The child grew accustomed to her surroundings as the days passed, although trust remained elusive. Nurse Flood and Dr. Ludwig were the exceptions. Whenever Nurse Flood was present, the child could tell her eyes were genuinely concerned.
She was hesitant with Dr. Ludwig because of how unusually friendly he was, but she slowly got used to him since he was the one who bandaged her. But others, especially the new faces, were met with wary eyes.
When the child had gotten better with enough energy to stay awake, Nurse Flood handed her a book to read, and Dr. Ludwig gave her a notebook, a pencil, and colored pencils to draw. The poor child could not understand the words or what to draw.
She never had a chance to draw or write anything in her life, sometimes staring at the pages of the book as her vision blurred or made the words shaky whenever she attempted to look better. Yet again, her voice could not verbally tell them her issues because she had been silenced for a long time.
The child secretly felt a little overwhelmed that she could not figure out how to write or read, wanting someone to stay next to her to teach her, but they had to assist another person in the hospital, meaning she needed to wait.
However, another new moment would happen over time, like whenever the child needed a flu shot or to stretch her legs after some of her scars had healed, giving her discomfort with having to do something new and worrying about what would happen next.
But either Nurse Flood or Dr. Ludwig comforted her by being there for her and helping her whenever they could, either by showing her an empty needle or walking by her side to help her stay upright.
…Well, there was that nurse who seemed to hate her, constantly grimacing whenever she walked around the hallways through the hospital to stretch out her legs, holding either Nurse Flood's or Dr. Ludwig's hands since walking alone was still a struggle.
Whenever it was her turn to help the child, she barely did anything for the poor child, sometimes grimacing whenever the child mentioned either a glass of water or an item she wanted to look at, telling her, "Get it yourself, freak!"
The poor child hated it whenever the hateful nurse entered the room, either ignoring her or even refusing to come near the child, telling her that she would get her dirty hands on her uniform and make it dirty.
This always makes the child feel useless because she wants to get up and get the items the hateful nurse placed out of her reach, but she cannot stand because of her aching legs or the new bandages wrapped tightly around her body.
One day, Dr. Ludwig and his doppelgängers rewrapped the child's body with fresh new bandages, each one bidding the child goodnight before leaving the room for the night. The child eventually fell asleep in the darkness until the clock struck midnight.
A chorus of whispers filled the child's ears, causing the child to wake up after hearing the whispers and look around, wondering where the whispering was coming from. It all sounded like different people were whispering to each other, but she could not tell who was talking.
No one was in the room with her either since she did not trust strangers entering the hospital room other than Nurse Flood, Dr. Ludwig, or his doppelgängers. The child becomes nervous as she listens to whispers, glancing around nervously in the darkness, but she swears she saw shadows moving.
Afraid, the child pulled the blankets over her head as the whispering continued, wanting someone to come into the room to comfort her or make the whispering stop as she covered her ears with her hands. Suddenly, the whispers abruptly stopped, causing the child to become confused and slowly remove her hands from her ears.
The feeling of weight against her stomach caused the child to flinch before looking at what was on her stomach, thinking it was her kitten. Instead, two figures were sitting on her stomach side by side, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
The two figures were two feet tall compared to the child and had the theme of black and white, staring down at her with confusion and curiosity.
The first had a beautiful female face with porcelain white skin, large, almond-shaped silver eyes, and long, straight white hair just down the middle of her back. She almost looked like a beautiful woman who had stepped out of a painting.
But she had a fur collar around her neck, and her body was covered with slick fur, a feather tail with small gold details at the tips, feather wings on her back with the same small golden details, and a halo over her head that was encrusted with small engravings.
The second, however, had a more monstrous appearance. He stands taller and more formidable, and his jet-black fur is coarse, thick, and shaggy like a wild beast. His face, while man-like, is twisted more feral and wild, with mane-like jet-black hair down to his shoulders and dark gray skin with black eyes and canines poking from his lips.
Each point of a finger ends with a claw and a long, whip-like tail with a tuft of fur at the end that flicks to the side, bat wings folded neatly on the back, and obsidian horns that curl over his head from his forehead underneath all the hair.
