Complications of the Heart

[Shula Brighton]

(Continued from Iris, later that same afternoon.)

Shula hugged her arms, thinking about her options. It had been almost a week since the world had gone to hell, Hild and her brother destroying their own country's major cities and killing millions. Communications across the country were still iffy, riots were happening in some places and help drives in others, and trust for the military was at an all-time low. Apos had saved her, but now she wondered what the point of it was, knowing what was happening to her, what WOULD happen to her...

The curtain around her bed closed all the way to give some privacy in the over-full room. The doctor, with well-practiced stoicness, lowered his voice and opened the chart. Her records and condition were already on record with the hospital's main building and IV clinic, and on file for the whole system. The wrinkles on his face were deep-set from years of not smiling and pressing his brows together. He must have had to do this a lot. "Miss Brighton, I'm not even sure where to start... Your lab results came back, but it just doesn't make sense." Shula looked up at the doctor, exhausted and hurting everywhere, tubes around her face to help her breathe, tubes going into her hand, wires stuck all over her arms and chest and making her itch. He saw the look she was giving him, dripping silently with 'get to the point' and he cleared his throat slightly. "It seems that your COPD has advanced much more quickly than expected since your last exams, and the bronchial inflammation has either been caused by your lungs' deterioration or the recent trauma outside."

"My lungs have been shit for years," Shula whispered back, longing to scratch the various things stabbing and tickling against her. "But now you're saying it's just suddenly worse?" The doctor nodded.

"It's strange because it progressed so fast; what happened this week wouldn't account for it. Right now, Miss Brighton, your condition has moved to end stages." He was right. She wasn't a smoker, and she was good about taking her meds. She was careful, and though she knew she didn't have many years to live, she still had time. Shula shut her eyes tightly and inhaled as deeply as she could, the breathing apparatus only helping slightly. She was too tired to cry right now. After a long moment, she let out a shaking breath and looked back up at him.

"How long?"

She growled lightly to herself, making sure to keep quiet enough to not bother the other people in the over-full room. She'd had so many close calls growing up just from the damn disease that kept her from having a life, but not nearly as many as she had from the Military. Every time they sent her somewhere dangerous to play fetch, Murazar knowing her secret as she struggled to hide it from Acra, Spade, her CO and coworkers... Her breath hitched. Could she really bear to tell them outright now? How would she even explain it, especially now that she'd thrown away the number for the assisted suicide doctor? After Acra promising to never leave her, and Spade opening up to show her who he really was... Just wheel herself to their rooms, give a huge smile and a laugh and start with "So do you think my funeral will be cheaper since I'm smaller?" God, no. That was a terrible way to announce it. But... She couldn't NOT tell them, could she? These people were her friends, and she loved them more than life itself! Could she just... die.. and say nothing until they found out after the fact that she was dying all the while?

"Very soon. A few more days, at most." Shula clenched her fist. That bastard from Aerugo! He DID do something! She was dying... The doctor turned the pages over to pull out some pages for Shula to read over. "These are your forms, if you want to update them. This one on top is a DNR form; you'd signed it before, and we just want to make sure this is still accurate. Given the nation's current circumstances we don't know how well we will be able to accomodate you, but we will do everything we can to make you more comfortable." Shula looked at the forms and packets as though they themselves were Raistlin.

"Just.... leave them here. I'll read them over and get back to you. I need to think." Her voice was low and hard, angry, terrified and hurt. She left little room for the doctor to argue as he left them on the side of her bed and left to attend to the several other patients needing help. End of life care packets. Do Not Rescussitate forms. Organ donor forms. Next of kin forms and information for funeral services. Counseling options. Forms for a morphine drip as her heart and lungs would fail her. A few days left to live, and they would be spent tethered to a bed, surrounded by strangers, and drugged up beyond reason to keep from howling in pain. There was no way to get in touch with her family in Meissan or Resembool; she didn't even know how Aaron was right now. It was too much.

Shula sat up slowly, wincing as she moved. She wasn't supposed to be moving much now that they'd put her ribs back together and mended the internal bleeding. As many times as she'd snuck out of her bed and wheeled herself down the hall to visit Spade and Acra, the pain and broken body didn't really stop her; her nurse had threatened to strap her down if she didn't quit running off. The pain-killers were good, at least, and kept everything to a dull ache for now, her left thigh tingling with vague sensation. She couldn't just lie here and die. She couldn't just not fight. Her brother and grandfather would never forgive her for coming as far as she had only to give up now. She needed them. The men in her life that gave her something greater to aspire to. She needed all of them... and she was fairly certain that to at least a small degree, they needed her. She moved as slowly as she could, trying not to cause her heart to race and alert the nurses that she was moving. Fingers stretched. Almost... there....

