Fate of Awakening Love
Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.
A/N: Hello everyone! Long time no see right? Hehe. Well summer is here but that won't mean I'll be writing like mad. I'll try to but chances are that will not be happening. Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! You're all the best and I love you for your sweet, sometimes demanding comments! It makes me really happy to read them and fuels me to keep going!
BTW- To Libelia Inflata: You are the FIRST one to notice that the chapter titles are from the InuYasha soundtrack! YAY! (All except the first 2 anyway)
To everyone else: Please Enjoy Chapter 8: Deep Forest!!
-
Vash continued to flee from his brother, who was quickly gaining up on him. While partially keeping an eye on Knives, the other part of his mind was focused on the town that lay ahead. It wasn't much further and he was excited at the prospect of what may lay ahead for all of them. While he kept his good optimistic outlook on the future he was quite hesitant to think of his own.
'Will Meryl be apart of it?' He wondered to himself again. 'I've got to try to tell her that I love her again. Especially now that I know Knives may be interested her.' He couldn't help but to look back at the women he had grown to, maybe always, loved. Knives was quick to catch where his gaze landed.
'Daydreaming about her again Vash?' Knives asked with suspicion dripping in his voice, invading Vash's personal thoughts as he always did.
'Of course.' Vash smiled to himself. There was no more use in keeping his hidden feelings for Meryl from his brother any longer, but all the same he didn't feel the need to really discuss it with his him at the moment, especially given the situation he was dealing with at that moment. 'Could you do me a favor Knives, and stop running after me? I'm getting really tired.'
Knives sneered at the thought. 'Sure brother and then after that we can talk of ways to preserve the human way of life."
'Really?!" Vash mentally asked his sibling with evident hope.
'No, not really, idiot! Herding you into this stupid human invested nest, is nothing compared to leaving these bullets in me!'
-
"Meryl, why do you suppose Mr. Knives is still chasing after Mr. Vash?" Millie asked her superior.
Meryl sighed in annoyance. "Because they're both immature Millie, why else?"
"Well do you think we ought to catch up with them? We're nearly at February."
And so they were. Meryl noticed to herself. 'What'll happen when we get there?' She thought to herself. 'More and more people know what Vash looks like, and while he's not seen as the complete threat he used to be seen as, people are still very uncomfortable with him around. And what will people think of Knives. He looks so much like Vash, but no one knows anything about him... which is for the best when I think about it.' She sighed to herself.
Right away her friend noticed. "What is it Meryl?"
"Millie did you ever think to how we were going to explain Vash and Knives to these townspeople?"
"What's to explain?" Millie asked while turning to gaze at the brothers. Knives was still riding the Thomas and having it chase after Vash with a rather cross face, and Vash was running in circles, waving his arms around yelling, trying to get him off his trail. He was failing miserably. Millie couldn't help but laugh at the sight. She turned back to Meryl who was also smiling at the two brothers.
"Never mind it. They look like normal brothers from this viewpoint, don't they?" She asked still smiling.
"Yeah... come on Meryl! Let's catch up to them! We'll enter this town together!" With a nod from Meryl, they sped the Thomas to catch up with Vash and Knives.
-
"Knives!" Meryl yelled. "Stop chasing after Vash!" Once it became clear what was really going n between the two, it was obvious it had to stop. After all, in order to avoid more questions, than usual, they had to look and act as normal as possible when they entered the tiny little town.
Ignoring Meryl's command Knives continued the relentless pursuit of his brother. 'Who does she think she is?! Ordering me around like she's the superior one. Damn, I hate her.' He thought to himself.
"That little demon flat out ignored me!" Meryl fumed.
Millie laughed softly. "He may not be as vicious as he once was, but Mr. Knives is still rather arrogant."
"He can arrogant this!" Taking out a small apple from the knapsack that lay hung to the side of the Thomas, Meryl hurled it, for all she was worth, hitting her target square in the head. "I said to knock off it Knives!"
-
Of course he felt it hit him in the head, but he couldn't believe it, and neither could Vash, who had taken that precise opportunity to look behind him.
'That human bitch!' His mind screamed in anger. "How dare you, you little..." Before he could finish his sentence, Knives' body gave an uncontrolled jerk and he suddenly fell off the Thomas as an abrupt pain filled his mind.
"Knives!" They all exclaimed in a gasp at once. Jumping off the bird she was sharing with Millie, Meryl ran over to Knives, Vash coming in the opposite direction and Millie close on Meryl's heel with the Thomas reins in her hand as she too, leaped off the large bird.
"You couldn't have hit him that hard... could you?" Millie asked in alarming worry, once she had caught up.
"I wouldn't think so." Meryl responded, bending down next to the wounded plant. It looked as if Knives was out cold. Out of the natural instinct she had gathered from all the weeks with Knives she reached her hand out to feel his forehead, but before she could feel, Knives hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.
"Don't...touch me." He managed to gasp out, his eyes still closed.
Swatting his hand away in exasperation she felt his head and sighed. "His fever is back."
"You think that apple to his head re- triggered it?" Vash asked, watching Meryl and Knives closely.
"Who knows? Let's just get him back on the Thomas and get to that town." With a nod from Mille and Vash, they preceded to February as soon as Vash lifted his brother back on the bird.
