Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Winged Warrior ❯ Working through it. ( Chapter 8 )

The words that were spoken over the phone were like a bomb hitting the very peak of her heart. It must have torn the Musha family apart to hear the words she was forced to reply. ‘He’s not with me. I don’t know where he is.’ If there were ever words that could break a family, those were the words. The son that they so desperately searched for, the son that had been missing for almost an entire year, he was gone again. It didn’t make matters any better that the last thing she said to him, implied anger, even to the extent of breaking up. He had been acting weird as it was, it probably didn’t help that she dropped him like a rock because of his strange mood. The search began on that warm July day, and all that they found was his car, parked in its spot at the manor, with no River in sight. They went out into the woods, they went to the lakes, and they even went back to the campsite, with no River in sight.

Alex felt as though soon she would be prematurely gray. Where was he? Why had he flipped out back at the lake? What in the world was going through his mind when he left his family and everyone behind and went god knows where he was at the moment? The questions filled her mind every single moment that she breathed, and the only answer she got was from herself. She missed him dearly, even if he wasn’t acting human, she missed seeing his face, she missed sitting by him even if they were silent and he wasn’t looking at her or trying to kiss her. She regretted what she said to him, even blamed those words for his disappearance quite often. She found herself crying at random moments; her mother luckily caught her before anyone else and got her away from the family quickly. It was like she was a god send sometimes. Other times, it was Alan that found her crying, he never called for others, and he just came over and hugged her. Her own little brother had gotten to the point that he was trying to comfort her.

She felt pathetic most of the time. She convinced herself as July began to role on and River had been gone for almost a week that maybe she’d just have to move on from her infatuation with him. She had to convince herself that there was nothing there or he’d be back by now. She refused to believe that something else had happened to him, she wanted to believe that it was his choice to be gone. Just as her heart got ready to sever the ties, her phone rang. It was Rain.

They found him.

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The man that they found was hardly the River that she left that hot day only a few days before, he must have been suffering from heat exhaustion. He had severe sunburns on his face, neck, chest and arms, and to top it all off, he was sitting in front of a corpse and taking in rapid breaths. It was a Buke soldier that obviously was looking for glory and found only death. They all tipped toed around the fact that River was sitting there with blood on his hands and wide saucer like eyes. His arms were shaking and most of them were a bit scared to touch him, all waiting for Alex to show up and hopefully talk the man down from his panicking state of mind.

Alex arrived on the scene and rushed over to her warrior. His rapid breaths became clear as she approached; there was a stream of blood running from his shoulder. “Call an ambulance!” Alex called panicked. She reached over and held his shoulder trying to stop the blood. “River, just breath.” His amber eyes searched around for her as he grimaced at every movement of his own face.

“hurts… to.. breath.” He gasped out before he put his head onto her shoulder and began to cry silently, his entire body grimacing with every shift, every breath. “I-I… I… Don’t.. know.. what I’ve done.” He gasped out. She shushed him, running her free hand through the back of his hair, being careful of the burns. “I don’t know what I’ve done.” He repeated clear this time. His gasp for air became shorter and faster for a moment then longer and slower as if he was relaxing for a moment. “I’m too tired to fight it… “ he mumbled out.

“Don’t tell me that, you’re strong enough to fight anything goddammit.” Alex cursed, as she pulled him in a bit closer. She ignored the burns, she ignored his grimacing. She watched desperately for the stretcher to show and take him. He was losing his grip and probably his focus. She couldn’t lose him. No, not after what she said to him, there had to be more time. It was the first real confrontation she ever thought she would have with the concepts of death for some she was close to, or at least, it was the first one that she could consciously remember.

That was the coldest ride to the hospital that she ever felt, and to hear him scream out in pain every time someone tried to help him tore on her inside. Their words were pale in comparison; they kept telling him it was the only way he’d get better. Alex felt as though it was a lie as she watched him jerk and scream again while the bullet came out of his shoulder in the ambulance. They had to strap his arms down so he didn’t attack the EMTs. The ambulance was packed but Rain was able to take out the deadly parts of his injuries. She couldn’t get rid of the sun burn, or fix the entire wound. She fainted before she could totally fix her brother. They’d have to get her a bed at the hospital as well for recover for utter fatigue. The only ironic event happened to be that the twins passed out at the same exact time.

