+++++ NERV. (Friday, August 27th, +6, Last Quarter 1/4)

Waiting as Misato stormed out of her office, sitting impassively as the enraged Tactical Commander slammed the door on her way out, Kyoko thought through the variety of options she had available to curtail the responsibilities of someone that she was beginning to have grave doubts about. Her phone rang, forcing her to allow her body to move from the rigid stasis she kept to stop from reaching for her stash of chocolate. Tapping the button for speakerphone, she asked the only woman who had this particular number a question she needed an answer for, "Is he still alive?"

"Yes. He's requested a visit from Maya Ibuki." Miyuki sounded as tense as Kyoko herself was feeling, "He nearly destroyed another room. I've made the decision to move his teachers up here to the Manor, to keep him out of the general population until your office can…prune the stray branches."

"A wise decision, on both his and your part. I'll have Maya and Ritsuko on their way shortly, in exchange for a copy of the report I presume your head of security is writing."

"I'll send it to you with a box of my finest petits fours, old friend." She blew out a breath of relief, glad to know that Kyoko was still on her side. "I love Yui dearly…she made a terrible mistake."

Kyoko smiled sadly. "I would have loved to raise a man such as him. He would have been my finest student, his mind pieces the puzzle together so cleanly, it's like watching an artist."

"I would have fought you over marriage rights, you know."

"Bah, there is nothing but petty human insecurities preventing him from worshipping both Mitsuru-chan and the two I am sending to you. Whoever had the paperwork signed would simply have to accept that a man such as him had too much to offer any one woman. Three would a good start, giving each other sisterhood and him the stability that life never would."

Miyuki was silent for several heartbeats. "Have you spoken to Yui about this?"

"What makes you think she'll have a say in it? Even if she had given him to us for a proper rearing, it would have been us and not her giving him away. He would have honored his mother, as is only right, but she would not be the one he truly meant when he spoke of his mother."

+++++ Kirijo Manor. (Friday, August 27th, +6, Last Quarter 1/4)

Ritsuko once more found herself driving far away from the urban cityscape towards a location deep in the forest to deliver Maya to Shinji. She wasn't upset at that fact, but it was something of a point of humor in her mind that she was once again physically interjecting the woman she loved into the life of a young man she was becoming more than fond of. Her eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror, taking note of the discomfort of the other 'oddity' in her car. "Andreja-san, something wrong?"

"No, Doctor, everything is fine, ok?" The big woman continued to fidget with the tissue paper wrapped item in her hands, her actions putting her words to the lie.

Maya had spent the car ride going over information that she'd gathered regarding treating PTSD, though she hadn't remained ignorant of the state of her colleagues either. "I spoke with your supervisor before finding you, Sergeant. Even if I didn't outrank her, I'm positive she would have eagerly let you come with me if I thought you could help him. I appreciate you taking the time to come help, and I trust your coworkers to handle the project in your absence."

Andreja let out a small sigh. "That…is not my fear, Poručík. I will be fine, ok? Please focus on poor Shinji, yes?"

"If you're going to become a regular fixture on these outings, you really need to both relax and open up to us," Ritsuko encouraged her. "He likes you, Maya-kun thinks you're going to be of assistance, and I trust those two facts enough to have confidence in bringing you." Slowing to a halt at the main gate into the Manor grounds, she rolled her window down and waited for the gate guard to speak to her.

The security professional leaned down to look into the car, a slight frown on her face. "Doctor Akagi, Lieutenant Ibuki. I was told 'two', who's your third wheel?"

"I brought her to help me, ma'am." Maya's demeanor had shifted to the disciplined officer she was supposed to be when interacting with the public. "Sergeant Andreja Valatok, NERV Section Three, Armor Engineering."

Repeating the identity into her radio, she waited for a reply, and on receiving permission waved them through. "Please be mindful of the orders of our security contingent, ladies. We're on alert at the moment, for obvious reasons."

"Understood, thank you." Maya urged Ritsuko forward. "Ok, I'm going to spend a few minutes making sure I know what I'm talking about with him. If this is what I think it is, I'll send for both of you after I have him calm enough to 'learn'."

