To Win
Chapter 12
Listen! I'm a Doctor.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.
Hello! Sooo sorry I didn't post a chapter last month! I was busy studying and taking finals! I really wanted to, but I couldn't get myself to sit down and write, too stressed… ha ha ha.
Anyway, I really like the title of this chapter! (I think I'm having more and more fun naming them) Tell me what you think! It's funny I think. *shrugs*
x-Bayley-x: I'm glad you like it! Yeah, I know, I didn't want this story to be focused on a pairing. I think it would have gotten in the way, or would have confused me somehow. As for if it turns out okay, please keep reading! You'll find out.
The Fuzy Llama: I loved reading your review! And I was kind of worried to add Kazuma too, but I thought I needed him. And I'm glad that you liked the chapter! Hope you like this one too!
Well that's all from me! Time for chapter 12! (yay!) Please read, and please feel free to leave any thoughts in a review! I'd love to hear what you have to say!
She had planned it out perfectly. Just like all the other times before. The girl would pretend to be asleep while the doctor's checked on her and she would stay an extra few minutes (just long enough for a nurse to confirm she was still there, sound asleep) and as soon as the lights has been turned off in her room for the night, she'd throw the sheets off of her.
She had planned it out perfectly and executed it perfectly, she thought as she fumed in the moonlit court yard of the hospital, dark eyes staring up at the window of the room she had escaped from only moments before. Only one mistake… take all belongings of importance with you as you break out or they will be disposed of upon discovery.
She had planned it out perfectly… and that was the problem. It was perfectly flawless, without any trouble spots. She glared at the window and marched back toward the hospital in the moonlight with a hard thought 'Breaking out was probably a lot easier than breaking in'
But finally, the girl managed to climb up onto the narrow ledge and hoist her body threw the partially opened window of the semi-darkened hospital room with little more than a few scrapes on her arms and a skinned knee. She blinked, as dark eyes scanned the room, unaware light eyes were hidden in the shadows waiting for her return to deliver a message, and take another item.
There. On the dresser across from her bed, the first thing she saw when she had woken up that morning and found herself once again in a hospital.
She shifted her weight and her bare feet touched the cold tile floor of the room as she quietly made her way to her target.
"See its funny…" An airy voice said from the far end of the room and the girl froze in place as the lights flicked on "it says her you have a history of breakout out of hospitals, not breaking in" Dark eyes darted to a figure examining a file by the doorway.
Rin glared at the girl in a white lab coat and glanced at the card stationed on top of the dresser "I was just leaving" she said coldly.
Icy blue eyes looked up at her "I don't think that's such a good plan, Sohma-san, according to your charts your treatment isn't fully-"
"I hate hospitals." The girl snapped.
Mitani smiled "Nevertheless, it's beneficial for you. So, if you wouldn't mind, Sohma-san, please-"
"I would mind. Who are you anyway?" Rin demanded. "I've never seen you before. You're not my doctor. Are you even a doctor? How old are you?" She challenged, her eyes scanning the room for the fastest escape route (rather than just jumping blindly two floors onto the pavement)
Mitani smiled again, taking a step away from the door for the convenience of a quick getaway but Rin's suspicion didn't subside that easily. "I'm not a doctor. Not yet anyway, see?" The girl with white hair turned sideways slightly exposing a 'Hello! My Name is…. 'Sticker on the lapel of her lab coat and in the white area filled in with thick black marker the word 'Intern'.
"I'm just an Intern. I'm in Med School. Usually Doctors just send me to get them coffee. I was sent to see if you had woken up yet. Which should be an easy job, a yes or no question, but… you weren't here. And… I started to think that maybe you were scheduled for surgery so I checked your file." Mitani held up the file "Then I saw your history, and figured you ran away. I didn't want to go back and tell them so I just stayed here trying to think of a new career."
Rin glanced back at the card.
