Handicapped!
Ch. 3 – the flashback
A/N: We find out how Ryoko ended up so hurt and look at how Ryoko acted for the next few weeks. (Also, she has a little moment with Tenchi! :-D ) Anyway, read on before I give anything away – and thanks for the reviews! -trixis
Washu relaxed on her floating chair in the sanctity of her lab. She really couldn't figure out how Ryoko could be so hurt. She was so tough and strong, one bump on the head shouldn't have done all this… ah, but the fall to the ground might have helped a little. Washu recapped what Tenchi told her.
"Ryoko was flying really fast, and just hit it head-on!" Tenchi had said. Washu walked over to her monitors. Some were placed outside, so she might have been able to evaluate Ryoko's speed. Washu pushed several buttons. The accident had occurred about 7 hours ago… Washu watched each one carefully. There. She saw a flash shoot by one of her cameras. That was Ryoko all right. Replaying the event in slow motion, she hit another button on her tiny remote to measure the speed. After a few minutes, the screen on a monitor started to blink with the speed Ryoko had been going just before the crash. Washu rubbed her eyes, and double-checked it. That was impossible Ryoko should be dead. Ryoko had been going 62 miles per hour just before she hit that stupid tree.
Now Washu understood how Ryoko could get so damaged. She had said before that Ryoko was a strong person – and she could heal herself very easily. (The main reason Ryoko would eventually recover her eyesight) Washu thanked everything alive and well that Ryoko was still alive. Thank god that crash didn't kill her… and thank god Ryoko was so hardheaded. Washu set to work trying to find a way to help her daughter.
* * *
5 weeks after the incident, Washu had barely come out of her lab, and everyone was getting used to Ryoko, who had put them in high spirits every day. Just about a week ago, Ryoko had gotten the bandages off of her eyes.
Ayeka laid back on the couch. Ryoko had been so… what was the word? Blissful. Yes, today Ryoko had been blissful. Not like Mihoshi, who's just happy because it was her nature, but just really grateful for having friends. Although sometimes Ryoko didn't make much sense, she could usually get the point across. It was saddening to see what used to be an overconfident, intellectual being just turn in to… well… what seemed like a child. True, she was not truly a child – children didn't watch soap operas and yell at the T.V. along with their old rival, as Ryoko was doing now – but the fact that she was just so simple, and that made her easier to get along with. Trusting of everyone she met that day, Ayeka didn't know what Ryoko would do if she truly met an evil, lying person.
"Oh no! Not Ryo! No, go for Hitoshi! HITOSHI!" Ryoko yelled, throwing a chocolate at the television screen. Ayeka giggled. It was funny how Ryoko got into the show so much. "Dumb Misha, doesn't know… should pick HITOSHI, not dumb Ryo. He's not good," Ryoko muttered to herself. Ayeka chuckled a bit more to herself.
"C'mon Ryoko. Lets go help Sasami with dinner, and leave that dumb Misha to pick the wrong guy," Ayeka said, getting up.
"Okay!" Ryoko got up as well. She made her way around the coffee table and hop-floated over the couch. Ryoko had discovered the use of her powers, although she didn't use them very often.
Ayeka marveled at how well Ryoko was adjusting. She recapped on how Ryoko had acted for the past few weeks. It was hard to understand at first.
(Flashback)
A bandaged Ryoko made her was to the yard. Plopping down in the middle of it, she lifted her face to the sky. Tenchi watched her from a distance. There lay the woman he loved… or used to anyway. Tenchi felt so cheap, but it couldn't be helped. He walked over to Ryoko.
"Hey there. What are you up to?" Tenchi asked, sitting next to Ryoko.
"Looking."
"At what?"
"I'm looking up – feel it? It feels good! It's warm. Try it," Ryoko urged. Tenchi laughed.
"All right," he said, closing his eyes and looking up. A few seconds later, he felt the warmth of the sun through the cool wind. Looking back over at Ryoko, he watched her enjoy the feeling of the heat on her face.
Out of nowhere, Ryoko asked, "Tenchi, do you love me?"
"What? Oh… er… yes! You're part of the family and I love you," Tenchi said, surprised at what Ryoko had just said.
"No, not like that, silly! Do you love me, like how Ayeka does? No… wait… like how Ayeka loves you, you know? Because she told me you do. Or did," Ryoko said lazily.
"Uh… who told you? Ayeka?" Tenchi asked, a bit confused.
"No! She did," Ryoko said, stressing the word she.
"Who is she?" Tenchi asked, puzzled.
"The girl in my head. She tells me about me… you know, how I used to be. Man, I was mean!" Ryoko giggled. "She shows me memories. You know – like how one time I walked in on you and you didn't have any clothes on. I remember what you look like now. She showed me. And I know how I hurt myself. That was dumb, huh?"
Tenchi laughed. "Yeah, that wasn't too smart!" He thought for a minute. Who was 'She'? Did Washu do something? Sure Ryoko talked to herself, but this was different. "What does 'she' look like?" he asked.
"Me," Ryoko replied.
"What?" Tenchi asked, baffled.
