(Author's Notes: Welcome to Healing Vision, my latest story. This one promises to be the most unpopular one to date, because of the pairing. It is no secret there is a strong distaste for the character of Naru in the Love Hina fandom. Lots of people hate her, that's why we have an over abundance of Keitaro/Motoko stories, of which, I am growing sick of. Seriously, you can only read the same basic take on things so many times before you just want to stop, so that's where this comes into play. If you hadn't already figured out, this story features the dreaded canon pairing of Keitaro/Naru. Hey, if you don't like Keitaro/Naru, no one is making you read this, though I hope you read this and at least give the pairing a chance! I can only imagine how many flames I will get for this one... Oh boy. Anyway, what happens here on in the story is that Keitaro is in a horrific car accident that nearly kills him, and it is partially Naru's fault. Naru has a great epiphany (if you don't know what it means, get out your dictionary.), and vows that she will try her hardest to never harm Keitaro again. Keitaro wakes up and over time the two grow close faster, and well, I will leave the rest up for speculation. Also, the hospital part is probably a bit unorthodox, but meh, I don't care. I spent a good week or two rewriting over and over again to finally get a good chapter, so we are sticking with this! I hope everyone can find something to like here, and I also hope that people will give this pairing another chance, or at least, get another pairing other than Keitaro/Motoko. Oh well, I don't think I can change any haters minds out there, but uh, yeah. I hope you all end up enjoying this one. So without further ado, here is Healing Vision Chapter One, entitled Epiphany.)
(Disclaimer: Love Hina? Nope, don't own it. Ken Akamatsu owns the rights to Love Hina because he created it, I am just writing a fanfiction here, so no need to call the lawyers.)
Healing Vision
Chapter One: Epiphany
Keitaro was cornered. Naru and Motoko had him up against the wall, and not in a way that would produce a happy ending. He hadn't meant to be cleaning the hot springs' changing room at the exact time Naru and Motoko decided to go get undressed, it was a mere accident. Of course, being the only man around though, the deck was always stacked against Keitaro in these sorts of situations, not to mention the fact that neither Naru nor Motoko really used rational thought when it came to dealing with Keitaro.
"YOU PERVERT!" shouted Naru. "I can't believe you sometimes!"
"I should kill you on the spot!" growled Motoko. "You're a filthy, dirty, lecherous male, and you cannot be trusted!"
"Waaaah! Don't hurt me!" whimpered Keitaro. "I was just cleaning the hot springs, I had no idea you where coming! Usually you don't bathe at this time of day!"
"YOU! You stalker! You know when we bathe?" said Motoko, gripping her katana. "ROCK SPLITTING SWORD!"
This sent Keitaro flying through the wall, and out onto the stairs leading to Hinatasou. He groaned and stood up to face Naru coming at him with balled fists.
"Pa... please no..." Keitaro stuttered, for he knew what came next.
Naru swung her arm back as far as she could, winding up for a super punch. A look of pure horror came over Keitaro's face as she ran ever closer. Naru paused in front of Keitaro and yelled. "BASTARD!" Naru let her arm snap forwards as the punch connected.
When that punch connected, a funny thing happened, Keitaro did not go vertical and catch air, he went straight out over the stairs, falling toward traffic farther down in the city. It wasn't long before Keitaro started falling fast, and the first thing he hit was a tree, taking out an entire branch on his way down. With a crash, Keitaro hit the pavement, twigs stuck under his shirt and leaves in his hair. His glasses had fallen off when he hit the tree branch, so when Keitaro stood up from his fall, bleeding slightly from a skinned elbow, he never saw the van barreling at him. In a screeching mess of brakes, the van made contact with the back of Keitaro's neck and sent him jolting forward face first on the pavement. Now, lying in a bleeding mess in the middle of the opposite side of the road, Keitaro could not dodge the car that ran him over, skidding it's brakes as well.
