[drabble] a fright and a possession
The Noah sat on the hard, wooden chair in the hospital wing of the Order. He shifted restlessly in the chair, his foot tapping out a rhythm against the tiles.
The battle hadn't went well.
Perhaps Rhode had shown up to throw everything askew or maybe it had just been a level three too many.
Either way, there Exorcists down. They had been stitched up and finally stabilized from their blood lost. Heavy bandages wrapped around their wounds and the nurses skittered around them nervously still.
Or maybe they were just freaked out by the Noah. He wasn't here often, after all.
Normally too attention-seeking to stay any one place for too long, the 14th didn't make it a habit to hang around the hopistal wing--especially when he rarely needed to go himself. There was that once, when Kanda and the 14th had gotten into a huge fight, and Kanda's Innocence had managed to tear him up pretty bad. The 14th had gone easy on the Japanese teen--something which had only made Kanda rip into him harder.
But this time, he sat and watched the slow rise and fall of the Exorcists' chests. The girl--Lenalee--she was a sweet one, trying very hard not to judge him because of his status as a Noah. Kanda had stode off awhile ago, gone to go train and do whatever the pretty Exorcist did in his spare time. The short Bookman Apprentice, called Kuzu, with his brown hair and silver eyes--was in the bed next to Lenalee. Bookman himself had left to do his records or converse with other pandas--the 14th didn't really know what that man did. Another Exorcist, Miranda, was in the last bed. He didn't know her well, but she had a great talent and often ended up in the hopistal wing just to make sure she rested--which was probably why he didn't know her very well, really.
The only person actually keeping the 14th company anymore was Howard, and he was always more of a brick wall than a real person.
"Why are you here, 14th?" Howard asked, faking his 'wall-ness' but the Noah could see the twitch of annoyance in his cheek. One would think the man would be used to the 14th's tendency towards jittery behavior when he was bored.
The 14th smiled without any warmth, "My Exorcists are injured, Sir Link." It was a warning--he didn't want to talk about the coil of worry about his chest that had started when he first saw them come back--Blood staining, dripping, everywhere. Were they even alive?!--and hadn't let up even when they were finally stabilized. It wouldn't be okay, not until they were back up and smiling (or scowling at him, as the Bookmen were apt to do).
Howard, of course, ignored the warning: "Many times Exorcists are injured, Sir Noah. Not everytime are you here, bothering the hospital staff." He said it like he was making a mere statement of facts, but the 14th could hear the lurking questions. He hated being questioned.
A cheerless grin spread across the Noah's face. "Howard. Tell your master, if he continues to hurt my Exorcists I will find him. And this time, I won't be polite."
The inspector turned white at the memory of Levrier's last meeting with the 14th and was quiet.
The Noah continued to tap a rhythm with his foot against the tiled floor.