Disclaimer
The series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, from which this work of fiction is based, is owned by GAINAX. Characters presented in this document that come directly from the series are also owned by GAINAX. "Lady Pheaura" owns Madison Timlitt. I own all other original characters.
Evangelion: Primum Revelation
Chapter 8: Hospital Stay
Written by T.S. a.k.a. "Kain Tempest"
German Translations by "Steve Vader"
The night didn't feature Kowaru. Shinji couldn't tell if he should have been thankful or worried by that fact. The Seventeenth Angel's presence however, didn't really make one lick of difference as to what happened in reality. The boy's reality was now in constant flux. The hospital bed linens were different; the machinery around his bed was reduced, but was far more sophisticated. All of those present were switched to off. Feeling jaded, none of this seemed to bother him.
He sat up and wiped the drowsiness out of his eyes and scanned the white painted room. White tiles were laid down on the floor and a pair of screens formed a pen where his bed and the machinery were nestled. The bruising on his arms and body had healed more than he had anticipated, and the aching in his arms was fast becoming a memory. Physically, he felt better, but deep down, the past events still bothered him. This felt like a dream... Or was Third Impact a dream?
Shinji stared at his hand for several moments before working the ligaments and muscles to change the position of the fingers. He pinched his other arm and winced, contacting with a still tender bruise. From what he knew, the pain he felt meant that he wasn't dreaming. He was in a real hospital in a real bed. It didn't feel right though. The presence of the room was not what Shinji found comfortable. This was the real world, but it felt radically different, not like when he and Asuka were traveling. But of a kind of stability that he had almost forgotten when Tokyo-3 was destroyed. He felt like he was home. But that was a difficult presumption. Something that only rose up in the confusing tumult of his mind without his support.Shinji scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to be rid of this need to overcomplicate his thoughts. But it wasn't going to happen. His mind was out of control and he couldn't stop it until it slowed down.
His old clothes were gone, replaced by a large off-white panamas shirt, and a pair of white pants tightened by a drawstring. There were no bandages on him from what he could tell, only the fading signs of the bruises he had gained in his fisticuff with Asuka. He forced the thought of fighting Asuka out of his mind; he didn't need to continue evaluating that encounter, not until his mind was more of its normal self. Shinji flung the covers off and swung his feet over the bed. In the corner of his vision, a pair of slippers rested against the nightstand. The personnel seemed to have expected that he would be up and about now. Slipping them on, Shinji stood up on shaky legs, balancing himself on the nightstand to keep from falling. Neither foot left the floor as he turned and started dragging his feet across the floor, hearing the soles of the slippers hiss across the ceramic floor. Outside of the fabric walls of his pen, Shinji looked around the ward, seeing harsh midday light shine through the window slats. The boy moved towards the window, which lay right next to the pen of a middle-aged gentleman sleeping soundly. Shinji watched the man, who had a European pallor that reminded him of Asuka, only darker. Shinji decided he could find someplace in this hospital where he could look outside and not disturb the other patients.Turning around, Shinji went towards the blue tinted door that led out of the room, passing by the third and final pen in the room, which held only an empty bed, and no one else. That person was probably already up an about. How long had Shinji been asleep? Neither clocks nor calendars adorned the walls of the room, and only the daylight outside gave a hint as to what time it actually was.
The metal of the latch handle was cold to the touch. Shinji held it a few seconds, and then released it. He flexed his hand, as if trying to analyze the sensation he had felt. Again, seeming to overanalyse the most simplistic of things. He just couldn't seem to help it. Steeling himself, Shinji grabbed hold of the latch again and pushed it down, hearing the bolt slide out and the door swing inwards. Shinji stepped through and shut the door.Shinji looked up and down the corridor. Both ways he looked seemed exactly the same. There was no sound, it was almost as if he were deaf. Maybe this was a dream. Shinji took a few tentative steps to the left, looking along the room numbers seeing that he was going up them. No windows could be seen to reveal his orientation, but the numbers alone told him that by going down them, he would come close to the centre of the building. Turning around, Shinji started walking in the opposite direction.
