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[color=silver]	Death truly was cold. Though the pits of hell were full of flame and fire, the moments before the soul's transition were filled with shivering frostbite. The teeth of the dropping temperature froze the world around them, with the only remnant of warmth coming from the inner humanity that was fading away. Takai truly felt this frozen wasteland of purgatory right after the explosion. His vision darkened and the pain was subsided with incredible numbness. Was he aware of what was going on? Perhaps. Most of the time he lay unconscious, unaware of the world outside of his nullified corpse. Takai felt like he was dead. At least he felt something, though. His world had been shredded into pieces. Surely enough, explosions and exchanges in gunfire had been a part of his career, but never before had it shaken the earth beneath his feet and racketeered his state of consciousness together. Every so often, though its frequency was inexplicably infrequent, a shudder or a sense of touch scraped by the darkness around him. He dared not to open his eyes, not that he could. Voices were muffled and distant, reverberated by a ghostly tremble nearby. Once or twice, his head would begin to pound heavily. It felt like a ghoul was slamming a brick against it, constantly. Consistent stress forced itself upon his body. Unseen hands would touch his body, with whispers or words coming through as a light caress to his cheek. And despite sensing all these anomalies to the blackened abyss that surrounded him, he could not see any of it. His vision remained coarse and grim. Darkness had engraved itself into his own irises, maintaining a consistent silence. He could not open his mouth, nor could he whisper his pain aloud.

	Hours felt like years to him. How long had he been under the knives and comatose forced upon him? Every dream he had was a retelling of the fateful events before. Purgatory tortured him with the details being shown in their fullest. He saw the looks in Iwata's eyes the moment she squeezed that trigger, the look of betrayal she scorned when Takai had shot her more than once. Truly, she was gone, surely? No. Takai couldn't see what happened to her. If Takai was actually alive, then what excluded his counterparts from the same fate? All these questions, and the world's time to answer them. But with no sight, no true sound and no true sense of touch, he could not answer them himself. Instead, he lay still, sensing a strange envision haunt his nightmares and taint his dreams. Takai felt the chaos of the explosion around him. Time after time, once again following the last, a savage blast of fire and flame spouted in his head. The splinters and wooden shards that flew his way scraped by his skin, covering him in a peppery soot. Plumes of smoke and ash tore through the floorboards and devastated the attic he had once stood within. And then the force; the full force of the explosion sent him across the room, into whatever grave he remained in. Rubble piled atop of him and the world went black. That was the way Takai's world ended.

	But at the last slimmer of hope, a faint light could be seen on the slit of his eyes. Days of painful slumber had led to the awakening. Slowly, he began to feel his eyes naturally flutter open. Everything around him was but a blur, an apparition of what he thought was the real world. Bright neon lights flickered above his head, where his eyes failed to adjust to the sudden luminosity shining down upon his weakened gaze. Moments of numbness surely came back, creeping into the frame of his existence solemnly. Takai's breath softly came back into the light, the weakened air exhaling from his crippled lungs. At first, it was agony, pain and suffering blended into one manifestation. After a while, his gaze began to start clear and the sight line before him crudely showed a familiar ceiling. Above him, the tiling and light bulbs of the NSF Emergency Wards looked down upon him, judging his immobile state. A strong weakness flushed through his muscles. Not even with his enhancements could he muster the mobility he hoped for. In an attempt to shift his position, Takai moved his head upwards, only for the pain to start again and for him to slump to a side. His head now tilted towards the east side of the bed, where suddenly a body could be seen standing close by. The figure was dressed in all white, a long coat subsided by regulatory attire. The nurse looked aside, hearing the shuffling in Takai's bed before realising what was going on. He quickly turned around, calling out for a doctor's name before leaving Takai alone for a few seconds. All Takai could do at the moment was roll his eyes, move them around and glance at the surrounding world. He was rigged up to a specialised sort of mattress, housing him in a chambered slumber. His memory was faint and the tidal wave of pain began to fade slowly, leaving only insensibility.[/color]

