Chapter VI: The Beauty and the Beast

I

While I was asleep, something frightened me. I could barely move, but I think I saw someone. This time, it wasn't a woman. He smelt like sweat. A bit sour, too. I couldn't stay conscious long enough to make out his face, but I'd say I've seen him before. Perhaps it was just a dream. I've been dreaming with her, too. A lot. The girl on the maze. She's running through the cave. A witch chases her. The old hag is trying to catch her and shut her up. And once she does, she's going to curse her. She'll break her soul into pieces and rip those out of her body. I know that the girl is scared… But I don't understand what the witch wants. Does she want to get young again?

II

"Careful, sweetheart", he said. "I don't want you to get hurt."

As Rei sat up on the bed, she realized it was the same one she had awakened after the synchronization test. The girl looked confused. Her breathing was out of control and she could feel a pang take hold of her. It felt like having a needle inside her heart. Additionally, she had started sweating for some reason. With patience, the man waited before her as she tried to settle down. He wore a white coat and still had a couple of gold locks that added some contrast to that grey mane of his.

"Is it you, Dr. Birkin?"

The doctor approached Ayanami, who still suffered from a mild temporary blindness. He extended his hand: "It's me, yeah," the girl did not touch him.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he continued, "I had to administer you a small dose of norepinephrine. You wouldn't wake up."

The girl looked puzzled. She was no medical expert, but she knew that drug was not among the ones she took regularly.

"You've been here for two weeks," he told her.

Ayanami lay on her side. The last time she had opened her eyes, the commander had told her she had spent three days sleeping. "I don't feel good."

"That's because you're still sedated. Maybe I should've administered a higher dose." The doctor produced a small vial from the pocket on his shirt. Scared, the girl fixed her eyes on the syringe.

"I'm sorry. We'll leave that be," Birkin apologized. "Have you got any wounds?"

"Not that I know of," said Rei.

"That's good."

"Why are you here, Dr. Birkin? Are you going to treat me?"

"It's not that simple, Rei." The doctor, full of remorse, looked at his hands. "I feel I owe you."

"Owe me?" returned the girl. "You always take care of me, you carry out your orders with excellence. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?"

Desolated, Birkin hid his face. Way too clumsy, he thought, she'll notice the tears anyway. "The problem is, Rei… that I've done questionable things. And in one way or another, there are people that will pay the consequences."

"And, how does that affect me?"

Her elder glanced at her. For a second, he thought she'd sounded arrogant, or standoffish. Her face was immaculate, though. Devoid of any expression, of sin. After all, scans had always shown abnormal activity on her brain. Her right hemisphere —which should be more involved in the processing of negative emotions and automated survival responses— was not as engaged as it should be. Lately, Birkin had found himself wondering whether it was a coincidence, a flaw in the replication process, or something else.

"Sometimes, I reconsider my role in this place. And the things I've done during our… endeavors. Have you ever felt that way?" The doctor dried his tears with the coat's cuff.

"My mission is to pilot Unit 00," her eyes were deep like the ocean, but sullen. "My body pertains to that purpose, so I will wait for as long as it takes. I cannot be selfish."

"But, Rei…" he whispered. "Aren't you tired of getting hurt? Don't you rather get out of here and find out what the future holds for you?"

"What for?" she replied. "All that I have is here."

The clock ticked on the wall. Silence grew thicker, sliding down the walls like mud. At best, he had a couple more minutes before someone appeared asking questions. There was something else that bothered him. Something nudging at the back of his mind for quite a long time, now.

"Listen, Rei," he took a look at the door. "What exactly did you see inside the plug?"