After seeing the two figures, the child flinched and opened her mouth to say anything or perhaps give a startling scream. But the two mysterious figures gently shushed the child with a finger to their lips before moving their other hand forward, showing a necklace with a rainbow gemstone before the child.
The child looked surprised after seeing the necklace before her before the two asked simultaneously, "Child of silence, heart so pure, do you hold the gem, the world's allure? Have you faced the elemental test, guided by the omnizite's request? Whispers of water, flame's fierce dance, earth's deep embrace, air's fleeting chance, the fifth unknown, spirit's divine trance. Have you, young guardian, taken this stance?"
The child perked after hearing the rhyme before silently nodding and answering their question. The two glanced at each other after the child nodded and returned to the child, telling her, "In the heart of the brave, the omnizite lies, chosen guardian, under the vast skies. With its power, you'll soar to heights unknown; guided by us, you'll never be alone."
They carefully placed the omnizite necklace around the child's neck as she perked with confusion, looking back up at them silently, and the two noticed she had not spoken a word towards them.
"In the dance of words, you've yet to partake; is it by choice or a bond yet to break?" The two asked simultaneously. "Silent guardian, voice trapped within, share with us now; where does your tale begin?"
The child paused a little from responding before tapping her neck with her hand, silently telling them that she was mute, and the two looked at each other after the child tapped her fingers against her throat before glancing back at the child.
"Voice bound in chains, silent by fate's decree, yet your spirit, young guardian, is vibrant and free." The two spoke towards her, leaning slightly as the child stiffened but oddly relaxed."Though words elude, your heart speaks loud; in the silence, your courage stands proud."
They both placed their hands on the child's throat, causing the child to perk as the two continued, "With balance and unity, the essence we share, for a guardian like you, we deeply care. In time, young one, your voice may soar, for with the omnizite, much is in store."
A warm feeling formed against the child's neck, causing the child to shudder as it washed across her body, spreading from her throat all over her body. It soon disappeared after a second, and the two removed their hands from her throat.
Then they both warned her, "Guardian chosen, heed our call; the omnizite's power can build or make fall. In the hands of malice, worlds may shatter, its might misused, and chaos will scatter. Through the allure of its magic, many will yearn, and through deceit and shadows, they will turn. Protect it close, near your heart's song, for in the wrong grasp, all could go wrong. Remember your purpose, hold true to your stand, and defend the omnizite with a firm hand. Its destiny and yours, forever entwined, seek balance within, and strength you'll find."
The child looked at the necklace around her neck hesitantly but nodded at the two. After she nodded, a wave of sleepiness washed over the child as she slowly blinked, trying to stay away at first, but soon fell asleep as the white being said before she drifted to sleep, "We will meet again some other time." The black being responded, "Though paths may diverge, destiny will intertwine; to our guardian chosen, we're never behind."
The child eventually fell asleep as the two beings disappeared into thin air, leaving the child alone in the room as the time on the clock reads past midnight.
The gentle beam of sunshine slowly woke the child up from her sleep, blinking a few times before sitting up from where she was and feeling there was something around her neck. She reached up with a hand and felt something round, indicating the omnizite necklace.
The room's soft, ambient glow felt subdued as the door creaked open. A tall figure stepped onto the threshold, her silhouette darker against the dim light. The same hateful nurse, her face drawn into a tight, disapproving scowl, made her presence known. The child, feeling an immediate shift in the room's atmosphere, looked up. Her innocent eyes met the hateful nurse's icy gaze, filled with apparent distaste.
"I see you're awake," the hateful nurse remarked coldly, her voice dripping with annoyance.
The child felt goosebumps across her body as the hateful nurse walked near the bed, and the child gave a small grunt, mentioning the tray in her hands with a pleading expression.
The hateful nurse paused momentarily, her gaze drifting down to the tray and then back to the child. A smirk crossed her face as she tilted the tray just enough for the child to see the contents. The aroma of the warm food wafted to the child's nostrils, increasing her hunger.
"Why? Hungry?" The hateful nurse taunted, her voice dripping with condescension. After the hateful nurse asked, the child nodded, but she moved the tray away from the child's fingers with a cold chuckle. "Can't you get it since you can walk?"
