Hey, why are my chapters all so effin short? I could have sworn they were getting longer again...maybe it's only the next chapter. Hmph. But thank you for the reviews, and here's my next update!
Thank yous:
Merffles: It's not true that Athrun cares about Rin more than Kira does...this chapter proves it.
Spellcasterz: I have no idea what the drug is called. I just know that Orga, Shani and Clotho are like "extended" naturals or something like that and they need that drug to survive...something like that. They actually don't mention the drug in the dub anime (that's all I've seen and I'm not sure about the original), but if you watch and see them seemingly suffering while they weren't fighting, it's because they needed the drug. Azrael did that to them to keep them under his control, but he knew how long he could wait before giving them the drug. That's about the extent of my knowledge, sorry!
asucagainluv: Wow...you reviewed twice, I'm touched. I think that pretty much shows that you like my story, and I'm really happy that you do!
ZGMF X-19A Infinite Justice: Read and find out. Actually, you might not...hint, hint
Blitz12: My idea (seen in this chapter) probably doesn't seem all that realistic, but hey, they are coordinators and can do some pretty seemingly-unrealistic things, so yeah.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, nor Azrael's drug (because it really does exist even though it has no name). Enjoy this chapter everybody! 5 reviews and I update!
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – ATHRUN'S POWER
"Are you sure about this?" Kira asked as he and Athrun walked down the main hall of the Eternal. "We don't even know what the drug is. And you heard her yourself – Azrael is the only man who owns it."
"I don't care," said Athrun, who was carrying Rin's limp body in his arms to the medic room. Her hair was spread out all over the place. Her face was chalk white and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her breathing was so light, she almost could have passed for being dead. "We have to save Rin. Are you telling me that you don't want to? That you don't care about her health? Look at her! We can't just do nothing!"
"Of course I want to help her!" Kira exclaimed angrily. There was a long pause, in which the only sounds produced were their light footsteps on the ceramic floor. "I just don't think the doctors – even if they are coordinators – will be up to it," he confessed as they turned a corner, drawing closer to their destination. "Are you sure this will work?"
"It will," Athrun assured him as he opened the door to the doctor's room. "It has to."
Athrun sat alone on a small wooden chair next to the operating room's door. He'd been kicked out of the room so that thedoctors could operate on Rin without distraction, despite his numerous protests and outbursts.
"Do you even understand the gravity of this situation?" the head doctor argued. "Do you want us to make a mistake and potentially kill her?"
"I'm not going to disturb you!" Athrun screamed. "I just want to watch!"
"Absolutely not!" the doctor yelled back. "I can't afford to take any chances with a patient that has under a fifty percent chance of survival -"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kira had seized this moment of shock to drag Athrun out of the room with all of the force he could muster, which still was difficult because Athrun got over theshock just as they were almost out the door.With a grateful nod to Kira,the doctor locked the door behind them.
"What was that for?" he had raged at Kira.
Kira had answered calmly, "The doctors need their space. You know that."
"I wasn't going to get in their way!" he protested. "I just wanted to watch – I wanted to be there for her when it happened!"
"But you want the doctors to have the best rate of success, and us being there with them only makes it harder for them," Kira reasoned, still speaking in that calm, almost alien, voice.
Hearing Kira able to speak so calmly given the gravity of the situation triggered the last and most of Athrun's anger.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO NONCHALANT ABOUT THIS?" he roared. "RIN IS GOING INTO AN OPERATION WITH A LESS THAN HAVE PERCENT CHANCE OF SUCCESS AND YOU - AND YOU ACT LIKE YOU DON'T CARE AT ALL! HOW CAN YOU BE SO HEARTLESS? She's in a strange room, all alone..." he trailed off after his voice began to shake so badly it threatened to completely go out on him. He looked at the ground, struggling to keep his tears under control (and succeeding), his shoulders heaving heavily.
Kira moved to put a hand on Athrun's shoulder, but stopped himself. "Damn it all!" he exclaimed angrily, and he took off, leaving Athrun staring in mild surprise.
He's worried as much as I am, he reflected as he returned back to the present, alone on that wooden chair that seemed to cave in with his weight. I shouldn't have yelled at him like that. It's funny, he thought suddenly with a sad sort of smile. Normally, I would be the calm one and Kira would go crazy. Yet today, it's the other way around. He's matured so much during the course of this war, and I feel like I've gotten nowhere. He stole another glance at the closed door. He twisted the handle to find that it was still locked, and sighed with disappointment. Then he opened his briefcase to look at the piano sheets that used to belong to Nicol. I hope she's doing okay in there. She has to be okay. I've already lost Nicol, and I'm not about to lose her, too.
"Athrun, are you there?"
Athrun looked up in surprise at the screen on the wall across from him. Lacus Clyne's face was on the screen, facing him. She was very serious, and though normally Athrun would have instantly demanded what was wrong, his usual dutiful enthusiasm seemed to have transformed into a monotonous, uncaring attitude and left the need for duty behind.
"What is it, Lacus?" he asked without any hint of expression.
"How is she?" Lacus asked, but Athrun sensed that this wasn't what she had called for.
"She's not awake yet, I don't think," he answered dully. "I haven't heard anything ffrom the doctors yet. But her chances aren't good to begin with."
