A/N: Congrats to the winner of the random draw, TheWorldsGreatestMoron~! After this update I'll start working on your oneshot~ Thanks to everyone else who reviewed as well!
Disclaimer: Look at the GC manhwa. If I owned GC, do you really think I'd let that happen? Dx (A.k.a. Utsuro does not own Grand Chase. It belongs to the people who actually do own it!) - no rly xD
Chapter 18: Remembering the Past
Arme bit her lip, hands tightening and loosening on the sheets repeatedly as she tried to get a hold of herself. The loud beep of the heart monitor was finally coming into her ears, and she was aware of the NG tube taped uncomfortably to her cheek. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, Arme opened her eyes slowly to assess her situation. The lights were all off in her hospital room, the window open with a light breeze waving the curtains around. It was dark outside... She took a look around the rest of the room, searching for anything that might tell her what exactly was going on. There appeared to be a calander hanging on the far wall, though from that distance it was impossible to read. No one else was in the room, and for a moment Arme considered pressing the nurse-call button. She dismissed the thought moments later. It's not like I have any use for a nurse right now... She could feel her eyes beginning to water up, and she quickly blinked away the tears. No crying! There's no use for it... It won't help me here at all. She took another deep breath and frowned, keeping her eyes closed to bar in any oncoming tears of confusion and frustration.
"Why did this happen...?" She whispered the words quitely, looking down at her hands. Wherever Lass is, he thinks I'm just sleeping, right? And it's only been a couple hours at most... It seems like that time goes at about half the speed of this time. She let out a sigh, looking around the room lazily as she gathered her thoughts. This is just like the last time, Arme. No freaking out, you'll just worry everyone. It was at this point that Amy's words came back to her; "And besides, I think Lass might break down if you keep crying in your sleep~ He was on edge all day yesterday, sulking!" This made her feel even more like crying, but she took a deep breath to try and stop it. Don't! If Lass actually is there, he might worry... The violet haired girl frowned, looking down at her hands.
Now think through this reasonably... You'll just be in here for a few days, and then you'll fall back to sleep and wake up all safe and secure with Lass frowning at you and about ready to beat you over the head for not taking your medicine for a few days... She giggled lightly, then leaned back onto her pillow. That's better. Just think light thoughts. No use worrying. Looking to her bed side stand, Arme noticed the ever present pill case, a cup filled with pencils and other writing utensils, and her nurse-call button. There was also a remote for the television, but she didn't touch it. It's probably late... Don't want to wake up any of the other patients. She wondered briefly if she would be allowed to go for a walk, but with the NGtube and heart monitor it would be too difficult. Looking down, she also noticed with surprise that she had an IV leading into either overly pale wrist. One's tube was attached to yet another machine at her bedside, the one in her left wrist capped off. I suppose it's for if that one stops working...
"I'm really stuck here..." She noted with a grimace as she looked at the three large machines around her. Though the NG tube was bothering her throat the amethyst-eyed girl didn't remove it- she didn't know how to stop the machine, and she knew she would most likely get in trouble (once the doctors got over her being awake, of course). Any further thoughts were put on halt when the door opened smoothly, a nurse coming in with a few cans of something Arme was unable to identify. The door shut behind her as she glanced up at the small girl in the bed, eyes widening. Arme stared back evenly, tilting her head to the side.
"Hello?" Arme commented politely, the questioning tone in her voice at the nurse's expression evident. The black haired nurse blinked several times before nodding slowly, opening the lid of one of the cans she held as she approached.
"You've woke up!" She said with surprise, Arme nodding. She watched as the nurse poured some sort of liquid into the bag leading to the NG tube, and the magician frowned.
"Can you take this out?" She asked, "I'm awake now..." The nurse bit her lip and shook her head, eyes down.
"We can't be certain how long you'll be... Awake for." She murmured quietly, "And it would just have to go back in when you went unconcious." Arme sighed, nodding.
"Now please excuse me, I've been strictly instructed to inform the doctor and your family when you awoke." The violet haired girl's eyebrows raised, and she looked at the black haired girl questioningly.
"It must be too early to call them, can't you wait until the morning?" Arme questioned. The nurse shook her head again.
