White. Just white.
Then a low beeping. Constant, like a heart beat.
The smell of sterile cleanliness.
The taste of plastic.
It was all followed by the feeling of a soft warmth that was at the same time oddly uncomfortable.
Turning her head to the side, tired jade orbs focused on a black monitor with green pulsing lines running across the screen. It was the source of the beeping, the girl decided, before turning her gaze back to the white above.
That was when she suddenly noticed it…the sensation of cool metal covering her left appendage, accompanied by a dull, constant ache. She lifted her arm to inspect the limb, and when she did, was presented with lackluster grey rather than pink flesh, her still foggy brain unable to entirely comprehend what she was looking at. Attempting to move one of the fingers, all she earned was a searing pain rippling down her entire forearm. She tried to swallow, but found it surprisingly difficult, like there was something obstructing her airway. With her good arm, she reached for her mouth only to feel smooth plastic, curious fingers following where it led.
Like a light in the darkness, realization suddenly struck the girl, her eyes immediately widening.
Panic. Fear. Uncertainty. Pain. Panic! PANIC!
Her heart raced, and the machine by the bed beeped faster and louder. She clawed at the tube that was inserted into her nose and mouth, painfully ripping it away and gagging herself in the process before being consumed in a fit of coughing that left her gasping for breath. Next, her eyes fell on the I.V. taped to her arm, her intense awareness of the needle just beneath her skin increasing by the second. She could feel it inside of her…pumping god knows what into her system. With her metal claw of a left arm, she reached for the thing, and with a whimper from the pain of the movement, she swiftly pulled the catheter out.
By now she was hyperventilating, her breaths quick and shaky, her entire body seeming to take on a nervous twitch. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet touching the cool tile floor below, sitting now rather than laying down.
Neck…Chest…Itching…
The dark-haired girl’s trembling fingers scratched at the rough gauze on the right side of her neck, peeling it, and the medical tape around it, from her tender skin.
“Whoa, whoa, hold it!” a voice exclaimed as the door to the room was suddenly thrust open, and the girl inside immediately stood, backing up against the far was like a cornered animal.
“J-Just calm down…I’m here to help, Natsuki.”
“He knows my name? Why does he look familiar?”
“It’s me, Jaxen.”
Her brow furrowed, “Jaxen…from the enemy camp…”
“That’s right, me and my buddy Finias helped free you and the other captured soldiers, remember?”
Taking a moment to process the information, Natsuki slowly came to realize that it all added up, “The fighting had started…I…ran into Bardas…”
“Mmh. We found you not too far from his body—“
“Then how did I get here?” the girl cut him off, “Wherever here is.”
“The doctors did some quick patch-up work on you, and when you stabilized, we transported you to this hospital in Seris since it’s the most advanced in the country.”
“How come I don’t remember any of this?”
“Well, you…you’ve been in a light coma for the past three weeks. You nearly gave me a heart attack when I came in to visit.”
A look of pure confusion washed over the girl’s face as her entire body seemed to slacken.
Her gaze fell to her arm, “Wh-What…?”
“Look, I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” the male gently stated, “but right now you need to rest and reserve your strength. I’ll go get Finias since he’s the doctor that’s been treating you, so in the meantime, please, lie back down.”
After the man had quietly departed, Natsuki followed his instruction and climbed back onto the plain bed, not bothering with slipping under the thin sheets as her confused mind continued to race.
During her last torture session, it became aware that something wasn’t entirely normal about her body, which inevitably caused Bardas to want to send her to Seris to be investigated by the higher-ups. Rather than send Natsuki to her certain death, Jaxen had informed Jousuke and the others of what was happening, and the plan to bombard the Noble’s camp was hastened to the point of them taking action before any backup had arrived. Luckily for the small group, however, the entire Resistance force showed up right before they started their plot, and with the help of the fighter plane in their possession, they ram shacked the entire encampment. Miraculously emerging the victor in the outmatched battle, the Resistance soldiers soon learned of even greater news. The attacks on the capital had been successful as well, and a ceasefire had been issued for both sides.
As for her comatose state, Finias had explained, it was probably due to the immense stress her body was under because of her various injuries. The nano-machines in her body were apparently the only thing that had kept her alive as they worked to piece together her tattered body.
The device on her left limb, affectionately known as “the claw” around the hospital,was being used in the healing process of her shattered arm. It, along with the pins that were placed internally and externally along the bones, was setting them in place so they could heal properly. The doctor had showed her how to take the device off, but being such a lengthy and cumbersome task, and not a very pretty sight to behold either, Natsuki opted to just leave the thing on until it was time to permanently take it off, which apparently would be in a couple of months depending on the healing process.
Needless to say, the young doctor was quite fascinated with the nano-machines in the girl’s blood. Saeko had apparently informed Finias of her stay at Garderobe, but the man was respectable enough, under Natsuki’s dangerous icy glare that is, not to take any of the precious technology for Vedel’s top scientists to examine.
Speaking of her mother, Saeko Kruger had been quite busy since the end of the fighting. Now everything seemed to be wrapped up in the courts, both sides tirelessly working on negotiations so further bloodshed would not be necessary. Saeko represented the Resistance, leading the other politicians on her side with pure determination. During the time of her absence, Jousuke had kept Natsuki company even though she was sleeping a majority of the time those first couple of days.
After an additional week spent in the hospital, Natsuki had received her official approval of dispatch from Finias, whose only additional requirement, state of health aside, was that the girl visit him and Jaxen every now and then when she had the time.
Squinting as she stepped out into the sunlight, Natsuki was not only sporting a sling for her left arm, but also the new official army uniform for the Republic of Vedel, it’s royal blue material crisp and clean, not to mention a long awaited upgrade from the flimsy uniforms of the Resistance. In it, she stood proudly by her uncle who was dressed in similar fashion.
“So, what do you want to do now that you’re free?” the man inquired, looking down at his bandaged niece.
“Is mom in another Senate meeting right now?”
“Most likely. We could still swing by though. Why? What’s up?”
“I need to talk to her about something important…”
“Which is…?”
“Returning to Garderobe.”
“What?! But things are finally starting to look up here. We’ve finally won the peace we’ve been fighting for.”
“I know, but I just kind of dropped everything when I came running back home…”
“Unfinished business, eh?”
“I guess you could call it that,” Natsuki replied with a laugh.
With a disheartened sigh, the older man began walking, “Alright…but Saeko’s not going to be happy with this. She was expecting that you’d stick around…at least for a little while.”
“Don’t worry, I think I can handle her.”
1. I can’t even begin to explain what I imagine “the claw” looking like, but to get an idea, go check out the photos section of my xanga (you can find the link on my profile page). The image for the new uniform is there as well, which is actually taken from Star Trek. And NO, I am not a Trekky, but my aunts are XD
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