Chapter 25 Aftermath
Sakura was struck down hard with the butt of the gun. She started to bleed. She looked up and saw the man pointing the gun at her. Her eyes were filled with terror. A gun shot was heard.
Sakura didn't blink as blood sprayed everywhere, especially her. She saw the man was backwards. When she saw him fall, it seemed that all was happening in slow motion. She then felt a strong, reassuring arm around her helping her up and taking her away from there. She looked up and a handsome young detective smiled down at her.
Sakura came to her senses and said, "The Ambassador's been shot. He needs help right away. His granddaughter, Marie, she's diabetic and has gone to hypoglycemia. Please…they need help! They do not understand Japanese. Let me help you." The detective nodded as he let her go. Sakura then led him inside along with other police officers and paramedics. She led them to the room they were held captive in.
When they saw Sakura covered with blood, they were filled with mixed emotions. "L'aide est ici. Ils apportent l'ambassadeur et le Marie à l'hôpital maintenant. Il plus de. (Help is here. They are bringing the Ambassador and Marie to the hospital now. It's over.)" Sakura said with much relief and emotion in her voice as the paramedics quickly placed the Ambassador in a stretcher and brought him to the ambulance. Some then tended Marie and carried her outside. Her parents followed. Sakura hugged Genevieve as she just cried in relief. Sakura couldn't help shedding some tears as well.
The detective earlier told Sakura, "I will bring you to the hospital now. We'll have you both checked and patched up again in no time." Sakura looked up at him and nodded.
The detective smiled as he waited for Sakura and Genevieve. He escorted them outside and on to the hospital. Fujitaka and Touya followed after thanking the others for their support. The others just stayed back.
Yukito said, "You guys should be heading home. I'm heading to their house to wait. You are free to join me. But let us not overwhelm her. She did just go through an ordeal."
The others nodded and seemed to understand. They all decided to wait to see her at their house. They just want to see that she was fine.
At the hospital…
Sakura sat beside Genevieve. The nurse had already finished taking care of their injuries. They also had already washed their faces from the blood that sprayed on them. They sat there as the detective who took them there watched over them. He started to ask them questions. He directed the questions at Sakura. When he was asking Genevieve, Sakura translated for the both of them. It was clear that they were both distraught from the experience. The detective empathized with them.
Sakura then heard someone call out her name. She turned and saw her father and brother quickly making their way towards her. "
'tou-chan…" Sakura said as she quickly got up and ran towards Fujitaka.
He opened his arms and welcomed his daughter. He embraced her as she started crying silently.
"'tou-chan…'tou-chan…" Sakura continued to say.
Fujitaka was greatly relieved having seen that she wasn't that badly hurt. He then broke away from her and cupped her face and smiled. Sakura gave a small smile. She then saw Touya. She hugged him too. Touya embraced her tightly.
"'nii-chan…" She whispered as silent tears continued to fall from her eyes.
Sakura broke away. Touya gave her a small grin as he wiped her tears. Sakura smiled a little. She then walked back to where Genevieve and the detective were. She introduced them to each other. Fujitaka shook hands with the detective and thanked him for helping save his daughter. The detective smiled back and said that the real hero was Sakura. If she hadn't been there to help translate, there wouldn't have been survivors.
The Ambassador's son then approached them. He said, "L'ambassadeur est dans la chirurgie et ma fille et épouse sont très bien. Merci, Sakura, d'aider. Vous et Genevieve pouvez aller maison et repos. (The Ambassador is in surgery and my daughter and wife are fine. Thank you, Sakura, for helping. You and Genevieve may go home and rest.)"Sakura and Genevieve looked at each other and nodded. They then excused themselves.
Sakura then said, "'nii-chan…" Touya looked at her. She then continued on to say, "'nii-chan, can I borrow your jacket? I just don't want to see this blood on me until we get home. I promise I'll wash it before I return it."
Touya took off his jacket and laid it on her shoulder. He then told her that it wasn't necessary to wash it. Sakura smiled a little and nodded. She then zipped up the jacket to cover the blood.
