A/N: And we're back with this dark/fluffy fic. It's been a while, and I've been pretty busy with The General's Side Check that out. LLET'S WRITE
Yang and Blake helped their leader walk back to their dorm, Ruby had been recently released from the hospital, but was nearly incapable of walking. She wasn't paralyzed or anything like that, but her legs were too weak to support her weight. Trailing behind the three was Weiss, and JNPR, who watched as Ruby futilely moved her legs, trying to walk with her sister and friend supporting her. This sight broke her friends' hearts. Just before they reached their destination, Weiss ran ahead and opened the door, holding it open for her teammates.
"Where are we going?" Blake asked Yang, curious as to where they were going to put Ruby down. "Bathroom." Ruby answered, looking a little pale. "Please hurry. I'm gonna puke." The two rushed their leader into the bathroom, kneeling her in front of the toilet, where she began to produce nothing but bile. This was nothing new to them, as every time the hospital tried to feed her, it came back up. Regardless of this, the doctor cleared Ruby for discharge.
Yang laid back against the sink cabinet, rubbing her sister's back as she retched, her body desperately trying to cleanse itself of something that was causing her harm. Yang felt a pang in her chest for her sister, the poor girl was not only hurt beyond the point of walking, but also in a tremendous amount of pain from her body's false alarm. After a few minutes, Ruby stopped puking and crossed her arms against the toilet seat, resting her head on top of the support she had created with her arms. She obviously didn't feel very well if the pained sobs were anything to go by. Yang stood, she didn't really want to leave her sister in that much pain, but she also knew she needed to do something about it. "I'm gonna go pick up her pain medication." Yang told her teammates. "Look after her while I'm gone." The two nodded and Blake stood from her seat on her bed. The faunas walked into the bathroom, kneeled down beside her friend, and brought as much kindness into her voice as she could muster, "You want to move in there, or stay here?" She asked, genuinely worried for Ruby. "I'll just stay here…" The younger girl quietly said, sounding like she was in pain.
Blake stood. "Okay." She said, "Weiss and I'll be in the other room if you need us." Before Blake even made it out the door, she could hear Ruby's retching. She felt bad for the girl, but knew that there wasn't much she could do. Yang would be back soon with her pain medication and that would help tremendously. When Blake sat back down on her bed, she could see Ruby if she rested her back against the headboard. Knowing that Ruby could reach her if she needed her, Blake went back to reading her book, looking up whenever Ruby began vomiting again.
About ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Weiss answered it, confused as to who it was. Standing in the hallway was a large blonde man with a sole patch. He wore a yellow short sleeved dress shirt, a brown vest, a single shoulder guard that was just above a black tattoo that looked like a symbol of some sort. Below that, wrapped around his right hand were several strips of leather. On his other arm, a handkerchief was tied around his bicep. He wore orange cargo shorts that clashed with everything else about him. "Team RWBY?" He asked, kindly smiling. "That's us." Weiss told him. "And you are?" This question caught the man off guard, and he laughed, realizing his blunder. "Taiyang Xiao Long." He told her. "I'm Ruby's father."
Weiss looked at him suspiciously, "How do I know that's true?" The man's face went from a broad smile to; "Really?" Before he could say anything, an excited, high-pitched barking erupted from the room, and the black and white corgi rushed to the blonde man, leaping into his arms. "That enough proof?" He asked, now smiling. Weiss opened the door wide enough for him to get in, closing it behind him. Taiyang set Zwei down and turned back to Weiss, "Where is she?" He politely asked. The heiress pointed in the direction of the bathroom door. Taiyang began to walk towards the bathroom door, able to hear his youngest daughter's retching.
"Hey, sweetie." He called out once he reached the doorway. Ruby immediately recognized his voice, "Hey,—" she was cut off by yet another retch. He sat down beside her, his back against the sink cabinet just like Yang had been before she left. "How ya feeling?" He asked.
"I feel like I'm dying." Ruby told him, her voice muffled by her arms. She was done puking, and was now resting her head on her arms, facing the wall. "You know what your mother would have said?" Taiyang asked her, peaking her curiosity. She turned towards him. He rarely ever mentioned Summer, why now? He smiled, "She would have said: "Just don't do that'." He told her. "Summer always thought sickness was a mentality. That's why she never got sick. Hell, she didn't even get morning sickness when she was pregnant with you." He chuckled. "You'll pull through. I'm sure of it."
