No more... He couldn't watch any more of this. He had to do something. He had to save them... all of them...
---
As Faize awakened from a restless sleep, he wondered briefly if it had all just been a terrible dream. If only it could have been just that... but Faize knew better.
What a fool he was. In his panic, he had rushed alone into the fray of battle. It wasn't until now, when he was able to rationally think again, that he understood that doing so had been no better than a disgraceful suicide. In the end, he hadn't saved anyone. Not only did he fail his brethren, but he shamed them as well.
But how had he survived? The last thing he could remember was a bright light rushing towards him. Given the situation, he surely had to be...
Wait. If he had survived, then what about the others? Struck by this realization, Faize abruptly sat up in the unfamiliar bed, only to realize he was not wearing his uniform. His head felt lighter as well; even his ear accessories had been removed. Unused to the feeling of the air against his bare ears, Faize raised a hand to feel the exposed skin... and found his fingers brushing over what felt almost like a short, rounded stump. With a short gasp, he pulled his hand away, then brought it back just to make sure he was not mistaken. Somehow, his ears had been shortened. What reason could anyone have to do that?
Before he could come up with a probable explanation, the door to the room opened and a woman dressed in white entered. From what Faize could surmise, she appeared to be an Earthling. "Oh, Mr. Durand. You're already up?" she asked in a manner that suggested familiarity.
"Pardon?" The woman's abrupt entry and her strange greeting left Faize momentarily dumbfounded, sitting frozen with his hand still over his ear as he stared at her. He soon realized how strange he must have looked in that position, and slipped out of the bed, automatically pulling the sheet back into place to avoid leaving an impression of sloppiness. A quick glance about the room confirmed that he was the only "Mr." present, so he faced the woman and politely corrected her. "My apologies, but I don't believe we've met before. My name is Faize Sheifa Beleth. You must have mistaken me for another."
The woman frowned, albeit with a hint of sympathy. "No, there's no mistake. You're Eugene Durand, a patient here at Landel's Institute. You were admitted last night. You don't remember?"
Faize was certain he did not, but he was beginning to wonder how such an error could have come to be made. "I'm afraid I don't. This is a hospital, then?" If the Earthlings had found him on the battlefield, it made sense that they would take him to a hospital. It seemed he had been unconscious for some time. Whether it was due to a concussion or psychological fatigue, he didn't know, but it seemed prudent to show some gratitude for the treatment. "I am thankful for your help. It would seem I've made a full recovery."
"A full recovery?" With a perplexed look, the woman (a nurse, it now seemed safe to assume) quickly glanced over the clipboard she was holding, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but... the doctors recommend you remain here until they observe some improvement themselves." She suddenly had a worried look on her face, as though fearing she had just said something rude, and quickly broke into a smile. "Oh, but don't worry! I'm sure your next evaluation will be much better!"
An uncertain frown crossed Faize's face. "Excuse me, but... exactly what is it that needs improvement? I feel quite well - perfectly so, in fact."
For a moment, it looked as though she didn't understand his question, but then her face suddenly lit up in realization. "Oh. Oh! You thought... I'm sorry, Mr. Durand, but this isn't that kind of hospital. Landel's Institute is a facility for treating... er, illnesses of a psychological nature."
"...What?" Though the revelation was nothing short of shocking, Faize's outward reaction was minimal: his eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly to allow for an inaudible gasp. Inwardly, his mind reeled. A mental hospital. They thought he was mad. Perhaps he even deserved that label. Everyone had been telling him he seemed different lately, and then he went and did something so reckless... Faize might have believed that someone he knew had admitted him, if not for the fact that this person clearly had the wrong patient.
As he mulled over the facts in his head, there was a long, awkward silence, which was soon broken by the nurse. "I know it can be hard to get used to, but why don't you come out to the courtyard with me? I think the fresh air might do you some good."
Still trying to process his situation, Faize continued to stare ahead in silence, then gave an absent, somewhat shaky nod. "Yes... yes, I suppose I'll do that." The prospect seemed more attractive than spending the day in the small, bare room. Perhaps he would better understand where he was and how he came to be there if he saw more of the institute.
His brethren...
