The New Lars (Steven Universe / Lar's)

Chapter 35: Recovery

The architecture was simple, clean, and elegant. Wooden floors, soft paper screen doors, and the smell of incense faint in the air. A low table rested in the corner beside a carefully folded tea set. The air was cool. Calm. Almost too peaceful for what had happened just hours before.

Steven lay on a futon in the center of the room, shirt folded beside him, bandages wrapped loosely across his torso. He didn't need healing but rest. His chest rose and fell slowly. A cool cloth rested across his forehead, and his gem pulsed dimly in its natural rhythm.

Lapis stood by the open window, arms crossed, gazing out into the garden.

Lapis: He's been out for hours...

Her voice was low, concerned, but trying not to sound worried.

Across the room, Peridot sat hunched over a stack of cobbled-together machines made from scrap and mismatched metals which was completed with old Beach City electronics and some light Gem tech integrated into a handheld scanner. A tiny screen on one of the monitors showed a bouncing pulse.

Peridot: I've taken three full readings. All consistent.... Heart rate, blood pressure, Gem temperature... Everything in his body is stabilizing. Lars wasn't exaggerating when he mentioned Steven will be out of commission for a long time.

Lapis glanced back at Steven briefly.

Lapis: So you're saying Humans don't short-circuit...?

Peridot: Humans cant short-circuit! His vitals were spiking when I first scanned him and his adrenaline levels were off the chart. But now it's like he's in deep restorative sleep. Some kind of hybrid metabolic recovery mode like Gems does when low on energy however due to his human biology, his mind is basically in a resting mode.

She paused, tilting her head with a click of understanding.

Peridot: Actually... Maybe Humans do short-circuit? that would make sense. If he overloaded both his organic nervous system and his Gem energy limit, the two systems might've... cross-synced to protect him... Hypothetically speaking as Steven is the only cross-breed of a human and a Gem.

Lapis: That's a long way to say: he almost blew himself up.

Peridot: Well, technically... Imploded. 

She corrected Lapis but the tone of the room was still gloom. Peridot tapped a few more readings into her scanner, then finally powered it down and set it aside.

Peridot:...

Lapis walked over and gently refolded the edge of Steven's blanket. Her eyes lingered on his face.

Lapis: He needs to know it's okay to slow down...

Peridot:... Do you think he knows that?

The room fell into a hush. Only the sound of cicadas outside filtered in through the open window.

Lapis: I think he is trying to be like Lars... In all honesty...

Peridot can see where Lapis made that conclusion came from and can agree with part of it as well.

Peridot: Hey ah Lapis...?

Turning in silence and confusion towards Peridot, she tilt her head confused.

Peridot: Has Lars shown or mentioned anything to you about what he is doing in the shed?

She paused at Peridot question and began to think it over. 

Lapis: No...? Why?

Peridot slowly nodded as she glanced at her machines in a distant look, obviously thinking of something as she leans her finger in to start the scans over Steven again.