Middy and Polo

Bang!
I jumped at the sound of a gunshot, fully awakening from my forced sleep. I blinked rapidly, the world a fuzzy blur as I struggled to see what was going on. I sat up in the back seat of the car, my violet eyes finally focusing. The car was now empty, and I peered out the back window to see a still figure on the ground. I gasped, looking up to see Laiko blowing softly on the gun in his hand. "Hello?!" I yelled, knowing it was no use. I tried to open the backseat car doors, sighing softly when they wouldn't open. There must have been child lock on them. I carefully climbed up to the front seat, finally opening the door and climbling out. My muscles ached as I stretched lightly. I looked at the people nervously, feeling skittish as I ran over to Laiko. They watched me incredulously, as if I was walking into an obvious death trap. "What is going on?" I whispered to him, feeling frightened. First I lost my mother and brother, and now this... It was amazing how it all happened. "Let's go." A man said quickly, and a few dropped their weapons and scuttled over to retrieve the dead body, which they stuffed into the back seat of the car along with a few men. Then they left, leaving everything quiet and still. "You must have done something to have them after you," I whispered, "And whatever it was, you were good at it. Maybe you were a spy?" I asked curiously, forgetting my own sadness with the new curiousity.

Laiko glanced briefly at Ada as she ran over to him, but he kept the main part of his attention focused on the group before him - his gun pointed directly at them. He wouldn't trust them as far as he could throw them, which for him as somewhat uncharacteristic, since he was by nature a trusting and forgiving sort. However, something about these men rang a bell in his head, only he had no idea what it meant, which only made him more suspicious if anything... Suddenly, Ada's whispered question broke through his thoughts. "What's going on?" She asked quietly. "I don't know." Laiko replied in a low growl, speaking quietly out of the corner of his mouth without so much as looking at Ada as he continued to glare threateningly at the men who were now watching her with obvious incredulity. Laiko frowned slightly at their reactions. Were they that scared of him...? What sort of hard-ass had he been, anyway? Finally, they gathered themselves and their felled friend together, the leaped into the car and drove away. Laiko released a relieved sigh, instantly releasing the tension from his muscles and slumping over, dropping his gun-arm to his side. Without his tense, threatening stance he seemed to shrink a good few inches. "Ada!" He gasped, apparently becoming fully aware of her presence for the first time. He tugged her roughly into a brief, one-armed hug, then released her again. "I thought I lost you." He murmured quietly, gazing at her reproachfully. He half wanted to rant and rave and tell her to be more careful, but he was wise enough to know that doing so would be uncalled for, illogical, and pointless, even if it would help him to vent... Hadn't he done enough venting already? He had ki- Wait... Had he actually killed a man?! Laiko's eyes gradually widened in shock and he reluctantly lowered his horror-struck gaze to the gun in his hand, then to the pool of blood on the floor, evidently repulsed by what he had done. He was going to have a major breakdown here if he wasn't careful...
Laiko shook his head violently and discarded the gun, flinging it harshly away from him so that it ricocheted off the walls, then skid along the cold stony ground, drawing up sparks for the briefest of moments before lying still and gleaming innocently in the soft light. Laiko repressed a shudder an turned away from the deceptive sight, focusing instead on what Ada was saying. " I did 'something' all right..." Laiko muttered in response, a slight bitterness to his tone, "I just hope I never find out what it was, since I somehow doubt I'll be able to live with myself if I do..." He concluded softly, glancing briefly at Ada before his gaze slid back over to the gun. "Let's get out of here." He suggested nervously, "I don't like those things. They change me."

I took a deep breath. What if he had changed for good? He certianly wouldn't want to hang out with a person like me; It was unbelieveable to me that he was still here, and I was scared that one day I would wake up and be alone, having been right driven out by me and my antics. Nobody could put up with me for long, even my mother and brother. Those cold nights when I wondered if she missed me; of course not. And I didn't miss her, either. I would think, who cares about her? You do, stupid. That was what always came to me. "Ada!" Laiko gasped, finally becoming completley aware of me. He tugged me into a brief, one-armed hug, then released her again. He was warm, and I thought I could hear his heart racing, but the moment was too breif for me to be sure. "I thought I lost you." He murmured quietly, his green eyes meeting my gaze. I let out a sigh of relief, glad that my greatest(and only) friend seemed okay. I watched Laiko curiously as his eyes widened and he looked down at the gun in his hand. He had this horrid look on his face, as the fact he had killed someone fully registered. From all the time I had lived on the streets, it didn't faze me; in this city, people dropped like flies. Murders were sudden, deaths came fast. Many people starved to death. To runaways and other people living on the streets, it was a common cycle. I had just kept my nose out of trouble and stayed away from others, always keeping enough distance between me and others. It seemed to be the safest way, at least. I flinched as Laiko shook his head violently, flinging the metal gun away from him harshly. The sound of the metal on the cold, hard alpshalt gave me a splitting headache, and I bit my tounge. Usually, these things didn't effect me, so I had no idea why they suddenly would now. The sound reminded me of nails being scraped down a black chalkboard and I shuddered. "Let's get out of here." He suggested nervously, "I don't like those things. They change me." I sighed, looking up at him. "I need to know these things? How can I trust you, if I know nothing about you? For all I know, you could be-" My voice was rising with every word, and I cut myself off from what I had been about to say. For all I know, you could be an ex-murderer of something. What if he had caught on? He certainly wouldn't be my friend then, and I wouldn't be a very good friend for calling him a murderer. Why did I have to be so... so... me, I guess? I bit my lip, tears filling my eyes as I looked away from him. All my walls seemed to be crashing down on me now, suffering under all of the pressure. How could I deal with all of this? Why should I deal with all of this? I had no idea how I could, or why I should, but I just had to keep going on. "You're right. Let's go." I said, my voice barely a whisper. I began to walk, wanting to take his hand but unsure of how he would react to that. Even under the hot sun, I shivered as a cold chill came over me, walking stiffly and feeling very numb as the sun began to warm me, offering what little comfort it could.