A passing nurse came into the room, ushering her to lay back down. "You need something, sweetie?" Shula inwardly sighed. She hated being patronized, but nodded. "Yeah... Two things. I need my uniform coat. There's two things in the breast pocket I need... A ring on a chain, and a small radio." She smiled up tiredly at the nurse. "Don't want to fight anyone for the TV. And the other thing was just a hand into my chair? I just want to go sit in the patient lounge for a bit." The nurse returned the smile, pulling the small trinkets from the breast pocket and handing them to Shula before coming to her side. She'd helped Shula out to other patient rooms before, and knew fighting to keep this one in bed was impossible without drugging her. There was a slight whimper as Shula slid from the bed into the wheelchair's seat and then a sigh, the nurse tethering a portable oxygen tank to the back of it as she took a hold of her IV hanger.

She was quiet as the nurse pushed her along, glancing at the rooms where Acra and Spade were as she passed. No. She would fight to stay with them, even if only just a little bit longer. The alkahestrist had said if she followed his instructions he'd relieve her suffering... So perhaps a deal could be reached. A faint smile slipped onto her lips, the room empty for now since the other patients liked to go to the lounge with the better TV. Perfect. Shula quietly thanked the nurse as she parked herself in the corner, and once she was certain she wasn't in danger of being overheard, tuned the tiny radio to 143.7 and held it up to her mouth. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Shula Brighton... Is anyone out there?" Come on you bastard... Answer the damn radio... Knowing my luck he was shot RIGHT after he left me alone.

[Raistlin Ambros]

Location: Kyoto, Aerugo. Kyoto Military Base.

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Shula Brighton

The radio across the room crackled from the shadows cast by the hanging overhead lamp in the center of the room. Raistlin glanced towards the sound with sharp red eyes.

... Is anyone out there?" it crackled again

Without much expression or noise, Raistlin ceased what he was doing, setting the two vials, one of clear liquid, the other obviously containing blood, back with the rest of his materials for his obscure chemical experiment on the center of the metal table in front of him. Approaching the counter upon which the radio was set in the corner, he reached out with a white gloved hand, that matched the rest of his white lab coat, and took hold of the radio device, holding down the button to open the two-way channel.

"Miss Brighton" Raistlin replied in his cold, venomous voice, a tone so apathetic, calm, and composed, yet tainted with a sinister, arcane intent. He spoke Ishvallan as a precaution for anyone listening in, even if Shula herself was not aware of their eavesdropping "Lets skip formalities and get to the point. Are you currently alone? Is anyone aware of our transactions? Are you prepared to abide by my conditions?". He paused for an answer.

[Shula Brighton]

"Miss Brighton, let's skip formalities and get to the point. Are you currently alone? Is anyone aware of our transactions? Are you prepared to abide by my conditions?"

The long moment that there was silence, Shula hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath. Part of her hoped that he wouldn't answer; it was cowardly, but true. She was more than a little afraid of what this man could possibly want of her. The country lay in ruins; what on earth could she even offer? But on the other hand... she really didn't want to die. She never had. Shula had only learned to accept and embrace her death because it was brought to her attention so often. Shula nearly jumped when Raistlin answer, his voice still chillingly cold, even over the radio. On the bright side, he was at least Ishvallan enough to get straight to the point.

"I'm as alone as I can be, she said quietly into the receiver, turning more to the corner. "I'm in the hospital right now, but I suppose you would have planned for that... Nobody knows we've spoken." Shula let out a breath, coughing softly, her cheeks tinted pink from her breathlessness. Even with the oxygen, her heart and lungs were beginning to fail as the most basic of functions. She swallowed hard, her stomach knotting. "What must I do?

[Raistlin Ambros]

"I'm as alone as I can be, but I suppose you would have planned for that... Nobody knows we've spoken."

She was correct to assume that he had planned for all of that. He imagined that the Amestrian doctors tending to her feeble, failing body would be baffled by the progress of her disease and the modifications he had made to it. They couldn't even fathom the nature of his ability, the power to defy the form bestowed upon humanity by nature, to spit in the face of "God".

