*The Next Day*
Summer acted like nothing happened. That was just the way it had to be. Law never mentioned anything to her about it after that morning, and Summer wasn't inclined to say that she was slightly crazy and could whig out at any moment. No one had to know, as far as she was concerned.
She hadn't had any other problem since then; nothing had set her off or gave her horrible flashbacks to her time in the lab. Of that much, she was grateful. And so she found herself helping Casper cook dinner that night, much to her relief.
"It's good to have you back, lass. The rest of 'em just weren't much help in the kitchen." Casper admitted, handing her her apron. She took it with a grin, tying it immediately around her waist.
"I could imagine. Hopefully they didn't burn too much?" He gave a chuckle, handing her the recipe for the night.
They worked in companionable silence, chopping vegetables and slicing strips of beef for the recipe. The smells the sounds, the heat from the stoves…it made her smile, happy to be back in a familiar place. She remembered recalling just how much she'd miss the little kitchen if she'd never got to see the Heart Pirates again. It had become like a second home.
She distinctly remembered how much she'd dreaded working in the kitchen with the rumored 'stoic and mean cook.' Summer had never really had to cook in an actual kitchen before, all of her meals either things she'd gathered or stolen, and so the thought of actually preparing meals hadn't been appealing.
Meeting Casper hadn't been a very pleasant experience either, though she knew now that her old habit of distrusting anyone she came into contact with had gotten out of hand. Though he had been pretty tough on her right from the beginning…
"Oi, you alright?" Casper called, pulling her from her thoughts. She hovered the knife above the meat, and she realized she'd spaced off for several minutes. Shaking her head, she laughed.
"Oh, yeah. Just thinking."
"What's runnin' through your head?" He asked. He finished chopping an onion, tossing into a saucepan to saute them with the mushrooms.
"Oh, just remembering how much I hated the thought of working in the kitchen at first." The older man chuckled.
"You didn't seem too keen on staying." He admitted.
The two could hear the sounds of crewmen shuffling into the mess deck outside, talking and laughing about their days. The past few days had been pretty uneventful, but Summer didn't mind. She was glad she had the opportunity to enjoy being back with the crew.
"Yeah." She trailed off, finishing up her side of the work. "But…I'm really glad I did stay." She mumbled, more to herself than anything. She hadn't intended for Casper to hear, but he did anyway. Smiling, he swept the rest of the ingredients into the pan.
"Why don't you go inform the Captain that dinner's about ready?" He suggested, noticing that the girl was quite lost in her thoughts. She nodded obediently, and began walking out the door. She hesitated, but he waved her away. "Off you go, now." Grinning, he hoped she wouldn't think about the order too much.
It took Summer all the way until she stopped in front of Law's door to realize that Casper never had to inform the Captain that dinner was ready. Law just always knew when it was done, probably because of the aroma of food that tended to fill the sub, and because he usually was with Bepo who had an excellent nose. So…
Why had he waved her out the door to do so? She frowned, standing in confusion at the door to his room. Who was to say he was even inside? And why had she gone so willingly without question? Sure, she'd been pretty distracted with her thoughts, but…
'Gah, just go back to the kitchen. You need to help finish dinner. There's only-'
Before she finished her thought, or even had a chance to move, the door opened. Law was about to step outside, but stopped at the sight of the blonde. His eyebrows raised slightly, before his mouth twisted into his usual smirk.
"What seems to be the occasion, Summer-ya? It's not often I find you at my door." He almost purred, and she could feel her face heating up. Crossing her arms, she turned her head away.
"Casper asked me to fetch you for dinner." She put plainly. He chuckled under his breath, entering the hall and closing the door.
"Well then perhaps you'd like to accompany me back to the mess deck?" He questioned, and seeing as she had no other choice, she began walking down the hall. He followed rather enjoying himself.
"Don't get so cocky." She muttered, not bothering to see if he was behind her. She already knew he was. The damn bastard.
"About what?" Without even looking at his face, she could feel the smirk radiating off his being, as if it were burning a hole into the back of her head with each second that passed. But she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her struggle. Thankfully, the door to the mess deck was in sight.
