Enraptured in Ice Ch. 12
AN: Hey everyone, sorry it took me so long to update. Simply put, I've been struggling with some personal issues, and I haven't had much time nor inspiration to write. I'm trying to speed up my publishing rate, I'm afraid it's something you'll just have to remain patient for. I'm glad if you're enjoying the story thus far. I wish you the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba
Time seemed to crawl by as Dan remained in the medical ward. The members of Overwatch were struggling greatly to contact Mercy. In the excitement of it all, Dan had completely forgotten that she would only respond to him: not that it mattered. He was blind, so he wouldn't be able to see her, and though he could partially hear, he doubted it would be enough to communicate with her effectively.
When a day had passed since the accident, he could hear everyone talking about him, or he at least assumed they were. What he did hear sounded as if he were listening to people talking underwater. That was why he nearly jumped out of his skin when he suddenly felt someone hug his arm tightly. "Oh my God, Dan...what happened, are you okay?" the younger voice asked.
He couldn't see her, but it wasn't difficult to tell who it was. "Hey Hana," he replied. "There was an accident was all. I wasn't paying attention and the machine I was working on hit me pretty hard."
She hugged him even tighter, and he could feel moist drops on his cheek. Hana was crying? For him? "I'm so sorry this happened," she told him, before her voice gained a hint of determination. "I'm going to take care of you though, okay? I don't care what I have to do! If you want me to read to you or make you food, it doesn't matter, just tell me and I'll do it. I promise!"
Dan was completely stunned by her declaration. "Thank you, I really appreciate that." There was a brief pause between the two before he cleared his throat. It felt so awkward, considering this was the first time they'd spoken since he brought her back from the airport. "Well, I guess this is karma, huh?"
"What are you talking about?" she chastised.
"For breaking up with you. You probably think I got what I deserve."
"Of course not! Why would you even say that?!" she argued. "Dan, break up or not, I care about you and I'd never wish this on anyone! Not even my worst enemy." Her hands slid down his arm to rest on his. Turning it over, he slipped his fingers between hers as he just lay there, a bandage over his eyes. "I'm staying right here," she stated suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I'm staying right here. I'm not leaving your side, understand? We don't have any important missions right now, and you'll need someone to look after you, so I will. I don't care if
I'm bored to tears, but I'm not leaving you alone."
For a while, Dan remained silent, just keeping his eyes closed and his head tilted towards his lap. "You don't have to do that," he finally whispered.
"I want to."
"No, you don't," he retorted. "No one would want to sit around with a bunch of dead weight."
"You're not dead weight!" she protested. "You're injured. But it's okay, we're going to find someone to help you, even if Mercy won't. I don't understand why you're trying to push me away. I understand you don't trust me, but...do you really not like me so much that you'd rather be alone than have me be by your side?"
"It's not like that," he tried.
"What is it like?" When Dan didn't respond, Hana climbed into the bunk beside him, nudging him to make room. "You can tell me," she swore as he shifted over slightly. "I promise, I won't be mad. Is it because you want to ask out Mei?"
"No...I mean, I do but that's not…" His words stopped abruptly as Hana hugged his arm tightly and placed her head against his shoulder. With a sigh, he tilted his as well to nuzzle against her. He couldn't bring himself to tell her what happened. It wasn't that he didn't want to get caught. He didn't feel guilty about it so much as he was worried how badly it would hurt Hana.
"Using your injuries to garner sympathy?" A voice asked. This one I wasn't so sure about. "Typical. I see you did not heed my...advice."
The hand that was in Hana's tightened as he realized who was speaking. "Stay away from me!" Dan growled, pressing closer to the gamer. Pharah was a threat when he was able to see. He didn't want to know what she was capable of now.
"Dan?" Hana asked, surprised by my fearful reaction. "What's wrong? Who is this woman?"
"You must be Hana," she noted with a snort of derision.
Getting up from the bed, Dan's fingers desperately reached for the only person that he felt could keep him safe, but she simply moved to the other side, standing between her ex and the older woman. "I don't know who you are, but Dan is injured and you're causing him distress. Please leave."
