Alpha and Omega - Jackal's Story

Chapter 6

In collaboration with Subzero Dragon. Visit their profile to see the other side of this story. Important events that aren't mentioned here take part in the other side of the story.

I feel a warmth that I hadn't felt in a long time. It feels as though I am floating through the blue, cloudless sky and the sun's rays hit my skin. Maybe this is what it feels like to be hit with a weak blaze attribute bullet. It is heavenly and despite how relaxing it feels, I know that this is not what it is like in the real world. No, the real world is far from the warmth that I feel now. Did I die during the Director's testing? One part of me hopes that I did, that way I can experience this warmth for an eternity. However, one part hopes that I didn't die because I would have left Robin behind. I remember how ecstatic she was when we were reunited after that bastard snake Aragami's attacks and I remember how determined I was to protect her when we got into another helicopter. One thing is for sure, if protecting Robin means that I only have to sacrifice this warmth then I'm all for it...

The warmth disappears and a blinding light is shone from up above, limiting my eye sight and I shut them again. I lift a hand up to block the blinding light and my eyes flicker open to get used to the bright environment. It takes about 5 seconds before my eyes have adjusted to the light in the room and I sit up from my lying position. Looking around the room, I notice that I am no longer in the Director's laboratory and instead, am in a place filled with beds. The electrical equipment beside all of the beds leads me to believe this room to be an infirmary. I could see a figure in the sheets of a bed directly opposite mine and, looking to the machines, I notice that the person has a healthy heart rate. I couldn't identify the person though as they were most concealed by the sheets. In my mind I thought it was Robin but I couldn't prove that until I checked for myself. Although, I was desperately hoping for the person to be somebody else and I am disgusted with myself because of this thought. Either way, I need to confirm the person's identity.

With a grunt, I swing my right leg over the side of the bed and swing my left leg to join my right. My muscles felt weak and low in energy. The pain in my legs can only be described as the pains you would get after stretching your muscles from too much exercise. Nevertheless my body soon joined them and I felt my bare feet touch the cold, hard floor and I grimaced as the heat left me. Now is the time for the hard part; I lifted my upper body up from the bed and could feel my leg muscles becoming slightly strained as they hold me weight. Something tells me that I had been on that bed for much longer than a few hours. Like a newborn dear, I stumble towards the person's bed, grabbing at neighbouring beds to help me reach my destination. I reach the person's bed and collapse in the seat next to it.

"gra." I groan and wheeze, giving myself time to regain breath before looking towards the figure in the bed. The person had green hair but the rest of the person was concealed. Nonetheless, I was familiar with this particular head of green hair and I raise my arm to draw back some of the duvet. It was indeed Robin, dressed in a hospital gown, and I couldn't help but notice her face. She had a few scratches that didn't look too deep but apart from that she looked peaceful. She was as tranquil as she was during the time I had first stumbled across her in the forest near The Valley. That was the first time I had seen Robin and she looked as delicate as the cherry petals floating in the breeze around her. Of course, she had screamed once she first saw me. I had tried to explain to her that I had woke up not too far away from this forest and just kept walking for signs for others like me but she didn't take any notice. She just kept backing away so I took equidistant steps closer to her, always keeping the same distance between us. She had ran back to what I now know to be the facility known as the Valley where she screamed for Commander Viper. I swear, the look on his face when we first saw each other was priceless. It was as if he had seen a ghost, his face lost all colour and he looked about ready to pass out. Maybe he was surprised to see me.

As I sit next to Robin and think about how we first met, I notice a strange sound and disregard it. If only it was as easy to disregard the firm grip on my shoulder. I look at it as it tenses up. I notice it was a woman's hand and it continues to grip me harder.

"Ahh!" I scream as I feel the pain from her grip.

"You should be in your own bed." The voice is unfamiliar but demanding and as if making a point, the woman grips my other shoulder, almost forcing me to my own bed. I allow her to "guide" me to my bed where I roll onto my back and get a look at the woman responsible for tearing me away from Robin's bedside. She is probably the closest thing I have seen to a naked woman in my life. She appears to wear a bit of cloth that covers some of her breasts and that cloth remains in place via two straps that go behind her neck. She also has a frilly, lopsided skirt and high heels. The woman's attire is green and black.

