Chapter Nine
Visions of the Past
As the group dispersed for the night, Darien returned to the hospital to check in on Rei. He had visited her off and on during the day, and having heard Andrew had taken her case, he was curious to see how his best friend was holding up. Andrew was a gentle soul, and he knew these recent events were bound to take a toll on him. Expecting to see Andy keeping vigilant watch over his charge, he was surprised to see the room empty, save a few nurses.
"Has Dr. Foreman been in here recently?" he asked.
They shrugged as they took Rei's vitals. "He left about an hour ago," one of them replied. "The guy was white as a sheet and looked like he had just run up three flights of stairs. Dr. Keslon sent him home before he became a patient himself. I think he's taking this epidemic pretty hard."
Darien nodded absently and bent to examine his friend. There had been no change from when he had seen her last, and in her case, no news was good news. She seemed to be holding her own, for now, but he knew that things could change dramatically in the blink of an eye, and they could lose her. He shook his head stubbornly. It wouldn't end that way. It couldn't. When the nurses had left, he sat on the bed next to her, relaying the battle to her, more to comfort himself than her.
"We have a new enemy," he told her. "And a new…ally I guess. The guy's a character, but he saved our lives. I can't wait til you get a look at him."
He leaned towards her, his voice now a fervent whisper.
"Please Rei," he said. "You've got to pull through this. We need you now more than ever. Please come back to us."
It was well after midnight when Mina finally heard Andrew stumble into the dark bedroom. Fogged with sleep as she was, she could tell something was off. He sounded winded; as though he had run all the way home, and a moment later she heard the sound of vomiting coming from the bathroom. She sat up in bed, concern rising.
"Andrew?"
He gave her no reply as his stomach continued to heave, and she moved the covers aside and joined him in the bathroom, turning on the light as she entered.
"Oh, baby," she whispered. "Are you ok?"
He grasped the sink with white-knuckled hands, shuddering. He had been feeling strange all night, his stomach curling in violent knots. As his shift wore on, he could barely keep it together. Just after checking on Rei, he must have blacked out, for he couldn't remember anything after that. The next thing he knew he woke in the on-call room with a splitting headache and drenched in a cold sweat. One look at him and his chief resident immediately sent him home, saying he looked as though he'd collapse at any minute. The journey back to his apartment was a miserable one, full of confusion and fear. What was happening to him? Now, with Mina beside him, it looked like nothing but a bad case of stomach flu.
"It's been a bad night," he rasped, slowly lifting his head from the sink. No willing to frighten her, he made a quick excuse, one that was more or less the truth.
"I lost a few patients today."
Mina's heart jumped. "Rei, she's not-"
Andrew shook his head, the effort bringing on a fresh wave of nausea. "No, she's ok for the moment. But there were plenty of others. I…lost a little girl today. She was barely five years old. Thankfully the fever took her quickly. She…felt no pain.'"
He closed his eyes at the memory, her delicate face peaceful and still, her agonized parents weeping over her body. It was enough to make him sick again. Swallowing hard he shakily stood, feeling Mina's arms around his waist.
"I'm so sorry," she said against his shoulder. "I can't imagine how hard that was for you."
Andrew seemed to remember himself, for he turned and looked at her, cupping her chin in his hand.
"How could I be so selfish," he whispered. "Here I am, complaining about my troubles when your friend is fighting for her life. This is when you need me the most, and I can't even keep it together."
Mina shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "We can be there for each other," she told him. "We're going through the same thing, and we can hold each other up. I don't want to face this alone, and I'm so glad I don't have to."
He smiled and embraced her, the warm presence in his arms lending him strength. After a moment they broke away, and Mina re-entered the bedroom while he took a quick shower. He emerged minutes later, swaying slightly from weakness and fatigue, and Mina put him to bed. Now snuggled under warm blankets, Andrew fell asleep immediately, but Mina lay awake a bit longer, watching him. Guilt gnawed at her, for Ace still occupied her thoughts, and her stomach still fluttered when she thought of his hand grasping hers. It wasn't adultery, but she felt torn nonetheless. Angry with herself, she pressed closer to her boyfriend, hoping that with the coming of dawn, her sudden feelings for the handsome vigilante would fade as well. The battle was eventually won, for as she listened to Andrew's deep breathing and felt his strong heartbeat against her hand, sleep claimed her at last.
