Meeting up with Rei had been delightful, but it still bothered Aigis that she had yet to see any of her new friends at lunch, particularly those with various shades of red in their hair. She had hoped especially to contact Heat, as she was sure he was still worried about her condition as he had seemed last night. "I wonder if Heat was not hungry today..." But then she remembered, he never was hungry, was he?
"You mean Heath, Angela," nurse Cathy corrected her. They had just made it to the game room, a place Aigis was not familiar with yet. She was about to continue farther in, but her nurse touched her arm gently to get her attention. Turning back, Aigis blinked up at her questioningly. "It's about Heath, Angela."
"What about Heat?" The nurse looked as though she caught Aigis' obvious drop of the extra letter but let it slide. Instead, she rested a hand on Aigis' shoulder and gave her a smile. "You see, Angela"--she seemed to be focusing on enforcing their institute names today--"Heath finished his treatment last night. He's better now, so we sent him home."
For a moment, Aigis just stood there, stiller than she had stood in a long, long time. Even her breath and heart seemed to stop. "I'm sorry, I believe I misheard you," she said at last, her voice sounding far away even to her. But Nurse Cathy just shook her head, frowning.
"Angela, you should be happy for Heath! He was allowed to return home to his family and friends. I'm sure they--"
"Shut up."
....... Aigis stood there, trembling, a hot sensation building around behind her eyes. Nurse Cathy's face was a mix of surprise and irritation, but the once-android felt no remorse. She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from... from what? She wasn't sure why, but she could feel it, something wanting to burst forth. Something angry and hot and wild. Something she didn't know how to control, because it was unlike anything she had felt before.
"Angela, you--"
"Shut up!" Aigis would not have thought such a harsh command would be in her lexicon, and yet it came forth now, so much easier than anything else she might have wanted to say. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Her voice somehow managed to change registers. Had she the capacity to think clearly, she might have speculated on why it seemed to crack the louder she yelled.
It was a lie! It had to be a lie! "I saw him! I saw him just last night! He was there! And he... he...!" It was a lie. She repeated it to herself in her head. A lie a lie a lie. It had to be a lie. It had to be! Heat was here. He was. He wouldn't leave her like this! He wouldn't... He'd never...
no subject
"You mean Heath, Angela," nurse Cathy corrected her. They had just made it to the game room, a place Aigis was not familiar with yet. She was about to continue farther in, but her nurse touched her arm gently to get her attention. Turning back, Aigis blinked up at her questioningly. "It's about Heath, Angela."
"What about Heat?" The nurse looked as though she caught Aigis' obvious drop of the extra letter but let it slide. Instead, she rested a hand on Aigis' shoulder and gave her a smile. "You see, Angela"--she seemed to be focusing on enforcing their institute names today--"Heath finished his treatment last night. He's better now, so we sent him home."
For a moment, Aigis just stood there, stiller than she had stood in a long, long time. Even her breath and heart seemed to stop. "I'm sorry, I believe I misheard you," she said at last, her voice sounding far away even to her. But Nurse Cathy just shook her head, frowning.
"Angela, you should be happy for Heath! He was allowed to return home to his family and friends. I'm sure they--"
"Shut up."
....... Aigis stood there, trembling, a hot sensation building around behind her eyes. Nurse Cathy's face was a mix of surprise and irritation, but the once-android felt no remorse. She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from... from what? She wasn't sure why, but she could feel it, something wanting to burst forth. Something angry and hot and wild. Something she didn't know how to control, because it was unlike anything she had felt before.
"Angela, you--"
"Shut up!" Aigis would not have thought such a harsh command would be in her lexicon, and yet it came forth now, so much easier than anything else she might have wanted to say. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Her voice somehow managed to change registers. Had she the capacity to think clearly, she might have speculated on why it seemed to crack the louder she yelled.
It was a lie! It had to be a lie! "I saw him! I saw him just last night! He was there! And he... he...!" It was a lie. She repeated it to herself in her head. A lie a lie a lie. It had to be a lie. It had to be! Heat was here. He was. He wouldn't leave her like this! He wouldn't... He'd never...