The waiting room felt as though it was freezing, the hospital gave off an almost doomed aura. It was crowded there, as the entire Musha family it seemed, waited for the results on their boy. Rain was back to consciousness by the time they hit the hospital and at her wits ends about her brother. She could do no more for him; her body wouldn’t be able to handle it because of the extent of his issues. The doctor had come in only a few minutes into the treatment process and had no words of comfort. His condition was to be expected, the heat practically fried him alive, any longer exposure and he would have been experiencing brain damage. The promise was that they were taking immediate care of the boy and there was nothing to worry about, and that at the moment they were waiting for his body temperature to drop.

Time rolled on slowly, it seemed in that cold waiting room. The moment that they found out that he could be visited, the family went in and checked on him. Alex waited behind so that they could have their moments with him before many of them would have to leave the boy behind for work or other reason, or most simply, because he would most likely send them away. Rain nodded for Alex to head in as the Musha clan could be see wondering away from the hospital. Alex gave her silent thanks before going in and seeing River relax back in the bed, staring at his IV with a certain distain. She knocked lightly on the door to get his attention. He looked up and frowned lightly.

“Hey big guy.” Alex entered and took the seat by the bed. “How are you feeling?”“hot and absolutely miserable.” He grumbled scratching at the area that appeared to be bandaged up. His chest was bare and his lower half was covered by a thin sheet. “and naked might I add.” He grumbled annoyed. “Something about trying to get the heat out… I think the nurses just wanna see my- wait, why- dear god my head hurt too much to think straight.” He tried to rub but drew his hands away. “ugh, what the hell was I thinking?” he called out. Alex didn’t say a single thing, she just shook her head and looked around the room. Particularly at the IV, water and blood, quite the combination of things, she frowned at him. “And they’re never gonna let me go home.” He grumbled annoyed. “Oh, please, what could they possibly have that home doesn’t have?” Alex questioned as she leaned against the side bar and gently rubbed the clear area on his chest, where there was neither burn nor injury. “The IVs? Rain could probably arrange something.” Alex mumbled. “I don’t know.” River huffed a bit looking at her hand and smiling slightly. “The only good thing is I’m on a ‘high-protein’ diet for the burns… something about increasing cell reproduction or something stupid like that, don’t care really… ““That just means they’ll be shoving peanut butter down your throat constantly.” Alex chuckled continuing to rub his chest. “It’s the only hospital grade thing that they could possibly give you that could even remotely taste good to you.” Alex sighed, “But then again, you’ll have to wash your mouth out before you can kiss me again.”“The fuck?” he blinked, “Oh yeah, that’s right, the nut allergy. Goddammit they better not give me peanut butter… I’ll have to kill someone… or run home so I can have steak or something.” He grumbled, “something good.” Alex only chuckled again and leaned over kissing the area right above his heart.

“Heal up so I can kiss your forehead or somewhere else- the lips on your face gutter mind.” She interrupted any dirty thoughts he could have possibly come up with right then, “And I will bring you a home cooked meal, yes, I cook.” She answered the question before it came out of his mouth. He shrugged lightly and then relaxed a bit taking in long deep breaths. She frowned for a moment and looked of trying to think of what to say next, then finally it came out in a soft whisper. “I missed you… so much…” The pathetic words were so truthful and even hurting that he flinched and looked off. “I’m so sorry about what I said to you, but, you were acting so weird, and I couldn’t figure out why and it just made me feel like you were trying to shut me off or something.” Alex sighed and then looked at him. “Pretty stupid right?”“No…” He shook his head and grimaced more than before he put strain upon his neck and face. “I’m going to tell you once, what I saw back at the lake, and you can have an hour to ask me questions, then we’re going to drop it okay?” Alex nodded in agreement leaning forward so she could watch his eyes as he told his story. “All right..” As he spoke, his word weaved a dark scene when he was a child, before he became quite who he was today, he watched the army tear his family apart, taking them captive particularly his father, who couldn’t fend for himself at the moment. He ran and called for his father over and over again. He recalled a squad of Buke soldiers brutally attacking him and using techniques that made him see things that he refused to describe to her that they were so horrible. It terrified him into a state that he just wanted to know why he suddenly remember the traumatizing event, trying to remember it made him want to cry and trying not to remember it made him cold. He felt as though he was in a lose/lose with no one to confide in. He didn’t want to force his problems on anyone else.

