Road To Recovery (ch2)

EARLY RELEASE FOR PATRONS! THANKS FOR ANOTHER FUN MONTH, YOU GUYS!

Just another reminder, this is not a romance fic. People seem to think it is for some reason. But anyway, here is a bit of Weiss, Blake, (and Ruby).

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

-------------

													Chapter 2. Friends

It was several days yet before Weiss was able to get out of her hospital bed on her own.

More than anything, she detested the fact that she needed to be confined to a single room, though she had to admit, the fact that Ruby was more or less stuck there with her eased away a bit of the chagrin.

Whenever the room was vacant of guests, be they older sisters, uncles, or nurses, Weiss sometimes expressed her vexations to her partner.

She just hated being cooped up. It felt like she was back home again, under her father's supervision, under someone else's control.

And she hated how the nurses and doctors would barge in multiple times throughout the day to run tests, take samples, poke and prod her like some kind of experiment.

At the very least, Ruby was adamant that she be allowed to stay during such procedures, and every time she made sure to sit at Weiss' bedside, holding her hand while offering words of reassurance.

Luckily, these inconveniences only persisted for three days after Weiss woke.

Ruby was officially discharged the day after, though she still ended up spending most of her time in the hospital. She spent a great deal of time visiting Blake and Yang in their room down the hall, who would also need to stay in bed a while longer, just like Weiss.

When she wasn't in one of her teammates' rooms, Ruby was out visiting other friends and classmates as they recovered.

Weiss would often try to rest or read when Ruby was away, or sometimes Winter would come to visit her. But Ruby always made sure to come back every evening.

Being that the Academy was still undergoing heavy repairs, she was permitted to spend her nights there in the hospital bed beside Weiss. Her presence provided a great comfort for the heiress, particularly because there was always a slight fear in the back of Weiss' mind.

Winter had continuously reassured her that their father wouldn't be coming to seek Weiss out, but she still fretted nonetheless. Having Ruby at her side more often than not helped to ease her mind.

At night, Ruby laid down on her bed, but not before pushing it a bit closer to Weiss', more or less joining them together.

And even though Blake, Yang, and Zwei weren't there with them at night, just being able to have one another was enough.

-------------

On the fifth morning of her stay, just when Weiss had begun to think she might have to stay here forever, she was discharged.

It was almost surreal to her that she was allowed to simply stand up and walk out at her discretion, though her sore ankle had her swaying a bit.

Naturally, Ruby was enthralled, jumping onto Weiss' bed and throwing her arms around her shoulders, making sure to avoid her healing chest wound.

"Yaaaay! I'm so glad, I'm so glad! Oh! We should go visit Blake and Yang together!"

Weiss sighed, gently pushing her off, though she couldn't hide the smile.

"Of course we will. But I'd rather change into something else. And so should you."

Weiss had been in hospital robes for nearly a week now, while Ruby was still dressed in her pajamas from last night.

At their request, their clothes were brought in by the staff. A nurse informed them that they may still use the same room and beds to sleep in despite their discharge, at least until more could be provided for them at the school dorms.

Ruby changed in the small bathroom inside the room, shooting out fully dressed in fewer than ten seconds flat.

Weiss was still a little shaky with standing and moving around, so Ruby kept a hand at the small of her partner's back as she helped her across the room. She even offered to help Weiss change if she needed to, but the heiress shooed her away.

It took her some time, especially because even the slightest bend or twist at the wrong angle would send a pang of pain through her chest where the arrow had struck.

But eventually, she got herself into her usual clothes, her skin once again getting used to the familiar fabrics after so long of being in robes. She hobbled out of the bathroom to find Ruby jumping up from where she'd been sitting on her bed.

"Weiss! Are you okay? Need any help?"

"I'm just fine," Weiss assured her. "But thank you, Ruby."

Her partner seemed to glow a little, beaming as she scurried to her side.

"Okay! But if you need anything or you wanna stop for a rest or something at anytime, just say the word!"

"I will. Now let's get going."

