Inception

Chapter 20: A Unit of Trauma

Hoshina graciously ignored Leno's disrespectful tone. "While you were getting sewn up I found her with her face plastered up after hearing she'd tried to peel it off in a panic and asked what the hell was wrong with her. Kind of obvious what was—"

Leno started to rise.

"—seeing as trauma is basically a requirement to being in the force at this point."

Lena kicked Leno's boot. He frowned, but slowly sat back down.

"I wasn't offended," said Lena blandly, already half way through her brothers peach cobbler. Dessert before the main course.

"Then I was offended," said Hoshina. "It was the wrong thing to say at the time."

"Well, I doubt they write scripts for things like that."

"Actually, they do. Not that I've read much, but Okinogi has grilled me extensively on the matter."

"Jee, I wonder why."

Still looking rather distrustful of their bench mate, Leno slowly started in to his stir fry.

"Believe it or not, I do have a sense of tact," said Hoshina.

Lena's mouth was full, so she didn't bother to respond. She'd only now noticed, in her semi-usual pre-dinner haze, that Hoshina was making her feel self-conscious. She'd thought that part of her brain had burned out after being approached by anyone who caught her out of the lab to ask if she was okay and how her face was. She almost wished she had succeeded in peeling it off, because no one ever asked the truly maimed if they were okay.

They didn't have much more to talk of inbetween bites because Kafka Hibino appeared with a burst of noise.

"Dr. Ichikawa! Still looking as pretty as ever! Like the shirt?" He shrugged the shoulder closest to Leno.

Lena glanced back at the limbless knight. 'Tis But a Flesh Wound.' "That was you?"

"Monty Python. Great stuff."

Leno slurped up a noodle as loudly as he could. She just knew he was grinning at her.

"Can't say I've ever heard of it," said the Vice Captain. "Oh, Hibino, aren't you going to ask if you can join my table?"

"Oh! Uh, Vice Captain, Sir—"

"He's just screwing with you," growled Lena. "Sit down."

"Uh, um, right. But yeah! I thought it'd be great because, you know," Hibino laughed awkwardly even as the whole table jumped a bit with his weight falling into place. "Ichigawa got all holesy and stuff, but they said most of it was 'but flesh wounds' so I thought it'd fit. We watched it while we were waiting for the doctor to check him out, never thought I'd hear the dude laugh."

"Mostly wheezed," said Leno.

Hibino snorted. "Made him laugh while drinking cola too, it went so far."

"Burned like hell."

Lena let the two of them fill the space with their chatter as she ate. She found her nervousness settling down to the familiar hum of conversation. She always loved it when her brother had brought a friend over. She got the best studying done then, even when they were noisy and pushing each other all over the videogames. It reminded her of how her house should have been: full of voices and people.

Hoshina made snide comments here and there, but otherwise he just listened as well. Eventually they were joined by others of the newbie platoon. When Iharu, the pink haired kid, sat down with a toothy smile, Lena got a brief flash of guilt. He'd been injured too. But she'd been too preoccupied with her brother.