Driving up the main stretch of road, Ritsuko parked the car where indicated directly in front of the steps leading up to the house. "Don't worry about taking your time, I'm going to speak with Kirijo-san about other things for a bit anyway." Sliding out of the vehicle, she saw Akane and greeted her with a loose wave. "How's the chest?"

"Like I got kicked by a mule," she snorted out a laugh. "Gimme your keys, I'll park your car somewhere out of the way. Go make sure the kid's got his head on right."

Handing over the keys to her car, Ritsuko added in a whisper, "How bad?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Can I ask that you urge Ibuki to keep what it is she sees here to herself for a bit? The kid has enough shit landing atop him, he doesn't need the brass making a fuss over stuff that they can't do anything about."

Ritsuko frowned in thought. "That serious?"

"I trust you to know when to lie. If you'll remember it was me who typically helped you keep the lie straight when you were younger. Your little love there couldn't lie with a script about something like this, so it's best she just keeps her pretty little mouth closed."

"…Do my best." Patting Akane on the arm, she moved to walk up the steps to join the introductions between Miyuki and everyone else.

"Chiaki will guide you to where he is, Lieutenant. Thank you for coming on short notice." Miyuki had already dismissed Maya, the situation dire enough that pleasantries were overridden. Tilting her head slightly in curiosity at the paper-wrapped parcel offered by Andreja, she accepted it with an unspoken question as to the meaning.

Andreja kept her body closed off, clearly uncomfortable with the total situation. "In my culture, if you arrive at a house where you have not been invited, it is expected that you make a gift of something to the lady of the house, yes? To show that you respect her domain, and that you do not wish to be seen as an ill-omen."

As Japanese customs expected that she not open the gift in front of the one giving it, as that would be seen as rude, Miyuki reached beyond her own upbringing to put a woman she'd hoped to speak to at some point at ease. "Would it be acceptable to open it, then? To see what you have brought as an offering?"

"Yes. I know that your customs and courtesies would not want you to do so, but in my culture it is expected. I leave it to you to decide, ma'am."

Picking the tape off the paper without tearing or marring it, a talent she'd perfected over the years, Miyuki revealed a hand-knit doll resembling Shinji in a Western suit and tie. "Oh my, this is lovely!" For once, she wasn't obliged to force enthusiasm for something. That in itself was a great gift in her eyes. "And you made this?"

"Working with fine details and small tools helps me maintain the manual dexterity I need for my duties. I had been making this to relax, trying to think of ways to help Shinji improve his own mood. When I was asked to come here, I thought perhaps the woman who had stepped into the role of his mother might accept it."

"I'll display it on my desk with pride, Sergeant. Thank you for the lovely gift. Please, be welcome in my home." Urging her inside, she included Ritsuko in the offer. "Thank you for coming, Ritsuko-chan. I can say with all honesty I am greatly relieved to know he has opened up to you as much as he has. He needs someone who knows when to bend the rules in his ear, to help him accept the things he cannot change."

Ritsuko smirked playfully. "That's me, Auntie dear. Maya will get him stable, don't worry."

+++++ Kirijo Manor. (Friday, August 27th, +6, Last Quarter 1/4)

Shinji sat on the floor at the foot of his bed, watching as Pixie tried various outfits on Shizuko to see what 'fit'. A form of stasis had been reached between the two non-humans, in the spirit of not driving him further towards rage. Dresses, robes, anything and everything with an open back was created through the Fae's magics, but everything that was attempted seemed to not work for any of a variety of reasons.

What Shinji didn't know was that Pixie was trying to find something 'not sexy' for Shizuko, and Shizuko was trying to find something that made him look at her. The balance was momentarily set awry when Maya knocked lightly, opening the door and taking in the scene of two fourteen centimeter tall non-humans with wings playing 'dress up' under the supervision of a man capable of intense amounts of violence.

"Shinji?" Maya slipped in and closed the door behind her. "Would you mind…introducing me?"

His eyes remained on the two women in front of him, but his hand reached over towards Maya with an unspoken hope that she'd come closer.

