Chapter Eleven
A Father's Concern
Gakupo pulls Neru close in a tight hug just before a Doctor comes into the room. "Miss, you have to go now," a male Doctor said in a light tone. Neru hugs the Samurai tightly.
"I'll be back," Neru said as she releases him.
"B-but –" Gakupo protested.
"She has to go. Visiting hours is up," the Doctor said.
"Hold on…" Neru said as she looks at the Doctor. "Is Dr. Akita in?"
"Yeah. Why?" the Doctor asked.
"I'm his daughter. Tell him that I demand to speak to him."
"Very well, but I insist that you leave his room." The Doctor points at the sick Samurai.
"Neru…" Gakupo said in a low voice. The Doctor leaves the room. The orange-haired woman looks at Gakupo.
"Yeah?"
"I don't want you to leave me…" The sick Samurai lifts his left hand up to her.
"I'm going to talk to my father to see if I can stay… if not I'll find a way…" Neru said. Gakupo nods his head and lowers his hand again. Dr. Akita walks into the room closing the door behind him.
"N-Neru…what are you doing here and where is Nero?" Dr. Akita asked.
"Nero is in the other room with his sister…" Neru said as she points at the purple-haired man. "And I want to stay here with him." Gakupo goes to stand up again and crumbles to the ground in an instant. Neru helps him to stand back up again. "I thought I told you to stay in bed." Gakupo laughs weakly.
"A man is supposed to speak to another man face to face…" Gakupo said.
"But, dear, visiting hours are up…" Neru's father said.
"I don't care! I want to stay!" Gakupo lays back down with his back to the both of them.
"Neru Akita! It's against the rules!" Dr. Akita said with a heavy sigh.
"Why don't you actually make your daughter happy for once and let me stay?"
"Ner—" the Doctor started before sighing. "What about Nero?"
"Neru… I love you…" Gakupo whispered.
"It's simple; let him stay as well…" Neru answered her father. Dr. Akita glares at Gakupo.
"Am I missing something here? You what?" Dr. Akita asked. Gakupo remains quiet as he curls up into a ball.
"He said that he loves me… Something you never said to your son or me…" Gakupo remains silent.
"Neru…take Nero…and go home…we will not discuss this here!" Dr. Akita opens the door, leaves the room, and slams it closed behind him.
"He doesn't want me near her. He hates me…" Gakupo said more to himself than to Neru.
"I HATE YOU DAD!" Neru yelled. Gakupo flinches but remains silent with his back to Neru as she turns to face him. "I'm sorry… I'll see you later…"
"Yeah… Be safe…" Gakupo closes his eyes as tears slowly roll down his cheeks.
"I will… I love you too…"
"I love you always…" Gakupo said in a low voice. A Doctor comes into the room waiting for her to leave.
"I'm leaving! So don't say anything!" Neru scowled. Neru storms out of the room and to Nero who is waiting outside by the door. She grabs his hand and leaves the hall.
"S-sis, are you ok?" Nero asked.
"No, I'm not!" Neru yelled. Gakupo remains quiet as he rolls onto his back waiting for the Doctor.
"What happened?"
"Our good for nothing father happened that's what!"
"What did he do?"
"He got upset because Gakupo said that he loves me and wouldn't let us stay."
"Oh dear… Someone is in trouble and I don't mean you…"
"It's when I'm happy that dad decides to be a father and ruin in," Neru said with a sigh. The Doctor sticks a needle into Gakupo's back and he yelps loudly in pain.
"GAH!" Gakupo yelped in pain.
"Seems so…" Nero said covering his ears.
"Gakupo…" Neru said as she cringes.
"What are they doing to him?" Nero asked. The Doctor knocks the Samurai out cold.
"I don't know…" Neru replied. The Doctor then slowly starts drawing blood from Gakupo.
"We should get home. Dad will be there soon…" Nero suggested.
Akita Household
Neru nods her head and they head home. The Doctor chains Gakupo to the bed and continues doing what he was told to do. Nero and Neru walk in the dork house. "DAD!" Neru yelled.
"What?" Dr. Akita asked. Nero runs up to his room.
"What is your problem? You never wanted to act like a father until now!" Neru demanded.
"I don't want you near that man!"
"And why not?"
"How long have you known him? What has he put into your head? Promises about a happy life? Men like that aren't trustworthy."
"WILL YOU SHUT UP?"
"Don't you dare raise your voice to me."
"Men like you aren't trustworthy. What did you do to mom to make her love you?" Neru questioned in heated fury. The Doctor looks at his daughter.
"I'm your father."
"Oh really? I never knew my father… he was always too busy for his children! He left his daughter to take care of his son!"
