Trigun Fanfic
Summary: Why did it all go wrong? When did it all go wrong? He has a vague sense that he isn't where he's supposed to be, that he's being held by invisible bonds that he cannot see. Great sadness engulfs him as he looks upon the glowing bulbs and one thought reigns in his mind as he looks at the people looking back at him: You can't take me! I'm free!
Trigun © Yasuhiro Nightow Shonen Gaho-sha Tokuma Shoten JVC Pioneer Entertainment (USA) Inc.
The following fan fiction was written by me (Chiruken) and is intended for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.
I'm Free
By Chiruken
Chapter 13
Gunsmoke, Present Day:
Millie was babbling again. Her cheerful voice washed over him, irritating while at the same time soothing. Her preoccupation with pudding was astounding…and a little frightening. He certainly didn't want to be the poor fool who got between Millie Thompson and her pudding cups. He shifted slightly, taking great care to not make a sound or move the light sheet covering him. His injuries were healing well, which was a relief. Unfortunately, the healing process…which consisted of bone, tissue and muscle repairing themselves…caused great amounts of discomfort including, but not restricted to, muscle spasms that varied in intensity. All in all, it was an unpleasant experience and he was impatient for it to be over with. He mentally shook himself as his mind wandered. Millie was currently reading her monthly letter from her family aloud.
At first the readings had annoyed him. He honestly didn't care about her family and couldn't understand why she felt it necessary to drone on and on about them. Of course, she didn't know that he was listening, though that puzzled him even more. If she thought he was still unconscious, then why on Gunsmoke would she read to him? After a while, he found himself looking forward to the monthly letters almost as enthusiastically as she did. Despite himself, he'd been drawn in and was curious. Damn my curiosity, anyway. He thought without rancor.
He'd learned that she came from a large family…a very large family. He wasn't certain if any of them actually had names, though. She only referred to them as brothers and sisters…the titles varying seemingly by the order of their birth. He often wondered if she was the only one with a name in her family…besides her numerous nieces and nephews, of course.
He forced his attention back to her. She was getting to the part that he was most curious about. "'And so, it seems our Jimmy is all grown up now. He must have planned it for ages. I don't know how he kept it from everyone, but there you have it, he did. He must have saved every single cecent that he earned to buy that ring for Caroline. It's the most darling ring you could ever see and looks beautiful on her hand. It's going to be so much fun to have everyone together again for the wedding. We dearly hope that you'll be able to make it, Millie…'" She paused in her reading to sigh deeply. "'But I'm sure Jimmy and Caroline would understand that your job is very important and you might not be able to make it home in time for the wedding. They've planned it so that he'll have the cast off in time to stand at the altar…'"
He tuned out the rest of the letter, satisfied now that he'd heard the results of Jimmy's past escapades and his subsequent success in proposing to Caroline. He allowed a small smile to flit across his lips. At first he'd thought the boy had a death wish and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why he'd climb to the roof of the barn at Millie's family's farm. Apparently it had been his intention to unfurl a banner with the words "Caroline Will You Marry Me". He had to admit that it was an original idea. Unfortunately his footing hadn't been as secure as it could have been and he'd tumbled off the roof in mid-proposal.
The sound of paper crinkling drew his attention again and he opened his eyes a little to peer at the woman sitting in the chair by his bed. She was folding the letter carefully and placing it back in its envelope. Millie was always careful with the letters her family sent to her. He didn't doubt she kept each and every one of them. "I wonder if Bernardelli will give me some time off so I can go home for little Jimmy's wedding." She sighed deeply and shook her head. "No, I couldn't ask. I have responsibilities here. I couldn't leave Meryl all alone to watch Vash and take care of you, Mr. Knives." She ran her fingers over the envelope, her expression revealing her longing. "It's too bad I couldn't take everyone home with me. That would solve everything." She shrugged and tucked the letter into her pocket. "Well, it would be nice, but not very practical. Can't very well carry someone as sick as you all over Gunsmoke, now can I? I mean, it'll be bad enough when you finally do wake up…but to have you around even more people would be a very, very bad idea."
His eyebrows drew down slightly. What? Does she expect me to go on a murderous rampage at the drop of a hat? He allowed a soft snort as he answered his own question. Probably. My behaviour in the past would lead anyone to that conclusion. Despite the logic of it, he couldn't help but feel a little bitter. Just what has Vash been telling them anyway?
"Oh well. Maybe they'll send me pictures of the wedding." She stood and lifted her arms over her head in a stretch. "Mmmm…I'm hungry. I wonder if I have any pudding left." She lowered her arms back to her sides and turned for the door. "Meryl will be here soon, so I think it'll be okay to sneak out a little earlier today. It isn't like you're going to run away on us, not the way you are." She paused at the door. "I wonder what'll happen when you do wake up. I hope you'll try to be nice to Vash…he really is only trying to help you, Mr. Knives."
After she was gone and the door closed behind her he opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. "Help me?" He murmured softly. "He shot me. Some help."
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Author's Notes:
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