After the Fall
Apr. 26th, 2012 05:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wonderlifeAuthor: Nichole
Rating: PG
Word Count: 738
Story Title: After the Fall
Summary: Taka's best trait is her loyalty; the others don't agree
Part One: 9:22 p.m.
After Jin leaves – he offered to call the hospital, but Taka refused – Taka writes a note to the others. It’s a simple little note: ’Gone to hospital; don’t worry. – Taka’ and she doesn’t think much of it. Taka leaves the slip of paper on the tiny table next to the door.
She goes to the hospital and tells them the truth – she’s been knocked around a little, and is in need of help. The doctors ask if she’s noticed her head injury; that the back of her head is bleeding. Taka says she hadn’t noticed, but then she’s been too busy wondering how she’d explain things to the others.
The doctors tell her that she has a cut on her cheek and that she’ll have black eye. Her stomach is bruised and her head is injured. But, none of it is life threatening. She’ll be fine in a few days. Taka already knows this – Jin wasn’t himself, but he wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t beating her to kill her; just hurt her. That’s the way Taka understands it.
Part Two: 10:23 p.m.
Jiro and Mason come an hour after Taka’s been admitted to the hospital. They ask who hurt her; she answers them truthfully. Jin hurt her, but he was drunk and angry and it wasn’t his fault. He was right about a lot of things, and she doesn’t understand what she did by keeping secrets and helping Ling’er; she doesn’t understand how her loyalty hurt the others. She doesn’t say she’s sorry; she’s not, not really. But, she does tell them to not be mad at Jin.
Mason and Jiro don’t seem interested in forgiveness. They both agree that it’s best if Jin stays away from them; Taka agrees it’s best if Jin becomes better first.
Part Three: 10:30 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Aoi sits with her – Taka allows Aoi to hold her hand. Eddie vows some kind of revenge – Taka tells him not to be angry; it solves nothing, and it was partly her fault. Kaori vows to stop paying Jin’s student loans – Taka’s asks her to reconsider. Mason asks her if she knows anything else; if she has more secrets – Taka tells the truth; yes, but she must keep them, as she’s made a promise. Jiro sits with her, he doesn’t say much – Taka’s grateful.
After a long time of being silent, it’s Taka who, surprisingly, speaks first.
“Jin said I don’t feel. He said I don’t have emotions. He said my parents made me twisted and made me inhumane.” Taka pauses; swallows; licks her lips. There’s a new emotion in her voice, one Jiro’s never heard before; it sounds like Taka’s going to weep. “I don’t think he was meaning cruel. I think he was right. I don’t understand things I’m meant to.”
Fighting back his tears, Jiro takes Taka’s right hand into his. She’s wearing a sweater over her hospital gown, but he can make out some of her burn scars; they’re nearly poking out of her sleeve – he remembers they are on her wrist. Lightly Jiro strokes Taka’s wrist with his index finger. “That’s why we made your Wall of Words, remember? So, you’d understand.”
Taka’s beginning to think her Wall of Words is failing at its job.
Part Four: 5:00 a.m.
Kaori’s gotten Taka a private room, and she’s gotten the nurses to bring in a cot. Jiro’s sleeping on the room’s sofa; Aoi’s got the cot. Mason’s taken Kaori back to the apartment; Eddie’s standing guard outside.
Taka slide’s the hospital room door open; she taps Eddie’s shoulder. He turns, almost surprised. Awkwardly, he smiles and whispers for her to go back to sleep. Taka shakes her head.
“You have to promise.” She tells him. “You have to promise.” She repeats, this time more urgently.
Eddie laughs softly under his breath. “Promise what?”
“That you won’t be mad; promise you won’t be mad.”
“Okay, when should I not be mad?”
“Whenever.”
“Okay,” Eddie pats her head fondly. “if you promise to tell us where Jin, Ling’er, and Ahjuhssi are.”
Taka considers it for a moment, before shaking her head. “Never mind.” Slowly, she slides the hospital door closed, and returns to bed. Taka wants the others to not be angry, but she isn’t willing to break her promises to get that result.
