Waiting For Him

The only sound she could hear was the beeping. A low one-pitched note that drummed out in a constant rhythm throughout the room. Not quite echoing, not quite flat. Just a single digital speck of a noise that filled her ears and distracted her from everything else.

She was alone. Or, at least, the only one in the room that could presently speak. She sat, curled loosely in a single chair, her hands propped against the arm of the furniture to use as a pillow for her head. With her feet tucked under her thighs and her face poised towards the floor, one might have walked in on her from behind and assumed she were sleeping. But one look at her from the front and her dead staring eyes combined with her tangled hair would have made it obvious that this poor girl hadn't slept a restful night in a solid week. Yes, sleep did not come easy for Sonia Nevermind anymore. Not since she began waiting anxiously for the man before her to wake up a week prior.

"It has to work!" She had told the others in the beginning. "He simply has to wake up!"

Arguing with her proved fruitless. Sonia's desperation was far too great. The normally upbeat and kindhearted Princess had snapped at anyone who had tried to explain the delicate reality of the situation. No one could blame her, really. Tense behavior was to be expected when a loved one lay in a hospital bed next to you. But Sonia's outbursts were a bit too rash for the rest of her friends. Her anxiety had turned to insulting them which, to some, felt like crossing the line. In the end, her refusal to see the truth led to her friends feeling both heartbroken and angry at her.

"Fine, then! Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"You're acting like the Ultimate Brat!"

"You're not the only one praying for Gundham's return!"

The argument left tears staining the Princess' face. Tears, but also clutched fists. She was fuming that the others hadn't seemed to remember what Gundham himself had said to them within the Neo World Program just days prior.

"Giving up on life... That's just an insult to life itself!"

Had they forgotten his words? Had they forgotten what he had told them right before he sacrificed himself for them? How could they go against what Gundham believed in? Especially now, when there was a possible second chance at his life?

No. Sonia wasn't going to let her friend's concerns get her down. It's not what she believed. She was going to remain confident and clear-headed until Gundham finally awoke. She would be true to herself and true to the man who had inspired her will to live. That's what she told herself, anyway.

Sonia was strong. But the week would inevitably break her.

The first few days, her resilience was honorable. She had taken it upon herself to take as much care of Gundham as possible. Pillow fluffing, blanket smoothing, even pretending to check his vital signs which she knew she couldn't understand but made her feel better to try anyway. Mikan, the Ultimate Nurse, was quite helpful in assessing the progress Gundham was making during this time. Sonia was grateful for her friend's assistance and also thankful that the nurse allowed her to stay in the room 24/7. Mikan had no problem with Sonia's dedication to Gundham. In fact, she even let Sonia have a damp cloth in order to wipe against Gundham's forehead, much to the Princess' delight. The cloth helped Sonia feel like she were truly aiding in Gundham's recovery, which eased any worries that she might have had before. But as the days went by and Mikan began to show signs of nervousness whenever Sonia asked about Gundham's condition, the Ultimate Princess began to blatantly disagree with the nurse's medical judgement. Sonia was convinced that Mikan was wrong and refused to accept that there was any possibility that Gundham's condition had worsened. On one particular day, Sonia was so frustrated with Mikan that the Princess had even pushed the nurse out of the door with a polite 'thank you' and nod before proceeding to distract her own invading thoughts by returning to Gundham's bedside, plucking at his scarf as though it weren't the hundredth time she'd adjusted it.