Broken Hearts, Mended Souls
By
Nuclear Twinkie
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Disclaimer: In all seriousness, all rights to Ranma1/2 and its characters go to Rumiko Takahashi. In all silliness... This is worse than asking Mikado. Hey, Mr. Kuno! Could you help with the disclaimer? "Aloha mister fanfic writer! I would be most happy to help all the keiki learn the disclaimer. Listen up keiki! Anyone who says these charcters are belonging to them and not Miss Takahashi is a very bad keiki, and needs a buzz cut or bowl cut!" Yeah, right. Thanks Mr Kuno. "No problem. Hey, what's up wit' 'dat hair? You be needing a buzz cut!" What? Get away from me! HELP!!
{} = Character Thoughts
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"Mousse, I don't know what to say man. If you hadn't run off and called the police, Pops wouldn't have made it. Thanks, I owe you one."
Ranma is sitting in the waiting room of a hospital in Nerima. He is in a wheelchair with a large bandage around his right leg and another small one on his left arm. There are many people in the room. Shampoo and Ukyo are on one side of the room sitting on a bench. On another side of the room Akane and Kasumi are sitting on either side of their father, who has an unemotional, lifeless look on his face. Kasumi has a worried look on her face, while Akane is fighting back tears and has a small bandage on her lower jaw. Next to Kasumi is Nodoka. She is holding a long, cloth bundled object. She appears calm and in control, although a struggle to remain so is apparent. Next to her is Ranma addressing Mousse, who is standing in front of him.
"There is no need for thanks, Saotome. I am sure you would have done the same for me."
"Yeah, well if you ever need a favor Mousse, just let me know. By the way, how did you manage to call them anyway? Weren't you still a duck at the time?"
Mousse chuckles. "I lucked out there. It turns out the person who answered knew Morse code."
"Morse code? You know that?"
"Enough to say S.O.S. I think I got from a movie I saw once. Anyway, they were able to understand that and trace the call."
All conversation stopped as a doctor walked into the room. "Mrs. Saotome? Mrs. Saotome?"
Nodaka stood up and walked over to the doctor. Ranma also wheeled himself over. "Hey doc, is my pops going to be OK?"
The doctor looked down to Ranma. "Yes son, your father is going to be fine. In fact, he is awake although very weak."
"Can I talk to him? It's kind of important."
Nodoka puts a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Now Ranma, your father needs his rest right now. You can talk to him later."
Ranma turns to look at his mother. "I know he needs his rest, but I need to ask him something. It is important, and won't take very long."
Nodoka looks at her son momentarily, and then nods her head saying, "Very well, as long as it is all right with the doctor."
"It is OK, just remember not to excite him. He lost a lot of blood and will need several days to recover. Please follow me." The doctor leads Ranma down the hallway into a hospital room. Genma is lying on a bed being attended to by a nurse. Ranma momentarily stops when he sees his father. {There are so many wires and tubes going into him, and his skin is so pale. I have never seen Pops look so weak. I know Pops is stronger than this, although I'll never tell him that. I have got to ask him about that promise.}
Ranma wheels himself to the side of the bed. He looks up to the nurse. "Can I talk to my Pop for a minute?" The nurse looks at the doctor who nods, and then walks out of the room with the doctor.
"Pops? Hey Pops, are you awake?"
Genma turns his head to face Ranma and begins to speak quietly. "Yes Ranma, I am awake. Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine. The only reason I'm even in this stupid wheelchair is because the doctor said I had to. How are you doing?"
"I'll be fine. Something as small as a bullet won't put me down. Ranma, about that promise..."
Ranma sighs. "Yeah, I know. Look, this isn't easy for me to say, but I did promise I would do it. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet, but I wanted to ask you to not push us so hard. I know you think we belong together Pops, but we don't even know if we belong together. Just give us some time, would you?"
"I'll give you the time you need, Ranma. You may not always have been the most polite son in the world or shown me the proper respect, but you always seem to keep your promises. I'll lay off you two, and I'll try to keep Soun from bothering you as well."