After all, Taka is loyal if nothing else. That loyalty, she thinks, makes her human.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 738
Story Title: After the Fall
Summary: Taka's best trait is her loyalty; the others don't agree
Part One: 9:22 p.m.
After Jin leaves – he offered to call the hospital, but Taka refused – Taka writes a note to the others. It’s a simple little note: ’Gone to hospital; don’t worry. – Taka’ and she doesn’t think much of it. Taka leaves the slip of paper on the tiny table next to the door.
She goes to the hospital and tells them the truth – she’s been knocked around a little, and is in need of help. The doctors ask if she’s noticed her head injury; that the back of her head is bleeding. Taka says she hadn’t noticed, but then she’s been too busy wondering how she’d explain things to the others.
The doctors tell her that she has a cut on her cheek and that she’ll have black eye. Her stomach is bruised and her head is injured. But, none of it is life threatening. She’ll be fine in a few days. Taka already knows this – Jin wasn’t himself, but he wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t beating her to kill her; just hurt her. That’s the way Taka understands it.
Part Two: 10:23 p.m.
Jiro and Mason come an hour after Taka’s been admitted to the hospital. They ask who hurt her; she answers them truthfully. Jin hurt her, but he was drunk and angry and it wasn’t his fault. He was right about a lot of things, and she doesn’t understand what she did by keeping secrets and helping Ling’er; she doesn’t understand how her loyalty hurt the others. She doesn’t say she’s sorry; she’s not, not really. But, she does tell them to not be mad at Jin.
Mason and Jiro don’t seem interested in forgiveness. They both agree that it’s best if Jin stays away from them; Taka agrees it’s best if Jin becomes better first.
Part Three: 10:30 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Aoi sits with her – Taka allows Aoi to hold her hand. Eddie vows some kind of revenge – Taka tells him not to be angry; it solves nothing, and it was partly her fault. Kaori vows to stop paying Jin’s student loans – Taka’s asks her to reconsider. Mason asks her if she knows anything else; if she has more secrets – Taka tells the truth; yes, but she must keep them, as she’s made a promise. Jiro sits with her, he doesn’t say much – Taka’s grateful.
After a long time of being silent, it’s Taka who, surprisingly, speaks first.
“Jin said I don’t feel. He said I don’t have emotions. He said my parents made me twisted and made me inhumane.” Taka pauses; swallows; licks her lips. There’s a new emotion in her voice, one Jiro’s never heard before; it sounds like Taka’s going to weep. “I don’t think he was meaning cruel. I think he was right. I don’t understand things I’m meant to.”
Fighting back his tears, Jiro takes Taka’s right hand into his. She’s wearing a sweater over her hospital gown, but he can make out some of her burn scars; they’re nearly poking out of her sleeve – he remembers they are on her wrist. Lightly Jiro strokes Taka’s wrist with his index finger. “That’s why we made your Wall of Words, remember? So, you’d understand.”
Taka’s beginning to think her Wall of Words is failing at its job.
Part Four: 5:00 a.m.
Kaori’s gotten Taka a private room, and she’s gotten the nurses to bring in a cot. Jiro’s sleeping on the room’s sofa; Aoi’s got the cot. Mason’s taken Kaori back to the apartment; Eddie’s standing guard outside.
Taka slide’s the hospital room door open; she taps Eddie’s shoulder. He turns, almost surprised. Awkwardly, he smiles and whispers for her to go back to sleep. Taka shakes her head.
“You have to promise.” She tells him. “You have to promise.” She repeats, this time more urgently.
Eddie laughs softly under his breath. “Promise what?”
“That you won’t be mad; promise you won’t be mad.”
“Okay, when should I not be mad?”
“Whenever.”
“Okay,” Eddie pats her head fondly. “if you promise to tell us where Jin, Ling’er, and Ahjuhssi are.”
Taka considers it for a moment, before shaking her head. “Never mind.” Slowly, she slides the hospital door closed, and returns to bed. Taka wants the others to not be angry, but she isn’t willing to break her promises to get that result.
After all, Taka is loyal if nothing else. That loyalty, she thinks, makes her human.
