What Defines Us - Chapter 23 (Patreon)

“I DON’T CARE if his daughter’s getting married!” Weiss shouted into her scroll.  “I want him on the next flight to Vale!”

Without waiting for a response, she hung up the call with an angry jab of her finger into the device.  She already knew that she would get what she’d demanded. The doctor would get on the flight because he had to - because her family owned the hospital where he was currently employed.  Unless, of course, he was willing to sacrifice his job...which very few people were willing to do.

The shouting had drawn more than a few curious looks from the nurses nearby, but she ignored the glances as she resumed pacing in the hall.

Stay calm, she reminded herself over and over again.  Take deep breaths and stay calm. 

It was going to be just fine.  It wasn’t a repeat of what happened last time.  It wasn’t. It wouldn’t be - she wouldn’t, and couldn’t, let that happen again.  Which meant she needed to stay here - stay here.  She couldn’t leave.  She wouldn’t allow herself to leave.  She would keep pacing the hallways - the hallways of the very same hospital Ruby had been rushed to a little over a year ago.  

They were on a different floor, but the layout was identical.  The wallpaper was the same - the color scheme, the furniture, the nurses’ uniforms…the overwhelming familiarity put her nerves on edge.  This was where everything had gone wrong the last time - right here, in this very building. This place marked the beginning of the end for her.

The attending doctor said he would find her as soon as they finished running some tests.  Until then, she was waiting right here, where he could easily find her. She was not going to leave this building.  She was going to wait right here for the doctor, and for Yang and Blake to show up.

It would be a far simpler task if it didn’t feel like she was made of sand and the sun had just come out to dry her adhesiveness away.  The edges of her mind were fraying as doctors and nurses rushed this way and that - none of them bringing any news on how Ruby was doing or what was going on.  They were busy and preoccupied, but with tasks that had little relevance in Weiss’ life.

How long had she been waiting?  An hour? Two? Shouldn’t there be some update by now?  

The longer she was forced to wait, the more critical she believed Ruby’s current situation was.  If it wasn’t serious, they should have an answer by now.  There was no reason for a simple issue to drag on this long.  

No, the only reason for them to delay was if they were running more tests.  And the only reason they would run more tests was if the first ones came back with reasons to worry.

Overcome by anxiety, she spun the newly-minted ring around her finger while pacing back and forth in front of the nurses’ station in the middle of the floor.  She’d already reminded them three times to give her an update as soon as they heard anything. They’d promised to inform her the second they’d finished with whatever tests they were running.  If they were finished, they would have told her. Unless they’d already forgotten. They hadn’t forgotten, had they?

“WEISS!”

Spinning away from the nurses’ station at the sound of her name, Weiss found Yang and Blake rushing out of the stairwell - still dressed in their combat attire.  Gambol Shroud, in particular, garnered quite a few concerned glances from the hospital staff, but the two girls didn’t notice as they hurried towards Weiss. Blake’s brow was furrowed, but Yang was...

Yang was mad.  Not just a little angry or mildly irritated.  She was beyond boiling point furious. 

Alarm bells rang loudly in Weiss’ mind while her teammates approached.

She’d seen Yang this upset once before - and that was right before she’d practically broken Cardin’s face for leaving anti-Faunus propaganda all over Blake’s locker.  At the time, Weiss had thought to herself that that was a side of Yang she never wanted to see again, but here it was stomping over to her - steps heavy, eyes red, mouth set in something worse than a scowl.  

A wave of hot anger washed over Weiss before Yang even reached her - just the tip of the firestorm about to land.

“What the HELL did you do?!”

There was no opportunity for Weiss to respond before a powerful hand closed around her wrist and she was shoved roughly into the desk behind her - the edge digging into her back while she let out a startled cry of pain.  The vice grip on her wrist grew tighter and a surge of panic swept through her when she realized that she couldn’t move her arm without exposing herself to further harm. 

Throughout years of training she’d suffered numerous injuries, but never had she been locked in a situation where she knew that if she moved a fraction of an inch her bone would snap like a toothpick.  

It was too late to realize she’d made the same mistake Cardin had.  She should have run as soon as Yang had stepped into the hallway.

“Yang -”

Blake’s voice had an edge of warning, but Yang didn’t heed it.

“Answer me!” she shouted in Weiss’ face instead.  “Where is she? What did you do to her?!” 

When Weiss opened her mouth in an attempt to answer, she yelped again in pain as she was suddenly half-dragged, half-shoved into the empty room across the hall - her arm nearly breaking when Yang refused to let go.  No sooner was she inside did the door slam shut.

