Part 18: Development

January 2, 2004

            "You look really tired," Rex commented, settling back on the bench of Aloha Tower Marketplace, overlooking the water.

            "Really?" Misao blew out a breath. "Maybe it's everything that's been going on…"

            As soon as she got home from the hospital last night, she had called Rex to inform him about what happened.

            Currently, Aoshi and Okina were home. Okina offered to pick him up from the hospital that morning and suggested that Misao go out. So she had called her boyfriend, who immediately agreed to pick her up. No doubt Aoshi would ask questions when she got back, but she'd deal with that later. One of the things that had been really bothering her was that with all the drama…she hadn't really seen her boyfriend since she got back from Virginia. And lately, they'd talk a couple nights per week, but that was really it. "…Rex?"

            He was playing with the fingers of her right hand, touching each tip with his thumb. "Hmm?"

            "Have I been…too…busy to spend time with you? Since…the last time?"

            "Yeah," he answered honestly. "But that's okay. Your family needs you right now. It's cool."

            "If you're sure…"

            He squeezed her hand. "It's fine. Your dad just came home from the hospital. Your grandpa who only comes to visit twice a year is here. My mom would get mad at me if I had family from out of town visiting, and I wasn't hanging out with them."

            Misao sighed, settling back as she leaned against his shoulder. "All right." She made a face. "School starts on Monday. Sucks."

            "Tell me about it. I got midterms in two weeks."

            "You, too, huh?"

            "You doing anything this weekend?"

            She looked up at him. "Other than helping Aoshi remember the last three years and stop Jiya from chasing women? No."

            He did that smile that always made her feel better. "Let's go surfing this weekend."

            "Sounds good…"

~

            "I would recommend that you start seeing Dr. Fields," Megumi spoke into her office phone. "She's a wonderful obstetrician. She's been here for quite some time…most of the Navy wives know her and adore her…Actually, the next time you come in, I'd like you to meet her. I can make the introductions…Sound good? All right, I'll see you in two weeks. Bye."

            Megumi hung up her phone, and went back to reviewing the patient information for her next checkup. Immediately after New Year's Day, she had gone back to work. Routine as usual. Not that she didn't enjoy what she did. But it seemed strange…as if…yesterday's disaster hadn't happened.

            Parts of Waikiki had been destroyed. Hotels, beaches, and some marinas. It would take a long time to rebuild. Already the city was working on cleanup that would probably go well into the weekend.

            The phone rang again.

            "Dr. Takani's office."

            "Megumi, it's Kaoru."

            "Hi."

            "I feel so stupid…" Kaoru admitted, and Megumi could visualize her shaking her head. What could be wrong? Kaoru wouldn't call her to say something like that if it was small and insignificant…"After the whole evacuation incident, I didn't bother to check any phone messages on our machine until just now…"

            Where was this going? "Kaoru, what-?"

            "Sanosuke's in the hospital," Kaoru cut her off.

            That stopped Megumi's thought process. She sagged in her seat. "What??"

            "I'm serious! I don't know what's happened! He hasn't been back since! Is there a way you can find out or…"

            Something clicked in Megumi's brain. "Give me a couple minutes and I'll call you back."

            Megumi set the phone down and took a deep breath. So much had happened yesterday…Aoshi's memory lapse…and now…Sano?

            She began to access the patient database for the hospital. Megumi scrolled down, covering her surprised gasp when she came across Sanosuke's name.

            Fumbling for the phone, she quickly dialed Kaoru's number.

            "Hello?"

            "Kaoru, it's me. Sano's in a coma."

            It had taken all of Megumi's concentration to finish her work day. She kept wondering what had happened. It all seemed like a bad dream. Just a nightmare that one couldn't wake up from. If her colleagues noticed the change in her mood, they said nothing. But she visited each patient, blocking from her mind the questions about Sano's condition. 

            So when she had reached Sano's floor, all the energy she'd had for the day drained out of her. Perhaps it was her surroundings. The eerie silence in respect for the patients. The hissing and beeping of machines. Or the somber nurses who looked as if all vitality had been sapped from them.

