Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Sanctuary or any of its characters; that honor goes to the wonderful Kaori Yuki and whoever else is involved. I do however own any original characters I may happen to slip in here.
AN: I had a hard time coming up with a title and wasted about a half hour putting this up -sheepish smile-, other than the extra time used for the the typical self-betaing. Well anyway, I was happy to write this and was eager to update. I have to thank some people in particular for this (other than all before them too)!
Dark Roxy, another eye-opening, in-depth review as usual! I love them. I'm happy you enjoyed the last chapter and your little tidbit about who you at first swore Raphael and Kira were arguing about gave me a nice idea. Thanks! It's pretty interesting the different inferences readers may make and it can give authors like me an idea; I wholeheartedly welcome it. I'm happy that I haven't made Raphael ridiculously OOC because I haven't been able to read much of him in the manga. He seems very calm and nonchalant about things but I think there's other facets to his personality I can play on that I think are there. Hehe, enough dissection! I also read about how you're upset with Kira somewhat and your sadness for Setsuna. Just wait and see and maybe everything won't be so black and white and decided so soon as of yet, mmkay? -smiles-.
NEW READER ALERT! Very cool and I just love it when others come to check out what I've written. I feel like my story still has enough of a presence to still attract the same loyal readers as well as some curious newcomers. Thanks Angelikyte Alexiel! Your review just kept the ball rolling for me to move quicker with this update. I'll write for you and everyone else! I love your name!
Okay, on with this thing already!
' ' are Thoughts
Italics are Past events
Italics in bold are Song lyrics
Hope End
Chapter 13: Smoke and Mirrors
"Sara, you've made a lot of progress since our last visit," Raphael complimented, as she worked on the rowing machine with greater ease.
Sara looked up and smiled shyly. "Thank you. I've been working really hard to get better. I really can't wait to get back to normal again. I mean, this morning was the first time I've even looked decent in ages!"
"Oh no, you have the most charming energy about you Sara. Your personality shines out joyfully and embraces all around, making them happy too; clothing only adds to your inborn allure that's already there," Dr. Raphael said, looking up to observe her and take notes.
"Thank you. I'm not used to such compliments," Sara replied, smiling back up at him warmly. Raphael returned her smile with a small wink.
"We all can't wait until you're back together again Sara!" Mrs. Mudou exclaimed. This time she was standing up nearby and taking notes on the arm exercises she had not been able to witness the first time.
Sara smiled at all around, momentarily holding her gaze with Kira's across the room. He sat back on the familiar bench of last week and gave her a brief nod of acknowledgment. Sara's brow furrowed slightly in bewilderment at this uncharacteristic gesture of his suddenly, but she soon returned his nod after a brief pause.
This time he wasn't making any silly faces at her or giving her any playful grins.
In fact, Sara felt as if something we're bothering him. He wasn't the usually comfortable, relaxed and cavalier Kira she typically encountered. He looked a little solemn in fact, as if he his mind were preoccupied with the most grave of impasses. His hands were tightly gripping his knees and his knuckles were even a little white from the tension.
"Sara? You have one more rep and then we can try some of those exercises you do at home today—except with weights. I'll keep a close supervision on you Sara, so don't worry, and they're only seven pounds," Raphael said, smiling at her with reassurance. He rested a hand on her shoulder as she finished, squeezing it gently as he smiled.
'Oh I'll bet you'll keep a very close eye on her, won't you Raphael? Come on Kira, you got to make your move too. It's not like you to sit back and let some guy take what's yours,' Kira thought sourly.
'And since when was she yours?' the smallest of voices interjected into Kira's thoughts.
'Ever since…well ever since—well she's not mine but I can watch over her. I'm kind of like, a guardian angel to her maybe,' Kira answered back to the questioning voice.
'Sure, if you really think she's all that dependent on anyone anymore…' the small voice added and Kira promptly coughed, standing up and silencing the small voice.
Sara had smiled up at Raphael, blushing slightly as he placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. But no matter how friendly it was, Sara had to admit she felt some distant butterflies at such a handsome man's touch.
Sara nevertheless ended her gaze with Raphael's and looked up at Kira at his brief cough.
"Are you alright Kira? The air is so dry in here...do you think you have that cough too?" Sara asked innocently, recalling the memory of Sage and Shen's incessant coughing. Unknowingly to Sara, Raphael was scowling over her shoulder at Kira.
Kira grinned, keeping his eyes on Sara and ignoring Raphael. "I think you're right. Hey doc, can I get a cup of water out of your office?"
"Sure. Walk into wherever you please," Raphael said pointedly, his meaning only clear between him and Kira.
Kira's grin only widened and ambled off into Raphael's office for a paper cup full of refreshment.
Sara's mother interrupted their little exchange with a sudden inquiry of her own.