“Let go of her, Yang.”

This time Yang listened - shoving Weiss away as if disgusted by her, sending her stumbling backward in the process.  

After regaining her balance and a sliver of her composure, the last thing she wanted to do was give Yang the satisfaction of checking her wrist to make sure it was still in one piece.  Instead, she rubbed at the tender skin with her fingertips - searching for bumps or bruises while Yang glowered at her from across the small hospital room.

“If you two are finally going to argue, do it in here and not in the middle of the hallway,” Blake said, folding her arms across her chest and silently daring them to try to leave. 

“What.  Happened,” Yang demanded without even looking at Blake, her teeth gritting together in anger.

“We were just spending time together,” Weiss answered in her defense.  “Talking -”

Briefly pausing, she remembered that she’d nearly told Ruby about their past.  She’d nearly told Ruby that they were partners. Shaking her head, she continued her explanation while omitting that particular detail.

“We were talking.  She seemed fine, but suddenly she said she didn’t feel good.  Then...then she passed out.” Reliving that moment of panic, Weiss took a quick pause and deep breath before continuing.  “I immediately called for help, and they came to get her right away. They brought her here, and now they’re running tests.”

While Weiss recounted the story, Yang grew more and more agitated, pacing back and forth with her hands clenched into tight fists.

“I knew it.  I knew something like this would happen!”  Yang spun back to Weiss, her red eyes flashing with rage.  “I knew having you around would do something like this to her.”

At first, Weiss didn’t even know how to respond to the unexpected accusation, except to be completely taken aback.  But that shock quickly morphed into unbridled indignation that raced through her veins and set her thoughts ablaze. 

She was exhausted.  She was scared out of her mind for Ruby’s well-being.  And, for once, she’d had enough of being blamed for everything.  It was one thing when she blamed herself - it was another when someone else tried to do that for her.  

How was this within her control?  How was she supposed to foresee this happening?  Did Yang honestly believe Weiss would stand idly by while Ruby was ill?  Did Yang honestly believe that Weiss would willingly allow any harm or injury to happen to Ruby?

Enough was enough.

“Somehow I did this to her?” she retorted, placing one hand on her chest in feigned courtesy.  Yang nodded her head vigorously, still stalking back and forth in front of Weiss like a lion in a cage waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

“She was doing just fine until you came prancing back into her life.  And now - surprise surprise - look where we are.  Again.”

“How dare you blame this on me!” Weiss shouted back, clenching her fists as anger and frustration swept through her.  “This is not my fault!”

Whirling around, Yang jabbed one finger into Weiss’ chest - pushing her a half-step backward and adding fuel to her fire.

“First, you want to help her get better,” Yang said through gritted teeth.  “Then, you split when she needed you most.  And now you put her back in the hospital.  What’s the one thing all of this has in common?”

“I’m not the one who let her go on a hunt again,” Weiss snarled in defiance, her voice rising in anger.  “I’m not the one who let her train to become the one thing that almost killed her the first time.  You want to talk about responsibility, Yang?  Why don’t you take some!  You’re the one who gave Crescent Rose back to her!”

“You have no idea what it was like, Weiss!” Yang yelled while taking one threatening step forward.  Blake’s hand appeared on Yang’s shoulder immediately, temporarily quelling the shouts as Yang’s chest rose and fell with deep, furious breaths.  

While Yang glared, her fists tightly clenched, the thought crossed Weiss’ mind that Yang might actually hit her - Yang might actually deck her in the face in the middle of the hospital.

And Weiss honestly couldn’t give a damn.  Let Yang try it. Just let her try. After all the subtle swipes she’d taken at Weiss over the past few days, it would be nice for her to drop the fake niceties and do what she actually wanted to do.  

Or at least try - because there was no way in hell Weiss was going to just stand here and let Yang hit her.

“At least I made sure her bills were taken care of...” she muttered under her breath.  She knew it would only stoke the flames, but right now she didn’t care.  She was angry - at Yang, at herself, at everything that had gone wrong in the past year and her role in it.

“Oh gee, thanks,” Yang replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  “Princess Schnee here to save the day with her freaking wallet.  We didn’t need your money, Weiss, we needed you! We needed you here to help - don’t you get that?”

Again, when Yang’s voice grew too loud, Blake gently calmed her down with a squeeze of her shoulder.

“You weren’t here when she had nothing, Weiss,” Blake added softly - somehow, the quiet words hurting far more than Yang’s verbal uppercuts did.  “You weren’t here when she was lonely and...lost. You didn’t see how Crescent Rose changed her life - how training to become a huntress gave her purpose.”

