AN: And here we go with another chapter! I would like to announce that I now have a beta reader/editor, Uber Spoonz, checking over my stories and pointing out all my errors so hopefully everything will be that much better from now on. But if you notice anything strange or a typo or something than feel free to point out my faux pas. I would love to be a serious author someday and this is the first step towards getting there!
Its time to catch up with Ryou and Chigusa's doctors to see what's been happening behind the scenes with their treatment and healing! Also Saku and Bo will be getting a special spotlight of their own in this chapter as well.
Let me point out that Bo's real name is Iori Nakanashi, because I know some of you will be going "who the heck is he?" when that section of the chapter comes up, so I wanted to let all of you know ahead of time.
Also Bo seems to suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder, which is a condition where a person "switches" identities when under stress or pressure. The person may feel the presence of one or more people talking or living inside their head. Each identity may have a name, personal history, characteristics, and even a different gender or physical qualities like needing eyeglasses. So according to the dot hack wikia, Saku is the "big sister" personality Iori / Bo created in order to protect himself against other people. You can look up that last part and more tidbits about Sakubo yourself if you like.
I've actually been feeling rather guilty for leaving Sakubo out of the story and so now they get some screen time of their own; not a huge amount, but you'll be seeing more of them and their corner of the world.
On another note... THE POLL IS NOW OVER! The votes are in and the majority has spoken! 61% voted for Saku and Bo both to live, 32% voted for Saku to "disappear" after protecting Bo, and lastly 6% of voters opted for Saku and Bo to "die."
So as promised I shall abide by the majority decision and let them live. Saku and Bo will escape the death and shall remain in the story for good. Gorre will still be captured, but Saku and Bo shall both live on and remain a part of G.U... but there IS still a little twist coming down the pipes for them. Don't worry neither Saku nor Bo will be going anywhere and will remain part of G.U....but I still have a few secrets stored away yet.
I won't keep you waiting any longer though, so lets move on with the story shall we?
Chapter 28: Family History
Dr. Lien Mei sighed heavily as she looked over the latest addition to Ryou's hospital chart. The electronic personal computer pad that was sitting in front of her updated itself every time one of the hospital departments added something to the teenager's files.
Currently Lien was in the break room sitting at the round table inside as she tried to scarf down her breakfast sandwich. She wanted to finish eating before someone called, beeped, or rushed in to drag her off again. Really, she should have been off last night at 9:30, but a simple request had turned into yet another all-nighter.
I try to help just one more patient and look what happens...I get sucked back into the hospital vortex, Lien considered with a sigh as she leaned back in the chair, working the kinks out of her back as she took a sip of her espresso; maybe the sugar and caffeine would keep her awake for a little while longer. Her shift started in an hour so it didn't make much sense to go home at this point.
Lien was distracted by a knock at the door and looked up to see Ian Evans, Chigusa Kusaka's doctor, peering in at her. Lien motioned him in, mouth full, as she finished the last bite of her breakfast. It was unlikely that she would get the chance for a lunch break, so breakfast alone would have to suffice for the time being. With a grateful smile Ian stepped inside the room, allowing the door to swing shut behind him as he moved over to the table.
Pulling a chair out, Ian sat down across from Lien and sat his own computer pad down in front of him, "Still here...and already hard at it I see," the American doctor observed as Lien's device beeped, drawing her attention. The screen switched to a picture of a CT scan that had just been performed minutes ago in the radiology center. Humming absently at his comment, Lien examined the image more closely, enlarging and inspecting it from different angles; the frown that had spread across her lips deepened further as she viewed it.
The Chinese woman raised her eyes and eyed her companion suspiciously, "Weren't you gone too? I know I saw you leave." Lien left her comment hanging as her gaze slide back to the touch screen in front of her. Raising an eyebrow pensively, she waited for his reply.
Ian scratched his head in embarrassment and cleared his throat before saying, "I was at home...but I just couldn't stop thinking about that girl Chigusa...so I came back and decided to stay with her for a while. I can't help but feel bad for her you know?" he sighed and scratched his mussy hairdo. Thinking about her situation never failed to depress him and dredge up old, painful memories.
