Findings of Myself – 15

NeoAthena- See, I told you I would be getting better with the updates! As per usual I don't own anything but the plot. Thanks to all who added me as a favorite or reviewed! It means a lot…

That afternoon, well, closer to evening, Shinji found himself going back to NERV. He thought it would be nice if he walked Rei home, just to watch her. Her health wasn't so much of the question, but Asuka was. His father was very broad about it, and nothing was specific. It was probably better just to be cautious. He wouldn't want her to get hurt after all.

That thought stuck in his mind. Why did he suddenly care so much? It was a very strange feeling to explore. Of course he cared about others, but this seems elevated compared to them. It was an odd feeling to be experiencing so suddenly. Of course he had thought about the possibility, but never with such heaviness. Did he really want to ruin what was happening now by trying to suggest such a thing? More importantly did he want to take the chance of rejection?

With all this thinking, it certainly made the trip to NERV seem a lot shorter. He smiled at the guard as he swiped his card and entered the pull up door. The shiny metallic walls were not as bright as they normally would be. It had been a while since he had been here after official operating hours, and the dim, power saving lights gave the place a bit of a creepy glow. He walked past the offices of various officers and researcher, most of the lights off and an infinite darkness that seemed to spread even through the glass windows that seemed like a futile barrier between him and that protruding darkness

He cleared his throat and continued to walk on. He didn't want to linger any longer than necessary, he didn't want to keep Rei waiting after all.

Rei stood in the windowless room, watching the door intently. She was told that someone was on their way to pick her up. That was a strange concept all in itself for her. She was never picked up from the hospital section. She was never thought about, other than as a pilot. She thought that maybe Dr. Akagi was coming for her so that questions could be asked. That seemed the most logical reason to her.

The doorknob twisted and the door slowly creaked open. She tried to look as though she was doing something else, but that was hard in the bland and minimally decorated room. After a few seconds and the door opening up a bit more, she just decided to give up and gave that signature blank and endless stare. A nurse stepped in, her pristine white outfit blending in with the bleached out room. Even her smile was like pure snow! Rei blinked at this, a bit disturbed by the stoic nature of this nurse's outfit, teeth, and continuation into of blandness into the room.

"There is a young man outside waiting for you," she said in the kid of sugary sweet voice that all nurses have. Rei simply nodded, not sure if she should disturb the perfect setting. As the nurse stepped to the side, Rei walked out the door and into the hall.

A young man? She thought walking along the corridor. The only person she could think of at that point was Shinji. It seemed weird to her that he would go out of his way to come and pick her up from the hospital. It seemed even stranger that he wo9uld come and get her even though she would see him once she got home.

But, alas, it was Shinji, standing there, as quiet as ever, waiting for her. She blinked, unsure of what to make of the feeling that was suddenly engulfing her. She smiled lightly as she walked towards Shinji. Could this possibly be love? she thought as she walked up to him.

"Hi Rei. Are you feeling better now?" he asked her politely.

"Much better. What exactly happened though, if I may ask you Shinji-kun?" she asked him, looking around to see if any of the nurses were around to finish signing the paperwork for her release.

"Apparently you went after a boy in the class next to ours, and he hit you. Hard. You weren't responding to anything, so my father commanded that you be brought here for evaluation and treatment," he said, the last part sounding bitter, realizing that Rei was still his father's favorite.

As he sorted through his thoughts, the bleached out nurse came, holding what appeared to be Rei's file in hand. She flipped through a few of the pages, finding the bright pink one. Of course the one the patient gets to keep is pink; for they believe the patient will lose it by tomorrow and making it a bright obnoxious color might make it easier to find, or so Rei's thoughts told her. Then she realized how hastily she made those decisions, and how unlike her that was. What was happening to her?

The nurse smiled and handed Rei a pen and the paper, with an 'x' marking the spot where she was to sign. How many times would she have to do this before they got that she could read?