Laiko's breath caught in his throat at Ada's words, and he suddenly felt the weight of the world come crashing down on his shoulders. "I need to know these things? How can I trust you, if I know nothing about you? For all I know, you could be-" She could have said anything... Anything, and he'd have been able to deal with it. But that?! She had spoken the exact words that had been haunting his mind. And even more painful was what she didn't say. A 'what', exactly? What did she think he had been? He didn't know himself! What was he supposed to do?! What could he do...? He didn't like it any more than she did... Laiko felt his gaze drop to the ground, and he made no move to resist. He gulped past the lump in his throat as he struggled to get his thoughts in order, bu it wasn't happening. He couldn't handle this... Not here... Not now... "What, exactly?" Laiko asked quietly, his words leaving his lips in the sort of sinister whisper he had never used - except when faced by those attackers. "What, exactly, could I be? If you have any ideas - please enlighten me! I'd rather like to know myself!" He growled darkly. He jerked his head up then, and fixed her with a glare - his bright green eyes shadowing over and darkening in colour until he seemed positively deadly. His expression was dangerously calm, yet furious. Though he had never used it, except with those attackers of course, it somehow seemed to fit his usually placid face, in a twisted, demented sort of way. His fists were clenched and shaking - as though he was attempting to restrain himself from slamming them into her face - just as he had done with Amanda (?) what seemed like decades ago, though it was really only a manner of hours... "You say you need to know these things." Laiko went on, his fists unclenching now and his gaze flicking to the ground once more, "But what am I supposed to do about it? I don't know why you trusted me in the first place, so I can't give you reason to do so now. You're right... I'm unpredictable... I'm untrustworthy. I can't even trust myself. I don't even know myself..." He went on, his voice gradually getting softer and weaker until he was basically just speaking to himself. "I don't even know who I am!" He concluded his voice rising for a moment until he was almost shouting, then breaking suddenly as he lapsed into silence. He stood for a moment with his eyes closed, his entire body taken by a slight trembling, then his knees gave way and he slid to the ground. His back rested against the wall, Laiko buried his face in his palms and tried to block out the world. He felt terrible now... Awful. Why the hell had he said all that to Ada?! Those were the sort o thoughts one kept in their head, dammit! And here he was supposed to be her friend... Well, if the definition of 'friend' was worthless scum, then he had succeeded.
A strangled sob escaped Laiko's lips, and he found himself drawing his knees up to his chest and hiding his face - half wishing that a hole in the ground would just open up and drag him down to hell. He didn't deserve any better...
Laiko's trembling soon became more violent, and to his dismay, he found tears prickling at the back of his eyes. Well... When all was said and done, no matter what he had done in the past, he was still just a boy. He didn't have the emotional strength to rein in his emotions forever, especially not when he was so confused and insecure. He felt as though the ground was shifting beneath his feet - like the world was trying to shake him off, and the ground was splitting and crumbling - anything to make him fall. He had no solid grip on reality. He had no firm ground to stand on. He didn't even have an identity, so how could he be sure of his existence?! What if his entire life was just an apparition? He had no proof of his own existence... So then, what was he? He didn't understand... Didn't understand anything. It was just one big ocean of confusion, and above all that... Above all that was the ever-painful knowledge that he had now dragged Ada into that abyss with him. It was all his fault... She was right to distrust him. Hopefully she would have the sense to keep walking... To disown him... Before he got her killed, or even worse, came to some socking realisation and perhaps killed her himself. He couldn't even promise that he wouldn't... He didn't know himself well enough to make honest promises. For all he knew, he could change in the blink of an eye.

I turned around when Laiko began to speak, stopping in my tracks. "What, exactly?" The words held no harm, but the way he said them made me flinch. "Nevermind-" I began to say, but Laiko was speaking again. "What, exactly, could I be? If you have any ideas - please enlighten me! I'd rather like to know myself!" This made no sense. He was shaking with anger, his hands clenched into fists. I knew he was fully capable of taking me down, even killing me, and I took a small step back. "You say you need to know these things." Laiko went on, his fists unclenching now, "But what am I supposed to do about it? I don't know why you trusted me in the first place, so I can't give you reason to do so now. You're right... I'm unpredictable... I'm untrustworthy. I can't even trust myself. I don't even know myself..." He went on, his voice getting softer. "I don't even know who I am!" He was almost yelling now, and I yelled back. "You say you want to know, but you don't! I knew exactly how to find out, but you refuse to know! Wouldn't you rather know, then be walking around wondering for the rest ofn your life?" I stopped, my eyes brimmed with tears. I watched him crumple to the ground, and immediatley felt horrible. I looked down at him, listening to his strangled sobs and knowing it was all my fault. Right to the end. I went over to him, pulling my knees in and looking up, offering nothing but a bit of company. Laiko had me completely confused. I just didn't understand. "I- I-" I broke off, figuring that right now, I should just be quiet. I kept my gaze skyward, a soft sigh escaping my parched lips. Some friend I was.