"I've gotta help Casper finish dinner." And with that, she disappeared into the room. He entered a moment later, just in time to see a glance of her long blonde hair moving into the kitchen.
A few men called greetings, and he took his usual spot by the wall. Bepo was already there, waiting.
Summer grumbled to herself, wondering how someone so well-liked could be such an ass. If Casper heard her, he gave no indication, other than a curious grin that he couldn't seem to get rid of. She paid no attention to that, however.
Once dinner was finished, she dished out the servings to everyone in the mess deck. Giving Law his plate without so much as a word, she walked away before he could initiate a conversation. Though, Law noticed she gave Bepo a sincere smile.
The men enjoyed Casper and her's hard work, commenting on how good the meat and vegetables were. Summer then took her food and sat with Liam and Reid, talking happily until everyone had finished. Men slowly trickled off to finish their duties for the night, and whatever chores had been assigned to them. Summer began picking up the silverware and plates, bringing them to the kitchen to wash. Much to her pleasant surprise, Casper took them from her before she could start.
"Go get yourself some rest. You look exhausted." And she felt it, too. It felt like she hadn't had sleep in days. Truth be told, she had tossed and turned that night until the time breakfast had to be started. She hadn't gotten a lick of sleep, and her body was taking a toll.
With a grateful smile, she hung up her apron and stalked off to bed.
"Tell me!" He shouted, slapping her across the face once more. Her cheeks stung with tears and her ears wouldn't stop ringing. It felt too hot, though her skin was chilled to the bone. Unable to protect herself from the blow, she cried out.
"Stop!" Still, he continued to kick and punch, scratch and claw, and slap her, to the point where it all seemed to be one constant state of pain.
"You worthless, disgusting excuse for a human being! You should have died years ago!" His screams echoed in her tiny white room, slowly being stained red from her blood. She was on the floor, though hadn't she been sitting on the bed just a few moments ago?
Then she remembered. The laboratory had been destroyed, blown up in the fire. She'd watched it burn, felt the heat against her back as it slowly collapsed in on itself. Still, the pain seemed so real, and the enraged shouts of the Doctor were loud and deafening.
"My nakama…" She said weakly, reaching out to the ones who had saved her. Yes, her hand touched something, soft like skin. Her eyes were closed, and she slowly relaxed as she began to calm down. The yells had stopped, and in its wake was the humming of machinery.
And then…she stiffened. A pungent metallic smell filled the room. Blood. All too familiar.
Fear made her hesitate before opening her eyes, but in the end she did. And instantly scrambled backwards with wide eyes.
Law reached out towards her, but his eyes were dead and empty, blood seeping from the multitude of wounds across his body. Her own daggers stuck him through his neck, his back, arms and legs. She found herself unable to look away.
"You can't be dead…" She muttered, finding it within herself to rush to his side, pulling out the weapons and throwing them to the side. She listened for a heartbeat…there was nothing. The tears came in continuous streams, dripping onto the fabric of her white looney-bin uniform.
"Law!" She cried, trying to shake him awake. "Dammit, Law wake up!" He didn't respond, only felt cold underneath her fingertips.
"Look around you, love." A voice said. She froze, sickened to the core. Turning, Viper stood there with a twisted grin. He held two bodies in his hands, limply being held up by the backs of their uniforms. "All of this is your doing. Your fault, your actions." He laughed darkly, tossing the two bodies at her feet.
She screamed, crawling away from Penguin and Shachi as they hit the ground. Blood seeped from the dozens of gunshot wounds in their torsos.
"Shachi! Penguin!" Her cries did nothing, only cause her more pain as the dead bodies of her nakama lay bleeding out at her feet…
My fault…
My fault.
Summer wasn't sure exactly at what point she woke up, sobbing quietly into her pillow. She slowly came to realize that her back was in pain from the scrunched up fetal position she had retained underneath her blankets. Uncurling herself, she sniffed, wiping her nose free from moisture.
The room was dark, obviously still late at night. Only 11:27 according to the clock.
Summer sat herself against the edge of the bed, legs dangling to the floor below. She held her head in her hands, trying to gain control of her rapidly-beating heart. The images had been so vivid, so life-like…Clenching her fists, she shook her head free of the thoughts.
