Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun [Maximum], or Vash, Luida, Brad, Jessica, or any of the other characters in the manga / anime series. They all belong to Mr. Yasuhiro Nightow.

My own inventions include: Lumia, Larissa, Shyla Jones, Lisa Reeve, and the other Reeve family members.

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Gifts

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Lisa continued reading...

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Year 0142 month 9 day 21

I awoke much earlier than I wished to, from the combined discomforts of a "hot flash" and a pressure in and around my eyes. There was also a mild headache.

I opened my eyes, and was startled to see a collection of rectangles that appeared to have been painted on my bedroom's far wall in a bright shade of red. The paint appeared to be in the process of dripping slowly, as if those rectangles had been made with too much paint, and the paint was still drying. Yet they also appeared three-dimensional, looking more like picture frames instead of looking like something merely painted flat on the wall.

I probably cried out in surprise at this unexpected sight. I was also puzzled, wondering how I could see that color so vividly in the moonlight.

I turned my head slightly, and saw the same rectangles, apparently on the part of the wall where I was now looking. As before, the rectangles were exactly at the center of where I was looking, not even the slightest bit to either side, nor higher or lower.

Even more strange was how I could see from the corner of my eye that the wall where I had been looking only a few seconds ago now showed no sign of the rectangles. It was completely as it ought to be.

Except where I saw the red rectangles, everything was painted by moonlight with shades of blue-silver and grey.

I closed my eyes, turned my head a little more, and then reopened them. Again, I saw dripping reddish rectangles in exactly the center of where I looked... but nowhere else.

I closed my eyes and rubbed at them a little, and heard soft footsteps in the hall. I opened my eyes to see expanded yet fading rectangles in the air, beyond which Lumia was coming in through my bedroom doorway.

I closed my eyes again, frowning. Since the rectangles moved with my eyes, the problem most likely lay in my eyes. Hopefully that meant I was not losing my mind.

Lumia was at my side. "What's the matter, Mama?" she asked gently.

"Something's wrong with my eyes," I said softly.

I didn't see much point in mentioning the hot flash. I should be nearly done with those, anyhow. The monthly cycles had ended, but the hot flashes continued. A blamed nuisance, that's all those things are. The only things I could think of, at the moment, which would be less welcomed than another hot flash would be Jessica... or Knives, if he still lived.

I kept my voice low, to avoid waking Larissa if she still slept.

"Let me look, please," Lumia said, and turned on a light.

There are some advantages to living in the same house as a doctor. I waited until my eyes had at least partially adjusted to the brightness, and then opened them and looked at her.

Her face wore a frown of concentration as she looked at my eyes. "I don't see anything unusual, at least not on the surface," she said. "What's the problem?"

"It's almost gone, now," I said, a little surprised. The rectangles had grown larger and more diffuse, and were now almost entirely transparent. "I saw rectangles, almost the color of the inside of my eyelids. They were anywhere that was in the center of my vision. First, I saw them on the walls, and then they were in the air in front of you."

"Any other symptoms?" she asked in her "doctor" voice.

"I felt some pressure in and around my eyes," I said, "but that's fading now, too. Slight headache. And a hot flash, if you must know."

"All things that put stress on your body," she said softly. "It's probably only an eye migraine, but you should get your eyes checked later today, just to be sure. When was your last physical?"

"My headache wasn't nearly bad enough to be called a migraine," I said, confused, "but why should I get my eyes checked if you think the problem is the headache?"

"No, not the headache type of migraine. I said an eye migraine," she clarified. "Those can come with pressure, instead of pain. Pressure on the blood vessels in the back of your eye distorts your vision and confuses your brain. So the brain interprets the distorted vision in some strange manner, causing you to think you're seeing something that isn't there. It's not a hallucination, just brain confusion. Has anything like that ever happened before?"

"I've had blurred or mildly distorted vision, a few times, when I was especially tired," I said, "but I never before saw anything which appeared to be a solid object like that."

"You should get your eyes checked," she repeated. "Eye migraines are usually stress-related. Our concern for Shyla has had us all stressed lately, so it's not surprising that it would lead to some variety of migraine, if any of us is at all prone to them. However, eyestrain can also be a contributing factor. How long has it been since you had an eye exam, or a general physical checkup?"

"I couldn't say for certain," I admitted. "I've been busy, since Shyla came. I've probably forgotten to go in as often as I should, for either."

