Band Aid
Super duper sorry for the super late update . Been busy with work and being sick L Hope this chapter can make it up to you, Please, enjoy! :D
-Sorry for bad grammar and tenses-
Disclamer : I do not own Gakuen Alice
Chapter 13 : Healing
"Natsume. How are you feeling?" Ruka ask, stepping inside Natsume's hospital room. "I already told the boys not to disturb your recovery and only permitted Tsubasa to visit you."
Natsume nodded in satisfaction. He doesn't like to be disturbed in his weak condition like this. It's annoying and bring unnecessary headache, especially with his team's antics. He permitted Tsubasa to visit him only because he was the one who save him in the first place, and he is a doctor.
"You didn't answer my question." Ruka stated, arching his eyebrow as he take a seat beside Natsume's hospital bed.
"Peachy." Natsume answered briefly with a dark look on his face.
Ruka chuckled. "You should be thankful that you are still alive after loosing blood that much. Moreover, one of your wound was infected badly." He paused for a moment, thinking. "How could that happen by the way? Did what Tsubasa said right? That you are being stepped on?"
"Yeah." Natsume replied casually, shrugging.
Ruka growled in anger. "I should have torture them."
Natsume arch his eyebrow. "They are already dead when you came."
Ruka quickly cast his eyes downward. "Sorry I was late." He mumbled sheepishly and apologetically. "It shouldn't happen. Hell, Mikan won't have to go through another shitty situation if I was there."
"Don't start. It's all my fault for putting her there in the first place. It's the worst idea ever."
"We discuss it, Natsume. You can't take all the blame."
Natsume sigh. "Let's just end this useless blaming game. It has ended, and we are alive."
"Still I'm sorry for not being there when you need me." Ruka said stubbornly.
"Forgiven." Natsume replied immediately, smirking.
Ruka can't help but laugh. "Fine, you win."
Natsume slightly smiled before his face twisted into a worried one. His eyes shows so much pain that Ruka wanted to look away. "How is she?"
Ruka is silent for a moment, before exhaling out loud and start talking. "Hotaru called several doctors as soon as they arrived at her house. They were asked to do a full check up on Mikan."
"That bad?" Natsume ask in low voice, seeing Ruka's expression. He can't imagine what she has been through before he came.
Ruka slowly nodded. "Well, you can already see that her face was bruised badly, her lip busted and few scratches here and there on her cheeks. Her right shoulder has fissure, and her wrist broken. Her left ankle sprained badly and the worst thing is that she has concussion plus big wound on her head that need to be stitched."
Natsume grimaced a bit hearing Ruka's explanation. He feels guiltier now. "Concussion? How bad?"
"Yeah, the doctor said that it was because she hit her head hard. Luckily it's a light one though."
Natsume sigh out of relief.
"But well," It's Ruka turn to sigh. "It's not fully on Persona's."
Natsume frowned. "What do you mean? It's impossible for Mikan to inflict them herself."
"No, I don't mean that. What I mean is that Mikan fought back fiercely which is why she has so many wounds. Persona forced to hurt her. I think if she didn't fought back he won't inflict those wounds, but I don't want to imagine what would happen."
Natsume clench his teeth. "But it's still that bastard's fault."
Ruka nodded. "Absolutely agree."
"He is dead?"
"I shot him right on the head just like you asked, capt. If you are still unsure, the boys have confirmed that Persona and his four henchmen were no longer alive."
"It should be like that."
"But we still have threat."
Natsume sigh. "Yeah, from her father right? And the rest of Persona's team. It's a good thing though he doesn't have any descendants, or history would repeat."
"You guess right. We've been coordinating though from last night on how to wipe out all his team." He paused and smiled a bit. "Yeah, you can consider our 'contract' with Persona is done as soon as we manage to wipe his team out."
"Good. As soon as I'm out from here we'll start moving."
"Roger that, capt."
"Mikan, you have visitor." Hotaru called out from in front of her bedroom. "It's Hyuuga."
Hearing her boyfriend name, Mikan quickly straightened up her posture and tilted her head, asking silently whether Hotaru would help her or not.
Hotaru sigh and approach Mikan, – who is on wheelchair because of her ankle, and she still feel too weak to walk on her feet – helping to push her wheelchair to the living room.
Her face clearly brighten up at the sight of her boyfriend and the fact that he is still alive, but she made no move to get closer to him, she ask Hotaru to stop when their distance still quite far.
Ruka leaned a bit towards Natsume. "She was worse when I came here yesterday. She doesn't want to greet me, even looking at me scare her. I think it's because it is you that she dare to come out."
Natsume cursed Persona in his mind. It's all because of him that he has to start all over again approaching Mikan.
"You are alive!" Mikan said excitedly. Her eyes bright and happy. Nothing more, nothing less.