"Good afternoon, Hopebearer," Shizuko took responsibility for her own introduction, "my name is Shizuko, named by the Wildcard's own hand. Thank you for coming with all due haste to see to his emotional injuries, might you know where we could find the woman responsible for his state?"

"Unfortunately, no." Maya smiled politely at the diminutive angel, allowing Shinji to pull her into his lap and hold her close. "Why do you call me 'Hopebearer'?"

Pixie snorted a laugh. "Because when Shinji thinks about you, he feels a surge of hope that things will be ok. That there is a chance he's not going to lose himself to his anger, his hate, or his suffering. That you will look at him and remind him that he is more than just a punching bag for Reality." Motioning for Maya to focus on Shinji, she turned back to the project that was Shizuko. "You can call me Pixie, I'll decide if it's nice to meet you after I see you help him."

With his arms around her, holding her close, Maya was rocked slowly side to side as Shinji used her presence to begin the process of soothing his mind. "So," she chose a light touch instead of going for the throat of the problem, "think you'll be able to salvage the shirt? That looked like really nice material, I doubt you can mend it without it looking horrifying."

"There's…a voice. In my mind." Shinji, on the other hand, wanted to focus on the reason he'd called for her. "Every…uhm, any time…when I think about…my mom."

Intrusive thoughts. A lifetime of repressed rage. I really need to send a letter to my…he's dead…. "And when you hear the voice, you get angry. When you get angry, you want to reach out for help but instead you've begun to lash out at inanimate objects."

"…Yeah."

"Have you been taking your medicine?"

"Yes."

"Ok. It's still too early to know if it's going to work, and I know that's frustrating, but by taking it you're eating away at that time. Also," she lifted her face and kissed his chin, "thank you for being a good man and taking your medicine as directed."

He pulled her closer, breathing in her scent and luxuriating in her presence. "I…I'm sorry."

"For?"

"…Ritsuko…and…."

"Psh," she batted at his arm playfully, "don't be silly. I'd rather her help you with gathering the sample than some random healthcare provider that doesn't know you at all. You like her, she likes you, that's good. That means you can still make connections with someone emotionally, and still enjoy them physically! That wasn't stolen from you, with so much of the rest, and that's something I'm happy about." Maya was drawing her own joy from being held as she was. He was holding her tight without crushing her, keeping her close without stopping her from moving if she chose to. He was being the man she knew him to be, and that made sitting where she was a very easy task. "How are you feeling after the attack? We will continue to work on the intrusive thoughts, with medicine and lessons in anger management, but you just went through a very traumatic experience. We should pay attention to that too."

He nodded slowly, thankful for her being who she was. "I'm fine. It hurt, but I was more worried that Akane-san had been killed than I was that I might get killed. I'm still worried about Toriumi-sensei, I haven't heard how she's doing."

That fits with his view that he doesn't matter. "And the women you killed?"

"Honestly…I don't really remember doing it. I know I did, I saw the end result, but the part of…of me that did that wasn't really thinking about what I was doing."

Dissociation. Common enough. "If it helps, later on when it starts to hit you, none of us are judging you for stopping them from killing you, or killing someone else that had done nothing to deserve it. We don't view you differently, not at all."

"Mmm."

"Think you could handle talking to a specialist in managing your anger in a more constructive way?" She let her head fall back, resting on his arm to look up at him with a patient smile. "I brought one along, because I figured that's what might be happening."

It meant letting her go. While he didn't want to, he recognized that she wanted what was best for him. "Sure. If you think it will help." Standing up, and bringing her into a bridal carry as he did, he looked towards the door and frowned. "I'm…not ready to speak to my classmates."

When he went to set her on her own feet, there was a pang of loss in her heart. "I'll make sure that they're kept away, for now. Kirijo-san is very serious about providing you with the best care possible, and she'll understand that part of that means allowing you to set the terms of engagement with your peers." Taking his hand in hers, she set them off towards the door. "Pixie-san, Shizuko-san, did you want to join us?"