"You should be resting. It's good to see that you are awake but you will aggravate your injuries if you move around." She speaks up and moves her head over to Robin's form.

"Your friend looks to be in fine condition, for the moment." She whispers the last part of her sentence, probably hoping that I didn't hear it but since she was the only person talking, I did hear it.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask the question because, quite honestly, her last part of her sentence worried me. Isn't it amazing what the power of three words can hold.

"Oh," She seemed shocked that I picked up on it as she stared at me in a surprised stupor.

"Well, over the past few days" She trails off as she looks towards Robin. The suspense is killing me and I'm sure she knows that it is too.

"Over the past few days, Robin's wounds have been reopening and she loses a lot of blood." She explains before directing her head towards me again, "Do you know if she has a history of haemophilia? Like, does it run in the family?" She asks me with the hopes of gaining some answers but I have no idea what the word even means.

"Haemo-what?"

"Haemophilia. It means that the body has difficulty with the production of blood clots hence why her wounds seem to reopen." Despite the woman's explanation, I still didn't understand what she was saying but I'd try my best to answer it because I'd feel embarrassed if I had to ask what it means again.

"I don't know if it runs in the family. I don't think she ever talked about her family..." It was beginning to depress me how little I knew about her life outside of being a God Eater. She is supposed to be my friend and the only things I know about her are either God Eater related or that she likes drawing. What kind of a friend am I?

"I didn't mean to upset you." When the woman speaks again, I noticed that I had bowed my head so I looked back up to the woman.

"Oh, right. I forgot to introduce myself." The woman says with a tinge of surprise on her face. "My name is Sakuya Tachibana, sub-leader of the Far East Branch's 1st Unit." She gives a playful salute. I'd be lying is I said it didn't cheer me up slightly but something she said wasn't quite right, in my eyes.

"1st Unit? Then why weren't you with Alisa, Kota and Soma earlier when we were against the big, black snake?" I ask her in confusion.

"Big, bla-? Oh, you mean your encounter with Tsuchinoko from a few days ago. I was away from the Far East Branch on business at the time. Sorry I couldn't have helped you or your friend." She looks apologetic for the fact that she couldn't assist Robin or I. Had I made her feel guilty? Surely there was nothing she could do to help us.

"There was nothing you could- Did you say a few days ago?!" I shout my question at her as I rapidly sit up in my bed, regretting the decision almost instantly as I begin to see the room twirling around in my head. I feel a pair of hands on my arms helping me to lie back down.

"Yes, your battle with the Tsuchinoko happened a few days ago. You've been here ever since your medical in Doctor Sakaki's laboratory."

"That bastard! He knocked me out for days?! When I get my hands on him-"

"Do not use that language here, am I understood?!" Sakuya shouts back at me and I shrink away from her. To anybody else it would look like I was cowering in fear.

"Doctor Sakaki had to knock you out for a while so that your injuries could heal. If they hadn't you would have been in a lot more pain than you already are" She explains in a strict voice and nothing else is spoken for a few minutes.

"So when are we allowed out of the infirmary?" I refer to myself and Robin seeing as how we are both injured.

"You will probably be out of here in the next day or two. Your friend though, it could be the same time as you but it could be much later than you. She's in a state of unconsciousness which she can't be awakened from. Until she is out of her coma then we won't know if she has been damaged in any other way. Take brain damage as an example."

"You mean that there is a possibility that she has brain damage?!" The news was only getting worse.

"Yes and you shouting about it isn't going to put you or her in a better position!" She retorts and scares me into staying quiet. She can be quite scary when she wants to be.

"You need rest too. So try to get some sleep. I'll be back to deliver your food in about an hour or two so take a nap until then, okay?" She says with a cute smile on her face before leaving the room. She has left me with my own thoughts and they tend to drift to Robin's condition, something which I do not like at all...