AN: Alright, lovely readers, I present to you the next chapter! I know it's been two months since the last update, but there's actually a very good reason for it! I've kinda sorta been working on another fanfic. Now, before you bust out the torches and sharpen your pitchforks, I just wanted to let you know I'm actually doing it right this time. I'm going to get it completely written before I start posting it, and I'm already 113 pages in with a 20 pages side story done. I've had a huge, tremendous amount of help from superevilbadguy (check out her writing, it's amazing!) as she has been acting as a betareader for me and has been holding my feet to the fire...legit, those 133 pages? Written in 27 days. That's the most writing I've gotten done in a long time. Including this chapter, that'd be 145 pages of fiction written in a month. I'm on a roll!

But! Just wanted to update this, let all you lovely people know that I haven't abandoned this story (again...) and that I'm still working on it. So, without further ado, please read, enjoy, and review this chapter! Second AN to follow at the end.

KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE…

It was with a slightly distracted frown and absent thanks to the limo driver that Weiss stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the hospital with, fairly juggling her purse and the things that she had brought for Ruby this visit. It had taken her much longer to get here this morning than she would have liked, as what was supposed to be a brief phone call with Winter had dragged on and on as it seemed that little things that needed her attention kept cropping up in the conversation. Even if Winter was as smart as Blake said she was, there was still a lot of information about current SDC operations that one couldn't just be dropped into and expect to keep things running smoothly. Hopefully calls like these would diminish in frequency and length as Winter grew more comfortable in her role as temporary CEO.

Finally getting her purse slung over her shoulder, she carefully deposited the brown paper bag from that one café that Ruby absolutely loved into it, feeling a bit foolish for the precaution, but given that what she was planning on doing was strictly against Ruby's dietary rules, she felt she had to be at least a little bit stealthy about it all. The paper bag held the biggest and gooiest and chocolatiest chocolate chip cookie that she could convince the café to make, and the cup she held in her hands was filled not with coffee but with hot chocolate from the same café. Ruby had gone long enough with only eating hospital food, and she could doctor the hot chocolate so it would be safe for Ruby to drink. The cookie should be soft enough for Ruby to chew and swallow without due issue. Smiling softly at the thought of Ruby's impending reaction to the gifts, she stepped off towards the entrance, heels clacking against the concrete of the sidewalk, stylish sunglasses reducing the glare from the late morning sun. She couldn't help but notice the stares that her finely tailored charcoal grey pencil skirt and suit jacket drew, the dark grey fabric contrasting nicely with her braided hair and the white silk blouse that had its top two buttons undone, revealing the graceful column of her throat as well as the modest diamond and sapphire necklace and matching earrings that she was wearing. Was she perhaps dressing up a bit much? Maybe so. But the thought of not being as presentable as possible for Ruby was unthinkable. After all, Ruby only deserved the best.

It did not take her very long to get past the reception area, now guarded by two uniformed officers wearing tactical ballistic plate carriers, their eyes sharp as they scanned those coming and going, and Weiss couldn't help the grimace that twisted her features at the thought of how such precautions had become a necessity. She refused to let the grim mood occupy her very long as she got her visitor's badge and made her way to the elevators leading up to the ICU. After all, she didn't think that Ruby would very much appreciate her being gloomy during her visit. Checking her appearance in the highly polished interior of the elevator as it began its short journey to the upper floors for any imperfections, she gave a satisfied hum before quickly checking her watch. Despite getting here several hours after she had hoped to, she was still on time for one of Ruby's bandage changing.