"I wonder if you'd be so quick to defend him if you knew what he was keeping from you."
"I don't care. Leave, now."
It was simple for Dan to tell that she was lying. How could she not care about some secret he was hiding from her. "Fine," the older woman stated. "I will go. Though a word of warning, he is not the sort of man to be trusted. He's already betrayed you once. I would not give him the opportunity to do so again."
As Dan held his breath, he waited until her footsteps would recede from the room. Just as he was about to relax, he heard Hana call after her. "Wait. What do you mean he's already betrayed me once?" His heart pounded fiercely in his chest.
"Don't tell her," he cried, causing the room to fall silent. "Hana, please, you have to understand. I'm trying to…"
"He has had sex with another woman," Pharah interrupted.
"What?"
"With his Commanding Officer, no less. As you can see, he wished to keep it a secret from you."
An uncomfortable silence settled on the room until a soft voice spoke up again, full of pain. "Dan...is this true?" Hana asked. "Did you cheat on me?"
"No! I would never…"
"Hmmph, even now he is lying to you to save his own neck."
"No, I'm not! It's not like that!"
A pair of soft hands rested on Dan's cheeks turning him to face her. "So you didn't sleep with Mei?" she asked. Before he even opened his mouth, he knew she already had her answer.
"Yes," he confessed. "But please, let me explain...I didn't betray you."
Her touch quickly fell from him, and he could feel the hurt that was exuding from her. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"You and I had already broken up," he argued. "We weren't together anymore. I wasn't keeping it a secret to try to hide it. I was doing it because I didn't want to hurt you."
This time, the deeper voice was much closer. "Come Hana. Leave this monster to his own suffering. He will get his justice. They always do."
"That is it!" Dan snapped suddenly, causing the girls to stop. "What the hell is your problem?! I have done nothing to you, Pharah! I don't know what game you're playing, but it ends here."
He carefully stood from the bed, his legs wobbling as he held tightly to its frame. "Dan, you shouldn't…"
"I don't care," he growled. "I'm not going to let this happen. Yes, Hana, I had sex with Mei. When I found out you had been using me, I was angry and I couldn't bear the thought that I'd let it happen. So I went to Mei, and I'm the one who initiated it. That was when I realized that you'd left to go back to South Korea, but I didn't want you to leave."
"Quit your barking, cur," Pharah said, but Dan wasn't ready to give up yet.
"I care about you still, Hana," he admitted. "Mei and I aren't together, understand? I know what I did wasn't right, but I didn't betray you. I betrayed myself. If I didn't care, do you think I would have run to stop you from leaving? Do you think I would have told Tracer to let you into Overwatch? Please, you have to believe me."
"Do not be foolish, Hana. He is still just trying to manipulate you further. When Tracer found out about Mei, she congratulated him. If he truly cared, do you think he'd have gone and bragged about this to his friend?"
Hana felt conflicted as she stood there, arms wrapped around her stomach and eyes pointed at the floor. She wanted to believe Dan, truly she did. She also knew, in her heart, that Pharah had a point. "You really hurt me, Dan," she whispered finally, her voice beginning to choke up. "When I tried to explain myself to you, you turned away from me and ignored me." He took a sharp breath. He knew she was right. "I told you I loved you, Dan! You were the first person I've ever told that to, regardless of who I was with and for what. I tried my best to redeem myself for what I did to you in the beginning, but you ignored me!" she shouted. "You just left me there, on the floor, in tears. You didn't even care to hear my side of it. So why should I listen to you now, huh?"
"Hana," he murmured, before he suddenly took a painful blow to his stomach that sent him crumpling to his knees.
"Dan," Hana cried out, running to me. "Pharah, what the fuck?!"
"You mustn't let him continue to speak. He will only use his words to twist your thoughts as he always has. You are smarter than this, Hana."
"Even still, you can't just hit him!" she shouted. "He's blind for God's sake!"
"Do it," he suddenly said.
"What?"
"Hit me again!" he hissed, struggling to stand up. "I don't care what it takes. I'll let you wail on me all day if I have to, but I'm not going to let you convince Hana that I never cared! I loved her! I still care deeply about her, even if you don't believe it, so if this is what I have to endure in order for her to believe me, then DO IT AGAIN!"