Slumping forward against the neck of the Thomas with sweat spilling down his pained face; Knives tried his best to ignore the throbbing that was so clear in his head. With the hunt of his brother long forgotten, he allowed Vash to take the reins and lead the animal to the town that was so close he could already hear the voices of children in the distance.
-
'This is exactly what I didn't want.' Meryl thought as they entered the tiny place. Stares were aimed at them from every which direction. People had completely stopped what they were doing to take in the sight before them. 'And who wouldn't?' She continued to herself. 'Neither Millie, nor myself probably look all the put together from sleeping out in the desert last night. Vash looks haggard from being chased by Knives...and Knives.' She stopped to groan inwardly. 'He looks near death.'
Before the quartet could get too much further into the town a boy, probably in his late teen years, approached them and stopped directly in front of their path.
"Um... could we help you?" The boy asked, looking at all four of them closely. His eyes stopping on Knives. "Is he going to be alright?"
"Actually that's the reason we're here." Vash said, handing the reins up to Meryl and stepping forward. "My brother needs medical attention at once."
"Right..." He looked around at his fellow town members who stared back.
"Pardon me for asking, I don't mean to be rude" Meryl interjected. "But is there someone... older we could talk to?"
"If you wanted." The boy stated calmly. "But I'm the mayor of February, and I'm not as young as I look.... Now I don't mean to be offensive but is this Vash? Vash the Stampede?"
Vash suddenly let out a loud laugh. "Me? Of course not! Besides I've heard Vash wears a signature red coat and as you can plainly see I'm wearing nothing of the sort!"
Finally the "boy" smiled with a heavy sigh. "Of course. I'd forgotten. Sorry for asking, but you know how thing are these days. One just never knows when The Outlaw will stroll into their town. And ours is fairly new so we don't want any trouble. Now then." He clapped his hands together and the townspeople at once resumed what they had been doing before the newcomers had arrived.
"I'll take to you to Neil's right away. He's our only doctor. Follow me."
Walking in silence they stopped at a small building and tied the Thomas's to the post outside the building and walked in, Vash carrying his brother. The room they walked into was small and only held two chairs and a desk that was unoccupied. There was one other closed door next to the desk.
"Neil! Hey Neil!" The mayor called out. They heard some fumbling, before a tall man with dark ash colored hair opened the door.
"Couldn't you, you know, knock on the door, rather than yell?" He asked the mayor with obvious annoyance.
The mayor chose to ignore that question. "Neil these folks are from out of town and this one..." He nodded his head at Knives. "Needs some medical attention."
Neil looked closely at Knives. "Fine, you can go now toddler." He said pointedly to the mayor.
The mayor narrowed his eyes at the man that was so much taller than him. With a twitch of the eye and turn of the heel, the mayor made his way out of the building. Muttering a barely audible, "enjoy you're stay" to Mille, Meryl and Vash. With a slight smirk the supposed doctor took out a cigarette, lit it and took a puff.
He peered closely at Knives after exhaling the smoke from his lungs. "So what's wrong with him?" He asked to no one in particular.
"He has some bullet wounds and a high fever." Meryl finally spoke. Neil turned to get a good look at her. 'She's a pretty one.' He thought to himself.
"Who shot him?" He asked. With slight suspicion he watched as the three exchanged looks.
"Vash the Stampede." Millie said with a slight amused smile.
This time, Neil gave Millie a close look. 'She's pretty too, and tall as hell.' "I'm not going to bother asking how you got away from The Outlaw alive, but bring the injured one with me in the back."
Still puffing on his cigarette, they all followed him. 'What kind of doctor smokes around a patient?!' Meryl wondered with a bit of anger brewing.
Upon entering the brightly lit room, Vash was instructed to place Knives, who was awake, but far too weak to make a single comment, on a bed. Neil puffed on his cigarette again. "Where are the bullets?" He asked.
"There's one in his thigh and one in his shoulder." Vash responded. "There might be more..."
"You can't remember?" Neil asked. He sighed. "Never mind. I'll find them. You three can wait in the waiting room out front."
Millie and Vash left immediately, allowing the doctor to get started. Meryl on the other hand cleared her voice and held out her hand, giving the doctor a Look.
"What?" he asked.
"The stick in your mouth if you don't mind. We don't want to have to come back here so Knives can get a lung transplant."
"His name is Knives?"
Meryl ignored the question. Taking it out of his mouth and looking at the cigarette with disappointed affection, he put it out and handed it to Meryl who tossed it in the garbage in the waiting room when she left.
-
Once everything was set out to a side metal table, Neil reached for a sharp scalpel and headed towards Knives shoulder. 'Damn, I wish we had the old technology for an X-ray. Here's hoping I don't fuck this up,' He thought to himself as he lifted the scalpel in the air as a toast to absolutely nothing and no one.
-
In the waiting room Millie was calmly sitting in one of the chairs while Meryl and Vash both paced around the room.
"I'm sure Dr. Neil will be very careful with Mr. Knives." She said with a reassuring smile, a smile that would have reassured anyone else who wasn't so used to it.
"That doctors an idiot!" Meryl said in aggravation. "He was smoking, AROUND Knives! Knowing the condition of his body! If I hadn't taken it from him, he'd probably smoke the entire way through the procedure!"
"Knives will be okay right?" Vash wondered aloud, as if he hadn't heard Meryl.
"I'm sure he'll be just fine Mr. Vash." Millie said gently.
"Yeah... you don't think he'd hurt the doctor do you?" He continued.