"You've been asleep for nearly three and a half months... It's terribly urgent that the doctor sees you as soon as possible." Arme's mouth gaped open for a second; she closed it soon after. Well, I suppose that makes sense. Almost two months had passed in Bermesiah... I hope I'm awake before Elesis, Ronan and Amy return... Wouldn't want to delay them again. Arme's thoughts were quickly venturing off as the nurse walked out of the room, and she didn't bother to focus them. Will Lass even notice I'm not really 'there'? After all, I had been sleeping an awful lot... If he doesn't notice, I suppose that's good. He'll at least be grateful he doesn't have to force me to stay on bedrest. Another brief smile was brought to her face, and she closed her eyes. Now, what can I do here to pass the time? So long as I stay calm, It'll all be fine. Quick footsteps were heard, and Arme was soon aware that the nurse was coming back. She sat up the best she could to see when the girl opened the door, and was surprised to see a doctor following her. He too stared at Arme for a few seconds before entering the room, standard clipboard in hand.
"Good morning, Arme." He started conversationally, walking over to the bedside and pulling a chair over. Arme simply nodded a reply, looking at him curiously.
"It's a good thing I was staying late to work on some paperwork..." He murmured, "But in any event! How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." The girl responded plainly, "Though I would be better if someone would take out this NG tube..." The doctor laughed quietly, reaching to the bedside table to grab a pen.
"It's good to see you still have a sense of humor!" He commented. I was being serious... The purple haired girl frowned, but she didn't voice her thought.
"Now, Arme... I'm going to ask you all the standard questions." The short girl nodded absentmindedly, not even looking at the doctor. When am I going to wake up...?
Hours later the sun began to glow through the window into the room of the still-awake magician. She stared blankly ahead, leaning into the pillows stacked up behind her. It was strange how dead she felt, despite what the doctor had told her.
"Arme. several times during your unconsciousness you experienced a severe improvement in your condition! These improvements faded after a few days, but it was something we most certainly didn't encounter in the other patients. Your illness is, in fact, looking much better than both previous patients. If we can just figure out what triggered these improvements, we may be on the brink of a cure! Your mother has been informed that you have regained consciousness, she should be here in a few hours." At this news Arme had simply nodded, something inside her unable to find enthusiasm. The doctor had noticed this with a frown, but he didn't bring the discussion any further.
"If you need anyone, you know how to get a hold of us..." He had gestured vaguely at the nurse call button before leaving the violet haired girl to her thoughts. Unable to deal with the complete silence, Arme had turned the television on with minimal volume. Mindless cartoons played out in front of her, but all she really cared was that they provided a background noise. Aren't you supposed to be happy you've woken up? A small voice in the back of her thoughts scolded quietly. Arme didn't bother to humor the idea with guilt; she couldn't even pretend she had been happy to see the bright white walls. I wonder if the other patients were like this too... Something in her mind clicked at that point, and Arme shot up. The other patients! I never thought of them before, but... does that mean they were in Bermesiah as well? She wondered. The nurse call button was pressed; Arme waited impatiently for the girl clothed in white to return. When the door opened it wasn't the same girl from before that returned, this time a short male with brown hair.
"Would you like to order breakfast?" He asked kindly.
"No! Well... Yes, but that's not really the most important thing right now!" She exclaimed, blushing as her stomach gave a light rumble. The nurse laughed and handed her a menu, tilting his head to the side.
"What is the most important thing now?" He questioned curiously, sorting out the already-sorted 'get well soon' cards that were lined up on the small shelf.
"I want to know about the previous patients!" Arme demanded, checking through the menu to finally check off for some strawberry waffles that were looking rather appetizing at the moment. The nurse frowned at this, accepting the list when she was done with it.
"I'm not so sure that's possible, but I'll do my best to find out..." Arme blinked.
"Why not?"
"Confidentiality. Seeing as both patients died we would need to get permission from a living relative to show you the files... But if it's important to you, they might not have a problem with it." Arme nodded energetically, "Thank you! It is very important..." The nurse nodded as well.
