Ben10 & Digimon Tamers

Heroes and Humanity

Part 02: Humanity and Heroes

Another Myself – Chapter 85

Originally Written: Wednesday, October 04, 2017 433PM to 635PM

. . . . .

'Jenrya...' His mind felt quite fuzzy. Someone was in the room with him, breathing softly. He heard some voices outside, speaking too softly for him to understand. He kept his eyes closed, the light still too bright for him to adjust to.

'Insufficient energy.'

Albedo sent a mental nod Juggernaut's way. His body felt stiff, and he could feel heavy bandages wrapped around him. The cover on top of him was warm enough. He took his time, taking in the sounds around him. The peace and quiet was welcoming. Something wheeled down the hall, accompanied by the sound of loud footsteps.

As his mind filled in what happened to him, he risked taking a deep breath. He still hurt, but it was nowhere near the pain he had previously felt. He thought he saw a figure over him while he slept, but couldn't be sure. He didn't seem to be in any trouble now, so he didn't think much of it.

Slowly, but surely, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. He looked at the partially cloudy blue sky outside the window. A light haze filled it, making the air itself seem murky and cloudy. The skyline of skyscrapers was missing a few buildings from what he could remember. A few buildings stood missing their upper floors. He turned his head.

A doctor, a male, walked in just at the moment.

Yolei smiled brightly at him, her hair brighter than he remembered seeing it in the show. She stood and bowed to him, as the doctor asked her to step outside.

His mind drifted as the doctor asked him questions, speaking softly, checking over his health. It passed far too slowly for him. Luckily, the doctor didn't poke and prod too much at him. He seemed surprised that Albedo was even awake so soon.

He breathed out, fully intending on asking a question, but he only broke out into harsh coughs that scratched at his already dry throat. He decided to remain quiet.

A member of staff came with a cup of water for him. They gently sat him up, and after some fussing from him at their fussiness over him, they soon left him to his own devices. His shaky hands somehow held the cup, the tremors making it hard for him to drink. He got more water on the small table than he did down his throat, but he thought he did alright, considering the situation.

The doctor and staff stepped out of the room, intending on getting someone with a bit more experience in the field to take another in detail look at him, to see how he was progressing in his recovery.

Yolei peeked her head back in and looked at him curiously. She seemed shy, and Albedo couldn't figure out why. He didn't feel as though he was medicated with anything, but he still couldn't be bothered to wonder too much about it.

He slightly nodded his head. Just enough that if she wasn't paying attention she wouldn't have seen it. Luckily, she had, and she gingerly stepped in.

"How are you, um," She fiddled with her hands, rocking back on the balls of her feet, "feeling?"

"Sore." He murmured, "The bandages feel like someone's sitting on my chest," he raised a hand and carefully rubbed at the area, "and the skin underneath itches." He ducked his head low, "At least there's skin there, I suppose..." He couldn't say he was used to the amount of discomfort he currently felt. Galvan healing technology was quite a bit more advanced.

Yolei coughed awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it." He muttered.

"They had given you medicine for the pain..." She looked off to the side.

Albedo coughed. He thought for a few moments. "And they ran dozens of tests because the medicine didn't work."

"Yes!" She replied, eyes wide in surprise.

'Calculating...'

He blinked in confusion, and pressed a hand to his chest. 'Juggernaut.' He ignored Yolei looking at him concerned. The pain had somehow lessened considerably since he woke.

'Sufficient modification made. Nerve activity temporarily reduced 10 percent.'

He shook his head, 'Thank you.'

'Calculating...'

"Albedo?" Yolei stood stiffly a bit away from his bed.

He shook his head again. "I'm fine." He replied softly, though he was focusing more on Juggernaut.

'Analyzing...'

"Okay."

He waited a few more moments.

'You are welcome.'

He wasn't sure what it was that made him do so, but he smiled brightly at Juggernaut's response. Then he laughed, a soft laugh, he couldn't decide was sad or happy or desperate. It just was. The dull pain made worse through his laughter made him stop and he soon got himself back under control.

When he looked at Yolei, she was smiling at him. A bright smile that made him duck his head in embarrassment. He looked away in reflex.

"Thank you." Yolei spoke, making him look in her direction once more. She now knelt on the floor, bowed over so deeply that her forehead nearly touched the tiles.

He looked at her with wide eyes.

"Thank you for helping my husband. Thank you for helping all of us."

"Yolei!" Ken stood in the doorway, shaking his head, though he looked amused.

Rika looked at her surprised. She then looked at Ken. "You two are married?"

