"6 months?" Ash asked.

"Eesh, that's... well, it's not TOO bad, considering what happened to you." he admitted, thinking about it.

"But you WILL have full mobility again, and that's what counts." he finished, sitting down in the chair by her bed.

"Certainly looking better than I last saw you." he then commented, smiling slightly.

"I'm glad I didn't lose you." he said.

"I... I don't know WHAT I'd have done had that happened..." he admitted.

"....geez." Ash muttered.

"Holy hell, that's... just... wow." he said further.

"Oh, and his name's Zeke, I believe." he then informed her. "And I only know that because I remember it being said back when we were getting ready to head in, and I hear the name from time to time from Casey. She's friend's with his mother." he went on.

"But still... that's... frightening." he commented.

"If I'd been there, maybe I could have helped." he said guiltily, before pausing.

"Wait... what do you mean 'actually wield the sword'?" he asked her.

"...wow." Ash mumbled.

"I... geez, I wonder why that happened. Or... didn't happen." he corrected himself, making plans to ask some people 'in the know'.

"At least we all survived. And succeeded." he then said.

"Anyway, how are you doing?" he asked.

"Anything I can get for you?" he asked further.

"At least until you're transferred to Lux, anyway."

Ash just laughed in response.

"Dinner? You got it." he told her, before thinking a little on her request... and then snapping his fingers.

"Ah! I think I know just the thing." he said.

"I got some thick fire-belly bison steaks." he told her. "I'll cook them up rare for you, and give 'em that glaze you love." he said further.

"You want anything else like sweets or roughage?" he asked.

"Or are you just craving a carnivore's dinner?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Ash responded, before pausing.

"Mmhmm... mmhmm..." he mumbled, shaking his head a little. "Sorry, planning things out." he admitted.

"But yeah, I'll tell all the appropriate people you'll be getting food brought in." he said to her. "I'll have it here in... an hour or so." he told her further.

"That work for you?" he asked.

Ashleigh nodded in response.

"Cool." he said. "...and yeah, I'm sure you'll love what I make for ya." he added with a wink... before he sighed, heavily.

"...sorry." he apologised, seemingly out of nowhere.

"It couldn't have been easy for you to kill your own sister." he said quietly. "Even if she brought it on herself."

"..." Ash was silent for a moment, before shaking his head lightly.

"I'll tell Lindsay that." he told her.

"I get the feeling he's been prepping time for this, anyway." he then said. "I've heard him doing his scheduling, and it seems he's keeping early afternoons open indefinitely. So I think he's preparing a block of time where he can readily help you if need be." he guessed.

"I'd call that presumptuous, but... well, I can understand it, to be frank. And you pretty much almost confirmed that he's right to set the potential timeslots." he continued, before pausing.

"...though, knowing him, he'd make the time for you, no matter WHAT..." he then muttered.

"Regardless, you did a good thing for... the world, for whatever comfort that's worth. And... I'm sure your mother doesn't blame you at all." he then assured her.

Ash paused for a moment, before sighing.

"Well... from what I recall, she's been wanting Vanessa to be taught a harsh lesson for a while now." he said.

"...can't get harsher than what just happened..." he muttered.

"I'd expect a visit from her shortly." he went on.

"Like... odds are when you fall asleep, she may decide to have a chat with you."

At that same time, Gabriel had been visiting Erica at the Unit, mostly because... even though he had helped her immensely with her sleeping problems, she was still having issues with getting restful sleep. The nightmares and night terrors had stopped, but she was still having restless nights, which were another consequence of the curse she had. He had been thinking about something for a while, and the latest conversation had him thinking about something. But he wasn't sure HOW to do it.

However, as he was about to leave, he could sense the one on the roof, and looked to Erica.

"I... yeah, I need to head off." he told her. "Talk to you later." he finished, before they said goodbye, and he disappeared in his signature pillar of light... only for it to reappear off to the side of the one on the roof, and dissipate, revealing him.

"Wow." he said.

"Your soul is in a moral typhoon of turmoil, isn't it?" he asked her.

"What can you do for me?" he asked in response.

"Well... not much, and everything." he said.

"How about you tell me why you're in such turmoil?" he asked her.

"In your own words. I can see you're feeling guilty about something... but I can also see that you're scared to NOT feel guilty about it." he went on.

"And I suppose is has to do with your recent... visit... to Vanessa Encrae." he then surmised.

He could tell what was bothering her, but he wanted her to say it. That was the first step, effectively.

He made his way over, and leaned against the railing as well, watching the people alongside her.

"Well, that's true." he said. "However, you speak of this as though you would have done this without Encrae's... intervention." he told her.

"The fact that you regret it shows that you're not as bad as you think you are, or believe yourself to be." he went on. "In fact, it's pretty much a universal truth that those who feel the most guilt are the ones who don't deserve to." he said further.

"Regardless, wouldn't you say that Encrae's mana played a big part in all that?" he asked her.

"There's no shame in being manipulated by a dark elf. It's what they do." he told her.

"Some more than others, admittedly, but still."