CHAPTER 12
6 months later…
A figure was laid on a white bed. A white blanket draped over its body. An apparatus was attached to its mouth to provide oxygen. An IV needle was inserted to a vein on its hand, with a liquid dripping down after a specific interval of seconds, providing sustenance for its system. A monitor was attached to its body to signal if anything goes wrong with its heart. The figure opened its eyes and revealed emerald orbs beneath them.
"Natsuki!" a woman called beside her before pressing a button to inform that the figure was already awake.
The white ceiling came to Natsuki's vision. She tried adjusting her eyes to the blinding light. She wanted to ask what happened but something on her mouth was hindering her. She lifted her left arm to remove the item. She looked at the woman who was sitting near the bed.
"Ma…" Natsuki began but her throat was dried up that it hurt even to speak.
The woman, understanding Natsuki's current predicament, brought a glass of water with straw in it. Natsuki drank from the straw. When she was satisfied, she tried to speak again.
"Mai, what happened?" Natsuki asked in her husky voice, finding it easy to speak now.
Natsuki felt like nothing was wrong with her body aside from her scorching throat. She felt better as the minutes passed.
"You got yourself into a nasty accident, mutt." Nao beat Mai in answering as she approached Natsuki's bed.
Natsuki looked at Nao as she tried to remember what happened. Then, something hit her.
"Nao, the championship game! We'll be late!" Natsuki jerked from her bed, her emerald orbs bulging.
"Eh!?" Both Nao and Mai exclaimed, not understanding what she was saying.
"What? It's today! We can't be late. I'm feeling fine. Let's go." Natsuki said hastily as she started getting up from the bed.
She was about to remove all the apparatuses attached to her when Mai held her hands, halting her from further movements.
"Ahmn…Mutt, the championship game was long over." Nao said, dreading the implication of Natsuki asking the question.
"Yup! Yup! And we won. Natsuki-chan was the MVP!" Mikoto , who was lying on the watcher's bed a while ago, chirped in.
"WHAT!? HOW!? What are you guys saying?" Natsuki abruptly sat up, exclaiming.
She did not understand what was going on. She remembered discussing their game strategy just yesterday and now her friends were saying that it was over.
The door to the room flapped open and revealed a spectacled woman with raven hair clad in a white laboratory gown. The woman approached Natsuki on the bed.
"I see. You are finally awake." The woman spoke looking at Natsuki assessing her condition.
"Mom? What are you doing here? And why are you guys looking at me like I'm some kind of an alien!?" Natsuki barked at the occupants of the room.
"Ahmn… mutt, I think you should check yourself." Nao said as she recovered from the utter shock of seeing Natsuki's, exposed upper torso.
Unfortunately, the white blanket covering Natsuki slid down when she abruptly sat up. Thus, her naked upper torso was now exposed. Natsuki looked down at her body.
"My breasts… My breasts flattened!? But how? Why? Wait! I can feel something… between my legs. What is… What the fuck!? Holy mother of hell! Why do I have this shit!? What the fuck happened to my body…Wait! Something weird happened to my body and my Mom is here. That means…" Natsuki's line of thought trailed off. She snapped her head to the spectacled raven haired woman's direction and glared at her.
"That is why I am here, Natsuki-chan. I need to explain to you your current condition." The spectacled raven haired woman said with an apologetic look.
"Don't Natsuki-chan me! I can't believe you turned me into one of your guinea pigs!" Natsuki yelled at the spectacled raven haired woman.
"Ladies, can you leave us for a moment?" The raven haired woman addressed the other occupants of the room who stayed silent during Natsuki's outburst.
Nao , Mai, and Mikoto went out of the room. When the door closed, the spectacled raven haired woman resumed talking to Natsuki.
"I did what a reasonable person must do given the situation, Natsuki-chan." The spectacled raven haired woman tried to explain.
"You should have just let me die!" Natsuki fired back, her hands clenched into fists.