"You are truly the stupidest man on the face of the planet," Fareeha tsked.
"Dan, you need to get back into bed," Hana tried, going to move him but he shrugged her off, taking a step forward and throwing his fist outward. It sailed through the air, just before he took another strike to the gut. "Dan!"
"Is that the best you've got?" he demanded. "Come on! Why are you hesitating now?! You didn't have a problem last time! You didn't even hesitate when you broke my leg and my ribs, so why are you holding back now?!"
"Stay down."
Dan swung again and again, missing each time. He didn't care if he hit her or not, but if she wasn't going to prove his feelings for Hana, than he'd have to make her do it. His knuckles barely managed to pass through Pharah's hair, before she suddenly landed a ferocious right hook on his jaw, sending him to the ground once more.
Spitting out the warm blood that had begun to ooze into his mouth, Hana quickly stepped between the two. "That's enough, both of you!" Turning to Pharah, her eyes gleamed fiercely. "You need to leave, now! This isn't any of your damned business, so butt out!" Switching to Dan, she quickly looped her arm under his, helping him to stand. "And you! You're getting your ass back in bed, now! I'm not going to watch you get your ass kicked because you think you're being some sort of saint for doing so!"
"But…!" he protested, just before she shoved him hard against the bed.
"BED! NOW!"
"Yes ma'am," he quickly whispered, doing as she instructed.
"You don't want to do this," Fareeha warned.
The petite girl marched straight up to the much taller woman, glaring into her eyes. "Dan is my boyfriend," she seethed, her fist tightened in rage. "If you have a problem with him, then you have a problem with me. The next time you lay so much as a finger on him, I will not even hesitate to put a bullet in your skull, am I being clear?"
"Child…" she began, but Hana quickly drew her pistol and shoved it under Pharah's chin before she could react.
"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" she roared.
Without another word, the older woman slapped aside her gun and turned to storm off, leaving Hana and Dan alone in the room. Dan could hear her breathing heavily as she slipped her weapon back into her holster and turned back towards him. "Hana?" he called softly.
"What, Dan?" she sniffed.
He held out his hand towards her. After a brief moment, he felt her fingers, so he grasped them and gently pulled her to his side. His touch ran up her arm to reside on her face where he felt the wetness of her tears.
"Please, stop," she pleaded. "I need to be angry with you right now, so please don't do this." He hesitated momentarily, before he caressed her cheek again, using his thumb to wipe away another tear that had begun to roll down her face.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," he told her. "You have every right to be angry with me. I shouldn't have done what I did with Mei. Worse, I shouldn't have kept it from you. I was scared that if I told you, you wouldn't come back with me. I was angry at you, and I know I said we weren't friends...but I'm not ready to lose you."
"Why?" she whispered. "Why are you so concerned about me? I used you, remember? You don't want to be with me."
"I don't know what I want," Dan admitted. "But right now, I want you to stay here with me."
"You do?" she sniffled.
He nodded, scooting over to make room for her on the bed. For a moment, she hesitated. Then, she climbed in beside him, snuggling against his chest. "Hana, I really am sorry. This isn't how I wanted you to find out about this."
"I know. I don't know if I can forgive you, because it still hurts." Dan felt her lips brush against his cheek. "Even still, the thought was sweet. I appreciate you trying."
Suddenly, there was the sound of glass breaking, followed by a stinging sensation in the side of Dan's neck. He let out a grunt of pain before plucking the small vial from his neck.
"What? What's wrong?" Hana asked.
Holding it up for her to see, the darkness seemed to lift slightly from his eyes. The nanobots were repairing his eyes? "Mercy?" he wondered out loud, turning to look for any sign of the source of the vial.
"Mercy? What about her?" Her eyes widened as she gasped. "W-wait...Dan, did you…?"
"What? No! Eww. No, no. I swear to you. She's like my mom."
"Dan, she's around the same age as Mei," Hana pointed out.
"Look at this," he instructed, changing the subject by holding up the empty syringe. "Have you seen anything like this before?"