Upon arriving to the ICU, her stride paused and she frowned quizzically as she took note of the slightly subdued mood of the staff. Granted, they were never exactly the most upbeat, their jobs were too solemn and important for that, but this? This was almost a tangible feeling of grief that lingered in the air. A flicker of worry at that, her steps quickening until she reached Ruby's room, relief soothing her agitation as she found Ruby sitting in her recliner, with Yang, Blake, and a man in a button up shirt and slacks who Weiss did not recognize in the room with her. She nodded respectfully to Blake and was relieved to see that there wasn't any hatred or anger in Blake's eyes as she returned the nod. Yang's grin was wide, almost masking the solemn cast to her eyes, and Weiss sighed with contentment as she deposited her purse and the hot chocolate on the counter and grabbed one of the folding chairs and set up right next to Ruby, one hand almost absently going to rest on top of Ruby's hand. "Hello, Ruby, sorry I'm so late, I had some business I had to go over with Winter. What did I miss?" she asked with a quirked brow towards the gentleman.

Ruby took a deep breath, hand twisting so that she could lace her fingers with Weiss, and Weiss couldn't help the slight blush that dusted her cheeks. Stop that, she's just seeking comfort. She almost certainly doesn't mean anything romantic by it. She's looking for the support that you offered her, that's all. Then Weiss noticed that Ruby was trembling slightly. "Hey, Weiss," she said, gravelly voice quiet and subdued. "This is Doctor Brown, he's a Psychiatrist from the Behavioral Services Unit. I, uh…I asked for him to come visit me."

Dr. Brown nodded, face solemn. "I assume that Miss Schnee is permitted to know what we've already discussed so far?" he asked, voice calm and soothing, and Ruby nodded shakily. "Very well, then. Miss Rose has been experiencing behavioral outbursts since she's woken up, and wished to be evaluated to try and understand why. I've consulted with the physician in charge of her case, and I believe that the current situation is one that is not uncommon for those who have had similar experiences." He paused, obviously collecting his thoughts before speaking again. "Given what Miss Rose has described before you arrived and what information her MRIs and other tests show, she is suffering from the aftereffects of a Traumatic Brain Injury. Common symptoms include irritability, headaches, light sensitivity, mood swings, and diminished impulse control."

At his words, Ruby's fingers tightened around hers, and Weiss turned, taking in how Ruby was staring fixedly ahead, jaw working furiously. "This, coupled with the symptoms of her burns has led to the aforementioned outbursts. Constantly being in pain at a level that can best be described as excruciating is already tough enough, but the TBI on top of it has made her say things that are very much out of character for her."

Ruby spoke up at that, eyes still distant and staring at that fixed point. "It was…no, still is very frightening. I'm really scared, doc. Scared that this is how I'm always going to be from now on. And I don't…I really don't want to be like this for the rest of my life."

The doctor nodded. "A very credible concern. Luckily, given your mastery of your Aura and the overall robustness of Hunters and Huntresses, you have a much higher chance of recovery than someone not trained as a Hunter. We're hoping to see an improvement in your impulse control in the next week or so. However, that said, one of the most effective methods of dealing with something like this is to communicate, openly and freely. Miss Rose, this will be a challenge for you, especially given your lack of impulse control. But if you are feeling angry, then you should try and let those around you know that you are feeling angry and why."

Now Yang spoke, voice focused, almost hard. "And we can start with your outburst this morning. Ruby…why did you get so angry at the thought of anyone other than Weiss helping you change your bandages?"

Ruby's entire body stiffened at that, her head snapping around to stare at Yang with a wide eye, mouth opening and closing silently before she sucked in a deep breath, jaw clenching. "I…don't want to say," she said tightly, and Weiss could recognize the symptoms of a coming outburst, the rapidly increasing breath, the constricting pupil, the sweat that began to break out on Ruby's face.

"Ruby," she murmured softly, comfortingly as she shifted closer to her team leader, pulling her hand free from Ruby's, replacing it with her left hand as she carefully wrapped her right arm around the brunette's shoulders, drawing her close, resting her forehead against her temple. "It's okay, Ruby, I've got you. Remember, this is your sister and Blake. No matter what your fears are, they will love and support you, and I'll be here with you. We all want to help, but need to know what's wrong before we can do so."