She knew Ruby had gone to see Yang and Blake many times already, and she'd always relay information to Weiss. But the heiress hadn't actually seen either of them herself since the battle.

As they made for the doorway, Ruby stuck close to her side, casually slipping an arm around Weiss' waist. It was a motion that didn't draw any attention; Weiss didn't feel so terribly embarrassed to be dependent on her to such a small degree. She allowed herself to lean a bit of her weight onto her partner as they made their way down the halls.

Now that the battle was far behind them, the infirmary wasn't as hectic as it had been in previous days. For now, it was quiet, its rooms filled with people sleeping, recovering, or talking softly.

Ruby directed them to their teammates' room, and Weiss couldn't deny she was feeling both nervous and excited to see them. Ruby had told her of their injuries, especially Yang's.

Weiss couldn't even imagine the things the others must have been going through. She just hoped her presence might be able to ease a little bit of the pain, or at the very least, distract them for a bit.

However, as they rounded the corner that would take them to the designated room, both girls came to a pause at the sight of nurses huddled around the door. They were chittering together under their breaths until they noticed the approaching pair. One young man turned to meet them, but effectively blocked their path forward.

"Miss Rose, and Miss Schnee. Ah, you're here to see your sister and Miss Belladonna, yes?"

"Yeah!" Ruby answered. "Um... is that okay? I mean, I've been coming to see them for a few days now..."

The boy seemed somewhat uncomfortable as he tried to think of something to say.

"Yes, well... I hope you'll understand, but we've got a few things to attend to right now involving your teammates. May I ask you both to come back to visit this evening?"

His words struck a chord of worry within Ruby.

"Is... Is something wrong...? Did something happen?"

"Noting that can't be handled before supper, I assure you."

Weiss felt her partner tense a bit. She was feeling uneasy as well, but she knew better than anyone how to read a situation.

"Come on, Ruby," she said gently. "Let them do what they have to. We'll come back later, okay?"

Ruby blinked up at her a few times, shaking her head to clear it.

"Yeah... Okay. Then we'll be back in a few hours!" she said to the young nurse.

He merely smiled. "Of course."

A little dejected, and a little worried, the two girls turned away and began walking down a different hallway.

"I wonder what that was all about...?" Ruby muttered.

"I'll wager they're probably running some tests," Weiss offered. "Yang and Blake can't really have company, if that's the case." She reached over to touch her hand to Ruby's where it was still holding onto her waist. "Don't worry. We'll just see them later."

Ruby sighed, but tried to let Weiss' words put her at ease.

"Yeah. You're right. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they finally get to see you again!"

The two of them decided to head outside for some fresh air.

Ruby had ventured out in the days before, but this would be Weiss' first time in nearly a week.

As soon as Weiss had set foot outside, she instantly inhaled a full breath of air. It put a bit of an ache in her chest and against her sore lungs, but it was worth it. She was glad to be outside again for the first time in close to a week.

Until now, she'd only felt the sunlight through the glass of the windows, but now it was warming her skin directly.

With Ruby at her side, they started off around Beacon's property to observe the ongoing activity.

The school itself was swarmed with people and machines who were beginning to rebuild the damaged parts. There was still a long way to go, but they'd already refurbished quite a bit as well.

There were airships constantly passing by or docking, sometimes letting off a fresh wave of reinforcements to help with repairs and supplies, and other times collecting a group to bring to Vale for the same reasons.

The two girls walked side by side for about fifteen minutes, walking around the familiar campus that was now partially in shambles.

Ruby would occasionally mumble things under her breath, such as "The Griffons did this" or "That was because of the dragon..."

Weiss was no fool. She knew her partner almost as well as Yang did by now. She could see the spark of longing in her silver eyes, the desire to help the others with repairs, the want to be useful in whatever way possible in order to be a part of rebuilding what she loved.

But she couldn't do that if she was too busy being Weiss' crutch.

Therefore, the heiress brought them to a pause at Beacon's courtyard, beside one of the only intact benches that remained. Ruby helped her sit down and briefly rested beside her.

