Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Mystic Grey ❯ Volume Two: Chap. Six: Suffering Day by Day ( Chapter 6 )

Suffering Day by Day

She needed him. Yet, Rieko didn't mind this. He made her feel complete. She found herself okay with letting him lead. She put her hand to her chest.

“Okay,” she said. He sat up on his bed. He drew out a pen form his pillowcase.

“I have discovered a tunnel underground,” he said. He drew two wide lines on his pillowcase. She lifted her head, watching.

“This tunnel is above the nurse's office,” he explained. He drew a big box around the two lines. It took a minute to draw smaller boxes in the bigger square.

“In the nurse's office,” he said. “There are a small flight of stairs.” A rectangle formed in the box.

“Are you keeping up so far?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Good,” he said. He couldn't stand this hellish ward anymore. The staff abused the patients here and the boss didn't care. He sneered to himself. They are getting away with murder, he thought. He gritted his teeth.

“We need a distraction,” he said, forcing himself to calm down.

“Distraction?” she asked.

“Yes.” He pointed to the rectangle. “One of us needs to be sick to get in.” He looked her straight in the eye. Rieko pointed to her chest.

“Me?”

“Yes.” He crawled over to Rieko's side of the room. He could still see the innocence within her. They hadn't broken her yet.

“Tell me something,” he said.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Why aren't you broken yet?”

“What?”

“Hang on.” He took hold of her face. He could see it better now. She was broken, but not by them. Someone already beat them to the punch. The sorrow in her eyes told of a tale of a broken bird. Usually, he wouldn't pry. It wasn't his business anyway. Yet, Rieko was different. He didn't have a name for it at the time.

“How did you get this broken?” he asked. She gave him a doe-eyed look.

“What?” she asked.

“Don't you remember?”

She slowly shook her head. “No.”

“Don't you remember anything about yourself?”

“No.”

He didn't know how to piece this out. She didn't remember anything about herself and looked so broken. The hollow eyes gave the illusion of being unbroken. He let go of her face.

“Can you be the distraction for me?” he asked. Rieko didn't think about the question. He presented himself as a security blanket to her. Somehow, his dark eyes reminded her of someone who was dear to her. Her heart fluttered at a good, distant memory.

“Okay,” Rieko said.

“Good,” he said. He sat back, thinking. “I just need to figure out the timing of everything.” She watched him in thought. This wouldn't be their last encounter together. In fact, she hoped that would be the case. Maybe she could try and remember that person was close to.

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-Present Day-

He came up to a saloon around closing time. She might come down here. Rieko did hate being for too long after all. Maybe someone nice took her in. He taught her not to be so trusting with strangers. Still, Rieko was rather fragile. She couldn't survive by herself. He clenched his fists at his sides.

Hold on, Rieko. I'm coming. He walked into the saloon.

Day by Day