Battered And Bruised, Chpt.3

Hi All! Well now for Chapter 3. Thanks for all who's reviewed! I LOVE reviews, they really make my day...hint hint. Oh by the way, I've been out of the whole anime loop for awhile,...and the only reason I started writing this story is cuz I kinda got grounded for coming home at 3 in the morning completely wasted. (Hey,...a gurls gotta have some fun). Anyways, I forgot what Molly, Lizzy and Andrew's japanese names are. Could some of you please tell me in a review?

THANKS! Well,...onward with the story!

**Chapt.1 and 2 have disclaimers, just read those!**

BTW...{AN:} = Author Notes.

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It's a little known fact that when you want time to go fast, it doesn't. Especially when you need it to for the sake of your sanity. It was only 18 minutes (and 35, no 36, 37 seconds according to Seiya) since the Tsukino's had entered the hospital and Dr. Mizuno had gone in to help with the rest of the medical staff to stabilize the girl's condition. However, to everyone who was sobbing and uncomfortably shifting in the waiting area, it had seemed like half a day.

Rei was staring at the clock on the wall. She wasn't really paying attention to the time, or ticking of seconds like the majority of the group. That's just where her eyes had seemed to fixate. Constantly she adjusted uncomfortably in her seat. 'What exactly happened to them? Why...? That Odango-atma {AN: Meatball Head}...' Rei let out a sigh. 'If Makoto hadn't already maimed the guy, I sure woulda liked to do it myself...Makoto, are you alright? Why do you always have to be such a damned hero?!' Rei felt her temperature rise slightly as she became enraged. 'You never lose a fight! Why did you have to now!? And you stupid Odango-atma! Why did you have to get ra-...' A tear trickled down her face, and she took a deep breathe and shakily let it out. 'Its not your fault. Thats never a persons fault.' Without actually thinking it,because that would be admitting it in some form,...she wished that the two girls would be alright.

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Minako had given Usagi's form to the Tsukino's to fill out what she had left blank. Mrs. Tsukino's eyes immediately filled up with tears as she looked over the form. Mr. Tsukino thanked the weeping child and proceeded to comfort his wife. Minako had then returned to her seat. She stared at the hall way they had taken her two friends and brought her knees to her chest where she hugged them and buried her face in her arms.

'Mako-chan,...Usa-chan...why?...Neither of you deserved this! Just get better okay? You're both strong. Get better...Get better...Get better...' Minako rocked gently back and forth chanting silently in her head. She refused to stop repeating it, as if breaking her train of thought would disrupt a link, and they would not recover.

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Ami had grabbed a pile of magazines that were scattered on the coffee table and had busied herself in reading absolutely every word on each page of each magazine. However, she couldn't recall a single thing she had read because her mind had constantly trailed off. 'I can't believe I wasn't there. Are they okay? What could possibly possess a person to do such a thing? And to such sweet people? I mean, I knew this sort of thing happened all the time, and the statistics are even doubled in such a big city, but I suppose I had created such a protective bubble around such things. After the Nega-verse and the youma's, I just forgot that there were other, very real, dangers that threatened us like every other normal person.' Ami sighed. 'I finished another page? I don't remember a thing. Oh Come on, Ami! Pay more attention to the articles. Time is going by too slowly for you to worry yourself to death. Mama,...please help them...'

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Taiki and Yaten had their hands full trying to keep Seiya from further harassing the receptionist, that they hardly had time to worry themselves with their own thoughts. However, even though Seiya was constantly trying to break free from Taiki and Yatens grasps, his mind was racing with worries. 'How dare he! How dare he lay one HAND on MY princess! If she,...if she...if she dies...I..I don't know what I'll do.' A tear escaped Seiya's eye and fell unnoticed, down his cheek. 'If EITHER of them die...' A sudden surge of new rage burst within him and he pushed Taiki down, and twirled out of Yatens clutches and darted to the receptionist, who had been eying him for some time now.

'Here he comes,...' She sighed.

"Um,...Excuse me miss..." Seiya began but was interrupted momentarily by the receptionist informing him of her name being Sara.

"Um,...sure...Sara,...how is she? where is she? when will we know how shes doing?! when can we see her!?" Seiya bombarded the poor young woman with questions she couldn't accurately answer.

"Please, calm down sir."

"Seiya."

