Well, I appreciate the reviews…I'm actually working on a couple new fanfics while working on the four or five I already have including this, and now that FoD isn't retarded I'm working on that too…
But I just like writing, the writing load doesn't seem big at all.
Well, let's start the show.
Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or its characters. Gainax does, and they rock. Who else could create both Evangelion and FLCL! I also don't own anything that happens to be referenced in this story.
Tokyo 3, Japan
Shinji's Apartment
Shinji lay down against his bed, with a thermometer in his mouth, sweat dripping off his face profusely.
Rei seemed to be lightly pacing around him.
"I was worried for your safety Shinji, I've never been so mortified, screaming like that. It's my fault, I should have never allowed you to attend that party without seeing if you were still sick or not."
Rei reached over for his thermometer pulling it out and then looking at it closely.
Shinji yawned.
"What does it say, one hundred and two?"
"I can't believe this Shinji, I'm calling a doctor."
She ran out of the room while Shinji sluggishly called after her.
"What's it say, Rei?"
Rei responded as she dialed the phone in the other room.
"It's hit the top, it's filled up completely."
"How high is that?"
"The highest it goes is one hundred and seven."
Rei stopped talking, whispering into the phone, her glance darting back between the phone and the bedroom.
Shinji began shaking again, and reached for another blanket at the foot of the bed. He pulled it up around his shoulders and the whole bed seems to be oddly vibrating because of his shivering.
Suddenly Rei rushed into the bedroom, glancing at Shinji with wide eyes, and then into the bathroom, turning on the faucet in the bathtub.
Shinji spoke through his chattering teeth.
"What…the…what are you doing Rei?"
Rei paced back to Shinji, speaking, her voice almost emotionless and business-like.
"Get your clothes off."
"What are you talking about Rei? I'm freezing…"
Rei's face seemed to break into worry and she actually raised her voice slightly, if only slightly.
"Get your clothes off, Shinji!"
Shinji gave her a confused look and yawned again as she dashed back into the kitchen.
"What'd the doctor say?"
"That you'd die on your way to the hospital. Now get into the bathtub, quickly."
Shinji just stared at her as she paced around, bursting out of the kitchen carrying four trays of ice cubes. She hurried into the bathroom and dumped them all into the tub.
"He's coming right over."
"Coming here?"
"Come on Shinji, we can't wait any longer."
Rei rushed out of the bathroom, and pulled Shinji out of the bed, helping him rise. She began pulling him towards the bathroom, having great difficulty in trying to undress him as he shivered while navigating him through the room.
Finally she maneuvered the shaking young man into the bathroom, next to the tub.
Shinji peers over at the bathtub filled with ice cubes with wide eyes as they floated in the water.
"You're out of your mind, Rei. I'm not getting in there. I'd rather die!"
"That is your decision Shinji, but you must think about the other people in your life when making it."
"Look at me Rei, I'm ice cold already!"
"You're red hot, Shinji, now get in there quickly, I need to go get more ice."
Rei dashed out of the room, the sound of the apartment door shutting, and then, silence.
Shinji lifted his foot slowly, dipping his toe into the water, but then pulled it away instant.
"My god!"
Shinji grit his teeth, clenching his fists, an old mantra in his head as he dipped his foot fully in, the ice cold water turning his foot red.
I mustn't run away…I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away… I mustn't run away…
Finally he yanked his foot out with a yelp, unable to keep it in any longer, wrapping the red foot in a towel and rubbing it vigorously to get rid of the stinging pain. He stared at the water, unable to move, paralyzed by the simple fear of pain.
Tokyo 3, Japan
Apartment Corridor
Rei dashed up and down the corridor, knocking on doors and collecting ice from those who'd answer, although she knew they were all in their homes at this time of the night, some of the neighbors refused to answer.
She hurried into the bathroom while a few people followed with more ice cube trays, shifting them around in their hands to avoid the cold.
Tokyo 3, Japan
Shinji's Apartment
The door slammed open once more and Rei rushed into the bathroom, expecting to find Shinji immersed into the saving cold of the tub.
But instead the former Third Child was sitting on the rim of the tub, the water only up his calves, shaking almost violently now.
"I…I can't…do it…"
Rei pressed her hand against Shinji, caressing his forehead.
"Shinji, you have to. You mustn't run away."
She unloaded two more trays into the water.
"No…no…I'm tired Rei…"
"Lie down Shinji."
Shinji's voice was pleading as he shook his head, although it could've just been the shivering fits.
"Please Rei…My feet are throbbing."
"I'm sorry Shinji, but I feel empathy for you, you know that, I cannot allow you to do this. Mekira, Kurosawa."
Two of their neighbors, young men named Mekira and Kurosawa, who seemed quite genial, unlike Shinji's other neighbors, rushed into the bathroom.
Shinji groaned.
"Wait, I'm naked!"
Mekira smiled, edging closer.
"Nothin' we ain't seen before."
And then it happened, in an instant, the two men leapt onto Shinji, smiling feral looks on their faces as they wrestled with Shinji's shivering body, the former Third Child squirming and kicking with all his might.