Taking it carefully from him, she examined it closely. "A dart? Where did you find this?"
"I just got shot with it," he explained.
"What?! Dan, we have to get Winston!" she exclaimed, going to get up, but he quickly stopped her.
"No, it's not a big deal."
"Dan, you just got shot! I think you're delusional. Maybe it was poison."
"I know what was in it," he sighed. "It was a dose of nanobots. I got shot by something similar when Pharah had broken my ribs. I don't know who it is, but whoever it is, they've been healing me. Even now, my eyesight is coming back, at least a little."
Hana's expression was highly conflicted. On one hand, she was overjoyed to find out that Dan wouldn't be blind for the rest of his life, on the other she really didn't want to let go of the fact he'd just been shot by some mysterious benefactor.
As he began to stir, she quickly rolled over on top of him, pinning him to the bed. "Dan, stop! You can't leave."
"What are you talking about? I can see now. There's no reason for me to stay hospitalized like this."
"Dan, you were still badly injured! You should wait for Mercy. What if you have an aneurysm or something?"
"Hana, I'm fine!"
"Please," she begged. "Just stay here. I'll forgive you, but only if you promise me you won't get out of bed." Immediately, Dan fell still.
"Really?" he whispered.
Hana was surprised that had worked. Did he really care that much about if she forgave him or not? Truth be told, while she was upset, she'd simply felt as if it were a minor slight, not some friendship ending crime. "I promise," she repeated.
He nodded, sagging back into the pillow. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll stay. I don't want to lose you."
"You're not going to lose me," she told him. "I don't want to lose you either. That's why I'm asking you to stay in bed. For me?"
"All right. For you."
Mei continued to tinker with the climate control machine. Having switched it off when Dan was first caught in it, she couldn't find anything inherently wrong with the machine. She'd been lucky that it hadn't killed him.
Inside, she felt many emotions, but the largest of them was shame. She was furious with herself for letting something like this happen to Dan. Tracer was too, and Mei knew that she deserved her wrath. Grabbing the wrench she turned and with a cry of anger hurled it across her lab to bounce off the far wall.
With her back pressed against the cabinet, she slowly sank to the ground, holding her knees to her chest. "Please, don't let Dan be blind," she whispered to no one in particular. "Please, don't let him suffer because I was distracted."
"Mei?" A voice called from the doorway. "Are you all right?"
"Fareeha?"
"Yes," she answered, coming to stand beside her. "Why are you troubled?"
"Dan's hurt. It's my fault."
Pharah let out an impatient scoff. "That idiot, again? Has every woman in Overwatch taken leave of their senses? Why is it that I am the only one who can see him for the problem that he is?"
Mei said nothing at first. "Dan's hard to accept," she finally agreed. "He's not a soldier. He's not a scientist, not really. He's not a doctor or a pilot or sharpshooter. He's...special."
"He is not so special," Fareeha disagreed, sitting down alongside Mei. "Plenty of men are disloyal and think only of themselves. Working in private security has taught me much of the life outside of what I was raised in. There are thousands, millions like Dan, all over the seems he has you wrapped around his finger too."
The climatologist looked at her in confusion. "I think you may be mistaken," she countered. "Dan isn't that sort of person."
"Of course he is! Who else would cheat on one he claimed to love with his commanding officer? Has he no respect for Hana? Has he no respect for you?!" The dark-skinned woman shook her head. "He may seem suave, Mei. But do you really think he wouldn't turn on you the instant he saw someone he liked better?"
The reaction that Mei had was not one that Pharah has expected. She began to giggled, covering her mouth to hide her smile. Soon she was laughing, unable to stop.
"What? Why are you laughing?"
"Dan, suave?" she snickered. "Are we talking about the same Dan? Dan's about as graceful as a hippo." Fareeha's brow furrowed in bewilderment. "I think I get what you're thinking. You saw him standing over you in your room and you expected he did it on purpose, right?"
"When I awoke, he was just standing there ogling me. How else am I supposed to believe?" she countered.
"I genuinely doubt that Dan was ogling you. More so that you probably startled him to the point where he froze in place. He was expecting me because I invited him to my room. He wasn't peeping or being a pervert. He was looking for comfort and instead found a complete stranger."
