"Smile, Asuka-chan."
The redhead turned slightly to the left and looked directly at the lens as she smiled. Hazuki-san pressed the button and bathed Asuka in a dazzling flash of white.
Today was a special day for both of them, for Asuka was finally leaving the hospital to go home with Misato. Hazuki-san had finished all her paperwork, then presented her with a small bundle. Inside were two things: the old blue-green dress she had worn upon arriving, now clean and devoid of tears, along with a new summer dress of light pink with little strawberries scattered across the soft cotton.
It was in this dress that Asuka was posing now, in the garden outside, as a memoir for her nurse.
The day had been special to start with. She had woken up early, had brushed her own hair and teeth—a big achievement for her—and eaten breakfast in the cafeteria with Hazuki-san (oranges, as usual, and cereal). Now that her mini photo shoot was done, they headed back into the lobby. Misato was due any minute.
Hazuki-san headed off to quickly check up on a few patients, promising to return quickly. Asuka nodded and settled herself on a chair, balancing both arms evenly on the black leather armrests. She clicked her heels on the smooth tiled floor, then held both legs up straight in front of her so that she could inspect her shoes. They were clean and the buckles were shiny. She returned her feet to the floor and her gaze to the door.
The two sides split open neatly as a young woman about her age appeared, leading a little boy by the hand. The child was whimpering and cowering against his mother's legs. Exasperated, the mother reached down and pulled the boy up into her arms.
Interested, Asuka kept watching them as they stopped by the front desk, and then came over to sit by her. The mother sat down a few seats down and immediately closed her eyes, but the boy slowly overcame his initial fear and came over to plop himself down on the seat beside Asuka.
Asuka was suddenly not sure what to do or say, but he fixed that problem for her.
"Hi!" His face burst into a wide smile.
"Hi," Asuka said quietly. Encouraged, the boy moved closer, and reached for the package containing her old clothes. Instinctively the redhead moved it away.
"What's that?" He stood on tiptoe, using one hand to balance himself while pointing with the other.
"Kiyoshi, don't bother the nice lady," his mother called.
He paid no attention, and placed one hand on Asuka's knee as he attempted to reach for the package. Worried now, Asuka raised it high, out of his reach, and slid as far away as the narrow seat would allow her.
"Asuka."
The tall purple-haired woman felt an instinct to laugh at Asuka's situation, as well as the expression of surprise she wore, but didn't as she deftly took the package from her outstretched hand. "Come on, let's go."
Asuka stood up and darted away from the child, who sat down and promptly started to cry. She glanced at him hesitantly, but the mother got up and removed him from her sight.
"Asuka." The redhead turned to face Misato, standing nearly ten paces ahead of her. "Are you ready?"
"Hazuki-san said she'd be here."
Misato put two and two together and remembered the nurse. Asuka lingered just a moment more, sensing Misato's impatience to leave.
"Let's go."
The twin glass doors split open to let them pass, then shut again behind them. Misato handed the package back to Asuka and transferred both hands to the handle of her purse. Halfway down the stairs, Misato pulled out a tiny remote and pressed a button on it. Somewhere in the distance a beep sounded, followed by a click.
She opened the door to the passenger's seat, but the girl was motionless, her gaze fixed on the large white building from which they had just emerged.
I'm going home.
"Asuka."
Asuka ducked her head as she crept into the car. Misato slammed the door and got into her seat, then fastened her seatbelt. She stamped on the accelerator and the car shot forward. Next to her, Asuka let out a shriek as she was thrown against the glove compartment. The car thudded to a stop as Misato transferred her foot to the brake.
"Where's your seat belt?" Misato asked, frowning as she looked at the loosely hanging strap by the side of Asuka's seat. When the redhead was settled again, Misato reached across the car to grab the belt and buckle it in.
"Thanks," Asuka said meekly.
By the end of the violent ride, Asuka had been submitted to every kind of turn and stop possible. Misato slammed on her brakes only twelve feet away from the parking space, and the car rotated around to barely fit between the white lines as it came to a stop.
Misato got out and went to help Asuka out, but to her surprise the redhead was already standing on the asphalt when she got there.
"Is this where you live?" She gestured to the woods in front of her.
"No. We'll take a shortcut."
Some twenty minutes later a small wooden house emerged in front of them, surrounded by a fence of sparsely placed wooden poles. Asuka followed Misato up to the front door and inside the house.
