We were still driving when I saw Knives stir, then clutch at his head. I
pulled off the road and stopped the car.
"Pain," I heard him murmur. "I hate this pain."
"Knives, I'm going to take you to the doctor."
His eyes opened and he stared at me. "I don't need a doctor. What happened to the men?"
"One of them you killed. The other one I shot with my stun gun."
"Why did you shoot him?"
"Because I didn't want him to kill you," I answered. I thought about it for a moment. Wouldn't the world be better off if I had let him kill Knives? For just a moment I pictured that, but I shook my head and let it pass. I could dare to think the thought but the act was beyond me.
"If you're doing better I want to get back on the road now," I said.
"I don't want to meet my brother and that woman in March yet," he replied.
"What do you want to do?" I asked.
"I want to show you something," he answered. "Drive north."
I was a bit bemused that he felt he could simply order me to do whatever he liked. But when I tried to tell him Vash and Meryl would be worried, he just shook his head. In the end I bought some food and blankets in the next town and headed north on the next road.
Knives didn't speak except to give me directions. Finally we ended up on a narrow access road that ended at a power plant. It looked deserted.
Knives got out of the car and ordered me out as well. I began walking with him toward the plant, wondering what he wanted to show me but afraid to ask.
Knives began to speak. "They abandoned this power plant when it stopped working right. Just left, without even thinking about what they were doing."
He opened the door to the power plant at this point and led me through a maze of corridors. As we began to pass warning signs, I stopped.
"Knives, I don't think people are supposed to be this far back."
He shrugged. "It can't hurt me." I just looked at him and finally he shrugged.
"It can't hurt you either, with the plant shut down like it is."
We continued walking until we got near the main bulb of the plant. Knives dragged me by the hand through a glass doorway, and suddenly we were facing the blackened, shriveled body of a being that looked like an angel.
"They just left her here to starve to death," Knives said. "They didn't care. You humans wanted her to suffer and die." He was shouting now.
I shook my head and chose my words carefully. "Knives, even engineers don't understand anymore how the plants work. People can't normally get this close and survive. I don't think anyone realized what would happen, or what kind of a being they were --"
"Condemning to death." Knives finished the sentence for me.
There was a long silence.
"Knives, do you want to bury her?" I asked finally.
He looked startled. "How?"
"I have a shovel in the jeep. Between the two of us we could make a grave."
I had done simple medical tasks for Knives while he was healing, but I had never offered him help as I was doing now. Finally, he nodded.
We took turns with the shovel. Knives was still weak but we managed to dig a grave before it was completely dark. He went back into the plant and returned bearing the plant angel. He looked sad. It was the first time I had seen an emotion in his face besides anger. For just an instant he reminded me of his brother, then the feeling passed.
He put the angel into the grave and we shoveled the dirt over her body. My lips moved in a silent prayer for her, and for Knives, and for me.
"Did she have a name?" I finally asked.
Knives shook his head. "I only knew her after she was dead. And I don't even know if they have names. I should know, but I just don't."
In the end we left a simple pile of stones for a marker. It was night by now and I didn't want to drive any more. I suggested to Knives that we sleep in the jeep under the blankets I had bought. He agreed.
I lay across the seats looking up at the stars.
Then Knives spoke. "Aren't you worried that I'll kill you, now that I've got my strength back?" he asked.
I didn't know how to answer. Finally I decided on honesty. "Yes, sometimes I worry that you will kill me."
"That's intelligent," he replied. I almost laughed, but smothered it, and somehow managed to fall asleep looking up at the stars.
(Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will be more.)
"Pain," I heard him murmur. "I hate this pain."
"Knives, I'm going to take you to the doctor."
His eyes opened and he stared at me. "I don't need a doctor. What happened to the men?"
"One of them you killed. The other one I shot with my stun gun."
"Why did you shoot him?"
"Because I didn't want him to kill you," I answered. I thought about it for a moment. Wouldn't the world be better off if I had let him kill Knives? For just a moment I pictured that, but I shook my head and let it pass. I could dare to think the thought but the act was beyond me.
"If you're doing better I want to get back on the road now," I said.
"I don't want to meet my brother and that woman in March yet," he replied.
"What do you want to do?" I asked.
"I want to show you something," he answered. "Drive north."
I was a bit bemused that he felt he could simply order me to do whatever he liked. But when I tried to tell him Vash and Meryl would be worried, he just shook his head. In the end I bought some food and blankets in the next town and headed north on the next road.
Knives didn't speak except to give me directions. Finally we ended up on a narrow access road that ended at a power plant. It looked deserted.
Knives got out of the car and ordered me out as well. I began walking with him toward the plant, wondering what he wanted to show me but afraid to ask.
Knives began to speak. "They abandoned this power plant when it stopped working right. Just left, without even thinking about what they were doing."
He opened the door to the power plant at this point and led me through a maze of corridors. As we began to pass warning signs, I stopped.
"Knives, I don't think people are supposed to be this far back."
He shrugged. "It can't hurt me." I just looked at him and finally he shrugged.
"It can't hurt you either, with the plant shut down like it is."
We continued walking until we got near the main bulb of the plant. Knives dragged me by the hand through a glass doorway, and suddenly we were facing the blackened, shriveled body of a being that looked like an angel.
"They just left her here to starve to death," Knives said. "They didn't care. You humans wanted her to suffer and die." He was shouting now.
I shook my head and chose my words carefully. "Knives, even engineers don't understand anymore how the plants work. People can't normally get this close and survive. I don't think anyone realized what would happen, or what kind of a being they were --"
"Condemning to death." Knives finished the sentence for me.
There was a long silence.
"Knives, do you want to bury her?" I asked finally.
He looked startled. "How?"
"I have a shovel in the jeep. Between the two of us we could make a grave."
I had done simple medical tasks for Knives while he was healing, but I had never offered him help as I was doing now. Finally, he nodded.
We took turns with the shovel. Knives was still weak but we managed to dig a grave before it was completely dark. He went back into the plant and returned bearing the plant angel. He looked sad. It was the first time I had seen an emotion in his face besides anger. For just an instant he reminded me of his brother, then the feeling passed.
He put the angel into the grave and we shoveled the dirt over her body. My lips moved in a silent prayer for her, and for Knives, and for me.
"Did she have a name?" I finally asked.
Knives shook his head. "I only knew her after she was dead. And I don't even know if they have names. I should know, but I just don't."
In the end we left a simple pile of stones for a marker. It was night by now and I didn't want to drive any more. I suggested to Knives that we sleep in the jeep under the blankets I had bought. He agreed.
I lay across the seats looking up at the stars.
Then Knives spoke. "Aren't you worried that I'll kill you, now that I've got my strength back?" he asked.
I didn't know how to answer. Finally I decided on honesty. "Yes, sometimes I worry that you will kill me."
"That's intelligent," he replied. I almost laughed, but smothered it, and somehow managed to fall asleep looking up at the stars.
(Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will be more.)