"I would love to, Hopebringer. If there is any way I might assist you, please do let me know," Shizuko replied, hurrying over to land on Shinji's shoulder.

Pixie took her place on his other shoulder. "Yeah, I'll keep an eye on her."

Once out in the hallway, Maya was not surprised to find Chiaki patiently waiting outside of Shinji's room keeping everyone else away. "Excuse me, ma'am, I was hoping you could take us to your gym, and then maybe have someone find who I came with."

"She's not a ma'am," Shinji murmured. "She's Chiaki."

The young maid's typically serene features broke into the hint of a smile of approbation at his statement, before answering Maya's questions, "Certainly. Please follow me." Moving at a proper pace down the hall, she sought expanded answers on Maya's requirements, "Are you seeking the practice room, the weightlifting room, the cardio room, or the pool?"

"Oh…." Maya thought to her own tiny apartment, which was close to half the size of Shinji's entire bedroom, and sighed internally. "The weight room, if you would."

Shinji moved through the halls silently, down the stairs silently, and towards the gymnasium silently. Maya's strength bolstered him, her patience soothed him, and her presence kept him from continuing to grow in anger. Once he was at their destination, he looked around and began to piece together what might be expected of him. The strain of lifting weights would help with the feelings of anger, so long as they were available at the point of anger…. When the door opened again, and he saw Andreja, his mood lifted further, "Andreja-san, it's nice to see you."

Walking over to him, looking at each of his shoulders, the bulky engineer asked, "Shinji, do you know you have škriatkovia on you?"

"Oh, yes, this," he tipped his head towards Pixie, "is Pixie-san. She's kept me from dying before. This," he tipped his head towards Shizuko, "is Shizuko-san. She fixed my vision earlier today after I took a round to the side of my head. Ladies, this is Andreja Valatok, she kept me from freezing to death a couple of days ago. I like her, and would prefer you not upset her."

Pixie stood up, leaning against Shinji's head with an accepting grin. "Anyone who keeps you alive is ok with me, Shinji. It's a pleasure to meet you, Child of Mountains."

"Yes, indeed it is a pleasure to meet you Honorkeeper." Shizuko curtseyed politely to the much larger woman. "Please give your best effort in aiding the Wildcard."

Maya clapped her hands softly. "Ladies, if you would not mind finding another perch, Sergeant Valatok is going to be helping Shinji in a manner that might result in your injury if you remain where you are." Shizuko floated over to her, perching on her shoulder instead. Pixie floated over to a nearby railing attached to a mirror, sitting down and waiting for the show to begin. "Thank you. Now, Sergeant, what Shinji is suffering from is an inability to properly control his anger. It is both understandable and common even amongst those his age that haven't had the miserable life he's had. I know from our interactions that you also have had troubles from time to time in keeping your anger from running the show. If my guess is correct, this is the type of room you usually use to…help."

"Yes," Andreja nodded, taking stock of the equipment on hand, "yes this is where I would go. It is hard to injure the little ones when you are too tired to lift your arms, yes it is." She frowned at what he was wearing, then looked over to where Chiaki was patiently watching everything. "Miss, he does not have the proper clothes on."

"I have already sent someone to remedy the situation, ma'am," Chiaki replied with a polite nod of her head. "I took the liberty of requesting a change of apparel for you as well, should you feel it necessary."

"Thank you." She turned back to Shinji and moved close enough to set her hands on his shoulders. "Anger exists. This is a truth you cannot avoid, no you cannot. Anger is a flame that burns inside you, it eats your time, your patience, your relationships. But," she squeezed her hands, "only so long as you feed them to it. Anger exists, but it exists within you. You must learn to control it, like any wild animal or terrible situation. Like a wild animal, or terrible situation, there will be times that you cannot control it, yes this is true. This is why control alone is not enough, you must also learn to accept the flame, accept that there is a reason for it, accept that it has won that round, and do what you can to protect your time, your patience, and your relationships." The clothes arrived, and she gestured to them, "We will change our clothing, and then we will change how we see the world."

