DAY 65: Breakfast

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar came to slowly, vision blurred and head throbbing. His memory of the previous night was vague and somewhat scattered. What he was most aware of was his renewed and increased hatred for the man called Lingormr. The Ishbalan didn't give a damn if he had been a special counseling patient. That bastard had enjoyed every second of tearing Scar to shreds. What he may or may not have realized was how much it had affected Scar emotionally. He had felt a renewed sense of drive at the start of the night; the disruption on the intercom and the news of the 'cure' had rekindled a fire that fueled Scar to drive forward. To have a little hope.

Lingormr had promptly crushed that.

He was in pain. So much pain. The cut on his hand was only fading scab at this point, but stitches now pulled at the deep gashes in his legs and back. Not only had the nausea not settled, but his stomach was beginning to cramp. The rash on his arm was impossible to hide without the old bandages covering it. It had nearly reached his elbow.

Scar's hazy eyes could make out the nurse, now pushing a wheelchair up to his bedside. This was humiliating. And he was too exhausted and hurting to lash out or become angry. He was just broken. He still tried to take some sort of grudging control, insisting that he didn't need to be pushed around, that he could at least turn the wheels of the damned chair himself. But he didn't make it down the hallway before the pulling and sharp pain in his back became so obvious on his face that the nurse took over.

He entered breakfast with a frustrated, tired, but overall defeated look to him. Scar felt too sick to eat. He sat at the table and brooded, wishing more than anything to simply be left alone.

[For Goku!]

Comments

[sixth_attack]

"No... I'm not going out there... I'm sick... I'll kill someone... No..."

Sechs finally woke up to the sound of those words echoing through his lost consciousness. Where was he, what time is it, why did he feel so horrible? His whole body ached too much to warrant anymore sleep and he was forced to return to the waking present.

As he slowly untangled himself from the bed sheets, memories from the day before gingerly faded back into his consciousness. All he could remember was very blurred and sparse though, had he been sedated the day before? He couldn't recall much of a struggle; he was too sick and weak to do much anyways then! Just what happened to him yesterday?

Just as Sechs finally got back up to his feet for what felt like the first time in days, there was a sudden knock on the door and a nurse escorted by the usual pair of orderlies entered the room.

"Oh, good morning Cody! I'm glad to see you're able to stand on your own today!" the nurse exclaimed at the befuddled Replica, "We couldn't get you out of bed yesterday even if we used the Jaws of Life on you!"

Shaky at the knees, Sechs could only stand there and glower at his unwanted visitors. "Wuh..?"

"Don't worry, you were very sick yesterday so you probably won't remember much," the nurse explained, "You were very dehydrated and your blood sugar was too low, so we had to keep you in the medical wing all day yesterday. I know you're still unwell now, but we need you to eat some real food today!"

"But--" Sechs hesitated, suddenly remembering fragmented memories of the morning before. He had been too weak to get out of bed the day before, and he refused to have his infection be known to others. After that he could only recall being wheeled out of his room to the medical room before passing out. Damn it, Sechs knew he completely lost his appetite since Landel's virus struck, but he didn't think he hadn't eaten for that long for his body to collapse on him like that! That would certainly explain the faint bruises on his arms from whatever syringes they used to "treat" him there...

Meanwhile, the nurse had tensed up at Sechs' reply, and the orderlies took another step closer behind her; obviously she knew Sechs' reputation for fighting against the staff and she clearly didn't want any confrontations. "Please Cody, I need you to cooperate with us! Sedating you will only make you feel worse!"

Sechs shifted into a defensive stance at the mere mentioning of needles. He couldn't go out there! Not after losing more allies and being doomed to bring more death to others! --But he was so hungry! A moment of strained growling and eye shifting later before Sechs finally grumbled out, "I... I can't go out there with this damn rash!"

Having expecting cursing and fighting, the nurse was taken aback by Sechs' less-than-violent reply. "Oh, that? Oh dear, it looks much worse than yesterday, doesn't it?" she said, carefully approaching the android and observing his arm. "I'll get you some cream and bandages for it, will that help you come out for breakfast today?"