"What's up, Weiss? Are you feeling okay? Do you wanna go back inside?"

"No. I want you to stop worrying about me. Now, I understand it might be difficult, because if our positions were reversed, I'd be the same way. But I don't want to limit you, Ruby. Especially when you've got better things to do."

She glanced over at one of the repair groups. Ruby followed her gaze, but quickly shook her head.

"N-No, Weiss! Helping you isn't just a 'thing to do'! And there's nothing better than it! I wanna make sure you're okay!"

"I understand. Which is why I'm telling you straight up that I'm fine. You don't have to keep such a close eye on me, alright? You should go do the things you want to do. I can manage on my own."

Ruby fiddled her fingers in her lap. She was excited at the notion of going off to be useful to the repair and reconnaissance groups, but she was hesitant about leaving her partner like this.

"Are you sure? What if something happens and your wound starts to hurt again?"

"That won't happen. But if it did, there are plenty of people around who would be able to help me, don't you think?"

Ruby whimpered slightly. Weiss sighed, placing a hand over hers.

"Go, Ruby. Do what you've always dreamt of and go help people, then come back in a few hours. I'll be waiting for you, okay? Meet me back in our room, then we'll go to visit Blake and Yang."

Ruby looked up into her eyes one more time, then smiled faintly.

"Okay!" She wrapped her arms around Weiss gently and gave a little squeeze. "Thanks, Weiss."

"You're welcome, you dunce. Now go on. And make sure you're back before supper."

"On it!" Ruby let her go, stood, gave a thumbs-up, then darted off in a blur of red.

Weiss watched her go for the three seconds it took for the last rose petal to fall. Smiling, she sighed.

"Be safe, you dolt."

Weiss didn't have any alternative plans in mind. She was quite aware of her own condition, and only intended to stay outside for a while to get some fresh air into her lungs, then she'd head back into the infirmary before long.

For now, she simply planned to rest where she sat, tilting her head back to glance at the sky. It was blue and speckled with white wisps of clouds, and the warm sunlight was bathing her skin and hair.

Had it not been for the sounds of reconstruction and the whirring motors of airships, Weiss might've believed today was just another normal day on campus in between classes.

When she wasn't looking directly at the damages, it was almost hard to comprehend that what had happened just days ago had been entirely real. The occasional pain in her chest was an effective reminder as well.

For a time, she simply stayed there, sometimes closing her eyes to focus on her breathing. The raucous sounds of drills and cranes and hammering ensured she'd never fall asleep entirely, but she managed to nap for a few minutes without being disturbed.

At one point, the work all seemed to come to a halt, and Weiss assumed the people were taking a snack break or something along those lines. Perhaps she'd get to rest for a bit now...

However, the sounds of frustrated voices nearby were too loud to ignore.

"I still can't believe it. Look at all this damage. And all because of those damn White Fang."

"Shit's gonna cost a fortune. And they're hardly even payin' us. Stupid Faunus."

"They're no better'n the Grimm, if ya ask me."

"Why're they makin' people like us rebuild, huh? They should make the animals themselves do it." This man then raised his voice. "Hey! Yeah, you heard me! Dirty half-breeds! You should be the ones doin' all this labor! How come you get to sit and relax, huh?"

Weiss' eyes shot open in a rage. Her heart was already being assaulted by beats of anger, most of which caused a bit of pain for her, but she couldn't care less.

Grunting, she more or less forced herself up from the bench and whipped around to face the men she'd heard.

There were three of them, all dressed in construction clothes, none of whom were familiar to her. She knew they weren't students, so she could assume they were just hired workers.

They were now jeering at a pair of Faunus passing by, who adorned nurses uniforms. The young man of the pair was politely trying to explain that they weren't helping with reconstruction because their jobs was to assist the injured.

But the way his lupine ears flattened demonstrated just how nervous he was. The girl behind him had her foxlike tail fluffed out in alarm, and was quietly trying to pull him away.

The human men continued scoffing at them.

"Yeah, right. You guys don't do shit, even in the infirmary."

"I'll bet you were workin' with them White Fang, weren't ya?"

