Chapter 11, R&R at the A&E
Each and every rock that fell was another blade of pain which pierced their hearts. Every time one of them mustered up the courage to look, all they could see was boulder after boulder falling. After what seemed like eternity, the noise of rock colliding against rock finally stopped, Master Shifu rushed towards the edge and bellowed:
"Tigress!" the red panda scanned the area as his words echoed throughout the ruins of what was once a room.
The red panda's heart sank when he heard no reply; he jumped down onto the many boulders, followed by the rest of the group, and began to search for the panda and tiger. Master Shifu felt tears rush to his eyes, his little girl was somewhere under all of this rubble. He threw away boulder after boulder, hoping that he would find the two of them unharmed.
"Tigress!" the red panda bellowed once more, this time as a whimper.
The rest of the group were experiencing a similar cobweb of emotions, everyone was simply digging through the debris in the hopes that they could find a single glimpse of Po and Tigress. Po was the one who reminded all of them how to have fun, including Master Shifu. At first, they all hated Po and would have gladly kicked him down the thousand steps each day, but as time passed they learnt that he filled a whole in their lives, and that they could not go on without him. Tigress was not only the unofficial leader of the Furious Five but a sister to all of them, a sister they all adored and cared for deeply. The feline was also a daughter to Master Shifu, a daughter he loved more than anything else, and someone who brought love and compassion into Shifu' broken heart, which still bore scars from Tai Lung.
After an hour of digging, Mantis lifted the thousandth rock in the hopes that he would find his friends; once again, nothing. The insect hung his forearms in dolefulness and began to walk away from his corner of the room and to the next. The insect lifted his saddened face and, in the distance, saw a bruised red and black tail.
"Over here!" Mantis shouted, causing the rest of the group to dash towards him, as the insect bolted towards the pile of rock the tail was under.
The group moved the heavy boulders in milliseconds, and underneath it all were Po and Tigress. The panda had placed himself on top of Tigress in order to block the onslaught of debris, therefore, had received the most damage. Tigress was unconscious, most likely from shock or a boulder to the head, but had received only cuts and bruises.
"Gods, that big idiot" Viper gasped as she examined Po's injuries. "Ok, move him off of her, gently!"
Everyone was needed to shift the giant panda, including Viper, they all gasped at what they saw. Po was still alive and breathing, but had suffered major injuries. By the way he gasped as everyone moved him, they realised that he had several torn muscles, at least three broken ribs, his arm was dislocated, and he was bleeding from several places and could barely move.
"We need to get them to a doctor!" Zanshi proclaimed, to which everyone agreed. The old panda picked up the feline while Monkey, Master Shifu and Mantis struggled with Po.
"Anybody see an exit?" Master Shifu asked as he positioned himself under Po.
"The earthquake made the wall over there collapse" Crane spoke as he pointed towards the gap in the wall, with sunshine peeking into the room. "I think it'll lead us back down the mountain"
"Either way, it's our ticket out of here; we need to get these two to a doctor!" Zanshi said as he began to gallop over the debris, quickly followed by the rest of the group.
Hours Later, at Chen Rong medical centre
The group had arrived at Chen Rong about three hours ago, it was late into the evening and most of the village had reached dreamland. It was a cold and breezy night, the icy winter chill echoing through the darkness. It was near midnight; each of the warriors had received specialist care for their injuries and were now in the waiting room, at Chen Rong hospital. Master Shifu was pacing back and forth, still concerned for Po and Tigress, Zanshi was sitting on one of the amber sofas, trying to meditate over the day's events and to calm himself. Viper and Crane were conversing on how their friends are, while Mantis and Monkey had gone to the nearby shop to get refreshments.
Zanshi slightly opened his eyes, at the sound of tiny feet rapidly pacing back and forth "Shifu, try and calm yourself; I'm sure that they're fine!" the old panda spoke finally breaking his meditation
"I know, Zanshi, I...I just can't help but..." the red panda could not finish his sentence as he was interrupted by the arrival of Monkey and Mantis, who had several drinks and sandwiches with them.
"We've got the food, everyone" Monkey quietly said, in order not to disturb the other people within the waiting room.
