A/n: Due to a review that I received, I did make one small change in the last chapter. It was pointed out to me that I was misusing the idea of what hospice really is. I should have known that, but I guess I wasn't thinking. No matter, it's fixed, but you probably wouldn't notice unless you read extremely close. Anyway, filler chapter, not much here. But after this things should take off once again. Disclaimer says that I do not own any of the characters or places in this piece of fiction, if I did, I certainly would be writing this for free. Gin~
Rikku listened intently for some time as she heard Auron scrounging around in her kitchen. She couldn't see him from her place on the couch thanks to the wall that divided the space in half. She spent some time wiggling her toes as much as she could before that got boring. A loud crashing snapped her attention back to the matter at hand.
"Everything alright in there?" She shouted worried that maybe he was doing something wrong and breaking her things.
When she received no answer, Rikku thought she had better do some investigating. There was only one problem. Her body refused to obey, not that she should have been shocked. After her accident she couldn't really feel much from her lower back down. But, at least one thing remained. Her ability to use her arms and hands.
Rikku smirked, she always did pride herself on her upper arm strength. After all, with a brother like hers around, she needed it. Pushing off on the back of her couch, Rikku flung herself to the floor. She landed with a soft plop, but was otherwise fine. She held her breath waiting to see if Auron would come and see what the sound was. For several tense seconds she lay there watching the doorway. With a scowl, she began pulling her body across the carpeted floor. It wasn't easy, but at least the apartment wasn't so big that she had far to go.
She had just reached the kitchen when Auron must have decided it was time to check up on her. He must not have thought to look down, because she felt his heavy foot step on her hand, his ankle catch her wrist, then his body falling over her before it hit the floor.
"Rikku..." He grumbled once he saw where she was.
Rikku grinned trying to act as innocent as possible. "Well I did try and call out to you, you know. How was I supposed to know you would choose just this moment to come for me?" She snapped back at him as she twisted the upper portion of her body to see him better. "Now, you wanna tell me what that crash was? Or do I have drag myself out and see for myself?"
He was already picking himself up from the floor glaring at her the whole time, but Rikku was not about to be intimidated. "You were supposed to stay on the couch." he told her flatly as if trying to keep unchecked tempers at bay.
"And you are supposed to be taking care of me!" Rikku yelled back at him with a huff. "You left me alone where I could have fallen and gotten hurt!"
"Did you?" He stared down at her noting that she was still on the floor. Considering she was able to yell at him in anger, she couldn't have been injured by whatever means she used to get to the floor.
Rikku glared at him slack jawed before dropping her face to hide it into the green carpet. "I hate you."
He made a sound that wasn't quite considered a scoff, but not yet a chuckle either. "I'll take that as a no. Since it seems you are not in the mood to be alone, I suppose I should bring you out with me. It seems you need someone there to keep a closer eye on you." Before she even knew what happened, Auron was using one arm to reach down and pick her up once more. Rikku squeaked once in surprise before he very gently helped her to sit in one of her kitchen chairs. "I hope you will be happy now? You can see everything I am doing." He moved about the room as if he had been living there just as long as she. Rikku waited for the sounds of more dishes and pans crashing, but it never came. Within a half hour, dinner was set in front of her. She stared at it wondering if it really was edible. Picking up her fork, she stabbed at the food a few times attempting to see if maybe she might have to fight it off.
"Rikku, eat. Trust me, I didn't do anything to it," Auron huffed at her, and Rikku lifted her gaze to see he was already working on his portion.
Accepting that he was probably right, she took her first bite.....to find that it was actually good! "Mmm, where did you learn to cook like this?"
"One of the courses I was required to take included a culinary class. Standard procedure." He took another bite of his meal and said not another word.
While Rikku did enjoy the dinner in front of her, she had a hard time remaining silent. She was just the type of person who loved to talk, even if she had to suffer with the man next to her. It was at this point she noted that instead of him being across the table from her, he had pulled up a chair that was right next to her own. Pretending to eat, her lips pulled back into a sneaky grin. It was time to test just how close he was watching her.
Her eyes shifted back and forth from her plate to him before she allowed her body to fall slightly to the side as if she could not control herself. She fell all of one foot before an arm was wrapped around her holding her in place.
"I suggest you not do that. It is bad enough that you decided to crawl along the floor from the couch. This tile will hurt much worse than carpet. And I am sure you would not like it if I resort to restraining you you in place."
Rikku gasped as she looked up at him. He never looked down at her, simply continued on with his meal as if nothing was happening at all. "How did you do that?" She exclaimed in shock.