+++++ Kirijo Manor. (Friday, August 27th, +6, Last Quarter 1/4)

Ritsuko stood out in the hallway with Miyuki, observing through the glass walls as Shinji was put through a workout regimen that would have had even the most athletic soldier gasping for breath. Andreja was relentless in her encouragement, demanding that he give her every drop of blood he had in him, if that was what it took to get him to lift, push, pull, or shove one more time. "It's been six days."

"It has." Miyuki agreed with the unstated addendum. "What would you say if I asked you to move in here, with the good Lieutenant?"

"I'd say that my current employer would see it as a very serious conflict of interest," she snorted out a laugh.

"And if I could secure their 'buy-in'?"

Ritsuko looked away from Shinji towards the woman dangling fruit in front of her face. "Why do you want competition for him in the same house as the other eight contenders? You're asking me to accept a place in this…strange game you and sensei have brewed up, but you're awfully reluctant in explaining why I'd benefit from watching his presumed fiancée fend off seven other women already vying for the title."

"…She told you?"

"No, you just did." She looked back to Shinji with a shrug. "You know I'm not an idiot, don't act like you're surprised I figured this out. A marriage between Mitsuru-chan and Shinji would tie two of the most powerful families in Japan together all the tighter. Bonds of friendship, of economics, of politics, those are all great at giving you both cover to maneuver behind the scenes. Bonds of family? You could bring your full firepower to bear without anyone wondering why. The ascending scion of the Kirijo Group, the Prodigal Son of the Ikari Clan, might as well give them the keys to the kingdom."

"Mmm." In truth, Miyuki hadn't doubted that Ritsuko had figured it out. Still, some games were simply too hard to stop playing. "And if I told you that our 'strange game' was not only rigged far differently than you believe it to be, but had a purpose far more…lascivious than you could dream?"

Ritsuko barked out a laugh. "Right. The goal is to take a victim of a lifetime of sexual abuse and set him up as the king of a harem full of women. Fill his days with fanciful lusts, his evening with forbidden delights, all to make up for a life he should never have suffered through. Funny, Auntie, really funny." When Miyuki didn't join in her laughter, she slowly turned once more to look at the woman that had more than once given her a beer after a bad life experience. "…I said 'funny'. That's your cue to laugh."

"Gene editing software capable of producing clones indistinguishable from humans, by combining them with Angel DNA procured from Adam." Pulling her phone out of her jacket, she offered it to Ritsuko to see what was being displayed. "The samples that we extracted from his wound, as well as the samples we recovered from his most recent adventure into Tartarus, show that he is only fifty percent 'homo sapiens'. The other fifty percent matches the entities he's been struggling against well enough that we're positive he's been changed at a fundamental level by whatever is currently only barely visible in his neck. Combine this with the irregularities you've discovered with regards to his ejaculate, we stand a very good chance of being able to restore humanity, with some differences…but only if we can convince him to help us in a way that doesn't make us just as bad as the bitch that hurt him."

"…Marriage to a diverse group of women, with a broad variety of skills and preferences. Societally, construct the truth that the only chance we have to survive as a species is by accepting plural unions. Repay his sacrifices by…teaching a group of women to love him enough to let him love other women as well." Ritsuko frowned at Miyuki, hard. "That's…a very nice road to hell you're paving."

+++++ Kirijo Manor. (Friday, August 27th, +6, Last Quarter 1/4)

His arms shook violently as he tried with every ounce of strength he could summon to lift the bar one last time. The cheers from Pixie, Shizuko, Maya, and Andreja drove him to buy every single centimeter between his chest and full arm extension he could provide. Laying with his back on the bench, arguing against gravity that the several hundred kilogram bar truly was supposed to exist off of his chest, he felt parts of his body tear as he let out a ferocious roar and shoved it the last bit to count his final repetition of the movement.

Andreja helped him set it back in the rest, and laughed as his arms flopped down to the ground in exhaustion. "An exercise like this, ok, you do not do it every day. This is at most twice a week, and only with someone who can help you move the weight off of you, yes? A dead Shinji does not do any of us any good."

