Shattered Innocence
Frozen
Yuki told himself he could have a minute. A minute to just sit there, breathe, and to not give into the panic that was threatening to freeze him from the inside.
A few deep breaths later the Rat reached for the phone once more, quickly ringing up his school.
"Hello Matsuri-san," he greeted the school secretary, "this is Sohma Yuki. I'm afraid there has been a family emergency and I won't be returning to school today."
He nodded politely at the phone as the ever-concerned woman replied and wished him well.
"Yes, thank you Matsuri-san."
He debated asking a note to be sent to Tohru, but didn't want their classmates to know that she was staying with them. It wouldn't be proper. However…
"Could you please inform my cousin Momiji to bring by my school work?" He knew telling Momiji would lead to the Rabbit telling Hatsuharu and Tohru.
Yuki smiled his thanks and hung up, hand shaking as he placed the phone in its cradle.
He didn't necessarily want everyone to know how much Kyou had been hurt. But they did need to know that Akito was out of control and he was sure Hatori or Shigure would know what to say.
Speaking of.
Hatori had told him to cover Shigure in a blanket if possible, shock, he guessed, but it was early spring now and he wasn't sure where the Dog had moved all of his blankets from the colder months.
He did know that Shigure always had a collection of haoris in the front hall closet though, so he quickly fetched one and draped it as best as he could over the Dog. Shigure still hadn't awoken, but his breathing seemed to be rather steady.
The wound on his head seemed to be sealing itself as well, as Yuki touched it and came away with flecks of dried blood on his hands. Shigure moaned softly at the contact and his eyes flickered beneath his lids.
"Shigure?" Yuki whispered, reaching out and gently shaking his cousin's shoulder. "Shigure?"
"Mmmm… did you get the… plate number?" the Dog mumbled.
"Plate number? No! You were attacked. Do you remember?"
And all of a sudden Shigure was sitting, although he groaned not a second later at the mix of vertigo and the pain in his head.
"Kyou," he said, panic lacing his voice, and placed a hand on the ground to attempt to rise to his feet.
He didn't make it up from his crouch before a spell of dizziness took over and only Yuki racing to quickly help support his weight made sure he didn't crash back to the floor.
"Akito was here," Yuki said, watching as the Dog grimaced and placed a shaky hand to his face as Yuki helped lower him back to the floor.
"He's gone?" Shigure clarified.
Yuki nodded. "I got home and I found him upstairs with Kyou. I… uh… sort of kicked him out. Literally. He left a few minutes ago."
"Good job," Shigure said with a tight smile, which Yuki returned with a concerned one.
Yuki knew there was a complicated relationship between Akito and Shigure. Shigure was the Dog, steadfastly loyal and that loyalty was expected to be directed to the Head of their house.
However, Shigure seemed to have found a new loyalty, one that did not include the head of house. He had done what Akito had not expected – he'd moved out. He'd been able to rescue Yuki from the main compound. He had taken in Kyou, the cursed Cat. And he had a non-family member under his wing.
And it made Akito both loathe and love Shigure. Yuki had seen it, the way Akito would go from smoldering anger to firmly believing that Shigure would come back to him, tail between his legs.
Shigure, despite knowing what Akito had done to younger members of the family, somehow always maintained a pleasant demeanor when he was in the presence of the Head, even kind at times.
That had always set Yuki on edge, afraid if he did too much to intrude on the Dog's space he would throw him back to Akito. After all, he was the Dog. He aimed to please.
But whatever had happened last night and now this morning, Yuki was realizing that Shigure would never abandon him. The Dog had attached his loyalty to his young charges and now he was Akito's target too.
But Yuki had just painted a target on his own back with his actions. And Akito was not one to forget such a display.
"I called Hatori," Yuki said, as he helped settle Shigure against a wall. "He's on his way."
Shigure gave the slightest of nods, his eyes somewhat glazed as he looked towards Yuki.
"Concussion," Yuki thought, remembering how one of his classmate's had looked after being pegged in the head with a ball during physical education. Shigure wasn't going to be going anywhere for a while.
"I'm going back upstairs," Yuki said slowly, not sure what he could do for Kyou, but knowing he had to do something. "Can you stay right here till Hatori gets here?"
"I have to go upstairs," Shigure said, trying to struggle once more to his feet, but Yuki had stood and pressed gently down on his shoulders.
"You're injured. I think you have a concussion," Yuki said. "Just stay right here till Hatori comes. Please?"
Shigure must have heard the plea in the last word because his eyes focused just a little bit and took in his younger cousin's face.
"Are you okay, Yuki?"
Yuki looked startled. Was he that easy to read? "I'm fine."
"Listen closely," Shigure said suddenly very serious, meeting Yuki's amethyst eyes with his own warm brown. "I will do everything in my wer to protect you. Understand? I may have failed this time," he said bitterly, "but I will never willingly let Akito lay a hand on you or anyone under my protection ever again."
Yuki ducked his head, feeling his cheeks warm at the declaration. No one had ever offered to protect him like that. No one had ever been willing to step into the path of Akito's wrath.