Laiko glanced up at Ada's words, his jaw clenched in defensive anger. His eyes were bright with unshed tears as he replied, his voice dangerously soft, yet seeming more like a roar than the almost-whisper it was. "Would I rather know?" He questioned softly, "Would I? I don't even know. I- If I find out- My whole life, it-" Laiko shook his head, and finally the tears spilled over. He cursed under his breath and and looked away, irritably sweeping his sleeve over his eyes. Why the hell was he being so emotional? He was jut embarrassing himself... And everything he said made him feel worse - because he instantly regretted it, yet the words leaped from his lips almost without his permission. He wasn't used to this... This wasn't him... He was always the positive one, the happy one, and he didn't know how to deal with anything else... Especially not this fear. It crippled his soul... "I- I-" Ada began to stutter something, and Laiko suddenly became aware of the fact that she was seated beside him. Before he could stop them, his lips spat out a snappish retort. "Just go. Leave me alone." He muttered bitterly, unable to manage more than a whisper without his voice cracking. Yet even as the bitter words left his lips - the weakness in his tone showed that he didn't really mean it. He needed a friend, and he knew it, but he just didn't know how to cope with feeling so vulnerable. It as like trying to learn how to control a whole new person... A part of himself he had never met before. How could he decide what to do...? Why couldn't Ada understand? Sure, it hurt not to know... But he was too scared to find out. What if he was a horrible person? He must have been if nobody missed him! What if he had committed sins he could never forgive himself for? What if he ended up wanting to kill himself...? What if he betrayed Ada? He didn't know who he was, and he didn't trust himself to be who he wanted to be after he regained those memories.

"Would I rather know?" He questioned softly, "Would I? I don't even know. I- If I find out- My whole life, it-" Laiko shook his head, the tears in his eyes spillling over. He seemed irritated, and probably embarrased, so I made a point of looking away. "Just go. Leave me alone." I sighed, not answering him as I looked up at the sky for a moment before gettting up. "I'll be at the house, that is when - if -" I looked away. "If you, still want to hang around me." My last sentence could barely be heard as I began to walk, unsure of how Laiko was feeling about me right now. Hearing faint barking and some squawking, I sighed and began to run towards the house, wondering what I would have to deal with there.
"Max!"
I looked around the house, my violet eyes widening as I took it all in. College papers and other such things were ripped and strewn around the room. One of the pillows had been bitten, and there was fluff from inside it all over the place. The antique TV had fallen off it's stand, and the corded phone was off the hook, the loud beeping filling the sudden silence of the room. There was a smashed plate on the floor, and the coffe table legs appeared chewed. Something about the reclincer just didn't seem right. I looked over at Max who was in front of the refrigerator, a low growl escaping his throat. Somehow, my laptop had remained untouched. I let out a deep sigh of relief. I heard a low, feeble squawk and look up on the refrigerator, where the seagull cowered close to the wall. "Oh, Max," I said, looking down at my dog. I know knew that this definitely wasn't going to work. I grabbed one of the kitchen chairs, placing it in front of the refrigerator and climbing up to retrieve the seagull. It had a few scrapes and brusies, but other than that seemed unharmed. I cradled the seagull in one arm, using my other hand to put Max out on his leash. I put the seagull down on the couch and grabbed the phone, placing it back on the hook before picking it up and dialing the number to a nearby animal rescue center. I was going to send the seagull to their care in about fifteen minutes. I put the TV back in it's spot and cleaned up the plate remains, hoping the owner of the house wouldn't make me pay for damages. What was the chance of that?

Laiko pointedly ignored Ada's words as she turned to leave, hating himself for doing it, yet cutting off his nose to spite his face all the same. How could he have messed up so badly? This wasn't fair... Why couldn't he have just got a grip? Why did he have to ruin everything?! A soft groan escaped Laiko's lips as he suddenly realised an irrevocable fact: Ada was gone. After everything she'd done for him, he'd gone and pushed her away. Now what? He ruined the best friendship he could remember having, hurt one of the people closest to him... And now he sat alone in a cold, blood-stained alleyway with tear-tracks on his cheeks and regret in his heart. "Stupid..." Laiko muttered under his breath, ripping at his hair in frustration. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He added rapidly, punctuating each whispered word by slamming his head into the wall behind him. He stopped when he felt the pain of his actions, knowing that hurting himself would not make things any better. He had made a mistake. He had messed up. He had to suffer the consequences... Perhaps it would be best if he just avoided Ada? It would not be hard, would it? He should have left those few days ago when he had almost decided to... He had been right. It would have been safer. Now what? Perhaps he should go and find out who or what he was... For Ada's benefit? But no - then what if he got like 'this' again, and blamed her unjustly for his sorrow? He would never forgive himself for that... Laiko sighed, running his hands through his hair in a gesture of unbearable stress. He was silent a moment, then a sound caught his attention. He glanced toward it in vague interest, but made no move to get to his feet. He didn't much care what happened next... He was hardly even aware of his surroundings...

Some time later, Laiko found himself dragging his legs toward Ada's door. He paused on the doorstep, his eyes wide with shock. His hair was plastered to his head by moisture, the source of which seemed to be a combination of blood and sweat. His clothes were stained a deep crimson where blood had spattered them, and the thick crimson liquid dripped sickeningly from him, pooling at his feet were he stood. The colour of his eyes was now so pale that the irises seemed almost white, and he stared blankly straight ahead - appearing for all he world like a zombie out of some olden day horror movie. "A-Ada?" He called hesitantly. "I-I think I need help." He admitted helplessly, his words slightly slurred by his strange inattentive demeanour. He glanced down at his hands and, seeing them encased in gloves of blood, gulped nervously. He needed help all right... Serious help.