Pharah was completely shocked. "B-but...the other girl…!" she protested.
"Is a long story," Mei completed. "She used Dan to try to get into Overwatch, completely unaware that he wasn't actually even a member. Apparently, she used to do this sort of thing a lot. As soon as Dan found out, he confronted her, broke it off, and came to me. He was stressed and confused...I don't blame him for what happened. Hell, I went along with it, despite my better judgment."
"Tracer even said she was proud of him for sleeping with you!"
"Tracer has been trying to get us together for a long time. I'm certain that if she's 'proud' of him, she's more so that he had the confidence to actually try something with me. I can also tell you from first-hand knowledge that the only thing Dan feels about it right now is shame."
"Shame?"
"Dan's not a Cassanova, but he's a sweetheart. He's uncomfortable when it comes to sexual things. A one-night stand isn't something that he can even compute. To us it's typical, to him it's...well to him, it's unthinkable."
"No!" Pharah hissed. "I refuse to believe that my judgment could be so far off. I don't believe it, I won't believe it!"
"I can see why you'd think that. If it were anyone other than Dan, I'd believe it, too. He's not like that though. He's a very simple man. With Dan, what you see is what you get. He doesn't play games or have hidden meanings. He's just...special." Mei still couldn't quite find the right word to describe him. "Do you know how I first met Dan?"
Sighing, Fareeha collapsed back against the cabinet in surrender. "How?"
"He pulled me out of a block of ice. I was cryogenically frozen. My entire team was dead, and I was the only survivor. He saved my life."
"I understand you feel a debt towards him but…"
"No, nothing like that," Mei quickly interrupted. "But two days after saving me, he confessed that he was in love with me. Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock. So, I pushed him away. I acted as if I wanted nothing to do with him."
"And?"
She fell quiet. "It hurt him. It hurt him really bad. Like I said, Dan is simple. He doesn't understand or live by hidden meanings and subtlety. He means what he says and he doesn't play games. He told me he loved me because he genuinely thought he loved me. And that scared the hell out of me. For two weeks, I ignored him, but for him it may as well have been two years."
"Still, you should not feel guilty. I know that right now he is presently curled up beside Hana."
"Wh-what?" Mei asked in shock. "He is?"
"Yes. I came to inform you originally. Perhaps he is not the 'sweetheart' you think he is."
"Maybe he's just confused…"
"Confused?" Pharah gave a derisive snort. "No, he is completely lucid as to who it is that's curled up beside him. If you do not believe me though, perhaps you should see for yourself."
Mei hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"I can't face him. I messed up. He's blind and it's all my fault."
"Your fault? How?"
"I wasn't focused enough. I let myself be distracted by him and I didn't realize the machine was one while he was working on it. So when he fixed it, it activated and made him blind."
"You mean he was reckless and because of that you blame yourself for whatever reason."
"No," she quickly protested. "He wasn't...I mean...he was, but he...I don't know!" Burying her face in her hands her chest heaved. 'I don't know anymore about anything, okay" I care about Dan, but I don't know if I love him. All I know is, what's happening now isn't working! People are just going to keep getting hurt."
"Well, if you wish for my advice," Fareeha said, standing back to her feet. "Separate yourself from him. He is nothing more than an anchor. He'll only serve to weigh you down. If your conscience needs further appeasement, Hana will not be leaving his side any time soon. This is your opportunity to make a clean break. Don't squander it."
Turning, she left Mei sitting on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest and her eyes closed in deep thought.
Meanwhile, across the compound, two figures stood in the shadows. One had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against a steel crate, the other crouched with a scope up to her eye. "You were right," she stated. "He is rather unique. Do you think this is why he was selected?"
"Don't know," Jack admitted, adjusting his visor. "All I know is, something is going on with that kid. What are they planning?"
The much older woman lowered her rifle with a tired sigh. "They are not the only problem," she commented. "It is hard for a mother to see her once sweet daughter turned into this…"
"Monster?" Jack offered, causing her to shoot him a glare. He defensively held up his hands in apology.
