A/n
Here is the next Phase, hope you like this story is being enjoyed.
Phase 28: Recovery
April 20th, 71 CE.
Tyler was heading for the fighting between ZAFT and the Archangel at the briskest pace he could manage. What Tyler saw motivated him to get into the battle as he knew it would get worse given time. On the ZAFT side were three WASP-type GINNs equipped for underwater operations, an assault-type GINN leading them and two regular GINNs, and a few other suits Tyler couldn't identify thus far. Then, the four suits seem not to be able to leave the Archangel alone, the four stolen Alliance's GAT series. Tyler scanned the other side of the conflict, which was unfortunately expected. The Archangel flying above the ocean appearing to be trying to get to Orb's mainland a distance ahead. For its defenders, there was one of skygrasper with the Strike's 'Launcher configuration' equipment, the Strike linked with the Aile equipment, and the Asuka out with an anti-ship sword with it. Tyler had an odd quiet feeling about the Asuka, but he couldn't place what the feeling was saying to him.
He dismissed the whisper and focused on changing the flow of the battle ahead. Tyler did register the onset of his SEED mode, which would assist and make things a bit easier in the long run. He shot forward with the Shadow's mirage colloid up and actively looked for his first target. With the beam rifle in the right hand and the railgun rifle in the left, Tyler kept cutting the distance. The LAS cannon's barrel was connected to its full length, and the acceleration coils were warming up. Tyler brought out the Shadow's hidden scope and began scanning for the nearest sub to hit them first. His crosshairs came to a stop instead on one of the two WASP-type GINNs with aquatic equipment. Tyler raised his beam rifle, aimed, and fired, nailing the GINN, causing the machine to explode shortly afterward. After taking care of that suit, Tyler's attention was drawn to two particular machines clashing: the Asuka and the Aegis.
Suddenly the world around Tyler became fuzzy for the briefest moment, which caused him to pause. His surroundings were clear a moment later, but there had been something off a second ago that Tyler couldn't figure out. However, Tyler couldn't give that much more thought as he looked back at the Aegis and the Asuka going at each other. Tyler shot forward again to get to where his two best friends were. And yet, the thought that something was off came back to Tyler louder than it had been the last time, but he ignored it again.
Nevertheless, as Tyler made it around halfway to his friends, the Asuka was rushing towards the Aegis, anti-ship sword swinging in an arc towards its opponent. Should that arc be completed, the Aegis would be destroyed, and Athrun would die as a result. Then things went fuzzy again as the Aegis didn't move out of the oncoming sword. Tyler blinked and saw the Blitz appear and shove the Aegis out of the way of the attack. The anti-ship sword kept going and hit the Blitz, and for a brief moment, the phase shift held the weapon off. Time seemed to stop for a moment, the image of the anti-ship sword frozen where it was. But then it kept going and sliced into the black mobile suits and exited the back of the machine. A moment later, the Blitz vanished in an explosion as it detonated. Tyler then heard a voice cry out in pain over the com-channel, "NICOL," Athrun yelled.
Tyler's eyes widened at what had just happened and a numb feeling accompanied by a sick flavor. He couldn't believe what he had witnessed had just occurred. It didn't seem possible even when he'd seen it. Tyler could only curse the masked man that had insisted for his hunt to continue and send good people to their deaths. And yet, Tyler had little time to contemplate what he'd seen as an object that came from the Archangel's direction. Tyler recognized it as one of the skygraspers heading towards the Asuka. At the same time, there was a flash, and Tyler saw the Archangel crash along the shoreline of the closest island. However, Tyler's attention was drawn back quickly, "Kira, how could you," Athrun snarled in a mix of anger and pain, "you killed Nicol!" The Aegis sped forward and attacked with its beam sabers, yet the Asuka dodged the strike and got behind Athrun. Then Kira swung his beam saber at the Aegis, though he missed as Tyler watched, trying to get to them. "KIRA," Athrun shouted in anger.
Tyler was going all out and pushing the Shadow as much as he could without risking overheating the thrusters and having them fail. Then the world went fuzzy for a moment again before everything snapped to be sharp and clear. The skygrasper had started a dive towards the Aegis before letting loose a missile. The Aegis weaved out of the missile's path and then threw its shield at the skygrasper like a frisbee. Tyler watched in torturous slow motion as the shield flew at the intended target. Tyler knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to save the pilot of the skygrasper, which only made the pain worse. So, when the Aegis's shield slammed into the aircraft's cockpit, it was like being stabbed in the heart. There was no way that a pilot could survive that attack, and the craft exploding just sealed their fate. "TOLLE," Kira screamed right after the skygrasper was destroyed. The pain in Tyler's heart sharply grew as he realized a friend had just been killed. And yet, once again, the world went fuzzy for a brief moment before returning to normal. "Athrun you," Kira growled, "you killed Tolle," there was another pause, "I'll DESTROY YOU!"
Tyler was within range just as the fighting between his best friends continued in earnest. Kira shot forward, "ATHRUN," he screamed as the Asuka moved forward and cut off the Aegis's left arm cleanly like a hot knife through butter. The Aegis pushed the Asuka back, responding, "I'm going to… KILL YOU," Athrun shot back. The Aegis sliced off the Asuka's left arm and shield before spinning around and landing a blow on the Asuka's flight system. Kira didn't let Athrun get away with that scott-free, taking the Aegis's head in exchange. The Aegis leaped back from the Asuka and into the air before shooting forward and latching onto the mobile suit while in its armor attack mode. Tyler was so close to where they were when a massive explosion engulfed the Asuka and the Aegis forcing the Shadow backward. The world went fuzzy again as Tyler made a cry from his soul, "ATHRUN, KIRA! NOOOO!"
