With all these late nights I've forgotten to say a few things...
It's been a month! Wow, that seemed like nothing. Definitely not am month... Though if you think about it, it's more like a month and a year :P
Secondly, I forgot to thank LuigiWife1551, zentih88 and two mysterious guests... Well one not so mysterious, for posting reviews! So thanks! It's literally the best motivation for writing.
And lastly, enjoy the chapter! (Not that I forgot of course. Somehow I'm still posting them on time :P )
"Ratchet" My name echoes without fail through my dreams. The voice was unrecognisable, as usual, but there was still a distant familiarity about it. Finally, I decided to get up off the warm floor to see if I could find anything through the darkness. The word 'dream' popped into my head as I sat up and the nausea hit. Only determination kept me going now. Dream or not, I was going to find this voice.
'At least I'm not getting pummeled by silver balls this time' the thought popped up as quickly as it left. Suddenly what I saw was not what I normally saw. I was looking at myself from behind like a 3rd person shooter game.
'Silver balls?' The dream me thought. It was almost like having two consciouses. One that knew what I was thinking about, and one where I didn't, like a memory seal had been plastered over me. The whole situation puzzled me, and eventually gave me a headache.
'Dream' The word was pummeled at me again. The memory sealed version of me though, and he, well me, couldn't figure it out.
"You're dreaming!" I tried to shout at my other self, but it didn't work. I didn't so much as flinch at the sound, and the half of me controlling him told me he didn't hear it.
"Wake up." New words echoed throughout the darkness from a seemingly external source, and this time I looked up. Even the 'camera version' of my sights looked up, breaking away from the other me for just two seconds. But gravity kicked in and I fell to the ground.
I looked around quickly, but any sign of the other me had completely vanished, not into the dark I don't think, like completely disappeared.
"Ratchet, wake up." The ominous voice called out a full sentence this time, and I unwillingly looked up to the apparent direction of the voice. Two green circular lights were at the top of the dark area, and I instantly thought of my best friend. The guy who was bound to save me from whatever this was. Not really a nightmare, but not a nice cheery dream either.
"Clank!" I called out. I could actually hear myself this time, though physical ears rather than talking from a camera's point of view.
"Ratchet?" The ominous voice called out again. No, Clanks voice. That's where I recognised it from.
"Wake up, Ratchet." Clank said again, and the word 'dream' thrusted towards me again.
"I'm trying." I said, not quite shouting. It was almost as if I was having a conversation with Clank, just by looking at two green circles on the ceiling.
"Wake up." The two words echoed through the place, bouncing from my left to right ear continuously.
"I'm trying!" I shouted this time. But no, I didn't shout, it came out as a mumble, and somehow I opened my eyes.
I squinted against the bright lights above me as I regained consciousness from the dream. I was right; Clank was here, right above me in fact. Funny how dreams can work out.
"Hello, Ratchet." Clank said as formal as ever, a smile creeping from the corners of his metal lips, or what passed as lips for him.
"Hey, Clank." I tried to say, but I instantly regretted it. Searing pain poured out of my left cheek and I shoved my hands up to meet it. Even it finally succumbed enough for him no open his eyes, he saw Clank was holding up a sheet of paper that read: 'Jaw Exercises"
"Theses should help you speak again. Of course, you will still feel pain, but it will eventually subside." The robot - Who Ratchet finally noticed was actually sitting next to him on the bed, not on a stool - said, a hopeful expression etched along his silver face. I nodded at the thought, but rolled my eyes internally. Like hell I was going to use that. I wanted to talk now, so I would. Plus through talking, I will be stretching anyway, right?
"How's Talwyn?" I tried to get out. The pain started up again, though not nearly as bad as before. The voice I heard was not mine, and was almost unintelligible.
"Talwyn?" The robot inferred. Or maybe he just knew, and to be honest I would put my voice on the latter. What else would he expect me to try and say? When I nodded, Clank spoke calmly about the situation.
"Talwyn is fine. Her legs are healing fast, and the slight infection she had has disappeared greatly. In the three days you two have been here, you've both been looking better each day. Talwyn has even started do some small leg exercises, though the doctors still are advising her not to walk."
Not walk? At least it wasn't for so long. If anything I can still walk, it wasn't like my legs were broken or anything.
"You on the other hand. The doctors want to keep you in for at least two weeks. Nanotech doesn't just grow skin back in a day. The hole in your mouth will take at least a week to patch up, two weeks for it to stop hurting."
"2 weeks!?" I tried to shout. But all Clank heard was a raspy cough from my dry throat. Pain swelled up again before I clutched my cheek. Still not as bad as before, and progress was progress. I was almost starting to doubt the doctors ambitious-sounding theory. He probably wasn't working off a Lombax.
When I could get my eyes open again, after the pain, I looked up at Clank who gave me a sombre look.
"You worry me, Ratchet." He said, expression never faltering. I wanted to tell him not to worry, to relax for a bit. Enjoy some spare time, care free time. But I couldn't answer him. I may have gurgled, because he nodded, but again the pain swelled.