Ruby drew in a deep, shuddering breath as she sagged into Weiss's embrace, and Weiss became vaguely aware of Yang, Blake, and the doctor looking on, and her blush returned, heavier this time. It felt…odd, having an audience for such a…well, no doubt about it, this was an intimate moment, even if it was just between friends. But before long, Ruby relaxed more fully, her breathing evening out, slowing down and calming. She was silent for a long, long moment, and when Yang opened her mouth, Weiss shot her a glare that could probably have frozen hell over. Ruby would talk when she was ready to talk. Rushing her was the wrong answer right now.

Then Weiss heard Ruby swallow. "I'm scared. What this injury has done to me…I hate it. I hate this pain, I hate these scars, I hate the gaping hole that my right eye has become. I was so scared when Weiss demanded to help me change my bandages." She paused at that, breath speeding up again, and her fingers tightened around Weiss's hand. "I…I fully expected her to run for the hills. After all, seeing what I am underneath these bandages…I can't blame anyone for running."

Yang was glaring now, expression aghast. "Ruby, that's ridiculous! I'm your sister, like hell I'd ever run away!"

Doctor Brown cleared his throat. "That might be true, Miss Xiao Long, but like I said, Miss Rose is suffering from a Traumatic Brain Injury. So something that would normally be, oh, say, out of character for her, behavior that you'd never expect from her…I won't say that it's normal now, but because of the TBI, she might literally be incapable of forming rational conclusions right now. So, yes, it's irrational that you, as her sister, would flee at the sight of her, or that you would find caring for her wounds reprehensible. But for Miss Rose…that's the kind of conclusion that she can't help but reach. Doctor al-Tabeeb informed me that Miss Schnee and Miss Rose actually had a pretty big fight before it was decided by both parties agreed to have Miss Schnee help with wound care. Can you blame your sister, as she is right now, for not wanting to run the risk of you actually running away? Her self-esteem is terribly low right now due to the nature of her injuries, both the TBI and the burns."

Yang glowered at that, staring at the doctor for a long moment before slumping back in her chair, crossing her arms as she grumbled under her breath. "Fine, whatever. Ruby, that's stupid. I'm your sister and I love you and I'm not gonna run away just because you've got a bad injury."

Ruby shifted uneasily, face still troubled, but it was Blake and not Ruby who spoke next. "Ruby. Knowing that all of us love you dearly and that we would absolutely help with your bandage changing, would you still prefer Weiss to be the one to help you with that, for now?" she asked, voice kind, glancing at Yang as the blonde stiffened angrily next to her, hair flickering slightly. "Ruby," she started again, voice firm as she almost glared at Yang, "would it make you more comfortable for Weiss to be the one to help you right now, with the understanding that as you heal, Yang or I might be able to help you if Weiss isn't available?"

Ruby's nod was miniscule, but it was still there, her eye closed as she trembled slightly. Blake nodded, satisfied. "Very well. Yang and I are here for you. When you are ready and comfortable with it, we'll help you where we can. Okay?"

Ruby's voice came as a soft croak, but the relief in it was clearly heard: "Thank you."

Doctor Brown looked between all of them for a moment before nodding, satisfied. "Very well, then, I'll take my leave. Miss Rose, if your nightmares persist or your mood swings and outbursts get worse," (was that a glance at Weiss at those words? What did that mean?) "then let your nurses or Doctor al-Tabeeb know, and we can see if there might be medicinal alternatives to pursue. For now, I'd rather not start you on anything unless it's necessary. That said, there is a chance that you might suffer from PTSD as a result of the incident. Don't hesitate to let anyone know if you start developing the symptoms that we discussed earlier, alright?" At Ruby's nod, he stood up, and made his way to the door. "I'm looking forward to hear about your recovery, Miss Rose," he said with a polite wave before he left the room.

