Disclaimer: No I do not own Gunslinger Girl. Raphael and his other aliases yes but the rest of them no.
Quite a commotion started up in the white halls of the SWA medical center as all of from the attack earlier converged in the waiting room of one of the surgery rooms. My brother Jean was leaning by the wall probably thinking about what to do with this kid. While his partner Rico was listening to the conversation between Triela and Hillshire. Triela and Hillshire were on one of the benches while Triela was narrating to him the entire sequence of her finding him and how he saved her life. I was on another bench listening to the conversation with my 'sister' Henrietta leaning her head to my shoulder, probably also listening to Triela's story. We gave our mystery boy to the care of Doctor Bianchi our organization's head doctor. We were hoping that he would be able to help him since we can't think of any other doctor who can fix that much damage. However there is still the question of what to do with him, we seriously don't know what to do with our find. Is he a terrorist? Another cyborg? Suddenly Henrietta looked up to me and asked:
"Joze, he seems like a good person, do you think Dr. Bianchi can fix him?"
Chapter 2 Realizzazione
Realization
"Don't worry Henrietta, Dr. Bianchi is a good doctor I am sure he'll save him." But in truth I could only hope.
I mean for god sake he was shot several times by AK 47s. During military training we were instructed to handle such a gun with care since it could take only one shot to the chest to kill someone. Two if he was really lucky and if one really needs to make sure. Three if you still got the feeling that he is still breathing. He had eight bullets on the chest and he still managed to walk, I was definitely worried about this kid.
Dr. Bianchi came out of the emergency room. Those who were sitting down stood up and those who were standing up straightened them selves. It seemed that everyone wanted to know the results but I was the first to ask:
"Doctor, did he make it?" Bianchi looked at all of us and replied
"Of course he did." With that everybody got to loosen up and managed to sit down, including Jean.
"He made it with flying colors if I say so myself!" added Bianchi.
It was then that everybody simultaneously wondered if Bianchi was actually talking about the same patient. 'Ok but still unstable' that's what we wanted too hear or maybe 'he's alive but barely' but is our human bullet cushion (a play on the pin cushion) actually doing great? He is definitely talking about the wrong patient. Seeing our disbelief Bianchi started speaking again:
"Yes, I am talking about that kid you brought in and if I may say, I am just as surprised as all of you, I also thought that he was a goner. However, it turns out this kid has got something up his sleeve. Someone has tampered on his body."
"You mean he's a Cyborg like us?" questioned Rico
"No, he's a lot less metallic than you girls but close enough. First of all his bones near the spinal column have been fortified with another set of bones over it as if like a protective plating, making him a lot sturdier than normal people and I guess hitting him at the back of the head won't knock him out as easily. The same stuff is on his elbows and knees I guess allowing him to add a little more power to his blows. His muscles have certain carbon-based strands incorporated into them making them as good as Kevlar and probably making him strong enough to lift stuff twice his weight. His arms have been built to take more punishment than regular ones allowing him to probably take the recoil of the nastiest guns around. I actually had quite a time doing surgery on him since there wasn't much critical damage. Yes he probably lost a lot of blood causing him to lose consciousness but aside from that all I did was cover the scars with artificial skin and now he's good as new. He'd probably be waking up soon. If Jean would want to go interrogate him now go ahead."
With that Doctor Bianchi went back to the emergency room and left us all in disbelief. Eventually we came to our senses and we decided that Jean and I would go talk to the kid while Hillshire and the rest would go do their thing.
As we entered the room we found the boy stirring in his bed. Jean just approached him and said:
"Who are you?" I guess the kid was disoriented because he replied with:
"Who are you? Where am I? What happened!" with this he sits up but one thing Jean hates is people who don't answer his questions so he pushes the boy in the chest and starts yelling at him:
"You're not the one with the authority to ask questions here its me. So who are you! And what the hell were you doing in the town square in Rome!"
