Forewords: Happy Birthday Kaicho-sama! Have fun!
Disclaimers: Not mine. How many times must I say that all original works do not belong to me? I own my ideas.
Title: Blessings and curses
Type: oneshot
Pairing: ShizNat
Two sets of heavy footsteps pounded down the long wooden hallway. The closed wooden door was violently sided open with a 'bang' by an orange hair girl. Right after her heels was her roommate with jet black spiky hair. The occupant of the room looked up from her tea cup and welcomed the visitors.
"Mai-san, Mikoto-chan! It's so rare of you to drop by."
Out of breath, Mai thought of the right words to use and decided to deliver the news with less impact.
"Shizuru-san, I have bad news for you."
The student council president processed the words for a millisecond and felt her body temperature drop by twenty degrees. She has not done anything that will cause bad consequences lately so who could it be?
"Is it Natsuki?"
Mikoto gave her a cute affirmative nod. Many horrible thoughts ran through her head. Blood red eyes grew wide with fear but she quickly wiped the look off her beautiful face. Don't sink into negative thoughts just yet. She thought. Don't let your mind run wild. Listen to them.
Mai gave a recount of what happened just four hours ago. At ten in the morning, Mai felt her cell phone buzz in her pocket. She was tempted to answer it but her grumpy old math teacher stared daggers at her. All her friends are studying in the same school and they are all having lessons. Who would call during school hours? Well Takumi's doctors will call if anything happened so that thought made her heart skip a beat. After a restless thirty minutes, Mai went out to the corridor and checked her missed call. Students strolled out of their classes for a half hour break.
The call turned out to be from Natsuki.
"Hey Natsuki!"
"Mai! Why didn't you take my call?"
"You ought to know that I'm a proper student taking her classes in school. I bet you are out on one of your misadventures again huh?"
Heavy breathing came from the other side of the phone. The ragged breathing seems to indicate that Natsuki is running but her background is all quiet.
"You got the misadventure part right this time. Mai, there's a couple of those monsters heading towards the school just now and by the looks of the speed. They should be there anytime."
"Why didn't you call Midori-chan? She could have rounded us up!"
The breathing seemed to have slowed down but her voice still hid something.
"This is a Monday! You know she'll be out with a hangover. Anyway, let's cut the story short. I need your help. Go trash those monsters and give me a call. They trashed my bike and I'm stuck somewhere."
"Where are you? Are you alright?"
Mai suddenly realized that Natsuki is in trouble after such a long conversation.
"Call me when you are done."
With that, the phone went dead with dial tone. Mai made a mad dash towards the other Hime sentai member's classrooms. In the meantime she tried calling Midori, hoping that the self-proclaimed seventeen year old teacher will answer her call.
Shizuru stood up and dropped her cup with a loud 'thud'. The contents spilled onto her ever neat and tidy uniform. Mai quickly continued.
Midori is considered dead to the world at the moment. After rounding up Mikoto, Yukino, Akane, Akira and Nao, they Spread out and surrounded the school grounds with Yukino acting as their communications center. It turned out that the monsters were lurking near in the forest and they were literally turned to crisp by the Himes. Mai got through the line and was surprised by the weak answer coming from the other side. This starts to worry her.
"Natsuki! Are you alright? Where are you? How badly are you hurt?"
"I just past the 5Km to Fuuka Academy sign when I crashed. My bike is somewhere on the road but I'm somewhere in the forest beside the highway."
"Natsuki! Tell me your condition!"
"Nothing….Fatal… "
Mikoto gripped her long black sword and look like she'll burst into tears any moment Mai ruffled her hair, this action seem to have a soothing effect on the young girl.
"Shizuru-san, since Midori is not around. This makes you the oldest one around here. What should we do next?"
The fair Kyoto maiden pulled herself away from those ugly thoughts and put on an air of seriousness.
"We don't know how badly she is hurt or her exact location… Mai-san, take Kagutsuchi and try to spot her bike from the air. Get Yukino-san to cover you and the rest to search from ground. I'll get an ambulance in into that area immediately."
