Warnings: Angst, swearing, spoilers to Gluhen ending.
Follows the ficlet [A Better Way to Die], because a few friends asked for it...
Feedback much appreciated!
=YS=
[Perfect]
Nagi is begging. It's the first time Schuldich sees him beg. He begs and begs and he's going down on his knees.
Schuldich lacks the strength to move. He stares at his leader who is probably already dead. He doesn't dare to check for breathing or pulse.
Takatori Mamoru finally agrees to take Crawford under his wing. Nagi has saved their Abyssnian, and Schwarz has helped them. He's just worried about how the rest of Kritiker's going to react. He looks to Schuldich. He can't outright ask the telepath to tweak the minds of Kritiker agents, but they reach a silent agreement.
They airlift them to Kritiker's base, somewhere on an island. The people ask Schuldich about Crawford's blood type, if he's taking any medications, allergic to any drugs, and Schuldich doesn't know. It's been God knows how many years, and all Schuldich knows is Crawford's perfection. Everything about him is perfect, from the way he speaks to what he does, even his mistakes. He's perfectly arrogant, perfectly unbearable, perfectly addictive.
Crawford is dead when they put him on the operating table. Schuldich doesn't know anything medical, but he knows a flat line means no pulse.
They try to make Schuldich leave, but he wouldn't. He needs to know they are doing what they should be doing. In the end they relented. They make him change into proper clothing instead. He stands close to the table and watches them try to bring Crawford back to life.
They cut him open. There's so much blood.
Beside Schuldich, Nagi whimpers in pain. He wants to leave. He can't watch them cut Crawford up.
Schuldich tells him to watch. This is what they must do. They are going to witness the whole thing, right until the last minute. Nagi nods. His hand searches for Schuldich's.
For eight hours they stand, holding each other's hand. During those eight hours, Crawford comes back to life twice, and dies twice more.
And then they tell them they've done all they could. Crawford is alive for now, but they don't think he'll pull through. No human can do that.
Schuldich doesn't bother to tell them Crawford is not human. Humans are never perfect, so Crawford isn't human.
Him and Nagi sits through the day, and then the night. The line goes flat several more times, but each time, even before they can get any help, the reassuring beep that indicates pulse starts again.
Crawford is fighting.
Schwarz is trying to change the future.
But three weeks later, Schuldich and Nagi begin to accept the fact that Crawford may never wake up.
One more day, Schuldich tells Crawford in his mind, one more day of this and I'm going to make Nags kill you.
He knows Crawford would prefer that over being a vegetable.
Nags isn't going to like it, you know. And I'm going to beat your corpse and fuck it in public, Brad Crawford. So either hurry the fuck up and die, or wake up.
The next morning, he stands beside Crawford's bed, and strokes the pale face with a hand.
Well, is this your decision, O-Leader? Schuldich asks. Should I get Nags? Because I can't do it. I don't know if he can, but I can't.
No. I don't want you to play with my body in public, thank you.
............. Fuck, I should've said that sooner.
Now you're the one with the sense of humour.
Hahaha, fuck you. I'm funny and you're funnier. Oh fuck. You're alive.
Yes. Now that I know no one's going to kill me, let me get some rest. And Schuldich, tell them to up the morphine. It fucking hurts.
... Did you just say fuck?
I did. If you don't go now I'll die of pain and you won't hear anything from me anymore.
Right. I'll go now.
And after you've done that, go get some rest.
... Heh, fine.
Schuldich leaves the room. He walks into Nagi. He tells him he won't get to play with Crawford's body.
Nagi's eyes brighten. He smiles and says oh, what a shame.
I think I can live with that. Schudich shrugs, his smile turning into a grin. Instead of some one-time-only fun, I get to bugger him for all the years to come.
Nagi rolls his eyes.
Schuldich moves along. He whistles.
The future has changed. Who changed it, Nagi, the people at Kritiker, Crawford, or himself, Schuldich doesn't know. He doesn't know what new future Crawford sees now. And he still doesn't know Crawford's bloodtype, or if he has any drug allergies. But he knows one thing. Crawford never wanted to die. The slight tension in the arms around his neck when they escaped from the collapsing building told him Crawford didn't want to die. He only did what he had to.
And now he has achieved the impossible. He has come back.
For a human, this would be a miracle. For Crawford, it is just another thing he does. The calmness he shows makes it looks as if fighting for his life is not a big deal, taking no effort at all, just like everything else he does.
But then again, Crawford isn't human. Humans are never perfect.
[end]