The next month and a half went by slowly. Saive had been in a state of deep depression. Guards sometimes came in to take him for a few hours before bringing him back into the room, worse for ware. He either slept or lay facing the wall through the days and nights, only showing that he was awake when he sat up to eat in silence. He was eating better and the color was regaining in his skin. His bruises and scratches were beginning to fade and heal, but would only be replaced by new ones each time he was taken out. He still had horrible with dark circles under his eyes and sunken cheeks. Roenan often caught him in the dead-eyed state he would enter which he referred to as "the ascencion", since it seemed as though Saive actually left his body and went somewhere else during those times.
Drakke and Roenan had grown closer throughout the month. Every time the door opened and Drakke walked through, Roenan instantly had a smile pull at the corners of his mouth. Drakke always spent about two hours with him each day to study, force Roenan to do some exercise, and to joke around. He enjoyed the hours they spent together more than any other time during his day because of the relief it gave him. It was nice to be able to have something distract him from his boring life stuck locked in a hospital next to a black hole of a human being.
As he and Drakke were studying one day, Roenan had caught Drakke staring over at Saive, his mouth falling open slightly and his expression looking honestly concerned. Roenan glanced over his shoulder. In a rare occasion, Saive was lying on his back and his silver eyes were blankly staring through the ceiling.
"He's ascended". Roenan said, turning back to look down at his book.
"He's dead?" Drakke asked, seriously.
"No, he does this sometimes. He'll come back. Don't touch him," Roenan was biting the eraser of his pencil, as he read. "Nice intonation by the way." Roenan had Drakke working on Jaedan intonation not long ago to work on his accent. He tended to sound flat when he spoke sometimes.
"Thanks, I have been working on it..." Drakke said distantly as he pried his eyes away from Saive and shifted them onto Roenan.
"Hey, Roenan. There are some things that I have been meaning to let you know today." Roenan looked up at Drakke from under his eyelashes.
"What's up?" He asked, shutting his book and turning his face up.
"They are going to discharge you from hospital tomorrow." Drakke said.
Roenan's eyes widened and he swallowed dryly. "I see." He said, since it was all he could manage to come up with. He was dreading what followed from the safety of the hospital room.
"You will be okay. I am instructed to get you tomorrow and bring you to university's main office. I am positive you are going to be enrolled," Drakke gave a small smile. "You will not likely be in classes with me since we aren't the same age or 'rank'. But they will likely teach you Vernajjian before-hand."
Roenan balked. "Drakke, you're going to be graduated, married to your friend's sister, and raising children by the time I learned enough Vernajjian to make it through a university."
Drakke laughed, but his expression quickly dropped into something very serious and concerned.
"What...?" Roenan asked with a sense of dread.
"It will likely be psychological, physical, and linguistic boot camps. It will not be easy." Drakke put his hand down on Roenan's arm and squeezed. "You will be okay, but it will not be easy."
"You say that a lot..." Roenan responded. "What does that even mean?"
Drakke pulled his hand away to run it through his hair and across the back of his neck. "How do I say this... whatever you are feeling in boot camp, just know that they will not kill you."
"Oh good," Roenan said sarcastically. "I can hardly wait."
"We have all been through some sort of boot camp. I just think it is...," Drakke trailed off. "I think it is to be harder for you. Since you are of Jaedan heritage." Drakke looked at him curiously.
"I know what you're thinking and it's true," Roenan hesitated before elaborating. "I am half-and-half. My dad was born in Vernajja."
"I know." Drakke answered. He looked like there was something he really wanted to say that he wasn't saying.
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Roenan pressed.
"I have something for you." Drakke said, changing the subject. He bent over to pick up a military-style book bag that he had brought. He shuffled his hand around before pulling out a medium-sized bottle and shaking it in his hand with a smirk.
"Alcohol!" Roenan exclaimed with a smile on his face before bending over and putting his hand over the bottle to hide it. "What about the cameras?" Roenan hissed, pushing down on Drakke's hand that held the alcohol, to get it out of view.
Drakke gave a short snort. "There are no cameras in this room. I only told you so that you would not do anything rash like him and get yourself into some troubles." He said as he gestured toward Saive and smiled apologetically.
Roenan balked. "You're an untrustworthy bastard," He said, swiping the bottle out of Drakke's hand and staring at the foreign label. "Eighty proof! Now that's a language I can read." Roenan said.
Drakke chuckled. "That is some good stuff." He said as he pointed at the bottle.
"It better be. I didn't slave around teaching you Jaedan for some cheap-ass bottle," Roenan looked at Drakke. "Will you drink this with me?"
Drakke chewed his bottom lip. "There are some things I have yet to finish up, but I will come back tonight. I will let the others know that I would like to guard tonight to keep an eye on his mental state," He said, pointing at Saive. "It is not a complete lie."
"That won't get him into an unnecessary situation, right?" Roenan asked seriously.
"Do not worry, I will give a good report." Drakke answered.