Tyler's eyes snapped open, breathing hard as he tried to figure out what was going on. A second ago, he had been in the Shadow's cockpit, yet now he was in a bed of some sort. Tyler looked upward and focused on his current surroundings and found himself looking up at a ceiling he wasn't familiar with. The burning pain was flowing through Tyler's body which he couldn't explain, even breathing hurt to do. There was beeping nearby, which he had no idea what that was from. Any form of movement would send waves of pain all over Tyler's body, and that was enough to force him to pause. Thus, it took Tyler calming down somewhat and slowly raising himself to a sitting position.
Tyler slowly glanced around the room he was in now and was still confused about what was going on. It looked like a bedroom of some sort, but no identifiable markings to suggest where he was. However, what quickly caught his attention was the bandages that covered his body. Tyler's hands were wrapped in bandages, in fact, every part of his body was in bandages by what he took in. It didn't make sense to Tyler, why would he be in a strange bedroom wrapped up in bandages? Tyler took a second look at himself and found tubes and other things attached to him and connected to equipment around the bed. However, Tyler's mind was murky, and so he was having trouble figuring out things right now.
The feeling that something was out of place came back to Tyler, and it was the loudest it had been yet. The clue didn't point to anything in particular, just that something wasn't right with things as they were. Such added to the confusion plaguing Tyler's mind as he tried to figure out what was going on. Tyler's breathing hitched, and a wave of pain surged through him, getting him to put a hand to the right side of his chest. The pain was the worst there, but it certainly wasn't the only place that hurt. It took a moment and regulated breathing for Tyler to get things to quiet down and the pain to subside somewhat. As he was getting things back under control, the feeling of fear came to Tyler's mind. That fear became a mix of desperation and panic, which didn't make sense to Tyler. He managed fear when it came to him, which was not too often these days. And then Tyler didn't panic, at least not as other people did, he kept calm when things became stressful.
As Tyler tried again to recall what could have put him where he was, little was coming to him. Yet, a moment later, images started flashing through his head, horrific ones of having to witness… his two best friends killing each other. As more pictures came to his mind, Tyler felt sick as Kira and Athrun hadn't been alone in their fate. Others had died in whatever was going through his head, and Tyler didn't like it at all. What Tyler recalled sent him reeling, and he physically recoiled back, falling out of the bed. The second that Tyler struck the floor, pain wracked him, and all he could do for a short period was writhe and thrash around in response. And Tyler's response only increased the magnitude of the waves of pain he experienced. The length of time the pain overrode his physical senses was beyond Tyler's comprehension, the aspect of the passage of time was lost to him right now.
However, once Tyler was able to regain control of his body and senses, he made an effort to get to his feet. Just trying to get to his feet was a difficult task as the pain kept surging through him with each movement. During the process, Tyler removed all but the IV in his left arm and the oxygen tube to his nose. Tyler ended up using the bed with his right hand and the IV pole with his left to plant his feet on the floor and rise. And when on his feet, Tyler was gasping for air both with his mouth and nose. Tyler had a near-death grip on the IV pole to keep his balance while his right hand went to the same place on the right side of his chest as before. It also felt like he couldn't take as deep a breath as he wanted like something was preventing him from doing so.
Tyler's body shook, and his legs were shaking, and he had to work hard to not collapse to the floor again. His right hand shifted to his head as the pain increased sharply, and that was accompanied by terrible images flashing in it. What was odd was the images clashed and contradicted others, which confused Tyler further. It was hard to tell which images happened or if they were some nightmare. There seemed to be two versions of the same event playing in his head, but they were fighting for which would have attention. And the versions were similar but had differing vital details, and both were convincing enough to be true possibly. Tyler ended out stumbling back a bit and hitting the bed, forcing him to sit on it.
Tyler was exhausted mentally and physically, and he couldn't say how he had come to be so. And yet, the feelings of fear, desperation, and panic wouldn't leave him alone and wouldn't let him rest. He would love nothing better than to sink to the bed and close his eyes and sleep to get the pain to fade. So, Tyler rose slowly again and faced the door to the room, intending to find out what was happening. First, he took the oxygen filter machine and hung it on the IV pole, and secured it the best he could. Then he shuffled slowly towards the door, using his ironclad will to keep him going even with the pain that was burning within him. Tyler was dragging the IV pole with him as there was a bag with a tube linked to his IV and the oxygen equipment on it.
However, around halfway to the door, Tyler caught a glint from his right, which got him to stop for a moment. He glanced in that direction and noticed a mirror on the wall that was the source of the glint. Tyler's reflection showed him just how much of a mess he was right now, and it made him wonder what happened to put him in this state. He had the thought that his current condition could be due to a stupid decision that Tyler couldn't recall right now. Tyler could be considered a risk taker from time to time, but he usually didn't eat the consequences that could hit him like he was. Yet, after a second look at the mirror, Tyler blinked as his eyes didn't look right. And it took a minute for Tyler to realize that his eyes were as they would be when he had active SEED factor with the pupils as pinpricks.
Tyler stood staring at the mirror for a long minute, not quite comprehending what he saw in his reflection. Both collections of images did say Tyler had used his SEED factor in the fight between the Archangel and ZAFT. But Tyler still couldn't determine which set of images was what could have happened to him. However, as Tyler was thinking, the point of a condition he had came to mind. The "illness" was called Recoyal Syndrome, named after the doctor that discovered it Benson Recoyal. It was a scarce condition that potentially affected one in around one-hundred million. The syndrome tended to have specific triggers that varied between individuals. For Tyler, one of those triggers was extended period use of his SEED factor, which was why he was careful how long he used it. If not dealt with, the condition was potentially problematic and could be lethal if ignored for long enough.
If Tyler were dealing with his Recoyal issue, things would worsen if he didn't get the medication that was made for the problem. It could also explain the two different collections of images that Tyler had seen, potentially one of the known symptoms of the syndrome. Should Tyler be dealing with Recoyal, then getting that manageable was one of the main priorities, if not the top task to get done. Finding out where he was and what was happening could wait for a time, even when Tyler wanted answers now. Of course, getting his condition under control and manageable was more complicated than just saying it. Still, he would try and go on from there and find out where things went.
