Chapter 12 - A Peculiar Arrangement

A/N:
I was gifted with lots of ideas and inspiration this time, so here's another chapter! Honestly, exams are really boosting my creativity, so the coming weeks are probably more loaded with chapters than the previous ones. It's kinda an avoiding strategy, I guess (he he, extremely guilty). Even so, it's working quite well… so I'll put up with it for a while.

The afternoon sun makes the shadows dance on the schoolyard as the students leave the building one by one. Some are downright exhausted, and have no ability to move themselves in any other way than sloughing and shuffling at a turtle-like pace. Others are more enthusiastic, perhaps in ecstasy by the absence of lessons, perhaps because extra-curricular activities are waiting for them elsewhere. Either way, they are the ones bouncing and skipping on the sandy field beside the school buildings, and they are the ones that the bluenette observes from the window.

Ryūko is partly hanging outside the window, leaning on the windowsill and letting her hair get carried away in the wind. Her elbows are folded onto the aluminic frame as she lazily gazes to the outside, eyeing the leaving high schoolers while enjoying the warmth of the sun rays illuminating her face. That, however, is not the reason she'd stayed behind, though. That was something entirely different.

It had been a shock to her. Her mobile phone, which she actually never uses except for her almost daily phone calls with Satsuki, started ringing loudly during one of her lessons. That was strange in itself. I mean, very few people know my number. Excusing herself, apologizing and bowing to the teacher, she quickly left the classroom. She mumbled somewhere along the line of "it's an emergency call… I'll be right back." In fact, she didn't really know what was going on at all.

The phone number, she didn't recognize. However, put into another perspective, the only numbers that were saved in her phone were Mako's, Sukuyo's and Satsuki's. It didn't come as a surprise to Ryūko, considering all this, albeit she found it strange. Why would anyone call at this hour? Most people know that I'm having my lectures now, so why? Is it really an emergency?

Outside the room, a few moments later, Ryūko shook her head. She had to keep her head together, and waste no more time. Bracing herself for the worst, she pressed the dial button.

"Heya, this is Ryūko."

"Good afternoon, Ryūko-san. It's Inumuta Hōka speaking. Do you have a minute?"

"Uh… hi. And, sure. I already walked out of the classroom."

"Ah, of course you still have your lectures to attend to." A familiar rustling noise of fast-typing fingers flying over a keyboard. "But… anyway, I have to tell you something."

"So, out with it." The blue-haired girl became a bit uneasy due to the prospect of bad news. The only person this call could be about was Satsuki, as she was the only one the two of them had in common. And that simple fact unnerved her greatly.

"Satsuki-sama fainted in her office today. She's in the hospital right now."

The dry and uncaring way the computer freak delivered the announcement stirred a feeling of frustration from deep within Ryūko. Also, she still didn't quite progress the two sentences.

"Wha-… How is… Is she?" was all she could utter. What happened? How is she? Is she okay, injured, or even worse? I don't want to even imagine it, no way.

"It is nothing serious, she is okay. The rest of the day she will be resting in her hospital room, though. The doctors suspect it is simply a bad case of exhaustion and overworking."

A sigh, definitely one of relief. She is safe. "Oh… okay."

"We just thought you should know. Especially Nonon pushed me to call you."

So that pug is good for something. I'm glad. "… thanks anyway, Inumuta."

"No problem."

And that's how Ryūko was still waiting in her classroom. Waiting for Gamagōri to pick her up, as that's how the four Devas arranged it amongst themselves. After that, she would go to her sister. And then, I'll give her a piece of my mind. This can't go on any longer.

Satsuki's POV:

Ugh. It is as if my head is pinned down with thousands of needles. I feel pain, but at the same time light-headed and I consistently fail to pinpoint the source of this nuisance. The bed is soft and the blanket embrace me warmly. It's nice to take a nap once in a while…

Bed?

Blankets?

Sleeping?

My eyes fly open in shock of my own realization. What happened? While trying to recall the events from before, I take in my surroundings. The white interior, the pungent smell of disinfectants and sanitizers. Suddenly, it clicked. Oh, I'm in the hospital.

Curious as to how I've been transported to this hospital room, and to this building in general, I try to sit upright and see whether I can spot a nurse or doctor. I'm in one of the private rooms after all, so asking a roommate is no option for me. As luck would have it, I'm blessed with the bubbly nurse that, as on cue, walks through the doorstep with a glass of water in her hand.

I try asking, my voice hoarse and feebly. "Excuse me… do you know how I got here?"

"Ah, Satsuki-san, glad to see you're awake. You've been asleep for some hours now."

Some hours? I swiftly turn my head towards the clock I discovered on the wall earlier. That was certainly a bad idea, as I feel a whelm of nausea coming over me upon completing my ninety degree turn. In response, I grab the bedsheets tightly, waiting for the not-so-pleasant moment to ebb away.