After walking by about 40 rooms, a corridor met the one Shinji was in. The boy stopped and looked down this new passage, seeing sunlight on the other side. Still moving slowly, he approached the window and looked out. To the right he could see the rows of windows along; below, and above the floor he was on. They stretched outward, giving a view to the hills, and forests of a land Shinji could not recognize. In a way however, it seemed very similar to Japan, but then again, just about every place on Earth looked the same after Second Impact.The diversity of the Earth was gone now, the mysteries of the natural world were now something of a myth for the boy, something that he would always hear stories about, but would never physically touch. Shinji looked out at the landscape, putting a hand against the cold window frame. It seemed so peaceful and tranquil. A pristine wilderness, however Shinji knew that there wasn't anything wild anymore in those woods.
The animals were gone and no birds sang. The Earth seemed dead now, with only people walking across it's Earth. Shinji was actually surprised that this hospital actually seemed to function and that there were enough patients that he and the older man had been placed so far away from the centre of the building. Of all things, it seemed as though humanity was the only creature that was able to bounce back from the calamity of Third Impact.
The sound of a voice caused Shinji to break from his goodbye to Earth's animals. He blinked, his mind, still in it's over processing state forming what it was he was hearing. It was a familiar song that he had attached to someone else a long time ago. Symphony Number Nine... Kowaru's song. Shinji looked around, turning and seeing a figure sitting cross-legged in a chair, head down, penciling something into a coil ring notebook. Shinji stood there for several seconds, not actually listening to the song, but trying to recognize the person. The subject of Shinji's query lifted her head and met Shinji's eyes. Her humming stopped."Hallo." Shinji blinked. "...Hallo." It was the first and one of the only words in the German language that Asuka had to shove down his throat. Shinji was surprised that he still remembered, without Asuka there to bully him into it. "Ich hoffe es stört dich nicht, das ich dich gezeichnet habe... Jetzt sieht das Bild besser aus." Immediately, Shinji was overwhelmed. He didn't know enough German to actually start a conversation. "Uh... I- I don't understand." Shinji stammered. At first the girl looked at him quizzically and then nodded. "I'm sorry... I thought you knew German." Shinji blinked again, surprised that this girl also knew his native tongue. "You don't really have to apologize." The girl stood up. "No, no. It was wrong of me to assume that you were from around here. Or are you?" She fidgeted and it caused Shinji to smile, seeing a teenager who was still acting like a kid. It seemed to make things seem all right. At least something in this crazy world was close to normal. The girl noticed the grin and smiled back. "My name is Madison... Madison Timlitt, please to meet you." She was going to extend her hand, but hesitated halfway through the motion. "Am I supposed to bow or something, instead?" Shinji shook his head.
"No. It's not necessary; I haven't met many people who bowed anyway. My name is Shinji Ikari." Shinji took Madison's hand.
"Pleased to meet you. So why are you in the hospital anyway, Shinji?" Shinji stared at Madison for several seconds, she frowned. "Is something wrong?" Shinji shook his head. "It's nothing." "Well if you don't want to chat, you don't have to." "No, no. It's not that. It's just that well..." Shinji paused. "You just don't want to talk about that. Don't worry, I understand perfectly. There are some things that people just really don't feel ready to handle." Madison walked over to the window, took a deep breath and turned around. "So I guess you're from Japan, aren't you?""Yes." Madison looked up at the ceiling for a minute.
"That's about as far as I am from my home. More or less." "You weren't born in Europe?" "No. I'm from New Zealand." Shinji looked at the girl as if she was crazy. "Near Australia?" Shinji immediately caught on and nodded his head. But then paused. "So you travelled from Australia to Europe. I thought my trip was far." "No. I came from the sea. Everyone calls it 'rebirth' but I don't know." Madison paused. "Wait. A trip, you mean you actually travelled here from Japan?" "Uh, yeah." Madison's reaction was an exclamation from another dialect entirely. Shinji could only fathom a guess that it was 'New Zealander'."That should have taken months. You probably got started at the end of the world. How did you get here so fast?" Madison's excited voice hard for the boy to follow, her Japanese becoming badly slurred.
