Chapter 11 – A New Dawn
Tofu appeared in the doorway and the whole family was on their feet. They stared, hope in their eyes at the man bringing the news.
Tofu cleared his throat,
"Nabiki's fine. We've had to stitch up her forehead and she's lost a lot of blood. We think that she may have concussion. But she's still asleep and we'll wait until she awakens to do a CT scan," he finished. Kuno turned away, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed his tears.
"And... Akane?" Ranma croaked.
"We have had to stitch up her back too. But there is something else. We think that her spine may have been slightly damaged. We'll get her though the usual tests as soon as she's awake," he watched them all sigh in relief.
"If her spine's injured, what will happen?" Ranma again asked.
"A range of bodily functions may be lost or impaired," Tofu met his eyes.
"Meaning?" Ranma's lips thinned.
"She may be paralyzed; her legs and lower trunk. I am giving you the worst options. Akane may as well come out of it with no great injuries but stitches," he added.
Ranma turned away as Kasumi hid her face in her father's shoulder, a sob rising in her throat. Soun held his daughter tightly in his arms. Tofu bowed his head to the family as Genma pulled his son in a hard embrace and Mousse gave Kuno a one-armed hug.
"When will we be able to see Akane?" Ranma again asked. His heart felt torn but he was so glad, glad that she was still with him. So fucking glad.
"You can visit both of them right now if you wish but just for a few minutes. I've used a few pressure points on them so that they may heal as fast and as much as they can while they're asleep.
Ranma and Kuno were the first ones out of the waiting room. Tofu gently opened the door to Nabiki's room and Soun and Kasumi went in. Kuno stopped the young doctor, a hand clutching his shirt.
"Can I stay with her?" He got a silent nod and nodded back in thanks.
He went in and his heart slowly clenched as he stared at the young woman lying so silently in the room. There was just an IV dripping in her arm and both her arms were bruised and scratched but she looked so peaceful. Kuno sat down on one side of the bed and his hand went to push back the soft brown hair. They had shaved a small part of her hair where the scalp had been stitched up and a huge bandage had been applied from her scalp to end just over her right eye. He caressed her cheek and his head dipped to kiss the warm cheek. He stared at this girl for a long long moment before taking her free hand in both his hands and lifting it to his lips.
"Nabiki, Nabiki," he whispered to her and in his eyes, Soun saw the love that had once been his for his wife. The so deep love that made you feel alive, made you fight, made you laugh and made you feel like there was nothing you could not do. It was a love that took over your life and made you feel happy to be alive every day of your life. And Soun squeezed the young man's shoulder. There was admiration, hope and respect in the squeeze.
Ranma, Mousse and Genma followed Tofu to Akane's room. Ranma bit back a sob when he saw her. Her arms had been bandaged and bandages ran around her torso and back. There was just her face that was unscratched. And Ranma looked at the woman he loved, lying there white and so small in that hospital bed and his fists clenched. Why? Why her? – the question had tormented him. But there had been no answer.
"I am staying with her," it was not a question like Kuno's but a statement.
Tofu again nodded. Genma and Mousse stayed with him for a few minutes and then went to see Nabiki and Kasumi and Soun came for a few minutes. Soun swallowed hard at the sight of his youngest daughter. She looked so gone – he had thought – and grief had clutched his gut despite Tofu's reassurance. Kasumi had laid a kiss on her sister's cheek and Soun had squeezed her hand and then they had left too.
Ranma's eyes never strayed from her face, the face he lifted his hand to touch so often, the face he caressed. He had brushed back her blue-black hair, so soft to his touch and he had moaned, "Oh Akane, come back to me," But she remained asleep. Soun went back home with Kasumi, Genma and Mousse. Kasumi had gone back home to make dinner then had visited again in the evening, giving both young men her quiet strength. They silently thanked her for it but neither looked away from the girl that they had been staring at for the past few hours. Both still hurt and yet both knew the relief that they had not lost the most important part of their lives, the most important part of themselves.
