Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Tolerant Patience ❯ Split ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. . . Though I wish I did. Isn't that every fangirl's dream?? ^_^ Enjoy!

Also, this is based off of the anime. I've never had the honor to read the manga yet. ;_;

On with the story!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Strip."

"…"

"I'll take that as a yes. When I get back in 15 minutes, I'm expecting you to be bathing."

I nodded politely. After all, she was a superior being.

After the door closed, I stood a moment.

Should I do as she wanted of me?

I remained standing.

……

Well, she is of a higher breed and class than me…

I carefully unclipped the buckles that strapped the skull and spikes to the overcoat.

But, why bother?

I took off both boots, anklets, socks, and gloves.

I do not understand her.

I unbuckled and unwrapped the belt and removed the metal hoop that was slinked around my right thigh.

All of humanity is doomed to die, for their digressions.

I shrugged off the large, white overcoat, removing the metal semicircle over my right shoulder.

Why don't they understand that?

I wiggled out of the gray pants, and was left with full-body, black spandex on. Any gashes or lesions would have already mated to the material.

She flinches when others are in pain…

I ripped off my body suit, opening wounds, old and new.

Pain flared up.

I didn't care. She had wanted me to undress, and I had fulfilled that wish, had I not?

I slid into the warm, clear water; my blood tainted it a reddish color.

What would Master Knives think of me if he knew that I lived?

He would be angry first, then pleased next. I would be beaten for failure and slept with for a job well done.

The emptiness of my worthlessness ate at me

Pain was common for me

There were cycles where Master Knives made no sense, but I couldn't judge; I was a lowly human. He was right that I should deserve punishment for not saving his brother from harm.

I dipped my head into the water.

If I drowned myself now, it would be over now. No more worries, no more pain. Just sweet blissful nothingness. It would be an end to this agony of life.

I lifted my neck.

No.

Without Master Knives' permission, I may not die. I may yet be useful enough to serve him.

Yet, I don't deserve this life. Certainly he would grant me the gift of nothingness?

Right now I can think of nothing but my own wretchedness. How can Vash or Patience not see humans as they really are? Twisted creatures, we are, pathetic and warped onto wasted flesh, blood, and air?

We do nothing but hurt and kill each other like animals.

There was a knock at the door.

"Legato?" She came in, shutting it behind her.

I looked at her for a moment, acknowledging her presence, but not saying anything.

She briefly looked me over, then her head snapped back to look at me more closely.

"Why did you do that to yourself??"

Because you were concerned, when you shouldn't be.

I stared past her. The awkwardness of not having my mental abilities, while another user was in the room, was unsettling.

--You did ask me to strip, and being a superior being…--

She frowned.

So, she scanned thoughts ambling around, but nothing too deep.

--Besides, why would a Plant-walker care for such a pitiable creature, such as myself?--

"Legato, look at me."

I persisted in doing the exact opposite.

"All of life, no matter how big or small has a place in this world. They all have a niche to keep life healthy and strong. We are interdependent. Plants need the constant surveillance of their levels monitored to remain healthy, while humans need the energy they provide."

She frowned a bit. "I do admit that some technicians have no idea that the best thing for a broken down Plant is rest… Plants are often overworked. And when they are… They become so unstable that nothing but a.. Plant-walker.. can help them."

--Nonsense.--

She placed a very large bag next to the bath, a large rag, gauze, ointment, a large white bowl, a shiny scalpel, and some isopropyl alcohol. Then she took out a bottle of pills.

"I understand that you won't listen to me, Legato." She sighed, blowing a wisp of hair away from her.

"And, you shouldn't really… After all, how can you trust someone who've you just met?" She looked at me. "That's why I'm going to try to earn it."

Earn it? Rubbish, she was gifted trust, being what she was. She was correct in everything.

There was no room for questioning.

She continued

"But I see suicide as giving up. You keep living to the fullest most healthful way possible until you aren't able to anymore."

How ironic. She had no idea.

"I need you to take some painkillers before I start…"

She looked at me inquiringly.

I held my hand out in agreement.

She quickly grabbed the bottle and dumped a couple of tablets into my hand.

--Poison? I thank you.--I threw my head back, swallowing the bitter drug down.

Her lips tightened into a thin line as she placed a canteen in my hand, and asked me to wash it down. She explained that the medicine only takes effect if enough water was drunk with it.

I swallowed.

It held the tang of sleeping draught. I knew no ordinary human would have detected it.

But I knew it would hold no effect on me.

She nodded in approval. "Okay, I need you out of the tub and sitting on the floor here." She pointed out a towel on the ground I had failed to notice before then.

I do what is asked of me. That is the proper way of dealing with superior beings.

I settled myself down onto the towel, not caring for modesty.

"I also need to check your temperature to make sure you're not running a fever."

I nodded. She reached up and lightly placed her cool hand on my forehead.

"You're warm, but I don't think it's anything to worry about, but take this also for a safety precaution." And then handed me some more pills, taken out of another bottle that she had retrieved by leaning over to grab it out of the bag.

Nodding to herself mostly, she settled beside me. Taking the rag, she began to carefully move from each scab, cleaning I could sense the uneasiness by the way her hands traveled over my scar-ridden back.