"Well, welcome home." Misato kicked her shoes off and left them where they landed, approximately ten feet from the door. "You can take a look around if you want. I'll make some lunch."
Following Misato's example, Asuka took her shoes off and followed her into the kitchen. Misato was boiling water and taking things out of the refrigerator. Asuka looked around, noticing how bare it was—as well as the lack of beer. Even her windows were curtainless and the sun shone in directly through the panes of glass. Immediately beside the kitchen was a small room with a centered wooden table only a foot above the ground. It looked relatively new compared to the rest of the furniture; had Misato bought it for her homecoming? Asuka placed her package on it and wandered to the rest of the house.
It was a one-story structure, with only four or five rooms as far as Asuka could see. On the other side of the kitchen was a slightly larger room with two straw mats spread upon the floor and two worn and faded blankets spread upon them. This must be Misato's bedroom, and the other cot must be for her. There was little else in the sparsely furnished room, save for a mirror tacked onto the wall above one cot and an old dresser under it. Asuka came in a little farther and saw that there was a closet too; inside she found various pieces of feminine clothing. Hidden in the back, however, was a stash of old clothing, none of which was folded very neatly—all distinctly male. Asuka pulled out the first article of clothing she could see and held it up.
It was a man's jacket, dark blue with a triangular pocket in the upper left quadrant.
It seemed oddly familiar to her, and Asuka held it close to her chest for a minute, inhaling the deep scent of someone who hadn't touched it in years. Hearing Misato's footsteps, Asuka folded it roughly, shoved it back into the closet, and reappeared just as Misato poked her head in.
"Asuka, lunch is ready."
= = = = = = =
Asuka was seated opposing Misato at the square table, her legs neatly crossed. In her hand she held a bowl of soup and noodles; on the table in front of her was a basket of bread. She was hesitant to eat at first, tearing her bread into small pieces and taking time to chew each, but Misato's warm familiarity enveloped her quickly, and she began to eat at a similar pace.
Misato sat her bowl down with a clunk and waited to Asuka to finish. "Hey, Asuka, is there anything I can show you later?"
Asuka put her soup down. "Are those watermelons in the backyard?"
"Yes, they're just about ripe. We can go out and pick one if you'd like."
Asuka nodded in agreement. Hazuki-san had once brought her a whole watermelon and sliced it then and there, in front of her bed. She had been excited to see and taste the frosty red flesh of the fruit. But never had she seen watermelons scattered in a field before...
She finished her soup and hurried to the door to put on her shoes as Misato cleared the table and stacked the bowls on top of some previously used unwashed utensils.
Asuka opened the door and went outside, marveling at the vastness of the world in front of her. In the last few weeks she'd known only her bedroom, the hallway that led to her room, and the garden outside, which now seemed tiny. She'd never imagined such great forests with trees that seemed to reach to the sky. The sky over the hospital had been blemished with the tops of skyscrapers and only patches of blue and white fluffy cloud peeked through.
She was still gazing off into the distance when Misato appeared a moment later and led her around the house to the back. The watermelon patch seemed even larger than it had appeared through the window.
Asuka asked, "How do you pick watermelons?"
Misato laughed and got down on one knee. "Well, I like to hit them like this," she said, demonstrating. "If it sounds hollow, then it's right for picking."
Asuka got down beside Misato and patted a watermelon tentatively, half expecting it to explode. Nothing happened. She landed a hard thump and a hollow, drum-like sound came from the fruit.
Misato broke the vine and Asuka lifted it, finding it surprisingly heavy. Slices of watermelon weighed so much less, she mused, than a big lump of watermelon.
"Misato-san!"
Misato and Asuka, halfway around the house by now, turned around abruptly. The watermelon bounced out of Asuka's hands and landed back in the dirt. A group of children ran over, jumping skillfully over unripe watermelons as they did.
"Misato-san!"
Despite the smile on Misato's face, they all stopped short about ten feet from her. None threw themselves into her arms. Their smiles faded into a puzzled expression as five pairs of eyes swiveled to settle on Asuka's face. The redhead suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
"This is Sorhyu Asuka Langley," Misato said smoothly, "one of my old friends."
One by one they introduced themselves, and slowly Asuka began to feel less intimidated. Misato went inside to get a knife and plates, and Asuka chided herself for feeling scared of them. After all, they were just children, and how old was she?
I don't know, she reminded herself irritably. Much older than them though.
