Chapter Nine: Fears and Explanations
Ichigo walked down the halls, a plate of cookies in her hands and a thick Harry Potter novel tucked under her arm. Éclair was so excited that they were finally on to the fourth book, though Ichigo was worried that it might scare her. However, this was also the little girl who yelled out suggestions to Harry as to how to defeat the bad guys, most of them violent. Many passersby knocked on the door to check on them at hearing these outbursts, afraid that the enemy had somehow sneaked in and was attacking Kish.
Kish's moods were getting worse as the days went on, and Ichigo was hoping that a new book and a plate of sweets would help. He had wanted to be alone most of the afternoon the previous day, to brood or to sleep, Ichigo wasn't sure. He was still having trouble feeding himself, to his frustration, and it was grudgingly that he let Éclair or Ichigo feed him. This was probably adding on to his bad mood, because Ichigo knew for a fact that Kish didn't like feeling helpless.
Despite his mood swings, Kish was fun company to be around, and many times he and Ichigo stayed up late chatting with Éclair asleep in the middle of the bed. They reminisced about the days they fought each other, often laughing at themselves and each other. Ichigo was proud that Kish turned red with embarrassment when she brought up the time she had nearly knocked him out with the ball Pudding walked on, while he laughed at her red cheeks as he teased her about the time she had accidentally kissed him when she tried to get the necklace they thought contained Mew Aqua out of Kish's hand. It was an easy thing to do, to talk and joke about those early battles, about before they were friends, if nothing else because they didn't hold anything against each other. They had each been doing what they had to for their planets and loved ones.
It was after dinner, and Ichigo's hair was damp from her shower. She had had a long day, spent primarily in battle. The Deep Blue Crusaders (as Mint had taken to calling them) had apparently had figured out that Kish still wasn't fit for battle and attempted to take advantage of that. It was a long and messy battle, but Ichigo was just glad that there were no casualties and the most grievous of the injuries was a broken leg. The other side wasn't so lucky. Not only had they lost many warriors, but Curry had killed their military leader. After seeing their general fall, the Deep Blue Crusaders made a hasty and unorganized retreat, leaving the Mew Aqua Warriors wondering if this was their ultimate victory.
Ichigo was worn out, but she didn't want to go to bed without checking in on Éclair and Kish.
Ichigo knocked on the door.
As usual, it was Éclair who opened the door. However, today her blue eyes were wide and slightly scared. She looked relieved to see Ichigo.
"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked. That was when she heard voices. She recognized one as Cake's and the other as Kish's.
"General, I am simply doing my job!"
"Yes, one that can be easily done later!"
"This has to be done, and there is no sense arguing this matter."
"Risa Oba-San said that they could be changed in the morning. It is not a time-sensitive matter!"
Ichigo walked in the room, Éclair glued to her leg. She saw Cake standing there with her fake smile and Kish lying in bed under a black-green quilt, glaring at the Healer and had his arms wrapped tightly around his chest almost protectively.
"What's going on here?" Ichigo said. Both turned to her, Cake with irritation and Kish with relief.
"I am merely trying to change the General's bandages," Cake said sweetly, gesturing to the bandages that were still around Kish's torso, covering the formerly stitched wounds to protect them and let them finish healing. "However, he is being shy and refuses to let me do so."
"This isn't shyness," Ichigo said, coming over to stand beside bed, setting down the items she brought with her on top of the trunk. "Kish doesn't have a bashful bone in his body. This is sheer stubbornness." She turned to Kish. "Why won't you let Cake change the bandages?"
Kish hesitated, then looked past them to Éclair, who sat on top of the chest at the foot of the bed.
"Clair-bear, will you go find Risa Oba-San?" He asked.
Éclair nodded and she jumped up.
"She was in the Dining Hall the last time I saw her," Ichigo called after the girl, who responded with a 'thank you' and disappeared down the hall. Ichigo turned back to Kish. "Now what's your deal?"
"The deal is I don't want Éclair to see where the stitches were, because if she does she'll know I was lying about how I got injured," Kish said. "Not to mention I don't want her to know how bad of shape I'm really in. She'll get scared."
"Well, then will you let Cake change them now that Éclair is out of the room?" Ichigo asked.
"Éclair's practically a Risa Oba-San magnet. She'll have found her in half the time it will take Cake to finish," Kish said.
Ichigo turned to Cake.
"If we delay changing the bandages, will Kish still be alright?" Ichigo asked.
Cake looked irritated but nodded.
"Then let's leave well enough alone for right now, or until Risa says otherwise," Ichigo said as Éclair came back in the room, followed by Risa.
"What seems to be the problem here?" Risa asked. It amazed Ichigo that she sounded cool and professional and warm and motherly all at once.
"The problem is that the general will not let me change the bandages and inspect his injuries," Cake said in her overly sweet tone.
Risa gestured for both girls to move aside and she sat down beside Kish.
"Lie flat and keep your arms at your side," Risa ordered Kish, who did so instantly. Risa gently placed her hands over the bandages, moving them over where she knew wounds lay underneath, gingerly pressing occasionally.
"I do not see a reason to have the dressings changed at this very moment," Risa said at last, standing up. "If nothing else, I believe that they should be changed tomorrow."
Cake looked annoyed, Ichigo and Kish relieved and Éclair simply happy that the fighting had stopped.
