Author's quick note: WOW! I got so many reviews, I just don't know what to say! Okay, THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! (how's that?) You guys make me wanna write more. . .instead of doing my homework (who needs it?). Here's the third chapter, as promised! I've updated quite early because, well, I had more written down in my notebook then I thought (amazing but true, I know), and my ancient civilizations class let out early this week, so more writing time. We're studying Egypt at this point, for those interested. And happy Friday the 13th!
Thank You's: Thank you to Neptune Butterfly (who loves Kuroneko as much as I do!), Rosebud (you're making a connection here, I gotta hand it to you, but not quite in the way you think), Magnet-Rose (you reviewed both chapters for me in one night, wow), AnonymousTrigunOtaku (I'm so glad you like it!), Jami (thanks!) and Chibi Chibi (I think you might be catching on a little too), Cheese puff knows all (Millie bashing? Oh, if I did, I'm both sorry and I didn't mean it. I'll watch myself from now on a little more!). And muchos gracias to my first reviewer Jaina!
Disclaimer: Trigun. . .it just isn't mine. You can see this because I'm a poor college student. Such would not be the case if I did own it, trust me on this one.
Chapter III: What You Leave Behind
Sunlight poured through the window, slanting down over wooden floorboards and pooling like liquid warmth throughout the bedroom. It glistened along ruffled strands of flaxen hair, slid across a pale forehead, and fit itself through thin eyelids. The sleeper sighed, thinking about turning over, but didn't. Two confused aquamarine eyes opened, and blinked.
Somewhere in the distance, a rooster let out a strangled crow before it was seized by a sleep-deprived housewife. A cat meowed for it's late breakfast, and was met by a flapping ball of squawking feathers instead. Then all was silent once more.
And for the first time in three days, Vash the Stampede opened his eyes without immediate pain. Better yet, he opened them and understood that he'd done so! The realization that he was still alive was so wonderful, that for a moment he merely relaxed and savored it, letting the increasing delight filter through his mind in little ripples.
Obviously, his fever had broken. But that hadn't taken care of everything. The world had still turned in his absence, with or without a spiky-haired idiot to help it along. Still. . .he still felt so incredibly tired that it was hard to even think about it all, or even think about moving, actually. But he had to at some point, best to start off with the basics anyway.
With this in mind, he pulled his mechanical arm out from under the covers and flexed the fingers experimentally, then brushed the wispy blond hair out of his eyes. Able to see much more now, he glanced down at the golden light cascading along his quilt-covered legs and onto his equally-hidden feet.
Something didn't quite feel right, and in a moment, he knew what it was. His internal clock was telling him that quite a bit of time had passed, though it looked to be merely the morning after his return. This didn't fit with things at all. But then, neither did his current location. Last he remembered, he was. . .oh, passed out at the living room table?
Well, whatever. This wasn't the first time he had been in such unfamiliar territory. At least it wasn't a ladies' bed. . .hopeful?. . .maybe?. . .no. Okay then, time to take stock of all four limbs.
Vash eased his pillow back against the headboard on the bed, then aligned his spine with it, using only his mechanical arm for support. The other shoulder hurt too much to put pressure on, a quick, testing movement of the wrist had proven that, so he didn't even attempt anything more with it.
Looking over things from a better vantage point, what amazed him the most from this position was that he was no longer dressed in his leather body armor. Or the jeans and blue shirt that he normally wore beneath them. Instead, a light gray, cotton robe had taken their place, the kind that buttoned up over both shoulders like a poncho. He definitely knew that this wasn't his, he didn't own anything this comfortable, except for maybe that old coat. . .but he had thrown that away, hadn't he?
Stretching out his legs, Vash wiggled each one of his toes until he decided that, though stiff, all ten were present. He even looked at his right hand, counted the fingers, then left them alone too. Even they hurt too much to try that again.
Wait. . .something, somewhere was. . .purring?
Leaning completely against the headboard and freeing up his still-useful arm, Vash lifted the blanket slightly to reveal Kuroneko-sama, asleep on his stomach and purring happily in the darkened warmth. Smiling, he placed the quilt back down again, hardly touching the unconscious cat.
Boot-steps thumped down a hallway somewhere, and he looked up. The door that lay directly across the room from the bed opened slightly. A smiling face peeked through the gap.
"Oh wonderful! I'm so happy to see that you're finally with us again Mr. Vash! Wait a moment."
The face disappeared, then returned about a minute later and Millie stepped into the room. Her smile was just as unrealistically sincere as always, but to a man that hadn't seen a smile in three days, it was heartwarming.
However, what his eyes themselves unconsciously drifted to was the tray in her hands, with bread and a soup bowl atop it, steam rising from the surface in a slow tantalizing cloud. His stomach growled, and Kuroneko growled back, angry at being disturbed during her beauty sleep.
"Well, I can see at least your belly's happy to see me!" She laughed, brushing hair out of her eyes, and Vash couldn't help but blush at the remark.