"And I've been distracted, too," she said guiltily. "I should watch over your health better than that."

"Nonsense," I said. "I'm a grown woman. I may have forgotten to have an eye exam or a physical recently, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of taking care of myself!"

"I expect to see you in my office, today, right after tending the apple trees," she said authoritatively. Then she grinned mischievously. "It isn't often that I can give orders to a Council member, especially not when she's also my own mother. It's kind of fun!"

"Don't go getting too big for your britches," I warned playfully.

"Oh, let me enjoy it while it lasts," she said, and pretended to pout.

Lumia's exaggerated expression made me laugh, and soon she was laughing with me. When we stopped laughing, she looked thoughtful.

"How were Papa and Shyla when you went to see them last night?" Lumia asked.

"She had fallen asleep, sitting beside him on their couch," I said. "He saw the changes in her, and those things worried him."

Lumia nodded. "Is it very difficult for you, Mama, to see them together?"

"Not usually," I said. "They're more like a brother and sister than anything else, at least for now. I know that's likely to change, someday, but it hasn't yet."

"Maybe go check on them," she suggested, "since that might help you to relax. But later today, come see me to get your eyes and body checked. I mean it. If you don't do that on your own, then I'll ask Papa to pick you up and carry you to the infirmary to get it done!"

I chuckled again at my daughter's choice of words and tone in expressing her concern.

"All right," I said, throwing up my hands as if in surrender. "I'll get myself checked."

"Good," she said, and nodded. Her face and voice both displayed her satisfaction. "If you again see something that you know isn't really there, relax as much as you can. Close your eyes, and gently rub your temples and around your eyes. If it doesn't get better quickly, take an aspirin and perhaps try a hot drink with caffeine in it. You can call for me, and I'll get them for you. Okay?"

"Okay," I said. "I love you, dear girl. You do know that, don't you?"

"Yes, Mama," Lumia said, smiling. She hugged me.

I hugged her, too. "How did you know to come?"

"I just knew," she said mysteriously. Then she laughed again.

I laughed with her, and then let go of the hug. "Perhaps I will go look in on Shyla and your father," I said thoughtfully. "He pulled a chair into her room, and looked like he meant to sit with her at least for awhile. He might have fallen asleep like that."

"Speaking of people who have fallen behind with their medical exams," she said, "I seem to recall that he's overdue for a physical check-up, too."

"That's right!" I said, feeling a bit foolish. "With the storm last time, I was distracted and forgot. He'd already left town before I remembered it."

"He was here too briefly the time before that, when he left Shyla with us," Lumia said.

"Yes," I said. "What a change that was..." I found myself reminiscing, about the Plant girl's arrival and about other significant changes in my life.

"Hmm?" Lumia said, raising an eyebrow and tipping her head to one side inquisitively.

"When you were born, I felt like I'd previously only existed without ever really living," I said, trying to explain how I was feeling. "Sometimes, I didn't even want to remember anything or anyone from before your birth, except for your father and times spent near him. Larissa's arrival was as welcome as yours was, but she didn't change my life in quite the same way. I love both of you so dearly, that words can't even begin to express..."

Lumia silently hugged me again, and I held her tightly.

I sighed, blinking tears from my eyes. "I never imagined that anyone else could ever feel quite so much like family," I said softly, "since there was never any hope of your father joining us in that manner."

I felt Lumia nod, for her head was still resting on my shoulder as we embraced.

"We've only known her for six years," I said, "yet somehow Shyla has come to feel almost like a part of our family. Not just like a part of Seeds village's general sense of family, but like part of ours."

"I think I know what you mean, Mama," Lumia said softly. "Knowing Shyla is almost like having another sister. Not quite the same, but ... close."

I hugged her a little more tightly, and then I let go. "One day, she may actually become family to you and Larissa," I said thoughtfully, "if she and Vash stay close. They may... sometime after she finishes growing up, they might..."

Suddenly, there seemed to be a large lump in my throat. I couldn't quite bring myself to say the words.

"I know, Mama," Lumia said gently. "They might stop being 'brother and sister' type of friends, and get ... romantic."

I nodded, but I was unable to say anything.

"From what I've read in our computers," Lumia said, "Shyla may not reach physical maturity until she's nearly a century old. I can completely understand why she'd pick Papa - he's so amazing and wonderful! And I can see how she's a good friend to him. But... well, if you don't mind my asking ... is there really any reason to expect he that he might choose her? Please don't misunderstand me... I like her. I just..."