"Vessel 7's been destroyed! Damn it... they'd already signaled surrender...!"
Before his very eyes, his brethren were being massacred.
"Captain! Another SOS from 18! ...No... it... it's gone..."
Faize could only watch in horror as the reports rushed in. SOS signaled. Vessel destroyed. Thousands of lives, lost in an instant.
"Vessels 5, 37, 40 down! This... this is... they're slaughtering them!"
No more... He couldn't watch any more of this. He had to do something. He had to save them... all of them...
---
As Faize awakened from a restless sleep, he wondered briefly if it had all just been a terrible dream. If only it could have been just that... but Faize knew better.
What a fool he was. In his panic, he had rushed alone into the fray of battle. It wasn't until now, when he was able to rationally think again, that he understood that doing so had been no better than a disgraceful suicide. In the end, he hadn't saved anyone. Not only did he fail his brethren, but he shamed them as well.
But how had he survived? The last thing he could remember was a bright light rushing towards him. Given the situation, he surely had to be...
Wait. If he had survived, then what about the others? Struck by this realization, Faize abruptly sat up in the unfamiliar bed, only to realize he was not wearing his uniform. His head felt lighter as well; even his ear accessories had been removed. Unused to the feeling of the air against his bare ears, Faize raised a hand to feel the exposed skin... and found his fingers brushing over what felt almost like a short, rounded stump. With a short gasp, he pulled his hand away, then brought it back just to make sure he was not mistaken. Somehow, his ears had been shortened. What reason could anyone have to do that?
Before he could come up with a probable explanation, the door to the room opened and a woman dressed in white entered. From what Faize could surmise, she appeared to be an Earthling. "Oh, Mr. Durand. You're already up?" she asked in a manner that suggested familiarity.
"Pardon?" The woman's abrupt entry and her strange greeting left Faize momentarily dumbfounded, sitting frozen with his hand still over his ear as he stared at her. He soon realized how strange he must have looked in that position, and slipped out of the bed, automatically pulling the sheet back into place to avoid leaving an impression of sloppiness. A quick glance about the room confirmed that he was the only "Mr." present, so he faced the woman and politely corrected her. "My apologies, but I don't believe we've met before. My name is Faize Sheifa Beleth. You must have mistaken me for another."
The woman frowned, albeit with a hint of sympathy. "No, there's no mistake. You're Eugene Durand, a patient here at Landel's Institute. You were admitted last night. You don't remember?"
Faize was certain he did not, but he was beginning to wonder how such an error could have come to be made. "I'm afraid I don't. This is a hospital, then?" If the Earthlings had found him on the battlefield, it made sense that they would take him to a hospital. It seemed he had been unconscious for some time. Whether it was due to a concussion or psychological fatigue, he didn't know, but it seemed prudent to show some gratitude for the treatment. "I am thankful for your help. It would seem I've made a full recovery."
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An uncertain frown crossed Faize's face. "Excuse me, but... exactly what is it that needs improvement? I feel quite well - perfectly so, in fact."
For a moment, it looked as though she didn't understand his question, but then her face suddenly lit up in realization. "Oh. Oh! You thought... I'm sorry, Mr. Durand, but this isn't that kind of hospital. Landel's Institute is a facility for treating... er, illnesses of a psychological nature."
"...What?" Though the revelation was nothing short of shocking, Faize's outward reaction was minimal: his eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly to allow for an inaudible gasp. Inwardly, his mind reeled. A mental hospital. They thought he was mad. Perhaps he even deserved that label. Everyone had been telling him he seemed different lately, and then he went and did something so reckless... Faize might have believed that someone he knew had admitted him, if not for the fact that this person clearly had the wrong patient.
As he mulled over the facts in his head, there was a long, awkward silence, which was soon broken by the nurse. "I know it can be hard to get used to, but why don't you come out to the courtyard with me? I think the fresh air might do you some good."
Still trying to process his situation, Faize continued to stare ahead in silence, then gave an absent, somewhat shaky nod. "Yes... yes, I suppose I'll do that." The prospect seemed more attractive than spending the day in the small, bare room. Perhaps he would better understand where he was and how he came to be there if he saw more of the institute.
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