"Oh, I'm very happy to see you too Millie. Or anything, for that matter."
"Yes, but you're more happy to see this soup right now," she giggled back.
He followed her hands with his eyes as she placed the tray on his blanket-wrapped legs, and dragged over a stool to sit by his bedside. By the time she got there, he was already digging into the soup and bread on the tray like a starving man.
Unable to get any more sleep, a disgruntled Kuroneko crawled out from under the covers and tried to nibble on some bread herself. Millie merely waited patiently for several minutes, knowing that he would have to come up for air at some point.
"So," Vash paused to finally take a breath, brow furrowed, "um, I really don't know how to ask this big girl. . .but what am I doing in this room, and where are my clothes?"
"Oh," she laughed, clapping her hands together, "funny you should ask that Mr. Vash! When you passed out at the kitchen table, both Meryl and me thought you were going to die! Okay, maybe Meryl didn't," she glanced around innocently, "anyway, she got help from the lady doctor down the street. The nice woman said she'd be here in a shotgun minute to tend to 'your' wounds, isn't that funny! Oh, and I remembered the nurses' training that I took with Meryl during a company holiday too, so I kinda helped! I'm still confused though, Meryl wouldn't help, she said she didn't remember anything from the sessions."
Millie concentrated on this for a moment, looking unusually serious, almost as if there were something more then the situation at hand bugging her. Then, she seemed to remember herself and smiled again.
"Anyway, we got you all bandaged up!"
Watching her positively beam, he grinned back at her for a moment. But then understanding caught up with him and his eyes widened.
"You didn't. . .um-"
"Didn't what?" Her little-girl innocence returned, "Oh, no silly, we didn't peek or anything! Although," she leaned in close, "I liked the little heart and peace signs on your boxers, those were too cute!"
The Stampede thought he was going to die. Either that or melt into a little Plant puddle right through the floor. He only managed to keep the completely humiliated blush off his cheeks because Meryl chose that moment to also step through the door, detracting his attention from the giggling Millie.
The other woman gave them both a glance, her frown deepening. However, she did look in a better mood today then the last time they had started arguing, so the outlaw figured it was safe to continue acting conscious. Millie scooted her stool around and waved at her friend, delighted at the company.
"Oh hi Meryl! Me and Mr. Vash here were just talking," she patted him on the shoulder as Vash tried not to choke on his soup. "But since you're here. . .I'll just be going now. I know that you two might have some things to catch up on. . .you know. Besides, it's mail day, don't wanna miss that truck!"
For a moment, no one in the room moved as the tall girl regained her feet and made her way to the other side of the room while Vash went back to eating silently. When she reached Meryl's side, however, the older woman gave her a pleading glance.
"Millieeee. . ." her partner whispered through gritted teeth, turning away from Vash. He didn't even notice, he was busy feeding the bread crust to Kuroneko. "Don't leave me here like this!"
"Oh Meryl, you're funny. Just talk to him, I know how much you've been missing that!"
Then, humming to herself, Millie skipped out the door.
"Well," Meryl turned around after a moment's silence, still exasperated at a thousand different things, "so here we are again, huh?"
The man looked up, a little confused
"Where. . .huh?"
Meryl threw up her hands, looking ready enough to rag on God himself. "Argh! Sometimes you are so hopeless I just wanna. . ."
"Did I mention that I'm happy to see you too Meryl?"
She put her hands back down, lips pursing.
"Huh?"
"Well, you seemed happy enough to see me, so I just thought I'd let you know that the feeling's mutual!"
He gave her another of those smiles who's validity she immediately questioned. Why did he have to be so. . .so darn MALE sometimes!
"You know," she sighed, taking the chair that Millie had left next to the bed, "you're not charming me, if that's what you think. You may have a girl lined up in every city on Gunsmoke, Vash the Stampede, but Meryl Stryfe is not-"
"Not taking herself lightly enough, you mean? Gosh insurance girl, do you ever lighten up or what?"
Meryl's eyes widened despite her attempt to keep her emotions out of this.
"Hey, I don't need to do anymore lightening. . .wait, why am I arguing with you?" She rolled her eyes to the heavens, speaking to no one in general and getting an interesting look from Vash. It wasn't exactly a nice look either. Now that one she definitely noticed.
"Oh, okay," she dropped her gaze back to his face, and he gave her one of those pained smiles again, the kind that made her inwardly wince.
"I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Oh. . .what?"
"Smile, like that. It's not real."
He stared at her, pupils narrowing to mere points of ebony. For a second she felt her breath catch, for it felt like he was staring into her very soul through her own hesitant gaze. After a long moment he nodded softly, and the faked smile disappeared, seeming to have never been.
"Sure."
Now that he was serious, and conscious, she recalled the reason for her visit this morning.
Not that she wanted to talk to him right now, especially alone as they were, about anything serious. The way she was feeling at the moment, she didn't know if her heart could handle it. But he looked so puzzled by her uneasiness this morning that Meryl couldn't bear leaving him to wonder. It was obvious that Millie hadn't explained anything, a customary Millie tactic that normally kept her out of trouble. However, since they had both already jumped out of the frying pan quite a while ago, the fire didn't seem all that unexpected now. Vash had to know.