"Well, then," Cake said, still smiling. "If there is nothing for me to do, I believe I will head back to the infirmary."
She quickly gathered her things and headed for the door. She paused and looked back at Risa.
"Oh, before I forget, Healer Ikisatashi-Sama, Jagertee's session in the medpod is completed, and General Ikisatashi-Sama is the only one on the list now. Healer Ginzing-San has already scheduled for the General's entrance time for tomorrow morning." She said.
Risa scowled slightly to Ichigo's confusion, but she said,
"Thank you, Cake." Though it sounded sarcastic to Ichigo's ears.
"That is good news, isn't it?" Ichigo asked as Cake closed the door. Risa didn't respond and instead turned back to the bed, where Éclair was sitting beside Kish.
Éclair's eyes were wide and she began to tremble slightly, her lower lip quivering.
"Éclair," Kish murmured, reaching for her hand. "It's going to be okay."
"No!" Éclair exclaimed, throwing herself over Kish protectively. "Don't put Kishy in the medpod, Risa Oba-San! Please, please don't!"
"Éclair," Risa said, gently stroking Éclair's curls. "Kisshu will be healed much quicker if he is in a medpod, you know this."
"No!" Éclair screamed, burying her face into Kish's chest. Kish gently ran his fingers through her hair.
"Shh, shh," He murmured as Éclair sobbed. "I won't get in the medpod."
Éclair looked up, her blue eyes still full of tears.
"Kishy promises?" She asked.
"Kishy promises," Kish said, giving her a gentle smile. Éclair was satisfied with this and buried her face again, but no longer cried. Kish continued to stroke her hair as they both drifted to sleep.
Ichigo watched the scene with fascination and turned to Risa, who was still scowling, but sighed. She turned out the lamp on the bedside table so that the room was dark. Ichigo's cat senses instantly reacted so that she could see.
"Ichigo, will you come step outside with me?" Risa asked. Ichigo nodded and followed the alien woman into the torch-lit hallway.
Risa leaned against the wall, her arms folded over her chest, looking very much like her oldest son in that moment.
"I should explain Éclair's behavior," Risa said. "I will have to have words with Cake later. She knows better than to mention the prospect of Kisshu entering a medpod while Éclair is nearby."
"Did something happen to Kish?" Ichigo ask. "Involving one of those medpods?"
"Yes, but Éclair's fears of medpods were long before that incident," Risa said sadly. "Her parents died in medpods. Her last memory of her Mama and Papa are of them, unconscious, in the medpods. Ever since, she has been terrified of them, even though Kisshu and I have tried to explain that they truly are helpful, and that the disease her parents had was simply untreatable. In her young mind, the medpods had killed her parents.
"Then, a few months before Kisshu left for earth, he broke his arm on an overnight training exercise. The healers instantly put him in a medpod, knowing that he would be completely healed by morning. Of course, Curry and I were told of what happened and, without thinking about what the healers most rational decision would be, brought Éclair to come with us to take him home when the treatment was done. Éclair was so scared when she could not find Kisshu and a trainee healer offered to take her to see him, unaware of her fear. Unfortunately, the healers were just about to tell us how they were treating Kisshu when Éclair saw him.
"To say she went ballistic is an understatement. She ran up to the medpod and tried to break the glass, screaming for Kisshu. Curry and I managed to restrain her, but she just sobbed and sobbed. She truly believed that Kisshu was dying in the medpod. Somewhere during this time, Kisshu woke up and saw what was going on. He managed to signal to us to take him out of the medpod, and the healers did so. Éclair was so relieved to see him, she stopped crying, but she was not truly consoled until Kisshu held her while the healers bound his arm. Since then, she has been adamant that Kisshu stays out of medpods."
Ichigo could only stare in shock.
"Poor Éclair," She finally murmured. "And poor Kish."
"Indeed," Risa said. "This is not the first time this dilemma has come up. Kisshu has many scars that he would not have had he not chosen to forgo the proper treatment for Éclair's sake."
"Do you think I could try talking to her?" Ichigo asked.
"You can try," Risa said. "I wish you the best of luck. Perhaps you can do what none of us cannot." Risa sighed and stopped leaning against the wall. "She admires you, you know. She has since the moment Kish first told her about you. Pie had some footage from one of your battles and showed it to us. The moment Éclair saw you on the screen, she got excited and as she watched you fight, she proclaimed that she wanted to be just like you. All she wants to wear are pink dresses, and more than once I have seen her with rope tied around her waist as a tail. You are probably the only one other than Kish she has put all her trust into."
Ichigo let Risa's words sink in, her mind spinning. How was that for irony, that the little girl who idolized her brother now wanted to be exactly like the girl who routinely beat him up? Up till then, it hadn't truly sunk in that the Cyniclons saw the Mew Mews as heroes. But now, thinking of tiny little Éclair and how she looked up at her with her wide blue eyes… it was a surreal reality.
"Then I hope this trust was well-earned," Ichigo said. "And I will do my best to keep it."
"And I thank you for that statement," Risa said. A small round device on her waist started blinking and beeping. She sighed. "I am afraid I have to go. I will see you soon."
And with that, Ichigo was left standing in the hallway, alone.
And so begins the drama! Bwahahahaha! ;)