Darkness to Light
By Minako-chan
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I stomped my feet nervously on the ground beneath
me. I felt the earth trembling, as if it could
sense my fear. My innermost fear --- not being
accepted. Not being liked or loved.
It was my first day at work at the local
hospital. Amy ASSURED that everything would be
fine, and that my training as a nurse would be
smooth and easy and I would get along fine with
everyone because of my "wonderful personality".
I remembered raising an eyebrow and gave her a
doubtful look.
I took one look at my reflection on the window of
my car and I locked the car door. Fingers
trembling, I pressed the alarm button, and heard
the sharp "beep" noise. I tied my hair tighter
with an elastic band, then walked into the white
building.
Stepping into the lobby, I saw a few familiar
faces. They were the people that Amy introduced
me to on the first day I decided to stop by the
check out my new working environment. They
nodded and smiled.
"Good morning, Miss Tsukino." They nodded,
carrying their clipboards in their white lab
coats and hurried to the lab rooms.
"Morning." I smiled politely and walked down the
hall.
"Serena!" I heard a sweet voice calling from
behind.
"Amy" I called and hugged my dear friend. Some
patients turned around to look at us.
"Gosh, look at you! You look so serious and
professional!" Amy laughed at my clothing. I
was wearing a decent blouse and a nice blue
skirt, with navy velvet high heels that killed my
feet. I did not complain. I wanted to look good
on the first day.
"Unfortunately yes..." I mumbled.
"I know you well Serena! Those shoes must be
killing you! Don't worry, you'll have to change
into the uniform soon anyways! And I have an
extra pair of shoes for you." She winked at me
and laughed. Her clipboard fell.
"What's this?" I asked curiously.
"OH! This is just the record of a new
patient...you will be training there most of the
time. His injury is not serious, you see,
therefore we think it would be best to start you
off with an easy task." Amy explained.
"Oh?" I said, more interested than before.
"Hmm...lemme read. Darien Chiba...29 years
old...blah blah blah...boring! So what's my
job?"
Amy laughed. "Well, you will be taking care of
him until he gets out of here, to make the story
short." She winked again. "To be more serious
now...Mr. Chiba has been in a car accident...his
leg injuries are almost healing already...but
there is one thing. He has no family, and no one
seemed to have come to visit him other than a few
of his employees and a childhood friend. The
biggest problem is, Usagi-chan, he has lost his
eye-sight. The chances of him regaining his
eye-sight are very very small...but with strong
will and hope there might just be a miracle. He
has requested to stay in here until he is used to
going on his own and getting used to the fact
that he might never be able to see anything
again. If you haven't heard already, he owns a
big company."
"Oh yeah...I know that...Darien Chiba...wait...he
owns the chocolate factory doesn't he?" I asked.
"Right on, Serena! I knew you would know...being
a choco-lover and all!" Amy smiled.
I giggled at the thought of saving this man's
eyesight and receiving his factory as a reward.
"I assume that you were paying close attention
during the full course that ended last month.
The information that you were given is critical.
I don't mean to sound mean or anything, but you
do have to take this job seriously. You know,
there are a lot of people dying for this job, to
become good nurses. I did not choose you out of
all those possible choices because you are my
friend, but because I KNOW you can do it if you
have your heart into it. And I know you do."
Amy became serious.
"Of course, Amy. I'm determined. I'm not
goofing off. I'm older, and hopefully wiser by
now!" I laughed.
Amy led me into a small room.
"Here," she opened up a closet, "is your uniform.
And these are the shoes that won't kill your
feet. Believe me, you have to wear comfortable
shoes. Ever since Mr. Chiba came into the
hospital, all the nurses have been complaining
that he's too picky. Too demanding. He wants
this and that, and when something is brought to
him, he would change his mind and asks for
something else. But no nurses ever told him off
and they have to act nice to him because he is a
rich man, and they don't want to risk losing
their jobs. So be careful around him, okay? I
can't assure you that I can help you keep your
job if you lose your temper around him." Amy
explained.
I nodded. "Sounds like a jerk..."
"Yeah. But to think about it, it's not entirely
his fault. He's rather lonely in that big white
hospital room. He can't do anything but sit
there and think and listen to the radio. Maybe
he does it to the nurses so he can have more
company. But the nurses never dare to sit down
and talk to him, you know, a real heart-to-heart
talk, because they know his temper and they don't
want to bring up any sensitive subjects." Amy
sighed.
I felt pain and pity in my heart for a second.
"So...do you want to get started or do you want
another tour of the hospital again? Just to make
sure you know where everything is?" Amy asked.
"Oh I want to get started. I want to help this
man get out of here! And I have a good memory!
I know exactly where everything is. If I don't,
I'll get another nurse. I'm sure they will help
me...I hope they will..." I sighed, getting
nervous of meeting some of the people I'll be
seeing for months, even years if need be.