"As are these waffles! Now I'll go place the order, it should be up in under half an hour." When the young man left the room Arme sighed, looking around the room. A book would be nice... She thought, seeing as I'm seriously doubting magic practice'll go over well in this place. She halfheartedly held out her left hand, hardly making an attempt to summon anything. Nothing came, and Arme laughed gently. Of course I haven't been able to summon anything here for 15 years, there's no reason it would change now. A theme to a show she vaguely remembered began to play, and Arme hummed along with it quietly. She felt somewhat immature, and a smile came to her face slowly. If any of the chasers were here, they'd laugh at my childishness... She thought, the smile on her face widening sadly. Do I really miss them that much already? Every other thought seems to be about them... With a shrug she brought her attention back to the T.V, watching the figures move across the screen in lazy patterns. There's no use dwelling on it... Watching the spinning and twisting actors on the screen was rather soothing, and Arme only realized she was falling asleep when the door creaked open and the nurse re-entered with a tray of food.
"Waffles are here!" He announced, setting them down on the bedside table.
"Thanks..." Arme acknowledged the food sleepily, sitting up and pulling the tray into her lap. The nurse watched until she seemed she wasn't about to fall into her food before he turned back out of the room with a wave.
"Enjoy, and leave your tray on the bedside table when you finish!" He instructed, the door swinging shut behind him before Arme even had a chance to nod. Shrugging, Arme sliced off a small piece of the waffle and stuck it in her mouth. Almost like short cake... Almost. Still, the taste was delicious. She finished the rest of her plate quickly before setting it down on the night stand to turn her attention back to where the figures were still dancing on the screen. Wonder if I could dance like that? Armethought tiredly, her head nearly consumed as she leaned further back into the pillows. It wasn't long before light, rhythmicbreaths filled the room, amethyst eyes sliding shut. Every few minutes they would flicker open in a vain attempt to keep herself awake, though she quickly gave up on even that. She only truly noticed she had fallen asleep when the creek of the door woke her up, and she rubbed her eyes lazily. The girl wasn't overly surprised when her mother entered the room, flinging herself at her daughter. After she had been held in a tight hug for a minute her mother backed up, looking at her with watery, blue eyes.
"You're finally awake... I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you woke up! Work was calling, and I couldn't just keep putting it off..." Arme nodded.
"It's all right, I'm fine!" She said with as much emotion as she could muster. It seemed to be enough for her mother, who smiled.
"If you're sure... Oh! I don't think you were able to see this yet, but..." The amethyst haired woman walked quickly over to the shelf where cards were placed, and she returned with a small box Arme hadn't noticed previously.
"Your father sent this over, and he called to say he can come home in a few months!" The magician blinked and nodded, curiously reaching for the box. When her mother noticed she handed it over, allowing Arme to cautiously unwrap it (a habit she had picked up years ago). When the lid was lifted off Arme was suprised to be looking into the box at a small, beigish red rock. She picked it up and flipped it over in her hand several times before a smile came to her face.
"Where's this one from?" She asked, holding it up to the light.
"Egypt." Her mother replied, watching when Arme stopped spinning the rock in her hand. Arme nodded; her father's job led him to several different countries and continents around the world, and he always made it a priority to send something home for his daughter. Closing her eyes, the short girl remembered when she had began to get the souvenirs.
The house was nearly silent as a four-year old Arme made her way cautiously down the staircase, keeping quiet as to not wake her mother on the floor above. When her little feet made it to the floor she stood up, walking with determination in her step that one could only assume wasn't normal for someone of her age. The toddler clothed in footed kitty pajamas continued on until she was standing in the archway to the front hall, wide amethyst eyes staring unwaveringly up. The man with shoulder length black hair standing next to the coatrack was the one her gaze was directed at, and he had slipped on his coat before he noticed the little girl.
"Arme!" He exclaimed, walking over to the little girl to pick her up, "What are you doing? You should be asleep right now..." The petite child wrapped her arms tightly around her father, burying her head in his shoulder.
"You're going away for a while, right Daddy?" She asked. Her english was much better than one would expect of a four-year old, attributed to the large amounts of time she had been kept in bed with nothing to do but listen to her mother read. The man nodded, patting her hair.