And so did Mitani. "He asked thing to me. 'How old are you?'" She began, coming forward "Except more distantly… your friend."
The girl with light eyes lifted the card off the dresser and Rin tensed up, much to Mitani's own surprise. She could hardly believe Akito was serious when he told her to take the 'Get Well Soon' card written by Haru to Isuzu.
"Wait, Akito… is that really her prized possession?" Mitani asked, stunned.
Akito's eyes fell on her. "What? Is there something else you think?"
Mitani looked confused "She… has never seen it yet, has she?"
"Shigure once told me that Hatsuharu writes Isuzu a card each time she goes into the hospital. And each time she gets a new one she cares about it more than the last."
Mitani's eyes darkened "How do you know Shigure's not lying about the whole thing."
Akito smiled "You will find out, won't you?"
Rin's eyes narrowed while Mitani turned the card over in her hands. She ran her fingers threw her dark hair "Who? Haru? Who let him in?" She asked harshly.
"He said you two were close"
"Yeah, were close. I don't want him near me. I… can't stand the sight of him." Rin looked away angrily.
"He stayed here the whole time that he could, he talked about you like-"
"I don't care, okay! Shut up!"
Mitani's blue eyes widened slightly "I'm sorry." She said quietly holding the card down to her side between two fingers so as little as skin as possible would make contact with in.
Rin clenched her teeth together and dropped down in a chair next to the bed, slamming her fists on the mattress.
Something about touching the card from this broken relationship made Mitani want to abandon her mission. She wanted to give Rin the card, a hug, and disappear. What good would come of handing Akito this? He already knew. He already destroyed them. Was this piece of paper… could this really be her most prized possession?
"H-Haru-san… that's his name right?" Mitani began. Rin didn't react. "Haru-san asked me to tell you something, Isuzu-san." He had… but far before you had arrived in the hospital. "You were asleep when he was here" she continued, approaching the girl with her head buried in her arms "He asked me while he left you your card." She said flipping it open.
Mitani starred at the contents of the ordinary store bought card, her expression suddenly growing sad and painful at the badly drawn illustration chibi or a boy with black and white hair and a girl with long black hair contained in a cartoon panel.
"Is this supposed to be you two?" Mitani asked, in a barely audible voice.
Rin lifted her head, her eyes looking at Mitani "That crap artwork?" She scoffed.
The girl nodded, turning her attention to the insider cover of the card, Haru's handwriting taking up the entire length so it was basically black. The things he wrote made Mitani smile a little, because they weren't anything unparticular, nothing you would expect to find in a Get Well Soon card. Nothing about his undying love and commitment and how he was going mad without her, how he would stay by her sick bed until the moment she was healed.
Simpler things that showed that Rin had never really left his mind, almost like he was finishing conversations they had yet to complete. Everything from his thoughts on their favorite restaurants to why it was better to trade video games than buy new ones to his heart felt opinions on books with no dry or witty humor. Including her opinions and agreeing with her on certain aspects while respectfully disagreeing and pointing out (with facts) why he was right on other subjects, but it didn't really matter in the long run, did it? If it did, he would let her win, and gladly look up facts supporting her argument (this statement included as almost a second thought) but would refuse to not acknowledge the facts supporting his.
"Yeah. He can't draw for anything" Rin smiled slight as Mitani's eyes turned back to the comic.
The caption on the bottom was simple but honest.
'Anyway… I Miss You… A lot…'
Followed by the Cow's signature.
Mitani shut it closed.
Akito would hate this
"Does he give you these a lot?" Mitani asked.
"Every time I'm in the hospital." Rin answered offhandedly. "I told him to stop coming here. I don't want to see him."
"Is that true?"
Rin glared.
Mitani looked away. "Do you want to know what he said?" She asked.
Rin shrugged. "I don't care. " She said, burying her head in her arms again "I don't care about him." Her muffled voice tried to convince herself.
