Chapter Text
It had been raining since they had parted ways and now is no different. Rain water and blood from the wound in his side, mixing in the pooling water around him. The moon light casts a sickly glow over his sweat covered skin. His vision was starting to blur and thinking was becoming harder. What did Ratio tell him before the mission? Do stay alive? Or was that from an earlier mission? He didn't know anymore. The rain seemed almost harder than before, coming down in heaps as he laid in his own blood. He could almost hear Ratio's voice call for him but it was so foggy he couldn't be sure until a splash of water hits his face. "Gambler! Stay with me! Where are you hurt?" The doctor asks frantically as he takes off the alabaster head. How had he never realized how handsome the doctor truly was until now? "Veritas? haa... was... your meeting? Go well?" He says with a weak chuckle. Ratio responds with a not-so-happy look, causing a weak smile from the blond. He says something to him, but not a word was heard. All his limbs are so heavy and he's so tired. The rain falls silent as the world fades to black.
By the time he woke up, the rain had passed to bright, summer sky's. The room before him was colorless and smelled of medicine and the sterile smell of cleaning products. The stark white of the room was something he's seen a thousand times before. Great, another hospital room. He thinks as he shifts to sit up. The cold along with the pain in his side followed by the monitor beeping next to him halts his movements. With a click, the door opens as a woman in blue scrubs wearing an annoyed look walks in, a medical mask hanging from her ear. She brushes her strawberry blond hair behind her ear before talking. "Oh! You’re up. Good afternoon, Mr. Aventurine." Her overly sweet voice rings out through the almost dead silent room. "How are you feeling?" He didn't know how to answer that yet, his head was still cloudy and the dull throb in his side didn't help clear it any faster, nor did the cold. He truly just wants to go back to sleep. Sleep off the pain, the fogginess, the annoyance, everything. He turns his head to the side, looking out the large windows on the far side of the room. He can’t say he hates sunny days, but he really wishes it was at least partly cloudy with a chance of rain.
He didn't know how to feel about the rain. It was a friend and a foe; a gift and a curse. It was beautiful and he loved the smell of petrichor, but the rain never came on nice days. His people saw the rain as a gift from their goddess, Mama Fenge. The rain was Gaiathra Triclops’ way of forgiveness. But the day he lost all he knew, it rained the most.
The Katicans came, stripping his sister from him as the world he knew burned to the ground. He ran as fast as he could. He didn't look back, running even if his feet couldn't hold him. He never stopped running; even now, as the last Avgin alive.
Eventually, he pulls his eyes away from the bright sunny sky, looking back to the nurse with tired eyes. "Why is it so cold in here?" He asks. It was almost hard to speak with how dry his mouth and throat was, but when he does, the voice that comes out almost scares him. It's deep, broken and soft from underuse, almost hurting to speak. The nurse doesn't flinch at his voice or really show she cared at all. "You lost a lot of blood so we had to give you a blood transfusion. A common side effect is fevers, chills, nausea, headaches, shortness of breath, and increased heart rate." She answers, checking the monitors. That explains a lot. She makes a note on her clipboard before going through the standard procedures; checking his blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart rate, and the I.V. supplying him with water.
"Now that you’re awake, let’s get your meds set up. We’re going to start you with some anticoagulants to make sure the new blood doesn’t clot.” She explains as she works quickly, changing the I.V. bag from water to said medicine. He nods gently, trying not to move too much so as to not increase the dizziness. He was used to this kinda stuff. Not his first time in a hospital, not by a long shot. He knew what to do, what not to do, what to say, what not to. Even with throbbing pain in his head and the heavy nausea clouding his mind, he knew. Some would say he’s reckless, and he’d have to agree. He never cared much for keeping himself alive. Most of, if not all of his brilliant plains resulted in him getting seriously hurt or landing in the hospital. “Okay, you’re all done, sir.” Her sweet yet annoyed voice rings out, snapping him from his thoughts. “Uh… okay.” He answers, the cold seeping back into his bones. She gives a nodded bow, walking out of the room. The formality was something he didn’t miss. He hated the condescending niceness. He knew they hated him and what he was. The kindness was as fake as he was. That’s why he liked Dr. Ratio.
Oh, Ratio.
The last time he saw the purple haired man, he was kneeling in front of the half dead blond. Where is he now? Is he alright? He seemed alright when Aventurine saw him last, but he was also bleeding out, so he had no room to judge. Would Ratio visit? He had too many questions that would be left unanswered. Did he even want to ask them? No. No he didn’t. Ratio would come back to him, scolding him for being reckless and getting himself nearly killed like he always did. No matter what.
