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The Girl in White Bandages: The True Confessions of Ayanami Rei
Ch. 14 Saviours Part One
By Sesshy's Girl 00
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A sharp, persistent pain in my chest brought me rapidly back to consciousness. At first, I thought this was some sort of dream or I was in heaven. However, the unrelenting pain proved otherwise. I tried to move, in an effort to see what was going on but found it impossible. My body was too weak, like a great jelly blob or weighted down. It would not respond to my commands. All I could do was lay silently and listen as things moved on around me.
Gradually I became aware of the sound of a hospital bed moving through a hallway. It dawned on me that it was I who was moving or more correctly someone was moving me. Where? Why? What was going to happen now? I heard an elevator ding as it opened and I was rolled inside. It would seem that I would have my answers soon.
In the silence, I smelled smoke and stale coffee in the air. I recognized it immediately. There was only one person with that scent, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. 'That was impossible,' I told myself. 'She would never help me. I was simply a freaky Yui look alike to her.' There was nothing else to it. Yet that was the only explanation for what I knew to be fact.
There was one option; Ritsuko was going to kill me. However, that did not make sense to me, why would she wake me up for that? There was no reason for her to do that. It would be easier to eliminate me if I were unconscious. My being awake would only make it that much more difficult, she had to know that I would fight back, even if the attempt was futile. She must know that I did not want to die. She would have to be a blind fool not to to see that.
Which all added up to one thing. Ritsuko Akagi, the woman I thought hated me, was about to save my life. I was completely stunned and amazed. When had she started being on my side? This was an odd idea to try to get my mind around. For the rest of my trip, to wherever Ritsuko was taking me, I lay pondering what Ritsuko was thinking.
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Ritsuko took a deep breath and rose to her feet, causing her computer chair to creak in annoyance. One way or another, it was time to act. Her time was limited and if she didn't do something now, she was sure to be in trouble. Gendo would know if she hadn't terminated the subject. He wanted Reika dead and there would be hell to pay if she wasn't.
Ritsuko made her way down the hall to where Reika's room was. She stopped when she reached the door, her hand hesitating on the handle. Ritsuko knew the girl was sleeping on the other side, drugged and unconscious from the severity of her injuries. Reika would be powerless to resist. That knowledge was quietly terrifying; Ritsuko had full control over the course of another's existence.
Ritsuko reached into her pocket and pulled out her key card. She swiped it through the scanner. It flashed green and she heard the lock click. Ritsuko took the handle and opened the door with a calm face. A cold burst of air hit her as she stepped inside.
As expected, Reika lay silently in the center of the room, on her bed. One of her arms lay lax across her stomach, connected to her I.V. bag and the other lay next to her on the bed. The sound of Reika's ragged breathing and the beep of her heart monitor were the only noises to be heard. The rest of the place was eerily still.
Ignoring the strangeness, Ritsuko walked past Reika and made her way over to the medicine cabinets on the far side of the room. She opened the doors wide and began to run her gaze across the names of the chemical concoctions contained with in. After all her years of training, Ritsuko knew all of the drug's names by heart. She could have done this in her sleep. Ritsuko was reading them because she needed a few more moments to think before she made her choice.
Ritsuko's hand stopped on top of one of the bottles. She read the name over in her head and knew that her choice had been made. She would be saving Reika's life by what she did this night. Gendo had won the award for her greatest hate in life and Ritsuko was off her rocker. That was the only reason for her to do this.
Ritsuko took the vile and a fresh syringe from the cabinets and closed the doors firmly. She drew the appropriate amount of liquid and approached the sleeping Reika. She swabbed her arm and injected the chemical concoction into Reika's body. Ritsuko sighed as she put her things away, for once grateful for Gendo's lack of understanding of the technology behind what it took to run this place. He only knew how to run things and tell others what to do.
Ritsuko turned off the light and rolled Reika out of the room. She directed the rolling bed down the hall to the elevators. Once inside she entered the floor number for central dogma where the Rei creation equipment lay.
