(fic) Kizu, by Vega
Kizu
By losyark
Challenge: Scars
Characters: Miko Kusanagi, Peter Grodin
Spoilers: Nothing specific. Season 1.
Rating: PG-13
Author’s Notes: No, seriously, why do I only write Miko stories when I’m in airports? This is a companion piece to “Zoh-Onna Omote” and “Tadaima”.
Summary: “Miko? Keep talking... I’ll follow your voice...”
***
“Where am I?”
“Dareh?”
“Hello? Who was that? Can you hear me?”
“Dareh desu ka?”
“Who’s there?”
“Ko-konnichi wa? Wa-watashi wa... Miko... anno, Kusanagi Miko, desu...”
“Miko? Miko! Is that you?”
“Hai.”
“It’s Peter.”
“Peter...?”
“Peter Grodin.”
“... Peter...”
“Hello? Hello? Miko? Why can’t I see you?”
“Peter! Chigaou...”
“What? Miko, speak English! I can’t understand you.”
“I am! I mean, I thought I was... Peter.”
“Yes. Miko, where are you?”
“I... I’m here. Can you... chikusho ... this has to be a... a mistake.”
“Keep talking. I’m following your voice. What’s a mistake?”
“This.”
“...don’t stop talking, Miko. What’s a mistake?”
“You can’t actually be here.”
“I don’t even know where I - we - are. So how can you know I can’t be here?”
“Because you’re--”
“... I’m what?”
“You... you’re... you’ve gone to the weapon’s platform.”
“I have? I mean... I did?”
“Yes - with Doctor McKay and--”
“-Yes! Yes, of course I did. With the generators.”
“Yes.”
“And we shot down one of the Wraith Hiveships.”
“Yes.”
“So... what’s this then? Some sort of Ancient Communication program I initialized by mistake? Am I communicating directly with Atlantis? That’s helpful!”
“No, Peter.”
“Sure, it is!”
“That’s not what I meant--”
“Are you back on Atlantis?”
“Yes. I... I’m in the medical storage lab. We’ve been sorting through the databased items. The equipment that...”
“Really? That’s odd. Why would something that can create a connection like this have been in a medical storage facility? ...Miko? Miko? Hey, hey, don’t stop talking, now, I think I’m getting closer.”
“I’m scared.”
“Hey, no, I’m almost there, its okay.”
“P-Peter, I--”
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Are you... hold on, Miko, keep talking.”
“This can’t be happening.”
“Keep talking Miko, don’t panic on me.”
“This can’t be happening!”
“Deep breaths, just keep talking. Tell me... tell me about your family.”
“I... uh... my family. My mother is a homemaker - my father works for Daiwa House. He runs numbers. My brother in laws, I have two, they do the same. My older sister just had another son.”
“That’s great, what’s his name?”
“Shinsuke.”
“Nice name. What else? What about grandparents?”
“My, uh, my grandfather was a mask-maker. He died last year - I bought his house in Kyoto.”
“Is it beautiful?”
“Yes. It’s the most beautiful house in Japan.”
“Will you take me some day?”
“Oh, god...”
“Miko? Don’t panic! I’m so close! I... tell me who told you I like banana walnut muffins.”
“Doctor Beckett. You knew it was me?”
“Of course. You draw the same droopy eyes on the napkin-pandas and your doodles in staff meetings.”
“You knew.”
“I know, present tense.”
“Past. You knew and you never--”
“Hey, I’m a little shy when it comes to pretty girls, okay?”
“... P-Peter...”
“Miko? Are you crying?”
“No! No... no, I... I’m sorry, Peter.”
“What? What for?”
“This isn’t real.”
“Of course it is. I’m going to find you and when I get back to Atlantis we’ll take this thing apart and figure out what happened and then I’ll suck it up and finally ask you to go watch a sunset with me.”
“No, Peter.”
“What do you mean, no? I thought you--”
“You never made it back.”
“What?”
“Y-you never came back. To Atlantis. The platform, it... the Wraith... there was only one shot before... Peter...”
“Miko, is that you?”
“Yes!”
“You’re warm. Your face is wet.”
“Peter!”
“Shhh.”
“This isn’t happening.”
“Yes, it is. You must have been thinking about me - the device, probably a psychic link--”
“No.”
“You can’t know that for sure.”
“No Ancient device can bring back the dead.”
“... dead?”
“The platform was destroyed. You were on it, Peter.”
“I...”
“It’s been two years since then.”
“...two...”
“Ah! Peter, you’re... you’re hurting me...”
“Oh, oh, Miko, I’m sorry, I... I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“I don’t either. The device wasn’t supposed to work like this. It was supposed to be epidermal.”
“So you know what it’s supposed to do?”
“Yes. No. I thought I did!”
“So, where are we then?”
“I don’t know. My mind, maybe? My heart? Somewhere else? Somewhere... after?”
“After? You mean like... we’re d-de...”
“Dead.”
“Dead.”
“I don’t think I’m dead.”
“How can I be in your mind if I am?”
“I don’t know.”
“Am I real?”
“I don’t know.”
“I feel real. You feel real.”
“I don’t know!”
“Shh, shh, it’s okay. I’m here...”
“No, you’re not!”
“Shhh, shhh, I’ve got you.”
“... I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s ah... understandable, I guess. Am I figment of your imagination?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, how is this remotely epidermal? Medical? How is this healing anything? It’s just torture!”
“Maybe that’s what it’s supposed to be.”
“That’s awful!”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“Conjuring you up, maybe? Pulling you away from... whatever?”
“I don’t remember it, Miko. I don’t recall dying.”
“That’s good. No pain.”
“... yeah. Miko...”
“Yes?”
“Do you... do you miss me? Does anyone?”
“Of course we do! I do. Everyday. At night, I light a candle.”
“You do?”
“Yes. For you.”
“Why?”
“So you can find me, if you want.”
“I want.”
“I want you to.”
“I’ll try, then. Tonight, I’ll try.”
“I wish I--”
“I wish I had, too.”
“You’re only saying that because you’re a figment of my imagination and I want you to say it. I want closure.”
“Maybe. Do you care?”
“No.”
“Neither do I.”
“Are you... are you really here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Will you try to find the candle?”
“Yes. I... Miko, what are you...mmm. Oh. Oh. Your lips are soft.”
“Mmm.”
“Just... let me... mm. Just like I thought it - oh.”
“Peter.”
“Miko.”
“I - I’m sorry.”
“Me too, Miko. I - Miko. Miko? Miko? Miko! Don’t! Where did you - Miko!”
***
“Kusanagi?”
“Yes?”
“You were muttering. In Japanese.”
“Sorry.”
“Did device heal scar?”
“Yes, Radek. A little.”
END
Next: Ohashi