Chapter 8: Waiting for a miracle

Mulan was still unconscious. It had been over an hour and a half now and still no word on how Mulan's conditions were. Shang waited quietly with Wei and the gang, praying that she would be ok.

Mushu was also there on a ledge of a rock staring at the ground. What could he do? What could any one do? He then turned his head to where Shang sat. He looked miserable, just staring at the ground waiting for the doctor to come out. Mushu looked back down a tear dropped from his eyes. His thoughts ran past him of Mulan and him, and how they found Ho Chi and how they grew attached to him.

Mushu sighed heavily looking at the tent, was she going to make it?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wei walked quietly over to Shang and sat next to him, Shang didn't even move or turn his attentions to him. "Hey man you ok?" Wei asked with a frown upon his face. Shang didn't answer he just closed his eyes for a second and then opened them slowly to glance at Wei.

You could see the hurt, the pain that he was feeling deep inside just by looking at his eyes. "I feel reasonable for her getting hurt.... I wish I could go back in time.. And change it." He murmured softly, as he turned his head back. Wei looking concerned at his friend put his arm on his shoulder to comfort him.

"We all wish we could change the past Shang, but what happened is not your fault and you can't change it." Shang looked at Wei as he got up and went across to where some of his men stayed. Shang turned back and turned his eyes to the tent that Mulan was in getting treated.

~*~*~*~*~ It's been 2 hours now!~*~*~*~*~

Shang grew restless, he couldn't sit still. He walked back and forth frustrated by not hearing a single word from the doctor. "Shang! Calm down and sit." Wei commanded. Shang didn't listen, just continued walking back and forth. Ling, Yao and Chien Po watched Shang as he walked. They too wanted to hear the news, in hoping that their dear friend would be ok.

After a couple seconds of Wei telling Shang to sit down. A solder got up from his seat and said, "Why do you care so much....it's not like she is your wife or anything..." Shang being stressed out took the guy by the collar and picked him up off the ground.

He stared at the man with cold eyes, "She means more to me then you know so shut it." The guy being all freaked out nodded his head.

"Shang put him down now!" Wei once again commanded. Shang placed him back down and walked towards where he was originally sitting. Mushu came along and went towards Shang.

"Any news yet?"

Shang turned to Mushu and was about to respond to his question when the flap of the tent opened up and the doctor stood in front of it. Everyone got to their feet and looked at the doctor for the news.

"Well...Is she going to be ok?" Shang asked nervously.

"It is really hard for me to tell you this but.... She has lost a lot of blood. I am not sure that she will make it even though she has made a bit of an improvement, I still don't know if she would have enough strength to go on...."

Shang rubbed his hands over his face, "Just don't give up her, she can make it...I know she can!" He raised his voice at the doctor. The others looked at him with worried faces. Mushu watched as Shang snapped at the doctor. He got up on top of Shang's shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Ask if you can go see her." Shang nodded to him self and walked up to the doctor.

"Would we be able to see her?"

"Only one person because I will have to tend to her." Answered the doctor. Shang looked at Wei and the gang from behind him. They nodded their heads and waved for him to go inside. He gave them a slight smile and began to go inside the tent.

With Mushu still on his shoulder, he continued walking towards Mulan. She looked so lifeless. She just laid there on the bed with the blanket on and arms outside of it, next to her sides. He kneeled down next to her. Mushu jumped off his shoulder and stood next to Mulan's head. His ears went back at the site of her lifelessness.

He turned to Shang, "I'll leave you alone with her." With that he gave Mulan a kiss on top of her pale face, and jumped off the bed and went outside where the others were. Shang watched as Mushu left the tent.

Taking one of Mulan's hands into his, he squeezed it. They were cold, and pale.

His eyes found where she was wounded. It was near her old cut where Shan Yu cut her. Many bandages covered it. He could see that the bottom ones were soaked in blood. He put his head down on the bed while still holding her hand.

Closing his eyes tight he began to pray for a miracle. A sudden teardrop fell down his face. He looked at her pale face and spoke softly to her. "Mulan if you can hear me....Hold on." He paused, "I need you." Placing his head back onto the bed more tears began to flow down his face.

"Captain? I need you to come out here so I may continue with Mulan." Shang whipped away the tears quickly and faced Mulan. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cold lips.

He backed away and began walking out the tent.

Once he got out many faces turned towards him. "How is she?" Asked Chien Po. Shang holding back the tears nodded his head slowly. Their faces quickly bent down in sadness.

Hearing the sudden running of footsteps solder appeared before them, gasping for a breath of air. "Captain Li..It's Chi Fu!" Shang clenched his fists, he knew he never should have brought him back with them.

"Where is he?"

"Follow me." Shang followed the solder as they went inside the palace where Chi Fu was fusing with the other men. Shang was not in the mood for him right now. He walked forward.

"This was all suppose to be gone, you all were suppose to be dead.....It's all because of that girl, that stupid FA MULAN!" He cried in anger. Shang ran up to him and pushed him to the ground then immediately picked him up by the collar and began to scream at him.

"I told you to shut your mouth....you hear me! Don't ever talk about Mulan that way!" He shook Chi Fu while still in his grasp.

"Captain Li!" The Emperor's voice came from the distance. "Put him down at once!" Shang dropped him on the ground and faced the Emperor. "Take Chi Fu to the dungeons." He glared at Shang.

He stood up straight, "Sorry, your majesty, I... just....I am....." He stumbled for the right words.

"You are worried about Mulan, I know. You don't want to lose her." He spoke softly to him now.

"She's a good solder sir...I...." He lied even though she was good. It wasn't the really reason why he didn't want to lose her. He loved her more then anything.

The Emperor interrupted him, " She is good... but I know that deep inside your heart she is more then just a solder to you....you love her and it would break your heart if you lost her." The Emperor looked at him then began to walk past him. Making him trail through his thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mushu found Shang sitting outside on the palace stairs, looking out into the distance. "Hello Shang." Mushu plopped right down next to him.

"Hey Mushu." Shang sighed and continued to stare off into the distance.

"You love her don't you?"

Shang looked at Mushu, "She means everything to me Mushu, I don't know what I would do with out her."

"How about we go see her until they move her." Mushu pronounced. Shang raised his eyebrow, Move her?

"What do you mean move her?"

"Their just going to take her into the palace, since they were afraid to move her when she was bleeding. They wanted to see if she would make any new improvements until they moved her."

"Let's go see her then." He got up and headed towards the tent. The guys weren't there this time, they had to help the doctor with some things.

Shang entered the tent, she didn't look that bad since last time. He walked over to her and kneeled down beside her. Clasping both her hands this time, he squeezed them as he looked at Mulan.

Taking his one hand, he began to brush it against her check, stroking back and forth. "I need you Mulan...." He whispered.

The sun began to shine bright, it lightened up the tent. Mulan's eyes began to flutter a bit. She groaned. Shang surprised took his hands and put them around Mulan's head. "Mulan...Come on stay with me ok..."

"Shang?......" She began to cough. She looked up at Shang who was happy as ever. "Where am I?"

"You're in a tent where the doctor was taking care of you." He couldn't help but keep smiling at her.

The doctor came in and found that she was awake. "Thank the ancestors, I didn't think you were going to make it." "Captain do you think you can carry her to her room where she will be resting foe a couple days?"

"Sure." Mulan put her arms around Shang's neck, he glanced at her to see if she was ok. "Are you ok?"

"I am now..." They smiled at each other. He then picked her up slowly so he would not disturb her side. She moaned at first but Shang told her to put her head down and to try to relax. She did what he said and found herself rather very comfortable in his arms.