Rogue Planet: Volume Two, Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Mia enters Amilia’s room in the medical ward unceremoniously. In the old world it would have just been called a hospital, it’s called the medical ward now.
She pushes open the door to Amilia’s room, pausing for a moment. Mia feels stupid, with how she is dressed, what she is carrying.
Mia has never been one to express herself openly, she pauses and takes a breath, nervous actually. She reminds herself how irrelevant her concerns are.
This is so stupid.
She breaths out more calmly. She reminds herself of the horrors the two women have faced today, and what they survived. Oddly it brings her comfort. Her fear of expressing herself is akin to other’s fear of public speaking, though she is good at that.
Open the door Mia. She deserves it. You do to.
With this thought she steels herself, and opens the door to Amilia’s room. Odd apprehensions for someone who has been involved in so many combat missions. So many life or death situations. Her biggest fear is expressing herself, or the embarrassment that might come with it.
She closes her eyes just briefly as she enters. This centers her. When she opens them she is fully composed, fully confident.
She sees Amilia on the bed, seemingly asleep. Amilia’s forearms are both in casts. The young woman has burns over much of her body from the plasma cannon’s intense ultraviolet radiation. Fortunately these are the equivalent of a really, really bad sunburn, and nothing else. Still not to be underestimated though. Not to be taken lightly, and likely not very pleasant for Amilia. Easy for Mia to perceive it as a minor injury, as she is not the one suffering it. She reminds herself of this.
Mia walks to the bed, small box in hand.
She looks at Amilia for a moment, Amilia’s eyes still closed.
Amilia’s eyes open. She sees Mia. She appears startled.
She sort of recognizes Mia, and sort of doesn’t. Her blue uniform is certainly familiar, but this one is much more crisp and vibrant. The bandages around Mia’s head are gone, and her hair appears well kept, unlike the indifferent combat hair of earlier today. This throws Amilia off. Mia’s formal appearance. Amilia momentarily thinks she is in trouble, or that she is going to die.
Finally she fully recognizes Mia, as she begins to wake up. It confuses Amilia as to why she is here, but at least she recognizes her. They worked together all day in very strange combat. At least Mia is not going to kill her. Amilia hopes.
Amilia begins to fully wake up and realizes how irrational and disoriented these thoughts are.
“Mia.”
“Hello, Amilia.”
“Why are you here?”
Mia does not answer this at first. She looks at Amilia. Her face. Her body, covered in bandages. Mia feels responsible for this. It is not clear if that is true. The nature of combat.
Amilia looks around the room and has a better sense of where she is. And now she remembers why she is here. She feels comfort in the surroundings of the room, even though it is a cold and clinical medical facility. She knows they made it back. She knows they are safe. She is still confused as to why Mia is here. She looks around the room, and phrases the question differently.
“Why did you come visit me?”
“Who else would?”
It is a poignant question, and it is not clear if Mia meant it to be. Probably. She is still trying to overcome the fear of expressing herself.
Whoever Amilia knew in the old world is gone. And she does not seem to know anybody in this new world.
Amilia begins looking at Mia. Amilia is using the same odd expression she makes when she does not want to be read. Mia seems to know the young woman very well by now. It warms her heart. Mia smiles at the same expression that used to irritate her greatly, just earlier in the day.
Mia’s slight smile throws Amilia off yet again. She just can’t seem to win this one.
Mia looks at the young woman with her attempt at an unreadable expression, and her heterochromic eyes. Where her eye protection was, her welding goggles, her skin is still pale, as it normally is. The rest of Amilia’s body is the same tone as Mia’s, at least for now. The pale mask from the goggles and Amilia’s heterochromic eyes make her look exceptionally weird. Amilia is probably used to that.
“How are your arms?”
“They’re fine”
Amilia pulls the covers of the bed up over her casts, to hide her arms. It seems she has forgotten the convention of not showing your injuries to your enemy, for a moment. It doesn’t do her any good, her body is covered with bandages to deal with her burns. It is not easy to cover all of that.
Mia notices this.
“That is for the diplomats, Amilia…”
Mia pulls up the sleeve of her blue uniform and shows Amilia her bandaged, fractured wrist.
“...welcome to the club.”
Amilia is not totally sure what to make of this, but it seems Mia means it well. Amilia pulls her cast arms back out from under her blanket.
She rotates her arms. Shows Mia. And begins to explain.
“They’re both broken. But in a spiral pattern.”
Amilia rotates her arms as if she is operating a steering wheel of some kind, as this is how she broke them.
Mia understands. She nods at Amilia’s explanation.
“They hurt.”
“They would in a spiral pattern. That is a painful fracture.”
Amilia finds it odd how kind Mia is being. Not that she was ever cruel, but definitely aloof. Unpleasant. Amilia considers Mia’s statement for a moment.
“I thought you said you didn’t like me.”
Mia feels bad about this. And know she was wrong for saying so.
“You changed my mind.”
“Oh, so it’s my responsibility…
Mia raises her hands up slightly, still holding the small box, cutting Amilia off. She learns to be irritated at her again.
“Learn to take a compliment, Amilia.”
Tensions cool. Amilia realizes that Mia’s statement was well intentioned, but she is not sure what to make of it.
Mia breaks the awkward silence with something even more awkward.
“I brought you something Amilia.”