“You don’t get to stomp back in here and pretend you know jack about what it was like,” Yang snapped.  “You weren’t here when she was in so much pain she couldn’t sleep.  Or when the meds the doctors gave her for the pain made her nauseous.  Or when she cried because she didn’t know who she was. That wasn’t you, Weiss.  That was us.”

The imagery was so sad that it threatened to destroy the rage and frustration Weiss had been fueled by.  Tears stung her eyes - ready to spill over at any moment - while giant cracks appeared in her flimsy armor.  She did everything in her power to hold on to that last thread of anger...because if she let go she was giving way to sadness - pure and utter sadness.

But when she opened her mouth to respond, no words came out.  

How could she possibly answer with anything other than yes?  Yes, she should have been here to help. Yes, she was wrong. Yes, she was a coward.  Yes, she was the one at fault. 

Saying anything else was a lie.

Yang took Weiss’ silence as confirmation of something as yet unsaid, and she let out a disdainful scoff.

“Of course you don’t get it,” she said derisively, the tone more malicious than her shouts had been.  “How could you? You’re too wrapped up in your own problems to care about what happens around you. Well, here - why don’t I explain it to you.  While you were off galavanting in Atlas, avoiding your responsibilities, Ruby was missing you.  Sure, she might not remember, but she could feel that something, someone, was missing - something Blake and I could never replace.  That’s why she still won’t take that damn ring off.”

“Yang…” Blake warned, putting her hand on Yang’s shoulder only for Yang to shrug it off and step forward.  Her red eyes looked directly into Weiss’ - as if she could see right through the facade Weiss had been hiding behind all this time.

“You don’t know what you’re doing, Weiss,” Yang concluded, the words sharp and true.  “You haven’t since that Death Stalker got the drop on you. And, from the look of it, you should really figure that out before trying to fix Ruby’s life.”

Yang was right.  She was absolutely right.  But why did it make Weiss so angry to hear those words of truth?

“I’m fine,” she snarled at the insinuation that she was anything but, grasping onto the vanishing belief that she could overcome anything by herself.

“Yeah?” Yang retorted, her voice rising again in anger.  “If you’re ‘fine,’ why do you need to summon two freaking soldiers to kill one Death Stalker?  If you’re ‘fine,’ why does your sister have to send Velvet and Coco into the middle of the forest to save your ass?”

“Yang.”

“What are you even doing here, anyway?” Yang continued as if she hadn’t heard the warning, folding her arms across her chest while she needled Weiss where she knew it would hurt the most.  “Shouldn’t you be halfway to Atlas already? I mean, we both know that you can’t deal with being here for Ruby when she needs you.  Why aren’t you already gone? Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if you got it over with and left already?”

“Yang.  That’s enough.”

“Why are you always sticking up for her??” Yang demanded, shrugging off Blake’s hand once again.  “You know what Ruby went through! You know how hard it was - why are you always on her side?”

“I’m not -”

“Yes, you are!” Yang interrupted.  “It’s always ‘Weiss this’ and ‘Weiss that.’  You know what she did. How can you just forgive her?”

“Because I was her.” 

“You were never -” 

“I left you, Yang!” Blake cried out, her voice cracking with tears as she said the words.  “You were hurt, and I left you. So yes, I am the same.  I know how it feels to make that horrible mistake and regret it.  Don’t you get it?  Weiss and I are the same - how can you be so angry at her and not me?”

Frozen by the question, Yang’s eyes never left Blake as a stunned silence settled over the small room.  Yang hadn’t expected to be battling both of them on this - especially not Blake, whose ears were now flattened in unconcealed anguish.

Weiss’ heart was racing with adrenaline, while her hands shook with something bordering on panic and fear.  She’d never imagined that Blake and Yang would know about Coco and Velvet...although she should’ve expected the duo to inform someone after how they’d found her.  And she’d had no idea that Winter had sent the pair after her in the forest.  She’d thought it was a coincidence, but that was her mistake. A coincidence in an area that large was hardly more than a shot in the dark.

It was remarkable how - even as she attempted to isolate herself from anyone involved in her past - they’d all remained connected to her life.  Winter, finding Weiss missing yet again, called the nearest huntsmen to find her. After rescuing Weiss, Coco and Velvet informed her old teammates of her current status.  

The idea that everyone was fully aware of exactly when she hit rock bottom wasn’t exactly comforting, but there was very little she could do about it now.  It was nothing more than yet another low moment in a year full of them. 