Kuno spent the night in a chair by Nabiki's bed, Ranma, in Akane's bed. He had gently settled his body on the edge of her bed, making sure not to disturb her and had fallen asleep with his face in her hair, her scent in his nose and going to his head. He had woken up every few hours to make sure that she was still by his side, still breathing, still alive. Touched her and felt the fear tormenting his soul die away slowly.
Nabiki awoke slowly, her whole body aching and groaned. Kuno was out of his chair and by her side the next instant.
Nabiki looked up into his worried eyes and slowly a smile curled up her lips. His hair was sticking everywhere, he had shadows under his eyes and his clothes were creased and disarrayed. He looked so totally unlike the Kuno she knew. And soft laughter drifted from her lips. And he smiled. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. It was the most beautiful moment of his life. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"Hi," he whispered softly.
"Hi," she whispered back.
And then his lips drifted on hers and he had never been happier in his life.
Akane woke up a few hours later. The Tendos, Genma and Mousse were with Nabiki when she awoke. Her eyes drifted open to stare into blue-grey ones. Ranma was still lying by her side, head propped up on one hand and staring at her.
"Hi there," his deep voice was husky.
"Hi," her voice was a croak.
"Don't move," he immediately prompted.
"I'm not going anywhere," she voiced out through a sore throat and her lips smiled for him, eyes twinkling. And suddenly he found it hard to breathe. His throat worked as he swallowed back the tears. And only one escaped and slowly slid down his cheek.
"Akane," the whisper was so soft and she lifted her head as he claimed her lips. Claimed them and made her his. Forever his. She knew it, she felt it and she never escaped, never protested, no longer denied. She was his just as he was hers.
The door opened gently and Tofu smiled at the two lost to the world, before closing it.
"Oh Akane, never ever frighten me like that again," he whispered against her lips. She stared at him silently, drowning in the love that shone from his eyes, the love that made her feel like her life would never be the same again. And she kissed him. Telling him the words that she could not say, the joy that he brought her.
They both had stars in their eyes when the family clambered in. Soun, Genma, Kasumi and Mousse proceeded to kiss her cheek and all had tears in their eyes but for Mousse who smiled softly at her before saying softly just for her, "I'm so glad to see you," with soft shining eyes.
Kuno came in, cradling his soft burden protectively against him.
A "Hi sis" followed his gentle "Hello Akane," from the blanket-wrapped bundle. Akane smiled at them both and never had she seen people more beautiful than her family right then. Ranma was still on her bed and behind him stood Mousse and Tofu and on the other side was Kasumi between Genma and Soun and at the foot of her bed was Nabiki, held like the world's greatest treasure in Kuno's arms. The latter had the most incredible smile on his face, something that resembled a lot the expression on Ranma's face. And she looked at her family and smiled at them. They stayed together for a long time, relieved to be together again, happy to be all there, hope in their eyes for the future, until Akane's eyelids drooped and she fell asleep, her face in Ranma's shoulder. Nabiki had already been sleeping in Kuno's arms for a long moment already as he sat at the foot of Akane's bed.
"We had best be going and let them rest," whispered Kasumi as she gazed at both her sisters. And the rest nodded. Kuno left to take Nabiki back to her room and Ranma said that he was staying here. The family went back home, in much higher spirits that they had been when they arrived.
Tofu woke Nabiki up for her scan and Kuno waited for her in her room. His breath left him in a whoosh when Nabiki returned with a smiling Tofu. He related the news to Kuno, "As I was telling Nabiki, I don't think that her brain's been damaged but only the scan will tell us and the next weeks to come will prove our deductions," he smiled in hope at Kuno who smiled back.
"No way!" the exclamation came from a smiling Nabiki. She gently tapped a finger against the side of her head and added, "I need those brains, there won't be any damage!" she asserted and both men smiled at the determination. She was still the same.