Ritsuko stood stiffly, trying to control the raging surge of emotions she felt, as the elevator descended downward. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Ritsuko was defying Gendo and NERV. Mother, forgive me but I could not kill her. I couldn't kill Reika. She, she is…
The elevator stopped and the door opened. Ritsuko pushed the bed out into the hallway. A few turns later and she was back in the room where the Reiquaruim was held. Ritsuko pushed Reika into the center of the room and closed the door behind them.
Ritsuko went over to the control console and began to enter the familiar sequence of numbers for the termination code. If she was truly going to do this, she needed to make it look good. The code entered perfectly and the machine began to set. Ritsuko rose back to her feet and walked back over to Reika's bed.
Ritsuko methodically stripped Reika of her hospital gown and carried her over to the tube in her arms. Reika offered no resistance to Ritsuko's actions. She seemed to have lost all of her strength. Ritsuko placed Reika in the restraints, in the center of the tube. Reika's head rolled to the side and drooped sadly against her chest. Ritsuko took a deep breath, stepped out of the tube and closed it securely. The tube began to fill with LCL instantly. Ritsuko watched anxiously and didn't allow herself to breathe until the whole thing was full. Now all she had to do was wait for Reika to do her thing and go through the E5 terminal. Ritsuko knew the girl could do it, she had seen the proof.
After several tense moments Reika's hand touched the glass. "Doctor, it's done." She whispered in a hoarse voice.
Reika covered her mouth and started coughing hard. Ritsuko sighed and turned back to the control panel behind her. The tightness in her chest decreased considerably now that she knew she was in control. Reika had rigged the entire system so that none of this would be recorded.
"Thank-you, Ritsuko-san."
There was calmness in Reika's voice as if she knew that nothing was going to happen to her. Her hand fell slowly from the glass, an indicator that she did have the strength to hold it up. There was a soft sigh in the LCL as a she released a stream of air bubbles.
Ritsuko turned around, a hint of her bewilderment showing on her face. "How did you know?"
"There was no reason to wake me up if you were going to kill me." Reika stated in a matter-of-fact voice.
There was a soft note of amusement in Reika's voice. Ritsuko frowned as second doubt crossed her mind. She couldn't believe the way Reika had seen through her so easily. No I can't back out now. There's too much at stake. I must finish what I have begun. Mother, please protect me.
"There is a holding area under your feet. It's how the LCL enters the tube. If I open the floor you will descend there and can remain submerged in LCL until I can get you out of here. I'll keep the LCL medicated so you won't have to worry about a anything."
Ritsuko stopped herself from talking because she could tell she was babbling. There was no point in making herself look like an idiot right now. Certainly not in front of her.
Reika nodded slowly, causing her blue hair to float in the liquid. Ritsuko nodded back, knowing she had gotten all the response she needed. She walked back over and entered the code into the console. It began to whirl and Reika slowly sank into the floor and disappeared.
Once she was sure that Reika was gone, Ritsuko turned off the lights and left the room. She made her way back up stairs to her office. To be honest with herself; Ritsuko didn't want to go back there; a two-ton mountain of paper work and a stale cup of coffee was all that awaited her there.
That was not where she wanted to be.
When she reached her desk, Ritsuko already had the next step in her plan, to save Reika, forming in her mind. She would need to write a letter and get it into the hands of someone outside of Nerv supervision. Ritsuko also wanted someone who could properly care for Reika. The girl's body was extremely fragile and required special care.
The question was who? Who would be able to do all of that?
She sat in her chair, starring blankly at her computer screen while she tried to come up with a good candidate who fit her profile.
The first name that came into her mind was Kaji Ryohji but Ritsuko quickly dismissed him. For one thing, he was currently of in Kyoto, doing spy work for Gendo. Ritsuko's other problem, with the triple agent; he was not trusted. Gendo believed that Kaji loyalty wasn't to NERV and had him on constant surveillance. It would be to easy for NERV's supreme commander to learn if Kaji was hiding Reika.
In a flash the names Kodama Horaki and Sana Aida, appeared in her mind.
Kodama Horaki and Sana Aida would be good options Ritsuko realized. They were related to classmates of the pilots. They also had experience with caring for those who were sick and injured. Kodama was a doctor and Sana was a nurse, both through the local Tokyo III hospital. It would be easy to arrange details and the only problem would be if they would accept or not.