"Arigato," he said quietly. "For everything."
Shigure closed his eyes and Yuki took that as his cue to head upstairs and see if there was anything he could do for Kyou.
The Cat was exactly where Yuki had left him, although the black and white cat that had scratched him earlier was curled up next to Kyou's face, purring softly and nuzzling its head against the boy's cheek.
The orange-haired boy tensed as he heard a footstep creak on the floor, but Yuki sank quietly down on the floor next to him.
"It's just me," he said quietly. Kyou had stopped crying, he noticed, but he was still trembling beneath the blanket.
"How…?" Kyou started, voice terribly hoarse from screaming and crying.
"A bunch of cats came to the classroom," said Yuki. "That one," he nodded at the cat in the room, "ran with me all the way here."
"And Shigure?"
"I think he's got a concussion. Hatori is on his way here."
Kyou nodded very slightly, eyes still closed.
"Can I… can I get you anything?" Yuki asked, bringing a hand very gingerly to rest on Kyou's shoulder under the blanket.
The Cat flinched violently at the contact, but then relaxed slightly when the cat gave his cheek a little lick.
"Some water?" Kyou asked quietly.
"Give me just a moment."
Yuki hurried out of the room and down to the kitchen to retrieve a glass, as he'd noticed the broken one smashed against the wall in Kyou's room. Shigure seemed to have passed out again and was slumped against the wall.
He hurried back up and placed the glass on the floor.
"I'm going to help you sit up, okay?"
Kyou, face tight with pain, gave a nod and Yuki as gently as he could, wrapped an arm about his cousin's shoulders and pulled him against him to a sitting position.
Kyou barely suppressed a scream as he felt all of the wounds from the whip and the knife stretch and his broken bones jar.
He couldn't see his wrists, hidden beneath the blanket, but he knew both were broken. And his beads were dangerously close to slipping off. And if he were to turn into that thing right now…
He felt the cool rim of the glass pressed against his lips and took a small, grateful swallow. He hated that the Rat was being this kind to him. He hated the pity he could feel.
But if there was anyone who even knew slightly what he was going through… it would be the boy crouched next to him. And that somehow made his assistance bearable.
"Hey Rat?" Kyou asked softly after his second sip of water. "My beads are… Akito almost ripped them off. Can you…?"
No one had ever touched his Juzu beads. No one except Akito when he cruelly forced Kyou to transform for him and his mother, before she'd died.
They were part of his curse and they were the one thing keeping him from turning into a monster. He couldn't trust anyone enough to not pull them off, whether out of hatred, curiosity or even accident. And here he was, asking the Rat of all people to help.
Yuki nodded and carefully slid the blanket down Kyou's left side so he could pick up the boy's arm out of the cocoon. The cat that had been keeping Kyou company gave a soft meow and jumped up to the windowsill to get out of the way.
The wrist was most definitely broken, hanging at a sickening angle. Yuki felt his stomach clench with nausea while Kyou looked at the appendage with a detached gaze, like he couldn't quite believe it was his wrist. And from what it sounded like, the other one would look just like this.
The bracelet had slipped partway over Kyou's hand from the awkward angle, and too much more movement and it could possibly slide farther and over his thumb.
Yuki grabbed one of the beads and pulled it back up over the broken bone to midway up Kyou's arm, where it likely wouldn't slide down for a while.
It was then he was able to see more of the abuse he'd only glanced at briefly when he'd first come into the bedroom.
Angry whip marks cut across the visible part of his chest and upper arm and what looked like knife cuts slashed their way down his back. Dark, purpling bruises were peppered everywhere, including a nasty hand-print shaped one across his face.
Despite the relative warmth of the room from the afternoon sun Kyou continued to shiver and Yuki carefully pulled the blanket back up to cover his shoulder.
"Do you want to go back into the bed?" Yuki asked. He couldn't imagine the floor being the best, but Kyou shook his head and curled downwards so his hair hid his face.
Yuki heard the sound of the front door closing and rose quickly to his feet. "Sounds like Hatori is here. I'll be right back."
Kyou only gave a slight, miserable nod.
"Hatori?" Yuki called softly as he descended back to the main level. The doctor was already kneeling next to Shigure and prying open one of the Dog's eyelids.
"What happened?" came the short, but clearly concerned question.
"I don't know everything," Yuki said, coming to kneel next to Hatori. "But Akito came here and attacked Shigure and then attacked Kyou. Kyou… he's hurt really bad."
"Well, this idiot has a concussion," said Hatori, fondly. "But he'll be fine. Is Kyou much worse?"
Yuki gave a quick nod and Hatori's visible eye narrowed.
"How much?"
"Both wrists I know are broken," Yuki said quietly. "I didn't get a good look, but he's covered in bruises and cuts… I think from a whip. And a knife."
Hatori cursed softly, hand tightening where it rested on Shigure's shoulder.
"And… I think…"
The Dragon nodded for Yuki to continue.
"I think he was raped," he finished.
"What?" Hatori breathed.
"He was."
Both heads whirled to face Shigure, who had come to.