“River, you can always tell me about these things… and I’ll try my best to comfort you, or help you work through it… you don’t have to do these things alone.” She said softly. “And if you really want to, you can always tell me to butt out… it’s more damaging for the people around you to act out of character like that…” Alex sighed a bit. “But I don’t have a single question for you, I know why you didn’t share these things…” She said trying to reach to get a stray tear but stopping not wanting to aggravate the burns. “Something else is on your mind.” She stated looking at his eyes. He nodded silently as he tried his best to become cold. “Then please, please let me know instead of becoming a robot to figure things out…”

“The corpse lying in front of me back in that field Alex, I killed that man…” He said softly, looking down at his sun burnt hands almost with a twinge of horror in his eyes. “I don’t know who he was, I know he was a Buke, he had their guard symbol on his arm…” He frowned. “I killed someone’s son, someone’s brother, maybe even someone’s father…” He let out a breath that seemingly was trying to cleanse his tainted conscious. “Someone’s love…. I killed a man in that field that I didn’t know and I hate for reasons I don’t know. I practically killed that man in cold blood.” River’s eyes became the wide saucers again. “It’s always said that the hero does his business for justice… but I can’t find the justice in what I’ve done… I… I can’t believe… I… I just…. It…” he took in many breaths. “The concepts of murder and actually carrying out the task… are so very different.” His eyes were tearing up again. “Wasn’t I trained to do that? Wasn’t I trained to in the end kill Engel to end this bloody war?” He took in many fast breaths while Alex tried desperately to calm him down by rubbing his chest. “That’s the first time, I ever… I… I ever stole someone’s life from them…. I wanted him dead… he shot me in the shoulder… but…. But I …. I…. I just… I can’t… I can’t believe I actually…. I didn’t think…. It’s wrong but I feel so, so bad… I feel like a murdering scum bag.” He put his hands down at his side and just stared off. “What good am I on our side if I can’t even bare through this?” He whimpered out.

“I..” Alex started out. “River… I’m not surprised you feel bad.” She said softly leaning over a bit more and setting her head down against his chest. “If you didn’t feel anything at all… then you wouldn’t be my River… you’re far too compassionate, even as a warrior, to pass this sort of event up without reflection without guilt…. It’s going to be hard on you… but I’m going to be there through the nightmares, through the grief, to help you get through it as best I can…okay?” She asked looking at him. He nodded sheepishly to her almost unsure of her offer or unsure of himself. “Get some sleep.” She suggested softly after brushing her hand down that familiar area of chest. He agreed only because he no longer had the strength in him to argue after the emotional turmoil he’d just been through prior to his stay at the hospital.

“you… won’t leave while I’m sleeping will you?” River asked almost like a pleading little boy. Alex shook her head in reply. Her response got a light smile out of him before he shifted a bit in his bed, and fell into a light sleep. She sat there for almost three hours before her parents came in to see what in the world was happening. Alex explained things as best she could, and when they said that maybe she should head home, she refused. She promised to stay there, and she was going to keep her promise. Gwen said she would stay but Keith reminded her of her shifts and the children at home. He said he would stay, as he didn’t have anywhere to go and could easily sneak out without them knowing. His powers gave him the ultimate privacy invading opportunity.

Alex shooed off the loudness as she rested her head down by his arms. She was so tired from worry, she hardly noticed her own mother leave the room. It wasn’t long before she was fast asleep and seemingly only a few seconds later River was stirring her by messing with the hairs on the back of her head. She lifted up and smiled at him, they’d come in and changed out the bags for just water. They’d given him a jug that almost belonged on a water color for the time being. “Hey.” She stretched out a bit to the side. “Getting hydrated I see.” She nodded to the water.

“No kidding. How much you wanna bet they expect me to drink it all before the day is over?” He chuckled. “Still trying to get my fever down, it’s miserable…. I hate heat.” He grumbled uncomfortably. “And I hate the stinging wrath that I’m being forced to endure.” He pouted as he crossed his arms and uncrossed them as the sting kicked in. “God it hurts all over the place, I’m glad I wasn’t in a bathing suit for the love of all things holy.” He shifted around uncomfortably. He didn’t pay any attention to her silently getting a tube of aloe from a nurse until her cold hands hit his burning flesh. “What are you doing?” He whimpered looking over and then watching her, with delicate hands that he never expected from her of all people, apply the aloe and massage the cool gel substance into his flesh. “Ah, my hero.” He smiled lightly drawing back every once in a while. They were silent mostly, River only occasionally grunted in sheer pain as she touched a raw area. She’d then apologize and lightly work to that area. “I never got to apologize.” He said as she worked on the other arm. She gave only a bit of acknowledgement that he spoke, her eyebrows raised lightly as if to say, yes I’m listening. “For acting weird, ya know.” He shifted a bit.