Clank had left when I opened my eyes, I think he may've said something about painkillers, but it didn't matter. There was one person on my mind at the moment, as selfish as It may have sounded. Talwyn.
I decided to try and find her through the halls of the hospital. If anything, she should be close, especially since Clank would've been making the orders for where we were kept.
I slowly got out of my bed, keeping my jaw still, as well as my stiff limbs. Sitting up without the help of a pillow seemed impossible enough, but I conquered forward. My feet hit the ground, which was cold to the touch. It made me want to curl up in some thick winter blankets, not that I would of course, or could for that matter.
No was the hard part. Standing up. The weight on my legs, pressure on my bones and muscles - stiff from not been used for another 3 days - seemed to crack under me. It was nowhere near as painful as my cheek, but pain was still pain. Regardless, I pushed away from the bed.
'Yes!' I shouted in my mind. I had done it! I had stood up! Half of me was saying 'Good job man, now rest up.' The other half was saying 'You've come this far, don't turn back.'
I chose the latter.
With each step towards the door I lost more and more energy, like the hole on my cheek was the leak for it. When I reached the doorway, I leaned heavily against it. The strong threshold was just enough to keep me up. It was almost as if I was holding on for dear life. But I couldn't move anymore. 5 steps and I was already feeling as if I had gone through galactic war 8, having already been in two of them.
I was just about to give up, and let myself fall to the floor when Clank came round the corner with the nurse who'd given me attitude earlier. They almost barged me down before noticing me. I also saw they had brought a wheelchair with them.
"See, I told you he would do this." Clank said to the woman, who giggled.
It was a relief when I got to sit back down in the chair. This one even had a hole for my tail, I was pleased.
"Would you like to see Miss Apogee?" The nurse - Celia, if I remembered correctly - asked. My answer couldn't have been more obvious, but I nodded anyway. To even see Talwyn sleeping would be a sight for sore eyes. A smiled on her face if she was awake would be even better.
We reached Talwyn's room quickly, it being right next to mine. I found her reading a book, pages fayed, the crimson cover looking daunt, but it must've been a good read, though nothing could keep her from looking at me as I was wheeled into the room.
"Ratchet!" She shouted in excitement, but I could only nod. Even the smile now plastered across my face induced pain.
"How are you?" she asked.
Stuff it. I couldn't just act like a mute. I wanted to talk to her.
"I'm fine." The words barely came out of my mouth, and the pain reared up again, though I did my best to hide it.
"A bullet has been through your cheek, you're obviously not fine." She snapped her book shut. I felt sheepish about my statement now, wishing I could take back the past. But that's what you say to that question, right? 'I'm fine.'
"How are you?" The words somehow escaped me. Again pain shot through my cheek, and I was beginning to feel dizzy.
"Not bad. I'll be honest, my legs feel like they've been hit by a truck. I don't even know what happened to them. But don't worry, I'm fine. Curious, hungry, annoyed at the fact this galaxy doesn't know about sharkleberry pie, but fine.
I laughed a bit, the sound seemingly foreign to me. Talwyn smiled at the notion.
"Does it hurt to speak?" She finally asked after a second of silence, and as to prove the point I just nodded. The look she gave back to me was a mixture of 'Get back to your room now and get better' and 'Stay, I want to talk more.' But we both knew I couldn't keep this up too much longer. Even with the pain, sleep found a way. Exhaustion stacked on top of more exhaustion from the past week. I was almost glad that there would be a minimum of two weeks here.
With the last ounce of my strength I took control of the wheelchair, edging myself closer towards the Markazian. Finally, I picked her hand up slowly, and moved it toward my mouth for a small kiss, like a price.
'I love you' I told her through my eyes as I set her hand down. The smile on her face was worth the world.
I eventually got wheeled back to my room which was a few meters away, and got helped onto the bed. I took some painkillers and was told to sleep, which I nodded toward. My door was closed, my lights we're off, my eyes were shut. And the image of Talwyn smiling at me earlier sung through my thoughts and I wondered at the back of my head 'When was the last time I went to sleep like this?'
I walked away from my best friends room with a smile. He really needed that. He needed his spirits lifted, and just seeing the smiled on his face lifted mine. If one of us was happy, the other was, that was how to explain part of my relationship with Ratchet.
"Clank." Talwyn called out to me as I passed her room. I knew that she was meant to go to sleep soon too, but I went to see her anyway.
"Yes?"
"Is he sleeping?" She whispered, giving a quick glance to the wall on her right.
"He will be soon. What's the matter?"
"There's something I want to give him, a Lombax artefact. A sculpture to be precise. It was given to my father by a Lombax whose name is on it, but it's in Polaris. Could you get into contact with Cronk and Zephyr, and get it shipped, or teleported here?"
"I will get right on it." I told her matter of factly, and she smiled.
"Thanks, Clank. I just know he will love it."
So what is this sculpture going to be? Take a guess! It'll be revealed in 3 days.
Oh, and you may have noticed that I like writing dream sequences. I just noticed myself :P It's sprung and idea for something original though :D
And as usual, thanks for reading! :3