Ranma and his friends belong to Rumiko Takahashi. They're used
here without permission.
------------------------------
newRanma 2: Cutting
by Chris Jones
------------------------------
It was late evening at Nerima General when Doctor Tofuu
walked into the waiting room, leading a female surgeon behind him.
Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi and Soun were waiting as well as
Genma and Nodoka.
Careful to keep his eyes away from Kasumi, Tofuu gestured
to the surgeon. "This is Doctor Najima. She's the neurosurgeon
here responsible for Ranma's case."
Nodoka was about to speak, but Akane cut her off. "Is
Ranma okay?" she asked in an urgent tone.
"Ranma is conscious and alert," Doctor Najima stated.
"He's in ICU right now, but we should be able move him to a
private room later tomorrow."
"What happened to my son?" Nodoka asked.
Doctor Najima bit her lip slightly. "Ranma has had what we
call, a minor 'cranial accident'."
"Huh?" Akane asked, not understanding the phrasing. "I
know... I know it was an accident," she replied guiltily, "But
can't you be any more specific?"
"'Accident' is polite language for 'hemmorage', Akane,"
Nabiki informed her.
"WHAT?!?" Akane yelled.
"Like Najima-sensei said," Tofuu replied. "It's *very*
minor. He had a brief hallucinatory episode before Kunou-san
called the ambulance, but that has apparently passed. He's
conscious and lucid right now. He's even grumpy because I won't
release him from the hospital."
"So why won't you release him?" Nabiki asked suspiciously.
Tofuu bit his lip. "It's normal procedure to keep a
patient who's had the kind of symptoms Ranma has under observation
for at least 96 hours. I could still release him, but I feel that
the real problem lies in the injury's location... and the real
cause for Ranma's hallucination this morning."
"I don't understand, Doctor Tofuu," Akane admitted.
Najima unrolled the bundle she was carrying. It turned out
to be a chart displaying side view of a human skull and brain in
shades of x-ray gray. It was very obviously a computer printout,
and just as obviously freshly printed.
"This is the initial cranial x-ray we took of Mr. Saotome
before I scheduled a CAT-scan," she explained to the rest of the
group. She took out a marker and circled an area near the bottom
center of the gray shape of Ranma's skull.
She pointed to the red circle, and touched her fingernail
to a dark patch inside it. "And this is what's causing Mr.
Saotome's problems. He sustained a fairly major concussion here
this morning. His eardrum tore from the force of the blow. What is
really hurting him, however, is the fact that the concussion
apparently aggravated an old injury at the same location. That's
what this dark area is."
"Ranma has a head like a rock," Soun wondered aloud. "What
could do such a thing to him?"
"I believe it's a childhood injury," Najima commented. She
pointed to the dark area again, noting some faint lines in the
image. "From these fractures, I believe that he was perhaps eight
or nine years old when it happened. Currently, there's a sizable
blood clot between Ranma's brain and the membrane that protects it
from the rest of the world."
All but two pairs of eyes turned suspiciously toward
Genma. Impassively, he said nothing, but began to sweat, nervous
perspiration pouring down his face.
"What... will happen to Ranma," Genma asked hesitatingly.
"Not a lot, unless the injury is reaggravated," Najima
stated.
"Which probably won't happen, considering Ranma's thick
skull and his conditioning," Tofuu added. "It's a small wonder
that this did anything. Medically, it's a fluke."
Najima nodded in agreement. "The disorientation and nausea
he felt earlier is gone. He is feeling slight numbness in one of
his legs, but it's fading, meaning that the bleeding has almost
certainly already stopped." she continued. "What really worries me
is this." Again, she traced another one of the dark lines. "The
old clot... here... puts pressure on a part of the brain that we
believe affects personality. That's most likely why he was
behaving so oddly just after the injury."
"Ranma's gonna go beserk and kill us all," Nabiki
theorized dryly.
"Not likely," Tofuu pulled at his collar slightly. "This
area in particular is responsible for... *ahem*... sexual...
response."
"What does this mean for my son?" Nodoka asked seriously.
"It means that he has very little concept of his own
sexuality," Najima answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "We've done
a preliminary verification with the resident psychologist," she
explained, "and we'd like to do further follow up exams before we
make any real decisions, but it appears that, while the rest of
Ranma's body and mind are mature, he has the sexual mentality of a
much younger boy.
Nabiki couldn't help but grin in mirth. "So... Ranma and
Akane have so much trouble because Ranma still thinks 'girls are
icky'?!"
"Not in so many words," Najima responded reluctantly.
"We're starting to get into territory that really should be
discussed only with Ranma's immediate family."
"Akane's his fiancee," Nabiki countered.
"And... the Tendous are almost more family to Ranma than I
am," Nodoka admitted sadly.
Soun whispered briefly in Kasumi's ear. She smiled
politely and helped her father to drag a protesting Nabiki outside
the waiting room.
"Kasumi! Father!!"
"They'll inform us later, Nabiki," Kasumi said. "We really
don't want to overhear Ranma's secrets, do we?"
Once the door had closed leaving a smaller group inside,
Najima continued.
"From the psychological examination, we know that Ranma's
body responds normally to sexual stimuli, but in many cases his
brain doesn't know how to handle it. The nerve clusters don't get
enough blood and don't emit the right amounts of neurotransmitters
due to the pressure exerted by the clot. Since the synapses are
still functioning to some degree, the functions have not migrated,
as we see many other brain functions do in the event of neural
damage." Seeing that she was getting pretty far ahead of the
group, the neurosurgeon summarized. "Ranma's arranged engagement
affects him like it would a much younger boy. He understands the
most basic mechanics of an adult relationship, but not much else.
Due to his injury, romance, love, and sex are topics he just
simply can't comprehend like any other young man his age."
Akane fell back in her chair, flabbergasted by the
statement.
"And all this time, I thought he was just being stubborn,"
Genma commented. "To think--OOF!"
He was cut off violently by Nodoka's elbow in his gut. "Be
quiet husband, and let the doctor continue!" She turned back to
the conversation, gesturing for the doctor to continue. "What is
the prognosis for my son?"
"Like we said," Tofuu answered. "We can do nothing, and
Ranma will likely live out his life with no further incident.