"I'm sure Mr. Knives..." Millie didn't finish her sentence as she thought of the type of plant Knives was.
They all exchanged looks as Millie trailed off on her sentence. "Dr. Neil has a strong personality; I think he'd be able to handle Mr. Knives. Especially if you consider the state he's in, and will be in once this is all over." They nodded to themselves in false agreement.
-
'Ugh... I feel awful." Knives thought to himself in his comatose stage that the doctor had put him in. 'Where the hell am I anyway? And why can't I wake up?' Upon request, his mind started to fill him with the answers to his own questions. 'Right, now I remember. That wench threw an apple at me and now I'm under the care of some disgusting human vermin.'
A sudden prick of pain came from his leg. 'What was that?' He wondered. He felt the pain again only this time it was more forceful. '.. This is starting to hurt....crap, I don't do pain. Woman, you're going to pay for this, I swe- OW!'
Knives was interrupted by the pain exploding through his leg. It was painful enough that he was wrenched out of his semi- relaxed state and awoke on the bed and in the very middle of the procedure that Neil was performing.
-
Still heaved with anxiety over Knives condition, Vash ran a hand through his hair and looked at Meryl. While she was putting up an irritated front he could tell that she too, was worried about his brother. They all knew Knives was horrible with pain, and knew what could happen. They didn't know if the doctor would put Knives to sleep, and even if he did, Vash didn't imagine the doctor would know to put three times more the amount of meds to keep him asleep given his very non-human anatomy.
-
Nearly ready to tear her own hair out, Meryl finally sat down next to Millie and began tapping her finger, in impatience on her thigh, which Millie at once covered her hand with to stop. She gave her small friend a smile. "He'll be okay Meryl, don't worry so much. Why don't you comfort Mr. Vash?" She said quietly.
Meryl looked over at Vash who was looking somewhat pale. "You're right Millie. Vash could need me." 'Wait, did I say that?' She thought to herself.
Shaking it out of her head, she walked over to the blonde haired plant. "Hey Vash, doing okay?" She asked.
He turned to face her with a tight and weak smile. "Yeah, it's just, you know, so many things could go wrong with handing Knives over to a human, that isn't you or Millie, and leaving him alone with the guy."
Without thinking Meryl grabbed both of Vash's hands in her own. "Millie's right, you know. It'll all be okay." 'I hope.' She thought silently.
Feeling Meryl's touch, Vash's mind raced back to the time in his room when Meryl had more or less, caressed the scars on his chest. 'No Vash!' He thought to himself. 'This isn't the time to be thinking about that.'
Even so, Vash couldn't help the thumping that was his heart. Meryl hadn't been this close to him since that night, and it felt good to be able to get a close look at her and to smell the scent that was only her. He didn't even notice his head had started to move towards her until it was too late to pull back.
-
'What's he doing?!' Meryl asked herself in alarm as she noticed Vash's head was slowly moving towards her own. Her mind was whirling with things she should do: pull away, push him away, hit him...or, lean in as well.
She watched, that as he got closer, his eyes started to close, and Meryl felt her own do the same. He was so close she could feel his breath against her skin and it created little shivers up and down her entire body. The kiss was so close her insides, as confused as they were, were anxious for it to happen, when they abruptly heard a deafening crash come from the other room.
-
Knives was fully awake now, and fully angered. He looked at the heap on the floor that was the human that had caused him pain. Dr. Neil was against the wall covered in water and was lighting another cigarette. Glancing up he noticed a small black cat on his windowsill, with its wide yellow eyes staring back down at him. With a slow exhale he covered the cats little face in smoke. With a small cough and a cat-like sneer the black cat jumped away. 'I hate cats.' Neil thought to himself.
-
Disengaging herself from Vash's aqua eyes, Meryl raced to the door, with Millie and Vash close behind her. Wrenching open the door she gawked at the sight before them. On the bed was Knives, his eyes narrowed and filled with more hatred than she had ever seen, aimed at Neil. Following Knives' looks she saw Neil scrunched up in a wet little ball smoking away, covered in metal medical supplies, and topped with a metal bowl lying limply on his head.
"Knives! What did you do?" Meryl asked still staring wide eyed at the doctor.
"I didn't do anything this man did not deserve, you human wench." Knives answered tersely.
Millie watched as Meryl's fists creased into balls as she tried to control her anger. Millie walked over to Neil. "Are you alright Dr. Neil?" She asked, offering her hand to help him up. "What happened?" She added.
Allowing Millie to help him up, he took a puff of his cig and exhaled in annoyance. "The little beast woke up as I was stitching up his last leg wound."
Millie took the metal bowl off his head and placed it on the nearby counter.
"Who are you calling a beast you inferior!" Knives growled to the doctor.
"Calm down Knives, you'll only rip open your wounds. But I see your feeling better?" Vash asked with a relieved smile playing on his lips.
Knives ignored his brother and attempted to stand, but sat back down when he felt a long rush of pain to his leg, and upon moving his shoulder, he felt pain there as well.
"You don't expect to be able to move right away do you?" Neil asked with a smirk. "Your body is healing, give it 4 weeks and you should be okay. Until that time, stay in bed, but if you feel the absolute need to travel use a wheelchair. Even so, you are not permitted to wheel yourself since you'll only re-open the wound on your shoulder if you do."