Naru and Motoko had come rushing down the stairs to the city after hearing skidding brakes and squealing tires. . But when they got down the stairs and onto the sidewalks they were both taken off guard. A crowd of people had gathered in front of a wreck, and as Motoko and Naru ran up to see what was going on, a person in the crowed yelled;
"Somebody call the paramedics! This guy is in real bad shape! He's bleeding everywhere, someone, anyone!"
Motoko and Naru ran up in shock, and stood there frozen as they observed Keitaro lying unconscious of his own blood.
"Mo...Motoko." muttered Naru. "Shinobu is probably on her way home from the store. Make sure she doesn't see this."
"Right." replied Motoko, as she walked off towards Shinobu's preferred route home. And sure enough she was coming, running up to see what all the commotion was about.
"Motoko, what's going on?" asked Shinobu.
"There's been an accident Shinobu." replied Motoko, who stood in front of Shinobu to obscure her view. "Please, don't look. It's not something anyone needs to see."
"Wha... what's Naru doing out there?" asked Shinobu, as her panic began to rise. "It's someone we know, isn't it!"
"It's..." sighed Motoko. "It's Urashima."
"SEMPAI?" shouted Shinobu with tears in her eyes. She darted her head around Motoko's waist to catch a quick glimpse of the blood, and Keitaro. "NO!" she sobbed.
Tears began to run down Naru's cheeks as the ambulance came, she stood there frozen, watching the paramedics loading Keitaro onto a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance, shouting things about plasma and head trauma. As the paramedics closed the back doors to the ambulance and speed off with sirens blaring, everything went white for Naru.
Images of Keitaro began playing in her head. Images of Keitaro's warm smile became interrupted with an image of Naru punching Keitaro. The look of horror on his face each time she did so was quickly replaced with his smile once again, only to be again replaced with another act of violence on Keitaro. It went on like this for what seemed like an eternity until Naru could hear his voice echoing in her head, saying that it wasn't his fault. It was then when she fell to her knees and wept. "I've... I've killed him."
Haruka came and put a hand on Naru's shoulder. She had arrived after Shinobu and Motoko ran up home to tell everyone what had happened.
"Come on, Naru." said Haruka, with tears in her eyes. "Come, they've taken him to Tokyo General Hospital."
"Haruka!" cried Naru. "It's my fault!"
"No, no it isn't." said Haruka in a caring voice. "This was one whole freak accident, you've done nothing wrong. Now come."
Haruka helped Naru up and they headed to the stairs, where at the bottom of the steps awaited Seta's van. Sarah had called him and he had offered to drive everyone to the hospital.
Three Hours Later, in the O.R. Waiting Area...
A doctor in scrubs came out and pulled down his face mask, and immediately, everyone had clustered around him to learn the news of Keitaro.
"Well, doctor?" asked Haruka. "How is he?"
"Unconscious, but the operation was successful, and he will make a full recovery." said the doctor, to which everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "In all my fifteen years in the medical field, I have never seen anyone so lucky to come from something like that and survive, much less with no permanent damage. This is unprecedented! Keitaro was literally centimeters from death! Had his neck been any lower than it was, the first impact would have snapped his neck, and while he will have to wear a neck brace for a while, he will survive."
"That's wonderful news." said Haruka.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" said the doctor. "I have received word from the police that I am to pass onto you, they are ruling this an accident, so there is no need to place blame anywhere."
"But it's my fault!" said Naru. "I am the one who hit him and send him to the ground! It's my fault!"
"Well, that is a possibility." said the doctor. "But what you also have to consider is the driver of the van was legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of .12. So think about that."
"Doctor... it's got to be my fault here!"said Naru. "I hit him really hard and he fell down and..."
"While you may be somewhat to blame, you should not worry. I am sure Keitaro will know it was an accident, if he remembers the accident at all."
"What do you mean, at all?" asked Naru.
"Keitaro might have suffered some short term memory loss, and possibly long term loss as well. As far as we can tell by brain imaging, his brain is fine and healthy, but we will have to see when he wakes up."
