Wow, what a match Lucina had! Let's see how she is now …
Also, thanks to MizDirected, I decided to stop "headhopping" and try to stay with one character. Hope it works out!
ENJOY!
Chapter 8.: Recovering
Shulk groaned as he began to wake up, his head throbbing and his chest tightened. The first thing he saw was a bright light and a white ceiling. He tried to get up, and realized that he was on a hard, but cozy hospital bed.
Upon getting up, pain flared up in his chest. Grunting, he quickly laid back down.
"Ah, so you're-a awake!" Shulk heard a voice, and he slowly looked up to see Dr. Mario.
"A-am I in …?" Shulk was about to ask, but Dr. Mario finished his sentence.
"The Smash Hospital? Yes." He turned to see another person who was sleeping on another bed beside his. "Lucina-a had saved you and-a was hurt in the process. You two were-a out for two days. We were very-a worried."
Shulk nodded. "I-I see-" Shulk's tone suddenly changed upon hearing Lucina's name. "Lucina?! She's all right, right?!"
Dr. Mario nodded. "She is-a absolutely fine. She-a was in worse condition, but she-a will survive."
Shulk felt his heart breaking in pieces. She was in a worse condition than him? He began to feel awful as he bit his lip.
"Sh-she was hurt because of me …"
Dr. Mario shook his head as if disagreeing. "She-a did everything she could to save you."
Shulk then remembered; she had rescued him from Master Hand's clutches … but it still did not change the fact that he felt that all of that was his fault.
He then heard a groan from the other bed. He turned to see Lucina stirring awake. Gasping, he quickly got up to see her, despite the flaring injury he got.
"Whoa whoa! Careful there-a, Mr. Rushy!" Dr. Mario cried.
Shulk looked down at Lucina as she was stirred awake. "Lucina?" He asked. Her forehead was bandaged up, and she had a swollen eye. Her nose appeared to be broken, and there were red slap marks on her face.
He watched as Lucina opened her good eye and looked up at him. She smiled up at him. "Hey … I know you …"
"She'll be-a bit loopy due to the trauma she-a endured and the medicine …" Dr. Mario said, backing away to give them privacy. "Once you-a … er, done with your talking, please get back to your-a bed, Shulk."
Shulk nodded in understanding. "I will, Dr. Mario. Thanks for everything."
When the Doctor left the room, he began to speak to her, hoping she would understand him.
"Hey, you all right Lucina? It's me, Shulk." He started.
Lucina smiled a weak smile. "Y-yeah … I'm fine. And you?"
Shulk nodded. "Yeah … I'm all right."
He looked down, regret filling him. Getting captured to draw her out … having her almost get killed …
"Lucina, I'm so sorry about what happened …"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Remember that I was captured and you were forced to challenge Master Hand?"
Lucina looked down, as if recollecting her memories. She then nodded. "Y-yeah …"
"I'm sorry that you were almost killed because of me … I shouldn't have been so careless …"
"Th-this isn't your fault, Shulk." Shulk looked at Lucina, his brow furrowed. "I-it was Master Hand's fault." Lucina continued, "He was so fixated on me challenging him that he went as far as using you as bait …"
"Y-yeah, but look at you!" Shulk pointed at her injuries. "You almost died back there just for someone useless like me!"
"Shulk, you're … you're not useless." Lucina looked up and smiled. "I-I'm just glad that you're safe. You're my friend. I-I can't leave my friends behind when they need me."
Shulk paused, thinking this over. He then cracked a smile. "Lucina … thank you." He then held her close. "I owe you my life that day …"
Shulk, you were close to her for a while now … His mind said to him. You gotta tell her how you feel!
"H-hey, uh, Lucina?" He started.
"Hmm?" Lucina stared at him, smiling softly.
Shulk blushed, and he began to stammer. "U-u-uh …"
DAMMIT, SHULK! SAY IT!
"I-it's nothing. Just … get some rest, all right?"
Lucina folded her arms, pouting. "Aww, now I'm curious …"
Shulk smiled and ruffled her hair as gentle as he could. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Lucina."
"See you soon …"
Shulk then went back to his bed and laid in it. Sighing, his mind began to scold him for not saying what he wanted to say.
You IDIOT! Don't let this chance go to waste! She could die tomorrow for all you know!
Sighing, he tried to shut his mind up by falling asleep, hoping to recover a bit more after the kidnapping incident.