Then came the harder part for Tofu. He went to see Akane. He smiled at Ranma and her as he approached them both and said gently, "I am going to do some tests and see if everything's alright, Akane. If you feel any pain, just tell me ok," he was gentle as he tapped her limps with a small spatula-like tool.
"Each time you feel something, just nod to me," he smiled again in reassurance but couldn't evade the worry darkening the deep-brown eyes and blue-grey ones stuck on him. She nodded until he reached her legs. He scraped the sole of her feet and her eyes widened as she managed to croak out, "Doctor Tofu, I can't feel that." He nodded silently, eyes downcast from the searching blue-grey ones. He scraped up her calf but she did not nod, tapped on her knee and again no nod and moved up her thighs. And then it was over. She could feel her body down to her pelvic but her legs and feet were a dead weigh. Tofu looked up in the eyes he had known since she was a child and felt the love he had for her well up in his throat. So much love for a girl who had always been his little sister. And now seeing the desperation that started to cloud her eyes, he clamped down his teeth in determination.
"Wait Akane, I'm not done yet." He proceeded to check out her pressure points and when he next lifted his head, he was smiling gently.
"The paralysis of your legs is not permanent Akane," his smile was joyful this time.
"How long doctor Tofu?" her voice was small as if she was afraid to hope.
"We'll start rehabilitation in about two weeks. Your back will be healed then," he answered her and his eyes reassured her.
Akane's hand crushed Ranma but the latter did not even feel it. He was jubilating inside. Yes – he thought – yes!
"It will take from about then to six months for a change," Tofu continued to explain.
"But what if...?" her voice trailed away.
"There is no what if Akane." This time it was Ranma who answered her, his voice strong and determined. There was no hope but only deep assertion. And when she looked into his eyes, she believed him. She believed him completely.
"I'll get well. I get my legs back," she replied and Ranma went down to hug her gently.
"There is nothing we cannot do together Akane," he whispered in her ear.
And she believed him, believed him because of the faith in his eyes and the faith in his heart and Ranma smiled. Tofu stared at both of them and somewhere in his soul he admired them for what they were together. Yes – he thought – together, they were invincible.
Nabiki touched Kuno's hand and he looked up to her serious face questioningly, "What is it?"
"I want you to get the car to a garage and I want a mechanic to examine it. A professional mechanic," she added.
He frowned and asked,
"Why?"
"The brakes could not have been faulty Kuno. I had the car serviced two weeks ago and it was in an impeccable state," she stated.
"What the hell?" Kuno's fists clenched.
"Get me some paper and a pen," and he dashed out and returned a few minutes later with paper and pen.
"I want you to take the car there and have it examined," she jotted an address on the paper. "Tell them it's for me," she finished.
Ire and hate rose in Kuno, hate so deep that he had never felt quite anything like it. He hand fell softly on his.
"Hey, I'm alright now," her words were soft too.
"But you might not have been," he whispered back, tortured eyes staring at her.
And she did the only thing she could; she pulled him to her.
My Notes :
Thanks for the reviews ^_^
For those who think I'm being a little hard on Shampoo and Ukyo, well I don't think Shampoo would just have accepted her fate and backed down.
Neither would Ukyo. In the OAV "The One to Carry On", both Shampoo and Ukyo try to kill Akane while making as if they're helping her to train.
And I think that Ranma leaving them for her would indeed make things more serious. Much more serious, but it all depends on the point of view.
In this story, I guess things do get very much serious.
So, thanks for all the encouragement and the suggestions.
I've changed my pseudo from "Rhiannon" to "Emerieus"; tell you about the whys later.
Rhiannon / Emerieus.
P.S : For Shadow Knight : LOL !! I missed out on the Thursday update 'cause I was too busy and I was free Friday, so I kinda made up for it :o)
I hope "Thursdays" don't happen too often ^_~
