Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ I'm Free ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Trigun Fanfic

Summary:Why did it all go wrong? When did it all go wrong? He has a vague sense that he isn't where he's supposed to be, that he's being held by invisible bonds that he cannot see. Great sadness engulfs him as he looks upon the glowing bulbs and one thought reigns in his mind as he looks at the people looking back at him: You can't take me! I'm free!

 

Trigun © Yasuhiro Nightow * Shonen Gaho-sha * Tokuma Shoten * JVC * Pioneer Entertainment (USA) Inc.

The following fan fiction was written by me (Chiruken) and is intended for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.

 

I'm Free

 

By Chiruken

 

Chapter 7

 

Gunsmoke, Present Day:

 

He lay unmoving against the lumpy mattress, concentrating instead on the simple act of breathing. It was hot, again, not that this came as any surprise to him. It was always hot, oppressively so. The pain in his limbs had finally muted to a sharp ache interspersed occasionally with shooting stabs of agony when his muscles spasmed during the healing process. He was rather pleased with his progress, actually. He was now able to remain conscious for longer periods of time, could readily identify his thoughts from those of others around him, and some of his lost memory was beginning to return to him. All in all, he felt it was a definite improvement over his condition from before.

 

He drew in a shallow breath, ever cautious of the pain in his side that he now knew represented one of several gunshot wounds. He also knew where he'd gotten those wounds. A frown drew his brows together briefly as he thought on this bit of information that had suddenly come to him during one of his previous awakenings. His brother…he now knew his name to be Vash…had shot him for reasons he still had yet to understand, though he knew it was very important that he remembered this very important detail that still eluded his recollection. The disjointed images that had plagued his unconscious mind for so long, the snippets of memory that hadn't made much sense at the time, were beginning to draw together to form a larger picture in his mind. The green had represented grass and trees…something rare and wondrous amongst the backdrop of desert wasteland that comprised the planet…and of course, the beige could be nothing other than the rest of the world, the never ending desert. And the red…the horrible, terrifying red…that was his brother…that was Vash. His breath caught in his chest and threatened to choke him with the maelstrom of emotions roiling through him as he attempted to close his hands into fists where they rested against the mattress beneath the thin sheet covering him. The movement was met with immediate excruciating pain and he regretted it immediately.

 

Quiet footsteps echoing beyond the closed door to the small room he rested in drew his attention away from the agony flaring in his arms and he forced his breathing to even out. He wasn't certain why he thought it necessary to conceal his return to consciousness, only that a part of him remained adamant that he bide his time and learn more of his surroundings and of the people around him.

 

The sound of the door creaking open was loud in the previous silence. There was a pause and then the quiet steps continued into the room, leaving the door open. The tantalizing scent of chocolate pudding teased his senses and he knew immediately that it was the taller of the two woman who took turns with his brother watching over him. Carefully, so as not to attract attention, he allowed his eyes to open a fraction and peered at her through the concealing cover of his lashes. She was tall, exceptionally so, with long honey brown hair held back away from her face by a loose ponytail. Her features were cheerful, though her blue eyes showed residual shadows of sadness. She set the tray she'd been carrying on the single chair in the room…the same one he remembered from before with the chipped and peeling paint…and bent over him and he immediately closed his eyes again, forcibly keeping his muscles relaxed. Her breath, sweet with the scent of pudding…vanilla, not chocolate…puffed over his face as she peered at him. A moment later she was pulling the sheets back. Her touch was surprisingly gentle for someone her size as she checked the bandages covering his injuries. Seeming to be satisfied with what she saw, she replaced the thin sheet and stepped away from the bed.

 

He heard the creak of wood as she sat followed by the sound of the pudding cup being opened. For a moment he was tempted to break his silence and ask for one for himself, but immediately vetoed the idea as being foolish at the very least. “Mmmm…this is so tasty. There's nothing better than pudding, that's what I always say.” Her voice had a childlike innocent quality to it that he found fascinating. Judging from her appearance, she was a grown woman, yet she still maintained an air of ingenuousness that both intrigued and worried him in equal parts. “It's a good thing Mr. Vash and I are going on a supply run soon.” Supply run? He thought with no small measure of confusion. That implied that wherever they were, it wasn't in a town. “I'm almost out of pudding.” She sighed deeply, the sound of metal scraping against metal a clear indication that her pudding cup was nearly empty. “Maybe Meryl is right…maybe I should be more conservative.” There was a pause filled with her soft sounds of enjoyment that sounded suspiciously like `yummumumum'. A moment later she sighed again, a sound of contentment. “Nah. I just like pudding too much. Everyone needs to have their weaknesses, right, Mr. Knives?” He nearly jumped when she addressed him, thinking for a moment that she'd somehow seen through his subterfuge and knew that he was awake, aware, and merely feigning unconsciousness. “Well, back to work. Mr. Vash and I are digging a well. Isn't that exciting? I always did like good honest labour.” The chair creaked again as she stood. “Meryl will come and keep you company while we're busy outside.” Her soft steps moved towards the door. “Not that it would make much difference to you, though. You probably wouldn't notice if no one came in here. I sometimes wonder if you'll ever wake up.”

 

When the door closed with a quiet click he opened his eyes to stare up at the dingy ceiling. Meryl… He rolled the name around in his mind, but it didn't trigger any memories. Once again he wondered who these people were. At least he now had a name to attach to the other woman. Another mystery solved with so many more to go. If only he could remember more and banish the rest of the shadows clinging to his memory.

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