The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 29: Withdrawn

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Y/N's eyes opened at the sound of the heart monitor, only to see the ceiling of the white room, the fluorescent light buzzing noisily overhead. With a start he sat upright, sweat rolling down his forehead. He could only think of Hazel, and nothing else. He tried to wipe the sweat away - only for his arm to remain unmoving. And as Y/N's left hand reached for his right, it only grasped empty air.

And finally, the memories came flooding back. His arm, torn off like a leaf from its branch. Y/N felt around the bandaged stump of his shoulder, wincing as he poked the stitches underneath the gauze. Reality hit him like a sledgehammer. His right arm was gone. The same arm he used to hold his weapon, to write, to do anything with, it was gone. He wondered if this was karma. After laughing at Vao for losing his left leg, he finally lost something. At the memory of his late brother, he could feel his chest beginning to ache.

"... So you're finally awake."

He nearly screamed when his uncle's voice called out to him. The drunk was leaning in the doorframe, his flask held tightly in his right hand, while his left was shoved into his pocket. He took a sip before stepping into the room, kicking the door shut behind him. "... Good to see you alive, though. You were in pretty bad shape. You were out for a week..."

Y/N didn't answer. He just looked at the stump of his shoulder emptily. It was hard to believe. No, he couldn't believe it. An entire piece of him, gone. Qrow pulled a chair beside the bed, sitting down in it and crossing his legs lazily. "... Hey, at least you'll get a prosthetic. Jimmy's makin' one now for ya."

That really didn't make Y/N feel any better. Having an artificial limb just wouldn't be the same. Qrow seemed to get a feel for the atmosphere of the room. He took another sip from his flask before leaning forward. "... Alright, we'll get serious. No more jokes. You almost died."

Y/N looked back up at him. His face was pale, and he looked sick. "... Is... Everyone else okay?" He asked softly. Qrow nodded.

"Yup. They're all in the waiting room. Your mom and aunt, well... They're fighting in the parking lot. Summer wasn't... Happy... To hear about you," he muttered. "If it hadn't been for Raven's distress signal, I doubt I would have made it in time."

Y/N had no idea how Qrow would have reached their location so quickly. He was at Beacon while they were investigating Innsmaw. But he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. Everyone was safe. That was all that mattered. But Qrow still looked like he had something to say. He set his flask down on the ground before turning a grim look to his nephew.

"... We told you, kiddo. What's it gonna take for you to wake the fuck up, and realize you're in way over your head?" He hissed in a low tone. "You lost your fucking arm. Vao got blown to pieces, and now that thing has his corpse for a reason none of us can figure out. So what's it gonna take, kiddo?"

Y/N was shivering under his uncle's frigid glare, but managed to meet his eyes. "... I-If someone doesn't do something about it... Even more people will die, right?"

"Shut the fuck up." Qrow's voice was deathly cold. "That's what I don't quite like about you. That sense of justice. That naivety. Do you really think you stand a chance? Against something you can't even hurt?"

Y/N suddenly felt suspicion rising in his chest. Qrow knew something, and wasn't telling him. "... What are you hiding, Uncle Qrow...?"

The drunkard shook his head. "None of your business. Just think about what I said. Promise me at least that, before you go after that thing again..."