Chapter Four yay! Moving right on a little quicker than usual. This chapter is one of those that lead into the next arc... So yeah, it can get a little "meh" at times. You know how it goes with these types of "lead in" chapters. More to come soon, I promise. Work has picked up a little bit so... That might delay the next posting but it won't keep me away for too long! Thanks to all of you who have commented and left your responses to the story. All of those comments have been -very- helpful with the creative process. This story is going to delve deep and get a lot heavier but bare with me..
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Not Easily Washed Away
Viridian eyes locked onto hazy crimson and for what seemed an eternity shared a look of intense passion. A flicker of uncertainty suddenly filled vermilion and the light that filtered into them for just a second was sucked back down into darkness. Immediately the brunette began to struggle against the feeding tube, gripping it between her hands and attempting to pull. Natsuki's eyes widened and she leapt from the cot, grabbing onto her friend's flailing hands. "No, Shizuru, stop!" She cried out.
The small serving tray that was beside the bed shattered to the ground in all of the commotion, water spraying from the pitcher that had been sitting atop it. One of the lines in Shizuru's arms was yanked from the skin causing the monitors around her to scream loudly. From down the hallway the sound of feet slapping tile could be heard as nurses rushed into the room. Two grabbed hold of Natsuki and pulled her away from Shizuru while another nurse took up the fight with the brunette.
"Don't hurt her!" Natsuki yelled out through gritted teeth as she struggled against the women holding her back.
Shizuru lashed out with all of her might against the woman that held her to the bed. Pain shot through every inch of her body, from the tip of her head to the bottom of her feet. Confused and afraid she clawed viciously at whatever part she could manage to get at on the other person. The nurse cried out when her arm met with sharp nails, a chunk of flesh was instantly cut away.
"I need a sedative injection now!" She yelled, grimacing. All the while her struggle intensified. As the words left her mouth a hand came down across her shoulder and shoved fiercely sending her reeling backwards. With a grunt she slammed back first into the wall and slid down, holding her head.
One of the nurses that held Natsuki disappeared down the hallway while the third nurse rushed over to her downed co-worker. On the bed the tawny haired Hime sat up and ripped the feeding tube from her throat roughly. Plastic rubbed painfully against the sensitive tissue as it came up, causing Shizuru to gag forcefully. Vomit pooled on the side of the floor as the brunette heaved, coughing harshly between each purge. Without hesitation both nurses grabbed hold of Shizuru's arms and forced her back onto the bed.
Her head thrashed from side to side as she cried out shrilly. "No! NO!" that once serene voice was broken and weak. Natsuki stood wide eyed as she was brushed aside by the nurse that had left. Upon her return a thin needle was jammed into Shizuru's arm, injecting her with bluish-clear liquid. After a moment her body began to still and those wild crimson eyes rolled backward.
"Is she okay!?" Natsuki screamed as she rushed to the bedside, gripping one of Shizuru's hands. She looked worriedly to the three nurses who struggled to catch their breath. One of them eyed her nervously before leaving to retrieve the doctor. The other two began cleaning up the mess that had been made, one mopping at the vomit laden floor while the other scooped up ice and water with a cloth.
Natsuki's body shook uncontrollably as she stood in shock, not fully able to process the events that had just transpired so quickly around her. Just then Dr. Shinobu rushed into the room, the nurse from before trailing behind him. "How are the vitals?" He asked while hurriedly fumbling at the lines along Shizuru's arms, reinserting the one that had come out and untangling the mess of others leading to various machines. During this frenzy of motion Natsuki was roughly shoved backward away from her friend.
"She's stable; we had to give her a sedative." The head nurse stated while cradling her arm. Dr. Shinobu took a look at it and shook his head.
"You're going to need stitches to close that up, please report downstairs and have it taken care of." He said while scribbling something down on his ever present clipboard.
Natsuki watched as two of the nurses left, leaving only the doctor and one nurse in the room. She took the opportunity to approach him with the questions she had. "Doctor..." She said weakly and he turned to her, softening his hardened gaze. "Is she going to be alright? I mean... Is she okay now?" Her voice revealed how truly shaken up she had been by the ordeal.
Doctor Shinobu laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Her vitals are stable and it doesn't seem like any real damage was done with the removal of the tube. When she wakes again we will run some tests and see if anything has changed. For now..." He turned to the nurse who had been watching from the sidelines. "Leave the feeding tube out. There is no need for a repeat of what just happened." The nurse nodded and took her leave, the doctor following closely behind.