But just how much did he have to know? And why was she even asking herself this question! It wasn't like she had any right to protect him! Did she?
And of course, did it matter, she thought, watching his boyish face frown up at her, that he wasn't human?
When he had told her, the shock had been a confirming one. No human could have survived what he had been through. At least not live and still remain standing afterwards.
Yet his actual words to her before he had faced Knives had made it all so concrete that she wasn't sure what to think. He was a Plant…a Plant? He was over one hundred and thirty years old, and she was what, in her middle twenties? Vash had been wandering around since the founding of Gunsmoke. . .the things he must have seen. She almost wanted to ask him about it some time, but it seemed odd, since he physically looked little older then she did.
But those scars tell another story, her subconscious answered back, don't they?
Pushing all other thoughts away, she tried to concentrate on the task at hand. However, things kept intruding, little voices and emotions, like long-gone ghosts that not even time could chase away.
"No, we need to talk." Meryl's concerned expression caused Vash to scrunch his brow. Meryl had only used that tone with him less than a dozen times during their "association", and every single time it had been nothing but trouble. Preparing himself for the worst wasn't likely to help this time, he could see it in her eyes.
"About what Meryl? I mean, I've noticed that everything is unusually silent outside, which is odd. . ."
He gave the window a glance and paused, unsure of what to say next, looking down at his hands instead.
"Vash. . .oh why me?" She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, "Vash, everything is quiet out there because practically everyone in this town is gone."
His relaxed sleepiness gave way to a look of confusion, then one of unguided anger as he tensed sharply.
"WHAT? Owww-"
"Careful, that shoulder hasn't completely healed!" She put out a hand, then drew it back when she realized what she was doing. "Everybody left because they were afraid for their lives, wait, long story, let me back up-"
"Afraid of me?" He hunched his shoulders in preparation for the words he was sure would come.
"No, the 'humanoid typhoon' is the least of their worries right now. I think they're more worried about that guy after your brother."
"After my- Okay, start at the beginning again insurance girl, I'm even more confused."
"Yes," Meryl took a deep breath, which didn't really help much because she was on a roll at this point. "A lot has happened in the last three days, and much of it you probably won't wanna hear, but anyway-"
She cleared her throat and looked across the room, away from him, and she explained everything. There were several things she omitted, such as the death of the man in the bar, and the way that Caverral had threatened her and Millie. But she couldn't leave out the way in which he had promised to kill everyone in the saloon, otherwise she would have had no way to explain everyone's absence.
"So," he stared down at his hands still, not really seeing them, "this man knows Knives. Though you have no idea why, right?"
"Of course not, I'm as confused as you are."
He sighed, then his eyes came back up. "How is Knives anyway?"
Meryl glanced over from his bed to another one across the room, out of Vash's line of sight.
"I. . .I'm not sure. We've been tending to his wounds, like the doctor told us, but his fever hasn't broken. One of the holes in his thigh became infected the day after you brought him back, and even with the penicillin shot he was given, he's burning up. I don't know what-"
Vash pulled his legs up under the blanket, Kuroneko hopping off the bed in disgust and taking off with a ruffled meow. He turned, swinging his legs over the side, even as Meryl put out her arms to stop him.
"No, you're still hurt. You might-"
"I'll be careful with the shoulder," he gave her a little grin, "you just watch I don't fall on you, okay."
"Sure," she tried to hide her embarrassed smile. Since when did she go getting all protective over him? He was a grown man, after all!
Vash put his feet down onto the boards at the side of the bed, then rose up, stretching slightly. He steadied himself, then shuffled across the room, the metal plate on the bottom of one of his feet clopping against the wood beneath. Meryl peered at his bare calves where the hem of the robe just reached, surprised that his legs were just as scarred as his chest. It still gruesomely amazed her that anyone could have possibly suffered the amount of pain those scars illustrated, yet decided to keep on living regardless.
Just how insane was this man?
Attention focused, Vash moved to Knives' bedside, and looked down. The other man was completely hidden under his own quilt, though he could tell that his twin was still breathing anyway. He moved the blanket aside a bit, and peered down at his brother. Knives was curled into a tight ball under the quilt, his whole body trembling, fever-blush livid across his cheeks. The gray robe he also wore was soaked through with sweat, and Vash managed a perverse smile at what Knives would have thought at the prospect of having two human females dress him in it.
Meryl came over to his side, looking a little frightened but trying to hide it.
"He hasn't really said anything to us at all," she added. "Is he anything like you? Even a little?"
"Deep down," Vash reached out and brushed a hand across his twin's forehead, "I hope he still is."
"Um…are Millie and I doing anything wrong for him. . .I mean," she looked away, "since you two aren't human, um. . .I wasn't sure if we might have been treating his wounds wrong, or not giving him something that would help-"
"I'm not sure. . .I don't really know that much about us, me and Knives, that is. Or at least I don't know enough to really help him out right now, even though I know he needs me. I guess all I can do is hope, even if it's not enough."