"Good. I'm not kidding when I say that if anyone messes with him from now on, they're messing with me too." Roenan warned.
"I don't wish to mess with you, so I will not mess with him." Drakke responded with a small smile that Roenan returned.
"Well. Hurry up and go get your chores done. I've been so bored here! I'm ready to get drunk." Roenan said in excitement.
Drakke let out a laugh. "Okay, okay." He gathered all of his things and headed off.
Roenan had gotten into the habbit of walking around the room and doing some exercises after their study-sessions. He was beginning to feel more balanced on his feet. His ribs hardly hurt as much when he moved anymore, but he was still careful to avoid doing anything too strenuous to them.
"You're a fucking moron..."
Roenan had been walking, facing away from Saive, but he twisted around to stare wide-eyed at his gaunt roommate.
"What did you say to me?" Roenan asked, his accusatory tone higher than his normal voice.
"You heard me. That guy is playing you like a fucking fiddle, and you're not even aware of it." Saive spat.
Roenan stared at him blankly.
"He guards you, he reports on you, and he's already been brainwashing you into becoming a fucking Vernajjian." Saive's chest was heaving up and down as he stared at Roenan with an incredulous look.
The air in the room had become so tense you could cut it.
"Saive, I'm almost positive he's not like that. I really think he's different from the others." Roenan said patiently.
Saive brought up his hands to run them over his normally-handsome face before throwing them out in front of him in exasperation, "You haven't even dealt with the others yet! He's the only one you've interacted with! He's no different than them! You're an absolute idiot! I actually have no words!"
Roenan's patience was dismissed. "You know what, Saive? I'm seriously getting sick of you and your shitty attitude. I don't know what they did to you out there," Roenan said as he threw his hand out to indicate the door, "and I'm sure it was pretty fucking horrible, but you can go right back to your wallowing and stay the out of my business."
"Did you mean what you said?" Saive asked suddenly.
Roenan stared at him. "Yeah, I did... I'm sick of your shit. Please stay out of my business."
"Not that, the other night. To me." Saive added quickly.
"What? About me having your back?" Roenan asked. He assumed that had to be it since they hadn't exchanged any words since then before now. "Of course I meant that."
"Good." Saive responded quickly. "Then you can go ahead and start having my back by ending whatever relationship you're building with that guy."
"Don't talk to me right now." Roenan said stubbornly. He hated how Saive was beginning to make him feel like Drakke wasn't someone who could be a trustworthy comrade in this whole ordeal. Roenan knew Drakke more than Saive after all. He thought it was smart to have a good relationship with someone on the inside, but Roenan wasn't able to choke back the nerves that Saive's words had brought on him. He really wanted to believe he'd have someone to watch out for him after he was discharged.
Saive gave an incredulous laugh as if he just realized something. "Have you actually fallen for him?!" Saive exclaimed.
Roenan felt all the blood rush out of his face. Before he could think he was throwing Saive out of his bed and onto the floor. Saive was struggling underneath him, small noises of the struggle escaping his throat. Roenan had him pinned with his right knee on Saive's chest and his left hand on his throat. He was raising his right fist until he saw what was happening to Saive. It looked as if he was rapidly entering in and out of his ascension, as if he was tyring to resist it from taking over his reality.
"Shit, sorry." Roenan said quickly before throwing himself back off Saive. Saive lay sprawled on his back on the floor breathing rapidly and heavily. Roenan was sitting with his hands behind him for support. He let his head fall forward as he regain his own breath.
"Why won't you stop touching me?!" Saive gasped rasply.
"I said I was sorry." Roenan lifted his head. "What did this to you?" Roenan mumbled rhetorically as he got back to his feet. He looked down at Saive.
Saive was staring up at him. Roenan expected that he would look more pissed but he seemed to be okay.
"I would give you a hand up, but..." he trailed.
"I shouldn't have outed you like that. I could just tell and I said it." Saive whispered.
Roenan felt a chill go through him again and he shivered. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it, pausing before he spoke, "I don't know how you became aware of my... preference," Roenan swallowed dryly, "but you can never repeat that to anyone around here. It'll probably get me killed."
"Of course I know that..." Saive said. He started to get up as he mumbled, "I won't say anything. Sorry."
"And for the record, I haven't fallen for him." Roenan said as he climbed back in bed. He felt his face go a little warm.
Saive didn't say anything in response as he climbed back into his own bed. After a while he finally spoke.
"I'm going to give you some quick advice as a fellow Jaedan in this ordeal. I can't force you to take it, but listen to me and listen well. Go ahead and have your fun tonight, but cut this off with him before you land yourself into some deep shit. I don't want-," Saive's voice broke off and he cleared his throat," I don't want you see you to end up like me."
"Saive, how long have you been here?" Roenan asked.
"A while."
Roenan didn't ask him to elaborate. He rolled over from his position on his back to his side, facing away from Saive to indicate that he was he was done with this conversation. He heard Saive rollover too, and he was positive he was back to facing his wall.