Bucky Presents

An 'Other Side' production

Old Friends, New Enemies: Chapter: 14: When memories fade

Audience: Bout bloody time Bucky!!

Bucky: WELL SORRY! But my PC died not so long ago, god rest its soul and I haven't been able to write for a long time! 

Asuka: Yeah, yeah, yeah blame the PC

Bucky:  Shut up you!!!

Asuka: Make me!!!

Shinji:  Asuka are you arguing with the author? NOT a good idea!

Asuka: Stay out of it Shinji!!

Bucky: That's it zaps Asuka with a beam of holy light 

Asuka: HAHA what was that supposed to do!

Bucky: You'll see hehehehe

Asuka looks at herself in a mirror

Asuka: AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I'M FAT!!!!

Shinji: I told her ^_^'  

The darkness was unsurpassed in room 303 of NERV's private hospital ward, not only was it poorly lit but it was cold and lonely. The few noises echoing through the room were that of the respirator and the heart rate monitor, keeping their vigil watch over the sole occupant. The boy had been there since the incident with the Angel, his body was covered with bruises and his head was wrapped with a long white bandage on his forehead.   

The atmosphere outside of the hospital room was just as dark, across the hall from the room waited three tired women. Asuka lay sprawled out over three chairs, her feet dangling loosely over the edge. Her head resting in the lap of Misato Katsuragi who herself was using the back of her chair as a head rest. Asuka was still in her plug-suit not having the time to change Misato was still dressed in her normal short skirt and jacket. Neither was asleep, nor were they awake. They were trapped in that moment before you fall asleep where time seems to stand still were everything becomes blurry and all you can hear is the beginning of a dream.

~All we see or seem is a dream within a dream~ 

The third was one not quite expected, or welcomed by one of the other two. Rei Ayanami had felt that it was her duty to be there, as if she had no choice, but if she did she would have found herself there anyway. She did not know how to explain her feelings towards Shinji Ikari, whether they were that of a friend, co-worker, team mate or something more she simply did not understand them. It was as if there was a force that pulled her closer to the boy, perhaps his kind and gentle nature something she had never known before.

It was clear to her what had happened that afternoon during the fight, it happened to her again, the Eva went berserk. But instead of destroying HQ or trying to kill the commander, it listened to her inner thoughts. Her thoughts that were asking for a chance to save Shinji and it heard. Rei turned her head slightly to the right to glance at the Major and the Second Child. Misato had fallen asleep minutes ago now the only signs of life from her was her soft breathing.

The redhead who was next to the Operations Director still had her eyes open, but if Rei were to wave her hand in front of them they would not blink or she wouldn't even see it. Asuka was found shortly after the battle curled up in a fetal position within her entry plug whispering something about 'it not taking her as well.' It was later concluded that she had suffered a physiological episode triggered by a small rodent in her plug. The significance of the rodent was still unknown.

She looked back towards the door in front of the three it had been four hours since the doctors had last checked on his condition. Rei found herself fighting back the urge to go in and check for herself, much like Asuka had done before. The bold redhead did not succeed however, as Misato was able to convince her that she should do as the doctors said and leave him to rest.

Rei may not have looked tired to the eyes of any who passed by but in fact she was about to fall asleep herself. In an attempt to stay awake the blue haired beauty slowly stood and took a few quick steps towards Shinji's room. The small voice in the back of her head was telling her to go in and check on him so that's what she was going to do.

She lifted her finger up to the door release button and she was lightly pressing in when she felt the eyes of another on her. This feeling was confirmed when the Second Child spoke in a low growl, "Touch that door and you'll find yourself in a different hospital room, for a more painful reason."

The blue haired pilot turned around and glanced at Asuka, she was no longer lying across three chairs but was now sitting up. Her legs were drawn up to rest on the edge of the chair and her arms were wrapped around them. The redhead's eyes were narrowed into slits and her mouth formed the most horrifying scowl ever imaginable.

"You're not seeing him before I do," Asuka commanded still in a low angry voice, "if I even let you in to see him."

Rei stared quizzically at the red haired girl before her, "what makes you think that you control who sees Ikari and who does not?"

"No one," the agitated girl snapped back her eyes seemed to glow with hatred, "anyone who wants can see him, except YOU."

"Why is it that you despise me so?"

"I just do, do I need a reason to hate someone?"

"Yes."

"Fine then, I hate you because you are a doll who follows orders and gets to close to my Shinji."

"Ikari is not your property."

"I know that but I am his girlfriend and I don't like some blue haired bitch getting to close to him. Yeah I've seen the way you look at him sometimes, so just don't think about it, it's never going to happen."

"I do not wish to steal Ikari from you I only wish to understand these feelings I have."

"Then understand them with someone else."

"Excuse me ladies…" both girls' heads turned toward the new voice that had interrupted their 'Conversation.' Standing a few feet down the hall from them was a tall man with dark hair tied in a ponytail and dressed in a white lab coat. He had a stethoscope around his neck and a chart in his hand, "are you in anyway related to a Shinji Ikari?"

Asuka jumped to her feet as she answered, "I'm his girlfriend, what's wrong with him? Why hasn't he woken up yet? Can I see him?"