At that moment, she really wanted to comfort him. Truly and honestly she did. Everything in her heart was telling her to reach out a hand and wrap it around his arm. . .but she couldn't. That little voice in her head, and the ghosts that swarmed around from days long since passed, grounded her once more.
Don't get involved, Meryl Strife, you know what that leads to. Don't be such an idiot again. Or do you want to hurt?
Vash knelt down next to his brother, and Meryl would hear him whisper softly to Knives, a worried smile on his lips. After what seemed like an eternity to her, he looked back up again.
"So, you say this 'Demon' guy will be back in seven days?"
"Yes."
Clearly in agony over such a forced decision, he stood back up, covering his twin in the quilt very carefully once more.
"But there's no way that Knives can face him! And even if he was well enough I wouldn't let him! He still has so much to understand, and no mortal would stand a chance against what my brother could, and would, do."
"I don't know what can possibly help. . .really. If I could help you, in the slightest way, I-"
"No. I know that Millie would say the same thing, and I don't want you girls getting hurt. I guess. . .I guess I'll need to think about this. I-"
Down the hall, the creak of another door opening made them both look up. Vash smiled in relief, his attention temporarily diverted.
"Oh, there's Millie again!"
Meryl smiled as well, the tension easing from her face.
"Hey ma'am, mail time!" Millie called down the hall. "Come look at all the stuff we got!
Meryl turned away from Vash for a second, nervous and knowing that this was the perfect chance to get away. He noticed, and it confused him all the more. Was this some kind of women thing that he just couldn't understand?
"You should go ahead," Vash turned his smile to her, "I'll be fine here, obviously. Besides, I gotta think about how to save Knives."
"Oh. . .um. Thank you Vash. And please," she gave him a look that showed more confusion then he felt, surprising him as she moved toward the door "don't do anything crazy…okay."
"Sure. . .um, Meryl. I'll be careful, you know that!"
"No," she whispered as she turned to the hallway, "actually, I don't."
"Hey there ma'am! We got something from Bernardelli today."
Millie shook the sand off a worn white envelope and handed it over to her senior partner. The other woman took it suspiciously, realizing that most of the recent letters from that place had been causing her more trouble then the actual 'humanoid typhoon', and this was just on a good day! Why oh why had she chosen risk prevention as her specialty?
"Oh good," she sighed, "hope it's a paycheck. I don't know about you Millie, but I'm completely broke."
"Yep, same here Meryl, I don't have a double dollar to my name!" The other girl continued to riffle through some printed add for a dress shop, and then her eyes lit up when she saw what was nestled behind it. "Yippee! I got a letter from my big big brother. . .and, oh, you got a letter too ma'am."
"Huh?" Meryl watched in disbelief as the taller woman handed her another slightly dusty envelope. Originally, the envelope paper had held a faint pinkish hue, but after what could have been weeks of traveling in a mail truck it had taken on a grayish desert tinge, grimy and gritty feeling to the touch.
Because of the color, she didn't have to turn it over to look at the address. She knew who this was from, and her fingertips shook as she ran a long thumbnail through the lip of the envelope, accidentally slitting the fleshy tip of her finger. Cursing as she stuck the fingertip in her mouth, Meryl opened the paper within.
For a second, her eyes glanced over the contents, face unreadable as her lips moved silently. Beside her, Millie watched, rather puzzled and hunting for some sign of what her partner was feeling on the other woman's blank face. After finishing the last line, however, Meryl looked concerned. She squinted for a moment, then seemed to re-read something before looking back up.
The letter dropped from her fingers and fluttered against a table leg like a wounded butterfly.
"Oh, Meryl! You look so sad. . .what's wrong?" The younger woman reached out a comforting hand, but the other only brushed her away, looking around for a place to sit.
"Millie, um. . .that letter was from my mom. You remember her, right?"
"Why of course Meryl, I met her at the company picnic two years ago, with your dad too."
"Well, somehow my parents found out where we are staying for awhile, and according to the letter," she slumped into a chair, "they should be arriving for a visit in seven days."
Endnotes: Okay, I'll try and hurry up and finish reviewing for my reviewers, as promised! I've just been a little late because one of my professors is leaving for Egypt next week(I wanna go!), so he moved up our sorta-semi-midterm test to next week, and I've been studying quite hard. So, if I haven't reviewed something of yours in a couple of days, and you notice, please let me know (beat me over the head, throw stuff at me, whatever)! My brain is completely gone at this point…ugh. Next chapter, next Friday. . .and I work faster with reviews, but then, you already know that, right? I just hope this chapter isn't as bad as I think it is. There's a slight lull, but only for a little while, and it's needed anyway. Lulls in action irritate me, but I hope that I'm very wrong about them bothering all of you! I had a hard time writing this chapter because I kept going back and rewording everything, then getting put out, and doing it again (which is why I never look at my chapters after I post, you would never hear the end of it if I did). By the way, I give ten points to anyone that can figure out where the title of this story came from. Okay, two hints: it's a song….and the band that produced it is punk. Which band is that?
