It was like shards of glasses being pieced and glued together as reality reasserted itself. He found himself in a white and sterile single patient hospital room. The ceiling lights were off. Instead, the room was bathed in the pale glow of the moon and the night lamp by the bed. Interestingly, he could smell the antiseptics despite still being in astral form.
The time-travelling girl was lying in the bed, unconscious. The electronic beeping from the heart monitor led him to the conclusion that the girl had a heart condition. She had her hair braided in interlacing twin tail. Her face was pale with her body appearing sick and fragile.
The observations puzzled him. The girl took on a completely different appearance. She was also fully awake when she initiated the time travel. It was only after her magic had healed her body to a healthy color and the bond he shared that he knew she was the same girl.
The girl jolted awake and sat on the bed. Her eyes frantically darted around the room in search for danger. Her gaze swept over him but she remained unreactive. The heart monitor spiked after registering her heightened distress before gradually settling as she calmed herself with a deep breath.
The girl then stared into empty air; her eyes vacant as if lost in thoughts. Suddenly, she tightly shut her eyes, and her hands began to tremble, gripping the blanket that covered her with increasing intensity until her knuckles whitened. Tears, like delicate rivers, streamed down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails from the moonlight in their wake. She fought to stifle any sound, but failed as her breath hitched. In the end, she buried her face into her hands. It was to no effort as drops of tears escaped her palms, marking the blanket beneath.
Dealing with kids was never his forte, but witnessing the girl's struggle to hold back the tears from falling and taking physical beatings from the eldritch beings struck a chord in his heart. She shouldn't be in a situation of life and death. Minus the time-travelling shenanigan and an arsenal of military weapons she carried in her buckler, she was still a girl. A young girl that has yet to know the world.
His consciences urged him to comfort the girl, to tell her that the Master of the Mystic Arts would protect her and that she was in good hand.
So, he was about to summon the remaining magic from the recent battle until the girl suddenly wiped her tears using the sleeve of her hospital gown before fiercely shaking her head. Her face became expressionless, acting as if her mental breakdown was an afterthought. Strange was no psychologist but he was sure that was a red flag. To shift gear like that…it was far from typical emotional control for someone her age.
The cause for her sudden composure appeared in the form of two medical personnel rushing into the ward. One is a male doctor and the other is a female resident. With a flick of the switch by the medical personnel, the ceiling lights was turned on.
"Ms. Akemi, are you okay?!" The doctor spoke in perfect English.
The doctor and the resident, Misato and Takagi based on the nametags on their white lab coats were Japanese. Yet, they spoke perfect Midwestern accent that has no strong regional features in pronunciation. The informational pamphlet inside the room was also in Japanese. It didn't make sense for Japanese doctors in Japan to speak English to Japanese patient.
Maybe it was the result of their mysterious bond casting an automatic translation spell? He could only speculate.
"I'm okay," the girl replied, voice level.
The doctor asked the resident, "What are the readings?"
The resident replied, "Her temperature is stable at 98.6F, blood pressure 120/80, heart rate 70, and oxygen saturation at 98%."
These readings indicated a functionally healthy human being.
Concern was still etched on the doctor's features as he seemed to notice her puffy eyes and the blanket that was marked by her tears. He gently asked, "Did something happen that may have startled you, Miss Akemi?"
The girl stared at the doctor before replying with a half-truth, "I had a nightmare."
The doctor nodded. He put on a gentle smile in an attempt to comfort the girl. He could feel sadness and loneliness from the girl. "I see. Do you feel discomfort or any changes since yesterday?"
"No." The girl replied.
The resident scribbled notes on her clipboard and exchanged a nod with the doctor. The doctor addressed the girl again, "Miss Akemi, I have good news."
The girl was indifferent.
"We've reviewed your progress, and it looks promising. The hospital decided that you can be discharged this morning."
The girl's response was only a nod.
The doctor raised her eyebrows at her lack of reaction, "However, I want to emphasize that if you experience any discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns after you leave, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Your health, including mental health are our top priorities."
A subtle scowl briefly adorned her face. She nodded again.