Overhearing this conversation made Weiss wonder why Ruby's mother didn't come with Taiyang to see their injured daughter, and made Blake feel guilty for knowing why.
Taiyang idly stroked the corgi, who laid in between him and Ruby. "Zwei was your mother's dog. That's why he likes you so much. You look just like her." He said, his voice showing very little emotion. "Well, that and dogs are very good judges of character, and I know for a fact you don't have a single mean bone in your body. You were so well behaved growing up," his voice began to crack. "I was so worried when I heard about what happened. Forced me to relive some memories I've tried so hard to repress; memories of your mother. Summer died so someone else could live. I always worried that if I told you what happened, you'd turn out the same. Guess some things are genetic…" He chuckled again. "You didn't have to do what you did."
"Yes I did." Ruby hoarsely, and bluntly told him. "You could have died." He said, devout of emotion.
"At least it would have been for a good cause. Those feathers were headed straight for Jaune." She said.
"You have a speed semblance." He bluntly added. "You could have moved him out of the way, made a sandwich, eaten it, then the feather would have hit the ground."
"He was standing in front of a lot of people. If I had just moved him, someone else would have died. I tried to put a bunch of cars in the way, but I wasn't fast enough in my getaway."
"You could have died." He said again. He sounded upset with her, but also a little proud.
"But I didn't." She told him, resting against the wall in front of the toilet. Taiyang opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by the sound of a single grocery bag. "I'll be back." He told Ruby, standing as she threw herself to the toilet, trying to vomit again.
"Dad," Yang said, sounding surprised. "When did you get here?" Taiyang stretched his back, not as limber as he once was. "Just a few minutes ago." He grunted, pops echoing through the room.
"How is she?" The blonde asked. "Any better?"
"If she was throwing up bile when you left, then she's not any better or any worse."
"That's not true," Ruby weakly shouted from the bathroom. "I wasn't throwing up blood when she left. I am now." Yang and her father shared a worried look, and both rushed to the bathroom, Yang kneeling down beside Ruby, and Taiyang standing behind her. The younger blonde looked into the toilet, confirming that Ruby had been, in fact vomiting blood. She looked back to her father, "Should we take her back to the emergency room?" She asked.
"I think so…" Taiyang said.
"I…" Ruby began. "I feel really lightheaded…" the younger girl blew out a winded breath, seemingly feeling worse. "Lay down." Taiyang ordered. Ruby didn't question what her father told her and laid down, Yang helping ease her to the floor. "She's going to pass out." The two's father said, explaining himself. "I don't want her to hit her head on something and worsen her condition."
"Should we take her to the emergency room?" Yang asked again, standing on her knees. "No." Taiyang told her. "We're going to call an ambulance, and they will take her to the emergency room."
Blake and Weiss had stopped listening to the two's conversation when Yang came in, this was because Yang had already taught them not to eavesdrop on her conversations and they'd rather her not have to do it again. Blake's attention was pulled back to the three when she heard Yang ask if they should take her to the ER. The faunas set down her book and made her way to the bathroom door, when she looked in, she saw Ruby laying on the floor, looking miserable, and her family members standing over her. "Do you want me to call an ambulance?" She asked, having heard what Taiyang said about calling EMS. Yang nodded, pushing away the stray hairs that fell in front of her eyes.
Blake quickly pulled out her scroll and dialed 911, she almost immediately got an answer, "Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?" The woman on the other end asked.
"Um," Blake began to stutter, unsure of where to start. "Last week, my friend was impaled by a Nevermore feather, and we took her to the hospital for it. Today they discharged her, but she's throwing up blood, and feeling light-headed."
"Okay. What's your location, ma'am?" The operator asked.
"Beacon Academy. Dorm 636." Blake told her, prying away the hair that separated her scroll from her human ear.
"Okay… I'm dispatching an ambulance to your location." The woman calmly told her.
Blake sighed in relief. "Thank you…" She breathed out.
"Just doing my job. Please stay on the phone with me so I can be notified if your friend's condition worsens." The woman told her.
"Okay." Blake said, sounding more like "Un-kay"
"What'd they say?" Yang asked, Ruby's head now resting on her lap. "She said an ambulance is on its way." Blake told her blonde partner. Yang sighed in relief, just like Blake had moments ago, leaned back against the sink, and closed her eyes.