With surprisingly strong arms, the children arranged some large watermelons into a ring without breaking their vines. Each was now sitting on a watermelon, and the oldest of the children pointed to the biggest oblong- shaped fruit.
"That's for you," he told Asuka.
So by the time Misato returned, Asuka and her new friends were each seated on a watermelon and making small talk. The girls were mainly interested in her hair and wanted to know why it was that shade of copper-red, which Asuka couldn't explain. The boys were more interested in telling her about how they came over to eat watermelons every day.
"I caught fifteen fireflies here yesterday," one of them announced proudly.
"I hope you all haven't been bothering Asuka," Misato said sternly, as she passed out plates. "She's had a long day."
"When can we pick out a watermelon?" one of the younger girls asked.
"Asuka's already picked one out," Misato announced, and turned around to get it. A minute later she lowered the large fruit in the center of their ring, and all the kids cheered.
"This is the best part," one of the girls confided to Asuka.
Before Asuka had time to ask, Misato lifted her knife high in the air and sunk it down into the watermelon. The striped rind split with a resounding crack, and all the children cheered. Misato cut slices and passed them out. The boys dug eagerly into their slices, but the girls politely waited, something that they evidently didn't always do, since one of the boys questioned it through a mouthful of watermelon.
"Asuka-san is a guest," the oldest girl replied primly, "and you should wait for her to eat first."
The boys nodded solemnly and all stopped, except for one who turned his head to spit out seeds.
Asuka held a slice of the slippery fruit in her hand and bit off the top triangle. The sweet juice rolled into all the corners of her mouth and the children cheered again as she swallowed; then all ate heartily.
"How long will you be staying with Misato-san?"
Asuka was suddenly at a loss for words. "I... I don't know."
"She will be here as long as she wants to," Misato said, grinning, "and you'd better get used to it."
"I like Asuka-san!" defended the little girl indignantly, and placed her head against Asuka's arm. "Asuka-san, I hope you stay here forever and ever."
Asuka and Misato traded smiles.
= = = = = = =
All ready for bed, Asuka sat on her straw mat, with her blanket drawn over her knees and up to her chest as she listened to the sounds of water running from the bathroom.
She reviewed the events of the day in her head. Getting ready by herself. Eating breakfast with Hazuki-san. Receiving Hazuki-san's present. Hazuki- san taking pictures of her. Going home with Misato.
Home, Asuka thought to herself. I have a home now.
And I can stay here as long as I want. Misato-san said so.
The door slid open and Misato, dressed for sleep, stepped inside. She got into her cot and shut off the lights.
"Good night, Asuka."
"Good night, Misato-san."
But long after Misato's snores penetrated the darkness, Asuka was still awake.
= = = = = = =
She had put off clearing Asuka-chan's room as long as she could without being scolded by her supervisor. She knew she would miss the girl, and wanted to leave the room like it had been while she lived there was as long as she could. Part of her wanted to believe that the next morning Asuka- chan would be sitting in her bed, as she had been for the last several weeks.
But nine o'clock had come, as she had known it would, and with a sense of dread Hazuki-san pushed open the door and entered, first clearing away the tray of uneaten fruit. That left her with nothing to do but to make the bed and change the sheets. Hazuki-san returned to the hallway and pulled in the cart she had brought along. She paid little attention to what she was doing as she tossed sheets, pillows, and blankets into the cart.
A small colorful object tumbled out from the pillowcase. Hazuki-san caught it before it reached the depths of the hospital cart and recognized it as the notebook she had given Asuka-chan. She flipped it open and inspected its contents.
Each page contained the same sketch, although a definite trend towards clarity showed throughout the book. Hazuki-san's furrowed in confusion as she studied the monster her favorite patient had drawn. There was no doubt about it; despite the arms and legs this was definitely not meant to be a human. Even the eyes sent a shiver down her spine.
Hazuki-san tucked the notebook into the pocket of her hospital gown and continued with her cleaning. Perhaps someday she could get it to Asuka- chan. Then, with a sinking feeling, she remembered that the guilt and regret of missing Asuka-chan's leaving the hospital that morning. She didn't even know where that purple-haired woman lived.
Hazuki-san threw everything into one heap upon the cart and pushed it out, shutting off the lights and closing the door behind her.
Author's Note: Well, there's Chapter 5, and we finally see Asuka out of the hospital. Now, I have a trivia question for you all... from what anime did I get the name of Asuka's nurse's name?
Thanks for reading...as usual, drop me a review!