            Megumi shivered slightly. She never thought she'd be in that particular care unit again…not for a long time. The last time she had been there…was to see a man who was slowly placing himself in her future. Although she hadn't known it at the time. Now, she was there to see a man from her past.

            Megumi entered the still hospital room, her breath lodged in her throat. The machines still worked quietly, monitoring patient vital signs. Curtains served as partitions, preventing passersby from seeing the patients. She made her way to the bed closest to the window, biting her lip at the sight of Sanosuke lying in bed, pale, and lifeless.

            She settled in the chair beside the bed, noting the various tubes and machines around him. Reaching out, she gently brushed his forehead with her fingertips.

            "What happened, Sano?"

            It had been her medical training that taught her that comatose patients could often hear when loved ones spoke to them. Sometimes, hearing a voice alone was enough to bring them back.

           She looked over his medical chart, noting the notes scribbled in. Car accident during evacuation. She let out a breath, looking heavenward, before placing his chart back. Then she turned to look at the form on the bed.

            "Some New Year, don't you think?" Megumi asked. She bit her lip again, her hand reaching for his. She was never really good at talking like this. Megumi cleared her throat. "I'm not sure what happened, but it's over now…You're going to wake up and go about like you've always been…" She took a deep breath, releasing a shaking sigh. "I'm awful at this type of thing…"

            "Actually, I think you're doing pretty well," a voice came up.

            Megumi looked up to see a nurse with a clipboard in hand. "Oh…I…"

            "Are you family?" she asked.

            "No. Just…a very close friend…" Megumi admitted.

            The nurse nodded. "It says he has no family. Must be hard…but it's nice to see that he's got someone here who can talk to him…" She sighed. "I've been working here a long time…you might want to try talking about any memories you have, if you're stuck on what to talk about."

            "Thank you…"

            The nurse left and Megumi turned back to the bed, a wistful smile on her face.

            "She's wrong, you know. You do have a family. But some of them…probably don't realize what a great addition you'd be to their circle…"

~

            "Thanks, Rex," Misao said once he pulled over to her home.

            "No problem. I'll call you tomorrow."

            She leaned and gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving his car.

            "Good luck with your dad."

            "Thanks."

            Misao headed inside her home as her boyfriend pulled away from the driveway. She caught Aoshi on the kitchen counter, looking through what appeared to be her collection of photographs.

            "Aoshi…"

            "Did you have a good time?" he asked.

            "Yeah…" She settled in the stool next to him.

            "What is your friend's name again?"

            "Rex is my boyfriend," Misao admitted.

            At that, Aoshi stared at her for a few moments. "Well…a lot has happened then. Is…Rex your first boyfriend?"

            She nodded. "So…where's Jiya?"

            If he noticed her change in subject, he said nothing. "He had to buy some things for dinner."

            "Oh." Misao glanced over to see the photographs he was looking at.

            She had compiled many photographs into a single book – events like her hula performances, Okina's visits, girl hangout times with Kaoru and Megumi.

            "I don't remember any of this," he admitted.

            Several photographs included himself in the picture.

            "That's okay. The doctor said you'd remember in time."

            Misao moved away to get a drink of water.

            "Am I the same? Now?" he asked softly.

            Slowly, she turned to face him. For the first time, Aoshi's eyes held an uncertainty in them. Misao had never seen that in his eyes. Aoshi was always confident. He always had an air about him…one that no doubt won him the respect of his colleagues. She had to remember that during the times that he remembered, he was absorbed in work.

            "You're…different." She could still remember what he had been like back then. "A lot more…open now."

            He studied her quietly.

            "You're a better father now than before," she quickly added. At the flicker in his eyes, she continued, "I mean…you're not a workaholic…you and I go out and do stuff…you even left NIS so you could get out of the danger and spend more time with family. Do you remember…what happened on the Liberty?"

            He closed his eyes.

            "Well…" Misao swallowed. "After that…you were sent to Pearl Harbor. Somehow…you changed…you got so into your work…It felt that…I felt sometimes that I didn't even have a father anymore. So I…I learned how to take care of myself…I had friends drive me around…the Himuras took me in…"

            His eyes opened. "What happened to change my perspective?"