That was the night the dreams began.
Andrew stood on a white sand beach, his hair whipping in the wind. The sun was unusually bright, like high noon on a summer day. An ocean of deep blue spanned before him, waves crashing against the shore. He seemed to be scanning the horizon, deep in thought, when he saw her. She emerged from the water, like Aphrodite rising from the sea, long golden hair coiling down her back. She was naked before his gaze, her ivory skin shining in the sun. She approached him without fear, as if she had been seeking him out. They lay body to body on the sand, moving against each other in rhythm to the waves breaking over the shore. He felt alive in her embrace, every caress sparking a fire in his body. He could not see her face, but he felt every sensation, a wild passion that nearly drove him mad. He kissed her with a vengeance, as if this moment could end at any time…
And it did. With a jolt, Andrew's eyes snapped open. It was mid morning, bright sunlight streaming through the window. He was drenched in sweat, and he took in great gasps of air, as though he had spent the entire night under water. He lay back against the pillows, waiting for his racing heart to slow. The dream was the most vivid thing he had ever dreamt, and he still trembled with the ferocity of it. He had no clue who this woman was, but the things he felt for her could hardly be put into words. Every nerve tingled when he remembered her body molding against his, the passion with which he kissed her. At first he thought it could be Mina, but he had never been so driven by desire the way he was with the woman on the beach. He hungered for her, longed for her with every fiber of his being, and he didn't even know her name, and that was what scared him the most. He silently thanked his lucky stars that Dr. Kelson advised that he take the next day off, for he couldn't fathom the thought of administering to patients while that vision consumed his thoughts. He flushed in shame when he thought of Mina, glad that she had gone to school already; he couldn't imagine having to explain himself to her. Still shaken from the dream, the slight creaking of the door made him jump. To his relief, it was only Artemis, who had nudged the door open, padding across the room and jumping onto the bed. With a sigh, he invited the cat onto his lap, scratching him behind the ears.
"Unbelievable," he said to the feline. "One racy dream and I turn into a skittish rabbit. I must be losing my mind. At least I know I won't get any grief from you, eh kitty?"
The white cat looked back at him, his eyes curiously sharp and intelligent, as though he understood every word. Andrew shook his head. Now he was just being paranoid.
It must be my guilty conscience he thought glumly, sitting up. I'm dreaming of another woman, and all of a sudden I think I'm gonna get the third degree from a cat. Ridiculous!
With a groan, he stood and headed towards the door, looking back at Artemis still sitting on the bed, blinking curiously at him.
"Well come on," he said, waving in the direction of the kitchen. "Do you want breakfast or not? I don't know about you, but I'm starved."
Not waiting to see if Artemis followed, Andrew trudged into the kitchen to find food then made his way to the bathroom to take another shower-a really, really cold shower.
Later that day, after taking another trip to hospital to see Rei, the girls met again at the Cherry Hill Temple, and this time, Darien was present. He crossed his arms as they gushed over their newest ally, if one could call him that. He was alluring and mysterious, skilled yet vague, and, of course, impossibly gorgeous. As the group de-briefed over snacks, Kaitou Ace was all they could talk about.
"The guy was seriously smokin," Lita commented, diving through a bag of chips. "Using razor-sharp playing cards to set us free? Honestly, that's gotta be the hottest thing I've ever seen a man do. I don't know about you guys, but Ace can rescue me any day of the week."
"And what about Ken?" Serena asked, casting a sideways glance at the blushing brunette. "Are you just gonna drop him for some masked man who saves your life once?"
Lita's blush deepened, but she plowed on. "You have to admit, it was pretty darn cool what he did, not to mention the fact that he did save our butts last night."
"That is true," Serena conceded. "He came in when we needed him. Even when Darien couldn't pull it off, Ace showed up and gave Diamond and that woman a beating they won't soon forget. He's got a big target on his back now, and I think we should help protect him, since he helped us."