The redhead turned slightly to the left and looked directly at the lens as she smiled. Hazuki-san pressed the button and bathed Asuka in a dazzling flash of white.
Today was a special day for both of them, for Asuka was finally leaving the hospital to go home with Misato. Hazuki-san had finished all her paperwork, then presented her with a small bundle. Inside were two things: the old blue-green dress she had worn upon arriving, now clean and devoid of tears, along with a new summer dress of light pink with little strawberries scattered across the soft cotton.
It was in this dress that Asuka was posing now, in the garden outside, as a memoir for her nurse.
The day had been special to start with. She had woken up early, had brushed her own hair and teeth—a big achievement for her—and eaten breakfast in the cafeteria with Hazuki-san (oranges, as usual, and cereal). Now that her mini photo shoot was done, they headed back into the lobby. Misato was due any minute.
Hazuki-san headed off to quickly check up on a few patients, promising to return quickly. Asuka nodded and settled herself on a chair, balancing both arms evenly on the black leather armrests. She clicked her heels on the smooth tiled floor, then held both legs up straight in front of her so that she could inspect her shoes. They were clean and the buckles were shiny. She returned her feet to the floor and her gaze to the door.
The two sides split open neatly as a young woman about her age appeared, leading a little boy by the hand. The child was whimpering and cowering against his mother's legs. Exasperated, the mother reached down and pulled the boy up into her arms.
Interested, Asuka kept watching them as they stopped by the front desk, and then came over to sit by her. The mother sat down a few seats down and immediately closed her eyes, but the boy slowly overcame his initial fear and came over to plop himself down on the seat beside Asuka.
Asuka was suddenly not sure what to do or say, but he fixed that problem for her.
"Hi!" His face burst into a wide smile.
"Hi," Asuka said quietly. Encouraged, the boy moved closer, and reached for the package containing her old clothes. Instinctively the redhead moved it away.
"What's that?" He stood on tiptoe, using one hand to balance himself while pointing with the other.
"Kiyoshi, don't bother the nice lady," his mother called.
He paid no attention, and placed one hand on Asuka's knee as he attempted to reach for the package. Worried now, Asuka raised it high, out of his reach, and slid as far away as the narrow seat would allow her.
"Asuka."
The tall purple-haired woman felt an instinct to laugh at Asuka's situation, as well as the expression of surprise she wore, but didn't as she deftly took the package from her outstretched hand. "Come on, let's go."
Asuka stood up and darted away from the child, who sat down and promptly started to cry. She glanced at him hesitantly, but the mother got up and removed him from her sight.
"Asuka." The redhead turned to face Misato, standing nearly ten paces ahead of her. "Are you ready?"
"Hazuki-san said she'd be here."
Misato put two and two together and remembered the nurse. Asuka lingered just a moment more, sensing Misato's impatience to leave.
"Let's go."
The twin glass doors split open to let them pass, then shut again behind them. Misato handed the package back to Asuka and transferred both hands to the handle of her purse. Halfway down the stairs, Misato pulled out a tiny remote and pressed a button on it. Somewhere in the distance a beep sounded, followed by a click.
She opened the door to the passenger's seat, but the girl was motionless, her gaze fixed on the large white building from which they had just emerged.
I'm going home.
"Asuka."
Asuka ducked her head as she crept into the car. Misato slammed the door and got into her seat, then fastened her seatbelt. She stamped on the accelerator and the car shot forward. Next to her, Asuka let out a shriek as she was thrown against the glove compartment. The car thudded to a stop as Misato transferred her foot to the brake.
"Where's your seat belt?" Misato asked, frowning as she looked at the loosely hanging strap by the side of Asuka's seat. When the redhead was settled again, Misato reached across the car to grab the belt and buckle it in.
"Thanks," Asuka said meekly.
By the end of the violent ride, Asuka had been submitted to every kind of turn and stop possible. Misato slammed on her brakes only twelve feet away from the parking space, and the car rotated around to barely fit between the white lines as it came to a stop.
Misato got out and went to help Asuka out, but to her surprise the redhead was already standing on the asphalt when she got there.
"Is this where you live?" She gestured to the woods in front of her.
"No. We'll take a shortcut."
Some twenty minutes later a small wooden house emerged in front of them, surrounded by a fence of sparsely placed wooden poles. Asuka followed Misato up to the front door and inside the house.
