The first thing Lao Feing had noticed upon entering the town of Yotsuba was the overwhelming presence of Marines. May they be on or off duty, they made up a fair amount of the traffic that filled the streets of Yotsuba. Though he had a strong distaste for Marines, Lao Feing's composure was kept and not even his mind was clouded with ill minded thoughts. Normally when he entered Yotsuba he wasn't given any sort of particular acknowledgment, but today things were different. With a bloodied man draped over his shoulder a lot of eyes were drawn to him and the trail of blood that he left behind him. Albeit he was transporting such a battered body Lao Feing moved with unnerving levels of nonchalance. Approaching a group of marines that was standing by on a corner, on or off duty, Lao Feing spoke. "Can I trouble one of you for directions to the hospital?" The marines looked at the shirtless Lao Feing, the body on his shoulder, then back at the old man. "Maybe we should take that load off your hands sir, for your own safety if anything." After this was said one of the Marines began to reach for the body, but Lao Feing stepped back with his right foot while he slightly twisted the right side of his body back, this being the side the young man was on. "It's fine, this boy is my grandson." The Marines looked a bit concerned and skeptical, but after a few seconds of exchanged glances, they seemed to agree on letting Lao Feing go about his business. "Y-yeah, go down that way, then take a right after passing the flower shop." Lao Feing looked down to where the marines were pointing and he nodded. "Thank you."

It's a sunny day here at Yotsuba with little to no clouds in the sky. The town was littered with civilians, and marines alike which makes sense due to this place being under the World Government. People all seemed cheerful at first, but of course expression of pure horror, and disgust went in the direction of the elderly man holding a bloody, unconscious body over his shoulder. The person he's carrying is James Lubbock Jr. An ensign that had just recently been beat to near death by the person carrying him.

The looks coming his way, the conversation the elderly man was having with the marines, even being carried by the man is all going unnoticed by the boy due to his loss of consciousness. It's surprising that the marines around hadn't notice who the boy is, but then again he hasn't made much of a presence in this town, nor was he wearing his marine attire due to this being an off day for him. Even in this crushed up state, Junior's face looked as if he was in a peaceful state of slumber. Possibly a dream has taken over to help ease things up. Knowing the green dodo, what he's dreaming about shouldn't be all that hard to predict.

Why is the man's attacker trying to help him? It seemed a bit odd to just damage someone to near death then turn around, and look for aid to patch them up. Does he have something planned for him? Doesn't matter what he has planned. James is nothing but a slave to this situation, being fully incapable of doing anything about it.

Walking in the direction the Marines had directed him, Lao Feing made his way to the hospital and in a few minutes he had arrived. Stepping in the lobby immediately eyes fell upon him and employees rushed over to assist, asking Lao Feing to explain the situation, who he was, and who the man over his shoulder was. "Nothing, just a small bit of sparring. I'm sure the staff here can have him healthy again." Setting the young man's body on the ground of the hospital for the doctor's and nurses to do whatever, Lao Feing departed from the scene. Whatever the boy wanted to say when he came to could be said, Lao Feing didn't have much an interest in credit for defeating him, he just hoped he wouldn't find him harming animals again.

(Exit)

Baffled medics watched as the mysterious man leave the body on the ground then walk out. Four of the medics quickly got the bloody body up as another one brought in a medical gurney. The medics rested him on the gurney, and rushed it down the hall while checking the damaged marine's vitals, finding out that James' chest has been completely crushed in, barely able to breathe. It's a miracle that he is still alive, but if anything isn't done soon, that all will change.

The medics quickly rushed him into a room to conduct surgery.

After a span of a few hours, now being night, tons of screaming, running back, and forth, and near death moments, the surgery was a success. James, now wearing a blue hospital gown with medical bandages wrapped around, and covering his chest laid there in a bed in his room still at the hospital with covers reaching up to his chest. He has yet to wake up, coming to the conclusion that he is in a coma. Three Marine ensigns who were called in by employees about the suspicious drop off are in the waiting room talking with some of the medics about the elderly man's odd claim about sparring, and James' current conditions as well as possible...permanent conditions. The marines had already checked on the injured male, finding out that he is one of their own. Marine activity slowly began to increase in search of the person who brought James to the hospital for questioning.

