Chapter 12 – Hold Your Breath
During the plane ride to the Whispered Facility, Sousuke just clung to Kaname, rocking her. There was nothing else to do in the between time. NOTHING he could do for her, nothing but accompany her. He viciously hoped that she would wake up and they could go back. His hand throbbed, it was his only reminder that this wasn't his dream.
Previously at the hospital:
No doctor at the hospital had been able to help her – after several hours of tests all they could tell Sousuke was something traumatic forced her into a coma. Their futile words only further provoked the wounded tiger, pushing him to break and he slammed his fist into the hospital wall right next to the doctor's head. His rage had scared off most of the hospital. Security would be on their way. Picking Kaname up, he hustled her to the roof – their rendezvous point with Mithril.
Kyouko stayed behind to take care of the chaos at the two apartment buildings. Tessa would meet them when they landed to escort them to the facility. Now they were over the middle of the ocean halfway between home and their destination.
Sousuke carefully played the scenes from previous experiences back in his head. Kaname had only naturally Whispered in her sleep or when she needed to understand something technological. When she had been kidnapped – they had used a visual stimulus to try to trigger her capabilities. The phone call had to be the trigger, but how? Could he have prevented the call in the first place by insisting she stay with him? Why wasn't her newly assigned protector there to help her too?
When he contacted Mithril before the ambulance had arrived, the Whispered expert had been waiting to talk with Sousuke. Dr. Shou said to bring Kaname in – just as Sousuke had planned. It was hurry up and wait while she was in a coma. He sounded very concerned as he explained that three other Whispereds had been flown in earlier with a similar experience. They'd all been found in a coma state next to their cell phones.
"What about Captain Testarossa?" Sousuke questioned, feeling a pang of concern for his former Captain.
"She's fine. Under strict security. All communications for her are being sent in person or on paper," Dr. Shou reassured.
"So this may not just be transmitted by cell phone?" Sousuke put that piece into the puzzle.
"We're afraid so, we'll go over this with the response team when you arrive."
...
Fading sunlight gave the plane a fiery hue as it landed. Tessa waited in the ambulance on the runway, for Sousuke and Kaname. Deep concern etched her face, as she saw Sousuke carry Kaname down the stairs toward her. A large tear slowly traced a path down her face, and she took a big breath to ward off any more. She had been a heated rival with Kaname over Sousuke, but never wished any evil toward her. If circumstances would have been different, maybe they could have been good friends – sharing what it was like to be a Whispered, yet trying to live a life of one's own.
Kaname was the same color as the pale hospital sheets that Sousuke had wrapped her in. Her head bobbed up and down against his shoulder as he ran with her. Though, Tessa noted that she looked at peace. What had she gone through before the coma? Kaname had been one to fight her Whispered tendencies, trying to live as a normal high school girl.
Stomach knotting, Tessa hoped that tendency didn't make things worse for Kaname. Why hadn't she taught Kaname more about the Whispered state? "If Kaname gets better..." she shook her head at that thought, "No, WHEN she gets better, I will teach her more - then maybe she and Sousuke can have a more normal life."
Sousuke carefully laid Kaname out on the stretcher and sat down. He grasped her hand and entwined her fingers in his, while the paramedic silently but obtrusively began to put EEG electrodes on Kaname's head. Sousuke put his other hand over one of the sensors and the paramedic gently removed the Sergeant's hand, with a sympathetic shake of his head.
Seeing her hooked up to a machine like this, Sousuke's brow furrowed. Tessa, sensing his distress, pushed past the paramedic and held Kaname's other hand. No words were exchanged between Sousuke and Tessa in the ambulance on the way to the Whispered Facility, just mutual concern.
...
Thirty minutes later. Briefing Session at the Whispered Facility:
Sousuke, Tessa, Mardukas, Kalinin, Dr. Shou, Mao, Kurz, plus a few doctors that Sousuke didn't recognize – a Dr. Hankin and Dr. Sandiaz sat at the planning room table.