"That is excellent advice, and you should absolutely listen to the voice of wisdom," Maya added in her typical upbeat way. "If she is amenable, I'll arrange for Sergeant Valatok's supervisor to give her time off to come here and help you learn how to work out properly. It's clear you're far stronger than we think you are, but I don't want you pushing it this hard all the time either. Save it for those times when the anger becomes too much. Drive yourself to exhaustion, smother the anger beneath the weight of fatigue, and then eat a good meal to replace what you've just used up."

"Yes, the Lieutenant is wise as well, you see?" Andreja helped him sit up. "Nutrition, very important. No empty calories, no pointless 'supplements'. Nature has given us what we need in the form of plants and animals, yes? Eat what we were meant to eat, not what frauds and liars claim is 'miracles'. Miracles exist within us all, and they are realized by sweat, blood, and sacrifice."

He honestly felt wonderful, compared to earlier. He could feel the anger hiding beneath the surface, but it couldn't rise further towards his mind because he simply had no energy to give it. Lifting one hand up to grip Andreja's arm, a task that he did not think should have been as difficult to accomplish as it had been, he smiled up at her. "You are a good woman, Andreja. It is a miracle that you are in my life."

Maya saw the Sergeant's cheeks bloom red, and schooled a smile away from her own lips. She'd been on the receiving end of his innocent charm, and she held no ire for the woman helping him find peace. Turning to look to Chiaki, she sought to continue helping him herself, "Ma'am-"

"Chiaki," Shinji corrected tiredly.

"…Chiaki-san," Maya changed with a teasing tongue stuck out at him, "is there somewhere for him to shower? I've been asked to gain a few more samples, and he should clean himself before sitting down at a table in polite company."

Chiaki gestured towards the door. "Of course, ma'am. If you would follow me?"

"I will help you get him there, LT." Andreja hefted Shinji up, putting his arm across her shoulders and grinning at him. "I believe he does not have the strength to make it on his own, I think."

"I am a bit wobbly," Shinji agreed. "Thank you for the help."

Waiting alone out in the hall, Ritsuko smirked at Shinji when he waved limply at her. "Weenie."

"I keep telling people," he replied with a laugh, "but nobody believes me!" The procession moved back down the hall, eventually winding up in his renovated room once more. With the new bathroom attached where a much different room had once been, he had his own place to shower without needing to fear walking in on someone. "Chiaki-san?"

The young woman paused in her retreat. "Yes?"

"Could you ask the chef to prepare something…without too much blood?"

"Of course, sir. Please, take your time and enjoy the company while dinner is prepared."

"We'll head off with her, I want to chat with the chef myself." Pixie grabbed Shizuko, hauling her out of the room as well. She knew what was about to happen, and wanted the exuberant angel nowhere near that until she'd had a few words with her.

Maya was looking through the door into the bathroom, shaking her head in disbelief. "This room is bigger than my apartment!"

The offer was out of Shinji's mouth before his mind cautioned him against it, "I'd ask if you wanted to move in, but it'd probably be better to offer to help you and Ritsuko find somewhere better. I could give you some of my paycheck…it's not like I'm using it."

Before Maya could say anything, Ritsuko asked, "Would you want that, Shinji? There's a lot of people in the house already."

Limping into the bathroom with Andreja, he nodded slowly. "Yes. But it'd be selfish. You understand my humor, Maya makes me feel like the world isn't collapsing around me, and Andreja is just…really nice to be around. She just wants everyone to work hard, to give everything they can to the mission…it makes me feel like I can do what I have to."

"M-me?" Andreja looked down at him in confusion.

Slumping down to the ground near the hamper, he nodded. "I know it's greedy, and I know it's never going to happen, but I've lived my entire life under the thumb of the monster that still lives in my head. The demon in woman form that told me I'd never have anyone else love me. The woman that punished every mistake, real or imagined. That called me pitiful, weak, and told me I was a pathetic excuse for a man." Fighting to get his shirt off, he shrugged. "To live in a house surrounded by women who keep telling me that she was wrong, and that I'm worth something…." When his head popped free of the garment, he looked at the ladies frowning at him with a mix of anger and sorrow. "If you're asking me if I want to be surrounded by women who give a shit about me…the answer is always going to be yes."

