Fragments

Ch.12 - Aftermath

"Where am I..? Is this the station?" Thoughts full of questions faded into Min's mind as he slowly awoke. His eyes opened, and blindingly white surroundings akin to a hospital greeted him. At eye-level was a small bedside table with a clock and a tray on it, but Min-jun's vision was too unfocused to make out what time it was. The room felt familiar and he wished to explore it, but it felt like his entire body was simply gone. He couldn't move a muscle and felt only an irresistible urge to sleep. "No… It doesn't matter. Just go rest again… This time, you can afford to relax…" He recalled the comforting embrace he felt before everything faded to black. For the first time in years, he felt safe. Thus, his eyes slowly shut once more.
Alongside others, Min-jun slept for two whole days.
And on the third, he finally had enough strength to get up. With tired eyes and messy hair, he scanned the room as he sat up in his surprisingly soft bed. Just as he thought, it was the second station's infirmary. Curtains isolated the beds and shadowy silhouettes of other Guardians lying in beds were both creepy and reassuring. "So, in the end, everyone ended up the same…" He sighed. "I'm thirsty." It seemed everyone else was still resting, which left Min in a dilemma. Should he get up, or should he continue recovering?
Eventually, he figured getting some food and water would be better. He slid off the bed and straightened his back, feeling dull, burning over every centimetre of his body. "I really overworked myself… Guess I'll take it easier for a bit–." The infirmary doors opened, abruptly cutting Min's thoughts short. Light steps sounded through the room as the person looked over the nearby beds, eventually stopping by Min. The woman's hand gently slid the curtain away, and she peeked in.

"You're awake already?" Asuma asked, feeling taken aback after seeing Min stand by his bed. "I thought I just heard something."

"I am… I'm hungry, thirsty, and my head's full of ideas." Min responded with a light laugh. "I need to do something, or else I'll die."

"Oh…" Asuma's anxiety regarding when – or if – the Guardians would wake up slowly lifted. "You're the first one of the more injured to wake up, in that case." She noted and pushed the blue curtain aside completely. "How do you feel?"

"I feel surprisingly light…" A sudden question arose in Min's head. "Instructor, how many days have passed?"

"Since then? Two. I was starting to get worried none of you would wake up again…" She bit her lips at the end and refrained from saying the last sentence aloud. There was another thing on her mind, and she was unsure if she wanted to say it… However, after a little thinking, she raised Min's head and commended him with a motherly smile. "Congratulations on making it through your first mission."

"Ah–." Surprised by the affection, a light blush appeared under his eyes. "...thank you. It wasn't easy, but I'm also glad I survived. It's all thanks to you, Instructor, you arrived and saved us." He sat down on the bed and so did Asuma, and the two talked a little.

"Mhm… Sure I did. I got there at the end, and only landed the finishing blow," she thought. Asuma felt terrible for not helping them sooner. It was a sickening feeling that made her believe she'd be hated for showing up so late, rather than being thanked and appreciated. "It wasn't supposed to be so difficult… From our information, it was a few armed men who'd potentially try defending themselves with weapons or their abilities… I never imagined this. None of us did, and I hate your first impressions were this violent."

"But we'd have to face Reapers nonetheless, right? I know you didn't want our first mission to end up that way… But there's nothing we can do. It happened, and we adapted. We're all alive." Min's simplistic ideology spoke through again, sounding unintentionally selfish.
Asuma shook her head. She couldn't agree.

"Not everyone handles things so easily, Min. Yuu and Yin haven't come out of their rooms since they got back, and Lilly is feeling extremely stressed…" What Asuma said echoed in Min's head alongside his own words. "We're all alive…" It very quickly dawned on him.