[SpringsSong]

As Verno slept, he was plagued with nightmares, as was usual for him.  In each one, Onyx and Obsidian were always two or more steps ahead of him, always preying upon him, and he couldn't even speak up about what was happening.  In another still, they'd found a way to make him into both a Panzer and a Fallen Luhna, and he was constantly in pain from then on in--and scorned by everyone that he knew.

He awoke with a start, giving a slight cry and punching the button on the side of his bed that was used to page the nurse.  Right now, Verno jut needed someone to talk to, and he certainly wasn't about to fall asleep again.  As he waited with baited breath for Erica's voice to come through the speaker, he tried to shake the image of the Panzer Luhna from his mind, his breath shaky.

"What do you need?"

He knew that this was not Nurse Erica's voice, so he cleared his throat and shakily replied.

"I need Nurse Erica down here... just send her, please."

[2.3]

[SpringsSong]

Holding the note and walking quickly down to the ER, Erica was rather quick to respond to Verno's distress call.  From how it sounded, he was rather shaken up because of something.  Depositing the box at her new desk, but keeping the note, Erica expertly moved to Verno's room and slowly opened the door.

"Hey... I heard that you called for me.  What's wrong?"

Her voice was filled with concern as she folded up the note and stashed it in her pocket, walking back into the room to see Verno's wide eyes and hear his rapid breathing.  She took the chair that she'd sat in before and moved it over to where she could easily look at him without having to interfere with the machinery that he was hooked up to.  After a moment, Erica placed one of her hands on his.

"You're safe here... no one can get to you so long as you're here; I won't let them."

As she said this, a small smile came to her face.  She knew that Verno would certainly be surprised about the sudden change in her manner, but she felt that he would welcome the change; knowing that someone actually cared for him...

[2.4]

[SpringsSong]

Verno blinked as Erica walked into the room, but when he heard her voice, he drew in a breath of relief as he turned to face her, taking her hand into his as a tear slid down his face.  It took him a few minutes to speak, but when he did, Erica would certainly hear the fear in his voice.

"I... it was a nightmare, Erica... this one was a lot worse than the others that I've had in the past.  The ones in the past--the worse that they've gotten is that Onyx and Obsidian hurt me to the point where I cannot be helped.  This one, though... they took me to Ein... and he made a cruel combination of the two things that can come from my genes--a Panzer and a Fallen Luhna combined..."

Here, more tears slid down his face as he tightened his grip on her hand.  He opened his grey eyes long enough to look into Erica's blue ones and whisper a single sentence:

"Please... don't leave me..."

[2.4]

[SpringsSong]

Erica listened in horror as she tried to comfort the Darkflame male.  A Panzer, with its rather violent disposition, fused with the soulless shell of the Fallen Luhna?  No matter how she tried to approach it, she could deduce nothing but extreme pain coming from it.  As his grip tightened on her hand, she merely placed the other hand on top of it, gently stroking it as she offered small condolences.

"It's all right, Verno--I'm here with you, and I won't let you get hurt by those horrid Revelates again.  I won't let them."

As she said this, she placed both of her hands on his, her face filled with concern as she gently placed a hand on his face.  She was getting slightly tired, but she knew that there was no rest for an ER nurse--especially not with a patient as fragile as Verno was as her charge.  She yawned slightly, but kept her eyes open as she ran a hand through his hair.

"It'll be all right... I promise."

[3.0]

[SpringsSong]

Verno was still trembling as he sat up just enough to place his head against her hands, tears still streaming down his face as he continued to cry.  He was shaking badly enough that some would think that he was ill; his heart rate was increasing as he held her hands, his grey eyes wet as he finally looked at her, his eyes pleading.

"Please... don't leave me.  Erica... I've been in love with you since I first saw you.  Please... please.  Don't leave me."

He knew that she would probably think him delirious, or out of his mind, but it was the truth: ever since he'd seen her at the desk that first time, she had fascinated him.  Eventually, that fascination turned into admiration, which then turned into love; a passionate, undying love that he'd never told anyone about until just now.  He could only hope that she felt the same for him...

[3.0]

[SpringsSong]

Did... did he just say that he's been in love with me since...?

As Erica thought this, she placed a hand on his forehead and gently shushed him as she took note of his temperature.  It was slightly high; she would have to get some medicine for him to help bring his fever down, and soon.

"I know--I saw the note that you left me, finally."

As she said this, she pulled out the note and gave it to him, and she stood up and pulled out some asprin.  After a few minutes, she returned to the bed and gave him some asprin, shushing him some more before she spoke again.

"Please... try to calm down.  You have a bit of a fever, and you've got yourself so excited that your heart rate's going crazy."

[3.1]

[SpringsSong]

Verno nodded as he took in a deep breath and tried not to hyperventilate as she placed the note by his hand.  He remembered writing that note those long two months ago, having to summon a mental image of her every time he went back to write; it wasn't hard, at the time, she was with one of the other doctors that was in charge of him; however, he later left her for his own reasons.

"You... just now found it?"

He said this with a tone of dismay before he obediently took the asprin; realizing the sound in his voice, he coughed a slight bit before speaking again.

"I-I mean, I know your desk was probably swamped with other notes from other doctors and patients and the like, but... I-I guess I mean to say that I'm... glad you finally saw it."

[3.1]