            She bit her lip, shaking her head. "I…I can't tell you. I've…already told you too much, and the doctor said not to say-"

            "I understand." Aoshi took a deep breath and got up, pacing near her. "You left this morning to go out, before I came back. Did you think I'd be the same way back then?"

            Her eyes flew to his. "What?"

            "There was a lot of tension between us back then…and if things are different now…" He looked as if he wanted to admit something, but having a difficult time doing so.

            Then it hit her. "You thought I went out to avoid you?" At his silence, she shook her head sharply. "No, no, that's not the reason I-"

            "Misao, I understand if-"

            Immediately, she hugged him, shaking her head. "No, no. That's not why I did it. I just missed my boyfriend, and I wasn't really sure what to do…I mean, you're not sick or anything, I just wanted to go about as usual, but maybe I can't do that, at least not right now. I…I'm sorry."

            His arms came around her in a returning hug. Maybe he couldn't remember the last time he had given her a hug. But she just knew that he'd remember everything in time.    

~

            At the hospital, on her third cup of green tea, Megumi flipped through the Oahu phone book in the waiting room. After stopping by home to get some materials for the weekend, she had spent a good hour in the waiting room looking through one phone book already.

            She felt so torn. She hadn't seen Aoshi since the previous night. Given the circumstances now…she wanted to see him, maybe see if he had remembered anything. But at the same time, she didn't want to leave Sano. Kaoru and Kenshin had come by and were also in the waiting room. They had offered their sympathies and well wishes for Aoshi. Apparently, Misao had told Kaoru what had happened. They sat quietly watching TV.

            "Found it!" Megumi declared.

            Kenshin looked up. "His stepmother?"

            "Yes." Megumi promptly dialed a number on her cell phone. She hoped that the woman would be willing to listen. "Hello…Sharon Higashidani…?" she paused. "Megumi Takani here…I'm a good friend of your stepson, Sanosuke…Yes…Well…that's why I'm calling…he…he's at Pearl Harbor Medical Center…yes…he…he's in a coma…All right…thank you…" She hung up.

            "Well?" Kaoru asked.

            "She and her father-in-law are on their way."

            "Megumi?" another voice spoke up.

            The three friends looked up to see three women standing in the doorway of the waiting room.

            Megumi rose to her feet, and the youngest woman of the three gave her a hug.

            "We came as soon as you called…" she said softly, her eyes filling.

            "I'm glad you're here, Lynne," Megumi spoke up with a wistful smile. "He needs the company." Her eyes went to the other two women. One she recognized from the manor, the other…

            "Auntie, you remember Megumi," Lynne spoke up. Then she gestured to the other woman who hung back. "Megumi…this is my mother. Mom…this is Megumi, one of Sano's closest friends."

            "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Roberts," Megumi said warmly. Then she gestured to her friends, "Kenshin and Kaoru Himura, they're also Sano's friends."

            Lynne crossed her arms, biting her lips nervously. "So…how is he?"

            "You can see for yourself…" Megumi gestured down the hallway. "Third room, close to the window."

~

            Lynne slowed her pace as her mother and aunt reached Sano's bedside. Her eyes closed tightly immediately after seeing her half-brother in bed.

            "Oh…my…goodness…" Naname gasped.

            Lynne could feel her emotions. It had been an exhausting, emotional day period. She recalled the discussion they had prior to their arrival in Oahu…

            Lynne hung up the phone, her fingers shaking.

            "Those photographs you wanted are…" Naname walked into the room, immediately noticing her daughter's mood. "Lynne?"

            But she kept staring at one point.

            "Lynne? What's wrong?"

            She didn't answer.

            Naname grabbed Lynne by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Lynne, what's wrong with you?"

            "Sanosuke."

            Naname froze. "What?"

            Lynne snapped out of her trance, gripping her mother's hand.

            "Lynne! What-?"

            "Mom…it's Sanosuke. He's in the hospital…he's in a coma…"

            "What? What are you talking about?"

            "We have to go to Pearl Harbor," Lynne insisted.

            "Lynne-"

            "Mom. Listen to me," Lynne seized her mother's hands. "We are going to Pearl Harbor."

