Title: Rekindled Passions
Chapter Six
Author: KissThis
Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything...except the plot, of course.
Summary: AU. Even after Usagi left her two years ago Haruka is still passionately in love with her. Will their relationship be rekindled when Usagi returns to Tokyo as a famous model?
A/N: Yikes I have so many stories...need Cappuccino!
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Fuck...my head hurts...
Usagi shifted beneath the crisp linen sheets.
Scratch that. My entire body hurts.
After she had established with herself the extent of her pain level, she began to notice other things. Like all the layers of blankets pulled up to her chin -- so many in fact that she was sweating profusely. She couldn't breathe properly through her nose and she figured it was most likely due to a tube-like contraption hooked onto it though she didn't know for sure because she was too afraid to open her eyes and be greeted by the harsh reality of it all.
The back of her hand itched terribly. Usagi reached over the mound of blankets to ease the irritation with her well-manicured nails, but stopped short. She fingered the small cylinder tube inquisitively and followed its path to where it disappeared beneath a patch of medical tape on the backside of her palm. Her mind was so groggy it took a minute to deduce that she was probably being injected with antibiotics of some sort.
But why?
The drugs that clouded her mind began to recede and she caught sight of something within the fog. As a hungry child would snatch a cookie, so did she pull the image out greedily. Turquoise filled her mind's eye and engulfed her totally. She remembered now. She remembered the coldness. Remembered the faces of her friends and loved ones. She remembered the frightening, blue waves crashing down on her...overpowering her...until it flooded her nose -- her throat -- her lungs...until she couldn't breathe...she remembered everything.
OH MY GOD!
Her own mental scream lanced through her mind and a white light burned painfully behind her eyelids. Usagi's eyes snapped open revealing pupils that were wide with fear. The black overpowered the blue until it was only a mere sliver around the edges. She would have sat bolt upright had it not been for the three pounds of blankets barricading her down. She struggled against the twisted pile of cloth frantically -- like a rabbit knowing its predator was near and trying to escape. She panicked, the room was suddenly closing in on her -- she couldn't breathe.
It was so real.
She had to get out of the bed or else it would drown her -- and she'd be trapped once again beneath those rolling crystal waves. She forced her tired legs to stir and they clumsily kicked back the smothering blankets until they slid off the sides and fell limply to the floor. The machines beside her were buzzing with energy. One beeped away her heartbeat in a steady monotone note. Crouched in the hospital bed her eyes darted around fearfully -- as wide as saucers. She could feel her heart racing.
The beeping accelerated.
Footsteps in the hall; increasing in speed, but Usagi only heard the thunder. It pounded in her skull and made her head rattle. Suddenly she was back in the water surrounded by darkness only penetrated by the frequent flashes of lightening lancing across the sky.
FLASH!
BOOM!
FLASH!
BOOM!
She screamed...
~--~
Su Fushiyama, the nurse working the late shift a Tokyo Medical Hospital, hurried into room 411. She glanced at the sign beside the door - TSUKINO, USAGI. She found the patient not to be in her bed, but clutching to one of the visitors that had fallen asleep. Su felt bad for the young woman. She wasn't the only one that had been caught out in the open during the flood, nor was she the only one to awaken delusional.
The girl's sobbing was beginning to wake the visitor. Su inched forward quietly and injected a sedative into the girl's arm before she had a chance to react. The young woman, Usagi, slid limply to the tile.
~--~
Haruka's eyes fluttered open to the sound of something heavy hitting the hard tile of the floor. She rubbed her navy eyes, still blurry from sleep, and tried to focus them on the object lying immobile at her feet.
Pale skin, pale hair, and a pale hospital gown...
...Usagi!
She slid from her chair immediately and hit her knees painfully against the mercilessly hard floor. But it meant nothing to her -- she didn't even feel it. She pulled Usagi's barely clothed body into her arms so suddenly the nurse kneeling beside her was startled and lost her balance.
"Koneko." She breathed the word against Usagi's ear as she pressed the younger woman to her. She was alive!
Usagi's mouth moved wordlessly as if something was preventing her from replying. She struggled in Haruka's arms; thrashing and flailing her arms about.
" 'Ruka? Is that you?" Her voice was rough and grating. It was nothing like the beautiful bell-like tones Haruka was accustomed to hearing.
Haruka rocked gently back and forth to comfort not only Usagi, but herself as well. It was disconcerting the way her ex-lover's eyes stared straight at her, but focused on nothing. Hollow cerulean...
"Yes, 'Neko. I'm here."
Usagi whimpered, "It's so dark. I--I can't see...I can't see you Haruka! I-I..." Haruka watched in shock as Usagi's frozen, ivory hands lifted up and fastened on her own throat. Blue veins snaked like rivers beneath the surface. Those hands tightened convulsively, "...can't breathe."
Haruka could barely hear the choked out words. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the nurse run to the bed and press a button, but she refused to turn her attention from Usagi.