Tyler went back to moving to the door, planning to search for something that was a source of potassium. That would help slow the progress of the syndrome until he could get a dose of medicine that would deal with the problematic symptoms of Recoyal. The door opened, and Tyler stepped through and found himself in a hallway. The corridor appeared to be from a house, not a lavish one but a bare or destitute one. The other point that he noticed was that the hallway didn't look heavily trafficked regularly. The carpet didn't seem too thick, at least the IV pole moved through it without much effort. It made walking less painful as Tyler wasn't slamming his feet onto a hard surface and delivering pain through that. So, he began to shuffle forward down the hallway to see what he could find. At the same time, he ignored the whispers that were starting to come to him as he went.
The next door that Tyler came to looked much like Tyler's room minus the medical equipment. This room also looked like someone had been staying in it, but no one was there now. Tyler moved down the hallway, turned at the corner, and found more hallways with doors on both sides. He kept moving and checking rooms, and the longer he didn't find anyone, the harder it was to ignore the whispers he was hearing. And what was worse, the whispers were starting to become distinctive and understandable, which wasn't a good sign. It meant the hallucinations would soon start, and that was when things with Recoyal got much harder to deal with.
It was midway down the hallway when Tyler opened a door that his circumstance took a brutal downturn. The moment after Tyler opened the door, and it felt like a wave of burning heat slammed into him, which made him take a few steps back. He raised his right hand to shield his face as he squinted to see the room ahead of him. In front of Tyler was a room that was a complete mess, metal support beams were broken and in unnatural positions with fires blazing intermittently. And in the center of the whole mess was a girl that looked around nine or ten. Within a second, Tyler recognized the girl as his younger sister Lana, and her face was one he could never forget. Lana was in what had been a dress, but it was ripped to the point it could be considered rags.
A part of Tyler's mind was sure that what he saw before him was not real, that it was a trick being played on him. Recoyal could easily do such things, making the sufferer see hallucinations were common and one of the first symptoms. The hallucinations were one of the more complex issues with Recoyal given enough time. Tyler had heard and been told about what others had gone through, and what he had heard was worse than any of the reports. Some said those who suffered Recoyal would scream about things they saw and the insane rants they would spout. That was followed by either the individual being restrained or them committing suicide.
Tyler knew personally how dangerous the hallucinations were, and he'd learned that during his last Recoyal episode. During that time, Tyler had watched from what could have easily been what had happened inside Junius Seven if he had been there. It had been the most challenging day of Tyler's life, having to see the deaths of those he'd known. Luckily, Tyler had ignored the whispers that told him to take his own life, but it had been hard. Nonetheless, what Tyler had seen felt as accurate as what was right in front of him now. True, Tyler was repeating that what he was seeing wasn't real, his sister wasn't in front of him. However, his physical senses were casting severe doubt on the repeated mantra. His eyes, no matter how many times he blinked them or shook his head, wouldn't stop seeing the scene. Tyler couldn't get the immense heat to go away it felt so real that he wondered if his body temperature was elevated.
Lana looked directly at Tyler, "Brother, help me," she screamed.
Tyler stumbled back, hitting the wall, and fell to his rear end, still transfixed by the scene in front of him. He kept telling himself that it wasn't real, but his confidence weakened, and he was having trouble keeping himself together. Tyler's logical mind was being drowned out by the input from his physical senses, so convincing was the hallucination. And the problem for Tyler was hallucination was getting harder to dismiss and ignore the longer it went on. Tyler clutched his head with both hands within a minute before curling into the fetal position. He kept repeating the hallucination wasn't real as he closed his eyes and held onto his sanity in a death grip.
Meanwhile, Lacus had just returned from a meeting with her manager, who helped her singing career. It had been nothing more than a catch-up session, nothing new, no new performances coming up. But with the war going on, any performance for her was on hold until further notice. Sure, Lacus would sing at a particular function, but those were rare as of late, so there were none on the books. It was one of the things that Lacus was using to occupy her time to worry about Tyler needlessly. She, of course, wished for Tyler's recovery to be as swift as possible without sacrificing his health. It was the waiting that Lacus didn't like much or was unable to tell Kira and the others that Tyler was alive. It had been perhaps the most challenging part of this current circumstance other than Tyler's condition, not telling their friends. Both Miss Malto and her father had explained the reasons to keep the idea to herself, and she understood, but it was still tricky.
Lisa also got back from her errands for the day, noticing that Lacus had gotten back from wherever she had gone. There had been talking among the house staff about her meeting with her "manager," but Lisa hadn't asked questions about it further. She would check in on Tyler before occupying herself with busy work. There had been little visible change with him as of yet, but the checks the doctors had done had been "encouraging." They had said that Tyler could wake up any day in the next week if everything kept improving at the rate it was. It had been some of the rare good news there had been lately.
The war on Earth was getting worse, though it was more in the shadows than in the open. There were still fights between OMNI and ZAFT, but no significant battles have been reported lately, which didn't bode well. Plus, there were hints from Information Network that the Alliance was plotting something. They were still working on acquiring and mass-producing mobile suits, now more than ever. However, OMNI forces were gathering in two places: their Panama Base and JOSH-A. The pooling of forces at JOSH-A made sense, but the gathering at Panama didn't. With JOSH-A being the Alliance's Earthbound HQ, it was reasonable for a good chunk of OMNI's fighting force to be there. For a large force of OMNI to be around Panama, strongly suggested they plan to send them to space with the mass driver there. The war had been on Earth more lately, ZAFT had been pushing OMNI onto the defensive. Thus, should the Alliance send forces into space, that could change things and make the ongoing war more bloody with attacking colonies.