The child silently shook her head no and tried again, almost falling out of the bed, but she grabbed the side of the bed with her hands, causing the hateful nurse to give another cold chuckle.
With an air of arrogance, the hateful nurse leaned slightly forward, observing the child's struggle with cruel amusement. "Trying so hard for a bit of breakfast? Pathetic," she sneered, her voice cold and devoid of empathy.
She dangled the tray just out of the child's reach as she continued trying again, watching as desperation and determination flashed in the child's eyes. "If you can't speak, how can you ask for what you want? Maybe this is a lesson for you," she continued, her words calculated to inflict emotional pain.
The child gives a grunt of frustration out of hunger and pushes the blankets off her body, moving her legs over the bed like Nurse Flood taught her whenever she needed to stretch out her legs.
She placed her bare feet against the tile floor and pushed herself up, but it was a little too quickly because her foot slipped, and she yelped, landing roughly with a slap against the ground on her side.
The child's body hitting the floor echoed in the room's silence as she winced in pain, feeling her almost healing scars sting. The hateful nurse looked down, her eyes widening momentarily in surprise. However, instead of rushing to help or showing concern, her lips curled into a triumphant smirk.
"Well, look at that," she drawled, her voice dripping with mockery. "You should've stayed in bed. This is what happens when you get too greedy."
The child looked up at the hateful nurse with a slight scowl, shakily pushing herself up from the cold ground, and struggled to put her feet up, but they kept slipping underneath her body or whenever she attempted to put them underneath. The hateful nurse's laugh was not helpful as the child became more annoyed.
Seeing the child's growing frustration, the hateful nurse's amusement intensified. "Oh, what's the matter?" she mocked, her voice high-pitched in a crude imitation of the child's distress. "Can't you even stand on your own two feet? And here I thought you were trying to prove something."
She leaned in, her face inches from the child's, and whispered wickedly, "Maybe you should crawl back into bed like the helpless baby you are."
The child attempted to take this moment to get the food tray, but the hateful nurse quickly moved back as she exclaimed, "Gi-!"
The hateful nurse paused after hearing a small word, and the child perked, deciding to take this moment to form a word, and exclaimed, "G-Gi-Give!"
The nurse, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected sound of the child's voice, met the child's gaze with her own narrowed eyes. "Oh? You finally found your voice?" she sneered, dripping with sarcasm. "But unfortunately for you, I don't take orders from little brats."
With a malicious grin, she purposefully turned the tray in her hands, letting the contents slide off and into the nearby trash bin. The sound of the plate clattering against the bottom of the trash bin echoed in the tense atmosphere of the room.
"There," she said with a smirk as the child looked more distressed and angry, "Now there's nothing left to 'give.' I guess you'll go hungry today."
She locked eyes with the child, a cruel satisfaction on her face, enjoying every moment of the young girl's distress as she turned around and the child exclaimed, "G-Give!" crawling towards her against the slick ground as the hateful nurse opened the door to exit.
The moment the door swung open, the hateful nurse found herself staring at the stern faces of two Dr. Ludwigs. The one on the left, the original Dr. Ludwig, had an expression of barely suppressed anger, his eyes cold and calculating. The doppelgänger on the right, whose more unhinged nature was evident, had a wide grin that did not reach his eyes, making it all the more unsettling.
"Frau," began the original Dr. Ludwig, keeping his arms behind his back. "Jou seem to have forgotten zhe primary objective of our profession: to care."
His doppelgänger tilted his head, that eerie grin never fading. "Ja, care," he chimed in with a playful and menacing tone, "Zhough my methods might be unconventional, even I understand zhe importance of compassion. Somezhing jou seem to lack."
The hateful nurse, trapped between the two intimidating figures, tried to muster some defiance, her voice shaky: "The child is not my responsibility."
Then she showed a streak of anger towards the two that seemed a little out of place, ignoring that she was in trouble with them. "Why should I help some freak? She's just a small monster who destroys things in her path like the other humans in the real world!"
She instantly clapped her hands over her mouth with a gasp, indicating that she did not mean to say that, as the child perked after hearing that come out of her mouth. The hateful nurse's sudden outburst caught the attention of the two Dr. Ludwigs, their expressions growing more severe with each passing second.