Ritsuko shrugged. There was only one way to know for sure. She would have to ask them herself, though a method the Gendo couldn't track. The easiest way would be to contact them in person but Section 2 could trace that much too easily. Email and mailed letters could also be tracked. However if she wrote a letter and gave it to someone she knew would pass it on, she might have a chance after all.
Ritsuko set to work with what she had to do. She quickly typed up the letter and then printed it out. She deleted all evidence of the letter, making it untraceable. Then she folded it up and placed it in her pocket. She would need to give this to the Third Child when she saw him for his sync test in the morning. Once again, hope was being placed on the skinny shoulders of Shinji Ikari.
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The next morning when the pilots arrived at NERV, Ritsuko ran them through the battery of tests she had scheduled for them, like every other day. Things went smoothly, as she had figured they would. The only problem was that Ritsuko did not yet have a way to give her letter to the Shinji. As Ritsuko was finishing up she overheard another argument between the pilots.
"I wish Dr. Akagi would tell us when these tests are before hand so we know what to expect. Sheeesh. It's like she wants to torment us with unpredictability." Asuka ranted.
The Second Child angrily slammed her fist against the hand rest of the pilot's chair. Shinji nodded meekly in agreement. "I'd like to have a longer list too. It would make it easier to plan out my day."
In a flash Ritsuko knew how to get the letter to Shinji. She could disguise it as a list of upcoming sync tests. It was simple and efficient. Ritsuko nodded to herself and made her way down stairs to see the pilots. She read off their results as usual and then walked over to Shinji. She pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it to him
"The extended list of upcoming sync tests that you were wanting." She explained with a calm smile.
Shinji looked surprised and his face displayed open confusion for a moment. He went to open the letter but Ritsuko put her hand on top of his. Shinji stopped and looked at her. He started to speak but Ritsuko silenced him with a shake of her head. "I would take that to your friends, if I were you." She hissed softly.
Ritsuko turned and walked off before Shinji could question her further. She waited a short distance off where she could see Shinji and watch what he did. Shinji looked from Ritsuko to the letter for several minutes. At last comprehension dawned on his face. He took the letter, quickly thanked Ritsuko and walked off for the locker rooms without another word.
Ritsuko sighed in relief, as she watched him go. He had understood her meaning, when she had given him the letter. Hopefully, he would be able to get it to Hikari or Kensuke for her. Then all that mattered was that nothing was detected during the transportation and reply to the letter.
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Shinji took the note Ritsuko had given him and stuffed it deep in his pocket. This was all too weird. He knew it wasn't meant for him. That had been made abundantly clear by the way Ritsuko had handed it to him. All the same, he had the feeling he knew what it said. There just might be hope, if they all were lucky.
After he finished changing, Shinji made his way up to Touji's room to see Hikari, Kensuke and Touji. He knew they were the ones the letter was meant for. Although, he wasn't quite sure what the letter would have to do with them, his instincts insisted that it did.
When he arrived at the fifth child's room, Shinji found Kensuke trying to film Touji's 'battle wounds' while Hikari and a nurse changed his bandages. Touji did not seem to appreciate having his battered body recorded by Kensuke's camera and was throwing a fit. This made it hard for Hikari and the nurse to work and they were continually fighting to keep him still.
Shinji just shook her head and he struggled not to start laughing at the four of them. It would seem like things were getting back to normal. Except, when had things ever been normal since his arrival in Tokyo III? Never and that was the problem. He had no idea what normal was supposed to be. Still he liked things this way.
As Shinji stood in the doorway watching his friends, Touji noticed him. "Hey! Shinji-man. Get over here and kick this mad otaku out of the room!" Touji pleaded.
Kensuke let a crooked, crazy smile cross his face, clearly wanting to prove his insanity. "Yep, I'm a mad otaku and no one can stop me!" He declared.
Hikari grabbed Touji by his arm in an effort to stop him from moving. "Suzuhara if you don't stop moving, we can't finish."
Touji made another desperate, furious attack at Kensuke in an effort to take the camera and nearly fell out of bed. It was only Hikari's quick reaction that saved him. "I don't care. Take that blasted camera away from him. He's mad I tell you, mad!"
