There are some types of rain that are pleasant. Rain with warm, fat drops
that make you smile and stick out your tongue. Rain that smells deliciously
like rain, fresh and new. Rain that patiently, melodically drums on your
windows while you watch from the warm inside of your living room.
Unfortunately, Hilde was outside and the rain was hard and cold. Unforgiving. It slashed down, drenching Hilde's already soaked hide before smashing into the pavement.
"I am going to MURDER whoever is in charge of weather," Hilde grumbled to herself.
"My very thoughts," said a voice. Hilde started violently, reaching almost unconsciously for her pocket before checking herself. She peered to her left, seeing a young man with sandy blond hair and a long white coat, standing underneath an umbrella.
"It's the rain," he said. "It masks the sounds."
"Oh." Hilde felt like an idiot. In her present situation, as an ex-oz officer who had just escaped from prison with the help of a Gundam pilot, it was not a good idea to let unknown men sneak up on her. In fact, that's probably not a good idea in any situation, Hilde told herself.
"Do you want some umbrella?" the young man asked helpfully. Hilde eyed him suspiciously. It would be nice to be out of the rain... But she needed to find a doctor, quickly. That was, after all, why she was standing in the rain at one of the back entrances to the only hospital on the colony.
"Just till your ride comes. You have got a ride, right?"
"Yes," Hilde lied as she stepped underneath the umbrella.
The young man shifted the umbrella to cover her a bit better and stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Breggo Yolden."
Hilde shook his hand.
"Breggo?" she asked, to keep from sharing her own name.
"Ya, my parents were... a bit eccentric. They were ever so disappointed when I grew up to become a doctor," he said conversationally, "and not the president of Greenpeace. They were absolutely mortified when I moved to L2. Ah, but, oh well. Can't please everybody, can we?"
"No," said Hilde, dazedly. She'd found one. A doctor.
The doctor was presently peering at her face, looking concerned.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just, uh, um. I..."
"Got some bad news?" he suggested.
"Yes, a friend of mine got shot." Hilde went by the rule that said if you have to lie, stick as close to the truth as you can. It's easier to remember.
The Doctor was mumbling condolences but Hilde took a deep breath and cut him off.
"Doctor, what is your opinion of the Gundam pilots?"
He looked a bit stunned by the sudden shift in conversation. "I, I feel sorry for them." Hilde could understand that. They were isolated, alone in a war torn world with no homes or even a side to fight on because both sides hated them. Everywhere they went they were shunned. Or the place was destroyed. At least, that was the impression she had gotten from Duo. Hilde wondered if she shared a similar fate.
"Doctor, I need to come with me."
"You what?" The young man stepped backwards, away from her.
"Please, Doctor," said Hilde, reaching into her pocket and jammed the gun into his side. "I have a friend who needs help. Please don't make a fuss." He looked pale and sick to his stomach. Poor guy, Hilde thought. It's not his fault- he just offered me some of his umbrella.
Hilde hooked her arm through his, the gun still against his ribs, and started walking. He walked along with her, sloshing through the flooded parking lot.
Suddenly, the doctor halted besides her. "We can't go that way," he said.
"Why not?"
"Oz. They put up a perimeter around the hospital. They want to know everyone going in and out. They... they seem to think that they wounded one of you." He looked at her. "There was an announcement on the intercom."
"Shit!" said Hilde, her mind racing around trying to think of a way to get out of here.
"We could go in my car, they'll check but I might get you through."
"Ha, fat chance! You'll say something."
"Either way you're stuck. If I turn you in your caught, If you stay here they will find you. It's worth a try." Hilde hated to admit he was right.
"Which car is yours?"
He led her back the way they had come, to a bright red sports car.
"Ooooooo. Nice car." Said Hilde, even though she was feeling a bit ill. She didn't like putting her life in the hands of a man she had known for only ten minutes. You trusted Duo, her brain reminded her. Well that was different, Hilde told herself.
"I am a Doctor. Gotta spend my money on something. Here," said the young man, opening a door for her. Hilde climbed in and waited as he got in the drivers side.
"Humph.... Put the seat back. And then, cover yourself with this," he reached into the back seat and handed Hilde a dusty red blanket.