Ritsuko watched Andreja crouch down, carefully helping him undress, and wondered how much the Sergeant had been told. "That'd be a big responsibility, for you. Giving us the attention we deserved, reminding us that we matter even when you were with another woman."

"It would be a bigger responsibility for us," Andreja retorted with quiet rage. "To soothe the wounds that kurva suka created." She scowled at the scars in very tender places, seeing them in a new light. "Lieutenant…have we found this animal?"

"The search is nearly complete. I've seen reports that she's being cornered, and running out of places to hide. They want her alive, so they are moving carefully to avoid provoking her into extreme action," Maya replied with a more neutral tone.

"Good…." Gently helping him into a position to be cleaned, she unhooked the showerhead and grabbed the soap. "I believe I will be interested in meeting her, ok? I have experience…dealing with monsters."

Ritsuko patted Maya on the shoulder, whispering in her ear, "I'm going to go talk with a few people. Keep an eye on him, ok?"

"Sure," Maya agreed with a quirked eyebrow. When Ritsuko replied by motioning for patience, she shook her head and rolled her eyes. The woman she loved was forever cautious, even with her. It was cute, but also annoying. Setting aside her tablet and jacket, she began preparing what she'd need to recover the samples requested. "Shinji, if it's ok with you I need to pull some blood and…well, I need another sample like Ritsuko got. I don't want to alarm you, but we found some…abnormalities. The sample we pulled lacked the volume we needed to run every test we wanted to, so…."

His smile was one of complete trust. "It's ok. I understand, and I'm just…I'm glad it's one of you and not some random stranger, like you said earlier."

Andreja frowned, looking between Shinji and Maya. "Problem?"

"Ah…in my capacity as Shinji's doctor, I have been tasked by the Commander herself to seek out answers for the abnormalities we found in Shinji's…semen." It was more than a touch embarrassing spelling it out to Andreja, but the way that Shinji was comfortable with the woman meant that she had to show her some trust as well. "Hence, why Shinji is glad that it was Ritsuko, first, and now me, who are going to be helping collect the sample. I doubt either of us want him being…handled that way by someone he's unfamiliar with."

Her cheeks bloomed red again. "Ah, yes, I see…yes. It would be inappropriate to ask that he…and so it should be someone he trusts. To look after his spiritual health, as well as his emotional and physical." Continuing her cautious ministrations, she fought against the blush. "When he is…clean, I will leave the room so that you are not bothered by me."

The steam from the water, the company he had in the room, the motions of Andreja cleaning and massaging his aching muscles, all fed into a far freer tongue than he would otherwise have allowed. "You're not a bother. I'd let you help, because I trust you like I trust Ritsuko, or Maya."

Instead of retreating, her blush grew brighter. "You should not say such things, no you should not. Those things are reserved for someone you are bound to by…promises, or for cases like this where a doctor is seeing to your health. It is not appropriate for…for…."

"My life has been full of inappropriate things," his voice lost some of its hope. "Normal people aren't…with their own aunt. Now that I have a choice in who I'm with, I'm going to exercise that choice when I think someone is worth bringing happiness to." His head lolled over to look at Maya. "I really am sorry. You should have been there when Ritsuko took the sample. She wasn't…she didn't want to betray your trust, she just had to…it's not her fault." His eyes closed slowly, and he soon was asleep. Content with his safety, and with the people he'd been surrounded by.

"Please take over, LT." Andreja stood, walking to the door with thunderclouds in her eyes. "I believe I should take my own advice, yes I should."

There was a moment, a fleeting thought, where Maya wondered how much trouble she'd get into if she quit NERV to work full-time on helping Shinji not see himself as little more than a toy to be used and discarded. Turning off the water to the shower, she set aside that inclination and went to get help to carry him to bed.

+++++ Author's Note:

Man Portable Air Defense System, "MANPADS". It is not an uncommon reaction at all to believe that someone's taking the piss when they use that acronym, but it's really a term used by honest military individuals to discuss that particular type of equipment.