He wasn't sure what kind of answer he had been looking for but he wasn't sure if Zachariahâ€™s words relieved him. He relaxed slightly at the hand that rested on his shoulder, seeing how their leader always seemed to find a way to calm people down. It really didn't help that he felt so useless in this situation. What more could he do for his friend? He wanted, no, needed something to ease his unsettled mind. It was frustrating just having to sit around and wait, but that was what their line of work called for. Of course, Azrai had never been in a condition as severe as this one before. They all had their scars. Somehow, he almost wished that Zachariah had disagreed with the decision that had been made but he hadn't. A part of Ivan wanted the two of them to continue their budding companionship but in this world, it wouldn't happen.<br/><br/>To see Azrai become attached to another person after Cassandra, it was a shocker. Ivan had never expected it and he was sure that no one else had either. It tore him to have to rip these fleeting moments of happiness away from the two of them, but what more could he do? It was dangerous to have both of them together but how dangerous would it be to have them apart? He hadn't thought that far along. In all honesty, it was nice to see Azrai focused on something else other than work. He could tell that the two of them enjoyed one another's company for they were people who did not need many things in life to make them content. The interaction was nice but the disaster that followed after them was what complicated the situation. If things hadn't been so damn chaotic, perhaps they could still be able to communicate with one another. However, the word was not like that and they had to face reality, they all needed to.<br/><br/>With a heavy sigh, he took in Zachariah's acceptance with a sense of calm and understanding. This was not to just protect Azrai but it was to protect Shizu. She needed to live a life away from violence and would she find that if she continued to stay with Azrai? Surely, she had thought of that as well or maybe she hadn't. That woman was an anomaly to him, someone that he had no way of understanding. She had seen and lived through Hell, he knew that much, but to what extent, he hadn't a clue. Ivan was sure that Azrai had seen and discovered the horrors that haunted her, so maybe that was why he was so hell bent on protecting her. It was likely that the village she came from wanted to rid her but someone wouldn't allow it. She had mentioned that she was hated in her village but she never stated what they had done to her. His brow furrowed, knowing that there was something that had caused Azrai to latch on to in the first place. He was curious to find out but knew now was not the time.<br/><br/>He glanced up as Maverick came down the hallway, he was looking a bit better than before but he could see the exhaustion. Hell, they were all exhausted but they knew that would not be a sufficient excuse if Azrai were to die on them. They were probably being a pain in the ass to all the medics around, but this is what happened in their occupation. They couldn't just sit around forever, waiting to recover. He glanced back over at their leader as he spoke and he knew how much Azrai meant to everyone. He winced at the word punishment and he could only hope that God would not punish Azrai with death, wouldn't that be unfair? He knew that it was a possibility but Ivan wanted to be as optimistic as possible in this situation. He had to pray that God would give his friend strength for risking his life to save Shizu. This just couldn't be the end for Azrai.<br/><br/>So, it seemed that everything was finally set in stone. Shizu would be separated from Azrai and that was that. He felt guilt rack his chest as he thought about trying to explain it to Azrai when he came to. It was Shizu's condition, her decision. No one from this organization had given her any thoughts of departing, it was solely her. He wondered how well that would blow over with the unconscious man. As much as he wanted to hear what Azrai had to say about it, he knew that it was best that they made this decision without him. There could only be two responses from the male: accepting it and moving on or protesting and fighting to keep her here. Ah, both of those sounded terrible but in the end there would be a decision made. It was for the best, right? Were they making the right decision? Would it be right to have her stay? Ivan shook his head slightly knowing that it wouldn't be good if she stayed, Azrai was reckless around her. Look what had happened to all of them because of this mission, as much as he hated to point out but things hadn't gone well at all.<br/><br/>"No, I will continue with working on the preparations as well," Ivan protested gently, however it was in a weak voice. He knew that neither of them was in the mood to argue and he didn't want to place the entire burden on Zachariah, who had so much to care for at this time. "I cannot allow myself to rest right now," he murmured not wanting to show too much weakness. He knew that if he sat down and rested he would drive himself insane. He needed something to keep his mind busy, besides he wasn't in that bad of condition like many here. He was still capable to handle a few situations. He appreciated that Zachariah wished to release some of his stress, in fact, he had. The reaction on Shizu's decision had when bothering him most but seeing how the green light was given he knew that he had less to worry about. Now was the fact of Azrai but who knew how long it would take for him to come around. No, he definitely couldn't just sit around.<br/><br/>Ivan would have followed Zachariah in the room but he wasn't sure if he could continue to look at Azrai in that state. It hurt him more than anything to see his friend like that. He was about to say something to Maverick, along the lines of resting a bit more or at least sitting down but the medic he had sent off had come back. The male looked a bit out of breath, Ivan assumed that he had been running and hiding from government officials. He took the documents from the male, thanking him briefly. He checked through the items in his hands, making sure everything would pass through inspection. He began to think of all the things that she would need on her travels, knowing that she needed to look inconspicuous as possible. At least this would give him something to do, which reminded him.<br/><br/>"I need to speak with Lucian briefly, you should...sit down or something," Ivan suggested, patting Maverick on the back before walking off. He made his way down the hallway to Lucian's room. It didn't take long as things began to settle down as everyone had caught a glimpse of their almighty leader. He could hear the whispers of him being blessed by God and Ivan believed it. He knew that Zachariah had to make tough decisions on the battlefield and he respected all of them. He was truly a leader and Ivan would follow his command for as long as he so breathed. He stopped just outside of Lucian's room, knocking on the door. He entered the room once he got the pilot's attention.