[color=f9ad81][b]"Oh, okay okay...bit earlier than we expected."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]A new voice entered the scene, accompanied by a few hard footsteps against the cold floor below. Takai slowly felt the strength in his body ease, allowing him to make another attempt to roll his head back upwards. Though the first attempt was unsuccessful, he quickly mustered the energy to do so. Before him, another heavily dressed woman paced around his bedside, intently. Quickly, she gathered her assortment of clipboards and more advanced datapads, rummaging around her notes band sitting comfortably down on a stool nearby. She wheeled it closer, taking a deep breath as to prepare herself for some sort of audition. Takai's view cleared further, finally allowing him to see the doctor in her full self. On the breast pocket of her jacket, a nametag read out: [url=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/12/c5/55/12c5556647cf13d08fa358b30659806c.jpg]Doctor Miho[/url].[/color] [color=f9ad81][b]"Okay, okay...clear thoughts. Right..."[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	As Doctor Miho rummaged around her self, clearing her mind from whatever she was thinking about beforehand, Takai felt himself move out of instinct. He slowly moved himself upwards, albeit with a large amount of pain to go with it. His teeth gritted as he did so, and alongside his motion the bed's frame comfortably moved up to a more apt posture. He opened his mouth, able to finally get some sort of noise out. It was a weak and pathetic groan, one that struggled to even best his fast awakening. Takai got a clearer view of Miho, seeing both of her legs accompanied with augmentations. Even though they were a common sight amongst the NSF, her own were still as unique as every other Operator he personally knew.[/color]

[color=f9ad81][b]"Please save your strength, and I can explain everything."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Her smile was comfortable, though troublesome. Takai's mind had many questions to ask, with so many unanswered from his time caressing the grave. A vague discomfort flushed out Takai's ease, causing him to shift more in his bed.[/color] [color=f9ad81][b]"Before I explain things, I just want to make sure you're okay. First of all, could you please nod if you can understand me?"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	Though with some hesitation, Takai did as she asked and nodded, following it with a croaked voice that could barely fumble out words. Though to himself he sounded inaudible, she clearly took something out of his supposed grumble. For a second, she wrote down several items onto her pad, taking in the situation as it unfolded. Nearby, the same male nurse stood aside, waiting for something to happen. Their professionalism was mixed, Takai thought to himself. The physical preparation was quite apt, but the doctor's nearly fumbled words were still to be questioned. Maimed by the realisation that he was still in a NSF hospital, he felt his heartbeat pace itself faster. Something felt so off about everything around him. The world had been black for hours, perhaps, and this was his awakening? A small checkup? Why was he in his chamber, the bed he housed himself within? Nothing felt quite clear.[/color]

[color=f9ad81][b]"Okay, so you at least are conscious to a near full degree. That's good."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Miho smiled, nodding her head and putting the datapad aside for a moment. Her face attempted to maintain all of its comforting values, knowing full well that the news she had to share wasn't exactly going to be the best wakeup he'd experienced.[/color] [color=f9ad81][b]"Now, I must ask you to please bear with me on this, what I have to say may come as a large shock to you. I need your full patience and calmness. Can you give me that, please?"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	Takai nodded, his face still and troubled by the rising tension in his heart. A cardiograph beeped in the background, signalling his change in mood and frustration as it was. Confusion settled into his mind, steering his thoughts into those of pure chaos. He was unaware of where he was or how he'd gotten there, but he was definitely sure something wasn't the way he wanted it to be. Finally, Takai heard himself speak. His crooked voice finalised words and formed a string of phrases, giving way to his awakening's rapid motion.[/color]

[color=2EAC5F][b]"What...what happened? Why am I..?"[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Before he could finish his own sentence, the flashbacks swung into full force. His mind was flooded with the memories of the explosion, the fire and the flames that spat into his own face. Shudders and panic quickly forced him to sit up harshly, granting another amalgamation of pain through his spinal chord.[/color] [color=2EAC5F][b]"T-The explosion! Iwata! I need to-"[/b][/color]

[color=f9ad81][b]"Hey, hey! Calm down, please. Listen..."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]She moved forward, placing a hand on Takai's free arm to calm him. He was unsure of how to react, but felt himself soothe and stare up at her, waiting for her to continue.[/color] [color=f9ad81][b]"I'm...sorry to let you know under such circumstances but...Iwata is dead. She was killed in the same blast that put you in here."[/b][/color]

[color=2EAC5F][b]"But...wait..."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]He leaned back into his bedding, his eyes blank and empty. Something felt off. Iwata was dead? Surely, he shot her several times but...the truth of her demise was still an abysmal revelation to dwell upon. The mission had gone off the rails so vastly that he could barely contain himself. Everything that could've gone wrong had, and so he looked up to Miho once more, staring her directly in the eyes. And as he spoke once more, he was interrupted by Miho once more, who's voice had descended into a more secluded whisper.[/color] [color=2EAC5F][b]"But the intelligence...what about-"[/b][/color]