"Well, welcome home." Misato kicked her shoes off and left them where they landed, approximately ten feet from the door. "You can take a look around if you want. I'll make some lunch."
Following Misato's example, Asuka took her shoes off and followed her into the kitchen. Misato was boiling water and taking things out of the refrigerator. Asuka looked around, noticing how bare it was—as well as the lack of beer. Even her windows were curtainless and the sun shone in directly through the panes of glass. Immediately beside the kitchen was a small room with a centered wooden table only a foot above the ground. It looked relatively new compared to the rest of the furniture; had Misato bought it for her homecoming? Asuka placed her package on it and wandered to the rest of the house.
It was a one-story structure, with only four or five rooms as far as Asuka could see. On the other side of the kitchen was a slightly larger room with two straw mats spread upon the floor and two worn and faded blankets spread upon them. This must be Misato's bedroom, and the other cot must be for her. There was little else in the sparsely furnished room, save for a mirror tacked onto the wall above one cot and an old dresser under it. Asuka came in a little farther and saw that there was a closet too; inside she found various pieces of feminine clothing. Hidden in the back, however, was a stash of old clothing, none of which was folded very neatly—all distinctly male. Asuka pulled out the first article of clothing she could see and held it up.
It was a man's jacket, dark blue with a triangular pocket in the upper left quadrant.
It seemed oddly familiar to her, and Asuka held it close to her chest for a minute, inhaling the deep scent of someone who hadn't touched it in years. Hearing Misato's footsteps, Asuka folded it roughly, shoved it back into the closet, and reappeared just as Misato poked her head in.
"Asuka, lunch is ready."
= = = = = = =
Asuka was seated opposing Misato at the square table, her legs neatly crossed. In her hand she held a bowl of soup and noodles; on the table in front of her was a basket of bread. She was hesitant to eat at first, tearing her bread into small pieces and taking time to chew each, but Misato's warm familiarity enveloped her quickly, and she began to eat at a similar pace.
Misato sat her bowl down with a clunk and waited to Asuka to finish. "Hey, Asuka, is there anything I can show you later?"
Asuka put her soup down. "Are those watermelons in the backyard?"
"Yes, they're just about ripe. We can go out and pick one if you'd like."
Asuka nodded in agreement. Hazuki-san had once brought her a whole watermelon and sliced it then and there, in front of her bed. She had been excited to see and taste the frosty red flesh of the fruit. But never had she seen watermelons scattered in a field before...
She finished her soup and hurried to the door to put on her shoes as Misato cleared the table and stacked the bowls on top of some previously used unwashed utensils.
Asuka opened the door and went outside, marveling at the vastness of the world in front of her. In the last few weeks she'd known only her bedroom, the hallway that led to her room, and the garden outside, which now seemed tiny. She'd never imagined such great forests with trees that seemed to reach to the sky. The sky over the hospital had been blemished with the tops of skyscrapers and only patches of blue and white fluffy cloud peeked through.
She was still gazing off into the distance when Misato appeared a moment later and led her around the house to the back. The watermelon patch seemed even larger than it had appeared through the window.
Asuka asked, "How do you pick watermelons?"
Misato laughed and got down on one knee. "Well, I like to hit them like this," she said, demonstrating. "If it sounds hollow, then it's right for picking."
Asuka got down beside Misato and patted a watermelon tentatively, half expecting it to explode. Nothing happened. She landed a hard thump and a hollow, drum-like sound came from the fruit.
Misato broke the vine and Asuka lifted it, finding it surprisingly heavy. Slices of watermelon weighed so much less, she mused, than a big lump of watermelon.
"Misato-san!"
Misato and Asuka, halfway around the house by now, turned around abruptly. The watermelon bounced out of Asuka's hands and landed back in the dirt. A group of children ran over, jumping skillfully over unripe watermelons as they did.
"Misato-san!"
Despite the smile on Misato's face, they all stopped short about ten feet from her. None threw themselves into her arms. Their smiles faded into a puzzled expression as five pairs of eyes swiveled to settle on Asuka's face. The redhead suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
"This is Sorhyu Asuka Langley," Misato said smoothly, "one of my old friends."
One by one they introduced themselves, and slowly Asuka began to feel less intimidated. Misato went inside to get a knife and plates, and Asuka chided herself for feeling scared of them. After all, they were just children, and how old was she?
I don't know, she reminded herself irritably. Much older than them though.