<br/><br/>"We are sending Shizu away from Azrai, as Zachariah has approved of it," Ivan started off. He crossed his arms over his chest, stretching his neck a bit. "The reason I'm telling you is because Elias is securing a safe place for her. That being said, we'll be sending you along with her, if you don't have any objections that is." He was sure that the pilot wouldn't have any but he wanted to make sure. There was no need to send them on a trip together if he didn't like her. More than anything, he knew that Lucian wanted to go home. Hell, Ivan wanted to go home too but he knew that it would still be a while before he'd be able to lie in his bed. He wasn't sure what else to say to Lucian, he wouldn't apologize for how he acted earlier. He was sure that the pilot was a nice guy, but he hadn't seemed so earlier or any other time that is. He just let it go, knowing that this was the basis of their relationship and the punk was lucky that he liked Elias enough to not strangle him half the time.<br/><br/>----------<br/><br/>She flinched a bit when the door opened, her eyes glancing over at Zachariah. She cleared her throat, straightening up a bit, taking in his appearance. He was certainly worse than when she had last seen him but she knew that he would be fine. She could sense the exhaustion exuding from him and knew that that was how everyone felt today. Her mouth felt dry, knowing that he had been informed of her decision and she was willing to fight for the right to leave. She watched him warily as he moved closer to her, tensing as he placed a hand on her shoulder. A sense of comfort ran through her briefly though it didn't last long. Scarlet eyes flickered over to Azrai before back to the leader. Licking her dried lips, she nodded her head slightly.<br/><br/>"He will be," she said in a less than convincing tone. She had no idea how well her blood would work on Azrai but she had to have faith in something, anything at this point. "I am...thankful that you are not angered by the decision that I have made. I also wish to thank you for all that you have done for me," she said looking up at Zachariah with a slight smile. It was hard for her to thank Zachariah because she felt like he had done so for nothing. Of course, this hadn't been about Azrai or her, but revenge. Still, his base had been wiped out and he had lost many men for the safety of her and now she was telling him that she would be leaving. Did that not make him angry? Did that make her seem ungrateful? Surely, he believed that this decision was best as well or else he would have expressed his disappointment, right?<br/><br/>She felt bombarded with all these thoughts and questions, but was it really worth asking? She shouldn't worry too much about trivial things for the situation before her was greater. Yes, it was true, she cared about Azrai. She wasn't sure when it had hit her that she did but she knew that the feeling was strong. It was an emotion that she was unable to describe for she had never felt it towards another person before. It bothered her, caused her anxiety and so much more. She knew that the others cared as well, that was one of the reasons why she gave her blood to him. If she knew of a way to help then she would, for it would be like betraying the organization that had helped her gain her freedom. "I will be leaving as soon as I know that he will recover," she stated gently, her tone held a slight hint of sadness in it.<br/><br/>She knew that she had no right to be sad because she had made the decision herself. However, she was because she knew that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to him. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hear his voice or see his grey eyes. Nothing. She would be left with this image of him lying in bed, but this was for the best. So she said. So they said. It would be beneficial for everyone if she were gone. She had to remain determined, maybe think in a more positive light. She would be able to experience her freedom finally, that was something worth looking forward to, right? But who would she have to share those moments with? Her heart clenched slightly but she shook it off, she was used to this by now.<br/><br/>She was used to being alone. She could manage on her on...just like she always had. If she thought of it this way, the pain would be easier. She had to numb her mind, break that attachment. That was what this all was for, to severe the bond that was forming. She had no right to be a friend to Azrai, not after all the Hell he had gone through for her. Besides, they would have been split apart after a while anyways. How long could he take care of her, especially in his line of work? See? This was all beneficial, she couldn't stress about it anymore. She had made the right decision. How come it hurt then? She bit her lower lip, knowing that she couldn't pinpoint an answer because she didn't want to realize the truth. She wanted to just go along with the plan that she had created....who cared about how badly it hurt or how lonely she felt?<br/><br/>"How long do you think it will take? I mean...for Azrai to wake up," she asked slowly, knowing that Zachariah probably didn't have a better answer for her than a medic would. It just made her anxious to be sitting around and waiting for him to show signs of progress. How long had it been since they first came here anyways? How much time had overlapped? How much of the poison had affected him? These were questions that she knew she should be asking the medics but she wasn't sure if they knew the answer. They seemed to be monitoring him and making sure his wounds were cleaned and bandaged properly. Of course, they had many people to take of right now so she couldn't blame them for being unable to answer the questions that lay at the tip of her tongue. She should just be content with watching him, but she wasn't. She hated seeing Azrai like this.<br/><br/>He put on such a strong front, like he was some kind of indestructible man and she admired that. However, he was completely stubborn which probably resulted in him getting into a few conflicts from time to time. To see him so...weak and vulnerable made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She knew that if he were awake, he'd be fighting to get out of the medical base. It seemed that he disliked the idea of being hospitalized. She smirked a bit, picturing him arguing with everyone. If only she could see that again before she left, maybe she should write him a note telling him her reason for leaving. Maybe she could express to him how she was feeling or maybe that was a bad idea. "How...How do you think he will react once he realizes that I am no longer around," she asked in a hesitant manner. She glanced up at Zachariah, knowing that she was probably asking him questions that were tricky to answer but she needed something to ease her mind. She needed something else to focus on at this point.