"Whoa, whoa calm down miss," the doctor flashed a quick smile and then checked his chart, "it appears that he'll be fine, there's no permanent damage." He let the sheet on the chart drop back down and looked around, "I do need to speak with his guardian Miss Katsuragi."

"Hold on," the relieved redhead turned around and shook the slumbering Misato's shoulders in an effort to wake her. "Misato wake up," she shook even harder "Misato it's about Shinji. Wake up… hmmmm…I got you a beer."

In an instant the slightly acholic Majors eyes flew open and she was wide awake, "What…beer…where?" After a minute of looking the lavender haired woman deducted that there was no beer and that she probably wouldn't be getting one any time soon. After a second she noticed the doctor and turned serious.

"Miss Katsuragi I presume?" the doctor guessed he received a quick nod from the drowsy woman. "As I explained to this young lady here your son has suffered no long term physical affects, a few bruises and a mild concussion."

"CONCUSSION?!!"

The doctor nodded his head, "yes it appears that he hit his head pretty hard, most likely when he was knocked to the ground. He will be fine given some time to recover it is ok to see him now but I must warn you…"

Without hearing another word Asuka pushed past the First Child who was still in front of the door and ran into the room. The site inside made the redhead sad as she walked swiftly but quietly to the bedside. She pulled up a chair that was next to the sleeping boy and sat down in it.

Shinji was still on the respirator and the heart rate monitor just in case, though nothing could happen to him. Asuka lifted her hand up and gently placed it on his as it lay there limply by his side. Her other hand came up to brush a stray strand of hair from his face, "you need a hair cut Shinji."

She smiled for a second then continued to stroke his hair with her fingers, "I'm sorry, I did this to you. I wasn't there to help, and what's worse is I shot you. I know it was an accident but I just can't help but think…" her voice dropped to a whimper as a tear began to trickle down her cheeks, "…that I put you in here." Asuka lowered her head to rest on the bed next to the sleeping Ikari, to overwhelmed with tears to sit up properly.

With the wetness slowly dripping onto his hand the boy found his eyes beginning to open slowly millimetre by millimetre. Using his free hand Shinji lifted the face mask off so he could breathe normally and also see the person who had drenched his hand.

Asuka having felt the movement lifted her head to see the brown haired boy looking at her confused and distantly. She did not notice however as she almost jump forward capturing him in a tight embrace. "Shinji you're awake, oh I'm so glad you're ok."

"Uh…ah," Shinji did not return the hug for he was to scared and confused to do so, after a moment he gathered his thoughts and asked in barley a whisper, "w-who are you?"

Asuka dropped back from her embrace and smiled at the boy, "this is not the time for jokes Shinji you scared me half to death." She looked him over through puffy eyes and she saw the scared and confused look on his face, "y-you're not joking…are you?"

"N-no," the boy looked down at the girl, "please tell me…w-where am I and who you are? I feel like I should know you but…"

The redhead jumped as she felt a hand go on her shoulder from behind, she looked back to see a sorrowful Misato standing next to the doctor. She sighed and then spoke, "I'm sorry Asuka, but Shinji…Shinji has amnesia."

"Amnesia!?"

"Correct," the doctor interrupted, something he seemed good at doing, "Shinji has sustained some minor memory loss, it is only temporary his memory should return in a couple of days. He just needs to rest and concentrate on getting it back."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Shinji said dumbfounded still feeling a little insecure about the attractive young girl gripping his hand to the point that it cut off circulation. "Who are all of you?"

"I'm Misato Katsuragi, your roommate, guardian and commanding officer." Misato said in a sweet tone trying not to scare the poor boy.

Shinji looked to the Doctor, "oh you don't know me we've never met my name is Kaji, Dr Kaji." The man held out his hand and Shinji shook it with his free one, the other still being gripped by the girl unknown to him.

The boys' eyes turned to the girl who was currently standing behind the woman called Misato to the left a little, "who…are you? You look familiar also."

"I am a friend," Rei stated, having learnt the meaning of the word from the commander she was almost proud to say she was his friend, "I am Rei Ayanami the First Child. We also work together."

Shinji then turned to the final person in the room, Asuka who was still tightly holding his hand despite his attempts to pry her off. "And you? Are you my sister or something?"

"Far from it Shinji," the redhead stated a little bit sad but getting used to the idea of this amnesia, "I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, fellow pilot, your best childhood friend not to mention your…"

In a flash Asukas statement was cut short as Misato slapped her hand over the German girls' mouth. "Roommate," the smiling woman provided, seeing as though the redhead could no longer speak, although she did keep trying but her words came out as humphs. "Would you please excuse us for a second," she pulled Asuka to her feet and dragged her kicking and, if she could, screaming out the door and into the hall.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" the enraged teenager yelled as soon as her guardian let her go. "I was just about to tell him the most important detail and then you grab me and drag me out like a child!"

"Asuka calm down," Misato said in a firm voice "now, Shinji has got Amnesia he doesn't need to know everything at once. He is confused at the moment so let's not scare him anymore by putting pressure on him."