Darien scoffed behind her. "You really think that cocky kid would accept our help?" he said doubtfully. "He said it himself. He fights alone. So I say we let him do his thing, and we do ours. We've been doing just fine so far, and we don't need some white-collared vigilante swooping in and coming to our rescue every time."
Serena eyed him suspiciously. "Funny, considering that's what you were," she pointed out. "For the longest time, we didn't know whether you were friend or foe, especially when you started taking some of the Rainbow Crystals for yourself."
Darien took on a defensive stance. "You know why I had to do that. And I proved myself to you, many times."
"And the same thing goes for this guy," she told him firmly. "For all we know he's just trying to figure out his past, like you were. We have a common enemy; that should be enough to make us allies. He may not want our help, but he can't defeat Diamond or that new girl on his own. Like it or not, we need each other."
Darien crossed his arms again, unwilling to admit that his beloved did indeed have a point. A small smile played on her lips when he seemed to don what looked like a pouting expression. She kissed him lightly on the mouth.
"Don't take it personal, muffin," she said sweetly. "You're not being replaced, even if it looks that way. You will always be my masked man."
Darien sighed. "Thanks," he muttered. "That makes me feel loads better."
Serena tried not to laugh as she turned to Amy. "So, now that that's settled, what have you got for us, Ames?"
The blue haired girl blinked and held up a petri dish with a trio of pink thorns inside. "Well, I've analyzed the thorns that were in Rei's hand when she collapsed, and they're definitely from some kind of plant or flower. Some of the DNA resembles the Kiesenian blossom, which we've fought before, but not completely. There are subtle differences, like the poison on its tips. It's lethal to be sure, but we have to find out where this thing grows. If we find it and I can analyze the specimen itself, we could find the cure to this fever, and our enemy's plans will be thwarted."
"Well all right then!" Lita exclaimed, thrusting her fist into the air. "It's been a while since we've done some demolition. Before we know it, the city will be back to normal and Rei will be good as new!"
There were smiles and murmurs of agreement all around, except from Mina. She half-listened to the conversation, all the while biting her lip. The conflict within her still churned, and the mention of Ace only made it worse. She thought of Andrew, sweet, gentle Andrew, only to have Ace's confident form flash before her eyes, eyes boring into hers from behind his mask.
She gulped, and to her embarrassment, her friends noticed.
"You ok, Mina?" Serena asked. "You've been quiet all afternoon. What's on your mind?"
Mina shook her head, a blush coming to her cheeks. "Nothing. It's nothing," she told them, but her flaming face and tear-filled eyes told a different story.
"It doesn't look like nothing," Serena said.
Mina hastily wiped the tears that had spilled from her eyes and took a shaky breath. "Well first off, we're down a scout, and we've got a powerful enemy who has a personal vendetta against me. She seems to know things I don't even know about myself, and she seems hell-bent on revenge. What's worse, I…I can't stop thinking about Ace."
Lita cocked her head in confusion. "Ok, I get all of the other stuff, but how could thinking about Ace be a bad thing?"
Mina sighed. "Ever since he showed up last night, he's all I can think about. And with Andrew around, I feel like I'm cheating on him, with a guy I don't even know!"
The girls were quick to console her, giving her advice only Sailor Scouts could.
"It's ok to have a crush," Lita said. "Heck, I've got a boyfriend, and I'm going nuts over this new masked man. As long as you know your boundaries and keep focused on that pretty boy you've got at home, you'll have no problem telling what's what."
The others nodded in agreement, and Amy offered her two cents.
"Who knows, maybe Andrew and Kaitou Ace are the same guy, and we just don't know it."
There was an awkward silence, followed by a round of nervous laughter as they each pictured their happy-go-lucky friend donning a cape and fighting the forces of evil.
"Maybe not," Lita giggled. "That boy's way too nice to get involved in a fight, especially one like the one we had last night. He's better off as the romantic boyfriend you know and love."
Mina laughed along with them, looking out the window at the setting sun.
"If only my life could be that simple."