With a critical sniff Lien rolled her eyes at Ian's confession, "And you say women are emotionally sensitive," she muttered, tapping the touch screen with her pen and pulling up an older image beside the one she had just received.
Ignoring her derisive tone Ian shrugged helplessly and continued, "Her mom has disappeared and will probably be charged with abuse and child endangerment or something, and her dad is already in jail for attempted murder..." he broke off as he looked between the two images, finally realizing what had her so distracted. It was difficult to evaluate the images properly when viewing them upside-down, however, so Ian walked around the table and peered over Lien's shoulder.
With a small gasp Ian abruptly leaned back in surprise, "There's no way that can be right...are you sure the radiologists didn't send you the wrong images of Ryou's brain?" he questioned analytically. Lien shook her head, her face slightly pale as her grip tightened on the mobile computer.
Searching for the right words Lien finally said, "No way. These are definitely the right ones...his brain is healing..." the woman paused and thought for a moment, "...at least 4 times faster than it should be," she confirmed, shaking her head in wonder at the very notion.
Locating the room's calender Ian silently counted off the days marked on the page. "But its only been seven days since Ryou and Chigusa were admitted here. I'm no neurosurgeon, but even I know that it should take at least a couple weeks for that kind of healing to even start taking place," he observed, reaching over across the table to grab his own pad. Lien's remarks had prompted had gotten him thinking as well.
Tapping it a few times Ian grunted as his suspicion's were confirmed, "Now that you mention it Chigusa has been displaying strange healing patterns as well. I mean she hasn't been eating which doesn't surprised me, but its like..." Ian stopped mid-thought and shook his head in denial, "No, that sounds too farfetched," he decided suddenly, looking up to find the seat across from him empty and the room's door swinging shut. He slipped the device under his arm and quickly followed Lien out of the room.
Lien could hear Ian rushing up behind her as she strode purposefully towards the elevator. She cast a brief glance over her shoulder before stopping in front of the metal doors and pressing the button to summon the elevator. Once he had caught up, she all but thrust the pad in his face for him to see it. Ian leaned back slightly as she did so and examined the screen carefully.
Lien spoke quietly so the conversation would not be overheard, "The actual gray and white matter in Ryou's brain has healed by thirty percent since he was first examined down in the ER. Furthermore, there has also been a twenty-five percent increase in his body's rate of healing since midmorning yesterday. If these numbers continue, the physical damage will be completely repaired by next Friday," she hissed urgently, a small ping announcing the elevator's arrival.
Both doctors quickly stepped in and Lien pressed pressed a button to send them one floor up. The elevator started on its way, she gestured to the two CT scans still displayed on her screen and said, "Even the bone around the gunshot wound in Ryou's head has already healed by fifty-one percent. By next Friday his skull will be completely closed" Lien explained to him as the door opened again and they stepped out into the hallway. The woman took an immediate left down a nearby corridor so that she could check on Ryou's condition with her own eyes.
As they walked, Lien added, "Ryou's back muscles are healing a couple times faster than they should be, and the muscles are knitting together well. His skin has healed over but he's still going to have a scar there," she paused when they came to Ryou's hospital room. They both stopped and showed their IDs to the policemen stationed to guard Ryou Misaki from unwanted and unauthorized visitors—namely the press and news crews that swarmed like paparazzi outside the hospital. Nodding them through, the officers stepped aside and the glass doors slid open, allowing the two doctors to enter.
Ryou Misaki had been brought back from radiology and was now back in the Intensive Care Unit. For the past few days he had been waking up in obvious delirium, not aware of his location or situation. Sometimes the nurses would be alerted by his racing heartbeat as a nightmare plagued him yet again. They were trying their hardest to make him comfortable, but there wasn't a whole lot else they could do for him. Such behavior was to be expected, but the latest developments had everyone puzzled.