The sound of the heart monitor connected to James by one of his arms beeping as well as the small dripping from the I.V. attached to his other arm filled the lit room that occupied the green haired marine with noise. The young ensign doesn't know what will be in store for him....if he ever wakes.

"The doc said that he still hasn't woken up. DO you think he's going to make it?" "They said that he'll make it. From what we've been told, it's a miracle that he's still even alive. What we should be really concerned about, is what to tell his captain." Two of the three ensigns in the waiting room were conversing about the condition of James.

"True. He might not be able to..." before the marine could finish, a nurse walked in, gesturing for the three marines to come with her. The ensigns followed behind the nurse until she stopped in front of the room housing the green dodo. She opened the door, and the marines walked in, seeing that James is still laying there, but to their amazement, his eyes were open just half way, staring up at the ceiling with a dazed loon on his face. The nurse told something to the ensigns before leaving, closing the door behind her, the sound causing James to warp back to reality. He slowly turned his head to the side, and looked at the three ensigns with a bit of a surprise expression before lowering his eyes a bit.

"Yo." James said, weakly, recognizing two of the three ensigns, the ones that were conversing. One of them was the marine who caught James peeking on a woman through a window on the day he joined Anton's crew, and the other one he recognizes as the one who accompanied James on a patrol in Ilusia. "How're you holding up, peeping tom?" one of the two ensigns said, jokingly. "Eh, I've been through worse. That old geezer has nothing on Seakings." James chuckled a bit before trying to sit up, only to end up wincing, and groaning before laying back down. "Oi, don't push yourself so much, Junior." the other marine said as James snickered confidently. "Oh, please. I'll be fine by tomorrow. These injuries don't have anything on me." James continued to chuckle before noticing the grim looks on the first two marine's faces. "Heh...heh...Umm, what's up?" James questioned. The two ensigns looked at each other, trying to see which one should tell him the truth. It was then the third ensign walked up from behind the first two, giving James a stern look as the green haired ensign tilted his head a bit.

"Your injuries were quite severe. We've been told that due to them, you'll have some permanent complications with your chest, and due to it you'll be more sensitive to pain in that area." the other two marines looked down as the third one explained. James stared at the ensign for a few seconds with a serious expression before grinning. "Yeah, I know. Some busty doctor with very....exceptional curves told me this already. Even told me that I should consider resigning. As if." James chuckled before noticing that the expressions on the marines haven't changed. "W-we...ummm.." one of the ensigns tried to say something. James tilted his head again before realizing what he was going to say. "Woah, woah, wait." James quickly sat up, wincing a bit. "Don't tell me you guys agree? Come on now, it's me! I always get into stuff like this and end up onto...""That's enough." the third marine interrupted as all eyes were on him now.

"Do you not see the condition you are in right now, or are you just that dense? You escaped death by a thread, and you are still taking this as a joke? This is the real world, boy, you need to wake up. Clearly you are not fit both mentally, and now physically to be a marine, and you need to resi..." the marine paused as he, and the other two looked at James with a surprised expression. He slowly got off of the bed, ripping the stuff attaching him to the heart monitor, and I.V. off. He slowly made his way to the third ensign, staring him dead in the eyes. "I know..." James clenched his fists. "I know I screwed up. No, I royally fucked up, but this..." James pressed a hand against his chest causing him to wince even more. "This right here isn't going to stop me from making Anton Sir a Fleet Admiral, nor from achieving my other dreams, and neither are you three..." James ranted with a look of fire, and pure anger in his eyes as the first two ensigns looked at him with concerned expressions, and the third one kept his stern tone.

-The next day-

James was finally okay enough to leave the hospital, other than his permanent injury. Once again wearing his usual attire with some medical bandages still wrapped around his chest under his shirt, James took a deep breathe, and smiled up at the sky. His smile soon faded as he looked down. That marine did have a point. He had to start taking things more seriously, and make sure to never end up like that ever again. He then looked forward, and began to walk as the three ensigns from yesterday looked on from a distance.

"Should we inform any of the higher ups of his condition?" one of them asked. "...No." the first two surprisingly looked at the third ensign who had his arms crossed. "If anyone asks, including his crew mates, especially his captain, he is completely fine.....that's what the idiot said he wanted." the third marine sighed as they continued to watch him until he was away from their view.

(Exit)