Unexpected
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Ego Trip: Sorry it took so long for the new chapter to write itself, my exams are coming up so I suspect my updates with be much fewer and less frequent. Sorry about that. Suddenly my story has taken a big twist into depression land, wonder how that happened. Anyway sorry to all you readers who find it much to odd for your tastes, the story was titled "Unexpected" so I suppose the plot should be unexpected. However, even I find that the story has digressed a lot from what I had in mind at the beginning so please forgive me. It's all getting more and more convoluted with more and more characters invading into the story. Well, no matter what, Thanks for continuing to read my story.
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is not mine…
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In Kazura's hospital room
Kazura was still sleeping, sedated. The only other person in the room was Fuji, sitting by the bed, watching Kazura's peaceful face. He had been shocked by Misaki's story, never had he expected Kazura to have such a sad past. She always seemed so cheerful and full of life that he found it hard to believe she had gone through so much. However, he could now understand why Kazura sometimes looked unbearably sad, when she thought no one was looking. He had caught her looking sad, flashes of vulnerability in her eyes, wistful smiles when she held her racquet and her uncertainty and hesitation when she had started playing tennis again. Often these were hidden once she sensed someone was looking at her, but it had started to bother him that she was hiding something from him. Now that the truth was out, he could almost feel the sorrow and pain she had had to carry on her shoulders all these years. He now realised that Kazura had been carrying her guilt with her all these time, that more than anything else, it was the guilt that drove her.
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In Kazura's mind
Again, she was back at the same open field where she, Leila and Bryanne had discussed their dreams for the future. But, this time, there were mists and fog surrounding her, obscuring the sunshine. A sense of urgency gripped her heart as she found herself wandering around, hopelessly lost. Where was everyone else? Where was Leila? Where was Bryanne?
"Looking for me?" said a heart wrenchingly familiar voice from behind her. Whirling around in fear and disbelief, the mists parted and there stood Bryanne, a few feet away from her, smiling and looking just as she had years ago.
When Kazura could only stare, little Bryanne continued," Hello Kazzie, I've missed you. Remember when we were here the last time? It seems like a lifetime ago when we were young and carefree. You've been worrying too much Kazzie, what's important is your health."
"…"
"Bye Kazzie, I'll be watching you."
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Kazura stirred on the bed.
The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Fuji's smile, full of warmth and concern. It was a welcomed sight after the dreams that had tormented her for so long. Feeling woolly-headed and disoriented, she asked," Where am I? What happened?"
Handing Kazura a glass of water, which she took gratefully, Fuji answered her while she sipped her water, trying to remember what had happened. "You had a panic attack last night and we found you this morning unconscious in your room. You almost gave us a heart attack when we found you lying on the floor unconscious. You're in the hospital now, the doctors want to keep you here for observation, but you're fine physically."
Noticing she was looking around, Fuji continued," Ryuzaki-sensei had to go back to school and she took Sakuno with her. I only have a few classes today that don't really require my attendance so I decided to stay here. Oh yes, your brother is here too, he went out to make phone calls a while ago."
"Oh fish, Miki's here too? I'm so screwed, he'll definitely tell Dad about this," Kazura said morosely, knowing full well the scolding she would get from her father for not taking care of herself.
"Don't worry about that, what's important is your health," replied Fuji.
"You sound like someone I know…" Kazura said wistfully as tears slid down her cheek involuntarily. Seeing Bryanne again and having that heart to heart talk with her had opened her eyes and she saw how everything had become more and more screwed up as she sank further and further into her own worries and guilt. She had made a pact with Bryanne, she would use her own strength and walk out of this herself. It had given her a sense of closure, knowing how Bryanne felt, being able to talk to her again and to express her innermost fears and secrets. She felt so much more liberated, almost as if she had shed the burden she had been carrying around for years. 'Thanks Bryanne,' Kazura thought to herself.
Her tears evoked in Fuji the need to protect, to guard over her and make sure she didn't get hurt ever again. Pulling her into his arms, he could only comfort her as she cried into his warm embrace. Knowing that words would be useless now, Fuji could only use his actions to soothe her pain and heal her wounds.
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Outside in the parking lots
* Screech * the sound of tires burning rubber broke the peaceful surroundings of the Tokido General Hospital.