            Naname shook her head in disbelief. "Now, Lynne, why-?"

            "Mom! Your son may be dying! Why are-?"

            "Why are you two raising your voices?" Miya demanded from the doorway.

            At that, Lynne began pulling her mother along.

            "Lynne! Let go!"

            "We're going to Pearl Harbor to see Sanosuke."

            Miya's eyes narrowed. "Lynne, your mother made it clear that-"

            "He's in a coma!" Lynne announced, her eyes filling with frustration. "Why can't you understand that? This isn't some trick! I wouldn't receive a phone call like that unless it was serious!" Her mother and aunt said nothing. As if…they didn't care. "He's your son," she told her mom. "No matter what happened between you and his dad…he can't be blamed for that. And I know you're scared of being disappointed, but…" she bit her lip, "how can you just stand there…knowing that he's…" She couldn't even go on. So she immediately headed to the hallway to retrieve her purse.

            "Lynne."

            She looked up.

            Her mother swallowed. "I know…that my point of view regarding him…doesn't make much sense to you…but…I…I've just been so afraid…I…had put that part of my life away, but…" She cleared her throat. "I…I'm going with you." 

            Lynne closed her eyes. She would have preferred her mother accepting Sanosuke as her son under different circumstances, but at the moment, she was grateful that she was there.

~

            Sharon Higashidani glanced at her father-in-law, who stared out the window as she drove from their home.

            She hadn't known what to think when the young woman called telling her that Sanosuke was in the hospital. She doubted it was a prank. The woman's tone had a serious edge to it, but it was also very controlled.

            "Thank you for coming," she said quietly.

            Her father-in-law looked back at her with weary eyes.

            "My son would have wanted me to be there."

            Sharon bit her lip. Obviously, he wasn't ready to accept Sanosuke just yet. He might be willing to own up to his mistakes. But twenty-something odd years was a long time, and he had a lot to make up for.

            Sweetheart, is this what it will take for your father to accept your son? Knowing that you would be angry if he left him in the hospital without so much as a single visit? 

~

            Aoshi stood in the shower, leaning one hand on the tiled wall as hot water coursed down his body. After feeling restless shortly after a light dinner, he had gone for a run.

            Whispers had been in his brain, elusive memories of the past three years. He couldn't remember anything. It had bothered him. However, the exercise had cleared his head. How long it would, he wasn't sure.

            When he began to soap himself, he noticed three scars on his torso. Small, circular scars that seemed to have been received not too long ago…

            Suddenly, a tearful voice echoed in his head. "I…I'm trying to be strong…but…I…I'm not…I…How can I when you're not here…? I need you so much...I can't do all of this alone…You're alive, I know you are. You have to be…You…Oh…Aoshi…I'm…I'm so sorry for…for everything…Please…Please don't go…"

            Misao. Misao's voice.

            Then nothing. No more voices. No more memories.

            He quickly rinsed off and grabbed a towel to dry off. When he opened the door of his bathroom, another voice called out…

            "Sir? Sir, can you hear me?"

            His chest felt tight and a woman's face flashed in his mind…Her green eyes holding an edge of panic.

            "What's happening?" his own voice asked in his mind.

            "Everything's going to be okay…" she assured.

            Aoshi gripped the doorframe, breathing rapidly. The memory was gone. He brought a hand up to his chest, cringing at the pain he felt inside. Aoshi closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing. What…What had happened to him? Why…was Misao crying? And who was that woman?

~

~

A/N: I apologize if it seems off. Aoshi's very confused, but at the same time, trying to go about as normal. He isn't the same man he was back then, and even he knows that, so I'm having trouble depicting that. I'll get the hang of it eventually.

I'm finding all the drama is making my head spin. Sano's family on BOTH sides, Sano's condition, Aoshi/Misao, Aoshi's memories…and I haven't even touched Aoshi/Megumi yet. And with all this stuff going on, I guess I'm going to be writing longer chapters…I generally don't like to write anything over 30 chapters. =P

And eriesalia, I am still playing with the idea you gave me. You KNOW which one. =P