Short chapter. .
"Is he awake yet?"
"No, hasn't regained consciousness since we brought him in."
"When do you think he'll wake-"
"By all the hells girl! With all the jabbering your doing, you're sure to wake him!" An old woman poked her cane at the doorway into the little room. "Sorry! I was just curio-"
"It doesn't matter now, he's awake…" The old woman leaned forward towards the bed, peering at it's occupant warily. "Hello child, how are you feeling?" she leaned back when there was no answer from the bleary eyed teenager. "What be your name, child?"
"T-"
"Oh by heavens! You're probably thirsty, let me go get you something! Jessica watch him for me." With that, the old woman hobbled out of the little room and into what appeared to be an equally small family room.
"Hey." The girl, Jessica stated amiably as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "That's my crazy auntie- in case you wanted to know how we could possibly be related." She stammered hurriedly, blushing and biting her lower lip. "Sorry. It's just that when we brought you in, auntie insisted in changing you and I-" there was a horrified gasp. "No no! I mean, I had to help. But I swear, I didn't look at anything! She said that you would catch cold if you didn't get something dry on." Jessica tried to explain. "We found you about a mile from the shore, on the beach of lake Taero near a wrecked EA plane and decided to rescue you because you looked really bad- but you're better now!" she finished with a deep breath as she leaned back on the bed. "Right now you're on the island of Maebos in the Aube Archipelago. We're in the small town of Alliset."
"Wate-"
"Oh, but you probably don't really care about that right now. So…" The duo settled into an uncomfortable silence. Auntie soon returned with a pitcher of water on a tray heaped with pancakes, toast, eggs, and a pile of waffles. "Breakfast dearie! I made extra because you were so thin when we found you nearly a week ago."
"Water." A hoarse voice croaked dryly, groping for the pitcher. "Oh!" Both women sprung up and nearly collapsed onto each other in an attempt to aid their pained guest.
After successfully draining the pitcher of fresh, clear water, wiping clean the platter heaped with full on country cooking, and falling back against the pillows with a contented sigh, the questions began anew. "Me first." Jessica began. She had nearly been dancing around the room in anticipation. There were hardly any visitors to their small island. "What's your name." She began simply.
"My name?"
"Yes, child." Auntie prompted.
"Tolle... Tolle Koenig."
Final shreds of sunlight were banished beneath the horizon as the day came to an end. Life on the island for the past few days had been an experience that Tolle would never forget, but deep down he knew that it was time to return to the Archangel, or at least try to.
He was sitting on the roof of Auntie's house, letting the rays of gold caress his face and his chilled heart when Jessica clamored up onto the roof along with her friend Natalie. The girls sat down on either side of him. Jessica pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin in the small space between them. Natalie let her legs dangle over the edge. "So" Jessica began a little dismally, glancing over at Tolle. "The Mayor says that we'll take you back to your ship tomorrow. He says that we can look at the log in your plane, and it'll tell us where you've been." Tolle nodded absently. It was so beautiful and calm here. It almost made him forget about the fact that he was a soldier fighting in a pointless war.
Ever since Kira had chosen to return to the Strike's cockpit to protect them- his whole opinion of coordinators had changed. If he was a good person, then that meant that a lot of others had to be good people as well. So why were they fighting? There was nothing left but a total, radical, ethnic cleansing. The PLANT Supreme Council wouldn't be satisfied until every natural was dead. And those in power within the Earth Alliance wanted every coordinator dead. It was just so frustrating. Tolle dropped his head down to rest on his drawn up knees. Sighing in defeat. There was no way out of it.
"Earth to Tolle…" Jessica waved her hand in front of the young soldier's face, which had suddenly gone impassive. "Huh?" Tolle's head snapped up, eyes wide and staring beyond the palm trees to the endless ocean that glittered below them. "You're going back tomorrow." Jessica forced an empty laugh. There was no point in lying to herself anymore. The days that Tolle had been bedridden, they had simply talked- never once touching the topic of war or sadness.
"I suppose we should go back down and get some rest before going out tomorrow morning then." Jessica flushed and quickly swallowed the anxious feeling that was rising up her throat. Did she really… like him? Impossible, her mind scolded. Dashing any thoughts before they could take flight.
The trio filed down the stairs- Jessica pausing to pull the hatch close on her way down. Tomorrow, they would search for the Archangel and return Tolle to where he belonged.