She didn't want to be alone anymore. And especially not at that moment. Right then, her mind was made up. Later, she'd probably consider it a moment of weakness, but nothing seemed like a better option at the time. Standing and going to the door, she opened it.
Even in the dark, she could navigate the halls well enough without bumping into the walls. Every small noise in the place made her jump slightly, mind still expecting to see Viper waiting behind every corner to torture her some more. She gulped, quickening her pace.
Law's room was silent, and she almost thought about turning back. It probably would have been the better decision. The more logical one. She was strong, able to handle things on her own…
Then one image of her nakama dead flashed through her mind and she had to shut her eyes against the tears that immediately began to fall. Her hand thrust out and knocked against the door with her knuckles.
For several minutes there was nothing but silence. Maybe he was in too deep a sleep to hear her. Maybe he just decided to ignore-
The door unlocked and opened hesitantly, with a very tired and irritated-looking Law peeking out from behind it. Though as soon as he saw it was Summer, that irritation seemed to disappear. His hair stuck up in all directions, like he'd just gotten up from bed. He probably had.
"Is something wrong?" He questioned, and her lip quivered.
"I don't wanna be alone right now…" She sobbed, rubbing at her eyes. Law opened the door, inviting her inside. She entered and heard the door close behind her.
"Nightmares?" He guessed, and she nodded silently. "I suppose you'd better take the bed then."
"Thank you." She cried, walking over to the bed and laying down. She still faced the room though, and once her eyes began to get used to the darkness, they widened. She hadn't noticed before that Law wore nothing more than a pair of shorts. His toned chest was exposed for her to see, and she couldn't tear her eyes away. He didn't seem to notice, too busy adjusting the comforter of the bed. To her surprise, he straightened and went to sit in his desk chair.
"You're not going to sleep?" She asked, and he tilted his head curiously. She blushed, thankful that the darkness hid her face. "Umm…it's just that…I'd prefer if you…were next to me right now…" She mumbled, but he didn't move.
"What are the nightmares about, Summer-ya?" Anyone else might've thought the question was insensitive, but Summer knew that Law was just that way: blunt and to the point. She actually appreciated it more that he would truly consider her problems and not just feel sympathy for her. She hated pity more than anything.
"They…mainly focus on the Doctor." She admitted. "At least, they start out like that. He keeps beating me…and then it usually ends with everyone…being dead." She was almost ashamed to admit that her mind was being plagued with such thoughts, utterly ridiculous notions. A tiny part of her was afraid that Law would laugh.
But her fears were unwarranted. "You're safe now. The Doctor is dead." Law comforted, standing and walking over to the bed. He sat on the edge, still within a close proximity but not encroaching on her personal space. She was thankful for how courteous he was to her during her stressful moments.
"Could you…just lay with me for awhile?" She asked meekly, and he seemed to ponder the request before sitting up against the pillows beside her. "Thank you." She said again, allowing her tired mind to slowly rest again.
Law wasn't really sure what to do at this point. Summer was sleeping peacefully beside him, evenly breathing in her short sleeping shorts and tank top. He himself wasn't really appropriately dressed, though Summer hadn't seemed to point anything out. She faced him, her hands close to her face in a sideways position.
The fact that she'd come to his room so late at night, or at all, was surprising. He'd thought at first it was Shachi or Penguin coming to him for food or to ask a pointless question. But the sight of the crying girl had made it quite obvious something wasn't right.
He'd suspected that she was having continuous nightmares, though now that fact was confirmed. He just hadn't realized they were so extreme.
Perhaps showing her the surprise in the morning was a good idea. Yes, he thought that would be best. But first, she obviously needed her sleep.
She slept on top of the covers, strangely enough. It made him smirk, and he moved a piece of hair out of her face. She looked so…innocent when she slept. He couldn't look away. His fingers absentmindedly played with the ends of one of the strands of hair, watching her but not really seeing anything. His mind was too preoccupied with too many thoughts.
He found himself falling more and more exhausted, and his eyes eventually closed.
ns 18.68.41.179da2