The emotionally-charged impasse ended when Blake reached out and gently picked up Yang’s hand, giving it a small squeeze to go along with a hopeful smile.

“You forgave me…” Blake whispered.  “And Ruby forgave me, too.”

“Of...course…” Yang replied haltingly, her brow furrowed as if she didn’t understand how Blake could even question that outcome.  “But…”

When Yang’s eyes flicked across the room, Weiss understood what her teammate wanted to say next.  

But Weiss was different.  What she’d done was truly horrible, and she didn’t deserve forgiveness, not like Blake did.  She should be punished for her mistakes - that’s what she deserved.

But Yang didn’t say it.  Instead, her brow creased even further, like she was also wondering why she couldn’t say it.  

Swallowing her anger, Weiss decided that maybe this was her fault, and she just couldn’t see it yet.  Or maybe this was no one’s fault at all. 

“You don’t think I paid for it?” she asked softly, physically exhausted from the yelling and fighting.  “You don’t think I regretted it every...single...day?” Raising one hand to her nose, she found her fingers trembling madly while her words came out breathless and staccato.

Every day she’d lived in regret.  Every day she’d shouldered the weight of emotions - the crushing guilt, the ceaseless pain, the unrelenting loss.  There wasn’t a single moment of respite. Not a single moment of sunshine. Every day she continued to breathe, she’d paid for her mistakes.  She’d suffered - she’d made sure of that.

Taking a deep breath, she clenched one fist to steel herself for the words she should’ve said long ago.

“I can’t undo the past.  Believe me; I wish I could,” she said, making sure to look Yang directly in the eyes.  “I can’t take back what I did...but I sure as hell can try to make up for it.”

The only way forward was...forward.  No more running, no more hiding. She would earn her forgiveness the hard way - by proving herself every single day.

Blake nodded in acceptance of the words, but Yang’s response was to stare back.  For once, she looked at a complete loss for what she should say or do next. Her eyes faded to lilac and she stared - struggling to comprehend what had just transpired between them.

Two quick knocks drew their attention towards the door of the empty hospital room, where a slender doctor poked his head in to find them.

“I hope I’m not interrupting...”

“No, please come in,” Yang said, raising one hand to rub the bridge of her nose before letting out a big sigh.

“I wanted to let you know that you can see Miss Rose now.  We’ve finished our tests - she’s going to be just fine.”

The positive news lifted an incredible weight off of Weiss’ chest, while the tension in the air cut in half.  As long as Ruby was going to be alright, the rest of them could continue to sort out their issues. But Ruby was the glue - she always had been.

“What happened?” Blake asked, glancing at Yang to gauge her reaction to the question, but Yang’s eyes were fixated on the man while waiting for a response.

“There was a small amount of scar tissue that accumulated around the site of the injury,” he explained rapidly.  “Our brains can swell and contract for many different reasons - weather, stress, excitement - and, for whatever the reason, her brain swelled slightly, pressed against the accumulation, and she briefly blacked out.”

“But we were here several times, and you were always looking for scar tissue...” Blake commented, her eyes narrowing as she caught on to something.

The subtle way he clasped his hands in front of his white coat looked too much like wringing them together - it was almost an admission of guilt.

“Despite our best efforts, sometimes the buildup can be too minimal to appear on normal scans.”

Blake and Yang shared a look at the response, while a growing amount of discontent replaced Weiss' concern.

“Can you fix it?” Yang asked, her level tone making it impossible to tell if she was irritated or not.

“Yes.  We already removed it with a small laser and will send her home with medication to break up the rest.”  Smiling, he seemed far too happy that he was able to give them a solution to a problem he had most likely allowed to occur.  “With a little rest, she’ll be feeling perfect in a few days.”

Slightly frowning, Yang nodded once at the answer.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Blake replied in Yang’s place before the man bowed and scurried out of the room.  

Silence hung in the air while the three of them digested the information they’d received.

Scar tissue?  They’d rushed to the hospital due to some lingering scar tissue that should’ve been remedied months ago?  Weiss nearly had a heart attack over a minor medical emergency that should’ve never happened?

“I’m going to sue him for every Lien he has,” she seethed, stalking towards the door while her heart still pounded with adrenaline.  Not only was this something that should’ve been checked and double checked, but it had unnecessarily sent Ruby back to the hospital. And it had also brought Weiss back to one of the places she feared most.  The most aggravating part was that this entire episode was avoidable if some doctor or nurse had paid more attention to the scans or taken the time to run a more extensive one. 

But Weiss’ anger only made Yang sigh while she opened the door to exit first.