Natsuki's body felt weak. The room around her began to swirl and colors blended into one single streak of light behind her eyes. A whimper passed her lips and her knees finally buckled, sending her crashing to the hard linoleum. Palms pressed roughly into the floor as she fought to regain control of her body, her head throbbed painfully behind her now closed eyes.
For a long moment she remained slumped over in the floor, holding her head with one hand while keeping her body somewhat upright with the other. Heavily she sighed as she slowly crawled to her feet, pulling her body up with the aid of the hospital bed. Emerald eyes shimmered due to unshed tears of frustration but she wouldn't cry, not now.
Her brunette friend was silent on the bed; though no feeding tube obstructed the beautiful sleeping face this time. While swallowing hard Natsuki pulled the blankets over Shizuru's still body and quietly tucked her in. One of the borrowed books was grabbed and she and sat on the edge of the cot, flipping to the folded page in the middle. Sitting idly by had never been something she could easily do so she did the only thing that came to mind as useful. She read.
"The hunter longed for the touch of his princess but she had been captured by the fierce Moon God, Oibion. He feared never again would he be able to gaze upon her loving face, to feel the smoothness of her pale skin or to caress the silken lips he so cherished with his own..." Fresh tears burned the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision. The words of the story seemed true of her situation. She sniffled softly and wiped the tears with the back of her sleeve, forcing herself to continue. "The hunter decided that come spring he would win back his love, Princess Anika, and make her his own."
--
"So you see the improved chip system in the Z model creates better timing response than the previous model. In short, less complicated terms it makes the bike a lot faster." Natsuki chuckled at her own over exaggerated explanation of the sport bike she'd been eyeing in the new edition of Motor Weekly. The worn magazine was tossed onto the cot as she leaned over the steaming tray of food one of the nurses had brought in. A couple things were pushed around with the ends of the chopsticks. "Ugh.." She groaned.
She wasn't a five star chef. That much she understood but why hospital food had to be so utterly detestable was beyond her comprehension. Surely with all of the funding they could afford at least one decent cook on the premises. A sigh passed those plump lips as she shoved a carrot, or what looked to be a carrot, into her mouth and chewed.
Nimble fingers thumbed through the pages of the magazine lazily as another 'carrot' was popped into her mouth. It crunched audibly while being consumed. "Mm,... Nice model." She commented absentmindedly, those emerald eyes scanning the page in front of her. Something nagged at her insides and her thin brows furrowed, head lifting toward the hospital bed. Crimson eyes were once again staring at her.
Instantly the magazine was forgotten. Natsuki stood, closing the distance between her and the newly awakened Shizuru by taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "Shizuru... You're awake, how do you feel?" She asked worriedly, reaching out to take one of her friend's hands into her own. It had been two days since the incident with the feeding tube. Since then Shizuru hadn't stirred, not even from her dreams.
Crimson eyes stared blankly at Natsuki, looking almost confused as they processed each movement the blue haired girl made.
"Shizuru?" Natsuki said softly, tilting her head with furrowed brows. Why wasn't she answering?
The brunette looked past Natsuki to the magazine the girl had been reading and to the blue haired Hime's surprise a gentle smile tugged her friend's lips. Well that had to be a good sign, right? Natsuki grabbed the magazine and grinned sheepishly. "I guess my boring rants about motor bikes finally woke you, huh?"
Still there was no answer. Rather Shizuru looked past Natsuki and the magazine she was holding to the tray of food left unattended on the cot. Emerald eyes followed her friend's line of sight and she smirked. "You're hungry?" She asked, quickly grabbing up the tray and offering out a bite of 'carrot' to her friend's mouth. Natsuki was utterly shocked when Shizuru opened up and accepted the bite, chewing gratefully.
"Wow..." She murmured under her breath and offered another bite out, this time wrapping some noodles around the chopsticks in addition to the 'carrots'. The brunette ate happily, her eyes closed contently and a small smile turning the corners of her mouth. It was really quite astounding.
A few moments later and the tray sat pushed aside, empty. Shizuru reclined against the multitude of pillows behind her back and Natsuki still sat Indian style at her side. "So you finally wake up and the first thing you want to do is eat... I can understand that." The bluenette said with a smile. Inside her stomach was uneasy but she managed to hide any concern she had. At the moment it would suffice just to have her friend awake and seemingly in such high spirits.
