Chapter 46
"Not everyone likes sunny weather"
Time passed more slowly than she wanted it to, but without the regular sounds of life around her that she was so used to hearing, everything felt slightly more empty than before. Though the auditory hallucinations, which she was informed by paper, were normal for recent hearing loss, were the worst.
The doctors had come in, and given her healing leg a look. They smiled, and seemed content with the way it was healing, though it looked rough and beaten. It kinda reminded her of Midoriya's arm, though, more stitch marks on it. Real care had been taken on ensuring it healed as good as possible, There was discussion between her father and the doctor, and they had opted-in for new treatments, alongside her physical therapy, that should help it heal.
A very kind-faced detective came by, and without even trying to speak to her, he passed over a little paper card that read his name; 'Tsukauchi Naomasa' on it, and a little note, explaining that he was simply there to take her statement.
Further, he explained ( by way of note and probably to her father, verbally) that this was something she would need to write down, but that the question and interview could be done privately, if that made her more comfortable.
Something Alarice Stone readily agreed to.
She was nervous, anxious, and of course tense, during the whole affair. It was difficult to go over certain things, and easier to talk about others. Why she fled the ship, why her sister mutilated her ear, the body of the woman in the woods that Gale had murdered... Tsukauchi was mercifully patient, and had a welcome gentle attitude to the whole thing. Letting her pause when it got to intense and she couldn't stop herself from crying. Offering her tissues, and waiting for her to continue at her own pace.
When they got to the end, she left out how she had felt when she had decided to confront and fight her sister. Choosing to focus on her real, but slightly irrational, fear of her sister hurting her friends. Motivations and intent weren't really important, at this point, really.
His answer about what had happened with her sister was as bland as Aizawa's response, Apprehended. Though he offered that Parasus was being kept away from her, and that she was safe in the hospital, but, a guilty part of Alarice's brain thought it shouldn't matter if she was safe, she was supposed to be a young Hero, not just a victim.
He left with as little fanfare as he had arrived, with a kind smile and polite nod. Leaving her the card, and paper to finish out her statement in writing, which she settled-in to do, having to pause to keep tears from staining the paper.
Alarice wouldn't say it, but writing-out what had happened was somehow harder than saying it. The benefit of not hearing herself speak was being able to pretend that some of it was completely unreal. Putting it in text made it all the tangible in ways she didn't like.
The check and removal of her cast, (something only possible thanks to Recovery Girl, who's ability could now be used safely), and lunch with her dad, were welcome distractions from the morning's disturbing interview, as nice as Tsukauchi was. All too soon, she found herself alone again, but now her leg was just sore.
Her thoughts and memories were unwelcome. Surfing the internet on her phone had somehow become dull, but the cards from her friends were more welcome. Reading through Jiro's card for the fifth time, and eyeballing the one from 1-A for a second time, finally eyeing the unopened envelope from Icarus.
'
000
Jonathan could not stay every night, twenty-four hours a day, in Alarice's room. His own treatments had him exhausted, so he was taken back to his own hotel room, close-by, where he could rest.
Sunshine slipped into the hospital, though, even in her casual wear, towering over many people, and catching eyes. She ignored them, they were not important, right now. Nor were they likely to stop her; it was amazing what a confident stride could do for you. The gold skin might have helped.
She briefly considered Aizawa's thinly veiled threat, and shook her head, she was her God-mother, she had every right to be here. She'd tell Jonathan the same thing, too. She'd fought off visiting, Not wanting to be reminded of Miranda's last days in the hospital herself. She acknowledged necessary signage for any visiting person who wasn't aware of Alarice's state: Recovering but had recent hearing loss.
When Sunshine opened the door, she was awake, sheets of paper on her bed, and a neater set in a folder, on her side table. Alarice was staring out the window, likely she hadn't expected anyone, for a bit.
She let-off a tiny blink of light, just to get the teen's attention.
Alarice whipped her head around, staring at her wide-eyed, skin paling. There were partially dried tear stains on her cheeks, a reaction Sunshine was hardly prepared for. Naturally, Sunshine moved closer to try and reassure that she hadn't meant to startle her god-daughter. Distant though they were, she didn't really want to put Alarice under unnecessary stress. She was certainly more than stressed enough, with the loss of her hearing.
She was not prepared for the harsh glare Alarice's features morphed into. Sunshine stopped where she stood, while her eyes, if they were normal colors, would have reddened and tears took form. For a brief moment, Sunshine felt shame, and even fear.
