Emotions
"What the hell were you thinking?! You or Asuka could have been killed and you just kept fighting! After I gave you specific orders to withdraw!!" As soon as Narikage's feet hit the platform, Misato was yelling at him, her face a mere inch from his own. "You are not invincible, Eiro Narikage! And, what's more, you caused significant damage to the city and to Unit 01!!" The boy blinked his pale eyes, not at all phased by the torrent of angry words.
"The angel is dead; what does the rest matter? I did what I was supposed to do, didn't I?"
"No! You did not! I gave you orders to leave the battle and to get Asuka to safety! Did it ever cross your mind that she could have been dead or dying?!"
"Yes, it crossed my mind. But she told me Asuka was safe," he said, gesturing with his head towards the badly beaten unit.
"Enough with this cryptic talk! And I don't care if a GOD told you Asuka was safe! Next time I tell you to withdraw, you do it! Got it?!" Narikage blinked at the older woman for a moment then gave a small nod.
"Hai, Miss Katsuragi." The woman settled back on her heels, also giving a little nod, her anger pretty much spent.
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear. Change out of your plug suit then report to the commander's office. He wants to see you."
"He wants to yell at me, no doubt." The boy chuckled a little, startling Misato. Giving her a little bow, he started past her. Before he had gone five steps, he gasped and crumpled a little, clutching his side.
"Narikage! What's wrong!" Misato was beside him in a moment, her hands on his shoulders. The boy winced, moving his hand.
It came away drenched in blood.
"How in the hell. . ." she whispered, eyes wide. "Damn! I forgot about the acid! You need to get to the infirmary." Narikage blinked at her for a moment before his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped fully against her, unconscious.
***
Soft beepings woke the sixteen-year-old sometime later. He was laying on a hospital bed in a strange, white room. Tubes disappeared under the blankets, attached to his arms.
"You've been asleep for nearly six hours." The boy's head snapped to the side when he heard the soft voice and he winced slightly at the pain that tore through him. Rei stood up from her chair, looking down at him with indifferent red eyes.
"You've finally decided to speak to me," he said, not looking away from her gaze.
"I came here for answers, not for pleasantries," she snapped, some emotion slipping through her calm façade.
"What kind of answers are you looking for?"
"Who are you?"
"You know who I am, Miss Ayanami."
"No. I want to know who you really are. You're hiding something from everyone."
"Yes, I am," he replied bluntly, managing to prop himself up on an elbow without tearing out any of the tubes. "Like you, I have my secrets."
"What makes you think I have secrets?"
"Those who hold much inside can recognize others who do the same." Narikage's gaze became that much more intense and, for a few moments, Rei was speechless. Somehow, she recovered and gritted her teeth.
"You don't know anything about me."
"Just as you know nothing about me. I will tell everyone everything when I decide they are ready." Frustrated, Rei spun on her heel and started to leave. Narikage's soft voice caused to her to halt, however. "They said. . .they said Shinji died in your arms. Tell me. . .did he suffer?" Something in his tone caused her to turn halfway towards him. He was sitting up fully now, gazing at her with the strangest expression in his pale eyes.
"There was some pain but he didn't feel it for long."
"Was he scared?"
"No." Narikage's stare turned to the window on the opposite wall.
"I'm glad," he whispered so soft, Rei barely caught it. "I'm glad he didn't have to suffer for long and that he wasn't afraid. I'm sorry I wasn't. . ." His whisper dwindled to nothing before he finished the sentence. Rei turned towards him fully, looking at him with slightly surprised eyes. As she watched, a tear slowly coursed down his cheek but he made no motion to finish what he had been about to say. Nor did he move to wipe the tear away.
"I'll let you get rest." Unable to decipher the situation, Rei fled the room, not stopping until she was a good distance from the room. Once she was sure she was safe, she slumped against a wall, hand pressed over her quick-beating heart. What had just happened? Had she really seen Narikage crying or it had all been just a trick of the light?
The girl straightened a little, staring intently at the wall opposite her, replaying the whole scene again in her head.