Lacus looked down sadly. "I see." But she lost her care for the situation immediately and became very business-like."Well, Athrun, I hate to force this upon you, but I need you to use the Justice and fight to protect the PLANTS, the Earth Forces' next target. We must head out immediately, and I need you to be ready."
"But what about Rin?" Athrun protested worriedly, furious that Lacus had todo this tohim. "Someone should be with her – when she wakes up –"
"I know," Lacus interrupted, "but this is urgent. So you may not be with her in body, but your thoughts will be with her. Please, Athrun. We need you."
Rin needs me more, he wanted to argue, but he simply sighed and said, "Okay, I'm on my way."
He stood up and made to close his briefcase, but something stopped him. Instead, he left it on the chair, with the piano sheets spread out on top of it. Then he took off for his mobile suit.
You can do it, Rin. I promise you, this will make everything better. I won't let you suffer anymore.
"How are we doing?"
"Pretty good so far. We've identified the drug."
"So all we have to do is drain it from her body now?"
"Yes…well, we'll see."
"What do you mean?"
"Take a guess."
"Oh. I see. Well, then, let's avoid that as much as possible."
"It all depends on her blood."
Nicol…Where am I? Oh, I see now…we're back home, in the piano room. You're playing the piano again, aren't you? Yeah…that's why you won't answer me. You're too busy making music. You always do that. Even though it annoys me so much…why can't you give it a rest? Why can't you do something quieter? Yes, I know that you can play quietly. Let me rephrase that: Why can't you do something in silence instead?
There you are, giving me that look again. That seemingly sweet, carefree smile…because you know I'll never be able to take you away from your piano. And I hate you for it…because I know that you know this. You'll never leave your piano…you'll always play it, day after day, until you realize your dream…and I'll always yell at you again and again for not doing something quieter…and we'll all live together with Mom and Dad, away from the war and from all of the pain that it inflicts…
And nothing bad would ever happen to us…
There you are, smiling again. That's right. You agree with me, for once. We'll all stay here forever. Nothing's going to happen to us. Not now, not ever. And that's how it'll be.
You just keep playing that piano…
"Doctor, we have a problem!"
"Is she reacting to the loss?"
"I-I think so, Doctor!"
"Darn it…let's get her some fluids to make up for it."
"Already on it, sir!"
Ah…this is so relaxing…out here on the balcony, in the nice, warm weather…the bright sun…the cool wind in my hair…and you're still inside, playing the piano again…but this time, I don't find I mind so much. The music seems to flow with the atmosphere, intertwining with no beginning or end…it's actually nice, today. You know, Nicol, I think I'm starting to get used to you playing the piano…Hey! Don't smile like that! You're still as annoying as ever…yep, that's right…tee hee!
I love the weather today…you should come out and join me, Nicol. I think you'd like it. Come on, get off that piano for just a few minutes! I swear I won't break it…ha, I'm dead serious, Nicol. I swear by the pain of death that I won't hurt your piano…no? Fine then. Keep playing.
Just keep playing your piano…"We're losing her, Doctor! Her body can't take it!"
"Keep trying! Does she need more blood?"
"I think so - yes!"
"What type is she?"
"Uh, she's AB, Doctor!"
"Get her some blood, now! Hurry! It doesn't what kind right now at this stage…"
"Right away Doctor! Here!"
"Damn it... Come on, kid…fight it…"
"What?"
Athrun gave a jolt inside the cockpit of the Justice. For a moment, everything around him seemed to stop. Every beam shooting through space, every mobile suit charging for the other...everything froze for him in that instant. What was that feeling? Like something was going horribly wrong…
Rin.
Something was wrong with Rin.
Was she dying? It couldn't be!
No, Rin! Athrun raged inwardly, as though he would be able to transmit his thoughts to her while the doctors worked on her. You have to do this! I know you can get through this!
You're still playing that piano, smiling as always. It's so relaxing, Nicol. It's so much fun…
"Rin! Rin, can you hear me?"
Huh? Who was that? Who's interrupting me…? Nicol, was that you? Hey, why don't you answer? And…and why did you stop playing? Nicol? Nicol, where'd you go!
"Rin, I don't know if you can hear me, but…you need to get through this!"
Nicol…don't go…don't leave without me…NICOL!"Rin! Rin, please…don't give up now!"
What? Who's this? Who's talking? Who are you? You seem…so familiar to me, but…"I promised you…I promised I'd help you…I promised you'd be safe with me…so don't throw it all away now that you've come this far!"
A-Athrun? Is that…is that you, Athrun?"Rin? You can hear me?"
Athrun! It's you, Athrun! But…what's going on? Where did Nicol go? Why are you here? Nicol and I were…we were…
"No, Rin, you were dreaming. You need to come back to reality now. Okay?"
B-but…how do you…how do I know if you're telling the truth? What if you're trying to trick me?"I'm not. I promise."
But I can't remember anything…I have no way of knowing…"You remembered me, right? Think. Kira and I got the doctors to help you. They're trying to get that drug out of your body, remember? Don't lose touch of reality. You have to keep going…for Kira, me, everyone, yourself…and Nicol, too. Please, Rin! You have to live!"
I have to live? But I want to see Nicol again…I want to be with him forever…"Please, Rin! Don't die!"