Kensuke just smiled as he watched things unfold through his camera lens. "If you really want Touji to hold still you should kiss him." He suggested to Hikari.
Both Touji and Hikari turned bright red at the idea, and then turned away from the other. "No way!" They cried in unison.
Kensuke shrugged and went back to filming, regardless of what Touji wanted. To him this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Besides, blackmailing Touji would be awesome. Kensuke was going to have the time of his life with this.
Once the job was done and the nurse had left, things finally began to quiet down. Touji lay back on his bed and closed his eyes for a long time. He looked pale and worn out after all the expended effort of fighting against Hikari and the nurse, to get to Kensuke. Hikari sat next to him, her hand resting on top of his. Kensuke meanwhile had put away his camera and sat down in a chair. Shinji thought that Kensuke looked a little too pleased with himself.
"Shinji why don't you come home with me tonight, or do you have something else to do?" Kensuke asked suddenly.
"No, nothing I can think of." Shinji replied uncertainly, after a moment.
"Good then you're coming with us." Kensuke declared.
"Why?"
Kensuke grinned and leaned over to whisper in Shinji's ear. "The Class Rep and I got Touji a special present for his birthday. We need you and the German fireball to help us wrap it. …On second thought you can ask Rei too, if you want."
Shinji nodded, curious as to what Hikari and Kensuke bought for Touji. He had forgotten to buy his gift for Touji so at least he had something to give his friend now. Not wanting to miss out on all the fun, Shinji happily agreed and went to go find Asuka and Rei, to see if they could join them.
He decided that it would be best if he checked with Misato first to see if it would be okay. He found the harried purpled haired major in her office, or rather, what was left of her office. When he arrived, It had been completely torn apart and random items were spilling out into the hallway in all directions. Misato stood at the middle of the mess throwing things from one side to another.
"Where is that damn report? Gah! Why can't he ever ask for something that's easy to find?" She cried in irritation.
Shinji took a deep breath and raised his voice so that he knew she would hear him, "Misato?"
Misato turned to face him for the first time. She smiled faintly when she saw who it was. "Hi Shinji. What's up? Do you need something?"
"I, I was wondering if Asuka and I could go over to Kensuke's place tonight."
Misato nodded and turned back to what she was doing. "Sure, go right ahead. I won't be home until late so feel free to take your time!"
Shinji shook his head at the Major; he wondered if she even knew what she was talking about. Probably not. "Okay! See you tomorrow then."
"Bye, Shinji, have fun!"
Shinji sighed as he turned and made his way down the hall. Well, at least he had gotten permission first, but considering the state Misato was in, he didn't know what good it would do. She would probably call Kensuke's house in a panic later tonight; wondering where he was and he would have to explain that they had discussed it that afternoon.
"I'm at Kensuke's place, remember?" This will be such a hassle.
With the first part of his mission complete, Shinji entered phase two; find Asuka and Rei.
Shinji found Asuka first, freshly showered and coming out of the girl's locker room. Her reddish brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was dressed in a comfortable pair of green sweats. "There you are, baka Shinji. Let's go home; I'm sick of this place. Where's Misato?"
"Auska she's not coming home tonight. Hikari and Kensuke want us to join them. Are you going to come?"
Asuka's blue eyes brightened when she heard what Shinji said. "Sure. What are we waiting for? Let's go meet them in the Stooge's room."
She tried to grab Shinji's wrist but he shook her off. "I have to go do something first. I'll meet you guys down there in a little bit, okay?"
Asuka glared at him suspiciously. "What are you talking about Third Child? What are you planning?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all. I, I promise I won't take long, okay?"
Asuka sighed in resignation and a frown overtook her face. "Whatever you say, Third."
With that she turned and walked off in the direction of Touji's room. Shinji sighed in relief as he watched her go. He was surprised that she took that so well. He was sure she would flay him for not answering her question. Shinji knew that he had to keep his mouth shut for now. He wasn't so sure that Asuka would be happy if she learned that Rei had been invited too. The last thing he wanted was Asuka angryover that.