"Genevieve, irez-vous bien ? Nous pouvons vous apporter la maison. (Genevieve, will you be fine? We can bring you home.)" Sakura asked as Genevieve smiled and nodded. She told Sakura that the detective's partner was going to bring her home. Sakura smiled and nodded as an older man approached and accompanied Genevieve. They all walked together to the parking lot.
When they exited, a lot of media personnel were there trying to get some words from Genevieve and Sakura. Genevieve tried to hide behind the detective while Sakura clung closer to Touya.
The detective and Touya initiated the media to step back as they led them to two separate cars. Touya helped Sakura in before getting in himself. On the trip home, no one really spoke. Sakura's gaze was far, looking out the window but not looking at anything. Touya and Fujitaka said nothing. They knew what was probably going through Sakura's head.
At the Kinomoto residence, Yukito got a message from Touya saying that they were going to arrive soon. He relayed the message to everyone. At the corner, Shaoran started to step back.
Tomoyo noticed and asked quietly, "Where are you going?"
Shaoran looked at her and said, "I don't want her to see me right now. You do know what's going on between us and I don't think it will help her much if I stay here now. Now that I'm sure that she is alright, then I can now go."
Tomoyo said nothing as Shaoran silently disappeared. What she didn't know was that Shaoran had decided to stop by the hospital. He had a feeling that if he paid a visit, he might just learn a little more about Sakura.
When Fujitaka rolled up the driveway, Sakura and Touya got out. Yukito and the others approached her and asked if she was alright. Sakura smiled a little at them. She wasn't in the mood to talk. She said, "Thank you so much…and I'm really sorry to have worried everyone. I'm sorry but if you don't mind, I'd like to get this blood off me now. I just want to wash it away and sort of forget it once and for all."
They nodded as Touya showed her inside. Fujitaka thanked them for being there and watched as they headed home. He stood out there for awhile. He looked up and saw Sakura's room light up. He had a sad expression on his face. He had almost lost his daughter that day. He hadn't even realized it that tears were falling down from his eyes. He had been helpless in protecting her.
A few days passed. Sakura wouldn't say much about the incident and just didn't stay away much from home. She would spend her time working on her summer home work. She would leave only on evenings to go to practice. But practice so far had been rough. She was always making mistakes so her coach told her to take the few days off to get herself together. She didn't want her to get injured gravely. Sakura knew that she was right so she went home and helped her brother and father as much as she could. She would give them a smile or two but not talk about the incident at the embassy.
One day, Sakura got up from bed and looked at herself at the mirror. She asked herself if this was the person she wanted to be. She looked hard and felt disappointed in herself for allowing it to be that way. Her family and friends had been worried about her. She could now see why. She had been telling them that she was doing better but her actions were speaking differently. It was going to change. She wanted to be more than the person who she was seeing. She decided. Sakura freshened up and dressed up for the day ahead.
When she went down, her father and brother were already there at the kitchen. They looked up. She greeted them a good morning. They greeted her too. Sakura then got her mother's picture. She smiled a little and greeted her a good morning too. The family sat to eat breakfast.
"'tou-chan, is it ok if I went out today?" Sakura asked.
Fujitaka seemed surprised. Maybe he was being a little overprotective since the incident at the embassy. He nodded and smiled. He then told her, "Everything is as before Sakura. You may go to where you want to. Just leave a note or update your schedule board."
Sakura smiled and continued eating. After awhile, she asked Touya, "'Nii-chan, are you doing anything today?"
"No, not really. Why?" Touya asked.
Sakura smiled a little and said, "I was wondering if you could accompany me to the French embassy today. I don't think I can go there on my own the first time after that."
Touya and Fujitaka were taken by surprise. They looked at her. Sakura gave them a small smile again. She decided to say, "I want to make it right again. I want to move forward. I just figured that it starts there."
Touya glanced at their father who smiled and nodded. Touya grinned and nodded. It made Sakura smile a little more. They finished breakfast and fixed up before they left for the embassy. On their way there, neither Touya or Sakura spoke. Touya could see that Sakura was a little nervous about it. She hadn't been back there since the standoff and he could tell that it was sheer will that was driving her to go back.