"What must I do?" She questioned, a tense anxiety detectable in the constriction of her voice, if only slightly audible.

In her condition, and under her extraneous circumstances, Ambros knew he had Shula in a safe check. She was in peril, he was not, and with no foreseeable counter available, she would not act immediately upon trying to place him under pressure, and as long as he controlled the openings for her to escape her fate, then he practically held her in his fingers. It was as simple as trapping wild game, the animal will run in fear for its life, and will have nowhere to run but into the trap.

"Very well." Raistlin began again, prepared to lay out his own gambit. "Follow my instructions well, and there will be no unneeded complications. I surmise that in your present condition, travel will be quite impossible without assistance. Four hours from now, an agent of mine will receive you. Meet her outside the back of the hospital at exactly 1600 hours." Of course, this agent of his, Akiha, would scout the surrounding area thoroughly for any sign of heavy surveillance or military presence working to derail Raistlin's plans. If Shula had indeed planned to betray them, then she would discover them and abandon the mission. It would be no major loss to Raistlin, only a loss of life for some miserable and hapless Amestrian soldier. "She will escort you from the hospital, and you shall meet me in person afterwards. You will be sedated for a segment of the peregrination, though I will assure you that no harm will come of you during, and that you must comply and co-operate if you wish to live to see tomorrow. That is all I will disclose to you, keep this radio in hand until you are contacted by my agent." Raistlin paused, before adding yet another 'restraint' on the deal. It was simply a precautionary measure to discourage the girl from letting her comrades get involved, but that did not mean that he was bluffing. "If I am to find anyone at all getting involved on your behalf, then I can assure you that they will meet a swift end, as will you." The confidence in Raistlin's monotone threat could nearly be detected. Akiha was a homunculus that he had a hand in creating after all, and he was aware of her capabilities. Nothing short of a small army armed with heavy weaponry would be able to pose a threat to her, and she naive and easy to control on his end, making her a reliable asset to be employed in this operation of his. "Do you understand?". Raistlin waited for Shula's final reply, to make sure she was in complete agreement with this plan. If he detected any hint of panic, then it would be likely that she was not prepared to engage in this deal, and would compromise the entire mission with some foolish notion of seeking outside help, or struggling halfway through.

[Shula Brighton]

Her stomach only knotted harder as she listened, hanging onto Raistlin's every word, wanting nothing more thatn to throw the radio out the window. But she couldn't and they both knew it. This man held her life in his fingers now. Ishvalla grant me strength... I don't know that I'll be able to do this alone. She would be leaving in four hours to be picked up by someone. Shula bit her lip. The hospital was crammed with wounded soldiers and civilians. Military personnel were everywhere, and security was insane right now due to the panic. And her body was falling apart as they spoke; how the hell was she supposed to get out of there? Wallace had procured some clothes for her, but would they really just let her wheel herself out of the hospital? She shook her head, opting to not think about it right now.

"1600 out back. I'll be waiting for pickup, then." Her mind was reeling, the voice in her head that was her mother's screaming, demanding if the girl really had taken a complete leave of her senses and was going to go along with this. She breathed out again, paying attention and trying to remain as calm as possible. Maybe he would meet her somewhere near enough to Central that she could still call for help if needed, or would know the area at least in a vague sense..

"You will be sedated for a segment of the peregrination, though I will assure you that no harm will come of you during, and that you must comply and co-operate if you wish to live to see tomorrow." Shula's hand went to cover her mouth, her hands beginning to shake. He said she wouldn't he hurt while sedated during transport. Every about this seemed more and more wrong, the voice of rationality and common sense screaming that this was a trap. Part of her wondered if Faust felt this way when he called for Mephistopheles at the crossroads that fateful night.

It wasn't too late to change her mind, though, and she still had four hours to plan. Things like this needed a strategy, like a battle plan. And she wasn't a fighter, but her commander and friends were. Maybe if-- [red]"If I am to find anyone at all getting involved on your behalf, then I can assure you that they will meet a swift end, as will you."[/i] A small tear slipped from the corner of her eye as she tried to steady out her breathing, not wanting to distress her body or attract the nurses.

