Where it all went wrong-Ranger and Minigunner

CHAPTER 11: ...Ranger?

(Mini's POV)

It was dead quiet. The only thing I could hear in this room were my heart, some voices in my head, and the slow beep of a heartrate monitor.

The monitor was the only thing that kept me awake. I looked at the clock again.

3:16 AM

Everyone else in this camp was asleep. Except me. I had been sitting next to this medical bed for what felt like years. Even Medic had fallen asleep. Ranger was in a somewhat sleeping state. He was still (i think...) alive by some miracle.

Medic had told me to wake her immediately if something happened. I had only been sitting here alone for what? Six and a half hours at this point? That's nothing.. The world.. Record.. was like.. 260 hours?...

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I woke up to Robins chirping. How long had I been sleeping? I looked at the clock.

11:37 AM 

For that long?! Had something happened while I was asleep? Had Ranger's heart stopped? Had something even worse happened? 

Beep... Beep... Beep...

No. Nothing had happened. I was just being too worrisome. I peeked out of the tent. The only person out there was Sledger. He was sitting on a log and was surrounded by birds, feeding them. 

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Had.. It just sped up? I instantly turned around and watched it.

It was going faster. He was alive! I wanted to jump out of my seat. Now there was nothing to do except wait a little. I ran into Medic's small bedroom and shook her. She instantly got up.

She looked worried.

"Is something wrong?!"

"No, his heart is speeding up!"

"That's a relief."

"C'mon, let's go!"

I essentially dragged her into the main area of the tent. She was thinking about something. But I didn't notice. I was too excited that my best friend was somehow alive after that. 

We came into the main area and were greeted by Ranger sitting up on the medical bed. He wasn't talking, nor did he see us. He was staring outside through the flap of the tent. I think he was just getting used to being awake again.

I started walking towards him.

"Ranger!!"

He didn't turn around.

"Ranger?"

Still, nothing.

My eyes caught the massive cast on his back that went all the way around his body. He also had one that was going around his head.

I walked towards him more.

"Ranger, you alright, pal?"

He didn't even notice. Something was wrong.

I was behind him by now. I put my hand on his shoulder.

He instantly turned around, his facial expression being as if he had gotten jumpscared.

"You alright?"

He looked at me with a confused expression. Now I was confused.

"Can you talk to me?"

(POV switch: Mini --> Ranger)

Where was I? I know what just happened.. Fallen King sliced me with his sword.. And then..?

Why was everything silent? Why can't I hear anything? Why can't I see out of my left eye? Mini was talking to me, but I couldn't hear him.

Medic was behind him, she looked like she was in some intense thinking process.

(POV switch: Ranger --> Mini) 

I turned to Medic.

"Wha- What's wrong? Why can't he respond?"

Medic looked like she had realized something.

She sighed.

"So, you know how when Soldier was hit by Fallen King's lightning, he had to wear crutches for a week and a half?"

It hit me like a train.

My voice was wobbly.

"Ok..? So.. What happened?"

"Fallen King's lightning is- uh- different from your everyday bolt."

"Yeah?.."

"It shut down the neural transmitters in his leg, and damaged it massively. He physically could not walk normally if his life depended on it."

She kept talking.

"But Soldier was struck in the leg. In this case, it was the head."

"It really depends if it hits the person, or the ground next to said person."

"It damaged his eardrums beyond repair, and as a added side-effect, damaged a certain part of his brain. I know it sounds far-fetched, but in this case.. It's not."

"TL;DR... Ranger is deaf and mute."