"This cold-hearted individual. Was my death truly so crippling for her? I never wanted her in this life...I didn't want that for her at all."
"Fareeha is a strong woman," he protested. "You should be proud of your daughter. She's already the captain of her own squad."
"Strength means nothing if there is no compassion behind it," Ana disagreed. "You should know that, Jack. Or have you forgotten such romantic thoughts in your old age?"
"I never had them."
"Pssh, there is no need to be embarrassed Jack. You were always the sentimental type. You were one for heroics, whether you remember or not."
"I didn't bring you here for reminiscing. I brought you here to keep an eye on the kid."
"And have I not done so? I have mended his bones when they were broken and repaired his senses when they were dulled. What is so special about this young man anyway, hmm?"
"I already told you that."
"Yes, yes, but what is so special about him?"
"Well that is the question, isn't it?" he scoffed. "Part of the reason why we're even here in the first place."
"And the other part?" Ana questioned. He remained completely silent as a knowing smile crept upon her lips. "Ah, I see...now that is interesting."
"What?"
"You like this boy."
"Don't start, Ana."
"It stands to reason. It is why you ask that I continue to care for him, is that not so? Otherwise, it'd be more than beneficial to just let his chips fall where they may. But you, 'Soldier 76', have finally found someone that you actually like."
"Hey! What are you two doing here?!" Tracer demanded, having finally reached the source of the voices she'd been tracking. Both faces turned to regard her, causing her face to go pale. "No...How is that possible?!" she demanded, keeping her guns trained on the two intruders.
Despite that, her hands were trembling uncontrollably. Ana smirked turning to face her. "Hello, Lena. It has been some time. What's the matter? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
"You've been secretly hoping we'd be discovered just so you could use that one, haven't you?" Jack sighed. "Lena, turn around and go back to your room. Pretend as if you never saw us."
"I...I can't do that, sir!" she protested, starting to find confidence once again. "We all thought the two of you were dead! How can you have hid this from us for so long?"
"We have our reasons," Ana stated. "But he is right. Go back to your room and say nothing of this."
"You can't expect me to just keep quiet about all of this!" Tracer protested. "The rest of the team needs to know you're alive! Winston...Mercy...Oh God, Pharah...I can't even imagine how she'll react when she…"
Her words were cut off when with a swift whistle, Ana's gun fired a dart into Lena's throat. Her eyes went wide for a moment as her guns clattered to the ground from her grip. "We're really sorry about this dear," the sniper began, walking up to the quickly numbing pilot. Placing a finger on her forehead, she pressed gently, causing her to lurch back before collapsing to the ground in a heap. "But we can't have you saying anything just yet. You should have just left, Lena."
"Where are we going to put her?" Jack requested. "There aren't many places she won't be able to escape from."
Ana reached down, slowly unhooking Tracer's harness. As it came free from her body, she slung it over her shoulder before nodding to her partner. "Place her in the chrono chamber for now. She'll be unstable until it is time to reveal ourselves, then we'll simply give her back the harness and bring her back."
Hoisting the limp and flickering body of the young woman in his arms, Jack nodded, carrying her to the run-down chamber. No one had seen it in years, not since Winston had first anchored Lena to their time stream. Laying her in there, he stepped outside, shutting the door and locking it firmly.
Tracer let out a groan as she began to come to. How long had she been out? Her eyes opened and she found herself staring at a scene straight from her nightmares. The small padded room she'd come to know so intimately surrounded her once again.
"N-no," she gasped, wheeling around herself. Patting herself down, she found that her harness was gone and she began to breathe heavily as fear engulfed her mind. "No. No, no, no, no, no." She repeated it over and over again as she looked down at her hands.
They began to flicker, her flesh becoming translucent for a few moments before reappearing again. Turning she ran to the door and began pounding on it as hard as she could with her fist.
"NO! Please! I won't say anything, I swear! Please, you have to let me out!" she begged, her eyes beginning to water. "Please! Don't leave me in here!"
Her slams echoed through the abandoned corner of the compound, unheard by anyone. Even her screams seemed to carry through the metal hallways until finally, the suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
To be continued...