"Let you die!? Natsuki, I am still your mother! I care about you whether you believe me or not. And what about Alyssa? Huh? Do you have any idea on how hard it was for me to keep her from knowing what happened to you during the six months that you were in a state of comatose? She kept asking me everyday why her Nat-chan wasn't calling her anymore. She is an intelligent child, Natsuki. But I can't let her see her Nat-chan's deformed body. And you wanted me to have let you die, instead? I will not apologize for the action that I did to keep my daughter alive. I'm sorry but I refuse to lose you. I'd rather live with your wrath knowing that you are alive than let you turned into a cold corpse." The spectacled raven haired woman finished as few tears slid down her cheeks.
Natsuki was just looking at the spectacled raven haired woman in front of her. She had never seen the woman in this state. The woman was always calmed even after she left the comfort of her home. The woman also looked like it hadn't slept for months. Dark marks were visible around her eyes. Her mother was a scientist and she had seen her been through a lot of stressful situation but the woman never lose her cool. Not until today, that is.
Natsuki had calmed down before the spectacled raven haired woman finished her ramblings. The situation was just too much for her that she ended up bursting out at first. She took a deep breath, held it for three seconds and released it. She faced the woman who was sitting beside her bed. She reached for the woman's spectacles and removed it, setting it aside. The woman did not move a muscle. She cupped the woman's face with her two hands as she started wiping the tears with her thumbs.
"Mom… I'm sorry for being an asshole. I'm stupid, I know." Natsuki said in her soft husky voice.
The raven haired woman just looked at her, tears still flowing from her eyes.
"What? You're not gonna hug your runaway daughter? And here I thought you care for me." Natsuki said playfully.
The raven haired woman lunge forward, engulfing Natsuki in a warm embrace.
"I missed you. You did not even come to see me for four years. Your poor old mother." The raven haired woman whined.
"Mom, you're not that old. You just look awful now." Natsuki said chuckling as she wrapped her arms around the raven haired woman.
"That was because you decided to meet me when you were half dead. You made me sleepless for months. You're so mean." The woman informed Natsuki.
"Sorry, Mom… I'll try not to make you worry again." Natsuki tried to reassure the raven haired woman in her arms.
"I'm sure you will not anymore make me worry because you will be living with me from now on." The raven haired woman said as she released her daughter.
She tapped Natsuki's nose with her pointer finger. She retrieved her eyeglasses that Natsuki had set aside a moment ago and put it back on.
"But Mom! I still need to finish my high school. You agreed to let me do what I want until I finish it. I still have months to go." Natsuki argued.
"I see. Natsuki, what day is it now?" The woman spoke after a few seconds of silence.
She was pensively looking at Natsuki, assessing her.
"Today is the championship game but Nao told me it was over and that we won. Then, you told me I was in a comatose for six months. I'm confused. I don't know anymore, Mom." Natsuki answered with confusion evident on her feature.
She was looking at her mother with her emerald eyes begging for enlightenment.
"It appears that you lost your memory starting from the day of your championship game until today, Natsuki." The woman stated, waiting for any reaction from her daughter.
"You mean I have a selective amnesia, Mom?" Natsuki inquired, her eyebrows scrunching.
"Precisely, Natsuki. You have all your memories except those that happened in that interval. I am not surprise that you are experiencing selective amnesia given your physical state after the incident." The woman said then, cringed as she recounted how Natsuki's body looked like before her present state now.
"What happened, Mom? Nao told me it was an accident." Natsuki further asked.
"A truck crashed on the car that you and Chie were riding. Your bodies got burned and some of your limbs were missing. The only way to saved you both was to use the Nano Machine Technology that I am still currently working to perfection. We had to reconstruct your DNA for your missing limbs to regenerate. For that we need a compatible donor that will match your DNA. I am sure you already know who the donor was after seeing your physical state right now." The woman explained, gesturing at her daughter's body.
"Did it just alter my physical body or something else happened? And how about Chie? Is she alright?" Natsuki asked.
"Your chromosomes structure has been changed completely, Natsuki. You have XY chromosomes now instead of the female XX chromosomes. Technically speaking, you are a man now. Suffice it to say that the same thing also happened to Chie-chan. Chie-chan woke up a little earlier than you today though. I think I still lost my daughter after all. I'm sorry, Natsuki." The woman enlightened Natsuki then, looked down apologetically.