Mantis then hopped onto the table with the bags full of food, everyone then proceeded to take a sandwich and drink. Despite their mental and physical conditions, and their loss of the battle today, each of the kung fu masters needed to eat. Though everyone was busy eating, they were all thinking the exact same thing.
"So...um...Master Shifu, may I ask you a question?" Crane reluctantly spoke after swallowing another bite of his food.
"What is it, Crane?" the red panda said, knowing full well what the question was going to be.
"What happens now? I mean, we lost the dragon scroll. Who knows what monstrous things Lingdao could do, now that it's in his possession"
Crane's words, though silent enough so that only his friends could hear, made them all freeze in suspense. He was right; they had lost the scroll despite all of them being there. If their combined powers couldn't stop Lingdao then what could? There was an awkward silence, as the red panda turned his head in shame, not knowing what to do or say. Amidst the silence, Zanshi's noble chuckle made its way to the group's ears.
"Yes we did lose the scroll, but that does not mean that we lost the battle" the old panda stood up from his seat, baring a proud smile and stroking his beard. "In order for him to actually release Katon from his prison, Lingdao will require one of the scrolls of power and Po's blood, along with an ancient dragon altar, to perform the ritual. The only thing he has at the moment is the scroll, there are very few dragon altars left in the world and we have all the maps which could lead to them!" the old panda's words lead relief into the hearts of Master Shifu and the Furious Five.
"So, that means that we can still get the scroll back?" Viper asked after taking a sip of her drink.
"No, Master Viper, we will get the scroll back!" Zanshi's words began to put them all at ease, but questions still loitered in their minds.
"But what's stopping Lingdao from reading the scroll and receiving even more power?" Monkey said as he put a hand on his chin and lifted the other in the air to support his question.
"The scrolls were specifically made to reveal their secrets to the chosen one only; even if Lingdao opens the scroll, he will not receive any of its power" Zanshi said and then sat down to continue his meal.
"So, does anyone have a plan as to how we actually defeat this guy? I mean if all of us couldn't do it, then what will?" Mantis' voice made its way into the conversation.
The old panda let out another chuckle "Don't worry" he gazed out of the nearby window "I have some ideas. For now, let's just focus on healing"
Everyone agreed with Zanshi and continued with their meals. As the group ate their food and restored some of their energy, the doctor who was taking care of Po and Tigress came in. He was a tall panda, most likely the same height as Po, who looked around the age of thirty-nine. Large and round like all pandas, but it was obvious that he was a very intelligent animal. The whole group abandoned their meals and stood up at the sight of him, hoping that he was about to tell them some good news.
"Doctor Yen, please tell us that you have good news!" Master Shifu rushed in front of the doctor with question after question.
"Please, Master Shifu!" the doctor lifted his paw in the hopes that the endless questions would end and give him a chance to speak, which they did "Apart from minor head trauma, coupled with cuts and bruises, Tigress is fine. She is in one of our private rooms, D7; you can go see her whenever you wish. I think that we're going to sign her out some time tomorrow, but for the time being I would like her to stay under observation" everyone let out half a sigh, the other half would be let out as soon as their next question was answered.
"What about Po?" Zanshi spoke up, though he and Po had been separated for twenty years, he still saw a little three year old panda every time he looked at him. He was his son, and he certainly did not want to lose him again.
The doctor flipped some papers on his clip board "Ah yes" he said as soon as his got to Po's sheet. "His injuries were severe, but I'm happy to say that he will make a full recovery, his resilience is incredible. Right now, all he needs is rest and time to recuperate. If you want to go see him, he is in the room next to Tigress, though he has yet to regain consciousness"
"Thank you, doctor" the old panda bowed in respect, which the doctor returned and then left to continue his duties.
Zanshi turned back towards the rest of the group "I will be going to see Po first. If anyone else wants to join me, you are welcome to do so" and with that, the old panda began to make his way to Po's room.
"You guys go and check on Tigress, I'll go with Zanshi" Mantis said and then began to hop down the corridor.
"I'll go with them, too" Monkey said as he turned over to Master Shifu and smiled "Wait up, Mantis" Now that everyone knew where they were going, the group of Kung Fu Masters all journeyed towards D-wing, of the hospital.