'No, he had really been crying,' she finally decided, shocked. 'Why? Why was he crying? For Shinji? For a boy he'd never even met? Why?' She glanced back the way she had come, weighing the options in her head. She could go back and ask him, try to figure it out. 'He'll never tell me. He doesn't like to talk about himself. . .just like me.'
Bowing her head slightly, she pushed away from the wall and walked away.
***
Misato slipped into Narikage's room, shutting the door quietly so as not to wake the boy.
"I'm already up." She jumped and whirled. Narikage was standing at the window, his back to her. He was wearing the blue hospital pants but not the shirt. A large bandage had been wrapped tightly around his torso, hiding the ugly side wound. He turned his head, looking at the woman over his shoulder. "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to check up on you," she replied quietly, taking a small step forward. He sighed and turned his attention back to something out the window. "You scared us all for a moment, just collapsing like that. You lost a lot of blood but the doctor said you should be fine."
"It's strange. . .I didn't even feel it. Not until I tried to walk away," he murmured, clasping his hands behind his back. For a second, Misato could swear she was looking at Commander Ikari's back and the thought nearly knocked her breath away. Narikage, somehow, seemed to sense this and turned around to look at her fully. "You're close to figuring it out, Miss Katsuragi, but your hesitation is holding you back."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about." She stared hard at him for a long moment then gave a small shake of her head.
"No, I'm afraid I don't." The boy sighed again and let his hands drop to his sides.
"I guess you aren't ready yet. That's alright; it takes some getting used to." He padded to the hospital bed, sitting on it, facing her. "When can I leave?"
After recovering from the abrupt subject change, she replied: "As soon as the doctor clears you. He wants to run a few tests—"
"No. No tests." For some reason, all the color had drained from Narikage's face as soon as she had said the word 'test.' She couldn't be sure, but she thought she could see the boy trembling. "I'm fine. I don't need any tests."
"Very well," she said cautiously, eyeing him. "I'll go talk to him." Narikage let out his breath and relaxed slightly. "I'll bring you some clothes when I come back as well."
"Arigato, Miss Katsuragi." She nodded and left the room, closing the door. Once outside, she paused, thinking hard. Why had Narikage become afraid when she mentioned doing tests?
What was he hiding?
"What the hell were you thinking?! You or Asuka could have been killed and you just kept fighting! After I gave you specific orders to withdraw!!" As soon as Narikage's feet hit the platform, Misato was yelling at him, her face a mere inch from his own. "You are not invincible, Eiro Narikage! And, what's more, you caused significant damage to the city and to Unit 01!!" The boy blinked his pale eyes, not at all phased by the torrent of angry words.
"The angel is dead; what does the rest matter? I did what I was supposed to do, didn't I?"
"No! You did not! I gave you orders to leave the battle and to get Asuka to safety! Did it ever cross your mind that she could have been dead or dying?!"
"Yes, it crossed my mind. But she told me Asuka was safe," he said, gesturing with his head towards the badly beaten unit.
"Enough with this cryptic talk! And I don't care if a GOD told you Asuka was safe! Next time I tell you to withdraw, you do it! Got it?!" Narikage blinked at the older woman for a moment then gave a small nod.
"Hai, Miss Katsuragi." The woman settled back on her heels, also giving a little nod, her anger pretty much spent.
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear. Change out of your plug suit then report to the commander's office. He wants to see you."
"He wants to yell at me, no doubt." The boy chuckled a little, startling Misato. Giving her a little bow, he started past her. Before he had gone five steps, he gasped and crumpled a little, clutching his side.
"Narikage! What's wrong!" Misato was beside him in a moment, her hands on his shoulders. The boy winced, moving his hand.
It came away drenched in blood.
"How in the hell. . ." she whispered, eyes wide. "Damn! I forgot about the acid! You need to get to the infirmary." Narikage blinked at her for a moment before his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped fully against her, unconscious.
***
Soft beepings woke the sixteen-year-old sometime later. He was laying on a hospital bed in a strange, white room. Tubes disappeared under the blankets, attached to his arms.
"You've been asleep for nearly six hours." The boy's head snapped to the side when he heard the soft voice and he winced slightly at the pain that tore through him. Rei stood up from her chair, looking down at him with indifferent red eyes.
"You've finally decided to speak to me," he said, not looking away from her gaze.
