April 2002
Disclaimer: Enter Standard disclaimer for Sailor Moon stories here.
Chapter 6
Darien held her hand gently as the Doctors and nurses transferred her to
one of the beds in ICU. They'd taken her directly into surgery, leaving him in
the waiting room with forms to fill out. He'd filled them out as best he
could, his mind so numb most of the answers were reflex only. Four hours later
he was back at her side. The whole right side of her body was bruised. She
had lacerations along her arm and leg, the left one in a cast, and the doctors
had stopped the small amount of internal bleeding. Thankfully nothing had hit
her vitals and she'd been wearing her seatbelt. Without it she could have gone
straight through the windshield. He gently caressed her knuckles. In his
other hand, her pendant had made an almost permanent mark; he'd been holding it
so tight. He slipped it into his pocket while looking at her.
She'd seen better days, but the doctor said she'd heal up just fine.
Dr. Mizuno was someone he respected highly, not to mention one of Mina's best
friends. She might be young, but she sure knew her stuff.
"Is she alright?"
He glanced up, hearing a gruff voice in the doorway. Once the staff had
found out Selenity was the Princess she'd been allocated her own room. Darien
was glad; he wanted to be alone with her. The stranger in the door was a
stooped older man with a serious visage. Overhanging grey eyebrows with a
receding hairline, and round features leant him a slightly older appearance.
"Who are you?"
The man stepped in, "I am Charles, Darien."
His eyes widened. How did this man know his name? Charles. Now where
had he heard that from before? It was familiar... Oh right, Selenity's
guardian. He waved the man to a seat, "I expected you before now, what held
you up?"
Charles sank into a chair across from him, "When she didn't show up and
didn't call I set the team to look for her. We found out about the accident
almost right away and identified some of her things in the wreckage. I was
playing media control for most of it, she was supposed to have lunch with the
Mayor, you know. I had to assure them she was fine and she would recover.
Being the Princess' guardian I sometimes have to be quite the politician."
Darien continues to hold Selenity's hand as Charles spoke. The older
man looked at their hands once, pointedly, and then seemed to be ignoring it.
"Did you contact her father?"
Charles sank back in his chair, "The King knows. He will be here on
Sunday when she is released. Martin was also informed."
"Martin?"
Charles nodded, "Her betrothed."
Darien's eyes flew to his face at those soft words. He now had a name
to Selenity's nightmare. "She doesn't want him here."
Charles raised an eyebrow, "No? Is that not for her to say?"
Darien released her hand and tilted it for Charles to see. "She's
wearing my ring, Charles, she would never have accepted it if she wanted
someone else."
Charles watched the light glitter off the diamond before Darien's hand
closed back around hers. "When did she start wearing that?"
"Last night." He subsided quietly as Charles processed that information.
They were both quiet, the sound of the heart rate monitor beeping
steadily in the background. Darien took a deep breath, the sickly smell of
medicines and blood flooding his senses, "Is Martin coming?"
Charles stood, brushing his hands down the front of his jacket,
"Tomorrow, if possible, or else he will be here on Sunday with the King."
Darien swallowed hard. Sunday. His Birthday. The day she said they
would plan for their wedding. "She won't want him here."
Selenity groaned suddenly, cutting off any response Charles would have
made, Darien and Charles crowing close to her bedside. Darien slid near her
head, brushing her bangs off her forehead. They'd shaved the right side of her
head, and already her hair was beginning to grow back, "Selene?"
"Darien?" her voice was week.
He raised her hand to his lips, gentling kissing her fingers, "I'm here
Princess."
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Hospital, baby," his voice was gentle, "you're going to
be alright. We were in a car accident."
She turned to look at him, her right eye nearly swollen shut, the whole
side of her face a dark purple and swollen. Her left eye focused on him as she
closed the right one to ease the strain, "How bad is it?"
He felt her fingers apply a slight pressure on his and returned it
gently, leaning over her and searching her face, "You've got a break in your
left leg, lacerations over a lot of your body. Thankfully you've only got
mostly strains. They had to patch a couple of internal injuries but nothing
major. The Doctor said she'd need to keep you overnight for observation." He
gently ran the back of his index finger over her cheek, "Charles is here,"
She sighed, "Darn, I was hoping it was just you and me,"
He laughed at her soft attempt at humor, "You'll just have to behave."
She squeezed his fingers gently as he moved aside, Charles stepping up
next to her bed, Darien sitting back in his chair and not relinquishing her
hand. "Miss?"
"I am alright, Charles," she replied to his concerned tone of voice.
He reached up and placed a gentle hand on her head, leaning down to kiss
her forehead, "You had me worried miss. When I found out where you were I
thought you were more badly injured than Darien here says."
"Charles?"
"Yes miss?"
"Did you call my father?"
"I had to. He and Martin will be here sometime this weekend."
She shuddered and turned her face away at the mention of her betrothed.
"I do not wish to see Martin. I do not want him here."
Charles glanced at Darien, who shrugged. He wasn't going to gloat as
Selenity backed up his comments from earlier. "He is your intended, Selenity,
he is concerned about you."
She looked back at him, her lips set in a grim line, "You do what you
have to, Charles, but keep him away. It is my wish that I have nothing further
to do with him."