Ranma looks a little stunned, but then stands up out of the wheelchair and starts to walk toward the door. He turns around to look at his father. "Thanks, Pops. Just get better soon. Mornings are going to be boring without having you around to beat up." Ranma realizes Genma has already fallen asleep. {Get better, Pops.} Ranma walks out of room and back towards the waiting room. {I need some time to think. I've go to get out of here.}
Ranma walks into the waiting and towards the elevator. Nodoka turns towards Ranma with a look of concern. "Ranma, is everything all right?"
He looks back long enough to say, "Yes Mom, everything is fine. Pops is asleep." Ranma walks over to the elevator just as it opens. Nabiki steps out just as Ranma is walking in. "Excuse me." Ranma walks into the elevator. He pushes a button and looks at everyone just as the doors close. They are all looking to him with concern and worry apparent on their faces. "Don't worry about me, I'll be OK."
After the doors close, Nabiki looks at everyone. "What just happened?"
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Soun leaves the hospital and spends the better part of the day walking around Nerima in an attempt to gather his thoughts. Towards the end of the day, Soun finds himself someplace that will be etched into his memory forever. He is once again in front of the tombstone of his dead wife.
Soun's crying lessens to a small whimper and wet cheeks. His eyes have become puffy and red from crying so hard. Looking right at the tombstone, he starts speaking sotto voce. "My dear loving wife. How I miss you. Not a day goes by that I do not forget you are gone. My love for you has always been strong, and will always be so. I m-miss y-y-ou so, s-so..." Soun breaks into another fit of crying and wailing. {I must be strong, for her above anyone else. I must be strong.}
Soun's crying subsides as he continues to talk to his wife. "Our daughters are almost all grown up. Kasumi has turned into a fine young woman and is sure to catch a man any day now. Maybe even that nice Doctor Tofu. Nabiki has such strong business sense. She is sure to be very successful in her life. Akane has become a good martial and will make an excellent heir to the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial
Arts, if the marriage ever happens."
Soun becomes even sadder, if that is possible, and the sound of desperation creeps into his voice. "Dear, I hope this idea of Saotome's works. Just leave them alone, simply because Ranma promised? Will that work? I wish I knew. I ceratinly hope it does."
Soun clears his throat, and stares determinedly at the gravestone. "Finally, they are safe. The children are finally free from that man, but not from the pain he unleashed on them. I-If only I had been strong enough to save you, then this... then he wouldn't have..." Soun starts to quietly cry. Not the wailing and bawling he usually does, but a soft, hushed crying in remembrance of the things that could have been. After a minute or two, he feels a hand placed on his shoulder.
"Dad..." says a quiet voice filled with love and some of that same pain. Soun looks up to see Akane staring down at him with tear filled eyes.
"Akane, I miss her so much. I see so much of her in you and your sisters. If only..." Soun can no longer cry. The pain is there, but there are no more tears. Akane kneels down next to her father to hugs him in loving condolence.
"I miss her too, Dad. I miss her so much."
Soun clears his throat and attempts to gain control as their hug ends. "What are you doing all the way out here Akane?"
"It's my turn to put fresh flowers on mother's grave." Akane holds up a small bouquet of colorful flowers. She slowly lays them below the marker and says to her father in the most soothing tone she can muster, "Come on, Dad. Let's go home." Soun slowly nods his head. He stands up, and without saying anything, puts an arm around his daughter as they start to walk home.