'So I'm no better than before.' Knives thought to himself in solemn anger.
"Where exactly are we going to get a wheelchair?" Millie asked, looking at the doctor who shrugged.
"How should I know? I'm a doctor, not a medical supplier." He responded in a dry tone. "At any rate, he's fine, so you can all get out of my work space. It's in complete disarray thanks to him."
"Sorry about Knives behavior." Vash apologized for his brother sheepishly. "He's always been a bit difficult."
"I can tell."
Meryl, having been quiet since Knives' demeaning remark towards her, stepped forward. "How much do you we owe you?"
"I don't suppose you have a lot of money?" He asked warily.
"Not... really." Meryl responded.
Neil exhaled some more smoke. 'They never do.' He thought to himself. "Forget it then."
"Are you sure?" Millie asked surprised.
"I'm sure; just get this menace to society out of here. I haven't got the time for people like him."
Meryl, Vash and Millie turned their heads quickly to Knives, in order to view his response. However Knives didn't seem to be paying any attention to Neil. Instead his eyes were focused on Vash.
-
Knives hadn't meant, at that particular moment, to invade his brother's thoughts but he had, and he did not like what he saw. Vash's mind, while focused on what was happening that very moment, was also swimming with thoughts of Meryl and a kiss that had almost happened just before they had rushed into this room. He frowned.
'Knives?' His brother asked mentally.
"Let's go." The more violent of the brother said, surprising them all. His tone was unusual, nothing any of them had ever heard before.
'He sounds almost jealous.' Meryl thought to herself.
'But what could Mr. Knives be jealous of?' Millie continued in her own thoughts.
A bell sounded off in Vash's head. "Knives have you been..."
"I said LET'S GO!" He ordered loudly. They all jumped at the sound of his voice, but complied with its command.
Without a wheelchair to place his brother in, Vash reluctantly picked up his brother and followed the girls out of the room.
"Thank you Dr. Neil." Millie and Meryl said together quietly while leaving.
"Yeah, yeah." He responded, eyeing the stricken group with slight interest. 'Hmm... glad I don't have to deal with that one.' He thought to himself staring at Knives who was avoiding the gaze of his companions with a look of pure resentment.
-
Finally being able to place his brother down on a bed of a hotel suite the four of them had rented out for a few nights, Vash backed away from him. Meryl and Millie watched from the door and together the three of them left the room into the adjoining living area. Once far enough away from his door they let out a huge sigh of relief together.
"I haven't been this nervous around Knives in a while. I wonder what's gotten into him." Meryl questioned while taking the time to sit down on a couch. "I mean, at first I thought he was just in too much anger over his pain to talk but..." She sighed again. "It can't possibly be that. Otherwise he wouldn't be so hostile."
"I know what you mean Meryl. I'm actually a little frightened of Mr. Knives again. That look in his eye... something's made his old bitterness return. Mr. Vash do you have any ideas?" She asked looking up at Vash who was standing against a wall with his arms folded and his head down.
"I have an idea." He said quietly while looking up, to lock gazes with Meryl, who at once turned a deep crimson red. Noticing her red face made Vash's own turn the same shade.
Feeling the atmosphere Millie stood. "I'll go see if anyone may have a wheelchair we can use for Mr. Knives. I'm sure he'll want to get some fresh air." Without waiting for a response from either of them she left the hotel room.
In embarrassed and nervous silence, Meryl and Vash avoided the eyes of one another. 'This is dumb.' Meryl thought to herself. We're both adults.' "Vash?" She asked a loud.
He immediately turned to look at her. "Yes Meryl?"
Meryl began twisting her fingers together. "About what happened in Dr. Neil's office....I umm... well..."
"Yes?" He prodded her.
"Uh, well..." She suddenly stood. "Never mind, I'd better go check on Knives." Not looking at Vash, she hurriedly rushed passed him and went into Knives' room, closing the door behind her. Leaning against the door she tried to gain control of her breathing that had for some reason quickened its pace. 'Idiot!' She thought to herself. 'I can't believe I couldn't bring myself to ask about that, would've been, kiss. You can't avoid this forever Meryl.'
"Why cant you?" Knives suddenly spoke, looking out his window and away from Meryl who had unexpectedly entered his room.
"Huh?" Meryl asked, opening her eyes and realizing she was in the presence of Knives.
"You know what I think you ought to do?" He continued.
"Ought to do about what?" She asked confused, not aware that Knives knew about the kiss she and Vash almost shared.
"I think you ought to forget about Vash, and go after me." He stated his voice barely above a whisper.
-
A/N: How'd you like it? I originally told myself that I wouldn't be inventing any new characters that had more than a few necessary lines but.... I changed my mind. I hope no one minds the new intrusion of Doctor Neil to the story because I'm not changing a thing! Though I'm unsure at the moment if I want to keep him. Should I keep him around more? Or call his character a day and only have him in this chapter?
Who knows? Anyway, I realize this chapter kind of veered off the whole K/M/V thing but I need filler! I was running out of ideas for the story and I must have it at 12 chapters. Why, you may be asking? I don't really know, but that number has been set in my mind since I first started this fan fic. Besides you got a little bit of a moment with Vash and Meryl, and you know there will be one between Knives and Meryl in the next chapter.
Knives: ... am I honestly going to be falling for that human?
Author: Who knows Knives... who knows. Please Read and Review!
Yours truly,
F.G.
Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Life is that cruel.
A/N: Hello everyone! Long time no see right? Hehe. Well summer is here but that won't mean I'll be writing like mad. I'll try to but chances are that will not be happening. Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! You're all the best and I love you for your sweet, sometimes demanding comments! It makes me really happy to read them and fuels me to keep going!
BTW- To Libelia Inflata: You are the FIRST one to notice that the chapter titles are from the InuYasha soundtrack! YAY! (All except the first 2 anyway)
To everyone else: Please Enjoy Chapter 8: Deep Forest!!
-
Vash continued to flee from his brother, who was quickly gaining up on him. While partially keeping an eye on Knives, the other part of his mind was focused on the town that lay ahead. It wasn't much further and he was excited at the prospect of what may lay ahead for all of them. While he kept his good optimistic outlook on the future he was quite hesitant to think of his own.
'Will Meryl be apart of it?' He wondered to himself again. 'I've got to try to tell her that I love her again. Especially now that I know Knives may be interested her.' He couldn't help but to look back at the women he had grown to, maybe always, loved. Knives was quick to catch where his gaze landed.
'Daydreaming about her again Vash?' Knives asked with suspicion dripping in his voice, invading Vash's personal thoughts as he always did.
'Of course.' Vash smiled to himself. There was no more use in keeping his hidden feelings for Meryl from his brother any longer, but all the same he didn't feel the need to really discuss it with his him at the moment, especially given the situation he was dealing with at that moment. 'Could you do me a favor Knives, and stop running after me? I'm getting really tired.'
Knives sneered at the thought. 'Sure brother and then after that we can talk of ways to preserve the human way of life."
'Really?!" Vash mentally asked his sibling with evident hope.
'No, not really, idiot! Herding you into this stupid human invested nest, is nothing compared to leaving these bullets in me!'
-
"Meryl, why do you suppose Mr. Knives is still chasing after Mr. Vash?" Millie asked her superior.
Meryl sighed in annoyance. "Because they're both immature Millie, why else?"
"Well do you think we ought to catch up with them? We're nearly at February."
And so they were. Meryl noticed to herself. 'What'll happen when we get there?' She thought to herself. 'More and more people know what Vash looks like, and while he's not seen as the complete threat he used to be seen as, people are still very uncomfortable with him around. And what will people think of Knives. He looks so much like Vash, but no one knows anything about him... which is for the best when I think about it.' She sighed to herself.
Right away her friend noticed. "What is it Meryl?"
"Millie did you ever think to how we were going to explain Vash and Knives to these townspeople?"
"What's to explain?" Millie asked while turning to gaze at the brothers. Knives was still riding the Thomas and having it chase after Vash with a rather cross face, and Vash was running in circles, waving his arms around yelling, trying to get him off his trail. He was failing miserably. Millie couldn't help but laugh at the sight. She turned back to Meryl who was also smiling at the two brothers.
"Never mind it. They look like normal brothers from this viewpoint, don't they?" She asked still smiling.
"Yeah... come on Meryl! Let's catch up to them! We'll enter this town together!" With a nod from Meryl, they sped the Thomas to catch up with Vash and Knives.
-
"Knives!" Meryl yelled. "Stop chasing after Vash!" Once it became clear what was really going n between the two, it was obvious it had to stop. After all, in order to avoid more questions, than usual, they had to look and act as normal as possible when they entered the tiny little town.
Ignoring Meryl's command Knives continued the relentless pursuit of his brother. 'Who does she think she is?! Ordering me around like she's the superior one. Damn, I hate her.' He thought to himself.
"That little demon flat out ignored me!" Meryl fumed.
Millie laughed softly. "He may not be as vicious as he once was, but Mr. Knives is still rather arrogant."
"He can arrogant this!" Taking out a small apple from the knapsack that lay hung to the side of the Thomas, Meryl hurled it, for all she was worth, hitting her target square in the head. "I said to knock off it Knives!"
-
Of course he felt it hit him in the head, but he couldn't believe it, and neither could Vash, who had taken that precise opportunity to look behind him.
'That human bitch!' His mind screamed in anger. "How dare you, you little..." Before he could finish his sentence, Knives' body gave an uncontrolled jerk and he suddenly fell off the Thomas as an abrupt pain filled his mind.
"Knives!" They all exclaimed in a gasp at once. Jumping off the bird she was sharing with Millie, Meryl ran over to Knives, Vash coming in the opposite direction and Millie close on Meryl's heel with the Thomas reins in her hand as she too, leaped off the large bird.
"You couldn't have hit him that hard... could you?" Millie asked in alarming worry, once she had caught up.
"I wouldn't think so." Meryl responded, bending down next to the wounded plant. It looked as if Knives was out cold. Out of the natural instinct she had gathered from all the weeks with Knives she reached her hand out to feel his forehead, but before she could feel, Knives hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.
"Don't...touch me." He managed to gasp out, his eyes still closed.
Swatting his hand away in exasperation she felt his head and sighed. "His fever is back."
"You think that apple to his head re- triggered it?" Vash asked, watching Meryl and Knives closely.
"Who knows? Let's just get him back on the Thomas and get to that town." With a nod from Mille and Vash, they preceded to February as soon as Vash lifted his brother back on the bird.