"Years of training. Now, eat your dinner." Huffing, she did as he said.
Report to: Cid Targe
From: Auron Marasame/ Luca Home Care Devision
Reason: Rikku Targe
Notes: Rikku is recovering slowly during this first month. She is strong willed and does not take instruction well. Although her questioning nature can be seen in many ways. It has been a struggle to remain calm at all times, but so far all has gone well. I have taken the time to contact her place of employment and give them the details of her accident. They assured me that they would hold her placement until a more clear verdict can be seen as to her recovery.
The university of Luca has also been contacted. They are willing to work with her once classes resume in less then two months. She is eager to return, and I will be with her between each class to help transport her.
Auron glanced over the short report one last time before sealing it away inside a small manila envelope. It wasn't detailed, but for a first months report, what else was there to say? He had caught her in several attempts to try and walk alone, only for each one to end up in disaster. They fought more often then need be, but Cid would not be pleased to hear of that, so Auron only told him a small snippet of the truth. Eventually, Rikku would come to understand that he really did know what he was doing.
Today he had to take her down to her physical therapist for the second session of the week. This would be the sixth since her accident. Typically, he waited down the hall for her in the room provided for social workers such as him.
This time he was going to take the hour and just take a break. It had been a while since he visited the cafe, and he could use a drink. Holding the folder in one hand, Auron left the spare room he had taken up as his own and went to find Rikku. He had left her in the living room on the couch where she was mindlessly flipping through channels as if searching for something entertaining to watch.
"Time to go. I hope you are ready this time?"
"Aw, again? But I already went this week! And you know how I hate that guy. He smells!" Rikku lifted her face to whine at Auron, but he wasn't listening.
"This is for your own good. If you ever want to be able to walk again on your own, and for me to move out, I suggest you go and like it." Reaching over her, he grabbed the remote from her hand and turned off the screen. Throwing it out of her reach, he ignored her protesting shriek and picked her up. He almost dropped her once more as her fist connected with the side of his face. "Rikku, that's enough!" He shouted long passed trying to remain calm.
Rikku stopped at once. Her flailing arms rested on her lap and her legs hung from his arm. "I'm sorry, Auron. It's just that..." She trailed off and looked down away from his face that she was sure was full of anger. "Let's just go and get this over with."
Something bothered her, and Auron took note of this. While Rikku never liked going to these therapy sessions, for her to protest so violently spoke volumes. It seems as that drink he was so desperately needing was going to have to wait for another day. He had another job to do instead.
Rikku sat in the passenger seat with her arms over her chest sulking. Auron peeked over a few times as he drove across the city. He frowned in deep thought. She wasn't happy with him making her go to these sessions, but it was a necessary evil. He shoved the feeling of apprehension back to where it belonged, and turned the last corner to the office. Rikku still had not said a word, and worse then that, refused to even look at him.
Shaking his head, he stepped out of the vehicle and around to her side. His client refused to use a wheelchair, and her clientèle rights allowed her that freedom. It wasn't as if he minded having to carry her, she wasn't all that heavy, but it could be a bit of a annoyance. Especially at times like these when he had to hold Rikku in one arm and his briefcase in the other. That left him with no hands free to open the door.
He barely managed to tackle the problem with a little help from the girl in his arm. "Alright, Rikku. I'm going to sit you down right here. I'm just going to go let them know you have arrived." He told her as he set her into one of the open chairs and walked away.
Rikku nodded and watched him walk away and over to the counter. Her attention shifted as she glanced at the other people in the room with her. The man by the window was drooling as he stared at the wall next to him. She shivered once in disgust before looking to the next person. It was a darker skinned female, older then herself. She caught Rikku's eyes, but instead of seeming upset, she shyly waved. Rikku waved back before looking down at her feet as her face went hot. She refused to look up again and instead tried to wiggle her toes inside her sandals. She was busy doing just that when Auron returned.
"You are all set. Your therapist will be out soon to take you back." He stood next to her chair watching the others in the room with a critical eye.
It took almost a half hour, but Rikku soon heard her name being called. A wheelchair was brought out for her, and she reluctantly took her place in it with Auron's help. "We will be back within an hour." The therapist smiled a little too friendly for Auron's liking. "Help yourself to some coffee while you wait." He turned the chair and headed down the hall and out of sight.
Auron sat down in the chair he had set Rikku into. Opening his briefcase, he checked over his notes making corrections as need be. But for some reason, he was unable to keep his mind focused on the pages in front of him. Closing the case, he stood. Making his way to the front desk, he questioned the receptionist there, "Pardon me, but where can I find a restroom?"
