Ka-booom!

Allen slowly lifted his heavy head. White bangs fell before his eyes. Squinting, he could see a figure of...

A white flash blinded him, and the pain that penetrated to his retinas, and he blacked out.

Bluury figures. Undescipherable shapes. The world was spinning and he was chained to it, a cold manacle squeezing his upper right arm. He tried to get away....

"Lie still, Walker!" Screeched the harpie voice. Allen wrenched open his eyes, searching blearily for the horror of - of -

The Head Nurse was towering over him, eyebrows pulled together tighter than her hair. The Demonic gleam of her overshadowed eyes had before instilled many-a-nightmare into the minds of poor, unsuspecting patients. Allen felt he would be no different. She peered carefuly into both eyes, gripping his arm, before silently declaring him truly awake. The Head Nurse straightened up.

"Chief! Allen Walker's come around!"

Allen flinched. Everything was still too raw and too bright to be comfortable. Especially her voice.

"Brilliant! Let's see then..."

Komui appeared at the side of his bed, smiling like he does when something finally went to plan. He put a gloved hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Allen. How're you feeling?"

The boy smiled faintly, "Like I've just been sat on by the whole science department. A bit squashed and sore."

Komui's grin spread wider across his face, "You're alright then."

Allen was apprehensive. He did not like the man's grin. Coming from such an adventurous scientist like Komui, it would not, as a rule, bode well for the exorcists... or for anyone for that matter.

"We tried out a new healing gum on you." The grin pulled impossibly wide, "It worked like a dream. There were no side effects - " Allen breathed a discreet sigh of relief, " - appart from the ears."

The boy froze. Gingerly, he lifted his hands to his head and patted what felt like a pair of deliciously soft cat ears. This was beyond humiliating. He would rather take on a horde of akuma than be seen like this. He winced again as he imagined the colourful abuse he would be subjected to at the hands of... well, everyone in the Order. Kanda's sneering face came floating from his imagination like the ghost of the Titanic. Allen moaned.

The section chief just carried on grinning, "Oh, don't worry. Luckily for you, it seems, your injuries were extensive enough to earn you another day in the Infirmary. They should fall off by then."

Allen raised an eyebrow. "Should."

The Head Nurse bustled over. "I'll cut them off in your sleep." She threw Komui a venomous look, "This is the last time I let the Science Department anywhere near my Infirmary."

In fact, Allen was shocked she had let him in at all. For the first time he looked around the room. It was mostly empty. One other bed was occupied by a young scientist with an impressive set of green boils across his face, and another was closed off with curtains. He could see half an arm through the gap. Focusing his eyes, he took a sharp breath.

The hand was humanoid, but the fingers ended in long, straight claws. Blue-black vainy tendrils wound their way up to the elbow, and seemingly beyond. The hand was still.

"Who... is that?" Allen whispered, eyes wide.

Komui didn't meet his gaze for a moment. "That is the person who saved you. And me. And most of the Headquarters. They wounded the akuma, distracted it, and gave the Generals the opportunity to destroy it."

"But why are they...?"

"The Innocence overreacted. For a few days we couldn't even touch their body - the Innocence encased it in an impenetrable cocoon. Yesterday the cocoon unravelled. Her wounds had been healed, but the Innocence is still haywire in her system."

"Her? Lenallee?"

"Do you think I would be standing her talking to you if that was the case?"

Allen shook his head. "Yeah, sorry about that. Didn't think." He looked up, "How is everyone anyway?"

Komui smiled again, "A few scrapes, nothing like either of you sustained, though. They were all let out a while ago."

"Hmm. How long've I been out?"

"Ohh, five days."

Allen fell back onto the pillow. All this talking and sitting up and thinking simultaneously was getting him tired. The Head Nurse appeared out of nowhere.

"It's time for him to sleep now, Chief. He's tired."

"But - "

"I said he's tired, Chief."

She gave the boy a spoonful of some purple liquid that tasted like melted liquorice and Allen began to slip into the dreamland. The last thing that crossed his mind was whether the head nurse had a built-in radar in her head for patients...

Komui looked fondly down at the sleeping boy. Allen bore such weight upon such young shoulders. It was selfless, and Komui respected selfless people. He still worried though. He may not show it, but he worried about all the exorcists, all the time. He sighed.

"Did.... did we win?"

Komui spun around. The hoarse voice coughed. Striding forward, he ripped appart the curtains over the girl-exorcist's bed. Her eyes were half-open, and a weak attempt at a smile played around her mouth. The Innocence pulsed in her veins.

"You...Vin... are you alright?"

She pulled her face into a look of contempt.

"Ah. Yes, dumb question." he looked sheepish, "Do you know what's happening?"

"...yes."

"So what do we do?"

A racking cough reverbraed through her thin body. Komui's hands fluttered helplessly. The girl met his eyes with her yellow, feline ones.

"We wait."

Her eyes rolled back into her head, and as the Head Nurse ran up, the exorcist was already unconsious.

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Ehh... please forgive the random change into 3rd person perspective compared to the 1st person of the previous chapter.... I think this is how I'll be continuing it... no more perspective changes. promise. :)

Also, please forgive the Titanic reference... They probably don't have the Titanic in -man, so Allen doesnt know what it is, but the description just fiiittt.....

Reviews are Love :3