"Serena, don't worry! I told you they will be
thrilled to meet you! Some already asked me
yesterday what you look like and what you like to
do and things like that. We haven't had new
people working here for a while, and they are all
very excited. Oh as for Mr. Chiba, he's in room
245, the biggest one in the hospital...although
he didn't request for the biggest room. You go
out of this room, turn left, go straight until
you see the water fountain, then turn right. In
the corner you will see the sign that has the
room number on it. Good luck! Sorry but I have
to go. I have to do an operation now." Amy
hugged me and smiled, then hurried off with her
own uniform.
I took a deep breath and took a step forward. I
glanced at my watch. 7:12am. I didn't need to
start until 20 minutes later...but I wanted to
meet the man I would be taking care of for
gosh-knows-how long. I followed Amy's direction
and reached the room. It was isolated from the
rest. I felt the pain again...the loneliness of
this young successful man depressed me.
I knocked on the door gently to see if he was
still sleeping.
"Come in." I heard a deep voice called from the
other side of the door.
I opened the door slowly and it squeaked. I was
nervous. Inside, I saw a medium-built man
sitting up in his bed, apparently not doing
anything. His eyes were covered with a big
bandage. His hair was black and wavy. His
fingers were fidgeting. His nose was pointy and
delicate.
"Who are you?" Mr. Chiba demanded for an answer.
"Um...hi Mr. Chiba...my name is Serena Tsukino.
I am new and still in training, and for the rest
of the time that you will be spending here, I
will be your nurse. Please keep in mind that I
am new and that if I do anything wrong, just tell
me. I'll try my best..." I stuttered.
He smiled. I could see dimples on the sides
forming.
"Hi...please do call me Darien. I hate it when
people call me by my last name. Chiba...I hate
it. It sounds stupid." He laughed and ran his
hand through his hair, only to have one of his
fingers stuck in the bandage. He cursed quietly
and pulled it out.
I rushed to his side and looked at the bandage
carefully, seeing if he pulled too hard that it
had slipped out of place. I held his hand by
accident.
"It might be because you are new or something,
but you are not like the other nurses. None of
them ever makes contact with me. They always
seem to stand 5 feet away. They don't talk to me
or anything." He frowned.
"I see nothing wrong with you. So how are you
feeling?" I asked sincerely.
He smiled again. "I'm feeling great. So who
assigned you to take care of me? I've got to
thank him. Or her."
I smiled at the compliment, although he could not
see it. "Dr. Anderson. She's a good friend of
mine. Through her help with her supervisors, I
was chosen for the job."
"Oh I see. I hope I wouldn't be pain in the neck
for your very first time as a nurse." He said.
"Naw, if I mind taking care of someone, I
wouldn't have become a nurse then. I'm not used
to it though. So if you call me by just saying
'Nurse!', I wouldn't answer you because I'm not
used to the title. So please, do call me Serena.
I hate when people call me by a title or just
the last name as much as you do." I chuckled.
"Hehehe. You sound awfully young. That's good
because all the other nurses are in their
mid-forties. I hate that. Nothing in common and
nothing for each other to talk about. At least
there's a younger person here to be with me."
Darien sighed.
I did not know what to say to that. All I felt
was pain.
"So..." sensing the awkward silence between us,
Darien changed the topic. "How's the weather
today? I can feel the sunshine. Can you help me
to the window please..Nur...Serena?" He grinned.
"Of course! Here, give me your hand." I took
his hand. It was warm, and I blushed. I hadn't
held a man's hand ever since I broke up with my
last boyfriend, about 2 years ago. I never met
anyone that I liked ever since. I believed that
all guys are jerks.
I held onto his arm with my other hand and led
him to the window. I pulled the curtains and the
sun shone on his face. I stood there in silence,
watching the figure of a young man trying to see
the world around him, but never could. I knew he
was trying hard. I knew what he was going
through. Underneath that thick bandage, I could
still see tear drops running down his cheeks.
I patted his hand. "Mr...Darien, you will see
again. I assure you you will."
Darien turned to face me. "Thank you." He
whispered.
"Miss Tsukino?" I heard a voice calling from
outside of the room.
"Excuse me," I patted Darien's hand and he
nodded.
"Yes?" I called out.
"I'm so glad to meet you! I'm Dr. Smith, but you
can call me Angel! So how is your first day so
far? I heard your first task is to take care of
Mr. Chiba until he is ready to go. Yikes, I feel
your pain, girlie!" She laughed.
"I see nothing wrong with this man...he
seems...lonely, that's all." I defended Darien
with all my might.
"Well, you're the first to say that...I mean, of
course, all the other nurses know that he is
lonely. But he is a jerk. Watch his temper...I
heard he throws things at nurses if he doesn't
get what he wants!" Angel lowered her voice.
"I'm sure that will be changed...he's in good
hands now." I laughed.
"Anyways, nice to meet you! I have to head back
to the front now. See you later Miss Tsukino!"
She said and left.
I tiptoed back into the room, afraid that Darien
might have hurt Dr. Smith's insulting comments.
In fact, he did.
"I never threw a single thing at anybody." He
said, almost whispering. I could hear the hurt
in his voice.
"Don't worry, I would never doubt you." I said,
reassuring that I will be his nurse, and his
friend.
"Thank you Serena." He said. He faced the sun
again.
"Would you like to just talk for a while? My job
doesn't really start until in about 10 minutes.
