Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. It was made by a genius and I'm not that smart, though I might wish otherwise.
Chapter Five: The Medical Diagnosis
August 5, 7:17 pm
Prince Endymion's Rooms, Gaia Palace, Earth
It was perhaps a little after seven in the evening when Prince Endymion heard knocks on his door. Quickly, he tousled his hair, threw a coverlet around his shoulders (he was, after all, supposed to be sick) and opened the door a crack. He croaked convincingly, "Yes? Who is it?"
"It's us, who else?" Jadeite answered. "We heard you asked not to be disturbed so we can't be the maids. Duh. And what the heck happened to your voice?"
Endymion instinctively glanced at Kunzite and, at the latter's nod signifying that the coast was clear, dropped his act and explained to Jadeite in a normal tone, "I'm just being cautious, just in case someone might overhear." He opened his doors wider to admit the generals, simultaneously throwing the coverlet to a nearby chair.
"Overly-cautious is more like it," Zoisite muttered as he and Nephrite bent down to grasp opposite ends of a rolled-up carpet lying at their feet. Together, and with a grunt, they lifted it to their shoulders and carried it inside.
"What the hell is that?" Endymion asked, frowning, as he sat on an armchair and gave a negligent gesture meant to imply that his generals make themselves comfortable as well.
"The carpet you ordered, your Highness," Kunzite announced loudly, looking in both directions before firmly closing Endymion's doors.
"I didn't order any carpets and you know that. What's all this about?"
Kunzite shrugged. "It's for the benefit of whoever spies are outside. And whoever females managed to sneak in spies for information about you. You know how that goes."
Zoisite and Nephrite bent to carefully deposit the carpet on the floor. Grabbing one end each, they tugged and the carpet began unrolling.
His eyes on the appearing red and blue asymmetrical autumn theme design, Endymion absently asked them, "What are you doing here? If anybody finds out you keep visiting me here, in private and when I'm supposedly sick, people might talk and spies might start spying and – bloody damn hell!" he suddenly swore as the carpet fully unrolled to reveal an unconscious elderly man, who rolled limply onto the floor. Zoisite and Nephrite began to indifferently re-roll the carpet they had used to wrap the man in.
"What the hell is this? Who the hell is that?"
"You told us you needed a physician and that we were to keep it a secret," Jadeite explained patiently. "That's just what we did."
"Couldn't you have just asked for an oath of silence or something and then taken him here?"
"Eh." Jadeite scratched his head and turned to his friends for help. "Why didn't we do it that way again?"
Nephrite shrugged. "We didn't know how to explain him to the guards."
"So you brained a doctor?" Endymion stared in shock as Kunzite nudged the man gently to make the latter roll over. "And not just any doctor, you kidnapped Doctor Walters!"
"He's one of the best, Endymion."
"He damn well should be since he's the damn royal doctor!" Endymion roared at them. "I can't believe you brained him! What if he's sick? You idiots! I need his knowledge, his brain! You could've seriously compromised him!" He began cursing. "I'm gonna kill you guys!"
Zoisite tried to diffuse Endymion's anger (and cursing), "Hey, easy. We're not stupid. We know how to hit a man to knock him unconscious and only that. No harm came to him. And don't worry, Endymion, we didn't brain him."
"Thank God."
"We just punched him."
Endymion stared in horrified disbelief at the purpling of the physician's chin. "You punched a doctor. You punched my doctor. I don't believe this." He sank to his knees, lowering his head into his hands.
"The beauty of it all is that he's known as the royal physician. Since we spread the word that you're sick, the fact that he's missing will give credibility to your story. And the fact that he, well, couldn't tell anyone where he's going means no one knows that you're here, in this particular palace. Which reminds me, Endymion, I alerted the guards of your other estates so they'll keep a look out for meandering women who have no right to be there and summarily eject them, not that they don't do that already, but, anyway, we also heard that some girls have actually tried to sneak in your estates ever since Zoi told the world you're sick. Also, your men were given strict orders not to tell anyone whether or not you're in residence. Not that they don't do that already... but still, it was just a reminder," Kunzite reported to a distressed Endymion.
"You know, you were supposed to be happy about that, about all this," Zoisite remarked, pushing back his long blond hair from his eyes. "Why aren't you?"
"Oh my God, you hit a doctor."
"Are we still on that?" Jadeite asked Endymion, who ran his hands through his hair, furthering messing up his already tussled hair.
"Oh God, you actually hit a doctor!"
"There's no law against that, is there?" Nephrite was puzzled by Endymion's reaction.
"You could've just asked, you blockheads!"
"Where's the fun in that?" Jadeite objected. "We haven't had so much fun in years! Skulking and sneaking and breaking and entering in homes; it was great!"
"Oh God," Endymion groaned.
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"I'm very sorry, Dr. Walters," Endymion apologized profusely. "I just really needed you. And I'm afraid I didn't give specific enough orders to my men." He shot a dirty look at the four men who were staring at him in wide-eyed innocence.
They had thrown water on the good doctor's face to rouse him and, once conscious, Endymion had apologized, offered him drinks, and 'invited' him to stay indefinitely in his private chambers.