"I... I understand, and will comply. Four hours." She let go of the transmit button, keeping her hand pressed to her mouth. Given what he'd already done, the steps he was taking... Something told her he didn't want Amestris' secrets of strudel. It had to be something worth killing over. But she only worked in the adjutant general corps... Not really an integral branch of the military. Important, but she certainly wasn't that useful of a piece. Shula sighed shakily, looking down the hall. There was no way they could know, now... She loved her friends too much to involve them.

She would willingly walk into Hell, and would pray that she'd come out alive.

[Raistlin Ambros]

"I... I understand, and will comply. Four hours." she responded, her voice trembling, likely from a combination of the stress of the disease and the pressure she was being put under now. It was rather remarkable that she was able to keep herself together, give the conditions. He hadn't chosen wrongly after all, she would prove to be a more reliable source of information, as long as he kept the chain of fear wrapped tightly around her little throat. The radio clicked off and the room fell back to silent, save for the sound of some beastly cry from the chimera containment room. Setting to work to make sure everything went according to plan. Tucking the radio device in his coat pocket, Raistlin quickly paced to the central control room of his underground facility, this hidden structure beneath the basement of Kyoto HQ. Passing all the obscure machines and generators, Raistlin briskly approached the large control panel computer, pressing a few keys as the gigantic monitor flashed on and started to stream information on all of the conditions withing the lab's many rooms, as well as security feeds from various hidden cameras. A key was pressed, a window popped up and after a few seconds of waiting, Akiha's face appeared on the screen. Good, it seems that the special phone he had given her was useful as he hoped it to be, she should be able to see him as well, it was a special video phone that could only connect to Raistlin's identical device, and his main computer.

"Akiha" he started, ignoring her usual cheerful greeting and excitement. "I have a task for you. You are to go to Central and retrieve a certain VIP from a military hospital. I am sending you the mission details and coordinated now. Take caution not to reveal yourself to Central detail, and keep a close watch over the target. You are to extract her from the coordinated point in exactly four hours, and bring her back to my lab in seven hours. Do I make myself clear?"

Raistlin went ahead and typed up a mission briefing while he was speaking to her, making sure that no details were left vague. It would be very simple. Akiha would retrieve Brighton at the extraction point at the appointed time, after scouting the entire area for any forces wait to ambush or pursue them, in case of a possible betrayal in Brighton's part. After that, they would follow a complicated route through Central, making use of crowded areas and the ruins of the bombed areas of Central to throw off any possible pursuit. Afterwards, they would stop at a department store about twenty five miles from the initial extraction point, and changed outfits in order to void any visual confirmation that may have been made before hand. Then the two would board the train to South City, purchasing tickets for such, but exit the train on stop ahead, getting off at a small, unimportant town. From there the two would be picked up by a black, tinted windowed car outside of a rest stop 2 miles down the road from the train station. The car, driven by an Aerugese personal, would then drive down the autobahn, exiting once far past South City and further to the west, stopping at a virtually uninhabited area near the Amestrian-Aerugese border. They would wait there until a transport chopper received them at that rendezvous point and take them to Kyoto, where Akiha herself would bring her to Raistlin's lab through the hidden entrance in his office. And of course, if they were engaged by forces specifically looking to stop Akiha or save Shula, then she was authorized to use lethal force, though discreet movement was key here. Miss Brighton would be sedated for the duration of the car ride and the helicopter transport, and would be awakened once she arrived in the underground lab. It was a complicated plan, but was the best way to avoid leading anyone to Raistlin's base, just in case Shula Brighton was not one to keep her word.

[Guest]

"So bored!" She had been really bored. Like, really. FOUR HOURS?! FOR THIS?! The girl sighed softly, watching over the rendezvous point that Rai-stu-lin had specified. She'd been on lots of missions to Central lately, it had been kinda fun! But this mission was so boring. Waiting for someone? What a lot of bull.

FOUR HOURS AGO

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING! That had to be the LOUDEST ringtone that Akiha could've possibly had! She needed to learn how to change it, one of these days. The phone itself was pretty cool, but it made no help for when she needed to be stealthy. She had been standing in the middle of the street, luckily, so she only got one or two funny looks from it. With a sigh, she opened up the phone, and was greeted with Rai-stu-lin's face.

"THAT IS SO COOL! HI RAI!" She giggled excitedly, and smiled brightly into the camera. It was quite obvious that she was pretty technologically oblivious.