I guess we can get to know each other." I said,
trying to lighten up the mood.
He turned to face me and smiled. It was such a
sweet, gentle smile, that I could not believe
those nurses could have believed he was a jerk.
I walked up to him and took his arm. "Come, sit
down, Darien." I said.
---------------------------------
(Darien's view)
I woke up early this morning. I could not fall
back asleep. Nurses usually wouldn't come drop
by too early. So I sat and waited. I found my
way and found the radio power button. The DJ
said it was only 6am. I sighed.
Sitting up in my bed, I thought back on the
things that I took for granted before the
accident. I had so many regrets. If I could go
back and do everything again, I would do
everything right. I would not be selfish. I
would treat my friends the same way I wanted to
be treated. I would share my happiness instead
of hiding it from everyone. I would give hugs,
presents, I would say things to make other people
happy. Most of all, I would look for someone.
Not just anyone. But a special someone. So even
in these situations, I know there would be a girl
out there, patiently waiting for me. Taking care
of me. Make me feel loved. Not like this...not
sitting alone in a bed like this, helpless of the
situation. If I had found the right girl
earlier, I wouldn't mind that I'm blind. I would
enjoy every moment of it had she been here. But
no...I was too pre-occupied with the factory
work. I spent too much time in business. No
time for socializing.
It was the fourth day in the hospital. Everybody
hated me because they all thought I was a rich,
insensitive men. Doctors never understood. They
thought I had enough money, so they kept
stalling. They didn't try to find a cure for my
blindness. As for the nurses, they all thought I
was some sort of a monster. I lost my eye sight,
but not my hearing. They gossipped about me.
"Oh that Chiba guy...who does he think he is?
Asking for this and asking for that. I'm a
nurse, not an angel of mercy! I can't be there
24/7 and fetch whatever he wants! He deserves
being alone! He has no one to visit him but a few
employees! Hmph!" and all of those mocking
laughters I heard right outside the door.
These people were hurtful. Physical pain did not
hurt me. What people said and thought of me hurt
me the most.
I kept the radio on and listened to some songs
that were big hits but I never knew because I was
working too hard in the factory. Swaying to the
music, I finally found a new way to pass my time
in the hospital.
"It's now 7:15am and here's what's going on today
at..." I heard the DJ say before I decided to
turn off the radio.
Knock knock.
I sighed. Must be one of those awful gossiping
nurses again.
"Who's there?" I asked impatiently.
"Um...hi Mr. Chiba...my name is Serena Tsukino.
I am new and still in training, and for the rest
of the time that you will be spending here, I
will be your nurse. Please keep in mind that I
am new and that if I do anything wrong, just tell
me. I'll try my best..." A young girl's voice
stuttered nervously.
The pain inside seemed to have lifted. So...they
finally decided to give me a new and young nurse.
One that I might be able to talk to, and would
probably talk back. But what if she was like the
other ones? What if she stayed 5 feet away and
just gossip about me, how she thought I was a
rich jerk as well?
I said hello and introduced myself. I told her
to call me Darien. I never told the other nurses
before. I never bothered to.
All of a sudden I cared about my appearance. It
was not like I was going to hit on the poor girl
who would have to take care of me for the next
few months or so, but if she was to become my
friend, I wanted to make a good first impression.
I ran my hand through my hair and one of my
fingers got stuck. I sighed and cursed and
pulled it out.
I could hear her rush to my side, took my hand
gently, and came so close to my face to examine
if the bandage on my head had slipped.
Her hand was warm.
I felt like...someone cared.
Someone wanted me to be loved.
Someone wanted me to get better, and get out of
this hospital.
She, Serena the new nurse, told me I would be
able to see again. When the other nurses said
it, I knew they only wanted me to shut up. When
my employees said it, I knew they wanted a
vacation or a raise. When the doctors said it, I
knew they only want me to have a stronger will
and to feel better. All in all, I knew it wasn't
true. I had almost zero chances of seeing again.
But with Serena saying it, her voice was so
sincere. Even if she knew I wouldn't be able to
see again, at least I knew she WANTED me to see
again. That makes all the difference.
"So..." She laughed nervously. "Let's get to
know each other in 10 minutes!"
"Okay, so where do you want me to start?" I said.
"Well, let's talk about you." She paused. "I
know you own a big chocolate
factory...yummmmmm....hehe anyways...back to the
topic. How did you become so successful? I read
that you are only 29. If you don't mind me
asking."
I laughed for the first time in weeks, but then I
was saddened at the memory of my parents being
killed in a car accident.
"Well, my parents were killed in a car
accident...and they left me a large amount of
money. I used to have a really good childhood
friend who loved chocolates, so I started a
company." I explained.
I could feel Serena staring at me.
"Aw! That is so sweet! Must have been a good
childhood friend!" She said.
"Yeah he was. I had two good childhood friends.
One of them is him. His name is Fiore. The
other one was a girl. I didn't know her,
actually, but I remember everything about her.
Y'see, when I was in the hospital, orphaned after
the car accident, I was crying because Fiore also
left. This little girl came into my room and
gave me a single rose. I remember her so
vividly. She had pigtails, blonde curly hair.