Mia is momentarily distracted by a large plastic plant in the room near Amilia’s bed. She walks over to it and touches one of the leaves. The leaf breaks off and crumbles in her hand.
What and odd thing to have around.
Mia sees the irony.
Amilia sits up in her bed and looks over at her.
“What are you doing.”
“Oh, nothing.”
Mia wipes the plastic powder from the fake plant onto her sleeve. She thinks better of it and pats it off. Amilia looks at her, still confused. Confused at her behavior.
Mia is becoming afraid again. Embarassed. She forces herself to overcome this. She turns around to Amilia.
“Here, I brought you this.”
She hands Amilia the box. Amilia is not sure what it is, or what the gesture means.
“A gift?”
Mia puts her hands up in a sign of I don’t know. Amilia opens the box.
Mia watches Amilia’s strange eyes as they look over the contents. She is puzzled at first, but then seems pleased. Amilia’s light skin around her eyes make it look like the small tree is illuminating her face. Mia knows this is an illusion, but thinks it looks cool.
Amilia takes the potted plant out of the box. In the middle of the loose brown dirt is a very small seedling. Barely green. Amilia understands it’s significance, sort of. She knows that it is important that a green plant has been grown into this world. Finally. She is careful not to drop the plant, cupping the small pot in both hands.
“Thanks?”
Amilia is not sure what she is supposed to do with it, but she understands it is meant as a nice gesture of some kind. Inconsistent with what she understands of Mia’s personality. But maybe she does not know Mia that well. She doesn’t.
“It’s a tree.”
“I see that.”
Mia pulls a chair over from the side of the room and sits down. Amilia is still looking at her.
“Why are you really here?”
Mia does not hesitate at this.
“They’re going to take fat from my butt cheeks and rebuild my bicep.”
Amilia looks at her differently than Mia has seen before, almost embarrassed, but not quite.
That’s a bit familiar.
Mia goes on to explain.
“It will restore some of the function, almost to normal.”
Amilia peers at her doubtfully. This is almost the most normal conversation they have ever had.
“And it’s not cosmetic.”
Mia thinks. Amilia has called her bluff, maybe more than one.
“Maybe a little cosmetic.”
Amilia thinks for a moment but says nothing.
Maybe that’s ok.
This conversation seems to be going the way Mia wants it to. Mia is opening up, in her own way. It does not come naturally.
Amilia is at ease. Mia is happy at this, it is her intention. Amilia lays back in her bed, she is less on guard, for now.
“And you wore a dress uniform for this?”
Mia is surprised Amilia noticed the distinction. She is happy? Embarrassed? Mia changes the subject.
“I wanted to say...thank you.”
“For what?”
Mia moves her eyes around a little bit in a sort of exasperation.
She gestures with her hands.
“When someone says thank you…”
Leave it at that.
Even Amilia notices Mia’s discomfort, and leaves the issue alone. She simply nods her head back and forth in understanding. This time Amilia changes the subject.
“The plant is interesting. Important.”
Mia reminds herself why she is here. Amilia’s future. Her skills are too great. Much will be requested of her. Mia finds herself protective of the young woman, having been through so much with her today. Doubting her. Undermining her. And then saved by her not once, but twice. She feels not so much guilt, but responsibility. Amilia continues.
“I am not sure what to do with it.”
“It’s okay, I just wanted to show you. It’s a good sign.”
“It is. I haven’t seen one is such a long time.”
Mia just now realizes that Amilia is no longer speaking in her Primeyan accent. But rather her flat, and fake, “Western” accent. Mia is not sure what to make of this and is not offended, it’s just the way Amilia is. Mia is not sure why. The tactic is effective, Mia forgets that she is talking to “the enemy”. Mia likes her either way.
Mia thinks of Amilia’s future, but also her present. The two are intertwined.
“I have some people I would like you to meet.”
“Are they Primeyan?”
“No.”
“Then why would I want to meet them.”
Mia considers this for a moment, and her response does not come out quite the way she means it. Perhaps she is being too open.
“Do you expect me to believe you had friends in Primeya?”
Amilia’s eyes widen. She appears genuinely hurt.
“Fuck You!”
Mia backs away from that. Hands a little bit up in surrender.
“I’m sorry...that’s not what I meant.”
“Then why’d you say it?”
Mia says nothing, still with her hands up a little.
The war is over Amilia. You’d think your side won it.
Mia knows not to say that. She frames her own face with her hands and lets her hands drop. She let’s the issue drop. Amilia cools down after a moment and also lets the issue go. Mia hates being vulnerable in front of other people, she is not very good at it.
A few moments go by.
Mia pulls a fabric sling for her arm out of her pocket and begins putting it on. She will need to wear it once her surgery is over. Her arm hurts more than she would like, she puts the strap around her neck and stabilizes her arm. Amilia is watching her. It is Mia who breaks the silence.
“There is a sunset soon. Xada says we should not miss it. Something special I guess. There is a bay window to the East in the hallway. If your able to move...do you want to watch it with me?”
First sunset in the new world.
It doesn’t take Amilia long to forgive Mia.
“Sure.”
Mia looks across the small room at what appears to be a beverage dispenser. Hot water with a mild stimulant. Plastic cups.
“Does that machine work?”
“I don’t know.”
Mia walks over and pushes the button over a plastic cup. The machine does work. The beverage dispenses. Mia grabs the cup with her left hand, avoiding the sling holding her right arm.
“I’ll meet you in the hallway.”