"I came here for answers, not for pleasantries," she snapped, some emotion slipping through her calm façade.
"What kind of answers are you looking for?"
"Who are you?"
"You know who I am, Miss Ayanami."
"No. I want to know who you really are. You're hiding something from everyone."
"Yes, I am," he replied bluntly, managing to prop himself up on an elbow without tearing out any of the tubes. "Like you, I have my secrets."
"What makes you think I have secrets?"
"Those who hold much inside can recognize others who do the same." Narikage's gaze became that much more intense and, for a few moments, Rei was speechless. Somehow, she recovered and gritted her teeth.
"You don't know anything about me."
"Just as you know nothing about me. I will tell everyone everything when I decide they are ready." Frustrated, Rei spun on her heel and started to leave. Narikage's soft voice caused to her to halt, however. "They said. . .they said Shinji died in your arms. Tell me. . .did he suffer?" Something in his tone caused her to turn halfway towards him. He was sitting up fully now, gazing at her with the strangest expression in his pale eyes.
"There was some pain but he didn't feel it for long."
"Was he scared?"
"No." Narikage's stare turned to the window on the opposite wall.
"I'm glad," he whispered so soft, Rei barely caught it. "I'm glad he didn't have to suffer for long and that he wasn't afraid. I'm sorry I wasn't. . ." His whisper dwindled to nothing before he finished the sentence. Rei turned towards him fully, looking at him with slightly surprised eyes. As she watched, a tear slowly coursed down his cheek but he made no motion to finish what he had been about to say. Nor did he move to wipe the tear away.
"I'll let you get rest." Unable to decipher the situation, Rei fled the room, not stopping until she was a good distance from the room. Once she was sure she was safe, she slumped against a wall, hand pressed over her quick-beating heart. What had just happened? Had she really seen Narikage crying or it had all been just a trick of the light?
The girl straightened a little, staring intently at the wall opposite her, replaying the whole scene again in her head.
'No, he had really been crying,' she finally decided, shocked. 'Why? Why was he crying? For Shinji? For a boy he'd never even met? Why?' She glanced back the way she had come, weighing the options in her head. She could go back and ask him, try to figure it out. 'He'll never tell me. He doesn't like to talk about himself. . .just like me.'
Bowing her head slightly, she pushed away from the wall and walked away.
***
Misato slipped into Narikage's room, shutting the door quietly so as not to wake the boy.
"I'm already up." She jumped and whirled. Narikage was standing at the window, his back to her. He was wearing the blue hospital pants but not the shirt. A large bandage had been wrapped tightly around his torso, hiding the ugly side wound. He turned his head, looking at the woman over his shoulder. "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to check up on you," she replied quietly, taking a small step forward. He sighed and turned his attention back to something out the window. "You scared us all for a moment, just collapsing like that. You lost a lot of blood but the doctor said you should be fine."
"It's strange. . .I didn't even feel it. Not until I tried to walk away," he murmured, clasping his hands behind his back. For a second, Misato could swear she was looking at Commander Ikari's back and the thought nearly knocked her breath away. Narikage, somehow, seemed to sense this and turned around to look at her fully. "You're close to figuring it out, Miss Katsuragi, but your hesitation is holding you back."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about." She stared hard at him for a long moment then gave a small shake of her head.
"No, I'm afraid I don't." The boy sighed again and let his hands drop to his sides.
"I guess you aren't ready yet. That's alright; it takes some getting used to." He padded to the hospital bed, sitting on it, facing her. "When can I leave?"
After recovering from the abrupt subject change, she replied: "As soon as the doctor clears you. He wants to run a few tests—"
"No. No tests." For some reason, all the color had drained from Narikage's face as soon as she had said the word 'test.' She couldn't be sure, but she thought she could see the boy trembling. "I'm fine. I don't need any tests."
"Very well," she said cautiously, eyeing him. "I'll go talk to him." Narikage let out his breath and relaxed slightly. "I'll bring you some clothes when I come back as well."
"Arigato, Miss Katsuragi." She nodded and left the room, closing the door. Once outside, she paused, thinking hard. Why had Narikage become afraid when she mentioned doing tests?
What was he hiding?