"Good-for-nothin' flea-bags."

Weiss was having no more of this.

She stormed her way over to the confrontation and planted herself directly in the middle of it. She squared her shoulders to face the three working men, chin lifted high, eyes narrowed in an icy glare – everything she'd ever learned from her father about appearances to intimidate.

She watched the confusion and irritation in their eyes, but before they could speak, her voice shot out in a furious bark.

"Excuse you!" she snapped with scathing outrage. "Don't you three have jobs to be doing instead of harassing other workers?"

The three men looked to her in surprise, then started laughing.

"Workers? Those ain't workers. Those are pests."

"Should kick 'em out. Ban every last one of 'em."

"Since when does Schnee's kids like Faunus anyways?"

When the other two recognized the emblem on her clothes, they also began to make harsh comments about her family name.

But Weiss hardly cared, so long as their interests in conversation had been swayed.

Even still, she couldn't let the comments they'd made about the Faunus race slide.

"I can see why they hired you for this job. It doesn't require a high level of intelligence, after all."

That got their attention.

"Why you-"

"What'd you say?"

"Listen here, girly-"

"No," Weiss growled. "You listen. Do you even know what the Vytal Festival is? Did you even watch it for a second? Because I did, and I sure saw a lot of Faunus competitors. Highly-skilled, highly-intelligent fighters from all over the world. Students from the academies.

"Now, I suppose every last one of them who's studying at a prestigious school like Beacon is a member of the White Fang, then? I suppose every family of Faunus living in the cities in the homes they built with their own hands or payed for with years of hard labor are a part of the White Fang, too? Every Faunus you see passing you by on the street, or while shopping in the mall, or at the movie theater? Every last one of them is White Fang, is that correct?"

As she hurled these accusations at them, she was advancing step by step, fingers balled into fists. The three men were gradually backing away, mumbling stupidly.

"Uhh..."

"Well, I mean-"

"Probably not, I guess?"

But Weiss still wasn't finished with them yet. She went on, her cold blue eyes burning.

"Not every Faunus is associated with the White Fang. Most want nothing to do with them. In fact, there are a great deal of human supporters as well. So assuming that people are involved with them just because they don't look exactly like you is about as low of a mindset as you could possibly obtain.

"I'll have you know it's people like you who create the White Fang. Don't you realize that? When you make judgements without reason, when you discriminate, when you belittle people, they want to react, and maybe they'll decide to do it violently next time."

By now, the three men had been stunned into silence. Weiss glared them down and spoke with conviction.

"So do us all a favor now, would you? Grow up."

With that final comment now burned into the backs of their minds, Weiss turned herself around and marched off.

The two Faunus nurses were still huddled together, jaws agape and eyes wide. Weiss paused beside them, and the girl flinched a bit. But the heiress merely presented them with a small smile.

"Thank you for your hard work. I know we don't say it enough."

Both of their faces absolutely lit up. They dipped their heads to her, and scurried off together.

Something told Weiss this was the first time anyone else had ever defended those particular people, or their species. Weiss hoped it wouldn't be the last.

She meant to make her way back to the infirmary now, but a sudden throbbing in her chest stopped her in her tracks. She'd been vaguely aware of it at the time she'd been speaking so loudly before, but now that she had a moment to cool off, it was becoming painful.

Gasping thinly, she felt her legs trembling already, and a dizzy spell hit the back of her head like a brick. Her vision blurred and spun, and she knew she was falling-

"Weiss!"

Instead of concrete or cobblestone, Weiss found herself resting in a pair of soft, supportive arms.

She struggled desperately to open her eyes, but it wasn't Ruby she found looking back at her. It was-

"B-Blake...?"

"Are you okay? No, wait don't answer that yet. Just breathe, okay?"

Blake had knelt down in order to hold Weiss in her lap, letting the heiress collapse softly against her chest. Blake rubbed her back for her, trying to soothe the pain.

As Weiss caught her breath, her mind buzzed with a million things she longed to say. The last time she'd seen Blake, she'd been lying on the ground, bandaged-up, curling up into a tight ball with her hand in Yang's, sobbing bitter apologies...