Thank You's: Thank you to Neptune Butterfly (who loves Kuroneko as much as I do!), Rosebud (you're making a connection here, I gotta hand it to you, but not quite in the way you think), Magnet-Rose (you reviewed both chapters for me in one night, wow), AnonymousTrigunOtaku (I'm so glad you like it!), Jami (thanks!) and Chibi Chibi (I think you might be catching on a little too), Cheese puff knows all (Millie bashing? Oh, if I did, I'm both sorry and I didn't mean it. I'll watch myself from now on a little more!). And muchos gracias to my first reviewer Jaina!
Disclaimer: Trigun. . .it just isn't mine. You can see this because I'm a poor college student. Such would not be the case if I did own it, trust me on this one.
Chapter III: What You Leave Behind
Sunlight poured through the window, slanting down over wooden floorboards and pooling like liquid warmth throughout the bedroom. It glistened along ruffled strands of flaxen hair, slid across a pale forehead, and fit itself through thin eyelids. The sleeper sighed, thinking about turning over, but didn't. Two confused aquamarine eyes opened, and blinked.
Somewhere in the distance, a rooster let out a strangled crow before it was seized by a sleep-deprived housewife. A cat meowed for it's late breakfast, and was met by a flapping ball of squawking feathers instead. Then all was silent once more.
And for the first time in three days, Vash the Stampede opened his eyes without immediate pain. Better yet, he opened them and understood that he'd done so! The realization that he was still alive was so wonderful, that for a moment he merely relaxed and savored it, letting the increasing delight filter through his mind in little ripples.
Obviously, his fever had broken. But that hadn't taken care of everything. The world had still turned in his absence, with or without a spiky-haired idiot to help it along. Still. . .he still felt so incredibly tired that it was hard to even think about it all, or even think about moving, actually. But he had to at some point, best to start off with the basics anyway.
With this in mind, he pulled his mechanical arm out from under the covers and flexed the fingers experimentally, then brushed the wispy blond hair out of his eyes. Able to see much more now, he glanced down at the golden light cascading along his quilt-covered legs and onto his equally-hidden feet.
Something didn't quite feel right, and in a moment, he knew what it was. His internal clock was telling him that quite a bit of time had passed, though it looked to be merely the morning after his return. This didn't fit with things at all. But then, neither did his current location. Last he remembered, he was. . .oh, passed out at the living room table?
Well, whatever. This wasn't the first time he had been in such unfamiliar territory. At least it wasn't a ladies' bed. . .hopeful?. . .maybe?. . .no. Okay then, time to take stock of all four limbs.
Vash eased his pillow back against the headboard on the bed, then aligned his spine with it, using only his mechanical arm for support. The other shoulder hurt too much to put pressure on, a quick, testing movement of the wrist had proven that, so he didn't even attempt anything more with it.
Looking over things from a better vantage point, what amazed him the most from this position was that he was no longer dressed in his leather body armor. Or the jeans and blue shirt that he normally wore beneath them. Instead, a light gray, cotton robe had taken their place, the kind that buttoned up over both shoulders like a poncho. He definitely knew that this wasn't his, he didn't own anything this comfortable, except for maybe that old coat. . .but he had thrown that away, hadn't he?
Stretching out his legs, Vash wiggled each one of his toes until he decided that, though stiff, all ten were present. He even looked at his right hand, counted the fingers, then left them alone too. Even they hurt too much to try that again.
Wait. . .something, somewhere was. . .purring?
Leaning completely against the headboard and freeing up his still-useful arm, Vash lifted the blanket slightly to reveal Kuroneko-sama, asleep on his stomach and purring happily in the darkened warmth. Smiling, he placed the quilt back down again, hardly touching the unconscious cat.
Boot-steps thumped down a hallway somewhere, and he looked up. The door that lay directly across the room from the bed opened slightly. A smiling face peeked through the gap.
"Oh wonderful! I'm so happy to see that you're finally with us again Mr. Vash! Wait a moment."
The face disappeared, then returned about a minute later and Millie stepped into the room. Her smile was just as unrealistically sincere as always, but to a man that hadn't seen a smile in three days, it was heartwarming.
However, what his eyes themselves unconsciously drifted to was the tray in her hands, with bread and a soup bowl atop it, steam rising from the surface in a slow tantalizing cloud. His stomach growled, and Kuroneko growled back, angry at being disturbed during her beauty sleep.
"Well, I can see at least your belly's happy to see me!" She laughed, brushing hair out of her eyes, and Vash couldn't help but blush at the remark.
"Oh, I'm very happy to see you too Millie. Or anything, for that matter."
"Yes, but you're more happy to see this soup right now," she giggled back.
He followed her hands with his eyes as she placed the tray on his blanket-wrapped legs, and dragged over a stool to sit by his bedside. By the time she got there, he was already digging into the soup and bread on the tray like a starving man.
