012

The tensions between Ravi and N are now very apparent. Every other minute, Rebecca and I alternate running to the complete opposite side of the hospital to deliver messages to the other, asking how they are doing, if they need anything. We pass on everything from snippets of unfinished conversations to notes to candy bars and finally to extra portions of food, a small delicacy within the hospital.

With each passing day, the two of them are starting to regain their health. Color has gradually returned to N’s face, the bruises from before now slowly fading into streaks of dull purple and yellow. He can walk, though he needs crutches to support him, and a nurse constantly at his side to monitor his every move.

Ravi, on the other hand, is still restricted to his room, even tied down to his bed with medical red tape to ensure he won’t try and get up, only to further injure himself. Some specialists from Skypeak came in yesterday to repair his mechanics and patched over the visible gears and hardware that had been visible when the virus had eaten away at his skin. Rebecca and I had watched him quietly as the specialists set to work with their various tools and computers. In all honesty, Ravi almost looked bored as he sat there waiting for them to finish up, like this was something that happened everyday. He shot a thumbs-up to me from across the room and I forced myself to dismiss the thought from my mind.

Even with N’s constant pain limited mobility, he’s always working on the Revive Effect. A little notebook tucked into his pocket that he carries around with him everywhere, containing various designs and sketches detailed out in neat penmanship. I often see him and my father together, and on good days when N can make it down to the cafeteria without any help, the two of them reserve a whole table to themselves, heads bowed together over blueprints.

Recently, however, N and my father meet in secret. I never know the location, which I guess to be the whole point. I’m not exactly sure why the two of them decided to make the transition, especially since I had been part of the original meeting before. Naturally, I assume it has to do with the fact that I’m completely clueless when it comes to computer science and coding, I would only slow them down. Still, I’m a bit puzzled.

With a coffee in hand (a treat that N had generously paid for for all our “hard work”, even though I wasn’t doing anything of the sort) a hand grabs my elbow and I’m spun around.

“Mari, I need to talk to you,” Ken whispers. His brows are furrowed together, his face sullen.

“Oh...ok, sure. Is everything alright?”

“Not here, we can’t talk here.” he murmurs back and shakes his head, eyes darting side to side like he’s afraid of being discovered, “we need to talk in private.”

I feel my own features mirror his expression as I purse my lips together. Without waiting for my response, he simply tugs on my elbow and guides me back upstairs until we reach the hospital commons. He checks around the corners and his hands settle on my shoulders.

“Ok. No one’s here, we’re safe.”

“What’s going on? Why are you being so secretive?”

His suddenly serious demeanor has me nervous, the pit of my stomach feeling like it’s writhing around like a pile of worms.   

“Some officials from Skypeak have been talking to me” he says suddenly. His words have me stunned into silence, and I blink quickly a few times to process what he’s just said. I honestly have no idea how to react. What would the government want with him in the first place?

“About?” I ask quietly. Ken pauses to draw in a breath and continues to gaze at me. His eyes seem to pierce right through my body, like I’m not even there.

“The Revive Effect. They want me to be the first case, they want me to be Subject Zero.” Ken’s response is so quiet that it barely registers in my ears above a whisper. I stumble backwards, bumping into the wall now pressed up against my back.

“That’s impossible. My dad said that they’re still trying to figure out how they can have two personalities in the same body,” I shoot back almost angrily as heat courses through my body, all the way down to my fingertips.

“They told me they’ve worked something out that could work,” he says in such a calmly manner that I almost want to punch him, at least it’ll knock some sense into him that way. I shake my head and run a hand through my hair.

“What the does that even mean, Ken?”

His expression hardens and his eyes fully focus back to me.

“It means that I’ll be able to help people.” he snaps and his lip curls over his teeth, “why are you so against this?”

“I’m not against the Revive Effect, I’m against the fact that you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into!” I retort and step up so I’m looking directly up into his face, so close that our noses are almost touching, “It’s too dangerous to sign yourself over right now, especially since this project is still in the early stages of development. Besides, what do you think N is gonna say? He’s the one working so hard to make sure this all goes right, you can’t go headlong into this and rush him.”

“N is the one who made this mess.” Ken says through gritted teeth.

I push him hard in the chest and he quickly catches himself, fire burning in his eyes as he regains his footing.

“I know you don’t really think that. The media’s feeding you bull and it’s getting to your head.”

He doesn’t answer me and only stares at the floor, his hands balled tight into fists at his sides. I let out a pent up sigh, throwing my hands up into the air as all the anger and tension over the past weeks finally boil to the surface and I don’t hold back.

“You know what, Ken? I get that you admire Ravi, I get it. But if you want to be like him so badly, take some goddamn pointers. He knows that N made a mistake, a mistake that almost cost him his life, but you don’t see him dangling it over his head. Ravi’s opening up to him again, and you of all people should be supporting that decision.”  

I’m completely out of breath, panting, the frame of my vision tainted bright red. Part of me feels horrible for using Ravi as leverage, the other part of me wanting to tear into Ken even more to expose the truth, furious at him for being so biased.

His eyes flicker up to meet mine and he holds my gaze for what feels like an eternity, regret written all over his face.

Before he can open his mouth, before he can say anything to change my mind, I brush past him and leave the commons, sprinting back to the main hospital wing as fast as my legs can carry me.

~~

I sit huddled on the linoleum floor, head buried against my arms as I attempt to calm myself down. Hot tears pour relentlessly down my cheeks and my chest feels impossibly tight, too constricted as I struggle to get oxygen to my brain.

I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder and look up to see N standing there, leaning on his crutches with that crooked smile of his on his lips.

Setting the crutches down carefully, he slowly moves into a sitting position, sighing as he rests his exhausted body against the wall. I nestle my head against his shoulder, pressing myself against his side, the familiar feeling of having my friend next to me bringing me all the comfort I ever needed in that moment. With his soothing fingers running through my hair, I close my eyes and let myself relax.

A/N: This one is a bit shorter, I'm sorry :C 

The fight scene with Ken and Mari was a bit difficult to write for me personally, bc I think Ken would never say something like that about N, just that the current situations reguarding Ravi has pushed him too far. What do you guys think, do you think Ken will change his mind about the Revive Effect?

I also tried to find a super serious gif of Ken and this was literally the best I could find. he's literally so :D all the time 

Until next time, readers!

xoxo Sahara