Charles looked torn between following her request and the procedure
involved with broken betrothals. "But, miss, he has ever right to want to come
see you. I am simply the hired hand, I have no authority to deny him entry to
see you."
She laughed mirthlessly, "Priceless, Charles. Did Darien explain our
intentions?"
"He said something about an engagement, and that you are wearing his
ring, but..."
"But nothing. It is true."
Charles looked at Darien again and then back to her bruised face, "Are
you certain, Princess? Is this what you want?"
She nodded and made to push herself up on her elbow. Darien nudged
Charles out of the way and slid an arm around her shoulders, helping her sit
up. "Selene, there is a button you can press to put the back of the bed up."
She looked at him blankly, "What?"
He reached down on the side of her bed and pressed a couple of buttons.
Her eyes widened as the bed sat her up, lifting her into a sitting position
without straining herself. "My bed when I live with my dad does this, I did
not think the hospital would have something like it."
Darien chuckled and let her back to the mattress, removing his arm.
Their fingers twined together as Charles watched Darien gently kiss her on the
cheek, "This place is full of surprises."
Selene looked at Charles, "Darien is not after my title, Charles, wipe
that calculating look out of your eyes."
Charles sat on the end of the bed near her feet. "It is not that I do
not trust your judgement, miss, but are you certain?"
"Must you talk about me as if I'm not here?"
Selene squeezed his hand, "I am certain, Charles. Nothing you can say
will make me change my mind."
"And your father?"
"I will deal with him when the time comes."
A doctor with blue hair strode into the room, her eyes on the chart,
"Selenity, is it?" she looked up and stopped, her eyes on the two male
occupants in the room, "Were you not told that she was to have no more than one
visitor at a time and it would be strictly enforced."
Selenity looked at the doctor, "They are not straining me, Dr..."
"Mizuno. Darien, I thought you knew better than to be here."
He shrugged, "I won't leave her side, what can I say."
Dr. Mizuno chuckled, "And you, sir? What is your excuse for
overburdening my patient?"
"I am her guardian. Her father is-"
"The great and mighty Tuskino King, I know. Royalty or not she still
needs her rest."
Selenity laughed. It was short and had her grabbing at abdominal
stitches, but she had a smile on her face, "Oh I like you, Dr. Mizuno."
Dr. Mizuno walked to the other side of her bed and began checking the
several machines monitoring her, "I'm glad to hear it Princess. Feel free to
call me Amy. How are you feeling?"
Selenity shrugged, "Better? How long do I have to stay here?"
"Well, I'd like to keep you overnight for observation but your guardian
called earlier and arranged for personal care at your house. I can't say I
blame him with the media wanting to get a piece of you." She checked Selenity's
pulse and then poked the IV regulator buttons before standing back and marking
something on the chart. "I suppose the call is yours, though, seeing as how
the hit to your head just bloodied you. You've got an amazingly hard head
Princess, we could find no trace of concussion."
Selenity glanced at Charles, raising one eyebrow before looking back at
the doctor, "So I will be allowed to go tomorrow?"
She nodded, smiling at her patient, "On the condition that you rest,
Princess. Royalty or not you've been in a bad accident and need time to heal.
Doctor's orders."
Selenity laughed, smiling. Her head was throbbing from the extended
conversation but her mood was lifted, "Doctor's orders, you say? Does that
also mean no press and no public functions?"
Amy nodded. "Family and close friends only. Speaking of which, I have
another visitor for you if you can convince one of these gentlemen to leave for
a few moments. I promised her I'd ask."
"Mina?"
Amy nodded, "She's wearing a hole through the floor in the waiting room.
If you promise to keep it short I'll make the exception to let her come and
see you."
"How short, Doc?"
"No more than five minutes."
Selenity nodded, "Charles, can you send Mina in?"
Charles looked at her blankly.
"Amy, if you could introduce my guardian to Mina, I'd appreciate it."
Dr. Mizuno nodded and motioned for Charles to precede her out of the
room. Charles looked from Darien to Selenity and back before leaving. His
posture was proud and dignified as he passed from view, the doctor closing the
door behind her.
Darien watched as Selenity's eyes closed and she shrank into the bed,
"Are you alright?" he asked without thinking. He felt his cheeks heat at the
stupid question. Of course she wasn't alright, she was in the intensive care
unit at a hospital!
"Just tired, Dare," she said wearily.
"Maybe the visit with Mina should wait, I mean she's likely to wear you
out more."
"I'm going to be sleeping enough as it is, I want to assure her I'm
alive."
Darien sighed, "Your call, Princess."
She squeezed his hand again, "Will you stay with me tonight?"
He pulled his chair close to the head of the bed again and nodded as she
looked at him. "If you want me too I'll stay with you until you get better."
"But... your Birthday..." she protested, the thought seeming to just
have occurred to her.
His chuckled, "Don't worry about it, Selene, I've been waiting to spend
a Birthday with you forever. If you're stuck in bed, I'll just have to bring
over videos or something so we can watch."
She smiled. They both turned to look as the door burst open and a
haggard looking blonde stepped in, "Selenity! Oh God, girl, you had me so
scared!"
Selenity protested as she was wrapped in a too tight hug. "Hey, watch
it, I'm injured enough already. Ease up would you?"
Mina grinned and loosened her hold, finally pulling back to look at her
friend, "Well, I'll say this, you don't look as bad as I thought you would."
