Life After Near Death

The Wounds Remain

"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."

― Rose Kennedy

Natsu burst into the hospital room smiling brightly. "Gray!" he shouted.

Lucy bonked him on the head. "Idiot, we're in a hospital. You need to keep your voice down."

"But Gray's finally awake." Natsu ran up to the hospital bed and put both hands on it, leaning in with hyper joy. "How are ya feeling, ice princess?"

Gray glared at him for a moment, but then he sadly looked away.

Natsu looked confused at the depressed expression. "Hey, what's up? What's with the silent treatment? You didn't hurt your throat too, did you?"

Erza was already in the room, and she gently pulled Natsu back. "It's best if we leave Gray to rest."

"What?" the Dragon Slayer shouted in protest. "But he's been sleeping for two whole weeks. More beauty sleep won't improve his looks any," he said with a light laugh. "Yeah, but at least you're looking better than before. You looked like hell, all beat up. Hah, you really got your ass kicked, popsicle-pants."

Gray suddenly lashed out. "Shut the hell up!"

Natsu took a step back at the anger in that shout. "S-Sorry," he muttered. "Seriously, I'm glad you're okay."

Erza took Natsu's shoulder and pulled him back out of the recovery room and into the sterile white hallway. He left reluctantly, and Lucy followed along, shutting the door behind them, leaving Gray sitting stiffly in his bed.

"Natsu," the redhead said softly, "I know you were really worried about him, but ... maybe you shouldn't come to the hospital."

"What?" he shouted in rage. "Why the hell not? I'm the one who saved his ass."

"Precisely. Gray doesn't like that he lost."

Natsu shrugged. "It happens. You shake it out, stand back up, and keep fighting."

Erza flinched and looked away with her eyes shut tightly.

Lucy saw the pain in Erza's expression. "Is Gray okay?" she asked softly.

Erza wiped a tear from her eye, and slowly she shook her head. "He's awake, which is a miracle in itself, but healing will take a long time. A really ... long ... time." She paused, momentarily overwhelmed. Lucy placed a hand on her arm, but the mighty Titania managed to harden her heart once more to continue speaking. "His internal injuries were severe. He lost his gall bladder, a portion of his liver, part of his lung had to be fused to the chest cavity because it would not heal right, and his intestinal track had to be completely rerouted because of that gaping hole. His stomach might never fully heal. His leg ... he ... he didn't lose the leg, but he might never walk on it again."

Lucy covered her mouth with both hands. Natsu just stared with no expression, his face completely blank.

"His leg bone had to be partly replaced. It'll take a few months to heal."

"Then he heals," Natsu said quietly. "We wait. He goes through physical therapy for a bit, and..."

Erza shook her head. "One of the shots was close to the spine. It damaged nerves to his hips and both legs. He's partially paralyzed."

"Oh no," Lucy whispered between her trembling hands, shaking her head in disbelief.

"The shot to his left leg took out the sciatic nerve, completely severed it. It was such a large gash, they can't reattach the nerves. Gray can't feel anything at all below the thigh. His right leg is only marginally better. Parts of it are numb, too. It got a few smaller shots, but mostly it's the spinal damage which affected the nerves. He has about seventy percent sensation in his right leg. The doctors say it might come back, but the left leg ... they've done all they can for now. They can't do anything more ... except amputate."