As if voicing Ian's silent thoughts, Lien indicated the teenager's prone form in clear frustration. "And now he's in a coma!" she growled in exasperation. It was true that Ryou's had been basically unconscious before, but this was entirely different. This case wasn't making any sense whatsoever, and every avenue she went down only led to a dozen more questions just as mystifying as the ones she already had.
Lien rubbed her forehead for a moment and set down her pad on the small table next to Ryou's bed. "I already knew about his skull and back repairing themselves at a greater rate than normal, but his brain should not be healing like this... I don't care what excuse you give me; it just shouldn't be physiologically possible," she explained. Ian nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to offer his own opinion, but Lien interrupted him.
"It seems like his body is focusing all of its energy on those two areas. Almost everything else has slowed down or come to a stop," she informed him and then nodded to the IV lines currently pumping antibiotics into his body. "On the other hand his immune system is performing better than ever, and the electrical activity along his nervous system has skyrocketed," she outlined.
Her explanations stopped as she leaned over the teenager and carefully removed and set aside the bandages protecting his head. Gently, she parted his hair and pursed her lips at what she saw. Ian moved closer to evaluate how true his colleague's words really were; the ragged wound had indeed closed, and in another day or two the stitches would probably need to be removed.
Lien felt around Ryou's head and nodded in satisfaction, "Scientists have been experimenting for the past few years with a medicine that would increase the rate at which a body naturally heals, but..." she broke off and straightened up looking around the room for something, "...but it hasn't been approved or even fully tested yet," she added, turning to search through the drawers in the small bedside stand.
Ian scratched his head in confusion, ""So what do you think is happening? There's no medical explanation for this... no reason why this should be happening," he stated absently, watching as Lien frowned and turned her attention back to her patient, gingerly returning the removed bandages to their proper place.
Upon completing this task, she faced him again with a questioning tone, "So if his body is healing so well, then WHY is Ryou now in this unexplainable coma?" She looked over the teenager's vital signs as she added, "If his brain were still damaged, I could understand, but not with his brain healing at such an amazing rate…" breaking off she shook her head and carefully checked over his vital signs.
Allowing the silence to settle, Lien picked up her pad and inputted the time and other information into the device, before saying, "Ryou's neurons are reconnecting and the injured part of his brain is starting to communicate with the other areas again. By all logical means he technically should be awake by now, but..." she stopped and tucked her pad under her arm. Lien pushed away the baffling thoughts and set her jaw stubbornly.
Carefully crossing her arms she made a sudden decision. "I'm going to call that woman Rhodesia and her companion Kaoru and tell them what's going on. They must know more about this than they're letting on," a deep frown dominating her expression as she voiced the thought; Ian gave his silent agreement and chose to take his leave, offering a reassuring smile in return.
"Well, let me know what you find, maybe it can help Chigusa out as well," he requested taking a few steps back. Lien nodded and tilted her head slightly as a thought struck her, "What else? I know you were looking up her family history. Did you come up with anything?" she inquired offhandedly, pushing her sleeve back so she could check the time on her watch.
Ian considered her question for a moment before giving a shrug in reply. "Sorry, Lien, but I can't really talk about it until after I discuss it with Chigusa... but I can tell you that it sure was a surprise when I came across it. It may make dealing with this problem that much easier for her," he revealed rather vaguely. The woman was clearly dissatisfied with his meager explanation but let it slide as Ian thanked her for her information and left to tell Chigusa what he had found.
Rhodesia set her thumb upon the small scanner attached to the electronic lock, and watched as the light flashed green and the lock clicked open. She pushed the handle down and opened the door, letting it close quietly behind her. The apartment suite was dark, the sliding glass doors leading to the small balcony serving as the only source of light.
She could see that Kaoru had seated himself on a large footrest near the balcony doors. The small outside area had a metal railing around the edge so one's view of the cityscape was unimpeded and Kaoru was silently gazing over the skyscrapers and greater Tokyo area.
A slight sigh passed Rhodesia's lips, and she moved to stand next to her friend. She was the only person Kaoru allowed in his room, so there was no need to introduce herself. Instead, Rhodesia quietly stood behind Kaoru as the young man looked over his shoulder at her. The hikikomori nodded simply to acknowledge the woman's presence before turning away and resuming the same slouched posture.