However, he will probably have extreme difficulty with his
arranged marriage. He'll probably have difficulty functioning in
*any* sort of sexual role. Lover, husband... or even father to his
children."
Nodoka exhaled noisily. Her expression slowly contorted
into a mask of loss and grief. "Well, Genma," she whispered. "You
have your perfect martial artist. We can be sure he will never
think about anything *but* the art. Are you happy now?"
Genma hung his head, causing expressions of concern to
grow on both doctors' faces.
"What... what if you treat Ranma?" Akane asked quietly.
"If we remove the clot," Najima began. "It would almost
certainly allow that portion of Ranma's brain to begin to function
normally. I don't think there's any damage there... just
inactivity."
"The procedure also has the potential to change his
personality dramatically," Tofuu finished. "Any kind of brain
surgery does, really. In this case it's almost assured because of
the problem we're trying to solve. The Ranma we know won't 'die'
per se, but his interests, likes, tastes, and behaviors may change
radically over a short time." Tofuu cleared his throat. "In my
opinion, this will be giving Ranma a chance to achieve potential
he was previously unable to. The ability to love and be aroused
are something we all take for granted, but Ranma has only the
faintest glimmerings of these abilities. He will likely need to
spend several hours each week with a behavioral specialist for the
first year or so, just to make sure that he develops normally once
he does have those abilities."
"There's also the matter of Ranma's..." Najima coughed
slightly, an air of unease about her. "Shape-changing abilities.
Frankly, I didn't believe in the... the... uhm... 'curse' until it
was demonstrated, and I examined CAT-scans of his... her... er...
uhh..."
"Ranma's brain," Tofuu finished for the uncomfortable
doctor. "The pressure exerted by the blood clot is slightly less
when he's female due the the shape of his skull. Quite frankly, I
believe that Ranma has developed more female sexuality than he has
male sexuality. We have no idea what kind of affects that will
have on him."
Visions of Ranma in girls' clothing assailed Akane. All
the times he used his curse to get free food... to pacify or bribe
Kunou... to deceive his mother...
Akane clenched her teeth. Ranma *swore* by his manliness,
and yet, sometimes Ranma acted like more of a woman than Akane
was. Was this the reason why? Was it *easier* for Ranma to be a
girl than a a man?
She thought back on the time when Ranma hit his head and
was confused so badly that he thought he really was a woman. The
thoughts disgusted and terrified Akane. Worse, it made Akane
disgusted at her self for the way she remembered treating him and
the way it made her feel about him and herself. She hated herself
because of the way Ranma's actions confused her and left her so
uncertain.
Akane couldn't decide if it wasn't better to let him stay
as he was or risk the alternative.
"This has happened before," she admitted.
"That's right, isn't it," Genma exclaimed. Nodoka's
eyebrows lifted in dreadful curiosity.
"Oh?" Najima asked. "Please explain."
Nodoka looked on in surprise.
Stammering in guilt, Akane recounted the events she had
been thinking about. She hit Ranma, causing him to hit his head on
a rock in the koi pond behind the Tendou home. Until another blow
had somehow 'righted' him a day later, Ranma firmly believed he
was a girl cursed to become a boy.
"I have to reassess my diagnosis, then," Najima said. "If
it has happened before, we can't call this an isolated incident.
It's probable that Ranma will have to suffer this same problem in
the future. We'll have to conduct further tests, but I believe it
would be in Ranma's best interests to remove the clot.
Hearing a choked sob from Nodoka, Akane realized that
there were tears standing in her own eyes. She looked up to see
that Genma's face was wet as well.
"It must be Ranma's decision," she stated finally.
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
* * *
Outside the private waiting room, Kunou, Shampoo and Ukyou
waited for news.
"What of the pigtailed-girl!" Kunou demanded as soon as
Nabiki, Kasumi, and Soun appeared. Both Shampoo and Ukyou's faces
were alight with concern for their beloved.
Nabiki quickly related what she knew of Ranma's injury,
leaving out some of the more specific details. Kunou looked
confused, but Nabiki suspected that it was because he refused to
understand why she was talking about Ranma instead of the
'pigtailed-girl'.
Shampoo frequently stopped her and asked her to explain
some of the medical terminology.
After the explanation, Kasumi patiently sat down with the
amazon and explained Ranma's injury in detail using much simpler
wording. Kasumi even threw a phrase or two of high-school Mandarin
into the mix for Shampoo's benefit.
After almost fifteen minutes, Genma, Nodoka and Akane came
out of the private waiting room. The other girls glared at Akane
for being allowed in when they were not, but the youngest Tendou
made no reaction. Instead, she began to sob guiltily and ran out
of the room.
"Akane think is her fault," Shampoo said quietly.
Kasumi nodded.
"In all likelihood," Genma admitted in a quiet tone, "I
think I remember the original injury. It was a few weeks before we
left for China. I was throwing old wooden railroad ties at the boy
to test his reflexes. One hit him and knocked him out. I didn't
think anything of it at the time since he had been knocked out so
many times before."
"It's a wonder you didn't crush his skull," Ukyou sniped.
She turned and stormed after Akane.
"Shampoo talk to girl too," she said, rising from her seat
next to Kasumi. "Injury is injury. Akane no understand that," she
said, unsure of her words.
* * *
The next day, as Ranma lay in the hospital bed, he
realized that he wasn't really sure what Tofuu was talking about
when he said that Ranma was 'inhibited'. Genma and Nodoka both
tried to explain it to him, but they stumbled over their words. In
the end, their stifled, uncomfortable speech had been just as
incomprehensible as Toufuu's medical jargon. All Ranma knew was
that his memories of what took place the previous day disgusted
him.
First there were vague memories of Kunou. Ranma wasn't
certain, but he was pretty sure he had kissed the upperclassman.
GYAH! Then, once he regained consciousness at the hospital, there
were all sorts of embarrassing questions the doctors and nurses
asked him. Ranma wasn't sure what made him more embarrassed, the
intensely personal and explicit nature of the questions or the
fact that he didn't know how to answer most of them.
In the end, it was sweet, gentle, Kasumi who had quietly
and patiently explained that the blood clot in Ranma's head could
cause worse and worse problems for him and his relationship with
Akane. Ranma would never be as mature as he wanted to be or as
mature as Akane needed him to be without the surgery.