"Akito found him last night and took him back to the Main house," the Dog continued, feeling Hatori give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Beat him badly, carved some shit into his back… I woke up and had this instinct to go to Sohma house, where I found him and that… that bastard," his voice shook. "He was so pleased with himself. He implied he'd try again, but I never imagined he'd come back so soon."
"I'm going to go see him," Hatori said, standing up and grabbing his bag. "Yuki, can you get Shigure to his bed? He needs to lie down."
"I'm fine, really Hari," Shigure protested. "I need to be there for him," he added quietly. "This is my fault."
"Don't blame yourself for any of this," Hatori said firmly. "I mean it, Shigure."
The Dog sighed but nodded.
"All right," Hatori said after a moment. "Shigure, come upstairs with me. Yuki, could you make us some tea? And get an ice pack for Shigure? If I require your assistance I will call for you."
Yuki nodded. He was torn – on the one hand he wanted to help his cousin. On the other, he was afraid to see all that Akito had done. And he wasn't sure if the Cat would even want him there.
He retreated to the kitchen to brew a pot of tea (and hopefully avoid somehow burning water) and Hatori headed for the stairs, one of Shigure's arms around his neck for support.
"You have a pretty serious concussion and a nasty bump on the back of your head," Hatori cautioned as they approached Kyou's door. "I don't want you doing anything except sit there, got it? And if you feel too dizzy you need to lie down."
"Understood."
The two found Kyou exactly where Yuki had left him, except he'd hunched even further over, nose brushing the tops of his knees.
Shigure's eyes narrowed as he took in the trashed room, broken screens and glass littering parts of the floor.
"Kyou," Hatori said in his no-nonsense tone.
The Cat looked up, startled, ruby eyes glassy with pain and exhaustion.
The doctor knelt down next to him and gently placed a cool hand on his forehead, frowning at the temperature and the resulting flinch at the movement.
"You're running a slight fever," he informed his patient. "Probably from being out in the rain yesterday."
"M'sorry," he mumbled.
"Don't apologize. Now, I'm going to move you back to the bed. It's rather difficult to treat you on the floor."
As Hatori reached out to lift him, Kyou leaned back and hissed in pain, panicked. He knew that Hatori would never hurt him. Hatori was here to help. But everything just hurtand moving sounded awful. Touching him at all sounded awful. He'd rather just stay right here and wait for it all to stop.
"Kyou," Shigure said, sitting down a bit unsteadily next to him. "You need to let Hatori move you to the bed."
"You okay?" Kyou asked.
"Ah, just a knock to the head," Shigure said, attempting to smile. "And a touch of a concussion."
"M'sorry," he repeated. ""s my fault you're hurt."
"No, no, don't go saying things like that." Shigure reached out and placed his own hand on Kyou's shoulder, giving it a very slight squeeze. "None of this is your fault. At all. No need to apologize for anything. All you have to do is let Hatori help you. Can you do that?"
A very slight nod was his answer.
"I'm going to give you a mild sedative," Hatori said, filling up a small syringe. "It'll knock you out for a little bit and help with the pain. Okay?"
Another nod.
"All right. I'm going to pull the blanket off your right arm so I can reach your vein."
Hatori gently slid the comforter off said shoulder and gently gripped Kyou's upper arm so he could pull the appendage free. Ignoring the small lacerations covering the arm for now, he slid the needle in.
Kyou stiffened, fighting back tears, but within seconds was slumping forward in unconsciousness.
Hatori very carefully picked him up and brought him back to the bed, while Shigure moved to get the tea cups from outside the room and a bag of ice. He'd heard Yuki leave them just moments ago and wished he'd somehow heard Akito enter his house. For all his excellent hearing as the Dog it had really failed him when he needed it most.
Hatori called downstairs for Yuki to bring him a basin of fresh water and some towels and Shigure righted the knocked over desk chair and seated himself at Kyou's bedside, pressing the ice to his head.
He placed his hand against Kyou's forehead, feeling the burn of the fever raging.
But Kyou, unconscious, couldn't feel the heat.
He could only feel the cold. The fear. The pain.
He felt frozen.
xx
xx
Author's Notes:
So, looks like I'm back?
You can all thank my sister for this. She requested for Christmas (two years ago? xD) that I write some of this story. I decided to go further (since I was taking so long) and finish it. So, you can expect a completed version of Shattered Innocence to be within your grasp in the next couple of weeks.
I'm planning to post a chapter each Saturday and thinking there's going to be about 13 total chapters. As you might be able to see by the dates, it has been a legit 10 years since I originally posted this story. Lots of life things have happened, but I won't bore you here. Just know that my writing style has (obviously) had some changes. I've gone back and edited the original three chapters to bring them more in line with my current style, so hopefully the effect is not too jarring.
Thank you all for reading, whether you've been waiting for a decade or are brand new to the fic. I hope you enjoyed it and I'd certainly love to hear your comments about it in a review below. Reviews make authors happy and happy authors update faster!
For anyone from my other series who have spotted this update, I'm afraid no other stories have made any forward progress. But I am hoping to keep this momentum and update something for y'all soon. :)
Updated October 17, 2015
