Hi guys here's a new chapter. I know it took me long enough to update this. One moment, it took me only three days . . . why should I apologize . . .Nevermind . . .please just ignore me and read the chapter ^^ I am a little bit confused right now . . .

This chapter is maybe a little bit boring. You get to know why Shizuru wants to work at the hospital in Fuuka. And a few other things. I think in a story there must be a few boring chapters, too. There can't be action every time.

And I apologize for still not updating my other story: Watch over me.

Please be a little bit patient.


Disclaimer: Mai Hime belongs to Sunrise.


Chapter 3: Please kill me (Trip through the city /Sight seeing tour)

Just a few minutes in her car and Natsuki was getting frustrated. Not because of the brunette beside her albeit she was the cause of this mess in the first place.

They were stuck in a traffic jam for 15 minutes now and it didn't look like they would get out anytime soon.

Today's not my day. I should have stayed in bed. Gah. . .

Shizuru sensed that the doctor was getting angry. A few minutes later and she would explode. She was very sure about this. She felt a little bit guilty. They only were here because she wanted to see the city before she started working. And her superior was so nice to grant her this favour. And now this.

Maybe I can cheer her up. Let's see.

Hoping that all cars in front of her would explode, Natsuki didn't see the smiling face of her new colleague beside her.

"Kuga-san?"

"Yes?" Why is it, that people always start talking in this kind of situations?

"Could I ask you a few questions? I mean we have a lot of time . . ."

She was interrupted by Natsuki's short answer.

"Shoot."

Ara, that was fast.

"Ok . . . how long do you work here at the hospital?"

I think this is a good question to start with.

"Mmh, I think next week it's been six years."

Six years? I don't think she is much older than me.

"May I ask how old you are?"

Natsuki didn't like the topic of their conversation at all. She didn't want to tell every stranger about her private life. And if this conversation goes on her new colleague will definitely ask more of these unpleasant questions. But one glance at Shizuru's eyes told her, that she could tell this woman everything. She never got this feeling when one of her colleagues asked her questions, especially not with this idiot Takeda.

"Sigh, you may . . .I am 23."

Just as I thought. She must be very skilled as a doctor.

"That's just one year younger than me. What a coincidence."

"Yeah . . ." This traffic congestion is going to kill me. Move dammit.

"Mh . . .you don't like talking very much, do you?"

"Sigh, yes. Sorry to be such a bad company. I'm not used to all this small talk."

"Ara . . .and what about talking to your other colleagues?"

"Uhm . . . they avoid talking to me. Let's say most of them tried it, but there are others, that doesn't get the hint."

Natsuki growled upon remembering one of her annoying colleagues.

Shizuru heard this sound and smiled. So cute.

"That sounds like you are always alone at the hospital."

"Yes, you can say that. And I like it that way."

"So, you don't like me to be here?" It was obvious to Shizuru, that Natsuki didn't like her presence very much, but she had to hear it from the doctor herself.

"Sigh, to tell you the truth, I was not very happy to teach a new apprentice. But it's not your fault. So let's just work good together."

"Ok. I'd like that."

As if the traffic jam was just there, so that they could have a little conversation, it almost immediately vanished after Shizuru's last sentence.

"Finally." Natsuki was the happiest woman on the planet to finally be able to move on.

Shizuru on the other hand would have liked to talk a little bit more about her job and especially about her attractive superior. Sometimes when she glanced at the woman, she could see, that the blunette was deep in thought. She often looked very serious.

I hope I get to see you smile more often.

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Approximately 30 minutes later Natsuki parked the car and both women started to walk around the shopping district.

Natsuki had never seen a woman this happy before. Shizuru would stop at almost every shop to look at different clothes, jewellery and all the other stuff you could buy, but didn't really need to survive.

They walked around the city for hours, until Natsuki decided it was time for a break.

Fortunately they were near the city park. So they walked there and sat down on a bench to rest for a little while.

„This city is really amazing. There are a lot of different and interesting shops. I could walk around the city the whole day."

As she saw Natsuki's worried face, she giggled.

„Don't worry. I think I have seen enough for today. Thank you for accompanying me."

„You are welcome." Natsuki was still a little bit shocked, that there was a possibility, that Shizuru wanted to wander around the city once more. Her physical condition was good, but not that good.

This woman is going to kill me. Sigh.

Shizuru looked around the park. It was really peaceful here. For the first time in her life, she felt at home. Back in Kyoto she was always dragged by her parents to several boring business meetings. She never wanted to inherit her father's company. So she decided to take things into her own hands. She studied medicine. At first her parents were not very enthusiastic about her choice. But they decided to let Shizuru be. That was three years ago and she never regretted her decision.

"Fujino-san?" Natsuki's voice brought her back into the present.

"Yes?"

"Do you want something to drink?" Natsuki pointed at an automat not far away from them.

"Yes, green tea, please."

A few seconds later Natsuki came back. In her hands green tea for Shizuru and black coffee for herself.

"Here you go."

"Ookini Kuga-san."

Silence once more engulfed them. Neither of them minded it very much. It was heavenly to just sit there and watch the wind breeze around the park. A few birds sang their song. It felt like Natsuki and Shizuru were the only people living on this planet.

Natsuki was very curious as to why Shizuru was here in Fuuka. She wanted to ask this question very badly. But she was not sure, if she was allowed to ask this question or not. So she gathered all her courage to ask this question. It was now or never.

