Turn 02

A Guest

Two weeks have passed since Rolo woke up from his coma. If it was in his power, he would have walked out of the hospital a long time ago, but unfortunately, the doctors didn't share the same thoughts, and even if they did, it was practically impossible for Rolo to achieve that. At least some progress has been made. The frail boy was no longer attached to those annoying wires and machines, moreover he was transferred into a completely different kind of ward. There were no electronic devices and such things, which pleased Rolo greatly, since now he didn't have to feel as weak, at least mentally. His physical abilities were a whole other story. The rehabilitation started soon afterwards his talk with that doctor, since the young boy insisted it and the elder didn't see any harm in it. But even though Rolo was placed under different kinds of tests and experiments while in the Geass Order, he did not expect his recovery be so... hard and painful. He was greatly irritated by the weakness his body showed and by the simple exercises he couldn't accomplish. The crutches didn't help his pride too.

That girl, whose name is Kayla Zumberg as he learned from the doctor, was also on his mind these past few days. It wasn't surprising; who wouldn't be interested in a mysterious person who saved you from near death without asking any questions. Sure, it was too early to say that, but it wasn't like she was forbidden on meeting Rolo, the doctors said so, but that girl hasn't shown herself in two weeks on her own wishes. The doctor responsible for the brunet, Zachary Feled as he introduced himself properly, had informed Rolo's 'savior' of the patient's awakening and had asked her to visit him, but she still hasn't responded. The injured young student was growing anxious and irritated by the day because of this whole mess.

To say that Rolo has been doing nothing else besides rehabilitation would be incorrect. Now that he wasn't hooked up to those machines and wasn't restricted by various wires anymore, he didn't waste any free time in this place and tried to solve the problems at hand. One of his main concerns at the moment was the incapability of using his Geass. True, he knew the downside of his power was that his heart stopped everytime he used it, but the thought that it was necessary for his blood-pumping organ to stop it's work in order to use his Geass never crossed his mind. And with that cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD in short, planted in his chest that sent signals to his heart every two beats, not letting it stop for more than two seconds, it was practically impossible to use his power as he pleased. Rolo learned, that this is not how an ICD originally works, only sending signals to the heart when it's rate or rhythm was off, but the brunet's case was different. His heart wasn't strong enough to work on its own, so it was up to the ICD to keep it going, so removing the machine from his body was also not an option. However, there was a rough solution to this, though it would be quite hard to execute everytime.

Rolo opened his eyelids, revealing a pair of violet orbs staring at the ceiling of his dark hospital room. The last check-up has passed long ago, and it was near midnight. He, like every other patients, had to be sleeping soundly and resting. Keyword had. The brunet had been laying on his bed for a few hours now, pretending to be asleep. In truth, he had something else in mind. The were two reasons why he chose this time of the day to practice his solution: one, it was deadly quiet at the hospital at night, so he could focus to the fullest, and two, the young student couldn't risk being seen by someone while attempting this dangerous stunt.

The brunet silently rolled out of this bed and let down his bare feet onto the cold ground. His pale hand gropingly searched for the teal cellphone on the nightstand before grabbing his crutches and unsteadily heading towards the bathroom. He's been doing the rehabilitation for two weeks now, but that didn't mean he could yet again soundly walk on his own. Flickering on the light, that made his violet pools narrow, he entered the small room and closed the door behind him. The boy lowered the toilet lid and sat atop of it, silently placing his crutches against the wall. There was only approximately a twenty percent chance he could actually pull this off to the maximum today, because he only has been testing this plan for three days now. Even so, every time he tried the percentage grew, and sooner or later he should be able to do it with the chance of at least eighty percent, maybe even ninety.

Without wasting any time, the young patient opened his phone and selected the chronometer. Every time the boy does this, the time differs a bit, since his heart doesn't beat exactly the same all the time. Still, the change is minimal, but Rolo couldn't take any chances, he wanted accurate numbers. And so the brunet gently placed his pale fingers on the side of his still frail neck, finding the pulse immediately. With one hand on the start button and the other on his neck, Rolo waited a few seconds to be sure his pulse is stable before pressing 'start' the moment he felt a beat. When three beats in total pulsed through his neck, the boy immediately stopped the chronometer. The time read 1.78 seconds. The time between his heartbeats in about 0.89 seconds. Taking in account his other tries, the average comes out about 0.85 seconds. As he had learned, the defibrillator sends signals not exactly the moment his heart beats, but approximately 0.1 seconds before the beat. So if we subtract this number, we get that the free time when the brunet has is about 1.6 seconds. Even though Rolo already knew this, he couldn't help but frown at the number. 1.6 seconds... That's all he has if he manages to perfect the timing. 1.6 seconds to use his Geass.