The doctor winced as he moved his jaw. "I was about to drop by and visit since I heard that you were feeling unwell but I didn't expect to be taken here by force."
"We didn't force you," Zoisite objected. "We just… didn't give you a chance to agree or disagree."
"Zoi, that's quibbling and you know it. I paddled your backside when you were a kid and I still can," the doctor, who was also a close family friend, dryly told the blond general.
"You'll have to catch me first and I can still run faster than you." Zoisite grinned impishly.
"And here I thought you outgrew all your youthful antics." He shook his head, gingerly touching his bruised chin. "To what do I owe this, er, visit? Are you truly sick, Endymion?" He peered at the healthy prince. "You look remarkably well for a sick man. You haven't been sick since you had chickenpox when you were an adolescent. And I doubt your generals are sick either for to have sneaked around my home and punched me out cold requires them to be of perfect health. Although not for very long, if I have anything to say about it."
"Threats, good doctor?" Nephrite mildly asked.
"We've rarely been sick in our lives," Jadeite agreed with the physician.
"You five are blessed with perfect health. The last time you four were sick was also due to chickenpox, if I remember correctly. Endymion – "
"It's not us. It's Endymion's woman," Jadeite interrupted the doctor's reminiscing.
Doctor Walters' eyebrows shot up. "Endymion's woman? He has one? Since when? Who? And what happened? Please tell me she's not pregnant! It won't do to have the birth before the wedding."
"Doctor!" Endymion protested. "She's not my woman and she's not pregnant, all right?"
"Good, good. So, what happened then? Tell me everything."
Endymion did.
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"Well?" The four generals waited in the outer sitting room while the prince escorted the doctor into his private sleeping quarters to check on the sleeping female.
"She's tired and very confused," the doctor explained, taking off his gloves as he entered the room. "I'm not entirely sure what happened since she herself couldn't remember but I'm guessing she suffered some sort of trauma. Add that to falling through a very sturdy oak tree and you've got multiple cuts and bruises, as well as a nasty bump on the head. Actually, there were a couple of bumps on the head but two were particularly nasty, near her temple and at the back of her head. She'll be fine in a few days, just feed her and let her rest. The more immediate injuries that required medical attention were her cuts, scratches, bruises, that sort of stuff, and Endymion gave her first aid for that. I gave him a couple of ointments to apply on them so they'll heal faster and won't leave a scar. I also gave Endymion a list of what was needed since he said he'll take care of her because you four can't escape your duties."
"What about her amnesia?" Kunzite asked.
"Well, that's the tricky part, I'm afraid. Even though medical knowledge is more comprehensive than ever, we still don't know much about brain injuries. Her memory could return slowly, in one fell swoop, or not at all. The important thing is to make her comfortable." He caught their worried looks. "Don't worry, gentlemen, she's young and relatively healthy. I'm sure her memory will return. If there's nothing else you need me for, I think I'd like to return to my home. I do have other patients, you know, even if Endymion is my top priority but since he's perfectly all right, I don't see any need to deprive others of my skill." He gave the generals a half-amused, half-frustrated look. "And since this is a top-secret thing, it looks like I'll have to return the same way I arrived – minus the blow that'll knock me out cold, of course."
"Of course. I am sorry I had to hit you," Nephrite apologized.
"No problem, Neph. Haven't had this much fun in years. Just the look on Endymion's face was worth it."
"Why? How'd the prince look?"
"I think it's the first time a member of the opposite sex looked at him and wasn't struck dumb by the way he looked. She cared more about the loss of her memory and where she was than stroking his Highness' vanity. He was initially terrified that she'd take one look at him and fall madly in love like the rest of them, but when she first saw him, all she said was, 'what are you doing in my bed? Get out'," The doctor chuckled at the memory. "Prince Endymion was clearly at a loss and I was the one who had to tell the gentle lady that she was, in fact, in his bed."
"How'd she react to that?" Kunzite wondered.
"Badly, I'm afraid. She began to fear that the prince might've taken some liberties with her person. She was insisting that she's a gentle lady at the same time demanding this and that before Endymion finally spoke up and told her that he never touched her. I think she distrusts our prince and would prefer him anywhere else other than in the same room with her. Of course, they both have no choice."
"May we go in and see her?" Jadeite eagerly asked. A beautiful female immune to Endymion's good looks was worth a look.
"You may, I suppose," the doctor answered, amused. Jadeite was sometimes so easy to read. "Though I doubt it would do you any good. I gave her some laudanum so she could sleep. She was also quite distraught in finding out that she lost her memory, so I thought that would calm her somewhat."
"Where's the prince?"
"Still inside, Jade, sitting beside the bed with the most peculiar expression on his face." The doctor chuckled. "I think he's trying to decide whether he likes her reaction or not."
Nephrite suddenly spoke up, "Dr. Walters, what do you suppose she was doing up in that tree?"