"Akiha, I have a task for you. You are to go to Central and retrieve a certain VIP from a military hospital. I am sending you the mission details and coordinated now. Take caution not to reveal yourself to Central detail, and keep a close watch over the target. You are to extract her from the coordinated point in exactly four hours, and bring her back to my lab in seven hours. Do I make myself clear?" The girl thought it over for a second, adding the numbers together in her mind. Yeah, she could do that. Alright, serious mission mode? She nodded at him.

"I can do that. See you in thirteen hours, Raistlin-sama." For those who were wondering where her usually cheerful perspective went, she was on a job now. She couldn't afford to be happy and cheerful about this.

PRESENT TIME

But that didn't mean that she didn't get bored! Four hours, she'd been waiting, simply because she had nothing better to do. The phone didn't have anything bar a camera and a way to call Rai-stu-lin back, and that wasn't going to do her any good. He'd probably get annoyed. The girl sighed, and sat on the roof of a five-story building with her legs dangling over the edge, watching the spot carefully. She had already checked out the area around them, and would make her next patrol in a few minutes. Actually, make that now. The girl stood up silently and began to jump from rooftop to rooftop. It was almost exactly the time that Brighton was to arrive. There was no screwing up now.

[Shula Brighton]

Four hours had both crawled and sped by as though it were the worst tiume paradox in the universe and the hospital itself had multiple dimensions. Shula had managed to change out of the hospital PJ's into the civvies that had been brought for her, and had she been in her normal senses rejoiced to be back in normal jeans and underwear that wasn't from the damn hospital. At the same time it felt so weird to be putting on the pale blue tank top; she'd bathed and was clean, but somehow the clothes just didn't feel like they were her's anymore. No, no... You're still you, Bright Eyes. You're just in shock.

Changing clothes unassisted had been a great effort on her part, leaving her exhausted and panting for air. It had been a small miracle that she hadn't been spotted and stopped by the nurses, but they really did have their hands full with everyone else. At this point she wondered if they were tired of fighting with some of the mourning soldiers and were just going to get out of their way to let them choose for themselves, unless you were close enough to death that they kept checking on you to see if you were dead yet. Damn vultures.

There wasn't a lot of her stuff to grab, but what she did was important; Raistlin's radio tucked into one pocket; the graduation ring Gustav and she passed back and forth as a good luck charm hung on its chain around her neck as some small token of protection; and her State watch was shoved into her other pants pocket, even though given the current state of things showing it would probably be deadly. The hospital had already taken the papers regarding the life she'd signed away, and she could only pray that nobody would notice their precious donor organs had snuck out. She didn't know how she'd sneak back in or what would happen; hopefully nobody would think she died, and hopefully she'd be back soon enough that nobody would notice. But with the city in ruins and this one last military location under such heavy security, how would she even get out without being seen, or Raistlin thinking she was lying to them?

Much of those four hours had been spenthiding in the hospital's small chapel, even thought it wasn't Ishvallan. Not enough Ishvallans in the Military to warrant it, she supposed. But she'd been trying to stay in places nobody would notice her as she found herself giving that look she hated so much. That look where she might not see any of these people again. And then luck was with her as it came down to crunch time, the small transport wheelchair sneaking out a back staff exit that she'd watched a few nurses go through, linger and come back in unhindered. Seemed like the kind of exit used for sneaky cigarette breaks and the alarm had been dismantled. She couldn't see a security camera...

Shula wheeled out and propped the door shut as she looked up and around. All she knew was that the person picking her up was female, but beyond that? She wheeled out a little further into the open. She was exactly on time, so where was her escort... "Anyone here?"

[Guest]

Completing her rounds was a breeze, to be honest. There were very few targets that this young kunoichi met, in fact very few being NONE. She landed on the rooftop that she had begun her watch from, staring down at the streets with a pair of bright and sparkling eyes. She stepped forwards and and heard the voice coming up from the ground.

"Wer da?" She blinked, and looked down at the area. There was a woman standing down there, and she nodded, pushing herself off of the building, dropping onto the ground behind Shula, making absolutely no noise, despite her position and proximity. Her eyes opened slightly, and she drew one of her blades, holding it up to the woman's neck with narrowed eyes.

"Shula... Brighton?" She whispered carefully into the woman's ear with hushed breaths. Her presence was nearly un-noticed, and she had her other hand prepared to knock the woman out, need be. However, she wanted to take this woman with her for a normal walk. The train station would still be up and running, despite the destruction. It was the first thing that had been repaired, or at least makeshift repairs. She sighed softly, and spoke again.