"Me, she looks like me!" Ryoko said, wondering how Tenchi didn't get it.
"… Oh," Tenchi muttered. He decided to give up for a while. Getting up, he bid Ryoko farewell, and went off to Washu's lab, leaving Ryoko to enjoy the sun by herself.
"Little Washu!" Tenchi called. He entered the lab nervously.
"I'm here, Tenchi. You wondering about 'she' too?" Washu asked, reviewing the seen with Tenchi and Ryoko. She could only see half of Tenchi on the screen because the camera didn't go over very far, but she could hear clearly of what was said. Tenchi looked on with horror. Washu spied on them? Oh well… Washu would be Washu.
"Yeah, who is 'she'?" Tenchi questioned.
"Lets think. Someone inside Ryoko's head… who looks like Ryoko… and can remember what happened before the incident. Think Tenchi, who could fit that description?" Washu asked with a smile on her face.
"How many would even come close to fitting that description?" Tenchi asked, still thinking.
"Zero."
"Exactly, I can't think of anybody!" Tenchi agreed.
"No, ZERO!"
"Yes, that's what I said…" Tenchi said, confused.
"You idiot. I mean Zero – remember Ryoko merged with her? She was supposed to kill you? Ringing a bell?" Washu asked, grinning.
"… Oh my god! Zero! Zero is still in her head!" Tenchi yelled. He started to realize how this would start to change Ryoko. Washu already knew. Yes, Zero would play a major roll in Ryoko's life.
(Flash forward)
Ayeka chopped some lettuce up for a salad while Ryoko stirred the batter for the cookies they'd be having for desert. At that moment, Tenchi decided to walk in.
"Hey there. What's for dinner?" he asked.
"It's a secret! You'll just have to find out when you eat it!" Sasami giggled.
"Yeah!" Ryoko agreed, turning around, still mixing the batter for the cookies. As she turned around, Mihoshi popped in and yelled for them to hurry – for Space Police Policemen would be on and she didn't want dinner to take too long, or she would miss it. Ryoko dropped the plastic bowl in surprise, and the batter went everywhere. "Oops…" Ryoko said quietly. She knelt down to clean up the mess. Tenchi and the rest helped, saying that it was okay, that they could make more batter. "I'm sorry," Ryoko whispered.
Tenchi knelt down beside her and said, "Don't worry, it's okay! We've got plenty more where that came from!" Ryoko laughed and looked up at him. They were caught in each other's stare. Breaking the moment, Ryoko reached out and wiped some batter off of Tenchi's cheek with her finger and popped it in her mouth.
"Mm!" she said, "Gingerbread."
Ch. 3 – the flashback
A/N: We find out how Ryoko ended up so hurt and look at how Ryoko acted for the next few weeks. (Also, she has a little moment with Tenchi! :-D ) Anyway, read on before I give anything away – and thanks for the reviews! -trixis
Washu relaxed on her floating chair in the sanctity of her lab. She really couldn't figure out how Ryoko could be so hurt. She was so tough and strong, one bump on the head shouldn't have done all this… ah, but the fall to the ground might have helped a little. Washu recapped what Tenchi told her.
"Ryoko was flying really fast, and just hit it head-on!" Tenchi had said. Washu walked over to her monitors. Some were placed outside, so she might have been able to evaluate Ryoko's speed. Washu pushed several buttons. The accident had occurred about 7 hours ago… Washu watched each one carefully. There. She saw a flash shoot by one of her cameras. That was Ryoko all right. Replaying the event in slow motion, she hit another button on her tiny remote to measure the speed. After a few minutes, the screen on a monitor started to blink with the speed Ryoko had been going just before the crash. Washu rubbed her eyes, and double-checked it. That was impossible Ryoko should be dead. Ryoko had been going 62 miles per hour just before she hit that stupid tree.
Now Washu understood how Ryoko could get so damaged. She had said before that Ryoko was a strong person – and she could heal herself very easily. (The main reason Ryoko would eventually recover her eyesight) Washu thanked everything alive and well that Ryoko was still alive. Thank god that crash didn't kill her… and thank god Ryoko was so hardheaded. Washu set to work trying to find a way to help her daughter.
* * *
5 weeks after the incident, Washu had barely come out of her lab, and everyone was getting used to Ryoko, who had put them in high spirits every day. Just about a week ago, Ryoko had gotten the bandages off of her eyes.
Ayeka laid back on the couch. Ryoko had been so… what was the word? Blissful. Yes, today Ryoko had been blissful. Not like Mihoshi, who's just happy because it was her nature, but just really grateful for having friends. Although sometimes Ryoko didn't make much sense, she could usually get the point across. It was saddening to see what used to be an overconfident, intellectual being just turn in to… well… what seemed like a child. True, she was not truly a child – children didn't watch soap operas and yell at the T.V. along with their old rival, as Ryoko was doing now – but the fact that she was just so simple, and that made her easier to get along with. Trusting of everyone she met that day, Ayeka didn't know what Ryoko would do if she truly met an evil, lying person.