Selenity raised one hand carefully and brushed her bangs out of her
face, "Thankfully I have hair that grows fast. They shaved the one side bald."
Mina let her go and glanced at Darien, "How'd he get in here?"
Selenity smiled a soft smile and him and gently wiggled her fingers so
he let her hand go. He gently caressed her upper arm as she showed her fingers
to Mina, "He's my fiancée."
"Your what?!"
Darien and Selenity winced. Her shriek was loud. Ouch. "Easy on the
verbal, Mina," Darien scolded, "it is a hospital and she's had a nasty blow to
the head."
Mina blushed. "Sorry, girl. When did this happen and why wasn't I
informed immediately afterwards?"
Selenity laughed softly, "Sorry, Mina, it was a kind of private
discussion at the time and then there was dinner..." she trailed off, looking
at Darien helplessly.
Darien reclaimed her hand as Mina cocked her head at him. "Drew and
Rita invited us out for dinner, and then we just hit the sack."
Mina looked from him to Selenity and back, "You two didn't..."
"No, but that isn't really any of your business."
Mina rolled her eyes, "Everything, when it comes to Selenity, is my
business, she's my best friend in the whole world! You wouldn't believe how
much of a wreck I was when I heard."
"I might," Darien remarked dryly. "She's going home tomorrow so you
might as well come by after classes or whatever."
"Time's up Mina." Dr. Mizuno stuck her head into the room, "Charles is
itching to get back in here. Something about not trusting this young man with
his charge."
Darien looked wounded, "I'm harmless."
Amy laughed as Mina said her goodbyes and promised to visit as soon as
Selenity was back at home. Charles appeared as she left and pulled up his
chair near the foot of her bed. "Selenity, your father is not going to be
pleased to learn about this engagement. You have been promised to Martin for a
long time, he cannot go back on that contract."
Selenity lay back against the mattress, exhausted, "He does not have a
choice Charles," she told him wearily. "Go home. Prepare for father's
arrival. Darien will stay with me."
"Is that wise?"
She glared at him, and he stood, putting his hands up in surrender. "I
know when to follow orders. I presume you will want to break the news of your
engagement yourself?"
She nodded, "Yes. And keep Martin away from me."
He sighed, bowing formally, "As you wish, Princess."
Selenity turned her head and gently pressed the buttons that lowered her
back to an almost horizontal position. With a sigh, she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
A dark haired man stepped off the plane into a night of pouring rain.
He made a motion with his hand and the woman at his elbow dashed away. Moments
later he was seated in a large, luxurious car, cigarette in hand. Ebony eyes
stared out into the night as the car sped away from the tarmac and towards the
distant light of the city.
The woman driving picked something from the passenger seat and, without
looking, offered a slim file folder to the man, "The information you requested,
sire."
"Thank you, Annette. Change of plans, I wish to see Charles before I
see her."
"Understood."
The man opened the manila folder and leaned back in his chair as the car
sped through the night.
* * *
Selenity stirred as someone brushed her hair from her face. The touch
made her smile and she slowly opened her eyes. "Darien?"
The low chuckled had her head turning to look at him. He looked
terrible. His hair was dishevelled, his clothes wrinkled and creased from
sleeping in the chair all night, but his smile was genuine and sincere.
"Expecting someone else?"
"Did you stay with me all night?" her hand was numb.
He nodded, "All except for the mandatory trip to the little boy's room
and vending machine for a snack."
She felt guilty. She had kept him from his courses yesterday after the
accident, monopolized him all night and again this morning. "Aren't you
terribly hungry?"
He leaned forward, "To be honest, Princess, I'm more worried about you.
How're you feeling this morning?"
She smiled, pushing the button so the bed sat her up. "Honestly? I'm
having trouble feeling the right side of my face. I ache something fierce
though."
He kissed the back of her hand, "Dr. Mizuno said to expect it. You've
been through quite a shock."
"No kidding, genius," she teased.
His smile faded as he looked at her. "I could have lost you yesterday."
"You didn't. I'm real, see?" she motioned her bruised and battered
body, "What happened anyway? What hit us?"
He sighed, "Some crazy kids joyriding in their daddy's truck. They ran
a red and broad sided us."
She winced. "Those poor kids. Are they alright?"
"I-"
"Oh Darien, didn't you even think to ask?" she was appalled. He hadn't
even thought of the people involved?
"I was too worried I was going to lose you if I left your side for a
moment," he admitted. Sighing he ran his hand through his hair. "Charles
called this morning to see how you are. Apparently someone came to see him
last night about 2am."
"My dad or him?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Him? Oh, you mean-"
Her hand shot out faster than he would have thought possible and slipped
against his lips, "Don't say his name, please." she shuddered and lay back
against the pillows with a groan, "Ow. I don't even want to think about him
until I have to tell him off."
Darien chuckled and got up, rearranging the pillow and blankets for her
to make her more comfortable. "Alright. Might be sooner than you think."
She closed her eyes, "He came last night?"
Darien nodded, gently stroking her cheek, "Apparently he blew into your
house and started acting like lord and master. Charles said he told him that
if he didn't start acting like the guest he was, he could go rent a hotel
room."
Selenity laughed, meeting his gaze, "Good old Charles. Lemme guess, he
threatened to fire Charles?"