"I see. Then, that means I can get someone pregnant already. Ne, Mom? How many grandchildren do you want?" Natsuki said to lighten up the mood before chuckling
"Natsuki, behave!" the woman reprimanded her after snapping her head to her daughter.
"I'm just joking, Mom." Natsuki said looking at the spectacled raven haired woman.
"Kidding aside, I am really sorry, Natsuki." The woman got serious again.
"Like what you said, you just did what you have to, Mom. I might need some times to get use to this body but I know that I will eventually get the hang of it. There's not much that can be done about it, anyway." Natsuki said to ease the woman's heart.
"Thank you, Natsuki." The spectacled raven haired woman said.
"No, Mom. Thanks for saving me. I'm sorry for being an idiot again." Natsuki said looking at the spectacled raven haired woman beside her.
"Anything for my daughter. I will call your friends back. You might have questions that only they have the answers to. You also made them worry, you know." The spectacled raven haired woman said before starting to move to the door.
"Mom!" Natsuki called out to the spectacled raven haired woman, effectively catching the latter's attention.
"Yes, Natsuki-chan?" the spectacled raven haired woman paused near the door, turning her attention back to Natsuki.
"Ahmn… Can I have something to cover myself before you let them in again? They're still girls and you know?" Natsuki said, hoping that her mother will get the message.
"Of course, Natsuki-chan. I'll have one of my assistants bring you one." The spectacled raven haired woman said before proceeding to the door and finally letting herself out.
Twenty minutes later. Natsuki was lying down on his bed already wearing a hospital gown. He was still processing what was going on.
"The last memory that I have before the accident is the championship game. Mom told me I was in a state of comatose for six months. Six months from the championship game…That means that I also missed my graduation ceremony. High school is done and so is my freedom. My body is also different now. Oh, just how fucked up my life could be? But Mom is right. Alyssa... Shit! I think I should just see her and explain this shit. I'm sure she'll understand. Plus, I need to do my part of the bargain. Mom did her part of leaving me alone. I guess I need to go back to…" Natsuki's line of thought trailed of when the door burst open and his friends came out.
"Natsuki!" Mai came lunging forward as she engulfed Natsuki in a warm hug.
"Ahmn… Mai, I think you should stop doing that from now on." Natsuki said as he could feel Mai's well-endowed breasts pressed on his flat ones.
"Nope. For me Natsuki is still Natsuki. I don't care if she is a man now." Mai said without letting Natsuki out of her hug.
"She's right, mutt. Although I think she was wrong with the pronoun that she used." Nao said, wiggling her eyebrows at Natsuki.
"Nao!" Mai warned Nao as she detached herself from Natsuki.
"It's alright, Mai. Nao is right. Biologically speaking, I'm already a man." Natsuki said, still a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Eh!? But Natsuki-chan has long hair. Aniue is a man and he has short hair." Mikoto interjected, confusion evident on her face as her golden orbs blinked rapidly.
"Not for long, Mikoto." Natsuki said, taking a few strands of hair on his hand and looking at it.
Everyone was silent for a couple of seconds until Natsuki spoke again.
"So, graduation was over huh?" Natsuki said to no one in particular.
"It appeared so, Natsuki." Mai said, looking at Natsuki.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted. Right, mutt?" Nao added.
"Yeah. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and live with it." Natsuki said with conviction after releasing a breath of air.
An hour ago before Natsuki woke up.
Chie woke up to a white ceiling staring back at her. She blinked her eyes a few times to adjust them to the lights. She lifted her hand to remove the apparatus attached to her mouth when a figure suddenly lunge forward, hugging her.
"Chie-chan!" Aoi sobbed as she threw her arms around Chie.
"Aoi…where am I? wait… I remember driving…and Natsuki…Natsuki was with me then, a truck…Natsuki! Shit! What happened to Natsuki!? I'm dead. I'm so dead." Chie thought as she abruptly sat up, surprising Aoi.
"Chie-chan? what…" Aoi wasn't able to finish her sentence when Chie interjected.
"Na…" Chie started, after removing the apparatus from her mouth, but her dried throat did not allow her to speak.
A woman clad in a white gown offered her a glass of water with woman was monitoring Chie's status before Chie woke up.
