Finally realising what is going on, Amaya quickly intervenes. "Stop."
She takes Junkos hands and places them on the sofa. "You have to be careful with this."
Junko would have liked to protest, but she was too weak for any kind of resistance and just mumbles a silent "It's nothing."
Amaya started working on the flysuit and carefully tried to peel Junko out of it without hurting her too much. "Nothing?! What the hell happened to you, girl?"
"I already said it's nothing." Junko replied angrier. Amaya just frowned and touched Junko's leg, making her wince. "Right." She then knelt down and dedicated herself to the delicate matter of getting Junko's feet out of the flysuit.
In the meantime the small cat had wandered over to its owner. Looking at her with big eyes it meowed once and then nestled up to her chest. A little smile appeared on Junko's lips and she moved her hand to caress the cat. "I missed you.." The cat just closed its eyes and started to purr.
Finally Amaya managed to completely remove the flysuit and she stood up again. Looking at the suit covered with blood and then at Junko she sighed heavily. "I don't know who the bigger mess is, the suit or you. Care to tell me what happened now?"
"I'm coming from the hospital" replied Junko after a few breaths.
She wasn't quite inclined to explain she had to eject from a wreck that once was a fighter a few hours ago, nor to tell how she actually reached their house.
"Al...Right? And this totally explains everything." noted calmly Amaya.
She was about to ask again, but she knew enough Junko by now to recognize the 'no bloody way' expression that was now showing up on her face.
Oh well... This could wait.
After sighing quickly, she stoop up to make a call. "I'm calling a medic then." "No..." "Come on, don't be silly, you.."
She was cut in half, surprised.
Junko was silently crying. So this girl was able to feel emotions, in the end...
Amaya just stood there for a few seconds, perplexed by the unusual reaction from Junko. Slowly she moved a bit forward. "Hey girl.. what's the matter?" She carefully put her arms around Junko's back. "Come here... it'll be alright."
Junko sobbed and more tears were flowing as she responded to the hug. Somehow everything that was held back all the time behind her mask of coldness and distance started to come out and the two girls just held each other for a while until all tears were spent.
"Just.." Junko catched her breath. "just what am I going to do.."
"Well, first of all, you're going to tell me what happened, all of it.
And then.. I'll help you fix whatever problems are bothering you right now."
Amaya leans back and looks Junko in the eyes. "We share the same house, we're like sisters and we'll help each other. Alright?"
She moves a bit of hair out of Junko's face. "Oh, and we'll also get your wounds treated and make you pretty again."
It took a while for her to calm down enough to talk. "I don't know, Amaya.. I don't know where i am with my life and... I'm just feeling useless and... Weak. I hate this."
Amaya didn't say a word. She just caressed slowly her hairs, giving her time to get it off her chest.
Junko was apparently struggling to not fall in tears again. Finally she sighed. "Life wasn't easy for me ... I was betrayed by my family, mistreated by the man who was chosen for me... I had to run and participate to the war."
She made a pause, gazing at her wounds. "I liked it but... It cost me a lot. And now i have the feeling i lost my... Efficiency. Things aren't as easy as they used to be. I failed that mission and... There is that guy..." "Oh..." emited softly Amaya.
"I'm... Afraid... I'm very afraid to trust and be disappointed again and now that i'm looking like a wreck... All this is turning in my head and it's driving me insane."
She shook her head, amove that was obviously increasing the pain. "hell i do not even know why i'm telling you all this. This... This isn't me. I always settled my problems myself..."
Amaya smiled broadly. "Well finally you came to your senses then. You should have told me this waayyyy earlier."
She leaned back and put her hands on Junko's shoulders. "Alright. As your best friend I'll help you with all that stuff."
Amaya gave her a sceptical look. "You won't get around the hospital, honey. Somebody's gotta patch you up again."
Then she looked down on herself and frowned. "And now my clothes are ruined too." Then she smiled again. "Nevermind."
She hardly leaves Junko time to reply. "And then when you're all pretty again I'll help you with 'that guy'".
Then she got up and reached for her phone. "Now, while we wait for the medic, you can tell me about that guy you like."