"Now I know that Sara is doing these exercises to strengthen her shoulder blades, right?" Mrs. Muduo asked with some misunderstanding.
"Yes—and no Mrs. Mudou. These exercises are increasing Sara's shoulder blade strength and more so the muscles around her shoulder blade, which is a bone. Also, these arm exercises are increasing her rotator cuff strength also," Dr. Raphael answered, smiling calmly at the curious woman.
"Now, why again would we need to do this? I thought the ball joint came out not this rotator cuff," Sara's mother asked again, an ever-increasing look of bafflement coming to her face.
Dr. Raphael smiled calmly and began the initial speech he'd given to Sara the first day she'd come here.
Sara listened with some boredom to the entire exchange, more than familiar now with the dysfunctions of her body. She decided she'd join Kira in the office, as he was still inside enjoying his cup of H20.
"Excuse me—mother, Dr. Raphael—but I think I'll wheel myself over and get a cup of water if you don't mind," Sara interrupted, smiling up at them both lightly.
"Oh that won't be necessary Sara. I'll go and—" Dr. Raphael began quickly, already tiring of repeating himself to this more than involved woman.
Sara held up her hand. "I'd welcome the independence. It's not so far, and you know, you still have questions, right mother? This is the perfect time for a break." And with that Sara carefully hopped into her wheelchair and was already wheeling off.
"Excellent point Sara. Enjoy your drink!" Mrs. Muduo replied cheerfully. "Now where were we doctor?" she asked Raphael, smiling cordially back at him again.
Dr. Raphael inwardly cringed. "I think I was explaining why Sara might have had/ has had muscle spasms…"
Kira drank three swigs of water from the small paper cups, more so to cool his nerves and his mind that his temperature.
'Come on Kira, get it together man. There's no need to be so anxious. He may be flirting with her a bit, OK, hell—a lot—but that in no way means that she's already interested. She's your typical, naive girl, flustered by a little attention. Yeah that's it,' Kira reassured himself.
Deciding he was done drinking for now, but not done curing his boredom, Kira wandered over to Raphael's desk.
He walked around to the back of it and plopped down into his chair. "Mmm, sweet! Leather!" Kira grinned and leaned back comfortably.
After enjoying the lovely comfort for a few moments he was suddenly tickled by that insatiable bug called curiosity.
"Eenie, meanie, miney, mo…hmm, that one!" Kira decided, reaching for the handle of Raphael's lower left cabinet.
"People always keep the good stuff here."
Kira tugged on the handle but where he expected easy access, he was met with the firm pull of a lock.
"Damn it. There has to be a key though…" he thought, already eyeing the keyhole there. He reached for the thinner drawer in front of him and struck gold.
"Ah ha! I guess he never anticipates this kind of thing," Kira grinned, and picked up the small silver key to swiftly insert it into the lock.
He had a bit of luck this time, as it was the right key the first time around. He easily opened the drawer. Kira eagerly pulled it open and was confronted with several brown folders.
He picked up each one and flipped through them lazily. "Hmm, patient's records—boring—patient's records—more than boring—patient's records—doubly boring," Kira noted off, placing each uninteresting packet back where he had found it.
The last one seemed to hold some promise, as the feel of the objects inside were different. He not only felt the typical sheets of information, but a few small rectangles with a tougher and thicker feel.
He carefully opened this folder this time, not wanting to spill out its contents. On top of a few documents, Kira spotted a familiar name. Laying on top of the papers was a semi-thick, white envelope.
Kira saved the envelope for later, and instead focused his attention on the data. He recognized the name upon it almost immediately.
'Why it's you…he treated you? Here? But….why? No it can't be you. Lots of people have the same name.'
He read further down the file, and saw the notes about the patient's history. "Injury: Broken left leg. Treatment: strength training for opposite leg and physical therapy after cast removed," Kira recited aloud to himself.
"This patient is a nineteen-year-old female who explained to me she was injured whilst performing a complicated floor exercise in her martial arts class. She had fallen incorrectly as a younger child watching the demonstration--whom had brought a small hamster along (without her parent's knowledge)--had run out to capture it as the hamster ran out onto the floor whilst she was performing a spinning roundhouse to land into a spinning hook kick."
'It's her…wow it's really her. I remember how dedicated she was to her martial arts and regularly did performances for kids to raise money for charity,' Kira thought with clear amazement on his face, 'I should see—"
"Kira, tsk tsk. Snooping through other people's files? I hope you didn't read mine," Sara grinned at him as she wheeled herself into the room.
Kira jumped with surprise, snapping his head up immediately at the unexpected interruption. "Sara," he said in a soft gasp.
"Sorry. Did I scare you?" Sara apologized. "I didn't mean to. I only came in for a drink. My mom is asking Dr. Raphael a million questions and he's telling her a bunch of things I already know," Sara said as she rolled her eyes.
