Nothing Will ever Change That

Chapter 71: One Less

NERV Hospital

"I told you not to give me any drugs!" she shakes her head.

"I didn't…" like hell she didn't! I couldn't feel a thing!

"What do you mean you didn't? There's a fucking nail in my hand and I can't…" it suddenly hit me, "Ritsuko… is…" she nodded under the cover of her hand.

"What the hell is going- why does Shinji have a pin in his hand? Is this some sick joke?" Asuka had a disgusted look on her face.

"Shinji…please tell me you can feel it… please…" I see a tear drop from under the cover of her hand, "At least move… anything…" I really couldn't.

"I can't… fuck…" a small mutter echoes from my throat, "Can't you do anything?" she shook her head.

"I'm sorry…" she walks out of the room in tears. This can't be happening, it just can't. In a last attempt for reassurance, I tug and push at the pin with my other hand. A single drop of blood leaks through, and rolls down the side of my hand… and I couldn't feel a thing.

"Asuka… we left Dietlinde in your room, you should go check on her," she starts to walk to me, "Now…" the flatness of my voice was worse then Rei's. She took this order and left with a soft sigh, "One of you bandage me up… we're done here…" no one moved a muscle, "Did you not hear me? Now! If you can't tell, I'm just a little pissed right now!" one of the doctors scrambled over to me and started to wrap my wrist with bandages. When he was done, I simply got up and left, pulling the needle out and throwing it to the ground as I do. On the way, I grab a towel from one of the many medical carts and wrap my paper-white hand in it. I head directly to Asuka's room with my head hanging.

"Oh, you're back… what's wrong? Shinji?" I go over and fall on my back onto her bed, "What's up with the towel? They didn't have real bandages or something?" she laughed as she spoke the last part.

"How's Dietlinde?" yet another flat comment. Asuka reached into the crib and pulled her out.

"Just fine, she took care of herself!" she said in a playful voice to Dietlinde, "Here, why don't you take her for a second, she's been whining ever since I got here," she held Dietlinde in front of me, waiting for me to take her.

"No, not right now, thanks. I'm just a little tired," she took Dietlinde back to her crib and sat next to my head.

"Come on, you can tell me," she rubs the top of my head, "Did they forget to give you pain killers? We have some stuff here if you want," I sit up and go next to her.

"Asuka… I… I can't hold Dietlinde anymore…" she gives me a confused look, "God… just look…" I unwrap the towel in front of her, eventually revealing a white hand.

"So you're not getting enough blood to your hand right now, it'll go back to normal eventually," could she be making this any harder?

"No… you don't understand… it's gone… my hand is gone… for good," I close my eyes trying to hide the tears forming. She looks at me with that same confused look, and then looks at my hand. She places her whole hand on it, but quickly pulls back.

"It's… cold…" I open my eyes back up, and past the blurry vision, I see a softly crying Asuka. Just like that night, she let the tears flow freely, but didn't make a sound. I wrap my hand back up, not wanting to look at it anymore, "He did this… that bastard did this…" I see her fists start to clench, "You're… just a kid… and he does this?" a few tears fall onto me only working hand.

"I don't regret it…" I clench my other hand, thinking of what could have happened. She got up and walked to the corner of the room, facing the wall.

"I'm going to kill him! I swear to fucking God!" she rushes away from the corner and comes back over to the bed. She drops to her knees and reaches far under the bed, "You're going to die you bastard!" she gets back up and rushes out of the room. I chase after her, once again leaving Dietlinde. Asuka was by far faster then me, so by the time I got to the room she entered, she had already gotten to her father. Gendo and a crying Ritsuko were in the room with him.

"Asuka! What are you doing?" I hear Akagi yell.

"What I should have done when I saw this fucker!" I change my angle from behind her to next to her. She had a large revolver aimed point blank at Karsten, "Beg for it!" she started to yell in German at him. Nothing came from the wide eyed adult, "I said fucking beg for it!" I had no idea what she was saying, but I've never seen her so mad.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Put that thing away!" she took a step back.

"Get down on your knees and BEG!" Asuka still had a stream of tears rolling from her eyes. Her father shivered as he went down on one knee, then he lowered the other, hands in the air the entire time.

"Asuka! Calm down!" he continued to yell at her as he was on the ground.

"Like hell I will! Do what I said! Beg for your pathetic fucking life!" she had the gun pointing directly to the top of his head.

"I will not fall to a child!" Asuka got a devilish smile on her face as she sobbed.

"Yes you will… now FALL!" I thrust my head away from the sight as a loud bang echoed through the room. I heard a large body fall to the ground. I turn back around to see Gendo on top of Asuka on the ground, "Get the hell off of me! He has to die! He WILL die by my hand!" I look at Karsten and see him ducking on the ground, then look up. He then got up and brushed himself off.

"So, you were going to kill me?" he began to walk to her and Gendo struggling on the floor. He leans down and snatches the gun from Asuka's hand, "Now how about you beg? Why shouldn't I kill you right here? I have no use for you, so why should I keep you alive?" Asuka stopped struggling and looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

"Let me up! Let me UP! He's going to-" she was cut off by him.

"Not so proud when you're the one in danger, are you? Now, my sweet little daughter…" He looks down on her sobbing.

"LET ME GO! Please! Please let me go! God damnit, let me go! I don't want to-" Karsten gets an enraged look on his face and cuts her off.

DIE!" in an instant, he points the gun at her head and a loud bang echoes through the room one last time. Blood shoots behind her and splatters on the white carpet. The sight before me made me fall to my knees sobbing...

A/N- There is one more chapter. The next chapter is; I'm Gone, deal with it.