"I'll be back soon though, dearest..." He murmured, "So you should hurry back up to bed before Mommy catches you!" The little girl giggled, yet looked back at him earnestly. Her innocent amethyst eyes stared into his darker ones, the one piece of her physical appearance she had inherited from her father.
"Can I come with you, Daddy? I'll hide in your briefcase so people won't even notice me, and I won't bother you, pwomise! Mommy says I'm too sick to go with you, but I'll be fine!" She proclaimed seriously. The black haired man stared at her for a minute before he began laughing, and he set her back down.
"I'm not sticking you in a briefcase, silly." At this little Arme pouted, looking up at him determinedly.
"But Daddy, I'm tired of staying in bed all the time! I wanna go with you!" She insisted, tugging on his pant leg. Her father kneeled down to look at her, patting her head again.
"Now, what's such a sad expression doing on your pretty face? How about this? I'll bring you back something from where I'm going, and that way it'll be kinda like you were there with me!" Arme blinked, staring up at him skeptically.
"Really?" The man nodded, standing up. Arme tugged on his pant leg again lightly, eyes down.
"I don't believe you. I won't remember it! And I'll haveta wait in bed and do nothing again..." Her father frowned lightly, a finger coming to his lips as he thought. When an idea came to him it was obvious, a sparkle in his eyes that was also rather characteristic of his daughter.
"You won't have nothing to do. You're going to have to make me a souvenir too, you know? After all, I want to know what's going on here with you too!" Arme tilted her head in confusion.
"Sou... Souwvineer?" She questioned, eyes growing wide with curiosity. The black haired man nodded.
"It's like a gift, but from a place someone else is. Something you keep afterwards to remind you of that place," He explained vaguely, "... Kind of." Arme pursed her small lips, blinking.
"Alright, then. But you gotta get me something real good, cuz I'm gonna make you the best swouvineer you've ever had!"
"Souvenir." He corrected with a light laugh, "Now off to bed. I'll be back before you know it!" Arme's small eyes opened widely, giving a small gasp.
"Not too fast though, right? I need to make your swou.. Swo... Gift!"
"Of course. Good night, dearest..." He kissed her lightly on the forehead before turning out the door, Arme watching him until the white, wooden door closed quietly behind him. When he was gone she scampered quietly up the staircase, wobbling lightly as she made her way back to her room. When she made it back the girl crawled under the covers, hugging her plushies and toys to her tightly. Her eyes didn't close, though; they never did of their own accord. She stayed silent as to not wake her sleeping mother in the rocking chair next to the bed, and fought sleep until she could no longer keep her heavy eyelids from closing.
Holding the stone tightly in her hand, Arme looked at it once more before placing it back into the opened box. After setting it inside she placed the box back on the nightstand. After that time, father wasn't able to come home often... But he never forgot my souvenirs... She thought with a sigh, as a child they meant the world to me. Pulling herself out of her memories, Arme looked around. What is there to do? She wondered briefly, looking down at the sheets. A light laugh bubbled out at her next thought, And what's really so different from being here to being in Bermesiah right now? Either way all I'm doing is lying in bed. Arme knew without much thought the most important difference; the people around her. But... Shouldn't I be enjoying the time I'm spending here too, then? It's not as though I'll never go back... Right? She could feel her mother's confused stare on her, but didn't want to look back. If I do, will she know that I'm not happy? That thought in itself was enough to make her sigh. Folding her fingers together, Arme was surprised to hear the sound of the cartoon still playing in the background. She made no attempt to turn it off; neither did her mother.
You're not even stopping to consider the possibility you won't wake up in Bermesiah again, are you? A small voice in the back of her head asked. Arme shook it off easily; Of course not. If I do that... She shuddered lightly, remembering the heart-wrenching pain she had felt the last time she had woken up in the hospital. I don't want to feel like that... Ever again. So I'll tell myself I'm going to wake up there with Lass next to me, and perhaps some of the others having returned. I'll just tell myself that over and over, until I believe it. What else can I do? Her hand rested lightly on her chest, Because at least believing doesn't hurt.