Sechs cringed, begrudgingly keeping his eyes away from the caring nurse before him. He had to resist, but his whole body ached for decent care and he needed to find who else he knew was still alive. He didn't have any other options. It was then that Sechs was forced to swallow his pride and take the nurse's kind offer, whether it was genuine or not. "...Sure."

Shortly after, Sechs found himself back at the cafeteria and sitting before a plate of precious food. As he requested, his infected arm was covered up by rolls of gauze, but some of the rash could still be visible around his elbow. He couldn't worry about that then; he was too busy trying to steady his hand as he struggled to stuff in as much French toast into his mouth as humanely possible. He'd worry about his dignity later.

[Aigis!]

[no_dont_go]

The rash had worsened, but strangely, her symptoms beyond that had not. Every now and then, the heart would palpitate strangely or she would have the odd shiver, but beyond that she was. Fine.

There was still the matter of being able to advance further. Last night had been a failure, but only meant that Aigis was lacking a key. Something she had not yet tried. And she would figure it out, sooner or later.

Content with taking the new day as it came to her, Aigis was led to the cafeteria without incident. French toast was not her favorite. There was something about the texture that did not sit right with her. However, she had a wide variety of fruit to choose from and she added a glass of milk for protein. The choice of where to sit was the easiest of all. Seeing Sechs looking half-starved and heavily bandaged was enough to draw anyone's attention.

"Sechs-san." Aigis placed her tray down and sat, feeling comfortable enough to take a seat without asking for permission. They were beyond that formality. Her brow furrowed in concern. "Are you still unwell this morning?"

[sixth_attack]

Desperately hungry to fill up the painful void in his stomach, Sechs should have consumed three whole slices of French toast by now, but his shaky hands were making ripping up edible sized chunks out of his breakfast and getting the morsel into his mouth into an agonizingly slow and frustrating process. After only two clumsy bites, the Replica abandoned his fork and resorted to grabbing the whole slice of toast with his hands like a sandwich before bending his head over to tear away at it with his teeth. He didn't care what others thought, he might as well had been a starved T-Rex giving up trying to eat food with its tiny arms! He had to eat NOW!

Satisfied with this new method of consumption, Sechs entered his usual state of hungry tunnel vision, focusing so much on eating that he was slightly startled to hear a familiar voice greet him. "Aigis!" he said -- or tried to past a mouth full of breakfast. He allowed the massacred toast to fall back down on the plate with a splat and looked up at the fellow android with a relieved smile covered in syrup and powdered sugar. "You're... You're ok! Th-that's good!" he managed to say more clearly after gulping down his food. The last time they saw each other Sechs seriously thought Aigis would die before his eyes...

Sechs' strained smile was very brief though. His eyes shifted to his bandaged arm, knowing full well that it was the center of Aigis' question. A hint of anxiety spiked up inside him; maybe he shouldn't have gotten his rash covered up like that... But what was worse? Having his infection right out in the open for everyone to see, or just fake an injury behind all that gauze? Sechs couldn't stand either option. He never tried to hide the "6" on his forehead, despite what it meant... but then again, not everyone knew that a "6" meant "Alita's stupid sixth clone", the rash on the other hand...

"I'm... I'm ok," Sechs awkwardly grumbled, "Better than yesterday I think..." As he spoke, he felt an annoying itch crawl up his bandaged arm. Without thinking, Sechs gave his arm a good scratch with his messy fingers, leaving bits of food on the white gauze. "Are you ok?" he asked, oblivious to the mess he was making on his arm, "I didn't miss too much from yesterday, did I?"

[no_dont_go]

The enthusiastic way Sechs attacked his meal reminded Aigis of the first time she had been taught how to eat. Back then, she had been so amazed by the way food had soothed away the pain she had never before experienced when at home. Now food was just an everyday occurrence, but Aigis had to admit, she still felt a good deal of joy when she ate something new.

Aigis smiled brightly at him when he greeted her. "Yes, I am well. Or... well, enough."