"B-Blake..."

Weiss' trembling fingers reached out to touch her teammate's side ever so gently.

Blake's wound still hurt a bit whenever she moved the wrong way, but Weiss' touch didn't faze her at all. In fact, it seemed to soothe a bit of the ache.

"I'm fine, Weiss. Don't worry. Just take your time, okay?"

Weiss rested her chin on Blake's shoulder and exhaled, feeling the aches in her chest beginning to fade away.

"You... Blake, you're not... supposed to be discharged yet," she rasped. "Are you?"

Blake's ears flattened beneath her bow.

"No... Not exactly. I... kind of snuck out..."

Weiss tensed.

"Blake-"

"Just hear me out before you get upset, okay? I'm fine now and I can help with other things. I don't need to just sit in my room and do nothing. I'm sure Ruby felt the same way," she added, noting their leader's absence.

Still, Weiss was miffed. She pulled away a bit so she may glare disapproval into Blake's eyes.

"You... no wonder they wouldn't let us come visit you earlier. They've been looking for you all day, Blake. They didn't even let Ruby and I come in to see you two because they didn't want us to know you'd snuck out."

"Sorry. If I'd known you were coming, I wouldn't have left. But I had no idea you would be up and about so soon, Weiss. Ruby told us what happened to you..."

Her eyes flicked downward briefly, to where a pink scar was just barely visible at the center of Weiss' collar. Blake pulled her in close, releasing a sigh.

"I'm just glad you're okay. You all are. Ren and Nora stopped by yesterday and told us Pyrrha's recovering, too. It's all thanks to you guys."

"Nonsense," Weiss mumbled. "It's thanks to all of us."

She slipped her arms around Blake as well, holding her close.

Weiss was just... so thankful to see her again, already up and about and doing all she could to help, a dire contrast to the scared, sobbing girl she'd last seen.

After a moment, Blake could feel Weiss' pulse ease until she could breathe normally once again. There was still something else the Faunus girl had to address.

"And, Weiss... all of that just now... I saw what you did. I heard what you said, a-and I... I can't even express what that meant to us... to me..."

Weiss was a little surprised to discover Blake had overheard.

Her teammate began to cry softly into Weiss' shoulder, clinging to her waist and back as emotion swept through her. Blake went on, now stumbling over her choppy words.

"A-And just the fact that... that it c-came from someone like you... I-I mean from your family... Gosh, Weiss that just... it means a lot. More than I can say..."

It was Weiss' turn to pat her friend's back for her.

"It's fine, Blake. I don't deserve thanks for displaying what should be common sense. I... We both know I was guilty in the past of behaving so poorly. I still hate that that was ever the case... But you helped open my eyes, Blake. I want to make things right..."

Weiss shed a few tears as well, hiding her face in Blake's hair.

But Blake didn't want this to be painful for either of them, at least not any more than it already was. She smiled, keeping Weiss in her arms.

"It's okay. Thank you, Weiss. Thank you so much..."

Weiss cried a little harder.

"No... you idiot... thank you for helping me understand..."

She liked to believed she'd changed for the better. They both did.

A few tranquil moments passed. Both girls stayed in each others' embrace, until they both felt able to stand.

They leaned on each other and eventually got to their feet, then headed back towards the building. Weiss was still muttering in disbelief.

"I can't believe you ran away. From a hospital, of all things, Blake. Honestly..."

"Yeah... Maybe that was a bad move, after all."

"Oh, really? You think so? I'm surrounded by nincompoops."

"Sorry. Where's Ruby, by the way?"

"She'll be back soon. Let's go see Yang and wait for her together."

"Alright."

They maintained a slow pace, gradually making their way back to Yang.

-------------

A/N: I really wanted/still want to see a scene like this in canon. For Weiss to defend the Faunus (maybe against even her own father?) and to show how much she's grown since day one of arriving at Beacon. And if Blake was there to see/hear it, or heard about it later, it'd be even better.