“It’s all right, you already explained it hun, don’t tax yourself with it” Alex said finishing his other arm and gently laying it down on his bed. He only used it to push up and sit up. He leaned over and kissed her, straight on the lips, naturally. He drew back for only a moment. She could hear him whimper a bit but didn’t want to push him, in fear that it would hurt him more. “River….” She placing a hand on his chest. “Stop, you’re hurting yourself, I can tell.”“I don’t care.” He replied getting in another kiss. “I just don’t care. I’m making up for the time I’ve been inhuman and gone.” He leaned in and got another kiss but then Alex pushed him back lightly. He frowned a bit and pouted like a wounded puppy. “What? Nature breath?”“Yes, and you aren’t listening.” Alex shook her head. “Get in all of your kissing when your face is healed up, then you can do what you w- no, you can kiss me, but no more than that.” She scolded, putting her finger in front of his nose. He nipped it lightly, and chuckled when she drew it back and gently held the non burnt part of his chin. “Enough.” She said and smiled at him before bringing her hands down to his chest again. “Lay back down.” She scolded lightly.

He reclined back and looked over at Keith. “Hey inviso-man.” He chuckled lightly. “Didn’t like that little stunt with your daughter I’m betting?” River smiled as best he could. Keith walked over and poked River’s forehead. River grimaced and swatted towards his hand. Alex got up and slapped her dad across the head.

“Ah, that is abuse!” Keith called to his daughter. “Now who taught you to treat your father like that?!”

“My mother.”Keith went grumbling over to the couch and said nothing more. Alex was smiling in victory; she leaned over and kissed over River’s heart. He shifted uncomfortably as Keith just continued to glare at them as though he was going to decapitate him and ground her. River gently pushed Alex away but then smiled at her for a moment then shut his eyes again, trying to focus on other things other than the burning pain in most of his body. A nurse came in with two tubs, and the smell distracted him, it smelled of vinegar, pure vinegar. He looked at her utterly confused, until his arms were lifted up and placed into the tubs. He didn’t question, he just looked to Alex utterly confused.

“This should aid in the bettering process, but keep your IV out of the vinegar. That could be a bit bloody; I’ll be back in a half an hour to release you from the vinegar.” The nurse explained and then she left River looked to Alex with his wide saucer eyes.

“I’m going to smell like a damn pickle.” He stated sarcastically shocked. She couldn’t help but chuckle at his tone and his overall situation; he WAS going to smell like a pickle, possible for weeks. “Oh laugh it up, but pickled or not, I’m going to be kissing on you!” He smirked victoriously. She giggled just a bit more, and sat down. “And now I’m feeling parched, now that, sucks.” River snickered a bit himself looking at the jug. “If it were a bit smaller I’d ask you to place it on my chest with a straw, but… it would crush me” He joked with a laughed. Alex got another tube of aloe now that his arms were busy and began to massage it into his face. He frowned at her as she did so, he felt almost like a child with his hands tied so he couldn’t mess up some sort of important family heirloom.

“It’s not that bad is it? I’m trying to be gentle.” She said frowning as she massaged a bit more into his forehead. He shook his head and pouted a bit more. “Oh come on River, I’m just trying to make you better, don’t act like a baby.” She said, moving on to his cheek. “Or else, I’ll have to suggest other methods to get the pain to go away.” She smirked evilly. “Oh god no.” River whimpered drawing away from her like a frightened child. His saucer eyes came back as she laughed almost evilly. “Don’t hurt me.” He whimpered out , she punched his shoulder before getting back to his face. “Ow.” He said pitifully and then he smiled at her as she switched cheeks. “Love you.”“Love you too.” She smiled as she finished with his other cheek. “Does that feel better?” She asked as she sat back down. He nodded looking at his hands for a moment. “For now at least,” She added so he couldn’t add in his sarcastic comment. He pouted a bit to her denial of his fun. “I wonder when they’re going to give you your shorts back…” Alex mumbled, it would be great to be able to get him out of the bed and walk around a bit in the hospital so he didn’t feel like a bed ridden old man.