Master Shifu, Viper and Crane arrived outside Tigress' room; the red panda gently knocked on the door and then pushed it open. It was nothing which stood out about the room, apart from the fact that it was isolated from the rest of the patients. It was a standard hospital room, with all the medicine and machinery that would be found all around the hospital. As all of three went inside, they were greeted by Tigress.
"Dad, guys, hey. I would get up and greet you, but as you can see" Tigress lifted her right arm as an example; it was covered in bandages. "I'm in a bit of a disadvantage" the feline said with a slight chuckle.
Viper slithered up on to Tigress' bed and wrapped herself around the feline; performing her version of a hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Tigress!" the snake pulled away from the hug and wiped her tear filled eyes.
"You know, next time you decide to do a leap of faith, you should consider the distance more" the avian said as he walked up to Tigress and placed his wing around her, and Viper.
Master Shifu was the next one who climbed onto the bed. "Tigress, look at yourself; you're a mess!" the red panda said while holding despondent tears, and clinching his staff even tighter. Master Shifu then walked up to the trio and joined their hug "Be more careful from now on, Tigress. Despite everything, I worry about you"
Tigress was a bit overwhelmed at first; she knew Master Shifu and the Five her whole life, but she was not accustomed to having people treat her like this: to hug her and comfort her, with the exception of Po of course. She wrapped her uninjured arm around Shifu and pulled him close, embracing the three's warm hug even more. Tigress knew that Shifu was not her biological father from a young age, he was a red panda and she was a tiger after all, it just wouldn't be possible. But the feline always has and always will consider him her father. In spite how happy she felt in their tangle of limbs, something was missing. The feline broke the hug and said:
"Thank you all for coming to see me, and I hope I don't sound too ungrateful when I ask this but...Where's Po?"
The three Masters looked at each other with anxiety, thinking as to who should tell her and how she would react. Tigress could clearly see the look on their faces and realised that something was not right, so she repeated her question with a more serious tone.
"Where's Po? Is something wrong with him?"
The avian reluctantly stepped up and began to speak "Tigress, look...um...when the room started collapsing, you and Po fell and I'm guessing you must have hit your head or something, as when we found you, you were unconscious"
The feline began growing restless and once again asked, while looking around the room "Where is he?"
Crane continued "When we found the two of you, Po had positioned himself on top of you, so that you didn't get hurt by the rocks. He was critically injured, but the doctor assures he's going to make a full recovery"
Tigress clinched her hands into fists and lowered her head; tears began to stain her bed sheets as the feline's mind and heart were firmly setting themselves on Po.
Master Shifu then walked up next to Tigress and put a paw on hers "Tigress, he's fine. The most important thing the both of you can do for each other is to focus on getting better. He's in the room opposite to yours."
The feline loosened her grip of the sheets and gently whimpered the words: "Thank you, all of you"
In Po's room
Zanshi, Mantis and Monkey had entered in a similar fashion to Tigress' guests; however, Po did not greet them as he was not conscious. Zanshi had sat down on the chair next to Po's bed, Mantis had hoped on to Po's belly while Monkey was balancing himself on his tail. It was a fairly awkward atmosphere; Monkey and Mantis were hoping that Po would wake up, so that they could talk with him. But he hadn't opened his eyes since The Shaolin Temple, Zanshi wanted to speak with him, he had missed twenty years of Po's life and he wanted to at least try and make up for them. Truth be told, the old panda wanted to speak with his son about it the second he came into Chen Rong, but so many things occurred which stopped him from doing so.
Mantis could sense the worry on Zanshi's face; the insect turned his head towards the old panda and said:
"Don't worry, Lord Zanshi, I'm sure he'll be waking any minute now"
Zanshi looked up at the insect and smiled, before saying:
"I appreciate your kind word, Master Mantis, thank you" his gaze then turned to the unconscious panda that lay before him. "I missed twenty years of his life, and the first thing we do together is head straight into the belly of the beast...great dad I turned out to be. I won't be surprised if he wakes up and hates me"
Monkey dropped his balance and walked up to Zanshi with a warm smile "Now you listen to me, panda" he put his long arm around Zanshi "Sure you missed twenty years, and sure you did pretty much walk into battle after seeing him..." Monkey saw the old panda's face drop into a really? Look "But Po was never one to hate. Give him some time, I promise you he'll come around"
The primate's words did put the old panda's heart at ease; even allowing a smile to make its way on his face. Before the three warriors could continue their conversation, Master Shifu, Crane and Viper quietly made their way into the room.