"Lady Saeko will be here any minute from now." The woman informed before leaving the two women.
Aoi thank the woman and assisted Chie as the latter drank the content of the glass. When Chie was finished, Aoi put the empty glass aside.
"Aoi, where's Natsuki? What happened to her? Is she alright?" Chie bombarded Aoi with her questions.
"Chie-chan…"Aoi began staring at the panic-stricken Chie.
Aoi knew that her childhood friend was being eaten by guilt at the moment. Informing Chie of Natsuki's comatose state will just make her feel guiltier. Knowing Chie, she will blame herself despite the fact that it was an accident.
"Aoi! Answer me!" Chie demanded this time.
"Calm down, Chie-chan." A spectacled raven haired woman clad in white laboratory gown spoke from the door's direction before starting to approach Chie's bed.
"Saeko-san…Natsuki….I'm sorry." Chie said apologetically as she looked at the spectacled raven haired woman clad in white laboratory gown.
"Chie-chan. There is no need for you to apologize. What happened was beyond you. Natsuki-chan is safe now." The spectacle raven haired woman explained to calm Chie down.
"Where's Natsuki, Saeko-san?" Chie asked still wanting to assure herself that Natsuki was really safe.
"She is currently in a comatose state but she is expected to wake up soon. Just like you did, Chie-chan." The spectacled raven haired woman answered looking at Chie.
"Comatose!? Natsuki is in comatose now!? Shit! I'm really sorry, Saeko-san." Chie said bowing her head in apology.
"Like I said no need for apology, Chie-chan. You have been to one yourself. You were unconscious for six months." The spectacled raven haired woman replied, dismissing Chie's apology.
"Six months… I see." Chie said softly, looking at the spectacled raven haired woman.
"Well, I'm here to explain to you some things. But before that, I want to ask you how you are feeling." The spectacled raven haired woman started as she looked at Chie appraising her.
"I'm feeling quite fine. Like nothing really happened." Chie said as she flex her muscles then, she looked at herself.
Her naked upper torso was exposed. Her eyes bulged. She blinked her eyes a few more times before looking again at her upper body.
The woman expecting Chie's reaction started to speak.
"That is the other matter that I came here to explain to you, Chie-chan." The spectacled raven haired woman spoke to get Chie's attention.
"I don't get it." Chie said looking at the spectacled raven haired woman, confusion and utter shock evident on her face.
"What happened to you body is the result of the procedure that we did to save you." The spectacled raven haired woman began before giving the full details to Chie.
The spectacle raven haired woman explained everything to Chie. Chie's emotion was in turmoil but she eventually calmed down when the woman has finished her explanation. The woman also apologized to Chie.
"I see. I can't blame you and Father for doing what you did, Saeko-san. I'm grateful for what you did." Chie said smiling at the spectacled raven haired woman.
"Lady Saeko, Natsuki-Ojousama has gained consciousness." A man clad in white laboratory gown announced as he stood at the opened door.
"I just hope that my daughter will be as accepting as you, Chie-chan." the spectacled raven haired woman said looking at Chie before turning towards the door and finally letting herself out.
Chie was left with Aoi who stayed silent during the entire ordeal.
"Aoi… I'm sorry for bursting out like that." Chie apologized as she looked at Aoi whose head was bowed down.
Silence. Aoi did not move a muscle. Chie reached for Aoi's face and cupped them in her hands, urging Aoi to look at her.
"Aoi…" Chie started but was cut-off by Aoi.
Aoi lunge forward and captured Chie's lips. The kiss started as gentle but Chie deepened it. Kissing Aoi passionately. Aoi's arms were wrapped around Chie's neck. The two broke the kiss when their lungs cried for oxygen. Aoi went on hugging Chie instead.
"Aoi?" Chie began.
"Hmn?" Aoi hummed, still hugging Chie.
"I can feel your boobs." Chie said in a serious tone.
"Chie! Pervert!" Aoi reprimanded as she playfully slapped Chie's back.
"Hai. Hai." Chie said chuckling.
"I guess it's not that bad after all." Chie thought as she wrapped her arms around Aoi.