He was sure as hell damned if he was ever going to kiss
*Kunou* again!
There really was no choice. Ranma just didn't like the
consequences.
The tests begun a day later. There were a battery of
psychological, emotional, and physical tests. Ranma realized that
he was badly mistaken if he thought that he would never be so
humiliated as he was by the first round of questions. Again, he
was unable to answer most of the questions. He didn't even know
what some of the things they asked him meant.
The physical tests were only a degree less humiliating,
but Ranma bore up with determination, if not grace.
At the end of the third day, Cologne visited him.
"Hello, Son-in-law."
"Hey, Granny," Ranma answered restlessly, sitting on the
side of his bed. He had been confined to his hospital room for
almost three days and wanted to move around. Worse, preparations
for the surgery were in full swing. He had not been allowed to eat
for more than a day and the left side of his head had been shaved.
They even cut off his pigtail despite his protests.
Hopping over to the stand next to the uncomfortable bed,
Cologne took a few minutes to conduct her own exam of the boy. It
consisted mostly of staring deeply into Ranma's dark eyes and
examining his aura.
Ranma bore up with no comment.
"I understand you're going into surgery tomorrow."
Ranma nodded grimly. "Yeah, I guess you heard."
Cologne nodded. "Well, I have made some inquiries. A weak-
brained man is no good for Shampoo, you understand."
Ranma laughed mockingly and leaned against the back of his
reclined bed. "Tell me somethin' I ain't heard yet."
"There is a certain small degree of danger to Jusenkyou
cursed victims whenever a bone is broken," Cologne said seriously.
"The bones can shift during the change and cause problems."
Ranma nodded seriously, an interested expression on his
face.
"Usually the risk is so slight, I don't concern myself
with it, but in your case, where your skull will actually be cut,
there may be a problem with the bone buckling during your change.
Worse, there may be gaps, allowing you to become infected."
"Wonderful," Ranma sighed and covered his face. "One more
damn thing to worry about."
"That's why I brought this."
Ranma looked up at the item Cologne had produced. He
couldn't help but hiss in anger when he saw the same ladle that
Herb had once used to lock him in his girl-form.
"Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to lock you in
your uncursed form," Cologne said, aware of Ranma's discomfort.
"I've already discussed it with young Tofuu-sensei, and he agrees
with me. Of course, after you heal, I'll change you back with the
Kaisufuu."
"After I marry, Shampoo, right?"
Cologne chuckled. "I gave you the phoenix pill, didn't I?"
"Eventually," Ranma sniped.
Cologne reached out and poured a small measure of water
over Ranma's head, changing her. Ranma shuddered and sighed at
length. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the
wall.
"I'm sorry, Ranma," Cologne said honestly. "Tofuu says
that the bone will be completely knit after twelve weeks. Come by
the Nekohanten, and I'll change you back. I'll have some ramen
waiting for you."
Cologne waited for an answer, but none came. Eventually,
she turned to go.
Just before she got to the door, she heard Ranma begin to
whisper. "Thanks, old ghoul."
"I'm not completely perverse," the woman said before
stepping outside.
* * *
Akane nuzzled P-chan protectively once before she stepped
into the dojo. It was more for her own comfort than his, but she
could tell that the little pig was concerned. It was almost as if
he understood that Ranma had been hurt and was facing surgery.
Taking one last deep breath, she slid the door open and
stepped into the dojo. Inside were almost all of her friends and
rivals, including many people from Furinkan High and the
surrounding area. Ranma's parents, her own family, and even
Cologne was there. Tatewaki and Kodachi Kunou stood together on
one side and Mousse, Shampoo and Ukyou stood at the very front of
the group.
She was a little worried that Ryouga hadn't shown up at
her invitation, but she was confident she could probably talk to
him before he discovered Ranma in his delicate condition.
"As you may already know," Akane said hesitatingly, "Ranma
has been in the hospital for the last few days"
"Get on with story, violent girl!" Shampoo catcalled. "We
already know this part."
Akane glared, but held her tongue. She spent several
minutes explaining the nature of Ranma's injury and the upcoming
surgery, without going into the effects of the injury itself.
"And because he's going to have brain surgery and will be
in a very delicate state, I'm going to be blunt. I've got Dr.
Tofuu's ear right now, and he has complete authority over Ranma.
Unless each and every one of you swears not to fight with Ranma
for the next three months, I'll get Tofuu to confine him to the
hospital with only family visitors.
"THAT NO FAIR!" Shampoo yelled in outrage.
Cologne hopped up to the front of the dojo. "And I will
assist her," She stated, turning to the crowd. "A head injury so
soon after such a delicate procedure could easily maim or kill my
son-in-law until he recovers fully. If anyone wants to hurt or
fight with Ranma before he is healed, they must first go through
me."
"Aiyah..."
"But what of the beauteous pigtailed girl!?" Kunou
demanded in righteous ire. "Will not the villain Saotome molest
her in a most unwholesome manner whilst they abide in yon medical
facility?"
Akane shook her head in disgust. Trust Kunou to complicate
the matter with his stupidity.
"The pigtailed girl is going to have brain surgery too. If
you try to catch her too hard you might cripple her," Akane
warned.
Kunou lurched back, the confusion obvious on his face.
"You can keep your filthy mitts of my darling Ranma-sama
as well, Brother!" Kodachi threatened.
"But... But how could my tender mercies injure such a
wondrously healthy creature? Was it not my hand that called for
medical attention and saved her from certain death?"
"Let me spell it out, Kunou-chan," Nabiki called in from
the doorway of the dojo. "The pigtailed girl is going to have
BRAIN SURGERY. Part of her SKULL will be removed so that the
doctors can remove a BLOOD CLOT from her BRAIN. Maybe you should
talk to the doctors as well," she mused. "At any rate, if you
cause the pigtailed girl to overexert herself before her BRAIN and
SKULL are fully healed, the only pigtailed girl you'll ever get to
spend time with ever again will be a VEGETABLE who sits in a
WHEELCHAIR all day and DROOLS all over herself," she drove her
message home. "I don't know. Maybe you'd like that."