Amaya yawned intensely as she was taking down the stairs. Who was silly enough to come that early?
Tired-looking, her hairs in a mess, she slowly proceeded to the main door, struggling to retain the tatters of a dream that was already almost forgotten.
Distraught, she took a few seconds to focus at the man standing in front of the door.
He was himself gazing at her with a reasonable amount of surprise. "Ahem.. Good morning. I hope i didn't wake you up?" "As a matter of fact, you did..."
She yawned broadly once again, and then proceeded to consider the man with more attention. "Oh... You're 'that guy'..." she said, accentuating the last part of her sentence "Well, come in."
"I'm sorry." He said after taking off his shoes "I didn't realize i came that early." "Ehh? What time is it?" Asked Amaya without much curiosity.
"Almost 10.30 am." "Oh... So i guess i cannot really complain then..."
"We agreed with Junko i would pick her up this morning." asserted the man after a short silence. "Oh i see? You planned something nice? Like a promenade and a pleasant lunch?" asked casually Amaya. "Hm." emitted the man neutrally to the point she wasn't able to tell if it was a confirmation or a denial.
Amaya finally shrugged. "Well, follow me. We will see if the little bird woke up already."
~~~
"It appears she didn't." she whispered while showing a vague form in the bed of the room in the dark. "Oh..." replied the man, using the same tone.
After having carefully closed the door, Amaya headed back downstairs, soon followed by the visitor. "She was very tired yesterday and... Well... Gloomy. We talked a bit and then she went to bed, refusing to see a doctor." "Was she that injured?" asked the man with quite some concern. "Uh... Yes. Come, i will prepare some tea."
They walked into the kitchen with the adjacent dining room. "You can take a seat here while I make the tea." Amaya walked further into the kitchen to boil some water.
The man thought about sitting down for a moment, but then casted a worried glance at the stairs leading up to the first floor. "So. How hurt is she? She always lies about this.."
Amaya tilted her head and thought for a while. "Well... it was quite bad. But maybe it's already better today."
He sighed heavily and finally took a seat. "I should have never let her leave the hospital."
Amaya eventually returned with two cups of tea and put them on the table before sitting down opposite of him. Then she started to stare at him as if she would examine him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
She continued to stare for a few moments and then leaned back. "Well, I guess it could be worse." "Huh?" He gazed at her confused. "Though you seem like a really slow one. But I guess there's a lot of those in the Naval Forces."
He frowned. "I'm not sure what you're trying to say."
She smiled a bit. "Exactly. But well, I guess she likes you for some reason or another." "hmph." He looked out of the window for a moment, then back to her. "She does?"
"You don't know?", she asked half playfully. "Oh, of course you don't. See. Proves my point."
Ishikawa was starting to get fairly annoyed.
He wanted to go upstairs and appease his apprehensions but instead, he was stuck here, given stick by that girl he didn't really know.
"Since you seem to be that smart, perhaps you could help me understanding what would be the best to do?" "Hmmm..." gave out Amaya while tilting her head, as if she was considering if she really wanted to answer.
But eventually she leaned forward and, gazing at him with a half-smile, said "Maybe Junko simply cannot take this decision. Perhaps you should act rather than wait for something that will never happen?"
He gazed back at her for a short while with a stony expression. Finally he got up without a word and headed upstairs.
Amaya followed him with her eyes while playing with a spoon. "Oh... I was faster than i expected."
~~~
But he came back even before she was able to take a sip from her tea cup. "Where is Junko?" He asked with anxiety. "In her room, of course."
He nodded in denial "She isn't there. What you thought to be her were some pillows." "What..?"
She walked upstairs, closely followed by the visitor.
"Alright, this is unexpected." she finally said, after having seen the few pillows apparently disposed to fool them.
She heard the man absently saying "She's gone..." and turned around.
He handed a word to her that she began to read aloud.
Junko Sanada Wrote:I will be out for a few days.
I have to reflect about some things.
Junko.
PS : Please don't forget to feed Ishikawa.
"Uh..." she then simply said. "I think i know what she did." ventured the man before taking his leave from her.
![[Image: siggies.png]](http://pile.randimg.net/0/46/11539/siggies.png)