"When will that be?" asked Haruka
"We don't know. If he doesn't wake up under his own power in forty-eight hours we will try to wake him up. But right now he is fine and in stable condition. And I am going to give you my professional opinion, he isn't feeling much pain right now, we have him on a morphine drip. Which leads to the last bit of information, when he does wake up, Keitaro might be a little loopy and a little high. So if he says gibberish when he wakes up, it's probably the morphine over brain damage."
"Thank you so much, Doctor." said Haruka. "But may I ask, when can we see him?"
"Well, he's stable enough that we don't have him in the ICU, so you can all visit him on 3-South, room 238, with in normal visiting hours of course." said the doctor, walking off. "Oh and one more thing, if he wakes up while any of you are around, press the Nurse call button."
"Well I am glad that my part-timer is doing good." sighed Seta. "But you have to admit, only Keitaro could have pulled a miracle like this one off."
"Indeed." nodded Motoko.
"Well, I will have something to say to him when he wakes up." said Su.
"And what would that be?" asked Seta.
"Congratulations, Kei my boy! You took the laws of nature and beat the crap outta them! Way ta go! You totally pwned logic!"
Everyone was able to let out a laugh, that is, except Naru.
"Guys... if it's okay, I'm going to go and see Keitaro." sighed Naru.
"I'm coming with you." said Kitsune, who was concerned for her friend.
"No... no... Just wait." mumbled Naru. "Just..." she trailed off and walked away towards the elevators.
Naru sighed deeply and walked into the elevator. She punched the floor number for three south and the doors shut. 'Well, no matter what the doctor says, this is still my fault. Keitaro could have died because of me, and nothing anyone says is going to change that. He will surely hate me when he wakes up...' The doors opened and Naru walked out. Room 238 was close to the elevators, just past the first Nurse's sation on 3-South. Naru walked into Keitaro's room and approached his bed and observed him.
Keitaro had on a neck brace and there was bandaging on his chin, from where he had scrapped up his chin on the pavement. Keitaro's arms were also wrapped up, presumably from gashes that caused him to lose the amount of blood he did. The room was eerily silent, the only sounds being the constant beep of the cardiac monitor and the light blowing sound of the air conditioner.
Naru pulled a chair up next to Keitaro's bed and sat down. She placed her hand on his and said softly, "Keitaro, I'm sorry, it's my fault that your lying here in the hospital, and it's my fault you could have died. So from now on, if you are still speaking to me after you wake up, I will try my hardest never to harm you again."
The rest of the Hinata residents had gathered outside the open door to Keitaro's room, listening to Naru. They all parted to let Naru out, who went down the hall to the bathrooms to splash water into her sore eyes.
After Naru had left everyone had gone in to see Keitaro. Shinobu removed herself from the room rather quickly, because she couldn't stand to see Keitaro like that. Su and Sarah sat by and talked to Keitaro, telling him that they hoped he got better soon, so they could all play again, even though they knew he probably couldn't hear them. Motoko commented to everyone how she looked forward to seeing him out of the hospital. Kitsune just stood back and said how she'd try to be sober when he woke up. Haruka and Seta both just talked amongst themselves about how only Keitaro could have survived such an accident.
That is basically how the first day and half passed, Naru would go in every so often and sit by Keitaro's bed, apologizing profusely and crying. After she'd had her fill, usually ten or twenty minutes, someone else would come in and observe him. Shinobu, Su, and Sarah all came in at once and decided to read Keitaro a story. And after the first night, everyone went home and got little sleep, because they where thinking about Keitaro and the times they had all shared. No matter how much the collective group swore up and down otherwise, they all loved Keitaro, they just wouldn't admit it. On the latter half of the second day, Naru was again the only person in Keitaro's room, apologizing and beating herself up on the inside. And it was on this day he awoke.
