Athrun nearly fainted. The pain was incredibly overwhelming. He felt like puking his guts out. Was it the effect of the drug? No, it couldn't be. Dr. Tashiba said that the effects were to go away after a while, and that had been long since. He wrapped his arms around himself, straining to keep things together. No simultaneous stomach and chest ache were going to put him down. He had to see the doctor again.
He stood up with his one hand against the wall and both feet shaking in attempt to balance his upper body, which was hurting like hell. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. He started to walk, or rather, limp, back to the treatment room. It was far and he knew it would take much of his remaining energy to get there.
Just go back to the control room and tell Kreuze what's going on! A part of him was speaking to him. It's only three feet away you moron! The treatment room's a hundred feet farther!
"No…" He said to himself softly. "He can't know what's going on. He might ask me to fight later, and I can't show my weak side, not now," He urged on, his heart racing and his skin covered in cold sweat. He soon felt feverish. Upon reaching about fifty feet from the control room, he was already out of breath. If only he wasn't too proud of himself, then he could've asked for relief at once.
Without warning, his feet gave in and he fell hard on the floor. His veins felt like they were about to burst, and the world was spinning around him. He no longer cared about the fight, about Kreuze, not even about the fact that he had just coughed up a good amount of blood. Athrun forced himself to lean on the wall, the cold surface touching his sore back. Before he fell into unconsciousness, he heard several blurred voices calling out to him.
He thought he heard Kira as well.
It was all black. Yes, all of it.
Nothing was there. Or maybe everything had been packed too closely together in that one empty space.
He reached out, surprised to see youthful hands and arms.
Are these mine? He wondered. Oh. Even his voice was smaller.
He flew across that darkness, searching for something, whatever it was.
He tried to reach, to touch, to grasp that undeniably beautiful color. It was all around him.
A voice was calling his name. So inviting, he thought.
A small glint of light caught his eye. Finally, there was a way out. The voice was still there.
I'm coming for you, the boy said. He heard echoes. The place was surely hollow.
Protect me, said the voice. Protect me from pain.
I will! The boy was determined. He now had someone to save, his long-lost dream once again found.
Farther and farther he flew. However, the glint wasn't growing.
And when he had touched it, the boy saw that it was just as small as his palm.
He wrapped both hands around it. So warm, he said. He felt happy.
Come out, he called to the voice.
No, it replied. Because…
The boy frowned. Are you hurt? He asked.
No, it answered. It sounded sad. I am just afraid, it continued.
Of what? I'll protect you remember? The boy said strongly. I won't let you be hurt.
How can you say that, asked the voice. When you're the one who's going to give me pain?
Before he knew it, the boy saw red overlapping the darkness. He looked down and saw himself covered with blood.
A figure appeared in front of him. The boy saw that the man, too, was covered in blood.
This is my blood, the man said. You have caused me to bleed, and now you tell me you will protect me?
You're wrong! Said the boy, crying. Why would I hurt you? I… I love you!
The brown-haired man sighed. He was crying.
Don't cry! The boy exclaimed. He took the man in his tiny arms. The man was shivering.
Why do you want to hurt me? He asked in between sobs. Why do you enjoy it when I scream, when I cry?
The boy was confused. He let go of the stranger. He couldn't have inflicted those wounds on him. No way.
I thought of you day and night, said the man. And this is what you give in return?
You're lying! Said the boy. He never recalled having tortured anyone before.
And I… whispered the man. I even loved you.
Light overwhelmed them in an instant, until the boy could no longer see the man.
I thought I loved him, the boy thought. But I am the cause of his fear.
I can never touch him again.
Kira opened his eyes. What had happened? He remembered being in the battle, but… something hit him, and he saw a humongous light, and…
"Augh!" he yelped painfully. He breathed in and looked down on his body. He was almost completely covered in bandages. He focused then on the room where he was in. It was surely a clinic. He sighed. He was back in the Earth Alliance ship.
"Oh, thank God you're well!" A dark-haired man wearing white approached Kira. He didn't look familiar. "You were terribly injured out there. You've been sleeping for three days. How are you feeling?"
"Who… are you?" asked Kira as the stranger took out a stethoscope and placed it on his chest. The man listened for a while, took the earpiece end out, and smiled at the Coordinator.
"My name's Dr. Tokiyo Tashiba," replied the doctor. He held out his hand, and Kira shook it politely. "Now don't be afraid, but you are in the territory of ZAFT. You have been defeated by our Gundam pilots,"
"What?!." Kira suddenly sat up, and he screamed. The pain was excruciating. Had he been damaged that much? "H-how could I have been defeated? Does this mean… that you captured me?!"
Dr. Tashiba smiled sadly. "Yes, that's right. Don't worry, though. We have not done anything to the Earth Alliance, nor are we planning to do something. We are not that weak as to attack when our enemies are handicapped. We fight fairly. It's a matter of pride, I guess,"
Kira was speechless. He was in the hands of ZAFT, and escape was impossible in his condition. He sighed and lay back. What to do, what to do?
"You should take a rest, Kira-san," advised Dr. Tashiba, pulling the sheets over his patient. "Like I said, we fight fairly. No one's going to poison you here or whatsoever. Just think that this is also the Earth Alliance. We mean you no harm at this point," He left, closing the curtains behind him.
Somehow, the man's words weren't assuring enough. ZAFT was ZAFT, and nobody could change that.
"Wonder what Athrun's reaction would be if he sees me here?" he asked himself. He soon wandered in the Land of Dreams, where anything was possible, including peace.
A Very Short Summary of the Next Chapter!
Kira is taken to a room where he thought he was alone. However, he finds that he isn't and the person with him is not whom he expected to be. Find out more next time! Oh yeah, and next chapter's just one of the reasons why this is rated R! Hahaha! -