"What were you reading anyway?" Sara asked, eyeing the folder still opened in Kira's hands.
"Oh, just some boring patient's. 90-year-old grandma, broken hip, the usual," Kira grinned, carefully placing the folder's contents back into the folder the way he found them.
Sara laughed at that and focused on filling up her paper cup with water. As she was busy with her own chore, Kira put the folder back into the cabinet and closed the door, locking it shut and placing the key back into the desk as quick as liquid silver. He bounded out of the chair soon afterward, even positioning it somewhat like the way he'd found it.
"You shouldn't drink too much Sara. You might have to take a leak—and imagine the fiasco then," Kira grinned walking around to the front of the desk and leaning against it casually with arms crossed.
Sara glanced up with a grin and giggled once again. "I know. I should just dehydrate for the greater good of everyone. You're so funny Kira," Sara added softly, smiling up at her older friend.
Kira returned her smile with a half-grin of his own.
'Well it's now or never Kira.'
"Hey Sara, would you like to go out for dinner Friday night? I mean we always go out for lunch, so why not have a change and eat dinner?" Kira asked.
"Oh Kira, look at me. I'm the robotic woman, it would be too much trouble," Sara replied, the look in her eyes apologetic as she bit her lower lip remorsefully.
"In fact, how about I cook you dinner at my humble abode. I agree, it would be too much trouble to go out for dinner because I'd have to wait so long for you to get ready," Kira winked and Sara grinned back at him.
"And well really, it would be more fun. We could watch a move or something before I ship you off back to your roomies," he added casually.
"You know what, I think that could work. I'd welcome the chance to get out of the house. All I do half the time is read, study, and work on my exercises. These things do get boring," Sara replied dryly.
Kira smiled. "Great. I'll come by after work around saaaay, sixish?"
"That would be perfect. Shen and Bella are home around then and they can help me get ready. Come by at 6:30," Sara suggested.
"Sure, great, perfect," Kira agreed.
"I hope you all didn't binge on the water in my tank. I didn't know it tasted that great," Raphael's voice said suddenly. He smiled with amusement at Sara, but as he looked at Kira, his eyes told a different story of quiet suspicion and annoyance.
Sara and Kira looked up with surprise as the blond doctor walked into his office. Sara smiled sheepishly as Kira just smirked.
"Sorry, we just got to talking and time flew by. Do we still have time for the last part of my training?" Sara asked.
Raphael looked at his watch and shook his head in the negative. "It wouldn't be a sufficient amount of a time. You did a lot more than usual today anyway. I can just give you the weights for now to take home."
Sara's mother soon walked into the office too, just finishing digging out her keys from her purse and stuffing away her notes.
"I'm sorry I took up so much time during your session Sara, Dr. Raphael," she added, looking up at everyone's faces ruefully.
"It's alright mother, you heard what Dr. Raphael said," Sara replied gently.
"Yes, it's fine Mrs. Muduo. I'm happy to have helped you today as much as I had. Let me find the weights. You two can go to the door; I'll meet you there," Raphael suggested.
Mrs. Muduo nodded and went around to the back of Sara's wheelchair, carefully wheeling her out the door and sharing with her daughter all the interesting things she learned in the last half hour.
Kira looked at Raphael smugly. "I see you said two and not three. Do you have something to say to me…ask me?" Kira smirked, one eyebrow raised in ridicule.
"Well did you do it? That confounded woman kept me busy, so I guess it's safe to assume you did. I wouldn't be surprised if you planned this," Raphael replied bitterly.
"Well, in answer to your last question—no I didn't plan her little questioning—and yes I did "it", if by it you mean asking Sara out for Friday night," Kira replied, still smiling with deep satisfaction.
"Fine; we both get our chances. Three nights next week are yours. Next week three are mine," Raphael added crossly, moving past Kira to sit down at his desk and take care of some paperwork once again.
Kira moved away from his desk and headed to the door. "I'll pick up the weights for you and give them to Sara—you seemed to have forgotten in your little temper tantrum."
"Oh, and by the way, quite interesting folder you got there down in the left corner," Kira grinned, and walked out without waiting for a retort.
Raphael froze and stared at the space that Kira had just occupied. "That scoundrel…he didn't? He did!" Raphael whispered furiously, quickly unlocking the cabinet that Kira had opened a short while earlier.
He immediately went to the last folder holding the white envelope. He checked to make sure all the papers were there and then checked that all the contents were in the white envelope. He sighed, feeling a little more at ease.
"It doesn't matter. He can contact her if he likes. Let him sabotage his own chances," Raphael smirked with grim satisfaction.
I don't even know how I feel about this chapter, let alone do I have any idea how you guys do. Please let me know in your sparkly reviews!
Angel of Mirth