Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Trigun concepts written about in this
story.
Ch 7. Good morning.
There were many days lived in peace in that household. Nicky was an absolute dream, despite the feedings in the middle of the night, the dirty nappies and usual burping up onto clothes, he was a happy and healthy child. Besides, Vash took care of most the midnight feedings. There were few times when Milly beat him to being at Nicky's side.
Still, there was a strange tenseness despite everything. A sense of waiting. Knives is still comatose, and as the days pass, it is harder to keep him clean and comfortable. His flesh is healed, but he remains trapped in nightmares and the depths of catatonia, unaware of the outside world.
But it doesn't stay that way.
Knives awakens. It is a rather uneventful thing. Vash just walks in one morning to find him lying with his eyes open. Knives' gaze leaves the ceiling immediately as he walks in, tracking his brother's movements.
"Knives."
Knives takes a deep breath and then begins to speak
"Dancing in the dell one day, my precious thoughts were whisked away, down into the darkened well, neither seen nor sought they merely fell."
".."
"Yes. Your verbal agility is a relinquished ability in the face of my twisted mental motility *bibble bibble*"
"Uh.."
"I'm sane. Help me to the bathroom."
"Of course."
Vash waits quietly outside the bathroom as Knives slowly tends to his ablutions. Then Vash enter the bathroom too, and bathes his brother. Knives is still too weak and un-coordinated to do it himself. Nerve damage is like that. The whole time, there is silence in the room, except for the small noises of water moving, and the faint noises filtering in off the street. Vash performs the small intimacies of washing Knives's hair and back in the curtained dimness of the bathroom. Eventually Knives is dried off, and Vash helps his brother into a bathrobe.
It is amazing how calm Knives is through all of this. Maybe Vash broke his emotions out there in the desert. The answer seems less obscure though, When Milly wanders into the room carrying Nicky. Immediately Knives blinks and turns to face the door where Milly stand with the baby, his face showing only surprise. Milly freezes in a gesture of protection, unsure what to do about Knives.
"That child. I know that child."
"You saw him the night you first came here." Vash says, restraining Knives from going to the child and scaring Milly more.
"No, I know him. He is.." Knives breaks off, clutching at his head. Vash pushes him gently onto the bed.
"Mr. Knives?" Milly's voice quavers, seeing Knives's contorted expression.
"It's coming back." He gasps and lies back on the bed. Vash dips a waiting cloth in water and presses it gently to Knives forehead. Knives calms slightly and sighs.
"Rest more. I'll bring you food in a minute."
Vash exits the room, taking Milly with him. As soon as the door closes behind them, Milly bursts into apology.
"Mr Vash I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to show you, Nicky was smiling."
"It's ok Milly. I think it's good for Knives to see Nicky."
"Vashu-san, Knives was unusually calm, it's as though something is magically keeping him from going berserk."
Luckily for Vash, Milly's insightful musings were interrupted by Nicky's burbling and cooing.
"Oooh, it must be time for Nicky's food too, lets go to the kitchen together Mr. Vash.
.o0o.
Later that night, Meryl sits across from Vash at the dinner table.
"Vash, I have been thinking. The way you were, born, it must have been for a reason. Is Nicky like that too?"
"I don't know. But it feels like he is."
Vash smiles gently down at Nicky, unable to be serious when looking at such a cutie. Nicky is busy trying to look at the end of his own nose.
Slightly unfinished, but better than nothing, isn't it?
Ch 7. Good morning.
There were many days lived in peace in that household. Nicky was an absolute dream, despite the feedings in the middle of the night, the dirty nappies and usual burping up onto clothes, he was a happy and healthy child. Besides, Vash took care of most the midnight feedings. There were few times when Milly beat him to being at Nicky's side.
Still, there was a strange tenseness despite everything. A sense of waiting. Knives is still comatose, and as the days pass, it is harder to keep him clean and comfortable. His flesh is healed, but he remains trapped in nightmares and the depths of catatonia, unaware of the outside world.
But it doesn't stay that way.
Knives awakens. It is a rather uneventful thing. Vash just walks in one morning to find him lying with his eyes open. Knives' gaze leaves the ceiling immediately as he walks in, tracking his brother's movements.
"Knives."
Knives takes a deep breath and then begins to speak
"Dancing in the dell one day, my precious thoughts were whisked away, down into the darkened well, neither seen nor sought they merely fell."
".."
"Yes. Your verbal agility is a relinquished ability in the face of my twisted mental motility *bibble bibble*"
"Uh.."
"I'm sane. Help me to the bathroom."
"Of course."
Vash waits quietly outside the bathroom as Knives slowly tends to his ablutions. Then Vash enter the bathroom too, and bathes his brother. Knives is still too weak and un-coordinated to do it himself. Nerve damage is like that. The whole time, there is silence in the room, except for the small noises of water moving, and the faint noises filtering in off the street. Vash performs the small intimacies of washing Knives's hair and back in the curtained dimness of the bathroom. Eventually Knives is dried off, and Vash helps his brother into a bathrobe.
It is amazing how calm Knives is through all of this. Maybe Vash broke his emotions out there in the desert. The answer seems less obscure though, When Milly wanders into the room carrying Nicky. Immediately Knives blinks and turns to face the door where Milly stand with the baby, his face showing only surprise. Milly freezes in a gesture of protection, unsure what to do about Knives.
"That child. I know that child."
"You saw him the night you first came here." Vash says, restraining Knives from going to the child and scaring Milly more.
"No, I know him. He is.." Knives breaks off, clutching at his head. Vash pushes him gently onto the bed.
"Mr. Knives?" Milly's voice quavers, seeing Knives's contorted expression.
"It's coming back." He gasps and lies back on the bed. Vash dips a waiting cloth in water and presses it gently to Knives forehead. Knives calms slightly and sighs.
"Rest more. I'll bring you food in a minute."
Vash exits the room, taking Milly with him. As soon as the door closes behind them, Milly bursts into apology.
"Mr Vash I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to show you, Nicky was smiling."
"It's ok Milly. I think it's good for Knives to see Nicky."
"Vashu-san, Knives was unusually calm, it's as though something is magically keeping him from going berserk."
Luckily for Vash, Milly's insightful musings were interrupted by Nicky's burbling and cooing.
"Oooh, it must be time for Nicky's food too, lets go to the kitchen together Mr. Vash.
.o0o.
Later that night, Meryl sits across from Vash at the dinner table.
"Vash, I have been thinking. The way you were, born, it must have been for a reason. Is Nicky like that too?"
"I don't know. But it feels like he is."
Vash smiles gently down at Nicky, unable to be serious when looking at such a cutie. Nicky is busy trying to look at the end of his own nose.
Slightly unfinished, but better than nothing, isn't it?