Disclaimer: Not mine
Drown
The next morning, Kitsune awoke to a throbbing headache, scratchy throat, tired muscles and hungry stomach. She grunted as she got up noticing that this hangover wasn't as bad as the others she had had. Normally, Kitsune wouldn't have been able to move.
Kitsune stumbled out of her room, still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. She bumped into Motoko who seemed to be on her way to her usual morning training session. However on seeing Kitsune's dilapidated appearance, she sighed, slung an arm around Kitsune and heaved her into the kitchen.
There she retrieved a glass of water for Kitsune. Firmly, Motoko placed it on the counter in front of Kitsune.
"Drink." She ordered. Kitsune nodded and gulped the water down greedily.
Shinobu entered a few minutes later. When she saw both Motoko and Kitsune there, she went to the kitchen and prepared a cup of ginger tea for Kitsune. Shinobu gently placed the healing liquid in front of Kitsune.
Once again, Kitsune nodded her thanks. She drank it slowly so as not to burn her tongue.
Soon everyone else had slowly filtered into the room. They all assessed the situation in their own ways. Some proclaimed it loudly, like Su, while others chose to be silent about it, like Naru.
A scene like this was regular.
.~.
Kitsune made her way downstairs, jumping the last two. Her hangover was over and she was feeling as good as new. Seta was even supposed to visit today.
She couldn't help the Cheshire Cat-like smile that spread across her face at the thought of Seta. It was just natural. Softly, she began to hum a tune to herself. Kitsune stepped outdoors and tried to decide what to do today.
Kitsune began to wander around. Unconsciously, she brought herself to her room. When she reached it, she realized where she had come. Even then, she continued on inside. There, she noticed her work lying on the table, forsaken.
Suddenly, Kitsune changed in her demeanor. Her smile dropped and her back straightened. Her glowing eyes became serious. Her right hand itched to wrap its lithe fingers around the pen. Konno Kitsune, the resident party girl, had just become Konno Mitsune, the free-lance writer.
Kitsune seated herself down in front of her work and surveyed what needed to be accomplished. There was a tape recorder idly lying near her left hand. She had been writing a transcript on her interview with the famous artist, Uchida Kusaburo*.
Kitsune quickly took up the tape recorder and began to write down whatever she heard.
.~.
It was three weeks later and Kitsune had just exited the headquarters of her occupation with a smile on her face. She had submitted her article and interview on Uchida Kusaburo and earned her pay. Kitsune had also lost around fifteen pounds in the last three weeks. How? She had no clue but she was happy nonetheless.
Then there was the money that made her happy. Looking down into her hand, Kitsune wondered what to do with the yen residing there.
Slowly, an idea formulated in her mind. Why not some real good booze to celebrate the event? It seemed like a good idea. After all, she had worked hard for this money and she hadn't had a drink in over a week! She'd been too tired. Why? She had no idea. But there was nothing like a few good drinks to help relieve that.
With that conviction set into her mind, Kitsune set off towards the nearest bar.
.~.
Kitsune stumbled up the stairs that led to the Hinata House. She continued to sing her off-key version of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". However, there was a problem. She was still exhausted. She never got that usual feeling of lightness or airiness. The feeling was heavier and.. . tired.
Sliding against the wall, Kitsune felt her way to her room, in the process making a racket. Everyone came out of his or her rooms, bleary eyed. Shaking her head, Kitsune lifted a heavy hand to wave them away. A very heavy hand.
A worried Naru came over to her side, ignoring the hand waving. Gently, Naru guided Kitsune into her room where Shinobu was frantically lying out her futon.
Together with Motoko, Naru redressed Kitsune into comfortable sleeping clothes and laid her down to rest.
.~.
'Noooo. . .' Kitsune groaned inwardly. The early morning light was striking her in the face. Lethargically, she tried to sit up. As she did this, she felt a sudden wave of nausea overtake her senses. Quickly, Kitsune's head shot to the side of her futon. There she emptied out her stomach.
Kitsune wiped her mouth and managed to lift herself to her feet. From there, she took unsteady, leaden footsteps into the downstairs quarters of the dormitory.
There she found all the other girls and Keitaro seated at the table eating their breakfast. Kitsune shuffled towards the table but stopped. She had no appetite. . .for anything.
"Kitsune! How are you feeling?" That was Naru.
"Like crap."
"Oh. . . well, why don't you have something to eat? It should make you feel better."
"I'm not hungry. In fact, I threw up everything upstairs near my futon. So I'll be sleeping on the couch."
"Kitsune," Kanako began "You've been sleeping for over twelve hours! I think you've had enough sleep."
Kitsune stared at Kanako. "What?" she managed in a feeble voice. "What time is it?"
"It's lunch time Kitsune."