When she handed me the rose, I smiled." I smiled
at the memory of the little stranger that I never
saw again for the past 20-odd years.
--------------------------------
(Serena)
"So..." I got really nervous, for some
reason...probably because I was warned not to
talk too much in case I brought up sensitive
subjects. "Let's get to know each other in 10
minutes!"
Darien flashed me a smile. I asked him how he
started the chocolate factory and I learned a bit
about his past. He told me he started the
factory in memory of his childhood friend, who
liked chocolate.
"I had two good childhood friends. One of them
is him. His name is Fiore. The other one was a
girl. I didn't know her, actually, but I
remember everything about her. Y'see, when I was
in the hospital, orphaned after the car accident,
I was crying because Fiore also left. This
little girl came into my room and gave me a
single rose. I remember her so vividly. She had
pigtails, blonde curly hair. When she handed me
the rose, I smiled." He explained.
Pigtails...blonde curly hair. I have those, I
smiled to myself. Then I thought deeper...wait a
minute! I remembered that my mom told me once
that I used to love roses and that I brought
roses to her the day she had Sammy, my younger
brother.
I thought back and remembered. Flashes of
memory. I was visiting my mom, who just had a
little baby boy, and I was carrying a bouquet of
flowers. I walked past a room and saw a boy
crying. I walked up to him and told him my good
news, and gave him a rose. Then my dad came to
get me to visit my mom, and I never saw the boy
again.
"Serena? Are you still here?" Darien called out.
I never knew that I was in thought for so long.
"About the childhood friend...this girl...do you
remember what she said to you, if she had said
anything at all?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, every single word. Fiore and this girl
were the only two people that cared enough about
me, even though it sounds sad that I have only
one close friend and one stranger that I consider
as a friend." He frowned.
"Did she happen to tell you that she was visiting
her mother who just had a baby boy and those
roses were for her?" I asked, crossing my
fingers.
Darien gasped. He froze for what seemed like
hours. He was trembling...with happiness and
with tears of joy streaming down his face.
"How...how...how did you know, Serena?
How...you...you...oh my God...you are her?!?!"
Darien almost screamed with excitement.
"And you were the little boy that told me you had
no family..." I cried, feeling his pain and
loneliness through all these years.
"And you said you would make me your family...and
that was when I knew that there were at least two
people who cared enough..." He cried, and sobbed
violently.
"I can't believe it...reunited after, what, 25
years at least?" I cried with him.
He sat in the bed trembling and with tears
flowing down freely on his cheeks, which were
burning red with excitement and overjoy.
"Can you plee...please take this bandage off my
face? My tears are making the inside really
sticky and my face is itchy now..." He asked,
embarrassed.
"Hold on, I think I should go ask first." I
wiped my tears and called the nearby nurse.
"Miss Tsukino! What's wrong? Did Mr. Chiba do
something to you?" She asked, worried.
"No, no, not at all! I'm just wondering. Mr.
Chiba asked me to remove the bandage off his
face. Is it okay if I do that?" I said.
"Gosh! What did you say or do to him? He
REFUSED to take that thing off his face for the
past four days! He said he would look hideous
with stitches and scars on his forehead! He
would not let anyone touch his face or his head,
or anywhere at all!" She exclaimed. "I think I
should go get the doctor."
I sighed and waited impatiently. I had thought
of the little boy from time to time, wondering
how he was and how he pulled through those tough
times. But ever since our encounter over 25
years ago, we never met again. It was
overwhelming to see him fully grown up, and
reunited in a hospital.
Dr. Johnson rushed over to Darien's room quickly.
"What's going on here?" He asked.
"I would like the bandage removed." Darien said
calmly, with tears still streaming down his eyes.
"Really? This is great! It's a break-through,
Mr. Chiba! With strong will and hope, you will
regain your eyesight in no time!" Dr. Johnson
clapped his hands and smiled.
With deep concentration, Dr. Johnson rushed to
Darien's side and kneeled down. He reached into
his pockets for gloves and he snapped his
fingers. The other nurse rolled in a cart with
sharp clean scissors and an empty tray for the
used bandage.
Darien shivered from Dr. Johnson's touch. I
looked at him with surprise. He didn't seem to
jerk away when I touched his hand. We, before we
even knew we had met before, knew that we had a
special bond, before we even spoke a single word
to one another.
"How did you do it, Miss Tsukino? He never let
anyone talk him into taking the bandage off
before." Dr. Johnson said softly, while focusing
on cutting the bandage off.
"She didn't talk me into it." Darien spoke.
I looked at him.
"Then why, of all days, did you decide to have it
removed?" Dr. Johnson asked with great curiosity.
"Because. She gave me hope." Darien said, with
more tears rolling down his cheeks.
I rushed to his side and patted his hand.
"Don't worry, Darien. You'll do just fine." I
reassured.
The other nurse watched and sobbed at the scene.
"You two seem to have a bond and Miss Tsukino is
not even on official duty yet." She said and
smiled. I glanced at her and returned a smile.
"We've met before." I whispered.
"Yes we have." Darien smiled.
