Inception

Chapter 66: De-escalation

 Kafka and the scientist gapped. But Hoshina didn't smile. His eyes were wide, chin raised, threat in every line of his body, and his nostrils flared.

The doctor shivered.

"You can't be serious," he said.

"Be like cutting through tissue paper," said Soshiro.

"People are dead because of her!"

"People die in kaiju altercations all the time."

"You—you're insane."

Kafka closed his mouth. His brows lowered and he stepped up beside his Vice Captain in a solid show of support.

Meanwhile, those rushing past gave them no heed. Only one officer in a battle worn suit seemed to catch on to their conversation and slowed, only to realize they didn't want to be involved and kept running.

"Medical bay," said Soshiro. "And the proper release paperwork. She hasn't sold off all her rights to the State like a soldier. She has rights like any civilian." And just in case, he tugged out his remaining sword and held it across Lena so the tip poked the white coat's shoulder.

The man's eyes trembled.

"Insane." He turned the gurney down a side hall. "Batshit insane."

Lena curled into her blanket, wondering if it would have been better to die in that sweet dream instead.

They met with more gurnies down this way. The first few were soldiers in their combat suits, so any wounds would have been hidden by the suit's nano-technology. But when one came bright with blood, Soshiro flicked some of the blanket over her head.

"Don't look," he said.

Wise counsel, as Lena was already getting flashbacks to a destroyed house and bodies of her family members. The knowledge that this time it could very well be her fault grew too heavy for her to bear. Her mind whirled, hitting against the walls of her skull, screeching louder and louder while another part scrambled towards the hallucinated life of the little safe family out in the boonies. She should have just fallen asleep. She should have just let go—

A large hand reached through the blankets and took hold of her wrist. Only then did she realize she had begun clawing into her arms. Blood had already stained the white blanket.

"It's not your fault," said Kafka. It was awkward, walking and reaching over her gurney to get to her. But he did it anyway. "Trust me, it's not your fault. I know how it is. I have a kaiju too, remember? You would never, ever hurt anyone, Lena."

She heard her breathing then, fast and short, almost whistling.

But panic rarely listens to reasoning. Thus, she ended up with Kafka on one side and Soshiro on the other, each holding a wrist to stop her from peeling her skin off.

She wanted Leno. She wanted a house full of family. She wanted the tinkle of windchimes, far, far away.

Both men stayed there as a nurse and doctor bustled to her side. There were orders. There were questions and the sting of antiseptic on her scratches. Soshiro petted back her hair with the hand not holding her. Kafka gave her that friendly grin that promised everything would be okay. He even showed his phone with Leno on video call.

"Lena, I'm okay. You're okay too. We're going to Grandma's as soon as you're fixed up, okay?"

A needle pricked her arm. She flinched away, grabbing for Kafka, thoughts of being put to sleep so they could lock her up in a test tube down in the basement made her whistling breathing turn to a squall.

"It's just a sedative!" said Kafka.

"I'm not going to let them hurt you," said Soshiro. "Darling, you're fine, I promise. If they even try anything you'll wake up to a nice present of arms, I swear."

"What the hell kind of promise is that!" shrieked Leno from the phone.

"Ha, like you wouldn't do the same."

"I wouldn't lay them out in front of her to wake up to!"

"Wow," said Kafka. "Just, wow."

"Sir, shut up."

The sedative did its job. Lena's world slowed. Her mind stopped thrashing against her skull. The screaming thoughts quieted.

Kafka and Soshiro let go of her wrists. A soft, motherly-looking nurse bandaged up her arms. She thought of Grandma.

Leno said we'd go home to Grandma.

And then it hit her.

She looked at Soshiro in fear.

"Gigi?" she asked.

Soshiro smiled, and it was wide and predatory. "Oh, she's fine. Practically taken over the medical ward, I bet. She came by but you were too out of it to notice, but she scared off that scientist with just a look, it was the best."

"Agreed," said Kafka. "Kind of worried about how you grew up, though. Was she like that when you were in trouble?"

"You have no idea."

"But she's so small and cute. She looks like she couldn't hurt a fly."

"I thought you of all people would know size means nothing."

"Hey, is that an insult to my size or are you referencing the whole tiny kaiju slurping itself down my throat?"

"Both."

Lena's eyelids had grown heavy, but she fought it. She doubted it was just the sedative working on her. Memories of her time supercharged with power, everywhere at once, the energy of the earth changing her very matter even as she turned her head on Kaiju No. 9...

"I found the source," she said.

Both Kafka and Soshiro looked at her, rapt with attention. The little Leno looking out from Kafka's phone on her lap grew quiet as well.

Carefully, her words stumbling through the sticky sedative, she started from the beginning with the cavern beneath the sea. The little old nurse came back as she talked to check how she was doing and record her vitals, but otherwise scurried off, only having heard about something that probably sounded like a fever dream of being a kaiju. 

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Not the dorkiest thing my hubby has done, though. He asked me out (again as a teenager), by saying, "May I be allowed to court you?" He pet my hair and sang old 90s love songs to me. When my heels got bloody he picked me up and rocked me. He told me how he wanted to build me a castle with an on-demand water heater so I could have all the hot baths and hot showers. And the list goes on.

Hubby! <3