Shuffling a few papers in her folder, Tessa began the meeting, "Ladies and gentlemen, HQ has received intelligence that a week ago, two Whispereds were kidnapped by terrorist forces in Algeria. They've used the Whispereds to develop a Black Technology triggering device – which emits a set of frequency intervals – just barely past normal human detection. With this, they're able to attack a Whispered through communications devices such as cellphone or radio, and force that person into a Whispered State – evidently then they begin recording the Whispered's technology secrets. The problem is, when the forced state is started it is traumatic to the subject. After the frequencies are halted the subject goes into shock and then a coma. At this point we are unsure if there is any long-term damage to the subject..."
Tessa concentrated on breathing deeply for a moment before she could continue. This was hard news to deliver.
With his face pained, Sousuke glanced up at Tessa, then down at his notes. The corners of his mouth fell and his mouth opened to almost say something during the pause. The soldier inside him knew better, so he smothered the avalanche of emotion inside himself and let his face settle into a stern visage. No amount of outburst about the apparent failures of the assigned protectors for the Whispereds would help Kaname or the others right now.
Closing her eyes momentarily to concentrate, Tessa had been staring at Sousuke and it was bringing him unnecessary attention. Going back over her notes, she continued, "The call to Miss Chidori was the longest. We were able to trace the source, but were unable to determine the exact goal of the perpetrators – whether they were retrieving Black Technology to sell it or whether they were looking for something specific. The call was ended before we were able to determine." She sat down, ending her intro.
Everyone in the room could read the growing anger in Sousuke's look. Kaname had been used as bait.
Rising, Kalinin continued the briefing and the lights dimmed as the projector turned on. "The response team will make a strike at 0500. Here are the latest satellite photos of the complex, just south of Adrar in the Sahara. The two Whispereds are believed to be in this section of the complex." Using a laser pointer, he highlighted the northeast corner to the row of buildings. "Their strongest points are there and in the opposite corner. We will make our strike here in the center. Resistance is expected to be heavy. Intelligence suggests that they have acquired a batch of ASes. Sgt. Sagara – you are being called back into active duty and will be assigned to the Arbalest. More specific orders and assignments will be discussed with Sgt. Major Mao, after this meeting." Kalinin rested in his chair and crossed his arms, indicating he was done.
Dr Shou was next. "There is still one test we wish to run on the Whispered victims. Captain, we would like to request that you attempt to contact one of the victims via the Whispered State. We know that it's possible to communicate in the state, maybe more can be gathered from an attempted contact."
Tessa nodded her agreement, "I would like to attempt it with Miss Chidori, since I have contacted her before."
He nodded and resumed, "Then with your permission Captain, we'll begin the test in an hour."
Sousuke looked at his watch – 1700 hours. He might be able to be there for the test. Deciding to be bold, he requested, "Captain. Dr. Shou. May I be there for the test?"
Mardukas scowled.
Dr Shou glimpsed Tessa's ok, before consenting, "I don't see why not."
Dismissing the meeting, she bee lined it for Sousuke, as did Mardukas. But, Mardukas cornered him first and began to vent his anger on Sousuke. "Sergeant, I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but you damned near destroyed all our input when you broke into Miss Chidori's apartment hollering like a hooligan. You were the one responsible for us not finding out what they were after. Do you hear me Sergeant? Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Sousuke swallowed and clenched his fists. He had nothing to say that was fit to say to a superior officer.
"Commander, stand down!" Tessa couldn't believe what she was hearing. Mardukas had always been a father figure to her. He stammered to stop, stunned. Treading further, she pointed out, "What if the Whispered had been your wife? What would you have done? Sousuke did what any man in his position would do. You are dismissed, Commander."
Mardukas indignantly exited.
In amazement, Sousuke whispered, "Thank you, Captain." She smiled and replied, "See you in an hour."
Wah! That was a hard chapter to write. Had to ask questions and think A LOT. (Thanks Bel for your help! I hope this is more of what you meant about the briefing.) Please, R&R.