R6S // SEE NO EVIL [VOL.2]

➤OP-04 // Consequences

Beep...

Beep...

Beep...

Here I am again. The hospital. The cold-conditioned air kept everything near freezing as I took my first breath. Well, I would if a tube wasn't lodged down my throat. My eyes creaked open like a rusted metal door. One of the nurses worked the IV tubes and other equipment that I was hooked up to keeping me alive. Everything was so...bright. Too bright. I wanted to move but everything felt so heavy, like moving through water in the deep end without knowing how to swim. I could only manage to move my neck, managing was a stretch more like slumping to one side or the other.

Fuck. What would Mom say if she saw me like this? She'd blow her head off worrying about me and how she was right about me joining the military. Everything was spinning, like looking left and right at the same time – seeing double when I wanted to focus. Luckily enough one of the nurses managed to see my efforts. She got a closer look at me before gasping. She ran off, nearly spilling the contents on a nearby table.

I fell back into the bed, the crinkling of the plastic as I waited for the next step. My vision was weak, I was weak. I think ten minutes went by before someone came back, two- maybe three. I let out a breath as the tube was pulled out of my mouth. "What was that?" One of the visitors leaned closer, looking up slightly I recognized the blonde hair and tree trunk arms of Oliver.

"Fuck off..." I let out a wheeze as he smiled too. "What...happened?"

"Let's sit you upright first," Oliver recommended as he grabbed the remote for the bed and pushed my torso slightly higher. I was able to get a better look at the people around me, it was Oliver, Gustave, and the nurse. "Things might be a bit...foggy, so what's the last thing you remember?"

The last thing I remember? I winced as I tried to remember what went down, "Falling...and hitting the ground?" I huffed, trying to push myself up but Gustave pushed me back down, shaking his head no. "Uhm...Yeah, that's it."

Oliver looked to Gustave before looking back at me, "You were...rushed to a hospital after your fall, the medics did their best..." He explained as he pulled a file off of the table and laid it on me. "The injuries were severe, you are lucky to be alive Ethan." What? Looking down at my chest, down the medical dress it was covered in stitching and patches; like Frankenstein's monster, I was opened up and pieced back together. My heart pounded faster and faster- inhale- exhale- BREATHE BREATHE. Choking on my own breathes as I tried to reach for the stitches only for Oliver to try and keep my hands away. My body moved on its own. To Fight. Fight. Breathe. Get away. Too many hands. Hands. Get Away.

"DAMNIT– KATEB!" Oliver shouted as he held me down, "Try not To Panic– Nurse!"

The nurse ran over, injecting a syringe into my IV as my vision began to fade again. They repeated for me to calm down as I went under again.

What felt like seconds was a day as I began to reawaken in the hospital bed. It somehow got colder every time I was here. I took in a deep breath before coughing it out, my lungs weren't ready for that yet. Everything was spinning but I managed to focus just enough, just enough to realize there was a weight on my legs. "Ka- Karina–...?"

"Let her sleep," Sam's gravely voice suddenly spoke up, looking up he was just pulling aside the curtain to step into my little section of the infirmary. "...I know you have lots of questions..."

I couldn't speak, not that I could anyway. My gaze swapped between him and Karina who laid against the medical bed, her head resting against my leg. Her veil was still on, to no one's surprise. My brow furrowed as I looked up at Sam, I wanted answers. No, I needed answers.

"Other than a few cuts and bullet wounds...most of her injuries weren't serious– Unlike yours." He explained, crossing his arms with a relieved look on his face. "You're lucky to be alive."

Lucky? Suddenly the memories of the fall flashed in my mind like a flip book, the jump and the speech before the fall. The feeling of it all. No words, just feelings. My hand instinctively went to hold hers, grasping it firmly, hauntingly cold but that was just her being her. "She's...She's been nonstop ever since you got here...Running herself through the simulations nonstop...Pretty sure this is the first time she managed to fall asleep–since we brought you here so just...let her rest."

His expression changed to a firm one, almost a death stare was thrown my way but he instead focused on just staring off. He wasn't happy. Who would be? "At least we have some peace now. She's been a pain in the ass, bothering Doc and the nurses...Hell, she even put a few of the recruits in here on occasion...Refusing to leave or to follow orders. How can someone make a calm obedient soldier act like a fucking reckless brat is beyond me..."

He shot a glance my way, but I could just make out what he said as he muttered it. "Whatever is happening between you two has to stop...Or one of you will end up dead real soon. What happened to the Lone wolf ETA–?"

"Ugh..." I fell back, all this trouble...was because of me? I could feel the tears slowly well up in my eyes as I held on to her. Everything she went through was because of me? She was put in so much danger because of me, if I hadn't asked her to join me maybe she would be in better condition– "Thank god...She's okay!" My voice cracked and trembled as I covered my eyes with my other arm. My hand trembled in her cold ones, trying my best to not wake her up as I bawled silently. Trying to hold it all back.

"Haa..." I could hear Sam groan, I could only glance over to see him turning to leave. "This is why I don't work in teams...You all are really exhausting...Don't say I didn't warn you..."