Unveiled Emotions

Rei gazed out the window and sighed. She tried to remember the person closest to her heart. All she could see was a light gray. Light gray hair that was slightly curly. That much she could remember. He was tall and he seemed to be the type that wore expensive clothes. She seemed to remember that she was used to expensive things. It was as if she had been brought up rich.

Two birds stopped to perch on the windowsill and Rei watched them. They were tiny things, small enough to fit in her hand. She glanced up slightly as the door opened and the doctor entered. She acknowledges him then turned back to the window. The birds had flown off and she sighed. Why had they gone? Why had they left her?

"It's familiar, what I hear," she said and the doctor glanced at her.

"What do you hear?" he asked and Rei shook her head.

"Please don't sedate me again, but I hear a voice. I hear words that are not spoken and the voice is familiar. It's as if I've heard it before."

"There's someone here to see you."

"There is? Oh it's another doctor, isn't it? I'm going to get some more tests done, aren't I?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. I have someone here that's been concerned about you ever since you were brought in."

"Really?"

"I have no reason to lie to you, do I?"

"No. This voice…"

"What about it?"

"He has the coldness of ice, the killing bite of a snake and yet he's warm. There's a small bit of compassion hidden deep within his voice. I think I'm the only one that can hear it."

"Would you like to see your visitor now?"

"Does he have a name that starts with a V?"

"Why don't you speak to him yourself? I'll let him in."

The doctor left the room and Vicious raised his eyes as the doctor approached him.

"Be patient with her. Seeing you may be the key to everything falling into place. Her speech will be irregular because she will speak of things as she remembers them," the doctor said as Vicious laid a hand on the doorknob. He opened the door and entered the room. He glanced at Rei as he closed the door behind him.

"You've lost weight," he commented and Rei gazed up at him. He allowed a long silence to follow as Rei looked him over as the vagueness of her memory cleared. She took his hand, slowly at first, then grasped it tightly.

"It was you all along. For the longest time. All I saw was gray and I knew it was very important because it was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. I couldn't remember exactly what you looked like but I remembered gray. I knew it was you when I heard your voice," she said.

"When will you be able to leave?" Vicious asked as he placed his arms around her waist.

"I don't know. Soon, I hope. I want to see the outside again."

"What about what's right here?"

"I've been wanting to see you even before I could remember who you were."

"That's right. You have forgotten everything, haven't you?"

"I don't exactly think I forgot because I wouldn't be able to remember, would I?"

"I don't know. The mind is an interesting machine. I wanted so hard to forget my past then you came along and revived it. I don't think we can ever permanently delete something because it's going to always be somewhere in our minds. We have emotions, whether we want to accept it or not and tend to be relentless in holding on to things. Created machines are different. They do what they're told to do. Organic life-forms tend to be a bit more…rebellious."

He gazed down at her and ran a hand through her hair. She leaned closer to him and Vicious' eyes narrowed as the door opened.

"Another ten minutes and you would have had her laid her out on the bed like a piece of meat," Stinger said and Vicious gave him a deadly glare.

"What do you want?" he asked and Stinger leaned against the doorframe.

"You've got a call."

"So?"

"You might be interested in this. It's the Blue Dragon group. They've got a proposition for you."

"I'll take it outside. I have to speak to the doctor anyway. Watch her. That's all," Vicious said nothing and left the room and stinger glanced at Rei.

"Your ears aren't as long as mine. Guess that's ‘cause you're a girl."

"What are you talking about?" Rei asked and Stinger grinned.

"You're a Taliban, same as me. Well…except you're a girl," he said. "Do you have to stay in those boring clothes?"

"What's wrong with them?"

"They don't show your figure very well. He likes to see you in things that compliment your body."

"He does?"

"Yes."

"But I don't have anything like that."

"Not here you don't but you do at his place."

"Let's go," Vicious said as he came into the room.

"Can I inquire about the call?" Stinger asked as Vicious took Rei's hand.

"I'm being challenged to a Red Eye run directly under the nose of bounty hunters. You're coming too. I've got to go to the front to sign your release and pay the bill. These…"

He handed her a bottle of pills. She took it from him and looked at the bottle.

"Will relieve shock. Take it when necessary. Make sure she takes it if she needs it."

"Can I put it in her mouth?" Stinger asked.

"Don't push you luck. Let's get going," Vicious said.