The World Championship's – Chapter 2
Miho Nishizumi went to the "boot camp" for Commanders and Generals almost straight away the minute the helicopters landed in England.
Yukari Akiyama, however, had it so easy that she almost did not want to leave Miho's side. She went to the "Family Quarters" and sat down in the room that was for her and Miho. She looked around and noted that it had been made as Japanese as possible by the British so that it would be easier for them to adjust during the World Championship's.
Standing up, Yukari went for a walk; she called it "Orientation" so she knew where everything was and what to do in an emergency on base, etc. She was stunned to see that, while being evacuated Miho would be on the line to defend the base.
After around 3 hours of orientation, Yukari went to General Mortimer's office and knocked on the door. There was around five minutes silence and then the door opened.
"Yes, Miss Akiyama what is it?" The General half questioned and half grilled the girl with his tone of voice.
"U...Um…I was looking at the emergency procedures…I would be evacuated if there was an attack but…What about my friend?"
General Mortimer sighed and gestured for her to come into his office, which she did, he closed the door after her.
"Life is much different in the British Army then what you are used to over in Japan."
Yukari noticed his Japanese in moments. "Your understanding of our language is quite good General"
He nodded. "I get that comment a lot, so I suppose it is, thank you. Now…About your girlfriend"
Yukari was about to put her hands up, but found her face going bright red almost…Defeated her before she could protest.
"It isn't like that? Then I should have you removed from this base"
The General went to pick up the phone but Yukari looked down so he didn't. "I see…You haven't told her yet…Have you?" Yukari shook her head. He sighed. "A LOT of girls are like you at some point…Unsure of themselves or whatnot"
Yukari looked to the window, then her eyes caught sight off several pictures to the General's left wall; pictures that contained Japanese Zero wreckage's with people older than him standing on them, alongside the American/Allied occupation of Japan right up until the UN agreement pictures.
"Are they…" The General nodded. "The pictures with your countries World War Two aircraft are from my grandfather. The ones of the UN are from my father… I heard that your country decided to train girls and such in the art of tanks and tankary, sorry if I didn't pronounce that correctly, so I looked for the best…and-"
"You picked Miho…"
He nodded again. "Because she won the National Championships for your country, yes, I did."
"Can I ask why?"
The General sighed. "It's a long story…I shouldn't be providing you with my personal details…"
Yukari giggled. "It's not like I'm going to tell EVERYONE. I'll keep it between us if you want?"
General Mortimer eventually relented after 3 minutes of thinking. "Alright, it was while I was stationed on the USS. Enterprise - Aircraft Carrier. I was on there for roughly 6 months training to fly the F18 Hornet" He started.
Yukari's mind was already thinking on its own. 'He's a former fighter pilot…'
He looked to the window. "When I got my wings…I flew to the training area. A remote island off the coast of Hawaii. It was then that I saw them…"
Yukari Akiyama started to click. "When was this?"
He looked back to her, his eyes almost piercing her own, making her stop moving. "I have a personal reason I brought you both over here. One was for Miho. The other…Relates to you."
Yukari was taken aback by this. "Me?"
"Yes. I will be offering you a chance to fly one of our Euro fighter Typhoon's. All you need to do is sign and train. That's it. Unlike our normal routine...No harsh training beforehand, just straight into the cockpit of the training plane. Should you get to the end of the course, which I think you will, I will even consider allowing you to be 'Discharged' at ANY point"
Yukari was shocked even further as the General put a piece of paper on the desk; he signed it and then turned it around.
"Wait…" Yukari whispered. "Why are you doing this?"
"You are Yukari, the last of the Akiyama line right?" She nodded very slowly. "Apart from that being your adopted surname, it's the least I can do for you…Considering-"
"Hold on a blind second. Adopted? I've been an Akiyama all my life!"
The general opened the draw in his desk and pulled out some pictures, showing them to her. "Do you recognise these people?"
No matter how hard she tried she shook her head.
He smiled sadly. "That's because your not from their bloodline...Originally. Now listen to me."
She tried to brace herself for his next words, but nothing could have prepared her for what he said:-
"When I saw your birth father's squadron and he saw mine, we tried VERY HARD to ignore each other...Unfortunately it happened that I shot down your birth father's aircraft during my training exercise all those years ago. He came into our squadron's zone, or flight path, I assumed by accident, added to the fact that I was NOT cleared to engage...It was out of fear of what my grandfather told me and my nerves that-"
Yukari's mouth was open and her eyes were full of tears. "You were the one who shot his plane down…Because of that…" She looked down. "I never saw my birth mum because she committed suicide…I never knew them because I had been adopted...I went to school on the carrier to learn Tankary…I grew up always believing that…That he was just another Japanese pilot…What is-" She was both recounting and trying to add it all up in her head.
She looked at him again. "What is...Or was my actual surname?"
"Your actual surname, surprisingly, almost combines Miho's and your adopted surname. It was Niyashizotamata. Does it sound familiar?"
She nodded even though she was almost about to cry, this was information that was SO vital...WHY HAD SHE NEVER BEEN TOLD?
"I'm not surprised. I'll be here if you want to talk again." He stood up and walked to the door, Yukari standing up, extremely wobbly because of all the news he just told her.