Haphazardly braking and parking in an empty lot, both passenger and driver jumped out and went into the hospital with an almost tangible sense of urgency.
"Room 410… that way. Hurry Leila!" Tony urged, his worry growing as they drew nearer to Kazura's room. What could possibly have happened that she was warded into the hospital? He could only think of one reason and he didn't like it.
"Here it is, Room 410, K. Takezato," Leila read off the sign on the door. Filled with worry, she pushed open the door and burst into the room, expecting the worst. What she saw was Kazura asleep in the arms of a handsome brunette, or maybe it would be better to describe him as beautiful. Feeling as if she had interrupted something, Leila's reflex action was to mumble sorry and back out of the room. However, she had forgotten that Tony was behind her and he was less inclined to back away from such a sight.
Noticing the new arrivals, Fuji carefully extracted himself from the sleeping Kazura and gently tucked her in again. After her crying bout, she had become so tired she had gone back to sleep in his arms and he hadn't had the heart or the wish to let go of her. But who were these people who had just burst into the room?
Noting Tony's murderous look, Leila hurriedly went up to the brunette to introduce herself before her brother tried to kill him. "Hello, I'm Leila Servaro and this is my brother, Tony. We're Kazzie's friends from New York, we just arrived in Japan and heard Kazzie is in the hospital so we came over immediately," Leila said in perfect Japanese.
"I'm Fuji Syusuke. Kazura is sleeping now, but the doctors have declared her physically healthy, but mentally she's a little overwrought. She had a panic attack last night that rendered her unconscious. We found her this morning and sent her here immediately. She needs to stay here a while for observation, " Fuji explained softly, not wanting to disturb Kazura's rest.
Before anyone could say anything more, Misaki came into the room. "Whoa! What's this, a party? Who are…? Holy cow! Tony? Leila? What ware you 2 doing here?" he said, shocked to find Tony and Leila in Kazura's room.
Realising the small room was getting crowded, Fuji suggested," Maybe we should talk outside, Kazura just went back to sleep and I don't think we should disturb her."
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Back in Seishun Gakuen
"What do you mean Kazura's in the hospital? Why? What? How? When…?" exclaimed Eiji, unable to hide his shock.
During lunch, Ryuzaki-sensei had summoned the regulars to the teachers' lounge to inform them on Kazura's condition and to explain Fuji's absence from school. Varying degrees of shock and surprise was displayed on their faces; even Tezuka looked surprised by the news.
"Sensei, I was just with her yesterday, she seemed fine. What exactly is wrong with Kazura," asked Tezuka, slightly puzzled by the quick change in circumstances. When he had parted ways with Kazura yesterday after returning from Hyotei, she had seemed more subdued than usual, but still fine. This sudden news that she was in the hospital had him reeling slightly.
"Kazura had a severe panic attack that rendered her unconscious, when we found her this morning, we immediately sent her to the hospital. She is fine now, but will be staying there for observation. Fuji is staying with her now, so Eiji you'll have to take notes for Fuji since you're in his class," Ryuzaki-sensei explained.
"Why does Fuji get to stay with her? I want to go too," wailed Eiji.
"Calm down Eiji, Kazura doesn't need all of us there to disturb her now, she needs rest, but sensei, can we go visit her after school?" asked Oishi whose concern for anyone on the team was legendary.
"Yeah I want to go visit her as well, must be lonely in a hospital, I think we should go keep her company," said Momoshiro.
"She already has Fuji-senpai, why would she need you?" deadpanned Ryoma.
"Why you little brat…" as the usual tussle between the 2 ensued.
Ignoring the 2 fighting students, Ryuzaki-sensei replied," Of course you can visit her, just take care not to disturb her if she's resting and don't agitate her too much, we don't want her to have another panic attack."
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Outside Room 410
"What in the world are the 2 of you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Milan, Paris, New York or just anywhere but here? How in the world did you even find out about Kazzie so quickly?" Misaki asked bewilderedly.
"Well, hello to you too Miki," Leila said dryly, at Misaki's lack of a proper greeting.