"What are you doing here?" Alarice growled out, but seeing as Sunshine wasn't close enough to write anything down, she was at a loss for gestures or words. So she awkwardly pointed at Alarice.
"You let all this happen to me." Tears were rolling down her face, a low growl in her throat. Sunshine gaze went from the angry teen to the pieces of paper on the bed.
"Icarus..." she mumbled to herself, realizing that Alarice knew what had happened, in-full.
Alarice glared harder if that was possible, turning completely to face her. Pulling the sheets off enough, that her healing leg was visible. Though it still looked swollen, stitches were still healing on it, and it was different colors from the trauma it had suffered. "This is all your fault. All of it's your fault." Alarice growled at her.
The hurt in her eyes was visible, but Sunshine had no words for her. She went for the note pad quickly, in case Alarice did anything else. Being treated like she was dangerous, clearly didn't sit well with Alarice, either. Still, she waited while Sunshine wrote down her response, trying to keep her breathing in check.
'you wouldn't understand' She wrote back.
"What part would I not understand?! The part were you knew Parasus might show up at UA and you didn't tell anyone!?" Alarice yelled back at her, sniffling back while sunshine tried to respond, but Alarice continued shouting anyway. "T-that you didn't tell anyone she was violent!? Had a tracker in my phone since you took me here,.."
She stopped, taking deep breaths trying to calm down, but tears ran down her face, her breathing ragged. Sunshine tried to respond in time, Alarice hugging the clothes she had to herself. "you used my .. you picked UA because … you used me, you used my friends..." she broke down into deep sobs, that wracked her whole body. She looked up to see the only response, scribbled in a rush on the note pad
' I had to catch Parasus, its my job to stop villians.'
The notebook left her hand, slapping onto the floor, leaving her hand stinging slightly from the sudden hit.
"WHAT ABOUT ME!? YOU WERE ALSO SUPPOSED TO PROTECT ME!" Alarice barked out, her human teeth had formed into fangs. Her fingernails were long, and a little too close to claws, and her voice had a deep growl to it. "I-I'm supposed to be your god-daughter, you're supposed to be like my mother." Her breathing was ragged. "D.. Parasus hurt my friends! S-she... do you have any idea what she did to me?!"
Sunshine became acutely aware that Alarice was standing, something she wasn't supposed to be doing. Her tail had come out and was helping support her body, relieving the pressure on her healing leg, though it shook regardless. "She...she's always abused me and you didn't do anything! You've never done anything. She could have killed my friends, tortured me and kill me, and you wouldn't have done anything!"
"A-Alarice..." She muttered out, on reflex. "You shouldn't be standing..." Sunshine went to gently grab Alarice's arm and get her off her legs.
This, was a mistake.
"DONT. TOUCH. ME." She snarled out, grabbing on to Sunshine's wrist tightly in her larger, clawed hand. Sunshine was immediately reminded that Alarice wasn't short. She was almost matching her god-mother's height when human, as a were-hound she was significantly taller. The grip wasn't light either, that even in her distressed state, there was considerable strength. Lost in this sudden physical realization that her god-daughter wasn't as easy to overpower, Sunshine didn't resist being yanked.
"GET OUT!"
Alarice howled, practically dragging Sunshine to the door. Despite her wobbling gaite from the bad leg, catching herself with tail, and free hand, partially on the door, which shook as part of it broke with the added weight and force. Not made to withstand the force of a Hell-hound, giant breed in werewolf shape, nearly slamming into it. Sunshine tried to catch herself and do that, but Alarice had not let her go. She ripped back the door, startling the nurse who had dutifully come because of the shouting.
"I SAID GET OUT! I HATE YOU!" Alarice screeched and barked, the skull face had taken over and her features were un-readable, now, though tears somehow still manifested and rolled down the Were-hound's face. She shoved Sunshine out the door as hard as she could, which forced the golden woman into the outside wall.
Alarice's responses became growls and snarls, as she slammed the door back shut again, breaking the poor thing even further. The nurse had been smart enough to keep well-enough away, when the were-hound had made itself known. Sunshine controlled her breathing, having caught herself against the wall.
The nurse gave her a look, before grabbing her 2-way radio, and calling-out some coded message. She could hear Alarice's growling still, even through the door.
000
Aizawa was startled, somehow, by the nurse coming into the room in such a state. Perhaps it was because he was playing with the telepathic puppy known as Anna. Once she had gotten over her fear of him, she seemed to prefer him, to the rest of the puppies.
