Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Mark of The Beast ❯ Chapter 6

Alone in the sterile infirmary recovery ward the three young pilots have various IV's stuck in their forearms, several bandages coat their skin from the burns received during their fight with Jinn, quite aside from occasional nurse to reapply the bandages and ointments. For seven hours, they have been asleep sheltered from the madness. Shinji alone lies somewhere between a dream and reality his sub-conscious mind is wandering from memory to memory trying to piece together a place and time he'd never been to. A victim of his own frustration with towards his father and longing for his mother in times like this. From his dream his astral body floats views events of times long past.

"Shinji have you ever kissed a girl?" Asuka asked as she wore a light green shirt and short cut off denim shorts. His mind relaxed as he viewed her plugging his nose and feeling her slender lips on his, yet it didn't feel real a surreal feelings his astral body drifted as the nerves in his brain fired off radically forming another time of a memory long past. One after another, his memories had drifted as he looked up at the ceiling with his eyes lost between a delusion and reality, still hearing the sounds of his heart monitor he felt trapped in his own body. A body, which denied him the very strength to look to see if Asuka or Rei had survived. The faint beep of the monitor kept him company the very vision of the angel still heavily lingered in his mind "it was covered in fire…all throughout the battle I had no sense of control of my emotions, they easily controlled it." his mind wandered from one reflection to the next trying to comprehend what he'd fought with past experiences. "They can control our thoughts and emotions by their will, these Angels bring out the worst in us when he fight…" His fragile mind continued to ponder why they fought them would the remnants of humanity be better off dead?

Asuka and Rei were still in the void of a deep sleep, their wounds and injuries sustained were far worse than Shinji's. Misato repeated warned Asuka to pull back when she fought yet the sins of wraith and pride consumed her as she no longer felt pain during the fight. When the recovery team picked up her the doctors noted internal bleeding, a broken arm from the impact of the blows sustained in combat and severe dehydration. Her reward for such an action was the cold sterile room known as the infirmary it would be a few weeks until her injury would heal up.

The sliding doors opened up as a doctor and Misato walked in, the doctor assigned his nurses to watch over the girls while he checked the vital signs of Shinji. "Doctor just how bad are the conditions?" yet the doctor knew he couldn't provide an answer just yet. He looked over Shinji and his charts "well aside from the dehydration and burns it could be a few days for him. He took a small flash light and checked his pupils "his eyes are dilated a side effect from the medication, right now all that's going through his mind is god know what. Its best we leave them to recover for a more days before than can return home." Misato folded her arms a sign that the stress had started to take its toll. "And how are the American pilots doing?" The doctor shook his head "only Captain. Robert M. White, survived he's critical condition we don't expect him to pull through." Misato decided to visit the pilot that saved the life of Shinji, Rei and Asuka. As she walked with the doctor down the cold white corridor several questions raced through her mind. Yet she knew the answers wouldn't be here.

Making there way down to the intensive care unit she passed several injured Nerv personnel as they lay in their beds. "How bad is it outside?" She inquired "out of respect for the victims, I'd rather not say. So many innocent people died a fiery death many of them were my family." The doctor said trying to hold back the tears in front of the young woman. A middle aged Saudi man hardened by a life in the desert, had suffered a loss worse than death, his family. He walked away leaving Misato in front of the ICU where she walked into the room, several flowers filled the room. In a full body cast he managed to move his head to the right to get a look at his visitor. Various machines were hooked up keeping him alive, Misato pulled up a chair and sat next to his bed. "Thank you…" was all she could say in her heavy Japanese accent as she tried to speak English. Unknown to her Robert, spoke in what sounded like an in auditable mumble was the thanks of a man. She stayed there knowing his vitals were getting worse the least she could do was stay there comforting him until the life left his body.

The sight of a good looking woman was enough for the American pilot his friends and family were far from here and having just one person at his deathbed consoled him. Time slowly passed to Robert, his Eva was hit directly by the flames as it started to incinerate the very armor plates, making the quick decision to escape he hit the manual override to this cockpit which immediately ejected his pod, the flames continued to rage on as his pod was open to the mercy of the wrathful flames. Inside he nearly cooked before the flames subsided and the automatic sprinkler system dosed the heat and smoke that arose from the malfunctions instruments. His flesh was badly scalded when the recovery team picked up his pod; Misato looked into the one dark brown eye that lay open from the tomb of his body cast. She folded her hands as she seen a tear drop down from his cast. Vital signs slowly started to drop as his eye slowly closed for the last time, going flat line the doctor walked back in recording the time of death "He was the first to combat the Angel before the order came to use your team. His squad was obliterated in front of his eyes. I seen the entire fight as it unfolded. I don't know if he's enjoying the paradise that awaits men like him or a hell to purify his soul before he walk towards the light of god." Misato slowly rose up "in any case he's a hero to me. If it wasn't for his team the three back there would be dead." Misato walked out of the room with the image of a dying mans eye slowly closing signaling the end life.

***

"What a fitting punishment for us as we combat an Angel in a burning desert and flaming sky. Gendo we should get back to our conference with the U.N." Kouzou said while he lit up a cigarette trying to take his mind off the delegation in the conference hall that solved nothing. "Yes, sir the Angel was obliterated and the pilots are in stable condition. No Sir, the American Eva units were destroyed as expected although so was the Mourning Star." Gendo reported to Seele as he cut off his call on his mobile phone, Gendo took out a cigarette and had Kouzou light it for him. "Yes it is a fitting punishment but our blasphemy towards the Angels is the only way we'll combat them. Do you find it unsettling Kouzou?" The older man finished his cigarette "no Gendo what I find unsettling is how you neglect your son you haven't even called once despite the fact he nearly died. Is he that much a burden towards you?" Gendo said nothing as he walked back into the conference room where several delegates were eager to bombard Gendo with the news of the loss of life in Saudi Arabia. And his actions towards solving the problem.