“When they’re done detoxicing them.” River joked easily. “They did not look good when they got them off my body; they’re not supposed to be that dark.” He snickered. “I suppose I’m just a mess.” He laughed naturally. A nurse came in and set the pair of sweat pants down, they were actually quite large. The waist would probably have to be tightened for River. Alex didn’t know why they got him such big pants when legs didn’t really burn. “Yay Pants!” River said almost jokingly. “Now I just need to be told I can stop pickling my arms and put them on.” He chuckled. Alex backhanded the middle of his chest. “owww” He whined, he looked over at her with puppy dog eyes, “Why ya gotta hit?”

“I” she blinked. “I’m not sure, probably because of the stupid comments you make all the time.” She slipped her cold slender hand under his warm giant paw. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be smacking you when you’re injured… I guess I just want things to be sort of normal.” She said quietly, glancing over at her father. He hadn’t left the room yet, and probably never would, unless he became invisible, but then there would be no guarantee that he would be in or out. River let off almost a sigh through his lips, almost as if he were grumbling. He leaned his reddened face back and started to think a bit about it all.

“Hey, when I’m back into the swing of things, you wanna go dancing or something?” He asked looking over at her. “Something fun.” He smiled his crooked grin, though it probably burned. “Anything you want… yeah, even that, though I know that you won’t want that.” He looked over to Keith. “Your daughter is smarter then you’re giving her credit for,” He commented and then looked back to Alex. “Papa Patrol isn’t going to end and you’re probably exhausted.” His smile disappeared like the sun at dusk. “you should probably get home or something.”“I’m all right.” Alex replied and looked over to her father. “Daddy…” She put on a charming smile. It was unfortunate that the grin could only be compared to one man’s grin… and unfortunately, that was the man she was trying to charm.

“No.”“But.”

“No.R 21;“Why?”“Because I said No.”Alex humphed in surrender and then brushed through River’s hair. “I miss your long hair… it probably would have protected some of your face.” She whispered and then frowned. It was quick to go away, however, “Then you probably would have looked like twoface.” “Ow, pride” River joked, the nurse came back in with a beeping watch. River took his arms out of the vinegar and smiled to Alex. “Fried pickle?” He questioned as he presented his arm to her. Alex only laughed and shook her head. She helped the nurse with the tubs; she was surprised at their heat, almost as if they’d drawn the heat from his arms. “They do feel better….” River mumbled to himself. His arms were healing rapidly, Alex could see it, they already were losing their red tint and dead skin seemed to want to jump off of his arm. She tilted her head confused and gently put her hand on his arm. “Don’t feel it.” He said surprised for a moment. “Neat.” He smiled and grabbed her arm, pulling her down into a kiss.

“I thought I told you to knock it off.” Alex giggled “You’re going to hurt yourself.”“Dun care.”“I do.” Alex said forcing him to lay back down.“hope I get to hear that again.” River discretely comment, enough for Keith not to hear but for Alex to turn as red as his burns. “Blush points.” River chuckled low. He put his head down and let out a sigh. “I’m probably going to sleep again…. Why don’t you guys get home… or you’re welcome to stay here, but I mean, I don’t know how comfortable the couch is, or the chair…” He shrugged. “Would you hand me those pants please?” He asked Alex. She hand them over. “Thank you.” He replied and she, of course, acknowledged it and looked to her father, when she looked back. River had the pants on.

“how the- why- ugh, how in the world did you manage that?” she stared at him curiously.

“haven’t we been over that I’m amazing?” River asked as he reclined back again. “Your head was turned, it was the perfect opportunity.” He mumbled shifting and yawning. “Love you.”“Oh River, I love you too.” Keith replied in a high pitched voice. “Wanna get a room then?” River joked back. Alex just leaned away and laughed heavily into her shoulder. The elf like blond man seemed to think the joke was funny himself as he bellowed out a laugh that people wanted to laugh along with. “All right you too, don’t draw on my face while I’m sleeping.” River laughed and then flipped onto his side and closed his eyes. Alex leaned in and paused before his forehead. She laid a butterfly kiss on his forehead and just as quick as she had, she drew back and sat down, curling slightly in the chair and trying to fall asleep herself.

Keith watched it all occur and smiled. The moment he knew they were both asleep, he left the room; leaving them to wonder if the invisible man was there, or if he had left the room.

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