Hilde reclined the chair and pulled the blanket over head, like he had asked. Her fingers were shaking, her mind was screaming at her. Telling her to jump out of the vehicle even as it rolled towards the Oz soldiers. To run for it- do anything but lie there and wait to be caught. To find another way out of the hospital and back to Duo. There had to be another way. There was absolutely no reason for the Doctor to help her. I did just accost him, hold him at gunpoint, force him to walk through he pouring rain, and then drip all over his pretty, red car, Hilde thought. He has plenty of reason to try and get my ass thrown back in jail.
There was one thing that kept Hilde in her seat, though. Duo. If she ran for it he wouldn't get a doctor. He might die because she had chickened out. There was something about that thought that was unbearable to Hilde. She had killed men before, but she could not, would not let Duo die, especially because of her.
Hilde felt the car roll to a stop and heard the squeal of the window opening
The blanket was heavy, too heavy. It pushed down on Hilde, suffocating her.
She heard voices. It seemed so flimsy, the blanket. A mere quarter of a centimeter between herself and the men searching for her. Between freedom and imprisonment. Between life and death. Because if they caught her they would surely kill her. She wondered, would it be the chair? Or the gas chamber? Or maybe they would jettison her into space. Or, perhaps, they would beat her to death and tell the newspapers it was a 'hunger strike' or some other lie.
Shut up! Hilde told herself. Shut up! You are not Steven Biko! He was black and male and South African and he wanted peace and equality and freedom. You are white, female and German. You thought you fought for the colonies, but now you don't have a cause. You're like a piece of debris floating through space without direction or reason.
She was shaking so badly it was a wonder the soldier hadn't noticed. The voices continued overhead. Hilde would have liked to listen, but her ears were full of the pounding of her heart.
Then the car was moving again. Hilde struggled to pull herself free of the suffocating blanket and sit up, but an arm held her down.
"Wait," said the Doctor. "They can still see us."
Hilde waited.
"Alright, you can sit up." Hilde sat up and stared at the world around her. The rain ran down the windows, the lights of the colony twinkled at her.
"You didn't tell them about me." Hilde said, her voice quavering.
"No, I didn't. Where are we going?"
"The Sister's Motel, on... I can't remember the name of the street." Hilde felt like crying.
"Don't worry, I know the place." They drove in silence for some moments, Hilde watching the world through the window.
"Why didn't you tell them?" She asked as they pulled into the parking lot.
"I already told you, I feel sorry for the Gundam pilots. I feel sorry for you too. It seems to me that you've set yourself a task too hard and you could use whatever help you can. It takes guts to defy Oz." He shrugged at her and climbed out of the car. Hilde followed suit and waited under the eves as he grabbed a duffel bag from the trunk.
"What says that I defied Oz in any way, or that I have anything to do with the Gundams?" Hilde almost didn't want to know the answer.
"Your picture has been shown on every news-station on the colony," said the Doctor as Hilde turned to climb up the stairs.
"You are a little dirtier, older looking- like you've seen too much, but it is you." Hilde reached the top and turned left.
"They don't have a picture of your friend, but I'll be willing to bet that his male, about 16, with blue eyes and brown hair." Hilde reached the door and fished in her pockets for the key.
"I believe that he was last seen wearing black." Hilde found it in the pocket with the gun. There was a smear of blood on the metal. Poor thing, Hilde thought, it's not meant to have to deal with people like me. It's supposed to deal with mothers and families on vacation. Not murders or traitors.
AN: I know, I know, I know. It took me EONS to get his chapter out. Well, maybe not eons, but you get the point. It took a really long time. Apologies to the academy. (Ignore that, please, I just like saying "The academy..." its cool) Apologies to everyone who has been waiting. And a humongous THANKYOU to everyone who has read this chapter and an even bigger thank you to anyone who reviews it!!! Hint, hint. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! All comments are appreciated.
Now, for the thankyou's-
Patricia- See, she tried to help him! Thanks for thinking my story is great. Its so nice to hear nice things from nice people whom I have never (presumably) met before. Who knows, maybe you are the lady who I stood In line behind at K-Mart last week, You never know, do you?
computer geek michelle- Did I tell you before that I like your name. "Computer Geek Michelle" Just has this ring to it. Maybe it is the multiple syllables, or the word geek. Its almost as cool as "dork" or "dweeb". I LOVE dweeb. Btb, thanks!
Mama-sama- God, you are so reliable. Reliable to the extreme. To the zillionth power. Thanks for being so reliable and always having a nice, inspiring word to say.
to anyone I forgot- apologies, and permission to yell at me. I will thank you next time if you remind me, k?