The doctor continued, unaware of the subtle shift in the girl's expression, "Your relatives have been informed, and they'll assist you with the checkout procedure, so you won't need to worry about the administrative details."
The doctor took out a phone from his pocket and checked the time. "Breakfast will arrive at 7:00 a.m. Your relative will arrive to help with the checkout afterward. Do you need anything while you wait?"
"No."
"Very well. We'll leave for you to get prepared. If you need anything, just press that button." The doctor gestured toward a remote switch on her bedside.
The medical personnel gave a small, reassuring smile before leaving, a gesture the girl acknowledged with a slight, silent nod.
After they exited and closed the door, the girl padded into the bathroom. Strange waited outside in respect of her privacy. He used the time to gather more magical energy reserves for future use through meditation.
As he meditated, he felt a similar ethereal connection when the girl fought with the colossal eldritch connecting his essence to the girl's rings. Magical energy flowed between them like an unseen current. The bond can go through solid matter, given that he could still sense the girl's emotion and modest magical reserve in the bathroom.
If he wanted to, he could siphon the girl's magical energy, to which he quickly dismissed the idea. The girl needed it more than he did. Taking her magical energy for his own use not only could it worsen her heart condition but it might also endanger her in future battle against the unidentified eldritch beings that were aberration to nature. He couldn't bear the thought of being responsible for her harm.
However, he was still curious so he focused on the bond to understand its properties. He was immediately stumped.
There seemed to be impurities within the girl's magical energy, something he couldn't quite place that was related to her emotions intertwining with the potency of her magic.
Despair. Fury. Hate. Those were the emotions he felt through the bond.
He was interrupted by a muffled scream of frustration emanated from the bathroom, barely audible amidst the rushing water and muted by the nearly soundproofed walls. He kept quiet and closed his eyes in solemn. The anguish in the girl's voice began to weigh on his chest. He need to find a way to stop the girl's emotions from flowing to him.
After what seemed like an eternity, the bathroom door slowly creaked open with the girl emerging in a black themed school uniform. Gone were the intricate braid the and the red glasses. Before him stood the same girl whom Strange had witnessed battling the colossal eldritch abomination; elegant and aloof.
The moon sink and the sun began to rise, bathing the sky in a twilight glow. The hospital began to bustle with activities as medical staff prepared for their shifts. Meanwhile, the girl settled into a wooden chair placed in front of a dressing table, complete with a mirror, brushes, and various toiletries. She retrieved a hand brush from the open drawer. Her hands were contemplative as she gently ran the brush through her hair. The soft swish of her hair brushing filled the room.
Strange watched her reflection in the mirror. Her face was like a carved marble, betraying no emotion. But her vacant stare and the slight tremor of her hand undermined the mask of indifference.
It made him think; should he reveal his presence now? He couldn't stray far from the girl given that his very existence depended on the girl's ring. In contrast, he was inside the girl's personal space. He was in breach of privacy.
It's better to be now than never.
With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, using his magic to anchor himself into the physical world. The process didn't escape the girl's notice as she materialized a handgun into her hand before concealing it behind her back before snapping her body to face his direction.
"Good morning, young miss," Strange greeted, a gentle smile adorned his face.
However, a glare and the end of a gun barrel answered his greetings. She made no effort to conceal the gun any longer as she pointed it directly at him. Her gun didn't waver as she hovered her finger towards the trigger.
The girl demanded, "Who are you?"
He doubts the bullet would harm him an astral form, but quickly changed his mind when he sensed that the girl was imbuing her gun with magic.
"My name is Stephen Strange," he gently smiled, hoping that the girl could see his expression and maybe defuse her hostility.
"What are you?"
Strange took a moment to ponder his response. Did the mythical beasts he had absorbed and assimilated still qualify him as human? He decided to keep it simple, "I am a human although currently I am in astral form."
"Explain." The girl asked, her finger never leaving the trigger.
"Astral form is what it implies, young miss, my consciousness is out of my physical body." Strange answered.
"How?"
"Mystic Arts. You may call it magic."
After a moment, she replied with another question, "Why are you here?"
