Thanatos 03-1

[13:40] <Neph-GM> The white room is brightly lit and spacious to the point where it feels wasteful. Inside lies only a metal nightstand, a machine of unknown design and purpose, and a girl on a large hospital bed. Outside, through the windows, the NERV monolith and mirror dome can be gazed upon, reflecting the golden-orange afternoon light.
[13:40] <Neph-GM> With nothing to keep her company but her own thoughts and the silent gaze of a security camera at the far upper corner of the room, the girl clad in hospital robes wakes up.
[13:41] * Katie_OShae slowly sits up, looking around.
[13:42] * Katie_OShae starts looking over herself to see if there's anything obvious that's been hurt.
[13:43] * Katie_OShae brings her legs to the side of the bed and walks to the door.
[13:43] <Neph-GM> As if on cue, room's single door slides open with an hydraulic hiss, and a woman dressed with a labcoat over a black and grey, red-trimmed uniform comes in.
[13:44] * Dr_Ionides (~Nephilm@74F7F91D.CDAB4518.A073A89C.IP) has joined #ThanatosIC
[13:44] <Dr_Ionides> "Ah!"
[13:44] * Katie_OShae takes a step back. "Um.."
[13:45] <Dr_Ionides> "You're up." The blonde states, seeminly mostly to herself. She makes an annotation on the tablet she's holding.
[13:46] * Katie_OShae nods. "I, uh, what happened after, you know, that test?"
[13:46] * elric (~androirc@Rizon-7EE94C75.wireless.telus.com) has joined #ThanatosIC
[13:47] * elric is now known as peanutgallery
[13:49] * Highwind (~Nick@who.was.phone) has joined #ThanatosIC
[13:49] <Dr_Ionides> "We administered some sedatives and made sure you were physically fine," she answers with a warm smile, "but you shouldn't be up yet." She gently nudges the pudgy girl back. "Go on, into the bed."
[13:50] * Adrielle (~Adrielle@1E8D667F.801525A1.1849FF17.IP) has joined #ThanatosIC
[13:51] * Katie_OShae holds fast. "I want to go home!"
[13:54] <Dr_Ionides> "You will soon," she answers, "I just need to do some final checks. Go on, it won't take long."
[13:55] * Katie_OShae makes her way back to the bed. It groans as she sits down.
[13:56] * Dr_Ionides follows the girl with soft steps, and produces a wooden pallet from her labcoat.
[13:57] <Dr_Ionides> "Open wide," she says, and opens her own mouth. "Aaah."
[13:58] * Katie_OShae looks away "Aaah."
[14:01] <Neph-GM> The woman, whose warm touch causes the girl to slightly tingle, gently tugs Katie's chin towards her, and softly pushes her tongue down with the paddle. She looks closely into the pilot's mouth, nodding to herself.
[14:03] * Dr_Ionides retrieves the pallet and tosses it away without looking. It lands squarely in an unseen trash bin.
[14:03] * Katie_OShae closes her mouth and gulps. Wiping her face with her hand, she looks back at the woman.
[14:05] * Highwind has quit (Quit: Leaving.)
[14:06] <Neph-GM> The woman, now wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a pen-sized flashlight, pulls Katie's tangle of hair back to get a clear view of her eyes. She flashes the light at them.
[14:09] * Dr_Ionides nods to herself.
[14:09] <Dr_Ionides> "All good."
[14:09] * Katie_OShae blinks. "Why did it hurt so much?"
[14:10] * Dr_Ionides sighs while putting the flashlight and her glasses away.
[14:12] <Dr_Ionides> "There were unforseen issues with armor plating, which combined with your exceptional compatibility and... more failures in the synch-lock mechanism, led you to..."
[14:13] <Katie_OShae> "Um, you're not going to make me, er, do it again.. are you?"
[14:14] <Neph-GM> The woman looks at the girl with an anguished face.
[14:15] <Katie_OShae> "...I want to go home."
[14:16] <Dr_Ionides> "Regrettably, that's not your choice to make."
[14:16] * Dr_Ionides sits on the bed and places her hand on Katie's shoulder.
[14:17] * Katie_OShae stares at nothing in particular and starts chewing on her nails.
[14:18] <Dr_Ionides> "...We need you to pilot Unit 01, and... well, you should consider this to be your home now."
[14:18] <Dr_Ionides> "But I promise you, it won't hurt this way next time. The technical team is busy as we speak to make sure of that."
[14:20] <Katie_OShae> "This, uh, this isn't my home. I don't want to be here. I, um, don't think anyone else.. does either."
[14:23] <Dr_Ionides> "Maybe so, but you're still new here. This is a beautiful place, filled with wonderful people, and if you and Lianna, Abraham and DJ don't help us defend it... there won't be anywhere else for you to go."