“Relax, Weiss.  They fixed it; she’s fine.  Everyone makes mistakes. At least it wasn’t life-threatening.”

The comment probably wasn’t meant to be a dig at her past, but Weiss immediately backed down and canceled her plans to ruin the man’s life.  It would be a lot of work...and she was just as exhausted as Yang sounded, mentally worn down by the outflow of emotions they’d just gone through.

Trailing Yang into the hallway, Weiss felt her hands trembling as the rush of heightened emotions trickled out of her system.  Their prior altercation put on hold, she could focus on what was most important - that Ruby was going to be fine. And Yang was right - people made mistakes.  At least no one had been seriously hurt from this one, which was more than Weiss could say about her own missteps…

Blake walked beside Weiss in the hall - both of them at a distance from Yang, but only one of them doing it by choice.  After asking a nearby nurse for directions, Yang headed towards the other end of the hall without even a glance to see if they were following.  

But follow they did, with Blake’s ears flattened in subtle distress over her separation from Yang’s side.  If Weiss’ heart wasn’t climbing into her throat with each step, she’d try to reassure Blake that everything would be alright.  Instead, she was trying to prevent a new set of worries from spiraling out of control.

Maybe it was only a minor issue, but Ruby had passed out for a period of time that was alarming for any healthy person.  With her history of head injuries, what might’ve happened to her mind during those short moments? Had everything remained...intact?

Defensive, beaten down, and extremely, extremely fragile, Weiss found it difficult to summon the wherewithal, even internally, to voice her true concerns.

But...what if Ruby didn’t remember her again?  What if all was lost, once more? What would she do then?  Would she make Yang’s words true and run again?

The hallway, which had once seemed quite long, disappeared under their feet as they headed to Ruby’s room.  Slowing to a stop at the private hospital room located two doors from the end of the hall, Weiss only caught a glimpse of Ruby through the window before Yang opened the door.

“Hey there, superstar!” Yang called out while walking inside.  From her tone, it was impossible to tell that she’d just been so angry, but that was Yang - able to flip back to happiness in a heartbeat to cheer someone up.  Everyone else, especially Ruby, always came first in Yang’s book. It was a level of self-sacrifice few would notice, and even fewer would ever truly understand.

Even though Weiss had every intention of following Yang into the room, her feet rooted themselves to the ground outside the door and remained stubbornly in place.  Not expecting Weiss to stop so suddenly, Blake accidentally bumped into her from behind.

“Come on, Weiss,” Blake whispered, prodding Weiss forward.  But she wouldn’t move. Her muscles had frozen as uncertainty, and dread quickly ate through her willpower and left her undecided.

“But what if -” she began to ask, unable to finish the fearful question out loud.

“Then I’ll tell her you’re my sister,” Blake joked before placing her hand on Weiss’ back and gently pushing forward.  Stepping through the doorway with wooden legs, Weiss felt her pulse steadily accelerating - climbing and climbing while she absorbed in the scene in front of her.

It was a hospital room, just like the hospital room - the one where Weiss spent countless hours of her time while waiting for Ruby to wake up.  The machines looked the same...intimidating and scary to the uninformed.  The window looked the same, although the windowsill was devoid of flowers and get well wishes.  

But there was one big difference between this room and the room Weiss remembered - Ruby was awake.

Sitting up in the hospital bed, Ruby looked...perfectly fine - alert and cheerful regardless of the circumstances.  Even so, Weiss approached cautiously, internally dreading the moment silver eyes might find her and slide right past without a flicker in recognition.

But when Ruby’s eyes landed on Weiss, it wasn’t lack of recognition which lit her face - but rather a giant smile of jubilation.  And...suddenly everything seemed so much lighter. It became a foregone conclusion that Weiss would walk further into the room - wanting to be closer to Ruby.  And it was one of the easiest decisions Weiss had ever made to sit in the chair right by Ruby’s side.

“Jeez, Ruby, trying to give us a scare,” Yang was saying, perched on the edge of the hospital bed.  When Blake sat in the seat next to Weiss, Yang shot a glance towards her before looking away. “Maybe next time you could give us a little warning before your brain tries to kamikaze itself?”

Ruby giggled at her sister’s light-hearted teasing and didn’t complain when Yang reached out and ruffled short brunette hair into an adorable mess.

“You didn’t abandon the hunt, did you?” Ruby asked in return, her eyes filled with worry at the prospect.

“Naw - we were already on the way back when Weiss called,” Yang explained, refusing to look at Weiss even while saying her name.  “We had the airship drop us off on the roof.”

“They’ll do that??”

