Consciousness came slowly to Soma, exhausted as she was by last night's events. Recollection was even slower to return. There had been...a wasteland, and the torn-up remnants of mobile suits...
And Landel's voice. She remembered that, even though she'd heard it from a distance. Two more bite the dust. But who?
One thing was clear, though. The library was a bust. She was stubborn, but she wasn't stupid. There wasn't a single weapon in her small arsenal that would be any use against the thing they'd encountered last night. Part of her still refused to believe it had been real. Surely it had to be an illusion like--like everything else last night.
The bulk of the pain from her surgery had receded by now, but the nurse still insisted she stay in a wheelchair for one more day. Tender as her abdomen still was, she didn't feel inclined to argue. And a quick look at the bulletin board on their way past it told her nothing about who had died last night. But that didn't mean nobody had. Frowning slightly, she scribbled a note for the Once-ler, then looked up at her nurse.
"Is Amanda awake yet?" she asked as they entered the cafeteria, thankful at least that she'd managed to remember Rapunzel's real name. "I haven't talked to her in a while, so I'd like to sit with her today if I can."
The nurse only smiled sympathetically, and Soma's heart plummeted into her stomach.
But it couldn't have happened. She'd seen Rapunzel last night. She'd been there. Asleep, but there.
No.
"No," she said sharply, loud enough to attract the attention of a few other nurses. "Don't you dare--"
"Maria, Amanda's gone home!" said the nurse. "You should be happy for her! I know you'll miss her very much, but--"
Soma didn't hear the rest. She looked down at her white-knuckled fists and tried to focus. If she did anything now, if she fought back, if she caused any trouble, she'd only be as bad as that idiot who'd started a fight on the bus. It would only end in other people getting hurt. She had to remember that.
(But she'd been there last night.)
"Of course," she said numbly. "I'm very happy for her."
And then it was just her and a slowly cooling tray of waffles in a corner of the cafeteria, and the overwhelming knowledge that she'd just lost another friend. And when Landel had said Two more...
No. She refused to consider that possibility. Soma dug her nails into her palms and didn't look up.
no subject
And Landel's voice. She remembered that, even though she'd heard it from a distance. Two more bite the dust. But who?
One thing was clear, though. The library was a bust. She was stubborn, but she wasn't stupid. There wasn't a single weapon in her small arsenal that would be any use against the thing they'd encountered last night. Part of her still refused to believe it had been real. Surely it had to be an illusion like--like everything else last night.
The bulk of the pain from her surgery had receded by now, but the nurse still insisted she stay in a wheelchair for one more day. Tender as her abdomen still was, she didn't feel inclined to argue. And a quick look at the bulletin board on their way past it told her nothing about who had died last night. But that didn't mean nobody had. Frowning slightly, she scribbled a note for the Once-ler, then looked up at her nurse.
"Is Amanda awake yet?" she asked as they entered the cafeteria, thankful at least that she'd managed to remember Rapunzel's real name. "I haven't talked to her in a while, so I'd like to sit with her today if I can."
The nurse only smiled sympathetically, and Soma's heart plummeted into her stomach.
But it couldn't have happened. She'd seen Rapunzel last night. She'd been there. Asleep, but there.
No.
"No," she said sharply, loud enough to attract the attention of a few other nurses. "Don't you dare--"
"Maria, Amanda's gone home!" said the nurse. "You should be happy for her! I know you'll miss her very much, but--"
Soma didn't hear the rest. She looked down at her white-knuckled fists and tried to focus. If she did anything now, if she fought back, if she caused any trouble, she'd only be as bad as that idiot who'd started a fight on the bus. It would only end in other people getting hurt. She had to remember that.
(But she'd been there last night.)
"Of course," she said numbly. "I'm very happy for her."
And then it was just her and a slowly cooling tray of waffles in a corner of the cafeteria, and the overwhelming knowledge that she'd just lost another friend. And when Landel had said Two more...
No. She refused to consider that possibility. Soma dug her nails into her palms and didn't look up.
[for Sonia!]