Without another word, both pulled out their cell phones. Mai dragged Mikoto to the roof while the president looked out of the window, waiting for the person to pick up.
"Good Morning. This is Fujino Shizuru. I need an ambulance to be stationed on the highway about 5 km from Fuuka Academy. Hai. Thank you very much."
Bright light pierced my eyes. There's something unnatural about it. I thought it should be warm. When I finally focused on what's before me, I made out a clear view of bright luminous lights and snow white ceilings. Coarse blanket and sheets rubbed uncomfortably against my skin. There's no warm sun to keep me awake nor cool breeze to keep me refreshed. This isn't the place where I was stuck for the past few hours.
My limbs felt weak, I could hardly move them. Shifting my head a little, I took in a new picture. Someone was talking behind those white medical curtains. The warm blankets and soft bed is making me feel sleepy again. Maybe I should pamper myself to this luxury and sleep till I'm contented. Just as I was about to close my eyes again, the curtains were parted. Warm red eyes greeted me silently as she turned around. She froze. Staring at me in disbelieve that I'm awake. Her eyes turned watery with a bit of mixed joy and worry. I braced myself as she pounced on me but I can't move my hands.
"Mou! Natsuki! Don't make me worry like this!"
She sobbed as she placed her hands around my neck and gave me a light hug. I was speechless, after all what could I say? Blame it on the Orphans? Or should I blame it on my delinquency of skipping classes? Neither. I knew I had just made Shizuru's day a terrible one. This should not have happened.
"Sorry…"
She looked a little surprise that I didn't scream at her for pouncing on me. Shizuru placed her cheek against my forehead. It was then that I realized that I have bandages on my head.
"How are you feeling?"
"Soft and tired?... as if someone trashed the daylights out of me. Surprisingly I feel no pain."
"You are on painkillers dear."
She drew herself away form me and points to the drip stand beside my bed. Sure enough, there's an odd looking bottle attached to the IV drip thing.
"How did you find me?"
"The girls called out to you for sometime but there was no reply so one of them decided to ring your phone. The ring tone gave your location away."
I nodded meekly.
"When they found you, you were already unconscious. The ambulance took you here."
Having heard that, I'm glad that Shizuru didn't see the pathetic me back in the forest. Dirt, scrapes and bruises aside. She'll freak out if she saw me biting myself to stay awake. Oh gosh, if I wasn't wearing my helmet, I would be pulp by now considering how violently I was thrown of my bike. Speaking of my bike…
"Shizuru, where's my bike?"
She smiled weakly and replied in that classic Kyoto accent.
"Don't ever think about riding that thing ever again. You put me through such shock."
Shizuru was never one who would get angry easily but even with that smile, I know I had really given her a heart attack.
"Doctors said that you broke your right arm, sprained your left wrist and right ankle. You won't be moving around for another month. And of course you'll not be touching your bike for the next 3 months."
Three Months! Oh gosh, what have I gotten myself into now? Oh God! Why did you have to punish me for what I was about to do? I tried to take a look at my injuries but I gave up. I can hardly move a finger. That's funny; a crash shouldn't leave you with powerless and weak. As if she read my mind, she gently pushed me back into my pillow and said.
"I asked the doctors to dope you so you won't move around so much. Knowing you, you might run away from here."
Oh please! Tell me it's not true.
"That's illegal! Doctors can't just drug their patients without consent!"
She brushed a blue wisp of fringe off my face and whispered into my ear. Without saying, I know I blushed. Gosh. How I hate myself.
"Let me share a little fact. My family owns half of this place so they will abide to my request. But don't worry; I won't put my dear Natsuki in danger."
Oh gosh, this woman is crazy. Now I'm at her mercy.
"Shizuru! I want to be discharged right now!"
"No way. You hit your head too and I insist that you stay."
With that light Kyoto accent, she turned me down flatly. She gave me a little peck on my forehead and moved away from the bed.
"Go rest for a while. I'll get you some food."
"No thanks."
I turned my head away from her.
"Who knows what you might put in it."