Darien nodded. "Yup. Charles was thoroughly unimpressed. I gathered
your uninvited house guest didn't think too much of Charles laughing in his
face." he sighed, growing serious, "Your guest also demanded to see you. And
to have his things put in your room."
She blanched, clenching his fingers in hers, "No."
He nodded, "Charles put him in the opposite wing. From the sound of it
this guy is ready to give your dad an earful. Charles also told him that his
visit with you could wait until you came home tonight."
She swallowed hard. "I can't face him, Darien." He leaned down and
wrapped her in a hug, dropping her hand. She clung to him, her eyes closed,
tears pricking the back of her eyelids. "Don't let him see me."
He kissed her shoulder and stroked her hair, "I promise I'll do
everything I can, Princess. I will not leave you alone with him when it comes
time to face him."
She released him reluctantly, and he sat on the edge of the bed next to
her, within easy distance to brush her hair from her face. "I have something
to admit."
He remained silent as she looked at him, her expression sheepish.
She bit her lip, "I won't be injured for as long as the Doctor says."
He raised an eyebrow at her, his lips tilted in a half smile, "Oh?"
She grimaced, playing with his fingers, "I heal fast, I always have.
I've been suppressing the energy inside me for until I get back to the house.
It's the same with my hair, only I can't control it."
He stared at her hard, "Is that why you don't have a concussion and just
a very large bruise?"
She nodded, flushing, glancing apprehensively at the door, "If they
found out I'd be kept for observation. I don't want to be treated like a
freak."
He leaned down to kiss her forehead, "You're my freak," he whispered to
her, grinning, "My freaky Princess."
"Hey, hey, cut it out on the bed you two."
They looked at the door where a smiling Dr. Mizuno was standing. "No
hanky panky on hospital beds. And don't think I don't know it happens. Who do
you think used to clean the sheets before getting her papers to practice?"
Darien laughed, "Good morning, Amy."
Amy checked her chart as she walked to the row of machines monitoring
Selenity, "Good morning, Darien. Selenity. How're you feeling this morning?"
"I have a headache," she replied honestly. Keeping her energy in check
to heal took a big toll on her brain.
Amy clucked her tongue, "I wish I could give you my healing factor," she
mumbled softly, poking a few buttons on some monitors. "I can give you
something for the pain if you like."
Selenity glanced sharply at her, "Healing factor?"
Amy flushed. "You have remarkably good hearing, Princess."
Darien let Selenity's hand go as Amy glanced at him meaningfully. He
stood, "I'll leave you to do the whole Doctor-Patient confidentiality thing.
Call when I can come back in." he left before they could reply and closed the
door behind him. What a morning, he thought, glancing at his watch, and it's
not even 9 yet!
Inside the Hospital room, Selenity looked hard at her Doctor. "Is that
why you were assigned to me? Because of your healing factor?"
Amy sighed. "Selenity, may I call you that?" at the affirmative nod she
went on, "You had a very serious concussion when your head hit that window. At
the scene you were said to have possible cranial bleeding, with possible brain
damage, and massive internal bleeding. You showed up in my emergency room with
injuries far less serious than what they had called in over the radio.
Paramedics don't lie when it's something serious like it. It just doesn't
happen."
She tested Selenity's pulse before continuing, "When your head was
cleared and simply left bruised and bloodied, the healing seemed to stop. It's
common knowledge that I have a fast healing rate here in the hospital. Mine is
due to a genetic flaw, or that's what my papers say. Thankfully the people
involved are people I know and won't talk. Do you heal faster than anybody you
know?"
Selenity blushed, nodding.
"I take it you're giving yourself the headache with trying to suppress
it?"
She nodded again.
Dr. Mizuno sighed, "Stop it. Let yourself heal at the rate you normally
do. I'll release you today with the intention of seeing you in a week. Before
you go, I'm going to remove the cast. You won't need it since you probably
heal as fast as I do. The stitches will come out too. I'll let Darien back
in, you heal yourself, alright? When I get back in a few hours I was to see
fewer bruises."
Selenity laughed and smiled, very much relieved. "Yes, ma'am."
Amy smiled, "Good girl. I'll mark it on your notes that you've got a
genetic flaw that enables you to accelerate your own healing." she smiled
wryly, "Feel special, Princess, very few people I know have it." she turned and
walked towards the door.
"Amy?"
She glanced back, her hand on the doorknob.
"Exactly how many other people have this kind of condition?"
Amy's smile was soft. "Three other people, to my knowledge, aside from
you and myself."
She was gone before Selenity could reply. Darien was back beside her in
a flash and picked up her hand again, "So what'd the Doc have to say?"
Selenity was staring at the closed door, "Something about a genetic flaw
and to let myself heal at my fast rate."
He looked relieved but she missed it. "I'm going to go back to sleep
and relax. Watch over me?"
He nodded, "Always. Take your time, Selene."
She smiled at him before putting her bed back at a good angle to sleep
and closing her eyes. Her headache began to die as she released her hold on
her energy and dropped into oblivion.
Author's Note: End chapter 6! Feedback, people, let me know if I went over the top
I love to hear what you think! Heck if you didn't like it, tell me why, I promise
not to bite your head off!
Jademax@hotmail.com
Thanks for reading!