“If you threaten them enough they will,” Yang responded with a chuckle, running one hand through her hair with a little more nonchalance than most people would be comfortable with.  Her little sister, however, was not at all disturbed by the disclosure of threatened violence.

“So you got him?” Ruby asked instead.

“Did we?” Yang replied with a huff, which only made Ruby look back and forth between Blake and Yang while waiting expectantly for the answer.  “Yeah, yeah we did,” Yang finished, reaching out to give her sister a high five when Ruby raised one hand.

“One less hugger in the world!” Ruby cheered, sending Weiss a quick thumbs up and goofy grin.

“You know it!  And damn that was an appropriate nickname.  Although his hugs were not at all nice.”  Her eyes temporarily shifting out of the room and back to the forest, it was only a second before Yang shrugged off the memory and smiled.  “Then we rushed back here to see you!”

“Sorry…” Ruby mumbled, picking at the blanket lying unused by the side of the bed.

“Don’t be sorry, Ruby,” Yang said while tapping her sister on the shoulder.  “Could use some excitement around here every once in a while! Things were getting a little boring.”  When Ruby giggled, Yang leaned forward and looked her sister directly in the eyes. “But how are you feeling?”

“Like a ten!”

“Like a ten??  On a scale of one to five, you feel like a ten?”  Reaching over, Yang tapped the empty IV beside the bed.  “What’re they giving you?”

“Yannggg,” Ruby whined, making her sister laugh.

“Ok ok,” Yang finally said before letting out a relieved sigh.  “I was worried.”

Sensing the shift in tone, Ruby raised both her arms and beckoned for a hug that Yang willingly gave.  While the two sisters shared a sweet moment, Weiss glanced at Blake - who also had a hint of a happy smile in place watching the two hug it out.

“They could call you Hugger 2.0!” Ruby proclaimed when her sister pulled away, making them all chuckle.  She grinned around the room before her eyes returned to Yang and her smile lost a bit of its luster. “Have you...talked to the doctor yet?”

Yang’s grin disappeared while she reached over to pick up Ruby’s hand.

“For a little bit -”

“I can still train and stuff, right?”

When Yang’s gaze fell towards the ground, Weiss was suddenly painfully aware of how often Yang must’ve been forced into being the bearer of bad news.  How many times had Ruby asked a question that was out of Yang’s control?  How many times had Yang wanted, more than anything, to give her sister a good report when it was simply too far out of reach?

“I’m not sure, Ruby...” Yang replied, squeezing her sister’s hand.  “But he said you should be feeling better in no time. We’ll ask him specifically about your training, ok?”  

“Ok…”

The disappointment on Ruby’s face was so palpable that it threatened to break Weiss’ heart.  Even though Weiss never wanted Ruby to be a huntress again, how could she possibly wish for Ruby’s sadness?  After putting in so much time and effort...after wanting it so badly and working towards it every day...

“I’m sure he’ll say you’re just fine,” Weiss added with feigned confidence.  “You’ll be back out there before you know it.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the stunned expressions Blake and Yang sent her.  And she definitely didn’t miss the grin of joy the words brought to Ruby’s face.

She understood why Yang was cautious about giving the green light, but the doctor had said Ruby would feel ‘perfect’ in no time.  ‘Perfect’ normally didn’t mean ‘better with some restrictions.’ If Yang was going to be upset about it...well, she could add it to the growing list of grievances and yell at Weiss later.

“I like Weiss’ answer way better!” Ruby replied.

“Oh yeah, course you do,” Yang said, giving Weiss a look of disbelief before turning back to Ruby with a teasing grin set in place.  “But you know that the doctor gets the final say. And is Weiss a doctor?”

Looking past Yang, Ruby smiled at Weiss and nodded her head enthusiastically.  “Yeah, I think she is!”

“Nooo, no she’s not -”

“But look at her!  I really think she is!” Ruby added, giggling when Yang shook her head.  “I get it, Yang. You only want me to listen to the hospital doctors, not the Weiss doctors.”

Weiss let out a small chuckle at the comment while Yang nodded.

“Yes.  Thank you.”  Satisfied with how the conversation ended, Yang popped back to her feet.  “Hey, how about I get you some dessert from the cafeteria?” she asked while shuffling backward towards the door.  “I know how much you like the cookies here.”

“Ohhhh yeah!  Can I have chocolate chip and double, double chocolate?” Ruby asked, her eyes begging her sister to agree.  

“I’ll get you one of every type!” Yang replied with a grin and wink.

“I’ll come with you?” Blake asked, getting to her feet before Yang could leave.  