"No! Get the hell off me!"
"He feels like hot coal, Kurosawa."
"It's for your own good, Shinji."
"Let me go, goddamit!"
The two men wrestled with Shinji and finally brought him down, his arm hitting the ice cold water, causing Shinji to wince.
He could hear Asuka even now, through his shivering, berating him, if she had been there.
"Wimp! You're still a coward after all these years, get in there, dammit!"
Her voice seemed to join thousands of others in his current and past life, urging him in, just as Mekira and Kurosawa pushed his back into the ice cold abyss, making him lie back into it.
Shinji nearly flies straight out of the tub, but the two men hold him down as he screams in utter agony, his eyes bulging as he cries for help, telling the men to release him, but they refuse.
Rei looks down on him with an unreadable face, even for Shinji, although there seems to be concern written all over it.
"I'm freezing! Dammit! I'm freezing!"
Shinji groaned, the voices around him growing dimmer.
"Mekira, I can't hold onto him any longer, my hands are all red."
"Don't you let go!"
"Miss Ayanami, please get help, my hands are killing me!"
Shinji's voice interrupted, as if responding, laced with agony.
"Help me! Help me!"
"Here I'll do it."
"Take his legs"
"Run your hands under hot water."
Shinji groaned, his vision blurry, his body feeling like there were millions of needles stabbing into it, as the apartment door slammed and opened.
"I've got more ice!"
"Bring it in"
"Is he alright?"
"He doesn't like it."
"I don't blame him, what should I do with the ice?"
"Pour it in."
"On top of him?"
"He's melting it as fast as we're putting it in!"
"Okay, my husband's got two more bags, he's coming, they're heavy."
Shinji opened his eyes just in time to see hundreds of ice cubes, slamming into his burning, pained body like bullets, letting out one more ragged scream before he fell into darkness.
"You're killing me! For godsakes! You're killing me!"
Shinji tossed and turned in his bed, as though struggling to get out, suddenly awaking with a yawn.
He sat up quickly and looked over to the window, his eyes blinking rapidly.
The window was open and cold air was blowing in, causing Shinji to shiver.
"Damn you and your fresh air…"
He jumped over off the bed and rushed to the window, pushing at it. It closed with a loud bang, flying down and a woman in the bed sits up.
It is Asuka Langley Sohryu.
"What was that? Shinji?"
"It's freezing…"
"I'm not cold…"
"Of course not Asuka, you have all the blankets! It must be ten degrees in here, I'm telling you Asuka, if you want fresh air, go sleep in the fire escape, I can't take much more."
She raised an eyebrow, yawning.
"Idiot…it's not healthy with it closed."
"And getting pneumonia is healthy?"
He settled back into the bed, groaning, pulling the covers over to his side.
He lay there quietly for a moment, apparently deep in thought.
"What a dream I was having, I was living with another woman…you know who it was?"
Asuka peered up at him with a growl and Shinji instantly regretted the question.
"I don't want to know, pervert."
"Rei…I was living with her. God, it was a nightmare. There were all these demons and I was on fire. Only I was burning from ice…and…"
Asuka snuggled close to him, surprising him for a moment as she whispered.
"Guilty thoughts. See what happens to you when you cheat on me, even in your mind?"
"She was nice though…"
"Who, Wondergirl?"
Shinji sighed.
"Why do you still call her that, Asuka? After all these years?"
The former Second Child remained silent.
"You may think she's a doll…but in the dream, she was different, kind and loving."
"I thought you said this was a nightmare?"
Suddenly, out of nowhere there was an odd tinkling sound, of music, perhaps from a music box or toy of some sort.
A young boy enters the room, carrying a lunch box that seems to be playing the music in his arms. He wears a long t-shirt down to his ankles. It is Kaworu Ikari.
"Daddy, what was that noise?"
Shinji turned, oddly surprised to see him.
"Kaworu?"
He stared curiously at his son.
"What are you doing?"
"There was a bang…"
"It was the window…"
"It's cold."
Shinji smiled.
"Yeah, tell your mother."
"Mom, it's-"
Asuka smiled, her face actually softening as she stared at Kaworu with caring eyes.
"I heard you, go back to sleep."
"Will you tuck me in?"
"Oh..alright…"
Asuka began to rise but Shinji surprisingly got up instead, motioning for her to get some sleep and rising up, whisking Kaworu off his feet, carrying the giggling boy upside down into the hall.
"Daddy…Will you tell me the story about uncle Kaworu again? How I was an angel?"
"Kaworu…you've heard that story a dozen times."
Kaworu nodded, no longer upside down, and rested his head into his father's shoulders, snuggling in closer.
Shinji Ikari smiled, a true smile, a beaming gesture of happiness.
This fanfic is far from done. Sorry if this chapter was confusing or too short, but it was meant to be. Usually I use italics to separate dream from reality, but now no italics in this chapter. What is the dream and what is the reality? Asuka or Rei? Which is real? Does it even matter? What is happening to Shinji?
All these and other questions, probably answered next chapter….Ehhehe
Until then, later.