Title: Saori's Basketball
Posted: 05/08/13
Rating: T
Summary: "That's all you'll be if you keep playing." Seijuro said, eyes cold and empty as he stared at Saori's frozen figure. "You won't be able to jump. You won't be able to walk. You won't be able to breathe." He continued, her eyes set only on the ball that her hand had jerked away. "Just quit before you think you'll get anywhere. You won't."
Disclaimer: I own what I own, nothing more, nothing less.
© 2013, Reignstein, The plot of this story and the belong to me. Any similarities that might occur are purely coincidental and I apologize in advance if such an occurrence ever does happen.
PROLOGUE
"POSITIVE"
A young boy of ten turned to his father in hopes of an answer. Why were they back in the place where Mama died? Why did the middle aged man draw blood from them? Why was Minami waking around the room? It was all too much for Toki to understand. Grief stricken and confused as he was, though, the male rosette knew better than to talk to his father when he looked as he did in that moment. His mouth that was prepared to bombard him with questions snapped shut, and more questions entered his young, childish, mind. Why did Papa look so scared?
Hayato usually always had a smile on his face when it came to his three children. Even when their mother, Rina, had died, he had exited the hospital room with a smile. "She's in a better place now." He had told the three. "She'll be watching you all the time, so you better behave." Saori and Minami had cried, and Toki had seemed confused. He hated that they kept him in the dark, but Saori had told him that it was for his own good. It was because they all loved him and didn't want him to feel hurt and pained.
It confused the ten-year-old dearly that his father had anything on his face rather than his smile. Hayato's blond hair fell over his brown eyes, hiding the hazy and tear filled orbs from their view. His fingers would not stop moving either. They were either fiddling with one another, or his entire hand was closing and opening, as if it would help release the strong and heavy tension that had settled in the room. This man was a shell of what Kise Hayato was, and this made Toki suddenly worry. What was happening?
"Saori-nee," He whispered, tugging at little-big-sister's blue jacket. "What's going on?"
Blue met blue as Saori turned to answer her little brother's call. Her skin was fair, her hair the color of sunshine, and she offered him the smile that went missing from their father. "It's nothing to worry about." She answered the young rosette. "Just a check-ups. Like the ones we have in school." Her smile widened, and Toki was unnerved. It wasn't only because of how much she reminded him of their mother at that moment. Why was she happy when Daddy and Minami weren't? Why was Saori so calm?
"Saori's right," Came a different voice. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about." Toki's face came in contact with a blonde ponytail. He was spitting out wavy, yellow, strands and completely missed the cold glare that Saori had sent their older sister. Minami just glared right back at her with twice as much venom, twice as much hatred.
Both younger children sat on the examination bed in the room, so it was no surprise to Toki that Minami looked twice as menacing as she stared down at Saori. Her brown eyes were filled with mixed emotions—fear, pain, anger, frustration—and her shoulder length pink hair seemed to drop from their usual curl. Minami screamed hidden panic, and again Toki got curious. What had she meant be her words? Why was Minami mad at him?
"Leave him alone." The twelve-year-old blonde said, cooly.
"Then shut him up." The fourteen-year-old rosette answered.
"Minami." Hayato suddenly spoke, earning the stares of his three children. Toki was gladly surprised, Saori was worried, and Minami was furious. It was the first word he had spoken since Doctor Yokoyama left. "Let Saori handle Toki. He has just as much a chance." Brown eyes turned to Toki and glared, said boy now hiding behind his little-big-sister in hopes of getting away from it. What chance? What was Papa talking about?
"Liar." Minami snapped back, changing her prey from her brother to her father. "I read the charts. Out of the three of us, he should be the one that's home free!" Saori tried to cover Toki's ears as their oldest sibling spoke, but the ten-year-old refused to be left out any longer. The blonde girl settled for glaring at the rosette, and said rosette glared at their father who still refused to look at any of them. "Hell, I bet I'm the only one at risk of it!" Saori's glare hardened, and Toki turned once more to their father.
"Lower your voice, Minami." Was the only response she was given.
