Purely inspired by this piece here.
***
When the signal had gone out, it was a tribute to how well the staff knew their head that no one suggested anything about letting someone else handle the emergency in Room 305. Treatment schedules altered. Backups were called in. But everyone knew that even if she was perhaps, the nicest head of medical staff they'd ever worked for, Doctor Shamal would quite simply knock the block off anyone that suggested perhaps she was too personally involved to deal with the case. Not because they were wrong, but because they were in the way.
The report had said something about the Huckbein, and Levantine being in critical condition as well. Shari and her staff were already working on both it and the similarly badly wounded Agito. But while rare, Unison Devices were still somewhat understood by the staff here. Not like Shamal and her fellow Wolkenritter. The only other person besides Shamal that knew exactly what they were doing in treating Signum was Hayate, and she wasn't close enough and couldn't break off from the pursuit if she had been. Which was just as well. Shamal wasn't certain she could have borne the waiting herself if she hadn't been involved personally.
The minutes ground on, as Shamal continued the delicate work. To bolster the flagging abilities of self-repair that were helping them all less and less as time went on. Instruments, magical and non, were handed to her by people whose names she didn't know. By people whose faces she didn't see. The only thing she saw between the instruments, her healing magic, and the wounds was the same face she'd always seen. Behind the breath mask, brow crinkled in pain she still felt through all of Shamal's ministrations.
She bent to her work yet again. Not again. Not after the last time. She was not going to lose another member of her family.
***
In the end, the nurse had ended up wheeling out Shamal much like the patient she'd been working on. The doctor was utterly exhausted, and didn't protest when she'd been shifted to a wheelchair. Knowing members of the staff had simply directed the orderlies to put her in the room with Signum, knowing it's where she'd want to be.
The rustling of bedclothes roused Shamal from her dozing, the doctor looking up as Signum's eyes opened fitfully, before doing so entirely, the same clear blue gaze, somewhat more pained than usual, but all the same, coming to focus on her. Despite all known medical doctrine that Shamal knew by heart, she wound up performing the same thing she tried to keep others from doing all the time. She practically flew across the room and embraced the other woman in her bed, tears starting to fall as she repeated "Oh, thank the Saint" over and over again.
Signum, for her part, grunted slightly in discomfort, but managed to wrap one injured arm around behind Shamal's back, catching her hand in the other. Her modest reserves of energy expended, Signum just let herself smile slightly as Shamal got her expressions of relief out. "It's fine..." she croaked at last. "It's not so bad."
"Hard-headed idiot, it wasn't 'not so bad', and you know it," Shamal said despite a faint smile framed by tear tracks. "I should know. I'm a doctor."
"Didn't expect them to be that powerful....almost didn't make it," Signum said. "She was strong."
"Yes, I'm quite aware. Why did you do something like that, Signum? You know how dangerous they are!" Shamal protested.
“Couldn’t let them get the kids,” she said by way of explanation.
“And so you got into a one on one fight with one of them?” Shamal frowned. “That’s not it. I know you’re smarter than that. You could have grabbed them and run.”
“Run from a fight?” Signum said, managing a slight tinge of incredulity despite her wounds.
“Yes. What did she do that managed to convince you to fight a losing battle, Signum? What was it?” Shamal asked, looking at her closely.
Signum was quiet for a long time, which would have caused Shamal to worry if she hadn’t felt the taller woman’s grip wrapped around her own, as strong as ever. Eventually, she spoke again. “The 14th Uninhabited World. They called it Haven. She killed them. Every last one. She admitted as much. And it was for no reason at all.”
Shamal felt Signum’s hand tighten at the words, though it wasn’t enough to be physically uncomfortable, given how weak she was. “Signum...that’s...”
“She has to pay. I can’t rest knowing she’s out there. That she’d do it again, if the mood took her.”
“Then take some time and come up with a plan. Talk with Hayate. Wait for the others. Charging straight at her and trying to kill her was stupid. You almost died!” Shamal said, her expression clouded.
“It’s all I can do,” Signum said softly. “I am a Knight. I destroy the enemy before me. Get in close and cut them to pieces. It’s always been this way.”