"Fujino-san?"

"Yes, Kuga-san?"

"Uhm . . . I was wondering, why you are here in Fuuka for an apprenticeship at our hospital."

She waited patiently for the other woman to answer her question.

I hope I didn't offend her with this question. It was quite personal, but on the other hand she asked me such questions before. So the other way around should be fine, too?

Getting nervous she got the impression, that it was a really bad idea to ask this question. So it was best to try and clear things up.

"Y-you don't n-need to answer, if you d-don't want to."

Sensing that Natsuki was very uncomfortable because of her long silence, she decided to speak up, to ease her worry.

"Gomen, Kuga-san . . . I was just thinking about how to answer your question."

She's not angry. Sigh.

"Ah . . .ok."

She's so cute, when she looks worried.

Natsuki saw Shizuru's smile and the weird look she directed to Natsuki. Without her consent, her face started to heat up.

How cute. Her blushing face is really adorable. I hope she doesn't faint because of this much blushing.

Feeling compassion for Natsuki, she decided to answer the blunette's question. Maybe she could ask a few more questions about this woman. She was very interested in her new colleague.

"I just didn't want to work in my father's business. So I decided to study medicine. As I was little, I often wished I could help other people. I saw doctors as angels in white. They try very hard to ease people's pain and save their life's. I wanted to be able to do this, too. And your hospital got a very good recommendation. So . . .now I am here."

Natsuki understood the wish to help people very good. She herself had a great need to try and help them. But sometimes it's not possible to rescue them. She remembered the small boy in his lonely room. Her face got a sad expression upon remembering him.

"Sometimes you have to live with the loss of one person's life and that you weren't able to save them, even if you tried everything in your might."

Shizuru saw the sad expression of the woman next to her. -She must have lost a lot of life's up until now.-

Natsuki was in her own little world for a moment longer. Sometimes the people she couldn't save haunted her dreams at night. But even if she was awake, there were a few she just wasn't able to forget. For now it was this little boy. His life could end anytime soon.

"Kuga-san? Are you alright?" She looks like she's in a lot of pain.

"Yeah . . . sorry. I just remembered a very difficult case we have right now at the hospital."

"Do you mind telling me about it?" She didn't know how much pain this question caused the blunette. This case was very personal for the doctor because the boy was just like her. All alone. Nobody who would care if he lived or died.

She knew that she had to tell her new apprentice about this case because they would most likely work on this case together. So it was better to tell her now. Then she didn't have to worry, that the brunette could ask her this later and catch her off guard.

Here we go.

"There is this young boy at the hospital. He lost his whole family in a car accident. He is all alone . . . sigh . . . but that's not the biggest problem. After he was taken to the hospital, the doctors found out, that he has cancer. You can't heal him. . . it's too late."

Natsuki wanted so badly to cry. But as always, she would cry alone, not in front of this woman. It was hard not to let go of her emotions, but she had to be strong.

"That's terrible . . . the poor boy." Shizuru was speechless.

"Do you know how long . . . ?" She wasn't able to finish this sentence. She had known, that such situations would happen, but hearing about this and eventually seeing this boy, was something entirely different.

"Everytime I visit him, he has gotten weaker. I don't think he'll be able to last much longer. He's too young to . . . to . . . " She couldn't bring herself to end this sentence. It pained her to see this little boy suffer.

And now here she was, sitting with a complete stranger and letting her see a part of her, that nobody except her mother had ever seen.

"Sorry. . . "

"You don't have to apologize, Kuga-san. It must be very difficult to see this every day."

"Yeah . . ." But that's not it. He reminds me of myself. It feels like I would die once again in this hospital room.

Deciding that she had lost control of her emotions enough, she stood up and signalled Shizuru, that it was time to go.

"You think, you have got enough of a first impression of this city?" Please say yes . . .

"Yes, thank you for showing me around. It was very nice."

"You're welcome."

Both walked in comfortable silence, side by side, back to Natsuki's car.

15 minutes later, they sat in the car, driving through the city to Shizuru's hotel.

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Throughout the drive Shizuru would glance into Natsuki's direction. This woman was not so cold like she appeared. Inside was a very fragile caring heart. She knew that it was not the doctor's intention to show her this side of her. It just happened involuntary because of remembering such a delicate subject. Now she was a little bit worried, if the blunette would be fine or not.

But she didn't want to ask her because she feared, that the doctor would get angry. Furthermore she didn't like to see that painful and saddened face from before once again. So she let it be, for now.

The drive was also very silent. Neither of them wanted to talk after such a serious conversation they had minutes ago. So after another 20 minutes drive, they both got out of the car. Natsuki carried Shizuru's luggage the whole way up to her hotel room.

"You choose a nice hotel." Natsuki was really impressed, that this woman could afford such a nice place.

"And it's the nearest one to the hospital, too."

"So . . . see you tomorrow morning. 9 a.m. sharp."

"I'll be there." Shizuru smiled and added. "Goodnight Kuga-san."

"Goodnight Fujino-san."

Shizuru closed the door and Natsuki walked back to her car.

Inside the car, she thought about her new colleague for a moment. She will give me a really hard time.

With this in mind, she drove back to her apartment.

END CHAPTER 3


Please read and review :)

The next update would be my other story. . . I think I can promise you that it will be up on Saturday at the latest.

So . . .until next time.