"That's the weirdest thing, actually, because we can't figure out why she was there and she couldn't tell us why because she can't remember." The doctor looked slightly nonplussed. "If it's based on Endymion's past experiences with women, then I'd say that she probably climbed the tree to look for him but, as I just told you, she doesn't seem like your usual prince-crazy female. There's a possibility, of course, that she could've forgotten about the prince's identity with her amnesia. We don't know. I also asked Endymion what happened and he says he scanned the tree before resting under it and he was certain there was nobody in the area. Since the woman was wearing white, I suppose she'd be easy to spot, right?"
Like the other four, Endymion underwent military training and surveying his surroundings also was second nature to him, more so these past couple of years when women of all ages exhibited remarkable skills in tracking him down and he was doing his best to stay one step ahead of them.
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm not sure, 'Zite. Perhaps Endymion just didn't notice her, I don't know, since she couldn't have not been in the tree when Endymion rested under it, right? Unless, of course, she could sprout wings and fly," the doctor joked.
"I guess we'll find out when she remembers, then." Zoisite shrugged.
Kunzite leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Doctor, do you think she's a spy? Does she present any kind of threat to national security?"
The doctor hesitated. "I don't think so."
"What makes you say that?" Nephrite asked.
"Spies and the like usually have some marks on their body to tell us of their line of work, usually scars, and she didn't have any."
"Maybe she's just young or she's a new recruit?" Jadeite wondered idly.
"She'd still have to undergo training, wouldn't she? And spies also usually have a firmly toned body, usually muscular or very toned arms and legs, and she didn't have that. Besides, if you're so worried about her being a spy, with the situation we're all in, she's not likely to be much of a threat to national security, especially with her amnesia, right? And if she really is a spy, I'm sure you'll be able to deal with her accordingly when the time comes." The doctor smiled at them. "But if hanging around with you and being close to the such important personages in the kingdom has taught me anything, it's how to judge a person. And I think I can fairly say with utmost confidence that she's not a bad person. She's not a threat to national security or to Endymion."
Kunzite merely shrugged indifferently. "Only time will tell."
Experience had taught them all that first impressions could be wrong and the most inconspicuous of people could turn out to be the best spies in the business, scars and body type notwithstanding.
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Very late that same night, the generals snuck back into Endymion's rooms after sneaking the doctor back into his home. Since the doctor gave his medical opinion that the woman didn't really need him, they all agreed that he could go back. The generals bundled him up once again, returned him to his home then headed back to the main palace and into Endymion's room.
"Well, what now?" Kunzite quietly asked.
Endymion was pacing the room, occasionally running his hands through his hair. "I need you guys to go around and try to find out who she is."
"Dr. Walters believes she's not dangerous," Nephrite volunteered.
"I believe him," Endymion said after a pause. "Not only because he's a great judge of character but also because… well, she doesn't really seem dangerous, does she? And the fact that she has amnesia renders her very vulnerable, don't you think? And if ever she proves to be dangerous, her close proximity to us would mean that we'd be able to do something about it immediately."
Nephrite nodded. "True. You don't think her amnesia's a rouse, though, do you?"
Endymion recalled her initial reaction. "Highly unlikely. No one's that good an actress."
"So you really don't think she has any political strings attached?" Kunzite asked. Among the five, he was usually the last to pronounce judgment about a person's character but, as Kunzite always pointed out, when he finally did pronounce judgment, he was usually a hundred percent right.
Endymion snorted. "'Zite, it's highly unlikely that she's a danger to any of us or the kingdom, especially right now. She doesn't know who I am and I think I've had enough experiences with females to know when someone is faking it or not and believe me, she wasn't faking it when she didn't recognize me. I think she's a local, your normal average Terran. Minus the whole prince-crazy thing," he added when he noticed Jadeite and Zoisite's skeptical looks.
"All right, I believe you," Kunzite declared, which settled the matter nicely.
Jadeite grinned. "But to be safe, we should keep her close, right?"
Zoisite shot a sharp assessing look at his blond friend. "As in, 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer'?"
"Yeah."
"And the fact that she's a really beautiful woman has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you want to stick to her like glue?"
"Of course not. But it sure helps a lot." Jadeite grinned cheekily.
Endymion, used to this, ignored them and absently ran his hands through his hair. "Listen, going back to what I was saying, I need you guys to try and find out who she is."
"Well, we haven't heard anything about anyone looking for someone missing," Kunzite said thoughtfully. "Or any news of anybody missing for that matter."
"Shouldn't someone have gone looking for her already?" Nephrite wondered. "I mean, she looks to be a noblewoman, part of the aristocracy, doesn't she? Why isn't anyone reporting her missing?"
"Exactly my point, Neph, 'Zite, and that's what's worrying me. It's been about twenty-four hours, why isn't anyone looking for her? Doesn't she have a family to protect and care for her? Where are they? Who is she?" Endymion sighed. "Anyway, that'll be your task. I still can't leave my rooms because of the rumor you guys started and, besides, she needs me here. She's still weak and can't really move around much. Once she's well, we can send her on her way – once you guys figure out exactly just where her way is. Now, go."
"Yes, your Highness." The four saluted crisply before stealthily leaving the room and exiting the palace itself.