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Zeno leaned against the wall, staring at the person lying in the medical bed in front of him in disbelief.
Yesterday, he, and everyone else for that matter, believed Melfonseana dead, which in turn led to the incident with Getternhult becoming Dark Faltz. X-Rays indeed indicated she should be dead rather than lying there, yet Luther thought to intervene as some sort of cruel experiment, not just for Melfonseana, but everyone who cared about her, leaving a bitter taste in Zeno’s mouth.
Without her, things changed – that much Zeno told anyone who would ask, yet there was always more to the whole story. Volunteering the information to just anyone simply wasn’t something he would do, yet Melrandia was the exception to the rule, being that she was Melfonseana’s younger sister and needed to hear the truth from his mouth rather than the mouth of someone else.
Unrequited.
That might be the best way to describe their relationship, as there simply was never the right time in their lives as ARKS operatives. Sometimes, in the back of his mind, Zeno wondered if things might have been different, had he said something different that one time, or if Getternhult hadn’t butted in on another. Remembering, on the other hand, was painful and distracting, something he as an ARKS operative didn’t need at the moment.
Quitely, Zeno stepped over to the bed, watching her carefully while contemplating that, and also how to explain to Melrandia that her sister was alive. “Perhaps another time, in another world we could have been together.”
Outspoken words certainly weren’t something he’d expected from himself and he found himself sucking in his breath, glad nobody was around to hear him speak.
“Never thought I’d hear something like that from you. Melfonseana – there is a chance she’ll come out of the coma, but...”
“Lying to me, please don’t do it,” Zeno told Filia who he knew now stood behind him while his mouth pressed together.
“Kindness wasn’t my thought there, but if she does recover, things definitely won’t be the same. Just because she’s in a coma, that doesn’t mean she can’t hear you though.”
“I – what?” He’d not expected that and turned to look at the medical bay nurse in shock. “Getternhult was her partner, so...”
“Feelings are feelings, something you can’t just wish away you know,” Felia stated, nodding her head at Melfonseana. “Everyone, including Echo I think, knew there was something between you two.”
“Don’t joke with me. Can’t....”
“Because Getternhult didn’t see it. And because it makes more sense, particularly if you talk to Melrandia, at least before she stopped pretending to be her sister?”
Zeno stammered, “Well, yes.”
“You misunderstood Getternhult’s feelings of protection as romantic rather than platonic, yet even that would have interfered, right?” Filia said, before changing the subjects. “X-Rays do show there were multiple broken bones, but there is maybe something we can thank Luther for, or perhaps not.”
“Will...” Venturing into thoughts of Melfonseana waking up was painful, given the chances let alone being so unsure of – well, everything regarding their relationship. Understanding that things would remain unreciprocated – that was then given.
“True, that there is a chance she may not walk, that there may be brain damage and other things, things that Luther didn’t fix, but she is alive and all organs functioning. Sometimes to see the whole damage we need to see, well, we need her to wake up.” Right?”
Quietly, Zeno nodded his head before slipping from the room, knowing what he needed to do next. Opening up to Melrandia about what happened, even though they’d promised him he could be the one to tell her was easy. Never had he expected to be able to tell her something along these lines. Looking at her was also quite painful.
“Kiss her and make her wake up,” Melrandia suddenly said, before holding up her hands in defense. “Joking, joking. I still think,” she said, “that you should tell her how you feel and not let the chance pass you by.”
“Hey Zeno!” he heard someone call out,
Glaring, he turned to look at the person. Facing them with the new reality was another thing completely. “Echo.”
“Do you want to catch one of Quena’s concerts for our date this Friday?”
“Can you remember we’re not dating?”
“But,” Echo stammered out, continuing with mentioning the fact they must be, because everyone, everyone being one half of PaTia, thought they were indeed dating and how they were the number one talked about couple on ARKS.
“All in your head Echo,” Zeno said, yet knowing that the new reality of Melfonseana being alive wasn’t in his head and instead very much real.