"Actually, I'm not really sure how I got here. In fact, I don't really know where here is." Madison blinked, obviously surprised by his statement.
"We're in Hamburg, Germany." Shinji was shocked.
"Germany? But how could I have gotten here so fast?" Shinji rubbed his forehead. Just as soon as he had asked the questions he realized how stupid it was because he already knew the answer. He was in a hospital. If things were serious enough they would have moved him to another hospital. If Europe had been restoring their population like what they originally assumed way back when they first learned there were people in Austria, there was no doubt that Berlin would be populated. After all, it was a branch member of NERV, why else would a German like Asuka...
The thought of Asuka caused Shinji to jump and look around. A wave of paranoia striking so suddenly and leaving so quietly that he barely even realized that he was frantically looking up and down the hall expecting the redhead to be charging at him. God knew that he was starting to get really messed up. First Kowaru and now this.
"Are you okay?" Madison asked, clearly worried about the well being of her newfound associate. Shaking the bugs out of his head Shinji looked up. "I'm fine. It's just..." Shinji trailed off for a second. As if on cue, his stomach growled loud enough for Madison to hear."Sounds as though you have been asleep for quite awhile."
"You could tell?" Madison nodded. "C'mon, you can eat in the cafeteria and we can talk." "Are you sure that's a good idea." "Well there are no nurses running to take you back to your room. Besides since you're not hooked up to an I.V., I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to eat some real food." Shinji looked down at his attire. Madison seemed to know what he was indicated and shrugged. "Some folks are half-naked and can still eat there. So long as you are somewhat decent. In fact, what you have on is pretty conservative." She motioned for Shinji to follow her and he did. "You seem to know a lot about this hospital." "Yeah, I guess I do. But it's not what you might think. I'm not a patient here." "Then why do you come here so often? Assuming that you do." "Well, the scenery is terrific and there are plenty of interesting people here." Shinji looked at the back of Madison's head, not quite following. His eyes wandered down to the notebook in the crook of the girl's arm."So you're an artist?" Madison stopped and turned with a smile.
"Yes." She offered the notebook to Shinji. "Want to take a look?" The boy hesitated for a moment but then took the book from her and slowly started flipping through the pages. At first most were just flowers, cloud formations, or landscapes, but slowly they began to feature architecture and people. Including one person, a stern looking young man, probably the same age if not older than Shinji. But there was an air of resilience in him, if his hair was any longer, Shinji would have no problem believing that this was a younger, bitterer Kaji Ryouji. One picture showed the young man looking at the viewer, or perhaps even at Madison while she was drawing him, while sitting on the hood of a car, wearing a weak smile. But his posture showed more confidence that it would. Shinji was amazed at the quality of the artwork. Shinji noticed that about every three pages was another portrait of the handsome teenager.Finally, Shinji came across a photo of the young man carrying a file and wearing the uniform of a NERV officer. The boy blinked and squinted, seeing the tag on the collar symbolizing the rank of a captain.
"They're not very good." Madison stated, taking the surprise on Shinji's face to be one of abhorrence to her work. Shinji looked up at the girl and back down at the page. He held it up to show her the page. "Who is this?" Shinji asked."His name is Tristan Nevril, he's the Operations Director for E-NERV here."
"'Operations Director'? But he's no older than me!" Shinji exclaimed. "He's a real hard ass when he's working. I mean seriously no nonsense. I was supposed to have a meeting with him and the rest of the lower command staff and when I was late, he told me not to come." "...That doesn't sound too bad." "The way he puts it makes you feel pretty lousy though. But under that exterior of his, he's a really nice guy." "You said you had a meeting with him and the lower command staff. You're part of NERV?" "Yeah. But I really don't have a rank. I'm still considered a civilian. Kind of like the Evangelion pilots in Tokyo-3. I'm sure you've heard of them, they've been on the news every so often." Madison paused. "Before Third Impact anyways." Shinji's frown deepened. "Are you supposed to be a pilot?""What? No of course not! I take on a more administrative role. Kind of like a... Warrant officer?"
