The mind is an interesting mechanism, it will, on rare occasions pull someone into the kind of dream they want most in an effort to keep an exhausted body from waking up before it is fully rested. The fact that Ruby was having a dream that could only be seen as rather erotic was a large reason Ruby was sleeping so deeply with her head resting against the side of Jaune's hospital bed.
When her eyes first opened after hearing an unfamiliar voice say her name, it didn't immediately register the small but important changes in the room she was sleeping in. she first looked at the door to see if a male nurse, or a doctor was trying to get her attention.
The next thing Ruby started to take notice of in her still half asleep mental state was the sounds of the EKG not having quite the same rhythm they had before, and the feeling of the hand she was holding weakly squeezing her hand back.
Ruby blinked as that last bit clicked in her head, "Squeezing back?" as she glanced over at Jaune and saw a pair of exhausted-looking eyes looking back at her.
It took her about four seconds, and Jaune waved at her for her to realize something.
"Jaune's awake…"
After she mentally processed the implications that "Jaune was awake" processed fully, her eyes shot wide in shock.
"Jaune!" Ruby shouted out loud as she tightly grabbed his hand "I'm awake right? I'm not dreaming about this?"
Jaune with his free hand tried signed [I'm pretty sore, so I know I'm not dreaming]
Ruby's eyes teared up as she stood up and touched Jaune's face and signed with her free hand [We, we didn't think you would wake up.]
Jaune either because of fatigue and a general feeling of weakness or out of a genuine enjoyment of her touch, leaned his head into it before he signed [How long was I out]
Ruby's fingers brushed against the long stubble on his face, it felt like running her hand over a soft brush as she signed [It's been two weeks…]
Jaune blinked a couple times and let out a groan as he signed [Shit… Considering I didn't think I was going to wake up, that's not so bad]
Ruby was taken black slightly by the sound he made, a raspy scratchy noise. As she watched his every movement.
Ruby looked down as she signed [I'm so sorry…]
Jaune signed back [Why?]
Ruby signed back looking at him [You almost died, I think most everyone was ready to let you go, and I realized that I was-]
Jaune shook his head and waved for her to stop [Lets, have this conversation later… you don't owe me an apology anyways.] before he signed [Did everyone else make it?]
Ruby turned pale at the question, it didn't even occur to her that he wouldn't know about what happened to everyone else. She decided to speak it out rather than try and sign it out taking Jaune's hand to hold as she spoke. "I had some bruises and nightmares. Blake is taking it pretty hard."
Jaune nodded and listened as Ruby spoke "Ren and Nora were fine… Jaune… Sage attacked your home, your mother and sister are fine but Mr. Ozpin was injured, he has a broken shoulder and has been wearing a cast."
Jaune only responded by tightly squeezing her hand. Ruby kept going. "Yang and Neptune were hurt by Scarlet, Yang won't admit it but she's pretty messed up... He tried to… He tried to do things to her. Her uncle Qrow is in jail still for blowing Scarlet's head off."
Jaune sighed and nodded as he was taking it all in. "Adam murdered Winter Schnee… Weiss was hiding in the home when it happened and heard everything… were all worried about her right now."
Jaune nodded gritting his teeth as he went a little pale and let Ruby keep speaking.
"Penny said that Sun came to her and they contacted the police, I guess he didn't want anything to do with Adam's plan, it sounds like," Ruby said with a sigh. "I'm sorry Jaune… Penny's father moved the two of them away earlier today…"
Jaune looked down a with an upset expression on his face and signed [I guess her father needed to do what he felt was best for them]
Ruby inhaled sharply and signed out no longer feeling comfortable with speaking [She wanted me to pass on that, that she was sorry, and that she loved you.]
Jaune smiled a bit. Ruby could tell he was fighting back tears.
Ruby said [She also wanted me to say…] Ruby paused [Well I think actually that last bit was more for me, nevermind.]
Jaune nodded and signed out [I'm sorry I wasn't there.] before he tried to sit up.
