If you have a thing for bad, sad endings, particularly in an ironic way
like in the previous chapter, I would advise not to read this new
chapter, or to consider it as an alternative story maybe...
... So pay the money and take a shot!
Lead-fill the hole in me,
I could burst in a million bubbles,
All surrogate... And bulletproof... And bulletproof... And
bulletproof... And bulletproof....
It was strange how hospital rooms, in whichever part of the world,
managed to project this atmosphere of coldness, of uneasiness... As if
between those sterile walls, you were stripped of your personality. It
was probably the case, after all. Here, people tried to forget that you
were a person with a history, joys, pains, hopes... It was easier when
you were only a patient, a number, they did their best for you, then
moved on with their life. That, or the misery they saw day by day
crushed them...
Only a number...
It was the same for soldiers, after all. The enemy didn’t have a face.
He wasn’t another human being, made of blood and flesh, just like you...
You were there to accomplish your duty. Period. Giving them a face,
aknowledging the fact that, under other circumstances, you might have
been friends... was dangerous...
But for their families...
For their lovers...
It was a slow agony. It was as if the world had just come to a brutal
end. It was as if darkness had covered the world in a cold blanket, when
their love ones didn’t come back.
Thessa had rarely left the intensive care room where Melissa had been
brought after having been finally found, barely breathing, in the
jungle. Her plane had had to change its original course and head in
emergency for the closest hospital, here, in Lima, when it had been made
obvious that she wouldn’t survive the long flight back to the Thuata De
Danaan. So, unable to wait longer, Thessa had decided to join her, with
a small security squad. Now she was there, just sitting for hours in the
uncomfortable chair. Waiting for any other sign of life than the
constant beeps of the electrocardiogramme and encephalopathogramme. When
she wasn’t here, she was in her quarters, replaying the video over and
over. She wasn’t crying though, she was past this... It had been days
now. Physically stationary, had said the doctors, but few hopes for the
sergent to ever awaken of her deep coma...
Circumstances... What made people become what they were, what made them
chose some path rather than others... Why?
Screw them! Screw the doctors! Screw her, goddammit!!! Why in the world
did she have to follow these assholes in this forsaken jungle? How could
she tell her she loved her like that? How could she leave her like that?
Thessa thightened her hold on the hem of her skirt. Always the same
questions. Always the same answers. Because she was stupid! ... Okay,
she was committed and honourable too. Things that she had always admired
in her... How could she tell her? How could she not? And it had made her
so incredibly happy, as well as desesperatly sad, to discover that her
feelings were returned. And she was still alive. She would return. She
had to have faith in her!
She sighed. Days spent in the exact same limbo. Waiting while listening
to Melissa’s mechanical, hypnotic breathing. Dancing from raging anger
to flying hopes, from hope to abysses of despair, from despair to fond
memories. A maelstrom of feelings and emotions like she had never
experienced before.
She suspected she was going insane. How much more could she take of
this? She had no idea.
A sudden shrill rang in the quiet room, making her jump in surprise. Her
eyes shot open and swiftly darted from one machine to another, panick
squizzing her throat.
No! Where was the doctor! She frantically searched the room. It didn’t
come from any machine. She was about to burst out of the room to call
for help when she finally noticed that the ring came from her coat.
‘Goddamn ##&# mobile phone!!!’ She silently swore, her heart rate just
one step away from a cardiac attack. She took a slow, calming breath.
She sat back, straightening her back and opened the line.
“Moshi moshi?” She inwardly cursed the treacherous quiver in her voice.
“Captain? Are you alright?”
“Ha, major Karirin. Yes, I’m fine. How can I help you?”
“... New informations about the man called Silent have been found.
Corporal Olafson is categorical. It is him. I’ll have a full report
ready in one hour and I’ll transmit it to you on your secured line.”
Thessa’s lips curled up in a frightening smile, her eyes hardened to a
steel quality. Anyone who would have witnessed it would have shuddered.
“Good work, as always, major. How is corporal Olafson recovering?”
“Pretty well, considering the gravity of his injuries. I’m afraid that
he will never regain complete use of his left leg, though. We are going
to send him home for his recovery. He will probably heal faster with his
family around.”
Thessa’s features softened. “He certainly deserves it.”
“... Hum, captain?”
“Yes?”
“Would you consider coming back on the ship? This hospital isn’t safe at
all for you. We can’t afford to lose you.”
Her voice was ice when she answered. “I thank you for your concern,
major, but I will not leave the sergent major alone, especially if you
consider that this place isn’t safe enough! And you know we can’t move
her to the ship yet.”
Thessa could sense him suppressing a sigh of exasperation.
“Very well, ma’am. But please, follow the recommendations of the
security chief, at least...” He knew he wouldn’t deter her if her mind
was set.
“I will. Captain Testarossa out.”
Her gaze fell back on the peaceful woman lying on the bed, wishing they
were in her personal quarters and that the tall woman was just sleeping.
Thessa shook her head. She was more and more unfocused, irrational. That
wasn’t like her at all and she knew that Karirin and Mardukas were
extremely worried about her. She had to grab a hold on herself if she
wanted to be there for Melissa...
She reached out, softly stroking Melissa’s wild strands of hair away
from her face. She then slowly leaned down, stopping mere inches from
the sergent’s face, studying every cures, every lines, every nuances of
colour... Finally, she closed the distance. Smiling softly, she placed
the lightest of kisses on Melissa’s forehead and hastily retreated
before giving in the temptation to kiss those luscious lips too. This
would wait until the sergent woke up... It had become a habit over the
last few days, but she couldn’t even begin to explain what had possessed
her when she first did it, but it had immediately developped in an
addiction. She sighed, she was really hopeless.
She got up and slowly walked out of the room, softly closing the door
behind her. Then she turned to her security chief, a fake smile on her
face. “I’m ready to go, sergent Weber...”
He gravely saluted and followed her out, leaving to other guards at
Melissa’s door.
------------------------------------------------------------------
For a long time, hellish pain seemed to be the only thing her brain was
able to process, the rest was mostly irrelevent. She finally decided to
open her eyes. Dark. Really dark. Were her eyes open or still closed?
She tiredly blinked several time, slowly adjusting her eyesight to the
darkness. Her gaze swept around her somehow familiar surroundings. ‘Oh
yeah... Hospital room... That’s why it’s familiar...’ She surprised
herself thinking. She noticed a digital clock. Three a.m. The where,
who, what, why and how would have to wait, though. Now, all she wanted
was some painkiller, or at least, something to finish her off. Oh, and
if she could have a beer before, it was all the better...
‘kay, the little nurse call device should normally be under her reach.
She felt blindly for a moment, ignoring the heaviness of her arms. She
finally found it and pressed the button with a sigh of satisfaction...
End of chapter three
AN: I have the huge pleasure to write a continuation to this story,
thanks to enthusiastic rewiewers, some of them having even threatened me
if I didn’t do anything about that... Now, now, it doesn’t mean that
those methods necessarilly work with me... Well, okay, that worked since
I wrote it, BUT it had to be said, for the principle! Yeah! For the
principle! I have a lot of principles (sweatdrop)... Hum, by the way,
I’ve now seen FMP Fumuffu. Although it was enjoyable, I definitly prefer
the darker atmosphere of the first serie, so don’t be surprised that I
chose to follow in this line. And I guess I’m in for several new
chapters now... This one was relatively short, but it’s mainly because
it is a transition...
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