"He was cruel to you, Legato." It was a statement, not a question.

I didn't present an answer. Cruel to me? He was heaven.

She stopped in her work.

"Most of these wounds are infected. And infected deeply. They're going to have to be lanced." She said with a clinical tone.

That's what her intention of the scalpel was.

I bowed my head forward in understanding.

"I'm going to get Nick to help me." She took a couple of towels from the bag and folded them. "I need you to lay down, face first. Use this as a pillow." She gave me one of the folded towels.

I did so.

Then, I heard a splash and drippings of water. I felt the wet cloth on my back.

"I'll be back in a little while."

She got up and left.

Maybe I should have told her that I'm immune to painkillers, any type of drug for that matter.

……

………

What am I thinking?

She didn't make any inquiries, so I shouldn't provide.

It wasn't too long before I heard them coming back upstairs.

"… infection….. …. scars…… hands…."

I closed my eyes, straining to hear. I missed my mind's eye.

"…gave him a strong sedative, painkiller, antibiotic and fever-reducer. We should be able to work on him."

There's a way of handling these matters.

I began to broadcast images swamped with underlying unconsciousness.

I think therefore I am.

Black. Think of nothingness. Swirling depths of darkness.

The door opened. --Charcoal.--

"Shit."-- Black.--

"What is it, Rin?"

There was silence. They were obviously talking to each other via telepathy.

--Night.--

I heard a soft, gentling voice. "Legato. You don't have to pretend that you're unconscious."

I concentrated harder.

--A bottomless pit. --

It wasn't working; I knew that, but why did I try anyway?

"You can't fool me, Legato. C'mon, open your eyes."

Why should I?

A sigh was exhaled.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were resistant to drugs?"

I flinched waiting for that instant of pain…

…It never came.

What was wrong with me? She was just like Master Knives' brother. She wouldn't harm any filthy humans.

I opened my eyes.

I twisted what she had wanted, and utterly defied her wishes; that in itself deserved a beating.

She kneeled next to me.

She doesn't understand.

I waited.

"I'll do this the hard way."

I still expected her to slap me when she raised her hand.

Instead she softly placed it on top my down turned, scarred right hand.

And waited.

Suddenly, I felt a subtle presence in my mind. It was familiar, but very mellow.

>Legato? > Her image was getting more visible as time passed.

We saw her. There were five of us, of all ages, standing around. It was mirrored, black room. We were reflected of and within ourselves.

She walked up to us. >Is this how you deal with it? >

She seemed to be particularly interested in the youngest of us, battered and crying. He was always rocking.

She tried comforting him, but that was fruitless. He was deaf and blind to any and all of us. We tried once or twice. He might be an afterimage: a ghost of the past.

The eldest of us didn't want to talk to her at all. He turned away and evaded her attention.

She caught our gaze. All we saw was pity. None of us liked that. We weren't to be pitied.

>Since the drugs didn't work. I'm going to cut off your reception to pain. >

"We don't want you to."

>Why? >

Another me to her left, spoke. "We deserve any pain imparted upon us."

Another behind her. "We were born sinners."

>No. The tickets to the future are always blank. Whatever choices you make create your future. >

The eldest spoke. "Nonsensical trash. We all have a destiny to fulfill. Fate rules our lives with an unyielding hand. Once our destiny is fulfilled, we are useless."

Abruptly, something was out place.

He looked sternly at her. "What did you do?"

The phantom boy stopped crying, and looked up. "It's gone." He whispered.

We backed away as the child got up. What.. What's going on??

He … jumped… into her arms, hugging her tightly. She became off-balanced and toppled over. The boy never let go. "It's gone." He breathed out in awe.

That's, that's when we realized the… numbness.

>You took all that pain, didn't you? > She said sadly, sitting up slowly.

He nodded, sniffling. We backed away.

That is not one of us.

She turned that empathetic gaze on us.

>Don't separate yourself. He's acting like a normal scared boy. >

We were distancing our bond with him as she spoke. She seemed unaware of it.

She brought her attention back onto the kid. After we were done, we tried fleeing to our respective corners. However, she had us trapped in her hold; we were unable to do anything, yet.

>What do you want me to call you?>

The little brat's eyes watered. "Name me, please?"

We watched with a certain detachment.

>What's your favorite thing to do in he world? >

"I like trees... and flowers… and sweets." That's moronic. I hate all those things.

> How about Kozue?>

"Oh, thank you!" He giggled childishly and hugged her again.

How disgusting.

>I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you. I need to tend to those wounds. They're really bad.>

He frantically clung to her. "Please don't leave me." He glanced towards us. "They're mean and scary and... and…"

She now turned harshly at us. > If you harm him, I get to lock you up in your own sickeningly cute worlds. Leave him alone.>

We nodded, grinning. Quite hypocritical wasn't she? She still had no clue that that was our plan.

"Of course."

She took one long look at each of us and returned the hug of that repulsive child.

>Take care of yourself. >

"Bye."

She faded away like smoke dispersing on a breeze.

We stared at the boy, who had huddled into a ball again.

He slept.

It was eerily quiet for once as we departed.