With no need to worry for the doctor, he’ll have to find another way to keep himself entertained. He couldn’t stand. He just had a blood transfusion, he’d pass out the second he stood. Plus the pain would make his knees buckle. He had his phones. He most definitely had emails. Welp, that’s something I could do. It would not be fun, but it was something.
It kept him entertained long enough. His hands shook as he scrolled through the endless sea of emails, none of which were really important. And none of which were from people he cared to know. Would anyone know about this? Jade had too. She handled almost all missions he did. Would Topaz know? Would she even care? They had a little bit of a sibling relationship, but she still seemed to find him more annoying than anything. Ratio knew. He’d bet good money that Ratio took him to the hospital. The blanket being set on his lap startled him. He needed to bring his guard up, he couldn’t afford not to. He nods a thank you, adjusting the blanket. The nurse smiles, turns on her heels, and walks out.
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Boredom didn’t even begin to explain what he felt. It had only been 3 days, his injuries hadn’t healed yet, but he needed out. He could discharge himself (perks of being a Stoneheart) but, Jade would send him right back. He hates hospitals. So much. There was nothing to do, which made his brain wander to parts he didn’t want to remember. As he stares out the large windows to his right, the light starts to turn a dark, smoky orange.
“Kakavasha, you need to run. Okay? Keep running and don’t look back.” The voice floods his ears as he looks over a sea of dead and dying. He turns, looking back at the slightly tall woman. Her long blonde hair dyed red with her blood and the blood of others, singed at the ends. “No! I can’t leave you, sister!” He felt himself pleading, though his mouth never moved. “Trust me, Micuțul, I'll be alright. I’ll come find you when it’s over. Okay?” She takes hold of his little hand, holding it to hers; palm to palm, forehead to forehead.
“May the Mother Goddess close her eyes thrice for you, keeping your blood eternally pulsing. May your journeys forever be peaceful, and your schemes forever concealed.”
She whispers to him before gently pushing him away. “Go now, Kakavasha. Run, and don’t look back.” He holds onto her for a second longer, reluctant to let her go. Then he does, running as fast as he can. Running away from his sister, away from the bodies falling, away from the blood, away from the fire, away from his life. Tears welled in his eyes, clouding his vision. The smell of smoke and blood made him cough. The pain in his legs pushed him forward. He sobbed. It was his birthday, the rebirth of Giathra. Could this be his fault? Could the dead mothers, fathers and children he runs past be his fault? Finding a small cave, he dropped to his knees and crawled in, panting, crying, bleeding. The screams filled his ears. The darkness only amplifies the noise. He wanted it to stop. He needed it to stop. He closed his eyes tight.
The loud, fast beep of the heart monitor fades in as he blinks. The sky is bright, the trees sway in the gentle breeze, the hospital bed is soft and damp from the tears pouring from his eyes. He reaches up, touching the raining tears flowing down his cheeks. The air feels too thin to breathe, like he can’t get enough.
The rushed click of high heels tells him the nurses know something’s wrong. He needs to calm down now. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he readjusts himself in an attempt to calm his racing heart. How could he explain this to them? Fuck, he didn’t have a clue. His breathing didn’t slow as he tried to find an excuse. Most of The Sigonian Incident was sealed away, only for the top of the IPC to know.
“Mr. Aventurine! What happened?” The nurse says with a faked niceness. He didn’t remember her name, nor any names of the people who’ve come to treat him. “Yes, I'm fine. I simply-”
“Understood. Let me just check your vitals…” She says, cutting him off. God he hates when people do that. He turns away from her, already tired of being here, almost more than he was before. “You’re now allowed visitors.” She says without sparing him so much as a glance. “Thank you for informing me.” He says in the nicest voice he can muster. He had to wonder who would come first, if anyone came at all. Did he even look presentable? He’d been in a hospital for a while now so, probably not. He didn’t have his makeup on either. Turning back to the nurse, he watched her finish up her notes. She worked quickly, like she didn’t want to be here either. She also seemed to always face him, even if it was her just half turned to him. Could she feel unsafe with him?
Without so much as a word to him, she turns on her high heels and walks out of the room. The click of her heels echoes through the room as she makes her departure. He hates how fake people are sometimes, though he can’t really say anything. He hates the IPC. If the men-in-black never showed up, or even just showed up later, the Avgin would have had a chance to live. Now he’s the only one alive and a slave to the IPC. But hey, who isn’t a little fake, right?
He tentatively places a hand to the wound on his side, testing if it still hurts. A mild stinging ache spreads up his side at the touch. He moves his hands to rest in his lap, softly playing with his I.V cord. It’s been changed from meds to water again. Just thinking about it makes his throat dry. He could drink the disgusting soup they made him, though it looks more like sewage than food. He missed the food of home. It was nothing special, just goat milk soup with the few herbs they had and goat meat, but it was still better than hospital sludge.