Kunou swayed, the disgust and fear obvious on his face.
"While Nabiki is being blunt for Kunou-sempai's sake,"
Akane seconded, "Let me say again how real the risk is. No
bonborri, no spatulas, no bokkens, no blunt instruments, and no
fighting what so ever!"
"What about you, Akane?" Ukyou asked. "Do all these rules
apply to you, too?"
Akane looked down at the floor, her face reddening in
embarrassment.
"It seems," Nabiki cut in, "that the good Doctor Tofuu
confiscated Akane's mallet the first time she tried to visit Ranma
at the hospital."
* * *
Blackness. Nothingness. No cares. No worries. No being.
A faint light. A sting. Coldness.
A pair of glasses. Muffled sound.
Ranma blinked, and stared into the mirror underneath her.
Doctor Tofuu's face was reflected upside down. He seemed to be
talking to her from behind the blue surgical mask, but Ranma
couldn't hear.
Strangely, she didn't yet care.
She could feel a slight pressure on her scalp as the
surgeons adjusted the brace that held her head still. There was a
slight breeze and...
Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. There
was a part of her scalp that she couldn't feel, except for the
cold air blowing across...
Ranma gulped, dread beginning to creep in on her emotional
numbness.
"Doctor, heart rate is increasing. We're at 130 over 90."
"It's okay, Ranma-chan," she heard her mother's voice call
out.
"Calm down, Ranma," Tofuu urged. Ranma could hear him more
clearly now that the anesthesia was wearing off. Everything was
still horribly off, however. Everything seemed to be happening too
slow and all the voices around her were stretched and distorted.
She swallowed again, and willed her heart to slow. She
could hear the pace of the constant 'beep-beep-beep' from the
heart monitor slow in the background. They had told her about this
after all the interminable days of tests. They had made sure she
was ready. Ranma had to stay calm and in control, regardless of
the fact that her skull was cut open and her brain was hanging out
and the surgeons had their hands...
"Soul of ice," Ranma whispered, doing her best to stay
calm.
"That's right," Tofuu said in a calming voice.
"Everything's going just according to plan. We're about to begin
operating on the clot, Ranma."
"Okay," Ranma acknowledged, unable to nod. She desperately
clung to Tofuu's image hanging upside down below her.
"Okay, Ranma," Tofuu said. "I need you to start counting
from ten down to one. Okay?"
"Ten, Nine..."
There was a little pressure and a jarring sensation. Ranma
felt, rather than heard, the scrape of metal as a something
brushed the exposed, cut bone of her skull.
"E-eight, seven, six, five...
"There it is," she heard Najima's voice say. "Forceps.
Probe..."
"Four, thr--"
THREEeeTHREE333THReethreeTHREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR33Three33thr
e3THT333Threeeee333eeThr3333333333333THReethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE3
33THReethreeTHREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR33Three33thre3THT333Three
eee333eeThr3333333333333THReethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE333THReethreeT
HREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR33Three33thre3THT333Threeeee333eeThr33
33333333333THReethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE333THReethreeTHREETHREEEEET
HREEE3333TTHR33Three33thre3THT333Threeeee333eeThr3333333333333TH
Reethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE333THReethreeTHREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR
33Three33thre3THT333Threeeee333eeThr3333333333333THReethr33EEEEe
"--ee," Ranma gasped. Her heart began to pound and sweat
began to pour down her face. She could hear the ECG beeping away
wildly.
"Keep going," Tofuu urged.
"T-t-two, one, zero?" Ranma said in a tone that asked if
it was all over yet.
"Okay, now I need you to count the other way, Ranma.
Ready?"
"One, two," Ranma gulped, having had quite enough of the
number 'three' for one day."Four, five, six.."
"Wonderful," Najima's voice said from above her. Ranma
felt a drop of moisture roll down the side of her face.
"Doctor?" Tofuu asked.
"It came away in a single piece," Najima-sensei explained.
There are a few... there... and there.... Cauterize that, please."
"It's mostly over now, Ranma." Tofuu explained in a happy
tone.
Ranma felt her mother's hand squeeze her own. She breathed
a sigh of relief and waited for the anaesthesia to claim her
again.
* * *
The group sat silently in the waiting room. The only
sounds that permeated the room were the gentle click of Kasumi's
knitting needles and the almost inaudible hiss of Nabiki's
headphones.
"Your move," Soun stated calmly, looking over the portable
shogi board.
Genma cocked his head impassively, and slid a piece one
space across the board.
"You're not playing up to par today, Saotome," Soun
accused quietly.
"Hmmm..."
A door at the end of the waiting room opened. Almost
involuntarily, everyone else in the room looked up as Nodoka and
Doctor Tofuu stepped through in blue surgery smocks.
"How fares my son?" Genma asked impassively.
"He is well, husband."
"They've removed the blood clot and are closing his skull
right now," Tofuu elaborated, carefully keeping his eyes away from
the eldest Tendou girl lest he lose his composure. "His color is
good, and he has had good vital signs all through the surgery. It
was a relatively quick operation, considering."
"Is Ranma going to be okay?" Akane asked, carefully
masking the concern in her voice.
"Doctor Najima believes that Ranma should be just fine,"
Tofuu said. "In fact, because of the way we had to operate, she
was conscious for a few minutes during the surgery. She said she
wanted you to have this," he continued, rummaging in one of the
deep pockets of the smock. He pulled out a vial, filled with a
clear liquid that had a irregularly shaped grayish lump floating
inside.
Nabiki laughed out loud. "Really gave you a piece of his
mind, didn't he Akane?"
"That's so nice!" Kasumi noted cheerfully.
Akane's eye twitched in irritation.
"Bet that's a load off his mind, don't you think, Akane?"
Nabiki chuckled.
"It's not very pretty is it?" Soun asked aloud.
"No, it's not," Tofuu agreed, as Akane snatched the vial
out of his hands, and began to cradle it almost lovingly.
"He's saying that he thinks he's going to be okay," Nodoka
commented, kneeling down next to the girl. "He wants to show you
that he cares about you, and doesn't want you to worry, even if he
can't admit it."
"I know, Auntie. I know."
"Oh, my son is so manly!" Nodoka wailed.
-----
~to be continued...
here without permission.
