Assault Chapter Part 7

"We better take care of Meiko," said Miku, reluctant to break up the reunion. The happy mood disappeared quickly. Iroha looked over nervously as Kaito stretched out his arms to me. I let him take Meiko as Miku lead the way to the room we'd prepared for when we got back. Trying to be discreet, I waited until everyone was already walking so that I could remain at the back of the procession. I didn't want Len to see where I had been shot... not yet. I looked over at Kaito and Meiko. It was hard to see all the fear in his eyes when he was usually so light-hearted. He wasn't laughing now, even though Meiko tried to reassure him with words I couldn't hear.

Quickly we reached the room and Kaito set Meiko on the bed we had tried to make her. It was just one of the many metal tables that the scientists here used to work on robots. Earlier we had put blankets and a pillow on it, trying to make it comfortable.

"All right, now you guys get out and let me work," said Miku as she started getting the medicinal supplies out.

"I'm staying," Kaito said, holding onto Meiko's hand.

"Good, you can help me then," replied Miku as if she'd known all along that he'd want to. I smiled, realizing she probably did.

"Okay, we're out of here!" said Len as he grabbed Iroha and me by the arms and led us out. I used my foot to close the door behind us, my arm still hanging uselessly beside me. We all stood there awkwardly, unsure of where to go. Abruptly, Iroha started to cry and she wrapped her arms around Len's waist. Len looked at her in shock then looked to me for help. I smiled and just waved him on. He slowly put his arms around Iroha's shoulders.

"Hey, it's going to be all right! We got her here and now Miku and Kaito will take care of her. You don't think a little thing like a bullet is going to stop Meiko, right?" said Len soothingly. She didn't answer, but her crying seemed to lessen. I smiled at them both and tried not to worry. Miku wasn't a doctor, but we had the right medicines. I just had to trust that it'd be all right.

We ended up sitting across from the door. Iroha was in the middle of us, holding both of our hands. Len and Iroha stared at the door, but I stared at the places where I got shot. Two bullets had lodged themselves into my left arm and there was one in my stomach. I knew I was going to have to tell Len soon, but I just couldn't bring myself to it. I tried to stop thinking about it, but my mind kept turning back to when we got caught. My hands had killed again and now I was getting used to it. What did Len think when he saw me killing? Was it different than just hearing about it?

I jumped as I heard Meiko groaning in pain. I jerked to my feet and stopped once I got to the door.

"Sorry...sorry. It was going to hurt a bit," I heard Miku say faintly through the door.

"You're doing great, Meiko," Kaito said. Meiko laughed weakly and I backed away from the door.

"Rin... what's wrong with your arm?"

I froze at the anger in his voice. Slowly, I turned to him.

"I got shot... twice in my arm and... there's one in my stomach too. It must have hit something to make my arm stop working... I...I can't move it," I told Len, not looking in his eyes.

"We'll be right back, Iroha," Len said as he grabbed my good arm and dragged me down the hall. He was mad; he was really mad. My mind bounced around, trying to figure out why. Abruptly, Len turned off into another room that was arrayed with tools and computers specifically for fixing robots. He dropped my arm and turned to get some tools. Slowly, he stopped and gripped the table. We stayed like that, silently struggling with our thoughts. I was the first to break the silence.

"Len, I... I'm sorry. I know I should've told you sooner, but... I was..." afraid that something like this would happen.

"No, Rin. You don't have to apologize," Len turned back to me. There was a deep anguish in his eyes that made me flinch, "I... forget sometimes that you aren't human. Getting shot isn't going to kill you anymore, but... I still get worried about you. What if the bullet had hit something important? If you get shot in the head in the right place or in the Heart, you might still die. I-I don't want you to die..." I cringed, but couldn't look away from Len's pained face, "I'll fix your arm and get the bullets out, Rin. Just don't be afraid to tell me, all right?" he asked me as he reached for my hand. I took it, wishing I didn't keep hurting him.

"I'm sorry I worried you and I'll tell you next time," I replied and Len rewarded me with a smile of his own. Slowly he let go of my hand and started working on getting all of the bullets out of me. I watched him and couldn't stop thinking about what I kept doing to him. I didn't have to go through the agony of losing him, but Len did. Len watched me die the first time. He thought he'd lost me for good. And after all we'd been through, he still only worried for me and didn't even pause to think about the people I had killed. I couldn't keep worrying him needlessly. He was tired enough as it was.

"Got it!" said Len as he threw the last bullet aside, carelessly. He quickly fixed the problem in my arm, muttering about this or that. Finally he finished by closing the skin around all of the bullet holes.