She still had the rash and the symptoms, but things could be worse. Aigis knew if things took a downwards turn, she would likely hear about the cure from the bulletin board. And if worse came to worse, she had a helper waiting in the wings to put her down to help protect the rest of the patients.

Aigis took a calm bite of her breakfast. The cantaloupe and other fresh melon were delightfully sweet. "Yesterday... It seems that the man on the outside, Harrington, managed to lead a way to the cure for those who might transform."

Her eyes flicked to Sechs' bandaging, but she felt and showed no panic. It was daytime. And even if Sechs changed tonight, she hadn't any fear. "I am certain that those who managed to follow his directions will post about the cure on the bulletin today. We should be vigilant."

[sixth_attack]

With his crumby fingers still digging away into his bandaged arm, Sechs' eyes widened at Aigis as his attention clearly perked up at the mentioning of a cure. "Harrington? You mean one of those military guys?" Sechs asked, knowing that name rang a bell in his memory, but the only member of the military he had really seen was Berg. Thinking about the military and all they had done brought a shadow over Sechs' face. "But how could he have a cure for us?" he said with a soft growl as his eyes fell back down to his arm, "The last time those military goons left out 'medicine' for us, I..."

Sechs' words couldn't make it past his lips, silenced by a sudden flashback of his arm rotting away as Ritsuka watched in terror. No, forget that night, forget it...! The Replica gruffly shook his head and grabbed for his half-eaten French toast.

"You sure this cure is the real deal? Do you remember what the directions were?" he asked, his voice gruff with some suspicion but his desire for a cure remained clear on his face. He then dove in for another vicious bite out of his breakfast but was stopped short by what felt like a sudden punch to the gut. Nearly dropping the toast for a second time, Sechs visibly cringed as his brow furrowed in pain. "Ugh...!"

[no_dont_go]

Aigis waved a hand as if to ward off the dark atmosphere. "No, Harrington is a part of the rebel faction. He infiltrated the institute during the military invasion."

She didn't quite trust him whole-heartedly, but the fact that he was against Landel was good enough for her. And for him to attempt to find a cure for them, even at the risk of his own safety, was cause enough for a leap of faith.

Aigis thought back to the message from the night before. It also brought to mind I.R.I.S. She still wasn't sure if there was any meaning behind it, but it had been through that program that Harrington had managed to break through and relay his message. Aigis could only hope...

"The X-ray room. In the medical wing." She took another bite of french toast. "That is where the clue was supposed to be." And that was what she would be looking for on the bulletin board.

The almost violent reaction caused Aigis to jump. Her brows furrowed in concern and she leaned closer. "Sechs-san!"

[sixth_attack]

"Huh, he must have been that traitor Aguilar was nagging about over the intercom before then..." Sechs pondered out loud to himself with a nod, "Hopefully he'll help us better than that Radio guy..."

"N-no, I'm ok," Sechs said in a strained tone. He put the toast back down and wrapped his uncovered arm around his middle. Geeze, what was wrong with him? It felt like the same metaphorical hand that punched him in the gut was now clutching at his abdomen! "I... I think I've just been eating my breakfast a bit too fast..." He tried to smile at his own little joke, but it came out too pained to be humorous. "Uh... That's all..."

At least, that was what he hoped it was.

"So uh... In the X-Ray room huh?" Sechs hastily added, trying to ignore the unfamiliar cramping in his belly. "Hopefully somebody found that clue and is gonna share it with us. There supposed to be more clues coming up or something?"

[no_dont_go]

"Yes. Marc has been... unfortunately lukewarm in his abilities." And even that was giving him more than he deserved.

Aigis sat back down, but her brow remained creased. If Sechs was actually hurt, she expected him to be honest. But she wouldn't push the subject. The situation jogged her memory, and she couldn't help the slight smile that came to her face. "I made that mistake my first time eating. It is best to carefully chew your food, Sechs-san."

Aigis pushed her own glass of milk in her companion's direction. Hopefully the drink would help clear his throat a bit more.