"Hello... Oh..." The familiar voice of Dr. Shinobu announced his presence even before he was in the room. Once the door was pushed open though he stood in the hallway shocked to see the brunette up and alert. "You're awake then, Ms. Fujino?" He asked a smile on his lips. Shizuru looked in his direction but said nothing, quickly turning her eyes back to Natsuki.
"Uh she woke up and ate but she hasn't said anything yet." Natsuki said, rubbing the back of her neck gingerly. The doctor gave a nod and motioned for her to follow him into the hallway. She gave a reassuring smile to Shizuru and then vanished right behind Dr. Shinobu. "What's up?" She asked, leaning her back against the wall.
"Well it's interesting she's finally awake again but you said she hasn't spoken?" His grey brows furrowed causing his face to wrinkle slightly. Natsuki gave a nod as her only reply. She didn't quite see what the problem was considering her friend was awake and hadn't tried to bolt. Not only that but she'd eaten willingly! That in its self should have been a huge success. However as she stood there with the doctor looking down at her she couldn't help but feel a little unnerved.
He rubbed his chin and nodded. "I see. Well then please Ms. Kuga, keep an eye on her." His head bowed slightly as he turned and left Natsuki with her thoughts. Her lips pursed in question but he was already gone so she turned and went back into the room. Upon entering she stopped and raised a brow.
"Eating and now this..." She murmured while carefully taking a seat on the edge of the bed. At some point the brunette had reached over and seized the motorcycle magazine and now sat quietly scanning the pages with those beautifully entrancing crimson eyes.
"I never knew you were into this kind of stuff." Natsuki said as she scooted a little closer to Shizuru, pointing out something on the page. "There's one like I have." She patted the picture of the Ducati taking up most of the center spread. Shizuru looked at the bike and then up to Natsuki with a warm smile that crinkled her eyes. Emerald broke contact with crimson and she cleared her throat quietly while reading the paragraph under the photo. "Ducati's enhancements with handling and speed have put them at the top of the racing world. They're known world wide as the number one company for sports bikes."
To be sitting side by side reading about motorcycles was strange enough but for Shizuru to seem interested was somewhat mind boggling to the bluenette. However she obliged happily. They made it through the entire magazine before Shizuru seemed content and rested against the pillows, allowing her crimson eyes to close part way.
"Are you tired?" Natsuki asked quietly as she adjusted the blankets over her friend. She began to stand but her wrist was caught. With a soft gasp she found herself tugged down beside Shizuru and snuggled up against. At first her body was rigid against her friend's but as the brunette's breath grazed softly against her neck and began to even out she found her own body seemed to relax.
A hand came up to wrap its self in chestnut colored hair, stroking it tenderly. "Ah.. Shizuru.." Natsuki whispered quietly to herself as her friend drifted off once again. However this time it wasn't a forced sleep. It seemed to embrace Shizuru, gently lulling her into the land of dreams. Those crimson eyes fluttered in a futile effort causing Natsuki to smile sweetly. "Sleep.. It's alright, I'm here." She'd said while massaging her friend's scalp.
Shizuru's hand clung to the front of Natsuki's t-shirt, preventing her from leaving. The bluenette smiled and placed a most tender, secret kiss upon Shizuru's temple after she'd drifted off completely. She quickly found she couldn't untangle herself. She would wake her friend if she did, so she settled back and turned into the older girl's embrace. Her eyes scanned the seemingly peaceful face of the brunette before she did something that shocked herself... She nuzzled into Shizuru and closed her eyes with a quiet yawn.
"Sweet dreams, Shizuru..."
--
When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,
Thy youth's proud livery so gazed on now,
Will be a tattered weed of small worth held:
Then being asked, where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days;
To say within thine own deep sunken eyes,
Were an all-eating shame, and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserved thy beauty's use,
If thou couldst answer 'This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count, and make my old excuse'
Proving his beauty by succession thine.
This were to be new made when thou art old,
And see thy blood warm when thou feel'st it cold.
Dark blue tresses fell across her shoulders as her head bowed ever slightly, emerald eyes hidden behind closed lids. At the corner of her mouth her lip twitched and a slow sigh passed through them. Natsuki was taking her bow after displaying her shabby prowess as a reader of literary classics. Across the room crimson eyes danced with mirth as they surveyed the beautiful biker in all of her proud, momentary glory.