It was at that point, as Yang and Blake turned smiling glances on her and Ruby that Weiss realized that she was still incredibly close to the dark-haired girl. Blushing at their proximity and the odd smiles that Yang and Blake were still sending her way, she cleared her throat and gently pulled away. "Now, Ruby, since there aren't any hospital employees in here, I brought in some goodies for you." She couldn't help but grin at the surprised look that Ruby turned her way, eyebrow arched over her silver eye.

"Goodies?" she asked, and then smiled slightly. "Weiss…did you break the rules?"

Weiss shrugged nonchalantly with a coy smile. "Possibly. Now…ah, perfect!" she said as she spotted one of the drink thickening packets that one of the aides must have left in the room. She picked up the hot chocolate and took a tentative sip before nodding, satisfied. It was now more warm chocolate than hot chocolate, but that was probably for the best, with Ruby's throat the way it was. She quickly popped the lid off the cup, and poured the thickener in, and upon not seeing a spoon or stirring stick immediately available, stirred the drink with her finger, almost absently sucking the rich, chocolatey liquid off her finger once it reached the right consistency. Replacing the lid, she turned to present the drink to Ruby, but paused, her head tilting quizzically to the side as she took in the heavy blush that was covering Ruby's entire face. "Ruby, are you okay? Are you feeling feverish?"

Yang snorted loudly, and Weiss shot her an annoyed glance, wondering why it looked like the brawler was trying, and failing, to hold in a laugh. Blake was merely staring at her with wide eyes, and then blinked before elbowing Yang in the side. "Stop laughing!" she hissed.

"I can't help it!" Yang almost cackled. "It's just…how does she not-oof!" she wheezed as Blake elbowed her again, sharper this time.

"Leave it alone," Blake said warningly. "Anyway, come on, we've bothered Ruby enough, and I think we need to really process what we've learned today." She grabbed her bag and Yang's hand, pulling her out of the room. Almost as soon as the curtain closed behind them, Yang started laughing out loud, her laughter receding quickly as Blake presumably dragged her down the hall.

Weiss frowned at the curtain for a moment. "That was odd behavior, even for her," she murmured before shrugging slightly. "Well, weird behavior or not, I got this from your favorite café," she said as she turned towards Ruby, whose blush had diminished greatly, Weiss was pleased to see. Ruby accepted the cup with a murmured thanks, taking an appreciative sip, her face brilliantly lighting up as the rich liquid filled her mouth, and Weiss smiled happily. "I also got you…" she said, trailing off leadingly as she pulled the paper bag from her purse, pulling the foil wrapped cookie from it, unwrapping it theatrically (ah, good, the foil kept it warm!), peeling back the final layer of plastic wrap, and turning and presenting it with a flourish, "…this!"

Ruby swallowed her mouthful of hot chocolate before gaping at Weiss, excitement shining in her eye. "No!"

Weiss smiled. "Yes!" she replied, laughing as Ruby snatched the cookie from her hands, quickly stuffing bites in her mouth, worried eye watching the door for any staff that might enter. Then Weiss's heart fluttered as Ruby let out a low groan, eye rolling back at the pleasure of eating the confectionary.

"Oh, my God, Weiss, I could just kiss you!" Ruby exclaimed after she swallowed those first few bites, and they both froze at the words, and Weiss swallowed nervously as a blush creeped up the back of her neck. Why was she blushing so much today? Then Ruby shifted, then looked down, face growing almost uneasy. "Err…platonically, of course," she muttered, and Weiss laughed hollowly.

"Right. Of…of course."

The awkward moment persisted for just a moment longer before Ruby continued to scarf down the cookie, thankfully not repeating her previous groan. She finished just in time, too, chasing down the last bite with the hot chocolate just as the curtain swished back to reveal the nurse and aide with the new bandages and dressings, and the nurse stopped, taking in Ruby's slightly guilty face with narrowed eyes. "What's in the cup?" she asked, and Ruby grinned nervously.

"Hot chocolate?" she answered, fidgeting at the look she got for her words.