THANKS AGAIN!
Unfortunately, Hilde was outside and the rain was hard and cold. Unforgiving. It slashed down, drenching Hilde's already soaked hide before smashing into the pavement.
"I am going to MURDER whoever is in charge of weather," Hilde grumbled to herself.
"My very thoughts," said a voice. Hilde started violently, reaching almost unconsciously for her pocket before checking herself. She peered to her left, seeing a young man with sandy blond hair and a long white coat, standing underneath an umbrella.
"It's the rain," he said. "It masks the sounds."
"Oh." Hilde felt like an idiot. In her present situation, as an ex-oz officer who had just escaped from prison with the help of a Gundam pilot, it was not a good idea to let unknown men sneak up on her. In fact, that's probably not a good idea in any situation, Hilde told herself.
"Do you want some umbrella?" the young man asked helpfully. Hilde eyed him suspiciously. It would be nice to be out of the rain... But she needed to find a doctor, quickly. That was, after all, why she was standing in the rain at one of the back entrances to the only hospital on the colony.
"Just till your ride comes. You have got a ride, right?"
"Yes," Hilde lied as she stepped underneath the umbrella.
The young man shifted the umbrella to cover her a bit better and stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Breggo Yolden."
Hilde shook his hand.
"Breggo?" she asked, to keep from sharing her own name.
"Ya, my parents were... a bit eccentric. They were ever so disappointed when I grew up to become a doctor," he said conversationally, "and not the president of Greenpeace. They were absolutely mortified when I moved to L2. Ah, but, oh well. Can't please everybody, can we?"
"No," said Hilde, dazedly. She'd found one. A doctor.
The doctor was presently peering at her face, looking concerned.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just, uh, um. I..."
"Got some bad news?" he suggested.
"Yes, a friend of mine got shot." Hilde went by the rule that said if you have to lie, stick as close to the truth as you can. It's easier to remember.
The Doctor was mumbling condolences but Hilde took a deep breath and cut him off.
"Doctor, what is your opinion of the Gundam pilots?"
He looked a bit stunned by the sudden shift in conversation. "I, I feel sorry for them." Hilde could understand that. They were isolated, alone in a war torn world with no homes or even a side to fight on because both sides hated them. Everywhere they went they were shunned. Or the place was destroyed. At least, that was the impression she had gotten from Duo. Hilde wondered if she shared a similar fate.
"Doctor, I need to come with me."
"You what?" The young man stepped backwards, away from her.
"Please, Doctor," said Hilde, reaching into her pocket and jammed the gun into his side. "I have a friend who needs help. Please don't make a fuss." He looked pale and sick to his stomach. Poor guy, Hilde thought. It's not his fault- he just offered me some of his umbrella.
Hilde hooked her arm through his, the gun still against his ribs, and started walking. He walked along with her, sloshing through the flooded parking lot.
Suddenly, the doctor halted besides her. "We can't go that way," he said.
"Why not?"
"Oz. They put up a perimeter around the hospital. They want to know everyone going in and out. They... they seem to think that they wounded one of you." He looked at her. "There was an announcement on the intercom."
"Shit!" said Hilde, her mind racing around trying to think of a way to get out of here.
"We could go in my car, they'll check but I might get you through."
"Ha, fat chance! You'll say something."
"Either way you're stuck. If I turn you in your caught, If you stay here they will find you. It's worth a try." Hilde hated to admit he was right.
"Which car is yours?"
He led her back the way they had come, to a bright red sports car.
"Ooooooo. Nice car." Said Hilde, even though she was feeling a bit ill. She didn't like putting her life in the hands of a man she had known for only ten minutes. You trusted Duo, her brain reminded her. Well that was different, Hilde told herself.
"I am a Doctor. Gotta spend my money on something. Here," said the young man, opening a door for her. Hilde climbed in and waited as he got in the drivers side.
"Humph.... Put the seat back. And then, cover yourself with this," he reached into the back seat and handed Hilde a dusty red blanket.
Hilde reclined the chair and pulled the blanket over head, like he had asked. Her fingers were shaking, her mind was screaming at her. Telling her to jump out of the vehicle even as it rolled towards the Oz soldiers. To run for it- do anything but lie there and wait to be caught. To find another way out of the hospital and back to Duo. There had to be another way. There was absolutely no reason for the Doctor to help her. I did just accost him, hold him at gunpoint, force him to walk through he pouring rain, and then drip all over his pretty, red car, Hilde thought. He has plenty of reason to try and get my ass thrown back in jail.