Natsume can't help but smiled seeing her condition is so much better than he expected from Ruka's story a week ago. Although the fact that she is on a wheelchair and he can still see bruises on her face and all the bandages made him frown and feel guilty.
He has just been discharged this morning and after he grabbed some drive thru lunch, he quickly drove here. Well, actually Ruka drove here and he was just sitting on the shotgun.
"I don't break promises, love." Natsume replied simply, his eyes softened.
Mikan bit her lower lip and fiddling with the hem of her sweater. She wanted so bad to hug him. But it's like her body being freeze from head to toe. Moreover, her heart start to thump abnormally sensing some male presence near her.
It's literally been hell for Mikan these past week. It's only been three weeks since all Persona's chaos and she only heal a little bit. Her nightmare become worse than before and she constantly, automatically shake whenever there is an unknown male nearby her. Well, she even reacted so bad when Ruka first came here, and yesterday she didn't even want to greet him.
But she instantly feel better now after seeing Natsume standing there with a sling on his left hand. His presence still bring peaceful feeling and make her feel safe, but somehow she still can't get close to him, or make any skin contact, for now.
Maybe it is connected with the fact that she still replaying the traumatic event over and over again, or perhaps because she hasn't cried at all to let all her negative feelings go.
It is the strangest thing though, that she hasn't cried until now, even a tear. Although when her worst nightmare happened she cried endlessly and not stopping until she collapsed out of shock, weariness, and pain from her wounds, these days she can't even shed a tear. Even Hotaru commented on the fact, saying that Mikan is a crybaby so she should cry all of her misery out, not holding it back.
"It's nice to finally see you, Mikan." Ruka greeted cheerfully, glad that finally he can see her.
Mikan smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry for not treating you good enough these past days, Ruka."
Ruka smiled back. "It's okay Mikan. I understand." He stopped and looked down. "I'm sorry for not coming fast enough. It shouldn't happen." He said with softer voice.
Okay, she start to feel guilty too, seeing that Ruka was drowning in misery just because she can't overcome her trauma quickly enough.
"Come see me in a month, Ruka." Mikan gently said, wanting to make him feels better but with truth. "I will show you that I can spar with you again."
"You being like this won't help with Mikan's recovery you know." Hotaru said in low voice that only can be heard by Ruka since she was standing right beside him.
Ruka whispered a soft 'thank you' to his wise girlfriend before lifting his head up, and look straight right into Mikan's eyes. He give out a happy grin and said, "I can't wait to see you back in gym, Mikan. I'll wait for you."
Feeling happy, Mikan beamed towards him. "Sure."
"Now that it's done, let's go Nogi. They need sometime alone." Hotaru quickly said, dragging Ruka out.
As soon as the couple left the room, all worries that she thought before and the restrained feeling suddenly vanish. She feels like she is invincible and can touch any male she want. Is this all because of Natsume?
"How do you feel now?" Natsume ask, taking a seat across her.
"Truthfully?" Mikan ask back, her eyes playful.
Natsume smiled at the effort Mikan give to assure him that she is not uncomfortable with him. "Yes, then I will tell you truthfully too about my condition."
Mikan chuckled. "Deal! But you will go first." She said cheekily, sticking out her tongue.
Natsume shook his head at her childish antics, but still smiled because of that nonetheless. "I feel quite fine despite all these bandages. Maybe it's because my body used to being shot."
Mikan frowned at Natsume's answer. "It's not a joke, Natsume. Being shot is not a little thing. You can die, especially with the way they treat you back then." She shuddered at the thought of Persona's men torturing him.
"I've been trained that way, love. Also, you can't say that my job all this time was an easy thing. I got shot a lot. It's just I never told you all the stories."
Mikan sigh. She can't argue with that. "Please be careful though."
Natsume chuckled. "Of course, love. We still have a lot to do."
Mikan look away to hide her blush. But it's futile since Natsume has eagle eyes. Seeing her cheeks tainted with red brought another assurance inside Natsume. It means that she still love him, and comfortable enough with his affection.
"Now, your condition." He said. His expression change into a worried one. "Are you okay? How are you these past weeks when I was hospitalized?"
Mikan look down and start to fiddle with her sweater again. "I can bear with the physical pain. For me, it's nothing compared to psychological pain."
"Look at me love, and tell me. Tell me everything. Your nightmare, your pain. I will hear you out." Natsume said gently. His eyes full of love.
Mikan take a deep breath to prepare herself. She look at Natsume and let all her walls down, showing everything with her eyes. "I'm so scared Natsume." She started, her hands slightly shaking. "Knowing that I was alone only with that kind of man, in an empty building. Moreover, he is my father's messenger."