So, Lisa kept a close eye on info about OMNI's movements as that would be a tipping point. The other thing that Lisa was trying to find information on was the Archangel and what was happening with it. She knew Tyler would want to know what the ship was doing as his friends were on board. Of all the things Tyler would be concerned with, his friends would be at the forefront. It's how he was. And from what Lisa had been able to find, the ship was still heading for JOSH-A. It had stopped over in Orb to resupply but then headed out in the general direction that would end out around Alaska. Lisa could only feel sorry for the ship's crew, they were like lambs being led to the slaughter and didn't know it. The fact had been torturing Tyler, and it had been hard to watch.
Yet, as Lisa headed down the hall to the guest rooms, she came to a halt after the first corner. Right there in front of her was Tyler on the floor, curled into the fetal position covering his head. That Tyler was up was quite something as his condition should have kept him in a bed and not walk around. However, he had gotten out of bed and removed all but the IV in his arm and the oxygen tube to his nose. His position suggested that he was having issues of some sort, but a glance around brought nothing to Lisa's view that would be a cause. Lisa moved to Tyler's side and studied him for a moment but learned little more. He was whispering things, but she couldn't tell what he was saying, even when she leaned closer. The muttering had a clear and severe desperate tone, which increased her worry for her friend. The other thing that Lisa noticed was Tyler would glance into the room across the hall.
Lisa looked in that direction and merely saw the empty guest room, which she would expect. However, as she looked back at Tyler, he saw something she wasn't. The odd thing in this was Tyler wasn't one to see "things" that weren't there. He was one of the most level-headed and calm people Lisa had met. So, his current behavior was concerning, unlike him. Lisa softly shook him, but there was no visible response to her actions, but his "odd behavior" was getting worse. It was almost like Tyler was experiencing trauma, his actions matched what trauma victims would sometimes do. Lisa tried twice more in shaking Tyler, harder each time to get him to look at her and hopefully bring him out of whatever he was experiencing. When it became clear that Lisa's shaking had no appreciable effect, she decided to do something more drastic. Thus, Lisa grabbed Tyler by the collar of the shirt he had on, lifted him, and slapped him hard across the face.
Tyler had been doing what he could to block out Lana's screams for help. They were so much worse than nails down a chalkboard could ever be. Then the "flames" that were burning around him had jumped to his hands and were burning him. The repeated mantra he'd been using had quickly been losing its effect, and ignoring what was going on was nigh impossible. Yet, Tyler was lifted up and hit hard across his face, which focused his attention. Lana's screams faded, as did the fire, the hallway returned to what it had been, along with the room Lana had been in going back to a bedroom. When Tyler looked forward, he saw Lisa holding him but the shirt collar he was wearing. Lisa's slap had not been gentle, Tyler's cheek certainly stung good, and if he weren't in the situation he was in, Tyler would have demanded what Lisa thought she was doing. However, as her slap had snapped him out of the horror he'd been seeing, Tyler would forgive Lisa for the firm smack. So, Tyler took a moment to slow and steady his breathing, "Thanks, Lisa," Tyler began, "while that slap hurt, it helped get things back in proper order."
Tyler paused for a long moment since he didn't reveal or go into details about Recoyal when it wasn't necessary. It was both his challenge, the mountain he climbed, and the shame he bore. Having the illness was rare and quite a mark on one's file in the medical world, and typically not in a good way. Tyler was one of the miraculous cases as he had survived his first episode and not gone crazy nor tried to take his own life. He had to keep in mind whenever he used his SEED factor as it was a potential trigger. Recoyal was an embarrassment to Tyler, so he didn't admit having it even when most had never heard of the syndrome. Yet, Tyler did continue, "I'm kind of having health issues both physical which is obvious and non-physical, which are not so visible."
Lisa would have inquired what Tyler was referring to when he said "non-physical" issues. But it was clear to see that he didn't want to talk about whatever he was dealing with currently, and she would respect that wish for the time being. He seemed familiar with whatever he was facing, which brought several questions with no standing answers. However, Tyler was one of those that told you what they felt was "enough" and not everything even when it would be better he did. That he was up and at least coherent was good enough to work with and help improve in Lisa's view. So, she set Tyler down on his feet and let him go but was still ready to assist should he need. Tyler did wobble a little before he regained his balance using the IV pole, though he was still disoriented.
At the same time, Lacus had heard something down the hall that led to the guest rooms. She thought she'd glimpsed Miss Malto going down that direction moments ago. So after catching up with the house staff, Lacus made her way towards where she had heard a noise. As she turned the first corner, she saw Miss Malto, which she did expect. However, there was none other than Tyler next to her, and he looked awake. Joy and warmth filled her heart at seeing Tyler up and about, for it meant that his health had to be improving. With the happiness and relief burning in Lacus, she couldn't hold herself back. Lacus rushed forward and threw herself at Tyler, and embraced him as tears began coming from her eyes. Yet the tears were not of sorrow as they had been weeks ago, but of joy that her friend was alive and somewhat okay.
Tyler had been steadying himself with the IV pole, his legs were still having some difficulty supporting him. He was still tired, and after he got Lisa to help him get some source of potassium and ideally a dose of Letaium serum, he would return to bed and sleep. Tyler could get answers about what was going on and where they were after he could be aware enough to remember and process the information. However, before he could relay what help he needed to Lisa, Tyler was knocked over and hit the ground again. Hitting the ground was unpleasant, but the waves of pain that followed the impact were worse than the initial landing. Tyler had to take some time to get enough oxygen in his body as he couldn't seem to breathe as deep as he should be able to.
Lisa didn't fault the girl for hugging Tyler, she would have done so if not knowing he was not up for that right now. Tyler's health was still poor, even if it was improving and out of the life-threatening danger it had been in. Nevertheless, Lisa could quickly see Tyler was having a hard time breathing correctly due to his lung injury. So, Lisa moved forward and pulled Lacus off of Tyler to recover as best he could. Lacus didn't like being pulled back, and she would have argued with Miss Malto, but the sound of Tyler wheezing drew her attention. It was painful to see Tyler struggling to do a simple thing as breathing should be when she looked at him. However, a hand on her shoulder prevented Lacus from moving to Tyler's side, "Hugging him is not helpful right now, Miss Clyne," Lisa remarked.
