The Stain

[dolorous_sensei]

"He's losing...!"

"Give him..."

"Move him to the medical...!"

"Cut open his suit..."


Ken manages to save Walt from being a monster chow, but Walt is still uncouncious from the explosion of his Genoace. The medical team is carting him as soon as he arrives.


"Holy shit! What is that..."


But as soon as they cut open his pilot suit...



Eyes.

Many eyes are staring from the flesh of Walt's left arm. Staring at the medical team, staring at the walls, staring at everything. The eyes are darting around jerkily in their sockets, blinking, looking left and right, up and down.

Needless to say, Walt moves straight to quarantine.

You might, or might not see all of these happening, since everything happens right on the hallways.

...

A few days later, you can see him sitting in his medical gown at Alhambra's medical bay cafeteria, staring intently at a cup of coffee, his body full of bandages. His left arm is wrapped like a mummy.

You might notice that other patients and staffs are trying to sit far away from him, leaving him a hole in the middle of a crowd.

Greet him?

Comments

[dolorous_sensei]

I'm alright. Well, as alright as someone who just got his mech exploded anyway. I got all of my limbs intact, and the doctors said I can be back to pilot soon. I know a lot of people who weren't that lucky.

How were the others from... the mission? I was kinda out of touch you see.

[dolorous_sensei]

*Walt covers the eye back.*

Whoops sorry. Yeah, they're still there. The whitecoats tried to remove them, but they keep coming back.

[majestic_keiki]

They're fine. You and Geno were the only members of Unity Group seriously hurt...But the soldiers who were already there are a lot worse off. Or at least many of them are.

[dolorous_sensei]

Oh, you know me I never uses sarcasm.

*Walt says, sarcastically*

But honestly, thanks. It turned out that near death experiences are overrated.

*A bit of bandage got loose, and an eye pops out from behind it. It glances back to Ken. Walt covers it back.*

The whitecoats prodded into them a lot. As far as they could tell, they don't connect to anything. According to them they're just weird tumours. They don't even know how they keep blinking. That's why I got released soon.

[dolorous_sensei]

Thanks. You know, I never actually thought it that way. They're just weird burns, right? Weird burns that... keep blinking and twitching...

Anyway, the whitecoats did try to remove them, but they keep coming back.

[dolorous_sensei]

Hey, you're right. I never thought of it that way. What a convenience.

Re: with only the power to push others away

[way_of_vengeance]

...Is it supposed to do that?

[star_of_sad]

Yes. That's what I mean.

[Setsuko takes a deep breath - and takes a step forward. She'll sit next to Walt, even if it might be a big mistake.]

I heard some people whispering. That... something has infected you, and will take you over now. Or has already did.

But you are still Lt Schmertz, aren't you?

[dolorous_sensei]

Once again, I survive when others didn't. You'd thought that you'd get used to it...

[majestic_keiki]

I doubt anybody does...But those pilots were dead when we arrived. We managed to keep the soldiers present alongside us alive, at least.

[tiger_ken]

[Ken... only mildly flinches, turning his head slightly.]

They're probably not a kind of life we're familiar with, or otherwise don't quite agree to the same rules on how things 'work'. I mean, aside of the other stuff that came out of that dome, its not the first time humanity's had to deal with this kind of thing.

I mean hell, we've got that sort of thing as a teammate.

[dolorous_sensei]

Gah! Sorry that you have to see that. I didn't mean to stare at you, with any of my eyes, head wise or other wise...

*Walt covers it back*

I don't know if it's supposed to do that. Nobody knows what they're supposed to be doing. As far as we know, they're not connected to anything. As far as the white coats know, they're just weird tumours.

They've been been trying to remove them, but they keep coming back...

[cloningblues]

This is just... Holy shit. I'm sorry. I don't know what I'd do if it happened to me. Probably go insane.

[break_the_nine]

I mean, with that many eyes, how many people are going to be able to concentrate on them right?

Though... do you think you'll need to get glasses for them too?

[ugyuuya]

Well as I said I'll give them that it's an entirely new sort of condition and that fixing it is going to be difficult but I'm sure we'll figure it out. I mean it isn't impacting your ability to pilot, use the arm, or spread further along your body is it?

[dolorous_sensei]

Can anyone ever sure that they're still the same person that they were yesterday?

But yes, I'm pretty sure I'm still me. The doctors thought so, at least. According to them, these... things aren't connected to anything, and they're just weird tumours.

I guess that's not helping much, isn't it?

[dolorous_sensei]

You'll be surprised at what people can get used to. But it's glad to hear that we managed to save at least some people. Usually these kind of missions end as a paperwork from a third party observer.

[dolorous_sensei]

Usually people lose eyes instead of gaining new ones, right? I guess that's pretty insane.

[dolorous_sensei]

Glad that at least there's a precedence for these kind of things. I guess if you think of it, we could write off those... things as "unreasonable enemies." We fought a lot of unreasonable enemies before.

[dolorous_sensei]

You're exactly right. You know, you're quite lighthearted in facing something as unknown as this.

[dolorous_sensei]

If I do, I wonder if the military insurance will cover them.

[tiger_ken]

I don't think that would really work.

[star_of_sad]

It looks rather...

Well, I'm just glad you are safe! So many other people aren't...

[ugyuuya]

Well as an Eishi you kind of wind up that way eventually. I'd be surprised if anyone in the Argos flight was seriously put off by what happened besides maybe Yuuya. Anyone who's seriously fought the BETA and seen what they do is not typically put off by much. We may get a little sad if we get introspective but as long as your alive you can make something better of what your given.

Watching our friends get pulled out of their cockpits and ripped apart by Tank class or recovering what's left of their bodies after a grappler or destroyer classes have had their way with a TSF really takes the squeamish out of you.

[break_the_nine]

Eeeh!? You military guys get insurance?!

Every time I tried to sign up for a plan I was tossed out of the company before I could even finish the paperwork!