The woman looked up from the screen in front of her and pointed him down the hall. To his relief, it was the very same one Rikku had been taken down. After thanking the woman, Auron checked around him before heading down. Once he was out of view of others, he began his hunt for where his client may have been taken to. He found the therapy rooms without any trouble, but now it was a matter of finding which one was in use. On the wall next to each door was a clear plastic bin about the same size and shape as a folder. Looking farther down, he noted the several of them were filled. Pulling one out of its place, he checked the contents inside. "Bingo." He whispered as he made his way down the hall checking each bin that held a folder. He smirked as he found the one with Rikku inside. The fact that it was the last one at the end of the hall caught his attention most of all.
Taking a deep breath, Auron cracked the door open in order to hear inside. He could hear two voices. One of them was certainly Rikku. He listened for a few minutes trying to make sure his fears would be ungrounded. His stomach dropped from what he heard.
"Remove your hand, sir. You know there is no reason for it to be that low."
"Miss Targe, I told you, this is the best way to make sure you are using every muscle possible." Auron could almost hear the anger pouring from Rikku.
"Look, you may be one of the best physical therapists around, but that does not give you permission to do as you please."
"Ha! Like threats ever bother me. If you hated it so much, why do you keep coming back?" The man's voice lowered a little and Auron had to strain in order to hear him. "I know you like it, that's why you never told Marasame."
He had heard enough. It was time to intervene. Throwing the door open, Auron saw the two freeze in place. Rikku was being held in place between two bars, using her arms to keep herself from falling to the floor. The therapist was behind her, one hand on the inside of her thigh, while the other rested on her butt. They both stared at Auron in various expressions of stupor.
Auron took his chance and was the first to speak. "I suggest you remove your hand from her derrière, or else I will be forced to make a new hole in yours."
With wide eyes, the man thrust his hands to his sides. Without the extra support, Rikku began to slide to the ground. Auron moved to catch her before she fell completely. As soon as he was sure she was unharmed, he lifted his face to glare at the therapist. It wasn't just a simple 'I'm angry, you're in trouble' look either. The other man actually whimpered in fear.
"What you have done here is completely out of line. How many other woman have you attempted to seduce? I hope it was worth it, because after today, you won't be doing it ever again. I'll make sure of that." Lifting his client up in one hand again, Auron left the man alone in the room. Gathering his belongings on his way out, he made one stop at the reception desk before leaving. The lady looked at him oddly before handing over the requested papers.
Rikku trembled in the car. Her fingers twitched uncontrollably as she gripped hold of her shorts to gain control of them again. Auron drove the car faster and with more frustration then she had ever seen him use before. He turned corners quickly and revved the engine every time he came to a light. She wanted to say something, anything, but feared that he would snap should she do so.
He arrived back at her apartment and carried her in. He left her sitting on the couch and disappeared into the room he had claimed for himself. A feeling of shame filled her then. He was angry at her, and there was no doubt in her mind as to why. Her chin fell to her chest as tears formed in her eyes. Rikku sniffed once before the first of many drops landed in her lap.
"It's all my fault. I should have said something. Now Auron's gonna make me feel even worse then he already does now." Her hands came up and covered her face, yet the tears kept coming. All she succeeded in doing was collect the drops in one place.
Auron stared hard at the papers in front of him. The envelope to Cid still sat next to him on the bed close by his hip. His left hand hovered over the manila envelope before closing into a fist. A growl from deep in his throat escaped before he was able to stop it.
"I don't get it. She fights with me every chance she gets, but some random therapist harasses her and she allows it. Although this does explain why she was making no progress. The man wasn't focused on his job, he was focused on Rikku." Sighing, Auron leaned his head back into the bed frame behind him and closed his eyes. He knew he would have to do something about the therapist, but he would have to first find out why his client said nothing. She had been going to him for the past month, long enough for her to know that what he was doing wasn't proper.
He sighed once again before standing. It was getting close to dinner time. He should get started on that, and then maybe he could take Rikku over to see her cousin. He could sure use the chance to talk to his friend at the same time.
Tidus laughed as he held onto Yuna's hand tightly. They had just come back from a day at the beach and were quite exhausted. It had been fun, but playing under the sun since early morning took a lot out of a person. She seemed content though, if a little sore. Her pale skin couldn't handle as much of the harsh rays of the sun and so she was sporting a bit of a burn over her shoulders and on her cheeks.
Pulling into her driveway, he went silent as he noted the addition of two extra cars beside the house. "Dad? What's he doing here?"