"For one thing, he and Chronica wouldn't suit," I said. "For another, if Shyla is nearby, his eyes keep straying in her direction. He always speaks to her very gently. And yes, before you say it, I know that he speaks gently to nearly everyone. However, it's more pronounced with her. Even when he speaks about her, his voice and expression both grow more tender than I've seen him do toward anyone else. The closest I've seen, to a similar effect, is when he speaks of you or sometimes Larissa."

"Well, as his daughters, we can't be any competition for Shyla," Lumia said, sounding embarrassed.

"I didn't mean it that way," I said, smiling at her. "I simply meant that you're the only other people I've seen him speak of with a similar intensity of gentle affection. He seems to instinctively sense a bond between the two of you and him. I don't think he has any idea, yet, of what that bond is. It's possible that the main reason for the difference might be that he feels as if he knows her better than he knows the two of you."

"Hopefully, we can mend that part," Lumia said. "We need to get him over here more, when he's in town."

"Obviously," I said. "You must have inherited a measure of his intelligence."

Then I tickled her.

"No!" she said, nearly squealing, as she squirmed out of my hands and moved away.

"Mama!" she said, pretending to scold me (from a safe distance, well out of reach), "I'm near enough to a grown woman that you should respect my dignity at least a little!"

"From what I hear," I said fondly, "mothers always perceive their offspring as children, no matter how grown-up those offspring become."

She giggled. "Well, if you're going to check on Papa and Shyla," she said, "you might want to go before he begins his early-morning exercises. From what I've seen in his medical records, he has sweat glands which seem the same as any ordinary human's."

"Good point," I said, and threw back my blankets. I stood and went to rummage among my clothing for something suitable. Since it was a Saturday, I didn't need to wear my "Councilwoman" attire. I could wear comfortable old jeans and a soft flannel shirt over a soft lightweight sleeveless top. That attire should work well for the tree-tending later this morning, too.

"I'm sorry for waking you so early," I said to Lumia, who still lingered in my doorway.

"I'm often up almost this early," Lumia said through a gentle smile that reminded me of her father's characteristic expression. "That's when I do most of my praying, and generally setting my thoughts in order for the day."

I favored her with a fond, approving look before going into my bathroom.

I set my chosen clothing on the counter. After using the toilet and washing my hands, I put the plug into the sink's drain and then ran some warm water into the basin. Soon I was out of my pajamas, and scrubbing myself with soap and a washcloth filled with that soothingly warm water. When I was well scrubbed with the soap, I wrung out the cloth and drained the sink, and then ran just enough warm water to rinse out the cloth. I used the freshly-rinsed cloth to wash away the soap, a little at a time, re-rinsing as needed. When I finished that, I wrapped my body in a towel.

Then I turned on the warm water again, just long enough to wet my hair while my head was under the faucet. The water was turned off again, while I shampooed my hair and worked it into a good lather. I turned the warm water on again, just long enough to rinse out all the shampoo. I washed my hair a second time with a more expensive shampoo, which was usually reserved for Sunday mornings or special occasions. Vash was in town, and I was likely to see him sometime today. I figured that made a reasonable excuse to spoil myself, just a little.

I remembered when I'd visited Octovarn, all those years ago, back when Knives had captured most of the bulb-contained Plants and was threatening to destroy all of humanity. The hotel rooms in that town had bathrooms with unfamiliar fixtures. There was a sink on the ground that was easily big enough for a person to sit in, and a stall with a faucet where a person could rinse off their whole body under running water. Both were a ridiculous waste of water. I have wondered, both then and since, how they could be that wasteful and put so much needless strain on their Plants.

Ever since the day when my girls tricked Vash into coming into my room while I was incompletely dressed, I've always put my clothes on before leaving my bathroom. So I emerged fully clothed, if still rubbing my hair with a towel.

Lumia had left and returned. She held a steaming cup of tea in each hand. She extended one toward me.

I smiled and thanked her as I accepted. Then I sat on my bed, and she sat beside me. We drank our tea in companionable silence as the first pale streaks of predawn light formed in the sky outside.

When we finished, I kissed Lumia's cheek and walked through the house to the sitting room's closet. I put on a light shawl, and then walked toward Vash and Shyla's house. My bodyguards fell in as I left my house. I could hear their footsteps behind me.