Ruby leaned over and put a hand behind him helping him sit up, noticing the somewhat soft but still audible groans he made as he sat upright. Once she could, she let the facade of calm crumble as she wrapped around him and loudly sobbed into his bare shoulder "I'm so happy you're awake Jaune!"
Jaune wrapped his arms around her and hugged her before he softly whispered "Thank… You…"
Ruby's entire body stiffened up hearing his words as the tears only started to fall harder. "You spoke…" she whispered
"Yes…" Jaune replied before adding "Hurts to do…"
"Don't push it," Ruby said as she sobbed into him.
The pair heard a gasp from behind Jaune looked up first and ruby turned to look at the absolutely flabbergasted face of one of the overnight nurses as she looked in awe of the face one of the patients on their "death watch" was sitting up and being hugged by the girl who was staying by his side.
Jaune signed out a quick [I'm kinda hungry, can I get something to eat?] Which Ruby translated for him.
The nurse snapped out of her stupor and called out for the head nurse to come quick.
[I guess that's a no?] Jaune signed back which forced a hard laugh out of Ruby. A laugh fueled by the sheer amount of joy she was feeling at that exact moment.
At around three in the morning, the home phone of the Arc home went off. Mina was awake in seconds and answering it at Alan pulled himself up upright with his uninjured arm.
"Ms. Arc?" the voice on the other end asked before identifying herself as the head overnight nurse at the hospital.
"Yes, Speaking, it's… lordy it's 3am what happened?" Mina asked, getting straight to the point. Alan sat on the bed next to her rubbing her back with his uninjured arm.
"Ms. Arc, we need you and your husband to come down to the hospital, we have someone here looking forward to seeing you." the nurse said with a faint giggle in her voice.
Mina covered her mouth and looked and looked at Alan "Jaune?"
"He's awake ma'am… He woke up about an hour ago…" The nurse said back
The tears of shock and joy started to fall from her eyes as she spoke "Alan… Jaune's awake…"
"Go see him, I'll stay with the baby," Alan said with a relieved grin.
"Call everyone and let them know please." Mina said as she stood up and said to the nurse on the phone "I'll be there as soon as I can!" and ended the call.
Weiss was woken up at around 3:15 in the morning with a shock as her father threw open the door and turned on the lights, he didn't even seem phased that Blake was sleeping next to his daughter on the bed. Weiss quickly noticed the wide pleased ear to ear grin on her father's face.
"Uh… Dad I… I can…" Weiss stammered as Blake started to wake up as well.
"Never mind that, get up and get decent Weiss, we have somewhere to be." Her father said.
"Wha?" Blake said as she sat up covering herself with a blanket "what happened?"
"It seems Mr. Arc chose the worst time of day to wake up Ms. Belladonna," Jacques said not looking off to the side.
"What?!" Weiss shouted "Jaune's Awake?!"
Blake's eyes went wide as she started smiling. "Oh my god… that's great! Let's go!"
Jacques quickly stepped out afterward muttering something about wanting to give the two girls a moment to get decent and something else about eye bleach.
Weiss and Blake eyed each other up for a minute with smiles before they both sprung out of their shared bed and rushed to get dressed.
At around 4:30 in the morning Sam's Niko's car parked in the almost empty parking garage right next to the Adam's county sheriff's vehicle that contained Tai and Summer Long, as well as Yang Brawnen.
Ren and Nora got out and started walking, not waiting for Yang who leaped out when her father got the door for her and jogged to catch up to the pair.
"Can you both believe this?" Yang said to Ren and Nora as they walked. "Jaune just woke up out of the blue?"
"Well I don't think Ruby or the nurses on duty are hallucinating at all." Ren Quipped "So yeah I'm guessing it's for real!"
Nora was practically dancing towards the front end of the hospital as the Trio spotted Jaune's mother jogging up to them "Alright kids let's go!" Mina shouted with more Joy in her voice than had been there in a couple weeks.
Not wanting to be left in the dust the others quickly caught up to her.
Jaune slowly ate away as a slice of toast as he kept glancing over at Ruby who was starting with the widest smile imaginable at him. As Jaune chewed he signed [Do I have something on my face or something?]