By Minako-chan
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I stomped my feet nervously on the ground beneath
me. I felt the earth trembling, as if it could
sense my fear. My innermost fear --- not being
accepted. Not being liked or loved.
It was my first day at work at the local
hospital. Amy ASSURED that everything would be
fine, and that my training as a nurse would be
smooth and easy and I would get along fine with
everyone because of my "wonderful personality".
I remembered raising an eyebrow and gave her a
doubtful look.
I took one look at my reflection on the window of
my car and I locked the car door. Fingers
trembling, I pressed the alarm button, and heard
the sharp "beep" noise. I tied my hair tighter
with an elastic band, then walked into the white
building.
Stepping into the lobby, I saw a few familiar
faces. They were the people that Amy introduced
me to on the first day I decided to stop by the
check out my new working environment. They
nodded and smiled.
"Good morning, Miss Tsukino." They nodded,
carrying their clipboards in their white lab
coats and hurried to the lab rooms.
"Morning." I smiled politely and walked down the
hall.
"Serena!" I heard a sweet voice calling from
behind.
"Amy" I called and hugged my dear friend. Some
patients turned around to look at us.
"Gosh, look at you! You look so serious and
professional!" Amy laughed at my clothing. I
was wearing a decent blouse and a nice blue
skirt, with navy velvet high heels that killed my
feet. I did not complain. I wanted to look good
on the first day.
"Unfortunately yes..." I mumbled.
"I know you well Serena! Those shoes must be
killing you! Don't worry, you'll have to change
into the uniform soon anyways! And I have an
extra pair of shoes for you." She winked at me
and laughed. Her clipboard fell.
"What's this?" I asked curiously.
"OH! This is just the record of a new
patient...you will be training there most of the
time. His injury is not serious, you see,
therefore we think it would be best to start you
off with an easy task." Amy explained.
"Oh?" I said, more interested than before.
"Hmm...lemme read. Darien Chiba...29 years
old...blah blah blah...boring! So what's my
job?"
Amy laughed. "Well, you will be taking care of
him until he gets out of here, to make the story
short." She winked again. "To be more serious
now...Mr. Chiba has been in a car accident...his
leg injuries are almost healing already...but
there is one thing. He has no family, and no one
seemed to have come to visit him other than a few
of his employees and a childhood friend. The
biggest problem is, Usagi-chan, he has lost his
eye-sight. The chances of him regaining his
eye-sight are very very small...but with strong
will and hope there might just be a miracle. He
has requested to stay in here until he is used to
going on his own and getting used to the fact
that he might never be able to see anything
again. If you haven't heard already, he owns a
big company."
"Oh yeah...I know that...Darien Chiba...wait...he
owns the chocolate factory doesn't he?" I asked.
"Right on, Serena! I knew you would know...being
a choco-lover and all!" Amy smiled.
I giggled at the thought of saving this man's
eyesight and receiving his factory as a reward.
"I assume that you were paying close attention
during the full course that ended last month.
The information that you were given is critical.
I don't mean to sound mean or anything, but you
do have to take this job seriously. You know,
there are a lot of people dying for this job, to
become good nurses. I did not choose you out of
all those possible choices because you are my
friend, but because I KNOW you can do it if you
have your heart into it. And I know you do."
Amy became serious.
"Of course, Amy. I'm determined. I'm not
goofing off. I'm older, and hopefully wiser by
now!" I laughed.
Amy led me into a small room.
"Here," she opened up a closet, "is your uniform.
And these are the shoes that won't kill your
feet. Believe me, you have to wear comfortable
shoes. Ever since Mr. Chiba came into the
hospital, all the nurses have been complaining
that he's too picky. Too demanding. He wants
this and that, and when something is brought to
him, he would change his mind and asks for
something else. But no nurses ever told him off
and they have to act nice to him because he is a
rich man, and they don't want to risk losing
their jobs. So be careful around him, okay? I
can't assure you that I can help you keep your
job if you lose your temper around him." Amy
explained.
I nodded. "Sounds like a jerk..."
"Yeah. But to think about it, it's not entirely
his fault. He's rather lonely in that big white
hospital room. He can't do anything but sit
there and think and listen to the radio. Maybe
he does it to the nurses so he can have more
company. But the nurses never dare to sit down
and talk to him, you know, a real heart-to-heart
talk, because they know his temper and they don't
want to bring up any sensitive subjects." Amy
sighed.
I felt pain and pity in my heart for a second.
"So...do you want to get started or do you want
another tour of the hospital again? Just to make
sure you know where everything is?" Amy asked.
"Oh I want to get started. I want to help this
man get out of here! And I have a good memory!
I know exactly where everything is. If I don't,
I'll get another nurse. I'm sure they will help
me...I hope they will..." I sighed, getting
nervous of meeting some of the people I'll be
seeing for months, even years if need be.