"And that my lady is how you read Shakespeare." Natsuki grinned and closed their distance, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. The book she'd been holding was tossed aside and she flopped forward onto her stomach, leaning her chin into her hands.
It was Saturday afternoon...
Two more days had passed since Shizuru woke again and each night henceforth Natsuki had slept by her friend's side. It was somewhat uncomfortable at first with the bed only really being big enough for one person but the brunette had found a quick way to solve their problems. She'd simply pushed Natsuki down onto her back and curled herself atop the biker, thus ending the constant squirming of the other girl. Natsuki hadn't argued.
On the first morning Natsuki had slept with Shizuru in her arms she'd been greeted by the sight of two shimmering crimson eyes staring down at her when she awoke. Her cheeks instantly flushed and she bolted out of the bed and into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror she noted the color of her cheeks and sighed. Even now Shizuru found a way to make her blush so furiously. It was annoying.
However the next morning when she'd stirred and found those same eyes upon her, she didn't run away. It seemed this time it had more of a calming effect. She'd smiled up at Shizuru and bid her a good morning. Later she'd gotten them both some breakfast from the cafeteria. Somewhat burnt waffles. Delicious. She'd worked hard not to gag but to her surprise the brunette seemed to be enjoying them to the very last bite. It was a great sign and the doctor agreed wholeheartedly.
During the long days Natsuki opted to read to her friend instead of subjecting her to the fufu soap operas that polluted the airwaves in the afternoons. She'd just read another sonnet and much to her liking Shizuru was smiling her approval. It wasn't like Natsuki to read such material, let alone aloud to some one. Alas, there were only so many books to choose from.. They weren't in a library. It seemed to make Shizuru happy though. That was all that truly mattered.
As she watched Shizuru's eyes begin to droop she leaned forward and brushed the hair from them. "You're warm, Shizuru. Do you feel alright?" She asked, concern etched onto her face as she put the flat of her hand against the brunette's cheek. Shizuru gingerly took hold of the hand into both of her own and pressed her lips to the palm, causing the dark haired girl's cheeks to flush. "Nn,.. Idiot." She murmured as she brought her hand back from Shizuru's. The girl looked a little disappointed when Natsuki slid off of the bed to retrieve the nurse.
"She just feels warm is all and since she's not talking I..." Natsuki said as she shrugged her shoulders at the petite red-headed nurse she was now walking beside.
"I see, well let's take a..." The nurses words caught in her throat as the sounds of alarms began ringing in her ears. It was the IV and heart rate machinery in Shizuru's room. Natsuki blinked and then tore off down the hallway. Her feet thudded hard against the linoleum, her chest heaved with each ragged breath she forced into her lungs. She skidded to a halt in the doorway, her eyes wide.
Shizuru was standing near the window, gazing out at the sunset. The lines connected to her hands and arms had been pulled free when she stood up. They were tangled on the floor at her feet.
"Shizuru..." Natsuki whispered just as the nurse rounded the corner behind her. She pushed past the blue haired girl and rushed to the brunette's side, taking her by the wrist tenderly.
"Ms. Fujino.." She said but Shizuru jerked her arm away, spinning around confused. Her eyes narrowed and she stepped away from the nurse, looking as if she was about to bolt.
"Shizuru!" Natsuki called out and rushed to her friend's side, taking her hand and lacing it with her own. "It's alright, calm down." She said reassuringly while inching the brunette back to the bed. "Here.." She said with a small smile, helping her friend back into the bed and covering her with the sheet. "It's no good to walk around barefoot. You'll catch a cold..."
Crimson eyes seemed to light up a bit at the comforting words and gestures of the blue haired girl. Shizuru's body relaxed into the delicate embrace of the pillows and she yawned just slightly which caused Natsuki to chuckle. "I think you need to rest." She again cleared the stray hairs from her friend's eyes.
The nurse watched the interaction in silence and then turned to leave. "I will go and get her something to bring the slight fever down. Please excuse me." Natsuki nodded and watched in silence as the woman left, then her attention went right back to Shizuru who had never taken her eyes off of her.
"You gave us a scare; you shouldn't just jump up like that." The scolding was minor and Natsuki's voice held no real anger. How could she be mad at Shizuru? Her friend had stood up! She'd been mobile.. She actually had made an effort to get out of that damned bed. That was another good sign, right? The questions chased one another around in Natsuki's head but the excitement from seeing her friend up and moving never dulled.