------------------------------
newRanma 2: Cutting
by Chris Jones
------------------------------
It was late evening at Nerima General when Doctor Tofuu
walked into the waiting room, leading a female surgeon behind him.
Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi and Soun were waiting as well as
Genma and Nodoka.
Careful to keep his eyes away from Kasumi, Tofuu gestured
to the surgeon. "This is Doctor Najima. She's the neurosurgeon
here responsible for Ranma's case."
Nodoka was about to speak, but Akane cut her off. "Is
Ranma okay?" she asked in an urgent tone.
"Ranma is conscious and alert," Doctor Najima stated.
"He's in ICU right now, but we should be able move him to a
private room later tomorrow."
"What happened to my son?" Nodoka asked.
Doctor Najima bit her lip slightly. "Ranma has had what we
call, a minor 'cranial accident'."
"Huh?" Akane asked, not understanding the phrasing. "I
know... I know it was an accident," she replied guiltily, "But
can't you be any more specific?"
"'Accident' is polite language for 'hemmorage', Akane,"
Nabiki informed her.
"WHAT?!?" Akane yelled.
"Like Najima-sensei said," Tofuu replied. "It's *very*
minor. He had a brief hallucinatory episode before Kunou-san
called the ambulance, but that has apparently passed. He's
conscious and lucid right now. He's even grumpy because I won't
release him from the hospital."
"So why won't you release him?" Nabiki asked suspiciously.
Tofuu bit his lip. "It's normal procedure to keep a
patient who's had the kind of symptoms Ranma has under observation
for at least 96 hours. I could still release him, but I feel that
the real problem lies in the injury's location... and the real
cause for Ranma's hallucination this morning."
"I don't understand, Doctor Tofuu," Akane admitted.
Najima unrolled the bundle she was carrying. It turned out
to be a chart displaying side view of a human skull and brain in
shades of x-ray gray. It was very obviously a computer printout,
and just as obviously freshly printed.
"This is the initial cranial x-ray we took of Mr. Saotome
before I scheduled a CAT-scan," she explained to the rest of the
group. She took out a marker and circled an area near the bottom
center of the gray shape of Ranma's skull.
She pointed to the red circle, and touched her fingernail
to a dark patch inside it. "And this is what's causing Mr.
Saotome's problems. He sustained a fairly major concussion here
this morning. His eardrum tore from the force of the blow. What is
really hurting him, however, is the fact that the concussion
apparently aggravated an old injury at the same location. That's
what this dark area is."
"Ranma has a head like a rock," Soun wondered aloud. "What
could do such a thing to him?"
"I believe it's a childhood injury," Najima commented. She
pointed to the dark area again, noting some faint lines in the
image. "From these fractures, I believe that he was perhaps eight
or nine years old when it happened. Currently, there's a sizable
blood clot between Ranma's brain and the membrane that protects it
from the rest of the world."
All but two pairs of eyes turned suspiciously toward
Genma. Impassively, he said nothing, but began to sweat, nervous
perspiration pouring down his face.
"What... will happen to Ranma," Genma asked hesitatingly.
"Not a lot, unless the injury is reaggravated," Najima
stated.
"Which probably won't happen, considering Ranma's thick
skull and his conditioning," Tofuu added. "It's a small wonder
that this did anything. Medically, it's a fluke."
Najima nodded in agreement. "The disorientation and nausea
he felt earlier is gone. He is feeling slight numbness in one of
his legs, but it's fading, meaning that the bleeding has almost
certainly already stopped." she continued. "What really worries me
is this." Again, she traced another one of the dark lines. "The
old clot... here... puts pressure on a part of the brain that we
believe affects personality. That's most likely why he was
behaving so oddly just after the injury."
"Ranma's gonna go beserk and kill us all," Nabiki
theorized dryly.
"Not likely," Tofuu pulled at his collar slightly. "This
area in particular is responsible for... *ahem*... sexual...
response."
"What does this mean for my son?" Nodoka asked seriously.
"It means that he has very little concept of his own
sexuality," Najima answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "We've done
a preliminary verification with the resident psychologist," she
explained, "and we'd like to do further follow up exams before we
make any real decisions, but it appears that, while the rest of
Ranma's body and mind are mature, he has the sexual mentality of a
much younger boy.
Nabiki couldn't help but grin in mirth. "So... Ranma and
Akane have so much trouble because Ranma still thinks 'girls are
icky'?!"
"Not in so many words," Najima responded reluctantly.
"We're starting to get into territory that really should be
discussed only with Ranma's immediate family."
"Akane's his fiancee," Nabiki countered.
"And... the Tendous are almost more family to Ranma than I
am," Nodoka admitted sadly.
Soun whispered briefly in Kasumi's ear. She smiled
politely and helped her father to drag a protesting Nabiki outside
the waiting room.
"Kasumi! Father!!"
"They'll inform us later, Nabiki," Kasumi said. "We really
don't want to overhear Ranma's secrets, do we?"
Once the door had closed leaving a smaller group inside,
Najima continued.
"From the psychological examination, we know that Ranma's
body responds normally to sexual stimuli, but in many cases his
brain doesn't know how to handle it. The nerve clusters don't get
enough blood and don't emit the right amounts of neurotransmitters
due to the pressure exerted by the clot. Since the synapses are
still functioning to some degree, the functions have not migrated,
as we see many other brain functions do in the event of neural
damage." Seeing that she was getting pretty far ahead of the
group, the neurosurgeon summarized. "Ranma's arranged engagement
affects him like it would a much younger boy. He understands the
most basic mechanics of an adult relationship, but not much else.
Due to his injury, romance, love, and sex are topics he just
simply can't comprehend like any other young man his age."
Akane fell back in her chair, flabbergasted by the
statement.
"And all this time, I thought he was just being stubborn,"
Genma commented. "To think--OOF!"
He was cut off violently by Nodoka's elbow in his gut. "Be
quiet husband, and let the doctor continue!" She turned back to
the conversation, gesturing for the doctor to continue. "What is
the prognosis for my son?"
"Like we said," Tofuu answered. "We can do nothing, and
Ranma will likely live out his life with no further incident.