Cassandra hissed as she applied a salve to the wounds she received from Ace, cursing the white-masked street rat for the billionth time since she and Diamond returned from the battle. Furious, she had stalked toward her quarters, sending an unspoken warning that she was not to be followed. Diamond watched her go, smirking despite the fact that they had lost to some hotshot kid. He had had plenty of experience dealing with a woman's fury, but something ignited in him as he watched his partner disappear down the hall, clutching her arm. If possible, it seemed she was even more attractive in her anger, and unlike the times before, the warning went unheeded and he followed her steps into the dark suite. She sat on low couch, a jar of ointment resting beside her. Her back was to him, but even from where he stood, he saw that she trembled, whether from anger or pain, he knew not.
"That looks painful," he said bluntly.
She stiffened, but did not turn. "Mind your own business," she snapped. "I can take care of myself."
Diamond's eyebrows rose at her tone. "Clearly," he observed, watching as she tried in vain to reach the cuts along her back. With a sigh, he approached her.
"Let me," he whispered. "Unless you want those to scar and give the boy a reason to gloat."
She growled at him, but relented, handing the ointment to him. The salve was cool beneath his fingers, white and pearl-like. With the slightest hesitation, he pressed them gently onto the wounds on her back. She gasped, but said nothing. Unperturbed, he glided his hands along her shoulders and down her spine, secretly thrilled when she shivered under his touch. Her skin was smooth under his fingers, and his touch lingered on her for more than was necessary. A slight moan emerged from her lips, and his took this as encouragement. His hands came around her waist, his warm breath stirring her hair.
"Is this better?" he rasped.
She gave no response, but let him press her against his lean body, his hands roaming her torso before cupping her face. When she looked up at him, her eyes smoldered.
"You have the magic touch."
There mouths were mere inches from each other, and in the next moment, driven by his lust and drive, the prince closed the gap. She tasted wonderful, like midnight and jasmine, of dark red wine and something else he couldn't quite place. He was mad for it, and he kissed her deeper. He bared her down against the couch, her arms entwined around his neck. Just when he was convinced she would give herself to him, that she would entirely be his, Cassandra broke the kiss and pushed him away.
"Too easy," she breathed with a sympathetic smirk. She disengaged herself from him and stood, her hair a tangled mess.
"I'm here for business, love," she said. "Not pleasure. If you're looking for sexual fulfillment, take it with some other miscreant, a mortal perhaps. But not with me. We have a mission to complete, and if you're not able to control your desires, I'll just have to find someone else."
She started down the hall, but looked back at her partner, who stood despondent beside the couch.
"Don't worry," she purred. "You'll get over me."
With a laugh, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving Diamond in utter confusion. Even if she had been toying with him, he had felt the passion between them, which made the rejection all the more bitter. She had kissed him back, and he finally recalled the emotion he felt while they were entwined with one another. Humanity. As dark and twisted as she was, there was still a shred of her humanity that remained, and that puzzled him all the more. He sat on the couch with his head in his hands, when he saw the jar of ointment sitting on the floor, forgotten in their stolen moment of passion. He picked it up, stared at it a moment, and in his rage and frustration, he threw it against the wall where it shattered into a million pieces.
A few days had passed since Andrew's odd illness, and while he had fully recovered, the dreams only got worse. Whether it was on the beach or in a sun-lit field, he found himself with the same woman, enthralled by such infatuation that he could scarcely breathe. This woman consumed him, and it hurt his relationship with Mina as a result. He found himself distracted, hardly listening to her as they spent their nights together. Guilt gnawed at him until he was sure it would eat him alive. The stranger was never far from his thoughts, and he hated himself for it. Mina didn't deserve this, and he resolved to deal with these visions the only way he knew how. So on a sunny afternoon, when Mina was busy at school, he met Darien yet again at the café.
"Something's happening to me, Dar," he muttered; the hands that rested on the table shook visibly. "I was sicker than a dog that night, and now these dreams are making me crazy. To dream about Mina is one thing, but this is another woman, someone I've never met. What the hell's wrong with me?"
Darien, who had been only half-listening to his friend's plight, merely shrugged.
"It's not totally uncommon, what you're going through," he said practically. "I know you've never been with Minas like that yet, so it's only natural your subconscious is trying to make up for the lack of sexual intimacy. You two are waiting for marriage, and that's a wise thing to do. I wouldn't worry about it."