"And it looks like Auron is here too. Something must be up. It's been years since all three of them got together like this. And knowing Auron, his job would mean Rikku is here too." Her bi-colored eyes brightened up a little as she thought about her cousin. It had been awhile since she saw her, the last time being before she was permitted to leave the hospital.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go inside and say hi." Tidus turned off the engine and shoved his keys into his pocket as soon as he was outside the car. He opened the trunk and gathered the things they took to the beach as Yuna opened the door for him to enter. As she entered the house, she got the shock of a lifetime.
Jecht, Auron, her father, and Rikku all sat at the kitchen table. The men were staring at Rikku and she had her head bowed as if she were ashamed of one thing or another. Right away, Yuna went to her cousin's side. "Rikku, what's going on? What happened?"
Rikku pulled her hand back out of Yuna's grasp and looked away. "Nothing. It's nothing at all."
Jecht scoffed before loudly protesting, " Nothing? A man sexually harasses you and you call it nothing? And what's worse, is that you let him continue for a month like this!" It was at this point that Yuna noticed that her father's friend was dressed in uniform.
A loud crash brought all attention to the blond standing at the door. He had dropped everything after hearing his father shout. "Rikku? Is that true? I thought you said...."
"I didn't say anything!" She finally blurted out. Everyone could see Rikku was holding back tears, but it was inevitable that they would fall soon. She couldn't even escape the stares of everyone because she couldn't walk away. "Look, I thought I could handle it alone, okay! Are you happy now? I never expected him to come after me!" Her hand shook as she thrust one finger in Auron's direction.
"Rikku, in Auron's defense, you did punch him in an effort to resist going. I think that was reason enough for him to suspect there was something up," Braska gently spoke up. Rikku whimpered as he went on, "Rikku, if you will just tell us what he said and how often, we can make sure events like this do not happen again."
Jecht sat across from her with an open notepad in hand. His pen hovered over the paper waiting for her to speak. Yuna and Tidus listened close as she began to tell her story. Several gasps could be heard from most, but she managed to tell all that happened.
It seemed like the man was trustworthy enough to begin with, but the more she was taken to see him, the braver Rikku's therapist became. His hands went higher, his words more bold and heated. Then he did the one thing they should have expected from the beginning. He threatened Rikku. Jecht wrote every word he could into his pad. There was simply too much that he wasn't able to get it all, but he was able to get the majority of it.
"I think I have enough here to put the man away. Rikku, do you recall if he said anything about doing this to any other young woman?" Shaking her head no, Jecht grunted. "That's alright. The district will have a way to find out. If you will excuse me, I have to get back to the police headquarters. Give me a day, but I think I have enough here to issue a warrant." With a slight nod, he placed his hat on his head and left the house.
Tidus watched him go, but stayed behind in an effort to offer comfort to his friend. Taking hold of one of Rikku's hand, he noticed Yuna had the other. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He questioned. Rikku shook her head and stared at the table in front of her.
Yuna's eyes were wet with her own tears after hearing the story. It was hard to believe that someone could say and do things like what she just heard. "How about if you stay here with me tonight? I don't have to work in the morning, and I think you need someone with you tonight."
"That is an excellent idea, Yuna!" Braska agreed brightly. He then turned to face Auron. "What say you? It will be a chance for you to have a break. I can take care of Rikku for one night. Besides, you both need a chance away from one another."
Auron cleared his throat as if thinking the offer over. He remained silent for a few minutes before speaking for the first time in over an hour. "I suppose she can stay. I will have to log this in her records though."
"Not a problem. Tidus, Yuna, help Rikku to the living room. I would like to speak to Auron alone for a moment."
The two younger people each took hold of one side of Rikku and helped lift her into the next room. It took some effort before they made it. Braska waited until he was sure not to overheard before speaking.
"How goes it? You and my niece getting along alright?" There was a faint smile on his face as he spoke.
"As well as to be expected. I still don't understand why you put me in this position. What have I ever done to you?"
Braska smiled again before standing and getting himself a drink. He sipped at it before giving the answer he knew Auron would certainly not like. "Auron, you have been taking care of others for as long as I have known you. But tell me, how much care do you really do? It's one thing to provide basic needs, but another to provide what they, and you, need most. I figured that Rikku could be the one to teach that to you."
Auron scoffed. "Right." He pushed the chair back making a loud scraping sound on the floor. "Have fun tonight. I'll be busy relaxing, my way. Don't bother calling if you have trouble. I'm off for the night." Without another word, Auron left his friend standing alone in the kitchen.