Ruby shook her head and signed [Sorry, it's just… I don't know how to explain how happy I am to see you moving.]
Jaune took another bite of his toast and signed [I guess I wouldn't understand. I mean, all I remember is closing my eyes… then waking up here.] Jaune paused as he chewed the small bit of toast [Is it bad I'm just happy to have even woken up?]
Ruby moved and sat down next to him on the bed and smiled as she signed [Not at all, I'm happy as hell you did after all.]
Ruby and Jaune looked at each other for a second before a loud bang startled them both.
Jaune's entire body stiffened up at the loud sound as even Ruby jumped out of her skin. Both turned and watched Mina Blitzed in with the rest of the gang on her Heels.
Jaune smiled and waved before he signed out [Hi mom]
The combination of seeing her son sitting up and hearing him speak caused a sob to break free from her mouth as she walked over and hugged her Son. "I fucking told them you'd wake up… I'm sorry I doubted you would."
Jaune hugged his mom tightly for a few moments before she pulled back to have Ren ask him "So hey what do you remember?"
Jaune shrugged [I remember closing my eyes, then I remember opening them.]
Ren chuckled "Lazy ass, couldn't even come back with a good story from the afterlife huh?"
[Sorry, didn't make it as far as the gates.] Jaune signed back.
Blake stepped over next to him and said "I'm so sorry if you didn't go to my house that night you wouldn't have… you-"
Jaune put a finger up her mouth and signed [Hey, It's fine, I don't even hurt much anymore, I'm more tired and hungry than anything.]
"Hey uh, Jaune... That does remind me, how's your leg feeling?" Mina asked.
Jaune made a show of rubbing his leg where he was stabbed while signing [It feels weird honestly, like it hurts but is also a bit numb.]
Minas took her son's hand "Yeah the doctors said you would feel that way if you woke up, your leg suffered some serious nerve damage and you're probably going to need a cane to walk on after you get let out."
Jaune nodded and signed [I guess I figured as much.]
Ruby rubber Jaune's back and signed [Sorry Jaune]
[Hey again, I'm just happy I'm not dead if I'm being real honest.] Jaune signed. [I'll take the time to sort out my emotions about everything later.]
"Ah hell you'll look handsome walking around with a cane, maybe we can get you some kind of extending cane, or one of those sword canes." Yang said nudging Ruby in the process "Hell wonder girl could maybe make you one as well."
"I don't think Alan would want his stepson walking around with a concealed sword on campus" Mina said as she tightly gripped one of her son's hands.
Jaune let out a soft barely audible chuckle that most of the others didn't notice over their own giggles.
Jaune glanced around the hospital room at the gathered friends and family, and smiled, the hospital decided it would be best for him to stay for a couple more days before he could head home.
But with a sigh he thought "At least I have a home to go back to."
So this chapter would have been uploaded a few days ago but I got stalled out in editing for a time after some drama took place over the course of the last few days that I had stayed largely quiet about in most of my normal circles. Lets just leave it at, I do appreciate the Rwby Fan fiction community right now, cause I don't have much left going for me in this fandom at this point.
This chapter, Well shit, with everything that's going on with me I don't have a whole hell of a lot to say about this chapter. Jaune's up, he was brought back up to speed, everyone's mostly happy. Good times honestly. the only thing I want to add in case it's not clear, Jaune's kinda emotionally high as hell in this chapter, so if he didn't instantly implode into a negative teary eyed state. Well, because he swore he was as good as dead. Later chapters with let him process everything, but for now, it wouldn't seem right to have him express his feelings well.
In broad terms, because i'm not really in a good head space to break down reviews this chapter, I'm glad everyone was alright with how I handled Penny's exit from the story. I was a little concerned about how asspully it kinda was. Hell I'm just happy everyone seems to be okay with how things are going in general. So i'll leave it at that for now and hopefully I'm in a better mindset once it comes to the Author notes to comment on the comments next chapter. As always thanks again for reading and i'll see you all next time.