When they reached the embassy, Sakura stopped in front of the door. She looked up at the building in front of her. It was once a paradise for her. The reality of her dream. But in an instant, it gave her the full force of reality, the hazards in that line of work.
Touya walked closer to her and said, "You don't have to do this, imouto-chan, if you are not ready."
Sakura looked up at him and smiled. "I know, 'nii-chan. But this won't be easier tomorrow so why put it off? I need to do this, 'nii-chan. But please don't leave me just yet. We are only going to be there for a minute or two. I just need to get this over with." Sakura said which made Touya grin as he extended his hand to her. She took it and allowed herself to be led inside. It was a comforting feeling that Touya was there and she could feel him rubbing some of his strength and courage to her.
"Sakura ! Comment allez vous? (Sakura! How are you?)" The guard asked when he saw Sakura.
She smiled and replied, "Bonjour, Monsieur De Bois. Je suis vous remercie très bien. J'ai laissé mon identification ici pendant ce temps. J'espère que ce n'est pas un problème. (Good morning, Mr. De Bois. I'm fine thank you. I left my ID here during that time. I hope that it's not a problem.)" Sakura answered as the guard smiled.
He then gave her passage. "J'ai demandé à mon frère de m'accompagner. J'espère qui n'est également pas un problème. (I asked my brother to accompany me. I hope that is also not a problem.)" She added as he smiled and let Touya in as well.
"S'il est votre famille, il est notre famille aussi bien. (If he is your family, he is our family as well.)" He said before he got back to work. Sakura smiled.
Someone then came and showed Sakura and Touya to the Ambassador's office. They were seated. Soon the Ambassador came out on a wheelchair accompanied by a nurse.
"Ah Sakura. It's nice of you to come. I was getting worried. How are you my dear?" The Ambassador said as he was settled in front of where Sakura and Touya were seated.
Sakura smiled and replied, "I'm fine, Monsieur Ambassador. This is my brother, Touya." Touya and the Ambassador then shook hands. "I came to see if you, your family and Genevieve are alright." Sakura then added.
The Ambassador smiled and said, "Well in a few days I will be heading back to France. I have had Genevieve, Jean-Pierre and his family go on ahead while I fix things here. We thought it best to recuperate back home so I decided to retire. A new Ambassador will be coming as soon as one is appointed."
Sakura gave him a small smile. She then replied, "I'm sorry that I hadn't come sooner. I would have wanted to properly say goodbye to them."
The Ambassador couldn't help but smile. He nodded. He could understand what was going through her head.
"Immediately after the incident, when I had been stabilized, I had told them to go to France. Marie was traumatized with what happened and so was Genevieve. All of us were. I understand why it took you this long to come back. I cannot blame you. Regarding your internship, I have signed it as complete but you will always be welcome here and in France. We do not forget acts of heroism, my dear. I understand that it is your summer vacation. Take the time now to enjoy with your friends and family until you start school again." The Ambassador said.
Sakura nodded and took a deep breath. It was both relief and regret for her. But as she thought about it, the more she believed that it was for the best. "Monsieur Ambassador, I have always dreamed to become a diplomat such as yourself. With what happened, I do not know anymore if I still want to continue. Perhaps this is far talking but I guess I came because I wanted to face it and to thank you, Monsieur, and your family for everything. My time here was truly an eye-opening one and I mean that in a positive way." Sakura decided to say.
The Ambassador approached Sakura a little and said, "My dear, no one blames you for how you feel right now, especially with your dream. You may become a diplomat or not. The decision is up to you. But before you make that decision, be sure that it is really what your heart desires and not dictated by fear."
Sakura looked up to the Ambassador. He smiled at her. She reminded him much of his younger self. Being raised during the second world war where you don't look at the future in years or decades but rather seconds or minutes, he knew how it felt to have gone through seeing people get killed.
Growing up in that environment was the one that molded Philip DeCuis' dream to become an Ambassador, so that the future generations won't go through what he did. He had seen Sakura's true strength and believed that she would be making the right choice. He knew that she would become an ally one day. Yes. He would never forget her dedication and aspiration. She would eventually make her own mark in the world one day. He and France would be waiting for it, for a single young girl in the East was able to help prevent a great tragedy. She was capable of more. He knew that.
