Number Seventeen(A Nanbaka Fanfiction)

Chapter Seven: Foundations

"What happened?" Okina asked after Elizabeth's neck had been taken care of. It was covered with bandages to keep it from splitting open again and it had to have been stitched shut.

"I don't know," Hajime admitted. "I heard stomping noises coming from Cell Twelve so I went to yell at Seventeen for making such a loud noise, but when I got there, she was unconscious and bleeding pretty badly."

"How do you think she got cut?"

"No clue. We don't keep anything sharp where inmates can access them. Especially not in the cells. Nothing that an inmate can use to hurt another inmate or even themselves."

Okina nodded. "That makes sense. I wonder if this has anything to do with the last time she was attacked."

"Maybe," Hajime agreed. "I'll ask Cell Thirteen if they heard anything. Their cell is right next to Seventeen's, after all."

"That's a good idea."

Just at that moment, all four inmates from Cell Thirteen came rushing in.

"Hajime!" they all called.

"What are you doing here?" Hajime demanded, clearly pissed off. "I told you to stay in your cell."

"I saw how badly in shape Elizabeth was in!" Uno insisted. "We had to come see if she was okay."

"Come on, Hajime," Nico reasoned. "She's our friend!"

"Yeah, Hajime," Rock continued. "If it was Hitoshi, wouldn't you want to check on him?"

Hajime sighed in annoyance. "Fine. Okina, watch them and call for a guard to pick them up in ten minutes."

"That's all we get?" Rock asked.

"Do you want to make it none?" Hajime threatened, clearly terrifying the inmates.

"No, no," Rock replied. "Ten minutes is good."

"Fine then. Don't make any mistakes." Hajime left the infirmary and back to his office. Damn, those inmates were going to send him to an early grave.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Jyugo asked.

"She's asleep right now," Okina explained. "Don't wake her up, she lost a lot of blood. You can go look at her and sit by her bedside, though. If you touch her, your visit ends."

"Don't worry," Jyugo said as the four went into the room where the beds were kept.

Elizabeth's skin was pale, her brown hair spreading across the pillow as much as it could with it being as short as it was. Freckles seemed faded against her pale skin. Her face was gaunt and there were bandages wrapped around her neck. Her black t-shirt was bloodstained and her jumpsuit had had to be removed because it was so bloody. Her number tag was missing since it was attached to her jumpsuit. The blanket was going up to her waist, covering her legs. She looked so peaceful, yet so ill at the same time. The scar on her cheek stood out, pale and white. Her glasses were nowhere in sight.

"She looks so small," Rock observed.

"Dude she's like two inches shorter than me and Nico," Jyugo pointed out.

"Yeah, well, her personality made her bigger," Uno countered.

"It did, didn't it?" Nico replied. "Remember when she punched you, Uno?"

"It seems so sweet, now," Uno said.

"She's not dead, you know," Okina said, standing at the door. "She'll be fine. After a couple days of rest, Seventeen'll be back to normal. Stop being so overdramatic."