However, he will probably have extreme difficulty with his
arranged marriage. He'll probably have difficulty functioning in
*any* sort of sexual role. Lover, husband... or even father to his
children."
Nodoka exhaled noisily. Her expression slowly contorted
into a mask of loss and grief. "Well, Genma," she whispered. "You
have your perfect martial artist. We can be sure he will never
think about anything *but* the art. Are you happy now?"
Genma hung his head, causing expressions of concern to
grow on both doctors' faces.
"What... what if you treat Ranma?" Akane asked quietly.
"If we remove the clot," Najima began. "It would almost
certainly allow that portion of Ranma's brain to begin to function
normally. I don't think there's any damage there... just
inactivity."
"The procedure also has the potential to change his
personality dramatically," Tofuu finished. "Any kind of brain
surgery does, really. In this case it's almost assured because of
the problem we're trying to solve. The Ranma we know won't 'die'
per se, but his interests, likes, tastes, and behaviors may change
radically over a short time." Tofuu cleared his throat. "In my
opinion, this will be giving Ranma a chance to achieve potential
he was previously unable to. The ability to love and be aroused
are something we all take for granted, but Ranma has only the
faintest glimmerings of these abilities. He will likely need to
spend several hours each week with a behavioral specialist for the
first year or so, just to make sure that he develops normally once
he does have those abilities."
"There's also the matter of Ranma's..." Najima coughed
slightly, an air of unease about her. "Shape-changing abilities.
Frankly, I didn't believe in the... the... uhm... 'curse' until it
was demonstrated, and I examined CAT-scans of his... her... er...
uhh..."
"Ranma's brain," Tofuu finished for the uncomfortable
doctor. "The pressure exerted by the blood clot is slightly less
when he's female due the the shape of his skull. Quite frankly, I
believe that Ranma has developed more female sexuality than he has
male sexuality. We have no idea what kind of affects that will
have on him."
Visions of Ranma in girls' clothing assailed Akane. All
the times he used his curse to get free food... to pacify or bribe
Kunou... to deceive his mother...
Akane clenched her teeth. Ranma *swore* by his manliness,
and yet, sometimes Ranma acted like more of a woman than Akane
was. Was this the reason why? Was it *easier* for Ranma to be a
girl than a a man?
She thought back on the time when Ranma hit his head and
was confused so badly that he thought he really was a woman. The
thoughts disgusted and terrified Akane. Worse, it made Akane
disgusted at her self for the way she remembered treating him and
the way it made her feel about him and herself. She hated herself
because of the way Ranma's actions confused her and left her so
uncertain.
Akane couldn't decide if it wasn't better to let him stay
as he was or risk the alternative.
"This has happened before," she admitted.
"That's right, isn't it," Genma exclaimed. Nodoka's
eyebrows lifted in dreadful curiosity.
"Oh?" Najima asked. "Please explain."
Nodoka looked on in surprise.
Stammering in guilt, Akane recounted the events she had
been thinking about. She hit Ranma, causing him to hit his head on
a rock in the koi pond behind the Tendou home. Until another blow
had somehow 'righted' him a day later, Ranma firmly believed he
was a girl cursed to become a boy.
"I have to reassess my diagnosis, then," Najima said. "If
it has happened before, we can't call this an isolated incident.
It's probable that Ranma will have to suffer this same problem in
the future. We'll have to conduct further tests, but I believe it
would be in Ranma's best interests to remove the clot.
Hearing a choked sob from Nodoka, Akane realized that
there were tears standing in her own eyes. She looked up to see
that Genma's face was wet as well.
"It must be Ranma's decision," she stated finally.
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
* * *
Outside the private waiting room, Kunou, Shampoo and Ukyou
waited for news.
"What of the pigtailed-girl!" Kunou demanded as soon as
Nabiki, Kasumi, and Soun appeared. Both Shampoo and Ukyou's faces
were alight with concern for their beloved.
Nabiki quickly related what she knew of Ranma's injury,
leaving out some of the more specific details. Kunou looked
confused, but Nabiki suspected that it was because he refused to
understand why she was talking about Ranma instead of the
'pigtailed-girl'.
Shampoo frequently stopped her and asked her to explain
some of the medical terminology.
After the explanation, Kasumi patiently sat down with the
amazon and explained Ranma's injury in detail using much simpler
wording. Kasumi even threw a phrase or two of high-school Mandarin
into the mix for Shampoo's benefit.
After almost fifteen minutes, Genma, Nodoka and Akane came
out of the private waiting room. The other girls glared at Akane
for being allowed in when they were not, but the youngest Tendou
made no reaction. Instead, she began to sob guiltily and ran out
of the room.
"Akane think is her fault," Shampoo said quietly.
Kasumi nodded.
"In all likelihood," Genma admitted in a quiet tone, "I
think I remember the original injury. It was a few weeks before we
left for China. I was throwing old wooden railroad ties at the boy
to test his reflexes. One hit him and knocked him out. I didn't
think anything of it at the time since he had been knocked out so
many times before."
"It's a wonder you didn't crush his skull," Ukyou sniped.
She turned and stormed after Akane.
"Shampoo talk to girl too," she said, rising from her seat
next to Kasumi. "Injury is injury. Akane no understand that," she
said, unsure of her words.
* * *
The next day, as Ranma lay in the hospital bed, he
realized that he wasn't really sure what Tofuu was talking about
when he said that Ranma was 'inhibited'. Genma and Nodoka both
tried to explain it to him, but they stumbled over their words. In
the end, their stifled, uncomfortable speech had been just as
incomprehensible as Toufuu's medical jargon. All Ranma knew was
that his memories of what took place the previous day disgusted
him.
First there were vague memories of Kunou. Ranma wasn't
certain, but he was pretty sure he had kissed the upperclassman.
GYAH! Then, once he regained consciousness at the hospital, there
were all sorts of embarrassing questions the doctors and nurses
asked him. Ranma wasn't sure what made him more embarrassed, the
intensely personal and explicit nature of the questions or the
fact that he didn't know how to answer most of them.
In the end, it was sweet, gentle, Kasumi who had quietly
and patiently explained that the blood clot in Ranma's head could
cause worse and worse problems for him and his relationship with
Akane. Ranma would never be as mature as he wanted to be or as
mature as Akane needed him to be without the surgery.