"Give me that form…" Yukari whispered to him.
General Mortimer looked to the form, went over and picked it up, then walked back to her and handed it to her. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, even though her body was wracked with tears and the pain flowed through her voice, "I want to be able to protect her… and if I stay in that…Pit of a room, I won't be able to do that. At least from the sky…I can protect her easier."
"Be careful. It can be VERY easy to make mistakes in the air that can be fatal. Here's the pen."
She nodded. "I understand. When does training start?" She wiped at her tears as she signed the form.
"Training for new pilots starts here…Tomorrow at 1 in the afternoon. I'll call Miho…You look well out of it...I would rather you went back to quarters and fell asleep on a bed rather then our floor. Don't get me wrong its clean...I just don't like the thought of girl like yourself falling asleep in our corridors"
Yukari tried to argue but found it was useless, the two soldiers that the General asked for previously, helped her to sit down upon arriving in the room.
Around 10 minutes later, Miho walked into the room. She looked washed out and drained.
Yukari was instantly looking at Miho with a sad expression on her face. 'She must have been really put through her paces...'.
Miho did not notice Yukari, but the General instead...Maybe it was because of the two soldiers or maybe it was because she was drained the fuck out.
"You requested me sir?" Miho's weakened and hoarse voice made Yukari almost cringe. She normally had a vibrant and happy voice tone...But not now...Clearly.
She saluted him to which he returned it. "At ease Nishizumi." She dropped her shoulders and went into a more relaxed position. "Guards? Leave the room." The two soldiers did as they were told.
"May I use your first name?" To which Miho nodded. "Very well then, Miho, take a seat…This is going to take a while…"
Miho sat down. Yukari was sat behind her as she fell into floods of tears. The General did look between them from time to time.
"Yukari came to my office earlier."
Instantly Miho's back stiffened and she began to look left and right, then she spun around to see Yukari crying. "Are you alright?" Miho instantly queried the younger girl, to which she nodded. Miho turned her attention back to Mortimer. "Is anything wrong with her?"
He smiled to which Miho relaxed a bit, "She's okay. There isn't anything wrong with her at the moment." He proceeded to explain everything he had told Yukari, yet, Miho began to wince in pain after he finished. Once, which the general thought was weird, then twice and then she started to twitch. "Are you okay?"
She weakly smiled. "I'm f-fine…I…" Just as she was about to finish her sentence, she collapsed onto the floor. Yukari (neigh on) jumped out of her seat and to Miho's side while the General shouted as loud as he could for medics to get to them immediately.
"Miho! MIHO! FOR FUCKS SAKE! What's going on!? TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!" Yukari shouted as Miho groaned in pain. "My…Chest…It hurts…" Miho's voice floated to the General's ears and then (almost like clicking ones fingers), he knew and he snapped his view to the four medics coming in, and then to Yukari. "Get out of their way!" Yukari looked at him, confused and angry but the General held firm. "She's having a heart attack! GET OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY! DO YOU WANT HER TO DIE?"
Yukari bolted out of the way, as the medics instantly got Miho onto a stretcher, heading for the operation room that was (thankfully) on base. Yukari instantly racing after her with the general looking at the paperwork. "Fuck…"
"I'll handle those for you"
The General looked to where the voice came from and his eyes widened. "Fa...Father…"
General Mortimer's father, one General (4 star whereas Mortimer was just a 2 star) Micheal Randa, nodded at him.
"Get moving or you'll be too late. We need them both, in all honesty, but if one should happen to die…"
The General, not wanting to hear the next few words, raced out of the room.
Yukari (upon catching up with Miho and the medics), grabbed Miho's hand, "I'm here Miho…"
Miho groaned and started to whimper in pain. "It hurts…Everything is…Hurting...Please don't leave me Yukari..."
Yukari's eyes widened and she gave Miho's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere. I am with you for life..."
"L...Life?" Miho coughed up some blood to which Yukari wiped it away, making sure the medics knew about it first. Yukari went red upon recounting what she JUST said. "Y-yeah...For life, Miho." She squeezed her hand again.
Instead of pushing her out of the operating room, the surgeon looked to Yukari. "This is going to be quite disgusting. I need to be sure that you want to be in here."
Yukari flashed him a look that said, 'Get on with it, save her life' to which he nodded. "Alright…Get the morphine going! I need four nurses here as well...Make that FIVE! Don't ask the young woman to move unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Do I make myself clear? She's Miho's girlfriend...Understood!?"
They (the nurses) nodded as they arrived: One with the life support, one with the morphine, one to keep the instruments clean, one to wipe the Surgeon's face and one to make sure Yukari was okay. [A/N: Hey, SOMEONE has to make sure Yukari won't collapse!]
While this happened, Yukari kept Miho's eyes on her. "Look at me and keep looking at me Miho. Do you understand? I will NOT leave your side! Do NOT look at ANYTHING else, just focus!" Yukari's deep brown eyes holding Miho's light brown ones as she was determined NOT to let her go...NO WAY IN HELL.
Miho smiled weakly. "Th…Thank you…" She whispered.
[To be continued…]