Tyler's wheezing was transitioning to gasping, still showing that he was having trouble breathing as Lacus glanced back at Lisa, "What do you mean," she asked.
Lisa figured that the girl hadn't been told about how bad Tyler's condition had been when he had gotten here. Chairman Clyne wanted his daughter not to worry about Tyler by informing him how close he had come to dying. "What were you told about his condition," Lisa asked.
Lacus frowned as she had been told very little about it, even when she had inquired the house staff and her father about it. All that had been saying was he had a long way to go to be fully recovered, and that didn't say much other than things were not good. "Not as much as I would like to know," Lacus returned evenly, "No one seems willing to tell me."
Lisa sighed, "Well," she began, "If not for the efforts of the medical institute here, he would unlikely have lived to the end of his first week here." Lacus gasped at hearing that since it strongly suggested that Tyler had been in perilous straits after saving Kira. Kira had only mentioned seeing pieces of the Shadow before coming back to the Archangel and nothing else. Yet, Lisa continued, "He had at least five blood transfusions before the bleeding was brought to a manageable level." Lisa frowned as she recalled what the doctors from the institute had said about what they had done. "He needed bone reconstruction due to some of them being shattered so badly that they were barely recognizable and position was the way they were identified. He had burns over his body, and the worst issue was injuries to his right lung, which is the cause of his breathing issue."
Tyler heard two voices nearby, but his pain made it hard to concentrate on them. His labored breathing also required much of what he could muster at the moment. But one of the voices sounded like Lisa's, which would make sense as she had slapped him a moment ago. He had no idea what either voice was saying, the world was blurry, and the sound was included in that mix. And sadly, Tyler couldn't say if the pain was the cause of the world is murky or Recoyal doing its thing. It took Tyler's mental discipline to get his body back into manageable order and get the pain to fade to a degree. He got to take long, slow breaths, which got his heart to stop banging against his ribcage. "Lisa," Tyler got out in a wavering voice, "Answers as to what is," Tyler's right hand shot to cover the right side of his chest as pain swelled, "going on can wait." Tyler took a few breaths, "I need to get to the kitchen of this place now."
Tyler tried using the IV pole to get his body to a standing position, but the pain made that a losing battle. Lisa saw that Tyler was having little luck getting to his feet, so she moved forward, grabbed him under his right arm, and helped raise him. Lacus also saw that Tyler was having issues, so she did much the same as Lisa had, just on the left side. The two women slowly guided Tyler down the hallway and to the kitchen as he requested. Tyler glanced to his left along the way, and his sight did clear up for long enough for him to recognize Lacus. It did bring up the question once again of where he could be, but that could be answered later once Recoyal was under control.
Once in the kitchen, Tyler scanned around the room for a source of potassium that could slow Recoyal. Then Tyler could manage enough to get the point across what he needed to solve his current problem. Thankfully for Tyler, he spotted some bananas on one of the countertops, which fit the bill for what he needed. Lacus still had questions on what Tyler was dealing with right now, but he seemed focused on getting something. He still didn't look the best, worryingly pale, and his slow shuffling was concerning in Lacus's view. She was glad Sakura wasn't here, she might make things harder for Tyler, and he didn't need that. Tyler needed Sakura's antics as much as repeated kicks to his head right now.
After Tyler had eaten three bananas, he turned and faced the two women who helped him get to them. He wasn't interested in explaining Recoyal Syndrome in detail right now, maybe later after getting the medication to get it to settle, but preferably not at all if it could be helped. "So," Tyler began, "let's start with where we are since I don't recognize any of my surroundings."
Lacus could tell that while Tyler was doing slightly better, he was still having issues that he was dealing with, which were now somewhat manageable. It worried that Tyler's behavior was out of place for him, and she was curious about what was happening with him. "You're in my home Tye, back on the PLANTs," Lacus answered. Tyler glanced at Lacus, which caused her concern to spike a bit. His eyes looked odd, the pupils were too small, and they seemed to be shaking somewhat. It could be just another subtle sign of Tyler's poor health for all Lacus knew, but she had the nagging suspicion that it wasn't just that. However, before she could inquire about the point, Lisa spoke up, "As she said, we are around the PLANTs, which we're here to help along with your recovery from the consequences that ended out with the Shadow being destroyed."
Tyler mulled over what Lisa said, and it checked out enough for him to believe it to be true. Yet, it didn't help determine which "series of events" that had been going through his head was real and which was not. Plus, Lisa nor Lacus had said anything regarding the time spent here "recovering," and that was important. Granted, Tyler felt horrid to put it mildly, and surviving an explosion would explain the pain he was in. However, there were still unanswered questions, which should be sooner rather than later. Tyler was forced to recall that the Archangel was heading to OMNI's headquarters, which wouldn't be safe for the crew. If they were in trouble, Tyler wanted to help them if possible. Nonetheless, he knew he was in no condition to be of any help or use to anyone right now. Tyler had to take a moment to breathe in and out, "And how long ago did that event happen, Lisa," he asked.
Lisa knew the question was coming, but she also was aware that Tyler would not like the answer to. If there was one thing that could be said about this war, then time was an ally to none. Tyler could see hesitation with Lisa, which didn't give him any comfort as to the answer he could receive. "Well," Lisa stated, "That was about three weeks ago, sorry to say."
Tyler blinked at what Lisa said, and several thoughts began going through his mind in response. First, he was stunned that three weeks had passed while he had been unaware and immobile. The amount of time also inferred that his injuries had been more extensive than any optimistic view could have. Granted, a pessimist would have him dead, which was far less desirable than injured but alive. However, a great deal could happen in three weeks, which worried Tyler as his friends had been heading for a dangerous situation. The Archangel had been heading for JOSH-A, and they could almost be there by this time. The crew didn't seem to believe or didn't think possible that their "allies" were planning to save those they could manipulate and dispose of the rest in some way. However, hypothetical thoughts weren't helpful right now, more the opposite in truth with Tyler working against Recoyal. It would be better to get what facts he could get before imagining what could be happening. Tyler towards Lisa, "Should I ask if there have been any changes which I would be concerned with in the past three weeks?"