With the numbness in his legs kicking in, he slides out of bed, holding onto the headboard of the bed as he stands. He may not be able to move around too much without ripping open his wound, but at least he could walk around his room. He wraps a hand around the pole of the I.V stand, pulling it along with him while keeping himself steady. His skin is back to its warm, lively olive color from the sickly pale it was before. He ignored the dizziness, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.
Due to the blood loss, he’d have temporary anemia for a while. It’s annoying to say the least, but he’ll make due. He watched his heart rate on the monitors jump slightly from the movement. He’d have to stay close to the bed to not rip them off. Letting his hand glide across the bed frame, he walks to the chair next to the monitors. From his own experiences, he knows people sit here when they visit. He’d have nothing to do for a while, so he chose to walk. The room was starting to fall dark when a familiar voice rang from the doorway.
“It’s fine, ma’am. I was on the mission.” Ratio says as he steps inside the room just to be met with an empty bed. Aventurine sat just on the other side, resting on the floor. Why would Ratio be the first visitor?! “Gambler?” Ratio asks with disgusting concern. Aventurine could feel his face drop. He hated that sound; the concern in his voice, that hint of worry. Aeons, how he wished he could take that worry away for all eternity. He would have shot straight off the floor if not for the whole anemia thing. “I’m here, Doc.” Aventurine says with the calmest tone he could muster. The only response he got was a sigh.
The click of Ratio’s dress shoes sounds as he walks throughout the room, setting his bags in the chair. Aventurine instinctively tenses as the sound of his footsteps round the edge of the bed. Not a word is exchanged as Ratio sits on the floor next to him. Worry shoots through Aventurine’s already crowded mind as he hides his left hand under his leg. “I assume you’re doing well if you managed to get up and sit on the floor.” Ratio says, calm and collected. The blonde gives an anxious chuckle. “Like I’d die and leave you alone on that hellscape. Luck is on my side, as always, Ratio.” He jokes, a cocky smile fitting right back into its place. Ratio made a sour face but made no comment. “By this point, I'm inclined to believe it is luck. You’ve walked the line of death more times than I could count, Gambler.” Ratio responds. “I’m glad to see you’re alright.” He notes at the end, almost too soft, too close. As much as he hates it, Aventurine has to keep him at arms length. If he lets Ratio get too close, he could lose the doctor.
“When do you think I'll get out? You know the injury, right?” Aventurine asks, desperately looking for an escape from the burning in his chest, to which Ratio nods. “It will be months before you’re healed enough to be discharged. Four months if you limit your activity and have a nutritious diet. From what your report says, you managed to defend yourself well enough to not cause major injuries. It is still a stab wound to the abdomen, so it will be no easy feet to heal it.” Ratio explains, sitting straighter as if he was talking to a student. “If Lady Bonajade has any say in whether or not you're discharged, I'd assume about 6 months, give or take a few months as she makes her own opinion on the information given.” Aventurine hums thoughtfully at the information. “She does.”
For the next twenty minutes, Ration explained his condition, what to eat, and how long it will take to heal. The two talked, mostly Ratio, with little distraction; the conversation coming to an end when Ratio checks his watch. “If I'm to make my next lecture, I'd best head out now. I will visit you when possible, Gambler.” Ratio says, standing from his seat on the floor and gathering his belongings. Aventurine didn’t bother to say goodbye, he didn’t want to think about Ratio leaving. “Ever punctual, Ratio.” Aventurine jokes, forcing a smile onto his lips. The second the door closes, his smile drops as the world fades around him. Too close, too caring, to… loving. I have to keep him away, I cannot let him near. I cannot lose him…
That night it rained suddenly. The forecast said there would be no sign of “bad weather” for two weeks, and yet, here it is… raining. He laid watching the moonlight paint the falling water, bathing the world in the silver tears. This is going to be a long 6 months.
Ratio, true to his word, visits Aventurine in between lectures and IPC projects, visiting in the early morning or late afternoons. After weeks of these visits, it becomes the only highlight of Aventurine’s otherwise bleak day. Ratio only misses a few days, “strictly missions” He’d say the day before. The days he’s not there stretch into eternity, plaguing his mind to wander to darker worlds. Today was one of those days, ones where he sits alone, in an empty room, with nothing but the heart monitor to listen to; looking into the wall ‘till he boars a hole through it. By this point, he wishes that son of a bitch just killed him instead. But, he didn’t- of course he didn’t- so he’ll just have to persevere through the boredom. At least he could walk a bit more now. He’d been wondering throughout his room, trying to ease the boredom and annoyance from his mind.
