Concern From Kiyone

It's been three months since Ryoko passed out.
She still hasn't regained conciousness.
Her body lies in the bed Mihoshi and I set her in
After carrying her, wounded, from that large puddle of her own blood.
Washu healed her wounds with her strange machines and scientific devices.
There are still a few distinct scars, but those will heal over time.
I wonder though... Is there maybe a scar we've missed?
Not one that can be found on her body, but perhaps one cut deep in her heart?
I saw the way she eyed Tenchi and Ayeka before she fell into deep sleep.
There was so much pain in her face, but I don't think it was caused by her wounds...
What was going on in her mind at that moment?
At the very instant when she saw the one she loves leaning on another woman for support?
It must have been hurtful...
I wonder... Even though there are no physical reasons for her to be in such a prolonged state of unconciousness,
What if her unwillingness to wake up, to see Tenchi and Ayeka, has kept her in this coma?
Will she ever awaken?
Even though she is an extreme criminal, even though I am an elite member of the Galaxy Police,
I still worry about her... because... she is my friend. I am her friend.
Even though we don't appear very close, sharing a home with her has taken its affect on both of us,
Just as it has for everyone.
We all worry about each other in one way or another.
Ryoko even worries for Ayeka's safety...
If she didn't, then she wouldn't have taken Tenchi to save her.
Maybe what she really feels is... betrayal...
Betrayal... from both Tenchi and Ayeka...
Because whereas Tenchi is the man she loves...
Perhaps Ayeka has secretly become a devoted friend.
When Ayeka gets so close to Tenchi, maybe Ryoko feels like Ayeka is going against that friendship.
It's sad, really...
But the truly sad thing is, no one seems to notice Ryoko anymore...
They've gotten used to her sleeping her life away.
True, Washu checks to make sure that her machinery is feeding Ryoko the proper nutrients she needs,
But I think Washu has more concern for the machine working properly than anything else.
Yes, Mihoshi does ask me if Ryoko has woken up yet.
But that's just Mihoshi's child-like worries...
She wants everyone to be happy.
Yet even though I tell her "no" every time, her concern only lasts until her favorite tv shows come on, or dinner time.
Simple things distract her thoughts.
Sure, Sasami does tell me how much she misses Ryoko...
But she also tells me that she is always so busy that she doesn't have any time to think about it.
Little Sasami was always so hard-working...
She does more than any of us, and still finds time to play. I admire that.
It's true that from time to time Tenchi inquires as to when we all think Ryoko will wake up.
But that is usually just casual dinnertime conversation.
He uses it every once and a while as a silence-breaker.
It's also true that even Ayeka expresses concern on Ryoko's behalf from time to time.
However, Ayeka is Ayeka. She'd rather not show that she cares for Ryoko.
She's way too stubborn to admit it.
I must admit, even I haven't really been putting much thought on Ryoko anymore.
She's been out of the picture for so long that we've all gotten used to beign without her.
There does seem to be some sort of gaping hole, though,
But we manage to get around that.
Have we forgotten her?
Have we forgotten Ryoko, the one person who used to stir up so many emotions in all of us,
The one who sent us on so many different adventures?
Is she a lost soul now?
Will we ever remember her?