Lacus wondered what Tye was worried about, he was concerned about something happening that was time-sensitive. She could think of a couple of things that he could be referring to with his question. The thought that kept coming back to the forefront of her mind was the Archangel and its crew. Lacus hadn't forgotten the things Kira had mentioned Tyler saying back around Shira, how could she? Kira had been convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tye said and believed that the Archangel wouldn't be greeted warmly at JOSH-A. And with Tye somehow knowing things as he did, the details she recalled Kira saying were worrisome. The separation of the crew and disposing of some worried Lacus, for if true, their friends were likely in the disposal group. Then Kira had used what he told her Tye had said about her being potentially used as a hostage against the PLANTs to get her to leave the Archangel.
Lisa shook her head, "Not especially that I've seen," she replied. "And I have been keeping an eye through the Information Network." Lacus twisted around and stared at Miss Malto with that last sentence. The Federation's Information Network was one of the closest guarded advantages over the two other factions. That network seemingly could find out anything about anyone or anything, no matter how "secret" the fact should be. Lacus was somewhat shocked at understanding that Miss Malto had access to the Federation's Information Network here in her home. Lisa continued, "The war is still getting slowly worse, nothing has changed as of yet."
Tyler wasn't comforted much with Lisa's reply, though it did lift some of the worries, it was only temporary. Those on the Archangel were still in danger from their so-called "allies" that some put "blind faith" in. However, Tyler knew in his current condition would be little to no help to any of his friends in a time of need. Then he had no practical tools to help Kira and the others with the Shadow destroyed. The more he thought about it, the more Tyler was frustrated by his current situation. That Lacus was here happened to be one of the few good things as it meant that OMNI wouldn't be able to use her against the PLANTs. Yet, the whispers coming back got Tyler to focus and his attention back to figuring out a way to get the drug he needed. The potassium had helped a bit, the whispers had lessened in volume but hadn't gone away.
Meanwhile, Siegel was traveling home from the council meeting that he had been required to attend. He had approached Patrick Zala and had asked about recent operations ZAFT had been working on. Siegel had even mentioned hearing rumors of ZAFT potentially doing things within Federation territory. Patrick had merely replied that ZAFT was observing their conduct, and such rumors were baseless. Siegel had asked if the National Defense Committee effectively coordinated with Lanus and others who led ZAFT forces. Patrick had said they were and did not worry about how the ZAFT forces were doing. He had said it was nice of Siegel to be concerned for the welfare of the troops, which was a compliment from Patrick these days. Siegel's friend Patrick had been changing over the last few years, and the change was not a nice one.
Truthfully, council business was becoming more a chore that was harder every day than a civic duty as it used to be. And Siegel doubted he was the only council member who felt things were more complicated than they should be. Eileen Canaver, the current head of the Diplomat Committee, had shared she had similar concerns. Granted, the war was getting steadily worse over time, which seemed to be accelerating as of late. And the arguments that were coming up during council meetings were getting more heated recently. It was one of the things that made council business beyond tedious and just tiresome. However, it did make going home more meaningful, even if for reasons that really shouldn't be happening.
When Siegel arrived home, he was met by the head of the house staff, and they updated him on the going ons around the house. Things had been going fine this morning, yet there had been some commotion a little bit ago. Siegel asked what kind of commotion, and all he was told was it had something to do with their guests. He wondered if that meant there had been changes in Tyler's condition. Siegel asked where the commotion was, and the staff member pointed toward the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, Siegel saw Lacus in the room along with Miss Malto, and they seemed to be grouped around something. "What is going on here," Siegel questioned.
The new voice came to Tyler's ears, which helped him ignore the voices growing in volume. It had undoubtedly sounded like Siegel's voice, which could potentially be a way to get the needed drug for Tyler's situation. The sooner Tyler got Letaium serum, the quicker his condition could be improved. Lacus looked over to her father coming into the room and hoped he could help Tyler somehow. And maybe in that process, she could find out what Tyler was dealing with as his behavior was odd. "Siegel," Tyler started, "I know what I'm about to ask for will not make sense on the face of it, but I need you to just trust me for now." Tyler held his head, doing his best to shut out the voices that were demanding his attention. The pain surged as the hallucinations started to appear again faintly, but he continued. "I need you to contact a doctor and request a dose of a drug known as Letaium," Tyler said clearly, "It will help me the most right now, the sooner I get it, the better."
Siegel could see that Tyler was having issues, and his specific request suggested that he knew what was happening to him. Siegel had never heard of the drug, but he was no doctor, so it could be for a condition he'd no idea of. So he didn't argue with Tyler, just went to a communications device to get ahold of the medical institute. While Siegel did that, Lacus and Lisa stayed by Tyler, neither knowing what to do for him. Lisa suggested getting Tyler a piece of furniture so he could lie down. Lacus didn't argue the idea and helped Tyler shuffle to the sitting room and down onto the sofa.
Tyler said nothing to the gesture as he focused on keeping his mind intact with the assault it was under. The hallucinations were getting louder and more challenging to ignore the longer Tyler didn't get the needed drug. Lana was back, and she was questioning why she had died, and he had not. And it wasn't just her, Kira and Athrun had appeared too, and they were asking sharp things and blaming him for how the circumstances were. The things that were being said were painful and cut to his heart, and it was getting worse the more time that passed.
The expressions coming to Tyler's face were horrible to watch for Lacus, he was clearly in pain. Tyler wasn't usually shown much emotion now that she thought about it. He had always been calm and collected, one of Kira's friends never lost his cool. Sure, Tyler would laugh when something amused him, and Lacus had seen some instances of that. But she hadn't seen Tyler show the heart-wrenching pain he was experiencing now, and it appeared so out of place with him. Lacus was left to wonder how much she didn't know about Tyler that potentially Kira and Athrun did. Those three had opened up to one another that they hadn't to others, Kira had inferred that. Lacus kept looking at her friend, "Tye, what's happening to you," she asked.