Finding Rei proved to be a difficult task for Shinji. She was not in the pilot's lounge, the exercise area, with his father or anywhere else Shinji could think of. Finally, he decided to check the cafeteria. When he walked in he knew he was right this time.
Rei sat alone at one of the many tables that occupied the room. She had no food in front of her and her eyes were staring blankly at the wall. Shinji could tell by her glazed expression that she wasn't seeing anything around her. Rei must be completely distracted because she also wasn't even moving. This struck Shinji as odd; Rei always seemed to have something to do. So to see her sitting so rigidly with that forlorn look in her eyes was unsettling. Had something happened to her? Shinji had a bad feeling that it wasn't good.
Shinji carefully approached her and placed his hand on her arm. Rei turned to look at him and her eyes said everything. She was troubled inside. "Are you okay Ayanami?"
Rei tried to speak several times without success. She shook her head indecisively and gazed down at the floor. Rei bit her lip as she struggled to explain herself. "She is dead. Reika is gone." Rei whispered softly.
Shinji had to blink twice to assure himself that he had heard correctly. Had Rei really said that Reika was dead? If the look on Rei's face was anything to go by, then it would seem that it was true. Shinji's mind was stunned by the thought. Reika never seemed like someone who would die so suddenly. Then Shinji recalled the most recent Eva-Angel battle. In his mind, he could see Reika running desperately in an attempt to save Rei's life. There was only one explanation; Reika must have succumbed to her injuries. Poor Ayanami, she was all alone again…
Shinji sat down next to her and lifted Rei's hand into his own. Rei's eyes didn't move but at least he had her attention now. Shinji liked that she had something on her face other than the blankness he'd seen earlier. "Do you want to talk, Ayanami? I'm here if you need me."
Rei shook her head slowly and closed her eyes. For an awful moment Shinji thought she was going to pass out or be sick. Instead she rested her head against his shoulder and shuttered. "Ikari-kun, I don't know what I should do." Rei murmured helplessly.
Shinji was caught off guardby Rei's request. "Does it hurt?"
Rei nodded weakly. A single tear escaped her eyes, which Rei swiftly wiped away. "I don't know what to say. I barely knew her, yet, she was my family…"
Shinji wrapped his arms around arm her. "If you want to cry, you can have my shoulder any time."
Rei wrapped her arms around Shinji's waist and cried quietly for several minutes. Shinji held her silently while she released her tears on his shoulder. Rei seemed so fragile and unlike herself. Shinji was extremely worried that everything wasn't all right and he felt sympathy for her loss.
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I was so afraid. More afraid then I had ever been in my life, even when facing the angels. That was nothing when compared to the dread I felt now.
It hadn't dawned on me until after I had left Doctor Akagi's office. Now however it controlled me completely. It was that fact that I was in danger. If Reika could be eliminated so easily, could I be as well? Would her fate be my fate?
No, no, no. I couldn't end up that way. I did not want to die for nothing. I refused to surrender to that fate. I did not want to go down easily.
Of course they would say that Reika had died to save me from Leliel. I knew however that it wasn't that truth. She had died because I had been weak. I had given way to Leliel's power. What she had died for was to cover up for my mistakes. It was my fault she was gone. I had killed my own sister…
What did that make me?
I was weak and useless…
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Shinji gently rubbed Rei's back until she began to calm down. He was glad when Rei looked up at him with puffy, red eyes because he could still see her strength in them. The pain she felt had shaken it but it was still there. Shinji was surprised that something had shaken Rei up so badly that she cried. He couldn't remember seeing Rei so upset before. "Ayanami? Are you okay?"
Rei took a deep breath and spoke in a shaky voice. "She's dead. It…it's my fault."
At first Shinji was confused. He couldn't remember Rei doing anything to purposely harm anyone. Then a sad thought dawned on him. Rei must be blaming herself for Reika's untimely demise. Shinji wished she wouldn't do it. He knew that Rei had never intentionally harmed her twin sister. Reika's injuries had been her own doing, a consequence of her heroic effort to save Rei. She had been the one who pushed her body to that point.
"Rei, you think you are responsible for Reika's death?"