[14:25] <Dr_Ionides> "Will you give it a chance?" She pleads.
[14:25] <Katie_OShae> "You said I don't, uh, get a choice."
[14:26] <Katie_OShae> "So it doesn't matter, right?"
[14:26] * Adrielle is now known as Christine_Larsen
[14:27] <Dr_Ionides> "I did, didn't I? But there's a difference between doing things because you're told to, and doing them out of your own volition."
[14:27] <Dr_Ionides> "The Evas... you need to aim for the latter."
[14:27] <Katie_OShae> "I don't think it wanted me there."
[14:28] <Katie_OShae> "So, uh, maybe it made it's choice."
[14:29] <Dr_Ionides> She shakes her head. "That choice is yours."
[14:30] * Katie_OShae tears off a piece of the nail, spitting it on to the ground.
[14:31] <Katie_OShae> "Can't you, I don't know, find, um, someone else?"
[14:33] <Dr_Ionides> "I can but... I won't do it unless I'm ordered to. And that order won't be given unless something bad happened to you, or..."
[14:34] <Katie_OShae> "Oh, so you don't need me. Um, I guess that's good."
[14:36] * Dr_Ionides exhales.
[14:36] <Dr_Ionides> "...or if you failed, in which case bad things would happen to all of us."
[14:40] <Katie_OShae> "I've never fought.. um.. I'm awful at gym, I-uh the only thing I'm like any good at is the games I have."
[14:41] <Katie_OShae> "You should.. you know, get that other person."
[14:44] <Dr_Ionides> "Sshhh... a lot's happened today, so let's do this: try living here for a while, get to know people and your fellow pilots, and if you still don't want to fight... let Reiko know."
[14:46] <Dr_Ionides> "Is that fine?"
[14:46] * Katie_OShae sighs. "Fine."
[14:47] * Dr_Ionides smiles and gets off the bed. Producing her tablet, she starts making annotations.
[14:47] <Katie_OShae> "I.. already know, uh, what they're like and stuff."
[14:48] * Highwind (~Nick@Rizon-F9A7A2B5.hsd1.sc.comcast.net) has joined #ThanatosIC
[14:48] <Katie_OShae> "I knew people at school just like them."
[14:49] <Dr_Ionides> Looking up, she speaks. "You should get to know them any way. Everyone is unique, and even if you don't like them, they grow to become part of your life."
[14:49] * Katie_OShae mummbles something to herself.
[14:50] <Dr_Ionides> "Well then, you've got a clean bill of health, but your heart needs work." She sighs. "I'm terrible at matters of the heart, sadly."
[14:50] <Dr_Ionides> "Ah! One last thing."
[14:51] <Dr_Ionides> "You've been a good patient, so here," she produces a lollipop from he pocket. It's Katie's favorite flavor.
[14:53] * Katie_OShae takes it. "Thank you."
[14:54] * Dr_Ionides smiles and nods. "Be seeing you."
[14:55] <Katie_OShae> "When do I get to like leave?"
[14:56] <Dr_Ionides> "In a moment," she says before exiting the room.
[14:56] * Dr_Ionides (~Nephilm@74F7F91D.CDAB4518.A073A89C.IP) has left #ThanatosIC (what is this i don't even)
[14:57] <Neph-GM> A few seconds later, the door slids open again, revealing the form of Captain Reiko Shishigami.
[14:57] * Reiko_Shishigami (~Nephilm@74F7F91D.CDAB4518.A073A89C.IP) has joined #ThanatosIC
[14:57] * Katie_OShae gives a wave. "Hi, Reiko."
[14:57] * Reiko_Shishigami smiles after a moment's hesitation.
[14:58] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Hi... Katie. How are you feeling?" She asks, walking up to the bed.
[14:58] <Katie_OShae> "Tired. Sore. What, um, what was it that you were, you know, trying to say to me?"
[14:59] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Eh...?"
[15:00] <Katie_OShae> "When it started to hurt, I could see you.. uhm, I thought you were talking to me or something."
[15:01] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Oh. Eto... I was trying to... I was just trying to calm you down."
[15:02] <Reiko_Shishigami> "You had us all really worried," she says with a shrug and a smile.
[15:02] <Katie_OShae> "Oh.."
[15:03] * Reiko_Shishigami places a bundle of clothes on the bed. "I brought you a fresh change. I'm told we can leave anytime."
[15:05] * Katie_OShae gathers them up.
[15:05] <Katie_OShae> "I'll, um, get changed and met you outside."
[15:06] * Reiko_Shishigami nods and leaves.
[15:07] * Katie_OShae slowly comes out after a few minutes, now dressed in the change of clothes.