"Administrative? What exactly do you do?" "Well, I really can't say it; we are a 'secret' organization after all. Hey, why are you asking so many questions about NERV anyway?" "Uh. Well I..." Shinji hesitated; he wasn't actually prepared to answer. He almost expected everyone to know that he was an EVA pilot. But then, everyone would have such high expectations of him. He then realized that being in a place that no one recognized him could be a godsend. Maybe he wouldn't have to pilot EVA anymore... The contradiction struck him suddenly in just a flash of a second. He seemed to only recognize himself as a pilot and seemed to remind himself that he didn't want to. Pantomiming his former self when Evangelion was just a memory. But then Shinji recalled Madison's words, was she really a member of NERV, and if so it sounded as if they were active. NERV was still an active organization even when all the Angels were defeated.Shinji looked at Madison, she had crossed her arms and looked expectantly at him, and if she were just playing she would be more vocal.
"I just think that NERV is... Really cool." Immediately Shinji tried his best to imitate Kensuke, his four-eyed friend back in Tokyo-3. "I mean... The pilots get to drive those giant robots." This caused Madison to smile with a little bit of a chuckle."You really remind me of Tristan. Only, you come off a bit more timid. I suppose it doesn't hurt to be curious about the organization designed to save the world. Just don't go sticking your neck out too far; some members of the security force can get awfully fanatical. But enough with that, how about we get something to eat?" Shinji nodded, his stomach happily agreeing. Returning the notebook to its owner, they continued on their way. Sating the boy's hunger came before concerns surrounding the new destiny of his father's organization.
"You made a lot of drawings of the captain and you talk about him quite a bit. Is he special to you?" Shinji knew it was a dumb question and it didn't seem like him, but he felt as if Kensuke's persona was taking over and making him talk as much as possible."Well, I can't say he isn't attractive, nor that he isn't a nice guy under that front it puts up against other people, I guess you could just say we're good friends."
"Good friends..." Shinji repeated, more to himself. The meaning of that turn of phrase swam in his mind as he tried to figure out what that actually meant. Was it the sense of camaraderie he had felt between Touji and Kensuke during the early days of Tokyo-3? Or perhaps she was talking about a friendship with someone of the opposite sex. Did Shinji have someone he could consider a 'good friend' like Madison did?"Is everything alright?" Madison asked. Shinji looked up to see that the Caucasian girl was walking backwards, watching him. He blinked.
"I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about." "Maybe I'm being a little too blunt, but you seem awfully moody. Where was that energy I saw in you earlier?" Shinji didn't know how to respond. Would she not like him now that she knew that his words were simply a façade? Shinji gave a slight wince as he heard Madison breath an audible sigh. He waited for the name-calling to start. "Well I guess it's always easier to put up a front. Oh well." Madison turned away and continued on. Shinji blinked, she thought his shyness was a front. She saw something else, not what Asuka saw. Shinji mentally slapped himself, of course she wasn't Asuka, he was being foolish into thinking that. Why was he thinking like that?Madison's reaction to him was a not only positive, but also heartening. Unlike Asuka, she seemed to like people, and unlike Rei... Rei was gone. After the fight with the Sixteenth Angel, that snake of light, she was forever changed, and that monster that swallowed up Unit-01 was a grotesque clone of her. What was the connection between the two? What did that monster have to do with Rei? Rei was able to get through to Shinji's father more than he ever could, her demeanour could crack through the leather on that man's shrunken black heart. Why did it seem that everyone who was better than Shinji were the first to be taken away.
Looking back at Madison, Shinji suddenly had a feeling as if he could see the very clock that counted the days until girl's death. The horrible illusion of mortality suddenly stole that light which he felt from the girl. She was much better than him and if fate would have it, she would die in the worst way possible. Was this God's wrath incarnate? That the great would fall and the meek shall forever suffer?The world was far too messed up. It all started when he set foot in Tokyo-3 and from then on, he was inside this dark epic of man's demise at the hands of an embittered and angry deity. He had found stability with the EVA, but it was painful, but now he had no ground to stay firm upon. EVA, the tool that was supposed to be used to make things right was now all gone. His value to humanity was over and all that was left was to wait to die.
