Chapter 3: This mess we're in.

In the game of life, you hit the ball pitched at you, it goes out of the stadium. You throw your bat to the ground to make a home run but then Life cheats and throws you a curveball, and without your Bat, you're completely defenceless.

****

Shinji stood leaning against the wall, he looked up and down the eerily deserted streets of Tokyo three. Apart from a few hookers working there spot, trying to get "paying customers" and the odd car flash past now and then, it was almost like a ghost town. Misato had phoned him late and asked him to meet her here. He would have asked if it could wait until tomorrow but she sounded almost frantic and that's not like Misato so he agreed.

He wondered why she just didn't come to the apartment to talk. She probably assumed Kensuke, Touji or Hikaru were there and she would have been right too. He told Kensuke to either crash on the couch when he was done watching old horror movies or Lock the door when he leaves. Given the current downpour of rain, the former was more likely and he expected to find Kensuke on the couch when he got back.

"Must get some blankets for the guy, bet he's freezing his ass off in there", Shinji muttered to himself.

He was interrupted by the distinctive Squeal of the breaks on Misato's midnight Blue 1972 Mustang. Misato pulled up at the corner and yelled to him "Get in Shinji". Shinji moved from his cover and dashed to the car, trying to remain as dry as possible. He sat into the car closing the car door behind him. Before he could even put his seat belt on Misato revved the engine and sped away.

Misato was driving erratically, almost as if she didn't really know where she was going. And she was surprisingly stone cold sober. Something unusual for Misato indeed, by this time she'd usually passed out. She had the look on her face, Shinji knew it well, it was the look that she desperately wanted to say or talk about something, but was arguing with herself to or not. Shinji decided to break the ice.

"Misato, Where are we going?" Shinji asked.

Misato was silent for a minute or two then replied "What I have to say is for your ears only, Shinji, I'm not going anywhere really, moving around makes it harder for them to follow and harder for Gendou to listen in"

"Oh, so why did you call me so late, Misato?"

"Shinji, there is something you should know", Misato began then hesitated.

"What's wrong Misato are you crying?"

"Shinji, I'm..."

"MISATO LOOK OUT!!!", Shinji Yelled to late as a car had swerved from the opposite lain of traffic and slammed right into them sending Misato's car into a 360o spin and off the road and into the guard rails crunching body work like tin foil. When the car came to rest it was upside down. It hurt Shinji to move but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind and looked around. Misato was in a bad way. Her arm looked like it had been broken in several places, she was bleeding and the car was on FIRE.

"Need to get out", he said aloud.

Somehow he managed to unhook his seatbelt his body fell down to the roof of the car, he unhooked Misato's seatbelt and stopped her from falling by holding her by the shoulders, he then dragged her and himself out of the smashed window. When he had dragged Misato a safe distance away. He passed out un-ceremonially falling on top of her.

*****

Shinji opened his eyes, it didn't do him much good his vision was blurred and doubled. He winced as his eyes adapted to the light from the open window.

"Get the doctor, he's awake!" a nurse exclaimed as she was checking in on him.

Minutes later a tall blonde woman with Glasses dressed in a white coat entered the room. It was no other than Dr Ritsuko Agaki.

"Shinji, Shinji, do you know who I am?", Ritsuko asked in a medical fashion.

Shinji nodded his response followed by "Ritsuko, where am I?"

"We'll get to that in a Minute, do you know who you are?", Ritsuko questioned.

"Ritsuko, I know exactly who I am, I'm Shinji Ikari"

"Good to hear you in high sprits third child, after what happened" a voice from out of sight said, the voice cutting through him like a knife. It was the voice of Gendou Ikari.

"F.father?" Shinji called out.

"Misato, how is she, sir?"

"Major Katsuragi will recover, she is not your concern, third child"

Gendou turned and left.

Shinji looked to Ritsuko for some kind of explanation there was none. So she decided to change the subject from Gendou Ikari to one of a more personal nature.

"Misato is fine Shinji, she was a little shaken up, if you hadn't pulled her out when you did, it could have been a lot worse, for both of you", Ristuko spoke.

"By the way Shinji, your friends are waiting outside, shall I let them know you're awake?"

Shinji's reply was a silent nod,

Ritsuko smiled but it soon fell away, replaced by the usual frown she wears. "Ok I'll let them in, but before I do there is something you should know"

******

"Shinji's such an idiot", Asuka insulted; "Getting himself in a car crash", she added.

"Have some respect Asuka, we're in an HOSPITAL for crying you loud", Hikaru replied. Asuka had spent the last 30 minutes they had been waiting insulting the third child telling anyone in the near vaccinate exactly what she though of him.

"And I should care - why?" Asuka barked. "Jeez Asuka sometimes I wish I never met you", Hikaru replied as Dr Agaki left Shinji's room and started to approach them.

"SO, how is the pervert!" Asuka said with reams of sarcasm in her voice.

Ritsuko sighed then said, "if your referring to Shinji, Asuka, he's awake, he's asked to see you all but before I let you in I should tell you that he is still in shock and has just received some news"

"Ooh gossip, do tell?" Asuka suddenly went for sarcastic bitch to private investigator mode in 2 seconds flat.

"Doctor, patient privilege. Only those involved are aloud to disclose any information"

"But we're almost like family", Asuka pouted trying to break Ritsuko's resolve but Ritsuko knew it was all false pretence. Right then Kaji walked in.

"KAJI!", Asuka squealed as she clung to him like a barnacle, everyone felt sorry for the poor individual who answered to that name. "Hey there", Kaji coolly replied gasping for air.

Whist Asuka fraternised over Kaji the rest of the group went into Shinji's hospital room to see their friend.