Arme woke the next morning slowly, sighing as she turned to the door, which had just been pushed open. Nothing interesting had happened the previous day, and the purple eyed girl had found herself dozing through most of it. Her mother had put on a movie at some point, though Arme could hardly remember what it was about. All she could really remember was ordering breakfast before she had fallen asleep, a nurse gently reminding her to take the pills on her bed stand before she had nodded off, her mother lying down on the small couch near the bed. The nurse standing in the door was the same as the previous morning's, and he held her tray cautiously as he walked into the room. Placing the tray onto the bed, the boy sighed.
"I've tried to get in contact with the parents of the other patients, but... Apparently the parents of one are dead, and the others refused to pick up the phone. I'll keep trying to contact them, but for now I haven't made much progress on your request." He told her apologetically. Arme simply nodded, taking a bite of the egg sandwich on her plate.
"S'okay... Thanks for trying." She said after swallowing the bite. The nurse glanced at her night table, picking up the pill container and opening it. When this was done the boy poured out two pills into the palm of his hand and gave them to her.
"And remember to take those, alright?" He said as he turned back to the door, leaving just as quickly as he'd entered. She sighed as she looked at the pills in her palm and the sandwich on the tray and sighed, picking up the small carton of milk next to it. Pills never taste good... She frowned as she took a sip of the milk, almost spilling it back out as she was reminded of Lass hiding her medicine in her food. A too-sudden image of him in a nurse outfit had the girl stifling laughter, a hand over her mouth as she tried to prevent herself from waking her mother or giving the rest of the hospital the impression she was going insane. When her chuckles were calmed she took a deep breath before attempting to take her pills again, this time suceeding. Lass actually probably would make a good nurse, though... She thought as she took another bite of her sandwich, not only is he a good cook, he could easily put the patient's medicine in their food. She smiled lightly, "I wouldn't have. I prefer your cooking." Of course, getting him to agree to it would be difficult. By the time she heard her mother stir, Arme knew her cheeks were light pink hue from remembering the sort-of compliment (though she wasn't entirely sure it wasn't just Lass being lazy). She hurriedly finished off the rest of her sandwich, the violet haired patient half way finished with her milk by the time her mother had moved to stand next to the bed.
"You're done breakfast already?" She asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes. Arme nodded, watching as the woman turned to the door.
"I'm just going to grab something from the food court then, alright? I'll be back soon."
"Okay..." Arme responded quietly, placing her tray on the bed stand. Her mother left the room after a looking at her for a minute, a brief pause before she turned around and almost smacked into the door. Arme giggled lightly; it had always been obvious where her clumsiness had come from, even though her mother refused to admit it. When the older violet haired woman had left the room Arme sighed lazily, the window catching her eyes. She stared at the light shining through the curtains, a sudden need to see outside taking her by surprise. She sat there for another few minutes before she pressed the nurse call button, waiting only a few minutes before the brown haired nurse returned.
"Yes?" Arme looked at the window once again before she attempted to move her legs over the side of the bed. The nurse' eyes widened, and he ran over.
"You're not supposed to be getting up!" He exclaimed, frowning at her. Arme blinked slowly, not sure of what exactly to ask.
"I... I want to see outside." She finally murmured, looking over at the machines holding her to the bed. The nurse tilted his head for a second, holding a hand out to tell her to wait as he walked over to the door and looked out into the hallway.
"That can be arranged!" He said cheerfully, "but we'll have to bring your I.V. feed." Arme's eyebrows raised.
"What about the heart monitor and n.g. tube feed?" she asked, pointing to the yellow tube. The white clothed boy reached over to undo something, and Arme was surprised to see it detaching from the machine with a small cap on the open end. He typed in a couple things on the keypad before turning back to her, "Just pull the things that attach you to the heart monitior off and you'll be good to go!" He said with a smile. Arme nodded, and soon all the little, suction-cup like plastic pieces were pulled off her skin. She rubbed the area lightly before attempting to stand up again and was surprised to notice that the nurse had left the room. Shrugging, Arme moved the rolling I.V. feed off the hook that held it to the wall. She was about to walk over to the window when the door opened and the nurse returned, this time wheeling in a wheelchair.