Jade_Max
Disclaimer: Enter Standard disclaimer for Sailor Moon stories here.
Chapter 6
Darien held her hand gently as the Doctors and nurses transferred her to
one of the beds in ICU. They'd taken her directly into surgery, leaving him in
the waiting room with forms to fill out. He'd filled them out as best he
could, his mind so numb most of the answers were reflex only. Four hours later
he was back at her side. The whole right side of her body was bruised. She
had lacerations along her arm and leg, the left one in a cast, and the doctors
had stopped the small amount of internal bleeding. Thankfully nothing had hit
her vitals and she'd been wearing her seatbelt. Without it she could have gone
straight through the windshield. He gently caressed her knuckles. In his
other hand, her pendant had made an almost permanent mark; he'd been holding it
so tight. He slipped it into his pocket while looking at her.
She'd seen better days, but the doctor said she'd heal up just fine.
Dr. Mizuno was someone he respected highly, not to mention one of Mina's best
friends. She might be young, but she sure knew her stuff.
"Is she alright?"
He glanced up, hearing a gruff voice in the doorway. Once the staff had
found out Selenity was the Princess she'd been allocated her own room. Darien
was glad; he wanted to be alone with her. The stranger in the door was a
stooped older man with a serious visage. Overhanging grey eyebrows with a
receding hairline, and round features leant him a slightly older appearance.
"Who are you?"
The man stepped in, "I am Charles, Darien."
His eyes widened. How did this man know his name? Charles. Now where
had he heard that from before? It was familiar... Oh right, Selenity's
guardian. He waved the man to a seat, "I expected you before now, what held
you up?"
Charles sank into a chair across from him, "When she didn't show up and
didn't call I set the team to look for her. We found out about the accident
almost right away and identified some of her things in the wreckage. I was
playing media control for most of it, she was supposed to have lunch with the
Mayor, you know. I had to assure them she was fine and she would recover.
Being the Princess' guardian I sometimes have to be quite the politician."
Darien continues to hold Selenity's hand as Charles spoke. The older
man looked at their hands once, pointedly, and then seemed to be ignoring it.
"Did you contact her father?"
Charles sank back in his chair, "The King knows. He will be here on
Sunday when she is released. Martin was also informed."
"Martin?"
Charles nodded, "Her betrothed."
Darien's eyes flew to his face at those soft words. He now had a name
to Selenity's nightmare. "She doesn't want him here."
Charles raised an eyebrow, "No? Is that not for her to say?"
Darien released her hand and tilted it for Charles to see. "She's
wearing my ring, Charles, she would never have accepted it if she wanted
someone else."
Charles watched the light glitter off the diamond before Darien's hand
closed back around hers. "When did she start wearing that?"
"Last night." He subsided quietly as Charles processed that information.
They were both quiet, the sound of the heart rate monitor beeping
steadily in the background. Darien took a deep breath, the sickly smell of
medicines and blood flooding his senses, "Is Martin coming?"
Charles stood, brushing his hands down the front of his jacket,
"Tomorrow, if possible, or else he will be here on Sunday with the King."
Darien swallowed hard. Sunday. His Birthday. The day she said they
would plan for their wedding. "She won't want him here."
Selenity groaned suddenly, cutting off any response Charles would have
made, Darien and Charles crowing close to her bedside. Darien slid near her
head, brushing her bangs off her forehead. They'd shaved the right side of her
head, and already her hair was beginning to grow back, "Selene?"
"Darien?" her voice was week.
He raised her hand to his lips, gentling kissing her fingers, "I'm here
Princess."
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Hospital, baby," his voice was gentle, "you're going to
be alright. We were in a car accident."
She turned to look at him, her right eye nearly swollen shut, the whole
side of her face a dark purple and swollen. Her left eye focused on him as she
closed the right one to ease the strain, "How bad is it?"
He felt her fingers apply a slight pressure on his and returned it
gently, leaning over her and searching her face, "You've got a break in your
left leg, lacerations over a lot of your body. Thankfully you've only got
mostly strains. They had to patch a couple of internal injuries but nothing
major. The Doctor said she'd need to keep you overnight for observation." He
gently ran the back of his index finger over her cheek, "Charles is here,"
She sighed, "Darn, I was hoping it was just you and me,"
He laughed at her soft attempt at humor, "You'll just have to behave."
She squeezed his fingers gently as he moved aside, Charles stepping up
next to her bed, Darien sitting back in his chair and not relinquishing her
hand. "Miss?"
"I am alright, Charles," she replied to his concerned tone of voice.
He reached up and placed a gentle hand on her head, leaning down to kiss
her forehead, "You had me worried miss. When I found out where you were I
thought you were more badly injured than Darien here says."
"Charles?"
"Yes miss?"
"Did you call my father?"
"I had to. He and Martin will be here sometime this weekend."
She shuddered and turned her face away at the mention of her betrothed.
"I do not wish to see Martin. I do not want him here."
Charles glanced at Darien, who shrugged. He wasn't going to gloat as
Selenity backed up his comments from earlier. "He is your intended, Selenity,
he is concerned about you."
She looked back at him, her lips set in a grim line, "You do what you
have to, Charles, but keep him away. It is my wish that I have nothing further
to do with him."