This was his only solution if he wished to be able to use his Geass even for awhile. It was incredibly risky and dangerous for a couple of reasons: if he timed his power wrongly, a stinging pain would course through his body from the shockwave, and even though it would only last for maximum two seconds, those few moments could be crucial to him. Even if the timing was right, stopping the already weak heart for numerous times could result in serious damage later on, defibrillator or no defibrillator. When Rolo's in the hospital, he's more free to practice, since even if something happens, no ones is going to let the brunet die here, so it's practically the only opportunity he has. But when he's out of here... Even if the young assassin doesn't want to admit it, he'll have to restrain from using his Geass and only allow it in crucial situations. He already almost died once and he has no wish on doing so again.

Here comes the hard part.

Gently placing his palm on his chest area and glancing at his cellphone, Rolo prepared. Like mentioned before, it was only about twenty percent chance he'll be able to use up all the 1.6 seconds, so for now the brunet will stick to only one second. It's easy with a chronometer, but he won't have this thing all the time, so he had to learn how to feel his heartbeat even a little bit. That required great focus, that's why he chose the night. When the assassin will be able to do that freely, it will be much easier to use his Geass in that time limit.

Rolo inhaled deeply and exhaled, focusing on the beat he felt with his pale hand. If he really tried, he could sense almost unnoticeable waves in his chest area, signaling the work of the ICD. The brunet had to time the use of his Geass accordingly, activating it just a part of a second later after the signal is sent to his heart.

Easier said than done.

The moment he felt a slight wave course through his chest, he tried activating his Geass, but hesitated for a few milliseconds. That threw the young student a bit off-course in his sense of time, which resulted in canceling his power a bit too late - stinging pain hit his chest area along with his right eye. Rolo gasped loudly and grasped the two places with his still weakened hands.

''Damn it...'' He muttered irritated as he slowly let go of the two areas, from which the pain quickly left, though the memory of it still remained. I still can't sense the time correctly.

The brunet ended up repeating the process with a few minutes pauses in between to let his heart rest. The next tries were more successful than the first, but the young assassin was still not satisfied. He felt too weak and he hated it.

As Rolo was getting dressed up in his school uniform, since he didn't really have any other clothes, doctor Feled came in along with a nurse to do the regular check-up.

''How are you feeling today, Rolo?'' The man asked gently as he took out the brunet's file.

''Fine.'' The boy answered indifferently as he buttoned up his jacket.

''How is your body doing?''

The young patient frowned a bit at that question, but answered it nonetheless. ''Still a bit too weak.''

''I see. There are no tests scheduled for today, only your regular rehabilitation.'' The doctor took some notes before glancing up at the boy, whose temperature and pressure were being measured by the nurse. ''I also have some news for you. We finally managed to contact miss Zumberg and she would be delighted to visit you today, if that is alright with you.''

Rolo turned his head toward the older man and nodded without a second's hesitation. ''Yes, I would like to meet her today.''

''Good. I'll inform her then. She should arrive at the visiting hours.'' The doctor announced before taking his leave, along with the young nurse, who had already finished the procedures.

Being left alone, the brunet clicked his tongue and slowly laid down on his bed. So finally he gets to meet this mysterious girl. The boy had already somewhat rehearsed the possible dialogues and questions he was going to ask her, and even if he didn't want to admit it, Rolo was anxious on meeting this Kayla Zumberg.

I hate this.

That was the only thought that rang in the brunet's head as he slowly made his way back to his room with the help of a pair of crutches. Rolo hated everything about this situation: the rehabilitation, these damn crutches, the doctors, the tests, everything. He hated feeling weak, pitied. The boy wished he could get out of this place as soon as possible, but with his current condition it wasn't really an option. Even though Rolo tried not to think about it too much, he couldn't get various thoughts out of his mind. No one from his acquaintances still knew that the young assassin was at this hospital, and to be honest, the boy intended to keep it that way for awhile. Though his uniform could cause some trouble later on, he should get some new clothes if he doesn't want to be recognized. At least until he finds out what's happening in the world at the moment. And that girl Kayla could hold the answers.

Lunch was over and the impatient brunet sat on his bed, clenching his teal-colored phone with his right hand while tapping the surface of the nightstand with the other. Visiting hours had already began and the boy was growing anxious by the minute. Why was he so nervous, he couldn't tell. It was just a meeting with a simple girl, there's no need to be too wary or edgy. On second thought, Rolo knew nothing about her and her intentions. She could be a spy from the Black Knights for all he knew. There isn't a thing as being too cautious. With that thought his hand unconsciously traveled to the bump on his lower jacket, where his pocket knife resided soundly. If the worst came to the worst... It would be better if it didn't.

When that thought entered the brunet's mind, his ward's door opened and the doctor entered, followed by a young girl, who seemed extremely on edge. That must be Kayla.

''Hello Rolo, as you can see, your visitor has finally arrived.'' The man said gently with a spark in his eyes. Why, the young student didn't know. ''I'll leave you two alone then. Let me remind you that visiting hours end at six pm.''

Rolo only nodded at that and directed his gaze to the tensed-up girl. She didn't seem older than him, around the same age probably. Her style wasn't very to the liking of the young assassin, he never seemed to enjoy a somewhat punk-ish outfit. Red and black dominated in her attire, though it seemed she chose a bit more decent clothes for her visit, which Rolo appreciated. Kayla's chocolate-brown hair hung loose on her back, barely reaching her waistline. It seems she had some makeup on, but what really caught the brunet's attention wasn't any of these things. It was her eyes. They gleamed with crimson red, which was truly captivating.