She fumed silently as she stomped her foot, walking over to the window and gazing out of it as if what she was seeing would solve the unknown problem. Saori placed an arm around Toki's shoulder and squeezed, offering him another one of her Mama-Looking smiles. "Minami's just being the brat she is." She whispered to him, winking as she rolled her eyes and pointed at their older sister. It made Toki smile slightly, but all was far from forgotten. He would stop for now, though. It was obvious none of them were going to let the reason easily slip out.
The examination room went back into the awkward and uncomfortable silence that it had possessed since the Doctor walked out on them, promising to return with results. Father remained motionless, save for his hands, and Minami switched between watching the outside scenery and glaring at a softly humming Saori. It was a familiar song. The lullaby that mother used to sing for them as young toddlers, Toki realized. 'My Children, The Stars' was the title, if he recalled correctly. Why was Saori humming that of all songs? In the place where their mother died no less. Toki guessed that it was probably the reason why Minami was glaring so intensely and so heatedly.
He was partially right.
There was a soft clicking sound from the door as the knob turned slightly, and all eyes turned towards the piece of wood until it opened to reveal a man with glasses. His hair was graying, his skin was pale, and he was giving them a small smile. Seeing his father's eyes for the first time, Toki realized that he was worse a wreck than Minami. Had he gotten even a wink of sleep last night? The black circles under his eyes were so noticeable that they had looked drawn. Turning back to the Doctor, though, that uneasy feeling in Toki's stomach worsened.
The smile never left the doctor's face as he took a stool and sat down in front of the worried family. Couldn't he show a little bit of humanity? Couldn't he have looked the slightest bit concerned? Others' suffering causes you to see your blessings, but couldn't he at least try to look a little sad for them? He could have just acted for all they cared. "The results of your children's tests have returned." Senji Yokoyama began. "And if I am permitted to say, it could have been worse."
Toki smiled widely at the good news given, but looking around, he realized no one else was doing the same. All three of his family members glared at the still smiling Doctor, his dad's being harder and more venomous than anything his sisters' could pull off. It seemed that to them the words held no comfort. Again, the young boy felt left out. Understandable, for he did not know that the Doctor had guaranteed at least one of them a death sentence. The other three did know; however, and hated the Doctor's informal way of approaching the subject. How insensitive.
"Kise Toki-kun?" Senji began, turning to the rosette boy beside Saori. The blonde's hold tightened around his shoulders, and Toki placed a hand above hers in comfort. "You're a very lucky boy, you've tested negative." Saori released a breath, Hayato did as well. Toki smiled up at his blonde sister, still quite unsure about what he was negative for. Both his sister and his father were happy though, and so he offered Hayato a smile as well. This time, his father returned it. Turning to Minami though, his smile disappeared. She had rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She couldn't have cared less.
"Kise Minami-chan?" He called out, and Toki saw how she suddenly did care. He actually felt angry towards her. Saori and Hayato had turned towards the oldest child as well. She was the most scared out of all of them, and she was the most worried. Saori was willing to bet that her heart was hammering in her chest. It was between the two girls now, and the Doctor had basically confirmed that at least one of them had it. So was it just one? Or was it both?
"You're negative as well."
Toki watched as his oldest sister smiled widely. "I did?" She asked, ignorant of Saori's sudden discomfort. "Did you hear that Dad? I don't have it!" Minami was so happy, and again Toki felt that rush of anger. He had squeezed Saori's hand in comfort, seeing that his little-big-sister was suddenly not as cheerful as she was moments ago. Toki noticed how his father offered Minami a smile, almost forgetting about the middle child that wanted the earth to open and swallow her whole. Almost.
"Saori-nee!" The young rosette suddenly called out, turning to his sister to offer her some comforting words as she did for him. "Why are you crying?" Never had she cried—aside from Mama's death. Toki was at a loss for words as Saori suddenly turned to him with the widest smile she could muster, wiping away the tears that had fallen against her will. Hayato sighed as he placed his head in his hands, and Minami had stopped her victory dance and replaced her smile with a frown. It seemed the realization had kicked in. Even the insensitive Doctor wasn't smiling anymore.
"I'm really happy!" Saori excitedly answered. "I'm happy for you and Minami-nee." He wanted to call out her lie, but he didn't. His father was giving him a look that said he would explain later, and the Doctor sighed now as well. "I mean, two out of three! That's favorable!" Fake happiness. Fake smile. Fake tears of joy when she was mourning. Toki suddenly felt angry at Saori now as well. He was not some little kid to be shielded anymore!