Rei nodded slowly and closed her eyes with a sigh. Shinji gave her hand a comforting squeeze. Poor Ayanami had lost the only family she would ever have and was blaming herself for it. No wonder she was so sad. Shinji feared that she felt even more lost and alone then before. He wondered if he could convince his father to give Rei a better apartment that wasn't so far away, or allow her to move into Misato's with him and Asuka. The last thing he wanted was for Rei to be left alone and ignored. Now, more then ever before, Ayanami needed to be comforted.
"Ayanami would you be willing to move into Misato's? We have room for you."
Rei shook her head. "I'm afraid I cannot."
"Why?"
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I thought hard, trying to come up with a reason to explain why I had been assigned to the apartment I now lived in. If I had said something wrong the Commander would be mad and punish me for disobedience. I had not liked my punishment last time and I was not eager to repeat the experience anytime soon. Adam had frightening power despite the fact he was an embryo. I shuttered to think of what he would do once he'd developed more.
The only thing that scared me more was the man that controlled him. The Commander had incredible powers to make people do what he wanted. He-he had an amazing iron clad fist. There was no telling what he would do to me. It would only go against me if I were to defy his rule. No matter what happened, what I wanted; I had to do his bidding. There was no way around it. "Your father has said so." I whispered, the only explanation I could come up with.
Ikari-kun frowned doubtfully and stared searchingly into my eyes. I wished I could tell him all the things I wanted to say. However I wanted to keep Ikari-kun safe from his father's plans; safe from the danger I was in. I didn't know if that was possible but I intended to try my best. It was the hope I held onto, Ikari-kun's security.
"Rei, stop listening to what my father wants you to do. It's not fair to you. You should be free to do what you want. Listening to my father, it's, it's stupid of you. You're too good for that."
Inside I agreed with what Ikari-kun said but on the other hand I remembered Commander Ikari's power. I refused to become a victim of it. There was only one assured, way to do that. Give up, because he would gladly tear you in two. I knew nothing else to do…. But I sincerely wished I did…
Ikari-kun suddenly wrapped me in a hug. I was so shocked that I could only stared straight ahead stupidly. Ikari-kun shuttered and placed his head on my shoulder. I felt my sleeve becoming warm and wet. Ikari-kun was… "I'm sorry Ayanami. I didn't mean to upset you more."
I shook my head and carefully turned to face Ikari-kun. Slowly he raised his head to look back at me. He smiled slightly and gently brushed the hair from my face. Ikari-kun got to his feet and held his hand out to me. I took it, allowing him to help me to my feet next. "I thought of something that will cheer you up. Hikari and Kensuke need help with Touji's birthday present. Asuka and I were going over to Kensuke's to give them a hand. Do you want to come too?"
I nodded as the hint of a smile tugged at the edge of my lips. Ikari-kun smiled in relief and I watched as the tension visibly was released from his body. It helped my state of mind to know that I had eased his worries. Ikari-kun took my hand in his and led me out of the cafeteria. We walked quietly, side by side, down the corridors of NERV. After a moment I knew exactly where we were going to go, Suzuhara-san's room.
When we arrived there a few minutes later Horaki-san, Pilot Sohryu and Aida-san were already there. They were talking about something so they didn't notice Ikari-kun and I entering. Ikari-kun took my hand and led me inside. I found myself smiling, knowing that Ikari-kun was there.
"Ayanami"
I turned to see Aida-san pointing his ever-present video camera at me, while he grinned broadly. I smiled slightly at the camera. Aida-san gave me a thumbs up in response. "So are you coming with us too?"
"Hai, Aida-san."
"Yeah!"
Pilot Sohryu looked over to me, from the corner where she'd been talking with Horaki-san, with a frown. I met her gaze with a calm but determined look of my own. To my surprise she sighed slightly and turned back to Hikari without a word. It was weird not to be insulted by her but on the other hand I was glad not to hear it.
Kensuke meanwhile was putting his video camera away for once. He excused himself and stepped outside with a cell phone in his hand. Ikari-kun squeezed my hand to get my attention. I turned to look at him. "Take a seat, I'll explain."
Ikari-kun motioned to the one unused folding chair in the room. I sat down and Ikari-kun knelt down next to me. "Touji's 15th birthday is tomorrow. Hikari and Kensuke bought him presents, which are at Kensuke's. We're all going over to wrap them up and make sure everything is ready for Touji's party." Ikari-kun whispered.