I almost had things sorted by the time the rescue lady came, having found even more mess upstairs. I completely ignored Laiko's temporary room as I cleaned upstairs, tears welling in my eyes as I did so. It had been a while now, and I had a feeling I had seen the last of that wonderful friend.
"Hello?" I had to rush downstairs when I heard the shrill, cheerful call, followed by three brisk knocks on the door. "Coming!" I called, glancing at the bird before opening the door. The petite lady I saw appeared to be in her late forties. She had bright auburn hair, emerald green eyes and a big white smile. She was dressed casually in white shorts and a light red T-shirt. "Hello there," She said, flashing one of her big white smiles at me. "Hello," I greeted her, my smile faint but recognizable. "I'm hear about a young seagull?" She questioned, and I nodded, inviting her in. "My dog and the seagull don't get along well." I said with a laugh. "We found it in a ditch near the road, and we're guessing it was hit by a car." The lady stepped forward, taking the seagull in her arms. "Aren't you just a little cutie," She crooned, checking him over. "Okay then." She said finally, looking up with another big smile. "I best be on my way, then. Thank you!" She called, heading out the door with the seagull in her arms. I let out a deep sigh of relief, and went back to cleaning. The house was spotless, but I was randomly moving things around. I needed something to do. I stopped at the table, drumming my fingers on it as tears welled up. I would not cry, I would not cry, I would not cry...

I was laying on my bed, muffled sobs filling the silence of my room. I lost my mother, my brother, my whole family! And Laiko, my best friend... next thing I knew, Max would run away. Or, even worse, die. I cried harder at the horrible thoughts circling inside. I sat up, wiping my eyes. I vowed never to become too attached to anyone again. That way, it might not be so hard to let go... but who cares? You do, stupid. That quote kept coming back to me. I heard Max barking downstairs, and clambered out of bed and down the stairs. "A-Ada?" My heart leapt. Laiko's voice. I hurried down the stairs, almost tripping on the last step. "I-I think I need help." I opened the door quickly and gasped. "Oh. Oh." My breath caught at the gory sight. Laiko's messy blonde hair was plastered to his face, from what looked like a mixture of sweat, blood and grime. His clothes were all messy and bloodstained, and his hands were covered with the crimson liquid. It pooled on the doorstep, and I felt like I was going to get sick. I was not good with gore or horrendous things like this. "Well, um, I think you need a shower." I hesitated before taking his arm, wondering what happened but too scared to ask. I didn't even know who's blood that was as I led him inside. Thank god there wasn't any carpets in the house... I closed the door after bringing Laiko in and leading him up the stairs. I let his arm go, and met his eyes. They were a gastly sight. "I-If you want to get a shower...?" I wasn't sure what to say as I stood there beside him in front of the bathroom door. I went into his room, grabbing some clothes from his bag. It wasn't polite, but it was nessecary since the room had bright white carpeting. I went into the bathroom, put the clothes neatly on top of the counter, and got the shower running. "It's all set," I said, coming out and gesturing to the bathroom.

Laiko glanced up as Ada appeared, watching her warily, as though afraid of what her reaction might be. He almost cringed at the sound of her voice, cowering away from her like a dog expecting a scolding. When she did not slam the door in his face, scream, or demand to know what had happened as he had feared and expected she would, Laiko felt a sense of relief wash over him, and it left him numb and dazed. Laiko nodded mutely at Ada's suggestion to a shower, unable to wrench any words from his unwilling lips. He dropped his gaze to the ground as he followed Ada blindly as he lead him up the stairs - feeling as though he was moving in a dream world. His feet dragged slowly over the ground and his mind seemed weak and feeble. Finally, they reached the bathroom, and Laiko stared up at the tall white walls surrounding him, feeling a sickening sense of dizziness wash over him. It made him feel small and insignificant... As unstable as if the world was going to tilt to the side and he'd slide clean off. He mentally shook himself, ridding his mind's eye of the sight, then glanced at Ada and nodded again. "Y-Yes please..." He managed in a barely audible whisper, his shocked mind incapable of stringing the words together properly. He waited as Ada went off to 'his' room to get his clothes. He swayed slightly, barely able to keep standing and not even understanding why. He was vaguely aware of a sensation of pain creeping through his numb body as he stood there, but he could not pinpoint its position, so he simply ignored it. His eyes followed Ada hungrily as she returned, as though somehow just looking at her could somehow make the horror go away. It didn't. It did, however, make him feel considerably better. "Thanks." Laiko muttered quietly as she emerged from the bathroom again.
He kept his gaze fixed on the ground, swaying violently from side to side as he tried to get a grip on his balance before walking forwards. Finally, he managed it - dragging himself into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment, then pushed away and dragged his feet into the middle of the room. He hurried through the procedure of showering and redressing. He was so unfocused that dressing took him longer than he'd ordinarily have liked, since he was shaking and sweating feverishly, and kept dropping any item of clothing he was holding. He spent valuable time trying to decide which sock went on which foot, only to eventually remember that it didn't matter. When he was finally satisfied that each article o clothing was on the correct part of his body, Laiko stumbled over to the door. He paused as he reached the mirror, blinking unseeingly at his expression. He was certain he had changed into new clothes, yet a thick line of crimson was still spreading across his chest - extending from his left shoulder to the right side of his waist. He shook his head, dismissing the sight as an optical illusion - since he felt no pain. He was shocked to find that his eyes were slightly paler than normal, though by now they were starting to take on a more vivid colour than before. Finally, he stumbled over to the door. He grasped the handle and pushed it open, then promptly collapsed on the ground as he released the handle. He made no effort to rise.