"Saori-chan, it would be an entire decade at least before you start showing any symptoms." The doctor assured. "Maybe even longer, some don't experience it till they hit their forties even." His words did nothing to comfort the blonde girl as she turned towards him and shook her head. Her world was collapsing around her, there was no need for empty reassuring words from a doctor who knew nothing about their family. From a person who didn't understand what it was like to go through something like this for a second time.
"Saori—" Minami tried, but the blonde just continued to shake her head.
"I'm fine," She said, the forced smile still not leaving her face. "At least you and Toki didn't get it right? Ironically, I thought I would be safe cause I was the only one who didn't get mom's hair." Saori let out a laugh at the horrible attempt of a joke. Toki felt that anger grow. "Besides, you heard the doctor. A decade, I don't have to worry about it for ten years!" The tears cascading down her cheeks betrayed her every cheery word and movement.
"There are clinical trials now, and by the time you begin experiencing the symptoms, maybe one of the drugs to reduce the severity of your symptoms would finally be approved by the Department of Health." The doctor tried to reassure the girl, and she forced the smile wider as she looked at her dad.
"Hear that Dad? I could have something that they didn't have for Mom!" Saori's cheery façade did nothing but aggravate the youngest in the room further. He was holding her hand so tightly now, trying to control himself from shouting and from telling her that she should just let it all out. Whatever the hell it was. "Maybe they can even find a cure! Technology now is amazing, and maybe—"
"STOP IT!" Toki suddenly exclaimed. "You're not fine! Stop acting like it!"
"Yes, I am!" Saori, excitedly, answered. "Didn't you hear what the doctor—"
"Saori, stop." Minami managed to say, hugging both her sibling close all of a sudden. "You're strong, but this is the one time that you don't have to pretend just so that no one would worry about you." As if having a switch flipped, Saori's tears escalated. Sobs broke out of her as the despair and sorrow flooded her body. She had seen her mother at her worst, and though it was nothing to what Minami experienced, it was enough to make her scared. Saori did not want to go through that, but it seemed that the Universe had other plans that did not include her in it.
That was the first time that Toki had ever seen his little-big-sister breakdown.
Rewritten version of Prologue is finished! Wow, this was the quickest I've ever re-written something. To be honest, I lost inspiration for this story, but having re-watched the season awakened my need to write this story. When I re-read it though, I basically thought that this was not going to work, and so I started this re-writing project. I mean, it's the same plot, but I tweaked it a bit. Hopefully you'll all prefer it, but I can't really say that seeing as I haven't even posted a lot of the story. I'm such a fail, right? I know. Don't worry this is going to be a priority from now on! And though I can't promise fast updates, I will at least try.
So this pretty much shows the same thing. Saori is positive for an unknown illness, Minami (formerly Kei) is a bit of a bitch but sort of shows some comfort in the end. I gave Toki more opinions here, seeing as he is ten and is capable of thinking on his own. I gave the Dad less focus though. I thought that maybe it was more important to know what the three kids were going through.
On the other hand, the idea for the insensitive doctor came when I met a doctor like that. I mean, a Doctor should smile but not when delivering bad news. For Christ's sake, be human and sensitive. It doesn't help no matter how good the news if there is at least bad—health wise at least. Don't act all cheery and happy and as though the world was made of unicorns and rainbows! Have you ever met a Doctor like this? If you have, sock him in the nuts or hit her over the head. I wish I did that.
Oh, I changed the Summary too by the way! Decided to give you all a hint as to what her illness is. Take it as an 'I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long' or as anything you want. Fans of a certain show should know what the illness is in a heartbeat, but come on, don't spoil! Keep the others guessing! *WINK*
Enough of that though. Leave a review and tell me what you think, or leave a review after you've read the re-write of Chapter One and after I've posted Chapter Two! OPINIONS MATTER, DON'T FORGET! The flow of the story could improve thanks to your opinions, and you might end up disliking this story if you just leave it all upped to me. Readers and Writers have a give and take relationship, okay?
Reign, over and out!