Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ I'm Free ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

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 12

 

On Board Project SEEDS, 132 Years Ago:

If I pretend that nothing happened…if I pretend hard enough…will that make everything all right again? He opened his eyes slowly and stared up at the dimly lit ceiling above him. How could they do that? His eyebrows drew together into a frown as his blue eyes narrowed. How could Rem do that?! The frown didn't disappear, though his expression changed from angry to sad, blue eyes filling with tears of betrayal. Will she let them do that to us, too? Will Rem experiment on us like she did to Tessla? He thought of the woman who'd raised him, of her smiles and hugs, her gentle voice and infectious laughter. What she did was wrong…but… He closed his eyes, hands balling into fists beneath the light blanket covering his body. I can't hate her…I can't hate Rem though I know I should.

The sound of quiet breathing nearby broke through his thoughts and he slowly turned his head, peering into the shadows of the dimly lit medical center. His gaze fell on the sleeping form of the woman he'd come to regard as a mother. She was sleeping, her head tilted at an uncomfortable angle and resting against her shoulder, hands folded over her stomach. He frowned when he saw that one of her hands was bandaged. It appeared to be a recent injury, the white of the bandages showing a faint pink outline. Sitting slowly, careful to not make a sound, he closed his eyes in concentration and allowed his mind to lightly touch hers, searching for answers to some of his more pressing questions. He didn't want to delve too deeply into her mind, afraid of what he might find lurking in the depths of her subconscious.

She was tired, he discovered, and in some pain, though it seemed more of a mild discomfort to her. Her thoughts were flitting through her latest botanical experiment for the biosphere, the Recreation Room the crew spent most of their leisure time in. There was anxiety focused around thoughts of the crew…whether Rowan had found the cause of the malfunction in the Cold Sleep chamber, if Mary was taking proper care of the cuttings she'd made of the geraniums, was Joey eating properly and getting enough sleep, did Steve finish the diagnostics on the Plant's couplings. These were all running through her mind, though over them all she was relieved that Vash was now eating and talking to her. He paused, eyes opening slowly as a frown tugged the corners of his lips down. What's wrong with Vash? He wasn't eating? He shook his head a little and turned his attention back to the woman sleeping at his bedside. Over all the thoughts swirling through her head, over everything that he'd already seen, was her worry for his wellbeing. He bit his lip to keep it from trembling as tears filled his eyes. Rem's worried about me. I made Rem worry. Guilt filled him. There was no way he could ever hate her, no chance even for anger to form.

Making his decision, he cleared his throat and forced the tears away. Rem started and blinked blearily, lifting her arms over her head in a stretch, the movement shifting her t-shirt up a little and exposing more bandages around her stomach. Eyes widening, he stared at the obviously recent injury, quickly searching her mind for the cause. Gasping in shock, he could only stare at her in mute horror. Vash stabbed Rem? Vash tried to kill Rem?! Shaking his head sharply, he focused on the woman again and forced his expression to calmness despite the roiling emotions chasing themselves through his mind.

Her gaze fell on him, soft brown eyes widening as her lips formed an `oh' of surprise. “K-Knives?” She whispered, voice catching on a sob as she launched herself out of the chair and grabbed him, pulling him against her in a crushing hug. “Thank goodness, thank goodness!” He returned the hug, staring at the wall, discomfited by her display. “I was so worried…I thought you may never regain consciousness.” She pulled back and held him at arms length, studying him with a wide smile, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

He blinked and then smiled widely in return. “I'm hungry, Rem.” Having made his decision, he felt much better. He'd pretend that nothing had happened and everything would be all right. Rem had made a mistake in the past, but he couldn't hate her for it. She'd made the mistake and now she was trying to fix it by being a mother to Vash and himself. She loved them and he had to believe that she'd never let anyone use them like Tessla had been used…he had to believe in her. No matter what, no matter how painful the memories of Tessla were, he would pretend that nothing happened and never bring it up again. If he didn't think about it, then it didn't happen…and they could go on like before. He smiled again, determined.

 

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