Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Stew ❯ Pain and Delirium ( Chapter 2 )

Faye woke up, her leg throbbing, and laid on the cold metal floor, gathering her strength. After about ten minutes, she carefully sat up, wincing in pain, and glanced down at her right leg. Right below her knee on the inside of her leg was a dark purple-maroon bruise. Blood was slowly seeping from a jagged cut across it.

She had a pounding headache and suddenly looked around, remembering the rest of the crew. Jet was about fifteen feet away with his head to the wall. Faye instantly winced in sympathy for him and dragged herself over to see how bad the damage was.

Other than a huge red bump on his head and a few bruises, Jet was fine. He seemed to be resting peacefully. Faye breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

She heard a groan behind her and to the left, and turned to see Spike on his side clenching his stomach. Her eyes widened in fear and she hurried over to him.

"Spike? Spike, what is it?!"

"Go get...." he took a shaky breath. "Go get the emergency kit," he said faintly, his face suddenly twisting in pain. Faye struggled to her feet and fought hard against her own injury to fetch the first aid kit and returned as fast as possible.

Spike had passed out.

Faye carefully moved his hands and gasped when she saw dark blood stains on his jacket. Quickly, she unbuttoned both that and his pale yellow shirt and cautiously peeled them away from the sticky red patches on his lower abdomen as she fumbled with his tie. His blood stained her hands a deep crimson.

A nasty-looking gash started to spurt and she thought for a second she saw his entrails. Breathing hard, she pressed gauze against the puncture and secured it with a soft, elastic wrap around his middle. Cursing one of the control sticks that had probably caused his injury, she sealed the whole thing over with medical tape and gently pushed Spike onto his stomach to provide the pressure of his weight on the wound so she wouldn't have to press against it herself.

Meanwhile, Jet had regained consciousness. He wandered over to them, his hand covering the bump.

"What did you do now, Faye?"

"What do you mean?"

They carefully picked Spike up and moved him to the couch.

"I mean there has to be a reason why those ships came after us. Who did you not pay yet, and for what?"

Faye's brows knitted into a frown and Jet got a migraine as she proceeded to scream and shout about how they all needed her on the Bebop or else they'd all be lost - and something about him assuming she always steals and cheats people....ah well, he wasn't listening.

"Alright, alright!" he said in an exasperated tone. "Since we've finally reached a planet I'm going to try to scrounge up some food."

He walked over to his room to fetch the money from his secret hiding place for it and returned to Faye.

"I'm going to get a doctor, too. Take care of him, Faye, you're all he's got right now."

"What do you mean? Ed and Ein are still here....somewhere."

"I'm taking them with me. But that's not what I meant anyway."

She watched him with wide jade eyes as he walked away and out into what remained of Earth.

"ED! EIN!" he shouted.

"Commiiiiiiiiiiing!" Ed answered, skipping out to the room and dancing around Faye before finally leaping out of the Bebop. The crash landing didn't seem to have any affect on her mental health o_O "Didn't do any further damage," would probably be a better phrase....

Ein followed, barking weakly and limping slightly.

Once they had gone, Faye relaxed. Sitting on the coffee table directly in front of Spike, she examined him - his hard arm and shoulder muscles, his unruly hair, dark auburn lashes -

"It's about time they left."

Faye looked down at his face to see a grinning Spike.

"Don't talk," she said seriously, shushing him and placing a cold finger on his lips.

In his delirium he playfully licked it and chuckled, amused at her look of shock.

"Wh...what was THAT, Spike?!?"

"Oh come on, Faye-faye, you know you liked it!" He laughed like he was intoxicated.

"Hah. If you only knew how close you actually are to the truth."

She laughed bitterly and knew he would never remember this conversation anyway. Bored out of her mind and looking for release as she always was, she decided to find out what he really thought of her - and maybe dig up some info on Julia.

"Spike?"

"Yessssssshhh?"

Faye raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. He looked so goofy with that dorky smile and tongue wagging out that she had to laugh. He laughed along. Suddenly, she stopped.

"Spike...what do you think of me?"

He looked at her and blinked slowly, his eyes not closing at the same time.

"I think....I think you'll beat me up if I tell you. And that's not exactly what I need right now." He chuckled.

Her eyes softened.

"Oh. I guess I tend to overreact, huh?"

She sighed and slumped back. Spike looked confused by this.

"It's been really hard for me....to trust people. I don't even know how I am, where I came from, who my parents are....and I'm afraid to.....to FEEL for anyone."

Spike actually looked sober now. She smiled, glad he was paying attention. A knot in her stomach urged her not to go on, but she decided there was no way he had already recovered. He still had to be delirious from the blood loss....right?

"That's why I always push everyone away before I have a chance to get attached to them. Nothing good ever came out of me caring for people, so I don't anymore. But....there was a time when I did. When I was a care-free child. I have flashbacks or dreams when I can just tell that I was such a happy child....and look at me now."

"Faye..."

"It's really odd when you ache for people who you don't even know....anymore. I've heard it's like phantom pains when someone gets a limb amputated. Their nerves are still there, but there's no limb. GOD, I suffer so much just for blurry images, it doesn't make any sense!"

A tear shimmered in her eye, but she blinked it away hastily and turned to look at Spike.

"But now, finally, after all these years, I've finally grown to love someone. I can't believe it! It feels great, I have this incredible sense of achievement, but...but it hurts too. I was so STUPID-"

She pounded her fist on the table in frustration.

"-to fall in love with the person I did. I know his heart belongs to someone else, and I know she's perfect for him....or he thinks so....and most of all, I know I would never have a chance. Never."

"What a jerk," Spike snorted. "If he would never give you a chance, then it means he's got his head stuck too far up his ass to see that a beautiful, mysterious woman has fallen for him."

Faye faltered and her eyes widened. "Well....uh....I'm sure if....if he hadn't given his heart away already, he....might consider it...."

"Still."

Spike sat up, his face contorted by incredible pain, and barely let out a sound. Panting for breath, he relaxed against the couch back.

"Faye, you're a great woman. Your temper is....just something spunky about you. I like that. It's just when you yell at Jet or me for doing something you think is wrong that you get annoying....and that's okay, no one's perfect, and you've been through alot. I tell you, it's been nice meeting you - you are just what I needed."

Faye laughed delightedly. "WHAT?"

"You are. You're the opposite of Julia in so many ways, it's crazy. It's been good for me."

"What, to remind you how much you love her?" Faye said in a low, bitter voice.

"No...to remind me....of her flaws...."

Their eyes met. Uncomfortable, Faye just forced a laugh. Spike bristled a bit.

In a soft voice, he said, "Faye...I know I make fun of you and can make you miserable or angry, but...surely you know I have gotten used to....I mean I've learned to tolerate....no, never mind. There's no simple way to put this. I...care about you, and Jet, and Ein, and Ed. And I don't know why. I've spent ten times more time with other people and known more about them, but I never gave a damn about them. Something about the crew and the Bebop has....changed me. I guess it could be a sign....like maybe you guys will be my 'family' for a while....or maybe this is a last chance....or....nah, I don't believe in that kinda stuff."

He shrugged off the subject carelessly. "Ah, hell. What was I talking about again?"

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A/N: Don't worry, I'm not cheesy enough to make Spike recover right in the middle of that conversation with Faye. ^_^ More to come soon!