When they entered the first thing they saw was Shinji his eyes were wide and his skin pale.

"Hey shin-man, you don't look so good", Kensuke said. "I wonder if that's a result of the accident", Touji chimed in. To which Hikari grabbed him by the ear and pulled him down till his head was level with hers. "Behave! Remember what we discussed earlier" was all she said. Touji promptly saluted and chimed of a "Yes ma'am".

"Shinji are you ok?" Hikaru asked concerned. Shinji nodded dumbly. "So how is the indestructible Shinji", Asuka almost bellowed as she entered the room closely followed by Kaji who was plugging his ears with his fingers. 'One good shot' he thought 'that's all I would need, just one', he added.

"What on earth happened to you! You look like you've seen a ghost", Asuka barked.

"Ikari, you are unharmed?", Rei asked with concern, if you weren't listening carefully you would have missed it, however Asuka didn't miss it..

"So the ice-queen speaks", Asuka insulted turning to Rei.

"I am not a doll", Rei replied simply narrowing her eyes to stare down the second child, leaving no room for questioning.

"Guys will you please stop, Shinji's in the hospital", Hikari said, unable to look at the occupant to the single bed. Instead she kept her eyes fixated on the floor. Rei muttered something under her breath about Asuka that was inaudible to everyone in the room.

For the rest of the hospital visit, not that much was said even Asuka remained mostly silent. Shinji regained his normal colour but didn't talk about it even with Asuka's constant badgering (the few times she had spoken had been to try to get information from him)

After an hour Ritsuko had ordered everyone out until visiting hours tomorrow.

"See ya around, Shin-man", Kensuke said

"Good day Ikari", Rei spoke

"I'll miss you, Shinji" Hikaru waved.

"Later man", Touji filed out.

Hikari simply looked at him nodded then left.

"I'll get you to tell me Idiot, I got ways you know" Asuka said leaving the room.

Ritsuko was about to leave his bedside when he grabbed her forearm to stop her. She looked at him asking a silent "What"

"Can I see Misato?" he asked.

"You still need rest, you can see her in the morning", Ritsuko denied his request.

"Please, I need to see her", Shinji pleaded.

Ritsuko nodded and held out her arm to help him out of the hospital bed. He was the only person she knew that could change her mind once she had made a choice. 'He looks so much like him' Ritsiko chewed over in her mind 'I wonder if he knows' 'He used to be like this, so full of passion, so caring. Now though I don't know what he is anymore'

They made there way down the long corridor Shinji used Ritsuko for support as they walked. The stopped by a brown door or more accurately Ritsuko stopped and Shinji was forced to do the same.

Ritsuko opened the door and they entered, Misato was awake, she placed Shinji into the chair by the side of the bed. She left the room, saying "I'll leave you two alone" closing the door behind her.

"Shinji, I'm sorry", Misato said.

"It wasn't your fault, that car came straight at us, no one could have avoided it"

Misato nodded relived that he didn't blame her for the accident. "Misato, I know what you were trying to tell me that night"

"You do? How?". Misato asked puzzled.

"Ritsuko told me, what are we going to do Misato"

"I don't know, you're so young, you don't need this responsibility Shinji"

"I may be young but I grew up a long time ago Misato, I grew up when the fate of the entire human race was put on my shoulders"

Misato nodded.

"I don't know what kind of father I'd make, I just hope I can do better than mine, I won't walk away like he did"

Misato smiled warmly, it wasn't the Misato teasing smile or the Misato 'man melting' smile as Shinji had dubbed it. It was the same smile she had used that night they had spent together, a truly happy smile.

They each starred at each other in silence for a long time, appreciating what the other would be giving up to do this, to make it work.

A soft knock at the door was heard, breaking them out of the trance. The door gently opened and Kaji popped in his head.

"Hey Misato, can we talk?" Kaji asked. Misato nodded and Kaji entered the room, he looked at Shinji then turned back to Misato, "Alone"

"Its ok Mr Kaji, I was just leaving", Shinji lied. Kaji helped the young man to the door where Ritsuko who had been waiting outside took over. Kaji closed over the brown door as Ritsuko helped Shinji back to his room

*****

Ritsuko and Shinji conversed as they walked toward the small hospital room at the other end of the corridor.

"So, is everything ok Shinji?" "What do you mean Ritsuko?" "Shinji", she smiled; "am I going to be an auntie?" Shinji chuckled; "I really don't know, but I hope so"

They arrived at the small room and went inside, Shinji lay back down onto the single bed. Ritsuko was turned off the light and opened the door. She spoke without turning around "If you find something special Shinji, fight for it, don't just give up, no one should be alone" without looking to see his reaction or letting him answer she left and shut the door behind her. ***** Kaji sat down in the chair that was previously occupied by Shinji.

"Misato, when they called me and said you'd been in an accident, I thought I'd lost you", he stated; "I don't want to lose you, marry me?" Kaji proposed.

"I--I don't know", Misato turned away unable to look him in the eye; "Things are different now" "Isn't this what you wanted, you said if we were to ever make this work you'd want a big commitment, it doesn't get much bigger than MARRIAGE Misato?"

"What about Shinji?" Misato asked more than he could know with that simple question. "Shinji's got his own place now and Asuka will be glad to take over your old apartment after you move in with me, so what do you say?" Kaji answered.

"I--I'll think about it"

"That's all I ask"

Kaji rose from the wooden chair and exited the room, closing the door softly as he left. For Misato it would be the first of many sleepless nights, nights plagued by dreams of both Shinji and Kaji.

*****

Next Episode

Shinji Finally cracks and goes insane can anyone stop Shinji's wrath? Find out next time in the next Griping Chapter of Circle of Fire!