Tyler argued whether to tell Lacus and Lisa about his Recoyal, he didn't want to do so. However, as they were helping him during his time of misery, Tyler figured he owed them some explanation. And yet, the pain was making thinking a hard thing for Tyler to do at the current moment effectively. Then the hallucinations certainly didn't help him either, if anything, they worsened his circumstances. "Honestly," Tyler began, "I don't know where to start on this," he paused, "It comes up so rarely."
The tone of voice suggested strongly to Lisa that whatever Tyler was dealing with was some sort of embarrassment or shame. It was odd for him as he didn't show embarrassment much, Tyler tended to be proud of who he was. He didn't hide or dismiss his faults when they were displayed, merely admitted them and moved on. Still, Tyler continued, "What you have been seeing signs of is a condition I don't deal with often." He paused for a moment, clearly hesitating, "It's not something that I like to talk about."
Lisa sighed at Tyler's stubborn resistance, "Tyler, at this point, we can clearly see whatever it is you don't want to talk about is more than you let on. Now is not the time to keep secrets so out with what is going on."
Tyler could see there was little to nothing he would say or do to get Lisa and Lacus to drop the subject at this point. As much as he didn't want to, Tyler knew he would have to give some detail about his condition. So, Tyler took a few deep breaths, shut out the voices as best he could, and began, "It's called Recoyal Syndrome, an "illness" discovered in the early part of the Cosmic Era by the same doctor with Recoyal as their last name. It is a rare thing to have, but lucky me, I am one of those one in more than a million that has this. I have no idea what marks one for this illness, medical experts don't know for sure and aren't willing to make an official diagnosis for the point. Heck, the illness isn't widely known to most, it is one of those oddball conditions that don't come up often, if at all. It has triggers to start it up, which are unique per individual, so no set pieces that set it off."
Lacus was a tad confused with what Tyler was explaining, it wasn't making much sense to her. She could understand that Tyler had a rare illness and did odd things. It still didn't explain why he seemed to be in pain and behaving odder than he did on occasion. Yet, Tyler continued, "There are some common symptoms which all are pretty much are horrible. And for me, one of the triggers can come into effect on a battlefield which did with the last crap show between ZAFT and the Archangel."
"I assume the trigger you mentioned has something to do with that SEED mode of yours," Lisa questioned.
Lacus glanced at Miss Malto, wondering what she was referring to. She had heard of Super Evolutionary Element Destined factor before, which Lacus believed was being mentioned with SEED mode. But with what Miss Malto said, Tyler could potentially have the factor which was supposed to be rare. Lacus had heard that SEED factor gave those who had its incredible abilities. The instances in combat were the majority of the recorded cases of the claims of SEED factor being used. However, Lacus didn't know enough about SEED factor to know if one had it or not. Nevertheless, Lacus didn't get the chance to ask what either was talking about as Tyler kept going. "And when triggered, Recoyal affects the mind in a few ways, none of which are pleasant or helpful, I assure you. You hear things that you wouldn't normally, then comes the hallucinations, it essentially traps you in prison made in the mind. I know it may not make sense when I put it that way, but it is the best way I can explain it."
Lisa didn't like what she heard, though it did explain what she'd seen when she had found Tyler earlier. He had been trapped in a hallucination of some sort, and her slap had brought him out of it. On the other hand, Lacus didn't fully understand what Tyler implied with his explanation. Hearing things and having hallucinations was simple enough, even if it sounded odd with Tyler. However, before Lacus could ask anything, Lisa spoke up, "And I take it that said voices and hallucinations are hard to ignore or refuse?"
Tyler would have replied, but the voices abruptly got louder and demanded attention from him. He could only use his hands to cover his ears though that didn't help the voices and the hallucinations to fade. It was clear Tyler was having issues, so Lacus moved forward and placed her hand on his shoulder, but nothing changed. While that was happening, Lisa went and quickly fetched a datapad and looked up information on Recoyal Syndrome. And what came up worried her as the "illness" was seen as a hazardous condition, even if it was rare. The hallucination that Tyler had described was typical of the condition.
The real issue with them seemed to cause the sufferer to hard register the natural world around them. And the longer the hallucinations went on, the more the patient's mental state would deteriorate. The "episode," as the appearances of this syndrome were referred to, would generally end in one of two ways. The first ending was that the patient would have a severe mental breakdown which causes serious damage. Those that had an episode finish that way were committed to a long-term care facility for the insane. The other way an episode ended was the patient would take their own life. According to what Lisa read, the drug Letaium, a type of suppressant, was the only thing that seemed to help with the condition's episodes. The other note that Lisa read was that the expectation of surviving the first episode was around thirty percent on average. And of that thirty percent, it was half at best that would be sane afterward. Lisa was again impressed with what Tyler had endured and still kept his attitude. He was indeed one in more than a million, and even that wasn't saying the actual facts well.
The sound of the front door opening drew attention to the sitting room entrance, where a moment later, Siegel came in. He was followed by two in doctor's coats with bags, hopefully with the needed drug. The doctors instantly saw Tyler, one nodded at the other, who moved forward and pinned Tyler down. The other doctor dug around the bag they carried and took out a bottle of something and a syringe. Tyler felt someone pinning him down to the sofa, but he tried to keep himself together. The things that were being almost screamed at Tyler were horrible as much as what was being said and who it was coming from. Out of those shouting at him, there was Lana but also Kira and Athrun, those were some of the most painful. His thoughts were careening down a slippery slope, and the 'people' in the room were spinning and swirling around him. But then there was stabbing pain on the back of Tyler's neck, followed by a slightly cold sensation that started spreading through him. Moments after that sensation, the voices and their owners began to decrease in volume and fade from the world.
