Because small things can change everything...
Hank was a kind man. He always tried to make people around him happy, he taught people various things and made sure no one had problems. However, there was one person that seemed unaffected, or at least, barely so, by his aura of kindness. To name that one person, it was the surgeon. Hank, like all the others, absolutely refused to call him by his prisoner name (they felt it wasn't right to do that), and were thus referring him by various words. They usually had to adress him directly rather than call him from far away.
The big man had decided that he would do anything in his power to cheer the young surgeon up, be it by simply talking to him or taking him to places when he wasn't busy operating or taking Claire to the mall. And so, when both men had time, Hank would take him somewhere. He tried so many things, but none of them worked; he brought him in the city to take a walk, and even at the zoo, to name a few things he tried, but nothing worked. The hero had then decided to use his last-resort solution : the garden in the back of the hospital.
The first time seemed to be in itself effective, as the young surgeon seemed to hold his head, be it by so little higher, to look at the flowers around him. He walked around the different flowers, looking at them, inspecting colors and shapes. Some were familiar, some were completly new to him. He had to admit the sweet scent itself was relaxing, and the sight of all these colors blending together made him want to stay there as long as possible. Hank finally had to go for a surgery, but the surgeon, having no surgery before a good two hours, decided to stay. He sat on the ground, his elbows on his knees and his head resting in his hands. There was a little man-made pond made with rocks in front of him, with a pretty little waterfall pouring its water in it. The young prisoner also noted there were little goldfish swiming around, as he could see their golden scales gleam under the muddy water. He looked at the flowers around the pond; cosmos, tulips and pansies arranged in a half-circle shape, making it look like a bed around the pond.
The surgeon was staring at the flowers, musing at how similar they were to humans, and yet so different. Some of them took time to bloom, but in the end, it was all worth it. Others were small and shy, only showing themselves when there weren't any giants around them. There were flowers that stood tall and proud, as if to protect the smaller ones. In fact, by the time he had looked at them all, the young man was sure he could have attributed a flower to each one of his coworkers. When he was called to do the surgery, he let out a little sigh, took in one last time the scent of the garden and headed out.
This continued for a few days. One morning, when the prisoner was walking around the garden, Hank called him, saying he had something to ask him. The surgeon walked up to the man, and stopped in his track when the last question he expected, being 'Would you like to help me take care of the garden?', was asked. His eyes got wider, and he was at loss of words for a second. After a few seconds, he managed to answer by noding and saying '...Yes, I would like to help you'. Hank smiled at the answer he wanted to get, and told him they would start the next day. They continued to walk around the garden in silence, because these moments of peace should never be broken by words (except now).
The following day, they started taking care of the flowers. They would water the plants, remove the weeds, take out the dead plants, cut the flowers' dried leave, and many other things. The prisoner seemed to find a liking in doing that. He felt as if he was truly taking care and giving love to something that would return the affection given. He was making sure the flowers weren't getting too much or not enough water, that they weren't hidden in shadows, that they were healthy and no parasite was devouring them. He was doing it with grace and calm, as if the flowers would shatter like crystal if he was not careful enough. After a few days, the garden seemed to be even more alive, if that is possible, the flowers exhibiting even brighter colors, their smell was sweeter and more wonderful than ever, and so many creatures were attracted by the garden that insects' buzzing and birds' chirping could be heard. The wind was making the leaves of the trees dance and sing, too. At last, the goldfish in the pond seemed to grow bigger, making the water gleam even more. Everyone who was visiting the garden was mesmerized by its unique beauty. But the person who had gotten most of the benefits was the prisoner. He was so proud of this... He felt like he had accomplished something. It was ridiculous, he knew it, after all, all he did was take care of a garden. But he would never have expected that all the time, love and care he had poured into this would have been returned to him like this. It was ten, no, a hundred times more than he thought he would get.
From that day on, the hero and the prisoner would work together to keep this garden like this, pouring all their feelings in doing so. Flowers, such subtle but beautiful living beings, had changed someone's life. And they deserved to get love from that same someone, just like he had the right to get their love.
I'm sorry, it's shorter than the first one...I really loved writing this one. I'm not sure if I got them in character, but I wanted to show how such small things can change a life. I know that CR-S01 had changed in the game; I noticed it. But this time, I wanted to explore an even deeper change, in his emotions, where he would change in a more emotional, rather than social, way. I'm not sure if I got it right, though... you'll tell me, won't you?
I tried to keep the dialogue minimal, as I feel some moments shouldn't be spoiled by words, you know?
Also, thank you for those who added my story to their favourite/alerts! I greatly appreciate it! I'll try not to deceive you in the future!
Disclaimer at the end this time because I can : I don't own anything, 'cept the idea that is not very original..