He's been like this every since Takumi committed suicide, Rhodesia thought somberly, watching Kaoru as he continued staring straight ahead. She hated seeing him so upset but wasn't entirely sure it was her place to say something. After all, she hadn't really known Takumi that well—unless you counted pulling his bank records, e-mails, and other personal information.
Sliding a hand through her braids, the woman scowled to herself and tried to think of something to say. I know they knew each other in the first version of The World and were on pretty good terms with each other...but I'm not sure if they could really be called friends, she considered skeptically. Takumi hadn't been the type to associate with others on a personal level very often.
Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Rhodesia meditated on that last point for a moment. It's true that they e-mailed each other a few times a month to share information, but Kaoru doesn't let many people into his personal world... Aside from myself, Ryou, and Chigusa, it's hard to tell who he really thinks of as friends, the woman frowned at her musings and decided to just come out and say it.
"Good friends were you?" she asked gently and Kaoru's resulting frown was thoughtful rather than disapproving and he shrugged vaguely at her inquiry. "Back in the first version of The World it wasn't unusual for us to be in a party together. He was known as Wiseman back then, and while he dealt with information and people, he pretty much kept to himself," he stated simply, although he hadn't really needed to bring that up; Rhodesia was already perfectly aware of their prior relationship.
Kaoru leaned back and put his hands on his knees. "He didn't pry or ask unnecessary questions, so I found it easy to get along with him, " he admitted so quietly his voice might as well be called a whisper. His hands tightened and his knuckles grew white with tension.. He shifted his gaze down to his lap and swallowed hard, "Takumi... Yata..." he paused suddenly as his voice wavered, "...he was the only one who contacted me when... when they took Mia," he murmured hesitantly, the strain obvious in his words. Rhodesia placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
Shaking his head, Kaoru continued, "He... let me be there when it... when it happened. There was nothing I could do for her... they would have taken her no matter what, but I... I wanted to be there..." he stopped there and grew quiet, his eyes closing as he tried to shut out the awful memories from that day. He had been there watching it all take place when the programmer Jyotaro Amagi had extracted the Phase Data from Mia and deleted her once and for all.
In The World R:1, Macha had been a strange cat-like creature who obeyed and served Morganna, but later on Macha had been data-drained and reformed into a PC body known as Mia. She then came to know and befriend Elk, the PC Kaoru had been using at that time. Mia had been Kaoru's entire world for many years. In fact, only a few months had passed since he had finally been able to put those events behind him and accept the Avatar Macha as his partner and as Mia's true form. The wounds the incident had caused, however, had yet to fully heal.
Rhodesia gave her friend's shoulder a small squeeze, and Kaoru finally lifted his head at her action. He turned towards her, but avoided meeting her gaze. "I never would have known... I would probably still be looking for Mia if… if Takumi hadn't told me the truth. I wouldn't really call him my friend... but I did respect him and the decisions he made. Everything he did... whether right or wrong... was to make The World a better place and to keep those playing it safe," he concluded, exhaling heavily as he made that concession.
Rhodesia nodded in understanding, then remembered the reason why she had come here. "Think I do you should attend his memorial," she said considerately. Takumi had outlined very frankly in his will that he would rather be cremated then have some fancy funeral he couldn't attend anyway or be buried in a casket six feet under. So, in accordance with his wishes, Reiko had taken care of the alternative arrangements and a service would take place in his memory tomorrow afternoon.
Kaoru opened his mouth to object but Rhodesia spoke up before he could say anything negative. "Know do I that you don't want go and be reminded of what happened to Takumi. Not entirely comfortable will I be either...just feel I do that should show up to respect Takumi's efforts. No one asking you stay or speak to anyone is they?" she said in a slightly chiding tone.
If Kaoru didn't attend, then Rhodesia knew that he would regret it for the rest of his life. Even if he never showed any outward signs of it, the fact that he hadn't gone would tear at him for years to come. Kaoru evidently realized this as well and clenched his jaw before sighing in consent.