But before the nurse could admonish her team leader, Weiss cleared her throat, drawing attention to her. "There is nothing in Ruby's diet that says she can't have sugary substances, merely that they can't be too hot or too cold, and that her liquids need to be thickened. I made sure to add the thickener and checked the temperature before I gave it to her."

The nurse stared at her with those narrowed eyes for a moment before sighing heavily. "Fine, so long as you observed the proper precautions. Now, are you ready for the dressing changes?"

She was. The next fifteen minutes were spent carefully unwrapping Ruby's old bandages as the nurse looked on, the brunette sitting still, thankfully far more relaxed than she had been the first time they did this. For her part…Weiss's heart sank as more and more of the burnt skin was revealed, and that odd, faint smell of overcooked pork became more prevalent, threatening to turn her stomach. That was the part she hated the most, though the sight of Ruby's burnt flesh came in a very close second. But the fact that her wounds still smelled like this, even after so long…and probably would, right up until the wounds were fully healed, burnt skin fully scarred over. Yes, the fact that it smelled was the worse, but that empty eye socket had made its appearance in her dreams. Still, she kept her face composed and her hands gentle as she applied the burn ointment, taking some comfort in the fact that Ruby's wounds were healing quickly, her Aura aided by the ointment. It shouldn't be long now until…

She glanced at the nurse as she placed the proper dressings over the wounds and began to wind the bandages the way she had been shown how. "Out of curiosity, how much long until we can have Ruby leave the hospital?" she asked, glancing warmly down into the silver eye that flicked up to her face in surprise.

"I'm not certain," the nurse replied. "I think it depends on what the doctor says. If you can show that you can keep a nurse and aides on hand and have a physical therapist come and help her recovery process, I don't think for very much longer. We'll be taking her off the telemetry pack tomorrow. But without healthcare workers, it'll be longer."

Weiss nodded. "Of course, it will be no issue housing as many staff as Ruby would need to continue her recovery, Schnee Manor has plenty of rooms, and we have enough money to ensure that the costs associated thereof would be covered."

"Weiss…" Ruby started, eyebrow drawn in with worry, and Weiss smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Ruby, you'd be very well cared for, and it would be safer for everyone for you to be with the rest of the team."

Ruby hesitated at that, mouth slightly open as though she wanted to say something in retort, but after a moment, she closed her mouth, glancing to the side, eye thoughtful as Weiss finished securing the bandage. "There, all done!"

The nurse came over to inspect her handiwork. "Very well done, Miss Schnee. If nothing else, you are certainly ready to provide dressing changes for Ruby."

"Thank you, but it's nothing," Weiss said with a grateful tilt of her nod. She knew high praise from an ICU nurse when she heard it.

Then, a knock on the door frame, and another aide stuck her head in the door. "More visitors for Ruby," she said. "A Mister and Missus Arc and a Miss Polendina to see you, miss."

Ruby blinked, and then grinned, though Weiss could see that the grin was strained, a slight flinch and the sudden pale cast to her skin that Weiss took to mean that Ruby's pain medicine was wearing off. "Excellent, send them in," Ruby said, and Weiss couldn't help the uneasy flutter that ran through her at the poorly disguised eagerness that Ruby had in her eye as she watched the nurse administer her dose of morphine. Perhaps she should talk to the doctor about that…

Then Jaune and Pyrrha and Penny were filing in with happy greetings and carefully composed grins. As Jaune and Pyrrha began to make small talk with Ruby, Weiss caught Penny's attention and nodded towards the door. Penny's eyes grew wide before she nodded, face incredibly solemn…almost comically so, actually, and Weiss rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the room, Penny on her heels. Stepping far enough away from the room so as to not be heard by Ruby, Weiss turned to Penny.

"Salutations, friend Weiss!" Penny greeted with a cheerful wave, and Weiss couldn't help the smile at her antics.

