Neo had never experienced it from this angle before. Last time, it had been him waking up in the pod, panicking as he tried to understand what had happened to him. It had been him, flailing in the liquid that had been his home for thirty-five years. It had been him, drowning in the waste repository, unable to see, unable to control his limbs. And it had been him unconscious on the table, a veritable pincushion as his muscles had been rebuilt.
Watching it from this vantage, Neo had to admit that he was glad for the lack of awareness. It was frightening enough, going from a world of light and color to this dark and dingy one. The Nebuchadnezzar might have been his home now, but that fact didn’t change the truth. It was a difficult transition to make.
It looked like a painful one too, as the crew worked in shifts to remove the extraneous hardware from Jackie’s body. Neo had never been vain, had barely given his appearance any thought, but he couldn’t help thinking that it all might have been easier to bear if there weren’t so many reminders. He could ignore the metal in his own skin now, go long stretches of time without touching the port on the back of his head or picking at the ones on his arms, but he never forgot them. Never was completely comfortable with them. Especially when he looked at Tank and saw someone who didn’t bear the mark of the machines.
But he stayed throughout the duration of the process. Sitting in the corner or leaning against the wall, out of the way but always present. Because he’d been the one to bring her out. And just as Morpheus had been there for him, Neo was going to be there for Jackie, to help her make the transition from the imaginary world to the real one. He couldn’t do more. He didn’t know how to do more. But he could do that. And he would.
Once the process had been complete and she had been transferred to the empty room that would now serve as her quarters aboard the hovercraft, Neo scrounged up a chair, positioned it in the corner of her room, and took a seat. He didn’t know how long it would take her to wake up, but he intended to be there when she did. She’d probably be angry with him, and she had every right to be, but at least she wouldn’t have to face it alone.
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momijizukamori and
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Date: 2010-03-28 03:31 am (UTC)Watching it from this vantage, Neo had to admit that he was glad for the lack of awareness. It was frightening enough, going from a world of light and color to this dark and dingy one. The Nebuchadnezzar might have been his home now, but that fact didn’t change the truth. It was a difficult transition to make.
It looked like a painful one too, as the crew worked in shifts to remove the extraneous hardware from Jackie’s body. Neo had never been vain, had barely given his appearance any thought, but he couldn’t help thinking that it all might have been easier to bear if there weren’t so many reminders. He could ignore the metal in his own skin now, go long stretches of time without touching the port on the back of his head or picking at the ones on his arms, but he never forgot them. Never was completely comfortable with them. Especially when he looked at Tank and saw someone who didn’t bear the mark of the machines.
But he stayed throughout the duration of the process. Sitting in the corner or leaning against the wall, out of the way but always present. Because he’d been the one to bring her out. And just as Morpheus had been there for him, Neo was going to be there for Jackie, to help her make the transition from the imaginary world to the real one. He couldn’t do more. He didn’t know how to do more. But he could do that. And he would.
Once the process had been complete and she had been transferred to the empty room that would now serve as her quarters aboard the hovercraft, Neo scrounged up a chair, positioned it in the corner of her room, and took a seat. He didn’t know how long it would take her to wake up, but he intended to be there when she did. She’d probably be angry with him, and she had every right to be, but at least she wouldn’t have to face it alone.