Seeking Solace
Hope is in Sight

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The Sohma household was eerily silent, and there was a ring at the doorbell. Shigure continued working at his computer, assuming that either Yuki or Kyou would get the door. The doorbell rang again, this time twice in a row.

"Yuki! Kyou!" Shigure whined. When the doorbell again rang, and he gave up waiting. He ran to the door. "Coming, coming!"

"Ha-san!" Shigure greeted the doctor who was standing at the door. "What a wonderful surprise. Taking time out of your busy schedule to visit little ol' me, How thoughtful!"

"Hai." The doctor nodded in reply. "Er....shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Well, I can be there if you want to be." Shigure grinned.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary." Hatori's expression remained consistent.

"Ah, Ha-san, you're no fun." He pouted.

"You're awfully chipper for someone who supposedly has a temperature of 104 degrees."

"Wow, that's a pretty intense temperature. Who was the little liar who called you here?"

"Yuki." Hatori could see that both Yuki and Kyou had walked into the room behind Shigure's back.

Shigure was surprised. "Yuki? Really? You sure it wasn't Kyou?"

"Hey! What's the meaning behind that remark, Shigure?!" Kyou made his presence known to the dog.

Shigure turned around. "Kyou! Yuki! How nice of you to join us!"

"Why do you say stuff like that?!"

Shigure held up his index finger. "One, squabbles make bland everyday life more interesting. Two, it's true that Yuki isn't usually the one to pull pranks. Three-"

Kyou could no longer hold himself back, and readied himself for attack. He mentally lined his fist with Shigure's cheek. Shigure knew he had gone too far, so he stepped back, causing Kyou to hurl himself forward into the coat hook by the door. He ended up tangled in a pile of old jackets.

Hatori sighed and shook his head at the scene which took place before him. "Stop this. I've got things to do today."

"Hai."

"Hai."

"Hai."

"Here, I'll take your coat, and we can go discuss things in the kitchen over tea." Yuki took his coat and draped it over Kyou's head. He was still trying to disentangle himself from the other jackets.

"Really, Yuki, what the hell did I do to deserve this?!"

"You're the cat," he replied cooly, and joined Hatori and Shigure in the kitchen.

Kyou grumbled and headed to the roof to cool off.

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Hatori, Shigure and Yuki kneeled at the kitchen table, sipping tea as Yuki told them all of the details about Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima's memories of the Sohma's.

"So something must have gone wrong." Yuki explained to his older cousins. "I've never heard of any of your patients regaining lost memories."

"No. Never has there been recorded evidence of a person regaining the memories that I locked away." Hatori insisted calmly.

"But Saki and-"

"Never once." Hatori interrupted harshly.

"Hatori! Think logically! Something must have been different for this to happen."

"It was indeed different." Hatori agreed. "But no, they did not regain lost memories."

Yuki couldn't hide his frustration. Shigure spoke, breaking the pause in the discussion. "Ha-san...does this mean that you didn't...you didn't erase their memories at all?"

Hatori took a deep sip of his tea. "That's right."

Yuki's eyes grew large. "What? Why? If Akito knew..."

"He won't know." Hatori set his cup down lightly, careful not to spill any of the warm liquid.

Yuki stared at the doctor sitting across from him. His long bangs covered half of his face, hiding any emotions which it bore. Looking at Hatori to try to learn what he was thinking was always hard to do. He was clouded by mystery. Hatori, the one Akito trusted with his life, would be the one to betray him. Who would have thought.

"Why, you want to know? I did this for Tohru. To give her a chance." Hatori said.

The mood was much to heavy for Shigure's likings. "Ha-san, you sure like your women young, eh?" His attempt did nothing to lighten the atmosphere of the room.

"Shigure." Hatori's voice sounded weary. Even so, he continued. "This is to give Tohru a chance at her memories. Kana's memories are forever sealed inside her mind. They will never be unearthed. There is no one who can rekindle the memories for her, she has no chance." He stopped talking, but Yuki waited patiently for him to regain composure. "So, over time, Saki and Arisa may be able to help Tohru remember."

"This means Tohru can remember all of the times that she spent with us?" Yuki's voice was hopeful.

"Ideally, yes. But Yuki, before you get too excited..."

"Yes...?" Yuki's smile faded. He didn't like the tone of voice Hatori was using.

"There is a chance that if the lost information is rediscovered too quickly, it may be too much for her."

"Nothing horrible can happen to her...will it?" Yuki didn't want to gamble with Tohru's life, she was too important to him. If she would not remember them, so be it, as long as she would be safe.

"It's all speculation, Yuki, so nothing is for sure. The emotional stress may cause physical weakness."

"We are a risk to Tohru's life, for her to remember us is for her to have pain..."

"Yes.... I had the idea of leaving memories in Saki and Arisa previously, but I didn't plan on going through with it. But once they were both in my office, I couldn't take Tohru's chance to regain her memories away. So I merely erased their knowledge of them ever being at my office."

"You didn't do that for Kana? Even if no one else would remember, you could always be the one to remind her. As long as you are alive, there is always a chance for Kana."

"I want her to have a perfect life, I wouldn't want her to remember her pain. She couldn't have that if I were with her. Kana had a wonderful life to fall back on. Tohru-san, she had many troubles before, she lived alone with her beloved mother to guide her. She needs us, and we need her. It cannot be us to help her, we are forbidden. But who said we cannot help someone who can?"

"We do need her...probably more than she needs us." Yuki said glumly.

Worry showed on Hatori's face. "Do you think it was selfish of me?"

"No. You understand Tohru, I can tell. I know she would have wanted this."








*
'Please, if I do have to lose my memories, promise me that you will become my friend again, okay?'

'I promise, Honda-san.'
*

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Author Notes:
Fourth chapter; Uploaded April 30th 2003.
I uploaded two chapters in one day, go me! XD Chapters 3 and 4 were actually intended to be one chapter, but it seemed too long in comparison to the first two chapters, so I split it. I was a little mean to Kyou in this chapter. Poor Kyou, I'm sorry Kyou-pookins! *huggles him* I still love him, hehe. I was trying to add humour in this chapter, but I'm not a humour writer, so I have no idea how I did. =/
I do not own the rights to any of the characters mentioned in this fan fiction.

Language Translations:
Hai - Yes