Melted Flowers, Melted Friendships

Chapter III: "Acquaintances"

   A beep. Two beeps. Three beeps.The harsh sounds reverberated in the girl's thoughts, jolting her out of her physical state. She gradually opened her eyes, only to quickly close them again. Her tired eyes were blinded by neons, as halves of tears left in the corners ran down reluctantly like sweat drops.
   As she gathered her confidence, she opened her eyes again, blinking now and then to get her eyes used to the bright, white light.

   White...light...? Neons...?!

   D-0 sprung up on the bed and made a thorough examination of her surroundings. She couldn't seem to get her gaze away from the laboratory machinery. The stark white of the floor, ceiling and utensils made her stomach sink, yet the bright cyan she noticed here and there seemed out of place. But a sharp pain struck her like lightning, forcing her to lean down and gasp for air. She put both hands on her bandaged torso; they weren't as tight as she had hoped. Or at least, as she remembered them be. She inhaled deeply once more, her hands resting on her torso as she relaxed. But her thoughts slammed at her like a ton of bricks.

   What happened to her? How did she end up in another laboratory? Who took her? She already had a certain individual in mind. But if 'he' took her, what about the other three men that were with her? Where had they gone?

   Panic and fear swept over her like the waves washing up the shore. Aside from the monitor beeping, her heart beat repeatedly, loud enough for her to hear it. Her hands trembled as she shifted them away from her torso and placed them on the bed, ready to rise and flee that unknown place. Her wounds were unimportant compared to searching for the men who had came to her aid. They didn't have to pursue her, and they weren't there for her. She just wanted to know that they were safe, to see it for herself.

  "Hello."

   The young girl was startled by an unknown, yet soothing voice. She immediately raised her head and followed the figure of a tall, young man as he approached her bed. His long blonde hair gave him the appearance of being in his late thirties, though he appeared to be in much younger. A thought came to the girl's mind as she examined his physique, features, and the white lab coat he was wearing: he was a doctor.

  "W...w-who are you...?"

   While the stranger approached her slowly, her voice trembled and her heart pounded hard in her chest. Despite his appearance, he did not appear hostile or menacing. His smile could prove it, though it could have been deceiving at first sight. That, however, was not the case.

  "Relax. I'm not here to harm you."

   In the vastness of the laboratory, the man's words reverberated faintly while D-0 became engrossed in her thoughts and his gentle voice. She couldn't recall the last time someone said something like that to her, or when someone reassured her that she wouldn't be hurt.

  "I took care of your wound, and it is okay now. It will heal properly over time and leave no scar."

   D-0 was deafeningly quiet. The blonde man, on the other hand, kept smiling as he moved closer to her.

  "My name is Frankenstein. And this laboratory...it is entirely mine."

   His smile quickly turned into a forced, irritated one.

  "I do not work for Crombell, nor for the Union. I say this just in case. As for M-21..."

   Then and only then would he be able to get D-0's full attention.

  "He is alright, along with his friends. Everyone is awaiting for you upstairs."

   Her face was a little perplexed, but she felt relieved. Knowing him safe was all she needed to hear. It felt weird to be surrounded by machines that didn't had to injure her, to be able to sit on a hospital bed without being restrained, and to talk freely with someone else. Her gaze then returned to her surroundings, which she scrutinized thoroughly once more. Everything was new to her, including the air she breathed in and the environment. Its tension and terror were replaced with warmth, which she hadn't felt in years.