Unable to get any more sleep, a disgruntled Kuroneko crawled out from under the covers and tried to nibble on some bread herself. Millie merely waited patiently for several minutes, knowing that he would have to come up for air at some point.
"So," Vash paused to finally take a breath, brow furrowed, "um, I really don't know how to ask this big girl. . .but what am I doing in this room, and where are my clothes?"
"Oh," she laughed, clapping her hands together, "funny you should ask that Mr. Vash! When you passed out at the kitchen table, both Meryl and me thought you were going to die! Okay, maybe Meryl didn't," she glanced around innocently, "anyway, she got help from the lady doctor down the street. The nice woman said she'd be here in a shotgun minute to tend to 'your' wounds, isn't that funny! Oh, and I remembered the nurses' training that I took with Meryl during a company holiday too, so I kinda helped! I'm still confused though, Meryl wouldn't help, she said she didn't remember anything from the sessions."
Millie concentrated on this for a moment, looking unusually serious, almost as if there were something more then the situation at hand bugging her. Then, she seemed to remember herself and smiled again.
"Anyway, we got you all bandaged up!"
Watching her positively beam, he grinned back at her for a moment. But then understanding caught up with him and his eyes widened.
"You didn't. . .um-"
"Didn't what?" Her little-girl innocence returned, "Oh, no silly, we didn't peek or anything! Although," she leaned in close, "I liked the little heart and peace signs on your boxers, those were too cute!"
The Stampede thought he was going to die. Either that or melt into a little Plant puddle right through the floor. He only managed to keep the completely humiliated blush off his cheeks because Meryl chose that moment to also step through the door, detracting his attention from the giggling Millie.
The other woman gave them both a glance, her frown deepening. However, she did look in a better mood today then the last time they had started arguing, so the outlaw figured it was safe to continue acting conscious. Millie scooted her stool around and waved at her friend, delighted at the company.
"Oh hi Meryl! Me and Mr. Vash here were just talking," she patted him on the shoulder as Vash tried not to choke on his soup. "But since you're here. . .I'll just be going now. I know that you two might have some things to catch up on. . .you know. Besides, it's mail day, don't wanna miss that truck!"
For a moment, no one in the room moved as the tall girl regained her feet and made her way to the other side of the room while Vash went back to eating silently. When she reached Meryl's side, however, the older woman gave her a pleading glance.
"Millieeee. . ." her partner whispered through gritted teeth, turning away from Vash. He didn't even notice, he was busy feeding the bread crust to Kuroneko. "Don't leave me here like this!"
"Oh Meryl, you're funny. Just talk to him, I know how much you've been missing that!"
Then, humming to herself, Millie skipped out the door.
"Well," Meryl turned around after a moment's silence, still exasperated at a thousand different things, "so here we are again, huh?"
The man looked up, a little confused
"Where. . .huh?"
Meryl threw up her hands, looking ready enough to rag on God himself. "Argh! Sometimes you are so hopeless I just wanna. . ."
"Did I mention that I'm happy to see you too Meryl?"
She put her hands back down, lips pursing.
"Huh?"
"Well, you seemed happy enough to see me, so I just thought I'd let you know that the feeling's mutual!"
He gave her another of those smiles who's validity she immediately questioned. Why did he have to be so. . .so darn MALE sometimes!
"You know," she sighed, taking the chair that Millie had left next to the bed, "you're not charming me, if that's what you think. You may have a girl lined up in every city on Gunsmoke, Vash the Stampede, but Meryl Stryfe is not-"
"Not taking herself lightly enough, you mean? Gosh insurance girl, do you ever lighten up or what?"
Meryl's eyes widened despite her attempt to keep her emotions out of this.
"Hey, I don't need to do anymore lightening. . .wait, why am I arguing with you?" She rolled her eyes to the heavens, speaking to no one in general and getting an interesting look from Vash. It wasn't exactly a nice look either. Now that one she definitely noticed.
"Oh, okay," she dropped her gaze back to his face, and he gave her one of those pained smiles again, the kind that made her inwardly wince.
"I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Oh. . .what?"
"Smile, like that. It's not real."
He stared at her, pupils narrowing to mere points of ebony. For a second she felt her breath catch, for it felt like he was staring into her very soul through her own hesitant gaze. After a long moment he nodded softly, and the faked smile disappeared, seeming to have never been.
"Sure."
Now that he was serious, and conscious, she recalled the reason for her visit this morning.
Not that she wanted to talk to him right now, especially alone as they were, about anything serious. The way she was feeling at the moment, she didn't know if her heart could handle it. But he looked so puzzled by her uneasiness this morning that Meryl couldn't bear leaving him to wonder. It was obvious that Millie hadn't explained anything, a customary Millie tactic that normally kept her out of trouble. However, since they had both already jumped out of the frying pan quite a while ago, the fire didn't seem all that unexpected now. Vash had to know.