I guess the kid did not like that because he gave Jean a stern look and grabbed the arm on his chest, he then thrust his other elbow into his armpit and used the momentum to throw Jean from the right side of the bed across too the left side leaving him in one tangled heap. He would then walk toward the door where I was standing. Unfortunately for me my initial reaction was to cover the door. I would soon regret that as he thrusts his shoulder into my gut put a hand on my shoulder and the other in between my legs lifting me into the air and sending me back first into the ground. I couldn't remember what happened next but thankfully when I did regain my consciousness I would be told that the kid would lose consciousness shortly after stepping into the hall.
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Eventually I regained consciousness, but when I did, I found my self in the same white room as a while ago once more. Déjà vu? When I opened my eyes I saw the blond guy again but with a scowl on his face this time. Yup definitely déjà vu. However when I tried to move my hands I realized they were tied to my bed, so were my feet and my body. Great, not déjà vu.
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The woke up again and by then I was prepared to start interrogating him again. What is wrong with this kid? He doesn't look like a member of the republican faction or any other terrorist cell, yet I still get the feeling that he poses a great threat.
"Let's try this again. Who are you?" but my question falls on deaf ears once more when the kid merely looks at me and groans back. I was infuriated by this but still tried to stay calm.
"You were talking when we found you so you will talk now. I am getting tired of this question as much as you are, who are you!" but he merely tries to struggle against his restraints.
"Try all you can, doctor we've made sure your not getting anywhere. Am I right doc?"
"He's not getting anywhere Jean." Dr. Bianchi replied.
"Like what I said I am getting tired of that question so I am going to ask you another one, what's your name?" the boy finally looks at me straight in the eye and replies.
"Ok, ok I can talk but the reason why I can't say who I am is because…" then he holds his head and keeps silent.
"WHAT!"
"I can't remember ok?" he replied, I couldn't believe what I was hearing
"What do you mean you can't remember. Bianchi, by any chance did use any of… the medicine on him?" Joze asked the doctor.
"Hey I didn't do anything aside from treat his injuries. Maybe its shock Jean, he can't remember due to shock."
"So you're shocked are you? Try to remember!" I shouted in vain hoping it will at the smallest bit shake his memory.
The boy closes his eyes and seems to enter deep contemplation when suddenly "…its…its…Raphael! Yes Raphael was my name!"
"You have any memory of your pass?"
"… nop I got nothing." Greeeaaat he has no idea of is origins
"Can you at least tell me what you were doing in the town square?"
"What town square?"
"The one we found you in!" but he merely shakes his head.
"This town square!" I shouted showing the boy a photograph of it. He took one good look and seemed shocked.
"It's coming back to me now… I was there in that wall when you found me right?"
"Now what else do you remember?"
"…nothing… how did I get there?"
"That's a very good question, something that I should be asking you!"
"Well I don't know I was hoping you could shed some light. Clues seem to refresh my memory." He replied sarcastically.
"Well we've got nothing on you but here's a clue." Then I drew my Sig and placed it at the foot of his bed.
"What do you want me to do with that?"
"I want you to pick it up and show me how you use a gun. According to one of our operatives your gunmanship is exemplary I want you to show me. Bianchi, remove the restrains on his upper body and arms."
"Its ok sir I am out of them already." And he sits up! I took two steps back before speaking.
"H-h-how did you do that?"
"I was removing the straps as we spoke."
"O, well get my gun and use it, its empty so don't do anything stupid."
He picked my gun up and weighed it in his hand. Suddenly he gripped onto the gun, I unlocked the safety, cocked it, pointed it at the Dr. Bianchi and pulled the trigger three times.
"If there were rounds in here he would be dead I guess." I grinned and found the courage to approach him.
"Well that was impressive, hopefully you can demonstrate that to us in the shooting range." I made a move to unlock the straps on his legs when…
"That… won't be necessary." I jumped back before saying:
"What? Don't tell me you removed them already."
With a smile he hopped of the bed and stood before me and said:
"Well actually I did just that, now could you escort me to your target range?"