"Honestly, I'm as clueless as you are." The girl's eyes narrowed sharply at him. "One minute I was in my room, and the next I was in a city-sized storm, witnessing your impressive battle against that colossal... thing. I'd like to know the mechanism of your power to turn ba-"
The girl interrupted with a sharp raised hand that silenced Strange while her eyes scanned the room for enemies. Strange had expected surprise or curiosity in the girl's response on how she knew about her power, but her tone cut through the air like an unsheathed sword, catching him off guard with unexpected hostility. It was also not totally unexpected given that he was technically stalking her, and time manipulation is generally frowned upon if used without a good reason.
The girl clenched her fist, clearly agitated and…fearful? The girl demanded, "Why did you reveal yourself to me, and why now?"
Strange remember her scowling to the doctor's offer of help.
"'Help' is the word I'd like to use but I prefer the term 'mutual benefit'. I am currently stranded in this astral state, tied to your ring with no way to return to my physical body. I figured helping you while I find a way to reverse my condition is the best course of action."
He settled for explaining the circumstances. Honesty is the best policy. He needs to earn the girl's trust.
The girl glanced towards the door and then directed her attention to him. With authority, she commanded, "Someone's coming. Make yourself invisible."
"Invisible it is," Strange replied, a furrow forming on his brow. Being suddenly commanded by someone so young did little to stroke his ego, but Strange nevertheless withdrew his presence from the physical world, just as gentle knocks resonated on the door.
"Miss Akemi, may I come in?" A female voice sounded from the outside.
"You may come in." The girl brushed her skirt and stood.
The door gradually swung open, revealing a nurse in her blue outfit. She maneuvered a trolley cart loaded with an array of breakfast to the girl's bed table.
"Here's your breakfast, Miss Akemi," the nurse informed, placing the tray delicately on the bedside table. The morning meal consisted of a serving of oatmeal cooked with water, a fragrant cup of green tea, and a slice of whole-grain toast.
With a subtle nod of acknowledgment, the girl expressed her gratitude to the nurse, who returned the courtesy with a warm and understanding smile before quietly exiting the room.
Strange realized he needs an effective way to communicate without the hassle of materializing himself. He contemplated whether his connection with the girl went beyond emotions—could he possibly tap into her thoughts? He immediately felt repulsed. It was extremely invasive. He quickly reconsidered his approach.
Perhaps, he could share his thoughts through the bond.
Strange waited until the girl finished her breakfast to test the theory. Then, he posed a question from his thoughts through their magical bond.
Would you like yogurt to go with your breakfast as dessert?
Startled and visibly alarmed, the girl raised a gun in his direction. She seemed to have pinpointed his general location. Strange quickly reappeared before the girl could escalate, "My apologies for startling you." He bowed slightly or at least that was he think his astral form was doing.
Her grip on the gun remained steady as she waited an explanation. "Explain."
"I mentally conveyed my thoughts to you."
"Telepathy." She remarked. Her voice steady but guarded, revealing little emotion.
"Through telepathy, yes."
"I'd like to be given prior warnings beforehand, Strange." The girl dematerialized the handgun. "We'll resume this conversation at another time." She replied as Strange heard another set of footsteps coming towards their direction.
Her request was absolutely unnecessary given that he already knew what to do, but Strange still obliged as he dematerialized.
A doctor and a well-dressed man carrying a briefcase entered the ward. The man in the suit cleared his throat and began with a smile, "Miss Akemi, my name is Suzuki Akiyama. I am a lawyer sent by your uncle to manage the necessary paperwork for your discharge. Your uncle deeply apologizes for being unable to attend to celebrate your discharge."
The girl, ever enigmatic remained silent but fixated her dark eyes on Suzuki, scrutinizing both his words and his demeanor. The lawyer returned her stare with a small smile. "I had handled all the paperwork and the doctor in charge of your treatment-" The lawyer looked at the doctor and the doctor affirmed with a nod. "-allowed you to be discharged. Have you packed your belongings yet, Miss Akemi?"
"Yes." The girl looked at a baggage bag situated in the corner of the room.
Mister Suzuki nodded. "I have a car parked outside, ready to take you back to your apartment. Shall we proceed, Miss Akemi?"
A/N: What do you think of the character interaction?