Slumping forward against the neck of the Thomas with sweat spilling down his pained face; Knives tried his best to ignore the throbbing that was so clear in his head. With the hunt of his brother long forgotten, he allowed Vash to take the reins and lead the animal to the town that was so close he could already hear the voices of children in the distance.
-
'This is exactly what I didn't want.' Meryl thought as they entered the tiny place. Stares were aimed at them from every which direction. People had completely stopped what they were doing to take in the sight before them. 'And who wouldn't?' She continued to herself. 'Neither Millie, nor myself probably look all the put together from sleeping out in the desert last night. Vash looks haggard from being chased by Knives...and Knives.' She stopped to groan inwardly. 'He looks near death.'
Before the quartet could get too much further into the town a boy, probably in his late teen years, approached them and stopped directly in front of their path.
"Um... could we help you?" The boy asked, looking at all four of them closely. His eyes stopping on Knives. "Is he going to be alright?"
"Actually that's the reason we're here." Vash said, handing the reins up to Meryl and stepping forward. "My brother needs medical attention at once."
"Right..." He looked around at his fellow town members who stared back.
"Pardon me for asking, I don't mean to be rude" Meryl interjected. "But is there someone... older we could talk to?"
"If you wanted." The boy stated calmly. "But I'm the mayor of February, and I'm not as young as I look.... Now I don't mean to be offensive but is this Vash? Vash the Stampede?"
Vash suddenly let out a loud laugh. "Me? Of course not! Besides I've heard Vash wears a signature red coat and as you can plainly see I'm wearing nothing of the sort!"
Finally the "boy" smiled with a heavy sigh. "Of course. I'd forgotten. Sorry for asking, but you know how thing are these days. One just never knows when The Outlaw will stroll into their town. And ours is fairly new so we don't want any trouble. Now then." He clapped his hands together and the townspeople at once resumed what they had been doing before the newcomers had arrived.
"I'll take to you to Neil's right away. He's our only doctor. Follow me."
Walking in silence they stopped at a small building and tied the Thomas's to the post outside the building and walked in, Vash carrying his brother. The room they walked into was small and only held two chairs and a desk that was unoccupied. There was one other closed door next to the desk.
"Neil! Hey Neil!" The mayor called out. They heard some fumbling, before a tall man with dark ash colored hair opened the door.
"Couldn't you, you know, knock on the door, rather than yell?" He asked the mayor with obvious annoyance.
The mayor chose to ignore that question. "Neil these folks are from out of town and this one..." He nodded his head at Knives. "Needs some medical attention."
Neil looked closely at Knives. "Fine, you can go now toddler." He said pointedly to the mayor.
The mayor narrowed his eyes at the man that was so much taller than him. With a twitch of the eye and turn of the heel, the mayor made his way out of the building. Muttering a barely audible, "enjoy you're stay" to Mille, Meryl and Vash. With a slight smirk the supposed doctor took out a cigarette, lit it and took a puff.
He peered closely at Knives after exhaling the smoke from his lungs. "So what's wrong with him?" He asked to no one in particular.
"He has some bullet wounds and a high fever." Meryl finally spoke. Neil turned to get a good look at her. 'She's a pretty one.' He thought to himself.
"Who shot him?" He asked. With slight suspicion he watched as the three exchanged looks.
"Vash the Stampede." Millie said with a slight amused smile.
This time, Neil gave Millie a close look. 'She's pretty too, and tall as hell.' "I'm not going to bother asking how you got away from The Outlaw alive, but bring the injured one with me in the back."
Still puffing on his cigarette, they all followed him. 'What kind of doctor smokes around a patient?!' Meryl wondered with a bit of anger brewing.
Upon entering the brightly lit room, Vash was instructed to place Knives, who was awake, but far too weak to make a single comment, on a bed. Neil puffed on his cigarette again. "Where are the bullets?" He asked.
"There's one in his thigh and one in his shoulder." Vash responded. "There might be more..."
"You can't remember?" Neil asked. He sighed. "Never mind. I'll find them. You three can wait in the waiting room out front."
Millie and Vash left immediately, allowing the doctor to get started. Meryl on the other hand cleared her voice and held out her hand, giving the doctor a Look.
"What?" he asked.
"The stick in your mouth if you don't mind. We don't want to have to come back here so Knives can get a lung transplant."
"His name is Knives?"
Meryl ignored the question. Taking it out of his mouth and looking at the cigarette with disappointed affection, he put it out and handed it to Meryl who tossed it in the garbage in the waiting room when she left.
-
Once everything was set out to a side metal table, Neil reached for a sharp scalpel and headed towards Knives shoulder. 'Damn, I wish we had the old technology for an X-ray. Here's hoping I don't fuck this up,' He thought to himself as he lifted the scalpel in the air as a toast to absolutely nothing and no one.
-
In the waiting room Millie was calmly sitting in one of the chairs while Meryl and Vash both paced around the room.
"I'm sure Dr. Neil will be very careful with Mr. Knives." She said with a reassuring smile, a smile that would have reassured anyone else who wasn't so used to it.
"That doctors an idiot!" Meryl said in aggravation. "He was smoking, AROUND Knives! Knowing the condition of his body! If I hadn't taken it from him, he'd probably smoke the entire way through the procedure!"
"Knives will be okay right?" Vash wondered aloud, as if he hadn't heard Meryl.
"I'm sure he'll be just fine Mr. Vash." Millie said gently.
"Yeah... you don't think he'd hurt the doctor do you?" He continued.
