Last one in the infirmary

REAPER IN RED
Chapter 29

It was a groggy sort of morning. Not just for me, but for everyone as well. They blamed it on the weather; how the skies were grey and overcast and every colour looked muted. I had to double-check it wasn't just me that was having that problem, but it was everyone. Everyone I passed by looked tired, with sunken eyes and plenty with red noses.

They all said it was because the weather was starting to change. It was going to be the colder, rainy season for Vale, which meant plenty of people would have 'colds' which was apparently different than the weather being 'cold'.

I still thought it was because of me though. Why was everyone so tired? They all had their sleep and their warm beds and hair combs to brush their hair. What did I have?

Well, I had a boring old infirmary bed and no sleep once again. During the day, my friends would visit me and give me homework that I was missing -probably the best part of the day- and caught up on all the student drama. I didn't know who half the people they were talking about were, but it made them happy to talk about, so I let them continue. My nights were spent staying awake and giving myself headaches, just like I had been doing before my fight with the witches.

It was like my magic hadn't even showed up then. Knowing that I could do it? That I could use magic in my human form? Well, this was leaving me stumped and just a little bit annoyed.

Okay. A lot annoyed.

And I was super tired. I still had a light cough, which thankfully was getting better. It had been years since I felt this tired. Even without the whole "staying up every night to get my powers to work properly", I felt beyond exhausted. Like… well, I wasn't sure what it was like, since the last time I was this tired, I was trying to escape Atlas's mountains. And that was not a feeling I enjoyed.

At least it was my last few hours stuck in the infirmary. That seemed to brighten my mood a little. Though, I was still contemplating staying up another night to force my magic to work -probably to no avail- or just pass out right then and there.

"This is the first time I've seen her sleeping in days," Blake's whispers tore me from my unwanted slumber. My eyes opened to see the thin blue fluff that was the infirmary's blanket wrapped tightly over my entire body, blocking my sight from those nearby.

"Yes. I was surprised she lasted so long without sleep. She spent every night shaking with tension." It was Weiss's voice now. Just as quiet as Blake's. they weren't in my room, that was for sure.

They were further away. Maybe just outside the door, though I wasn't sure if it was open or closed. The hairs on my arms perked up in a very human way as I could feel their gazes lingering on me.

"Do you think it has anything to do with Yang?" I stiffened, hearing Blake's words.

I couldn't hear anything from Weiss in response. Just Blake's lonesome sigh.

"I guess we'll just have to continue being vigilant. For Yang's sake…"

There was a pause.

"And Ruby's too."

"It's fine, Blake. I understand you're unsure what's going on. So am I. We'll all be visiting Mr. Xiao Long this weekend though, so we can figure it all out then."

"You're right. I just… I don't like feeling like I'm breaking Ruby's trust."

"Neither do I. But sometimes friends need 'tough love', right?"

"Tough love?" Blake snorted, no doubt with her light smirk and the glint of amusement in her eyes. "Is the ice Queen admitting she loved her teammates."

"Preposterous. I'll see you after class Blake. Don't give Ruby too hard a time when she wakes up."

"I won't."

The conversation died down then, Weiss's clicking footsteps dwindling into nothing as she made her way down the hall. All the while, my heart beat rapidly in my chest and my throat felt like it was going to constrict so tightly my head would fall off.

Or explode.

Definitely explode.

I let out a shuddering breath, as slowly as I was able to. That had not sounded like something I was meant to hear. What were they talking about? Did something happen with Yang? Did something happen with me?

Did they know I was a Reaper?

I shook the thought from my head. No, that made no sense. Nobody knew Reapers could take a human guise, let alone live among them.

I made sure to pay the little voice in the back of my head screaming, "but Mr. Torchwick knows," as little attention as possible. Him knowing made sense at least.

I hadn't done anything to Weiss or Blake or to any of my friends to make them think I was a Salemite, let alone a Reaper. I fought a skin crawler with them for crying out loud! Humans didn't know Salemites fought amongst each other. At least, nothing I had read or studied in class said anything like that. We learned a little about Grimm migratory patterns, which was pretty interesting, and a little about Salemite migrations, which was both wrong and really funny in some cases, but nothing about real violence.

According to Professor Port, "Grimm fight other Grimm for territory, just like other wild animals. They migrate in order to stay near their preferred food source, and they attack others to show dominance. Nothing they do cannot be accounted for or learned about by looking and studying other animals. The same is mostly true with other forms of Salemites, particularly those in the Higher Order."

I had pretty much fallen asleep during that class as he began discussing how vampires were often found settling into territories near human settlements because it was near their food sources and breeding grounds. Nothing about how vampires chose to live near humans because they were still humans.

Weiss was shocked that I hadn't been paying attention in class. I thought I broke her. We all had a big laugh about that.

I sighed.

I hoped we would still be able to laugh like that in the future. Maybe I was overthinking things and they were talking about something else completely. Maybe they're just scared for me and my lack of sleep. Though I couldn't quite figure out how that would have broken Blake's trust in me.

Maybe it was time to tell them about me. What I really was.