Looking down at the floor, he mumbled, "Fine...but as soon as it's over, I'm leaving," Kaoru stated with obstinate resolution, but Rhodesia was grateful that she had at least convinced him do go.
Wordlessly agreeing to his terms, Rhodesia let her hand drop from his shoulder and motioned to the area behind her, "Come on. Making something to eat for you will I," she offered and Kaoru thought for a moment before standing up and following her over to the table.
Iori Nakanishi sighed in frustration and leaned over to retrieve his books from the floor. The laughter of his tormentors rang in his ears, growing fainter as they wandered off to find someone else to bully. In his mind, however, he could hear Saku's voice yelling insults and various other offenses at the group of boys who had thrown his textbooks down the hallway and slammed him against the metal lockers. Fortunately, it was his pride rather than his body that had been bruised the most.
Yeah, just come back here and fight me why don't you! I bet you won't find me such an easy target you cowards! Saku was nearly spitting with rage, and Iori felt his right hand clench tightly in response to his big sister's intense desire to throw a few retaliatory punches of her own.
Iori's books fell from his grasp as he slapped his left hand over his arm, squeezing it tightly as he implored his sister, Saku cut it out! People are already staring! His desperate objections reached Saku and she calmed down, his right arm relaxing along with her state of mind.
Sorry, she apologized, not sounding entirely repentant.
It wasn't unusual for Saku to "take over" when Iori was upset or stressed out. One minute he would be on the ground and the next Saku's personality would come out literally kicking and screaming. As a result, most of the other students avoided him out of fear or unease. Those who did chose to confront him were all bullies and they merely took his antics as license to torment the "crazy boy." He had seen plenty of different of counselors and psychologists due to his parents' concerns, but all of them had said that Saku wasn't real and existed only in his head, not that Iori really needed to be told any of that He already knew that Saku wasn't technically a person like he was. He was fully aware that she had developed as a means for him to cope with the stress in his life, but this knowledge was not enough for him to want her to disappear.
A couple months prior, after the Sage Palace incident with Taihaku, Sakaki, and AIDA, Saku had threatened to disappear forever. While Iori had pleaded with her to stay, in the end it had been Haseo who finally convinced her not to go. That period of time, however brief, had been the worst of his entire life, and Iori could only pray that it would never happen again.
The boy gave a firm nod at the thought and gathered his books once more. Real or imagined, Saku is my big sister, and that's all there is to it. I don't care what anybody else says about it. I know I'm not crazy, Iori resolved, grabbing his bag and stuffing his things back into it. He stood back up and carefully straightened his rumpled school uniform. Slipping the satchel over his shoulder, Iori drew a deep breath and started towards the exit
As he walked Iori could hear the voices of the other kids, whispering about him or jeering at him behind his back, and their words plagued him as he proceeded. Stomach churning, his eyes remained locked on the floor before him. Saku, of course, was quick to bolster his flagging courage.
Don't pay those losers any attention! If anybody makes fun of you again, then I'll make sure your the last person they ever bully! After all, I'm the only person allowed to push you around, she reminded him. Iori couldn't help but smile at her assurances and his body relaxed, Thanks sis, he said gratefully and she sniffed at that before settling down again.
Iori slipped into the crowd and made his way through the doors and down the steps into the courtyard, pausing long enough to check the time. His mother always picked him up after school and should arrive at any moment.
Iori was distracted from his thoughts when he suddenly slammed into someone and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground with a small cry uttered more from surprise than from any real pain. He looked up to see what he had run into and found a man in mirrored sunglasses and a baseball cap atop his head staring down at him.
"Sorry about that, kid. You aren't hurt, are you?" he said with an apologetic smile as Iori picked himself up off the ground and brushed himself off. The boy returned the smile and shook his head.
""No, not at all. I'm just fine," the boy replied cheerfully. His company nodded absently and cast a long, searching glance around the area. "Say, I've been looking for someone in this school. Think you could point me in the right direction?" the stranger questioned casually. Iori started to reply but was interrupted by Saku's firm presence.