But that couldn't be it. If it were, Shinji would have allowed himself to just drown in the sea. He willed himself to survive. To escape the storm on the coast, to lose the soldiers who were after him, to fight of Asuka when she went into a fit of insanity.Was she insane? No she was angry, and confused. Shinji had never even thought of raping Asuka. But then he was simply stating the same thing over and over. There was no way he could convince her. Unless he could prove my genetics the baby was not his. But then, who was it to say that he before hadn't raped her and that someone else impregnated her. No matter the scenario, Asuka could still accuse him of rape and he would not be able to escape.
"Here. Sit." Shinji did some, coming to rest in the chair that Madison offered. The boy solemnly scanned the room to see that there were very few people in the place; most were just plain-clothes visitors. "What do you want me to get for you?" Madison asked. Shinji shook his head.
"I'm not that hungry."
"But I could hear your stomach growling? Are you alright?" "Yes. I just... Lost my appetite." Madison paused for a moment then went to the counter to get some food. She returned with two bowls of soup. "Probably the best food they make here." Madison noted. Shinji looked up at her with a tired expression, seeing as she was forcing food upon him. She seemed to read him like a book though. "What? I just don't want you to get your appetite back and be forced to just watch me eat. It's good anyway." Shinji stared at the yellow broth and pushed the bowl away. Madison sat down across from him with a concerned look on her face. "It looks like you have something on your mind. Penny for your thoughts?"Shinji stared at Madison for a long while. Not long enough for her to feel uncomfortable, but enough for her to know just how difficult it was for him to even consider telling her about his problems.
"I... I had gotten into a fight with... A friend... Just recently..." Shinji squeezed out. "Is that why you're in the hospital? Because it looks as though it was a very bad fight." Madison observed. Shinji remembered that he and Asuka's feud had gotten pretty rough. He didn't have a mirror to see, but he knew that there were probably plenty of marks still on his body."I guess."
"Is your former friend still around?" Shinji shrugged. "I don't know, when we were found my a group of soldiers... We got separated." "Soldiers? What kind?" "I don't know. I was... I think they spoke German.""Ah! They must have been one of the patrols on the NEC's borders."
"What's the NEC?" "Oh, I suppose you don't know. Well, now that NERV has technically become the European government, they formed the New European Commonwealth... Or something along those lines. Pretty much, it's just one big super nation run by the MAGI computer system. Oh damn! I said to much again." "You mean there were more than three?" Madison stared at Shinji strangely. "'More than three'? It sounds like you know more and more about NERV than you act like you do." Damn Shinji's big mouth. Now what was she going to do now that she knew he knew too damn much about NERV. "That information couldn't have just been found out by a fan." "Well I have a friend in Tokyo-3, she was an EVA pilot and she told me a few of the things I knew so long as I didn't tell them to anyone... But then, it's the end of the world, right?" "Who was your pilot friend?""Her name was..." Shinji grabbed a name off the top of his head. "Rei Ayanami." Madison seemed to consider this answer for a moment and seemed to be satisfied by it.
"All right. Now about your friend. If you want I can always ask Tristan to run a search on the person if you want. That is... If you're still friends." Shinji looked away. "I really don't know what she thinks of me anymore." "She?" Shinji nodded. Madison gave a small smile. "So do you want me to check for you?" Shinji hesitated for a long moment then nodded. "Yes, I want to make sure she's alright." Madison nodded. "Okay, I'll do it for you." Madison started back on finishing her soup. "Hey Madison?" The girl looked up from the bowl. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Madison sat up and wiped her face with her napkin. "Because you seem like a nice guy, Shinji. Besides, it's nice to meet people I can actually have a normal conversation with. Hell, even Tristan is so preoccupied with his work that he rarely has a day off. Even then, he's often trying to find something to do at the base. I practically have to drag him out of that hole if I want to take him anywhere." Shinji smiled. "I really envy you, Madison. You and Tristan sound like really good friends.""Thanks!" Madison drew close. "But let me warn you that unless I'm around you should probably refer to him as Captain. He's a little bit touchy on who is allowed to call him what."