"I'm sure Mr. Knives..." Millie didn't finish her sentence as she thought of the type of plant Knives was.
They all exchanged looks as Millie trailed off on her sentence. "Dr. Neil has a strong personality; I think he'd be able to handle Mr. Knives. Especially if you consider the state he's in, and will be in once this is all over." They nodded to themselves in false agreement.
-
'Ugh... I feel awful." Knives thought to himself in his comatose stage that the doctor had put him in. 'Where the hell am I anyway? And why can't I wake up?' Upon request, his mind started to fill him with the answers to his own questions. 'Right, now I remember. That wench threw an apple at me and now I'm under the care of some disgusting human vermin.'
A sudden prick of pain came from his leg. 'What was that?' He wondered. He felt the pain again only this time it was more forceful. '.. This is starting to hurt....crap, I don't do pain. Woman, you're going to pay for this, I swe- OW!'
Knives was interrupted by the pain exploding through his leg. It was painful enough that he was wrenched out of his semi- relaxed state and awoke on the bed and in the very middle of the procedure that Neil was performing.
-
Still heaved with anxiety over Knives condition, Vash ran a hand through his hair and looked at Meryl. While she was putting up an irritated front he could tell that she too, was worried about his brother. They all knew Knives was horrible with pain, and knew what could happen. They didn't know if the doctor would put Knives to sleep, and even if he did, Vash didn't imagine the doctor would know to put three times more the amount of meds to keep him asleep given his very non-human anatomy.
-
Nearly ready to tear her own hair out, Meryl finally sat down next to Millie and began tapping her finger, in impatience on her thigh, which Millie at once covered her hand with to stop. She gave her small friend a smile. "He'll be okay Meryl, don't worry so much. Why don't you comfort Mr. Vash?" She said quietly.
Meryl looked over at Vash who was looking somewhat pale. "You're right Millie. Vash could need me." 'Wait, did I say that?' She thought to herself.
Shaking it out of her head, she walked over to the blonde haired plant. "Hey Vash, doing okay?" She asked.
He turned to face her with a tight and weak smile. "Yeah, it's just, you know, so many things could go wrong with handing Knives over to a human, that isn't you or Millie, and leaving him alone with the guy."
Without thinking Meryl grabbed both of Vash's hands in her own. "Millie's right, you know. It'll all be okay." 'I hope.' She thought silently.
Feeling Meryl's touch, Vash's mind raced back to the time in his room when Meryl had more or less, caressed the scars on his chest. 'No Vash!' He thought to himself. 'This isn't the time to be thinking about that.'
Even so, Vash couldn't help the thumping that was his heart. Meryl hadn't been this close to him since that night, and it felt good to be able to get a close look at her and to smell the scent that was only her. He didn't even notice his head had started to move towards her until it was too late to pull back.
-
'What's he doing?!' Meryl asked herself in alarm as she noticed Vash's head was slowly moving towards her own. Her mind was whirling with things she should do: pull away, push him away, hit him...or, lean in as well.
She watched, that as he got closer, his eyes started to close, and Meryl felt her own do the same. He was so close she could feel his breath against her skin and it created little shivers up and down her entire body. The kiss was so close her insides, as confused as they were, were anxious for it to happen, when they abruptly heard a deafening crash come from the other room.
-
Knives was fully awake now, and fully angered. He looked at the heap on the floor that was the human that had caused him pain. Dr. Neil was against the wall covered in water and was lighting another cigarette. Glancing up he noticed a small black cat on his windowsill, with its wide yellow eyes staring back down at him. With a slow exhale he covered the cats little face in smoke. With a small cough and a cat-like sneer the black cat jumped away. 'I hate cats.' Neil thought to himself.
-
Disengaging herself from Vash's aqua eyes, Meryl raced to the door, with Millie and Vash close behind her. Wrenching open the door she gawked at the sight before them. On the bed was Knives, his eyes narrowed and filled with more hatred than she had ever seen, aimed at Neil. Following Knives' looks she saw Neil scrunched up in a wet little ball smoking away, covered in metal medical supplies, and topped with a metal bowl lying limply on his head.
"Knives! What did you do?" Meryl asked still staring wide eyed at the doctor.
"I didn't do anything this man did not deserve, you human wench." Knives answered tersely.
Millie watched as Meryl's fists creased into balls as she tried to control her anger. Millie walked over to Neil. "Are you alright Dr. Neil?" She asked, offering her hand to help him up. "What happened?" She added.
Allowing Millie to help him up, he took a puff of his cig and exhaled in annoyance. "The little beast woke up as I was stitching up his last leg wound."
Millie took the metal bowl off his head and placed it on the nearby counter.
"Who are you calling a beast you inferior!" Knives growled to the doctor.
"Calm down Knives, you'll only rip open your wounds. But I see your feeling better?" Vash asked with a relieved smile playing on his lips.
Knives ignored his brother and attempted to stand, but sat back down when he felt a long rush of pain to his leg, and upon moving his shoulder, he felt pain there as well.
"You don't expect to be able to move right away do you?" Neil asked with a smirk. "Your body is healing, give it 4 weeks and you should be okay. Until that time, stay in bed, but if you feel the absolute need to travel use a wheelchair. Even so, you are not permitted to wheel yourself since you'll only re-open the wound on your shoulder if you do."