A woman's voice sounds from behind the door while he’s mid-thought. A sense of disdain floods through his veins, contorting his face in disgust. I swear if it’s her, I might get charged with murder again. He thinks, taking a deep breath to compose himself. As the door just cracks, a glint of red says what he needed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Topaz.” The nurse says as the click of her heels slowly dissipates. Aventurine sits up as straight as he can. Although she’s a… friend? He can’t let his guard down; that one slip will cost him a lot. Topaz takes one step in, closing the door behind her. “So, Aventurine, have fun dying on another planet?” She asks, shifting her weight onto one foot while crossing her arms. That was topaz for you, ever the sarcastic. She sets a backpack down on the chair, sitting on the edge of his hospital bed instead. “I heard you got stabbed. Honestly surprised that was enough to take you out.”
“It wasn’t.” Aventurine corrects with his normal cocky mask fixed firmly into place. “That was just one thing in a long list of injuries. The docs just say that’s the worst one.”
“Wow.” She says, unimpressed. “Did you hit a kidney?”
“No. Near miss. A few inches to the right and it would have been a direct hit.”
“Damn, such a shame. I guess Joe owes me 30 dollars.” She says with a sigh, shrugging her shoulders as she looks dejectedly to the floor. Aventurine couldn’t help the surprised bark of laughter that split from his lips. “You bet on me dying?”
“No, I bet on you getting hurt; not your death. Joe bet you’d get stabbed in a vital organ.” Topaz corrects, sticking her finger in his face. Aventurine lets out a humored sigh. “Still making bets on my death, so nice of you~ Any who, what’s in the bag?” Aventurine questions, cocking his head in the direction of the backpack. Topaz follows his nod, making a small ‘o’ sound. “I know you’re bored, soooo… I brought you some shit.”
“Oh?” Aventurine asks with no response. Topaz puts the backpack on his lap, motioning for him to open it. He looks down at the bag then up at his friend, tilting his head in a silent question. “Don’t ask me, just open it.” She responds, sitting in the chair provided. Aventurine rolls his eyes, pulling the backpack close as he opens it. “I might have packed your desk…” Topaz mumbles as Aventurine looks at his laptop and notebooks; his work supplies. He cocks his head at her, confused by her actions. “Did Jade okay this?” He asks, pulling out his laptop and setting it on his lap. He watches her smug face as she shrugs, crossing her arms under her chest. “You know, if she finds out-”
“Oh hush, you’re fine. Jade doesn’t need to know.” Topaz argues, waving him off with the flick of her wrist. Aventurine pinches the bridge of his nose as he lets out a harsh exhale. “I blame you.” He mutters under his breath while singing into the laptop. Topaz smiles at his murmur as she leans back in the chair, rolling her eyes at his comment. Silence stretched between them; Topaz on her phone and Aventurine on his laptop, both in their own world. This was common for them. Topaz once hid in Aventurine's office for so long that Jade thought she left early. “Topaz, does Lady Bonajade know you are here?” Aventurine asks after about an hour of silence. Topaz looks up from her phone, meeting his gaze. “She’s aware. She’ll also come see you when the sun sets.” Aventurine wasn’t surprised by that answer, Jade always kept tabs on them. It’s not that she doesn’t trust the two, but that she doesn’t trust the two with others. Aventurine nods silently, turning his attention back to his work. At least this was better than staring at the sky all day.
Aventurine knew the second Jade walked into the hospital. Wherever she goes, the people either worship the ground she walks on, or cowers in fear. “Lady Jade, please enjoy your visit!” His good-for-nothing nurse gushes, falling head over heels for Jade. Aventurine has already closed the laptop, resting it besides him on the bed. Topaz has put her phone away, now standing next to the bed with one hand on her hip. “Aventurine, how are you feeling?” Jade asks, resting a feather light hand on the shoulder of both Topaz and Aventurine. He bristles at the touch, clenching his jaw. He smiles, light failing to reach his eyes. “I’m doing fine, Lady Bonajade. Supposedly, I will be well enough for release soon.” Jade smiles, one that Aventurine doesn’t like much. Yeah, I'm not leaving. His smile becomes rigid as Jade smiles at topaz before backing away. “Does Ratio agree with that consensus?” Jade asks, eyes narrowing slightly. Her tone, sweet like sugar, hides an undertone of pure venom. Aventurine knows she hates the nurses here just as much as he does. “He agrees. Ratio says I'm healing well.” He lies, desperately wanting to get out of this place. Jade’s smile seems to soften when she tilts her head slightly. He’s still got it.
Jade lets out a soft breath, relaxing her shoulders and eyes. “Very well. Why don’t we get some food? I’m sure hospital food is not to your liking.” Jade calls out as she walks out of the room, heading to discharge Aventurine. His lips turn up at the corners slightly, the faintest hint of a real smile. Topaz elbows his arm, standing up from the chair and following after Jade. Once again, he finds himself alone, but he can’t help but smile.