Kain lays still in his bed dreaming of crazy things as nurses check his vitals and lower his medication. They were going to have to let him wake up to asses the damage.

---

As the drugs were reduced Kain slowly came to. His mind more shattered than his aching body, filled with thoughts of anger sorrow and despair.
When vision returned to his blurry eyes he found a sweet young blonde nurse looking over him with a hopeful, leading to grateful smile.

Kain was in no position to endure medical staff fuss, but she treated him like a friend not a patient and he soon found her bubbly innocent positivity contagious.

It was only after she had been talking to him for hours, occasionally recording readings from the machines or offering him a dosage of morphine (which he always refused) that Kain realised how horrid he must look.

He had little means of movement or communication but soon his concerns were forgotten as she distracted him with stories and updates of all the others.
Even with his limited movement and expression she could see the frustration her news was bringing, feeling guilty she went against better judgement to give him a treat.

It was only after most people left to join the pool party did the girl break the rules...
She snuck in a soda can. After consuming the drink she gently opened a gap between his bandages and nervously pressed the aluminium to his skin.

It offered an unexplainable relief, greater then water was to thirst or hunger to food. He chewed and swirled it around savouring the taste and texture. It melted into a liquid metal and was absorbed into his skin. It tasted like life itself.

With it he found strength, using it to move his body in ways his muscles failed him. After a few more cans and other various metal nick nacks, Kain could somewhat function, if only with slow focus.

Having consumed so much soda and fighting off sleep for so long the lovely blonde named Sarah's trusting nature was easily persuaded by Kain's devilish tongue and she was ready to break even bigger rules. Kain's little pallor tricks had entertained and excited her interests. She was eager to see what else he could do.

The party a perfect distraction, Sarah awkwardly wheeled out a heavy utensil trolley. Slipping out the house she quickly wheeled Kain to the garage. In no time they were inside and Sarah was looking around in awe.
Kain was wearing a jacket over his patient robes and bandages. A poor disguise. He absorbed some more tools in which he used to build himself limb braces. Awkwardly and slowly he manipulated the metal surrounding him until he was seated in the passenger seat of his prized car.

As great as it felt, all was not right. He had never been in the passenger seat before. Maybe it was the drugs in his system or something about his near death experience, perhaps a bit of both plus something more.

Sarah's long lean legs slip into the drivers seat as she ducks under the roof and takes hear seat behind the wheel. A bright eager smile on her pretty little face. Kain was envious and drawn to the playful gaze in her eyes.

"Keys?" She asked taunting and teasingly. Kain manages to smirk back as the car flairs to life. She giggles softly. Looking at Kain's bandaged face Sarah pulls out a pair of aviators and carefully leans over him and places them on his face.
Unamused Kain secretly appreciated the tiny anonymity they provided.

She smiled and then the engined roared as they took off. The wheels screeching as rubber burned drowning out Sarah's own excited screams as the car accelerated far faster then expected.
Despite her position behind the wheel Kain was truly and secretly in control.

This was not just a joy ride, they were not going out to a party or for drinks. Under the cover of night Kain and his new friend went to explore and investigate the scene of carnage.

Although Kain had fought his incapacitating injuries and given himself movement, he couldn't defy the pain. Especially since some of those limbs weren't ready to move and that motion only opposed his recovery. Sarah could see it. Hard to notice in his near mummified state but she knew. That left Kain wondering, Why..?

.... His thought was sharply broken as he noticed Sarah reach for the cassette player. Panic! Kain swung his straight stiff arm at hers as he groaned loudly. The sudden unexpected touch startled her more then anything.

"Sorry I won't touch it!" She quickly exclaims, looking around a little bit confused. She didn't push the matter just simply looked upon his arm with sympathy and concern.
Behind the glasses Kain's eyes were welded shut in pain, tears streaked freely from them and hidden memories seized his vulnerability and played in his fragile mind.

He cried in silent pain, he cried in sorrowful memories and for chances nearly lost. He cried for the families crying and the people who couldn't cry. He cried for every reason he stopped himself crying over the past few years.

He cried for his sister.

Sarah removed her phone from her pocket and put it on the consol between them. While only faint, soft music filled the silence between them as they drove under the starry night sky. Deftones; Change (in the house of flies)

A smile crept across his face. At least she had good taste in music.
They were nearly at their destination.

It was no wonder she was a nurse, Sarah was just a natural healer. Not like a meta healer or anything but her mere presence and company was up-lifting. Kain wasn't sure if it was just her gentle nature, caring smile or infective positive manor but her presence certainly helped cure the anguish and distraught in his mind. As for his body... Well she had an ailment for that pain too.

The car had pulled up as close to the rubble and chaos from the earlier days carnage as the roads would allow. While emergency services had evacuated the area, it was still pure havoc. So much damaged cars building debris and rubble everywhere. Kain didn't even know what he was looking for.

As he slowly gathered some nearby metal and began forming it into a supportive exoskeleton, Sarah pulled out some cigaret papers and a small pouch of something leafy and green.
" Your in pain right. It's alright then, purely medicinal. As your nurse I insist! " she says while giving him a wide sweet smile and holding out a joint.

Instinctively Kain was ready to reject her offer and shut her down, since setting himself on the path of helping others he had been avoiding any and all drugs. Going so far to be an advocate against them. They had lead him to a life he wasn't proud of and he never wanted to go back there again.
But somehow with Sarah offering, Kain felt as though nothing could go wrong, and he was truly willing to take anything now to ease some of the pain from his injuries. He almost wished to still be hooked up to those damn machines back at base. Anything to take the edge off.

And so that's how they spent their night. Digging deeper into the depths of disaster, talking, laughing and getting extremely fucked up and high as they endlessly sorted through, cleaned and fixed up the chaos around them, hoping to stumble across a clue. It wasn't long till their purpose was forgotten and they were simply exploring, enjoying each other's company.

Resting in a half dilapidated building they soon fell asleep.
Knowing it so, Kain secured them in the hidden safety of a metal bubble.