Charles looked torn between following her request and the procedure
involved with broken betrothals. "But, miss, he has ever right to want to come
see you. I am simply the hired hand, I have no authority to deny him entry to
see you."
She laughed mirthlessly, "Priceless, Charles. Did Darien explain our
intentions?"
"He said something about an engagement, and that you are wearing his
ring, but..."
"But nothing. It is true."
Charles looked at Darien again and then back to her bruised face, "Are
you certain, Princess? Is this what you want?"
She nodded and made to push herself up on her elbow. Darien nudged
Charles out of the way and slid an arm around her shoulders, helping her sit
up. "Selene, there is a button you can press to put the back of the bed up."
She looked at him blankly, "What?"
He reached down on the side of her bed and pressed a couple of buttons.
Her eyes widened as the bed sat her up, lifting her into a sitting position
without straining herself. "My bed when I live with my dad does this, I did
not think the hospital would have something like it."
Darien chuckled and let her back to the mattress, removing his arm.
Their fingers twined together as Charles watched Darien gently kiss her on the
cheek, "This place is full of surprises."
Selene looked at Charles, "Darien is not after my title, Charles, wipe
that calculating look out of your eyes."
Charles sat on the end of the bed near her feet. "It is not that I do
not trust your judgement, miss, but are you certain?"
"Must you talk about me as if I'm not here?"
Selene squeezed his hand, "I am certain, Charles. Nothing you can say
will make me change my mind."
"And your father?"
"I will deal with him when the time comes."
A doctor with blue hair strode into the room, her eyes on the chart,
"Selenity, is it?" she looked up and stopped, her eyes on the two male
occupants in the room, "Were you not told that she was to have no more than one
visitor at a time and it would be strictly enforced."
Selenity looked at the doctor, "They are not straining me, Dr..."
"Mizuno. Darien, I thought you knew better than to be here."
He shrugged, "I won't leave her side, what can I say."
Dr. Mizuno chuckled, "And you, sir? What is your excuse for
overburdening my patient?"
"I am her guardian. Her father is-"
"The great and mighty Tuskino King, I know. Royalty or not she still
needs her rest."
Selenity laughed. It was short and had her grabbing at abdominal
stitches, but she had a smile on her face, "Oh I like you, Dr. Mizuno."
Dr. Mizuno walked to the other side of her bed and began checking the
several machines monitoring her, "I'm glad to hear it Princess. Feel free to
call me Amy. How are you feeling?"
Selenity shrugged, "Better? How long do I have to stay here?"
"Well, I'd like to keep you overnight for observation but your guardian
called earlier and arranged for personal care at your house. I can't say I
blame him with the media wanting to get a piece of you." She checked Selenity's
pulse and then poked the IV regulator buttons before standing back and marking
something on the chart. "I suppose the call is yours, though, seeing as how
the hit to your head just bloodied you. You've got an amazingly hard head
Princess, we could find no trace of concussion."
Selenity glanced at Charles, raising one eyebrow before looking back at
the doctor, "So I will be allowed to go tomorrow?"
She nodded, smiling at her patient, "On the condition that you rest,
Princess. Royalty or not you've been in a bad accident and need time to heal.
Doctor's orders."
Selenity laughed, smiling. Her head was throbbing from the extended
conversation but her mood was lifted, "Doctor's orders, you say? Does that
also mean no press and no public functions?"
Amy nodded. "Family and close friends only. Speaking of which, I have
another visitor for you if you can convince one of these gentlemen to leave for
a few moments. I promised her I'd ask."
"Mina?"
Amy nodded, "She's wearing a hole through the floor in the waiting room.
If you promise to keep it short I'll make the exception to let her come and
see you."
"How short, Doc?"
"No more than five minutes."
Selenity nodded, "Charles, can you send Mina in?"
Charles looked at her blankly.
"Amy, if you could introduce my guardian to Mina, I'd appreciate it."
Dr. Mizuno nodded and motioned for Charles to precede her out of the
room. Charles looked from Darien to Selenity and back before leaving. His
posture was proud and dignified as he passed from view, the doctor closing the
door behind her.
Darien watched as Selenity's eyes closed and she shrank into the bed,
"Are you alright?" he asked without thinking. He felt his cheeks heat at the
stupid question. Of course she wasn't alright, she was in the intensive care
unit at a hospital!
"Just tired, Dare," she said wearily.
"Maybe the visit with Mina should wait, I mean she's likely to wear you
out more."
"I'm going to be sleeping enough as it is, I want to assure her I'm
alive."
Darien sighed, "Your call, Princess."
She squeezed his hand again, "Will you stay with me tonight?"
He pulled his chair close to the head of the bed again and nodded as she
looked at him. "If you want me too I'll stay with you until you get better."
"But... your Birthday..." she protested, the thought seeming to just
have occurred to her.
His chuckled, "Don't worry about it, Selene, I've been waiting to spend
a Birthday with you forever. If you're stuck in bed, I'll just have to bring
over videos or something so we can watch."
She smiled. They both turned to look as the door burst open and a
haggard looking blonde stepped in, "Selenity! Oh God, girl, you had me so
scared!"
Selenity protested as she was wrapped in a too tight hug. "Hey, watch
it, I'm injured enough already. Ease up would you?"
Mina grinned and loosened her hold, finally pulling back to look at her
friend, "Well, I'll say this, you don't look as bad as I thought you would."