The question, while seemingly simple, was so out of place it immediately caught Weiss’ attention.  Blake and Yang normally didn’t ask questions of each other - they just knew. If Blake was unsure about Yang wanting her company, she must be unsure of how far across some invisible line she’d stepped.  

How much had Blake gone against Yang’s wishes in welcoming Weiss back - in taking Weiss’ ‘side’ in this war that would have no winner?  

Guilt bubbled up in Weiss’ chest for putting her two teammates through this horrible situation.  First, she left them on their own to help Ruby. Now, she was causing turmoil between them. They were the perfect pair - they always had been - yet even they weren’t spared from the repercussions of her mistakes.

“Yeah, of course,” Yang replied, finding a small smile while reaching out for Blake’s hand.  A flash of relief crossed Blake’s face as she accepted Yang’s hand and the two of them exited the room together - leaving Weiss and Ruby behind.

Glancing at Ruby, Weiss immediately smiled.  There were no words to describe how relieved she was that Ruby was fine - that this entire episode was nothing more than a small bump in her recovery. 

“You remember me.”  

It was the first thing Weiss thought to say, and it only succeeded in making Ruby laugh.

“There’s no way I could forget you, Weiss!”

It didn’t matter that the words weren’t true.  The sentiment was more than enough to fill Weiss’ chest with a warm glow.  A few minutes ago, she’d been convinced that the sky was falling, but her brief panic had been uncalled for.  Ruby was stronger and more resilient than anyone else Weiss had ever met, so it should come as no surprise that this incident was just a blip on the radar.

“I’m sorry I scared you though...” Ruby added, her eyes conveying twice as much apology as her words.

“Don’t worry; I wasn’t…” 

The lie formed itself, but Weiss’ response faltered under Ruby’s watchful gaze.  

It was an instinct to hide behind words, but there was no reason to be untruthful. Not with Ruby, who probably already knew just how scared Weiss had been.

“Yes, I was scared,” she answered, reaching out and patting Ruby’s hand.  “But you’re alright, so I’m all better now.” 

Being honest with Ruby was refreshing.  The lack of gamesmanship and misdirection lifted a tremendous weight from Weiss’ shoulders, allowing her to enjoy conversations without being on edge.

But while she could be honest with Ruby, they hadn’t yet reached the point where she was comfortable being forthcoming in her responses.  There was no reason for Ruby to know just how scared Weiss had been, how many flashbacks she’d suffered on the way to the hospital, how she’d imagined the blood staining her hands - blood that had long since disappeared but never fully washed away.

She’d just relived the worst moment in her life, and staying here, in the hospital, meant that it wasn’t over yet.

How many days had she spent in a room almost exactly like this one?  How many times had she accidentally fallen asleep in one of these chairs, as uncomfortable as they were?  How long had it taken for that windowsill to fill with flowers and cards from friends and family? 

Along with the flowers from well-wishers, she’d ensured there was always an abundance of red roses in the room.  The smell of the hospital put her on edge, and when Ruby had suddenly stopped smelling like fresh rose petals -

Weiss was startled from her thoughts when a warm hand clasped around her own and gently squeezed.  Distracted by the sensation, she looked down and found Ruby calmly holding her hand. 

“Hey...it’s ok,” Ruby whispered, giving Weiss’ hand a soft shake.  

The words were so simple, yet they made Weiss smile as relief built in her chest and worked outward through her limbs.  The tension she’d unwittingly held in her shoulders began to fade away, while the crease in her brow smoothed itself out.

Maybe she’d just relived the worst moment in her life, but this time the ending was different - Ruby was perfectly fine, and Weiss was still in her mind.  This was nothing like last time. Even if it was...well, Weiss had already learned which decision was the wrong one.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Weiss whispered while Ruby subconsciously rubbed her thumb back and forth across the back of Weiss’ hand.

“All thanks to you!  Getting me here all fast and stuff.”  Grinning - while still holding Weiss’ hand - Ruby glanced at the heart rate monitor beside the hospital bed.  “Wish they wouldn’t hook me up to these things though,” she added. “The sound kinda freaks me out.”

“Oh, well we can turn that off.”  Reaching over with her free hand, Weiss found the dial on the side of the machine and turned it all the way to the left.  When the beeping stopped, Weiss looked at Ruby. 

“There.  Is that better?”

“Yeah…” Ruby replied with a sheepish grin.  “Guess I probably could’ve figured that out…”

“Don’t worry about it.  That’s what I’m here for.”

Something about the response made Ruby beam with happiness.

“Then I’m mighty glad to have you here with me!”