"Shula Brighton?"

[Shula Brighton]

Standing up from the wheelchair had taken quite a bit of effort, her side and thigh throbbing from the sudden strain against her stitches. Shula gripped the chair's arm rests to keep her balance, the sudden change in blood pressure making her feel light-headed and dizzy. Her body begged to sit back down. It screamed for her to go back into the hospital and go back into her bed.What was left of her rationality argued that if she didn't go back where there was medicine and doctors that she might die today... but then the honest fear of her situation reminded her that if she didn't go through with this, then she definitely would be.

There had been no indication that Shula was anything but alone as she stepped away from her wheelchair, making the tubing stretch out slightly. She'd thought herself alone or possibly even stood up until a shining, sharpened blade was suddenly at her neck, a voice breathing into her ear. "Shula... Brighton?" Shula gasped softly but remained still, not really liking the idea of breathing out of her neck. Inwardly she groaned, unsure of how much more of this she could take. "Shula Brighton?" The voice was feminine, and very heavily accented. Yeah, last time I checked that was me still.

"Yes, I'm Shula." Sometimes exhaustion was a good thing; right now it was keeping her sarcasm in check at least and keeping her from mouthing off to someone who'd probably kill her as soon as look at her. Slowly she lifted her hands about waist-high to show she was unarmed. "I'm alone and not armed, and haven't told anybody... Are you my escort?"

[Guest]

Her brown eyes lowered slightly, looking over the form of this woman, pressing the blade closer to her neck. Subject AA smiled softly and stepped back from her, letting her go. She trusted Shula Brighton already; because she didn't think that the woman would betray her, naively. With a light nod, AA walked around the girl and stared at her, sheathing the blades in her holsters on her lower back. She nodded again.

"Ja, ich bin Shula." That was a confirmation. Good, AA let out a soft sigh. She hadn't really wanted to get it wrong; it would've been embarrassing to confront this woman and find out that she wasn't the target that she was looking for. That had happened before, and she didn't really want that to happen this time. Akiha sighed softly and raised a hand to her head, rubbing the back of her neck. Okay. She had to do this easily. She didn't know if this girl spoke Aerugese, so she'd try her hardest with her limited Amestrian.

"Ich bin allein und nicht bewaffnet und habe niemanden erzählt ... Sind Sie meine Begleitung?" The woman had raised her hands, obviously showing that she didn't have any weapons. Good, good. AA nodded in understanding, before walking up to Shula.

"My Amestrian... not good. I try... but you need help me." She nodded weakly, showing off her vulnerable side to this woman already. She just wanted to take her back to Raistlin. "We go... to Aerugo. Raistlin... wants see you." She took Shula's hand and nodded at her with a small smile. She couldn't help but like this woman from all of this; it was almost inconceivable.

[Shula Brighton]

Well this was somewhat unexpected. As deadly as Shula surmized her escort was, given her now-holstered weapons and how Shula hadn't even known Akiha was there until she made herself known, the young woman certainly wasn't what she'd been expecting. Then again, having never been in this situation, she didn't really know what she'd expected either. But this girl seemed... sweet. She wated as she was circled, slowly reaching around to behind the wheelchair to grab the small oxygen tank and pull it up into her arm. Shula didn't see a mode of transportation anywhere, but even if there was, she knew she wouldn't get far without breathing.

The girl rubbed the back of her hand, looking a little puzzled and slightly embarrassed. "My Amestrian... not good. I try... but you need help me. We go... to Aerugo. Raistlin... wants see you." Okaaaay then, this would be fun. Her escort didn't really understand her that well. Well, this should make for an interesting trip. Ummm... Hell, what was that word for hello?

"Kon-ni-chi wa," Shula said slowly, hating that that was the only word she knew, and even that she wasn't certain was correct, her own Amestrian accent making the w sound more like a soft v. She smiled apologetically. "I'll talk slow. Walk slow also." Shula moved her free hand to gesture at the portable oxygen tank and its tubing around her face, and then lifted the side of her shirt to reveal the bandages on her side, then dropped it and pointed to her thigh before taking her hand. "Moving still hurts."

So his name was Raistlin... At least now the devil had a name. She was somehow going to get to Aerugo with this girl and... And how was she supposed to address her, anyway? This girl was happy and smiling and rather friendly despite the sharp-shinies she was armed with. Can't just call her Miss Sneaky Knife Person. Warm red eyes looked up to Akiha's soft brown ones with a gentle smile. "My name is Shula... What's your name?"