There was one thing that kept Hilde in her seat, though. Duo. If she ran for it he wouldn't get a doctor. He might die because she had chickened out. There was something about that thought that was unbearable to Hilde. She had killed men before, but she could not, would not let Duo die, especially because of her.
Hilde felt the car roll to a stop and heard the squeal of the window opening
The blanket was heavy, too heavy. It pushed down on Hilde, suffocating her.
She heard voices. It seemed so flimsy, the blanket. A mere quarter of a centimeter between herself and the men searching for her. Between freedom and imprisonment. Between life and death. Because if they caught her they would surely kill her. She wondered, would it be the chair? Or the gas chamber? Or maybe they would jettison her into space. Or, perhaps, they would beat her to death and tell the newspapers it was a 'hunger strike' or some other lie.
Shut up! Hilde told herself. Shut up! You are not Steven Biko! He was black and male and South African and he wanted peace and equality and freedom. You are white, female and German. You thought you fought for the colonies, but now you don't have a cause. You're like a piece of debris floating through space without direction or reason.
She was shaking so badly it was a wonder the soldier hadn't noticed. The voices continued overhead. Hilde would have liked to listen, but her ears were full of the pounding of her heart.
Then the car was moving again. Hilde struggled to pull herself free of the suffocating blanket and sit up, but an arm held her down.
"Wait," said the Doctor. "They can still see us."
Hilde waited.
"Alright, you can sit up." Hilde sat up and stared at the world around her. The rain ran down the windows, the lights of the colony twinkled at her.
"You didn't tell them about me." Hilde said, her voice quavering.
"No, I didn't. Where are we going?"
"The Sister's Motel, on... I can't remember the name of the street." Hilde felt like crying.
"Don't worry, I know the place." They drove in silence for some moments, Hilde watching the world through the window.
"Why didn't you tell them?" She asked as they pulled into the parking lot.
"I already told you, I feel sorry for the Gundam pilots. I feel sorry for you too. It seems to me that you've set yourself a task too hard and you could use whatever help you can. It takes guts to defy Oz." He shrugged at her and climbed out of the car. Hilde followed suit and waited under the eves as he grabbed a duffel bag from the trunk.
"What says that I defied Oz in any way, or that I have anything to do with the Gundams?" Hilde almost didn't want to know the answer.
"Your picture has been shown on every news-station on the colony," said the Doctor as Hilde turned to climb up the stairs.
"You are a little dirtier, older looking- like you've seen too much, but it is you." Hilde reached the top and turned left.
"They don't have a picture of your friend, but I'll be willing to bet that his male, about 16, with blue eyes and brown hair." Hilde reached the door and fished in her pockets for the key.
"I believe that he was last seen wearing black." Hilde found it in the pocket with the gun. There was a smear of blood on the metal. Poor thing, Hilde thought, it's not meant to have to deal with people like me. It's supposed to deal with mothers and families on vacation. Not murders or traitors.
AN: I know, I know, I know. It took me EONS to get his chapter out. Well, maybe not eons, but you get the point. It took a really long time. Apologies to the academy. (Ignore that, please, I just like saying "The academy..." its cool) Apologies to everyone who has been waiting. And a humongous THANKYOU to everyone who has read this chapter and an even bigger thank you to anyone who reviews it!!! Hint, hint. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! All comments are appreciated.
Now, for the thankyou's-
Patricia- See, she tried to help him! Thanks for thinking my story is great. Its so nice to hear nice things from nice people whom I have never (presumably) met before. Who knows, maybe you are the lady who I stood In line behind at K-Mart last week, You never know, do you?
computer geek michelle- Did I tell you before that I like your name. "Computer Geek Michelle" Just has this ring to it. Maybe it is the multiple syllables, or the word geek. Its almost as cool as "dork" or "dweeb". I LOVE dweeb. Btb, thanks!
Mama-sama- God, you are so reliable. Reliable to the extreme. To the zillionth power. Thanks for being so reliable and always having a nice, inspiring word to say.
to anyone I forgot- apologies, and permission to yell at me. I will thank you next time if you remind me, k?
THANKS AGAIN!