The original Dr. Ludwig looked at the young child sprawled out on the ground with her legs behind her, then back at the hateful nurse covering her mouth with her hands, his blue eyes colder than ever.
The doppelgänger, whose grin had disappeared at the nurse's tirade, stepped forward. "Et's alvays curious, esn't et? How one's true colors bleed out en moments of pressure," he said, his voice dripping with a threatening sweetness.
The nurse began to stammer, her eyes darting between them, "I didn't mean to-"
Dr. Ludwig silently raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks. The silence that followed was suffocating. "Jou've said enough," he finally said, his voice low and controlled.
Taking the hint, the doppelgänger stepped closer to the nurse, pulling out a small syringe filled with a mysterious substance from one of the pockets of his belt as Dr. Ludwig walked towards the child on the ground.
"Jou see, liebe, every action has ets consequences," he whispered, swiftly injecting the liquid into her arm.
The hateful nurse's eyes widened in fear, her body growing limp as the drug took effect. She could barely register the events unfolding as the doppelgänger began to drag her away. But the last thing she heard was the original Dr. Ludwig's voice, a chilling promise of retribution: "Jou'll soon learn zhe importance of compassion, one vay or another."
Dr. Ludwig then turned his attention to the child, his demeanor changing from cold fury to warm concern, trying to comfort and assure her in the aftermath of the hateful nurse's cruel words as she was picked up and carried away.
After the doppelgänger had dragged the nurse away, leaving an eerie silence in his wake, Dr. Ludwig took a moment to compose himself before turning his attention to the young child. He kneeled beside her, softening his stern features and trying to seem less imposing. The poor child, he thought, had been through enough.
"Liebling," he began softly, using the German word for 'darling' in a gentle tone, "I am so, so sorry jou had to hear such zhings. People can be hurtful, often vithout cause or reason. Jou do not deserve any of zhis."
The child's eyes, previously filled with fear and anger, now carried a glimmer of curiosity, perhaps even hope. Dr. Ludwig noticed and smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair away from her forehead.
"Und, by zhe way," he continued with pride, "Congratulations on speaking jour first word. 'Give.' Et's a powerful one. Et means jou're learning to voice out jour needs und ask for vhat jou deserve. I'm proud of jou."
The child's face lit up at the unexpected praise, and though she did not respond with more words, her eyes spoke volumes. They twinkled with the beginnings of trust and appreciation, beginning to enjoy the words coming out of Dr. Ludwig's mouth.
Dr. Ludwig leaned in closer, whispering with a grin, "Und just between us, et's a joy to finally hear jour voice. Never let anyone dim your spirit, kleine. Speak up, alvays."
The connection between them grew stronger, and in that brief moment, the child felt a surge of confidence fueled by Dr. Ludwig's words of encouragement. Being gentle, Dr. Ludwig picked the child up from the ground, leaning her head against his chest as the warmth of his body went towards her small, cold frame.
Cradling the child with care, Dr. Ludwig's gaze fell upon the discarded tray in the trash bin, the once-prepared meal now a wasteful mess. He let out a small sigh, shaking his head with disappointment. Meeting the child's gaze, who looked a little disappointed, he offered a comforting smile, his eyes twinkling with playful mischief.
"Vell, ve'll have to make zhis right, von't ve? How about a special celebration breakfast? Just for jou to mark zhis momentous occasion of jour first word. Zhink of et as a new beginning, liebling," he promised warmly, reassuring her that better things were on the horizon.
The child nodded and stammered, "Th-Th-Thank yo-you." Dr. Ludwig's eyes softened, a warm smile spreading across his face at the child's effort.
"Jou're velcome," he replied gently, his voice tinged with pride. "Every step, every vord, es a big achievement for jou. Ve'll celebrate each one." He paused, looking into the child's eyes, ensuring she understood. "Every day es a new opportunity, und I am here to help und support jou."
Dr. Ludwig turned around and exited the hospital room while carrying the child. He began to make arrangements for the promised celebration breakfast while speaking to her about what she wanted, symbolizing the milestones yet to come.