I leaned against the wall, staying outside the bathroom as I waited for Laiko. I began to wonder what had happened. Had he gotten into anoth fight, and killed someone? Or was the blood I had seen Laiko's own? I shuddered as I remembered seeing Laiko as the door, flithly with blood. I headed downstairs to the sink, feeling sick. When I headed back upstairs, Laiko was just getting out, fully dressed in new clothes. I could still see blood on his shirt, but decided to ignore it. He was on the floor, so I took his hand and led him carefully down the stairs and onto the couch. I hesitantly brought up his shirt to reveal a disgusting bloody wound. I gasped. "Does it... hurt?" I asked, cringing slightly. I got up, heading to the bathroom. I did a quick clean-up as I looked for a first aid kit. I hurried back down the stairs, leading him to one of the wooden kitchen chairs. "You know more about first aid than me. What do I - what do I do?" I asked him nervously, looking skeptically at the wound and then the first aid kit. I had no idea what was going on, and I ached to know. Besides being full of blood, he had also seemed... strange. I put the kit down on the table and put Max outside, not sure how he would react to Laiko now. I poured myself a glass of water and gulped it down nervously. I reached out to take off his shirt, but hesitated. He didn't seem comfortable showing his chest... what the hell, why was I even worrying about that when he had a huge gash gushing out blood!? I sighed, lifting his shirt off over his head. It looked even worse now and I sighed, opening the kit. How could he have not noticed this in the shower? I rubbed my head with my hand, feeling stressed. I would make a horrible doctor, which was probably why I had never wished to be one.

Laiko lay on the floor in a state of semi-consciousness for a while, then managed to shift himself into a sitting position as Ada appeared. He stared unseeingly at her for a moment, he followed the movement of her hand with his eyes as it reached out and grasped his own. For a second he simply stared at her hand like a child seeing their first elephant at a zoo, but as he felt the pressure of her trying to pull him to his feet, he willingly acquiesced and followed her placidly downstairs - where he collapsed into the couch. He sat there for a moment, seeming ashen-faced and exhausted, then he became aware of Ada's presence and glanced dazedly at her just as she began to lift his shirt. He flinched away from her touch, which was uncharacteristic for him, but he soon seemed to forget about it. His gaze drifted to the window and he stared blindly out of it, seeming barely aware of Ada's presence at all. Her words washed over him, and by the time he had registered the question, Ada had briefly departed for the bathroom and returned again with a first-aid kit. Laiko blinked at her in vague bewilderment, but allowed her to lead him over to the kitchen chair, where he plonked himself down without a fuss. He glanced up at her and met her gaze with a confused frown as her question hit his ears. "First aid...?" He asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly, "But what...?" He broke off - abandoning his question as he watched Ada put Max outside, then fetch a glass of water. She seemed nervous, and he found himself wondering why this was so. In fact none of her actions were really making any sense to him... As she approached, Laiko prepared to question her further, but before he could even open his mouth to speak, Ada had started tugging his shirt over his head. Frowning in deep confusion and slight concern, Laiko grudgingly allowed her to remove the shirt. He met her gaze then, blinking at her with a strange expression on his face. "Ada..." He began slowly, weighing each word carefully as though determined to get the full meaning from them. "What are you doing?" He asked, watching her closely as he waited for her reaction - his expression seeming oddly puzzled and slightly worried. He didn't seem to understand the situation at all.

I sighed, realizing I was going to fast for Laiko. "You have a bad wound," I said, gesturing to the blood. "And I don't know how to fix it." I said with a sigh, grabbing another drink for Laiko. I gently put the cup in his mouth, tipping it up slightly. "Swallow," I instructed, watching him. That was a lot of blood... this seemed very serious... tears brimmed in my eyes and I blinked them away. "Do you know what happened?" I asked Laiko very slowly, finally deciding to use a compression bandage and some elastic bandage to secure it. Hopefully it would stop the bleeding... I soon finished and stepped back to view my work. "Hopefully it'll hold - for now." I said with a sigh, quickly getting Max's food together and putting the dish outside. Max dug in hungrily, seeming only slightly confused. I went back to Laiko, walking back and forth. I realized I was probably making it harder for Laiko and sat down, giving him a chance to talk to me - or at least try. "Does... it... hurt?" I asked very, very slowly, pointing to the wound as I did so. This reminded me of the time my brother had been tripped by my mother and fell on some smashed glass mother had left lying around. I remember picking out all of the glass from his stomach, and him whincing but not making a peep. He didn't deserve death... tears came back to my eyes. When I had got him all cleaned up, I lathered him up with cream and put band-aids on the deepest wounds. I submerged from my thoughts and returned my attention to Laiko, wondering what I should do.

"A... A wound...?" Laiko questioned dully, blinking stupidly up at her - not quite comprehending. He allowed her to put the cup to his lips, then swallowed as she instructed, and his fuzzy mind began to clear. He took the cup from her and drained it, then set it carefully on the counter beside him. A vague sense of pain passed over him, bu h still felt too numb to place it, so he simply shrugged it off. "What... What happened?" Laiko repeated nervously "Well, I- I... Uh..." He broke off then, frowning as he attempted to recall. He was sure he had known a moment before... But now he was trying to grip them, the memories were trickling away faster than he could hold them, and all he knew was that something somehow bad had happened. He was relieved when she interrupted his thoughts with her next words. He glanced over at her and followed her gaze to his chest - slightly surprised to see the bandage there. He plucked at it with a slightly bemused expression, still not quite understanding why it was there - but accepting its presence as reality. He watched Ada with a slightly more attentive expression than before as she filled Max's bowl, then walked back over to him. By this time, his eyes were clear, no longer unfocused, and he was ready to listen to her. He frowned slightly at her question, glancing to the area she indicated, and attempting to distinguish whether or not he felt any pain there. "Uh... No?" He answered uncertainly, speaking as though he was not entirely sure he had given the correct answer. "Wait..." He said suddenly, raising a finger to indicate he was taking a moment to think it over. He finally looked back at Ada, then nodded carefully. "Yes." He replied, more certainly this time. "I... I feel really bad... I mean... You were right, but I... Well, I had no right to snap at you like that." He shook his head rapidly. "Yes... It hurts." He concluded, casting his slightly distraught gaze away. "I missed you." He concluded simply.
Once again, he had completely missed the point of the question.