Selenity raised one hand carefully and brushed her bangs out of her
face, "Thankfully I have hair that grows fast. They shaved the one side bald."
Mina let her go and glanced at Darien, "How'd he get in here?"
Selenity smiled a soft smile and him and gently wiggled her fingers so
he let her hand go. He gently caressed her upper arm as she showed her fingers
to Mina, "He's my fiancée."
"Your what?!"
Darien and Selenity winced. Her shriek was loud. Ouch. "Easy on the
verbal, Mina," Darien scolded, "it is a hospital and she's had a nasty blow to
the head."
Mina blushed. "Sorry, girl. When did this happen and why wasn't I
informed immediately afterwards?"
Selenity laughed softly, "Sorry, Mina, it was a kind of private
discussion at the time and then there was dinner..." she trailed off, looking
at Darien helplessly.
Darien reclaimed her hand as Mina cocked her head at him. "Drew and
Rita invited us out for dinner, and then we just hit the sack."
Mina looked from him to Selenity and back, "You two didn't..."
"No, but that isn't really any of your business."
Mina rolled her eyes, "Everything, when it comes to Selenity, is my
business, she's my best friend in the whole world! You wouldn't believe how
much of a wreck I was when I heard."
"I might," Darien remarked dryly. "She's going home tomorrow so you
might as well come by after classes or whatever."
"Time's up Mina." Dr. Mizuno stuck her head into the room, "Charles is
itching to get back in here. Something about not trusting this young man with
his charge."
Darien looked wounded, "I'm harmless."
Amy laughed as Mina said her goodbyes and promised to visit as soon as
Selenity was back at home. Charles appeared as she left and pulled up his
chair near the foot of her bed. "Selenity, your father is not going to be
pleased to learn about this engagement. You have been promised to Martin for a
long time, he cannot go back on that contract."
Selenity lay back against the mattress, exhausted, "He does not have a
choice Charles," she told him wearily. "Go home. Prepare for father's
arrival. Darien will stay with me."
"Is that wise?"
She glared at him, and he stood, putting his hands up in surrender. "I
know when to follow orders. I presume you will want to break the news of your
engagement yourself?"
She nodded, "Yes. And keep Martin away from me."
He sighed, bowing formally, "As you wish, Princess."
Selenity turned her head and gently pressed the buttons that lowered her
back to an almost horizontal position. With a sigh, she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
A dark haired man stepped off the plane into a night of pouring rain.
He made a motion with his hand and the woman at his elbow dashed away. Moments
later he was seated in a large, luxurious car, cigarette in hand. Ebony eyes
stared out into the night as the car sped away from the tarmac and towards the
distant light of the city.
The woman driving picked something from the passenger seat and, without
looking, offered a slim file folder to the man, "The information you requested,
sire."
"Thank you, Annette. Change of plans, I wish to see Charles before I
see her."
"Understood."
The man opened the manila folder and leaned back in his chair as the car
sped through the night.
* * *
Selenity stirred as someone brushed her hair from her face. The touch
made her smile and she slowly opened her eyes. "Darien?"
The low chuckled had her head turning to look at him. He looked
terrible. His hair was dishevelled, his clothes wrinkled and creased from
sleeping in the chair all night, but his smile was genuine and sincere.
"Expecting someone else?"
"Did you stay with me all night?" her hand was numb.
He nodded, "All except for the mandatory trip to the little boy's room
and vending machine for a snack."
She felt guilty. She had kept him from his courses yesterday after the
accident, monopolized him all night and again this morning. "Aren't you
terribly hungry?"
He leaned forward, "To be honest, Princess, I'm more worried about you.
How're you feeling this morning?"
She smiled, pushing the button so the bed sat her up. "Honestly? I'm
having trouble feeling the right side of my face. I ache something fierce
though."
He kissed the back of her hand, "Dr. Mizuno said to expect it. You've
been through quite a shock."
"No kidding, genius," she teased.
His smile faded as he looked at her. "I could have lost you yesterday."
"You didn't. I'm real, see?" she motioned her bruised and battered
body, "What happened anyway? What hit us?"
He sighed, "Some crazy kids joyriding in their daddy's truck. They ran
a red and broad sided us."
She winced. "Those poor kids. Are they alright?"
"I-"
"Oh Darien, didn't you even think to ask?" she was appalled. He hadn't
even thought of the people involved?
"I was too worried I was going to lose you if I left your side for a
moment," he admitted. Sighing he ran his hand through his hair. "Charles
called this morning to see how you are. Apparently someone came to see him
last night about 2am."
"My dad or him?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Him? Oh, you mean-"
Her hand shot out faster than he would have thought possible and slipped
against his lips, "Don't say his name, please." she shuddered and lay back
against the pillows with a groan, "Ow. I don't even want to think about him
until I have to tell him off."
Darien chuckled and got up, rearranging the pillow and blankets for her
to make her more comfortable. "Alright. Might be sooner than you think."
She closed her eyes, "He came last night?"
Darien nodded, gently stroking her cheek, "Apparently he blew into your
house and started acting like lord and master. Charles said he told him that
if he didn't start acting like the guest he was, he could go rent a hotel
room."
Selenity laughed, meeting his gaze, "Good old Charles. Lemme guess, he
threatened to fire Charles?"