There was giggling followed by brushing of curtains and sliding of wooden door. The window on my right was opened slightly, allowing a light breeze to flow in. That must put me to sleep because I can't remember anything else.
When I stirred from my sleep the second time, I feel a little energy back in me but my head is still fuzzy.
"You've finally woke up from your sleep, Sleeping beauty."
Without looking I know just where this source of teasing came from.
"Come on, sit up. Dinner is about to be served."
She pressed some buttons on the wall panel and helped me readjust to my sitting position. This is interesting; I've never tried having meals in bed. However, this is one luxury I can do without because I saw a familiar glint in her eyes. Something dark lurks beneath that smile. Now that I'm finally upright, I got a pretty good view of my injured foot. It was resting on extra blankets. My right arm was wrapped up in a thick cast; useless for now. How about my other hand? I can move it! Thank God I can still feed myself!
"The nurse said you should have something light."
Shizuru pulled the table closer to me and placed a bowl of hot soup before me. Plain hospital food didn't look inviting to me but being hungry ever since this morning, I'll take anything without complains. I lifted my hand shakily and reached for the spoon while she turned her back towards me and busied herself with something. A sharp searing pain shot through my arm. Wait, I must have used the wrong angle of my wrist. I tried again and it still hurts like blazers. Maybe I should use less force. On the third try, I did manage to move it. It fell off the table and onto my blanket. Stinging pain continued to send shocks down my nerves. Curses…
The Kyotoite turned around with a glass of water and a straw. She gave me a questioning look when she saw that painful look on my face. Relax! I told myself, the pain will go away somehow. Instead of going against the flow, why don't I let the pain flow through me? Sooner or later I'll get use to it.
"Natsuki? Are you feeling alright? Should I get the doctor?"
I must have look awful for her to say this. I shook my head slightly and forced a smile.
"It's okay."
Seeing the spoon that was on my blanket, she understood immediately what I did.
"Ara Natsuki, Don't force yourself. It hurts me to see you in pain."
I know. It hurts like hell to me too…
She picked up the fallen spoon and sat on the edge of my bed. Wait a moment, what's she doing? I voiced out my thought.
"I'm going to feed you of course."
"FEED ME!"
I exploded. Damn, this is embarrassing! A seventeen year old is being fed like she's three! Oh good Lord! Please don't mess with my life. What have I done to deserve such fate? A saying floated into my head. No one dies a virgin, life screws us all. Damn, this is so true.
"Now now… don't argue with me. Natsuki say Ahhhhh!"
I clamp my mouth shut. No way am I going to suffer this kind of humiliation. Not in a trillion years!
"Don't be shy! Ahhhh!
I must have turned beet red for her to say that; red like a tomato. The blanket is brown and the sheets are white, they reminded me of curry rice. And with a red tomato on curry rice, damn I'm hungry… Oh hell! What am I thinking? Did I just burn my brain? Must be the effects of the drugs she used on me.
"Drop that Ahhh thing. I don't like being at your mercy."
"But Natsuki will look so cute being fed!"
"That's it! I'm not…. going to eat. "
I hate it when my stomach disagrees with my head. She blew at the spoonful of soup. That smells very tempting.
"That's not going to happen. I know you are hungry. Open up!"
Damn. How did she see through this?
Reluctantly I opened my mouth and took a sip at the spoon. Not delicious…but edible. I didn't expect it to be chicken and cabbage stew. They could seriously use a bit of salt.
"Good girl!"
"I'm not your dog so refrain from commenting like this. You can always stick the straw in the bowl. I'll help myself."
"No way, that would deprive me off my fun! Open up again!"
I would really like to counter her with something crude but my empty stomach is not helping my brain function well. I took another mouthful of soup and slowly let it flow down my throat. I can't help feeling uneasy and embarrassed when she held out the spoon in front of me. Maybe closing my eyes will help; after all I'm still tired.
"You must be really tired."