The android tilted her head, uncertain. "Perhaps? I have not yet checked, but if it is a chase for an antidote..." That would not be good. A bloodbath would ensue if the portions were limited, as well. She shook her head. "I hope that is not the case."

[sixth_attack]

"Right..." Sechs gave Aigis a small but sincere smile as he took the offered drink. After taking a careful gulp, he pushed the French toast away and glumly eyed the fruit slices his nurse insisted on adding to his breakfast. "I just hadn't eaten anything for so long..." he grumbled, picking up a piece of cantaloupe. "Just couldn't get the appetite for anything because of..."

...Because he had a virus that would surely change him into a killing machine against his will. Any opportunities he had to eat were spoiled by his symptoms and all the stress from the past few days. Even his favorite restaurant, the Tasty Burger at Doyleton, failed to stir his appetite; Sechs couldn't deal with the memories of lost friends connected with that place. Now he could lose even more in the near future if Landel had his way with this virus...!

Forgetting the fruit in his hand, Sechs glowered down at his plate, his hair darkening the worried frown upon his face as his arm hugged tighter into his cramped stomach. "Shit. Even if there is a cure out there and if there's enough for everyone..." Sechs slowly peered up at Aigis through a curtain of messy bangs, his eyes heavily clouded with dread and uncertainty. "What the hell are we going to do if we don't get it in time...?"

[no_dont_go]

"I understand." And she did. Calmly, she took another bite of her fruit, as if to encourage him to continue eating. There was no reason why he should hold back if he really was hungry now. If anything, Aigis saw it as a good sign of recovery. "At least now, you have an appetite."

Aigis lowered her fork, which had been on its way to her mouth once again and she stared at her plate, contemplative. She had a plan for herself, but the insurance wasn't likely to please Sechs.

"I have made arrangements should I turn," she finally said, her voice quiet. She looked back up at Sechs with eyes that were wide but content. "I will continue to strive to do what I can to keep from changing. But if my efforts fail, a friend is waiting to assure that I will not cause further damage to the patient body."

She shook her head sadly. "I am afraid I don't have any advice for you, Sechs-san, except to strive your hardest for the cure as well."

[sixth_attack]

Despite the peaceful eyes looking back at him, Sechs couldn't stop the lingering dread from exploding into an anxiety attack that rocked his entire nervous system. It was like Aigis has thrown a bomb that was exploding in his face in slow-motion. She couldn't mean...

He discarded the fruit and placed his hands down upon the table as he straightened up his trembling shoulders. His sharp eyes widened at Aigis. "Wha... What do you mean?" he said, his voice slowly rising in volume, "You're not saying you got someone to... to kill you if..."

It was then that another abrupt flashback took over: Kibitoshin's empty room... The disturbing mirage of Forte's corpse... Armand's blood-soaked body propped up against a tree... Everyone else disappearing to unknown ends...

"No!"

Against his weakened state, Sechs suddenly jumped up to his feet, pushing his chair away while he remained slouched over the table. "No!" he growled again, pounding his palms down flat and shaking nearby plates and utensils with a loud clatter. "D-don't talk like that! Just don't! Y-you just can't--"

Sechs dropped his head, his shoulders quaking from the surge of emotions that had suddenly flooded up inside his chest. He knew his little outburst would attract the staff, but he didn't care; he could barely keep himself from shouting from the overwhelming adrenaline that invaded his veins. Struggling to keep his breath steady, he glared at Aigis, not with anger but determination. "You can tell your friend to forget your plan!" he wheezed, "We'll find that cure before that even has to happen, you hear me? You're not gonna die on me!"

[no_dont_go]

Aigis hadn't expected such a violent reaction, even from Sechs, but she was beginning to see that his reactions were always going to be explosive, no matter what the cause. She noticed a few heads turn their way from the area where the nurses and orderlies sat gossiping, but they hadn't yet risen to interfere. Good.

Calmly, carefully, Aigis reached out and placed her hands gently over the tops of where Sechs' lay, tense and trembling. She took a slow breath, but kept her eyes steady and clear. "It is merely insurance, in case I become something that is much too threatening to let alone."

