Activated

chapter 15: in dreams 5

Something was not right. He right side hurt and pulsed. Warm fluid spilled onto the hand he held over where it hurt. The man in front of him — he could not remember who the man was, he was just sent to find the man — the man was still standing, a dagger in his hand. The man had attacked him. That was not part of the series of instructions.

He raised the hand, saw it coated with red and thick warm fluid. It spilled over his tunic and his arm.

But the only thought in his head was -Liquidate. Liquidate.- He did not know what to do next, what to think next.

- Liquidate. Liquidate. –

The man ran forward, the metal dagger thrust in front of him.

- Liquidate. Liquidate. –

He placed a bloody hand in front of him, palm facing the charging man.

- Liquidate. Liquidate. –

He shot ice daggers at the man’s heart. He created a long ice dagger, and sliced at the man’s neck.

- Liquidate. Liquidate. –

The man fell in two pieces onto the floor and blood spilled around him. He left the pieces that used to be a man on the blood-soaked floor.

- Exit. Leave building. Return to ______. Return to _______. –

He could not recall where to go. He could not think. He did not know what to do, even about the strange pulsing pain at his right side, the pain that made him teeter-totter as he exited.

Something he knew at the back of his head, if only he could remember it. Blood is also fluid. Blood can ____ to _____. Be able to ______ at least ______ . Why could he not r_______ ?!

- Return to _______. –

Kitchen? Go back there?

- Return to _______. –

The pain grew worse. He tottered even more. He could not think. Just return. Somewhere. Return. He dragged his feet through the main street in a straight line.

He finally reached a familiar set of steps. The swinging door in front of him flickered. He was truly reeling now.

- Return to ______. –

He did not know if he did, but he returned somewhere. Instruction completed. He fell face down, somewhere, the pain stabbing him one last time.

#

Soji felt a cool cloth over his forehead, cool and soothing like his mother always placed when he had a fever. “Thank you,” he automatically said, to whoever placed it there.

“Soji. At last. At last.”

He opened his eyes and saw Yoko’s worried face and strained smile. He found that his right side hurt, quite a lot, that it was impossible to sit up from the pain that made him gasp and catch his breath.

“Don’t move yet, Soji,” Yoko told him. “You’re still healing.”

“Healing from what?” he asked weakly.

She gaped at him. “You don’t remember? You appeared at the kitchen, bled half to death!”

“Ah? I did?”

“You had a big gash, you were bleeding so much. We brought you here.”

He felt around, discovered that his torso was bandaged. He patted and felt a different bed, one of several others in a row beside him. The infirmary. “And then?”