"We got Kazzie's email telling us she wasn't going back to New York anytime soon, so we decided to come over to check things out. Lo and behold, we find her in the hospital. You've got some explaining to do Miki," Tony interrupted impatiently.
"Oh I get it now, you tracked her using that GPS thing didn't you. Ha, she's going to be so mad at you! You know she hates it when you use it on her," Misaki replied, completely missing the point.
Groaning inwardly, Tony fixed a stony glare on Misaki until the younger boy finally realised he still needed to explain the entire situation. "Well, it's a long story, last night…"
As Misaki related the entire story to Tony and Leila, Fuji was watching them intently. There was something very familiar about those two, but for the life of him, he couldn't seem to place their faces and even though their names sounded a little familiar. He wondered if they were famous people, from the way they looked, dresses, spoke and acted, he could tell they weren't just normal people. Also from what he'd gathered from Misaki's story about Kazura's past, he knew they were very close friends with Kazura. Somehow, it bugged him just a little that no matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't remember where he'd seen them before.
"… and that's what happened," concluded Misaki. Silence prevailed over them for a moment as the both of them digested what Misaki had just told them.
"I can't believe this is happening again. Damn it, we should never have let her come to Japan alone," Tony ranted, casting accusing looks at Misaki, as if blaming him for Kazzie's condition.
"Tony, calm down, it's nobody's fault ok, things happen that no one can possibly predict. I'm sure Kazzie didn't expect this to happen. Anyway, now the most important thing is to ensure Kazzie's health. This is a ticking time bomb, we have to end it now, if not she'll forever live in shadows. Kazzie needs to find closure and we're all going to help her," Leila said commandingly, exuding a regal air that demanded obedience.
"Sure, easier said than done Leila, I can't stay with her all the time, I've still got to go to school and I can't watch over her 24/7. We've got to remain where we are, that was the deal with my dad. Besides, even if I want to, Kazzie will never agree to break the terms of the wager," Misaki said defeatedly.
"That's where we come in, we'll take care of her. She can come live with us and we'll watch over her," Leila suggested.
"No way! I'm not going anywhere," said Kazura from the doorway of her room. She was still looking groggy and slightly disoriented, but her eyes were looking sharper, more focused and clearer.
Fuji, who was nearest to her, went over to her, in case she needed any help. Waving him away gently, Kazura walked up to both Leila and Tony and repeated," I'm not going anywhere and that's final." Even in her pale green hospital gown and disheveled appearance, she exuded the same regal air as Leila had before, her tone allowing no argument.
"Kazzie, what are you doing? You should get back into bed," Tony said, moving as if to help her back into the room.
(A/N Italics mean a switch in language)
"I'm not a kid anymore Tony, you don't have to treat me like one," Kazura said softly, switching to Italian so only Tony and Leila understood her.
"Well, I'll stop treating you like one when you stop acting like one! When are you going to learn that your actions affect others beside yourself? You can't keep everything bottled up till you crack and expect us not to worry!" Tony retorted, his voice escalating in anger and frustration, drawing reproachful glances from the nearby nurses.
"Tony, don't…" said Leila, placing a restraining hand on her brother. She could understand why the both of them were acting this way and it grated on her nerves that they were both too stubborn to take a step back and look at the situation before saying things they'd end up regretting.
"Well you're just going to have to trust me when I say I'm going to work on this by myself and that I'm going to be fine. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but I'm going to be fine and I'm going to work things out alone. So just quit treating me like some invalid. I know you have my interests at heart but this is something I have to do myself," Kazura said with conviction and determination.
Seeing her resolve, Tony could only give way and with a slight inclination of his head, he warned," Whatever, but if something like this happens again…"
Breaking into a radiant smile, Kazura replied confidently," It won't, I've made my peace with Bryanne."
Misaki and Fuji could only understand the last sentence as neither could understand Italian. Slightly bewildered, Misaki whispered softly to Fuji," What the hell does she mean by making peace with Bryanne?"
Having no answer for Misaki, he could only shrug. Sensing the difference in Kazura, Fuji knew things were going to be just fine.
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After school
Following the arrival of Tony and Leila, another noisy group of people descended upon Tokido General Hospital, with one goal in mind, Room 410.