Don't you dare tell him anything! I don't know who this guy is, but he's giving me the creeps. Look, Mom's here now, so we have to go anyway, she demanded, not giving him any opportunity to say otherwise. Iori winced slightly from his big sister's authoritarian tone, but he conceded nonetheless.
He offered a hurried bow as an apology to the stranger and quickly maneuvered past him, making for the waiting minivan. He glimpsed over his shoulder to find that the man was still staring after him; the attention sent a chill up his spine. He stopped at the side of his mother's vehicle and pulled open the door, climbing inside and making certain that the heavy door slid securely closed behind him.
His mother turned to greet her son with a warm smile. "Hey there! How was school today?" she asked, but her words fell on deaf ears as Iori started out the window with rapt attention. Breathing heavily he scanned the school yard for the stranger, but the man had vanished just as suddenly as he had appeared.
Iori turned his attention to his mother and forced a smile to his face. "Fine, Mom. I got a B on my test today," he offered as a distraction when he noticed her growing suspicion. His mother praised his success, but Iori barely heard her congratulations.
Who was he? he asked and Saku bristled restlessly at his words, Don't know, don't care. I just know that if he comes around again, I'm calling the police so they can haul the weirdo away. Guys like that don't ask kids for help unless they've got ulterior motives. If he really needed something, he would have asked a teacher or the principal. He's up to no good and that's that, his big sister stated in a frosty tone as the car pulled away from the school.
Iori shook his head and pushed the matter aside, instead turning his thoughts to the day to come. His parents had given him permission to take the new couple of days off from school so that they could take a train down to Tokyo and attend Takumi's memorial service.
Naturally they had been hesitant at first. Neither had ever heard of Takumi and their only real knowledge of AIDA and The World came from whatever information was on the news networks, but Rhodesia had left them both speechless when she called personally to inform them of how vital their son had been to Project G.U. and how much assistance he had provided them in the game. Her call concluded with the remark of how wonderful it would be to have him attend.
Iori opened his bag and rifled through it until he managed to find the news article he had printed from the internet during his computer class. Rhodesia didn't want to put him in any unnecessary danger, so there wasn't much he could do in the way of fighting, but he had been religiously scanning different news websites for any and all signs of AIDA. Finally he had happened upon something potentially important, and he wasn't going to pass up the chance to tell Rhodesia about it in person.
Dr. Ian Evans hesitated before entering Chigusa Kusaka's hospital room. She looked up and gave a solemn nod to acknowledge him as he moved to set down his pad on the table next to her. Her temporary amnesia had dissipated and she was thinking clearly again, but the poor girl hadn't smiled or even spoken in the week that had passed since her boyfriend Ryou Misaki had led police on that intense car chase through Tokyo and Chiba right up to her front door. Her vocal cords hadn't been so severely damaged that she couldn't speak; she simply refused to do so.
Chigusa's other injuries were healing rather nicely, but she was not yet well enough to leave the hospital. The left side of her head was still heavily bruised and swathed in bandages that obscured most of her face. Her dislocated right shoulder had been reset and was easily the only part of her that was doing well. The swelling in her sprained left ankle had finally gone down, allowing her to safely put weight on it again. The broken fingers on her left hand had been set, while the rest of her hand was a cast that ended a few inches above her elbow.
A small sigh escaped her lips as Chigusa straightened up; wincing as the recently healed cuts on her back protested even that slight moment. Slowly she reached over for one of the pillows at the end of the bed, but Ian saw her intent and hurried over to spare her the effort.
"Don't worry I'll get that for you," he offered, grabbing the cushion in one hand and lifting up her right leg with the other. Carefully, Ian slipped the pillow under her broken knee to help prop Chigusa's leg up; despite the brace wrapped around her leg, it was still vital that her knee have plenty of cushioning while it healed.
