Chapter 2 - A New Direction
"Okay Ranma", Nabiki has her best business face on, as she sits cross
legged on her bed, tapping a pencil against her teeth and looking at a
notebook. A still lifeless looking Ranma sits on the edge of her desk
chair. "Here's the program. To start with, since you haven't been
able to do this for yourself, I'm going to have to straighten your
life out. We have to deal with all the other finances and enemies.
You won't be able to get much studying done if your life remains that
hectic."
"Somehow, I have to get your sorry perverted behind into a medical
school, despite your lack of scholastic achievement to date. I think
this will be the first thing we'll do. We'll try Nihon University,
Osaka University, Nippon Medical School, and Omiya."
"Um, Nabiki, how do you plan to do this ? I mean, I still have a year
of high school left, and my grades aren't exactly the greatest."
Nabiki turns her most predatory smile on Ranma. "Oh, that's easy.
Most academic doctors would fall all over themselves for the
opportunity to study your curse, yes ? Especially if we let them know
that their competition in the other colleges is jumping at the chance
to publish a case study on you. Letting a questionable student into
their program is a small price to pay, and as to the questionable part
... umph" she breaks off with a grunt as she reaches for something
heavy on the other side of the bed.
"Ack !" Ranma sputters in indignation. "Study me ! Nabiki, you
know I don't wanna be poked and prodded by a buncha doctors ! Akane
already ... thought I was ... a freak" he trails off.
"Backing out on your promise already, Ranma ? Remember, you gave your
word of honor. And here's how we deal with the questionable student
part."
A pile of textbooks promptly buries a protesting Ranma, driving his
face into the floor. "Don't worry, I'll be helping you every day with
these. Besides, this way you'll be too busy to worry about being
depressed."
Much quieter, she mutters to herself "and so will I."
"Ite" is Ranma's only response, from somewhere underneath the pile.
***
"Tendo-san, please understand that we are very skeptical of your
claims, the videotape you sent non-withstanding. While our
technicians could not find any obvious evidence of tampering in it,
what it shows seems so fantastic as to be unbelievable. The only
reason we agreed to talk to you was because we could not disprove it
outright. "
"I understand Supinreru sensei. That's why we agreed to demonstrate
to you here. You have your own recording equipment set up, right ?
Where do you want Saotome-san to stand ?" Nabiki responds.
"If you would plase step onto this scale, and in front of the camera,
young man. Okay, now you said this, transformation, is activated with
cold water ?"
Ranma gives an embarrassed nod from his position in front of the
camera, clad only in a hospital robe. "Yah, just dump one of those
cups on me."
The expected transformation takes place, shocking the room full of
suit and labcoat clad researchers into immobility. Several cups of
coffee are dropped, causing one screech of surprise from the back when
a hot liquid lands in a sensitive spot. Ranma merely grimaces and
tightens her robe.
"I didn't believe it" mutters the first doctor. "Is this,
transformation, um, complete ?"
"Too complete if you ask me" grumbles Ranma. "And hands off."
"Ranma ..." Nabiki casts her a warning glance before turning back to
the assembled doctors. "It's complete as far as we have ever been
able to tell" Nabiki affirms. "Now then, you recall our terms. You
may only retain these records, and perform further studies, if you
accept both of us as students in this institute."
"But, well, you have been an exemplary student, Tendo-san, I suppose
that we would have no problem admitting you to our nursing program"
says the school administrator, still in some shock. "But I don't know
if we can let someone who has not even graduated from high school into
our program, much less someone who has demonstrated little motive to
succeed in academic pursuits."
"First, please let me point out that until now, due to his unique
lifestyle, Saotome-san has had little opportunity to pursue
academics." Nabiki pauses to take a breath.
"In my opinion, it speaks very well of him to be able to pass his
grade level at all, given that she had almost no regular schooling
until the age of 16. As for motivation, I should let Saotome-san
speak for herself. Ranma, if you please ?"
"Look, I ain't real good at speeches or nothin, so I'm gonna sound
stupider than I am" Ranma starts out. Nabiki just sighs, shakes her
head, and covers her eyes. "But medical school has just become real
important to me."
"You gotta understand somethin. You see, I'm a martial artist. One
of the best in the world, probably, and honor's important to me. When
I make a promise, I keep it, no matter what. You see, just recently,
I ... lost ... my finance, because just being one of the best martial
artists wasn't good enough. If I had been a doctor, too, I coulda
maybe saved her, revived her or somethin. Now, I owe her and her
family a debt of honor. I need to be able to save lives, not just
hurt 'em. And whatever it takes, that's what I'm gonna do, even if it
means being a guinea pig like this."
Silence reigns for a few moments across the room. The doctors present
are obviously impressed with the sincerity and emotion in Ranma's
statement. A few of the more senior exchange looks. Finally, the
dean of the school leans forward and speaks.
"I think that, in this instance, with the opportunity to study your so
called 'curse' in action, and if your grades are acceptable that we
can overlook any irregularities." He pauses a moment, and then
continues. "Saotome-san, you may not know this, but about why you
want to do this, well, that's the reason why all the best doctors
enter our field. To save lives. With that motivation, that strongly,
you'll do well."
Nabiki and Ranma exchange satisfied glances. "That's great. Uh,
listen, can I change back now ? In front of the camera, of course."
A quick gale of laughter and smiles sweeps the room at the release of
tension.
*** Authors notes
Thanks to those of you who commented. Seeing that I had some, um,
mixed reactions to including the full story outline, I've removed it.
Included instead is a revised first chapter with a few more scenes,
and I've developed the next scenes here in chapter two.