When the nurse returned Shizuru was already dozing once again. She was woken much to the dismay of Natsuki and given some aspirin to keep the fever down, and then was allowed to slip back into her seemingly peaceful slumber. Natsuki remained by her side, tenderly stroking one pale cheek.
"You're strong aren't you? Underneath this frail exterior.." she whispered softly as her eyes scanned the silhouette of her friend in the darkness. The bringer of sleep tugged at her body but Natsuki refused to give in just yet. She was determined to keep watch over her friend, despite the fact her fever had already broken.
From her lap she lifted the brown, worn book and began reading. "The hunter kept his movements light as he snuck quietly through the over grown gardens. So close to his love, he trembled at the thought of holding her once more. His heart swelled and began to thud loudly behind his breast, so loudly he placed a hand over it to bid it be still, lest he be caught by the Moon God."
Her voice trailed at the last sentence, those eyes again settling on the sleeping form of Shizuru. Her heart strings tugged and she swallowed. Setting the book aside she leaned forward and tenderly traced the outline of her friend's lips with her index finger. To her surprise the tip of Shizuru's little, pink tongue peeked out and graced the digit. Natsuki shuddered and retreated, her breath now hitched considerably. The book was again lifted and she continued to read aloud...
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"Vitals have remained stable. It seems her protein as well as vitamin intake are up, the numbers look good on her new readings since she's willingly been eating. Even more amazing the wounds on her back seem to have healed at an accelerated rate." Dr. Shinobu adjusted the glasses on his nose and shook his head in amazement. "She's shown so much improvement, however you said she still hasn't spoken since?" His eyes fell on Natsuki who was situated across the desk from him, her arms across her chest loosely.
She was currently eyeing the white wash walls, going over the many plaques that hung upon them. Graduate degrees, Master degrees, several prestigious recognition certificates. He was quite the qualified doctor it seemed. When she finally noticed she was being spoken to her emerald eyes went from the pictures on his desk of various family members to him.
"No. She hasn't said a word." She said in a low voice, casting her eyes to the multi-colored tiled floor. The doctor nodded his head in response and scribbled something onto his clipboard.
"Well." He began while he sat up and took a long pull from the steaming mug of coffee in front of him. "It would seem to me that besides that she's quite well. I'm not sure there is anything else we can do for her here." His words were true enough. Thanks to the time the feeding tube had been in place Shizuru's body had managed to recover considerably. Then of course there was the small miracle of her wanting to eat on her own.
It also seemed she'd been a lot better off without the nurses constantly buzzing around her. After the knock the head nurse had taken at the hands of the tawny haired Hime, no one wanted to take any risks so they only came to the room when necessary. Who could blame them, Natsuki had thought, if only they knew the true power of Shizuru Fujino. She'd shuddered thinking about it.
"So what are you saying?" The blue haired Hime asked in a gruff voice. It was evident she was annoyed but then again she had been annoyed for a while now.
Ever since the other night..
"Hold her down please!" Dr. Shinobu yelled while trying to inject a needle into Shizuru's arm. She was fighting him with every ounce of strength she could muster. The nurses swarmed, pinning the brunette to the bed by her arms and legs. Much to the dismay of Natsuki she could only stand by and watch as two nurses blocked her path from getting directly involved.
"You're hurting her!" She'd cried out, while trying to force her way to her friend's side. They'd finally managed to pull a needle full of blood from the brunette and the doctor retreated with it. Shizuru was lying on the bed, sobbing quietly under the rough hands of the nurses that held onto her.
They'd released her a moment later and left the room, leaving Natsuki standing there at the foot of the bed. Carefully she'd approached her friend and climbed onto the bed, cradling Shizuru in her arms as she wept. "Shh,.. I got you.." She whispered while smoothing the girl's hair back.
She snapped back into reality when the doctor spoke up again. "I'm saying perhaps being out of the hospital and in a more comfortable, familiar setting, she might fully come back." He sighed. Truth was the silence on the part of the red-eyed girl unnerved him. She seemed responsive to the treatments provided and it was clear her body was healing nicely but why wouldn't she speak? He had no answer to that.
Natsuki's brows furrowed and she stood abruptly from the chair, knocking it back a couple inches. "I can take her home then?" The doctor nodded while handing over the clipboard he'd previously been scribbling on.
It was a release form.