The ceaseless gratitude shot a wave of guilt straight through Weiss’ heart, but she tried not to let her smile falter.  

There was no going back.  There was no changing the past.  But she could be here now. And she could make sure she was the best for Ruby that she could possibly be.  She could make up for the past by being even better in the present. That was her goal. That’s how she could make this right - for all of them.

“Oh!  But you were gonna tell me something!” Ruby suddenly exclaimed.  “And then my dumb brain decided to shut off.”

“Oh...right.”  

After the chaotic events of the past few hours, that was the last thing Weiss expected Ruby to remember.

What she’d nearly told Ruby was that they’d gone to Beacon together - that they’d been teammates, partners, best friends...and more.  Weiss had nearly confessed that she was the one who’d given Ruby the ring hanging around her neck, and she was the one who’d left when Ruby got hurt.  

At that moment, it had felt like the right time.  She couldn’t allow Ruby to believe that her partner died.  No matter how much they’d lost, Weiss couldn’t bear for Ruby to believe that there was no one out there waiting for her - that someone who’d spent years training with her would have such little attachment.

But in the end, maybe it was better this way.  Without the pressure of being Ruby’s partner, maybe Weiss could carve out a different spot for herself in Ruby’s heart.

“I wanted to tell you...” she began, her heart pounding while she searched for the right answer in this situation.  “I wanted to tell you...what an inspiration you are. With everything you’ve gone through and how you’ve rebounded...it gives me hope that one day I’ll able to do the same.”

It was a far cry from her original intent, but the words she said were still true.  And if Ruby didn’t believe the answer, there was no way to tell from her blinding grin.

“Of course you can!  You can do anything! And I’ll help you, you know, so don’t even worry.”

Worry was exactly what Weiss felt though, though she hoped her smile implied otherwise.  

How was it that Ruby always had never-ending faith in Weiss and her capabilities?  Would that change if Ruby knew the truth? Would that change if Ruby knew all of the ways Weiss had failed - the missteps she’d made and the people she’d disappointed?  

It was too difficult to consider her list of failures at the moment.  After the events of today, the past might be best left just where it was...in the past.

“Then I’ll have to find a way to thank you for your help,” Weiss said when a thought popped into her head.  “Unlimited ice cream, maybe?”

“Is that a real thing??” Ruby squealed with happiness.  “I’ll do anything for it! What do you need help with? I hope it’s not keeping your brain from exploding, cuz obviously I suck at that.  But if it’s working on a weapon, or being really fast, or something like that - I’m your girl!”

“My girl…” Weiss repeated.  The phrase threatened sadness, but somehow she overpowered the emotion and smiled instead.  “I like the sound of that.”

“And I like the sound of unlimited ice cream!” Ruby replied gleefully.  “Oh! Do you wanna hear about all the tests they ran on me??”

When Weiss nodded, Ruby immediately launched into her story.

“Ok, so first was this giant machine that scans your brain.  I hope you don’t get claustrophobic because you definitely will be in there!  When it turns on, it makes this horrible loud noise. I told the tech guy to turn it down a notch, and he turned on the speaker and said that since I moved we had to start over!”

Listening to Ruby’s amusing re-telling of the evening, Weiss chuckled at the appropriate moments while gently rubbing her wrist.  The skin there was red and tender, but it wouldn’t take long to heal. She was lucky that Blake was able to tame Yang’s rage. When Yang saw red and wouldn’t hear reason, she still heard Blake - that was one of the reasons they made such great partners.

It was that fiercely protective nature that Weiss had once seen as Yang’s greatest weakness.  What purpose could flying off the handle at the drop of a hat possibly have? If Ruby was fine, and Blake was fine, who cared if their feelings were hurt or they’d been placed in danger?  

It was a weakness to care too much.

Or so Weiss had thought.  Then, once upon a time, that protectiveness had included her as well.  

It was a feeling unlike any other knowing that someone was guarding her - that someone had her back, no matter how trivial the affront may be.  No matter what happened, someone was on her side. Someone was willing to fight for her - and with her. 

She’d grown to be protective in return - of her partner, of her teammates - and witnessed the positive impact it had on their fighting capabilities.

It wasn’t a weakness like she’d originally thought.  Love wasn’t a weakness. Love was a strength. It got them through the darkest of times together.  When they’d faced the end of the world, together, it was their undying love for one another that brought them safely through to the other side.

Squeezing Ruby’s hand, making her smile mid-sentence but not falter in her energetic storytelling, Weiss couldn’t help but hope that love could still somehow get them through - just one more time.