"Serena, don't worry! I told you they will be
thrilled to meet you! Some already asked me
yesterday what you look like and what you like to
do and things like that. We haven't had new
people working here for a while, and they are all
very excited. Oh as for Mr. Chiba, he's in room
245, the biggest one in the hospital...although
he didn't request for the biggest room. You go
out of this room, turn left, go straight until
you see the water fountain, then turn right. In
the corner you will see the sign that has the
room number on it. Good luck! Sorry but I have
to go. I have to do an operation now." Amy
hugged me and smiled, then hurried off with her
own uniform.
I took a deep breath and took a step forward. I
glanced at my watch. 7:12am. I didn't need to
start until 20 minutes later...but I wanted to
meet the man I would be taking care of for
gosh-knows-how long. I followed Amy's direction
and reached the room. It was isolated from the
rest. I felt the pain again...the loneliness of
this young successful man depressed me.
I knocked on the door gently to see if he was
still sleeping.
"Come in." I heard a deep voice called from the
other side of the door.
I opened the door slowly and it squeaked. I was
nervous. Inside, I saw a medium-built man
sitting up in his bed, apparently not doing
anything. His eyes were covered with a big
bandage. His hair was black and wavy. His
fingers were fidgeting. His nose was pointy and
delicate.
"Who are you?" Mr. Chiba demanded for an answer.
"Um...hi Mr. Chiba...my name is Serena Tsukino.
I am new and still in training, and for the rest
of the time that you will be spending here, I
will be your nurse. Please keep in mind that I
am new and that if I do anything wrong, just tell
me. I'll try my best..." I stuttered.
He smiled. I could see dimples on the sides
forming.
"Hi...please do call me Darien. I hate it when
people call me by my last name. Chiba...I hate
it. It sounds stupid." He laughed and ran his
hand through his hair, only to have one of his
fingers stuck in the bandage. He cursed quietly
and pulled it out.
I rushed to his side and looked at the bandage
carefully, seeing if he pulled too hard that it
had slipped out of place. I held his hand by
accident.
"It might be because you are new or something,
but you are not like the other nurses. None of
them ever makes contact with me. They always
seem to stand 5 feet away. They don't talk to me
or anything." He frowned.
"I see nothing wrong with you. So how are you
feeling?" I asked sincerely.
He smiled again. "I'm feeling great. So who
assigned you to take care of me? I've got to
thank him. Or her."
I smiled at the compliment, although he could not
see it. "Dr. Anderson. She's a good friend of
mine. Through her help with her supervisors, I
was chosen for the job."
"Oh I see. I hope I wouldn't be pain in the neck
for your very first time as a nurse." He said.
"Naw, if I mind taking care of someone, I
wouldn't have become a nurse then. I'm not used
to it though. So if you call me by just saying
'Nurse!', I wouldn't answer you because I'm not
used to the title. So please, do call me Serena.
I hate when people call me by a title or just
the last name as much as you do." I chuckled.
"Hehehe. You sound awfully young. That's good
because all the other nurses are in their
mid-forties. I hate that. Nothing in common and
nothing for each other to talk about. At least
there's a younger person here to be with me."
Darien sighed.
I did not know what to say to that. All I felt
was pain.
"So..." sensing the awkward silence between us,
Darien changed the topic. "How's the weather
today? I can feel the sunshine. Can you help me
to the window please..Nur...Serena?" He grinned.
"Of course! Here, give me your hand." I took
his hand. It was warm, and I blushed. I hadn't
held a man's hand ever since I broke up with my
last boyfriend, about 2 years ago. I never met
anyone that I liked ever since. I believed that
all guys are jerks.
I held onto his arm with my other hand and led
him to the window. I pulled the curtains and the
sun shone on his face. I stood there in silence,
watching the figure of a young man trying to see
the world around him, but never could. I knew he
was trying hard. I knew what he was going
through. Underneath that thick bandage, I could
still see tear drops running down his cheeks.
I patted his hand. "Mr...Darien, you will see
again. I assure you you will."
Darien turned to face me. "Thank you." He
whispered.
"Miss Tsukino?" I heard a voice calling from
outside of the room.
"Excuse me," I patted Darien's hand and he
nodded.
"Yes?" I called out.
"I'm so glad to meet you! I'm Dr. Smith, but you
can call me Angel! So how is your first day so
far? I heard your first task is to take care of
Mr. Chiba until he is ready to go. Yikes, I feel
your pain, girlie!" She laughed.
"I see nothing wrong with this man...he
seems...lonely, that's all." I defended Darien
with all my might.
"Well, you're the first to say that...I mean, of
course, all the other nurses know that he is
lonely. But he is a jerk. Watch his temper...I
heard he throws things at nurses if he doesn't
get what he wants!" Angel lowered her voice.
"I'm sure that will be changed...he's in good
hands now." I laughed.
"Anyways, nice to meet you! I have to head back
to the front now. See you later Miss Tsukino!"
She said and left.
I tiptoed back into the room, afraid that Darien
might have hurt Dr. Smith's insulting comments.
In fact, he did.
"I never threw a single thing at anybody." He
said, almost whispering. I could hear the hurt
in his voice.
"Don't worry, I would never doubt you." I said,
reassuring that I will be his nurse, and his
friend.
"Thank you Serena." He said. He faced the sun
again.
"Would you like to just talk for a while? My job
doesn't really start until in about 10 minutes.