He was sure as hell damned if he was ever going to kiss
*Kunou* again!
There really was no choice. Ranma just didn't like the
consequences.
The tests begun a day later. There were a battery of
psychological, emotional, and physical tests. Ranma realized that
he was badly mistaken if he thought that he would never be so
humiliated as he was by the first round of questions. Again, he
was unable to answer most of the questions. He didn't even know
what some of the things they asked him meant.
The physical tests were only a degree less humiliating,
but Ranma bore up with determination, if not grace.
At the end of the third day, Cologne visited him.
"Hello, Son-in-law."
"Hey, Granny," Ranma answered restlessly, sitting on the
side of his bed. He had been confined to his hospital room for
almost three days and wanted to move around. Worse, preparations
for the surgery were in full swing. He had not been allowed to eat
for more than a day and the left side of his head had been shaved.
They even cut off his pigtail despite his protests.
Hopping over to the stand next to the uncomfortable bed,
Cologne took a few minutes to conduct her own exam of the boy. It
consisted mostly of staring deeply into Ranma's dark eyes and
examining his aura.
Ranma bore up with no comment.
"I understand you're going into surgery tomorrow."
Ranma nodded grimly. "Yeah, I guess you heard."
Cologne nodded. "Well, I have made some inquiries. A weak-
brained man is no good for Shampoo, you understand."
Ranma laughed mockingly and leaned against the back of his
reclined bed. "Tell me somethin' I ain't heard yet."
"There is a certain small degree of danger to Jusenkyou
cursed victims whenever a bone is broken," Cologne said seriously.
"The bones can shift during the change and cause problems."
Ranma nodded seriously, an interested expression on his
face.
"Usually the risk is so slight, I don't concern myself
with it, but in your case, where your skull will actually be cut,
there may be a problem with the bone buckling during your change.
Worse, there may be gaps, allowing you to become infected."
"Wonderful," Ranma sighed and covered his face. "One more
damn thing to worry about."
"That's why I brought this."
Ranma looked up at the item Cologne had produced. He
couldn't help but hiss in anger when he saw the same ladle that
Herb had once used to lock him in his girl-form.
"Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to lock you in
your uncursed form," Cologne said, aware of Ranma's discomfort.
"I've already discussed it with young Tofuu-sensei, and he agrees
with me. Of course, after you heal, I'll change you back with the
Kaisufuu."
"After I marry, Shampoo, right?"
Cologne chuckled. "I gave you the phoenix pill, didn't I?"
"Eventually," Ranma sniped.
Cologne reached out and poured a small measure of water
over Ranma's head, changing her. Ranma shuddered and sighed at
length. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the
wall.
"I'm sorry, Ranma," Cologne said honestly. "Tofuu says
that the bone will be completely knit after twelve weeks. Come by
the Nekohanten, and I'll change you back. I'll have some ramen
waiting for you."
Cologne waited for an answer, but none came. Eventually,
she turned to go.
Just before she got to the door, she heard Ranma begin to
whisper. "Thanks, old ghoul."
"I'm not completely perverse," the woman said before
stepping outside.
* * *
Akane nuzzled P-chan protectively once before she stepped
into the dojo. It was more for her own comfort than his, but she
could tell that the little pig was concerned. It was almost as if
he understood that Ranma had been hurt and was facing surgery.
Taking one last deep breath, she slid the door open and
stepped into the dojo. Inside were almost all of her friends and
rivals, including many people from Furinkan High and the
surrounding area. Ranma's parents, her own family, and even
Cologne was there. Tatewaki and Kodachi Kunou stood together on
one side and Mousse, Shampoo and Ukyou stood at the very front of
the group.
She was a little worried that Ryouga hadn't shown up at
her invitation, but she was confident she could probably talk to
him before he discovered Ranma in his delicate condition.
"As you may already know," Akane said hesitatingly, "Ranma
has been in the hospital for the last few days"
"Get on with story, violent girl!" Shampoo catcalled. "We
already know this part."
Akane glared, but held her tongue. She spent several
minutes explaining the nature of Ranma's injury and the upcoming
surgery, without going into the effects of the injury itself.
"And because he's going to have brain surgery and will be
in a very delicate state, I'm going to be blunt. I've got Dr.
Tofuu's ear right now, and he has complete authority over Ranma.
Unless each and every one of you swears not to fight with Ranma
for the next three months, I'll get Tofuu to confine him to the
hospital with only family visitors.
"THAT NO FAIR!" Shampoo yelled in outrage.
Cologne hopped up to the front of the dojo. "And I will
assist her," She stated, turning to the crowd. "A head injury so
soon after such a delicate procedure could easily maim or kill my
son-in-law until he recovers fully. If anyone wants to hurt or
fight with Ranma before he is healed, they must first go through
me."
"Aiyah..."
"But what of the beauteous pigtailed girl!?" Kunou
demanded in righteous ire. "Will not the villain Saotome molest
her in a most unwholesome manner whilst they abide in yon medical
facility?"
Akane shook her head in disgust. Trust Kunou to complicate
the matter with his stupidity.
"The pigtailed girl is going to have brain surgery too. If
you try to catch her too hard you might cripple her," Akane
warned.
Kunou lurched back, the confusion obvious on his face.
"You can keep your filthy mitts of my darling Ranma-sama
as well, Brother!" Kodachi threatened.
"But... But how could my tender mercies injure such a
wondrously healthy creature? Was it not my hand that called for
medical attention and saved her from certain death?"
"Let me spell it out, Kunou-chan," Nabiki called in from
the doorway of the dojo. "The pigtailed girl is going to have
BRAIN SURGERY. Part of her SKULL will be removed so that the
doctors can remove a BLOOD CLOT from her BRAIN. Maybe you should
talk to the doctors as well," she mused. "At any rate, if you
cause the pigtailed girl to overexert herself before her BRAIN and
SKULL are fully healed, the only pigtailed girl you'll ever get to
spend time with ever again will be a VEGETABLE who sits in a
WHEELCHAIR all day and DROOLS all over herself," she drove her
message home. "I don't know. Maybe you'd like that."
Kunou swayed, the disgust and fear obvious on his face.