“That’s not-”
“I can’t,” she said softly, cutting her off. “I can’t give that up, Shamal. It’s what I am. I don’t fit into this world like you and Vita and Zafira do. I can’t help people like you do. All I can do is destroy things.Things that need to be destroyed, like that woman.”
“You’re wrong. There’s more to you than that,” Shamal protested. “I know there is.”
“Maybe a little, but not much. I’m...not like you. I wish I was. I wish I could be.”
Shamal scowled at her for a long moment, before changing tactics. “Fine, but the least you can do is fight smarter. She goaded you, Signum. She knew it’d get you to charge in. And she wasn’t going to fight fair. You can’t just charge in.”
“I..”“It’s all you know. I know. It’s all you’ve ever had to know. But now it’s not enough. And as much as I know the Knight’s Code glorifies that sort of thing, dying gloriously in battle is unacceptable. You swore to protect Hayate, just like all of us. You can’t do that if you’re dead.”
Signum was silent again, but she didn’t protest. Her eyes looked troubled as Shamal grasped the opening. “And it would tear Hayate apart to lose you. You know as well as I do that she...she still misses Reinforce. Still mourns her. Would you want to put her through that again? She couldn’t stand to lose you... I couldn’t stand to lose you,” she said, the last nothing but a whisper.
But the last caused Signum’s hooded eyes to open fully, glancing at her. “Shamal..”
Shamal looked up at her, and knew that Signum knew. Her perception was sharp...and Shamal wasn’t doing a good job of being inconspicuous. “Is it so strange?” she admitted. “You’re strong...and you’ve always protected us.”
“I...”
“Are a horribly literal dummy when you’re not paying attention,” Shamal smiled, brushing her hair. “So, yes. I’d be very disappointed if you died,” she said, managing a slight joke despite the situation.
Signum sighed faintly, but didn’t say anything back for a moment. “...okay.”
“Really?” Shamal said, despite herself.
“Yes...though I suppose I’ll be in here a bit longer.”
“Yes, well, we’ll try to shorten that as much as we can,” Shamal beamed.
“Mmm. Just no home cooking, okay? I almost died once already,” Signum said, closing her eyes and relaxing.
“Signum!”
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
***
When the signal had gone out, it was a tribute to how well the staff knew their head that no one suggested anything about letting someone else handle the emergency in Room 305. Treatment schedules altered. Backups were called in. But everyone knew that even if she was perhaps, the nicest head of medical staff they'd ever worked for, Doctor Shamal would quite simply knock the block off anyone that suggested perhaps she was too personally involved to deal with the case. Not because they were wrong, but because they were in the way.
The report had said something about the Huckbein, and Levantine being in critical condition as well. Shari and her staff were already working on both it and the similarly badly wounded Agito. But while rare, Unison Devices were still somewhat understood by the staff here. Not like Shamal and her fellow Wolkenritter. The only other person besides Shamal that knew exactly what they were doing in treating Signum was Hayate, and she wasn't close enough and couldn't break off from the pursuit if she had been. Which was just as well. Shamal wasn't certain she could have borne the waiting herself if she hadn't been involved personally.
The minutes ground on, as Shamal continued the delicate work. To bolster the flagging abilities of self-repair that were helping them all less and less as time went on. Instruments, magical and non, were handed to her by people whose names she didn't know. By people whose faces she didn't see. The only thing she saw between the instruments, her healing magic, and the wounds was the same face she'd always seen. Behind the breath mask, brow crinkled in pain she still felt through all of Shamal's ministrations.
She bent to her work yet again. Not again. Not after the last time. She was not going to lose another member of her family.
***
In the end, the nurse had ended up wheeling out Shamal much like the patient she'd been working on. The doctor was utterly exhausted, and didn't protest when she'd been shifted to a wheelchair. Knowing members of the staff had simply directed the orderlies to put her in the room with Signum, knowing it's where she'd want to be.
The rustling of bedclothes roused Shamal from her dozing, the doctor looking up as Signum's eyes opened fitfully, before doing so entirely, the same clear blue gaze, somewhat more pained than usual, but all the same, coming to focus on her. Despite all known medical doctrine that Shamal knew by heart, she wound up performing the same thing she tried to keep others from doing all the time. She practically flew across the room and embraced the other woman in her bed, tears starting to fall as she repeated "Oh, thank the Saint" over and over again.