The nurse, meanwhile, put the glass of water down at my nightstand and continued. "We heard that you fainted in your office in the early afternoon. A woman named Hōōmaru Rei brought you to the hospital after discovering your seemly lifeless body on the office floor. After running some precautionary tests I am happy to announce nothing is found. It is just a simple case of exhaustion and overworking."

I tried to process the words, but the monologue went too fast for my liking. And my head hurts like crazy, which is not helping me taking in all this information. Still, I have to thank Hōōmaru later. For bringing me to the hospital, that is. Not that I like being here, on the contrary. When can I leave this place? I really don't like hospitals.

As if she'd read my mind just now, the friendly woman in hospital uniform added. "We would like to monitor you for a while, in case you faint again due to a lack of well-needed rest. Therefore, you must remain in this room for the rest of the day and stay in this bed to sleep. Tomorrow morning, you will be the first to go home, Satsuki-san."

I accept in defeat, seeing that me protesting is not going to be effective. I'm tired, and that brown-haired nurse is way more determined. I answer: "…fine. But, is it okay to make some phone calls? I have to inform my company that I'm taking the rest of the day off."

"I believe your colleagues already took care of that, but one phone call I will allow. Then you really have to go to sleep, missy."

I nod as a subconscious response, and after the nurse went away to continue her daily routine while checking on her patients, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. My slightly shaking fingers type in the speed dial, and I bring the device to my right ear.

Upon hearing a familiar click, I start talking. "Hello, this is Satsuki speaking."

A moment of silence. "Ah, Satsuki-sama. Is everything alright?"

"Nothing to worry about. Anyway, to cut to the case, I want you to do something for me."

"Anything for you, Satsuki-sama, anything."

"Well, you see…"

Ryūko's POV:

"Matoi, shall we go?"

My hands were beginning to run cold. I turn my head towards the voice. "Yeah, let's go quickly."

"No problem, we'll be there in no time."

"… 'kay."

I think back to our conversation of a few moments earlier. Gamagōri held true to his words, as no longer than 15 minutes later we arrived at the immense hospital building Satsuki was in. Its aura gives me the chills, shivers going down my spine. I really don't like hospitals.

The for once not overbearing voice of my chauffeur sounded excusive. "Matoi, I have to stop by a store on the other side of the road. I'll drop you off here… see you later."

"Sure, no probs. Till then." I waved, my hands making some sort of dismissive gesture. Whatever.

He looks my way, and I'm not sure what is going on inside his head. Ah, oops. I quickly added: "Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it." It didn't sound that genuine, though, unsurprisingly.

"Well, as I said before, it's no problem at all. It was Nonon's idea after all, and since I was planning to visit Satsuki-sama after duty it takes me no extra effort."

That damn Nonon again. What is she -

Never mind, nothing to wrack my brains over.

I say my goodbye for the second time, and now the giant actually drives away to run his errand. Finally, off I go. It's time to meet Satsuki.

Stepping inside, taking the stairs - the elevator is ever so slow in its way to transfer people from one floor level to another - and walking through the white-painted corridors. Oh, asking at the reception for Satsuki's whereabouts, walking some more. All in all, after 10 minutes of searching and asking again, getting lost and getting frustrated, I finally enter the right section of the hospital.

The building has some strange logic with the room numbers and different departments with their own expertise, one I cannot follow. Either way, after that dreadful 10 minutes I eye the room number that was given to me by the slightly annoyed receptionist down the hall. Why do you take such a job if you don't want to answer people's questions anyway? 4th floor, 5th hallway, 2nd room.

I take a deep breath, and knock on the door. The sound of my door-knocking echoed in the empty corridor. Again, I tried to make myself known. And again, no welcoming invitation is heard.

Ugh, why is she not answering?

Third time's a charm. So it tried to be polite for a third time, waiting for a 'come in' on the wrong side of the door. My patience is running out, though. I'm never one for knocking and mannerisms anyway. Maybe only 'knocking out', but that has an entirely different ring to it.

Okay, that it. Not-so-carefully, I slide open the blockage and frantically roam my eyes over the room, searching for that one person I came for. And there she was. Sats. It was not difficult to spot her, as the bed was positioned pontifically in the center of the awfully huge private room.

She was -

Sleeping? Suddenly, I realize why no one answered the knocking on her door. She's dead asleep. Like, really asleep. I mean, my entrance was definitely not a quiet one, but her breathing is still as even and slow as before. Never knew she was such a deep sleeper. Not that I know much about her in any way. That would be a ridiculous lie.

I tiptoe to the nearest chair I can find, and soundlessly drop myself onto the seat.

She looks so peaceful when sleeping… I wonder what she's dreaming about.

Wide-legged, my elbow leaning onto my knees, my hands folded underneath my chin, I watched the rising and falling of her chest. It had a calming effect, to be honest, to see her this way. At rest, comfortable, not a care in the world.

And so, time ticked and minutes went by, until the moment I discover this was only the eye of a hurricane. A storm that rages and destroys the peacefulness and quietness and calming ambiance…