I guess we can get to know each other." I said,
trying to lighten up the mood.
He turned to face me and smiled. It was such a
sweet, gentle smile, that I could not believe
those nurses could have believed he was a jerk.
I walked up to him and took his arm. "Come, sit
down, Darien." I said.
---------------------------------
(Darien's view)
I woke up early this morning. I could not fall
back asleep. Nurses usually wouldn't come drop
by too early. So I sat and waited. I found my
way and found the radio power button. The DJ
said it was only 6am. I sighed.
Sitting up in my bed, I thought back on the
things that I took for granted before the
accident. I had so many regrets. If I could go
back and do everything again, I would do
everything right. I would not be selfish. I
would treat my friends the same way I wanted to
be treated. I would share my happiness instead
of hiding it from everyone. I would give hugs,
presents, I would say things to make other people
happy. Most of all, I would look for someone.
Not just anyone. But a special someone. So even
in these situations, I know there would be a girl
out there, patiently waiting for me. Taking care
of me. Make me feel loved. Not like this...not
sitting alone in a bed like this, helpless of the
situation. If I had found the right girl
earlier, I wouldn't mind that I'm blind. I would
enjoy every moment of it had she been here. But
no...I was too pre-occupied with the factory
work. I spent too much time in business. No
time for socializing.
It was the fourth day in the hospital. Everybody
hated me because they all thought I was a rich,
insensitive men. Doctors never understood. They
thought I had enough money, so they kept
stalling. They didn't try to find a cure for my
blindness. As for the nurses, they all thought I
was some sort of a monster. I lost my eye sight,
but not my hearing. They gossipped about me.
"Oh that Chiba guy...who does he think he is?
Asking for this and asking for that. I'm a
nurse, not an angel of mercy! I can't be there
24/7 and fetch whatever he wants! He deserves
being alone! He has no one to visit him but a few
employees! Hmph!" and all of those mocking
laughters I heard right outside the door.
These people were hurtful. Physical pain did not
hurt me. What people said and thought of me hurt
me the most.
I kept the radio on and listened to some songs
that were big hits but I never knew because I was
working too hard in the factory. Swaying to the
music, I finally found a new way to pass my time
in the hospital.
"It's now 7:15am and here's what's going on today
at..." I heard the DJ say before I decided to
turn off the radio.
Knock knock.
I sighed. Must be one of those awful gossiping
nurses again.
"Who's there?" I asked impatiently.
"Um...hi Mr. Chiba...my name is Serena Tsukino.
I am new and still in training, and for the rest
of the time that you will be spending here, I
will be your nurse. Please keep in mind that I
am new and that if I do anything wrong, just tell
me. I'll try my best..." A young girl's voice
stuttered nervously.
The pain inside seemed to have lifted. So...they
finally decided to give me a new and young nurse.
One that I might be able to talk to, and would
probably talk back. But what if she was like the
other ones? What if she stayed 5 feet away and
just gossip about me, how she thought I was a
rich jerk as well?
I said hello and introduced myself. I told her
to call me Darien. I never told the other nurses
before. I never bothered to.
All of a sudden I cared about my appearance. It
was not like I was going to hit on the poor girl
who would have to take care of me for the next
few months or so, but if she was to become my
friend, I wanted to make a good first impression.
I ran my hand through my hair and one of my
fingers got stuck. I sighed and cursed and
pulled it out.
I could hear her rush to my side, took my hand
gently, and came so close to my face to examine
if the bandage on my head had slipped.
Her hand was warm.
I felt like...someone cared.
Someone wanted me to be loved.
Someone wanted me to get better, and get out of
this hospital.
She, Serena the new nurse, told me I would be
able to see again. When the other nurses said
it, I knew they only wanted me to shut up. When
my employees said it, I knew they wanted a
vacation or a raise. When the doctors said it, I
knew they only want me to have a stronger will
and to feel better. All in all, I knew it wasn't
true. I had almost zero chances of seeing again.
But with Serena saying it, her voice was so
sincere. Even if she knew I wouldn't be able to
see again, at least I knew she WANTED me to see
again. That makes all the difference.
"So..." She laughed nervously. "Let's get to
know each other in 10 minutes!"
"Okay, so where do you want me to start?" I said.
"Well, let's talk about you." She paused. "I
know you own a big chocolate
factory...yummmmmm....hehe anyways...back to the
topic. How did you become so successful? I read
that you are only 29. If you don't mind me
asking."
I laughed for the first time in weeks, but then I
was saddened at the memory of my parents being
killed in a car accident.
"Well, my parents were killed in a car
accident...and they left me a large amount of
money. I used to have a really good childhood
friend who loved chocolates, so I started a
company." I explained.
I could feel Serena staring at me.
"Aw! That is so sweet! Must have been a good
childhood friend!" She said.
"Yeah he was. I had two good childhood friends.
One of them is him. His name is Fiore. The
other one was a girl. I didn't know her,
actually, but I remember everything about her.
Y'see, when I was in the hospital, orphaned after
the car accident, I was crying because Fiore also
left. This little girl came into my room and
gave me a single rose. I remember her so
vividly. She had pigtails, blonde curly hair.