Asuka stared at her guardian with a look that could melt Antarctica all over again, "are you saying that I can't tell him what we really are or be close to him until he gets his memory back?"

The major of NERV thought for a second then shook her head, "no. You can tell him that sort of stuff when he gets used to us again. If he…" she stopped herself for a moment "listen to us we're talking as if this is permanent! He'll be fine in a few days a week at the most."

****

Gendo Ikari, the commander of NERV and one of the conspirators behind a top secret scenario known only as 'The Human Instrumentality Project' stepped into the dark room preparing to meet with his superiors. A moment after he was positioned a light burst up from beneath his feet brightening the room slightly. One by one twelve monoliths came into being lighting up with a blue florescent glow.

The monolith ladled 01 turned green as a voice of foreign origins spoke, "Commander Ikari, what is the status of Evangelion Unit-01 and its pilot?"

The commander shifted his amber tinted glasses further up onto his nose then answered in a calm monotonous voice, "the Unit has sustained minor damage to the chest and right arm it will take a few weeks to regenerate properly, but can be operational within one week if necessary. The pilot has sustained mental damage and will be out for some time, it is still unknown how long."

04's monolith turned green and a man with what seemed a French accent spoke, "how does this chain of events affect the project?"

"There will be no change, the project remains on schedule," Gendo answered with a hint of anger. The man did not like having his ability to maintain a project like this questioned by men who choose to hide behind darkened stones and voice projectors.

"Is it true that the scenario predicted in the Dead Sea scrolls has already changed?" number 07 asked a little worriedly.

"Yes this is a good point 7, the Angels are coming faster than predicted something must have altered the time line. Does this mean the Dead Sea scrolls are obsolete?" 10 added his concerns to the mix.

The small room suddenly filled with commotion as all the monoliths began speaking to each other. The voice of 01 rose above the rest and demanded silence, the others slowly settled and complied with their leader. "Ikari, you are no longer required for this meeting."

The monoliths disappeared and the light beneath Gendo faded away leaving the man in relative darkness he shifted his glasses again then turned toward the exit. As he was leaving the commander pulled a small mobile phone from his pocket and hit speed dial, "get me the translators."

****

"There we go, home sweet home," Misato smiled as she swiped her security card through the reader which ultimately gave the trio access to their apartment. The sleep deprived woman lead the way through the door followed by Shinji with Asuka trailing behind.

The boy took a quick glimpse of what he could see in the vicinity of the front door, there was a hall with two doors along it that turned off to the right and continued. The two rooms along the wall had no markings or indications of owners on them. Shinji moved a little but then hesitated he placed his foot back to the ground and looked down.

Misato saw this and felt a feeling of déjà vu as if something was happening all over again, it seems that someone had reset the wheel and the past was replaying itself. "What's the matter Shinji?" she asked still not shaking that familiar feeling.

"I…I don't want to intrude," the boy answered meekly, he shuffled his feet and fidgeted with something in his pocket. He looked up to see the violet haired woman staring back down at him with a smile on her face, though the small tear line betrayed that smile.

"You're not intruding Shinji," the NERV major stated with a hint of sadness, realising where she had seen this before, "this is your home too." Misato watched as the boy shuffled for the last time and then started to walk down the hall slowly.

It was still dark inside apart from the small flashing red light on the answering machine. In the small kitchen the oven and microwave gave off periodic flash to remind anyone who was present that they were on and working. The adjacent living room was all silent mainly because the TV wasn't on for once.

Shinji passed a room labelled 'Shinji's lovely suite' and the bathroom then entered the kitchen. As he saw the surroundings something flashed in his mind something he couldn't quite place, he turned to what seemed to be the centre of this flash, two fridges.

What's in the other fridge?

Oh leave him, he's probably still sleeping.

Sleeping?

As yet another memory was dug up inside his mind the corner of Shinji's mouth turned up into a slight smile. The image of himself running out of the bathroom wearing nothing to tell his new guardian of a creature in the bathroom. He was followed by a Penguin walking calmly to a fridge and stepping inside it. He smiled fully as he could remember his red face as he ran back to the bathroom to cover up.

"I…I'm home."

A/N: Well, well, well I is back…for now anyways. I have to apologise to you all but as the top said my PC has died and I was lucky to get it to work long enough to produce this chapter. But fear less my loyal fans, for I have put into motion a plan to buy me a new computer by the end of this month, actually in two weeks. So when I get my new beast of a machine you will have many more chaps from me including the End to memories which I am currently concluding. So bear with me for I will be out for the next 2 weeks, this thing is dead.

As some of u may have noticed I have changed my email to a hotmail address, due to the fact that my old one is now asking me to PAY for it. STUPID TIGHT ARSES!!!! Anyway my new address is bucky699@hotmail.com and I also now have messenger working again so if u want then u can add me and we can chat sometime. As for this chapter I know it short and not much happens but hey its da best I can do for now. I get my new PC in time for the holidays so I'll be fast with chaps again…..I think.

Sorry Autophage no time for pre-readin though I probably needs it, but I gotta let ppl know I'm not dead just my PC is ^_^

Seyas on da other side………….