But just how much did he have to know? And why was she even asking herself this question! It wasn't like she had any right to protect him! Did she?
And of course, did it matter, she thought, watching his boyish face frown up at her, that he wasn't human?
When he had told her, the shock had been a confirming one. No human could have survived what he had been through. At least not live and still remain standing afterwards.
Yet his actual words to her before he had faced Knives had made it all so concrete that she wasn't sure what to think. He was a Plant…a Plant? He was over one hundred and thirty years old, and she was what, in her middle twenties? Vash had been wandering around since the founding of Gunsmoke. . .the things he must have seen. She almost wanted to ask him about it some time, but it seemed odd, since he physically looked little older then she did.
But those scars tell another story, her subconscious answered back, don't they?
Pushing all other thoughts away, she tried to concentrate on the task at hand. However, things kept intruding, little voices and emotions, like long-gone ghosts that not even time could chase away.
"No, we need to talk." Meryl's concerned expression caused Vash to scrunch his brow. Meryl had only used that tone with him less than a dozen times during their "association", and every single time it had been nothing but trouble. Preparing himself for the worst wasn't likely to help this time, he could see it in her eyes.
"About what Meryl? I mean, I've noticed that everything is unusually silent outside, which is odd. . ."
He gave the window a glance and paused, unsure of what to say next, looking down at his hands instead.
"Vash. . .oh why me?" She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, "Vash, everything is quiet out there because practically everyone in this town is gone."
His relaxed sleepiness gave way to a look of confusion, then one of unguided anger as he tensed sharply.
"WHAT? Owww-"
"Careful, that shoulder hasn't completely healed!" She put out a hand, then drew it back when she realized what she was doing. "Everybody left because they were afraid for their lives, wait, long story, let me back up-"
"Afraid of me?" He hunched his shoulders in preparation for the words he was sure would come.
"No, the 'humanoid typhoon' is the least of their worries right now. I think they're more worried about that guy after your brother."
"After my- Okay, start at the beginning again insurance girl, I'm even more confused."
"Yes," Meryl took a deep breath, which didn't really help much because she was on a roll at this point. "A lot has happened in the last three days, and much of it you probably won't wanna hear, but anyway-"
She cleared her throat and looked across the room, away from him, and she explained everything. There were several things she omitted, such as the death of the man in the bar, and the way that Caverral had threatened her and Millie. But she couldn't leave out the way in which he had promised to kill everyone in the saloon, otherwise she would have had no way to explain everyone's absence.
"So," he stared down at his hands still, not really seeing them, "this man knows Knives. Though you have no idea why, right?"
"Of course not, I'm as confused as you are."
He sighed, then his eyes came back up. "How is Knives anyway?"
Meryl glanced over from his bed to another one across the room, out of Vash's line of sight.
"I. . .I'm not sure. We've been tending to his wounds, like the doctor told us, but his fever hasn't broken. One of the holes in his thigh became infected the day after you brought him back, and even with the penicillin shot he was given, he's burning up. I don't know what-"
Vash pulled his legs up under the blanket, Kuroneko hopping off the bed in disgust and taking off with a ruffled meow. He turned, swinging his legs over the side, even as Meryl put out her arms to stop him.
"No, you're still hurt. You might-"
"I'll be careful with the shoulder," he gave her a little grin, "you just watch I don't fall on you, okay."
"Sure," she tried to hide her embarrassed smile. Since when did she go getting all protective over him? He was a grown man, after all!
Vash put his feet down onto the boards at the side of the bed, then rose up, stretching slightly. He steadied himself, then shuffled across the room, the metal plate on the bottom of one of his feet clopping against the wood beneath. Meryl peered at his bare calves where the hem of the robe just reached, surprised that his legs were just as scarred as his chest. It still gruesomely amazed her that anyone could have possibly suffered the amount of pain those scars illustrated, yet decided to keep on living regardless.
Just how insane was this man?
Attention focused, Vash moved to Knives' bedside, and looked down. The other man was completely hidden under his own quilt, though he could tell that his twin was still breathing anyway. He moved the blanket aside a bit, and peered down at his brother. Knives was curled into a tight ball under the quilt, his whole body trembling, fever-blush livid across his cheeks. The gray robe he also wore was soaked through with sweat, and Vash managed a perverse smile at what Knives would have thought at the prospect of having two human females dress him in it.
Meryl came over to his side, looking a little frightened but trying to hide it.
"He hasn't really said anything to us at all," she added. "Is he anything like you? Even a little?"
"Deep down," Vash reached out and brushed a hand across his twin's forehead, "I hope he still is."
"Um…are Millie and I doing anything wrong for him. . .I mean," she looked away, "since you two aren't human, um. . .I wasn't sure if we might have been treating his wounds wrong, or not giving him something that would help-"
"I'm not sure. . .I don't really know that much about us, me and Knives, that is. Or at least I don't know enough to really help him out right now, even though I know he needs me. I guess all I can do is hope, even if it's not enough."