'So I'm no better than before.' Knives thought to himself in solemn anger.
"Where exactly are we going to get a wheelchair?" Millie asked, looking at the doctor who shrugged.
"How should I know? I'm a doctor, not a medical supplier." He responded in a dry tone. "At any rate, he's fine, so you can all get out of my work space. It's in complete disarray thanks to him."
"Sorry about Knives behavior." Vash apologized for his brother sheepishly. "He's always been a bit difficult."
"I can tell."
Meryl, having been quiet since Knives' demeaning remark towards her, stepped forward. "How much do you we owe you?"
"I don't suppose you have a lot of money?" He asked warily.
"Not... really." Meryl responded.
Neil exhaled some more smoke. 'They never do.' He thought to himself. "Forget it then."
"Are you sure?" Millie asked surprised.
"I'm sure; just get this menace to society out of here. I haven't got the time for people like him."
Meryl, Vash and Millie turned their heads quickly to Knives, in order to view his response. However Knives didn't seem to be paying any attention to Neil. Instead his eyes were focused on Vash.
-
Knives hadn't meant, at that particular moment, to invade his brother's thoughts but he had, and he did not like what he saw. Vash's mind, while focused on what was happening that very moment, was also swimming with thoughts of Meryl and a kiss that had almost happened just before they had rushed into this room. He frowned.
'Knives?' His brother asked mentally.
"Let's go." The more violent of the brother said, surprising them all. His tone was unusual, nothing any of them had ever heard before.
'He sounds almost jealous.' Meryl thought to herself.
'But what could Mr. Knives be jealous of?' Millie continued in her own thoughts.
A bell sounded off in Vash's head. "Knives have you been..."
"I said LET'S GO!" He ordered loudly. They all jumped at the sound of his voice, but complied with its command.
Without a wheelchair to place his brother in, Vash reluctantly picked up his brother and followed the girls out of the room.
"Thank you Dr. Neil." Millie and Meryl said together quietly while leaving.
"Yeah, yeah." He responded, eyeing the stricken group with slight interest. 'Hmm... glad I don't have to deal with that one.' He thought to himself staring at Knives who was avoiding the gaze of his companions with a look of pure resentment.
-
Finally being able to place his brother down on a bed of a hotel suite the four of them had rented out for a few nights, Vash backed away from him. Meryl and Millie watched from the door and together the three of them left the room into the adjoining living area. Once far enough away from his door they let out a huge sigh of relief together.
"I haven't been this nervous around Knives in a while. I wonder what's gotten into him." Meryl questioned while taking the time to sit down on a couch. "I mean, at first I thought he was just in too much anger over his pain to talk but..." She sighed again. "It can't possibly be that. Otherwise he wouldn't be so hostile."
"I know what you mean Meryl. I'm actually a little frightened of Mr. Knives again. That look in his eye... something's made his old bitterness return. Mr. Vash do you have any ideas?" She asked looking up at Vash who was standing against a wall with his arms folded and his head down.
"I have an idea." He said quietly while looking up, to lock gazes with Meryl, who at once turned a deep crimson red. Noticing her red face made Vash's own turn the same shade.
Feeling the atmosphere Millie stood. "I'll go see if anyone may have a wheelchair we can use for Mr. Knives. I'm sure he'll want to get some fresh air." Without waiting for a response from either of them she left the hotel room.
In embarrassed and nervous silence, Meryl and Vash avoided the eyes of one another. 'This is dumb.' Meryl thought to herself. We're both adults.' "Vash?" She asked a loud.
He immediately turned to look at her. "Yes Meryl?"
Meryl began twisting her fingers together. "About what happened in Dr. Neil's office....I umm... well..."
"Yes?" He prodded her.
"Uh, well..." She suddenly stood. "Never mind, I'd better go check on Knives." Not looking at Vash, she hurriedly rushed passed him and went into Knives' room, closing the door behind her. Leaning against the door she tried to gain control of her breathing that had for some reason quickened its pace. 'Idiot!' She thought to herself. 'I can't believe I couldn't bring myself to ask about that, would've been, kiss. You can't avoid this forever Meryl.'
"Why cant you?" Knives suddenly spoke, looking out his window and away from Meryl who had unexpectedly entered his room.
"Huh?" Meryl asked, opening her eyes and realizing she was in the presence of Knives.
"You know what I think you ought to do?" He continued.
"Ought to do about what?" She asked confused, not aware that Knives knew about the kiss she and Vash almost shared.
"I think you ought to forget about Vash, and go after me." He stated his voice barely above a whisper.
-
A/N: How'd you like it? I originally told myself that I wouldn't be inventing any new characters that had more than a few necessary lines but.... I changed my mind. I hope no one minds the new intrusion of Doctor Neil to the story because I'm not changing a thing! Though I'm unsure at the moment if I want to keep him. Should I keep him around more? Or call his character a day and only have him in this chapter?
Who knows? Anyway, I realize this chapter kind of veered off the whole K/M/V thing but I need filler! I was running out of ideas for the story and I must have it at 12 chapters. Why, you may be asking? I don't really know, but that number has been set in my mind since I first started this fan fic. Besides you got a little bit of a moment with Vash and Meryl, and you know there will be one between Knives and Meryl in the next chapter.
Knives: ... am I honestly going to be falling for that human?
Author: Who knows Knives... who knows. Please Read and Review!
Yours truly,
F.G.