"Wait." Natsume interjected. "What do you mean empty building?"
Mikan look at him with surprised look. "W-well. That man told me that your secret hideout only has me living in it."
Natsume cursed under his breath. That bastard is really a psycho. He liked to play with the victim's feelings. "It's not, love. You are alone in that floor because I bought the whole floor, but the rest is just like the usual apartment building."
Mikan sigh. "I should have known that he lied by the way he intimidated me."
"In my opinion he is always a psycho." Natsume said grimly.
"I can't agree more with you. He did too many things that seems intended to scared me more which make him clearly a psycho."
"Tell me more, love."
Mikan slowly and softly narrated all her feelings, from when the incident happened until post-incident. All her nightmares, her reactions, her progression from day one until now, all of her depression, insecurities, and fear. Everything, she told him everything with nothing to hide.
"Do you know that I still love you no matter what happened?" Natsume ask gently. He reach forward, palms up as if inviting her to come closer.
Mikan bit her lower lip. She can feel her chest bubbling up, and tears behind her eyes when she heard Natsume's question. She know she is safe with him, that he would do nothing to harm her. Her trust only go deeper when she heard his reaction.
"You are still beautiful, and you are not scarred in anyway." Natsume continue, his other hand followed the other one, reaching forward towards Mikan.
A strangled sob escaped from Mikan's lips as she slowly move her wheelchair and blindly reach for Natsume.
Hiding his smile, Natsume gladly take Mikan into his hug, feeling like a puzzle that finally completed. He is overjoyed to know that it doesn't take that long to make Mikan trust him again.
"Just cry it out, love. Let all your feelings go." He whispered, holding her tight. "I'll be here with you. I will not leave you no matter what."
With that said, Mikan's first cry broke, tears rolled down her cheeks endlessly as sobs rake her body hard.
"I'll stay here, cousin. Do you have some spare room?" Natsume ask, coming out from Mikan's bedroom after putting her to her own bed because she collapsed in the middle of her hysterical crying.
He called doctor immediately, and thank goodness that the doctor said it's only the impact of many emotions suddenly surging forward and she is on recovery so her body isn't that strong yet.
"You can stay in Ruka's room with him." Hotaru answered from the kitchen, brewing some coffee.
Ruka grinned. "We'll have some bromance then."
Natsume rolled his eyes but a smirk lingered on his lips. "I won't decline a tempting offer."
Hotaru scoffed. "Get a room you two. Or I'll shoot you with my baka gun."
Ruka chuckled. "Love you, hun."
"Shut up Nogi." Hotaru growled, glaring from her place.
Ruka laughed, but not saying anything further since he still value his live.
"What is the boys doing now?" Natsume ask, popping open the soda can that Ruka brought.
"On mission." Ruka answered, opening his soda can too.
Natsume arch his eyebrow in question.
"I asked them to do everything they could to wipe the rest of Persona's building. There are still several of them that we didn't manage to burn down because of your situation."
Natsume nodded. "That's good. So there won't be other rebellious act in the future."
"Should I arrange another attack for Persona's subordinates?"
"Yes. You can go and coordinate directly. I expect you to come back in a week with a good news."
"Of course, capt. I'll send some guards here just in case you need anything."
"Start as soon as the boys done with the mission."
"Roger, capt."
"What do you plan to do about Mikan's father?" Hotaru suddenly chimed in the conversation, bringing her coffee and take a seat beside Ruka which make him smile.
"Should I kill him?" Natsume ask back, contemplating a few choices.
"I agree with you killing him. But Mikan doesn't want to." Hotaru replied, shaking her head. "That girl is really stubborn when it came to things like this."
"But he can be a dangerous threat if not eliminated." Ruka commented, frowning.
"That's true. Now he can grab some big guns like Persona from behind the bars, who knows what he would do in the future." Natsume said, putting down his empty can.
Hotaru sigh. "You can discuss that with Mikan herself. Hope that by you talking to her would change her mind."
Natsume smirk. "You'll let me stay long enough right?"
Hotaru rolled her eyes. "As long as you need, cousin."
There are a lot of conversation in this chapter, but not much of the story though. Hope you guys still enjoy it! Thank you for reading!
Newroz : Yes, absolutely. Can't agree more. Hope moments in this chapter is enough :D it's nice to see you still with me too! Xoxo thank you as always for leaving a sweet review ;)
Yzza Hyacinth Eligan : No, it's really fine. Thank you so much for leaving supportive review XD I really appreciate it!
Wind of SilentBell : LOL. Yes, that's true. But with many people being supportive towards Mikan, especially Natsume, I'm sure she can overcome it in no time :D About Mikan's father, let's see in the future chapters ;D Thank you for reviewing XD
Guest : Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well J
Aquabluemarine