Signum, for her part, grunted slightly in discomfort, but managed to wrap one injured arm around behind Shamal's back, catching her hand in the other. Her modest reserves of energy expended, Signum just let herself smile slightly as Shamal got her expressions of relief out. "It's fine..." she croaked at last. "It's not so bad."
"Hard-headed idiot, it wasn't 'not so bad', and you know it," Shamal said despite a faint smile framed by tear tracks. "I should know. I'm a doctor."
"Didn't expect them to be that powerful....almost didn't make it," Signum said. "She was strong."
"Yes, I'm quite aware. Why did you do something like that, Signum? You know how dangerous they are!" Shamal protested.
“Couldn’t let them get the kids,” she said by way of explanation.
“And so you got into a one on one fight with one of them?” Shamal frowned. “That’s not it. I know you’re smarter than that. You could have grabbed them and run.”
“Run from a fight?” Signum said, managing a slight tinge of incredulity despite her wounds.
“Yes. What did she do that managed to convince you to fight a losing battle, Signum? What was it?” Shamal asked, looking at her closely.
Signum was quiet for a long time, which would have caused Shamal to worry if she hadn’t felt the taller woman’s grip wrapped around her own, as strong as ever. Eventually, she spoke again. “The 14th Uninhabited World. They called it Haven. She killed them. Every last one. She admitted as much. And it was for no reason at all.”
Shamal felt Signum’s hand tighten at the words, though it wasn’t enough to be physically uncomfortable, given how weak she was. “Signum...that’s...”
“She has to pay. I can’t rest knowing she’s out there. That she’d do it again, if the mood took her.”
“Then take some time and come up with a plan. Talk with Hayate. Wait for the others. Charging straight at her and trying to kill her was stupid. You almost died!” Shamal said, her expression clouded.
“It’s all I can do,” Signum said softly. “I am a Knight. I destroy the enemy before me. Get in close and cut them to pieces. It’s always been this way.”
“That’s not-”
“I can’t,” she said softly, cutting her off. “I can’t give that up, Shamal. It’s what I am. I don’t fit into this world like you and Vita and Zafira do. I can’t help people like you do. All I can do is destroy things.Things that need to be destroyed, like that woman.”
“You’re wrong. There’s more to you than that,” Shamal protested. “I know there is.”
“Maybe a little, but not much. I’m...not like you. I wish I was. I wish I could be.”
Shamal scowled at her for a long moment, before changing tactics. “Fine, but the least you can do is fight smarter. She goaded you, Signum. She knew it’d get you to charge in. And she wasn’t going to fight fair. You can’t just charge in.”
“I..”“It’s all you know. I know. It’s all you’ve ever had to know. But now it’s not enough. And as much as I know the Knight’s Code glorifies that sort of thing, dying gloriously in battle is unacceptable. You swore to protect Hayate, just like all of us. You can’t do that if you’re dead.”
Signum was silent again, but she didn’t protest. Her eyes looked troubled as Shamal grasped the opening. “And it would tear Hayate apart to lose you. You know as well as I do that she...she still misses Reinforce. Still mourns her. Would you want to put her through that again? She couldn’t stand to lose you... I couldn’t stand to lose you,” she said, the last nothing but a whisper.
But the last caused Signum’s hooded eyes to open fully, glancing at her. “Shamal..”
Shamal looked up at her, and knew that Signum knew. Her perception was sharp...and Shamal wasn’t doing a good job of being inconspicuous. “Is it so strange?” she admitted. “You’re strong...and you’ve always protected us.”
“I...”
“Are a horribly literal dummy when you’re not paying attention,” Shamal smiled, brushing her hair. “So, yes. I’d be very disappointed if you died,” she said, managing a slight joke despite the situation.
Signum sighed faintly, but didn’t say anything back for a moment. “...okay.”
“Really?” Shamal said, despite herself.
“Yes...though I suppose I’ll be in here a bit longer.”
“Yes, well, we’ll try to shorten that as much as we can,” Shamal beamed.
“Mmm. Just no home cooking, okay? I almost died once already,” Signum said, closing her eyes and relaxing.
“Signum!”
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."