"Hello, Penny, I trust you've been well since our last meeting?"

"Oh, absolutely! Everyone here has been nothing but friendly!"

"That's good to hear, Penny. So…how is it coming?"

Penny blinked, processing Weiss's words before smiling widely. "Oh. It. It is coming along very well, and father has his best technicians working on it as we speak! I believe it will be ready in a month."

Weiss sighed in relief, pinching the bridge of her nose as what felt like a physical load was lifted from her shoulders. "Oh, thank the heavens. I can't wait until we can get that put on Ruby, and if we only have to wait a month…"

Penny blinked again, tilting her head, a slightly worried frown on her face. "Oh, I'm afraid that's not going to work. You see, we won't be able to perform the operation on Ruby until Ruby accepts that her actual arm is gone."

Weiss froze, heart lurching uncomfortably in her chest as shocked blue eyes met concerned green eyes. Surely Penny didn't mean-

"Come again?"

AN (the 2nd):

So. A lot of stuff happened this chapter. But most importantly, I feel, is the reason why Ruby is the way that she is in this story. I have received some comments on how OOC she is, as well as how difficult it is to read her acting this way, to which I reply...good! I'm writing this story particularly because it's supposed to be difficult to read, she's supposed be OOC. When someone suffers as Ruby has (tearing amputation of right arm, proximal to the elbow with damage to elbow severe enough that surgical amputation of the elbow distal to the shoulder was required; internal bleeding; severe TBI; severe burns to head, neck, and shoulders; complete loss of right eye) it can result in a whole slew of symptoms, some of which Dr. Brown mentioned. Irritability, lack of impulse control, mood swings, headaches, excruciating pain from the burns, with follow on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other symptoms associated with PTSD; chronic pain to include headaches, depending on severity of TBI, ghost limb sensations, and burn pain); sensitivity to extreme temperatures; sensitivity to light; vertigo; lack of depth perception; lessened ability of the body to fight off infections and diseases; etc.

This is the fanfic that takes a very hard look at the recovery process. Hence Ruby's outbursts, her very strong language, her mood swings, the pain, the diarrhea from antibiotics, the panic attacks, the eagerness for the morphine (which is going to be explored further...I've made sure to mention the other team members starting to get concerned about Ruby's attitude towards the painkiller), the weakness of her body after the medically induced coma, the mention of her incontinence and the issues of being intubated...this fanfic is probably one of the most true to fact looks at recovery from a very traumatic injury that you are going to find on this site. It's supposed to be uncomfortable, it's supposed to be difficult to stomach, Ruby is supposed to be OOC, because...

...well, because she's actually in character for someone who has suffered her injuries. Service members all across the world who have been injured by IEDs, victims of traumatic car accidents, burn survivors, all those and more...this story about Ruby is offering a small window into the actual, real life world that everyone who has suffered similarly to Ruby have to go through, day by day. Ruby is scared, just as they are. Ruby literally can't help her outbursts, just like them. Ruby has difficulty forming rational, coherent thoughts when she's distressed, just like they have difficulty doing. Now thankfully, the last chapter was the turning point for Ruby, with Dr. Brown providing the knowledge to all the members of Team RWBY so that everyone can understand exactly what's happening. It's a relief to Ruby, knowing exactly why she's having her outbursts, why she can't control her anger. Like the chapter title goes, knowing is half the battle, and it gives Ruby the tools with which to fight the rest of the fight. She might need psychiatric medicine in order to stabilize, and might even need it long term in order to deal with her PTSD, but there's no shame in that. She'll have other outbursts, especially when she becomes frustrated or scared or angry, but they won't have the intensity that her previous attacks had. She's surrounded by those who love her, and she's not the type of person who will let what's happened to her give her an excuse to abuse those around her. She wants to get better, and will, with the help of those behind her.

All that said, and I think I'll wrap this second AN up, before it becomes as long as the chapter itself!

Thanks for reading, and catch you on the flip side!