Darien nodded. "Yup. Charles was thoroughly unimpressed. I gathered
your uninvited house guest didn't think too much of Charles laughing in his
face." he sighed, growing serious, "Your guest also demanded to see you. And
to have his things put in your room."
She blanched, clenching his fingers in hers, "No."
He nodded, "Charles put him in the opposite wing. From the sound of it
this guy is ready to give your dad an earful. Charles also told him that his
visit with you could wait until you came home tonight."
She swallowed hard. "I can't face him, Darien." He leaned down and
wrapped her in a hug, dropping her hand. She clung to him, her eyes closed,
tears pricking the back of her eyelids. "Don't let him see me."
He kissed her shoulder and stroked her hair, "I promise I'll do
everything I can, Princess. I will not leave you alone with him when it comes
time to face him."
She released him reluctantly, and he sat on the edge of the bed next to
her, within easy distance to brush her hair from her face. "I have something
to admit."
He remained silent as she looked at him, her expression sheepish.
She bit her lip, "I won't be injured for as long as the Doctor says."
He raised an eyebrow at her, his lips tilted in a half smile, "Oh?"
She grimaced, playing with his fingers, "I heal fast, I always have.
I've been suppressing the energy inside me for until I get back to the house.
It's the same with my hair, only I can't control it."
He stared at her hard, "Is that why you don't have a concussion and just
a very large bruise?"
She nodded, flushing, glancing apprehensively at the door, "If they
found out I'd be kept for observation. I don't want to be treated like a
freak."
He leaned down to kiss her forehead, "You're my freak," he whispered to
her, grinning, "My freaky Princess."
"Hey, hey, cut it out on the bed you two."
They looked at the door where a smiling Dr. Mizuno was standing. "No
hanky panky on hospital beds. And don't think I don't know it happens. Who do
you think used to clean the sheets before getting her papers to practice?"
Darien laughed, "Good morning, Amy."
Amy checked her chart as she walked to the row of machines monitoring
Selenity, "Good morning, Darien. Selenity. How're you feeling this morning?"
"I have a headache," she replied honestly. Keeping her energy in check
to heal took a big toll on her brain.
Amy clucked her tongue, "I wish I could give you my healing factor," she
mumbled softly, poking a few buttons on some monitors. "I can give you
something for the pain if you like."
Selenity glanced sharply at her, "Healing factor?"
Amy flushed. "You have remarkably good hearing, Princess."
Darien let Selenity's hand go as Amy glanced at him meaningfully. He
stood, "I'll leave you to do the whole Doctor-Patient confidentiality thing.
Call when I can come back in." he left before they could reply and closed the
door behind him. What a morning, he thought, glancing at his watch, and it's
not even 9 yet!
Inside the Hospital room, Selenity looked hard at her Doctor. "Is that
why you were assigned to me? Because of your healing factor?"
Amy sighed. "Selenity, may I call you that?" at the affirmative nod she
went on, "You had a very serious concussion when your head hit that window. At
the scene you were said to have possible cranial bleeding, with possible brain
damage, and massive internal bleeding. You showed up in my emergency room with
injuries far less serious than what they had called in over the radio.
Paramedics don't lie when it's something serious like it. It just doesn't
happen."
She tested Selenity's pulse before continuing, "When your head was
cleared and simply left bruised and bloodied, the healing seemed to stop. It's
common knowledge that I have a fast healing rate here in the hospital. Mine is
due to a genetic flaw, or that's what my papers say. Thankfully the people
involved are people I know and won't talk. Do you heal faster than anybody you
know?"
Selenity blushed, nodding.
"I take it you're giving yourself the headache with trying to suppress
it?"
She nodded again.
Dr. Mizuno sighed, "Stop it. Let yourself heal at the rate you normally
do. I'll release you today with the intention of seeing you in a week. Before
you go, I'm going to remove the cast. You won't need it since you probably
heal as fast as I do. The stitches will come out too. I'll let Darien back
in, you heal yourself, alright? When I get back in a few hours I was to see
fewer bruises."
Selenity laughed and smiled, very much relieved. "Yes, ma'am."
Amy smiled, "Good girl. I'll mark it on your notes that you've got a
genetic flaw that enables you to accelerate your own healing." she smiled
wryly, "Feel special, Princess, very few people I know have it." she turned and
walked towards the door.
"Amy?"
She glanced back, her hand on the doorknob.
"Exactly how many other people have this kind of condition?"
Amy's smile was soft. "Three other people, to my knowledge, aside from
you and myself."
She was gone before Selenity could reply. Darien was back beside her in
a flash and picked up her hand again, "So what'd the Doc have to say?"
Selenity was staring at the closed door, "Something about a genetic flaw
and to let myself heal at my fast rate."
He looked relieved but she missed it. "I'm going to go back to sleep
and relax. Watch over me?"
He nodded, "Always. Take your time, Selene."
She smiled at him before putting her bed back at a good angle to sleep
and closing her eyes. Her headache began to die as she released her hold on
her energy and dropped into oblivion.
Author's Note: End chapter 6! Feedback, people, let me know if I went over the top
I love to hear what you think! Heck if you didn't like it, tell me why, I promise
not to bite your head off!
Jademax@hotmail.com
Thanks for reading!
Jade_Max