[Guest]

"Kon-ni-chi wa," Oh? That seemed to be the only Aerugese that the woman knew? AA let a small smile cross her face, tilting her head ever-so-slightly to the left and giggling. She placed her hands on her hips, waiting to see if Shula would be able to speak anything else, and if they'd be able to understand each other further.

"I'll talk slow. Walk slow also." Okay, she understood that. Akiha nodded and took the other's hand softly, watching her carefully as she showed off her bandages and wounds. Awww... she was hurt. AA's feelings of worry for this girl instantly heightened. She would remember to be careful with this one, even carrying her if she had to.

"Moving still hurts." She nodded lightly, showing understanding from behind the pair of bright and worried brown eyes.

"Okay. I try... I help..." She nodded again, staring directly into her eyes and proffering a worried smile, before stepping forwards and walking gingerly to help Shula carefully.

"My name is Shula... What's your name?" ...eh? Nobody... AA felt her eyes well up slightly, but held it off. Nobody... whenever she took someone to Raistlin, they never spoke, and never asked her name.

"I.. Akiha. Shu-Ra." She had already given the girl a nickname; it was a good sign. That meant that AA liked her, right? She closed her eyes briefly, and then opened them again with slight worry drenching her face.

"Do you... need?" She pointed to the wheelchair, hoping that Shu-Ra understood what she said. If she didn't, then she'd try and speak to her another way, and another way, and so on, so forth.

[Shula Brighton]

"Akiha," Shula repeated, making sure she was saying it correctly, giving it a moment to let it sink in. She wasn't even certain she'd leave this man's meeting still breathing, but her guide seemed nice. She wanted to at least hold onto something friendly that wasn't terrifying. "That's very pretty." She giggled inwardly. Shu-Ra. That was so cute.... It kind of made her think about She-Ra, and she did have the blonde hair for it. Just not the miniskirt, sword, or talking alicorn whose voice was rediculously deep and gravely for how beyond girly he looked. The part of her mind that was trying to be of some comfort teased that if she lifted her oxygen and shouted "For the honour of Grayskull!" the joke would probably be entirely lost on Akiha.

With Akiha's support Shula took a few tender steps away, her body immediately trying to argue with her head, even as her head won. Stubbornness was one of those Ishvallan qualities that nobody could deny. Her ribs and side ached like there was no tomorrow, and the stitches in her thigh didn't appreciate the sudden pressure of having weight on her leg. You've come this far already... Deal with it. It's not like you haven't had to re-learn how to walk before, anyway.

Shula shook her head lightly, holding tightly to her air supply as she took small steps away from the chair, the hospital, and from everything that used to make some fraction of sense. "I'll be okay." Shula took as deep a breath as her failing body would allow and gave Akiha's hand a small squeeze. "Let's go to Aerugo, then..." One foot in front of the other, Shula slowly began to walk with Akiha as she tried to swallow her fear. It was so quiet.

She tried not to think about what would happen. If she'd leave Raistlin's alive or not, if she came back whether or not she'd be able to sneak back into the hospital unnoticed, if they'd write her off as dead or missing, or if she'd be seen as a deserter... "Shula!!" Gustav's panicked voice struck her through the wind, almost causing her to stop dead in her tracks. She'd heard him... Hadn't she? Her stomach felt cold. It was just the wind; the dead never come back or talk. She swallowed hard. "How... Will we get to Raistlin?"

[Guest]

"I'll be okay. Let's go to Aerugo, then... She nodded a couple of times, and started to walk with the girl, leading her to the Central train station, hoping that Shula would be able to assist her with everything that she might have difficulty with. She sighed softly and looked up into the air, staring at the sky with a small smile.

"Okay." She giggled and started walking along, continuing along, her light footsteps not making much noise on the ground, despite the rubble beneath. She breathed out and continued with her walking along, smiling brightly at Shula, and starting to skip slightly.

"How... Will we get to Raistlin?" She reached into her pocket and thumbed aroudn a little bit, pulling out a crumpled train ticket and smiling brightly at her.

"Train! We take train~" She giggled, as if this was the most amazing thing in the world to her, nodding readily at Shula. She needed to learn more Amestrian, geez.

{Thread END}

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