"Okay Ranma", Nabiki has her best business face on, as she sits cross
legged on her bed, tapping a pencil against her teeth and looking at a
notebook. A still lifeless looking Ranma sits on the edge of her desk
chair. "Here's the program. To start with, since you haven't been
able to do this for yourself, I'm going to have to straighten your
life out. We have to deal with all the other finances and enemies.
You won't be able to get much studying done if your life remains that
hectic."
"Somehow, I have to get your sorry perverted behind into a medical
school, despite your lack of scholastic achievement to date. I think
this will be the first thing we'll do. We'll try Nihon University,
Osaka University, Nippon Medical School, and Omiya."
"Um, Nabiki, how do you plan to do this ? I mean, I still have a year
of high school left, and my grades aren't exactly the greatest."
Nabiki turns her most predatory smile on Ranma. "Oh, that's easy.
Most academic doctors would fall all over themselves for the
opportunity to study your curse, yes ? Especially if we let them know
that their competition in the other colleges is jumping at the chance
to publish a case study on you. Letting a questionable student into
their program is a small price to pay, and as to the questionable part
... umph" she breaks off with a grunt as she reaches for something
heavy on the other side of the bed.
"Ack !" Ranma sputters in indignation. "Study me ! Nabiki, you
know I don't wanna be poked and prodded by a buncha doctors ! Akane
already ... thought I was ... a freak" he trails off.
"Backing out on your promise already, Ranma ? Remember, you gave your
word of honor. And here's how we deal with the questionable student
part."
A pile of textbooks promptly buries a protesting Ranma, driving his
face into the floor. "Don't worry, I'll be helping you every day with
these. Besides, this way you'll be too busy to worry about being
depressed."
Much quieter, she mutters to herself "and so will I."
"Ite" is Ranma's only response, from somewhere underneath the pile.
***
"Tendo-san, please understand that we are very skeptical of your
claims, the videotape you sent non-withstanding. While our
technicians could not find any obvious evidence of tampering in it,
what it shows seems so fantastic as to be unbelievable. The only
reason we agreed to talk to you was because we could not disprove it
outright. "
"I understand Supinreru sensei. That's why we agreed to demonstrate
to you here. You have your own recording equipment set up, right ?
Where do you want Saotome-san to stand ?" Nabiki responds.
"If you would plase step onto this scale, and in front of the camera,
young man. Okay, now you said this, transformation, is activated with
cold water ?"
Ranma gives an embarrassed nod from his position in front of the
camera, clad only in a hospital robe. "Yah, just dump one of those
cups on me."
The expected transformation takes place, shocking the room full of
suit and labcoat clad researchers into immobility. Several cups of
coffee are dropped, causing one screech of surprise from the back when
a hot liquid lands in a sensitive spot. Ranma merely grimaces and
tightens her robe.
"I didn't believe it" mutters the first doctor. "Is this,
transformation, um, complete ?"
"Too complete if you ask me" grumbles Ranma. "And hands off."
"Ranma ..." Nabiki casts her a warning glance before turning back to
the assembled doctors. "It's complete as far as we have ever been
able to tell" Nabiki affirms. "Now then, you recall our terms. You
may only retain these records, and perform further studies, if you
accept both of us as students in this institute."
"But, well, you have been an exemplary student, Tendo-san, I suppose
that we would have no problem admitting you to our nursing program"
says the school administrator, still in some shock. "But I don't know
if we can let someone who has not even graduated from high school into
our program, much less someone who has demonstrated little motive to
succeed in academic pursuits."
"First, please let me point out that until now, due to his unique
lifestyle, Saotome-san has had little opportunity to pursue
academics." Nabiki pauses to take a breath.
"In my opinion, it speaks very well of him to be able to pass his
grade level at all, given that she had almost no regular schooling
until the age of 16. As for motivation, I should let Saotome-san
speak for herself. Ranma, if you please ?"
"Look, I ain't real good at speeches or nothin, so I'm gonna sound
stupider than I am" Ranma starts out. Nabiki just sighs, shakes her
head, and covers her eyes. "But medical school has just become real
important to me."
"You gotta understand somethin. You see, I'm a martial artist. One
of the best in the world, probably, and honor's important to me. When
I make a promise, I keep it, no matter what. You see, just recently,
I ... lost ... my finance, because just being one of the best martial
artists wasn't good enough. If I had been a doctor, too, I coulda
maybe saved her, revived her or somethin. Now, I owe her and her
family a debt of honor. I need to be able to save lives, not just
hurt 'em. And whatever it takes, that's what I'm gonna do, even if it
means being a guinea pig like this."
Silence reigns for a few moments across the room. The doctors present
are obviously impressed with the sincerity and emotion in Ranma's
statement. A few of the more senior exchange looks. Finally, the
dean of the school leans forward and speaks.
"I think that, in this instance, with the opportunity to study your so
called 'curse' in action, and if your grades are acceptable that we
can overlook any irregularities." He pauses a moment, and then
continues. "Saotome-san, you may not know this, but about why you
want to do this, well, that's the reason why all the best doctors
enter our field. To save lives. With that motivation, that strongly,
you'll do well."
Nabiki and Ranma exchange satisfied glances. "That's great. Uh,
listen, can I change back now ? In front of the camera, of course."
A quick gale of laughter and smiles sweeps the room at the release of
tension.
*** Authors notes
Thanks to those of you who commented. Seeing that I had some, um,
mixed reactions to including the full story outline, I've removed it.
Included instead is a revised first chapter with a few more scenes,
and I've developed the next scenes here in chapter two.