"Seiya,...first of all. Who's she? There were two girls. Which one are you referring to exactly."

Seiya mentally reprimanded himself for forgetting about Makoto. "I meant, them. How are they?" He said in a calmer voice. Sara gave a slight smile for his change in temperament.

"To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how they are. I pretty much just answer phones, fill out forms, and do the boring, but necessary desk stuff." She felt a little guilty as Seiya's head slumped. "However, I can give you an estimate of when I think they'll be allowed to have visitors. I've been working here for four and a half years." She gave a brief smile as his face lit up a bit. "But it is just an estimate...I'm no doctor." Seiya nodded and gestured politely for her to proceed. "Well the one girl,...the brunette?"

"Makoto." Seiya interrupted.

"Makoto. She'll probably be allowed to have her family see her tonight. Other, non-related visitors might be able to see her the next afternoon."

Seiya slumped a bit. 'If we can't see Makoto in two days,...how long until we can see Usagi?'"She has no family." Seiya said softly. "They died in a car crash."{AN:I'm not really sure if Makoto's parents died in a car crash. I never see them, or anything and I remember reading something about her dodging orphanages and such, cuz her parents died. But that may have been a fanfiction that I read...or maybee wrote...-_-;; anyways,..they're dead in this story!}

"Oh,..." She said quietly. 'Now is probably not a good time to tell him that that will cause problems...god I hate the legal system sometimes.' She coughed to clear her throat a little and then continued, "The other girl, the blonde..."

"Usagi! Usagi Tsukino!" He said urgently. Sara jumped a bit at his attitude change, but realized it was just a strong concern for this girl.

"Sorry, Usagi. Well,...her condition is a little more...critical. And from the looks of it,...it looks like its not only her physical state that needs to be healed." Sara had been fixated on Seiya's hands that she hadn't noticed until that moment when she looked up, that a stream of tears were falling from his face. She winced. "I don't think she'll be allowed to see her family until tomorrow night. And then other visitors will probably be allowed to see her in 3, 4 days I suppose."

"Are you sure?...No exceptions?!" Sara shook her head. "I see." Seiya slowly turned around and started back for the waiting area. He stopped after a few steps and looked back at Sara and managed a hoarse, "Thank you." Sara smiled and gave an understanding nod. Seiya then rejoined his friends.

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Mamoru was in pretty bad shape. He cradled his face in his hands, and softly rocked himself back and forth. 'Usagi,...how come I couldn't feel you so strong this time? I should have known that you were in trouble. I should have sensed it as strong as I always do. I'm so sorry. My god, I'm so sorry. I should have known something was really wrong when I couldn't sleep. I shoulda looked for you. If Makoto wasn't there,...you could be...you could be...' A tear from his hand fell to the floor and his body racked with sobs. 'My Odango-atma, don't die on me. I promise, I'll never let anything bad happen to you again, just don't,...die...'

His thoughts were interrupted by a touch on his shoulder. He looked up and through his blurred vision, he could barely make out the familiar figure of Dr. Mizuno. He wiped his eyes, and stood up, waiting for her to give them some news.

"Doctor...?" Mamoru trailed off.

"Shhh...you of all people need to be strong for her." Doctor Mizuno whispered to Mamoru. In a brief moment she thought about how young Mamoru looked right then, like a small boy, crying as if he lost everything...but she pushed it from her mind to focus on telling the ten curious people, the news on their friends.

Dr. Mizuno took a deep breath, "Well first I'll talk about Makoto." Many anxious heads began to nod and many, with their harsh stares, tried to get the good doctor to quit stalling and talk. Dr. Mizuno sighed. "Makoto has been stabilized. She's still unconscious and I doubt she will wake up tonight. She has suffered some severe blows to the head, resulting in a concussion. There's also a hairline fracture to her skull, however I believe that she'll be lucky enough to pull through without any brain damage." She paused briefly for the sighs of relief and gasps to die down. "Her wrist was broken in four places, she has two broken ribs, and a torn ligament in her shoulder. She hasn't lost as much blood as,...or,...she won't need that much of a blood transfusion and isn't at a too dangerous level at blood loss. Other than that, its a bunch of cuts and bruises."