When she handed me the rose, I smiled." I smiled
at the memory of the little stranger that I never
saw again for the past 20-odd years.
--------------------------------
(Serena)
"So..." I got really nervous, for some
reason...probably because I was warned not to
talk too much in case I brought up sensitive
subjects. "Let's get to know each other in 10
minutes!"
Darien flashed me a smile. I asked him how he
started the chocolate factory and I learned a bit
about his past. He told me he started the
factory in memory of his childhood friend, who
liked chocolate.
"I had two good childhood friends. One of them
is him. His name is Fiore. The other one was a
girl. I didn't know her, actually, but I
remember everything about her. Y'see, when I was
in the hospital, orphaned after the car accident,
I was crying because Fiore also left. This
little girl came into my room and gave me a
single rose. I remember her so vividly. She had
pigtails, blonde curly hair. When she handed me
the rose, I smiled." He explained.
Pigtails...blonde curly hair. I have those, I
smiled to myself. Then I thought deeper...wait a
minute! I remembered that my mom told me once
that I used to love roses and that I brought
roses to her the day she had Sammy, my younger
brother.
I thought back and remembered. Flashes of
memory. I was visiting my mom, who just had a
little baby boy, and I was carrying a bouquet of
flowers. I walked past a room and saw a boy
crying. I walked up to him and told him my good
news, and gave him a rose. Then my dad came to
get me to visit my mom, and I never saw the boy
again.
"Serena? Are you still here?" Darien called out.
I never knew that I was in thought for so long.
"About the childhood friend...this girl...do you
remember what she said to you, if she had said
anything at all?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, every single word. Fiore and this girl
were the only two people that cared enough about
me, even though it sounds sad that I have only
one close friend and one stranger that I consider
as a friend." He frowned.
"Did she happen to tell you that she was visiting
her mother who just had a baby boy and those
roses were for her?" I asked, crossing my
fingers.
Darien gasped. He froze for what seemed like
hours. He was trembling...with happiness and
with tears of joy streaming down his face.
"How...how...how did you know, Serena?
How...you...you...oh my God...you are her?!?!"
Darien almost screamed with excitement.
"And you were the little boy that told me you had
no family..." I cried, feeling his pain and
loneliness through all these years.
"And you said you would make me your family...and
that was when I knew that there were at least two
people who cared enough..." He cried, and sobbed
violently.
"I can't believe it...reunited after, what, 25
years at least?" I cried with him.
He sat in the bed trembling and with tears
flowing down freely on his cheeks, which were
burning red with excitement and overjoy.
"Can you plee...please take this bandage off my
face? My tears are making the inside really
sticky and my face is itchy now..." He asked,
embarrassed.
"Hold on, I think I should go ask first." I
wiped my tears and called the nearby nurse.
"Miss Tsukino! What's wrong? Did Mr. Chiba do
something to you?" She asked, worried.
"No, no, not at all! I'm just wondering. Mr.
Chiba asked me to remove the bandage off his
face. Is it okay if I do that?" I said.
"Gosh! What did you say or do to him? He
REFUSED to take that thing off his face for the
past four days! He said he would look hideous
with stitches and scars on his forehead! He
would not let anyone touch his face or his head,
or anywhere at all!" She exclaimed. "I think I
should go get the doctor."
I sighed and waited impatiently. I had thought
of the little boy from time to time, wondering
how he was and how he pulled through those tough
times. But ever since our encounter over 25
years ago, we never met again. It was
overwhelming to see him fully grown up, and
reunited in a hospital.
Dr. Johnson rushed over to Darien's room quickly.
"What's going on here?" He asked.
"I would like the bandage removed." Darien said
calmly, with tears still streaming down his eyes.
"Really? This is great! It's a break-through,
Mr. Chiba! With strong will and hope, you will
regain your eyesight in no time!" Dr. Johnson
clapped his hands and smiled.
With deep concentration, Dr. Johnson rushed to
Darien's side and kneeled down. He reached into
his pockets for gloves and he snapped his
fingers. The other nurse rolled in a cart with
sharp clean scissors and an empty tray for the
used bandage.
Darien shivered from Dr. Johnson's touch. I
looked at him with surprise. He didn't seem to
jerk away when I touched his hand. We, before we
even knew we had met before, knew that we had a
special bond, before we even spoke a single word
to one another.
"How did you do it, Miss Tsukino? He never let
anyone talk him into taking the bandage off
before." Dr. Johnson said softly, while focusing
on cutting the bandage off.
"She didn't talk me into it." Darien spoke.
I looked at him.
"Then why, of all days, did you decide to have it
removed?" Dr. Johnson asked with great curiosity.
"Because. She gave me hope." Darien said, with
more tears rolling down his cheeks.
I rushed to his side and patted his hand.
"Don't worry, Darien. You'll do just fine." I
reassured.
The other nurse watched and sobbed at the scene.
"You two seem to have a bond and Miss Tsukino is
not even on official duty yet." She said and
smiled. I glanced at her and returned a smile.
"We've met before." I whispered.
"Yes we have." Darien smiled.
