"If you get it in the right place, I promise you that human bone will snap as easily as a twig. We're strange like that. Some survive being hit by a train, whilst others drop dead from a tap to the back of the head." Ministry of the Interior Agent [Redacted], head of [Redacted] branch training.

XXXI

Misato paced up and down with her arms tightly folded. She'd seen him walk talk without difficulty but wasn't that often the case with the gravely injured? She'd heard stories of men who'd taken a fatal bit of shrapnel back during the War's most harrowing days. They'd hobble around for a while then abruptly keel over.

Don't be so stupid! He hasn't been hurt that badly…

"Could you sit down, please?" Ritsuko leisurely puffed her cigarette. "You're making me nervous."

Misato paused, sighed, then forced herself to scrape out a steel chair and sit at the table.

The clock ticked toward midday and the cafeteria was close to its busiest. Nurses, doctors, technicians, and even a security guard, sat or filed into it to make their orders. Some of the medical staff cast curious looks at her agitated stalking, but the rest were either too tired, or knew her too well, to care.

"If the injury was anything serious then Tenka would have called by now." Ritsuko stubbed out her cigarette on the table's ash tray.

"I know, Rits. But…he took some nasty knocks."

"Good." Ritsuko's green eyes narrowed into slits. "Maybe that'll make him think before hitting someone next time."

Misato had to bite back an angry snap. "He was lucky to still have his teeth, Rits. I could only just recognise him."

"…oh…" Ritsuko's hostility fell away to be momentarily replaced by a hint of guilt. The cold scientist soon smoothed it away to the point that Misato wondered if it had ever been.

"Well you said he could talk and walk just fine. If he had any serious cranial injuries, then we'd have seen the signs of it by now." She said.

Misato's hand subconsciously moved to her cross and fiddled with it.

"I suppose so…" She murmured.

Her phone suddenly rang. Jumping, Misato quickly asserted control, snapped it open, and held it to her ear.

"Katsuragi speaking." She said.

"Director." Came Tenka's gruff voice. "My assessment is complete. He's fine. Disorientation is already passing. No harm done."

Misato breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm on my way then."

"If I may, Director. He's still taken some knocks. Perhaps he should stay for a few hours and hot coco?"

"Afraid not." Misato almost winced in disgust at herself. "CEO's orders. He wants him in the simulations as soon as possible."

There was an exasperated sigh on the other end. "Very well. Come and get him then. I'll have to try and knock the meaning of 'convalescent' into Mr Ikari at some point. It's a miracle I've got Ayanami-san to rest this much."

Misato tried to explain that this wasn't her idea, but Tenka cut the connection. She closed her phone then put it away.

"Well, what does Tenka-sensei say?" Ritsuko said.

"Shinji-kun's fine."

"There. See? What did I tell you."

Misato had to stifle a chuckle as she pushed the chair out and stood up. "You being optimistic? The world must really be ending."

Ritsuko shrugged. "A pessimist is what an optimist calls a realist, Misato. Doesn't mean I automatically rule out positive outcomes. I just know they don't usually happen."

"Well go and do something positive after break's over. Bye, Rits."

"Bye."

The route from the cafeteria to the medical ward was a quick one, taking her no more than two minutes. As Misato walked, she thought back to her very brief phone call to the CEO. He of course already knew what had happened, but the boss still wanted to hear her personal assessment. Upon ascertaining his son wasn't too bruised, he denied her request for Shinji to have the day off.

"We are at war, Director. I need our assets at as high a readiness as possible. And sims do not require much moving around." The call had then cut immediately.

He cares in his own way. Just because he's a shit father doesn't mean he doesn't care. But the way he acts…it's as if he doesn't want to or just doesn't know how to be affectionate. Like my old man…

Arriving at the medical ward, she announced herself to the receptionist who then called for Tenka. Thirty seconds later the burly man came, greying moustache bristlier than usual with a frown that pronounced the lines in his forehead.

"Tenka-sensei." She nodded.

"Hmph." He beckoned for her to follow him. "This goes against my protestations. I want that made clear."

"Against mine too." She offered a little helplessly.

"Gods know how that bastard would treat personnel if I wasn't here…" Tenka shook his head and sighed as they came by a room marked "303."

"Had him seen too in there." He half muttered. At that point Misato realised he wasn't just in a bad temper, but that he was puzzled.

Tenka looked like he wanted to say something, thought better of it, and pushed the door open.

Shinji sat on the bed, his feet on the floor, dressed and upright. The black and blue bruises already looked a bit less vicious, but Misato dismissed that as her mind playing games.

No one recovers that quickly.

Shinji watched them come in with that same, sad, distance he always had.

"Katsuragi-san's here to take you to simulation training. You're discharged." Tenka said.

Shinji nodded numbly then walked over to the two of them.

"Are you alright? Seriously." Misato said.

"…yes…" He murmured and walked past, already on his way to the lifts.

Misato followed him halfway down the corridor before Tenka spoke up.

"Director. If I could have a moment of your time?"

Eh? I thought this had all been sorted…

She turned to Shinji and forced a smile. "Look, you get off to training. I'll be along in a bit. Tell Smith-san that as well."

"Sure." He gave a nod that lacked its usual lethargy, then briskly walked off.

Makes an effort for something like that but not for his training…maybe it's because he genuinely likes me?

Tenka waited for her with his back leaning against the wall and arms folded. His frown remained.

"You've got a moment." Misato said, eager to press the point.

"He shouldn't have taken it that well…" Tenka muttered.

"Shinji's a quiet one. If he's upset about it, he wouldn't say…"

"No. I mean that…" He looked around to make sure he wasn't being listened to and lowered his voice. "He took blunt force trauma. A lot of it. He should be missing teeth and have an out of place shattered jaw at least. It would have been a miracle if his skull didn't crack and yet…" Tenka chuckled in disbelief.

"He's got swelling and bruises. Nothing else. Any disorientation just seems to be him lost in thought."

"…you're certain?" It was Misato's turn to frown.

"Yes. We've even run scans and they've picked up nothing. No fractures or breaks. It's as if his bones haven't been touched at all." Tenka shook his head. "I've passed it on to the CEO, of course. He'll probably ask for more checks, but I've already done them."

Misato's curiosity was certainly piqued.

The Hell? I know some people are tough but this is something else…

"Did you find any old injuries?" Misato's mind had suddenly drifted back to her ward and how he'd flinched whenever she'd got too mockingly physical. It had been as if…he was afraid.

"No. None at all. Either they've long healed up, or they were never injured enough to heal in the first place. Why do you ask?" Tenka said.

"Nothing."

No, not nothing. If he was abused as a child then the injury would have healed by now…

Her brain became all the more contorted from that as it tried to make sense of things. Shinji, quiet, sickly looking, fearful, Shinji, had taken punishment that would have put any boy his age in serious condition.

Punishment which he'd shrugged off.

There was nothing normal about that.

What on Earth has been 'normal' in his life?

"Questions for another day, Tenka-sensei. Keep an eye on him. I'll see you later." She turned and strode after Shinji.

Author's note.

Well, this is the most routine update schedule I've had in years. It's somewhat nice in all honesty!