Andrew felt little comfort from his friend's words. "It's more than just sex," he told him, lowering his voice. "I feel bonded to this woman, like she and I have some kind of past together. In my dream, I care deeply for her, and I'd do anything to protect her. I love this woman, and I know I shouldn't. It's killing me, thinking of her when Mina is sitting right next to me."
"Well, what if it is Mina, and your mind just isn't quite registering it?"
"I've thought of that," Andrew said. "And it could definitely be possible, since they kind of look alike, but I've never actually seen her face. But what I feel for Mina and the desperate love I feel for this woman are in two completely different dimensions. I can't really explain it. I feel like I'm putting my life on the line for her, every time we're together. It's like I'm jeopardizing everything just to be with her."
"Well technically you are," Darien pointed out. "You've put your career on hold for Mina, and there's no guarantee that you two will be together forever. You both gave up a lot to be together, but there's no way of knowing if you'll get your happily-ever-after."
Andrew noted the patronizing tone and looked up to glare at him.
"What's with you?" he demanded. "I really needed your help on this, and you're not being very supportive."
Darien blinked, at last hearing his friend's plea. This was really bothering Andrew, and he was being an insensitive jerk.
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "Things at the hospital have been really tough." At the mention of his present toils, a wave of emotions flooded him, and his eyes disappeared under his bangs.
"We nearly lost Rei last night," he whispered. "After you left, her fever spiked, and we couldn't find a pulse. It was by the grace of God that we were able to revive her, but…she's running out of time. I don't know how I'm going to tell Serena."
"Oh Darien," Andrew whispered back, watching how his friend's shoulders shook. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."
"It's not your fault," Darien replied, wiping the stray tears from his eyes. "We're both under a lot of stress. This fever is ravaging the city, and there's no way to stop it. The laws of medicine don't apply here, and no cure has been found. At this rate, Tokyo will be wiped out, and there's no telling where this thing will strike next. If we don't find a cure soon, we're all doomed."
Andrew was pensive that night. He changed into his scrubs and lab coat in a daze, hardly paying attention to the others around him. That afternoon it was agreed that Darien would bring the girls together, bearing the difficult burden of telling them that Rei had very little time left, that if they wanted to say goodbye, it would have to be tonight. He clenched his hands as he walked down the hall, delaying the inevitable as long as he could. At last he rounded the corner and entered Rei's room. There had been no change from when he saw her last. The woman on the bed was pale and still, the silence between her heartbeats long and foreboding. He sighed in relief when he heard the faint beep and saw the jagged marks on the monitor, indicating that she was indeed still alive. He approached her slowly, his heart sinking with every step. Dozens of wires covered her arms; her veins were completely shot. Even now, she still burned, her lips cracking until they bled. He held a flashlight to her eyes, hoping for the least bit of response, but there was nothing, not even the slightest flicker, just as it was before. He stood, running his hand through his hair. By all accounts, she was brain-dead, a living corpse. He swallowed and turned away from her, staring bleakly out the window. Darien would be gathering the girls together by now; no doubt this would be the hardest thing he would ever do. He ached for them all, Mina especially. Their relationship had just gotten off the ground, and he would have to support her through yet another tragedy; this time, she was losing her best friend. He looked back at Rei, and couldn't help but feel he had failed. Because a cure for this fever remained elusive, this beautiful young woman was about to become yet another victim. He cursed himself, but he knew in his heart of hearts that he had done everything humanly possible to help her. In her last hours, there was nothing left to do but give her back some of the beauty she had lost. Producing a comb from his pocket, he sat on the bed and brushed her raven hair, smoothing out the tangles. He was impressed that his hands only trembled slightly as he combed out her bangs; already she looked a bit more human, her dark hair framing her pale face. His task finished, he stood and went to the sink in the far corner of the room, grabbing a bowl from the cabinets above. Rei's face and arms were clammy with sweat, and the least he could do was give her a freshened look. Filling the bowl with water and a towel, he turned and stiffened. He felt a tingling sensation crawl up his legs, spreading through his hands and up his neck. His stomach twisted violently and the room began to spin in front of him.
"Oh God," he whispered as his ears roared. "Not again."
Before Andrew could take another step, his legs buckled underneath him and he collapsed, the bowl of water sent crashing to the floor.