As they walk away, Akane looks over her shoulder at her mother's tombstone. {I miss you, mother.}
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Author's Notes: [UPDATED 12/01/02] End of the first story arc. Sorry it took me so long, I just suddenly was no longer inspired to write. I'll blame it on writer's block. Anyway, please e-mail me with opinions, criticisms, and suggestions. Please be constructive with all C&C. I don't mind being told what someone doesn't like, as long as they provide some direction to make it better. (ntwinkie@effectnet.com)
By
Nuclear Twinkie
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: In all seriousness, all rights to Ranma1/2 and its characters go to Rumiko Takahashi. In all silliness... This is worse than asking Mikado. Hey, Mr. Kuno! Could you help with the disclaimer? "Aloha mister fanfic writer! I would be most happy to help all the keiki learn the disclaimer. Listen up keiki! Anyone who says these charcters are belonging to them and not Miss Takahashi is a very bad keiki, and needs a buzz cut or bowl cut!" Yeah, right. Thanks Mr Kuno. "No problem. Hey, what's up wit' 'dat hair? You be needing a buzz cut!" What? Get away from me! HELP!!
{} = Character Thoughts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Mousse, I don't know what to say man. If you hadn't run off and called the police, Pops wouldn't have made it. Thanks, I owe you one."
Ranma is sitting in the waiting room of a hospital in Nerima. He is in a wheelchair with a large bandage around his right leg and another small one on his left arm. There are many people in the room. Shampoo and Ukyo are on one side of the room sitting on a bench. On another side of the room Akane and Kasumi are sitting on either side of their father, who has an unemotional, lifeless look on his face. Kasumi has a worried look on her face, while Akane is fighting back tears and has a small bandage on her lower jaw. Next to Kasumi is Nodoka. She is holding a long, cloth bundled object. She appears calm and in control, although a struggle to remain so is apparent. Next to her is Ranma addressing Mousse, who is standing in front of him.
"There is no need for thanks, Saotome. I am sure you would have done the same for me."
"Yeah, well if you ever need a favor Mousse, just let me know. By the way, how did you manage to call them anyway? Weren't you still a duck at the time?"
Mousse chuckles. "I lucked out there. It turns out the person who answered knew Morse code."
"Morse code? You know that?"
"Enough to say S.O.S. I think I got from a movie I saw once. Anyway, they were able to understand that and trace the call."
All conversation stopped as a doctor walked into the room. "Mrs. Saotome? Mrs. Saotome?"
Nodaka stood up and walked over to the doctor. Ranma also wheeled himself over. "Hey doc, is my pops going to be OK?"
The doctor looked down to Ranma. "Yes son, your father is going to be fine. In fact, he is awake although very weak."
"Can I talk to him? It's kind of important."
Nodoka puts a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Now Ranma, your father needs his rest right now. You can talk to him later."
Ranma turns to look at his mother. "I know he needs his rest, but I need to ask him something. It is important, and won't take very long."
Nodoka looks at her son momentarily, and then nods her head saying, "Very well, as long as it is all right with the doctor."
"It is OK, just remember not to excite him. He lost a lot of blood and will need several days to recover. Please follow me." The doctor leads Ranma down the hallway into a hospital room. Genma is lying on a bed being attended to by a nurse. Ranma momentarily stops when he sees his father. {There are so many wires and tubes going into him, and his skin is so pale. I have never seen Pops look so weak. I know Pops is stronger than this, although I'll never tell him that. I have got to ask him about that promise.}
Ranma wheels himself to the side of the bed. He looks up to the nurse. "Can I talk to my Pop for a minute?" The nurse looks at the doctor who nods, and then walks out of the room with the doctor.
"Pops? Hey Pops, are you awake?"
Genma turns his head to face Ranma and begins to speak quietly. "Yes Ranma, I am awake. Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine. The only reason I'm even in this stupid wheelchair is because the doctor said I had to. How are you doing?"
"I'll be fine. Something as small as a bullet won't put me down. Ranma, about that promise..."
Ranma sighs. "Yeah, I know. Look, this isn't easy for me to say, but I did promise I would do it. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet, but I wanted to ask you to not push us so hard. I know you think we belong together Pops, but we don't even know if we belong together. Just give us some time, would you?"
"I'll give you the time you need, Ranma. You may not always have been the most polite son in the world or shown me the proper respect, but you always seem to keep your promises. I'll lay off you two, and I'll try to keep Soun from bothering you as well."