"There you go... Does that feel better?" Ian implored, and Chigusa nodded slightly, her eyes lowered to avoid his gaze. The American doctor breathed a small sigh; frustrated that he still couldn't get more of a response than that out of her. He rolled a chair over and took a seat in it as he retrieved his electronic pad and set it in his lap. The files he had come to show her were displayed on the screen, but he was reluctant to bring up what he had found.
"Why do you come here so often?" The soft, raspy voice nearly slipped his notice, and it took a moment for Ian to realize he had been asked a question. He turned his eyes to the source of the feeble sound and saw Chigusa watching him curiously. The surprise from the fact that she had actually spoken was so great that it took another couple of seconds before he could formulate a proper answer.
"Oh, right! I suppose I should have said something earlier. Having me come around all the time to keep you company must be a little creepy, hunh?" he said with an apologetic chuckle, realizing how inconsiderate he had been. A slight blush tinted Chigusa's cheeks, and she looked away with an embarrassed expression.
Ian cleared his throat and gave a helpless shrug. Leaning back in his chair he explained, "I won't bore you with all the details, but years ago, my wife and I divorced and she received full custody of our three children. She always was a spiteful woman and refused to let me have any contact whatsoever. So, to this day, I still don't know where any of them are… and you…" a heavy sigh punctuated Ian's words, "…you're about the age my youngest daughter would be right now. That's all," he stated, not bothering to mask the sad and bitter feelings from his voice.
Chigusa shifting posture clearly said, "I wish I hadn't asked." Ian noticed her uncomfortable fidgeting and smiled reassuringly at her, "I know it has nothing to do with you, but when I heard about your situation, I just couldn't help thinking of all my kids and wondering what they might be doing right now. Besides, I've always taken a special interest in kids and teenagers anyway. Still, if it bothers you I can stop… Lord knows a doctor can always find more work to do." Chigusa's lips pulled up slightly and she shook her head in denial.
"No... I don't mind... now that I know," Chigusa responded as her good eye shifted down to the electronic pad in his lap, subtly asking if he had another reason for being here. Ian caught her hint and found the proper information page. He took a deep breath before speaking, "I was looking into your medical records to see if there were any preexisting conditions I needed to consider, and I found something that I'm not sure if you're aware of," he informed, flipping the pad around and handing it to her.
Chigusa accepted the device and placed it in her lap, adjusting it slightly to better view the screen. Scarcely a moment passed before her visible eye widened in shock and she drew a sharp breath. Her gaze shot up to meet her doctor's, silently asking him if what she was seeing was really true.
Ian scratched his head and nodded awkwardly to answer her voiceless inquiry. "I...uh...guess your parents never told you did they?" he gently assumed and Chigusa shook her head slowly, looking back down at the information in before her.
The young woman opened her mouth, but quickly shut it again, words failing her as the realization that she had been lied to for her entire life hit her full force. She closed her eye for a moment, trying to process everything, before opening it again and continuing to stare at the computer screen.
When Chigusa finally did find the right words her voice was a strained tangle of confusion, relief, hope, pain, and disappointment as she uttered two words that she never would have imagined herself saying.
"I'm... adopted?"
AN: So how is that for an ending? Didn't see that one coming I'll bet, but I couldn't just saddle Chigusa with such awful and horrible parents like that. I mean her father, Ikari, took a knife to her and Ryou both and her mother left/abandoned her.
So, yes, Chigusa is adopted. I'm sure there are other wheels and suspicion's rolling around in your heads after reading through that last part...and your probably right too. So feel free to ask me any and all questions that come to mind okay?
And who was that guy Iori/Bo ran into? Hmm, rather suspicious don't you think? He just might be a certain someone the G.U. members have been looking for....(cough cough hint hint)
In other news I have taken down the current poll and have put up a popularity poll featuring all of the major characters. It will be up for a while and the Avatars are on the list as well, so you can vote on which one of those you like best too. You can make more than one choice and I'll have the results later on whenever I do finally decide to set a date to close it. So go to my profile and vote on which character you like best!
Now I won't bore you with more details but the next chapter will be up soon, I promise! So please go down and press that lovely green/gray button and send a review! They feed my creative juices. ^_^