"A... A wound...?" Laiko questioned dully, and I nodded. "What... What happened?" Laiko repeated nervously "Well, I- I... Uh..." I listened to him mumble and simply nodded. "I'm not sure what happened." I said. "Uh... No?" He answered uncertainly, and I sighed. He must be feeling really numb, but he looked a bit better after drinking some water. "Wait..." He said suddenly, raising a finger to indicate he was taking a moment to think it over. I waited patiently. He finally looked back at me, then nodded. "Yes." He replied, seeming more certian this time. I wondered if he was telling the truth, or just trying to please me. "I... I feel really bad... I mean... You were right, but I... Well, I had no right to snap at you like that." He seemed to be drifting away from the question now, but I contniued to listen. He shook his head rapidly. "Yes... It hurts." He concluded, casting his slightly distraught gaze away. "I missed you." He concluded simply. I was having trouble understanding him now; did his wound hurt or him missing me hurt? I gently applied pressure to his chest. "Does that hurt, Laiko. Do you know what hurt means?" I hesitated before lightly slapping him. "Snap out of it, Laiko," I begged. Suddenly, something regestired in my mind. I thought I was finally making sense of everything. "Did you do this to yourself, Laiko?" I asked, again putting a bit of pressure on the wound with my hand. My violet eyes were hopeful as I gazed down at him. I poured him another glass of water, hoping it would help as I handed it to him.

Laiko glanced down to see what Ada was doing as she pressed against the bandage on his chest. A strange sensation shot through him, and he suddenly gained some awareness of a faint sense of pain. "Well... I felt it..." He replied cautiously, unsure whether it really had hurt or not. He was, however, beginning to become aware of the fact that something was not right. Especially when Ada asked him if he knew the meaning of 'hurt'. Well, of course he did! Didn't he...? Actually, he wasn't sure of anything right then.
He didn't notice Ada's hand until her palm collided lightly with the side of his face. Then the sound caught his attention, though he did not feel it, and he glanced over at Ada. He watched her with slight bewilderment, wondering if this was supposed to be punishment for the cruel things he had said earlier, but then she was begging him to 'snap out of it', and suddenly Laiko understood. He was in a complete daze, he was acting out of character and he was scaring her by doing so. Hell, he was even stating to scare himself now that he was beginning to get a grip on reality. He glanced up in surprise at her question, and words of objection instantly began to form on his lips, but he never got a chance to speak them, for as Ada pressed on what he now understood was a wound, pain shot through him. He winced, and a sharp intake of breath cut off his speech. He released a shuddering sigh as the pressure was revoked, then slowly drew in another breath before attempting to speak again. "Of course not." he replied in vague befuddlement, as though the suggestion made no sense to him whatsoever. "What would be the point?" He added, shaking his head and shrugging incredulously. "Thanks." He murmured quietly as he took the water from her, draining the glass in an instant. He placed it back on the counter, frowning as a tingling sensation ran through his entire body - allowing his clarity of thinking and feeling to return in full measure. A groan escaped Laiko's lips, and he suddenly doubled over in pain, clutching at the wound, though it far exceeded the breadth of his palms. This action caused the pain to multiply tenfold as his severed muscles protested violently to him trying to use them. He didn't say anything more then, but simply closed his eyes and focused his attention on breathing. Each inhalation caused him so much pain that it took all his willpower to keep on trying.

Laiko was looking better, which helped me relax alot. "Of course not." he replied in vague befuddlement, as though my suggestion had made no sense to him. "What would be the point?" I sighed with relief. "What happened, then?" I stopped taking as a groan escaped Laiko and he doubled over, which I could only imagine made the pain worse. "Sit up," I said gently. "I tried to help it, but I don't know much about first aid..." I trailed off helplessly, looking at the filthy mess. The bandage was now crimson with blood, and I figured I should change it. But what if that made Laiko loose a lot more blood? Too much blood? I sighed. It was a good thing I had lots of first aid kits around the house; there must have been one in every cubboard. Now, they were all stored in the bathroom. "Do you think I should change it?" I asked, gesturing to the bandage and feeling unsure. He seemed to be in a lot of pain, and I wasn't even sure if this wass better or worse... I gave him a light hug, carefully avoiding his wound. "I'm just glad you're yourself again," I said, letting out another deep sigh of relief as I let go of him and backed away, refilling his glass again just in case, by some small chance, he wasn't full of water yet... "Are you hungry?" I asked Laiko. Suddenly realizing how many questions I had asked him, I pulled up a chair and kept quiet. He still wasn't 100% okay, and I shouldn't have loaded all of that onto him when he had just managed to snap out of it. I wondered if she should have a made a trip to the hospital, but since I had no idea what had happened, I figured it was a good thing I hadn't.

Laiko forced himself to sit up as Ada instructed, gritting his teeth against the pain. Though it hurt like hell, he was glad of the excuse to avoid her question. He didn't really want to talk about that... He still wasn't sure he understood all that had happened, nor where he stood with regards to it, or how he felt about it. It was all rather confusing... "No, no... You did a good job." Laiko assured her slightly breathlessly, wincing at a sudden throb of pain from the slash. "Don't change it." He responded, shaking his head. He didn't offer a reason why - probably because he knew he couldn't justify it. He was better with others' injuries than his own...
Laiko suddenly relaxed as Ada hugged him - a sigh of relief leaving his lips. He rested his forehead against her shoulder as exhaustion suddenly washed over him. "I'm sorry..." He murmured, raising his head as she backed away from him. "I've been nothing but trouble for you..." He mumbled, dropping his gaze awkwardly. "If I'd known it would be like this, I'd never have..." He trailed off then, feeling uncertain of his thoughts. If he'd never chosen to spend time with Ada, he wouldn't have had her as a friend... And honestly, he couldn't imagine a better friend. He hadn't even known what a pathetic hassle he was until he had unleashed that unwelcome side of himself on her. Yet still, she welcomed him back with open arms. He didn't deserve that... Laiko clenched his jaw and vowed to himself, there and then, that he would never again burden Ada with his troubles. As if she didn't have enough problems of her own without him adding to them... No, from now on he would help, and not hurt. If only he could make reality follow his intentions...
He glanced up at Ada's question, managing a weak smile and shaking his head. "I think it'll be a while before I find my appetite again." He responded simply. "But thanks... Well, for everything..." He trailed off then, smiling wearily at her. He really wanted to hug her tightly and tell her over and over how sorry he was and how much he appreciated everything she'd done for him, but the prospect was simply daunting. And besides, he could barely stay conscious, let alone start moving around.