The nurse was back.
"Pull her hands down -- she'll suffocate herself!"
Haruka numbly did as she was told. She peeled back the locked fingers and turned both hands palm upwards. "Usagi," She murmured before planting reassuring kisses in both cupped palms.
Hold on, Koneko. We'll make you better.
~--~
Usagi wasn't conscious long enough to see the team of medical staff swarm into her room. Her haunted eyes rolled into the back of her sockets and the last thing she saw was the nurse backing away from her -- an empty needle in her hand.
~--~
Fuck...my head hurts...
"Woah...déjà vu..." Usagi muttered. The sound of paper rustling piqued her curiosity and she rubbed her eyes sleepily before opening them. Distinctive, garnet eyes stared back at her.
"Setsuna..." She mumbled. "Can you get me some water? I can't even stand listening to my own raspy voice." Pushing herself into a sitting position she studied the serious face of her friend more closely.
"What's wrong, Setz? Did someone die or something?" She smiled weakly.
"It's not funny," Setsuna's eyes clouded over with worry and concern, "You almost did die."
Usagi's eyes danced, "On the contrary," She wheezed, "It's fatally funny."
"Usagi!" She exclaimed, "You became delusional."
Usagi wasn't listening to a word she said. She grabbed the cup of water herself and savored the cool feeling of the water trickling down her throat.
"I could die laughing,"
Setsuna stared at her, "Stop it." She whispered. "I almost lost you. WE almost lost you--"
"Come on, Setsuna. It's funny, ok?" Usagi's voice turned serious; "It has to be. It has to be funny. Otherwise, I'm gonna get depressed and bitter, and I don't want to."
Setsuna grabbed her hand. She looked ready to cry again. She buried her mocha face in the scratchy linen of Usagi's bed sheets, and Usagi stroked her long emerald tresses in slow, calming motions. "Hush now, I'm alright now." They remained there in peaceful silence and serenity for a time, as Usagi's eyes slowly swept over her surroundings.
Beside her bed was an end table overflowing with cards, gifts, and all other sorts of 'Get Well' paraphernalia. There were a few chairs for visitors that looked as if they had been moved all over the room in constantly changing positions. A wooden door off to the side led to a bathroom, most likely, and the door on the other side was propped open -- revealing the hustle and bustle of a highly frequented hospital in mid-day. The television hanging from the wall in front of her bed was oddly turned to face the wall upon which it was affixed, but Usagi didn't ponder the unusualness of it for long. The rustling of paper that had awoken her had been from a large stack of newspaper that Setsuna had been reading to pass the time.
"Where's Haruka?" She asked -- finally voicing the question that had been eating a hole inside of her since she had awoke.
Setsuna raised her head from the hollow of blankets she had created and wiped unseen moisture from her eyes. "She's been by your side ever since they brought you in. She's hardly been sleeping. You gave us both such a fright. I finally sent her out to get something to eat at the cafeteria. I didn't know you'd be waking up."
Usagi chuckled, "That's always the story."
Setsuna held Usagi's pale hand to her cheek, "She'll be here soon. I'm here. I will do anything that you want me to do."
"Right now...I want you, my best friend in the whole galaxy, to get in bed with me and tell me all about this cute girlfriend of yours and make me forget everything that happened."
Setsuna nodded and got shakily to her feet. Usagi slid to one side of the bed beneath the covers and Setsuna slowly climbed on and lay down beside her. Usagi wrapped her arms about the older woman as she laid her head down upon her stomach -- emerald tresses splayed out in all directions.
"Come here. Yeah. It's ok." Usagi soothed, "Now tell."
Setsuna wrapped an arm gently over Usagi's waist and nuzzled her head into the thin folds of Usagi's hospital gown. Usagi could hear the ragged breathing of her "sister" as she tried to hold back the tears. When she spoke her voice was soft and thin with stress and emotional strain.
"Her name's Minako."
Usagi smiled and started to stroke her hair again, "Mm...I like Minako."
Setsuna sniffed and curled her fingers about a handful of Usagi's gown, "She's an actress..."
"Hmm...we can work on that."
Usagi felt Setsuna smile against her abdomen. "How does she make you feel?"
"Loved," Setsuna sighed, "Warm, special. I feel it all the way to the tips of my fingers. It keeps me warm at night -- it makes me feel safe, always."
Usagi smiled slowly and knowingly, "I like her already."
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Read & Review!
A/N 2: Ok, personally I thought the scene between Usagi and Setsuna was sweet, but there are probably you sickos out there thinking that there was something sexual, or whatnot about it. No, no, no, no, NO!
Usagi is with Haruka, Setsuna is with Minako!
It was an emotionally difficult time and Usagi and Setsuna are practically sisters.
So if you flame about it, I'm just gonna call you retarded -- because I even put an extra Author's Note just for you sort of people.
Spank you, and have a nice day!
KissThis