When I reached my friends' house, I nodded to my bodyguards and gestured for them to remain outside. I still felt silly, at times, having a pair of large individuals (whom I knew were well armed) following me around everywhere. Since they came with the job, however, there was nothing I could do about it.

I unlocked the door and quietly let myself in. I peered into Shyla's room, and saw her standing nervously by the chair in her room where Vash was sleeping, braiding her hair. She was still wearing the same clothes she'd had on when I'd left the night before.

She looked toward me, and immediately beckoned with one hand, while holding her nearly-completed braid with the other.

As I drew near, she quickly tied a short piece of ribbon at the end of her braid. She pointed at Vash, and then at her bed. She had already pulled back the blankets. Apparently, she meant for him to sleep on the near side where she usually slept. It made sense to move him to the nearer side of the bed, as that shorter distance would be less likely to waken him than an attempt to move him around to the far side.

I understood her wish to make him more comfortable, since I shared it. However, the idea of him sleeping in her bed was awkward all by itself, at least for me.

I nodded, unwilling to attempt any explanations at that time. Shyla pointed to herself, and toward his shoulders. Then she pointed toward me, and toward his knees. I nodded again, understanding her instructions. I moved into a position to assist her as she had indicated.

It wasn't easy, but soon we had him stretched out on her bed, and then covered. He shifted a little, and then seemed to relax. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

As I watched him lying there asleep, I found myself wanting to touch him, stroke his hair and... kiss him. For a moment, it was all I could do to stop myself from kissing his face.

I turned away. We quietly left her room, and she pulled the door nearly closed.

I followed her to the kitchen, where she turned on a single light and began making up a large batch of doughnut dough.

She said nothing as she worked, and the silence gradually began to feel very loud.

"How are you doing this morning?" I asked softly.

I kept my voice soft, because I wished to avoid waking Vash needlessly. I could only imagine that he mustn't have slept as well in that chair as he would have in a bed. But then, he was accustomed to sleeping out on the desert sands. So perhaps it didn't inconvenience him as much as it would most other people.

Shyla paused and looked over her shoulder, toward her bedroom. Then she returned her attention to the doughnuts-in-process.

I moved closer to her. "Child," I said, speaking even more softly than a moment before, "we've all been worried about you. He was so concerned that he didn't want to leave your side, even while you slept. Please, let one of us help you."

"I'm sorry to be so much trouble," she said, barely above a whisper. "I'll try to do better."

"You must take better care of yourself," I said, softly and sadly, "else you won't be able to take care of him."

I hoped that idea, if nothing else, would motivate her.

She paused in her work to look at me, then she looked away to stare at the wall in front of her. After a moment, she spoke.

"I'm not important," she said calmly, as she returned her attention to the dough. "He is. I only need to survive long enough to give my life to save his. Nothing else matters."

She still spoke softly, but less softly than before. I hadn't thought her voice would carry.

"Shyla..." I began, but I got no farther.

I caught a movement from the corner of my eye, and turned to see better. Vash had come from her room. He came swiftly toward us. Even as I turned my head, he had reached her and put his hand on her shoulder. She startled slightly, and then turned toward him.

He enfolded the girl in his arms, pulling her tightly against his left side. "Don't leave me, Shyla," he said softly, "please. Don't leave me alone again!"

His hand slipped off her head, and about a hand's width down her braid. Then it stopped, and his grip on her braid grew white-knuckled.

My hand went over my mouth at his words. I felt as if my heart had leapt up into my throat. I felt like an intruder, briefly frozen as his hand moved over her hair. This moment belonged only to the two of them, not to me. As quietly and unobtrusively as I could, I hurried to the front door and let myself out. I closed and locked their door behind me.

I stood with my forehead resting against their door, fighting back tears. Of course Vash would feel less alone in the company of another Plant. No one else could give him what she could, even as a friend. It was only natural.

My heart wasn't listening to my head. It hurt, more than I could have imagined. I knew he would never intentionally hurt me or anyone else. Her words had probably caught him unprepared, and caused him to be more candid than he would otherwise have been.

I struggled to regain my composure, enough to face my bodyguards without undue embarrassment. This was not a time for tears. It took me longer than I liked, but I finally managed to get my emotions under control. I could cry later, when I was alone. I turned and briskly walked away.