"Oh no! Not Ryo! No, go for Hitoshi! HITOSHI!" Ryoko yelled, throwing a chocolate at the television screen. Ayeka giggled. It was funny how Ryoko got into the show so much. "Dumb Misha, doesn't know… should pick HITOSHI, not dumb Ryo. He's not good," Ryoko muttered to herself. Ayeka chuckled a bit more to herself.
"C'mon Ryoko. Lets go help Sasami with dinner, and leave that dumb Misha to pick the wrong guy," Ayeka said, getting up.
"Okay!" Ryoko got up as well. She made her way around the coffee table and hop-floated over the couch. Ryoko had discovered the use of her powers, although she didn't use them very often.
Ayeka marveled at how well Ryoko was adjusting. She recapped on how Ryoko had acted for the past few weeks. It was hard to understand at first.
(Flashback)
A bandaged Ryoko made her was to the yard. Plopping down in the middle of it, she lifted her face to the sky. Tenchi watched her from a distance. There lay the woman he loved… or used to anyway. Tenchi felt so cheap, but it couldn't be helped. He walked over to Ryoko.
"Hey there. What are you up to?" Tenchi asked, sitting next to Ryoko.
"Looking."
"At what?"
"I'm looking up – feel it? It feels good! It's warm. Try it," Ryoko urged. Tenchi laughed.
"All right," he said, closing his eyes and looking up. A few seconds later, he felt the warmth of the sun through the cool wind. Looking back over at Ryoko, he watched her enjoy the feeling of the heat on her face.
Out of nowhere, Ryoko asked, "Tenchi, do you love me?"
"What? Oh… er… yes! You're part of the family and I love you," Tenchi said, surprised at what Ryoko had just said.
"No, not like that, silly! Do you love me, like how Ayeka does? No… wait… like how Ayeka loves you, you know? Because she told me you do. Or did," Ryoko said lazily.
"Uh… who told you? Ayeka?" Tenchi asked, a bit confused.
"No! She did," Ryoko said, stressing the word she.
"Who is she?" Tenchi asked, puzzled.
"The girl in my head. She tells me about me… you know, how I used to be. Man, I was mean!" Ryoko giggled. "She shows me memories. You know – like how one time I walked in on you and you didn't have any clothes on. I remember what you look like now. She showed me. And I know how I hurt myself. That was dumb, huh?"
Tenchi laughed. "Yeah, that wasn't too smart!" He thought for a minute. Who was 'She'? Did Washu do something? Sure Ryoko talked to herself, but this was different. "What does 'she' look like?" he asked.
"Me," Ryoko replied.
"What?" Tenchi asked, baffled.
"Me, she looks like me!" Ryoko said, wondering how Tenchi didn't get it.
"… Oh," Tenchi muttered. He decided to give up for a while. Getting up, he bid Ryoko farewell, and went off to Washu's lab, leaving Ryoko to enjoy the sun by herself.
"Little Washu!" Tenchi called. He entered the lab nervously.
"I'm here, Tenchi. You wondering about 'she' too?" Washu asked, reviewing the seen with Tenchi and Ryoko. She could only see half of Tenchi on the screen because the camera didn't go over very far, but she could hear clearly of what was said. Tenchi looked on with horror. Washu spied on them? Oh well… Washu would be Washu.
"Yeah, who is 'she'?" Tenchi questioned.
"Lets think. Someone inside Ryoko's head… who looks like Ryoko… and can remember what happened before the incident. Think Tenchi, who could fit that description?" Washu asked with a smile on her face.
"How many would even come close to fitting that description?" Tenchi asked, still thinking.
"Zero."
"Exactly, I can't think of anybody!" Tenchi agreed.
"No, ZERO!"
"Yes, that's what I said…" Tenchi said, confused.
"You idiot. I mean Zero – remember Ryoko merged with her? She was supposed to kill you? Ringing a bell?" Washu asked, grinning.
"… Oh my god! Zero! Zero is still in her head!" Tenchi yelled. He started to realize how this would start to change Ryoko. Washu already knew. Yes, Zero would play a major roll in Ryoko's life.
(Flash forward)
Ayeka chopped some lettuce up for a salad while Ryoko stirred the batter for the cookies they'd be having for desert. At that moment, Tenchi decided to walk in.
"Hey there. What's for dinner?" he asked.
"It's a secret! You'll just have to find out when you eat it!" Sasami giggled.
"Yeah!" Ryoko agreed, turning around, still mixing the batter for the cookies. As she turned around, Mihoshi popped in and yelled for them to hurry – for Space Police Policemen would be on and she didn't want dinner to take too long, or she would miss it. Ryoko dropped the plastic bowl in surprise, and the batter went everywhere. "Oops…" Ryoko said quietly. She knelt down to clean up the mess. Tenchi and the rest helped, saying that it was okay, that they could make more batter. "I'm sorry," Ryoko whispered.
Tenchi knelt down beside her and said, "Don't worry, it's okay! We've got plenty more where that came from!" Ryoko laughed and looked up at him. They were caught in each other's stare. Breaking the moment, Ryoko reached out and wiped some batter off of Tenchi's cheek with her finger and popped it in her mouth.
"Mm!" she said, "Gingerbread."