"You shouldn't be standing up." He informed her with a sigh. The magician, in turn, was staring at the wheelchair disbelievingly.
"I can walk just fine!" She said, staring at it with a frown. The nurse shrugged, "I know, but it has to be done. After all, I'd be blamed for it if you fell unconcious in the middle of the halls somewhere." He joked lightly. Arme sighed, sitting in the the wheelchair regardless of her protests. The I.V. was grabbed and dragged along as the chair was maneuvered out the door, and Arme looked around.
"Where are we going?" She questioned, remembering quite suddenly as she saw the halls that her hospital had been changed, "there's a window in my room..."
"There's an observation window in the hall up ahead, it might be a bit better for you to see outside." he explained, nodding to a group of other nurses at a desk as they passed by.
"Oh..." Arme didn't bother continuing the conversation, waiting patiently as they passed through another door. Outside this was a hall, a glass wall on the right side and a green, fence-like material holding in the other side. There were large elevators in the hall leading from the left, though Arme's attention was quickly brought from them to the right side of the hall. Her eyes widened at the sight of the pale blue sky, light filtering in gently and casting a shadow of the wheelchair across the floor. Her eyes widened, and for a moment she remembered staring at the sky of Bermesiah from the window of her room back in the town she had first come to. Eyes closed slowly, and she could feel a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm heading back to the nurse's station, will you be alright here on your own?" The nurse asked. Arme nodded briefly before her eyes opened again, the sound of his footsteps oddly loud as he walked away. Well, not everyone trys to conceal their footsteps like Lass... She thought with a small smile, looking out the window again. There were clear differences between this sky and Bermesiah's; the one most prominant to her being the smog that came up in spiralling black billows from the chimneys of industreal buildings. Even so, it didn't stop the sky from reminding Arme painfully of the other world. I can't even tell what feels more real any more... Am I just sleeping right now, and actually awake then? Or the other way around? But if so, that means the last fifteen years of my life...Arme sighed, I promised myself I wouldn't think about this. Just enjoy whatever time you have left, no matter where it is. Still, when she opened her eyes she couldn't help but thinking about Bermesiah.
Staring down at her wrist and frowning at the I.V, Arme leaned against the handle of the wheelchair. At least there I wasn't tied up to so many machines... I could actually sneak out of my room most of the time if I really needed to, even if it didn't make Lass very happy... She could feel tears stinging against the corners of her eyes not so much from the thought of being stuck in a hospital bed, but from the thought of Lass and the others. She rubbed them away hastily, feeling miserable with herself. No more crying! She scolded herself as forcefully as she could. Her body refused to listen, and soon tears were escaping her eyes quickly, leaving salty, warm trails down her cheeks as they dripped down to the collar of her hospital clothes. She pushed herself out of the wheelchair feebly, stepping forward to press her hands against the glass as she tilted her head up to look at the clearer part of the sky.
"I'm so weak..." She whispered quietly, "I said I wouldn't cry." Her forehead rested on the glass, and she waited impatiently for her tears to subside. Why am I even crying? A memory of the silver haired boy she'd grown close to over the past few months entered her mind, and more tears came out, Oh. I remember now. Her shoulders shook faintly, her hand pressing against her heart lightly as she ignored the pain from the stretching I.V. tube that was beginning to pull at her skin. I guess I miss you, huh? She stayed there, crying quietly for several minutes until she heard a voice from behind her.
"Arme! What are you doing up?" At the sound of her mother Armetried weakly to wipe all the tears from her amethyst eyes. Though it seemed to somewhat work, it did nothing for her slightly puffy eyes, a red colour that made them stand out vibrantly. The older violet haired woman turned her around gently, nearly gasping at the tear-streaked face of her daughter.
"Oh, honey... What happened?" She murmured, pulling Arme into a hug. The magician rested her head exhaustedly on her mother's shoulder, shaking her head lightly.