I frowned, noticing how he avoided my question. "Fine, but I expect an answer when you're feeling better." I said, thinking I at least deserved that, even though his whole ordeal was my fault. "I'm sorry..." He murmured, raising his head. "I've been nothing but trouble for you..." He mumbled, dropping his gaze awkwardly. "If I'd known it would be like this, I'd never have..." I rolled my eyes, sighing deeply. "Don't give me that crap, Laiko," I said with another sigh. I began to get worried once more. Was he really worried about overburdening me? Little did he know, or did I know until now, his troubles helped me forgive and forget. It gave me something to focus on, and I needed that with my brother and mother - no. I wasn't going to go there... I had a fierce look on my face as I held back the ugly tears, a lump forming in my throat. I struggled to keep my chin from trembling, looknig up at the ceiling until the moment passed. "Laiko, don't even think for one moment that this is you're fault, or worry that you're overburdening me. Just having you as a friend... try as I might, I'll never be able to pay you back for that." I said, tears in my eyes. "I feel like you and Max, you're the only ones who understand me. You're the first true friend I've ever had." I paused. "Besides, we all know this whole mess is my fault." I mumbled, suddenly hoping he hadn't heard me. I didn't want him getting upset, and I certainly didn't want to have a replay of the hospital incident. "There has been a million times when I wonder how much longer you can stand stand me, until you leave. Everybody leaves, in one way or another." I said softly.

Laiko nodded in response to Ada's statement. "I expect to give you one." He replied simply, keeping his words few and far between, since talking hurt... A lot.
He flinched away slightly at her reaction to his apology, mentally kicking himself for once again having said the wrong thing, and causing Ada to use that same tone again... That tone scared him, which was strange, since he was seldom truly afraid... Except when he was worried he'd hurt those closest to him. Well, that made sense then... He glanced up at her to see her fighting back tears, and quickly looked away again. She was trying to be strong. He would not interfere... It would only make it for difficult for her. He supposed the reason she didn't mind all that he was putting her through was probably because of what had happened... Her family... Perhaps she had just stopped caring what would happen? Perhaps she just wanted to distract herself...?
Ada's words cut him off from his thoughts then, and he turned to look at her, his expression neutral. Yet as her words began to sink in, he suddenly wasn't sure what expression his face was wearing, for his emotions were too mixed and twisted for him to identify it. A soft smile crept to his lips, but his eyes seemed to become even more subdued. "Ada, I..." He muttered, but he trailed off a moment later. "Thank you..." He murmured softly, shaking his head with a soft chuckle which drew a stabbing of pain from his wound. "Just... Thank you. So much..." His voice cracked then, and a sincere laugh broke from his lips, his amusement showing in his expression as well, despite the obvious pain that accompanied it as his severed stomach muscles stabbed at him with the action. "Look at me, I'm a mess!" He exclaimed mirthfully - his voice cracking with the same tears that glistened in his eyes. "You're got me all choked up." He scolded teasingly, bursting into laughter again and causing the tears to convert to tears of mirth as they spilled from his eyes. He was simply too happy... So relieved by her words, it was as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, and he suddenly felt so light and free that he didn't know how to express it. She didn't want to get rid of him after all... His laughter intensified as she began to blame herself, and he shook his head violently. "Really, Ada! If you still believe that, then you're way crazier than I thought." He teased with an affectionate grin, simply too cheerful to take her seriously. He disregarded the pain from his wound - unwilling to let it get him down - though he could not ignore the fact that it was beginning to make him feel nauseous and light-headed. Laiko finally managed to calm himself by her last statement, but he simply smiled and shook his head. "I told you before that I'd stay as long as you wanted me, right?" He reminded her, "I keep my word." He added solemnly. "And though you may have a point there, rest assured that I am not going anywhere, okay? They'd have to drag me away - and I'd like to see them try." Unable to hold his serious expression any longer, Laiko allowed a devious grin to split his face. "I love you, Ada. I'm not going anywhere." He concluded simply, a gentle smile on his exhausted, ashen-skinned face.

"Ada, I..." Laiko muttered, but he trailed off a moment later. "Thank you..." He murmured softly, shaking his head with a chuckle. Hopefully, the action hadn't hurt him... "Just... Thank you. So much..." I smiled weakly, suddenly feeling a bit embarassed. "Look at me, I'm a mess!" He exclaimed mirthfully - his voice cracking with the same tears that glistened in his eyes. "You're got me all choked up." He scolded teasingly, bursting into laughter again. Tears of mirth spilled from his eyes; I was glad and suprised to see that my words had taken such an effect on him. "Really, Ada! If you still believe that, then you're way crazier than I thought." He teased with an affectionate grin. Apparently, he had heard me, but was feeling too happy to take me seriously. I grinned, just glad to have the real Laiko back. The pale, quiet one had distressed me and made me nervous. "I told you before that I'd stay as long as you wanted me, right?" He reminded her, "I keep my word." He added solemnly. "And though you may have a point there, rest assured that I am not going anywhere, okay? They'd have to drag me away - and I'd like to see them try." Laiko allowed a devious grin to split his face. And I smiled back, feeling assured once more. "I love you, Ada. I'm not going anywhere." He concluded simply, a gentle smile on his exhausted face. I sighed, giving him another light hug. "Thanks," I mumured softly, my tears gone.