I didn't answer her because the metal spoon touched my lips lightly, prompting me to open up. She tipped the spoon upwards and let the liquid flow into my mouth. Being cared for feels nice but I can't help feeling so helpless and useless. I wonder how many more times must I endure this humiliating thing. As I was deep in thought, I didn't notice that the feeding was paused. The train of thoughts was derailed when something soft and light pressed against my lips. My eyes opened wide but the thing was too close to me. My vision was a blur. Something warm and diluted flowed into my mouth forcing me to swallow it before I can resist. Oh my gosh… What now?
That thing moved away and my sight refocused. That woman!
"SHIZURU!"
"Hai! Do you want some more?"
To hell with the pain! I lifted my left hand and rubbed my mouth feverishly on the sleeve. Damn that woman! She caught me off guard! She giggled and gave me her trademark smile. Oh dear Lord! How could she still smile like that?
"What did you just do?"
"I was thinking of creative ways to feed you because you were not paying attention to me."
I felt my cheeks burn and cold sweat running down my back. What have I gotten myself into this time? Oh Lord! I still have things to do! Please let me live! And speaking of things, what was I suppose to do? I was supposed to buy something for… Oh yeah… Today…
I was rudely pulled out of my thoughts again when she came close to my face. Despite the throbbing pain, I quickly covered my mouth with that moveable hand. She opened her crimson red eyes and gave me a questioning look and swallowed before speaking.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"I prefer to be spoon fed!"
"That won't be fun!"
Fun! Didn't she mention about fun just now? Gosh! She was planning this all along!
"You were planning this from the start!"
She gave me an evil smile and said.
"You better eat because you won't be getting any food from the nurse. I instructed them that I'll do all the feeding."
More smiles. Am I facing the devil itself? Oh Lord! Take me to haven now! I shook my head violently to clear my thoughts. The wall calendar caught my eye. Oh right! Today is…. Maybe that will lessen the feeling of being victimized.
"Shizuru…"
A worried look replaced her smile.
"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"
"… no… Let's just say what happened just now was your present. …Happy Birthday, Shizuru."
That must have come to her as a shock because those beautiful red eyes welled up with tears. That helpless feeling came flooding back. I can't handle crying people.
"Ne… Shizuru, don't cry!"
"Sorry. Give me a minute."
She turned around and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. The sobs slowly faded into smoother breathing. All the while, I stared at her back helplessly.
"I thought you won't remember…"
"Well I do… Can you continue feeding me properly now? I'm still hungry. "
The student council president turned around. The rim of her eyes is a little red. This is a rare sight indeed.
"That didn't count…"
"What?"
"I was the one taking the initiative so that didn't count!"
Oh Lord. I can never win this woman. I can never understand what goes on in her head.
"Don't push your luck!"
"You better give me a proper present dear or else you won't get any more food."
I should have been left in that forest to die. Well I don't think fractures will kill but I will rather walk home with a limp and a broken arm. It will be way better than being toyed with…
"WAHHHHHHHH!"
An antagonizing scream pierced through the silent corridors of ward 65. A hand froze halfway to the door handle. Tate Yuichi, Tokiha Mai and Minagi Mikoto stood rooted to the spot. The little girl cowered behind her guardian with a cute tearful look.
"Mai…I'm scared"
The said person gave her head a ruffling. Yuichi spoke his thoughts aloud.
"Didn't the nurse say that Kuga is with the council president?"
Mai shook her head and gave a dumbfounded answer.
"I don't….want to know…what's going on in there… That scream reminds me of predator feeding on its prey."
Having heard that, Yuichi took a step back and leaned heavily against the opposite wall. Mai looked at the two and said.
"Let's get out of here. We can come back another time."
Yuichi placed his hand against his heart and said.
"Bless you Kuga. Come out of there alive."
END
--------------------------------This is a line; you've got a problem with it? ------------------------------
A word from the author.
This is the fastest piece of fic I've ever written and the first Hime fic as well. I took tat saying from a friend. All rights reserved. Hope it's readable because my English usage have fallen to three percent recently. I'll use this as practice before I try writing my report. Bless you all and have a merry Christmas!
I know it's Kaicho-sama's birthday this month so it's a present to all Kaicho-sama's fans. Hail our Kaicho-sama!