Unsuspectingly, Kazura, Fuji, Tony and Leila were sprawled about in Room 410, playing Monopoly, something they had borrowed from the nurses. The peace and quiet of Tokido General Hospital will be disturbed once again, as the group pressed forward, closer and closer…
"Here it is, Room 410, K. Takezato. Ok Ryoma and Momo, quiet before you get us thrown out of the hospital," warned Oishi as he sheepishly sent apologetic looks at the nurses nearby who were looking very reproachful.
"But he started it," exclaimed an indignant Momo, grabbing Ryoma's head and boxing his years for getting them both into trouble.
"I did not! Let go of me…" argued Ryoma, struggling to get away from Momo's death grip.
"Twenty laps around the hospital grounds now!" ordered a very irritated Tezuka as Eiji sniggered in the background.
After the 2 of them left grudgingly to carry out their punishment, still arguing along the way, peace and quiet reigned upon them once more. Taking a deep breath, Tezuka pushed open the door leading to Kazura's room…
"Ha! Take that you evil hat. That's for building hotels all over. Now that I've got control of the railways and utilities… Muahahaha… (Cue evil laughter) Cough it up now," exclaimed Kazura excitedly.
"Damn it, you evil wheelbarrow. I have my revenge when you land on my hotels!" exclaimed the boy with golden brown hair, sitting across from her.
"Whatever, I'll bankrupt you even before I have to pay one cent," Kazura retorted, sticking out her tongue defiantly.
(A/N hat and wheelbarrow are the playing pieces in a Monopoly game. Others include ship, dog, thimble etc.)
Tezuka, Oishi, Eiji and Inui, who had all crowded into the doorway, could only stare at this sight before them. Where was the Kazura who had just suffered a major panic attack and needed hospitalisation? Where was the Kazura who needed rest and relaxation? Where was the Kazura who needed peace and quiet? Most importantly, who are those 2 foreigners?
Noticing their presence, Fuji got up from his spot on the bed and said," Oh, you're all here. Come in and shut the door, we might be disturbing the other patients outside."
As they walked into the room dazedly, Kazura jumped up from the bed and came over to them," Did you all come to visit me? Oh I'm so touched, but shouldn't you all be at practice, the regionals are in a few days. Don't think because I'm not there that you can all be lazy. Oh you brought me gifts! Ok you're forgiven." As she spoke so quickly, none of them had time to react before she took the fruit basket Oishi had been holding and gave them all a sunny grin.
Eiji being the first to recover, went forward and enveloped her in a bear hug, wailing away," You're alive! You're alive!"
After being hit on the head by Oishi for saying stupid things, it was Oishi's turn. "You've got us all worried so we weren't in the mood to train," he said teasingly.
"Sorry, it'll never happen again," Kazura said sheepishly, seeing the concern in his eyes.
"See that it doesn't," said Tezuka, trying to hide his relief at finding Kazura alive and kicking.
"Listening to him, you wouldn't believe that he was so worried he was the one to suggest we skip practice to come visit you," commented Inui from behind Tezuka with an evil grin plastered on his face. It's not often he could collect such valuable data concerning their stoic captain.
"Everyone wanted to come but Kaidoh had a meeting with his teachers and Taka had to go help in his Dad's shop, but both send their regards" explained Oishi as Kazura looked around for the others.
"Let me guess, Momo-senpai and Ryoma are either running laps in school or around the hospital grounds," Kazura said dryly, correctly predicting the fate of Momo and Ryoma.
"They made it as far as the door before our dear buchou finally exploded," said Eiji, sniggering away.
After they all had a laugh at poor Momo and Ryoma's expense, Kazura told them to just find a spot and settle down and invited them to join in the ongoing game of Monopoly.
At the mention of Monopoly, she finally remembered that she had yet to introduce Tony and Leila to them. After hasty introductions were made, they all settled around the bed to continue the game amidst much laughter and excitement.
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In the mean time
"It's all your fault we're running laps." * pant *
"It's your fault." * pant *
"As if, you started it." * pant *
"Oh just be quiet and run." * pant pant *
End of Chapter
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Hi there goes another chapter. Nothing much to say except still hoping that you'll like it. Please review and let me know what you think. I'm in the process of trying to tie the story back to the main POT characters so please bear with me. Thanks much.