She was trying to infuse logic into the equation. This wasn't about suicide. This was about priorities. "Do not think that I have given up yet." She even managed a half-smile. "In fact, the one who has promised to take care of things has also been encouraging me to find a cure before that happens. You have no cause for worry."

She added just a little more pressure to his hands, hoping the added warmth and sensory cues would be enough to pacify him. "I will not lie down and allow Landel the pleasure of knowing I have been broken, and I will not allow him to manipulate me any more than he has already."

[sixth_attack]

Panting and shaking, Sechs was about the snap again when he felt Aigis' hands gently rest upon his own. A soft grunt escaped him as his eyes glanced down at the smaller fingers overlapping his hardened knuckles. Such a sight immediately reminded him of when Kibitoshin calmed him down in a similar fashion during a bad morning weeks ago. ...still can't believe he's really gone now... That alone was enough to intensify the Replica's trembling but hush the roaring going on inside his head.

"But..." he muttered, looking away from their hands and back up to Aigis' serene face. With all his fatigue catching up on him, Sechs' tense shoulders weakly slumped. He just couldn't snarl and growl anymore, just listen to the fellow droid as his frown worsened with growing distress.

Finally, the Replica heavily sat back down with a sigh, all the emotional adrenaline was now mostly depleted from his system. His arm returned to hugging at his middle, while his other hand poked at another fruit slice. "Fine..." he grumbled, his shaking and breathing slowly stabilizing. "Just promise me you'll stick to those words, alright? I've... I've lost enough and I'm sick of it...!"

[no_dont_go]

Seeing Sechs relax, or at least calm down from his trembling and shouting stage, gave Aigis a bit more peace of mind. She couldn't say she felt completely at ease; no one would if they had just upset a friend to that degree, but some mending had been done.

But as she sat back, she actually started thinking. Thinking about her approach to this, and how it had caused such strife for her friend. In a way, that meant that her proposed act of self-sacrifice in order to ensure the safety of others was... still rather selfish, wasn't it? Aigis had circled this dilemma many times since entering the institute, and once when she had been back home. The more times she revisited the subject, the more she began to realize just how selfish 'selfless' acts could be.

"I am sorry," she breathed out with a sigh. Her gaze was fixed again on her meal, but this time she wasn't really looking at it. She blinked slowly, still trying to parse out how she felt on the matter.

"When I was home, I was constantly throwing myself into battle in order to accomplish both my programmed objective as well as to satisfy my own personal goal of protecting the ones I cared for." She took a deep breath. "It is hard to imagine that my destruction would cause anyone outside of my team from back home any anguish. And I... apologize, that I was unable to see how much that could hurt you. Or anyone else."

[sixth_attack]

Sechs took an unenthusiastic bite out of his fruit slice and begrudgingly gulped it down, coughing a little as it slowly crawled down his esophagus. Aigis' apology only seemed to make the slice stick even further inside his chest. "No... I... Shit."

Keeping his eyes down at his plate, Sechs frowned to himself, his brain sluggishly clanked through what she said. What was worse? Remaining alive to transform into a monster and kill others? Or die before the virus can take over but grieve those who knew you? What is the worth of my life...? It was a question that still followed him like a shadow he could never shake off, but as a warrior striving for greatness, it was something he could not live without.

"Look..." Sechs looked up to Aigis with grim yellow eyes. "One thing I've learned about what makes a true warrior, it's to have a cause worth dying for..." He hesitated, struggling to piece together his words. It was a topic Sechs still struggled with, but he knew Aigis had to hear it. Finally, he took in a deep breath and forced himself to continue. "And if protecting people you care about is your cause, then don't feel bad about doing it... Ok?"

Letting out a small sigh, Sechs' eyes fell back down to his plate. "Just give finding that cure a chance first, alright?"

[no_dont_go]

Aigis sat a bit straighter when Sechs addressed her again, focusing on his every word. He understood, of course, that personal goals and priorities were important to up-hold. But that he still wanted her to keep trying...

... That told her just how much of a dear friend he truly was.

Aigis smiled and nodded. "Of course. I won't give up. This I promise you."