With surprisingly strong arms, the children arranged some large watermelons into a ring without breaking their vines. Each was now sitting on a watermelon, and the oldest of the children pointed to the biggest oblong- shaped fruit.
"That's for you," he told Asuka.
So by the time Misato returned, Asuka and her new friends were each seated on a watermelon and making small talk. The girls were mainly interested in her hair and wanted to know why it was that shade of copper-red, which Asuka couldn't explain. The boys were more interested in telling her about how they came over to eat watermelons every day.
"I caught fifteen fireflies here yesterday," one of them announced proudly.
"I hope you all haven't been bothering Asuka," Misato said sternly, as she passed out plates. "She's had a long day."
"When can we pick out a watermelon?" one of the younger girls asked.
"Asuka's already picked one out," Misato announced, and turned around to get it. A minute later she lowered the large fruit in the center of their ring, and all the kids cheered.
"This is the best part," one of the girls confided to Asuka.
Before Asuka had time to ask, Misato lifted her knife high in the air and sunk it down into the watermelon. The striped rind split with a resounding crack, and all the children cheered. Misato cut slices and passed them out. The boys dug eagerly into their slices, but the girls politely waited, something that they evidently didn't always do, since one of the boys questioned it through a mouthful of watermelon.
"Asuka-san is a guest," the oldest girl replied primly, "and you should wait for her to eat first."
The boys nodded solemnly and all stopped, except for one who turned his head to spit out seeds.
Asuka held a slice of the slippery fruit in her hand and bit off the top triangle. The sweet juice rolled into all the corners of her mouth and the children cheered again as she swallowed; then all ate heartily.
"How long will you be staying with Misato-san?"
Asuka was suddenly at a loss for words. "I... I don't know."
"She will be here as long as she wants to," Misato said, grinning, "and you'd better get used to it."
"I like Asuka-san!" defended the little girl indignantly, and placed her head against Asuka's arm. "Asuka-san, I hope you stay here forever and ever."
Asuka and Misato traded smiles.
= = = = = = =
All ready for bed, Asuka sat on her straw mat, with her blanket drawn over her knees and up to her chest as she listened to the sounds of water running from the bathroom.
She reviewed the events of the day in her head. Getting ready by herself. Eating breakfast with Hazuki-san. Receiving Hazuki-san's present. Hazuki- san taking pictures of her. Going home with Misato.
Home, Asuka thought to herself. I have a home now.
And I can stay here as long as I want. Misato-san said so.
The door slid open and Misato, dressed for sleep, stepped inside. She got into her cot and shut off the lights.
"Good night, Asuka."
"Good night, Misato-san."
But long after Misato's snores penetrated the darkness, Asuka was still awake.
= = = = = = =
She had put off clearing Asuka-chan's room as long as she could without being scolded by her supervisor. She knew she would miss the girl, and wanted to leave the room like it had been while she lived there was as long as she could. Part of her wanted to believe that the next morning Asuka- chan would be sitting in her bed, as she had been for the last several weeks.
But nine o'clock had come, as she had known it would, and with a sense of dread Hazuki-san pushed open the door and entered, first clearing away the tray of uneaten fruit. That left her with nothing to do but to make the bed and change the sheets. Hazuki-san returned to the hallway and pulled in the cart she had brought along. She paid little attention to what she was doing as she tossed sheets, pillows, and blankets into the cart.
A small colorful object tumbled out from the pillowcase. Hazuki-san caught it before it reached the depths of the hospital cart and recognized it as the notebook she had given Asuka-chan. She flipped it open and inspected its contents.
Each page contained the same sketch, although a definite trend towards clarity showed throughout the book. Hazuki-san's furrowed in confusion as she studied the monster her favorite patient had drawn. There was no doubt about it; despite the arms and legs this was definitely not meant to be a human. Even the eyes sent a shiver down her spine.
Hazuki-san tucked the notebook into the pocket of her hospital gown and continued with her cleaning. Perhaps someday she could get it to Asuka- chan. Then, with a sinking feeling, she remembered that the guilt and regret of missing Asuka-chan's leaving the hospital that morning. She didn't even know where that purple-haired woman lived.
Hazuki-san threw everything into one heap upon the cart and pushed it out, shutting off the lights and closing the door behind her.
Author's Note: Well, there's Chapter 5, and we finally see Asuka out of the hospital. Now, I have a trivia question for you all... from what anime did I get the name of Asuka's nurse's name?
Thanks for reading...as usual, drop me a review!