Ranma looks a little stunned, but then stands up out of the wheelchair and starts to walk toward the door. He turns around to look at his father. "Thanks, Pops. Just get better soon. Mornings are going to be boring without having you around to beat up." Ranma realizes Genma has already fallen asleep. {Get better, Pops.} Ranma walks out of room and back towards the waiting room. {I need some time to think. I've go to get out of here.}
Ranma walks into the waiting and towards the elevator. Nodoka turns towards Ranma with a look of concern. "Ranma, is everything all right?"
He looks back long enough to say, "Yes Mom, everything is fine. Pops is asleep." Ranma walks over to the elevator just as it opens. Nabiki steps out just as Ranma is walking in. "Excuse me." Ranma walks into the elevator. He pushes a button and looks at everyone just as the doors close. They are all looking to him with concern and worry apparent on their faces. "Don't worry about me, I'll be OK."
After the doors close, Nabiki looks at everyone. "What just happened?"
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Soun leaves the hospital and spends the better part of the day walking around Nerima in an attempt to gather his thoughts. Towards the end of the day, Soun finds himself someplace that will be etched into his memory forever. He is once again in front of the tombstone of his dead wife.
Soun's crying lessens to a small whimper and wet cheeks. His eyes have become puffy and red from crying so hard. Looking right at the tombstone, he starts speaking sotto voce. "My dear loving wife. How I miss you. Not a day goes by that I do not forget you are gone. My love for you has always been strong, and will always be so. I m-miss y-y-ou so, s-so..." Soun breaks into another fit of crying and wailing. {I must be strong, for her above anyone else. I must be strong.}
Soun's crying subsides as he continues to talk to his wife. "Our daughters are almost all grown up. Kasumi has turned into a fine young woman and is sure to catch a man any day now. Maybe even that nice Doctor Tofu. Nabiki has such strong business sense. She is sure to be very successful in her life. Akane has become a good martial and will make an excellent heir to the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial
Arts, if the marriage ever happens."
Soun becomes even sadder, if that is possible, and the sound of desperation creeps into his voice. "Dear, I hope this idea of Saotome's works. Just leave them alone, simply because Ranma promised? Will that work? I wish I knew. I ceratinly hope it does."
Soun clears his throat, and stares determinedly at the gravestone. "Finally, they are safe. The children are finally free from that man, but not from the pain he unleashed on them. I-If only I had been strong enough to save you, then this... then he wouldn't have..." Soun starts to quietly cry. Not the wailing and bawling he usually does, but a soft, hushed crying in remembrance of the things that could have been. After a minute or two, he feels a hand placed on his shoulder.
"Dad..." says a quiet voice filled with love and some of that same pain. Soun looks up to see Akane staring down at him with tear filled eyes.
"Akane, I miss her so much. I see so much of her in you and your sisters. If only..." Soun can no longer cry. The pain is there, but there are no more tears. Akane kneels down next to her father to hugs him in loving condolence.
"I miss her too, Dad. I miss her so much."
Soun clears his throat and attempts to gain control as their hug ends. "What are you doing all the way out here Akane?"
"It's my turn to put fresh flowers on mother's grave." Akane holds up a small bouquet of colorful flowers. She slowly lays them below the marker and says to her father in the most soothing tone she can muster, "Come on, Dad. Let's go home." Soun slowly nods his head. He stands up, and without saying anything, puts an arm around his daughter as they start to walk home.
As they walk away, Akane looks over her shoulder at her mother's tombstone. {I miss you, mother.}
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Author's Notes: [UPDATED 12/01/02] End of the first story arc. Sorry it took me so long, I just suddenly was no longer inspired to write. I'll blame it on writer's block. Anyway, please e-mail me with opinions, criticisms, and suggestions. Please be constructive with all C&C. I don't mind being told what someone doesn't like, as long as they provide some direction to make it better. (ntwinkie@effectnet.com)