Laiko smiled slightly as Ada moved toward him. He accepted the hug, though he winced as he attempted to return it. He instantly gave up trying and simply slumped back in the chair - relaxing into Ada's embrace. He was grateful for the closeness - as it was a source of comfort for him. Besides, the relaxation that feeling of safety brought helped ease the tension that caused him the mind-boggling pain that stabbed from his slashed abdomen. "It's what I'm here for." He murmured softly, his words slurred by the exhaustion that suddenly weighed down on him. He felt as if he had lead weights on his eyelids, and his grip on consciousness was slipping. Laiko's limbs began to tremble slightly - shaking from blood loss - and his complexion seemed to become paler and more ashen by the minute. Would he even make it through this? He was surprised he had made it this far. Then again, he had always been as tough as he was stubborn: He simply wouldn't die. No matter how often he was shot, stabbed, or whatever else they had tried in times before, he simply would not die. Even now, with half his upper body slashed open, he knew that he would be okay... After a while. He just needed to rest... Laiko felt his eyelids drooping, and suddenly his limbs felt heavy - his mouth full of sawdust. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out before he keeled over in a dead faint.

I watched Laiko, biting my lip in concern. He couldn't be sure of wether or not he would leave, but I was fully assured he was going to try his hardest. I tried to imagine staying here without Laiko. I had only known him for a day or two, but that was all it took for him to become my best - may I add, only - friend. "Do you want to go lie down?" I asked him, grabbing some chips from the cubboard. That would be my supper for tonight. "I'm thinking I should take you to the hospital, but I would need to know what happened for that to work..." I imagined what a struggle it would be to get Laiko up into the bed. What if I thought he was tired, when he was actually shutting down? I groaned. Why hadn't I thought to check him over for wounds before he went in the shower? Maybe then he wouldn't have lost so much blood... I sighed, knowing I wouldn't have been able to do anything right. I had been in too much shock at the sight of him... "Maybe you could lie down on the couch," I offered, opening the bag of chips in my hands. The salty chips helped to quiet the grumbling in my stomach as I munched on them, feeling a big worried. "Please don't die," I whispered, saying the awful words. In the last couple of minutes, I seemed to have realized just how bad the situation was. I didn't even know how long Laiko had been out there, suffering what never would have happened if I had asked him to come back to the house with me... a feeling of guilt settled into the pit of my stomach. Again, everything was my fault...

Laiko jerked back to full wakefulness at the sound of Ada's words. A slight delay preceded the wince and flinch that followed as the pain of his actions suddenly struck him. "Lie down?" Laiko repeated questioningly, "I'd like to... But I'm not sure I should..." He answered carefully, "For one thing, I wouldn't want to bleed all over, and for another, I don't know if or when I'd wake up. I think I'd rather be in full control." Laiko nodded, pleased with his argument, then turned his attention to what Ada said next - glad of the opportunity to distract himself fro the aching weariness spreading throughout his body. "I'm working through it..." Laiko responded, frowning slightly, "It's all a little hazy, so I'm struggling to understand..." He shook his head, but apparently it didn't help, for he just shrugged and fixed a helpless smile on his face. "I need to sort out my thoughts. But I'd rather not go to the hospital in any case." He assured her firmly, "I don't like them, and besides, it would cost too much. You've done as good a job as any doctor could, anyway." Laiko added, flashing Ada a grin, though the enthusiasm behind it was dulled slightly by his lack of energy. "The couch..." Laiko repeated thoughtfully, glancing toward it. "That might be a good idea, since I think I'm about to fall over." He replied with a tired smile. Accepting her invitation, Laiko pushed himself to his feet and stepped gingerly over to the couch - determinedly hiding the pain that each step caused him. He plonked down on the couch, glancing around the room with a slightly curious expression. As he heard Ada's whispered words, he shifted around to face her, cocking his head slightly and regarding her with vague interest - an incredulous smile toying at his lips. "You don't listen, do you? I'm not going anywhere." Laiko assured her teasingly, a kind expression on his face. There was no need for Ada to worry... Or so he hoped.

"I'd like to... But I'm not sure I should..." Laiko answered carefully, "For one thing, I wouldn't want to bleed all over, and for another, I don't know if or when I'd wake up. I think I'd rather be in full control." Laiko nodded, seeming pleased. "I'm working through it..." Laiko responded, frowning slightly, "It's all a little hazy, so I'm struggling to understand..." He shook his head, but it didn't seem to help. "I need to sort out my thoughts. But I'd rather not go to the hospital in any case." He assured her firmly, "I don't like them, and besides, it would cost too much. You've done as good a job as any doctor could, anyway." Laiko added grinning at me. He still seemed to be exhausted. "The couch..." Laiko repeated thoughtfully, glancing toward it. "That might be a good idea, since I think I'm about to fall over." I smiled slightly as he pushed himself to his feet, trying to hide the pain each step caused him. He plopped down onto the couch, and I sighed with relief. "You don't listen, do you? I'm not going anywhere." Laiko assured her teasingly, and I smiled slightly. "You don't know that," I whsipered softly. Max was whining at the door so I let him in. He went over to Laiko, placing his golden head in his lap while whining softly. I smiled weakly. "He still loves you," I said, watching Max lick Laiko's hand, his tail wagging a bit.


[Gah, bad post. ]