"N-nothing..." She mumbled, "I just don't feel so good, that's all." The taller of the two looked down disbelievingly, but she didn't say anything. Instead she walked the violet eyed girl back to her wheelchair, sitting her down in it carefully. Arme was wheeled slowly back to her room, and she curled up on her bed as the n.g. tube and heart monitor were re-attached. Even though she felt exhausted the girl couldn't will herself to fall asleep, most likely due to the fact that she had woken up less than an hour previous. Finally she sat up, looking over at a small stack of paper on the nearby shelf.
"Could you pass that?" She asked quietly, turning on the television. Her mother nodded, and soon three sheets were lying in front of her. A movie playing on the screen from the hospital's channel provided background music as she began to fold the first piece of paper.
"Mommy?" Arme tugged on the edge of her mother's shirt gently, looking curiously up.
"Yes, sweetie?" The woman replied, glancing over from the sandwich she was currently cutting to her daughter, who was staring at her seriously. She blinked at the little girl's hands, a series of small nicks and cuts covering her small palms.
"Arme! What were you doing!" She gasped, grabbing the violet haired child's hand to stare curiously at the skin. Arme blushed lightly, looking down at her feet.
"I... I need to make daddy a swouveneer." She said determinedly, "But the paper isn't going pretty, like the book says!" Arme sighed as her mother walked with her over to the table, where the little girl had previously been sitting. Lying on the table were several pieces of paper, small red smears on the edges and printed throughout from when she had apparently gotten paper cuts. An origami book lay to the side, opened to a page with brightly coloured paper folded into designs much more difficult than a four year old could be expected to comprehend.
"Dear, why don't you try an easier one?" Her mother reccomended, attempting to flip the page to something other than the elaborate paper dragon. Arme shook her head, pressing her hands to the book to prevent the page from turning the moment her mother had said 'easier'.
"No!" She said insistantly, "I pwomised daddy I would make him the bestswouveneer! This one's best!" Her mother laughed lightly, picking up her daughter to set her on the table.
"Is it, now? I guess we'll have to make it for your father, then!" Normally this would have been unintelligent to tell a child, but Arme had never been slow. The previous attempts lying on the table were evidence to this, each a little further than the previous. Her parents had also learned from a early age that when Arme was determined, she was determined. Once the sandwich was finished her mother came back to sit down with her, slowly guiding the little girl through each of the steps. It only took two attempts with guidance for Arme to create a somewhat recognizeable dragon, which had caused the violet haired girl to clap and grin.
"Did it, mommy! Now I have the best swouveneer!" She said proudly, pulling out a purple marker, "And it'll purple, like me! So daddy won't forget me, even when he's not here!" Her mother smiled gently, patting her on the head as she scribbled the colour in quickly.
"I'm sure daddy will be very proud of you, and he most certainly won't forget you while he's gone." She said, "But would you like to help with lunch now?" Arme nodded excitedly, hopping off the chair to run over to the counter. Her mother picked her up carefully, setting her down on the marble surface.
"I'm four now, so can I cut the veggies?" The little girl asked with large, hopeful eyes. The girl's mother laughed a little.
"Hmm... I suppose so, if you're verycareful!" She said, handing the girl a potato-peeler. At this Arme grinned widely, picking up the potato with a rather small hand.
Arme sighed, a smile coming to her face as she folded the familiar form of a dragon from the paper. Nothing much has changed, I guess. Still being sat on counters and peeling vegetables... Finished with the dragon, she set it down on the bed stand. I miss those days. No confusion, no second worlds, no Grand Chase and no evil witches. Everything was simple... Arme picked up another piece of paper, carefully folding it into a generic crane and placing it next to her dragon. A swan was soon to join, and Arme looked at them silently. But then again, in those days there was also no Lass.