As I walked, I tried to think of something that I could do for them. What would serve as an appropriate apology, for intruding into their home so early in the morning? Shyla hadn't perceived it as an intrusion when she first saw me, but he might feel otherwise... especially given the intimate moment that occurred as I left. His words had not been for me. They were only for her.

My excuse for visiting had been a concern for his comfort. So the best thing I could do was to solve that concern. Both bedrooms in that house had wall space under the windows that wasn't being used. In fact, as the chair Vash slept in proved, there was ample room for something as wide as a chair or...

Yes, that should do nicely. I returned home, by which time Larissa was in the bathroom cleaning up. When she came out, I spoke with my girls about my idea (but not the private reason why I wished to give Vash and Shyla a gift). They both liked the concept. They even suggested some minor improvements to my plans. Like me, they were certain that our orb-dwelling Plants would be willing to make this gift for Vash and Shyla.

The three of us, with my bodyguards in tow, went to the ship to speak with the Plants there.

Since we'd begun so early, we were able to finish everything a little before it was time to tend the apple trees. In fact, we had just barely enough time to permit us to deliver our gifts, before everyone began to gather in the orchard.

We probably made a comical procession, my daughters, bodyguards, and I, as we carried the gifts to Vash and Shyla's house. Thankfully, though they were bulky, we'd chosen a metal strong enough to be hollow. That made them lightweight.

Since I felt awkward about knocking on their door, I held one end and sent Larissa ahead to do the knocking. Vash opened the door, his damp black hair already tied back into its usual tail at the nape of his neck. I was near enough to detect a hint of soap scent coming from him.

"Good morning Lari-" Vash began to say, but Larissa flew into his arms and kissed his cheek before he could say or do anything else.

"Good morning," Larissa said cheerfully, still hugging him.

His cheeks grew pinker, but he smiled and hugged her against his left side. He quickly bestowed a brief kiss upon the top of her head. Then he peered past her at the rest of us, with the gifts in our hands, and looked puzzled.

"What is all this?" he asked, sounding curious.

"It looked like you may have slept in a chair last night," I said. "I thought about it, and realized there was no need for that. So I brought an alternative. These should fit nicely under your bedroom windows."

I gestured to the thickly padded benches we held. Both were easily long and wide enough for him to sleep on. Both were made of metal, and tinted a fairly neutral shade of golden brown. The upholstery differed, with one fabric matching the golden hues of his room and the other matching the blue-greens of hers.

"They should also serve as a place to sit and look out of the window, or use the light of day to read a book, and similar things. May we bring them in?" I asked.

"Sure," he said, gently disengaging Larissa and stepping into the house with a beckoning gesture. "Come on in."

"Thank you," I said.

Lumia and I took our bench into Shyla's room and put it into its place. The chair that he'd slept in the prior night had already been moved back into the sitting area, before we arrived. My daughter and I smiled at each other, and returned to the sitting area.

Meanwhile, my bodyguards took the other bench to Vash's room, and placed it under his bedroom window. When they finished, they quietly went outside and took up positions on either side of the front door, which they had closed behind them.

When my family, Vash and Shyla had all gathered to the sitting room, Lumia looked toward her father with a very wistful expression on her face. He saw her expression, and opened his arms for her. She hesitated only very briefly, as her wistful expression transformed to hope and then joy.

Vash hugged his eldest daughter against his left side, as he had done for the younger. He also kissed the top of her head, though he didn't need to bend his neck quite as far (since Lumia is taller than her sister).

I felt near to tears, seeing them together like that. These precious girls are good for him, too. They're not just good for me and the village.

And he still has no idea, as far as I know, that they are his as well as mine.

He didn't need to disengage Lumia, as he had with her sister. She gently and bashfully kissed his cheek as he released her. Then she backed away of her own accord, after the hug she'd shared with her father was finished.

Almost as if it were a reflex, he extended his right arm toward Shyla. He was still looking at us, not at her. Yet his motion indicated that he knew exactly where she was. She moved to his right side, and he put his arm around her.

"Thank you," he said. "It was very thoughtful of you to bring these."

Shyla only nodded.

"I may even try one of them out, later today," he said, sounding thoughtful.

She looked at him anxiously, and his arm tightened around her.

"I hope you'll find it comfortable," I said.

"I'm sure that I will," he said, and favored us with one of his sad, gentle smiles.