''H-Hello there, my name's Kayla.'' The girl finally broke the rather uncomfortable silence and tried to smile. ''You must be Rolo, right? It's nice to see you're alright and it's a pleasure to meet you finally.''

''Likewise.'' The brunet answered monotonically and set his gaze onto the door. ''Could you please lock the door. I don't want anyone disturbing us.''

''Eh?..'' His visitor seemed a bit surprised at his request, which was evident by her widened eyes. ''S-Sure.''

The brown-haired moved closer to the door and twisted its lock, retreating immediately afterwards. Why do hospital rooms even have locks?.. It somewhat made her tense up even more. For some reason it seemed to her that the boy had a dark aura around him, which definitely didn't make her more comfortable with this situation.

Seeing the anxiety in his visitor's eyes, Rolo thought about changing his tactics a bit. Placing a small smile on his lips, he tried his best to look gently at her as he spoke again.

''Could you come closer, please? Sit down.'' The brunet patted the side of his bed next to him. ''No need to be so tense either.''

The girl bit her lip and seemed to hesitate for a few moments before slowly walking over to the boy. Rolo knew the reason for her uneasiness. If he wanted some true answers, he had to get rid of that feeling of hers. Rolo never really enjoyed acting or pretending to be someone he's not, but over these past months he learned it was sometimes necessary to achieve his goal. Especially know when his Geass is restrained.

''So, umm, how are you feeling these days?'' Kayla finally asked a bit sheepishly, though cautiousness was evident in her voice.

''Better, thank you, though my memory still hasn't fully returned.'' Rolo answered and frowned a bit, taking his plan into action. If he played oblivious, the girl should take down her guard even just a bit.

''Oh, well that's not good to hear.'' The girl pretended to be saddened, though Rolo could feel some relief. ''If you don't mind me asking, what part you can't remember?''

''Actually, everything leading up to me being placed here.'' The boy sighed. ''The doctor said that you found me unconscious in the woods and immediately brought me here, right?''

''Y-Yeah, I definitely didn't expect to find an almost-lifeless boy on my little stroll, a squirrel maybe, but not a human. Fun, huh?'' Kayla chuckled a bit nervously, although it was clear she was relaxing for now.

''Say, how did you find me anyway? From what I understood, I lost consciousness while being quite deep in the forest.''

''I already told you, I was taking a stroll.''

''But doesn't it seem to convenient?'' Rolo frowned and looked up at the girl with confused eyes. ''You don't have to hide anything from me. If it's a secret, I promise I won't tell anyone, you did save my life.''

''I guess so, but... Umm...'' It seemed like she was trying to think up some sort of excuse. ''It was pure coincidence. I went out for a walk and lost track of time. Sure, I usually don't go that far, but that day I just sorta did.'' The girl answered sheepishly.

''I see.'' The boy muttered. He observed his visitor for a moment, thinking of possible plans of action. The brunette didn't seem too athletic, just a regular highschool girl. If Rolo was in his full health, he would be able to take her down easily. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time. However, Rolo still held an advantage over her.

''I'm sorry, but could you tell me exactly how you found me and what state was I in, without leaving anything out?'' He finally asked carefully.

Kayla bit her lip and pondered for a moment. She visibly tensed again before answering. ''I get the feeling I'm not the one hiding something here.''

Rolo's eyes narrowed and his expression hardened. It seems she finally saw through him. Even so...

''You are mistaken.'' The boy said bluntly, loosing his softness. ''I am not hiding anything, I am merely seeking for answers which you seem to hold.''

''Ohh, what's with that formal tone all of a sudden?'' Kayla giggled and jumped to her feet. She somehow suddenly gained a lot of confidence. ''Yes, it's true that I have a lot of answers, seeing as how I am a year older than you. Like stuff concerning math or physics.'' The girl chuckled amusingly as she swayed back and forth. This sudden change of character startled Rolo as he stared dumbfound at her. Suddenly his gaze caught something on her that wasn't there before: originally both of the girl's eyes were red, but now the left one shone with the color of gold.

A/N: And that's the second chapter! I am very very sorry that this took so long, my computer broke and I couldn't write as much, plus school stuff... Sowwy T-T Anyway, I thought I'd give you a longer chapter, since I made y'all wait so long xD I usually try to keep them around 2000 words, but not this time ;) Hope you liked it!

Sorry if I messed up the medical stuff, I tried okay, I even did research, so please bear with me here xD

Thank you all who review, followed and favorited, it means the world to me, it really does :33

Pleaseee, don't be shy and tell me what you think, I'll appreciate it and I'll give you a lot of hugs :33 Maybe, just maybe, if I get enough love from you, I'll do a special A/N with a guest, hmm? ;) Maybe a guest who I referenced here?.. ;) Anyway, see ya!