Xiaoyu felt the weight of her head growing heavier as she tried raising it. She slowly opened her eyes but the light was blinding her. She tried raising her hand to aid her eyes adjust to the glare, but it was as limp as her whole body. She tried muffling any sound but her vocal cords were aching. Her sense of hearing was the only thing working properly as she heard a familiar voice screaming to somebody that Xiaoyu was finally awake.
"Alisa!" Miharu screamed. "Call the doctor. Xiao's awake." She heard footsteps rushing far then near until she felt the a group of people. Her vision seems to be slowly working because she was able to open her eyes without being blinded but the images she saw were blurred. She can make up Alisa and Miharu's faces with the doctor on their right checking her stats.
"Xiao," Miharu said, her hands were waving in front of her face. "Can you hear us?" Xiaoyu tried responding by doing the least painful way - saying "uhmm." Her vision turned normal when she saw both Miharu and Alisa's worried faces.
"What happened?" she managed to say, her voice rasp.
"I don't know," Miharu replied. "Alisa called me after bringing you here."
"Someone tipped me a couple of days ago and I found you lying on the street unconscious," Alisa explained. "We were worried because your apartment was ransacked and no one knew where you were. We thought you were kidnapped but there was no ransom note or anything that may lead to you." Xiaoyu felt chills down her spine, her mind was now in full operation as she tried remembering everything.
The doctor disturbed her thought processes as he was finally finished checking her stats as he said, "Her vital signs are stable but I have to ask her a few questions just to check if she's alright now." The doctor then faced Xiaoyu and asked a couple of questions. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel weak, doc," she replied. "If I try to move anything, it feels very painful."
"Of course," the doctor answered. "Based from the state you were brought here, I honestly thought you will never survive. Aside from having bruises, you had a few broken bones. Although seeing from your x-ray results that you have a fighter's body, it was still a miracle." Xiaoyu instantly froze after hearing the doctor's words. She was nearly dead.
"Do you remember what happened to you?," the doctor then asked.
She tried remembering but she couldn't. "The last thing I can remember was meeting up with you guys," Xiaoyu said, her sight pointing at Alisa and Miharu.
"Xiaoyu," Alisa said. "That was almost two weeks ago."
"And you've informed us that you're not coming because you had an emergency," Miharu added. Xiaoyu tried to recall what emergency Miharu was referring but all she could remember were indistinguishable images.
"It seems as though you have temporary amnesia," the doctor intervened. "Although seeing your brain scans, slight concussions were found in your head but we can never say that the concussions were the cause. They were found far away from the memory parts of the brain. The cause may be of the physical condition you were in or an emotional trauma that triggered this temporary amnesia. We cannot say."
"When will my memory return, doc," Xiaoyu asked, her confusion was obvious.
"Only time can tell, Ms. Ling," the doctor answered. "Cases like these are still not very well understood, but I can say that it will be temporary because there was no detected brain damage. What I can only advise you is that like your body, let your mind heal."
Xiaoyu was still unable to remember anything important with regards to her mysterious disappearance six weeks ago. She just finished taking a needed shower after waking up in a bright summer day. The marks left by her bruises were finally disappearing as she looked at her five-foot high mirror. She was joyful that she finally woke up early for something* but that was because she was so excited - their trip/vacation to her hometown. Alisa thought it best that Xiaoyu visit her parents and grandpa back in China to help in her healing process; although Xiaoyu thinks that Alisa just wants to explore a different culture. Speaking of Alisa, Xiaoyu was still baffled by Alisa's freedom from the Zaibatsu while she was in the hospital. This made Xiaoyu think that Jin somehow knew what happened to her. Although every time she remembers Jin, she feels a sudden rollercoaster of emotion; Xiaoyu feels this foreign heat coming from inside her that she can never perfectly categorize into; and she could feel her heart squeeze like that of rejection. She knew the latter better because Jin kept doing that to her and just recently.
Alisa's freedom meant that she no longer has connections to the Zaibatsu but at the same time, Jin strengthened his security. She needs to talk to Jin because she could feel he could enlighten her in a single minute but it was impossible. He was practically inaccessible. Xiaoyu tried to contact Jin but an army of Zaibatsu soldiers seems to be between them. It was possible for her to meet Jin before and that was through Alisa. She was growing impatient as the days pass by without her remembering a thing. She thought to herself that she really needed time to relax and be with family because she felt she was in despair because she has another problem aside from losing her memory.
