[It's midnight when the door to Nonah 05 opens, the soft creak and the bright lights from the lamps outside the only things before they're quickly followed by heavy footsteps.
Kaneda doesn't bother shutting the door. It didn't matter to him right now as he strides in, his face completely broken down as he holds something in his arms. That something...being Tetsuo.
Only unlike the August Swear-in, unlike the time Bull brought him home...
Tetsuo wasn't breathing.
And every second that passed, Kaneda wished desperately that he would. That this was all some terrible dream that he'd wake up from. That he'd find himself on the couch with Dalish on his stomach, Capsule upstairs sleeping with Maya, and that he just got a little too into one of the Samurai movies she'd recommended. But he wasn't waking up, and for every second that continued to pass, he got a little less confident.
His eyes bat back tears as he heads up the stairs, carrying Tetsuo without breaking a sweat. In a way, that was another worry--Tetsuo was lighter than he'd felt back in August. Lighter than he'd ever been...
Another failure.
His breath shudders as he gets to the top, making his way to the left door and opening it.
December 2nd; midnight
Kaneda doesn't bother shutting the door. It didn't matter to him right now as he strides in, his face completely broken down as he holds something in his arms. That something...being Tetsuo.
Only unlike the August Swear-in, unlike the time Bull brought him home...
Tetsuo wasn't breathing.
And every second that passed, Kaneda wished desperately that he would. That this was all some terrible dream that he'd wake up from. That he'd find himself on the couch with Dalish on his stomach, Capsule upstairs sleeping with Maya, and that he just got a little too into one of the Samurai movies she'd recommended. But he wasn't waking up, and for every second that continued to pass, he got a little less confident.
His eyes bat back tears as he heads up the stairs, carrying Tetsuo without breaking a sweat. In a way, that was another worry--Tetsuo was lighter than he'd felt back in August. Lighter than he'd ever been...
Another failure.
His breath shudders as he gets to the top, making his way to the left door and opening it.
That was the longest walk home of his life.]