Minako had started crying a little louder and Ami threw a questioning glance at her mother. Dr. Mizuno knew exactly what it meant and answered before Ami could speak. "Makoto lives alone, doesn't she,...? I know her parents died, but I thought that she was living with that uncle..." Ami slowly shook her head. "Well then unfortunately theres a problem. She still has two years until she's 18 {AN: I know that there are two girls in the group who are one year older than the other. I know its Rei and I cant remeber the other one, but I think its Makoto. And I also don't know how old they are after the Sailor Stars series, b/c, alas, I've forgotten (heheh funny words...^-^;;) So for MY stories sake, Makoto and Rei are 16, Minako, Ami, and Usagi are 15, Mamoru can be,...19, and the Star Lights are 17. Okay? I hope thats close to the truth...}. They'll probably put her into an orphanage when she recovers..." Ami, Rei, and Minako all shook their heads in disapproval. "Well, I suppose we can arrange it so she can live with us or Rei at the temple if thats alright with her and her grandpa, okay Ames?"

Ami's face lit up a little and she forced a slight smile. Then She managed to mouth a slight 'thank you' to her mom who nodded reassuringly. Doctor Mizuno continued,..."As for Usagi..." Doctor Mizuno noticed Shingo grasping his mother's shirt. She turned to Ami and asked, "Ami dear, do you think that you could take Shingo to the vending machines down that hallway? I think we could all use a little snack." She pulled out a ten from her pocket and handed it to Ami, who reluctantly nodded her head and grabbed Shingo, who was half asleep, and extremely confused.

When the two were out of sight, Dr. Mizuno continued, "We've pretty much stabilized her. However, its still kind of touch and go. She's lost a lot of blood, and we are currently transfusing as much blood as we can. However, were short on her blood type and we only have a pint left of type O blood. We did put in a rush order for her blood type and we should have it in by tonight. Her body is also in a state of shock, which is due to the extreme temperature changes her body has undergone. She too has had a few blows to the head, resulting in a concussion. There are two stab wounds, one in the shoulder, and one in the hip, which has severed some of her intestine." Dr. Mizuno saw the terrified looks, "Oh dont worry, thats not a problem, we simply took out a few inches of the damaged intestine, yes thats perfectly safe, and stitched up the severed ends. They'll function as good as they always have. However, she's taken a few strong blows to the stomach that have caused a considerable amount of damage to her kidneys and bladder. Right now she is being wired with an apparatus that will aid her in the discretion of bodily waste. Her shoulder has been dislocated, one rib was broken, her forearm has been broken in three places, and three fingers were broken. An eye is swollen shut, her nose is broken, her lips been bitten,.." She stopped as she realized she was getting caught up in her own shock of Usagi's condition and was giving too many unnecessary details. "Ahem,..well,...yeah,...besides that,...cuts and bruises..."

Ilene Tsukino was wailing and leaning on her husband for support, who was sobbing gently. Mamoru's fists were clenched, and his eyes closed tight with tears trickling down his face and hitting the floor. Seiya was slumped on the ground, head tilted, mouth hanging open, and tears falling. He looked like a rag doll. Yaten stared at the doctor in disbelief. Taiki had walked over to Minako to comfort her, who was still rocking back and forth in her chair with her knees to her chest. Rei had stood by the window with her back turned. She was staring at the moon, thinking.

Finally Yaten spoke up, "When will w-we...be able to see them?"

Doctor Mizuno shook her head, "Not today. Makoto is in an odd situation right now with no family that I have to get cleared up before she can have visitors, but I think you'll be able to see her before you can see Usagi. As for Usagi, not only does she have to undergo major therapy and treatment for her physical harm, we'll need to get her to talk to some counselors and the police before anyone can see her. I don't think she'll be allowed to have family visitors until Tomorrow in the afternoon I suppose. And as for friend visitors...it may be awhile." Doctor Mizuno looked around at all the broken hearted faces (and bobbing heads of hair) and then walked to the Tsukino's and whispered, "I've got some good news and some bad news. Good news, she's not expecting. However, I'd like to talk to you in private about the bad news. But not now." Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino gave slight nods and Dr. Mizuno turned around and walked towards the hallway they took their two friends through.

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Well Thats it for Chapter three! A bit of a cliffhanger toO! Well maybe NOW I'll get more reviews! =). *stares at the button below this page...looks through the computer screen* PUSH IT DAMN IT AND REVIEW! *huff puff* *blink blink* hehehe,...please? Flames are welcomed...I can use them to light my new candles =) Thanks everybody!

-SR