Silence.
Kitsune stood for a few more moments before shaking her head and making her way towards the couch, mumbling something about getting piss-ass drunk.
The others watched with silent worry. Sarah was the first to speak.
"Is. . .is she all right? It's never been this bad? Has it?" Su, being serious for once, shook her head. "Nopey nope nope. Never this bad. And this very bad."
Everyone nodded in silent agreement.
.~.
"Go away!"
"Kitsune you've been sleeping for four hours! Get up! We're taking you to the doctors!" Kitsune cracked open an eyelid in annoyance. "Why?" she muttered.
"Because we're worried about you! Now get up! You still have to shower and get dressed!"
An hour later, Motoko, Naru, Shinobu and Kitsune were at Dr. Kaji's office in downtown Hinata. They were soon called in to meet with the doctor. There, she began interrogating Motoko, Naru and Shinobu on the fatigued Kitsune's condition.
"You say that she has been very. . . tired, lethargic today. Has she done any rigorous exercise lately?" There was a slight pause as the girls contemplated the question. Shinobu spoke up.
"Yesterday, she came drunk from a bar. We don't know how far away it was but that could be it."
"She was drunk?" The three nodded in unison. Kitsune groaned in the background.
"Is this the first time this has happened?"
"No." Naru answered. "She's been drinking ever since she was seventeen."
"And she's twenty-three now correct? A constant drinker? Alcoholic almost? I think I know what the problem might be." Dr. Kaji took a few quick steps towards Kitsune and placed her hands below Kitsune's breasts on the right side. There she slowly rotated her fingers.
She removed her fingers after circling twice. "I'll have to do a blood test." She pronounced. The doctor left the room. Shinobu anxiously looked at the others to see their reaction to this. Like her, they looked surprised. It was serious enough to warrant a blood test?
The doctor returned and quickly but cautiously performed the blood test. She left once again to send the sample away for testing. When she came back, she looked at the others gravely.
"I'm afraid it may be a very serious condition. Just give the blood tests around two days to come back and I'll let you know by calling, okay? Other than that, just let her rest and no alcohol whatsoever. Lots of fruits and vegetables. Just keep her healthy. No rich foods like cheesecake. Okay? That should be it. Let me know if any complications arise." Dr. Kaji ripped off the piece of paper she had been writing on and handed it to Motoko.
"Everything should be on there. Keep it handy. Well I'll call you in two days!"
With that, Naru, Motoko and Shinobu shouldered Kitsune out of there.
.~.
They reached the House relatively quickly. There everyone was informed of the situation. Everyone tried to help Kitsune with her exhaustion that day but nothing worked.
The lethargy began to abate a day or two later, giving Kitsune the energy to shuffle around and stay awake for more than three minutes.
It was on the third day since the appointment that Kitsune happened to be shuffling past the phone. The phone began to ring.(AN: of course)
Kitsune turned to look around for the others who could pick up the phone for her. No one was there. . . not even Tama-chan. With a sigh, Kitsune lifted here hand and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello." It was a female. "May I speak to Konno Mitsune? This is Dr. Kaji from the Downtown Hinata Hospital"
"Speaking." There was a slight pause.
"Ms. Konno, you do remember your visit to the doctor's, don't you?" Kitsune squinted as if trying to recollect the memory.
"Faintly. I think I was sleeping."
"Hmm. . . Well, I administered a blood test on you because your liver was enlarged. I also needed to check for any other problems that may have been the cause of your fatigue and exhaustion. However, what I suspected had happened to you was the cause of your tiredness."
"What you suspected? What did you suspect?" There was a slight pause as Kitsune heard the doctor take a sigh.
"Ms. Konno, you have contracted liver cirrhosis. In some cases it is fatal."
Kitsune squeaked. 'Fatal'? And she was diagnosed with it?
"Oh God. . ." she muttered. Kitsune felt a lump begin to form in her throat. She might die! "Thank you. . ." she managed. The doctor said a few more words and then hung up. But Kitsune didn't hear them.
Automatically she hung the phone back up. Then they began to fall. The crystalline tears of Konno Kitsune were sliding down her porcelain cheek.
She was going to die.
.~.
Thanks Mantis Man for giving me the inspiration to continue on with this story! Thank you so much! I wouldn't have continued without your support.
*Uchida Kusaburo is not mine. He belongs to Arthur Golden, author of the wonderful book Memoirs of a Geisha.
Thank you if you have been reading this. Not much ^.^ but my contribution to Fanfiction.net. I hope you do review…if anyone is reading this story at all….Well thank you!
I wonder if I'll get threatened with sporks because Kitsune might die? Anyways, if you have any suggestions whatsoever PLEASE give them to me! I need to know how to improve my writing!
Thanks!