Violet Evergarden Vol. 1: New World

Epilogue: The Amazing Doll...

General Hospital of Maidenfield, a day later...

"How is she?" asked the man.

"She's okay, but her stomach took a battering. She'll need some time to recuperate," replied the doctor.

Both of them looked at the young girl dressed in a hospital gown. She had a large bandage over her stomach. And three small bandages over her face. Despite all the injuries, she slept peacefully. Hanging from the top of the bed frame, a holster holding two revolvers. One black. And one silver.

A buzzer rang through the hospital. 

"Ahhh...please excuse me, sir."

The doctor promptly left the room leaving the man alone with the patient. 

The man took a seat in the chair at the bedside. He started tapping his black boots to help his thinking process. With nothing to do, he unbuttoned once more the first two buttons of his white polo. He couldn't relax. His anxiety through the roof, he started scratching his crimson red hair. After that, he put two hands over his eyes and sank deeply in his thoughts. 

Soon, he spotted a newspaper on the lampstand table. He stood up, took it, and sat back down.

'This is today's issue,' he thought.

The opening headline...

[KING OF JACKS CAPTURED ALIVE AND WILL STAND TRIAL]

Another article on front page...

[MAIDENFIELD'S BLOOD HUNTER AND BLOOD DAUGHTER MISSING!]

"Tch...the press and their corny titles,"

The [Blood Hunter] article still interested Hodgins, so he read further...

[This day, Maidenfield's number one bounty hunter was reported missing. His daughter, Madeline Ginway, who was recovering from an injury, has subsequently disappeared from her hospital bedroom. Capland Hospital will be questioned further on the disappearance of their patient. No new info has come from Bounty House on the whereabouts of the father and daughter. Rumors have it that the Red Jacks had murdered them. But rumors are just rumors after all.] 

The final article on the front page...

[DOLL SAVED FROM RED JACK BASE BY MYSTERY MAN]

He took a glance at the girl to see if she was awake. Still her eyes remained closed.

He took the girl's metal hand into his own. It still felt cold. In fairness, metal always felt cold.

"I wish I had never let you take that job, Violet," he sighed.

The door to the room opened once more.

"Mr. Hodgins?"

He promptly stood to his feet.

"Yes?" he confirmed his presence.

"A person named Neo Gensin is here to see you," she informed.

"Is he press? Cause if he is, tell him to get lost," he replied coldly.

"He's not press, Mr. Hodgins."

"Let him in."

A man in a black hood and a mask covering his mouth walked in to the room side-by-side with the hospital nurse. He had black combat boots. He held two crutches to keep his balance. He stopped for a moment, took a bottle from his pocket, and swallowed two pills. Then he moved to shake Hodgin's hand.

'If this man isn't at all counted as suspicious in this town, then I guess that means the world has really lost its mind,' he thought.

"Mr. Hodgins, pleased to meet you. I'm Neo."

"Okay, Neo. What can I help you with?" he impatiently questioned.

"No, I'm here to help her."

He pointed to the young girl sleeping.

"With what?"

"I'm going to pay all of her hospital fees and leave her a little something extra."

Hodgins felt bewildered.

"You can't be serious?!?!"

"I'm dead serious," the hooded man stated.

"That's kind of far-fetched don't you think? I mean we just met and you barely know this girl."

The hooded man with his two crutches moved toward the left side of the bed. He looked at the young girl's sleeping face.

Hodgins kept his guard. He didn't like this guy. 

'He touches her, I'm tackling this guy,' he decided.

The hooded man didn't move however. But his mouth did. He whispered. Tears were in his eyes. 

Hodgins couldn't figure out what he was saying. But he did catch one word..."sorry".

The man wiped his tears and from his jacket, he left a brown envelope and a white envelope on the table.

"I'll leave these here. They're for her," he spoke solemnly. 

He looked back one more time at her and said...

"See ya, Vi."

He went to exit the room, but then...

"Wait," Hodgins commanded. 

He wasn't sure what to say to this enigma of a man. He seemed to have no ill intention, but all his motives were unclear. So, he just asked the first question that reached his mind.

"Were you her client?" he finally asked.

The man took a glance back. First to her. Then, to him.

"Nope, I'm just someone she knew."

He smiled.

30 minutes later, a phone booth near the hospital...

"Yes, Cattleya, I'll come home with Violet when she's a little better. I'll buy her a wheelchair to make it easier. I'll drive her home in...let's say a week?"

He paused for a moment a listened to the response.

"It's weird. This guy just walks in and announces he'll pay the hospital bill. I walk outside a few minutes later and I ask the clerk about it. Get this. She said all the costs have already been covered. They said they received the money early in the morning. Weird right?

He listened for another few moments then finally said... 

"Okay. I'll leave you in charge for now. I'll stick by her and take care of her. Thanks."

He put the receiver back in its holder.

He walked back to Violet's room.

Violet's room...

Hodgins walked over to the lampstand. He took the brown envelope and examined it. It felt like it was full of cash. The label on the envelope read...

[Compensation and Something Extra]

Hodgins put it back and examined the letter. It was definitely addressed to Violet. He wouldn't allow himself to open it. If he did, that would make him an extremely poor boss of a postal company. Plus letters were private, so it would be morally wrong to open it. But he read the front of the envelope which had a label on it saying...

[To Violet: Thanks for helping me do the right thing.] 

'Weird,' Hodgins concluded.

He put it back, then took his seat at her side.

He looked at the revolvers on the bed frame. He looked at the white envelope and then the brown one. He looked at her metal hands. Then, finally he said...

"You really are a weird Doll, Violet..." he chuckled.

He stopped for a moment, then finally looked at her sleeping face.

  "...but you never cease to amaze me."

The End...