"While Nabiki is being blunt for Kunou-sempai's sake,"
Akane seconded, "Let me say again how real the risk is. No
bonborri, no spatulas, no bokkens, no blunt instruments, and no
fighting what so ever!"
"What about you, Akane?" Ukyou asked. "Do all these rules
apply to you, too?"
Akane looked down at the floor, her face reddening in
embarrassment.
"It seems," Nabiki cut in, "that the good Doctor Tofuu
confiscated Akane's mallet the first time she tried to visit Ranma
at the hospital."
* * *
Blackness. Nothingness. No cares. No worries. No being.
A faint light. A sting. Coldness.
A pair of glasses. Muffled sound.
Ranma blinked, and stared into the mirror underneath her.
Doctor Tofuu's face was reflected upside down. He seemed to be
talking to her from behind the blue surgical mask, but Ranma
couldn't hear.
Strangely, she didn't yet care.
She could feel a slight pressure on her scalp as the
surgeons adjusted the brace that held her head still. There was a
slight breeze and...
Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. There
was a part of her scalp that she couldn't feel, except for the
cold air blowing across...
Ranma gulped, dread beginning to creep in on her emotional
numbness.
"Doctor, heart rate is increasing. We're at 130 over 90."
"It's okay, Ranma-chan," she heard her mother's voice call
out.
"Calm down, Ranma," Tofuu urged. Ranma could hear him more
clearly now that the anesthesia was wearing off. Everything was
still horribly off, however. Everything seemed to be happening too
slow and all the voices around her were stretched and distorted.
She swallowed again, and willed her heart to slow. She
could hear the pace of the constant 'beep-beep-beep' from the
heart monitor slow in the background. They had told her about this
after all the interminable days of tests. They had made sure she
was ready. Ranma had to stay calm and in control, regardless of
the fact that her skull was cut open and her brain was hanging out
and the surgeons had their hands...
"Soul of ice," Ranma whispered, doing her best to stay
calm.
"That's right," Tofuu said in a calming voice.
"Everything's going just according to plan. We're about to begin
operating on the clot, Ranma."
"Okay," Ranma acknowledged, unable to nod. She desperately
clung to Tofuu's image hanging upside down below her.
"Okay, Ranma," Tofuu said. "I need you to start counting
from ten down to one. Okay?"
"Ten, Nine..."
There was a little pressure and a jarring sensation. Ranma
felt, rather than heard, the scrape of metal as a something
brushed the exposed, cut bone of her skull.
"E-eight, seven, six, five...
"There it is," she heard Najima's voice say. "Forceps.
Probe..."
"Four, thr--"
THREEeeTHREE333THReethreeTHREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR33Three33thr
e3THT333Threeeee333eeThr3333333333333THReethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE3
33THReethreeTHREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR33Three33thre3THT333Three
eee333eeThr3333333333333THReethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE333THReethreeT
HREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR33Three33thre3THT333Threeeee333eeThr33
33333333333THReethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE333THReethreeTHREETHREEEEET
HREEE3333TTHR33Three33thre3THT333Threeeee333eeThr3333333333333TH
Reethr33EEEETHREEeeTHREE333THReethreeTHREETHREEEEETHREEE3333TTHR
33Three33thre3THT333Threeeee333eeThr3333333333333THReethr33EEEEe
"--ee," Ranma gasped. Her heart began to pound and sweat
began to pour down her face. She could hear the ECG beeping away
wildly.
"Keep going," Tofuu urged.
"T-t-two, one, zero?" Ranma said in a tone that asked if
it was all over yet.
"Okay, now I need you to count the other way, Ranma.
Ready?"
"One, two," Ranma gulped, having had quite enough of the
number 'three' for one day."Four, five, six.."
"Wonderful," Najima's voice said from above her. Ranma
felt a drop of moisture roll down the side of her face.
"Doctor?" Tofuu asked.
"It came away in a single piece," Najima-sensei explained.
There are a few... there... and there.... Cauterize that, please."
"It's mostly over now, Ranma." Tofuu explained in a happy
tone.
Ranma felt her mother's hand squeeze her own. She breathed
a sigh of relief and waited for the anaesthesia to claim her
again.
* * *
The group sat silently in the waiting room. The only
sounds that permeated the room were the gentle click of Kasumi's
knitting needles and the almost inaudible hiss of Nabiki's
headphones.
"Your move," Soun stated calmly, looking over the portable
shogi board.
Genma cocked his head impassively, and slid a piece one
space across the board.
"You're not playing up to par today, Saotome," Soun
accused quietly.
"Hmmm..."
A door at the end of the waiting room opened. Almost
involuntarily, everyone else in the room looked up as Nodoka and
Doctor Tofuu stepped through in blue surgery smocks.
"How fares my son?" Genma asked impassively.
"He is well, husband."
"They've removed the blood clot and are closing his skull
right now," Tofuu elaborated, carefully keeping his eyes away from
the eldest Tendou girl lest he lose his composure. "His color is
good, and he has had good vital signs all through the surgery. It
was a relatively quick operation, considering."
"Is Ranma going to be okay?" Akane asked, carefully
masking the concern in her voice.
"Doctor Najima believes that Ranma should be just fine,"
Tofuu said. "In fact, because of the way we had to operate, she
was conscious for a few minutes during the surgery. She said she
wanted you to have this," he continued, rummaging in one of the
deep pockets of the smock. He pulled out a vial, filled with a
clear liquid that had a irregularly shaped grayish lump floating
inside.
Nabiki laughed out loud. "Really gave you a piece of his
mind, didn't he Akane?"
"That's so nice!" Kasumi noted cheerfully.
Akane's eye twitched in irritation.
"Bet that's a load off his mind, don't you think, Akane?"
Nabiki chuckled.
"It's not very pretty is it?" Soun asked aloud.
"No, it's not," Tofuu agreed, as Akane snatched the vial
out of his hands, and began to cradle it almost lovingly.
"He's saying that he thinks he's going to be okay," Nodoka
commented, kneeling down next to the girl. "He wants to show you
that he cares about you, and doesn't want you to worry, even if he
can't admit it."
"I know, Auntie. I know."
"Oh, my son is so manly!" Nodoka wailed.
-----
~to be continued...