From a third person's point-of-view, Xiaoyu was still transfixed on the mirror as she was clearly and literally reflecting upon herself when a sudden soft knock ousted her from her deep thinking. Her room door opened with Miharu's head popping out a bit, her mouth smiling softly as she spoke her name with endearment.
"Xiao," she said. "Alisa's downstairs and she clearly is ready for your trip."
"Sorry, Miharu," Xiaoyu answered while opening her closet to pick up the dress she would be wearing. "Tell Alisa I'll be right down. I need to pack up a few things more and then I'm ready to go." Xiaoyu hurriedly slipped on her dress as she heard the door close. She gathered her toiletries from her bathroom and placed them inside a smaller bag then place them inside her suitcase. She zipped her suitcase and headed downstairs to meet and greet Alisa.
"Good morning, Alisa," Xiaoyu greeted. Alisa was sitting on the couch next to her large and bulky suitcase. Miharu clearly was making a point Xiaoyu thought to herself as she was hurrying while carrying her heavy suitcase down the stairs.
"Good morning, Xiao," Alisa greeted with excitement. "Please eat your breakfast before we head to the airport so that you would not feel nauseated again. Once we are in the plane, we do not want you to feel sick or light-headed, Xiao."
"When have you've been a flight stewardess?" Miharu asked grinning slightly while munching her morning meal of bacon and bread.
"I wish for Xiao to feel her best while travelling so she does not feel sick like she has complained for the past few days," Alisa said.
"Xiao is recovering from her injuries and her amnesia," Miharu said. "The doctor said that nausea and light-headedness are some of the symptoms of her injury and that is why I'm questioning this trip of yours." She was still chewing her food when she added, "It's not like she's pregnant or anything." Then both girls turned their gazes towards Xiaoyu.
"You guys talk as if I'm not here," Xiaoyu answered. "And for the record, I got my period last week so pregnancy is off the topic." She then headed towards the kitchen to grab herself a piece of bread. "Maybe Miharu's like this because she's stuck here bonding with her dad," Xiaoyu stated with a teasing tone.
"It's not my fault my dad needs help in his work," Miharu retorted as she was visibly irritated at the fact that her father clearly stated Miharu help him.
"Don't worry, Miharu," Xiaoyu said as she hugged her to comfort her. "I'll buy you something nice and I swear I will not take many pictures so you wouldn't feel envy." Miharu turned sourer at Xiaoyu's tease. Xiaoyu then faced Alisa and asked, "Is our cab ready?"
"Yes, it is," said Alisa. "We'd better go because we are making the driver wait." Xiaoyu grabbed another piece of bread and then grabbed her stuff. Miharu followed after and started waving as the cab started to move away from their house.
The only source of light in a dark room was from the monitor lightening a settled desk and Jin, sitting over a wooden chair, as he was silently scanning Zaibatsu official reports. The sound of the sliding door and the soft thud of a familiar footstep gave Jin the idea who was there.
Nina threw documents on Jin's table and said, "Here are the reports you've asked. Also, it appears that your pilot is ready."
"Tell them to start the engine," Jin ordered. "I'll be right there." With that, Nina headed to the door and left Jin finish his work. She messaged the pilot that they were ready to leave in her communicator but she was more concerned about Jin. She knew that Jin is in a conflict with himself. That was an understatement Nina thought to herself. Jin always is in conflict with himself but this time, this was bigger.
The elevator door opened and she entered. She pressed the rooftop floor but the elevator door close, a hand stuck in between the door and the elevator reopened. It was Jin. He was already finished tidying his things. He entered the elevator and without a word pressed the closing button. Nina could tell Jin was worried about something or someone. Nina could not tell whom specifically but she knows there are only a few people he cares mostly about. Jun Kazama's reappearance was certainly one of those. She is his priority but sadly, it is a double-edge sword for Jin. This is another understatement Nina thought to herself. Everything about Jin was double-edge. Everything is double-edge because of his internal conflict. That is the Mishima curse. Being an assassin for a long time, she has long forgotten empathy. But his martyrdom, of ridding the world of the devil is something that makes her root for Jin. It makes her think that someone who barely knows her and who she barely knows would still want to save the world even though the world is full of corrupted people. The elevator bell rang and the door opened. The bright summer sun made Nina take her shades and place them over her eyes. She walked behind Jin as they headed towards the chopper.
She can only offer him loyalty, the highest thing an assassin like her can give. Her loyalty is her payment for the sacrifice he is ready to accept. Her loyalty made her vow to protect everything he cares about. Jin boarded the chopper and Nina followed.
*I'm assuming though that she tends to wake up late.