"Well, we won't interrupt your morning any further," I said briskly. "We're off to tend the apple trees. Thank you, again, for sending those seeds to us with Shyla. Everyone is pleased to have them."

"I'm glad those seeds were wanted, and that people are enjoying the trees," he said.

"We could go together," Lumia suggested softly, "if you wanted to."

"Oh yes!" Larissa said enthusiastically. "We should go together! Come on, it's time to go there anyway." With those words, she grabbed Vash's left arm and began pulling toward the door.

Vash glanced down at Larissa, and his smile widened a little. Then he looked at Lumia, and nodded. Unless I'm very much mistaken, there was approval for Lumia shining in his eyes when he nodded at her.

She saw and felt it, too, for she blushed.

I moved to Lumia's side, and put my arm around her.

"Let's go!" Larissa said impatiently.

"I'm coming," Vash said fondly, through his lopsided grin.

He hadn't moved until he said those words. After, he walked slowly toward the door. I think he was teasing Larissa, just a little, for her impatience. This impression is especially strong because he looked toward Lumia and me, and winked at us.

We went to the weekly tree-tending gathering together, which caused a few mildly jealous expressions... especially on the faces of some of our village's young ladies. Thankfully, none included the malice Jessica had displayed (and, thankfully, she was in cryo and unable to cause any further harm).

As before, Vash somehow made it fun for everyone. I even saw a hint of a smile on Shyla's face, for the first time since the night we found her among the orb Plants.

As the gathering began to disperse, Lumia went to her father and gently laid her hand on his right arm. She looked at him solemnly, which caused him to tip his head inquisitively.

"You're overdue for a physical check-up, Vash," Lumia said respectfully. "I'm taking Mama in for hers. Would you like to come to the infirmary now, or later? We really want to help take care of you. Please allow us to do that."

He laid his left hand over hers, and his expression gentled further. "You worry about me, too, don't you?" he said softly.

"Yes," Lumia said, "I do."

"Besides," Larissa added airily, "it's the rules."

"Please set a good example?" I said, as encouragingly as I could. "It's also about time for Shyla to get a check-up. Perhaps if you go, she will too..."

"You three sure know how to gang up on a guy," he said moodily, but he was smiling in spite of his protesting words and pouting tone of voice.

"I knew we could persuade you," Larissa said triumphantly.

"Thank you," Lumia said, with quiet sincerity.

Again, there seemed to be approval in Vash's eyes as he looked at Lumia and nodded. Our elder daughter was maturing emotionally, which included showing both understanding and respect toward others. Larissa, well, she didn't seem to be learning those things quite as well... yet.

I felt Shyla beside and slightly behind me. I glanced in that direction, to see her watching thoughtfully. I'm not sure when she came there, but I'd guess it was probably very shortly after hearing her own name mentioned.

I put my arm around Shyla. "It looks like we all need to visit the infirmary for check-ups," I said. "Shall we go together?"

Shyla looked questioningly toward Vash, and he nodded.

She looked at me again, and nodded.

"All right," I said. "If we're ready, shall we go?"

Larissa moved toward Vash, and he offered her his left arm. She linked her arm with his. He glanced toward me and Shyla, nodded, and then looked at Lumia and extended his right arm. Lumia's eyes widened slightly, and then she smiled and linked arms with him as her sister had done.

I smiled, hugged Shyla against my side, and led the way to the infirmary.

...

Lisa skimmed over the details of the check-ups, noting only that Luida needed glasses but was otherwise healthy for a woman who was 56 years old. Vash and Shyla each received a clean bill of health, also.

She flipped ahead, looking for something more interesting about Vash than the simple information that he was healthy.

...

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.

Author's note: For those of you who don't already know, "eye migraines" are real.

However, they are also bizarre enough that they seem to fit very nicely into a science fiction story. *mischievous grin* Eye migraines don't always include seeing things that look three-dimensional. Sometimes it's only blurred vision, or distortions (possibly with jagged edges), or lines. However, eye migraines can sometimes also manifest with three-dimensional "confused brain" images as described in the story. Since that was the most interesting version, that's the one I chose to use.

The first time anyone has any "eye migraine" symptoms, they should be checked by a medical professional as soon as possible. A few other conditions have nearly the same symptoms, so it's important not to make assumptions. Thereafter, they will know what they're dealing with.

Here's hoping that everyone has a safe and healthy day!