[color=f9ad81][b]"It's stirred up a lot of commotion here. Command has been interrogating the intelligence department non-stop for six long days. Heard an officer stormed a party in the headquarters and put all the members of intelligence under detainment. Even delayed the upcoming operation."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Now knowing the Raid had been delayed, Takai looked up to Miho longingly, searching for further answers to his endless questions. With a great sigh, she read his mind and expression perfectly, knowing what his silent question was to be.[/color] [color=f9ad81][b]"You've been...well...[i]asleep[/i] for just about six days. They're planning on starting the Operation tomorrow, putting aside the intelligence investigation for the day to focus on the bigger picture. I'm...sorry this is how you've found out but...well...things haven't been in your favour. We've had to book our upcoming therapy on you for-"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	Whilst she spoke, Takai put his arm down, trying to use his hand to lift himself up. As he moved, his arm fell short of its predicted level, causing Takai to fall into the empty space below. He grunted out heavily as he fell to the side, tearing some of the bedding across his body aside. His left side was numb, painful but numb. Once he fell, his head fell adjacent to the arm that failed to support him...and something else laid before him. A...stub. Replaced with some sort of metallic docking, he saw nothing of his own physical hand, just beyond his elbow. Takai's eyes lit up quickly, his heart racing forward. Where was his hand? Why wasn't it there?! He could feel it, the pain was still there. The phantom agony shunted his gaze as he tossed and turned, lifting himself up on the other hand to see the rest of his body. Surely enough, a replacement had been given to his right leg. Takai's gaze turned into one of stressful fear, confusion and a demand for answers. His leg was missing, replaced entirely by some limb metallic replica that barely resembled the original organic mass before him. He struggled in his bed, sitting up properly and tightening his grip on Miho's hand, causing her to struggle and retract it in her own slight pain. He rummaged around in a strong panic, chaos besieging his mind. Before he could lunge forward, hurting himself further, the Doctor and Nurse slowly put their hands onto his body, gently holding him in place. Miho placed a cold, but tender hand against his temples, forcing him to make eye contact with her.[/color]

[color=f9ad81][b]"Takai-san, please calm down. You're in safe hands, you just need to calm down."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Quickly, she reached for her own pocket, pulling out a small letter. She struggled in the heat of the moment, finding her speciality being pressed for all its worth. As he looked into her eyes, he found himself not struggling, only tense in the muscles. His heart and breath still retained its intense pacing.[/color] [color=f9ad81][b]"There were complications...in the explosion, your muscle reinforcements shattered...they...broke your muscles, beyond repair. We're giving you the best treatment we have to offer, just please...stay with us, calmly."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]From her pocket, Miho placed a letter down on the bedside table, her face one of slight distress and discomfort from the reaction Takai gave. Internally, she was screaming at the impurity of her role, being a physiotherapist. With most of the doctors helping elsewhere, she was the only [i]qualified[/i] individual on standby. Though it had its perks, with her being an allotted physiotherapist, she'd likely be responsible for Takai's welfare from there onward. Takai felt a prick in his arm, where the pain and panic began to slowly diminish.[/color] [color=f9ad81]"That's right, calm down, Takai-san. Slowly does it. Look, I have a letter for you. You had visitors during your sleep, and I think this one is from the woman you were with during the incident. Look, see?"[/color]

[color=Silver]	As the pain began to drown out into a drowsiness, Takai's free hand slowly reached for the letter, revealing a scribbled manuscript. Short and sweetly put, just as Kaz would write it. Whilst his vision blurred once more, he quickly read out the words before him, feeling a strange comfort once again seep into his motionless body: 

[i]Takai,
Doctors say you will live but will be bedridden for a time. You were knocked unconscious when the houses exploded. Iwata is dead, as as the other four attacks. 

I’m glad you’re alive.[/i]

	As he read it, he fell back into the bed. The anaesthetic kicked in harshly, numbing his body and mind together. He could barely remember what was going on, finding a strange peace to what he read. Slowly, he felt his body cower, reminding himself of the fallen man he'd become. The places missing didn't hurt anymore. They only felt numb; just as they should. Takai looked up at Doctor Miho one last time for that day, hearing her say something about beginning their progress the next day. Before he could respond, he fell back into an actual sleep, one that was haunted by the voices of the exterior world talking to him.[/color]