"How is he?" Viper quietly asked as she slithered further into the room and gazed at the panda.
"He hasn't woken up yet, but the big guy's tough, I have a feeling he'll be fine. What about Tigress?" Mantis said after hoping off of Po.
"She's fine, apart from being worried sick about Po" Master Shifu said, with a slight chuckle at the last part.
The old panda also let out a chuckle, he then stood up and said "I think we've annoyed the two of them enough for one day, let's head back to the Dragon Temple; all of us could use a rest"
"Can't we stay a little longer?" Viper pleaded as she finished wiping the sweat from Po's forehead with some tissue "I worry about the two of them"
The avian bird walked up to the snake and wrapped his wing around her "I know how you must feel, Viper, but I agree with Zanshi. We have stayed a lot longer after visiting hours anyway"
Crane was right, it was now almost two in the morning, but she just wanted to make sure that her friends would be well. She was always emotional, even from a young age, but everyone who knew Viper for as long as the Five would know that she always means well.
The snake turned her gaze back at Po and kissed him on the forehead "Get well soon, big guy, we need our cook back" and with that Viper began to slither out of the room, along with the rest of the group.
Later that night
Tigress could not sleep, her mind wouldn't let her. All she could think of, was Po, she cared more about his condition than she did hers. The feline tossed and turned in her bed for a good hour, still fully focused on Po.
She sat up on her bed and looked around her room; emptiness. She felt a cold blade of loneliness ease its way into her heart, something she only stopped feeling when Po first came into her life. "I can't take this anymore!" and with that, the feline slowly but surely began to exit her room. The pain in her right arm was slowing her down, but nothing would keep her from seeing Po.
Tigress carefully crossed the hallway and peeked into Po's room, making sure that there weren't any nurses and that she avoided the ones in the hallway. After making it into Po's room undetected, the feline carefully shut the door behind her and walked over to the unconscious panda.
"Po..." Tigress whispered as she approached him "Po!" she upped her tone slightly and began to nudge him; still no reaction.
The feline bent down and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips; she then lifted herself so that their lips were mere millimetres away from each other "Wake up, panda" she whispered with a seductive tone
With that, Po slowly began to open his eyes; it took him several minutes to adjust his mind to his surroundings "T-Ti...gress..." he murmured weakly.
The feline gently rubbed the panda's furry cheek "How are you feeling, Po?"
"Like death" he said as he positioned himself further up the bed, noticing the bandages and stitching on Tigress "What about you?" His fingers danced up the feline's injured arm, causing her to shiver slightly "Are you even allowed to be here?"
The feline sat on the side of his bed "I'll survive" she placed her paw on his "I just wanted to make sure you're okay"
"Now that you're here, I am" Po let out one of his signature grins, he then leaned closer to Tigress and passionately kissed her on the lips; which she returned in equal passion.
"Flatterer" she also grinned.
"I try" Po's cheeks began to turn red as he looked down, embarrassed at the question he was about to ask "Could you...could you stay with me?"
Tigress' eyes widened, in shock. Even though she wanted the exact same thing, the feline knew that there was probably some kind of rule against it "I don't think we should..." before Tigress could finish her sentence, a pair of large black arms latched themselves on to her, and gently pulled her into Po's soft and cosy body.
"Please" Po whispered into her ear
Tigress smiled at him and snuggled up close to his warm figure, pulling the bed sheets over the two of them as well. Po wrapped one arm around her waist and used the other as a rest for his head, while Tigress placed her head onto Po's chest.
"What if Master Shifu walks in tomorrow, Po?" the feline asked in a playful and teasing manner.
"I'm sure you'll protect me" the panda said after sharing another intimate kiss with his lover. The two then resumed their original tangle of limbs and went into dreamland, together.
I'm back! Sorry for taking a century to upload this chapter, family dramas. But I've got those out of the way, roughly, and will resume uploading chapters every week. I know I keep nagging, but please remember to review; it really helps me in my writing.