***

Several hours passed before Shinji regained full control of his body and could sit up, time passed in a different manner to him minutes seemed like hours, hours like days. His vision was still blurry from the medicine but everything was fine by his standards. The hospital room seemed very familiar "am I back in Japan?" He looked at Asuka and Rei only to find their beds empty "they did die, I could of saved them." Yet Shinji could hear in the other room the loud voice of a girl he often fantasized about, yelling in loud German curses he smiled. "Same old Asuka."

Still feeling weak he turned on the TV. Flipping through various channels he turned his attention to the story of the aftermath in the middle east. "In our top story, the very cause of the catastrophic loss of life has come to an end. Earlier this mourning a joint effort between the Arab nations, America and Japan stopped the beast that inflicted devastation on the nation." Images of the Eva's and the Angel once known as Jinn flashed before the camera was destroyed. "So your finally awake third child." Asuka walked into the room in a sling holding her left arm "yes, I am but I'm feeling tired though." Meekly responding while he caught a glance of her slender legs under the hospital gown. Before she could notice Shinji pulled his attention to her blue eyes. "They tried to inject me with some unknown serum saying it would help me recover it took some convincing but I finally let them help me." Shinji grinned "is that why you were yelling at them earlier?" She nodded her head, to Shinji moments like these are what he liked when she wasn't yelling at him or poking fun at him for no real reason. "Have you seen Ayanami?" She shook her head "wonder girl isn't anywhere to be found, she's probably testing though its not like know what she does on her off time."

"Still though, were all pretty banged up the last thing I'd want to see is the Eva's." He complained having a history of reluctantly wanting to pilot the machine. "Misato won't say a thing about them, who knows when we'll be back home." Shinji sighed "had I known we'd be here for awhile I'd would have brought something to listen to." Yet Asuka still nursed her injury while Shinji had enjoyed talking with the very girl that'd often tease him and make him feel angry at time. "Think we missed anything in school?" Asuka didn't answer "well I'm sure it wasn't anything major, but I know Kensuke and Toji will want to know where the hell I've been." Asuka slightly agitated at the mention of his two friends especially Toji, to her he was a dense guy that practically ignored the crush that her friend Hikari had on him. Yet at the same time she could see something in him despite his act of being a tough guy. "Its finally great to see you two awake and acting civil for once."

Misato said as he walked in, Shinji turned off the TV and looked at his guardian who seemed rather content after a catastrophic Angel attack. "How is Rei doing?" Misato folded her arms "she's in the car of the doctors who are running tests on condition." Misato didn't want to concern the two about their fellow pilot. "Although the from orders from commander Ikari you and the Eva's are to be sent back in one day's time." Shinji wasn't surprised by the fact his father would send him back to put a great distance between them "we'll be able to enjoy spring break then." Asuka thought as she started to plan something to make up for leaving her friend Hikari on the day she'd promised to take her shopping. Shinji knew he'd tag along with Kensuke and Toji on the usual activities of hitting on the girls and such. Feeling the medicine kick in he started to feel drowsy and feel back on his soft bed. Closing his eyes he could still hear the faint voices of the two women that could fulfill his most intimate lustful desires.

A few hours later Shinji awoke and found the pain has slowly eased and he could walk again, finding his bag packed he shifted his legs to the side of the bed. He seen Rei sitting at the edge of the room looking out the night. Something familiar about her condition clicked in his mind, the bandages and sling on her right arm reminded him of the first time he'd met her on his first trip to Nerv. "Do you feel alright Rei?" Shinji asked as he walked towards her "I'm feeling fine Shinji." She softly said as she didn't bother to look up at him. "Were heading back in an hour do you think you'll be up and ready to go?" The concern in his voice caught her attention "…I'll be fine…" Feeling calm around her Shinji felt at ease, she wasn't loud or vulgar like Misato or Asuka yet she rarely spoke and aside from the incident at her apartment. Shinji knew next to nothing about the silent young girl that intrigued his interests.

Shinji walked back to his bed and closed the curtain he quickly changed into his white shirt and jeans. With his bag on his shoulder he started to walk out to the Hanger where the ship back home awaited them. On his walk he tuned out the noise of people working frantically around him, their jobs were different that those back home. Entering the elevator, he felt the slight rise in heat as the temperature slightly rose reflecting the outside heat. Floor by floor Shinji endured the wait "a few days rest from fighting and being a teenager is all I need." When he reached his destination he still couldn't find Rei or Asuka he assumed they'd be on the plane.

Making his way he showed the guards his Nerv ID card and was granted access to the hanger, after a quick body search he was given directions to meet up with Lieutenant Katsuragi where he'd receive further orders. He walked alone down the corridor where he found Asuka sitting down "Misato isn't here, I've been waiting for nearly an hour." Shinji sat down across from her with his arms folded minutes went by with neither of them saying much. Walking down the corridor Misato and Rei finally made an appearance "Ritsuko kept me busy reviewing the battle and the synch ratios." She apologized, only to have Asuka scoff "I thought you Japanese were supposed to be on time and such, you know back in Germany if your late they start without you." Misato shook her head and led the three to their plane where they'd be looking at the start of spring break and a week off from Nerv and school.