"Listen to me, Neru I love you both. However, I do not know that man. Moreover, until I do, I don't want you near him."
"And how will you stop me? You are never around!"
"I am on vacation. I will be home for the next three weeks."
"Oh…wonderful…finally you want to be a father!" Neru shouted angrily. Gakupo remains motionless on the bed. Dr. Akita sits on the couch.
"Go to your room, Neru," the Doctor instructed. Neru runs up the stairs and to her room.
"I am nineteen years old…what the Hell?" Neru said to herself aloud. Gakupo still does not move as the Doctor leaves the room. Gakuko leaves the hospital, goes to Neru's house, and knocks on the door. Dr. Akita answers the door. Neru looks around her room.
"Hey, Mr. Akita, can I spend time with Nero?" Gakuko asked.
"Why? Are you two friends?"
"Yes."
"Nero! Get down here!" Dr. Akita shouted. Nero comes running downstairs.
"Oh, hey, Gakuko," Nero said surprised.
"Hey. Are you ready to play Prototype again?" Gakuko asked. The boy's father sits back down on the couch.
"Yeah! Come on!" Nero said happily. The two kids turn on the XBOX 360 and start playing the game. Gakupo remains motionless on his hospital bed. Neru jumps out of her bedroom window carefully landing on her feet.
Japanese Hospital
She heads to the hospital avoiding the cameras. She then makes it to where the Samurai is. The door to the room is locked with a sign on the door, which reads "Under Surveillance." Gakupo is covered in blood on his chest and face and is only dressed in his boxers. Neru looks at the locked door that bears her father's signature on it. "Damn it. Ha. Whatever," Neru said under her breath. Gakupo slowly starts to awaken and notices that he is chained to the bed.
"GAH! NERU!" Gakupo yelled.
"Oh, screw it." She picks the lock and goes into the room. "I am his daughter; they should know what I am capable of by now." Gakupo tries to get free and gets shocked instead by the chains.
"GAH!" He fights more and the chains keep shocking him and eventually knock him out again. "N-Neru…" Neru, having stole all of her father's keys, starts trying to unlock the chains as she fumbles with the keys.
"Gakupo!" The Samurai, who is out cold, is covered in blood and bruises. She finally gets the chains unlocked.
"N-Neru…" Gakupo said as he finally comes to again.
"I'm here." She hugs the Samurai softly after getting the chains off his wrists and ankles.
"W-what happened…?"
"I don't know much."
"I-I see. Who did this?"
"My idiot of a father…"
"W-why? W-what have I don't to him?"
"You love his daughter…and we just met a few weeks ago." Gakupo looks away.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble…"
"He did…not you…he did this to himself," Neru said. Gakupo tries to stand and collapses she catches the Samurai. "We are staying with Haku for a while, you, Gakuko, Nero, and me."
"Okay…"
"Can you manage yourself for a while, long enough to get to Haku's house?" Neru asked. The Samurai shakes his head, Neru gets a text message, and she looks at it. "Actually, she and Dell are already outside the hospital. They will take you to their house."
"Okay…" The weakened Samurai slowly gets dressed.
"I will be able to get us out of here without being caught. You will just have to bear with me," Neru said. Gakupo nods slightly, Neru kisses his deeply and he kisses her back.
"I'm glad that you came back for me."
"Of course, I would." Gakupo, who is still covered in blood, smiles at Neru.
"I knew that you would."
"Now let's get out of here."
"Where's Gakuko?" Gakupo asked with a nod. Neru smiles back at him and takes hold of his right hand gently. "Gakuko is at my house with Nero. We will bring her to you."
"Okay…" The Samurai grips his girlfriend's hand tightly. The former Tsundere Girl carefully opens the door and looks out for people. Gakupo stays behind her. She quietly goes out into the hallway, looks around again, and walks through the hall avoiding all of the cameras. He follows her slowly. Neru sees some people standing down the hall and they hide in the storage room. She takes a deep quiet breath. As the people pass, she decides to wait a few more minutes and then pulls them out again and move down the hall. Finally, they get outside and almost run right into Dell and Haku.
"Hey guys," Neru said.
"Hey, Neru-chan," Haku said.
"Well, let's go…" Dell suggested. Neru hands Gakupo over to her friends, the Samurai stumbles forward. The two catch the faulty Samurai. "See you soon, Neru."
"We got you, Gakupo," Haku said to the Samurai.
"T-thanks…" Gakupo said to Neru's friends. "Neru…?"
"Yeah?" Neru asked.
"No problem," Dell said.
"Be careful," Gakupo said faintly.
"Don't worry about me. It's just my dad."
"I love you," Gakupo said with a nod. The group heads their separate ways.