"Two years now." Ken smiled brightly.

"Huh."

Albedo leaned over to his side partially. Just enough to see Yolei better, but not enough to make his discomfort worse, or risk falling off the bed. "I'll accept your thank you only if you get off the floor. Who knows what diseases you just touched."

She looked up at him, smiley brightly. Then she stood up, body stiff as though she just realized what he had said. A healthy red flush quickly covered her face, and she quickly rushed out the room, her long, flared skirt billowing behind her.

He moved back to a more comfortable position.

"Gogglehead," Rika chuckled.

Albedo heard the unspoken words within that single nickname. He didn't doubt the veiled threats behind it. "I won't." He nodded to her. "How long was I out?"

"Lessee. They moved you out of the ICU like a week and a half ago. You were up about a week ago, but were too out of it to do much of anything. In total, you've been out three weeks. The doctors were expecting way more than that." She casually replied, leaned up against the door frame.

Ken moved to sit in the chair next to his bed.

"Hm." He didn't have to guess what she meant by 'way more than that.' He took a slow deep breath. "Where's Ryo?" He hoped they hadn't all stayed with him. The threat of Eon was too big for them to just sit around waiting for him to recover.

"A few rooms down from you." Rika replied softly.

Albedo looked at her confused.

"He took quite a physical beating breaking out of that corrupted form." Ken explained.

"Justimon. I think I remember." Albedo blinked, looking down at his lap. "Is he alright?"

"Recovering smoothly. Monodramon is traveling with Renamon. Looking at the sights I guess. He goes nuts whenever he's by any of us Digidestined, so we're trying to keep our distance." Ken continued.

"I see." He fiddled with his hands on top of the table. He ran his hand softly over the scars and fresher cuts lining his inner forearm and the firmly wrapped bandage covering his right arm from the bicep to just below his elbow. "And Jenrya?"

"He's fine. We actually just got him to leave your side yesterday."

He smiled softly.

"He's so smitten with you." The navy blue haired male teased, lavender eyes kind.

Rika and him snorted, though Albedo was sure it was for different reasons.

Albedo leaned back against his pillows. "Thank you Kevin." He closed his eyes.

"Kevin?" Rika questioned, confused.

"He reminds me of Kevin, from home." He spoke softly, "I don't think you've met him." He paused, taking a slow breath. "You're way more amicable though. I find Kevin annoying."

Ken laughed and whispered a soft and shy, "Thank you."

The room fell silent for some time. He moved his hands from the table, to his lap. "I'm tired." He spoke as though that explained all.

"Good night." Ken replied. He could hear the warm smile in his voice. His mentor rarely sounded as such.

"Night, Gogglehead. We'll keep watch."

He took a deep breath, and tried to sleep once more.

He woke up for a short time during the night. He hadn't been sure why he was woken up, just that Juggernaut had started prodding him in his head. He laid as still as possible, and directed his vision around the room, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

He watched a young person tiptoe so loudly and dramatically they need not bother with tip toeing around the room. They wore an odd costume of black and white that reminded Albedo of a plumber uniform. His figure appeared male to Albedo, but he couldn't be sure. His wrists and waist were covered with a white material he couldn't identify in the darkness. He felt Juggernaut working in his brain, scanning the being who was giving him a long looking over.

"Wow, you really are different here," He whispered.

Albedo slowly sat up further, focused on the heavily distorted voice marking him as a male. The person stopped walking and faced him. Albedo couldn't see his face under their black and white helmet.

'No threats detected.'

Eventually they recovered enough to stop pretending they were a statue looking at him just because that was the pose they were carved into making. "Ignore that last sentence." The male quickly spoke, though quietly. "I thought you were sleeping." He placed a hand on the arm rest of the hospital bed. "So, um... You get better and stuff." He looked away, scratching his cheek. The act looked familiar to Albedo, but he couldn't figure out why. He sharply turned to look at him. Albedo leaned back in a knee jerk reaction. He winced at the discomfort the act brought him. "And I wasn't here." He whispered so quickly Albedo wasn't exactly sure that's what he had said. "Bye!"

Albedo watched the individual casually leap out the open window. He watched the window somehow close even though no one was touching it.

"Sorry about that." The same voice whispered.

Albedo looked at the bit of white helmet peeking out from the lower edge of the slightly cracked open window. It closed again, and within moments it looked like no one had even been in the room or just outside the windows.

'Event recorded. No threats detected.'

He laid back down and closed his eyes. A part of him wondered who that was. The other wished he had left well enough alone to begin with so he wouldn't have to wonder.