Mitani's hand slipped Haru's card into Rin's file quickly and as she began to speak, she pulled an identical card from the gift shop from the other end "He said that when I see you to tell you that he'll be waiting for you… because he's persistent." She double checked the inside of the card to make sure it was the right one. "I can tell he is. I know he is... The way he keeps coming back, leaving you cards like these. And that… as long as you find him… you can take as long as you want."
Mitani smiled as Rin peered up at her. She set the card at the end of the bed and turned to the door.
She stopped with her hand on the knob. "But, Isuzu-san, listen to me, be careful. Don't allow anything to stop your happiness but don't let yourself get hurt. Don't… put yourself in danger." With that, Mitani exited the room, leaving Rin more than enough confused.
The horse looked at the card and opened it and her eyes widened as the picture and writing was gone, replaced with only
'I'm sorry. Be careful, Isuzu. '
Rin crushed the card in her fist "That Bitch."
"You would never pass as a doctor."
Shigure looked at the girl standing in the doorway. "Yuh-huh!" He said turning around to her. "All you need are rugged good looks and lab coat."
Kagura smiled, tapping a stack of envelopes in her palm. "Well, you've got one of them nailed, I'll give you that."
"The looks?" He purred, leaning back against Hatori's vacant desk.
"The lab coat." Kagura corrected with giggle. "But that's Hari-chan's."
Shigure tipped his head to the side "Say what you want, Kagura, but you know you can't resist me. I'm absolute masculine perfection. I drive women wild and you are no exception to the rule. I know… I'm a doctor."
"Oh that's right, and how are the high school girls responding to you?"
Shigure winced in mock pain. "Kagura, you insult me! Do you really see me as such a perv?"
"Mostly," She shrugged. The boar moved past him and set an envelope from the stack onto Hatori's desk. She turned to Shigure and handed him one as well. "Are you coming to Sacchan's birthday party next weekend?"
Shigure took the envelope and opened the invitation for the party. "Next weekend, huh?" he murmured, scanning the colorful paper until he saw the time of the event. "I'm not sure what my agenda has scheduled for me to do-"
"A high school girl maybe?" Kagura finished quickly at the heel of his sentence, grinning as she held back laughter.
"That joke is going to get old" Shigure shot a look at her over the colorful paper. "Besides, can you really take time out of your planner from stalker Kyo to attend?"
Kagura's smile vanished. She snatched the paper from his hands and marched toward the door as Hatori entered the office.
"Aw, Kagura! Come on, I was only kidding!" Shigure whined, trailing after his cousin. She glared at him as she approached the threshold.
"Are you wearing my lab coat?" Hatori asked.
"Shii-chan! You are so mean to me!" Kagura sobbed, on the brink of tears.
"I wasn't trying to be! I was trying to be funny. I'm sorry, kay'?" he smiled at her. "Don't be mad at me, alright, Kagura-chan?"
Kagura glared at the ground and after a moment nodded. "Fine" She glanced up at a confused looking, ligament doctor, and spoke to him "Hari-chan, there's an invitation on your desk." and began to turn out the door as he glanced at the envelope.
"Kagura" Shigure called. She glanced back at him as he ran his hand through his hair, his hand on desk, and a suggestive look in his eyes "Still don't think I'm a hottie?"
She laughed "Yeah yeah, Shii-chan, you're gorgeous." She rolled her eyes and walked away.
Hatori stared at Shigure as he opened the envelope. "I feel as though I've missed something. "
"Nothing much, you know how sensitive that kid is about Kyo." Shigure shrugged as Hatori scanned the invitation.
"Don't pick on her for that. She really does care for him." He scolded. "You'd never pass as a doctor…" He added, looking at the lab coat once again.
"Pfft…" Shigure waved off the comment "Anyone can be a doctor, Haa-san. All you need is a lab coat and looks."
"Medical School has nothing to do with it, I suppose?" Hatori asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not at all. That's just for show. Really, at the moment, I'm more of a doctor then you are, since you aren't wearing a lab coat." Shigure reasoned with a grin.
