath them.

The observer spoke. "He doesn't look all that good, does he, now. . ." He glanced at Noin. "I had no idea his condition was so serious."

"I neglected to mention that part." Noin said wearily.

"You don't look that well, either." He confirmed. Her eyes were bloodshot and her eyelids drooped with the weight piled on her shoulders.

"Thanks. . ." she murmured.

"Both of you need medical treatment." He stood. "And I don't care what anyone says. I'm loosing my patience with the world. Stay here. I'll be right back."

And he left.

"Noin?" Zechs mumbled almost incoherently. "Who was that?" He looked over at her with sullen eyes.

"Someone who is going to help us." She leaned her head next to his on the pillow.

Zechs turned his gaze back to the ceiling. As usual, it held no emotion. Less than usual, even. He sighed and coughed, his chest heaving with the effort. He said no more, just stared at the ceiling, then slept.

Noin, overcome with the helplessness of her situation and the lack of moves she could make in the game, also closed her eyes, and let the oblivion overtake her.