"Mmmnn.."
'My head. It hurts. Like hell.'
'I wish it didn't. Why am I here. What do I even care?'
'There's stuff I have to do.. I'm here to save Ryan.'
His ears began ringing, as he breathed, it smelled of antiseptic. And the black that swallowed him whole started contracting, his sight came clear.
He was laying in something soft. He got up, and in his hands was a white blanket. Looking around the room. Looked similar to the school nurse's room back home.
"Did I do it? Am I home?" He asked confused.
"Definitely not. Unless you already consider this home." A female voice spoke.
It was another young lady about his age. Long silver hair that flowed through her being. Oceanic blue eyes.
"Your vitals are okay. That's a relief." She looked back at him. "Can you tell me what happened?"
He gathered his thoughts. There was the AVALON, the garage, the carpet, the hallway…
"I… don't know."
The reality had hit that he forgot everything. Nagito remembered the places he was, just not what happened.
He grabbed his forehead, but let go soon after. It was no point. Really, nothing.
"Well, you lay down for a bit. And we'll run a check up to see if your good."
Nagito nodded and laid back down onto the soft bed.
The door closed after the girl left, but new footsteps also came in. More white hair followed but by a set of yellow eyes.
"Carla!"
"Hey, Ash. You hanging in there?"
She seemed nervous. He thought it was because they're still new to meeting each other. She reached her hand out to touch his hand.
He blushed. She was being extra friendly, feeling bad for him.
Blinking, still surprised, he said, "Y- Yeah. Thanks for worrying. Or- I mean, sorry to make you worry."
"It's fine. I volunteered to keep watch of you anyways."
He looked around the room again, and saw a clock. Which had he wondered what time it was right now. But then, the bigger question popped in his head. How long has it been?
"How long was I asleep?"
She scratches her head, came up with an answer, looking confident.
"About a day. Like, twenty four hours."
Nagito nodded, it wasn't that bad for blacking out. At least he wasn't in a coma. Things could have been worse than this.
She looked at the clock he was staring at earlier.
"Oh, look at the time. I gotta go to routine training. Get well soon. See ya."
She left. He was alone again. Or so he thought…
But he really was alone this time. With nothing but his thoughts.
He looked down at his right hand, squeezed it into a fist, then released. Everything felt normal. He tried moving his legs, and it was fine.
After a few hours, he finally had to take some tests.
"Step inside the detection chamber."
The detection chamber detects anything that isn't supposed to be inside the human body. It scanned him head to toe with rays for food, bacteria, viruses, cells, you name it.
The screen showed 100% and they let him go. Not detecting anything abnormal. He walked out of the machine, then the lady taking care of him wrote on her board, then sent him on his way.
Walking those halls again felt healing. A feeling he'd never felt before. It was odd but he didn't dislike it.
He went back to squadron 12's quarters, then went into his room. Looking inside it, it wasn't actually at all what he expected. Someone must've tidied up in there, because it was nice and clean.
Nagito never opened the blinds, because he liked the dimly lit room. He looked at his desk and picked up the photo from before. The picture of the whole squadron together at welcoming ceremony.
There was a little peeling at the top right corner, so he flipped it. On the back it read,
The ceremony, they all meet.
Healing souls, they compete.
Even the failed, we stay discrete.
Lone, we never will.
Already trained, no need for drill.
So, but stay disciplined.
Truly, we will become magnificent.
Nagito tried to read the rest, but it was smudged ink. He heard footsteps outside, then put the picture down and went into the lounge to go meet his squad mates.
'Sick poem, pretty lyrical.'
The whole squadron finally sees him as they come back. Tony smiled, and went to his room. Vermy spoke. "Good job not dying. From passing out? That would've been embarrassing." She flipped her hair. The red flowing with strength.
Nagito chuckled nervously. That was not the reaction and comment he expected.
Captain Ryan came charging full speed at him like a bull. He yelped, closing his eyes, and he was embraced in a warm hug.
"Sorry kid! I don't know what I was thinking letting you ride that thing! But good thing you're fine now."
"Y-Yeah, it's fine."
"Thank you for forgiving me! Wait, did you? Anyways, I have paperwork to attend to."
He left right after. The only one standing was Carla. Before she could speak, Nagito went first.
"Thanks for watching me." He said, smiling. Not thinking of how weird that sounded.
"That's kind of pervy, you know? But you're welcome." She responded softly.
Nagito blushed, face feeling hot after realizing what he had said.
"Glad to have you back. Ash." She said, walking past him and back to her room. He figured it was about curfew, and time to sleep.
Then he walked back to his room, and turned in for the night.
…
…
The night was peaceful, the starry sky next to the white waxy crescent.
But with every heart beat, shock convulsed through his body.