"Boy, that sounds a lot like my friend." "Oh yeah, you never told me your friend's name." "Uh?" Shinji looked like a deer caught in headlights for a moment. In Germany, Asuka's name could probably carry a lot more weight than his did. But then again, would a civilian actually know the name of Unit-02's pilot, considering just how secret NERV was. "Her name is Asuka Langley Sohryu." Madison thought about that name, looking up at the ceiling as her mind tried to make it stick after a few moments she nodded. "Okay. Asuka Sohryu. I can remember that." "Thank you." Shinji smiled and looked to the soup. He dragged it over and started eating. That act caused a pleasant smile to cross Madison's face.Shinji sat on the examination table. The young doctor had given the boy a clean bill of health, but just as he was about to fill in the report, he seemed to have forgotten something and stepped out of the room.It had been two days since Shinji last met Madison. There was no news about Asuka, nor any sign of the girl from New Zealand, since that day. The possibility of Madison having lied about being a part of NERV crossed Shinji's mind. He quickly disregarded it, however, considering that Madison wouldn't have known as much about NERV as she did if she had been lying.
Besides, the delay was probably because they were having trouble finding or contacting Asuka. For all Shinji knew, Asuka may not have come to Hamburg but could probably be roaming the streets of Berlin at this moment.
Shinji recalled the effects of Third Impact and wondered about what Asuka could be doing right now, if she was in Berlin. No doubt she would have a hard time trying to find any of her old friends, and her home could very well be empty. What was she thinking about? Was she trying to pick up the pieces of her old life before EVA? Or was she trying to forge a new one? Because she was already a college graduate, she no doubt had the skills to get a well-paying job and the openings for such a career were probably huge. A girl like her could easily find a good life here. Shinji on the other hand, really didn't have anything.
All Shinji really had to call his own was the EVA and now they were all gone, a phantom of NERV's past. It was now forgotten. The organization was pushing ahead as the new government of the NEC. Shinji was in high school, but that meant he didn't have the necessary skills to survive as an adult. Most other children his age lived and were cared for by his parents, and Shinji didn't want or was denied such supervisors.
The door to the room clicked open and Shinji looked up. He blinked in surprise as he saw a grim looking man in an ash grey business suit and dark sunglasses open the portal. A second stood outside, glowering at the boy. From around the second agent, a familiar individual stepped into view. Shinji knew that he had never met him before, but had seen him. The bodyguards looked unfriendly, but this young man, barely older than him, looked downright cold."Shinji Ikari?" The young man asked. Shinji finally recognized him as the boy who Madison had drawn so many times in his sketchbook. The captain of E-NERV.
"Uh... Yes?""Approximately thirty-six hours ago you came across an individual calling herself Madison Timlitt. Is that correct?" Shinji felt a pang of worry, as if he had just done something wrong and had never known it was a crime. "Yes." "And you asked her about an individual known as Asuka Langley Sohryu." Shinji swallowed. "Yes." The captain walked into the room, pulled up a chair and nodded to the two agents. They closed the door and stood in the hallway. The young man turned to Shinji. "Let's talk."
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes
I apologize for the unexpected hiatus. Big changes were occurring in my college life and so I didn't have much chance to get back to writing the fic. Aside from the fact that I also got a brand-spanking new computer and had to reinstall all my old programs and files. That was a real pain. But now I'm back and hitting the keyboard.
I've had a long chat with Steve about the future of PRE and thanks to meticulous attention to several details and terrific suggestions, I think the future of this fan fiction will get better and better as the story goes on. Keep watch, and keep sending in those reviews, I'm a comment whore so hearing your praise and encouragement helps push me forward. I hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to future instalments of Primum Revelation.