Shortly after Tyler was injected with whatever substance the doctors had, Lacus could see that he had stopped struggling. His body didn't go wholly limp, but he appeared to be relaxing and not be suffering as he had been. "Thank you for your prompt response," Siegel remarked to the doctor that had used the syringe.
The doctor turned and bowed to Siegel as his partner went to their bag and began getting out monitoring tools. "Our pleasure Chairman Clyne," the lead doctor replied, "I'm amazed Mr. McGregor is up and moving already. With his injuries, most wouldn't be. We planned to check on him tomorrow, so this saves us the time." The other doctor took the essential reading of Tyler's vitals and then put them into the datapad.
Lacus moved forward as the doctor was sweeping a rod-looking tool over Tyler's head, "Is he doing okay," she asked.
"Most of his vitals are looking okay, lower slightly than they normally would be," the doctor or nurse answered. "His brainwaves are falling more towards where they should be, probably will be ten minutes or so before they reach where they are acceptable."
Lisa listened to what had been said by the one looking Tyler over and was glad it seemed he would be okay. She was curious why Tyler hadn't mentioned he had an abnormal condition, but with what she'd read, Lisa didn't exactly blame him. Lisa turned to the other doctor, "So, have you heard of Recoyal Syndrome," she asked.
The lead doctor twisted to face the woman that was Mr. McGregor's escort officer, "I've read the name and heard a few stories about the illness. However, this is my first experience with an individual with the syndrome. From what I have heard, the vast majority don't make it through their first episode," the doctor hesitated, "Intact."
Lacus whipped around at how the doctor said "intact," as it had been said in a way that implied it was not in a way the person was okay. "What do you mean by intact," Lacus questioned."
The doctor frowned since the stories he'd heard were sad and nasty. A colleague of his had mentioned that those with Recoyal usually either went insane or committed suicide. "Well, Miss Clyne," the doctor began, "from what I understand, most that go through this either lose their sanity or take their own lives." Lacus gasped in horror at what she was told as it was unthinkable to her. She couldn't imagine what would have to be going through one's mind even to consider taking their life. But the doctor continued, "And those who don't take their life are normally unable to recover even an amount of their sanity."
Lacus was left to worry about Tyler as the doctors finished their work before pronouncing Tyler as okay for the moment. Ten minutes passed while they worked, and they left after their pronouncement. It was another five minutes before Tyler stirred and showed he was aware of the world around him again. His mind was quiet, and nothing was plaguing him as he had been dealing with. He still couldn't tell which set of events had occurred around the islands in Orb's territory, but he could figure that out later. There were more pressing matters to get taken care of first before Tyler sorted out things that had already happened.
The recent episode of Recoyal wasn't lovely in any way, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the first one had been. It had still felt like he'd been stabbed over and over in the heart, but it wasn't being torn out as the first time had felt like. During the first episode, Tyler's father had been there, which had been the worst. If this recent episode had gone on for a great deal longer, Tyler feared that his father would have popped up. Hearing the things that he had from his father was torture in a much different way which hurt far more. Getting that from his sister and best friends had been hard enough and had made suicide sound reasonable.
Tyler sat up slowly and looked around the room, taking in his current surroundings. He appeared to be in some sitting room, with Lacus, Lisa, and Siegel there. It proved that what Lacus had said about being around the PLANTs and her home specifically was genuine and not part of the hallucinations. But that also meant that those here had seen most of his Recoyal episode, which was outright embarrassing. Tyler exhaled, "Please forgive me for anything nasty or stupid I may have said since I woke up," he said.
Lisa smiled, "Thankfully for you, there is no need for that since you didn't say anything stupid nor nasty."
Lacus moved to be in front of Tyler, "Are you alright, Tyler," she asked worriedly.
Tyler stared at Lacus for a moment, taking stock of his current condition. The Recoyal episode was over thank goodness, which was an improvement. However, his health was still sour from the Shadow's destruction, which would take time to get over. And Tyler didn't doubt it would take more time than he would prefer or like to get back to full health. "I'm better than I was earlier, but my health is still not the best. At least, the pain I'm still feeling, and the IV and breathing tube would strongly say that." Tyler paused for a moment, "Yet, I supposed I shouldn't be complaining a great deal as I'm alive when most others wouldn't be with what I endured."
Lisa snickered, "Indeed, you are lucky to be alive, Tyler, and it would probably be best if you get some more sleep."
Tyler sighed, knowing that Lisa was right, "I guess you're right, Lisa, my body needs rest right now to speed my recovery along hopefully."
Siegel could see that Tyler needed sleep, but with what had recently come to his attention, he needed to talk to the young man. A secure message from Lanus had come about two mobile suits that had just been developed. Lanus had mentioned that the National Defense Committee was rumored to be discussing who would be the pilots. However, Lanus was being left out of the discussion, and those being considered were some that Lanus was having watched for misconduct. Siegel took the message as Lanus, implying that his guess may be able to help get at least one of the machines out of the Committee's hands. So, Siegel moved forward, "Once you get some sleep, I have a request for you to listen to," he said.
Tyler studied Siegel for a moment, wondering what kind of request the man could have. Still, after a minute, Tyler nodded, "Sure, I'll listen, not sure what I could help with thought."
Lisa and Lacus then helped Tyler back to the room he had been put in upon his arrival so that he could rest. The bed felt enormously comfortable as Tyler's body came down on it, and he barely even heard the two women leaving the room as he dropped off to sleep.
A/N
Okay, I'll end it here and continued on in the next Phase. There was not much addition or change in the first part of this Phase that was Tyler's nightmare, other than him questioning if what he was seeing was real. And as this is third-person, how Tyler is discovered is a little different but similar. Of course, with what I described with Tyler's injuries, his reactions when Laucs hugged him and other time, Tyler's actions are a tad different. The next phase is coming along nicely so I' hopefully with have it ready soon. I'm trying to keep an approximate two-week release schedule, we'll see how it goes. Please, some of you take the time to tell me what you think of the Phase, peace out!