I nodded to show that I understood. Ikari-kun smiled and nodded back before rising to his feet. Just then Kensuke came back in. "Sana will be here in ten minutes!" He announced loudly.
"Good. I could use some rest from all of you insane weirdoes." Touji grumbled.
Asuka smirked and poked Touji in the side. "You know we all love you stooge."
Touji sighed. "Whatever you say demon lady."
We hung around talking about various things while we waited for Sana to arrive to pick us up. Touji was in a much better mood once everyone else left his injuries alone. He didn't seem to like having attention focused on them at all. I understood his reason for wanting his missing leg to be ignored. When I was injured I had not appreciated having my wounds messed with.
Sana and Mina arrived after fifteen minutes. When she saw how many of us were coming, she seemed slightly surprised. Then she smiled and told us to hurry up.
"Good night, Suzuhara. We'll see you tomorrow." Hikari called before she left.
Touji smiled and waved at us with his remaining hand. Hikari waved back and smiled.
There was a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air as we followed Sana to her car. Ikari-kun stayed close to me with a smile on his face. His good mood began to rub off on me and I felt my own spirits lift by being in his presence. Ikari-kun's presence caused me feel to feel a sense of safety and peace.
When we arrived at the parking lot, it was to find a minivan waiting for us. That was a welcome occurrence. Sana's red car would not have been able to transport all of us. Sana pulled out her keys, unlocked it and opened the doors for us. Kensuke sat in the front passenger seat next to Sana. Pilot Sohryu and Horaki-san sat in the middle. In the back Ikari-kun and I sat with Mina between us in her car seat.
Mina remembered me from when I had spent the night at the Aida residence. Unlike last time she liked me and seemed comfortable around me. I let her play around with my hair and examine me. She seemed fascinated by blue hair and red eyes. I explained toher that I was born looking the way I did. "That is not the color." Mina replied.
"For some people, it is."
I did not want to launch into an explanation of albinism. She wouldn't be able to understand what I was saying. She only needed to know that I was not so abnormal. Nothing else was important. Well, that was my opinion on the subject anyway. I wanted people to see me for who I am, not what I was.
Mina happily accepted my explanation but declared that I was still different. From the front seat Sana warned Mina not to be rude. I assured Sana that I was not offended by Mina's comment. I was actually embarrassed but pleased that someone thought I was unique. The Commander and Dr. Akagi never said that to me. Ikari-kun and now Mina were the only ones.
When we arrived at the Aida apartment Pilot Sohryu, Aida-san and Horaki-san were all eager to get upstairs. However Mina wanted to remain with me and we were forced to wait on her. Sana and I unbuckled her from the car seat. Then I helped her up the stairs after the others. Sana came up the stairs behind me carrying a heavy bag of groceries in her arms.
Aida-san and Ikari-kun met us at the top of the stairs. They seized Mina and me, and then pulled us into Aida-san's room. Inside I saw Horaki-san and Pilot Sohryu waiting for us. In front of them sat Suzuhara-san's present, a set of tough plastic stairs, new crutches and a book.
"We wanted to give Suzuhara something useful." Horaki-san explained.
I took a second look at Suzuhara-san's presents and I had to agree that they would come in handy. The stairs and crutches would help him move about. The book would give him something to do while he recovered. Hopefully he would appreciate the thoughtfulness behind them.
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Author's Notes:
Hello everyone. I'm back at last. You guys are probably furious that I left you hanging for so long. hands out tray of cookiesSorry this chapter took so long, school has been a pain in the rear. I'll try to stay ontop of my writting from now on. We'll see, right?
This chapter is dedicated to my puppy Autumn, who we had to put to sleep on 2/19/07. We-meaning my family and I-were saviors to her. I like to think that Autumn was eternally greatful to us for that. She was a sweet heart and an angel until the end. May she rest in peace.
Anyhow, enough of my ramblings. Now is the part when you come in, dear readers. Please, please,please review, they are highly appriciated and I love all of them. Even the flames are meaningful to me.
Last of all, I don't own Eva!!! Nuf said.