At that moment, she really wanted to comfort him. Truly and honestly she did. Everything in her heart was telling her to reach out a hand and wrap it around his arm. . .but she couldn't. That little voice in her head, and the ghosts that swarmed around from days long since passed, grounded her once more.
Don't get involved, Meryl Strife, you know what that leads to. Don't be such an idiot again. Or do you want to hurt?
Vash knelt down next to his brother, and Meryl would hear him whisper softly to Knives, a worried smile on his lips. After what seemed like an eternity to her, he looked back up again.
"So, you say this 'Demon' guy will be back in seven days?"
"Yes."
Clearly in agony over such a forced decision, he stood back up, covering his twin in the quilt very carefully once more.
"But there's no way that Knives can face him! And even if he was well enough I wouldn't let him! He still has so much to understand, and no mortal would stand a chance against what my brother could, and would, do."
"I don't know what can possibly help. . .really. If I could help you, in the slightest way, I-"
"No. I know that Millie would say the same thing, and I don't want you girls getting hurt. I guess. . .I guess I'll need to think about this. I-"
Down the hall, the creak of another door opening made them both look up. Vash smiled in relief, his attention temporarily diverted.
"Oh, there's Millie again!"
Meryl smiled as well, the tension easing from her face.
"Hey ma'am, mail time!" Millie called down the hall. "Come look at all the stuff we got!
Meryl turned away from Vash for a second, nervous and knowing that this was the perfect chance to get away. He noticed, and it confused him all the more. Was this some kind of women thing that he just couldn't understand?
"You should go ahead," Vash turned his smile to her, "I'll be fine here, obviously. Besides, I gotta think about how to save Knives."
"Oh. . .um. Thank you Vash. And please," she gave him a look that showed more confusion then he felt, surprising him as she moved toward the door "don't do anything crazy…okay."
"Sure. . .um, Meryl. I'll be careful, you know that!"
"No," she whispered as she turned to the hallway, "actually, I don't."
"Hey there ma'am! We got something from Bernardelli today."
Millie shook the sand off a worn white envelope and handed it over to her senior partner. The other woman took it suspiciously, realizing that most of the recent letters from that place had been causing her more trouble then the actual 'humanoid typhoon', and this was just on a good day! Why oh why had she chosen risk prevention as her specialty?
"Oh good," she sighed, "hope it's a paycheck. I don't know about you Millie, but I'm completely broke."
"Yep, same here Meryl, I don't have a double dollar to my name!" The other girl continued to riffle through some printed add for a dress shop, and then her eyes lit up when she saw what was nestled behind it. "Yippee! I got a letter from my big big brother. . .and, oh, you got a letter too ma'am."
"Huh?" Meryl watched in disbelief as the taller woman handed her another slightly dusty envelope. Originally, the envelope paper had held a faint pinkish hue, but after what could have been weeks of traveling in a mail truck it had taken on a grayish desert tinge, grimy and gritty feeling to the touch.
Because of the color, she didn't have to turn it over to look at the address. She knew who this was from, and her fingertips shook as she ran a long thumbnail through the lip of the envelope, accidentally slitting the fleshy tip of her finger. Cursing as she stuck the fingertip in her mouth, Meryl opened the paper within.
For a second, her eyes glanced over the contents, face unreadable as her lips moved silently. Beside her, Millie watched, rather puzzled and hunting for some sign of what her partner was feeling on the other woman's blank face. After finishing the last line, however, Meryl looked concerned. She squinted for a moment, then seemed to re-read something before looking back up.
The letter dropped from her fingers and fluttered against a table leg like a wounded butterfly.
"Oh, Meryl! You look so sad. . .what's wrong?" The younger woman reached out a comforting hand, but the other only brushed her away, looking around for a place to sit.
"Millie, um. . .that letter was from my mom. You remember her, right?"
"Why of course Meryl, I met her at the company picnic two years ago, with your dad too."
"Well, somehow my parents found out where we are staying for awhile, and according to the letter," she slumped into a chair, "they should be arriving for a visit in seven days."
Endnotes: Okay, I'll try and hurry up and finish reviewing for my reviewers, as promised! I've just been a little late because one of my professors is leaving for Egypt next week(I wanna go!), so he moved up our sorta-semi-midterm test to next week, and I've been studying quite hard. So, if I haven't reviewed something of yours in a couple of days, and you notice, please let me know (beat me over the head, throw stuff at me, whatever)! My brain is completely gone at this point…ugh. Next chapter, next Friday. . .and I work faster with reviews, but then, you already know that, right? I just hope this chapter isn't as bad as I think it is. There's a slight lull, but only for a little while, and it's needed anyway. Lulls in action irritate me, but I hope that I'm very wrong about them bothering all of you! I had a hard time writing this chapter because I kept going back and rewording everything, then getting put out, and doing it again (which is why I never look at my chapters after I post, you would never hear the end of it if I did). By the way, I give ten points to anyone that can figure out where the title of this story came from. Okay, two hints: it's a song….and the band that produced it is punk. Which band is that?