[15:08] <Reiko_Shishigami> "All set?" She asks.
[15:08] <Katie_OShae> "Um, I guess."
[15:10] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Then let's go home."
[15:12] <Katie_OShae> "Has.. that, uh, ever happened before..?"
[15:14] <Reiko_Shishigami> "I don't know," she answers while the pair walk through the empty hospital corridors.
[15:15] <Reiko_Shishigami> "...What did it feel like?"
[15:16] * Katie_OShae scratches her head. "It felt like.. needles, everywhere. It was like everything was.. I don't know."
[15:19] * Reiko_Shishigami bites her lower lip.
[15:19] <Reiko_Shishigami> "They'll fix it, so it won't distract you next time."
[15:20] <Katie_OShae> "There was, um, another thing that- I mean, it um, it reminded me of home."
[15:21] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Did it?" She glances at the girl.
[15:22] <Katie_OShae> "Yeah."
[15:24] <Reiko_Shishigami> "It might be... because that's where you belong? You were chosen for a reason, after all."
[15:24] * Reiko_Shishigami lightly pats Katie on the back.
[15:25] <Katie_OShae> "It felt more like.. it was-uh, you know, gone."
[15:25] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Hmmmmm..." She hums, with a confused expression.
[15:28] <Katie_OShae> "Thank you."
[15:28] <Katie_OShae> "For trying to help me."
[15:28] * Reiko_Shishigami nods.
[15:28] <Reiko_Shishigami> "It's part of my job."
[15:29] <Katie_OShae> "..Do you like your job?"
[15:30] * Reiko_Shishigami stares off into space.
[15:30] <Reiko_Shishigami> "...Some parts of it."
[15:31] <Katie_OShae> "Which?"
[15:31] * Katie_OShae is now known as Katie_OShae_
[15:31] * Katie_OShae (Katie_OSha@Rizon-CD0BC0E5.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #ThanatosIC
[15:32] * Katie_OShae looks over at her, "Which parts?"
[15:33] <Reiko_Shishigami> The woman takes a while to answer. "People. Doing my best to help them. The... camaraderie of soldiers."
[15:34] <Reiko_Shishigami> "...To have a place where you belong."
[15:35] * Katie_OShae_ has quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
[15:35] <Katie_OShae> "That sounds nice."
[15:38] <Reiko_Shishigami> "To be important to other people, for other people to be important to you... that's what's most important in life. I think."
[15:39] <Katie_OShae> "Even if they don't like you?"
[15:41] * Reiko_Shishigami laughs.
[15:41] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Especially if they don't like you."
[15:42] <Reiko_Shishigami> "My two best friends, they..."
[15:42] * Reiko_Shishigami shakes her head.
[15:43] <Reiko_Shishigami> "But finding people that like you is important, too."
[15:44] * Katie_OShae mummbles something to herself.
[15:48] <Katie_OShae> "Do you know, um, know why I, I mean why it's me that has to pilot the Eva?"
[15:49] * Reiko_Shishigami tilts her head and hums.
[15:49] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Because... it's your destiny?"
[15:50] * Katie_OShae blinks and doesn't have a response after that.
[15:52] <Reiko_Shishigami> "A friend told me once, that everyone's born for a purpose. You must find that purpose and seize it."
[15:54] <Katie_OShae> "I've only had people be my friends before they made fun of me or left."
[15:56] <Reiko_Shishigami> "You must seize friendship, too," she nods enthusiastically. "You must be able to show your worth to people, that you may obtain their respect and affection."
[15:57] <Katie_OShae> "I guess."
[15:59] * Reiko_Shishigami stops and turns towards Katie.
[15:59] <Reiko_Shishigami> "I'll tell you a secret."
[16:01] * Katie_OShae looks at her, surprised. "Um.."
[16:01] <Reiko_Shishigami> "I used to be a very quiet girl, but I put my heart into things, and look at me now!" She exclaims, stretching her arms wide and smiling.
[16:03] * Katie_OShae lets out a laugh, probably intended to be soft, but her grating voice still makes it very unpleasant.
[16:03] <Katie_OShae> "I hope you're right."
[16:04] <Reiko_Shishigami> "All it takes is fighting spirit, and you can accomplish almost anything."
[16:04] * Reiko_Shishigami balls her hand into a fist.
[16:07] <Katie_OShae> "I, um, don't really want to fight.."
[16:10] <Reiko_Shishigami> "Sometimes, it's not about we want, but what we can do." She answers with a straight face. "But let's go home for now, the others must be worried about you."
[16:10] <Neph-GM> The pair exit the hospital, and onboard the Captain's car make their way to Abraham's apartment, under the dimming orange glow of the last vestiges of sunlight for the day.