Sakura smiled at him and thanked him again. She and Touya then excused themselves to leave as to not take more of the Ambassador's time. Before they left, the Ambassador said, "Before I forget Sakura, please thank the young man who saved my life for me. I believe that he is a friend of yours." Sakura looked at him confused. She didn't know what he was talking about.
The Ambassador smiled and said, "When I was in surgery, it seemed that there had been complications. I needed blood but unfortunately the hospital was running low on my blood type. Luckily, a young man who goes by the name Li Shaoran came and gave some of his blood for me to survive. Jean-Pierre told me that he had asked about you and how you were but ended up saving a life instead. Truly, I personally won't forget Japan's youth. Thank you." He then bowed at her.
Sakura and Touya bowed back. They were really surprised. They looked at each other before going outside in silence.
Touya and Sakura were walking outside. Touya needed to head to work already. Sakura then stopped walking. Touya noticed so he stopped too and look at her. Sakura's eyes then met his.
"'Nii-chan, do you mind if I went to school? Today is the start of the interschool competitions and I want to be there for my friends. I hope that it is alright."
Touya turned to her and said, "Do you want me to come with you?"
Sakura smiled at him and said, "No. I'm alright, 'nii-chan. Thank you. You need to go to work right? If it makes you feel better, I promise to head to the shop right after the games today." Touya nodded as he watched Sakura go her way.
When Sakura arrived at school, the games were about to start. She smiled. None of her friends knew that she would be coming today. She knew that the cheering squad was missing one member for their presentation but she knew that she couldn't join today, perhaps the next few meets. They were all preparing. Sakura smiled again.
She then said, "Do your best, you guys! I know you can win!"
They turned and were surprised to see her. They quickly came to her side. Tomoyo, Chiharu, Naoko, Shiho, Kenishiro and Ryu gave her a hug.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Tomoyo asked.
"Well it was a last minute thing actually. I didn't think I would finish at the embassy early." Sakura answered. They were surprised and dumbfounded when Sakura mentioned the embassy. "Now don't worry about that guys. I came to fix things and everything is ok. I just finished my internship, that's all. Besides, I had to properly say goodbye to the Ambassador and everyone who has been really supportive there." She said.
They looked at each other and smiled. Games were starting soon so they had to go their ways. Sakura stuck with Tomoyo. She didn't have any competition yet. The choir still would be practicing for the next week or two before they head off to their own competition.
Together with Tomoyo, Sakura watched and cheered for her friends. It was somehow a relief to Sakura that Tomoyo decided not to ask about the embassy even if she knew that Tomoyo really wanted to ask. They talked about other stuff.
When the games were over for the day, with Shiho winning a few medals of her own and the basket ball team winning the first of the series of games, they invited Sakura to go out with them for a small celebration party.
Sakura smiled but said, "I'd love to guys but I kinda promised 'nii-chan that I'd go to the shop after the games. I'll take a rain check." She could tell that they were a little disappointed and concerned.
Sakura gave them a small smile and said, "I've never seen my brother or my father so scared before. Even Yukito-san…I think he partly blames himself for what had happened because he was the one who got me the internship…I want to be there for them now…I want to show them that I am alright and that they don't need to be scared anymore."
No one spoke. But they understood what she was talking about. She was right in a way.
As Sakura turned to leave, she saw Shaoran was walking out of the school building. Sakura guessed that his kendo had just finished. He stopped walking and was surprised to see her. Sakura gave him a tired, small smile and closed her eyes before bowing slightly. She then bowed to her friends and went on her way.
(to be continued…)
I'm reserving my comment on this chapter. Hehe.
But I have to personally thank amli for editing my French. Hehe. She was very gracious in offering her help even if she has a lot of things to do, especially now. ^_^ You're the greatest! I can't thank you enough! ^_^ Enjoy China, dear! ^_^
Anyway, thanks to those who read and reviewed. I hope that you won't hold back on reviewing now. Thanks.
Michiko