The next six days passed slowly, and the violet haired girl slowly became more distraught as they went by. Why haven't I woken up yet? She though worriedly as she awoke, finding herself yet again in the white room. Biting her lip, the girl sighed. Ready to start considering that you're not going to wake up? The small voice asked quietly. It was the timidness in the thought that made Arme shake; a small, meek suggestion. It was easy enough to say no to something loud, but the thought sounded weak, and almost as hesitant as she was to even accept it. N... No. I can't do that, not ever. I suppose... It's not like it can bother me for years, when I only have about one left to live. And if I only have that time... I'd rather spend it remembering than trying to forget. She took a deep breath as she leaned back into the pillows, staring disheartenedly at the lights above. It was then that her vision began to blur, and Arme tried to refocus in vain. She didn't dare blink as the lights began to darken, everything seeming to change in a wave. The neat white panels were changing before her foggy vision, and a smoggy grey was quickly becoming the dominant colour in her vision. As things finally began to clear up, Arme could feel her heart begin to beat faster in her chest. Is this... Either I'm hallucinating, or... She didn't continue the thought, attempting to push herself up and off the pillows. The disorientation of the room made it seem like everything around her was spinning, and she simply fell back down on the pillows heavily. A hand raised to her cheek as the next best measure, and Arme was elated to find no n.g. tube. She took several breaths rather slowly and attempted sitting up again, closing her eyes as not to let the spinning world around her make her falter. When her body was completely in an upright position the magician opened her eyes again slowly, praying she was right in what was going on.
"Someone overslept." Arme's heart sped up as she saw the stone wall in front of her, even more so as she heard a rather recognizable voice. Turning her head slowly, she grinned widely as Lass came into view. He was staring at her somewhat skeptically, a frown on his face as he looked her over.
"Morning!" She chirped, unable to think of anything better to say, or to keep the hyper tone out of her voice. Her grin only widened as Lass rolled his eyes, then looked down at the blanket.
"See? I didn't kill her, so stop glaring at me!" He exclaimed, Arme blinking in confusion. It was then that she looked down to her lap, realizing quite suddenly that the Sidtri was lying down on her. It was looking at the assassin angrily, and cuddling up to Arme closely. The magician tilted her head, turning to look back at Lass.
"And what exactly is this about?" She asked quietly, petting the bird's soft feathers.
"Well, the sidtri returned three days ago, just before Ryan and Jin. It saw you asleep, and by the next day it naturally assumed I had done something to you." He muttered, sighing. This didn't faze Arme in the least, her grin still just as wide when the silver haired boy reached out to rest a hand on her head.
"You're okay though, right?" He asked seriously, sapphire eyes nearly glaring out their concern. Arme nodded, looking around.
"I would be better with a hug, though!" She said, grinning mischievously. The thief's eyes widened largely as he gaged whether or not the magician was joking, a light flush coming to his cheeks.
"You're kidding, right?" He asked after a minute, sighing as Arme shook her head. She was more than surprised when Lass actually reached forward to hug her ever so lightly, and the violet haired girl soon wrapped her arms around him happily. The sidtri seemed rather displeased to be in the center of all the hugging, and it gave a miserable sound before squirming out and off to cuddle at Arme's side.
"I missed you." Arme admitted sheepishly, trying to stop tears of relief from coming out. Lass chuckled.
"You were asleep, and you're the one saying you missed me?" He questioned incredulously. Arme nodded.
"Are you trying to say you missed me too?" She asked with a light laugh in her voice. Lass shook his head as he pulled away, a look on his face that assured them both he was lying.
"Of course not." Arme just smiled, trying to move up and out of the bed. There was a lot to catch up on.
A/N: Finally able to edit this! I'm so sorry about the long wait and the late chapters... Not to mention how sketchy this one is. I do have reasons, I swear! (Though most have to do with procrastination Dx) In any event, due to my internet card being full of fail I couldn't finish the chapter last weekend... (how many times has that happened by now? I don't even remember...) So, I got a new one! *waits for applause* ... That's a pretty big accomplishment for me o-o And I was quite honestly told I had 15 minutes to type and submit the end of this chapter before I went away for the weekend... (hence the sketchy) But anyways, the majority of the hospital-stuff in this chapter was based on my own 2 and 1/2 week visit to the hospital, where I wasn't in a ward even similar to the one Arme would be in... But anyways, the design is based on sick kids hospital (That place is an amazing hospital~) For those of you wondering, NG tube stands for Nasogastric tube. It's basically a tube that goes through your nose and into your stomach and attaches to a feed that food is sent through when you can't eat on your own (trust me, they're annoying as all hell. x_x)
-Utsuro