"That's because you're wearing it. Logic like that would prove you to be fraud."
"Am I going to have to seduce you?"
"Stop that."
Shigure smiled, sitting in Hatori's chair before he could do so. "Gonna go to Sacchan's party, Haa-san?"
"Of course. You're not?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Depends if I can clear up my schedule tha-"
"Really, Shigure, what are you going to do? Sleep in until two and watch cartoons? No one's going to cook for you that day, Yuki, Tohru, and Kyo will have all been invited."
"I go places!" Shigure defended.
Hatori raised an eyebrow "Your house and here… and I already said I was going."
"Sometimes I make stops on the way here." The dog pouted.
"Everyone else will be going." Hatori digressed, going to his filing cabinet.
The author's eye's flashed "Really? Everyone, you say?"
"Yes, everyone Shigure. It's Kisa's birthday after all." He answered, examining a patient's medical records.
"What about Akito?"
Hatori looked over Shigure. The Dog smiled at him. He propped his head up on his hand.
"Well… Where will our beloved Akito-san be on Sacchan's birthday?"
"He doesn't like attending those sort of events, but I'm sure out of politeness, he has been invited-"
"And so we can naturally assume his toy Kureno won't make an entrance either." Shigure added.
Hatori looked out the window; his mind already knew where the Dog was going.
"But what of good old Mitani-kun?" Shigure mused.
"Akito wouldn't send her where we would all-"
"That is exactly the sort of place Akito would send her, Haa-san!" Shigure cried "Akito doesn't want her to win, this was a challenge, meaning it's supposed to be challenging, come on, Haa-san."
Hatori looked back at him "I'll have the party canceled."
The Dog's eyes met his and narrowed.
"No."
The doctor lifted his chin as Shigure stood up from the desk. "It's not the right time. I'm doing this now Haa-san, stay out of it. Let it happen."
"If we are right there… if we can stop her we should. For everyone's sake, we should end it all now. Save all of them, save Mitani-kun, save Rin-"
"It'll be Hii-kun," Shigure put in.
Hatori paused "What? Hiro?"
Shigure smiled slightly "Listen… I'm a doctor," he began, adjusting Hatori's lab coat as he moved away from the desk "and I figure if it's at Sacchan's party, it's going to involve Hii-kun. I don't know if Mitani's finished with Rin or not yet, but it all adds up. Makes more sense." He tapped the side of his head "Logically speaking of course."
"I'm not going to just stand there as she steal's a little boy's prized possession."
"Then don't go. Stay here." Shigure suggested off handedly.
"Did you know all of this? Is that why you came here?" Hatori asked, ill at ease, regretting making that phone call.
Shigure smiled again, taking off the jacket "No. Actually, I came here for something different, but kind of related. This started to come to me when you began to convince me to go. I had every intention to ditch, no offense to Sacchan, I love her to pieces, but the kid had a terrible choice of party hours, 11:00 am on a Saturday? No thank you. Nothing that I said is for certain, for all I know Mitani-kun may be sleeping in that day because she isn't after anything and I'll have woken up for nothing. Oh, but we should get coffee after!"
"Then what did you come here for?" Hatori asked, taking his lab coat back from him and hanging it up on the coat rack.
Shigure grinned "I've got some juicy gossip. I can't tell you all the details, but I know something about this challenge that you don't know."
Hatori closed his eyes tightly; getting irritated "why bother? If you won't tell me anyway"
"Well, Haa-san, you'll go and ruin everything if I tell you."
Hatori stayed silent and sighed, turning back to him as he rubbed his temples "What?"
"Kyo's involved too, and I know what his item is… but what's more exciting is what Akito made Tohru's item."
Hatori froze his eyes wide "Tohru Honda? Why her?" He asked quietly, lowering his hands.