"Eraserhead sir, they need your help with a patient, in room 303."
He didn't really ask, he simply nodded. That room was Alarice's room. He slipped out of the way, so the nurse could take-over for him, even if she did seem nervous about that, itself. She would be fine. Mina had shown up this time, for the extra credit, and was doing splendidly. He also couldn't really run, but... everything always took longer when he needed to be some where immediately.
As he made his way down the hall, he saw a familiar shiny face, looking a little more dazed than normal.
"Sunshine, what the hell are you doing here?" Aizawa knew he shouldn't stop, but he couldn't help it. What on earth did this woman think she was doing, this time?!
"I came to visit my god-daughter." She said, like there wasn't some drama playing out now as a result. She was rubbing at her arm, when a smile stretched on her face that made his blood burn. "I did my job... She's strong enough-"
She didn't finish that sentence. Aizawa socked her in the face before she could. He didn't stay to see what damage he had done, leaving her behind him. Sunshine wasn't important anymore, the awful sounds coming from down the hallway, where Alarice's room was, were far more weighty.
They sounded pained and hollow, and sometimes he could make-out what was being said, a chanted begging cry, and sometimes, it was more akin to a dog's whimpering. Either way, it had quite a few people staring into the doorway, looking alarmed.
The door hung loosely open, completely broken. Even the door frame would need repairs. No one seemed eager to cross the threshold into the room. Given the cacophony of upsetting noises, he couldn't exactly blame them, pained as the sounds were. There were a doctor and two nurses standing there, who looked like they were steeling themselves to deal with the patient. The other two, were just curious onlookers, who were quickly shooed away.
"We were alerted when she must have disconnected one of the machines. "One nurse told him, "I came to check, when Miss Sunshine was shoved out of the room, incredibly hard. Stone slammed the door shut, but when I opened it, to try and help her, she yelled at me, too. That's when she started whimpering."
"I'm pretty sure she's having a panic attack." one of the three said, but Aizawa didn't see who. Clawing into the floor, tearing up tiles, and curled-up on herself, covered alternately in fur and scale, was Alarice. Her ears didn't move, her tail was curled around her, the only part that didn't seem to change constantly. Her hands, nails, and even her feet would shift a bit, and then go back towards human again. Repeat. "We.. don't have anyone that can help her calm down, since she can't hear us, and... it's to dangerous for us to get close."
He didn't need to be told that, he could see it. She had hurt herself, marred the floor, and broken the door. She'd pulled herself to a corner, and now he could make-out some of what she was saying.
"I'll help her, just stay behind me." he stated calmly. He'd give her one chance to try and get control of this, herself. Then he would. He stepped past the threshold of the door, into the room, preparing for the snotting, crying hell-hound. She saw him, and curled-up on herself even more, the tail coming around to protect herself. She pawed at her own skull-head as if to pull it off. The were-hound let out a whine, that formed into human words.
"I can't make it go back."
"I know." his eyes flashed red, and his hair defied gravity, and Alarice was a curled-up, scared human girl. He got down to her eye level completely, his hair dropping around his face. There was some relief in her eyes but whatever woods she had gotten lost in, she wasn't out of, it yet. She leaned forward, uncurling, trying to get off her injured leg, which didn't look pleasant in the least. The bandages that had been there, were torn apart, not able to withstand the change, blood had come dripping out of some spots.
It was difficult to keep her attention on him, when she kept hiding her eyes in her hands, and just as frustrating. Eventually giving up on eye-contact, he swallowed his discomfort of human contact. A gentle touch to her head, near the fresh scar of her injury, seemed to be all he had to do, to get her to understand. Her movement was like a dog, exhausted and sick, collapsing where it felt safe. She clung to him only a bit, as if completely unsure, but knowing she needed the security he was offering. He offered her what comfort he could, a gentle hold. It seemed to help calm her down enough, after a moment, that the nurse was able to inject something to kill her pain and sedate her, into her IV. Whatever it was, it was quite fast, because she went limp particularly quickly.
He picked-up his student, much to the relief of one of the nurses, who looked smaller than Alarice. While his arms were full, the nurses looked to each other. Some of her leg's stitches had come undone, and it would need to be re-examined. All the while Aizawa was left holding her, till one the doctor finally came over, a slight frown on his face. "Do you mind helping us actually move her to a new room? We'll fix-up her leg there, and inspect it."
Aizawa pretended he couldn't see the traces of fear the scene had left in their eyes.