"All done," sighed Len as he put down the tools. I flexed my arm, glad that I could move it again.

"We should go see how Meiko is doing," I said, taking Len's hand. He nodded in agreement and we headed back. Once we got there we found the door opened and all of the others gathered inside.

"How is she?" I asked hesitantly.

"I'm all done and she's just sleeping now," answered Miku, sounded exhausted. Her hair was still disheveled and it looked like she had tried to clean up the blood from her nose sometime during the procedure or before. Kaito and Iroha looked relieved.

"That's great!" said Len in a hushed voice, squeezing my hand.

"I think she'll be just fine, but we'll have to see once she wakes up," added Miku, rubbing her eyes.

"Come here, Miku. You need to sleep, too!" I said, walking over to Miku to drag her away. She started to protest, but Kaito interrupted her.

"Don't worry. If anything happens we'll come get you," he pulled over a chair and set it up next to Meiko. Iroha also made it clear that she would not be leaving.

Nodding, I took Miku by the arm and Len, Miku and I left them alone.

Over the next few hours we waited for Meiko to wake up. Miku slept while Len and I made sure that no soldiers followed us to the robotics lab. The day was starting to fade into evening when Miku and I started cooking dinner for everyone.

"I hope everyone likes rice," said Miku as we started walking back to the rest of them in Meiko's room, carrying trays of food. Len opened the door for us, a huge smile on his face.

"What is it?" I asked, but I was quickly answered.

"I'm alive and awake, of course!" exclaimed Meiko, from within. I looked around Len and saw my big sister looking lively if not completely healthy yet.

"Meiko!" I yelled. Len took the tray as I ran over to her and hugged her.

"I woke up just in time for food. You guys wouldn't happen to have any beer, would you?" Meiko asked, laughing all the while. It was good to see her back to her rambunctious self.

"We don't, but it's probably for the best," snickered Len.

"Hey! Come over here so I can punch you!" mocked Meiko. Len just laughed as he and Miku handed out the food. I went out and grabbed some more chairs for us all. Meiko was the first to start eating, but she slowed down as she saw my empty hands. I hoped that she would forget all the abnormalities I had showed earlier, but I knew that it wouldn't last long.

"Why aren't you eating, Rin?" Meiko asked and the rest of the chatter died down. Len looked away, but Kaito and Meiko looked at me expectantly. I guess I couldn't put if off any longer.

"I can't eat anymore, Meiko. I-" I started and took a shaky breath, "I died in the first attack."

Meiko and Kaito gaped at me.

"You're not dead! You're right here in front of me!" Meiko practically shrieked. I flinched and continued on.

"Len got me here, to the robotics lab," realization started to dawn on Kaito and Meiko, but Meiko kept shaking her head, "They had been working on a new program to transfer humans into robots and... Len and Miku tried it out on me. So, now I'm a robot..." I ended, not sure what else to say.

"That.. that can't be.. but, you're... you're still you, right?" asked Meiko in a small voice, her words were like a dart to my heart. Slowly, I took her hand.

"I'm still me, Meiko. I'm still Rin," I said, my voice shaky. Meiko looked in my eyes, searching them. I'm not sure what she found, but she seemed satisfied.

"Oh, Rin," she sighed as she pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back, glad that everything had gone well.

They started eating again while Miku and Len began recounting all that had happened to us since then and what we planned to do now. I sat back and relaxed. It felt like we were a family again, as if everything wasn't falling apart. Once we were all done, Kaito carried Meiko back to the make-shift bedroom and we all followed, settling down for the night. I snuggled into the blankets, looking over at Meiko, who had already fallen asleep. Iroha and Miku slept in between us while the boys were on the other side of the room. With all of the blankets and pillows we'd strewn across the floor, it seemed like a gigantic nest. slowly I fell asleep, glad that everyone was safe.

My eyes snapped open as I saw someone crawling toward me. It took me a moment to realize it was Len.

"Len, what're you-?"

"Sorry..." Len whispered, cutting me off. He sounded terrified as he lay down beside me, taking my hand.

"What is it?" I asked urgently, trying to sit up. Len just shushed me and pushed me back down.

"It's nothing... I just had a... nightmare is all..." he curled into my arm, hiding his head, but I could tell he was crying. Silently, I rubbed his arm until he calmed down. Soon I felt the tenseness leave his shoulders and he relaxed in my arms. Quietly we both fell asleep, protecting each other from nightmares and our own bad thoughts.