Shigure tipped his head to the side, amused "If you thought that was a twist, Haa-san, if only I could tell you what she keeps most prized."
Mitani stood on the porch, watching Akito in the garden with Kureno, Rin's get well card hidden behind her back. The dark haired man held onto the Rooster's arm on the stone path in the morning sun, whispering words through narrowed eyes. The Rooster nodded, silent, as Akito slipped his arm from his.
Kureno produced a piece of colorful parchment from his pocket and offered it to Akito, his lips moving as the god regarded the note distastefully. Finally, the younger man reached out his hand and the Rooster placed the paper into it. Akito smirked at the paper and chuckled as he spoke to Kureno. The auburn haired man didn't react, other than a subtle nod, before Akito turned back to the porch, leaving the Bird alone in the garden.
"Ah. Hello dear Mitani." Akito spoke as he approached the patio, folding the colorful paper over and over until it was too thick to fold.
"Good morning Akito-san" Mitani said, watching him irritably press the paper between the palms of his hands, trying to compress it to maintain its shape on its own. "What is that?"
"What?" He looked at her and down at his hands once again. His lip turned up in a bitter, painful smirk. "This? It was an invitation." He explained as he applied more pressure.
"An invitation?" Mitani asked as Akito stepped onto the porch and passed her, moving idly into the room. "To what?"
"The Tiger girl's birthday celebration." Akito said spitefully as he blindly tossed the paper to the ground. "The Pig dropped it off today."
"Kisa-san? It's her birthday?"
"Obviously."
Mitani sighed "What's wrong with this Akito-san? So what if it's her birthday? Why are you upset?"
Akito halted at the end of the room and peered over his shoulder at Mitani.
"She didn't offend you by not inviting you… she didn't offend you by celebrating-"
"It sickens me that they celebrate. They… really think they have lives worth celebrating? What have they done? Everything they've done and can do is because of me and I am expected to celebrate for them?" Akito scoffed.
Mitani blinked "She's a little girl, Akito-san, she just wants a party, and she was being nice."
Akito looked away "Regardless…" he muttered as he knelt down on a cushion facing a window.
"What about you Mitani-san?" He asked after several minutes.
Mitani shifted "hmm?"
"Where have you been? Didn't I send you to Isuzu yesterday morning? This is the first I'm seeing you since. You aren't usually gone that long, are you?"
"… Getting into a hospital isn't that eas-"
"Why aren't you gloating?"
Mitani paused.
"Why… aren't you slamming it in front of me and promising me you'll be free?" he asked.
Akito moved on the cushion so that he was facing her "Don't think me foolish, Mitani. I knew you had the card the moment I saw you on the porch. You aren't that hard to read. I don't know how you've been able to snatch up everything from those people."
He stood up slowly and Mitani dropped her blue gaze, his slight smile frightening her. It warned of approaching danger. "So what is it? Why haven't you shown it to me yet?"
"…I-"
"Are you having second thought?" He asked with a chuckled. Mitani raised her eyes "Are you worried about showing me that card?" He questioned as he approached her. The girl took a step back, her grip tightening.
"No, I-"
Akito interrupted "You think I'll be mad if I see it? Are you concerned about what I'll do?"
"Listen, Akito-san, please, you'll need to let me explain it-"
The laughter drained from Akito's expression. "Explain…? You have something to explain to me? Why bother. If you show me the card, I won't listen to you. I do what my judgment calls for. Now, with Hatsuharu and Isuzu, that's a tricky situation. What do you want to do Mitani?"
Akito extended his hand for the card, a dark glint in his eyes.
Mitani stared wide eyed into Akito's brown, challenging ones, and swallowed hard. Whatever resulted from this decision she would feel like she had a hand in. A few moments passed and he lifted his chin, looking down at the girl.
"You're not going to give it to me?"
"No, I am, but Akito-san, I just want you to-"
He grabbed her around her shoulders tightly, nails digging into her skin. "What does the card say, Mitani?"