Tears formed in my eyes, but I rubbed them away before they could fall. No. They were human. They wouldn't understand. They'd be scared. Horrified. I could never tell them. If I wanted to keep on living, I would have to keep this secret, just like I had been for so long. Maybe in a few more months of years, when I decided I had enough, and it was time to return to being the real me for good.

I could tell them then and then leave and then never see them again. That would be best, no matter how hard my heart was telling me it wasn't.

"Ugh!" I groaned, throwing around weak punches into my blanket and bed and pillow.

Why couldn't this be easier? Why did I think it was a good idea to befriend humans of all things? It wasn't like I could just leave and never see a human again. I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. But they just died so quickly, and they were just so squishy.

Even the ones who tried really hard to kill us.

And now my mood was soured even more.

This was all just so pointless. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't I just get my magic to work like it did in the cave? What was different about then than now? I was still me. I was still in my human form. I wasn't all that tired, but that was because I slept a full night. Was it because I was around other people?

No, that didn't make any sense. I was around people all the time. Even in the infirmary, there were people walking around in the halls. When I tried in classrooms and in my bed, there were people literally all around me.

Was it because of the Salemites? Was it the witches being so close that made it all work out? I shook my head at that idea. No, that didn't make much sense either. Why would my magic only work around other Salemites? Did that mean I had to be near them whenever I wanted to use magic?

Would I have to keep one around me if I wanted to have my magic last for a full month? Or just the starting bit? To use like a spark from a flint and steel to light a fire. Okay, maybe that idea wasn't so crazy.

But there had to be something else that worked. Right? Something that didn't involve me potentially endangering all these humans in the school, as well as my friends.

What else, what else? I wracked my brain trying to think of anything.

"Miss Rose?" I nearly jumped from the sudden intrusion, only to find a nurse leaning in the doorway, holding a clipboard.

"Yes?"

"Hi, I just wanted to let you know that the doctor will be in, in a few minutes to do some final tests before you are free to leave."

"What sort of tests? No needles?" I asked, hoping I sounded like someone scared of the pinprick, and not of accidently breaking the tool.

"No needles," the nurse said with a smile. "He will just be checking your eyes, nose and throat. Five minutes of testing and you will be free to return to your dormitory and friends."

"Thank you!" I called out, waving as she left.

That was good at least. I was getting bored waiting in the infirmary for so long. I wanted to be free from my prison! I yearned to see the blue sky with my own two eyes once more!

Pay no mind to the window and closed curtain barely outside my reach.

"Unfortunately no, sir." The doctor's voice drifted in from down the hall. It seemed like the nurse had forgotten to close my door. "Your brain scans show absolutely no signs of decay which is common in patients with your problem. It may be a short-term issue. Your memories should return in- Ah! Miss Ruby Rose."

His attention was on me now, having seen me listen in to his scroll call. He quickly told whoever he was talking to that he had a patient to see and would call back later, before pocketing the device and sitting down on the very end of my bed.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good."

"Any bumps, bruises, numbness anywhere?"

"Nope," I shook my head, popping my 'p' the way Yang likes to do.

The doctor smiled. "that's really good. Just what we like to hear. Okay, so your aura is in tip-top shape, which is perfect. It means you aren't healing anything without realizing it. Can I do a quick sensory check?"

I nodded and he took out a flashlight-telescope and a tongue stick and some third fancy tool which he placed one end on my chest and the other in his ear. I had no idea what it did, but it was cold, and he gave a funny look. But in the end, my eyes were shiny, my ears were clean, and my throat was… throaty?

Ya, I had no clue what he was doing looking into my mouth. I thought he wanted me to wiggle my tongue at him, but he held it down with his stick, so I definitely did that wrong. It was quick, just a few minutes like the nurse had said before he smiled at me once again and stood up.

"That's everything Miss Rose. You are in great condition. I'm going to give you a complete bill of good health. You can leave now if you wish to."

"Thank you, sir," I said as I stood up from my bed and stretched out my joints like people do. Now I could head back to my dorm room and go back to thinking about what else was different between now and the cave to get my magic to work.

"I'll let everyone know that you are able to join in on sparring practice and any other physical exercise," the doctor said just as he reached the door. "But do be careful not to stress your muscles out too much. They may still be tender for a few days, even if they seem perfectly fine right now."

"Ah- I-I will keep that in mind sir." My eyes went wide.

He smiled and gave me a small wave before finally departing down the hall.

It took me a moment to compose myself, but the grin forming on my lips was growing into a full-fledged smile.

Stress, he says?

Dragonqueen1993 - Oh Ruby, you'd think that she'd have learned at least a little bit of human slang by now.

Cun - Thank you! Exactly what I was going for. I hope you're going to enjoy this second arc as more stuff is revealed!

Firewyrm2 - None taken? I don't think there's any reason to be offended by not remembering the question you posed. I know I look at the reviews on a second tab as I write out these replies just so I can remember them.

Dragon Lord Draco - Well, all I can say about that is, I hope you don't mind waiting just a little bit longer.

DarwenGwein - *shrugs* You will find out eventually... probably. Who knows? This entire story may be a red herring and it's actually just canon Ruby Rose's fever dream. Oh lord, wouldn't that be a terrible way to end this? Can't say anything but 'spoilers!' :)