"Keitaro, you've got to wake up soon." said Naru, looking down on Keitaro's sleeping form. "If not the doctor is going to have to try to force you awake, or that will mean that your in a coma." Naru sniffed hard. "Don't be in a coma, Keitaro. Then I really wouldn't be able to live with myself." She sighed and looked at Keitaro's face. His expression had basically stayed the same the entire time he had been out, an emotionless expression of sleep. Naru paused on Keitaro's face, because it was different this time. His face was scrunched up and he was blinking his eyes. Naru moved her face closer to look into his.
"Naru... my love..." said Keitaro as he tried to move his head. "Why can't I move my head!"
Naru reached over to the Nurse call button with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Nurse! He's awake!"
The nurse rushed in, who was followed by Haruka, and Kitsune, as well as the doctor from before.
"Nurses?" asked Keitaro as he looked at the Nurse. "Why am I in the hospital?"
"You mean you don't remember?" asked Naru.
"See, I told you he would most likely forget it all." said the doctor. "Anyway, why you are here is because you where in a car accident. More precisely, two cars knocked you around, and well, frankly, you almost died."
"WHAT!"
"Yeah, you where really close to dying." said the doctor. "And you were out cold for a day and a half. But I don't imagine you felt a thing, because we gave you some morphine."
Keitaro laughed. "Oh, so I guess that explains the weird dreams I was having..."
"Well, the good news is you can go home in two or three days most likely." said the doctor. "But your going to have to wear that neck brace for two more weeks."
"Okay, that's reasonable." said Keitaro. "But did I really almost die?"
"Yes." said the doctor, taking a pager out of his pocket. "Well, if you'll excuse me. It's time to check in with another patient. Take care now." The nurse followed the doctor out.
Keitaro looked at everyone. "So... How is everyone?"
"Well, that's a rather stupid question." said Haruka.
"Yeah Keitaro." added Kitsune. "You've had us all worried sick."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah, things have been a mess around home without you."
Naru stepped forward to sit by Keitaro and sighed. "Keitaro, It's my fault, and I'm sorry."
"Huh?" asked Keitaro.
"It's all my fault your in the hospital." said Naru, tears in her eyes again. "I hit you because of something you didn't do. I sent you to the pavement, where the cars ran you over. I almost killed you! It was me! And I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Naru." said Keitaro, looking into her eyes and smiling. "I know you didn't mean it."
"How can you just forgive me like that!"
"Because..." said Keitaro. "Because I know you would never really want to hurt me. And because... well... I care for you a lot. I care for all of you."
"But..."
"No buts Naru. Don't blame yourself. I'm going to be fine and that's all that matters."
"Keitaro, I promise I will try my hardest to never hurt you again! You've given me so much kindness and it's time I gave back."
"Uh Naru, I hate to break up a touching moment." said Kitsune. "But we should go and tell the other's Keitaro is awake, and then I have to eat something. I haven't eaten since dinner last night, since we all headed up here after I got out of the baths."
"Fine, fine." said Haruka. "Just let me say goodbye to him before you stuff your face." Haruka walked up to Keitaro's bedside and looked down at him. "It's good to see you awake, so take care while we are gone."
"I'll be fine, really." said Keitaro. "It's not like I can go anywhere, right?"
Next, Kitsune walked up and tried to hug Keitaro, but found it a lost cause. "Take care now, and get well soon. If you don't get your ass out of this place soon, everyone at home is going to go nuts."
Finally, Naru chimed in. "I'll be seeing you around soon, so take it easy." she smiled and handed him the remote to elevate his bed. "And if you need anything call the nurse, and try to drink plenty of fluids, and."
"Uh, I think he knows the drill, Naru." said Kitsune.
"I was just trying to be nice and helpful."
"And I'm thankful for it, and for your concern." said Keitaro with a smile. "I'll be fine, go and let everyone know and rest up. I'll see you all later, and uh, please, send my best to everyone!"
"Okay, see you later!" said Naru, following Kitsune and Haruka out of the room. As she walked down the hall, it hit her. 'He called me "My Love" when he woke up. Then he turns around and shows such kindness and tells me he cares about me and everyone else... Could he really be telling the truth or was it just the morphine talking?'
End Chapter One.