"Let me explain it to you" She hissed, glaring at him "You'll get the wrong-"
"If you're going to give it to me, just give it to me. If not then you lose."
White hair fell into her eyes as she ducked her head. "What does it say?" He asked again. She clenched her jaw, glaring at the floor.
"Last chance, Dear Mitani." Akito said quietly, lifting Mitani's face up. "It's you… or them. Your choice."
Icy eyes stared back at him with a dark look, and turned away.
Akito smirked "Fine." He said releasing her. "I guess that means that I've-"
"Wait!" Mitani cried, taking a step forward as she reached out to grab Akito, but stopped as his eyes landed on her outstretched hand, with brows furrowed. She lowered her arm and looked away.
"It's not over yet… you didn't win." She said, producing Haru's card to Rin from behind her back.
Akito looked at the card in her hand, and the corner of his lip twitched as he snatched it from her, opening it and reading its contents. A low chuckle escaped from him that raised the hair on the back of her neck. "I knew it."
"Akito, wait, I told you you need to listen, I can explain it. It doesn't say anything about-"
"Shut up! I knew it! Those two, that awful girl! Even after I warned them? Disobedient! Disgusting!" He spat.
"No, Akito. That's not… they haven't done anything, he left her the card, they haven't seen each other since-"
"That vial girl… tempting my things, my things. Maybe I should speak to her again. Maybe my message wasn't clear enough."
"Akito-san, no." Mitani said, grabbing Akito's arm. Akito pulled away "Haru wrote the card. Isuzu had nothing to do with it. The card isn't pursuing. You made your point." She lied.
Akito smiled viciously. "That vial girl is on thin, thin ice… you don't fool me Mitani, I know what's going on. She's a temptress. It's disgusting." He moved forward "Women like her with slithering long hair…" he wound his fingers in locks of long white hair "I've seen it before. Once more wrong move…the next time I see that girl… the next time she touches something, anything that's mine, I'll correct this flaw of hers." He said examining the long strands of white wrapped around his fingers. "I'll save clueless Hatsuharu from the claws of a temptress"
With a sharp tug, Akito let go of her and tossed the card aside, moving across the room. He stopped short over the colorful, folded paper.
"And you… Mitani… you can save someone too." Akito said suddenly.
"What?"
Akito lifted the paper off of the ground and unfolded it. "The Sheep from the jaws of a Tiger." He shoved the invitation into her hands. His eyes were mocking.
"Hiro Sohma… The Ram once confessed his love for Kisa to me. Understandably I had a problem with it."
"Understandably." Mitani repeated, sarcastically.
Akito snickered "Mitani, dear, you can do your part and ensure that they don't see each other, can't you? Hiro's item… the gift he will be giving the Tiger on her birthday."
Mitani met Akito's smirk with an appalled look. "A birthday present between two children Akito?"
He shrugged.
"… but… don't you think everyone will have been invited?"
"I'm certain of it."
"Then it's impossible! I'll be seen by the people I took from and the ones who I'll have too and-"
Mitani froze as she remembered…
Hiro?
Wasn't he the one who saw her on the playground when she spoke to Kisa?
"This is a challenge, Mitani… if you're found out and it makes it so you can't finish, then its over." Akito said, sitting on the patio.
Mitani looked over her shoulder and back at Akito and knelt nearby him, she had some time before Saturday…
"What's wrong Akito-san?"
Four days to be precise.
Akito pulled his knees up to his chest, glaring darkly into the gardens "Don't try to trick me Mitani…"
She had been neglecting her first job.
Mitani didn't reply, she only sat next to him until Kureno came in to check if Akito was too cold.
Well there you have it! Chapter twelve! YUP! Hiro is up next! And I'm excited! I love his character! So you'll have to see what it's like!
Please review! I love hearing your opinions and thoughts! Anything you want to say! I'm all ears!
Thank you so much for reading!
As always!
Sachi-chan!
